No I haven’t tried it with a barbell yet. Honestly, the weight I am using right now SMOKES my legs (probably b/c it comes after a heavy squat or deadlift… and the ROM is so BIG!)… I don’t know how much heavier I can go… even if I just hold the DBs by my side… but we’ll see. I seem to surprise myself sometimes! =D
Another reason that the barbell would be a good idea is b/c holding the DB’s wears my grip out before I get to heavy DB RDL’s… using a barbell would save my grip a little bit.
I am actually thinking of changing up some of my exercises next week as I am stagnating a bit. But I’ll let you know how it goes… maybe the BB WILL be my change!
YAY new exercises tonight! This just means that I had to do lots of experimenting with what weights to use… Oh yeah… AND I had a training partner! =D
Monday 12/15/08
Repetition Upper Body Day
Decline Pushups (feet on Swiss Ball) with 20 lb weight vest on
22 reps/18 reps/17 reps
Pullups
5 reps/4 reps/3 reps (+ 4 negatives at the end of each set… arms were already TIRED from pushups!)
***supersetted with ***
Face Pulls
3 sets of 12 reps @ 140, 150, 155 (first time doing this in a while… weird machine… trying to figure out weights)
1 Arm Grappler Press
Looks like THIS: http://www.youtube.com/...h?v=23nD1X6oZS8
3 sets of 12 reps @ bar + 10/15/25
(I did have a little bounce from my lower body though)
Tuesday 12/16/08
Shoulder Prehab and Glute Activation Day
over-under, hip rotations, Glute Bridges, one legged Glute Bridges, SHELC, one legged SHELC,
horizontal and vertical external rotations, YTL raises and wall slides
SO… something hit me this evening and I feel run down and yucky! Not sick necessarily… but worn out and like my CNS is fried or something. So, I took an extra ZMA and I took some choline and inositol, and I think I am going to take an Epsom Salt bath. Tomorrow is an OFF day… and that’s a GOOD thing… my workout tonight was DOODY! (Yes, I said DOODY… like POOP!)
Wednesday 12/17/08
Max Effort Lower Body
Safety Bar Free Squat
3 sets of 3 @ 185… I typically don’t feel like the safety bar is more difficult to squat with like many people do… but tonight it felt like it weight a million lbs! YUCK!
Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat
3 sets of 12 @ 35 lbs
Glute Ham Raise
3 sets of 12 w/ 25 lb plate
***we have 2 GHRs at my gym and I used the harder one for this exercise.
I was supposed to do an ab circuit… but yeah right! I was BEAT!
So as most of you know I have felt a little run down lately… so I lifted Friday, took Saturday off (was supposed to do my Dynamic Lower Body that day) and then just did some yoga today.
Here was Friday’s workout:
Friday 12/19/08
Max Effort Upper Day
Flat BB Bench
Worked up to 2 sets of 4 @ 135 lbs (1 rep PR! The most I have gotten before was 3 reps… so I was pleased!)
Flat DB Bench Press for max reps
35 lb DB’s for 24 reps/20 reps
1 Arm DB Row (DO NOT have my hand on bench) also called 2 pt DB Row)
12 reps @ 40, 45 and 50… need to move up to 55’s or 60’s next week =D Supersetted with*
Band Pull-aparts
3 sets of 12 with mini band
Hey Claire! What I was actually feeling was more like my muscles and CNS (Central Nervous System) were beat to shit…as opposed to a cold or flu… more like I was over-training a bit or something…and the ZMA helps with muscle recovery and the choline and inositol helps with CNS recovery… so I was just hoping it would make me feel better.
When I am feeling “sick” sick (like cold and flu) I DO take extra Vitamin C, B-12, extra probiotics and get freshly juiced vegetables from the Good Food Co-op here in town (spinach, celery, carrots, wheatgrass, etc). It usually helps me feel better pretty quickly. I try to avoid the Dr. and Rx’s at all costs =D
I am trying to avoid taking time off… but I know it’s going to bite me in the ass =D I am just being stubborn!
I may just lift Monday and Wednesday of this week and then take the rest of the week off… we will see =D
Well, I have been putting it off for too long… I need time off! I lifted tonight, and will lift tomorrow… but then I am taking Wednesday through Sunday OFF from weight training (I will do yoga on Sunday). I will stretch and foam roll this week… but I NEED time off. My lifts are suffering… I feel weak in the gym, and I don’t feel like lifting at all! (prob b/c my lifts STINK right now in comparison to what I have done in the past!)
Tonight was Max Effort Lower Body
Rack Pull/Deadlift from Pin 2 (only about 5 inches above a normal deadlift)
3 sets of 5 @ 225…
BB Bulgarian Split Squat
3 sets of 12 @ 45 lbs (+ 10 lbs, same reps)
Glute Ham Raise
3 sets of 12 @ 35 bs (+ 10 lbs, same reps)
DONE! I just wanted to go home! Excited about taking a break b/c I am not ITCHING to lift right now like I normally am. Can’t wait to have that fire back next week! =D
[quote]mmgalb727 wrote:
Well, I have been putting it off for too long… I need time off! I lifted tonight, and will lift tomorrow… but then I am taking Wednesday through Sunday OFF from weight training (I will do yoga on Sunday). I will stretch and foam roll this week… but I NEED time off. My lifts are suffering… I feel weak in the gym, and I don’t feel like lifting at all! (prob b/c my lifts STINK right now in comparison to what I have done in the past!)
Tonight was Max Effort Lower Body
Rack Pull/Deadlift from Pin 2 (only about 5 inches above a normal deadlift)
3 sets of 5 @ 225…
BB Bulgarian Split Squat
3 sets of 12 @ 45 lbs (+ 10 lbs, same reps)
Glute Ham Raise
3 sets of 12 @ 35 bs (+ 10 lbs, same reps)
DONE! I just wanted to go home! Excited about taking a break b/c I am not ITCHING to lift right now like I normally am. Can’t wait to have that fire back next week! =D[/quote]
It is a perfect time of year to take time off and give your body time to recovery. I schedule a deload week or week off about every other month. I come back stronger and ready to hit PRs.
You too Claire! I am excited about having some time off!
Hahaha here is my CRAPPY upper body workout from yesterday. Last workout of the week… I am over-trained and I have been a stubborn-A$$ and I haven’t been wanting to take time off =P But I MUST… so here are my LAUGHABLE numbers! (almost ALL of them are down from last week!)
Tuesday 12/23/08
Repetition Upper Body Day
Decline Pushups (feet on Swiss Ball) with 20 lb weight vest on
18 reps/16 reps/12 reps
Pullups
5 reps/4 reps/3 reps (+ 4 negatives at the end of each set… arms were already TIRED from pushups!)
***supersetted with ***
Face Pulls
3 sets of 12 reps @ 52.5
Enjoying my 3rd day in a row off from the gym! Been eating yummy food and relaxing the last several days. I think it has done me some good mentally and physically! But I am back on my diet now and don’t think I did too much damage! =D Hope everyone had a fantastic holiday! =D
well, I feel like sh*t and I am going through a bunch of crazy stuff in my persona life. Don’t feel like divulging much at the current moment… sorry… =(
But anyway… here are my recent workouts:
Monday 12/29/08
Repetition Effort Upper Body
Low Incline DB Press
3 sets of max reps w/ 30 lb DBs
36 freakin’ reps! YIPPEE! next set was 24 reps, then 20 reps
Pullups
5 reps/4 reps/4 reps
***supersetted with ***
Face Pulls
12 reps/12 reps/10 reps @ 57.5
Hip rotations, over unders, squat to stand, glute bridges, X-band walks, mini-band side step with squat, back extension with emphasis on squeezing glutes, bird-dogs, external rotations (horizontal and vertical), YTL raises, wall slides, stretching…
Had a FANTASTIC workout at the gym. A little rushed… so I had to skip the bicep curls… but I am not that worried about it. I would say that the upper body got QUITE the workout! So I hit a PR (Personal Record) today on Bench… I am PUMPED! =D
Friday 1/2/08
Max Effort Upper Body
Flat 3 Board Bench Press
work up to 3-6 Rep Max
6 reps @ 135, 6 reps @ 145, 5 reps @ 155!
YAY for my PR!!! I am THRILLED!
Flat DB Bench Press
2 sets of max reps using 40 lb DB’s
21 reps/18 reps
2 pt DB Row (similar to 1 Arm DB Row, but you are not supporting yourself on a bench)
Looks like this:
But my free arm was behind my back
12 reps/12 reps/11 reps @ 55 lb DB Supersetted with*
Band Pull-Aparts using black mini band
12 reps/12 reps/12 reps
Yes Betty it DOES mean something! As of right now I am 99.9% sure that I am competing on May 9th. I am getting very excited and very nervous about it! I just don’t want to make a fool of myself! And don’t want my 112 lb friend Susie to outlift me! She is a genetic freak! Thanks for chiming in MIMD! =D
