Nothing left in the tank for Eco Challenge. I’m feeling a little beat up. Left shoulder is complaining some, but lower back is feeling much better (I’m feeling MUCH BETTER now!) My last day off from lifting was 9/8. My last heavy lower body sessions were about that time, so I’ve been deloading lower body for about 3 weeks. I’ve finally starting to get the weight up a bit for lower body, and hope to be getting the weight back up over the next couple of weeks. I’m thinking I need to deload upper body for a few days before the shoulder gets worse.
I won’t be able to lift tomorrow, so I’ll get at least one day off.
wide stance zerchers 105/5/5/5
romanian dl 120/5/5/5
back squat to pins (12) paused at bottom 105/5/5/5
Back is feeling ok. Gradually increasing weight.
The exercises I’ve been using for lower body are based on this article by CT: Strength Training, Bodybuilding & Online Supplement Store - T NATION
The different stances on the zerchers do seem to help target the different parts of the quads (vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, and rectus femoris). I don’t have access to a hack squat machine, and I seem to be able to balance ok with the zerchers.
I seem to be getting the hang of the zerchers, and they work better for me than front squats since I have trouble holding the bar across my upper chest due to mobility problems with the bad elbow. Keeping my upper body erect (as opposed to leaning forward in the back squat) puts less stress on my lower back, and more stress on my quads - the whole point of the exercise.
I’m planning another low-cal push starting Monday, and lasting for 3-5 days. I’m allowing myself a variety of foods this weekend, but not getting totally out of control.
The next day I could feel some mild soreness in my lats, but my tricpes were really sore. Still pretty sore today. That exercise is a keeper!
A couple of variations I plan to try are barbell pullovers, and two dumbbell pullovers. I should probably try them in the decline position as mentioned in the article as well.
Pull-overs are something I’ve not been inclined to try. Mainly because of the shoulder extension. How did they hit your shoulders? and do you think that with a history of shoulder impingement they would be advisable?
Looks like a great set-up with the home gym. What were you trying to achieve with the Feng-Shui adjustment?
[quote]soldog wrote:
Pull-overs are something I’ve not been inclined to try. Mainly because of the shoulder extension. How did they hit your shoulders? and do you think that with a history of shoulder impingement they would be advisable?
Looks like a great set-up with the home gym. What were you trying to achieve with the Feng-Shui adjustment?[/quote]
The pullovers didn’t bother my shoulders, but I wasn’t using very much weight either (only 60lb dumbbell). Considering how sore my triceps were, I’m glad I didn’t try any more! I don’t know if they’d work for you
The Feng Shui is just a joke. I moved my old bench (which I use mainly for leg extensions and curls, but it does have a dip station of sorts and I also have a preacher bench for it) out of the room into another area of the basement that just got opened up. That let me move the cage to a better location. I can actually walk through the room now!
JJ, I don’t know if “flying off” is the right term. Seemed kind of slow to me, but that is intentional. In the past I’ve lost quickly, lost a lot of muscle, and then gained the fat back. As for target weight, I have more of a target fat %. I’d like to get below 10%, maybe as low as 6%. I want to see my abz before I die! I’d be plenty happyp to stabilize around 10% and just stay there.
Joe, I’m in St. Louis, which is pretty much the other side of the state. Where are you located?
