The Whoopass Workout
by Istvan Javorek with Joe Wuebben (2005)
Istvan "Steve" Javorek has been a fixture in the international lifting community for more than four decades. His career began in Romania, his birthplace, where he was the head weightlifting and conditioning coach at Clujana Athletic Club-Cluj from 1964 to 1982. In that span, he trained several junior and senior Romanian national weightlifting teams. In '83, the South Korean Olympic Committee invited him to coach its lifting team. Then he came to the United States.
Javorek became an Aggie in 1984, serving as an all-sports conditioning coach and head weightlifting coach at Texas A & M University (College Station) for three years. From there, he went to Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas, where he's still a full-time professor of fitness and the all-sports conditioning head coach today. Since going abroad, his resume, which includes coaching everyone from Olympic-caliber strength athletes to hoops stars, including Wayne Simien (a 2005 NBA first-round draft pick by the Miami Heat) and Kareem Rush (currently with the Charlotte Bobcats), has grown as beefy as his pupils.
His list of nicknames has lengthened considerably, as well: The "Dumbbell King"--aka "Coach Comrade" and "Coach Javorkian"--has delicately tortured athletes with his Big Fun and Tremendous Pleasure programs, to name but two of his most cleverly titled and wildly effective training regimens.
Now Javorek turns his attention to bodybuilding, with a three-days-a-week, four-week program specifically designed to build strength and hypertrophy via a meticulously calculated progressive-resistance scheme. Before we proceed, here's what Coach Javorek has to say about his program.
"After receiving hundreds of letters from M & F readers requesting a routine specifically designed for bodybuilders, I decided to develop a program that can last either eight or 12 weeks and which suits anyone wishing to use a different type of protocol to achieve great results.
"This program provides general fitness for anyone who wants to spend 1-1 1/2 hours exercising three times a week. It includes many dumbbell and barbell exercises beloved by bodybuilders, and follows my philosophy on bodybuilding and conditioning.
"I'm a firm believer in total-body involvement in a daily routine and not of isolating certain muscle groups within a workout. When you change the bodypart or muscle group involved in an exercise, it gives your neuromuscular system a chance to 'refresh' the previously exercised muscles. I like to think of this approach as exercising with the benefit of a so-called 'active rest,' because as you train another bodypart, the muscles you worked previously rest and recuperate.
"For this program I chose six exercises (including combinations) per workout with eight sets per exercise. You may ask, 'Why eight sets?' My answer: In order to get bigger and stronger, you should stimulate your muscle fibers for several sets, always starting with lighter intensities and finishing with heavy sets. As you'll see in this program, I vary the intensities from set to set within an exercise as well as throughout the four-week cycle. Week 1 is the least intense, with intensity increasing each subsequent week. You'll also notice that intensities oscillate during the week: Monday is moderate, Wednesday is low and Friday is the highest.
"I like to keep my routines ever-changing. One exercise is performed with a continuous increase of intensity in each set (for example, 50%, 55%, 60%, 65%, etc.), while another will have double-step intensities each set (50%, 50%, 55%, 55%, 60%, 60%, etc.) or 'wave' intensities (50%, 60%, 55%, 65%, 60%, 70%, etc.). The list could be endless, so don't be surprised to find different intensity cycles on each exercise. No one said this would be easy.
"But my reason for this is simple: I like to avoid the monotonous core of exercising. Mundane programs tire an athlete's neuromuscular system, which delays improvements in strength and size, and causes the whole body to suffer from a lack of success and satisfaction. I try to make my workouts enjoyable (relatively speaking) so they refresh the body and mind with varying exercises and intensities. Hopefully, this bodybuilding program will achieve just that."
BARBELL HALF-SQUAT OVERHEAD PRESS
This is but one example of a move that improves strength, power, muscle mass, core stability, balance and overall athleticism.
BARBELL SQUAT JUMP
Go into a deep squat and jump up at the top of the motion. Always lower slowly into the squat, and land on the balls of your feet when you jump.
DUMBBELL SQUAT-PUSH PRESS
Standing with a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level, face straight ahead with your abdominal muscles tight. Lower to a full squat position, keeping your weight centered between the balls of your feet and heels. Keep your shoulders, hips and ankles in a vertical line. Follow with an explosive overhead pressing movement, done in one fluid motion. Depending on your goals, you can finish this move with your feet flat on the floor or up on your toes (the latter is preferable).
PUSH-UP (ON PUSH-UP BARS)
Perform push-ups using specially designed raised bars instead of on the floor. If this equipment is not available to you, do regular push-ups.
BARBELL QUARTER SQUAT CALF RAISE
Perform a quarter squat, then at the top, go up on your toes with your knees extended--that's one rep. Perform these two moves as one fluid motion.
DUMBBELL STEP-UP SQUAT-PUSH PRESS
As noted in the program, do all prescribed reps for step-ups with each leg (onto a plyometrics box), then do all reps for squat-push presses on the floor.
BARBELL HALF SQUAT OVERHEAD PRESS Upon reaching the down position of a half squat, press the bar over--head without extending your legs. To maintain your balance, stay flat on your feet and keep your shoulders, hips and ankles aligned.
(DUMBBELL COMPLEX NO. 1)
UPRIGHT ROW SUPINATED CURL OVERHEAD PRESS HAMMER CURL SQUAT-PUSH PRESS HIGH-PULL SNATCH
Do these movements in nonstop succession as a combination exercise. Do six reps of dumbbell upright rows, then six reps of supinated curls, and so on.
(BARBELL COMPLEX NO. 1)
BARBELL UPRIGHT ROW HIGH-PULL SNATCH SQUAT-PUSH PRESS GOOD MORNING BENT-OVER ROW SUPINATED CURL UPRIGHT ROW Do these movements in nonstop succession as a combo move. Do six reps of upright rows, then six reps of high-pull snatches, etc.
IRON CROSS COMPLEX
Stand holding light plates or dumbbells directly in front of your chest with your elbows bent and your forearms parallel to the floor. Begin the movement by extending your elbows until your arms are straight out in front of you. Then bring the weights out to your sides, keeping your arms straight and parallel to the floor in an "iron cross." Bring the plates back to the start. Repeat or perform in reverse.
BARBELL SQUAT-PUSH PRESS
Perform a barbell squat with your feet flat on the floor and your knees pointed outward. Keep your chest up and your back slightly arched, and make sure your head faces forward. Rise from the squat and push the barbell overhead in an explosive motion. Finish the movement by rising onto your toes.
HALF SIT-UP
Hook your feet under something stable at floor level, cross your arms over your chest and perform a sit-up only halfway up. Pause, then continue all the way up. Lower back to the halfway position, then pause again and lower all the way. That's one rep. Half sit-ups consist of doing only half this movement, bottom or top.
BARBELL WAVE SQUAT
In one continuous motion, do a barbell quarter squat and rise onto your toes at the top (similar to a calf raise). Do this for three reps. On the fourth rep, jump slightly after rising onto your toes. On the fifth rep, do a full squat plus a jump at the top. Repeat this five-rep cycle six times when the program calls for 30 reps and four times when it calls for 20.
HIGH-PULL SNATCH
Start in the down position of a barbell bent-over row: knees slightly bent, back flat and head neutral (eyes looking down). In one motion, push your heels into the floor, extend your lower back and pull the bar toward the ceiling like an upright row--except you'll pull the bar up past your head. At the top, extend up onto your toes and flip your wrists back to catch the bar overhead.
JAVOREK JACKKNIFE
Lie faceup on the floor with your legs together and straight and your arms straight overhead. Raise your legs and arms at the same time until your hands and feet touch over your body.
8 SETS
Javorek believes this number of sets produces strength and mass gains most effectively and best stimulates muscle fibers
NINE
THE NUMBER OF OLYMPIANS THAT COACH JAVOREK HAS TRAINED
80%
OF 1RM: BEST FOR HYPERTROPHY
* When determining intensity, if you don't know your one-rep-maximum weight (1RM), estimate. The percentages listed for each set can be used loosely; for example, 40%-60% means you should use a relatively light weight (something you could normally do at least 20 reps with), 60%-80% calls for moderate weight (something you could do at least 15 reps with), and 80% and higher indicates a weight close to your 1RM (less than seven reps).
* If a given weight feels too light for the prescribed number of reps, resist the urge to keep going or add weight.
* Rest two minutes between straight sets and three minutes between combination sets.
* On combo sets (those with a " " between different moves), base your intensity level off your weakest move.
* Before starting this program, you should have at least one year of training experience.
Perform the following cycle as a circuit, with minimal or (preferably) no rest between exercises. Do a total of 80 reps per set; one cycle counts as one set.
JAVOREK ABDOMINAL COMPLEX
EXERCISE REPS
Full Sit-Up 10
Half Sit-Up (bottom half) 10
Half Sit-Up (top half) 10
Crunch 10
Half Sit-Up (bottom half) 10
Crunch 10
Half Sit-Up (top half) 10
Javorek Jackknife 10
WEEK 1
DAY 1
EXERCISE SETS REPS (INTENSITY/%1RM)
Dumbbell Upright Row 8 sets 14 reps at (55% of 1 rep maximum), 14 (55), 12 (60),
12 (60), 12 (60), 12 (60),
10 (70), 10 (70)
Dumbbell Hammer Curl 8 14 (50), 12 (60), 10 (70),
10 (70), 14 (50), 12 (60),
10 (70), 10 (70)
Abs 1 80
Bench Press 8 14 (50), 12 (60), 10 (65),
10 (70), 12 (60), 10 (60),
10 (70), 6 (75)
Barbell Quarter Squat Calf Raise 8 10 (60), 10 (60), 10 (60),
10 (70), 10 (70), 10 (70),
10 (60), 10 (70)
Dumbbell Kickback 8 14 (50), 12 (55), 12 (60),
10 (65), 10 (70), 8 (75),
10 (70), 8 (75)
DAY 2
EXERCISE SETS REPS (INTENSITY/%1RM)
Barbell Quarter Squat Calf Raise 8 14 (50), 14 (50), 14 (50),
12 (55), 12 (55), 12 (55),
10 (60), 10 (60)
Abs 1 80
Dumbbell Overhead Press 8 14 (45), 10 (60), 12 (50),
10 (65), 14 (45), 10 (60),
12 (50), 10 (65)
Reverse-Grip EZ-Bar Curl 8 14 (40), 14 (45), 14 (50),
12 (55), 12 (60), 10 (65),
10 (65), 10 (65)
Barbell Squat 8 10 (40), 10 (60), 10 (45),
10 (65), 10 (50), 10 (70),
10 (50), 10 (70)
Flat-Bench Dumbbell Flye 8 16 (35), 16 (40), 14 (45),
14 (50), 14 (55), 12 (60),
10 (65), 10 (65)
DAY 3
EXERCISE SETS REPS (INTENSITY/%1RM)
Standing Dumbbell Curl* 8 12 (60), 12 (65), 12 (65),
10 (70), 10 (65), 8 (75),
8 (75), 8 (75)
Abs 1 80
Dumbbell Push Press 8 12 (60), 12 (60), 12 (65),
12 (65), 10 (70), 10 (70),
8 (75), 6 (80)
Incline Dumbbell Press 8 12 (60), 6 (80), 12 (60),
6 (80), 12 (60), 6 (80),
12 (60), 6 (80)
Barbell Wave Squat 8 30 (50), 30 (50), 30 (60),
30 (60), 30 (55), 20 (65),
30 (55), 20 (65)
Barbell Upright Row (narrow grip) 8 12 (65), 10 (70), 12 (65),
8 (75), 10 (70), 6 (80),
10 (70), 4 (85)
Iron Cross Complex 8 10 (50), 8 (55), 6 (60),
6 (65), 6 (65), 5 (70),
5 (70), 5 (70)
*It goes against convention to work bi's before larger bodyparts;
however, use light weights here to warm up your muscles for subsequent
moves.
WEEK 2
DAY 1
EXERCISE SETS REPS (INTENSITY/%1RM)
Dumbbell Reverse Curl* 8 14 (50), 12 (55), 12 (60),
10 (65), 10 (70), 8 (75),
8 (75), 8 (75)
Barbell Squat Jump 8 8 (50), 8 (55), 8 (60),
6 (65), 4 (70), 4 (70),
4 (75), 4 (75)
Squat-Push Press 8 10 (60), 10 (65), 10 (70),
8 (75), 10 (70), 8 (75),
6 (80), 6 (80)
Abs 1 80
Barbell Complex No. 1: 8 6 (50), 6 (55), 6 (50),
Upright Row High-Pull Snatch 6 (55), 6 (60), 6 (60),
Squat-Push Press Good Morning 6 (65), 6 (65)**
Bent-Over Row Supinated Curl
Upright Row
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 8 16 (40), 14 (45), 14 (50),
12 (55), 10 (60), 10 (65),
10 (70), 8 (75)
DAY 2
EXERCISE SETS REPS (INTENSITY/%1RM)
Dumbbell Bent-Over Row 8 14 (50), 12 (60), 14 (55),
12 (65), 12 (60), 10 (70),
12 (60), 10 (70)
Abs 1 80
Seated Dumbbell Overhead Press 8 14 (50), 14 (50), 14 (55),
14 (55), 12 (60), 12 (60),
10 (65), 10 (70)
Dumbbell Front Raise 8 16 (40), 14 (50), 14 (50),
12 (55), 12 (60), 10 (65),
12 (60), 10 (65)
Barbell Squat Barbell Wave Squat 8 10/30/10 (50), 10/30/10 (55),
Barbell Squat 10/20/10 (60), 10/30/10 (50),
10/30/10 (55), 10/20/10 (60),
8/15/8 (65), 6/10/6 (70)**
Dumbbell Step-Up 8 14/6 (50), 14/6 (55),
Squat-Push Press 14/6 (55), 12/6 (60),
12/6 (60), 12/6 (65),
12/6 (65), 10/6 (70)**
DAY 3
EXERCISE SETS REPS (INTENSITY/%1RM)
Bent-Over Lateral Raise 8 12 (60), 12 (60), 6 (80),
6 (80), 12 (65), 4 (85),
10 (70), 4 (85)
Abs 1 80
Barbell Upright Row (narrow grip) 8 12 (60), 10 (70), 10 (70),
8 (75), 6 (80), 8 (75),
8 (75), 5 (85)
Barbell Half Squat Overhead Press 8 14 (50), 10 (70), 12 (60),
6 (80), 10 (70), 6 (80),
8 (75), 4 (85)
Barbell Squat 8 10 (60), 10 (60), 4 (85),
10 (70), 4 (85), 10 (60),
10 (70), 4 (85)
Dumbbell Complex No. 1: 8 6 (50), 6 (70), 6 (50),
Upright Row Supinated Curl 6 (50), 6 (70), 6 (60),
Overhead Press Hammer Curl 6 (60), 6 (70)**
Squat-Push Press
High-Pull Snatch
*It goes against convention to work bi's before larger bodyparts;
however, use light weights here to warm up your muscles for subsequent
moves.
**Base your intensity level for all exercises in the combination
on your weakest movement. To perform a set of the combination, do six
reps of the first exercise, then six reps of the second, and so on, in
nonstop succession.
WEEK 3
DAY 1
EXERCISE SETS REPS (INTENSITY/%1RM)
Overhead Dumbbell Extension 8 14 (55), 12 (65), 8 (75),
12 (65), 10 (70), 8 (75),
10 (70), 5 (80)
Abs 1 80
Barbell Upright Row (medium grip) 8 12 (65), 10 (70), 8 (75),
6 (80), 10 (70), 10 (70),
8 (75), 6 (80)
Overhead Barbell Extension 8 10 (60), 10 (60),
10 (70), 10 (70), 6 (80),
8 (75), 8 (75), 6 (80)
Barbell Squat Jump 8 8 (50), 8 (55), 8 (60),
8 (65), 6 (70), 4 (75),
6 (70), 4 (75)
Barbell Incline Press 8 10 (70), 10 (70), 6 (80),
6 (80), 8 (75), 8 (75),
6 (80), 4 (85)
DAY 2
EXERCISE SETS REPS (INTENSITY/%1RM)
Barbell Wave Squat 8 30 (50), 30 (55),
30 (60), 25 (65),
30 (60), 25 (65),
20 (70), 20 (70)
Dumbbell Complex No. 1: 8 6 (50), 6 (50), 6 (50),
Upright Row Supinated Curl 6 (55), 6 (55), 6 (60),
Overhead Press Hammer Curl 6 (60), 6 (65)*
Squat-Push Press High-Pull Snatch
Barbell Upright Row (wide grip) 8 14 (50), 12 (55),
12 (60), 12 (65),
10 (70), 12 (60),
12 (65), 10 (70)
Abs 1 80
Standing Barbell Curl 8 14 (50), 12 (60),
12 (55), 12 (65),
12 (60), 10 (70),
12 (65), 8 (75)
Barbell Complex No. 1: 8 6 (50), 6 (65), 6 (50),
Upright Row High-Pull Snatch 6 (65), 6 (55), 6 (65),
Squat-Push Press Good Morning 6 (60), 6 (65)*
Bent-Over Row Supinated Curl
Upright Row
DAY 3
EXERCISE SETS REPS (INTENSITY/%1RM)
Squat-Push Press 8 10 (60), 10 (70),
6 (80), 10 (65),
10 (75), 10 (70),
6 (80), 4 (85)
Barbell Quarter Squat Calf Raise 8 12 (60), 10 (75),
10 (70), 10 (80),
10 (85), 10 (80),
10 (85), 10 (85)
Flat-Bench Dumbbell Press 8 10 (70), 6 (80), 3 (90),
8 (75), 6 (80), 3 (90),
6 (80), 3 (90)
Barbell Complex No. 1: 8 6 (55), 6 (60), 6 (65),
Upright Row High-Pull Snatch 6 (70), 6 (55), 6 (60),
Squat-Push Press Good Morning 6 (65), 6 (70)*
Bent-Over Row Supinated Curl
Upright Row
Abs (see p. 144) 1 80
Chin 8 8
*Base your intensity level for all exercises in the combination on your
weakest movement. To perform a set of the combination, do six reps of
the first exercise, then six reps of the second, and so on, in nonstop
succession.
WEEK 4
DAY 1
EXERCISE SETS REPS (INTENSITY/%1RM)
Dumbbell Squat Upright Row 8 10 (70), 8 (80), 10 (70),
6 (85), 8 (75), 6 (80), 4 (85), 6 (85)
Abs 1 80
Dumbbell Push Press 8 10 (70), 8 (80), 8 (75),
5 (85), 8 (75), 5 (85), 6 (80), 5 (85)
Barbell Squat 8 10 (60), 10 (70), 6 (80),
10 (65), 3 (85), 6 (80), 3 (85), 3 (85)
Dumbbell Incline Press 8 10 (70), 8 (75), 6 (80),
5 (85), 6 (80), 4 (85), 6 (80), 4 (85)
Wide-Grip Pull-Up 8 8
DAY 2
EXERCISE SETS REPS (INTENSITY/%1RM)
Standing Dumbbell Curl 8 12 (60), 12 (65), 10 (70),
8 (75), 6 (80), 10 (70), 8 (75), 6 (80)
Barbell Squat Barbell Wave Squat 8 10/20/10 (50), 10/20/10 (60),
Barbell Squat 8/15/8 (70), 10/20/10 (60),
8/15/8 (70), 20/10/20 (65),
6/15/6 (75), 5/10/5 (80)*
Squat-Push Press 8 10 (65), 8 (75), 10 (70),
6 (80), 10 (65), 8 (75),
10 (70), 6 (80)
Dumbbell Complex No. 1: 8 6 (50), 6 (60), 6 (55),
Upright Row Supinated Curl 6 (65), 6 (60), 6 (65),
Overhead Press Hammer Curl 6 (55), 6 (70)**
Squat-Push Press
High-Pull Snatch
Abs (see p. 144) 1 80
Dip 8 15
*Reps correspond to aforementioned exercises. Do all reps of the first
exercise, followed immediately by all reps of the second, and so on,
without rest.
**Base your intensity level for all exercises in the
combination on your weakest movement. To perform a set of the
combination, do six reps of the first exercise, then six reps of the
second, and so on, in nonstop succession.
DAY 3
EXERCISE SETS REPS (INTENSITY/%1RM)
Barbell Squat 8 10 (70), 4 (80), 5 (75),
3 (85), 2 (90), 5 (75),
4 (85), 2 (90)
Dumbbell Reverse Curl 8 12 (60), 8 (75), 10 (70),
6 (80), 5 (85), 5 (85),
5 (85), 5 (85)
Dumbbell Bent-Over Row 8 6 (80), 5 (85), 3 (90),
6 (80), 3 (90), 5 (85),
6 (80), 3 (90)
Abs 1 80
Decline Dumbbell Press 8 10 (70), 6 (80), 2 (90),
5 (85), 2 (90), 8 (75),
2 (90), 2 (90)
Push-Up (on push-up bars) 8 18, 14, 18, 14, 18, 14, 18, 14
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