Pull-ups
5x5xBW
DB Lat Raises
2x10
DB Pinwheel Curls
2x10
DB Shoulder Press
4x10
Incline Bench
10x135
9x145
8x155
7x165
6x175
5x185
4x195
3x205
2x215
2x225
Yes, I know I just did a very similar workout yesterday. Sue me. The gym is closed next week, I’ll tack on a little extra barbell volume this week because next week will be just yoga classes and light dumbbell work at home.
Following. Have been.
Keep it up.
Stay strong
So it seems that you prefer doing high volume strength work??
Have you ever ramped up and just did 3-5 tough working sets??
tweet
[quote]theBird wrote:
So it seems that you prefer doing high volume strength work??
Have you ever ramped up and just did 3-5 tough working sets??
tweet[/quote]
LOL, I’m surprised that’s your interpretation of my log, because I actually think it looks more like I do the second option (ramping up and doing a few tough working sets) than high-volume strength work.
Really, I think both approaches are useful and which is “better” depends on the needs of the individual. I think the Texas Method is a good example of a program that uses both. When my leg is completely healed and I can start lower body work again, I will probably do a Texas-Method-like program with one high-volume day, one back-off day, and one intensity day that works up to a 3RM or 5RM, filling in the remainder of the week with some yoga, kettlebell work, and a little distance running.
Bench Press
10x135
9x145
8x155
7x165
6x175
5x185
4x195
3x205
3x215
2x225
2x235
2x245
DB Lat Raises
2x10
DB Curls
2x10
Pull-ups
5x5xBW
Bench Rep-Out
25x155
I was wondering why you never did legs. I suppose an injured leg is a passable excuse.
[quote]twojarslave wrote:
I was wondering why you never did legs. I suppose an injured leg is a passable excuse.[/quote]
Sorry, that’s buried somewhere in my long intro. I feel like I should have a disclaimer at the bottom of every post in the log that says “I believe in training legs, but I can’t right now because I’m coming off an injury!” I’d hate to acquire the label of being one of those Jersey Shore guys (every day is biceps day), but for now that’s kind of the deal.
I’d start training legs today if I could do so pain-free, but I still feel some spot tenderness even in yoga class (which is weight-bearing but non-impact exercise). I expect to start again in 4-6 weeks, as soon as I can get through a whole yoga class with my left tibia feeling totally normal.
Speaking of which, today’s workout:
Bikram Yoga Class (90 minutes)
Bench Press
5x135
5x145
5x155
3x185
3x205
3x225
1x245
1x255
1x275
1x285
1x295
3x225
3x225
3x225
Worked up to a pseudo-1RM today. Didn’t really care about establishing a true max so much as handling a little heavier weight in prep for a max attempt at 315 in a few more weeks. Pleased with how this went.
DB Shoulder Press
5x10x(40s-60s)
Pull-ups
10x5xBW
A buddy of mine showed up and started doing a squat workout so I stuck around doing sets of 5 pull-ups as long as I could felt like it. These went very well and I will probably start doing sets of 6-8 pull-ups going forwards as I try to build some work capacity. I’d really like to be able to do 5x10 by the end of summer.
Bench Rep-Out
15x185
Bikram Yoga Class (90 minutes)
Bikram Yoga Class (90 Minutes)
Man you must have some superman-like shoulders seems like your benching day in and day out.
I’m jelly.
Curious to see how long you have been training like a “bro”: bench and curls? I mean I see nothing but internal rotation after internal rotation. I know your leg is hurt and that is fine.
Don’t mean any insult, I am curious if there is any prehab work that your doing but not bothering to post it up because its pointless. Only “reason” that I can think of is the KB is keeping stuff “in balance.” Of course what would I know about your body and how it feels or reacts.
Stay strong
Monday: Bikram Yoga Class (90 Minutes)
Tuesday:
University gym is closed for the week so I am working out in my apartment building fitness room for the next few days. I’ve put a few little cheapo Craigslist-acquired toys in there (dumbbells and EZ-curl bar with a few small plates) and it has a little multipurpose Universal machine (chest press, pec deck, and lat pulldown), so it’s useful in a pinch.
Universal Chest Press
10x100
10x100
10x110
10x110
10x120
Pec Deck
10x100
10x100
10x100
10x100
10x100
EZ-Bar Curl
10x75
10x75
10x75
10x75
10x75
Chest Press Rep-Out
20x120
Since I only have light weights and machines at my disposal, I really tried to focus on slow, steady reps and squeezing the peak contraction at the top and bottom of each rep. Kinda neat to feel things a little differently.
[quote]young n wrote:
Curious to see how long you have been training like a “bro”: bench and curls? I mean I see nothing but internal rotation after internal rotation. I know your leg is hurt and that is fine.
[/quote]
No offense taken. I’ve only been doing this level of “bro-training” for about three months, but my training history has a lot of chapters to it.
The last time I did a really, truly balanced lifting program was while I played college football (2004-2007). I had a great template (Sunday ME bench day, Monday ME leg day, Wednesday DE bench day, Thursday DE leg day) and was “pretty strong” - box squatting 315+bands for 10x2, benching 365x3 and doing 22 reps with 225, power cleaning 315 for a 1RM and handling 275 for reps. I’m a naturally better bencher than squatter, but I always loved leg training. I just needed something different after a dozen years of lifting and playing football.
For most of 2008-2012 I was training as a competitive distance runner and only lifted sporadically. I did a round of P90X with an ex-girlfriend (more for moral support than any expected progress on my part; she liked the DVD’s and would not have done lifting in any other modality, so I went along with it), and went to the gym once or twice a week just to do some upper body stuff, but I was running 45-60 miles per week and didn’t do any lower-body lifting at all. Oh, and in 2010 I took up Bikram yoga, which I’ve done at least semi-regularly since then. Sometimes it’ll be once every few weeks, but usually I’m at least going once every week, often more.
2013 was a year of many activities (some lifting, some rock climbing, some kettlebell workouts, some road cycling, some running). I was pretty happy with my overall fitness, honestly, but didn’t do much heavy lifting. Lots of kettlebell stuff (my avatar pic is from August 2013, doing a solid kettlebell workout during a beach vacation).
I hurt my leg in late November last year (fell off the rock-climbing wall) and spent a few weeks doing yoga every day and nothing else. In February, I decided to start lifting semi-seriously again, at least to give me something to do until my leg was healed. In early March, I started lifting a bit more seriously (at least, I got the idea in my head that I’d like to see if I can bench three plates again), and now I’ve decided that even when my leg is good and I have full function again, I still want to keep the heavy lifting in my bag of “activities” - ultimately, I’d like to settle into a routine with 2-3 heavy lifting days a week, 2-3 yoga classes a week, one pure kettlebell day per week, and bouts of running, cycling, and rock climbing when I feel like it.
In any case, moving to the more specific question re: my bro-training, the level of internal rotation, and my shoulder health…
[quote]young n wrote:
Don’t mean any insult, I am curious if there is any prehab work that your doing but not bothering to post it up because its pointless. Only “reason” that I can think of is the KB is keeping stuff “in balance.” Of course what would I know about your body and how it feels or reacts.
[/quote]
Three pertinent thoughts here:
Your suspicion on the unrecorded prehab work is correct. I do a couple sets of dumbbell raises (laterals, fronts, and read delts) with 10 pounders or 15 pounders before every bench workout. I never record it here because it’s not really part of the “workout” but I’ve been doing that before every bench workout since I was a teenager.
I go to Bikram yoga class 2-3 times every week and that has a number of poses which serve as shoulder openers and external rotations. If you care to look, see the Half Moon Pose, Standing Bow Pose, Triangle Pose, Full Locust Pose, Bow Pose in the link below. Each of those serves as somewhat of a shoulder “opener” (at least it feels that way to me).
http://www.bikramyoga.com/BikramYoga/TwentySixPostures.php
As noted a few places in this log, I don’t like being a bench-and-curls bro, it’s a temporary state. With a healthy leg, I will probably adopt something like the Texas Method’s basic outline of three workouts a week based on squats, bench/OHP, a deadlift variation, and some pullups/curls. I don’t intend to get really “big” ever again but I’d like to be able to squat 315 for a couple of reps, bench 315, and do 15+ pullups while also maintaining some degree of aptitude in yoga, rock climbing, and my other goodies.
Thanks, though I am curious as to how long you’ll be able to keep this up. I know you said you do some cuff work and all that. I don’t want to say anything because what you have is working for you.
I will look into the yoga postures, I’ve been meaning to try it but . . . . yeah.
I think we are on somewhat similar pages programming wise, my ideal week would be close to the Jim Wendler 2x2x2 (?) plan that he has outlined in beyond 531. 2x2x2 = 2 days strength training, 2 days conditioning, 2 days flexibility.
Stay strong brother
Much appreciated, young n. Don’t underestimate the power of my yoga classes as prehab/maintenance work. There are different styles of yoga, all will have different effects, and it certainly won’t make you bulletproof…but I do believe that my regular yoga practice helps my joints handle some stress.
Today’s workout was a light circuit of the pec deck, EZ-bar curls, lat pulldowns, and chest press. Just took about 25 minutes doing 4-5 light sets of 10 reps on everything listed for a little morning “pump” workout. Tomorrow, perhaps, will be an all-dumbbell workout at home (I have 10’s, 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s).
[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
Don’t underestimate the power of my yoga classes as prehab/maintenance work. There are different styles of yoga, all will have different effects, and it certainly won’t make you bulletproof…but I do believe that my regular yoga practice helps my joints handle some stress.[/quote]
I’m not knocking yoga at all, in fact it is the oldest system of “formalized training” and its been around for a long time, so it must have some merit to it.
[quote]ActivitiesGuy wrote:
an all-dumbbell workout at home (I have 10’s, 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s).[/quote]
Plenty can get accomplished with those weights. Glad to see variety in there.
Stay strong brother
Today’s workout was a light circuit at home with my dumbbells. Inspired by a comment from The Mighty Stu a few weeks ago about working the muscle rather than just moving the weight, I found that I was able to get a very good workout even with relatively light dumbbells.
DB Lateral Raises
4x10x10s
DB Front Raises
4x10x10s
DB Hammer Curls
4x10x20s
DB Curls
4x10x20s
DB Shoulder Press (Neutral Grip)
4x10x30s
DB Shoulder Press (Palms Forward)
4x10x30s
DB Shoulder Press (2-for-1 Style: Right Hand, Left Hand, Both Hands)
4x5x40s
Last day working out in the makeshift gym; university gym will be open next week.
Universal Chest Press
6x100
6x110
6x120
6x130
6x140
6x150
6x160
6x170
6x180
6x190
6x200
Lat Pulldown
6x100
6x100
6x100
6x110
6x120
6x130
EZ Bar Curl
1x15x75
Bikram Yoga Class (90 minutes)
15-mile leisurely bike ride - friend of mine and frequent biking partner over the last few years is coming off Achilles surgery and just got the green light to ride again. I decided my leg felt up to it so we went out for our first ride since last fall. Planning to go for 1-2 bike rides per week this month to get my legs moving again after a few months of NOTHING but upper-body lifting and yoga. If I’m still holding up at the end of May, perhaps June will be the time to resume a bit more lower body work.
Bikram Yoga Class (90 Minutes)
Heavy bench day tomorrow!