Zac Efron Workout Plan & Diet To Get Ripped 

Odds are, you generally start your chest workouts with this exercise.

But to finish off a dumbbells-only workout, you can aslo utilize it as a compound, heavy finisher.

The goal – Going as heavy as possible for 4 sets in the 6-8 rep range.

This range will stimulate both myofibrilar and sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.

The first one, responsible for strength gains and the second one, for bulk-muscle, bodybuilder-like growth.

The barbell incline bench press is my favorite upper body mass builder due to its emphasis on the upper chest and shoulders.

Contrary to popular belief, the barbell incline bench press is a great exercise to build your shoulders as well as your triceps if you have a narrower grip.

With the barbell incline bench press we are going to be performing 3 heavy working sets in the 8-10 rep range with a focus on lowering the weight slowly on the eccentric portion, which will translate into faster muscle gains.

I recommend that you count for 2-3 seconds on the way down on each rep and then explode back up.

The barbell incline bench press might be the best mass building exercise for the upper body, and is extremely effective for building your upper chest and shoulders. I recommend you perform it twice per week for maximum aesthetics. 

On the third set you are going to be doing a dropset, where you will rep out the heavy working set for 8-10 reps until failure, then drop the weight by about 50% with no rest and pump out another 10-12 reps, or as many as you can do.

This will add some extra intensity and overload right on your upper chest, shoulders, and triceps!

Doing compound movements should be your main priority when your goal is gaining muscle.

Compound movements engage more than 1 muscle group.

The more muscles engaged, the heavier we can lift. The heavier we lift, the bigger the growth stimulus.

This specific exercise is a classic one for the shoulders – It mostly engages the shoulders, but also involves its synergists – The triceps and the upper chest, though at a lesser extent.

On the barbell overhead press i recommend that you lift fairly heavy on this move in the 6-10 rep range. Perform 5 total sets per shoulder workout and rest no more than 90 seconds between sets.

Note that if you are experiencing shoulder discomfort and/or pain, you should consider having the initial position be at about chin height – Don’t let the bar go all the way down.

If you want activation in your lower chest, this exercise is top rated.

Skip it at your own risk. Chances are you’ve done these before so you don’t need me to tell you much about them.

All I can say is get them in. I like starting all my chest workouts with weighted dips as a primer for what’s to come and to ensure that I’m never skipping over them because I’m just too tired to get it done.

Note that you should avoid locking out the elbows at the top.

I recommend doing 3 sets total of 8-12 reps for weighted dips.

You’ll want to go heavy enough on this exercise that you do feel the muscles working hard, but not so heavy that you begin to let the triceps start taking over.

This is a common mistake that is made far too often by many guys.

While you always will get some tricep activation, remember this is a chest exercise not a tricep one.

The barbell deadlift is classically thought of as a leg builder, but don’t forget it’s also one of the superior back exercises.

If you want that wide, thick, powerful look, deadlifts need to be in your game plan.
Because this is such a key mass builder for the body, you’ll want to perform it early on in your workout routine, devoting as much effort to it as possible.

Do it later on in the workout and you simply won’t have the juice left to lift heavy and maximize your gains.

Good form on this move is a must, so if you aren’t quite sure how to do it using good form, be sure to get help in person from a trained professional. Sometimes with a technical exercise like this, having that in person assistance is key.

I recommend that you perform a variety of rep ranges on this exercise, ranging from your 2 rep max all the way to 10 reps. You should deadlift at least once per week for 5 total sets as it's one of the most important compound exercises for total body mass!

This horizontal pulling exercise is one of the pillars to back development.

Remember that each and every joint and its muscles can move through a variety of angles.

The barbell row can be done either with a free-weight barbell, or on a smith machine.

Note that the smith machine barbell row will give MASSIVE activation of the lats, mainly because the barbell is fixed and it doesn't allow you to jerk the weight as a barbell would.

The lat pulldown behind the head is one of the best back exercises on the planet for widening your back and building bigger lats. This move will primarily target the upper back and secondarily, the biceps and forearms. If you are looking for a meaty upper back, do add this to your back exercises list.

If you want to take the lat pulldown behind the head to the next level, I suggest you implement the Balloon Method in all your back workouts so you can maximize the 3 science backed ways your body builds muscle. This is what we do in the SuperHuman Muscle program, and if you are eating enough you will pack on mass much faster. 

For a really good pump I recommend that you go for about 10-12 reps and really focus on the stretch of the exercise and your mind-muscle connection in the lats. I like to tell myself to keep my elbows forward as I pull down as well, and this really lights up your lats. 

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again – If you want REAL gains, it doesn’t get better than heavy, compound bicep exercises.

The barbell curls offer just that, as they are an exercise that is worth including, if your goal is having bigger arms.

However, it is also a move that is commonly done wrong.

What you want to do is have a grip, slightly wider than shoulder width and keep the upper arm static.

That is, if you want to target the short head. If however, you want to gain some peaks, go for a more narrow grip.

Note: Don’t curl all the way up to the shoulders, as that will take away from the biceps’ tension. Instead, stop around mid-chest level and hold the peak flexion there.

You really can’t beat the squat when it comes to building your lower body and giving your fitness a boost.

Squats are going to target your quads, hip flexors, as well as the glutes, while also bringing your core muscles into play as they contract to keep you balanced.

I recommend that you perform a wide variety of rep ranges on this exercise, but if you are a beginner stick to sets in the 6-10 rep range. You should be doing at least 5 sets of squats per week at the minimum as it's arguably the most important compound exercise for building your foundation. 

This exercise is the king of leg exercises because it’s a test of your strength, endurance, as well as mental tenacity.

Make no mistake, this is no sissy exercise. If you’re doing heavy back squats, you’ve earned your place in the gym.

 I recommend varying your rep range on this move and changing up your weights as well.

Anywhere from 4-12 reps works depending on what you want to focus on that day.

Keep track of the weight and reps you do so you can change it up over time, adjusting something upwards so you’re making progress each and every workout.

Note: Don’t expect the weight to constantly go up. Some days, you’ll need to focus on adding more volume instead. Aim to do it fresh in your workout for maximum performance

If you are looking for a more dynamic movement that will make you feel athletic, this is it. The jumping lunge primarily targets the quadriceps, but will also activate the hamstrings, glutes, calves and lower back.

As a replacement to the squat or simply to complement that major compound exercise, the leg press is a fantastic move to bring into your arsenal.

This one of the top 10 leg exercises will hit your quads, hamstrings, and glutes and will allow for excellent power generation.

When doing the leg press, be sure to keep the back pressed flat into the back pad at all times (never let the low back round as you drive the weight up) and go as low down as you can go.

Drop sets are especially effective on this exercise, so try stripping one plate off the machine after each set.

Do a few of 10-15 on these with little rest in between and you'll really feel it burning.

As great as squats are for your workout routine, no lower body session would be complete without some sort of deadlift added into the mix and the stiff lead deadlift is a great variation to target the hamstrings and glutes. The hamstrings and gluteus muscle are 2 of the largest muscles in your entire body, and sadly many lifters overlook this exercise. 

Squats put a lot of emphasis on the quad muscles, while deadlifts hit the posterior chain to a larger degree. By doing a stiff leg deadlift you are able to target the hamstrings and glutes more effectively.

Having both in your program ensures you are building a well-rounded body and aren't going to be at risk for any muscular weaknesses.

The stiff leg deadlift performed with dumbbells is a great hamstring exercise that builds bigger, stronger and less injury prone hamstrings. 

The key with this exercise is in the execution, so be sure to watch the video carefully and follow the execution steps laid out below. I recommend that this hamstring exercise become a staple in your workout routine. You should be training your hamstrings just as often as you train your quads to prevent any muscular imbalances.

Try adding in 5-10 sets per week of the dumbbell stiff leg deadlift. This exercise is featured throughout the SuperHuman Muscle 12 week program as well because of how effective of a mass building movement it is.

A dumbbell stiff leg deadlift is great for helping to work the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back and can be done quickly and easily as there's no barbell to set up.

To really reap maximum gains from this move, you want to lower the weight down in a slow and controlled manner until you feel a good stretch on the hamstrings.

Watch as you do this move that you aren’t rounding your back out.

If anything, it should remain relatively flat or even arched as you execute the movement.

Do 8-10 reps per set, focusing on taking the weight heavier on this exercise.