Six Day a Week Rush Routine

Originally Published in This Issue (November 1969)

Article by Robert S. Kadden.

Do you feel you just do not have enough time to work out? Or possibly you're looking for a new kind of routine to fit your busy schedule? A friend of mine, Steven Shavce, has come up with his own answer to the problem of time and training. 

Perhaps it's better to start at the beginning and tell you about Steve and his weightlifting background. He's been lifting since he was 16, and first started to bulk up for football. He worked out daily. 

"We had 1500 pounds of weights and around $800 in equipment. My exercises consisted of bench presses, squats, deadlifts, presses, and leg extensions for strengthening my injured knee. I continued these for three and a half months until the football season began. During this time, I upped my nutritional intake and gained 45 pounds."

As soon as football was over, Steve started specializing on lifting. He concentrated on the bench press, squat, and deadlift for four and a half months until he graduated. Through competition in meets, Steve met many powerlifters like himself. He learned a great deal about the sport and received helpful advice. 

After a layoff of more than a year, as a sophomore in college, Steve returned to the weights again, this time stressing bodybuilding. This period was particularly difficult for Steve because he now had many more responsibilities. Attending school, working, and lifting is a difficult schedule for anyone. Nevertheless, Steve did get into shape.

"This year - as a junior - I read about a new arm routine and decided to adopt it. I added 2.5 inches to my arms and gained almost 12 pounds. The only drawback was that, owing to a lack of time available, I had to neglect exercising the rest of my body." 

Steve continued with the arm routine until two months ago, when he decided it was more important to devote his exercise time to strengthening as many areas of the body as possible. It was at this time that he came up with the Rush Routine. 

"It requires exercising six days per week. Don't let that frighten you, though, because each session should last no longer than one hour. And, anyone who seriously wants to lift weights and better himself can find an hour a day free, regardless of his schedule."

Steve begins the week by working on the abdomen, chest, and calves. For the midsection, he does situps, leg raises and twists. His chest routine is very comprehensive and includes the bench press (6 sets of 2), dumbbell bench presses, flies, and decline flyes. He finishes this day with calf raises. 

Tuesday's workout concentrates on the abs, shoulders, triceps and calves. The behind the neck press works the shoulders, while eight sets of pressdowns, three sets of standing french presses, and three sets of lying triceps extensions make up the triceps work. 

Exercising the abdomen, lats, and biceps is reserved for Wednesday. Steve manages five sets of behind the neck chinups, five sets of end-of-bar rows to build the lats. The biceps routine is quite rigorous with five supersets of preacher and Zottman curls. 

Thursday is a repeat of Monday. 

Because he has more time available on Friday, it is devoted to general overall body work. Steve repeats Tuesday's workout but add time for more biceps work.

Saturday he exercises abs and lats.     

The next time you think there isn't enough time available to lift, it might be wise to reconsider. There are many, many different ways to arrange your workouts to fit the time you do have.

Rush Routine

Monday:

Abs - situps, leg raises, twists.

Chest - bench press, flyes, decline flyes. 

Tuesday: 

Shoulders - press behind neck.

Triceps - pressdown, french press, lyiung extension.

Calves. 

Wednesday:  

Abs

Lats - chin behind neck, end-of-bar row.

Biceps superset: preacher curl to Zottman curl.

Thursday: 

Same as Monday

Friday:

Same as Tuesday but add biceps work.

Saturday: 

Abs

Lats. 

Not a big leg training fan.