I’m focusing on upper body strength and hypertrophy. But once my upper body catches up with my lower body Daily Dose of Squats sounds like something I’d be interested in. Looking forward to following along after your switch when it happens.
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I get absolutely nothing out of shrugs except for a headache that includes my entire posterior chain. You don them regularly?
Now incline curls… now we’re talking. Hands down my favorite bicep exercise. Stretches the muscle… virtually eliminates any shoulder involvement, and pumps the entire muscle. Sounds like a good session
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I feel ya there. It’s been a lifelong goal of mine to be able to do a standing back flip until I’m 50. It was still a piece of cake at 39. ACL tear right before it turned 40 and now I likely won’t get to start training it back until I’m almost 41. Sure hope I can get it back. Hmmm. Maybe a new log title is in order.
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No. This is only the second time I’ve done them. I switched to them from Wendler Rows because I wasn’t getting DOMs anymore - like, none. I figured I’d try a new stimulus and it’s worked so far. I was so sore after the first session that it hurt to unrack the bar for RFESS.
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Exact same for me.
Notable exception is power shrugs, for some reason. Not sure why.
Seriously though. Why shrug? You’re deadlifting nearly everyday. Are your traps really underdeveloped? You could replace that with something that makes a big difference. Getting sore to get sore is not a very good reason.
Not to mention overdeveloping your traps is bad for shoulder health.
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@Frank_C
How has training been over the month?
From my experience with clean pulls, I’d say it’s from the abrupt stop on the “eccentric”. I put eccentric in quotes because there really isn’t one on that movement. It’s just a free-fall that’s violently stopped by your traps at the bottom. That’s what causes the soreness.
Underdeveloped? No. Big or impressive? No. Traps are the new abs, right?
Traps doing the work of the rotator cuff is bad. That can happen regardless of how big or strong the muscle is. I’ve never heard of big traps leading to shoulder problems, though.
You may not know it but you just reminded me something about the program. I’m cheating a bit in that I’m doing more back work. The official program says to chill out because you’ll get enough lat and trap work through the daily deadlifts. I’m not finding that I’m getting enough work through the deadlifts so I’m doing more. Big surprise, right?
I was doing Wendler Rows for some upper trap work, but I don’t feel much out of them anymore. I thought I’d change the stimulus to fatigue the muscle a bit.
Pretty darn good, bud. Thanks for checking in. I expect to pull 500 lb in a couple weeks.
My goals are to build bigger shoulders and a bigger chest and deadlift 500+ lbs. The deadlift will come first. The others will be a long-term goal. My training is probably neglecting legs in the traditional sense and I love it.
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2.8.20 Daily Dose Day #37
ELLIPTICAL
10 min interval, L7/14, 1.05 miles
PT STUFF
DEFICIT DEADLIFTS (platform again)
155 x 5
225 x 5
335 x 5 singles
Both platforms were taken again so I used the platform from the squat rack.
DB OHP
35 x 10
40 x 12, 12, 10
OHP
65 x 7 (1.5 reps)
65 x 10, 10
First time doing barbell OHP since surgery.
CABLE LAT RAISE
20 x 12, 12
20 x 10 + 10 x 10 + 10 partials
ELLIPTICAL
10 min interval, L7/14, 1.01 miles
The verdict is still out on this session. I’m not certain if I’m ready for a dedicated shoulder day. I can’t say I felt pain but I definitely felt something. It could just be tightness, but I probably won’t do this again. I’ll just go back to my regular Push/Pull split.
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My legs are longer - more like an ostrich.
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You could always train your legs to be stupidly fast. Embrace the ostrich-ness.
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A couple years ago I bulked up to 250 lbs (221 right now). The lines between my pecs, delts, and other upper body muscles disappeared and my legs grew so much that I could fit into one pair of pants. It wasn’t the physique I wanted. My upper body looked puffy but not exactly swole.
This is a new approach. I’m good with my leg size but I want some beach muscles. My legs are about 24.5" when I’m lean and up to 26+" back then. I measure at the biggest spot right beneath my glutes.
I think I once read that your chest measurement should be equal to the sum of your legs. Well, I’m failing because my chest is about 43" now (44.5" at my biggest).
Face pulls will still do a bit of trap work, while doing a LOT more for shoulder health. Probably would be better to do those.
I have read and heard some crazy shit over the years about what people ‘should’ be, haha.
I’m pretty sure it was referring to Steve Reeves and the “ideal” physique. I was using it to justify my emphasis of my upper body. Don’t rain on my parade!
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That’s, like, my thing, bro.
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@littlesleeper, the lean gains book has my wheels turning. I was already drifting to the skipping breakfast meal plan and stuffing my face twice a day. My maintenance calories should be 2950 according to his method.
I want to see growth in my upper body and shrinkage in my stomach. I don’t think I can pursue both at once. I don’t see any good reason to cut. I’m curious if maintenance might allow for a little of both if I can follow the lean gains eating rules…
Gonna be tough to get 300+ grams of protein in each day without drinking it.
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Dang J you’re amazing my friend.
Can’t wait to see you pull beyond 500 again.
I think going for maintenance is the way to go for many people.
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Don’t listen to Mort, dirty permabulk and be happy (and stronger)!
I dunno, if ALL you want is strength there’s something to be said for just eating but it isn’t an easy way out by any means. Either you hate the way you look, or you feel like crap, or the sheer volume of food makes you uncomfortable.
I had a pretty rough time going from 242 to 263ish. That was an unpleasant six to nine months just because I felt uncomfortably full at best - and I don’t have any physique requirements outside of not super sloppy. @Frank_C is pretty open about wanting to stay at a specific level of lean because he isn’t comfortable otherwise, which is absolutely fair enough so I wouldn’t recommend just getting heavier to get that 500+ pull.
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