MI40-FOUNDATION
By Ben Pakulski
Honors Kinesiology Degree, CSCS, ACE, MAT
7- DAY
PRIMER PHASE
LEGAL DISCLAIMER
The information presented in this work is by no way intended as medical advice or as a substitute for medical counselling. The information should be used in conjunction with the guidance and care of your physician. Consult your physician before beginning this program as you would with any exercise and nutrition program. If you choose not to obtain the consent of your physician and/or work with your physician throughout the duration of your time using the recommenda-tions in the program, you are agreeing to accept full responsibility for your acrecommenda-tions. By continuing with the program, you recognize that, despite all precautions on the part of Pakulski Fitness International, there are risks of injury or illness which can occur because of your use of the aforementioned information and you expressly assume such risks and waive, relinquish and release any claim which you may have against Pakulski Fitness International, or its affiliates as a result of any future physical injury or illness incurred in connection with, or as a result of, the use or misuse of the program.
7-DAY
PRIMER PHASE
Welcome To The 7-Day Primer Phase
01 Execute each and every exercise perfectly. This does
NOT mean that you must execute these exercises with maximum load (or weight).
02 Take the muscle through its maximal range of motion
(ROM) for a given exercise while maintaining constant tension. This is all described in the Exercise Execution Guide. The Primer Phase will give you a full week to get familiar with what a full ROM feels like.
03 Initiate each repetition with the muscle you are intending
on working. For instance, if the pecs are being worked, the first movement must come from the pecs contract-ing. This sounds easy in theory, but is difficult in practice. Try going to the gym when it’s less busy this week to avoid the temptation of defaulting to your old lifting patterns.
04 Consciously try to use the working muscle to pull or push
the weight through the ENTIRE range of motion..
05 Take a muscle into its fully shortened position, or as close
as you can without sacrificing form. You will learn how to do this by reading the Exercise Execution Guide and watch-ing the online videos.
06 ELIMINATE extraneous movement. The ONLY movement that exists in this program is the movement necessary to move the target muscle through its range of motion. NOT any other part of your body. NO swinging. NO
momentum. EVER! There is no place for it in this program. Again, watch the online videos to see how I coach my students and listen for the cues I give them to “lock down” their form.
01
The Philosophy
MI40-Foundation is a high intensity, high volume, overload type of workout system. In order for you to maximally benefit from this program, it is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY that you:
7-DAY
PRIMER PHASE
How to Get “Primed”!
The 7-day primer for MI40-Foundation is going to require that you train each bodypart twice.
The exercises selected are very specific to the goal of teaching your body how to contract each muscle through a full range of motion. There will be NO FORCED REPS!.
The body moves in predetermined schema; patterns that exist in your brain from previously rehearsed movements.
The goal of this MI40-Foundation Primer Phase is to begin to teach the body and brain to
rewire your current patterns of movement and replace them with the optimal ones for
symmetrical growth and maximal muscle stimulus.
Forced reps will teach your body the wrong patterns and create inconsistencies which slow the learning process. Ever notice how your best body parts feel the most natural and you don’t even have to think about them when you train? This is NOT coincidence. Your brain has stored a more optimal movement pattern than you have for other (weaker) body parts. Before starting this 7-Day Primer Phase, please take the time to watch the Exercise Execution Videos and read the Exercise Execution Guide (AT LEAST once). Every time you re-watch / re-read, you will learn something new.
This will be vital to your success.
This primer will also be a “pre-conditioning” of sorts to prepare your body for what is about to take place over the following 40 days.
The goal of the primer is NOT to cause excessive soreness, tissue damage or neurological overload.
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This program is not only designed to build maximal amounts of muscle in a very short time, but also to train your body and your nervous system on how to move so that you continue to grow going forward, long after you’ve completed the
MI40-Foundation program!
There should be NO plateaus when you know how to manipulate the variables within MI40-Foundation.
7-DAY
PRIMER PHASE
01
The goal is to train the body and brain to move how YOU want them to. Pay attention to detail. Create GREAT habits. Don’t allow yourself to break them, ever.
* NOTE: if you plan on starting MI40-Foundation on a Monday for example, this primer phase must begin 10 days prior (which would be on a Friday)....
This ensures 3 days COMPLETELY OFF before beginning MI40-Foundation. Use these off days to ensure you have everything you will need to complete the program successfully.
During this time:
Design or print your meal plan Prep your meals
Order supplements Get a massage or 2 Stretch
Review ALL of the MI40-Foundation materials closely. Rest and mentally prepare to give the program max effort!
7-DAY
PRIMER PHASE
The Keys to Execution in the PRIMER Phase
01
Initiate with the working muscle
The first movement in the sequence MUST come from the muscle you are trying to work. If you’re working your biceps, you must consciously contract the biceps first, from a fully lengthened position.
02
Maintain continuous tension.
Squeeze the working muscle throughout the movement and never lose tension. You should be able to stop at any point of the range (if you
Perform a 1-second squeeze in the contracted position with conscious intent to really contract the working muscle HARD!
(e.g; hold at the top of a bicep curl for a 1 count, or hold for 1 seconds at the bottom a lat pulldown). Take a 1-second pause in the fully lengthened position.
(example; pausing for a 1-count at the bottom of a bench press or a squat to completely eliminate all momen-tum).
Take approximately 2 second to move from the contracted position to the lengthened position, and vice-versa. The tempo for each exercise will be 2-1-2-1, with NO additional time used pausing at the bottom OR the top of any exercise.
03
Tension at the extremes!
The exercises in the Primer Phase are chosen to ensure you train each muscle through it’s full contractile range. The work here is done for you!
Just follow the workouts.
04
Stimulate All Points of the strength curve.
One-second movements
Take approximately 1 second to move from the contracted position to the lengthened position, and vice-versa.
1-2-1-2, with NO additional time used pausing at the bottom OR the top of any exercise.
7-DAY
PRIMER PHASE
Lock it down!
ZERO extraneous movement or ‘body english’. The only thing(s) moving should be the joint(s) you are training. a.k.a No hip movement when doing bicep curls!
05
SQUEEZE it like it owes you money!
Your PRIMARY goal during this phase is to build and enhance your mind-muscle connection. You have to consciously contract as hard as you possibly can on EVERY rep!
06
Initiate with the working muscle
No body-English
DO NOT start movements by “jerking” from other parts of the body or using momentum. This is a “no-no”.
Squueeeze!
Perform a 2-second squeeze in the contracted position with conscious intent to really contract the working muscle HARD! (e.g; hold at the top of a bicep curl for a 2 count, or hold for 2 seconds at the bottom a lat pulldown)
Ensure FULL lengthening of the muscle.
Take a 2-second pause in the fully lengthened position.(example; pausing for a 2-count at the bottom of a bench press or a squat to completely eliminate all momentum)..
One-second movements
Take approximately 1 second to move from the contracted position to the lengthened position, and vice-versa.
Consistent Tempo!
1-2-1-2, with NO additional time used pausing at the bottom OR the top of any exercise.
7-DAY
PRIMER PHASE
Executing the Primer Workouts
The Primer workouts will be performed in a giant set fashion. This means you will complete one exercise for each body part with no rest between sets. Once you have completed all three exercises, rest for 180 seconds (3 minutes).
Example:
Exercise 1, no rest Exercise 2, no rest Exercise 3, rest 3 minutes
Repeat for the indicated number of sets.
When selecting your weight, remember that there will be a lot of time under tension (TUT) so start lighter than you normally would.
Your perceived exertion should be about 60% of your maximum output. **This is NOT 60% of your 1 rep max, but 60% perceived exertion.
The goal here is training the correct form and wiring the movement pattern into your brain, not trying to kick your @$$. (that will come later.)
Example
7-DAY
PRIMER PHASE
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Tempo
Rest
Hammer/ Machine Rows 4
A1 A2 A3 B1 B2 B3 15 2-1-2-1 0 BB Curls 4 15 2-1-2-1 180
Reverse-Pec Fly (for rear delts not back) 4 15 2-1-2-1 0
Bent DB Lateral Raises 4 15 2-1-2-1 0
One-Arm Dumbbell Rows
Machine Preacher Curls
Neutral-Grip Seated Cable Rows
4 20 2-1-2-1 0
4 12 2-1-2-1 180
15
The 7-Day Primer Workouts
Day 1 - Back / Rear Delts / Biceps
INTENSITY: *60%
(Seconds)
7-DAY
Day 2 - Chest / Side Delts / Triceps
INTENSITY: *60%
7-DAY
PRIMER PHASE
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Tempo
Rest
BB Bench Press 4 A1 A2 A3 B1 B2 B3 12 2-1-2-1 0
Dual Rope Tricep Pushdown/ Pressdowns with
Elbow Behind Body, Neutral-grip 4 15 2-1-2-1 180
Cable Lateral Raises 4 15 2-1-2-1 0
DB Lateral Raises 4 20 2-1-2-1 0
30º Incline Dumbbell Flys
Overhead Cable/ Rope Extensions (facing away from apparatus)
4 15 2-1-2-1 0
4 15 2-1-2-1 180
Day 3 - Quads / Hamstrings / Calves
INTENSITY: *60%
7-DAY
PRIMER PHASE
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Tempo
Rest
Lying Leg Curls - Body Extended 4
A1 A2 A3 B1 B2 B3 12 2-1-2-1 0
Standing Calf Raises 4 15 2-1-2-1 180
Leg Extensions 4 15 2-1-2-1 0
BB Quad Squats 4 20 2-1-2-1 0
Seated Leg Curls
Seated Calf Raises
4 12 2-1-2-1 0
4 20 2-1-2-1 180
Day 4 - Back / Rear Delts / Biceps
INTENSITY: *80%
7-DAY
PRIMER PHASE
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Tempo
Rest
Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns, Over-hand grip 4 A1 A2 A3 B1 B2 B3 15 2-1-2-1 0
Elbows High, Cable Bicep Curls
(facing toward apparatus) 4 15 2-1-2-1 180
Bent Cable Lateral Raises 4 20 2-1-2-1 0
Low Incline Lateral Raises (for rear delts) 4 15 2-1-2-1 0
Reverse-grip Lat Pulldowns
Low Cable Bicep Curls (facing toward apparatus)
4 12 2-1-2-1 0
4 15 2-1-2-1 180
(Seconds)
Full Workouts Part
of MI40 Foundation
Accelerator Package
Day 5 - Chest / Side Delts /Triceps
INTENSITY: *80%
7-DAY
PRIMER PHASE
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Tempo
Rest
Flat Db Chest Press 4
A1 A2 A3 B1 B2 B3 12 2-1-2-1 0
Cross-Cable Extension with Elbow Back (single arm 4 15 2-1-2-1 180
Cable Lateral Raises 4 20 2-1-2-1 0
DB Overhead Press 4 20 2-1-2-1 0
Incline Machine/ Hammer-Strength Chest Press
Lying DB Tricep Extensions
4 15 2-1-2-1 0
4 15 2-1-2-1 180
(Seconds)
Full Workouts Part
of MI40 Foundation
Accelerator Package
Day 6 - Quads / Hamstrings / Calves
INTENSITY: *80%
Day 7 OFF
7-DAY
PRIMER PHASE
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Tempo
Rest
Hack Squats 4 A1 A2 A3 B1 B2 B3 20 2-1-2-1 0
Seated Calf Raises 4 20 2-1-2-1 180
Leg Press- feet low (Quad emphasis) 4 20 2-1-2-1 0
Lying Leg Curls 4 12 2-1-2-1 0
Romanian Deadlifts
Horizontal/ Leg Press Calf Press
4 15 2-1-2-1 0
4 15 2-1-2-1 180
(Seconds)
