Pull down Shrug x15
Long Rope Overhead Tricep Extension x25
Williams Shrug x15
Dumbbell Slight Decline Bench Press x18
Alternated push/pull until I got 4 sets of each
Rack Z Press BS
Moved backwards to fail at 125. Great!
Bamboo Bar Close Grip Bench
100 x15
Seated Cable Row
120 x15 (scap retraction iso-hold for 5 count, do 15 reps, then a couple scap shrugs)
4 paired sets
Chest Supported T Bar Row x15
V Grip Cable Tricep x25
3 paired sets
Hanging Leg Raises
Scarecrows
4 x12 each
Everything felt good, I expected to progress on the rack z press, but it didn’t happen. No pinching in shoulders tho. Everything else worked much better. Shoulders were back back and chest was up up for close bench and rows.
Moving forward.
No more Z Presses from Pins! I’ve been using it as a “Test” to see if my shoulders are getting better, so failing on it is “OK” in a theoretical sense. Rationally, it’s just an indicator and nothing to get emotional about. But missing it for months is frustrating!
I’ll come up with some other bench press lift. Something new new, like using this 1 Board with 4 inches of foam on top or decline bench + chain.
Then some assistance exercise for shoulders. Maybe delt raises on some cable. High reps, lots of blood flow.
On the first rep of the 12th set I got out of position and pulled something low in my back. My legs were locked out, my upper and lower back were arched/extended and when I tried to push my hips through, there was just no more “room” to extend and something pulled/strained.
I think I rushed, didn’t get my knees turned out and in a kinda knocked kneed position, I jerked/shrugged my upper back to “heave” the lift. Not great. I’ve done this many times over the years before, pulling deadlifts or high pulls. It’s a bad habit.
“Squeezing” the Sumo dead off the bottom and iniating the lift with glutes/hips should counteract this. Pulling into band tension should help make the pull even smoother. But like a lazy asshole, I had the bands doubled over the bar and hooked on the band pegs at the base of the rack. This is a shit way to attach them. There is too little tension at the bottom, and it’s only high in the lift that the bands really really kick in. It’s natural to heave out of the bottom and use momentum to “hit” the band at the top. People are always messing up benching with bands this way.
Instead, I should have hooked 1 end of a band on the peg, wrapped it over the bar, back under the same peg, back over the bar and finally around the peg again. Quaded band, much more tension at the bottom and a more rapid but smoother addition of tension throughout the lift. The bar moves in such a way you can’t jerk it.
Back feels pretty good. I can move around pretty well, and nothing else is locking up, no spasms and I’m not walking too funny.
10-6
Williams Shrug x15/Single Arm Tricep Pushdowns x25
4 pairs
Seated Cable Row x15/ Dumbbell Bench with FatGripz x20
4 pairs
Decline Bench Press
185 x3, 9 sets with 3 grips
More Seated Cable Rows
x20
Cable Triceps, Straight Bar Underhand Grip
x25
3 pairs
Cable Pull down
x15
Band Tricep
x75
3 pairs
Side Delt Raises
x20
Skinny Barbell Curls
x20 (back cramp from overextending)
3 pairs
Bench presses moved well after Fat Gripz during warm ups. Assistance moves were like the same, only with different handles/grips. Delt Raises didn’t pinch up my shoulders. Arms were blown up. Good workout.
Sled drags to give the back a break tomorrow. Maybe leg extensions and leg curls. Can you handle the Insanity!?
Skipped gym, took dogs for a walk up the mountain. I’ve walked past this super steep trail up the mountain for a few months now, but I’ve been too puss to go up it. I tried it out, it was steep, I was panting.
10-9
Legs heavy! No way I was dragging sled.
I did 3 circuits
-hang off reverse hyper bench to stretch
-leg curl/leg extension
-seatedcalf raise/Pull down abs with band
It sucked, legs were burning. Then I did some goblet squats, and after a bunch of “sets” of 3 they felt pretty good. I got (slightly) below parallel and was able to not twist or shimmy at the bottom. I think I should probably do 10,000 of these.
Extremely underrated exercise for working on the squat movement pattern. It’s an integral part of my warmup.
Going heavy >100lbs is a nuke to your core, upper back and arms.
My poor quads are sore! Thats the first time I’ve been able to get all the way Down a Hole in awhile. My gym has dumbbells up to 200. They are dusty. I could stay busy for awhile.
I tried the Sleeper Stretch and I have lots of room for improvement there too. Also, now that I know about PAILS/Rails, I’m seeing them around. I’m learning a lot from your struggles! Keep up the great documentation.
Williams Shrug x15/Single Arm Tricep Pushdown x25
4 sets each
“Pull down Shrug” x15/Dumbbell Bench Press x21, 21, 15…
Almost 4 sets each
I’m running out of juice on these dumbbell benches. I don’t think I’m going to get to 4 x25 with the 40s. Also, the execution is getting beyond “rhythmic” or fast and straight into herky-jerky. I could switch to;
-lighter dumbbells with a slight slight pause at the top or bottom
-some kind of plate loaded machine
-keep the dumbbell weight the same and do less reps
-use the bamboo bar, same weight and reps as dumbbells
Close Grip Bench
Working up
225 x1
240 x1 -so much leg drive I slid up the bench during the press
250 x1 - Bench more leg drive, slid at least two inches up bench
Holy shit, benching felt good, shoulders felt solid and “packed.” instead of letting the bar free fall onto my chest for a bounce, I was really controlling the bar and it felt like it was barely brushing my t-shirt. I will continue the chest supported row-shrugs and cable Pull down shrugs.
Tricep Extensions with Bamboo Bar 75 x12
Chinese Row 135 x12
4 paired sets
Side Delt Raises with 5 pound plates
x25, 4 sets
2 fingers in hole, other 3 spread out over plate, Hands are almost “open” or flat so wrist/elbow position and external rotation at the top or end range is super natural, easy and symmetrical.
Hang off Reverse Hyper/Hip Hike/Peterson Step Up/Clam Shell
2 times through to get moving
Sleeper Stretch
Hip PAILS/Rails
Side Planks
(Carolina Hip Protocol)
Goblet Squat
35kb x3, 20 “sets”
Pin 5 Rack Deadlift
135 x3, 20 “sets”
Band Through Belt Walk (mini band) x70
Leg Curls (40) x30
Reverse Hypers (90) x30
3 circuits
I can almost get some movement/stretch into the Sleeper Stretch. Most of the goblet squats were smooth and pain free. Rack deads were super high, like a 4 inch ROM, trying to focus on butt not back!
Pull down Shrug x15/1 Arm Tricep Pushdowns x25
4 pairs
Seated Cable Shrug x15/Dumbbell Incline (20’s)+ Mini Band x20
4 pairs
Decline Bench
185 x3, 9 sets with 3 grips
Bent Row in Smith Machine x15
Underhand Cable Triceps x25
3 pairs
Reverse Pec Dec x20
Dumbbell Curls x20
3 pairs
Abs on ball with Band Around knees.
Dumbbell Bench against mini band was cool. Fast, smooth execution without bouncing at the bottom or cruising to lockout at the top. Band deloaded a little too much at the bottom. I need more mass to stretch the band! Decline Bench felt good, Pull down shrugs will continue!
Leg Curl x30
1 Legged Reverse Hyper (unweighted, just hanging off machine) x30
Shrug on Chest Supported Row x15
3 or 4 sets of 3 goblet squats
Repeat 3 loops
2 weeks since back issue, I was feeling good. Rush back into regular training too fast, or play around with rehab BS too long? I took the middle road and front squatted to a box right below parallel. Everything seemed to work correctly. Worked up to 190, where I kinda lost balance I had to shift my feet mid rep. Light weight, so no problem but I didn’t want to loose position and do any spine-shimmies or hip shifting, so that was it.
Hanging Knee Raises x12
Band Thru Belt Walk x76
45 Back Raise x20
3 loops
I’m thinking “Knees in Armpits” on the squat descent. Kinda pushing the hip “in” to stay upright and counter the Good Morning squat motion. It’s a little tight and pinchie in the front of my hips at first, maybe that’s why I started pushing my butt way out the back in the first place? Anyway, I could feel the difference, and get to parallel doing it “right.”
I try to mimic the Knees to Armpits squat descent with the Hanging Knee raises. It carried to the goblet squats, which lead to front squat, so I’ll keep it up. I think I can keep up this boring hip protocol up a little while longer too.
190 front squat sucks rhino, but its full range squat number to base training on, so that’s good.
Some guys were benching against bands, and it looked like they had them set up Juuuuuuussst Right, so I grabbed a couple sets with them to feel the tension and note their arrangement. Felt good, sometime soon I’ll try a max bench against that setup and figure out that band tension.
Great results and info for future lifting from a not-great lifting session.
-Clamshell
-Standing Leg Curl
-Hang Off Reverse Hyper machine for awhile, then do some light reverse hypers
-Sumo Deadlift Iso Holding
-Stretch hip flexors
3 circuits, but I didn’t do each BS thing each time
Goblet Squat
45 x3, 20 “sets” some Stir The Pot every 4th set
Chair Deadlift
95 (bumper plates for standard height) x 12
Sit on box with feet/knees Sumo width, grab bar, get tight and pull it to mid shin, hold briefly, lower to floor. Do that 3 times, then stand up on 3rd rep. That is 1 “rep.”
Felt great for 10 reps. On the 11th, my right inner thigh/crotch got tight. On the 12th my hip/back (maybe QL?) got all tight. -Cause and Effect! -I always do 2 deadlift sets too many on DE day! I’m a little sore, but I got some feedback. Great! Positive Attitude!
Thanksgiving on the farm. Checked out some cattle. Shot all kinds of guns. Later, as we’re all standing outside for Group Picture, old Gramps says, “I wished Tammy would loose her camera.” Haha! This morning we get the news lil’ cousin intentionally crossed his eyes in each photo.
11-24
Kelso Shrug on Chinese Row Bench x15
Band Pushdown x30
4 paired sets
Inverted Row x21
Decline Dumbbell Bench(20) + Mini Band x20
4 paired sets
Bench Press
190 x3, 9 sets with 3 grips
Pull Down Shrug x20
Rolling Dumbbell Tri Extension x20
3 paired sets
Chinese Row x20
Fat Grip V Bar Tricep Pushdown x20
3 paired sets
Seated Bottom Up Kettlebell Press (15) x15
Curls x20
3 times
4 sets of 21 is an Inverted Row PR. 190 is the heaviest I’ve been able to use for DE bench press. Will see (we’ll see, bros!) if my shoulders can handle these upside down seated KB presses. Fingers Crossed!
Haha. Sounds like fun. Heading out on business next week to hunt quail. Also went out on a deer hunt a few weeks back. Never been much of a hunter, but am learning to enjoy it more. I’m always go, go, go. Hunting is def a change of pace for me. Birds are more action, so that’s cool.
So when are you going to start running since everyone’s doing it
I’m just going to focus on the guys getting faster by not running!
Sometimes I do think about trying to beat some run time from High School or ROTC. With all this experience, it should be easy, right? Strategic caffeine and ibuprofen use are probably enough for a PR!
Quail hunt business trip? You must sell something good! Good Luck out there!
I’m not really into hunting much either, but I like conservation, and it’s fun “improving” the land with food plots/putting out salt licks, stuff like that. Then you see fat-ass deer, and tons of birds, so you know it’s working.
Oblique, adductor, groin, lower back on right side all sore and tight.
Watched this Dr McGill video on back position.
Lazy Muscle Warmup
Single Leg Kneeling Leg Curl x20
Back Raise with Band Around knees and Glute focus x20
Peterson Step Up x20
Williams Shrug x20
4 times around
Decided to try some good mornings to keep pressure off thighs/groin.
SSB Good mornings
3’s up to 175 x3
Maintained McGill alignment. My body really wanted to rock back on my heels, lock my legs out, relax my abs, over arch, stick my butt back, spine-hinge and back lever the weight up. This would “stretch” my hamstrings, giving me the Illusion of tension. Instead I fought to keep back neutral, which kept butt down and real tension/load on hamstrings. 175 was like “technical failure.” I could have moved incorrectly, moved way more weight, then exploded my spine.
A minor break through. I can use the lift for awhile, rotate out the giant Cambered Bar squats for awhile and get a “better” workout 150 pounds lighter.
Laying Leg Curls
Band Thru Belt Hip Action
Hang off Reverse Hyper, then do single leg unweighted motion
3 x10 each
