Today’s workout was done with the most sleep before it by far, but it has also been by far the most challenging workout. I’m glad I got the extra sleep! I do also appreciate that this program gets harder as it goes on. I feel like that middle workout being 10-30 instead of 30-10-30 helps keep me from getting used to the stimulus, because every Friday the 30-10-30 hits me like a ton of bricks every freaking time. Doing the tricep extensions right before bench was really super brutal, but it really helped me feel it in my pecs more.
Today’s workout:
Metabolic Challenge #6 Thigh emphasis
Leg Extension 180x30-10-30
Leg Curl 105x30-10-30
Db Overhead Tricep Extension 50x30-10-30
Bench Press 115x30-10-30
Bent Over Barbell Row 95x30-10-30
Barbell Overhead Press 65x30-10-30
Nautilus Leg Press “16”x30-10-30
This workout was super challenging and I was really pushing the pace, very minimal time, if any, between exercises. I’ve still got a massive pump from this as I’m typing. I look to be about the same Bodyfat or at least very close from when I started but my muscles are looking much more full and large! I’ll weigh myself tomorrow morning to make sure my weight is still going up. The nightly posing routine is something I’ve forgotten a few times so I’ll try to be more diligent with that. Overall, loving the program, loving every workout. This will definitely be a routine I revisit.
I had another awesome workout today, I think I’m finding that these Monday workouts after relaxing on the weekends have been my favorites! One big note that I’ve had is that on the final 30 second negative of almost every exercise, I’m pretty much purely resisting the weight. It’s like I’m doing an Isometric, but the weight is falling/lowering. It feels great! This workout had another exercise added to it, and the workout felt way longer with that extra 90 seconds of exercise, even with the shortest rest periods yet. At this point my rest is strictly a swig of Plazma before I start the next. This was probably the best pump I’ve had in any of these workouts yet!
Metabolic Challenge #7: Shoulder Emphasis
*Lateral Raises 10x30-10-30
*Barbell Overhead Press 65x30-10-30
Leg Extension 180x30-10-30
Leg Curl 105x30-10-30
Dumbbell Squat 25x30-10-30
Bench Press 115x30-10-30
Bent Over Barbell Row 95x30-10-30
Barbell Curl 65x30-10-30
*- Pre-exhaust no more than 3-5 seconds between exercises
Weighed myself first thing Saturday morning and was up 1 pound from last week so calories are probably right at about maintenance or just slightly above. I’ll try to give my calories a little boost these last two weeks. Don’t want to leave any gains on the table!
Oh yeah it was really tough, I felt like I could really give it every bit of energy I had left but at the end of the workout I was pretty spent. So I was definitely finished by the end and ready for a nap!
Haha yeah Darden recommended no larger than 25 pound dumbbells on the squats. I think it would be hard to do a body weight 30-10-30 squat after doing the leg extensions and leg curls with no rest
I absolutely killed today’s workout HARD. It actually felt easy, to be honest. I got a great nights sleep last night, got up with no issue. I was destined to destroy this workout. I worry a little bit with this workout feeling somewhat easy and the next workout adding in the extra 30 seconds and adding bench Press to the end of that shoulder pre-exhaust cycle that I may be massacred by my workout on Friday! My muscles are still feeling nice and pumped and full right now about an hour and a half after my workout, which always feels great. I’m amazed at how quickly my body caught up to the pace and intensity of the workout. I’m just feeling like an animal ready to conquer anything!
Metabolic Challenge #8 Shoulder Emphasis
*Lateral Raises 15x10-30
*Overhead Press 85x10-30
Leg Extension 195x10-30
Bench Press 135x10-30
Bent Over Barbell Row 105x10-30
Dumbbell Tricep Extension 50x10-30
Barbell Reverse Curl 45x10-30
Sit-up on Decline board 10-30
*Pre-exhaust with less than 3 seconds between
I also realized last night I had only been dosing half of what I’m supposed to on Mag 10, so I’ll be correcting that from here forward!
My fears were realized. This workout COOKED me. By far the hardest workout yet. The dumbbell squats were pretty easy at the beginning, but then I go right into the shoulder double-pre-exhaust cycle. I hit failure after the 5th rep of bench, i racked the weight, gave myself a few seconds to breathe and finished the set. So it was basically split in half as 30-5, 5-30, so that’s how I notated it in my logbook. My shoulders were so freaking roasted I couldn’t lift my arms more than a few inches afterwards. Going straight from lateral raise, to overhead Press, to bench with no rest at all in between absolutely annihilated me. I made it through the whole workout but the rest is a haze in my mind, I was so tired and oxygen deprived. The first workout to really brutalize me and try to emasculate me, but I came out on top.
Metabolic Challenge 9
Dumbbell squat 25x30-10-30
*Lateral raise 10x30-10-30
*Overhead Press 65x30-10-30
*Bench Press 115x30-10-30
Leg Curl 105x30-10-30
Leg Extension 180x30-10-30
Barbell Curl 65x30-10-30
Bent Over Barbell Row 95x30-10-30
Really good workout this morning. I definitely felt tired and a little dogged this morning, but had a really great workout. I found this workout to be pretty difficult to a degree, but not unbearable by any means. The leg Extension/leg Curl machine was in use so I substituted with Db squat and stiff legged deadlift. Definitely made it a challenge on my grip! I’m pretty tired so I’ll just cut to the chase!
Metabolic Challenge 10
Standing Machine Calf Raises 220x30-10-30
Overhead Press 65x30-10-30
Bent Over Row 95x30-10-30
Lateral Raise 10x30-10-30
Bench 115x30-10-30
Pulldown 130x30-10-30
Db squat 25x30-10-30
Stiff-Legged Deadlift 135x30-10-30
Nautilus Leg Press “16”x30-10-30
Today’s workout was super fast and “easy”. The individual exercises were challenging but the workout felt like it was over in a breeze, probably only about 10 minutes. I got a good Tricep and calf pump in particular. I think this is a particularly good program if you’re limited on time or weights since you have to go pretty light. I’ll be able to give a nice full review after I finish the program next week.
