1 Nov 2010 – Week 15

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 8, 12 lb ball at feet, 15 lb ball at head, extended overhead and back on slow descent.
• Weighted jackknifes, oblique – None.
• Slow sit-ups-and-downs – None.
• Slow weighted incline situps – 1 x 4 @15 lbs ball overhead, medium incline, knees bent.
• Slow weighted incline oblique twists – 1 x 6 @15 lb ball, medium incline, knees bent.
• Slow weighted incline oblique situps – 1 x 4 @ 15 lb ball, medium incline, knees bent.
• Seated calf raises – Warmup with 1 x 8 x 90 lbs, 2 x 8 x 180 lbs, slow.

Monday:  Arms.  Workout rating – very good.  No real pain to speak of.  Still will ice in the evening.

• Prone hanging dumbbell bicep curls – Warmup set, 1 x 6 @ 25 lbs, 1 x 6 @ 20 lbs, 1 x 6 @ 15 lbs, very slow, short rests between sets.
• Standing overhead tricep cable presses – 1 x 8 @ 30 lbs (warmup), 1 x 6 @ 50 lbs, 1 x 6 @ 42 lbs, 1 x 6 @ 30 lbs, very slow.
• Seated decline dumbbell preacher curls – 1 x 6 @ 25lbs, 1 x 3 @ 25lbs, 1 x 5 @ 20 lbs, 1 x 6 @ 15 lbs, very slow.
• Horizontal dumbbell tricep kickbacks – None.
• Overhead standing dumbbell tricep presses – None.
• Standing cable one-arm tricep presses – None.
• Standing cable tricep pushdowns – 1 x 8 @ 30 lbs (warmup), 1 x 8 @ 60 lbs, 2 x 6 @ 40 lbs, 2 x 8 @ 30 lbs, very slow.
• Standing dumbbell concentration bicep curls – 1 x 6 @ 15 lbs (slow burnout, last exercise).

Tuesday:  Shoulders.  Workout rating – good.

• Seated dumbbell military presses – warmup with 25lbs, then 1 x 5 @ 50lbs, 1 x 4 @ 45 lbs, 1 x 3 @ 40 lbs, and 3 x 4 @ 30 lbs.
• Standing dumbbell windmills – None.
• Prone hanging dumbbell shoulder flys – None.
• Standing dumbbell pullups – 1 x 6 @ 25 lbs.
• Standing cable pullups – None.
• Standing dumbbell circles (moving arms slowly in a large circle, as if to stretch and warm up) – 1 x 6 @ 10 lbs, 1 x 6 @ 15 lbs..
• Standing dumbbell rotated lifts (arms out to sides, elbows ninety degrees down, rotate weights up to vertical and back down) – None.

I focused on form – straight back in the seat, arms wide, dumbbells held parallel (not inline) to each other.  Slow down, faster up, and making sure my arms were out to the side, not pulled forward.   Today I felt a little weak and could feel my right shoulder and elbow, but did not think they were holding me back.

Wednesday:  Legs.  Workout rating – very good.  I used the leg press machine again.

• Dumbbell wide stance lunges – Dry warmup only.
• Dumbbell squats – Dry warmup only.
• Seated Smith leg presses – None.
• Standing leg curl machine – 4 x 4 per leg @ 25 lbs per leg.
• Seated leg press machine – 1 x 8 x 200 lbs, 1 x 8 x 300 lbs, 1 x 8 x 400 lbs.  All done very slow, with seat as close as possible for maximum extension, feet placed both high and low on press plate.
• Lying hamstring squeezes – None.
• Ball-assisted hamstring crunches – 4 x 4 per leg, slow.

I tweaked my lower back on the standing leg curl machine.  In trying to best figure out how to use it, I found that by rotating my pelvis inwards while pushing my hips away from the machine (so my hips were not braced against the machine), I immediately got a deep curl from my hamstrings that I had not been getting before, and the exercise became much more intense.  However, while trying to get this form right, I inadvertently hurt my lower back, right above my right hip joint, probably by pressing my hips into the frame and trying to curl my lower back to lift instead of using my hamstrings.  Anyway, ibuprofen, heat, and rest…  I expect this will pass soon.

Thursday:  Back and chest.  Workout rating – good and solid.  Chest first, then back, with warmups.  My back was not hurting at all, and my entire right arm felt good.  I tweaked my right shoulder a little near the end on rows, but after the workout, I hardly felt it at all.  Will ice and take ibuprofen anyway, and stretch using heat pad as well, later this evening.

• Incline dumbbell bench press – 1 x 6 x 35 lbs (warmup), 1 x 8 x 60 lbs.
• Flat dumbbell bench press – 1 x 6 x 70 lbs.
• Decline dumbbell bench press – 1 x 5 x 70 lbs, 1 x 4 x 70 lbs, 1 x 3 x 60 lbs.
• Flat dumbbell bench press – 1 x 5 x 60 lbs.
• Incline dumbbell bench press – 1 x 6 x 50 lbs.
• Seated cable lat alternating pulldown, wide grip – 1 x 4 x 180 lbs (after warmup), very slow.
• Seated cable lat alternating pulldown, narrow grip – 2 x 2 x 180 lbs, very slow.
• Seated cable lat rows – 1 x 4 x 180 lbs, 1 x 3 x 140 lbs, 1 x 5 x 120 lbs, 1 x 8 x 120 lbs (last set of the day), very slow.
• Standing cable flys – 1 x 6 x 30 lbs, 1 x 6 x 20 lbs, 1 x 4 x 10 lbs, non-stop, slow.
• Incline dumbbell flys – None.
• Flat dumbbell flys – None.
• Seated nautilus bench press (horizontal grip) – 1 x 4 x 140 lbs,  very slow.
• Seated nautilus bench press (vertical grip) – 1 x 8 x 90 lbs (warmup), 1 x 4 x 140 lbs, 1 x 4 x 110 lbs, 1 x 4 x 80 lbs, very slow.

End-of-week weight:  188 lbs.

25 Oct 2010 – Week 14

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

Everyday:  Abs and calves, in that order.

• Weighted jackknifes, straight – 1 x 8, 12 lb ball at feet, 15 lb ball at head, extended overhead and back on slow descent.
• Weighted jackknifes, oblique – None.
• Slow sit-ups-and-downs – None.
• Slow weighted incline situps – 1 x 4 @15 lbs ball overhead, medium incline, knees bent.
• Slow weighted incline oblique twists – 1 x 12 @15 lb ball, medium incline, knees bent.
• Slow weighted incline oblique situps – 1 x 4 @ 15 lb ball, medium incline, knees bent.
• Seated calf raises – Warmup with 1 x 8 x 90 lbs, 2 x 6 x 180 lbs, slow.  Moved up 20 lbs.  Calves feel good.

Monday:  Arms.  Workout rating – excellent.  I super-setted bicep with tricep, alternating after several sets.  The workout took an hour.  Numbers are down a bit, but I still got the same amount of pain.

• Prone hanging dumbbell bicep curls – Warmup set, 1 x 6 @ 25 lbs, 1 x 4 @ 25 lbs, 1 x 4 @ 20 lbs, very slow.
• Standing overhead tricep cable presses – 1 x 6 x 50 lbs, 1 x 6 x 42 lbs, 1 x 6 x 35 lbs, very slow.
• Seated decline dumbbell preacher curls – 2 x 6 @ 25lbs, 2 x 4 @ 20lbs, 1 x 4 @ 15 lbs, very slow.
• Horizontal dumbbell tricep kickbacks – None.
• Overhead standing dumbbell tricep presses – None.
• Standing cable one-arm tricep presses – None.
• Standing cable tricep pushdowns – 1 x 6 @ 60 lbs, 2 x 6 @ 40 lbs, very slow.

Saw chiropractor again, who massaged my right forearm and shoulder, and gave them ultrasound treatments as well.  They are much better now – I iced them over the weekend.  I am not taking it easy this week, but will be very careful.  She and her partner gave me some great tips on working hamstrings, which includes getting good quadricep stretches in first, to reduce their chances of adding to the effort, and using the large balls in exercises.  I lay supine, feet on a ball, raise the small of my back up, draw my feet in with knees equidistant apart the whole time,  and thrust my pelvis upwards.  I can also sit on a ball (he said use a 65 cm ball, or whatever lets me sit with knees bent at a 90 degree angle),  roll down while walking my feet out while keeping my back off the floor, raise one foot off the floor (knees even), and push my pelvis up and hold.  Then repeat for several reps, and switch feet.  I have to try not to use my lower back, but roll my hips upwards instead.  I tried this and I could really feel it in my hamstrings.  By using a ball, I have to balance a lot, which enlists additional muscle fibers through reflex movement.  Tomorrow I try it for real.

Tuesday:  Legs.  Workout rating – very good.  I am using the seated plate-press machine to avoid using my forearms, and have started using the 65cm ball for hamstrings.

• Dumbbell wide stance lunges – None.
• Dumbbell squats – Dry warmup
• Lying hamstring squeezes – None.
• Seated plate-press leg machine – 1 x 8 x 200 lbs slow, 1 x 6 x 300 lbs slow, 1 x 4 x 400 lbs slow.
• Ball-assisted hamstring crunches – 2 x 6 per leg, slow.  Sit on the ball.  Walk your feet out while rolling back until your head is resting on the ball and your body is suspended off the ground.  Lift one leg at the knee, keep the knees stationary.  Roll hips upwards, pull body towards feet slightly (rolling forward) – hold and roll back, dropping hips.  Repeat for set, then switch feet and do it again.  You have to balance, and this exercise really targets the hamstrings nicely.  I alternated sets with the plate-press to superset them.

Wednesday:  Shoulders.  Workout rating – good, but a little weak.

• Seated dumbbell military presses – warmup with 25lbs, then 1 x 5 @ 50lbs, 1 x 5 @ 40 lbs, 1 x 5 @ 30 lbs, 1 x 8 @ 20 lbs
• Standing dumbbell windmills – None.
• Prone hanging dumbbell shoulder flys – None.
• Standing dumbbell pullups – None.
• Standing cable pullups – None.
• Standing dumbbell circles (moving arms slowly in a large circle, as if to stretch and warm up) – 1 x 8 x 15 lbs

Thursday:  Legs.  Workout rating – ok.  I am using the seated plate-press machine to avoid using my forearms, and am using the 65cm ball for hamstrings.

• Dumbbell wide stance lunges – Dry warmup.
• Dumbbell squats – Dry warmup.
• Lying hamstring squeezes – None.
• Seated plate-press leg machine – 1 x 4 x 200 lbs slow, 1 x 8 x 300 lbs slow, 1 x 8 x 400 lbs slow.
• Ball-assisted hamstring crunches – 3 x 6 per leg, slow.

My legs are fairly pumped and full after this.  Just did not have the energy (late start).

Friday:  Back and chest.  Workout rating – adequate.   Chest first, then back.  My right shoulder is holding me back some, so used lower weights on dumbbell bench press.  Also had a mental breakthough that seems so obvious now – why exclude any one type of equipment, when I can use them all to maximize my workout?  Instead of focusing only on dumbbells, I will also start incorporating machines (Smith and Nautilus).  They all have their place, as long as you do not rely on any one to do every job.  Tools in a toolbox, right?  Who wants a toolbox that only has hammers?

• Incline dumbbell bench press – 1 x 7 x 55 lbs (after warmup).
• Flat dumbbell bench press – 1 x 4 x 65 lbs.
• Decline dumbbell bench press – 2 x 4 x 65 lbs.
• Flat dumbbell bench press – 1 x 4 x 65 lbs.
• Incline dumbbell bench press – 1 x 6 x 45 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 (used short bar) – 1 x 6 x 160 lbs, very slow.
• Seated cable lat rows – 1 x 6 x 160 lbs, 1 x 6 x 120 lbs, very slow.
• Standing cable flys – 1 x 6 x 30 lbs, 1 x 6 x 20 lbs, 1 x 6 x 10 lbs.
• Incline dumbbell flys – None.
• Flat dumbbell flys – None.
• Seated Nautilus bench press, parallel grip, main chest seating – 1 x 8 x 85 lbs (warmup before dumbbells), 1 x 8 x 110 lbs (last group of exercises), slow.
• Seated Nautilus bench press, parallel grip, upper chest seating – 1 x 8 x 110 lbs, slow.

My right shoulder bothered me throughout the workout, and I have been using a forearm strap the last two weeks to help distribute pressure across my right forearm – it seems to help.  The workout, while weaker and shakier, was ok overall.  My shoulders took most of the brunt during the dumbbell sets, but my pecs really got a good workout from the Nautilus sets.  I did dumbbell sets with the dumbbells held parallel to each other, rather than inline, on advisement of my chiropractor to help reduce the chance of shoulder injury.  She said the same muscles are worked, but doing it this way reduces stress and strain on the shoulders.  I iced my right shoulder and forearm in the evening, and will continue over the weekend.  Taking ibuprofen only occasionally – I do not want to build up a tolerance, and it is probably not too good to take it daily.

End-of-week weight:  186 lbs.

12 Oct 2010 – Week 12

I took this week off to rest.  I saw the chiropractor three times for work on my right elbow and shoulder, which helped tremendously.

26 July 2010 – Week 2

Monday:  Arms (biceps and triceps).  I tried 30 lb dumbbell preacher curls, but failed.  Skipped down to 20 lbs and murdered my arms.  Very slow reps on biceps and on triceps.   I also did standing dumbbell overhead presses (holding two 40 lb dumbbells overhead, then lowering them straight back to my shoulder blades and raising again, bending only my elbows while keeping my elbows in and my upper arms straight and vertical).  Two sets of these, very slow reps.

Tuesday:  Did shoulders, to give a break between them and chest/back.  Low weight (20 lbs, 15 lbs, and 10 lbs), with presses at 40 lbs.  Lots of slow rep sets doing arm extensions (to sides and to front), as well as windmills.  Extremely tiring, painful workout day (the good kind of pain).

Wednesday:  I did legs.  I tried seated leg presses and deadlifts, but I just wasn’t getting much.  I was unable to do abs this day (an instructor was making a training video on ab workouts).  I resorted to doing dumbbell squats with 45 lb dumbbells, then 35 lb dumbbells, very slow, from as low as I could start.  WOW.  I am doing that from now on.  What a game changer – it worked my gluts, hams, and quads all at once.  They still ache.

Thursday:  Last day, short week for me.  I did back and chest and really wore myself out.  I need to develop a better grip, as my hands were so tired holding on the the lat pulldown bar and rowing handle I had to cut it short.  But I still got a very good workout, though I am not very satisfied with chest.  I did flat, decline, and incline dumbbell bench presses (six sets at 45 lbs).  For back, I did lat pulldowns with 100 lbs, wide grip and narrow, alternating between front and back, going very deep each time and holding for a slow return.  I did four sets like this.  For seated rows, I did two sets with 100 lbs, pulling back as far as I could without leaning back (using my arms, not my torso and body weight) to pull the weight.  I would hold and squeeze on each pull.  I also did standing cable flys with 15 lbs on each arm.  It is light, but I was tired, and this exercise really punishes my arms.  Maybe next time i will get a better chest workout, but I think I need to build up shoulder and arm strength first before I can hit heavy enough weights.

Update on Friday:  Ok, my chest hurts.  My pecs are sore, so I know they got some yesterday.

Weight:  184 lbs dry.  Up from 178 lbs.  I think most is water retention, although I do feel and look bigger already.  Weekend is off, will take some protein just as a maintenance dose.

21 July, 2009 – More Good News…

Well, I went for my third visit to the chiropractor, and we were all surprised by the amount of progress that just a few visits have made.  I no longer get stiff arm and pain after a night of sleep, and I can now grip almost to full strength without any discomfort.  One of the chiropractors wanted to check things a little, and pushed on my forearms – he was surprised and said things felt much better, almost normal.   They also look much more relaxed and normal.

Now to note something from the last visit I forgot, so I do not forget again:

I remember the weakness I would have as well.  His explanation for sudden bouts of weakness made sense – that due to injury and incorrect healing, the muscles had been set in a semi-contracted state, so the full 100% I needed when lifting was now 100% plus however much my muscles were already tensed.  Or, another way, I no longer had 100% available, only whatever was left after factoring out my semi-contracted muscle state.  In short, I was trying to commit 100% to something when I only had,  say, 80%.  By attempting to overload my muscles, a protective mechanism (it has a name, but I do not remember it), like a circuit breaker, would kick in, pulling the plug on my muscles to prevent injury and resulting in a sudden weakness in the motion.

This visit was much less uncomfortable than the last one.  I personally think that they broke up adhesions that time, and that stretching has had a real affect because of it.  I am feeling pretty good about being able to start up again, slowly, in another month or two.