The Circuit Breaker

One day, as I sat there drenched in sweat, breathing heavily, recovering from my most recent gut wrenching set, I had a revelation. I was wasting my fucking time. I was winded and tired, but there was still high octane in the tank, and here I am idling in the '78 Cadillac Coupe deVille with the Ferarri engine that I call my body. I thought to myself, “Don't just sit there… Punch it, lead foot.”

You see, with my philosophy of power bodybuilding, there are days, much like a true blue powerlifter where you need that downtime between chalk dusted sets of singles, doubles and triples. Those days, however, aren't everyday. They are rare occasions where the only concern is optimal strength output. The rest of the time, I submit for the jury's consideration, we are fucking around.

Time is money… And I ain't got enough of each. I probably never will, and the more I accumulate of one, the more I'll have spent of the other. As such, we need to make the most of our moments and squeeze as much productivity as possible out of each gym session we are blessed with. Don't get pimp slapped by the hands of the clock. Take back your time. Take control of your workouts and get that race car in the red.

My method of regaining this control and facilitating efficient, targeted, intense training is by introducing the circuit into my regimen. A circuit is what it suggests, a round about journey that takes you from one station to the next before you return home. Like any true warrior, mine is a life on the move… A rolling stone gathers no moss. Why should the gym be any exception?

For purposes of illustration, I will provide you with an example of a circuit designed to shock and blast each specific muscle group. With such a circuit, the goal is to not rest between sets, but instead to continue all out until you have reached 360° completion. At this point, you gather yourself, rest sufficiently just long enough before it is time to get rolling again. Respite or quarter are not luxuries you can afford, nor is relaxation a privilege you've earned.

There is not a haphazard strategy for how these exercises are organized. The idea here is to allow maximum output on each circuit leg avoiding detriment to what is next on the menu. These are suggestions, not Sanskrit etched proclamations from a distant mountaintop. Devise your own strategy… Use your favorites and lay out your plan for battle in a way that makes sense to you personally. Here is how I get down when it is time to lay waste in the iron jungle.

Larger bodyparts get 5 trips through 5 different exercises. The smaller groups get 4 spins of 4 different movements per. Keep the weight the same on all sets and do what you can to choose equipment within a close proximity of each other. Prioritize your heaviest compound movements when constructing the order of your “circulo de muerte”. Feel free to make adjustments on the fly based on the equipment you have available. Remember it ain't the paint and the easel; it is the artist holding the brush that truly matters.

Back

5 circuits of: Wide Grip Pullups, Barbell Rows, Narrow Pulldowns, Low Cable Rows, Hyperextensions.

Legs

5 circuits of: Squats, Leg Press, Hack Squats, Leg Extensions, Lying Leg Curls.

Delts

5 circuits of: Seated Military Press, Side DB Dumbbell Lateral Raises, Bent Rear Delt DB Laterals, Upright Rows, DB Shrugs.

Chest

4 circuits of: Incline Barbell Press, Decline Hammer Strength Press, Flat DB Flyes, Cable Crossovers.

Biceps

4 circuits of: EZ Bar Curls, Incline DB Curls, Hammer Curls, Cable Preacher Curls.

Triceps

4 circuits of: Skullcrushers, One Arm Overhead DB Extensions, Straight Bar Cable Pushdowns, Rope Pushdowns.

Calves

4 circuits of: Standing Calf Raises, Donkey Calf Raise Machine, Leg Press Calf Raises, Seated Calf Raises.

The formula is not a complicated one… The recipe ain't complex. Pick a few serious fucking exercises, chalk your hands and set the machine to spin until you're dizzy and ya can't see straight. Breathe. Focus. Repeat. It ain't a lap around the kiddie pool, it isn't a stroll about town and it sure as hell ain't a walk in the park. This is hard to the core power bodybuilding. This is the circle of death, this is Animal and I'm G Diesel… The Circuit Breaker.