23 Aug 2010 – Week 6

This is a short week.  M = Arms, T = Shoulders, W = Legs, Th = Back and Chest

Weight:  About 185 lbs now.

Abs – Everyday.  They are starting to take a better shape, and the jackknifes are getting easier.  Slow reps make a big difference.  I hate doing long sets of setups (like three sets of 30 or 40 or even 50) – I want to get the same burn and workout in one set of 12 to 20 reps.  This does just that, so I am not taking 10 to 15 minutes just for abs.

Calves – Stopped after Monday – I can feel something uncomfortable in my right calf, so I am just gonna wait it out.  Did 2 sets of 8 reps, 160 lbs, on Monday.

Next week, I will be at a conference, so no workouts.  I will be good to take a short break from the gym.  Week 7 will pick up after that.

Monday:  Arm Day.  I had a very good workout.  For arms, I warmed up with seated incline dumbbell curls with 20 lbs for a few slow reps.  I then switched to 30 lb dumbbells for four reps of prone incline hanging curls, then moved down to 25 lbs for four reps.  I followed this with standing tricep presses (one-arm) with 30 lbs, then tricep kickbacks with 25 lb dumbbells.

I moved on to incline preacher curls from 25 lbs, for seven reps per arm, then moved down to 20 lbs for eight reps.  I followed this with cable tricep pushdowns (two-handed) with 55 lbs for eight reps, then i turned around and did overhead tricep presses (straight out, leaning forward) with 50 lbs for eight reps, then 40 lbs for eight reps.  I went back to hanging curls with 15 lbs for six reps, then 10 lbs for five reps before giving up.  I was drained, but my arms felt so good and thick all day.  It was a very good workout.  My ab routine was also very good, as I went even slower on reps.

Tuesday:  Shoulder Day.  Very very good workout.  I did seated military dumbbell presses, 3 sets x 8, with 45 lbs, 45 lbs, and 40 lbs.  I then concentrated on prone incline shoulder flys, with sets of 9 to 12 reps (three or four reps in one of three different positions each), working down from 20 lb dumbbells to 10 lb dumbbells.  I also did various shoulder raises with 25 lb and 20 lb dumbbells, as well as overhead windmills using 15 lb dumbbells until I was worn out.

Wednesday:  Leg Day.   I had a rough day, and barely managed 3 sets of 6 squats with 55 lb dumbbells, after warming up with no weight.  But I am really feeling it, so it could not have been *that* bad a workout.  I was so tired I fell asleep before I could finish dinner.

Thursday:  Back and Chest Day.  Very good, deeply satisfying workout.  I started with seated cable rows, warming up with a few reps at 120 lbs, then doing eight reps at 160 lbs.  Next I did seated lat pulldowns, wide and narrow grip, eight reps each, alternating reps front and back.  I used 140 lbs for this.   Doing dumbbell bench presses, I warmed up incline with 40 lb dumbbells, then did the first set inclined with 50 lb dumbbells times eight reps, then flat at 55 lb dumbbells times eight reps, then decline with 55 lbs at eight reps, then another declined set with 55 lb dumbbells at eight reps, then flat with four reps of 55 lb dumbbells (before giving out), then flat with eight reps of 45 lb dumbbells, then finishing with incline, six reps of 45 lbs (before giving out again).  I then did two sets of four seated cable rows at 140 lbs.  I finished with two sets of standing cable flys (chest), with each side at 25 lbs for eight reps, then 15 lbs for eight reps.  Great workout!

My weight is now about 187 lbs.

I also spoke with a trainer at the gym about good hamstring exercises, and he pointed me to dumbbell lunges, using a very wide lunge.  Wider hits the hamstrings more, narrower works the quads more.  Seems obvious now, so I will bring lunges into the routine when I get back.

Friday:  Off.  Be back in a week!  And remember, Uncle Kracker says Smile!  ^___^

A note for a friend…

Got a good friend having a tough time right now.  LB – hang in there – things will get better…

16 Aug 2010 – Week 5

This is a long week (M-F).  M = biceps and triceps, T and Th = legs, W = shoulders, F = back and chest.  Every day is abs and calves.

I think abs are getting easier, and seated calf raises are too (160 lbs x 8 x 3 sets).   Last Friday I visited the chiropractor for a little maintenance adjustment and had my forearms massaged to make sure I nip any issues in the bud.  I am warming up before and stretching after, drinking lots of water during all workouts.  Still not chasing numbers, only pain.  Following their advise, I changed my ab workout from Wednesday to just do 8 reps of jackknifes (using 15 lb medicine ball over head, 12 lb medicine ball between my feet).  I also did situps with the 15 lb ball held behind me on the down movement, to get a super good slow negative crunch.  OUCH.

On Friday, there were no 45 lb plates I could use for calf raises, so I used smaller weights and decided to try adding 30 lbs (from 160 lbs to 190 lbs).  Doing 160 lb lifts are getting easier (3 sets of 8), so I figured I could do this.  Without warming up.  Wrong.  I did two sets, then the first rep of the third set, I ALMOST pulled something in my right calf.  Called it quits right then and did the rest of my workout without incident.  I gotta be more careful…

Monday:  Again, I had an excellent Arm Day workout.   I did incline arm curls from a prone position, so my arms were hanging down.  This squeezes the middle and upper parts of the bicep very well, while the incline preacher curls I did worked the lower portion of the bicep, down near the elbow.

I did these hanging curls starting with 25 lb dumbbells until tired, then rested, then repeated, and so on.  I eventually worked down to 20 lb, then 15 lb dumbbells.  I sprinkled in preacher curls before I could get too tired, from 25 lbs on down.  I also alternated in tricep presses from 30 lb dumbbells on down when my biceps were too tired.  I finished with cable two-handed tricep presses at 60 lbs.

Tuesday:  Leg Day.  I warmed up with 40 lb dumbbells for 1 set of 8 reps, then did 3 sets of 6 reps with 55 lb dumbbells.  This wiped me out.

Wednesday:  Shoulder Day.  I did seated military dumbbell presses with 45 lbs, 3 sets of six reps, then prone inclined hanging shoulder flys (straight out, up to the side, and up and back) with 15 lb dumbbells, working down to 5 lb dumbbells as I got tired.  By the end of the workout (about 45 minutes), my shoulders were exhausted.

Thursday:  Another Leg Day.  This time, I warmed up without weights, just doing empty squats, one set of eight.  Why waste the energy on a warmup set, right?  After that, I did three sets of six squats using 55 lb dumbbells.  My legs were on fire – squats drain me.

Friday:  This was Chest and Back Day.  I did back first so I would have a fresh grip.  Started with seated lat pulldowns (alternating front and back), with 120 lbs, wide grip, for eight reps.  I chased this with the same set on a narrow grip.  I then repeated this superset.  Next was seated rows with 120 lbs, two sets of eight before my grip was useless.

After back, I did chest with six sets of bench press (two each of incline, flat, and decline).  I started with 45 lbs for incline press, eight reps.  I then moved to flat and decline with 55 lb dumbbells, eight reps each.  I did another set of eight on decline with 55 lbs, and got five on flat with 55 lbs before dropping to 45 lbs and doing four more reps.  I then finished with incline bench, doing four reps of 45 lbs and four reps of 40 lbs.  By this time I could hardly hold anything, and could not lift anything.

Over the weekend, my back and pectorals ached, so I know I did good.  And my calf doesn’t hurt anymore either.

I am not really laying out sets and reps and weights in a neat easy-to-copy fashion, because I am just working my muscles to exhaustion more than following a strict daily plan.  I know what to work each day, but that day can be anything as long as I really work it deep.  This way, I can’t have a disappointing workout for not hitting my weights, since I am no longer focused on weights.  The only way I can have a disappointing workout now is if I just don’t work hard enough…

9 Aug 2010 – Week 4

Daily:  Seated calf raises, three sets, 160 x 8, slow and deep, squeezing my calves and holding at the top.  Set three is very very hard to complete.  Abs are first now, before calves, because they get real hard to do if anything else goes first.  I am using a 10 lb medicine ball at my feet (straight leg) and a 12 lb medicine ball held at my forehead (to prevent cheating).  I pull up in a V as tight as I can, hold, then slowly and evenly lower (or try to).  Four reps, followed by four more offset reps (legs to one side, torso to the other, alternating sides with each rep).  My obliques are already showing.  Eight more reps follow, alternating between raising my torso and slowly lowering and squeezing my abs, and raising my feet (straight leg) and slowly lowering to the ground.

Monday:  Arm day – I did the standard preacher dumbbell curls and got 30 lbs this time for several reps before dropping down in weight.  I am also starting with my weak arm (left), to ensure I am not too drained to work it good.

I changed things up a little on advice of a coworker, by doing dumbbell curls while lying on an incline bench (belly, not back).  WOW – that’s what I been missing.  I murdered my biceps using only 15 lb dumbbells and lower.  I did not bother counting reps;  I just kept going back for more until there were no lighter dumbbells to use (stops at 5 lbs).

Triceps were standard, using overhead dumbbell presses (one-arm and two-arm), and cable pulldowns.  I went slow and squeezed the triceps before slowing releasing.  By slow, I mean three to four seconds.

Tuesday:  Short week, so I did shoulders (gives a day of rest before chest and back on Thursday).  Nothing but shoulders, great workout.  Started with seated military presses using 45 dumbbells (warmed up with 15 lb overhead waves first), and worked down three more sets, from 35 lbs to 25 lbs.  Didn’t do more than 8 reps on any, and the last set was only 5 reps.  Then the tough stuff.  I used the same incline idea from Monday, but instead of bicep curls, I used 15 lb dumbbells  and did shoulder flys.  The incline keeps me from cheating, and forces my shoulders to work.  I rotated reps one at a time from straight out front to up from the side to all the way out and back.  At the top of each rep I held before slowly releasing.  Next set was with 10 lbs, and 5 lbs.  I rested some, then did two more sets – one at 10 lbs and one at 5 lbs.  I did not count reps, but it was less than eight rotations.

Wednesday:  Leg day.  Just one day this week , and it kicked my butt.  I only did four sets of dumbbell squats.  Set one was a warmup – 40 lb dumbbells x 6 reps, slowly.  Sets two and three were with 55 lb dumbbells, 6 reps each.   Set four was also with 55 lbs dumbbells, for 4 reps.  I was too drained to do more.  And I am resting between sets, and constantly drinking water (this is true with every workout, not just today).

Thursday:  Chest and back day.  I did back first, so I wouldn’t lose my grip.  I did anyway.  I got 120 lbs on the lat pulldown, 8 reps alternating front and back (four reps each).  The difference is going slow throughout the entire motion and holding and squeezing at the maximum point.  This was wide grip.  I repeated the set with narrow grip, same weight, same reps.  I then did seated rows, two sets of four with 120 lbs.  I had to break it into two sets because I could not hold on.  After this, my back and arms were pumped though.  I next did chest with six sets of dumbbell bench presses.  Just like last week, started with incline, then flat, then decline, then decline, flat, and finished with incline.  I warmed up with four reps inclined using 35 lbs, slow.  Then each of the first three sets were done using 50 lb dumbbells for 8 reps each.  The next two sets (decline and flat) were with 50 lbs, six or seven reps each.  I was really tired by this time.  The last set was incline, and I could not get 50 lbs, so moved to 40 lbs for seven reps.  I was drained.  But not like leg day.  I felt great all day after that, especially my shoulders.

My weight for the past two days has been around 185 lbs.

2 Aug 2010 – Week 3

This week was very good, and was a full week of five workout days.  I am getting back into my groove now with diet, stretching, rest, and exercise, and feel awesome.  Each day, I did seated calf raises with 160 lbs (3 sets of 8), and a great abdominal workout using medicine balls (6 lbs between my feet, 8 lbs held on my forehead to prevent cheating).  I fold up in a V shape, holding one ball with my feet, the other at my head, then slowly lower legs and torso, then back up.  I am doing 4 of these, then four more in which I twist my legs one way, and torso the other, then reverse that on the next rep.  Finally, just four of leg raises and four of traditional situps, but all done very slowly.  Only 16 reps total, but I am DEAD after this – my abs burn and I have a hard time getting off the floor.

Monday:  Arms (biceps and triceps).  I only did dumbbell preacher curls, from 25 lbs down to 15 lbs, just doing sets until I could not do any more, and my biceps were barking loud.  For triceps, I did dumbbell kickbacks with 20 lbs, overhead tricep presses with 30 lbs per arm and 20 lbs per arm, then tried one-arm presses using 20 lb dumbbells.  I had an outstanding workout, and my arms felt swollen for, well, they STILL feel swollen.

Tuesday:  Legs (UGH).  Dumbbell squats.  First with 40 lbs, 8 reps, then two sets with 50 lbs, 6 reps.  I was done after that, whole workout was only 20 minutes.

Wednesday:  Shoulders.  I did seated dumbbell presses and standing flys.  Presses with 30, then 40 lbs.  Flys with 20, 15, and 10 lbs.  I worked them till they could not move and burned.

Thursday:  Legs again.  I was so wiped out on this I could only do two sets of dumbbell squats with 45 lbs.

Friday:  Back and chest.  I did six sets of dumbbell bench presses.  I started with incline, then flat, then decline, then worked back up to incline.  I start with incline because I am weakest at that, and it uses the most shoulder power, which will be used up if I do anything else first.   After warming up with 25 lbs:

• Set 1 incline = 45 lbs x 8
• Set 2 flat = 45 lbs x 8
• Set 3 decline = 40 lbs x 8
• Set 4 decline = 40 lbs x 8
• Set 5 flat = 40 lbs x 8
• Set 6 incline = 35 lbs x 8

For back, I did two sets of seated cable rows, 120 lbs x 8, and then seated lat pulldowns.  I alternate reps front and back, and use only 100 lbs with a long bar.  In front I pull down to my lower chest and hold before slowly releasing.  In back, I pull down to my shoulders, even back a little, and hold while squeezing my upper back before slowly releasing.

I also alternate sets between wide grip and narrow grip (same bar), so the second set was also 100 lbs x 8, hands at roughly 11 and 1 positions.  This really crunches my mid-back area and works my lats deep.

I unfortunately only got one set of 8 reps for each type of grip, then only 5 reps on set three before my forearms could not hold on any longer.  I won’t use wraps either – I need to get stronger is all.  It will happen over time.

I am also up to using 10 lb and 12 lb medicine balls for abs, from 6 lbs and 8 lbs earlier.