This is the last weights workout of Operation Aesthetic. It’s hard to believe we’ve completed this 8-week program. You should feel extremely proud of all the hard work you’ve put in, and you should be tremendously pleased with the results. Today you need to get in your last early morning cardio session. Then, at the end of this workout you’ll perform your last cardio session on my 8-week Trainer series.
Today’s weight-training workout is a last check-in with your body before you compete or take photos. Make any changes you need to get everything right.
Cut your sodium as low as possible. Make sure you’re not getting in any unexpected amounts of sodium from whole foods or beverages. You can still allow sodium from protein so long as you’re cutting it from other sources. Sodium should be below 500 mg total for today.
Keep your water intake high. Get in at least a gallon or more today, in addition to what you mix with supplement beverages or take in from foods.
OPERATION AESTHETIC NOTES
*I increase the weight by about 10 pounds with each set for most biceps moves. You can also just go with burnout sets at this point in your diet program. Remember that tomorrow you’re going to be prepping for photos or competition. Your workout today should be about what’s on tap for you tomorrow rather than adhering blindly to a workout this deep into a fat-loss program.
*The same goes for triceps. Go with increasing weights or burnouts, whichever feels right for your goal at this point in Operation Aesthetic. Either way, you can still include that two-beat stretch and a more explosive contraction.
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Early morning cardio
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1
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25 minutes
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Perform this session upon waking before consuming food.
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EXERCISE
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COMMENT
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Dumbbell biceps curl
Keep the drop sets stricter, and go with a slower negative.
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5 SETS / 12, 10, 7, 3, 15 REPS |
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Concentration curl
This is one of the most focused biceps moves because you’re locked in and it’s a unilateral move.
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4 SETS / 12, 9, 6, 4 REPS |
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Unilateral cable curl
This constant tension at the end of a program really supports detail—slow down your reps to emphasize this.
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5 SETS / 12, 10, 8, 6, 15 REPS |
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Reverse barbell curl
Really fight against gravity as you lower the weight—that’s going to be tough at this point in the program.
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4 SETS / Burnout |
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Close-grip bench press
Go with the pyramid or a burnout strategy for these 5 sets at the end of this program.
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5 SETS / 12, 10, 7, 3, 15 REPS* |
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French press
Since it’s your last day, go with burnouts or pyramids, whichever feels right to you.
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5 SETS / 12, 10, 7, 3, 15 REPS |
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Dips
Use a slower descent and an explosive rise until you can’t perform another rep.
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4 SETS / Burnout
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One-arm triceps pushdown
Go with burnouts for this last week unless you want to get in some weight work.
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5 SETS / 12, 10 7, 3, 15 REPS |
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Post-Workout cardio
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1
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25 minutes
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This is the last workout on Operation Aesthetic. Perform it right after your weight workout.
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TIP: Today’s food intake should be highly dependent upon how your physique is looking at this point. Keep sodium very low so your skin doesn’t get puffier. If you think your muscles look a little flat, you can consider adding in a larger dose of fast-digesting carbs, but these can also cause you to “spill over” and retain fluid between your skin and muscles. The best choice is to stay on your diet and drink plenty of fluids. If you’re competing or taking photos, then you should stay on your diet one day after that. That’s a great time to experiment to see if more carbs will improve your appearance. Remember, I’ve designed this as a first fat-loss program, and it’s important that you learn everything you can from the experience. Take that extra day and record all of this in your Operation Aesthetic journal.
