1-17 PLA Shoulders/Arms
Seated Landmine Press, 4-2, x 6
Alt Arnold Press, 3-2, x 12
Seated Side DB Raise, 2-2, x 25
3 rounds
1 Arm Spider Curl, 4-2, x 6
Alt Seated DB Curl, 3-2, x 12
Incline Reverse DB Curl, 2-2, x 25
3 rounds
V Grip Pushdown, 4-2, x 6
Overhead Tri Extension, 3-2, x 12
Long Rope Tri Pushdown, 2-2, x 25
4 rounds
Added some volume this week, but shoulders and biceps weren’t going to handle 4 rounds.
Now its time for tacos and later the Bills game.
1-19 PLA Chest/Back
1 Arm DB Incline, 4-2,x 6
Twist DB Floor Press, 3-2, x 12
DB Fly, 2-2, x 25
2 rounds
High Cable Row, 4-2, x 6
Alt DB Chest Supported Row, 3-2, x 12
Cable Rear Delt Row, 2-2, x 25
2 rounds
Poliquin said to reduce volume by just doing 2 rounds today. Added weight to every lift. It’s easier to lift heavier knowing it will be over soon.
1-21 PLA Legs
TRX Leaning Squat, 4-2, x 6
Heels Up Goblet Squat, 3-2, x 12
Leg Extensions, 2-2, x 25
2 rounds
DB RDL, 4-2, x 6
Lying Leg Curl, 3-2, x 12
Seated Band Leg Curl, 2-2, x 25
2 rounds
Short and Sweet! Good timing because it’s pretty cold in the garage. Sweet daughter hung out (hung in there?) with me. Added a band on the leg extensions, it was tough.
1-22 PLA Shoulders/Arms
Seated Landmine Press, 4-2, x 6
Alt Arnold Press, 3-2, x 12
Side DB Raise, 2-2, x 25
2 rounds
1 Arm Db Spider Curl, 4-2, x 6
Incline DB Curl, 3-2, x 12
EZ Bar Reverse Curl, 2-2, x 25
2 rounds
Straight Bar Pushdown, 4-2, x 6
Cable Overhead Tri Extension 3-2, x 12
Long Rope Pushdown, 2-2, x 25
2 rounds
Added weight, made it hard to maintain the tempo every set and get all the reps. Lots of burning muscles and a couple mid-set breathers. Task failures!
1-25 PLA Chest/Back
1 Arm DB Incline, 4-2, x 6
Alt DB Floorpress, 3-2, 12
DB Fly, 2-2, x 25
3 rounds
1 Arm High Row, 4-2, x 6
Alt DB Chest Supported Row, 3-2, x 12
Cable Rear Delt Row, 2-2, x 25
3 rounds
I’ve been doing some Prone Breathing, or laying face down and trying to get lowest ribs, sternum and collar bones to reach the floor on inhales. Then to reaxh the elbows and spread the scapula away from the spine on the exhale.
Its been working! My shoulders and the very very top of my chest, just under the clavicles have been sore sore all weekend. And I was still feeling it during the floor presses today.
Science egg heads say you need your ribs to expand fully under your chest and shoulders to get good tension and work on the muscles.
It reminded me of Brian Alahrue’s old video on bracing, with the crushed pop can being weak and unstable vs the full pop can that can support a load.
1-27 PLA Legs
Leaning TRX Squat, 4-2, x 6
Heels Up Goblet Squat, 3-2, x 12
Leg Extension, 2-2, x 25
3 rounds
DB RDL, 4-2, x 6
Lying DB Leg Curl, 3-2, x 12
Seated Band Leg Curl, 2-2, x 25
3 rounds
It’s about 20 degrees in the garage and calf training has been abolished.
That makes 5 times through the Poluquin 6-12-25, accumulation phase rep scheme. Maybe 1 more time around then its time to make some changes.
2 lifts instead of 3. 8 or fewer reps instead of 12s and 25s. Four or more sets instead of 3. Antagonists super sets instead of same muscle tri-sets. Exciting!
Maybe I’ll do some calves inside?
1-28 PLA Shoulders/Arms
1 Arm Spider Curl, 4-2, x 6
Incline DB Curl, 3-2, x 12
Rev EZ Curl, 2-2, x 25
3 rounds
Straight Bar Pushdown, 4-2, x 6
Overhead Cable Extension, 3-2, x 12
Long Rope Tri Pushdown, 2-2, x 25
3 rounds
1 Arm DB Press, 4-2, x 6
Alt Arnold Press, 3-2, x 12
Chest Supported Side Raise, 2-2, x 25
3 rounds
1 got the calves I skipped in last night during bath time. Then 5th shoulders/arms workout today. NOW it’s 5 times through the rotation. I tried to count it without doing it last night. Then today I skipped shoulders and went straight to biceps, then had to come back and do them at the end.
I must be getting ancy, I’m trying to skip everything! Or maybe the lactic acid is effecting my brain.
I had a little trouble sleeping, it snowed a bunch, and blah blah blah, 1 day off turned into 3.
I need to toughen up, get out there and finish off this block of training.
2-1 PLA Chest/Back
1 Arm DB Incline Press, 4-2, x 6
Alt DB Floor Press, 3-2, x 12
Fly, 2-2, x 25
4 rounds
1 Arm High Cable Row, 4-2, x 6
Alt DB Supported Row, 3-2, x 12
Straight Arm Pulldown, 2-2, x 25
4 rounds
Good one. I could really control the long eccentrics on the sets of 6. They felt strong. Failed to keep the pace a few times on the 12s and had to take a couple breaks during the 25s.
Neural drive, (task) failures, and burning. Triple gains!
2-3 PLA Legs
Leaning TRX Squat, 4-2, x 6
Heels Up Goblet Squat, 3-2, 12
Leg Extension, 2-2, x 25
4 rounds
DB RDL, 4-2, x 6
Lying Leg Curl, 3-2, x 12
Seated Band Leg Curl, 2-2, x 25
4 rounds
Finally figured out the leg extensions! DB between the feet and band spread horizontally across the bottom of the power rack.
It was cold, I had shoes on and they made it difficult to squeeze the DB between my feet during leg curls. A couple months ago in a thread about training at home, some dude feared dropping the DB doing leg curls that way. I guess he wasn’t crazy!
2-4 PLA Shoulders/Arms
1 Arm DB Press, 4-2, x 6
Alt Arnold Press, 3-2, x 12
Side Delt DB Raise, 2-2, x 25
4 rounds
1 Arm Spider Curl, 4-2, x 6
Incline DB Curl, 3-2, x 12
Seated Rev DB Curl, 2-2, x 25
3 rounds
V Grip Pushdown, 4-2, x 6
Overhead Cable Tri Extension, 3-2, x 12
Long Rope Tri Pushdown, 2-2, x 25
4 rounds
18 trainings in 34 days. Vs 48 days to get 18 full body workouts. Moving in the right direction!
2-7 Poliquin 4 + 2
1A. Floor Press
x 4 reps then 1 rep 8 count Down + Up
1B. 1 Arm Pulldown
x 4 reps then 1 rep 8 count down + up
4 pairs, 1 minute rest between moves
2A. Alternating DB Incline Press x 8
2B. 1 Arm DB Row, elbow in x 8
4 pairs, 1 minute rest between moves
Back to it! Instead of tri sets for 1 muscle, its super-sets for opposite muscles. More rest and heavier weights for a stength focus, without a lot of sitting around.
I did a couple pullups at first, but they were sloppy and I didn’t feel strong enough to get much out of them.
2-9 4+2
1A. Heels Up Zercher Squat
x 4 reps + 1 with 8 count up and down
1B. 1 Leg Heel Up DB RDL
x 4 reps + 1 with 8 count up and down
4 pairs
2A. Split Squat x 8
2B. Lying Floor DB Leg Curl x 8
4 pairs
Hips were moving pretty well, tons of internal rotation on the split squats. Forgot calves again!
2-10 4+2
Alt Seated DB Press
x 4 reps then 1 rep 8 count up and down
Eccentric Side DB Raise
x 8 reps
4 pairs
EZ Bar Spider Curl
x 4 reps + 1 with 8 up/8 down
Bench Dips
x 4 reos + 1 with 8 up/8 down
4 pairs
Seated Hammer Curl x 8
Incline DB Tri Extension x 8
4 pairs
I didn’t like the shoulder part of this. Might change lifts or move lifts around.
2-12 Poliquin 4+2
1A. 1 Arm DB Bench x 4 + 2
1B. 1 Arm Cable Pulldown x 4 + 2
4 pairs, 4/2 cadence
2A. 1 Arm DB Row x 8
2B. Barbell Floor Press x 8
4 pairs, 3/2 cadence
The 4 + 2 is four reps with a 4 count eccentric. Then you add a little weight (10-20%), use two hands to lift it up and lower it slowly.
I’m not going crazy with the weights, just trying to get under 5 more pounds than last time.
Everything feels really tight and stable on the extra eccentric. Something novel to mess with while I’m building back up.
2-19 Poliquin 4+2 Legs
1A. Split Squat
x 4 reps + 2 eccentric reps
1B. DB RDL
x 4 reps + 2 eccentric reps
4 pairs
2A. Lying Leg Curl x 8
2B. Squat to High Box x 8
4 pairs
7 days, wow. I took some walks and did some work outside a couple times. It made me tired! I tried to get workouts started a couple times, but I didn’t get far.
It felt good to get back to it today. I can’t believe how much I can feel the post set eccentric. It’s usually just 10 or 15 pounds heavier than the regular part of the set. But it’s way more “intense,” like I did a ton more.
Then again, other post set techniques like Rest/Pause and Post Set Stretches crush me too. So i should expect it.
Shoulders and arms tomorrow.
2-20 4+2 Shoulders/Arms
1 Arm Seated KB Press x 4 + 2
Alt Seated Hammer Curl x 4 + 2
Alt Incline DB Tri Extension x 4 + 2
4 rounds
Side Delt Raise x 8+
EZ Bar Spider Curl x 8+
Bench Dip x 8+
4 rounds
KB presses felt nice on the shoulders. They’ve been getting a little irritated. I had to hang plates off the KB with a chain, most of the weight was hanging low under my hands. It was stable and easy to keep mybwrists on line. I’ll have to remember those.
It was 60+ out in the garage today. Pretty nice!
2-23 4+2, Chest/Back
1 Arm Pulldown x 4 + 2
1 Arm Bench Press x 4 + 2
4 pairs
Floor Press x 8
1 Arm Chest Supported Row, arm in x 8
4 pairs
30 degrees in the garage today. I did one extra light set to get going.
2-24, 4 + 2, Legs
Split Squat x 4 + 2
Split Hinge x 4 + 2
4 pairs + 1 easy one to warm up
High Box Squat x 8
Lying Leg Curl x 8
4 pairs
Tons of hip internal rotation, and some nice quad burn on the slow eccentrics.
I’m glad. It took 6 sessions of playing around with moves and equipment to Get It.
2-26 4+2 Shoulders/Arms
Side delts x 15 x 3 sets
Seated Hammer Curl x 4 + 2
DB Tricep Extension x 4 + 2
4 pairs
Bench Dips x 8
EZ Bar Spider Curls x 8
4 pairs
I thought my right shoulder was tight and pinchy at first. As the workout went on I could feel it was my bicep, and raising my arm was making the top of my arm way up by my shoulder hurt.
I don’t know if it makes sense to keep working biceps and shoulders if that stuff is irritated. But triceoa and everything else, including my left arm and shoulder is good. Maybe I’ll just do this day 1 armed for the next couple weeks?