I’ve really enjoyed the biceps blocks mainly because it’s very different to anything I’ve done recently. I’ve barely heard anyone talk about Zottman curls in the last 25 years let alone do them!
Surge challenge confession.
I misread the dosing instructions. I was mixing a liter of water and surge. I was wondering how the heck y’all were doing this. I was forcing it. Holding the urge to pee to keep workout timing.
reading through everything again, I saw the 600 mL. I am so relieved. I am laughing at myself.
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Same. Also, I rarely do biceps so it’s been a nice change.
Favorite blocks: Chest (using weighted ring dips instead of bench), biceps, shoulders, forearms, legs.
Least favorite blocks: Thighs, triceps, lats.
Neutral: calves.
I love the pump and challenge of the “Favorites” block. The exercise selections and instructions translate well, and they’re pretty fun. I make a couple substitutions (rings dips for chest, goblet squats for leg press).
For the “Least favorite”, there are at least some movements that I just don’t like or work well for me. Pullovers and overhead DB tricep extensions are heavily utilized and I just don’t like them. For “thighs”, I simply don’t like isolation machines like the leg press or curl. I will sub these out for walking lunges and SLDLs.
Calves are fine, and not much to say about them.
Personally, this is not a way I will work out in the future. I am a 531-type of guy for strength training. I love the compound barbell lifts with calisthenics as the assistance. That said, I will occasionally use these blocks to compliment my other training. Doing a bicep block or shoulder block at the end of a Crossfit or 531 workout or weight vest circuit will work nicely.
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I prefer a 600 mL, 1-scoop serving prior to training (as prescribed). Today a then had a 1 L, 1-scoop serving during the training session. This worked well and was a sweet spot for me. Having another 600 mL serving during training is too sweet/concentrated.
I’m in my vacation-home gym this week and substituted Front Sissy Squats and RDLs. The best leg pump and worst feeling I’ve had on a leg day.
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Yes! I’ve noticed this, too!
My wife told me she didn’t like the way I was eyeing our cats when I was searching for an after dinner snack.
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Same feeling for me on training days. I think it’s because of the amount of fluid I’m drinking. Especially since it’s fluid with calories, which I haven’t really had in 10 years. I get super ‘full’ and can’t imagine consuming anything else.
Workout #3 started out a blast. Chest and arms were fun and I enjoyed the pump.
Still huffing and puffing I went to legs. I have never done legs but totally fresh. I felt those major compound movements were the most taxing to the system, and needed approached only from the the beginning.
But the workout ending pump was great. My legs feel totally spent. I wobbled out of the gym. Luckily my wife wanted to drive home.
BTW, the veins in my lower arm were popping in bold relief. I haven’t seen that in a couple decades.
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from my log…
by the end of the biceps portion I have a large selection of baby weight db’s all over the floor infront of me. And I’m broken, comical to the casual viewer I’m sure. Pump and time under tension is noticable on this one always…
Like many others here I’ve been focusing on compound lifts for years, so all this is kinda new. Working out the right weights now pretty much. Enjoyed session 3 with the chest and arms.
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Can’t find the post anymore with workouts 7-12. Can you relink or message please?
It is in Coaching Labs sub forum
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Finished the first week’s workouts Friday.
After Monday’s workout, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to do this. I long ago discarded exercise speeds faster than 4-5 seconds, and 1 second seemed unnecessarily ballistic and unproductive, but I agreed to try it, so I gave it my best. Of all the exercises, the leg extension and leg curl are my least favorite so far. That could be because I expected too much from them, didn’t understand that they are just the “first layer”, to be built on and not an end unto themselves. Wasn’t too crazy about the leg press either. After years of performing jReps 1/3’s on an Avenger Leg Press, the loading and inroad wasn’t even close. Again, I didn’t yet understand the role of each exercise and it’s cumulative effect on the target muscle group. Even still, this grouping produced the worst pump of any the groups so far. Next was lats and I was not looking forward to 2 of my least favorite exercises, bent rows and db pullovers. I’ve never gotten much out of bent rows for the rhomboids, much less the lats and Monday’s workout was no different. I’m going to replace it with another set of front grip pull downs this week. I know how to perform db pullovers from years of doing them as part of the BIG routine, but hadn’t done them since I got a pullover machine several years ago. Apparently, during that time, my upper and lower back have become very inflexible and my upper back went into spasm during the first rep. I finished the set and did all the other pullover sets, but swore that was it for both db pullovers and possibly the Challenge. One/one front grip pull downs were much easier than the zone reps I was accustomed to, but I pumped out 8 reps. The pullovers didn’t seem to provide much of a pump and I was sure they were going to destroy my already deranged shoulders, but the following day my lats were fuller and my shoulders felt great. Triceps were the the highlight of the first session. Weight selection was spot on, only change up was to swap db French curl with the underhand bb version, so I could lean against the seat back to alleviate the upper back pain. Nice full pump, but not devastated feeling afterward. Ditto forearms, chose the right resistance and was swole an hour later. Started drinking Lemon Drop Surge 30 mins before starting the work out so I had to guzzle it in 10 mins., decided to start 45 mins. before the next session, to give myself 25 mins. to drink the dose.
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I down my pre-workout dose in less than a minute. And am out the door to the gym that is about 12 to 15 minutes down the road.
I usually workout at around lunchtime. Friday had to work through lunch and went to the gym at 9:30 PM. I was tired and didn’t think I would be able to do it. I even sat in my car for like 10 minutes contemplating going home. I drank my Surge and decided to give it a try. I started with legs and as soon as I started pumping out on the leg press I got a wave of energy and flew through the rest of the workout in 35 minutes. The Surge really kicked in and got me through it. I love the way it gives you energy but not a mad rush or jitters like other pre workout drinks. Really like the Surge taste as well.
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Completed workout 6 Today. I am not sure about the . I feel it may overhead bar hangs for shoulder pump phase, I feel it takes away from my pump I can’t really hang for 40s so I am not feeling it… I am going to try this combo for the pump for shoulders next time. Lateral raise - reverse lateral raise - upright rows. I have had success getting a great pump in the shoulders with this combo before or sub front raised for upright rows. I love the Farmers walk and shrugs. I really feel it in the traps and rhomboids. Felt a lot stronger going through the workout, was looking to do more but stopped myself from over doig it… 2 weeks done and definately feel tighter.
I had Wild Berry Surge for the last dose before bed on Monday, much prefer it to the lemon. Decided to have Wild Berry before and after workouts, Lemon Drop before bed and on off days. I train in my garage, early in the morning after watering plants and lawn, but it’s already hot and that makes drinking it during easier. It does seem to give me a nice even rush without the jitters from caffeine. I’m definitely noticing a decrease in appetite from taking in that much sweet flavored water and I have to push myself to eat. One strategy I discarded was training before breakfast, better to eat early and make sure I get 600 calories a couple hours before the workout, then eat 600 cal. again soon after.
Started with shoulders on Wednesday, and the 40 second hang, which coincidentally, I have been doing for the past few months after reading Ken Hutchin’s writings on the Kirsch hang exercises. It shouldn’t surprise me that the straight arm pullover wouldn’t hurt but instead help my shoulders. Way underestimated the weight needed for 1/1 sec. continuous db laterals as the resistance curve is so backwards, heavy dumbbells can and should be used to get a nice pump, same for upright rows. I can’t say the same for the stimulate overhead press, went way too heavy and had to stop at 7 reps to avoid failure. I question whether db laterals are the best choice for the stimulate modality as there is no resistance in the stretch position, going to try cable laterals next time. All of that aside, still got a great pump in my delts. Wound up doing regular shrugs, way too much going on with the stimulate method for such a small movement. Biceps-wow ! I could tell the weights would need to be ridiculously light, and I was right, but what a to-the-bone pump! I did the 3 stimulate phase exercises seated on an incline bench with the elbows supported for maximum stretch. Calves were a struggle. Tried and gave up on rigging a seated heel raise set up and didn’t feel the toes pointed leg curls in the calves much. Wound up doing standing heel raise @1/1 continuous x 12 reps, bent over heel raise @ 1/1 continuous x12 , REST 60 secs., heavy negative accentuated standing heel raise x 12, REST 60 secs., mid range flutters for 20 secs. Big nice pump. Going to try the seated heel raises and toes pointed leg curl again next time.
Also on day 2
Decided to stick with the bent row, just consider it a warm up and the db pullover, even though my upper back was still extremely tight, the overall lasting pump and fullness in my lats, shoulders and chest from the first workout were too good to monkey with.
Day 3
I’m writing this on Sunday, and my chest is still full from the Friday workout, followed to the letter. The first three pump exercises are the perfect pre-exhaust for the stimulate and flutter bench press.
Used the same weights for the biceps and triceps blocks as day 2 with the same results; searing pain and a bloated arm. Interestingly, neither my biceps or triceps got sore at all, but my chest and thighs are still sore 2 days later. The leg workout is brutal especially the stimulate and flutter squats. The pump was much better than the thigh block from Day 1.
I can hang for much longer than 40 seconds and don’t feel it. I think stretching is a cool idea ( I had been doing DC training prior to this), but this is a poor delt stretch (for me at least…) Great lat one though.
This one will light your delts up:
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Tried to post my workout 5 log but it didn’t save.
Subbed in DB for BB bench since the barbell kills my shoulder on flat bench.
Pairing up the biceps and forearms blocks is killer. My hands are still shaky and I am pretty sure I won’t be able to straighten my arms tomorrow.
Dr Darden. If we miscalculate the reps we can do during a set, for instance doing 10 reps but feeling like we can do 12 or 13 without going to failure, would you advise doing that or sticking to the listed reps? It’s happened a couple times for me and I’ve just done a few more reps.