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2
Month In Month 2 of our challenge,
you’ll make even more gains
in size, strength and definition
By Joe Wuebben | PHOTOS BY pavel ythjall

Rock
Program by Jimmy Peña, MS, CSCS

Hard Photogra pher’ s Name

110 mrolympia.com 111

You should have just about four weeks of the
Rock-Hard Challenge under your belt by now.
Month 1 has begun to elicit some positive changes in your physique,
and now it’s time to build on those improvements with some program
upgrades. Fortunately, these next four weeks won’t be drastically
different from the first four, so your basic schedule won’t change
much. That said, you’ll increase the number of sets you do, train
more intensely and do more cardio. That’ll help you make even
more improvements to your physique this month, and we’re here to
guide you along that path, via both the magazine you hold in your
hands and the Rock-Hard Challenge DVD and Training Log you
can purchase at musclestuff.com. Keep up the good work.
>> Begin with the back of your upper arm flush against the pad of either
Rock-Hard A B
a preacher bench or the top of an incline bench and your elbow bent.
Breakdown >> ABOVE Sit in the middle of a flat bench and grasp a bar- >> BELOW Position yourself in the machine so
Extend your working arm to slowly lower the dumbbell. Just before
reaching full extension, curl the weight back up, keeping your upper arm
Your training split in Month 2 will be bell with an underhand grip, hands about 6 inches apart. your back is flat against the pad and grasp the

against the pad. Repeat for reps, then switch arms.

the same as it was in Month 1, lifting Bend over at the waist and place the backs of your fore- handles for stability. Push the weight away from
four days a week, as follows: Day 1, arms on the bench with your hands and wrists extended you, then slide your feet to the bottom of the plat-
chest and triceps; Day 2, legs, abs and over the edge. Keeping your arms stationary, flex your form so your heels hang off. Flex your ankles to
calves; Day 3, shoulders, abs and calves; wrists as far as possible to lift the bar toward your upper stretch your calves, then press on the platform
arms using a short range of motion. with your toes. Squeeze at the top, then return.
and Day 4, back and biceps. But as far
as other training variables are con-
cerned, we’ve switched things up
A B

apparel: (on h im) shor ts by asic s, shoes by nike; ( on her) top by champion, shorts & shoes by nike
enough to keep your body guessing

Gym: Powerhouse Burbank, CA ; hair & makeu p: gillian whitlock; fashion director: cindy whitehead
without overcomplicating the pro-
gram. Here’s a rundown of what has
changed in Month 2:
>> Exercise Selection The Rock-
Hard program’s emphasis will still be
on basic compound exercises that hit
the most muscle and burn the most
calories, but for the sake of variety and
promoting a well-rounded program,
we’ve introduced some new move-
ments. For example, Day 1 in Month 1
centered around barbell presses for
chest, but in Month 2 you’ll do all
dumbbell moves (flat bench, incline
and decline). This will help eliminate
any imbalances in one side or the other,
and you’ll find you can get a better
stretch on each rep. In all, 14 new exer-
cises are introduced in Month 2.
>> Sets, Reps and Weights Volume
will increase in Month 2 only slightly,
which shouldn’t surprise you, seeing
as how it was pretty high to begin with.
Workloads in Month 1 ranged from
(Continued on page 118)

112 MUSCLE & FITNESS July 2008 muscle-fitness.com 113

 >> ABOVE Lie facedown on the bench and stabilize
yourself by grasping the handles. Start with your
legs straight and the weight lifted a few inches off
the stack. Flex your knees to curl your lower legs.
When the pad reaches your glutes, squeeze your
hamstrings for a count, then slowly lower to the
start position.
>> BELOW Stand facing a cable stack and take
a shoulder-width grip either on a straight-bar
attachment or with two handles. Begin with your
arms extended (but not locked) out in front of you
and parallel to the floor. Contract your lats while
keeping your arms straight to pull your hands
down to your thighs.

A B

114 MUSCLE & FITNESS July 2008

 Rock
2
>> You’ll repeat the follow-
Month
ing routines each week for
the next four weeks, lifting

Hard
on whichever four days of
the week you choose.
While it would seem the
workouts are the same
Challenge from week to week, if

Training
you’re pushing yourself,
you should be able to use

Program
heavier weights on many
exercises each week.

Day 1: Chest, triceps

Exercise Sets Reps
Chest
Incline Dumbbell Press 6 5,5,5,12,12,15
Dumbbell Press 5 5,5,5,12,15
Decline Dumbbell Press 5 5,5,5,12,15
Decline Flye 2 15
Triceps
Close-Grip Bench Press 5 5,5,12,15,15
Bench Dip 5 5,5,12,15,15
Seated Overhead 5 5,5,12,15,15
Dumbbell Extension

Day 2: Legs, abs, calves >> Stand holding a barbell with

a shoulder-width, overhand grip.
Exercise Sets Reps
Legs Bend at the waist so your torso
Squat 6 5,5,5,12,15,15 is between 45 degrees and par-
Leg Press 5 5,5,12,15,15 allel to the floor. Start with your
A Romanian Deadlift 5 5,5,12,15,15 arms extended, then pull the bar
Leg Extension 2 15 up, squeezing your shoulder
>> Position yourself as you would on the bench Lying Leg Curl 2 15 blades together at the top.
press, but grasp the bar (loaded with a lighter Abs
weight) with your hands 6–12 inches apart. Weighted Crunch 2 20
Lower the bar to your mid-to-lower chest, Double Crunch 2 20 >> Lie faceup on the floor with your knees
then press it back up explosively, keeping your Calves bent, feet on the floor and your hands
elbows as close to your sides as possible. Calf Raise 2 15 placed lightly behind your head. Contract
Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise 2 12 your abs to do a crunch with your upper
B body while simultaneously lifting your

Day 3: Shoulders, abs, calves feet off the floor so that your elbows and
knees meet over your midsection.
Exercise Sets Reps
sHOULDERS
Upright Row 7 5,5,5,12,15,15,15
Smith Machine Overhead Press 5 5,5,12,12,15
Seated Lateral Raise 4 5,5,12,15
Bent-Over Lateral Raise 2 12
Abs
Weighted Crunch 2 20
Double Crunch 2 20
Calves
Calf Raise 2 15
Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise 2 12

Day 4: Back, biceps/forearms

Exercise Sets Reps
Back
Bent-Over Row 5 5,5,12,12,15
Lat Pulldown 3 5,5,15
Seated Row 5 5,5,12,12,15
Straight-Arm Pulldown 2 15
Barbell Shrug 5 5,5,12,12,15
Biceps/FOREARMS
Standing Dumbbell Curl 5 5,5,12,15,15
Hammer Curl 4 5,5,15,15
Dumbbell Preacher Curl 5 5,5,12,15,15

116 MUSCLE & FITNESS Month 2008 Wrist Curl 2 15 mrolympia.com 117
CARDIO
Weeks 1 & 2
>> 4 days per week (either after lifting or on days you don’t lift) 13–17 total sets for large muscle groups;
>> 45 minutes on your choice of cardio equipment this month it will range from 18–20.
>> Perform at a steady state of 70% of maximum heart rate Rep ranges are also a bit different in
Weeks 3 & 4 Month 2, but again, only subtly. Your
>> 5 days per week (either after lifting or on days you don’t lift) reps will be as low as five and as high
>> 45 minutes on your choice of cardio equipment as 15 (except for abs, where you’ll reach
>> Perform at a steady state of 70% of maximum heart rate 20 reps); in Month 1, the range was
6–12. The philosophy is the same —
combine heavy and light training to
build muscle and burn fat — but the
range will be slightly broader.

Month 2
steps up the
intensity — and
the results
>> Rest Periods Although volume
increases and you’ll go heavier on some
sets compared to Month 1, rest periods
will shrink from the 1–2 minutes they
were in the first four weeks to one min-
ute between all sets in the next four
weeks. Taking shorter rest periods will
increase the intensity of your work-
outs and keep your heart rate elevated
for better fat-burning potential.
>> Cardio By the end of Month 1, you
A were doing four days a week of cardio
>> Grasp a pair of dumbbells and bend over at the waist so your torso is
for 45 minutes per session. You’ll stay at
nearly parallel to the floor. Let your arms hang straight down, elbows 45 minutes in Month 2, but after the
extended, keeping your chest up and back flat. Simultaneously lift the next two weeks you’ll up it to five days
dumbbells in an arc out to your sides until your arms are roughly parallel a week (see “Cardio” above). You’ll also
to the floor. increase intensity right off the bat, up
to 70% of your max heart rate, whereas
B in Month 1 you maxed out at 65%.
>> Up Next… Things won’t get any
easier next month, but you’ve got your
hands full here in Month 2. Take the
program one day and one workout at
a time and you’ll be fine. By the end
of this second month, you’ll see that
you’re much closer to reaching your
goal of looking better than ever. M&F

NOW AT M&F ONLINE

To download a PDF of Month 1, go to
muscleandfitness.com. To share your
progress with other readers or ask
our fitness director a question, go
to muscleandfitness.com/boards.
To purchase the Rock-Hard Challenge
DVD, go to musclestuff.com

118 MUSCLE & FITNESS July 2008

 M&F ROCKHARD CHALLENGE TRAINING

2
Month
LOG
>> Record your workouts on this log. When you’re done with Month 2, mail it to M&F’s Rock-Hard Challenge,
21100 Erwin St., Woodland Hills, CA 91367 by Sept. 30, 2008, to be eligible for the grand prize.

Day 1: Chest, triceps

Exercise Sets Reps Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Chest
Incline Dumbbell Press 6 5,5,5,12,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Dumbbell Press 5 5,5,5,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Decline Dumbbell Press 5 5,5,5,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Decline Flye 2 15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
triceps
Close-Grip Bench Press 5 5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Bench Dip 5 5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Seated Overhead 5 5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Dumbbell Extension

Day 2: Legs, abs, calves

Exercise Sets Reps Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
legs
Squat 6 5,5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Leg Press 5 5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Romanian Deadlift 5 5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Leg Extension 2 15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Lying Leg Curl 2 15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
abs
Weighted Crunch 2 20 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Double Crunch 2 20 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
calves
Calf Raise 2 15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise 2 12 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________

Day 3: Shoulders, abs, calves

Exercise Sets Reps Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
sHOULDERS
Upright Row 7 5,5,5,12,15,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Smith Machine Overhead Press 5 5,5,12,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Seated Lateral Raise 4 5,5,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Bent-Over Lateral Raise 2 12 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Abs
Weighted Crunch 2 20 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Double Crunch 2 20 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
calves
Calf Raise 2 15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Seated Dumbbell Calf Raise 2 12 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________

Day 4: Back, biceps/forearms

Exercise Sets Reps Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
back
Bent-Over Row 5 5,5,12,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Lat Pulldown 3 5,5,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Seated Row 5 5,5,12,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Straight-Arm Pulldown 2 15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Barbell Shrug 5 5,5,12,12,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
biceps/FOREARMS
Standing Dumbbell Curl 5 5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Hammer Curl 4 5,5,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Dumbbell Preacher Curl 5 5,5,12,15,15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________
Wrist Curl 2 15 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _________

Record your weights used in the corresponding blanks. Please see the Official Contest Rules on page 244.

Name

ADDRESS

CITY STATE ZIP

E-MAIL PHONE AGE MALE/FEMALE

120 MUSCLE & FITNESS August 2008