sharon bruneau’s WORKOUT routine for THE 1991 north american championship pro win

  • DAY 1 / MONDAY: SHOULDERS, TRICEPS, BICEP, ABS, STRETCH

  • DAY 2/ TUESDAY: LEGS, ABS, STRETCH

  • DAY 3/ WEDNESDAY: BACK, CHEST, ABS, STRETCH

  • DAY 4/ THURSDAY: REST, CARDIO, ABS, STRETCH

  • DAY 5/ FRIDAY: SHOULDERS, TRICEPS, BICEP, ABS, STRETCH

  • DAY 6/ SATURDAY: LEGS, ABS, STRETCH

  • DAY 7/ SUNDAY: BACK, CHEST, ABS, STRETCH

  • REPEAT

note: KEEP IN MIND The key to muscle hypertrophy IS Progressive overload! Try to increase your volume each week, whether it’s through an extra rep, set, or an increase in weight.

ABDOMINALS: I TRAINED ABS EVERY DAY (STILL DO).

PLANKS: (REGULAR PLANKS, SIDE PLANKS, ELBOW TO KNEE PLANKS, WALKING PLANKS) MIX IT UP:

SETS: 4

REPS: HOLD FOR AT LEAST 3 MINUTES EACH SET OR TO FAILURE.

MACHINE CRUNCHES:

SETS: 4

REPS: 20-30 EACH

HANGING LEG RAISES:

SETS: 3

REPS: AT LEAST 20 OR TO FAILURE

FLOOR CRUNCH: 4 SETS TO FAILURE OR AT LEAST 20-30 REPS EACH.

SHOULDERS - HEAVY DAY

SMITH MACHINE OR BARBELL OVERHEAD PRESS:

  • ( START WITH 1-2 warm-up sets)

  • SETS: 5

  • REPS: 15, 12, 10, 6, 6 (EACH TO FAILURE)

BARBELL OR DUMBBELL FRONT RAISE:

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 8-10

SEATED OR STANDING DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISE:

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 8-10

BENT-OVER DUMBBELL LATERAL RAISE

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 8-10

BARBELL UPRIGHT ROWS:

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: 12-15

TRICEPS - HEAVY DAY

TRICEP DIP:

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: TO FAILURE

CLOSE-GRIP BENCH PRESS:

  • SETS:

  • REPS: 10-12

OVERHEAD CABLE EXTENSIONS:

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: 10-12

MACHINE OR BAR TRICEP DIPS:

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: 10-12

BICEPS - HEAVY DAY

PREACHER CURL BENCH OR MACHINE:

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 15, 12, 10, 10

INCLINE DUMBBELL CURLS:

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 12, 10, 8, 8

CABLE CURLS:

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: 10-12

LEGS (QUADRICEPS, HAMSTRINGS/GLUTES, CALVES - HEAVY DAY

BARBELL SQUATS: (START WITH 2-3 WARM-UP SETS)

  • SETS: 5

  • REPS: 12, 10, 8, 6, 6

LEG PRESS MACHINE: (ONE LEG)

  • SETS: 3 (EACH LEG)

  • REPS: 10-12 EACH

LEG-EXTENSION MACHINE:

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 10-12 (TO FAILURE)

ROMANIAN deadlifts:

  • SETS:4

  • REPS:10-12

LEG CURL MACHINE:

  • sets: 4

  • reps: 12, 10, 8, 8

CALVES:

  • SEATED CALVES RAISE MACHINE:

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 20 OR TO FAILURE

BACK - HEAVY DAY

PULLUPS: (2 WIDE, 2 NARROW)

  • SETS: 3-4

  • REPS: 10-12 (OR TO FAILURE)

T BAR ROW:

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 12, 10, 8, 8

SEATED cable ROWS:

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 12-15

WIDE GRIP LAT PULLDOWNS:

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 12, 10, 8, 8

CHEST - HEAVY DAY

(PERSONAL NOTE: I ONLY USED DUMBBELLS OR MACHINES WHEN TRAINING CHEST - NO BARBELL BENCH PRESS AS I DID PERFORM WHEN I FIRST BEGAN TRAINING BUT, FOUND THE MOVEMENT WOULD STRAIN MY FRONT DELTS TOO MUCH AND DID NOT NOTICE THE DEVELOPMENT AS TO WHICH DUMBBELLS WERE PRODUCING FOR ME)

WIDE GRIP DIPS: (NOTE/FORM: WIDE GRIP, LEAN FORWARD TO FACE THE FLOOR AND KEEP TORSO PARALLEL TO FLOOR BY RAISING AND TUCKING IN YOUR LEGS. THIS PLACES ALL EMPHASIS ON THE CHEST.

  • SETS: 3-4

  • REPS: 10-12 OR TO FAILURE

INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS:

  • SETS: 5

  • REPS: 12, 10, 8, 8, 6

DECLINE DUMBBELL PRESS:

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 12, 10, 8, 8

INCLINE DUMBBELL FLY OR PEC DECK MACHINE:

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 15, 12, 10, 10

SHOULDERS - LIGHT DAY

DUMBBELL shoulder press drop sets: (choose 3 sets of DUMBBELL weights - EXAMPLE: 25 lb, 20 lb, 15 lb)

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: EACH SET: 25LB X 15 REPS - DROP THE WEIGHT, PICK UP 20 LB IMMEDIATELY AND PERFORM 15 REPS - DROP THE WEIGHT AND IMMEDIATELY PERFORM 15 REPS WITH 15LB. REST AND REPEAT

CABLE OR MACHINE LATERAL RAISE:

  • SETS: 3-4

  • REPS: 10-15

BARBELL OR DUMBBELL FRONT LATERAL RAISE - SUPERSET WITH - BENT OVER DUMBBELL REAR LATERAL RAISE:

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: 10-15 EACH

UPRIGHT ROWS:

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: 10-15

TRICEPS - LIGHT DAY

DUMBBELL SEATED OVERHEAD TRICEP EXTENSION:

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 10-15

ROPE CABLE TRICEP EXTENSIONS, NARROW GRIP:

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 10-15

MACHINE DIPS - SUPERSET WITH - ONE ARM DUMBBELL OR CABLE KICKBACKS:

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: 10-15 EACH

BICEPS - LIGHT DAY

DUMBBELL BICEP CURLS 21S:

EXAMPLE: HOW TO PERFORM 21S 

  • Stand upright and grab a barbell with an underhand grip.

  • Place your hands shoulders-width apart and allow your arms to hang toward the floor.

  • Tuck your elbows tight to the sides of your body.

  • Curl upward until you make a 90-degree angle at your elbow.

  • Relax your arms back to full extension and repeat six more curls reaching the 90-degree angle at your elbow.

  • Now, from the 90-degree at your elbow position, curl the weight up until the barbell is one to two inches away from your shoulder.

  • Lower the weight back to the 90-degree elbow position and repeat six more times.

  • Now, allow your arms to return to full extension.

  • This time, curl your arms from full extension all the way to full extension. Keep curling until the bar is about one to two inches away from your shoulder.

  • Repeat six more curls through this full range of motion to complete a total of 21 curls.

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: 7 EACH ANGLE = 21 FOR EACH SET

CABLE CURLS WITH ANGLE BAR:

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: 15-20 EACH

legs: quadriceps, hamstrings/glutes, calves - light day

HACK SQUAT MACHINE - Strict fORM TO TARGET OUTER SWEEPS ON QUADS; EXAMPLE: As with the leg press, where you place your feet on the pad influences how the muscle fibers get worked. Here, you want greater emphasis on the outer quad, so place your feet LOWER ON THE PAD AND KEEP FEET AND KNEES SQUEEZED TIGHT TOGETHER - DO NOT SEPARATE DURING UP OR DOWN EXECUTIONS. NEVER BOUNCE AT THE BOTTOM OR TOP, KEEP MOVEMENT FLUID. NO NEED FOR MASS-BUILDING WEIGHTS FOR THIS EXERCISE.

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 12-15

BALLET SQUATS SMITH MACHINE OR BARBELL: (TARGETS INNER QUADS)

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 12-15

SISSY SQUATS: The sissy squat is a quadriceps femoris-dominant exercise carried out by squatting down while stooping backward and hinging on the knees while maintaining a relatively straight upper body.

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: 15-20

CABLE STRAIGHT LEG DEADLIFTS:

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 12-15

ONE LEG HAMSTRING CURLS:

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: 15-20

STANDING CALVE RAISE MACHINE:

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: 50

BACK - LIGHT DAY

SEATED ROW - SUPERSET WITH - STANDING LAT PUSHDOWN, CABLE MACHINE

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 10-12 EACH

BEHIND THE NECK ROPE PULLDOWN - SUPERSET WITH - WIDE-GRIP FRONT LAT CABLE PULLDOWNS

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 10-12 EACH

ONE ARM DUMBBELL ROW:

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: 10-15

CHEST - LIGHT DAY

INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS - SUPERSET WITH - INCLINE DUMBBELL FLYS

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 12-15 EACH

DECLINE DUMBBELL PRESS - SUPERSET WITH - PEC DEC MACHINE

  • SETS: 4

  • REPS: 12-15 EACH

DUMBBELL PULLOVERS:

  • SETS: 3

  • REPS: 15-20