Gx10 by G Diesel

Mine is a life dedicated to the iron. For more than 25 years, I have trained regularly, often daily. From my high school bedroom to the Brigantine Fitness Center to Greg Long’s Gym to my lunchbreak at The U to my basement, with literally a thousand gyms in between, I have spent the better part of my adulthood banging away at the iron. Not a passing fancy or a fad, but the lifestyle of a lifetime, it is part of who I am.

Over the course of what I conservatively approximate to be north of 8000 workouts, it is safe to say that I’ve done it all. High volume and low volume and everything in between. Testing different programs and methodologies, studying movements new and old, reading as much as I could. Stealing an exercise here and a concept there from all the greats and incorporating it all into my toolbox by daily trial and error.

I reject ageism and all similar time-centric prejudices. I feel I am just tapping into my prime and that the opportunity for progress and to be my best draws closer every day. However, I am not so delusional as to not readily admit that those 8000+ workouts have taken their toll. And for their countless benefits, the wear and tear on my joints and connective tissue has also been considerable. As I have explained for years, the issue isn’t age, it is mileage. But spend your life tiptoeing through the tulips, running between the raindrops, and you die anyway. Might as well turn yourself into a fucking tank.

They say it takes 10,000 hours of practice to become a master in any pursuit, and though not yet an iron shaman, I have paid my dues and gladly continue to do so daily. One revelation which has blinded me by its beaming light, is the fact that, with mastery comes efficiency. This should always be our goal. Not just to work hard, but to work smarter. To extract the most from the least. It takes time to build the confidence necessary to understand that more isn’t necessarily better, longer in duration isn’t necessarily better… Better is better.

So reading up on Positions of Flexion and Heavy Duty, channeling my own inner Mentzer and Yates, I present to you, instead of a generic template, my actual current early morning basement training split, set for set and rep for rep, from this past week. Consider it a snapshot. As I have gravitated and fully embraced this kind of lifting, I have also upped my cardio significantly with our second campaign of #40Daysx40Nights, making it an essential part of my routine. Which means, more activity and the need for more calories and an even higher priority placed on proper supplementation. Because no matter how hard and consistent your program, you’re only as good as you can recover.

“To be the man… You’ve gotta eat like the man.”

A focal point of emphasis, for all interested in testing the rocky terrain and rough waters of my latest training protocol, is a simple mantra I use to remind myself of the need to be efficient and to not let a single set or rep or minute (or workout) go to waste. Repeat with me:

“If you can’t do it in 10 sets… You can’t do it.”

My program now spans 6 days with an off day necessarily, but begrudgingly, dedicated to recovery (and snacks) on Sunday. My split is identical to what it has been for decades, except now it divides legs in half, with the sixth training day on Saturday. It includes cardio every day, first thing in the morning fasted, followed by the weights. Here’s exactly what I did for the week of August 12, 2019.

ARMS

Monday, 8/12/19, 6:30 AM

Biceps

  • Incline DB Curls: 3 sets x 15-8 reps
  • EZ Bar Curls: 2 sets x 15, 10 reps
  • Hammer Bar Curls: 2 sets x 15 reps

Triceps

  • Pushdowns: 3 sets x 15-10 reps
  • Superset: EZ Bar Skullcrushers w/ CGBP, 2 sets each x 15, 10 reps
  • Hammer Bar Overhead Extensions: 2 sets x 20 reps

Forearms

  • DB Wrist Curls: 2 sets x 20, 12 reps
  • 100 reps for Abs (Crunches, Leg Raises)

Cardio: Incline Treadmill 60 minutes warmup

Supps: 2 scoops VICE pre, 3 FEAST shakes, 2 scoops RISE throughout the day, 3 grams Fish Oil before bed.

DELTS

Tuesday, August 13, 2019, 6:00 AM

  • Seated DB Press: 3 sets x 15-10 reps
  • Seated DB Side Lateral Raises: 2 sets x 15, 10 reps
  • Bent Over Rear Lateral Raises: 2 sets x 15, 12 reps
  • One Arm DB Side Lateral Raises (Behind the Ass): 2 sets x 15, 12 reps
  • DB Shrugs: 2 sets x 20, 12 reps

Cardio: Incline Treadmill 40 minutes warmup

Supps: 2 scoops VICE pre, 2 FEAST shakes, 3 scoops RISE throughout the day, 3 grams Fish Oil before bed.

BACK

Wednesday, August 14, 2019, 6:30 AM

  • T-Bar Rows: 3 sets x 20-10 reps
  • DB Pullovers: 2 sets x 12 reps
  • Wide Grip Pullups: 3 sets of BW x 6, 8, 10 reps
  • One Arm DB Rows: 2 sets x 15, 12 reps

Cardio: 60 mins Incline Treadmill warmup

Supps: 2 scoops VICE pre, 2 FEAST shakes, 2 scoops RISE throughout the day, 3 grams Fish Oil before bed.

LEGS

Thursday, August 15, 2019, 6:30 AM

  • Leg Extensions: 3 sets x 25, 15, 12 reps
  • Leg Press: 2 sets x 20 reps
  • Squats: 3 sets x 10, 6, 3 reps
  • Bulgarian Split Squats: 2 sets x 12 reps per leg

Cardio: 60 mins Incline Treadmill warmup

Supps: 2 scoops VICE pre, 2 FEAST shakes, 2 scoops RISE throughout the day, 3 grams Fish Oil before bed.

CHEST

Big Friday, August 16, 2019, 6:30 AM

  • Incline Smith Machine: 3 sets x 15-8 reps
  • Flat DB Press: 2 sets x 15-12 reps
  • Parallel Bar Dips: 2 sets of BW x 15 reps
  • Flat DB Flyes: 3 sets x 20-10 reps

Cardio: 60 mins Incline Treadmill warmup

Supps: 2 scoops VICE pre, 2 FEAST shakes, 3 scoops RISE throughout the day, 3 grams Fish Oil before bed.

HAMSTRINGS / CALVES

Saturday, August 17, 2019, 7:00 AM

  • Lying Leg Curls: 3 sets x 20-10 reps
  • DB Stiff-Legged Deadlifts: 2 sets x 12 reps
  • Leg Press Calf Raises: 2 sets x 25, 12 reps
  • Seated Calf Raises: 2 sets x 25, 15 reps

Cardio: 45 minutes Incline Treadmill warmup

Supps: 2 scoops VICE pre, 2 FEAST shakes, 2 scoops RISE throughout the day, 3 grams Fish Oil before bed.

That’s it. One week of training, hard in the paint.

With the advent of social media, the reach of our subculture has grown, and each day, we move closer to the Joe Weider ideal, where one day everyone would be a “bodybuilder”, simply meaning a future in which all would understand the benefit of the weights and proper nutrition. Trust me, as a lifelong missionary of this lifestyle and the owner of a supplement company, this explosive demographic expansion is a wonderful thing. But with it, has come other less desirable side-effects. European designer gym outfits with haircuts to match. Tripods as standard training equipment. Esoteric exercises and a periphery of weight-training paraphernalia and elaborate recovery protocols that in many cases are infringing on the purity of this pursuit, strangling its eternal soul. Everyone has a coach. Everyone is on a team. All for the love of the likes. As is my nature, my instinctive response has been to rebel against these trends. Against the prettiness and the pettiness. Back to the bandanas. Back to shorts with holes in em and basketball kicks. Back to beats banging in my ears. Back to dusty iron and dirty hoodies. Back to heavy free weight basics and hearty homemade meals. And all the other grimy shit that makes you grow… All the stuff that made us fall in love with this game in the first place, and never let it go.