I STARTED WORKING OUT ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO AND IMMEDIATELY FELL IN LOVE WITH TRAINING AND THE SPORT OF BODYBUILDING. MY GOAL IS TO STEP ONSTAGE BY 2018 IN THE CLASSIC PHYSIQUE DIVISION, WHICH I FEEL BEST SUITS MY PHYSIQUE. CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT EXERCISES I SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE THE “X FRAME” THAT CLASSIC SEEMS TO DEMAND?
ANSWER
This is truly an excellent question that all aspiring classic physique athletes should be asking. You are correct when you say that an X frame is vital for this division and thus needs to be addressed when planning every training session. Building a physique along the lines of a Frank Zane or Lee Labrada takes a combination of favorable genetics and meticulously planned workouts based around movements that help create width, shape, symmetry, proportion, and just the right amount of mass. Here is a list that should help keep you on track toward your goal.
CHEST
Incline press
Incline flye
Cable crossover
BACK
Stiff-arm pulldown
Dumbbell pullover
Seated pullover machine
Underhand-grip pulldown
Pullup
Row
Close-grip pulldown
Pullup
Single-arm dumbbell row
Seated cable row
Pulldown
SHOULDERS
Dumbbell lateral raise
Cable lateral raise
Machine lateral raise
Wide-grip upright row
QUADS
Narrow-stance squat
Leg press
Sissy squat
Hack squat
Lunge
Leg extension
HAMSTRINGS
Seated leg curl
Lying leg curl
Standing leg curl
Hyperextension
BICEPS
Preacher curl
Concentration curl
Spider curl
Seated overhead cable curl
Hammer curl
TRICEPS
Overhead dumbbell extension
Machine extension
Cable extension
Rope pushdown
Dumbbell kickback
Dip
ABS
Body-weight crunch
Leg raise
Front plank
Side plank
Stomach vacuum
CALVES
Standing calf raise
Seated calf raise
Calf press
I would also like to mention some exercises you may wish to avoid (or at least utilize minimally) in your pursuit of building a classic physique: heavy, low-rep squats, deadlifts, and rows; any type of weighted side bends; shrugs. I wish you the best of luck and hope to see you up onstage!
