Sir, you are a saint. Above and beyond with all that info. I’ll have to read it a few times to fully digest it, but thanks!
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No problem at all. These concepts (propulsion arc, expansion/compression, reaching, stacking, breathing) have by far been the most complex yet most useful thing I’ve learnt in the last five years. If you manage to digest it all, you end up with a model of the human body that allows you to use true exercises - ones that can meaningfully improve fitness and physique - to address nearly all movement limitations.
Fuck stretching, I can just curl now.
To learn more, I recommend these resources
ISA 1
Ribcage:
Hip/Pelvis:
ISA 2
Scapula:
Squatting Mechanics:
Deadlift Mechanics:
Reaching:
Pressing and Pulling:
NOTE: These resources are all by Zac Cupples. That’s not because he is the best person at this, or the only person who uses this. However, Cupples’ content is by far the most digestible/understandable on this subject matter. The model itself was developed by Bill Hartman, whose content is absolutely amazing, but total gibberish unless you understand this stuff here.
2 Likes
03/11/2020
Start time: 2035? I think?
Garage temp: 9C
Bench
- 150x5
- 170x5
- 195x5
Decline bench, 31X0 tempo
- 135x10
- 155x8
- 180x6
Flat DB fly, 31X0 tempo
- 3x15 @ 20
- 60 sec chest stretch (sweet Lord, the burn)
EZ bar PJR pullover
- top set of 12 @ 90
- dropset of 10 @ 70
Kneeling band pressdowns
- 1x25
Band front-lateral-lateral-front raises
- 3x15
- lateral hold to failure
Notes:
- I loved this session. The bench and decline bench were great for strength building, and the rest was gratuitous pump work. I’m focusing on the movement for the barbell work, and the muscles on the other stuff. It’s an interesting change of pace and something I’m really not used to, but I like it. I can use a little less weight and focus on things like pauses and tempo.
- Those band raises smoked my shoulders, holy moly. Definitely a keeper.
- Also, I ordered a small squat stand with attached pull-up bar that should be arriving today. I also ordered a stationary bike which came yesterday. Winter won’t rob my cardio gains this year!
5 Likes
04/11/2020
Start time: 2100
Garage temp: trained inside today!
Stationary bike
- 20 minutes
Hungarian plate twists
- 3x15 @ 50
Notes:
- Wanted to test out the new bike today. It was fine, got a raised HR going, but even on the highest resistance I didn’t feel like I was absolutely gassing myself. The bike wasn’t that expensive, so I’m not surprised. But I suppose that’s not the end of the world, I’ll still be able to get in some cardio work and it can act as recovery.
- In other frustrating news, my work schedule is getting changed yet again; I’ll be going back to 4-on-3-off for 11 hr shifts. I really don’t want to go back to training 3 days in a row on my days off, so I’ll going to train around my wife’s work schedule, which is 2-on-2-off. On her days off I’ll train early in the morning so that I can focus on getting to bed after work, and so that she’s there to take care of our son when he wakes up.
- I am, however, still torn on this, because I’m not sure how to schedule my sessions. I was initially going to do a “weights, cardio, off, off” schedule, but this would then leave almost 2 weeks between each push/pull/legs session. Hmm… EDIT: Upon reflection, I guess a 4-day split could work. Just do “weights, weights, off off, weights weights, off off, repeat”. My gripe with this is that I don’t know where to put cardio. I guess I could just do cardio in place of the first “off” day, and suck it up if it falls on a work day and do it after work. This schedule won’t last forever and a couple months won’t kill me.
Could be a good time for some pre-exhaust. Bodyweight squats before hopping on the bike or something along that line.
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Tabata sprints on it will do the trick. 3 rounds of 8-round tabata (20s work/10s rest) would be difficult to sustain, but would only be 12 minutes.
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This may be the route I go, at least for part of the workouts.
In truth, I got the bike not only for winter cardio, but also for the potential of casual triathlon training. I like the idea of running different endurance disciplines, putting them on maintenance in the fall/winter while strength takes focus, then reversing that in the spring/summer. Throwing some tabata protocol in with the steady state would help break boredom, but also be more race appropriate, I suppose.
05/11/2020
Start time: 2115
Garage temp: 9C
Power clean
- 140x5
- 160x5
- 180x5
Pendlay row
- 125x10
- 145x8
- 170x6
Landmine row (T-bar style)
- 75x10
- 100x10
- 3x10 @ 150, 210X tempo
Crossways plate pullover, 2310 tempo
- 3x15
- 60 sec lat stretch
EZ bar curl, 210X tempo
- top set of 100x8
- 8-rep drops @ 90 & 75; eccentric resist until failure
- 60 sec biceps stretch
Notes:
- Another killer workout. I think I’m really warming up to the idea of body part splits, which is shocking for me. I think it’s because I go in with a solid mission of only having to deal with ONE area of the body, instead of multiple parts or movements. For someone like me, it allows me to remain hyper focused and work at a much higher intensity.
- Those landmine rows were done exactly like T-bar rows, but I lack a handle attachment, so I just staggered my grip and switched hand positions each set. But MAN, what a way to work the back! I felt it through every part of my back, and for the first time felt my lats worked all the way down to my waist. Amazing.
2 Likes
06/11/2020
Start time: late. Too late.
Garage temp: forgot to check
Press
- 100x5
- 115x5
- 130x5
BTNP, 21X1 tempo
- 80x10
- 90x8
- 105x6
Cheaty lateral raises
- 5x10/side @ 25
Notes:
- Super abbreviated shoulder workout. Reason being I wanted to build my new squat stand and to my frustration, I didn’t have the correct sized socket wrench head. So I had to tighten everything with two crescent wrenches. You ever tried building a rack or stands with just crescent wrenches? By yourself? It’s a pain in the ass.
- Stand is decent, though. Simple U-frame base with the uprights connected by a pull-up bar. Not fancy at all, but nothing about my garage gym is. Bottom line is it works.
3 Likes
07/11/2020
Start time: 2115
Garage temp: 6C
Front squat
- worked up to 255x3 (yikes)
Back squat
- worked up to 300x3 (another yikes)
Front squat
- 155x10
- 180x8
- 205x6
Toes elevated constant tension RDL, 1110 tempo
- 4x12 @ 225
Band leg extensions
- 50 total reps
- eccentric resist to failure (last rep)
- 60 sec quad stretch
08/11/2020
Start time: 0700
Garage temp: 10C
Bench
- 140x5
- 160x5
- 180x5
Decline bench, 31X0 tempo
- 3x10 @ 155
Flat DB fly, 31X0 tempo
- 3x15 @ 20
- 60 sec chest stretch
EZ bar PJR pullover, 20X0 tempo
- top set of 85x10
- 10-rep drops @ 75 & 65
Diamond push-ups
- 2x12 @ BW
- 1x10 @ BW
- 1x8+4+4 (rest/pause) @ BW
- 60 sec triceps stretch
Notes:
- Last night’s leg session and this morning’s chest/triceps session together. It felt so nice to squat again but hooo boy, my squat strength has plummeted.
- Those RDLs are a hamstring destroyer in the best way possible. Also, for the band leg extensions, I think I could milk a couple sets of 25 instead of one 50 rep blitz with a little tempo control.
- Another great chest and tris session. DB flys are proving to be a great exercise even at such a light weight, AND they’re not bugging my shoulder which is awesome.
- By the time I got to those push-ups, I was pretty smoked, so I figured rest/pause would be a great way to eke out a few more reps.
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Just throw it all in the trash at that point.
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Trust me, I was tempted. So infuriating.
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09/11/2020
Start time: 0645
Garage temp: 10C and grossly humid. Where did this random warmness come from?
Power clean
- 130x5
- 150x5
- 170x5
Pendlay row
- 3x10 @ 145
Myo-rep chins, 20X0 tempo
- 6 reps main set, then 5x3, 1x2 (fail)
Landmine rows, 20X1 tempo
- 3x10 @ 150
- 60 sec lat stretch
Wide-grip curls
- top set of 95x10
- 10-rep drops @ 80 & 70
Hammer spider curls, 2012 tempo
- 2x10 @ 25
Notes:
- Not entirely sold on myo-reps with the chins. It’s a good way to get lots of reps done in a short period of time, however.
- Need to up the weight on the landmine rows, or possibly another set. Or more reps. Or both. Also, ordered a V-handle that should come some, so that’ll be nice for the rows.
- Those spider curls were a killer. I started with a 50lb plate and quickly realized it was way too heavy, especially after blasting my biceps with those wide-grip dropsets. I think I’ll alternate regular/close-grip and wide-grip curls week to week, but keep the hammer curls as a staple. They work the brachiallis well which helps make your biceps “pop”, but you need a slower tempo with a hard squeeze and pause at the top.
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Try doing 1 minute sets with that same weight. That’ll blow up your back side.
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Not sure I’ve ever worked out to achieve this specific goal…
2 Likes
Sounds awful. I’ll try it next week.
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Don’t act like you’ve never put out the vibe man.
3 Likes
Your trap bar deadlift sets say otherwise.
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10/11/2020
Start time: 2200
Outside temp: -3C
Running
- 20 minutes (roughly 3k)
Hungarian plate twists
- 4x12/side @ 50
Notes:
- This was such a refreshing run; I love running in the cold. Gonna try to keep one day of running as long as possible, and a second day biking on the stationary.
- I’ve really warmed up to the idea of splitting my training year into 2 halves: fall and winter would be a strength and size focused period, with run and bike endurance put on maintenance. Then, in the spring and summer, strength work would be cut back and I’d push the endurance work. I’m terrible at sticking to plans though, so we’ll see what happens.
4 Likes
12/11/2020
Start time: 0650
Garage temp: 4C
Press
- 90x5
- 110x5
- 125x5
- SS with band dislocations, 3x10
BTNP, 3010 tempo
- 70x10
- 80x10
- 90x10
1-arm DB lateral raise
- 5x10 @ 25
Upright row, 2010 tempo
- 3x15 @ 80, eccentric resist on last rep
Band face pulls
- 2x25
Notes:
- This was a strange session. I have such a hard time feeling my shoulders working. On the press, my triceps want to take over every time; I did feel my shoulders working a little more on the BTNP, however.
- Similarly to above, it didn’t even feel like my lateral delts were working during the lateral raises, but they got totally lit up during the upright rows. I might just have to go really light and pump out higher reps to isolate my shoulders.
- Training first thing in the morning has been really nice. I was worried my performance would drop, but that hasn’t been the case. I’ve been downing 500ml of lemon juice, maple syrup, salt and creatine mixed with water right when I wake up, then during the workout I sip another 500ml of the same mixture. Highly recommend it for anyone looking for a workout drink.
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