Striking a Balance

Training Training Logs
81

A few core sets yesterday, was in a hurry. Today:

Warm-up: Static leg stretches, band pull-aparts, Greco pull-aparts jumping jacks, glutes bridges

Mains:

Pull-ups, band-assisted - wide grip:
3,3,4,4,3

Overhead press:
8 x 3 (bar)
28 x 3
38 x 3
50 x 6
50 x 6
50 x 6
50 x 6

Barbell rows:
8 x 5
28 x 5
38 x 5
58 x 3
78 x 3
83 x 6
83 x 6
83 x 6
83 x 6
58 x 20

Dumbbell lateral raises:
8,4 x 12
8,4 x 12
8,4 x 12
8,4 x 12

Finishers:

Seated high row - green band: 10,10,10

SS:
Band Facepulls: 10,10,10
Band overhead jackhammers: 10,10,10

Workout tunes: Darkened: Kingdom of Decay

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82

Just a bunch of static stretching today, focus on leg, hips and lower back, which is a bit painful these days. Oh, and some ab roll-outs. Have a cheap wheel, which has not seen much action. Think I will try to work that in as a light exercise on my rest days.

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83

So Sunday happens yet again and that means the large workout of the week.

Warm-up:
Band pull-aparts, Greco pull-aparts, shoulder mobility stuff, hip mobility stretches, jumping jacks, external rotator exercises, v-crunches.

Mains:

Pull-ups - band assisted, alternating grip (shoulder width/wide)
5, 3, 5, 3, 5, 3

Overhead Press:
8 x 3
18 x 3
28 x 3
38 x 3
58 x 3
63 x 1
60 x 3
60 x 3
60 x 3
58 x 3
58 x 3
58 x 4

Barbell row:
28 x 5
48 x 5
78 x 5
98 x 5
108 x 2
108 x 2
108 x 2

To be honest, the 108s were probably halfway upright rows. But this was the heaviest so far with free weights, so thatā€™s a win.

Barbell floor press
18 x 8
38 x 8
58 x 15
58 x 15
58 x 15
58 x 15

Last set was with a wider grip Felt ok on the shoulders. Will probably experiment with alternating grip widths

RDL:
60 x 8
60 x 8
60 x 8

Am starting to really like this exorcise - should have included this way before now.

Finishers:
SS:
Band 1 hand crossover chest press: 15, 15, 15, 15
Band leg exercises (hip/glutes/quad - a set for each in each set): 10, 15, 15

Good workout. Am satisfied. And tired.

Workout tunes: Vortex: Open the Gate
A band I have only recently discovered. This is a largely unknown 80ies Dutch band who play a type of no frills, fun Heavy Metal, that just get the old head nodding. Remind me a bit of Accept.

2 Likes
84

I feel thereā€™s nothing else to really stress and work the hammies as much

I donā€™t know what is the cause of your shoulder pain, but to me, despite my long segments, I favor a narrower grip rpecisely.

In any case, if your pulling strength is up, it can only mean good things for your shoulder health and general strength! :smiley:

Fun and headbangy workout tune! Iā€™m not from Heavy metal, but recent groups I discovered (Hallas, Black Magick SS, Tarotā€¦) made me appreciate more and more the genre!

85

Actually I feel them more in my glutes - but given the choice, that would be the muscle I would prefer to build, so I like that.

Have in the past been diagnosed as impingement in both shoulders ( a few years in between) - but really I think it is just middleaged shoulder syndrome, I have read numerous posts here from other guys my age, speaking of shoulder pain when pressing. But narrow grip is the accepted ā€œbetter for shoulder healthā€ method for sure, so have gone with that mostly. Still,it is worth a bit of experimenting to see if different grips make a difference for me.

Some good bands you mention there - these are great times for rock & metal - great new talented bands seem to all over interwebs right now.

1 Like
86

Well they are the strongest muscle in the body, and the main hip extensor, so itā€™s good that you feel it there and not in your back like I used to!

Yeah Iā€™m guessing because they pressed a lot over many yearsā€¦ Honestly I tried several styles but never really managed too wide. I have frail joints, who took a beating when younger in US football. Honestly if it doesnā€™t hurt you, go for it, especially if your main interest is muscular development.

Yeahā€¦ This era is amazing for metalheads. Iā€™ve been dusting off my old guitar with my mates and weā€™ve been playing some tunes and composing like when we were young and wild ahahah

87

A quick session today - my workouts tend to take far too long, so today set the goal of; what can be done in one hour.

Warm-up:
Hip mobility & back stretches, jumping jacks, band pull-aparts

Mains:

Push-ups: 10,30,20,20
SS with
One-arm flye - low to high: 15,15,15

One arm band press low to high: 8,10,10
SS with
One arm band press high to low: 10,10

Deadlift:
58 x 5
68 x 3
78 x 3
95.8 x 5
110.8 x 5
123.3 x 5 (in 3 installments because of grip)

Ok, that was the end of first deadlift cycle. Now I should add a little to my tm and start over - but am pondering this a little. Because: It is very obvious at this point that grip on the heavier weights will be huge problem. And I think that my form breaks down when going heavy. (At least last set today did not feel like I did it well.) So perhaps it would be wiser to train grip & form before progressing? (or get some straps)

How does one specifically train form on heavy deads? A series of singles?

2 Likes
88

Do you video yourself so you see where the breakdown is?

1 Like
89

Hi Chicky

Yeah, I do occasionally, especially when doing new/heavy stuff, where I beforehand suspect troubles could arise.

I have thought a little more on what happened, and I think actually that a large part of the problem is an inability to concentrate on multiple things at once - my attention probably was so much on the bar slipping from my hands, that I did not pay (enough) attention to bracing and legs-then-hips cues.

90

Gotcha. Are you pulling mixed grip or double overhand? If you are not planning on competing a sets of straps are nice to take the grip out of the equation and allows you to focus more.

91

Double overhand. Tried a hook grip, but that felt off to me.

I tried also some leather palmed gloves I had lying around think that could help, but that was useless.

You are probably right, I should look at getting some straps. And then just stop complaining and do a lot more lifting to become better at it :smiley:

1 Like
92

I had my straps for years before I had enough sense to use them. They came free with something else I ordered. My inly regret was not using them sooner.

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93

Wednesday is coreday.

Warm-up: Static leg stretches, birddogs

Mains:
Sit-ups 15,30,40
Reverse hypers: 25, 25, 25
Floor corkscrews: 20
Sideplank w/twist: 20 es
Band corkscrews: 25 es
Band sledgehammer: 20 es
Hang knee raises: 10
Band good mornings: 25
Band hip hinge - kneeling: 40
Farmers walk: 50kg - 135 steps
X-walks 20 es

Workout tunes: Gatecreeper: Deserted

2 Likes
94

Unfortunatelyā€¦ Many, many, many reps done perfectly with lower weights until you donā€™t have to think about it anymore ahahah

But yeah grip failing is horrible, you canā€™t concentrate. I advocate for straps as well, or the hook grip master race!

What I did at first was just hook grip holds from racks with 120-140 kgs. Nothing crazy, maybe 10-15 secs to build pain tolerance. Rest of the workouts were done normally. After a few weeks it doesnā€™t hurt anymore. It is normal it feels weird, but yeah now I just swear by it, so convenient, and I donā€™t have imbalances anymore from mixed!

Why the various rep ranges ahah?

Ouch! This is MASSIVE

95

Ah, maaan. Oh well, kind of knew that.

I think I will also look for a different bar - the knurling on the one I have is more of a decorative pattern than really helpful for grip.

First ten is kind of a warmup - then work sets. The idea is to do 80 total in as few sets as I can - so are working my way up. Yesterday I changed hand width outwards, that actually made it a lot easier.

Yeah, its a young Arizona band, which I discovered this year. I am very much a latecommer to death metal, most of it is t0o fast for my tastes. But the slow, melodic variants like this makes for good workout music.

96

Was in a hurry today, so did the bare necessities and kept rest times short. But got everything important done, so I count it a good session.

Warm-up: band pull-aparts, jumping jacks.

Mains:

Pull-ups, band-assisted:
7, 6, 5

Overhead press:
22 x 5
32 x 5
50 x 7
50 x 7
50 x 7
50 x 5
28 x 10
28 x 10

Very short rests before the finisher sets, so they were actually somewhat hard.

Dumbbell rows:
32 x 12
32 x 12
32 x 12

Dumbbell lateral raises:
8,4 x 12
8,4 x 12
8,4 x 12

Workout tunes: Argus: Beyond the Martyrs

3 Likes
97

What are that saying? - the main difference between boys and men are the weight of their toysā€¦ or something along those lines.

New_plates
New_plates3559Ɨ2888 1.28 MB

Have moved away from my ā€œplates have to be rubber coatedā€ principle, so got a set of cheap cast iron plates. Now it will be a goodly while before plates for deadlifts become an issue. And there are just something way more satisfying to load actual iron on the bar. Cheap Chinese quality and all, but will do the job, so am stoked.

3 Likes
98

New toys are always fun!!!

99

Warm-up:
Band pull-aparts, Greco pull-aparts, shoulder mobility stuff, hip mobility stretches, back stretches, external rotator exercises, v-crunches.

Mains:

Pull-ups - band assisted:
5, 5, 5

Overhead Press:
12 x 3
22 x 3
32 x 3
42 x 3
58 x 3
58 x 3
58 x 5
58 x 3
58 x 4
32 x 15
32 x 15

Barbell row:
58 x 8
68 x 5
83 x 7
83 x 7
83 x 7
83 x 7
58 x 20

Barbell floor press
18 x 8
38 x 8
58 x 15
58 x 15
58 x 15
58 x 15

RDL:
58 x 8
68 x 8
78 x 8
88 x 8

SS with Band 1 hand crossover chest press: 15, 15, 15

Finishers:
Triceps band pull-downs: 20,15,10 reps - rest pause method

Workout tunes: AC/DC: High Voltage, For Those About to Rock

2 Likes
100

Warm-up:
Band pull-aparts, hip / leg / back mobility stretches, jumping jacks.

Mains:

Push-ups: 10,30,20,20
SS with
One-arm flye - low to high: 15,15,15
One arm band press high to low:15,15,15
One arm band press low to high: 10,10,8

Deadlift:
22 x 5
58 x 5
78 x 5
100 x 5
100 x 5
100 x 5

And timeā€™s up.
Somehow managed to spend just over an hour on this. Some distractions, but still. Oh well.

2 Likes