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Rich Gaspari Pre-Competition Workout Routine

Rich Gaspari

Here is the routine Gaspari used for the final eight weeks before a competition:

Day One: Morning Workout

Calves

Donkey Calf Raises — 5x15

Done with up to two people on his back and a dip belt with added weight. Drop sets were incorporated by having one person get off his back, then the other, and then the loaded dip belt.

Seated Calf Raise — 5x15

Increase weight each set and the last set would be a triple-drop set.

Chest

Incline Dumbbell Press — 5x8-12

Last set to failure

Incline Flyes — 4x8-12

Last set to failure

Barbell Bench Press — 4x6-10

Increase weight each set. Last set using drop set.

Dumbbell Flyes of Pec Deck — 4x10-12

Weighted Dips — 3x10

Increase weight each set.

Cable Crossovers — 3 10-12

Abdominals

Lying Crunches 4x50

Hanging Leg Raises 4x50

Twisting Cable Crunches 3x50

Cardio followed by posing practice

Day One: Afternoon

Arms (Superset Triceps and Biceps)

Pushdowns supersetted with Incline Dumbbell Curls

4x10-12 for each exercise

Skullcrushers supersetted with Seated EZ Preacher Curls

4x10-12 for each exercise

Seated Frech Curls supersetted with Reverse of Hammer Curls

4x10-12 for each exercise

Kickbacks supersetted with Dumbbell Concentration Curls

3x10-12

Afternoon workout followed by one hour of posing

Day Two: Morning

Back

Weighted Chins — 5x12-15

Increase weight each set

Close-Grip Front Pulldowns 4x10

Slo-Mo style, back straight and arched, no swing

Seated Low Rows 4x10

Different handles each workout

Barbell Rows 4x10

Done very strict, no swinging

T-Bar Rows 4x10

Deadlifts 4x10-12

With barbell or dumbbells

Abdominals

Same as day one

Cardio

Day Two: Afternoon

Shoulders

Arnold Presses — 5x6-10

Add weight each set. Drop set on last set

Seated or Standing Side Laterals 5x10-12

Drop sets on the last two sets

Standing Upright Rows supersetted with

Two-Arm Cable Side Laterals — 3x12

Standing Front Dumbbell Laterals — 3x10

Bent Over Dumbbell Laterals — 4x10-12

Performed lying prone on an incline bench

Behind the Neck Shrugs — 5x10-12

Workout followed by one hour of posing

Day 3: Morning

Legs

Leg Extensions — 5x12-15

Increase weight each set and have partner push down to make the negative phase more difficult

45-Degree Leg Press — 5x15

Last two sets were drop sets

Hack Squats supersetted with Sissy Squats — 5x15

Walking Lunges or

Reverse Lunges on a Smith Machine — 5x15

Lying Leg Curls — 5x12-15

Stiff-Legged Deadlifts — 4-5x15

No cardio or posing after leg training

Day 3: Afternoon

Calf Training same as Day One

Abdominal Training same as Day One

(It needs to be noted that this is a very advanced routine of a professional bodybuilder and should not be performed by a person who is still in the beginner or intermediate stages of bodybuilding.)

Rich Gaspari most muscular pose

Rich Gaspari vintage pose

Rich posing

Rich Gaspari with Joe Weider after a great victory