Brad Schoenfeld - Strong & sculpted: the Total-body Training Program for Shaping Your Ultimate Physique!

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Schoenfeld, Brad, 1962- author.

Title: Strong & sculpted / Brad Schoenfeld, PhD, CSCS, CSPS, FNSCA.

Other titles: Strong and sculpted

Description: Champaign, IL : Human Kinetics, [2016] | Includes

bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015049352 | ISBN 9781492514565 (print)

Subjects: LCSH: Bodybuilding for women. | Physical fitness for women. |

Weight training.

Classification: LCC GV546.6.W64 S36 2016 | DDC 613.7/045--dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015049352

ISBN: 978-1-4925-1456-5 (print)

Copyright 2016 by Brad Schoenfeld

All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

This publication is written and published to provide accurate and authoritative information relevant to the subject matter presented. It is published and sold with the understanding that the author and publisher are not engaged in rendering legal, medical, or other professional services by reason of their authorship or publication of this work. If medical or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought.

Notice: Permission to reproduce the following material is granted to instructors and agencies who have purchased Strong & Sculpted: p.. The reproduction of other parts of this book is expressly forbidden by the above copyright notice. Persons or agencies who have not purchased Strong & Sculpted may not reproduce any material.

The web addresses cited in this text were current as of December 2015, unless otherwise noted.

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Photographs (interior): Neil Bernstein

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We thank Premier Athletic Club in Montrose, New York, and The Refinery in Champaign, Illinois, for assistance in providing the locations for the photo shoot for this book.

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E6638

Chapter 3: Exercises for the Shoulders and Arms

Chapter 4: Dynamic Warm-Ups and Flexibility

Chapter 5: Exercises for the Torso

My love affair with lifting weights started in high school with one of those home gyms. Nothing fancy, but adequate enough to get a decent workout. I started with a variety of exercises, seeing how much I could lift. When I tried the leg press, I found I could do the entire weight stack. That was a rush. I loved the sensation of pushing weight, taxing my body to its limit. I was hooked.

It wasnt until college that I really got serious about lifting. I attended the University of Florida on a track and field scholarship, where I competed in the high jump. The university had an amazing strength program and a state-of-the-art fitness center. My motivation to train was purely competition related. All I wanted was to increase strength and power to optimize my athletic performance; I really couldn't have cared less about the aesthetic aspect.

I gravitated to performing the Olympic lifts and powerlifting moves. Squats were a favorite; I started with the bar and worked my way up to 275 pounds (125 kg)more than double my body weight.

I experienced great satisfaction in lifting as much weight as possible and seeing how it translated to my performance in the field. I got faster. I could jump higher. That motivated me to train even harder. I ended up earning Junior All-American status, which I attribute largely to my fitness regimen.

When I had been out of college for several years, I was still jumping, although no longer competitively. For fun, I began working out with the USA Track and Field team. With diligence and hard work, I was able to clear 5 feet 11 inches (180.3 cm) in the high jumpmy all-time best. My coach said that if I could clear 6 feet (182.9 cm), I'd be able to participate in the Olympic trials.

I was focused. All my energies were channeled into eking out that extra inch (2.5 cm) in the high jump. I trained harder than ever. It never happened.

I was so discouraged. I'd worked so hard to accomplish my goal, and now all hope for an Olympic tryout was gone. I suddenly had nothing left to train for, no goal to serve as motivation.

Shortly thereafter, I was thumbing through a fitness magazine, and a friend suggested that I consider doing a figure competition. At first I dismissed the notion. I grew up as a tomboy, not a girly girl. The thought of parading around in a swimsuit wasn't all that appealing.

But without any other competitive aspirations at the time, I decided to give it a go. At the very least, it gave me something to train for.

I won the first competition I entered; my motivation soared. I entered another show and won again. Then I entered and won a national competition, at which I earned my pro card.

I placed 10th in my initial pro showthe 2009 Arnold Classicand then took 6th at the 2009 Figure Olympia. After that, I never finished outside the top three. The highlight of my career came in 2010 when I won the pinnacle of women's physique competitions, the Figure Olympiaand then I did it again two years later!

When I tell my story, it sounds as though things came easily for me. Nothing could be further from the truth. Physique competition requires optimal shape and symmetry. I was lagging in both.

I'm a right-handed thrower and a right-footed high jumper. As a result of years of track and field work, my left side was seriously lagging over my right. Moreover, my calves were out of balance with my thighs, and I needed to bring up my glutes as well as improve my shoulders and lats.

I was able to overcome these obstacles because of an intense work ethic, an unending drive to succeed. Sure, I have good genetics. But so do millions of other women. To rise to the top requires dedication and hard work. There is no substitute. The good news is that these are qualities that everyone can develop.