Thursday, December 25, 2014

The Dekadius Workout

Using the metric system's prefix for 10 and the Latin word for 'day,' that's the name for a new plan I figured out for "total body transformation." Its strengths are that it starts off very slowly and lazily, intentionally, to make it easier to create the routine and not fall off the rails immediately and forget about it, and also that it requires minimal use of equipment. The only stuff I'll be using are my bed, the floor, the ground, a pullup-bar contraption that hangs in a doorframe (also used for pushups) and two ten-pound dumbbells. 

I increment the intensity of every muscle group and movement that I've added, every 10 days, as well as adding a new one. Initially it's just 20 situps, then 10 pushups, and so forth, but by the end of June I'll be doing 3 sets of 100 situps (which I know to be possible only because I've done this before, back when I was 17), and 5 sets of 40 pushups, and so on.

It's going to yield massive results, if I only keep to the one central thing that will make the whole plan work: consistency. Skipping days will make it incredibly difficult to catch back up, but as long as I'm determined, the exercises are incremented so gradually that there's really no risk of soreness or stress injuries from the exercise, even when it gets really intense.

Feel free to follow along (or just compare yourself for fun). After the jump, I've posted my plan. 


For clarity, the dumbbell exercises are done with two 10-lb weights (all Ive got at home), abdominal exercises are done on a spring mattress, and I weigh about 190 lbs.


Phase I - Begin Dec 23
Situps in Bed: 20 in morning, 20 at night

Phase II – Begin Jan 2
add pushups (knuckle): 3 sets of 10 in morning
situps: 25 in morning, 25 at night

Phase III – Begin Jan 12
add lunges: 2 sets of 8 steps/leg in morning
pushups (raised bar): 3 sets of 10 in morning
situps: 30 in morning, 30 at night

Phase IV – Begin Jan 22
add shoulder presses: 2 sets of 20 in morning
lunges: 2 sets of 10 steps/leg in morning
pushups (bar): 3 sets of 15 in morning
situps: 35 in morning and evening

Phase V – Begin Feb 1
add calf raises: 3 sets of 30 in evening
shoulder presses: 2 sets of 30 in morning
lunges: 3 sets of 10 steps in morning
pushups (bar): 2 sets of 20, 1 set of 15 in morning
situps: 40 morning and evening

Phase VI – Begin Feb 11
add squats: 2 sets of 12 in evening
calf raises: 3 sets of 35 in evening
shoulder presses: 2 sets of 40 in morning
lunges: 3 sets of 15 steps per leg in morning
pushups (bar): 3 sets of 15 in morning
situps: 50 morning and evening

Phase VII – Begin Feb 21
add back situps: 2 sets of 10 in morning
squats: 2 sets of 15 in evening
calf raises: 3 sets of 40 in evening
shoulder presses: 3 sets of 30 in morning
lunges: 5 sets of 10 in morning
pushups (bar): 5 sets of 10 in morning
situps: 2 sets of 35, morning and evening

Phase VIII – Begin Mar 3
add mountain climbers: 2 sets of 40 reps in morning
back situps: 3 sets of 10 in morning
squats: 3 sets of 12 in evening
calf raises: 5 sets of 30 in evening
shoulder presses: 3 sets of 35 in morning
lunges: 4 sets of 15 in morning
pushups (bar): 4 sets of 15 in morning
situps: 2 sets of 40, morning and evening

Phase IX – begin Mar 13
add forearm curls: 2 sets of 20 in morning
mountain climbers: 3 sets of 40 in morning
back situps: 3 sets of 15 in morning
squats:3 sets of 15 in evening
calf raises: 4 sets of 40 in evening
shoulder presses: 3 sets of 40 in morning
lunges: 3 sets of 20 in morning
pushups (bar): 3 sets of 20 in morning, 1 set of 15
situps: 2 sets of 50, morning and evening

Phase X – begin Mar 23
add pull-ups: 2 sets of 5 in morning
forearm curls: 2 sets of 30 in morning
mountain climbers: 3 sets of 45 in morning
back situps: 3 sets of 15 in morning, 2 sets of 10 in evening
squats: 3 sets of 20 in evening
calf raises: 2 sets of 40 in morning, 3 sets of 40 in evening
shoulder presses: 3 sets of 45 in morning
lunges: 2 sets of 20, 2 sets of 15 in morning
pushups (bar): 5 sets of 20 in morning
situps: 2 sets of 60, morning and evening

Phase XI – begin Apr 2
add leg raises: 20 reps in evening
pull-ups: 2 sets of 8 in morning
forearm curls: 3 sets of 25 in morning
mountain climbers: 4 sets of 35 in morning
back situps: 3 sets of 15 in morning, 2 sets of 15 in evening
squats: 3 sets of 25 in evening
calf raises: 3 sets of 40 in morning, 3 sets of 40 in evening
shoulder presses: 4 sets of 40 in morning
lunges: 4 sets of 20 in morning
pushups (bar): 4 sets of 25 in morning
situps: 2 sets of 70, morning and evening

Phase XII – begin Apr 12
add dips: 1 set of 10 in morning
leg raises: 2 sets of 15 in evening
pull-ups: 2 sets of 10 in morning
forearm curls: 3 sets of 30 in morning
mountain climbers: 4 sets of 40 in morning
back situps: 3 sets of 15, both morning and evening
squats: 4 sets of 20 in evening
calf raises: 3 sets of 45, morning and evening
shoulder presses: 5 sets of 35 in morning
lunges: 5 sets of 20 in morning
pushups (bar): 2 sets of 25, 3 sets of 20 in morning
situps: 2 sets of 70 in morning, one set of 100 in evening

Phase XIII – begin Apr 22
add bicycles: 30 rotations in morning, 30 in evening
dips: 2 sets of 10 in morning
leg raises: 2 sets of 20 in evening
pull-ups: 3 sets of 10 in morning
forearm curls: 3 sets of 35 in morning
mountain climbers: 4 sets of 45 in morning
back situps: 3 sets of 20, morning and evening
squats: 4 sets of 25 in evening
calf raises: 3 sets of 50, morning and evening
shoulder presses: 5 sets of 40 in morning
lunges: 4 sets of 25 in morning
pushups (bar): 5 sets of 25 in morning
situps: 2 sets of 80 in morning, one set of 100 in evening

Phase XIV – begin May 2
add oblique situps: 1 set of 20 ea in morning, 2 sets of 20 ea in evening
bicycles: 35 rotations in morning, 35 in evening
dips: 3 sets of 10 in morning
leg raises: 3 sets of 15 in evening
pull-ups: 2 sets of 15 in morning
forearm curls: 3 sets of 40 in morning
mountain climbers: 4 sets of 50 in morning
back situps: 3 sets of 25, morning and evening
squats: 3 sets of 30 in evening
calf raises: 4 sets of 40, morning and evening
shoulder presses: 4 sets of 50 in morning
lunges: 5 sets of 25 in morning
pushups (bar): 2 sets of 30, 2 sets of 25, one set of 20 in morning
situps: 2 sets of 80 in morning, 2 sets of 75 in evening

Phase XV – begin May 12
add hamstring air curls: 2 sets of 15, morning and evening
oblique situps: 2 sets of 20 ea, morning and evening
bicycles: 2 sets of 30 rotations, morning and evening
dips: 3 sets of 15 in morning
leg raises: 3 sets of 20 in evening
pull-ups: 3 sets of 15 in morning
forearm curls: 3 sets of 50 in morning
mountain climbers: 4 sets of 60 in morning
back situps: 4 sets of 20, morning and evening
squats: 4 sets of 30 in evening
calf raises: 4 sets of 45, morning and evening
shoulder presses: 5 sets of 45 in morning
lunges: 4 sets of 30 in morning
pushups (bar): 3 sets of 30, 2 sets of 25 in morning
situps: 2 sets of 100 in morning and evening

Phase XVI – begin May 22
add rhomboid anti-pushup ‘curls’ : 2 sets of 20 in morning
hamstring air curls: 3 sets of 15, morning and evening
oblique situps: 2 sets of 25 ea, morning and evening
bicycles: 3 sets of 30 rotations, morning and evening
dips: 2 sets of 20 in morning
leg raises: 4 sets of 15 in evening
pull-ups: 4 sets of 15 in morning
forearm curls: 3 sets of 60 in morning
mountain climbers: 3 sets of 70 in morning
back situps: 4 sets of 25, morning and evening
squats: 5 sets of 25 in evening
calf raises: 4 sets of 50, morning and evening
shoulder presses: 5 sets of 50 in morning
lunges: 5 sets of 30 in morning
pushups (bar): 5 sets of 30 in morning
situps: 3 sets of 80, morning and evening

Phase XVII – begin June 1
add rapid calisthenics (high knees, fast feet): 20 reps/seconds each in morning
rhomboid anti-pushup ‘curls’ : 2 sets of 25 in morning
hamstring air curls: 4 sets of 15, morning and evening
oblique situps: 3 sets of 20 ea, morning and evening
bicycles: 3 sets of 35 rotations, morning and evening
dips: 3 sets of 20 in morning
leg raises: 3 sets of 20 in evening
pull-ups: 3 sets of 20 in morning
forearm curls: 4 sets of 50 in morning
mountain climbers: 2 sets of 100 in morning
back situps: 5 sets of 20, morning and evening
squats: 5 sets of 30 in evening
calf raises: 5 sets of 45, morning and evening
shoulder presses: 5 sets of 50 in morning – MAXED OUT, GRADUATE TO GYM?
lunges: 6 sets of 30 in morning
pushups (bar): 4 sets of 40 in morning
situps: 3 sets of 100, morning and evening – MAXED OUT?

Phase XVIII – begin June 11
add scissor leg abdominals: 20 reps in morning
rapid calisthenics (high knees, fast feet): 2 sets of 20 ea in morning
rhomboid anti-pushup ‘curls’ : 3 sets of 20 in morning
hamstring air curls: 5 sets of 15, morning and evening – MAXED OUT, GRADUATE TO GYM?
oblique situps: 3 sets of 25 ea, morning and evening
bicycles: 3 sets of 35 rotations, morning and evening
dips: 4 sets of 20 in morning
leg raises: 4 sets of 20 in evening – MAXED OUT?
pull-ups: 4 sets of 20 in morning – MAXED OUT?
forearm curls: 5 sets of 50 in morning – MAXED OUT, GRADUATE TO GYM?
mountain climbers: 3 sets of 80 in morning – MAXED OUT?
back situps: 5 sets of 25, morning and evening – MAXED OUT, GRADUATE TO GYM?
squats: 5 sets of 30 in evening – MAXED OUT, GRADUATE TO GYM?
calf raises: 5 sets of 50, morning and evening – MAXED OUT, GRADUATE TO GYM?
shoulder presses: MAXED OUT
lunges: 6 sets of 35 in morning – MAXED OUT?
pushups (bar): 4 sets of 45 in morning

situps: MAXED OUT

I haven't planned too far beyond this point, but the intention would be to maintain the high level of the maxed out exercises (maxed out, because at a certain point, increasing sets or reps gets a bit ridiculous, and it's better to add weights if you want to make it harder; you can't really benefit any more beyond that point), and continue adding new routines (probably moving toward gym machines) through the next year or two. Initially, I had had a random thought of a 777-day workout, but I am unsure if I can think of 77 individual, unique muscle movements. 

However, here are others I've thought of:

jumping jacks
squat jumps
crunches
leg raise holds (as opposed to the leg raises, actually holding them for a period of time a foot above horizontal)
tricep overhead lifts
planking
horizontal bicycle kicks
oblique leaning lifts (leaning while lifting a weight up your abdomen with the opposite arm)
straight arm extensions
incline pushups
'suicides'
jump rope
underarm pushups (hands placed toward the middle of your chest rather than level with your shoulders)
straight arm forward extensions
tricep extensions
trapezius shrugs

That gets me to 340 days, or roughly a whole year. Feel free to offer further suggestions, for how to get to 77, if it's at all possible. 

This time when I get fit, I'm never slacking off again until I'm dead.

~ Rak Chazak

PS Nutrition and running will of course be a goal of mine, but I consider them separate from strength training and calisthenics, and will add a parallel running plan later.

PPS please pardon any typos; this post necessitated less proofchecking than other ones.

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