20 Sep 2010 – Week 9

This is a short week, four days.  Read as # sets x # reps @ dumbbell weight (lbs).

Everyday:  Abs and calves, in that order.

• Weighted jackknifes, straight – 1 x 6, 12 lb ball at feet, 15 lb ball at head, extended overhead and back on slow descent.
• Weighted jackknifes, oblique – 1 x 6, alternating side to side, same weights as above.
• Slow sit-ups-and-downs – 1 x 6, 15 lb ball on head for up, overhead and back for down slowly.
• Seated calf raises – Warmup with 1 x 8 x 90 lbs, then 2 x 6 x 160 lbs.

Monday:  Arms.  Workout rating – killer.  I super-setted bicep with tricep, alternating after each single set.  The workout took an hour, and I was wiped out.  My arms hurt…

• Prone hanging dumbbell bicep curls – Warmup set, 1 x 4 @ 35 lbs, 1 x4  @ 30 lbs, 1 x 5 @ 20 lbs, 1 x 6 @ 15 lbs, 1 x 6 @ 10 lbs.
• Standing overhead tricep cable presses – 1 x 8 @ 65 lbs, 1 x 6 @ 50 lbs, 1 x 6 @ 40 lbs.
• Seated decline dumbbell preacher curls – 1 x 6 @ 25lbs, 1 x 4 @ 25lbs, 2 x 6 @ 20 lbs
• Horizontal dumbbell tricep kickbacks – 1 x 6 @ 30 lbs, 1 x 6 @ 25 lbs
• Overhead standing dumbbell tricep presses – None.
• Standing cable one-arm tricep presses – 1 x 6 per arm @ 30 lbs, 1 x 6 per arm @ 20 lbs.
• Standing cable tricep pushdowns – 1 x 6 @ 60 lbs, 1 x 6 @ 40 lbs.

Tuesday:  Shoulders.  Workout rating – very good.

• Seated dumbbell military presses – warmup with 30lbs, then 1 x 6 @ 50lbs, 1 x 5 @ 45 lbs, 1 x 5 @ 40 lbs.  Ended workout with 1 x 6 @ 35 lbs, 1 x 6 @ 30 lbs, and 1 x 6 @ 25 lbs.  Getting stronger…
• Standing dumbbell windmills – None.
• Prone hanging dumbbell shoulder flys – 1 x 1 x 4 positions @ 20 lbs, 3 x 3 x 4 positions @ 15 lbs, 4 x 3 x 4 positions @ 10 lbs.  Each rep is held as high up as possible for 2 to 3 seconds and slowly released down.
• Standing dumbbell pullups – 1 x 6 @ 25 lbs.

Wednesday:  Legs.  Workout rating – tough.  I am exhausted.

• Dumbbell wide stance lunges – Dry warmup, 1 x 6 x 25 lbs
• Dumbbell squats – Dry warmup, 2 x 6 x 55 lbs, 1 x 6 x 55 lbs half-squats
• Lying hamstring squeezes – 1 x 3 x 15 seconds.

Thursday:  Back and chest.  Workout rating – excellent.  I pushed the weight up and got a very good pump with my pectorals.  Great shoulder workout incidentally, which left me feeling very relaxed afterwards.  I can do more weight on chest, but need to go slow and easy for now to make sure I do not injure myself.  Chest first, then back.

• Incline dumbbell bench press – 1 x 7 x 55 lbs (after warmup).
• Flat dumbbell bench press – 1 x 7 x 65 lbs.
• Decline dumbbell bench press – 2 x 7 x 65 lbs.
• Flat dumbbell bench press – 1 x 7 x 65 lbs.
• Incline dumbbell bench press – 1 x 6 x 50 lbs.
• Seated cable lat alternating pulldown, wide grip – 1 x 6 x 160 lbs (after warmup), very slow.
• Seated cable lat alternating pulldown, narrow grip – 1 x 6 x 140 lbs, very slow.
• Seated cable lat rows – 1 x 4 x 140 lbs, 1 x 4 x 120 lbs, 1 x 4 x 100 lbs, very slow.
• Standing cable flys – 1 x 6 x 30 lbs, 1 x 6 x 20 lbs, 1 x 10 x 10 lbs.
• Incline dumbbell flys – None.
• Flat dumbbell flys – None.

Friday: Saw the chiropractor for routine adjustments and deep muscle massage on my arms.

End-of-week weight:  187 lbs.  Abs are more pronounced, belly is getting flatter, shoulders are getting bigger.

13 Sep 2010 – Week 8

This is a long week, five full days.  Condensing the narrative to make it more readable.  Read as # sets x # reps @ dumbbell weight (lbs).

Everyday:  Abs and calves, in that order.

• Weighted jackknifes, straight – 1 x 4 to 6, 12 lb ball at feet, 15 lb ball at head, extended overhead and back on slow descent.
• Weighted jackknifes, oblique – 1 x 4 to 6, alternating side to side, same weights as above.
• Slow sit-ups-and-downs – 1 x 4 to 6, 15 lb ball on head for up, overhead and back for down slowly.
• Seated calf raises -  None this week – machine still not available.

Monday:  Arms.  Workout rating – fantastic.

• Prone hanging dumbbell bicep curls – Warmup set, 1 x 5 @ 30 lbs, 2 x 5 @ 25 lbs, 2 x 5 @ 20 lbs, 1 x 6 @ 15 lbs, 1 x 6 @ 10 lbs.  [IMPROVEMENT - I can do 30 lbs now; when I started, I could only manage 20 lb dumbbells.]
• Standing overhead tricep cable presses – 3 x 8 @ 50 lbs.
• Seated decline dumbbell preacher curls – 2 x 6 @ 25lbs, 2 x 9 @ 20 lbs
• Horizontal dumbbell tricep kickbacks – 1 x 8 @ 15 lbs (warmup)
• Overhead standing dumbbell tricep presses – None.
• Standing cable one-arm tricep presses – 2 x 8 per arm @ 40 lbs.

Tuesday:  Legs.  Workout rating – fantastic.  I had a much better energy level today, and am not as wiped out as usual.

• Dumbbell wide stance lunges – Warmup set, 1 x 8 @ 2 x 30lb dumbbells.
• Dumbbell squats – Warmup set, 2 x 6 @ 2 x 55 lb dumbbells, 1 x 4 @ 2 x 55 lb dumbbells.  [IMPROVEMENT - I went about an hour earlier, and I think that helped with my energy level.]
• Lying hamstring squeezes – 1 x 3 20 second reps.  (I lie down like doing a situp, knees bent, and use my legs to press my feet and shoulders into the floor, squeezing my hamstrings.)

Wednesday:  Shoulders.  Workout rating – nervous, but very good.  After the 50 lb shoulder presses, I felt tightness in my right tricep, just behind my elbow.  I stretched and loosened it up enough to get through the rest of the workout fine, but took ibuprofen afterwards and iced when I got home.  I hope I am good for the Friday workout….

Other than that, my shoulders were tight and on fire when I quit, and I upped abs to 6 reps of everything, really working my core hard.

• Seated dumbbell military presses – warmup with 20lbs, then 1 x 6 @ 50lbs, 1 x 5 @ 45 lbs, 1 x 5 @ 40 lbs, and 1 x 6 @ 35 lbs.
• Standing dumbbell windmills – 1 x 8 @ 20 lbs, 2 x 8 @ 15 lbs
• Prone hanging dumbbell shoulder flys – 2 x 3 x 4 positions @ 15 lbs, 4 x 3 x 4 positions @ 10 lbs.  Each rep is held as high up as possible for 2 to 3 seconds and slowly released down.
• Standing dumbbell pullups – 1 x 6 @ 20 lbs.

Thursday:  Legs.  Workout rating – excellent.  I am getting over my “power hump”, and have a lot more energy and stamina in the gym now.  My muscles give out before I do, not the other way around.

• Dumbbell wide stance lunges – 1 x 6 25 lbs (warmup).
• Dumbbell squats – 3 x 8 x 50 lbs (someone else had the 55 lb dumbbells).
• Lying hamstring squeezes – 1 x 3 x 15 seconds.

Friday:  Back and chest.  Workout rating – good.  My right arm gave me no problems (taking ibuprofen and icing it each night helped immensely).  I think I need to up the weight now.  Doing back towards the end, since I need my grip for the dumbbells.

• Seated cable lat alternating pulldown, wide grip – 1 x 4 x 160 lbs (after warmup), 1 x 6 x 120 lbs.
• Seated cable lat alternating pulldown, narrow grip – 1 x 6 x 140 lbs.
• Seated cable lat rows – 1 x 6 x 160 lbs, 1 x 6 x 120 lbs.
• Incline dumbbell bench press – 1 x 8 x 50 lbs (after warmup), 1 x 7 x 45 lbs.
• Flat dumbbell bench press – 1 x 8 x 55 lbs, 1 x 4 x 55 lbs, 1 x 6 x 50 lbs.
• Decline dumbbell bench press – 2 x 8 x 55 lbs.
• Standing cable flys – 1 x 8 x 25 lbs, 1 x 8 x 30 lbs, 1 x 10 x 15 lbs.
• Incline dumbbell flys – 1 x 8 x 15 lbs, 1 x 6 x 25 lbs.
• Flat dumbbell flys – 1 x 8 x 25 lbs.

End-of-week weight:  189 lbs.

September 11, 2010…

It’s been nine years, and I still cannot watch documentaries or movies about the attacks.

Never forget….

6 Sep 2010 – Week 7

I am back, and thanks to Labor Day, have a short week.

Everyday:  Abs.  Giving my calves a rest (I walked a LOT in last week).  Plus, the weight room is being painted, and the calf machine is out of use.

Tuesday:  Arms.  Very good, supersets of hanging prone dumbbell curls and overhead cable tricep presses.  Sets of six from 25 lb dumbbells on down for curls.  Sets of eight for cable tricep presses, from 60 lbs on down.  Also worked in dumbbell tricep kickbacks at 25 lbs, one set of six per arm, and several sets of incline dumbbell preacher curls from 25 lbs down, sets of six.  All done slowly to get the most out of it.  My arms felt like balloons when I was done.

Wednesday:  Shoulders.  After warmups, a set of eight seated dumbbell military presses with 50 lbs, followed by a set of eight at 45 lbs.  Prone hanging shoulder flys, sets of six from 20 lbs down to 10 lbs.  Windmills using 20 lb dumbbells down to 10 lbs, sets of eight.  My shoulders were burning by the end, and it was hard to pick up even light objects.

Thursday:  Legs.  After warming up dry, deep lunges (for my hamstrings) using 25 lb dumbbells, a set of ten or so.  This did not at first seem to do much, but I think it really helped.  Followed by two sets of six slow squats using 55 lb dumbbells.  I was too tired to attempt a third set.  My butt hurts now.

Friday:  Back and Chest.  Well, it was a somewhat weak day.  I got a late start due to a meeting, but I was still not feeling it either.  Discipline gets me through these days.  After core, I started with back.  Seated cable lat pulldowns, alternating reps front and back, one set wide grip, one set narrow grip.  Eight reps for each set, 160 lbs after a short warmup set at 100 lbs.  Done slowly, which is really hard on my forearms and grip.  After pulldowns, I did seated cable lat rows, a set of four at 160 lbs, and a set of four at 120 lbs.  Following back, I did six sets of dumbbell bench presses, after a short warmup.  Incline bench, eight reps, 50 lb dumbbells.  Flat bench, eight reps, 55 lbs.  Decline bench, eight reps, 55 lbs.   Decline bench, six reps, 55 lbs.  Flat bench, four reps, 55 lbs, four reps, 45 lbs.  Incline bench, six reps, 45 lbs.  I was so worn out I didn’t bother with flys (plus, the gym gets crowded around lunchtime).