Goodmornings 1x12x45, 1x12x65, 2x12x85
these felt really good this morning and I also got to teach someone how to do them.
Barbell Curls 2x8x50, 1x7x60, 2x6x60
DB Curls 1x6x30… yeah, I know…
Seated Leg Press 1x12x180, 1x8x270, 1x6x360, 1x6x360 pauses at bottom, 3x5x450
Tricep Pull overs 1x8x40, 2x5x50
Single leg split squats 3x8x45
Today I was talking with a woman who I have seen come to the gym at different times, she tends to be a bit more socially involved then phyisically, but she asked me about how to improve her glutes. She normally does squats on the Smith machine frowns, not that I do them so I really can’t speak…
I showed her how to do GMs and and Goblet squats and advised her to up her weight on the Smith machine if she still wanted to use that as she is a low weight/ high rep kinda girl. I also told her that if she was able to finish all the reps she set out to do easily then she wasn’t lifting enough and she could go up in weight…
I doubt she will listen but hopefully some of what I said will stick…
[quote]ouroboro_s wrote:
Like good little T-Nation drones we say “the key to a big bench is tricep work.” We say it in unison in really creepy voices too. I say that tongue in cheek but I have upped my tricep work. I do CG bench twice/week and dips/skulls etc once per week.[/quote]
Twice a week close gripping is too much. You’d be better off doing one bench day devoted to chest/shoulders and a second with a triceps emphasis.
I am no expert on this matter, but I do competition grip benching (both paused and touch-and-go) plus incline press on Saturdays and close grip benching plus nosebreakers on Tuesdays.
I do upper back work, rotator cuff prehab and biceps on both Tuesdays and Saturdays.
These are my only two workouts and my bench has gone from 245 in August to about 300 right now (admittedly, I returned from a 6 month layoff in August… prior to that, I had benched 315 in a full meet).
Things that could derail your bench progress… heavy squatting, too much overhead pressing, too many accessory workouts.
The bench utilizes your chest, delts, triceps, traps, lats, forearms and biceps.
I believe that if you train any one of those muscles on your off days, then you could be affecting your progress in the bench press.
Of course, this is coming from a guy whose sole interest is increasing his bench.
I was worried today would also be a weak day but it turned out pretty well.
Bench Press 1x10x45, 2x6x95, 2x5x115, 3x5x125, 1x2x135, 1x1x145 w/ a spotter.
He said it looked easy for me but it certainly didn’t feel that way…
I have a tendency to close my eyes when doing a max rep on the way up, anyone else do this?
TBar Rows 1x8x55, 2x8x65,1x8x70
HS Iso Rows 1x8x180, 1x8x200, 2x6x220
HS High Row 1x8x140, 1x8x160, 2x8x180
Incline DB Press 1x12x35, 1x5x40, 2x10x35
I really though I could do at least a set of 10 w/ 40 but I guess not this morning.
NG DB Press 2x8x40, 1x6x40
I really feel like I will be able to increase my bench soon soon. Unfortunately I will be out for 2 weeks so I can only hope the rest will be a benefit to the goal. Maybe it will help my DB Presses too…
[quote]mom-in-MD wrote:
It will all be for a greater good, right? :)[/quote]
Yes it will, and I keep telling myself that. In the great scheme of things this isn’t that big of a deal. It’s not like it is interupting a time line for competition or anything. It just feels weird to feel good, be in good health and to just not go to the gym for 2 weeks, esp. when it is something I do 6 days a week.
In the end though it will be a good thing though, thank you for reminding me
I am new to using the forums on T-Nation, so I have been looking through some of the logs from other women on this forum. As I was looking through yours I was totally impressed. Your progress has given me a ton of motivation to put everything into this strength program.
Also, I think it is great that you are a microbiologist. I’m a neurobiology grad student. I’ve noticed that lots of science geeks are drawn to T-Nation.
[quote]sbmart2 wrote:
I am new to using the forums on T-Nation, so I have been looking through some of the logs from other women on this forum. As I was looking through yours I was totally impressed. Your progress has given me a ton of motivation to put everything into this strength program.
Also, I think it is great that you are a microbiologist. I’m a neurobiology grad student. I’ve noticed that lots of science geeks are drawn to T-Nation.[/quote]
Yes I ahve seen you around and thank you for your kind words. I am glad you have been able to find my log helpful and motivating, I had hoped it would be for people
Your right, I have noticed quite a few very science knowledgeable people around here. I enjoy reading their post as I can follow the science they are explaining and it makes sence to me that way.
So I am out of the gym until the 18th… this sucks!
Although I know I am technically not supposed to be exercising I am working on my push-ups and pull ups… I figure since I was doing it at home and not at the gym it would be alright… right?
I have had time to experiment with food though, of course I am being careful as I don’t get to to work any of this off.
I tried sbmart2’s coconut chicken recipe, it was easy and very good. I also believe pumpkin will now be one of my carb basics, it’s yummy!
This afternoon was my first time back at the gym since my insulin pump and although I am a little surprised that something felt heavier then I remember them feeling before I have to say I really didn’t lose all that much strength while I was out.
I seem to have only lost a bit on gains I have recently made so I don’t think I did too bad. I feels really good to be back, I almost look forward to being sore tomorrow
This week is still experimently as far how the pump is going to affect my exercise blood sugar readings. Last night I did spinning and ended up having to leaving early because I kept dropping even with the pump off. I will try that again on Sunday with a few changes.
This morning went well though, of course I ran out of time so I cut it short in the end.
Goodmornings 1x10x45, 1x12x65, 2x8x85
Seated Leg Press 1x10x90, 1x8x180, 1x6x270, 3x5x360
BB Curls 2x8x50, 2x5x60
Tricep Pull over 3x8x40
Single Leg Spilt Squat 1x8x45
I will be waiting today to see how I react to the exercise… this seems like it will be a long process…bleh
I am pretty happy with my workout today. I haven’t DLed in a few weeks and I went up on my reps at 225, my CG Bench felt easy at 95 so I upped that, the dips came a bit easier and Goblet Squats… well it’s not that they were hard but I though I almost killed myself for a moment with my insulin pump doing them. I pump the pump on my bra and when I do the G squats I lean the weight on my chest… right where the pump is.
So by the sencond set I felt the pump viberate, like it does when it gives me insulin. I thought for sure I have just medicated my myself mid workout… that would have been bad. Luckally I didn’t but it did scare me. I also gave all the guys a show when I started swearing and trying to get the pump unhooked from my bra…
After that performance I called it a night…
I got up this morning to go to the gym… then I realized, once I was all dressed, that it wasn’t open yet
I so want to go back to a normal schedule but I don’t see that happening for the next few weeks…
I am very pleased with my Bench Press and I can’t waint until I make a new PR.
I had a bit of trouble with my Iso Rows and my T Bar Rows because the pad that supports me presses against the blood glucose sensor that I have just started wearing and it kind of hurt. A picture will follow of what it looks like.
Here is a picture of the sensor. This is supposed to help recognize tends in my blood sugar readings and alarm me when it is too low or too high. So far though it has just kept me up all night tell me I was low when I really wasn’t… obviously it is still experimental…
