Clockin' A Grip

[FlatsFarmer]

11-2 Glutes/Low Back

Clam Shell
Side Laying Adductors
McGill Curl Up
3 times around

Seated SSB Good Morning
5 sets, feeling move out

Power Squat Machine
5 x 8 or so

Band Thru Belt Walk, Step sideways on to short step
20 each side x 2 sets

Reverse Hypers
3 x20

My girl’s back has been giving her some trouble this week. She tried to squat last night but couldn’t. As a result this was a short workout, but pretty good. Seated Goodmornings were basically bracing real tight and then leaning forward, to the “Edge” of where I could stay braced like that with glutes tight and not rounding or extending back. Short ROM. Probably looks pretty silly. Good practice, standing up after a set of those was like a perfect squat.

I’ll probably add one more hip drive, glute thrusty move and do this for squat/leg day for awhile.

[FlatsFarmer]

Here’s a boring video of some dude showing you his gym.

This is Glute Lab!

Dude is not a body builder or powerlifter, but he likes muscles and deadlifted 600. He talks about his equipment and through that you can kinda feel his general approach. One thing that stuck out to me was the band pegs/band anchors everywhere. Dude used bands not to be hard core, or for speed, but to get Peak Resistance or Tension at the “top” of lifts. Or at the end of the move where the joint is in the strongest position/alignment. True accomodating resistance, like on a safe machine.

[FlatsFarmer]

11-5 Mixed Shoulders/Triceps

Prone Trap Raise + 6 Count hold x8
Dumbbell Incline Shrug, Face Down on bench x20
Straight Bar Pulldowns, forearms vertical at bottom x15
Twice around

Close Grip Bench Press, Pause just off Chest + 34 Chains
45 x20
95 x15
135 x12
145 x10

Seated Dumbbell Press
20 x20
35 x12
40/45/50 x6
30 x12

Rear Delt Destroyers
20/25/30 x25 reps

Close Grip Decline
135 x15
155 x13
165 x8

Tricep Pushdowns on Cable
5 x20, used different grips

Hanging Leg Raise x12
Plate Twist x8 each side
Decline Sit up x20
Twice around

Every week the day after shoulder day hurts less and less. Today I feel looser through the shoulders and upper back than I did before lifting.

Figuring out scap tilt and the shoulder rotations are working. There must be a good way to rotate the hip in a circle. Probably laying on my back with legs up like a baby.

[FlatsFarmer]

11-7 Solo Back

Y-Raise or Trap Raise with dumbbells
4 x8 with holds at top
Paired with Dumbbell Shrugs on Incline Bench
4 x12

Lat Activation drill, then
Charles Glass Dumbbell Row
1 light feeler x15
3 x12. Up to 75s

Single Arm Pulldowns on Machine
3 x12

1 arm dumbbell shrug, standing
4 x15. Up to 85s

Chinese Row
95 x15 - whoa, these feel different.
135 x15 - felt weightless.
165 x15 -easy, and I’m hype because I’m super strong now.
185 x10 - back to reality, suddenly super heavy

Cable Pulldowns, Medium Width, Semi Supinated Grip
4 x12

Pretty legit.

[losthog]

Last few post here are solid. Looks like you are back in the swing of things.

[FlatsFarmer]

Thanks man. I feel like I’m pretty close. I’m trying to embrace my 2A-ness.

Everyone’s injuries or progress lately have given me a lot to think about while I rake up the leaves outside.

[IronOne]

Why do people rake leaves? I’ve never understood it.

Mulch those bad boys or bag your cut.

[FlatsFarmer]

Extensive landscaping with large beds of mulch, stone walkways, walls and and steps. Long U-shaped gravel driveway. 2 creeks and a duck pond. Privacy fence, wire duck fence, fenced in dog pen. Basically, my yard is like a bird sanctuary, inside a zen garden, with a strong, strong House of Elrond aesthetic. The lawn mower can’t get everywhere.

[FlatsFarmer]

11-9 Solo Legs

A couple stretches. Hip flexor and side-ass.

Clam Shell x12/Adductor Raise x12/Let Raise-McGill Curl Up/Standing hamstring curl
Twice for each side

Seated GM with SSB
A couple working up to feel it
3 x12

Power Squat Machine
3 going up
3 x8

Smith Machine RDL
3 x6 going up
3 x8 with 1.5 plates

Sideways step up
35 x12
Reverse Hypers
100 x22
3 pairs

[FlatsFarmer]

11-11 ARMistice Day, Pecs/Biceps/Delts

Prone Trap Raise x8/ Incline Dumbbell Shrug x20/Rear Delt x15
Twice

Incline Press Machine
4 x15. Last 2 with plate per side.

Dumbbell Bench
4 x15. Work up to 55s.

Dip Machine
4 x15.

Dumbbell Y-Raise x10
Dumbbell Side Delt Raise x12
Dumbbell Front Delt Raise x6
4 series

Spider Curl with Barbell x12 (extended top range)
Incline Dumbbell Curl x12 (extended bottom range)
Straight Bar Cable Curls x12 ( constant tension through mid range)
3 series. This killed my biceps. It was awesome. All my bros should try this.

[FlatsFarmer]

11-12. Back Day, or gpp day, or deadlift building day

Lacrosse ball on side-ass.
Clam Shell/adductor leg lift/McGill curl up
x twice each

Reverse Hypers x20 and standing leg curls x8

Sled Drag
90 pounds x 400 meters

Hamstring Stretch ( actually really using hamstring to stretch Glute)
Glute stretch
Dimmel Deadlift x20
Repeat 3 times

Serratus activation drill
Single Arm Straight Arm Pulldowns with band
Snatch Grip Shrugs, hold at Top x20
Repeat 3 times

Loosen up ass, to relax out of ATP and allow hamstrings to load up. Then exercise, thinking about keeping pelvis level. Not driving hips or pushing glutes, but actively using my hamstrings and abs to keep my lower back neutral. By like not squeezing that tight area I’m calling my Glute medius.

Then practice keeping the bar close by a shrugging, with the lats pulling the bar close. With good scap tilt, which I focused on during serratus activation and straight arm pulldowns.

Shoulda got the “keep the bar close” stuff done after Glute/hamstring stuff, but before dimmel deadlifts. Build the pattern, then finish with the lift you want to remember. The perfect one, with all parts working correctly.

[FlatsFarmer]

11-14 Shoulders

Warm up
Some band stretches to get shoulders loose and posture tall. Then prone trap raise kinda upward rotation moves Focusing on Scapula Tilt.

Cable Rear Delts
Pull across, like rear delt fly x12 then pull down, like rear delt extension x12
3 times

Close Grip Bench, Pause above chest
A couple Warm ups then 2 sets. Really fatigued, these were tough so I went light.

Seated Dumbbell Press
4 x12. Used light weights which were still tough.

Decline Close Grip Bench
3 x12.

Cable Face Pulls with long rope handle
Paired with Cable Tricep extensions with long rope
Back and forth for a bunch of reps

Good workout, but my poor muscles were tired. I did some different lifts Sunday, during my other upper body session. Being this tired out days later tells me those new lifts are “effective” and “good.” And if doing the same old lifts heavier, left me Less fatigued last week, I must be pretty well “adapted” to that old workout.

Doing it again would be more about doing heavier sets of 12 on the same lifts. Not about Using the lifts to build more muscles.

[FlatsFarmer]

11-16 Legs

Warm up
Lay on ground, get good pelvic tilt, move legs around. Then a couple stretches/moves based on getting tighter pelvic tilts and smoother leg kickings.

Seated Good Mornings with SSB
3 sets up
3 x10 with more weight than last week.

Power Squat Machine
3 x8 working up
3 x10 with more than last week

Smith Machine RDL
5 x8 good pelvic tilt, flat back, good hinges

Reverse Hypers
50 x20
100 x30 x3 sets

Paired with sideways step up onto box
25 x12 x4 sets

Good pelvic tilt, then brace. That way the hip joints can swivel. And the lower back doesn’t have to shift or move. Somebody shoulda told me sooner.

11-17 Morning Chest and Biceps

Warm up
Stretch upper body with band, then arm circles against the wall. Some seated 1 arm shrugs and rear delt raises with dumbbells.

Incline Chest Press Machine
6 x15

After each 2 sets I went over to the blast straps hanging off the powder rack
Y-Raise x6
Row with elbows straight out x6
Underhand row x6
x 3 sets

Dumbbell Bench Press
5 x15ish. Up to 60x12

Pallof presses on Cable between sets. This was great to get squared up and get both shoulders down on the bench.

Plate Loaded Dip Machine
3 x15

Barbell Spider Curl x12 ish
Incline Dumbbell Curl x12 ish
Straight Bar Curl on Cable x12ish
3 loops. Ruthless to biceps!

2 good workouts. I forgot about the Pallof Press. Its a pretty dumb move, but it’s good for crookedness.

[FlatsFarmer]

11-19 Rare, Pre Dawn Back

1 arm band serratus pullover x12
Cable Pallof press x6
Cable Sidebend x6
After that I did 1 set of seated 1 Arm DB shrugs. Then the circuit plus 1 set of dumbbell y raises. Then the circuit plus 1 set of single arm pull downs.

Then
Single Arm seated DB shrug x15
Y Raise x 8
Single Arm Pull down x12
3 loops

Chinese Row
Cambered Bar 135 x10 x10

1 set of y raises, Pallof Press, serratus pullover or Sidebends between sets.

Barbell Shrug
135x20 x 5 sets

Suitcase Walk or pallof press or half kneeling cable row between sets.

All about good brace/symmetry and lots of reps. Back was burning.

[FlatsFarmer]

11-20. Shoulders

Upper back, external rotation stuff

Cable Rear delts right into Cable side Delts
Rear Delt dumbbell swings
Seated presses

Paused Close Grip Bench
Band Tricep Pushdowns
PJR Pullover

Highlights: I started a set of PJR Pullovers with a 60 dumbbell. A couple reps in some dude walked right by my bench, grabbed a bigger dumbbell and started cranking out standing overhead Tricep extensions, standing right next to me. Almost standing over me, like trying to big time me. I had to keep doing reps through his set, as he set the dumbbell down and then walked away. Dude must have known what I was doing cause he went super slow. So many reps! Triceps are still sore.

11-22 Legs

Lay on floor hip stuff. Standing hamstring curls.

Seated GMs with Saftey Squat Bar
Squat Machine
Reverse Hypers

11-23 Chest/Biceps

Pec Deck
Incline Dumbbell Flies
Dip Machine

1. Barbell Spider Curl
2. Dumbbell Incline curl
3. Regular Cable curl
   Circuit

Highlights. I did some upper back/serratus " Scarecrows" laying over a bench. Then I did like a 1 arm scarecrow motion standing up, holding a kettlebell suitcase style in the other hand. It almost made me puke! It felt good for posture.

I’m still in love with my ultra modern 21 style bicep workout.

[IronOne]

It’s amazing how sitting on the lacrosse ball crossing the legs and rolling out the glute max/med opens up everything. It’s a money move before doing anything low body.

[FlatsFarmer]

If only the damned dogs didn’t gnaw on them so much!

[FlatsFarmer]

11-26 Back

1 arm band pullover x15
Scare crow laying on incline bench x6 (hold at top)
3 times each

Chinese Rows, Cambered Bar
135 x12 x10 sets

Every 2 sets of rows I did pullovers and scarecrows again. Back was loving it.

Barbell Shrug
165 x12 x10 sets

Every 2 sets I did a standing scarecrow with 1 arm, holding a plate suitcase style with other arm.

Smith Machine RDL
110 x12 x5 sets

Hip hikes and seated psoas raise between sets.

[FlatsFarmer]

11-28 Shoulders

Cable Rear Delt Extension x12
Immediately into Cable Rear Delt Reverse Fly Action x12
Stretch Lat on chin up bar
Repeat 4 times

Cable Side Delt Raise
x12 x4 sets
some pallof presses worked in there

Seated Dumbbell Press
15/25/35/45 x12
55 x11
Cuban rotations with PVC pipe between sets.

Rear Delt Destroyers
20/30/40/35 x15

JM Press
3 x15. I kinda sucked at these

PJR Pullover
4 x15

Mini Band Tricep Pushdown
x100 x 3 sets

Shoulders are moving (creeping) forward.

[FlatsFarmer]

I this article on Chris Duffin’s site last month.

“IT’S EVOLUTION BABY! The Cause, And Solution To, Modern Low Back Pain.” – Andrew Lock

It was a tough one, and it’s taken me weeks to get my head around it, but there was some Great stuff in there.

The author talked about posture and bracing and muscles vs connective tissue. Rounded back vs flexed back. When you slouch your shoulders or 3rd world squat or bend over, you relax your muscles and conserve energy by hanging off your ligaments and stuff. You don’t hinge over or squat down or brace yourself. You just minimally resist gravity. If you lift like this you get injuries to the ligaments. Dude specifically highlighted the ligaments around the SI joint.

When you squat down or hinge over you use your muscles to pull yourself into position. If you really really get tight and braced, using all your muscles your spine might go into flexion a little at the top and bottom. Not because you were relaxed and slacking, or using poor technique. But because that alignment allows maximimum muscle activation and truly studly bracing.

Bad is rounded, muscles relaxed, hanging off the ligaments and about to get injured.

Or overarched, glutes/hams relaxed and mid back tissues bunched is also bad

Neutral, hinged/squatted and pulled to the bar is good.

But the ultimate would be so much tightness there was a little flexion at the top and bottom of the spine. At first glance this could look like butt wink and rounded upper back. But it’s an active position these dudes pulled themselves into. Not the result of relaxed muscles and gravity pulling them into rounding.

Very cool and interesting stuff. If you read between the lines a little it tells you why Dr. McGill is (slightly)wrong about spinal flexion and (way) wrong about Reverse Hypers. A meat-head smarter than a science guy! And why Ed Coans squat brace tips seems to fly in the face of what everyone else says about bracing. I’m gonna see if I can find more stuff from this Andrew Luck guy.