Strong Enough to Correct Them

Training Over 35 Lifter
41

Good Friday - Arm Session

I basically did a modified version of the Phase II workout from this article.

The gym I go to doesn’t have a ‘Machine Dip’ station so I played around trying to find something I could apply the same principles to. I use the overhead tricep extension and had someone assist me on the last set for the heavy negatives.

A. EZ Bar Reverse Curls
5 x 10 reps w/ 10 sec between sets. @ 55lbs
Essentially 50 reps using RP protocol.

B. Rope Pushdowns
5 x 10 reps w/ 10 sec between sets. @ 40/37 (single pulley)

C. HS Preacher Curl
3 x 12 @ 75lbs

D. Machine Overhead Extensions
3 x 8
Heavy negative set
4 heavy negatives

E. Incline Concentration Curls
Started with 20lbs but was too light so did 12 @ 25 and 12 @ 30. 30 is the number.

F. Pronated DB Kickbacks
30 reps/arm @ 15lbs RP style

G. Incline DB Curls - 3 sec negative
2 x 12 @ 30lbs

H. CG Smith Machine Press to Neck
3 x 8 @ 165lbs
**constant tension-- never locking out

Arms were swole when done. Super heavy volume which I haven’t done for arms in years (and not sure I can remember doing so much volume before).

35 MI Cardio when done. 20 min - Inc Treadmill - 15 min - Stepmill of Death

I think I need to take today off. Hips, low back, shoulders & chest are sore.

42

Puzzled why you would want a dip machine. You look like you could handle normal dips easily.

43

I think he may mean the Hammer Strength Seated Dip?

44

Yeah, definitely a seated HS dip machine.

And yes, Cavalier, I certainly can do dips (weighted ones at that) but find the machines I’ve used in the past have a slightly different ‘plane’ on them for the triceps. I have a hard time getting out in front of my hands on regular dips, whereas on the machine I can grip/press slightly behind me.

45

Nice explanation of the machine dip advantages. Also, the ability to better control body position can be a shoulder saver.

Great training.

46

[quote]ddot76 wrote:

[quote]Canada_K wrote:
Ddot, what do I call you? I feel like I’m stuttering when I type d-d-d-d-d-d-dot! As I get closer to competing/not competing it’s that “tertiary” stuff that I imagine can bury me. It’s table stakes, and I know nothing. I think I’ll have to pick your brians when I get clear enough to formulate intelligent questions.

And Brett, I wasn’t aware of OldNavy. I can barely keep up with the 8-10 logs I follow now. I’ll look him up. And I typically compare my strength levels to that of a teenage anorexic girl, so I suppose comparing me to a 67 year old is an upgrade![/quote]

If you think backwards, you might figure it out.

…

[/quote]

Old Navy is useful to check into since he went from scratch to professional trainer and pro card competitor with a sponsor in a relatively short time.

Not so much the strength levels as the pathway.

47

And he started bodybuilding at age 61, six years ago. For a man in his 60’s, one of the strongest you’ll find.

48

Sunday - Squats + Legs

Well I went to visit my parents for the weekend as I hadn’t seen them since Christmas. I decided to bring my gym gear and stop on the way home today and punch out a Squat/Leg day. I was pretty psyched heading into a new gym that’s much larger than the current one I train out of.

I got in there and for the life of me couldn’t find a laying hamstring curl. I literally did laps on the gym before I found a HS Laying leg curl. Once I finished those I took a peak at the squat racks and they were being tandem used by GF/BF. This became my nightmare as they had the same workout as me (but far more sets) so what I had PLANNED on doing, I didn’t do and I improvised.

A. HS Laying Leg Curls
2 warm up sets
4 x 10 reps (last set I had to RP to get the 10 reps).
I actually enjoyed this different machine. Really had to focus on contracting your hamstring to curl the weight up.

(Box) Squats
5 x 185lbs
5 x 210lbs
7 x 240lbs **BOO!! I was totally pysched to hammer out like 12 reps but by rep 6 I was Mr. Good Morning, and not Mr. Box Squat.

It was kind of like going to the driving range thinking you’re going to work some kinks out in your swing and then you get there and have the shanks. I had WAY too much going on in my head during the set. “Weight on heels”, “Knees out”, “Chest Up”, “Head up”. Garbage.

Racked the bar and then moved the box and hammered out another 10 reps RP style.

B. Hack Squat
3 x 12
*1 x 12
drop set
1 x 12
drop set - lower foot position, toes pointed outward
1 x 25

Focused on not fully locking out and keeping the tension on the quads. They were aching when I was done. I thought I was going to vomit when I finished that 4th set. Had cramping in my stomach/chest and felt pretty light headed.

C. Unilateral Leg Press
3 x 10/leg
**Little to no rest between legs.

Attempted to do some seated calf presses but the pad on my quad was not a pleasant feeling.

D. Seated donkey presss
AMAP x 30 secs x 4 sets w/ 30 sec stretch between sets.

Limped out of the gym and drove the last hour home sipping my protein shake.

Felt like a 5 out of 10 but really maybe a 7. It probably would have been an 8 if my ‘PLAN’ would have been possible.

I’m going to need to do some serious foam rolling this week to get my low back up to par for Wednesday’s session and then again to prevent the squat issues I had today.

49

DUDE!

It’s funny, but I’m the same way when I can’t do my scheduled work because of a gym crowd occupying the equipment. It really throws me off my game. I think the OCD tendencies that make bodybuilders successful also make us kinda inflexible.

Still, damn fine lifting. Maybe I missed this, but what’s your height?

50

Nice work on the squats LOL @ the “mr. Good Morning” I call myself that lately too. you make some good points about the HS dip machine, I used dip so much people started calling me a dipshit, shoulder issues made them a big no no, I may try the HS dip machine on Monday because of your explanation.

51

[quote]Canada_K wrote:
DUDE!

It’s funny, but I’m the same way when I can’t do my scheduled work because of a gym crowd occupying the equipment. It really throws me off my game. I think the OCD tendencies that make bodybuilders successful also make us kinda inflexible.

Still, damn fine lifting. Maybe I missed this, but what’s your height?[/quote]

It’s the tandem approach that bothers me. They occupy two stations (usually the only two stations) performing alternating sets. They’re entitled, I agree but doesn’t mean I can’t be bothered. :-). Plus I’m on low carbs so I’m miserable to begin with.

And I’m 5’8. 5’8.5 on a good day.

52

[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Nice work on the squats LOL @ the “mr. Good Morning” I call myself that lately too. you make some good points about the HS dip machine, I used dip so much people started calling me a dipshit, shoulder issues made them a big no no, I may try the HS dip machine on Monday because of your explanation.[/quote]

I actually think I’m going to start doing some GM’s and RDL’s in lieu of squats and just up the volume on Leg Press for a while. My low back and hamstrings seem to be my weakest link right now so some attention to those should help me get my squat numbers back up.

Maybe just throw some DE Squats in instead of ME squats.

53

Good work. Don’t beat yourself up about the squats as sometimes it’s just good when a session identifies areas that we need to work on.

Oh, I think that the tandem use of racks is pretty inconsiderate. There’s no reason they couldn’t share one rack.

james

54

[quote]atypical1 wrote:
Good work. Don’t beat yourself up about the squats as sometimes it’s just good when a session identifies areas that we need to work on.

Oh, I think that the tandem use of racks is pretty inconsiderate. There’s no reason they couldn’t share one rack.

james [/quote]

Thanks. I hear ya.

It obviously wasn’t that bad of a session as my legs are toast today.

I think some posterior chain work and some DE squats will get me moving upwards and onwards pretty quickly.

55

Monday - MP + Shoulders

Got to the gym early and foam rolled the crap out of my glutes/hams/IT bands. They’re still super sore.

Warmed up the shoulders with some scarecrows and YWTL’s.

Standing Military Press
3 x 105
3 x 115
5 x 130

The theme for the night was supersets.

A. Seated dead stop side laterals with Standing/Cheating side laterals

4 x 7 reps/7 reps

B. Reverse Machine Flyes w/ Band Pull Aparts

3 x AMRAP/AMRAP

C. 6 Ways

2 x 12/10

Finished up with some cable crunches + ab wheel rollouts (4 sets of 8/8).

25 min MI cardio on the bike to try and loosen the legs up.

Came home and cooked up 14 chicken breasts and some tilapia for the rest of the week. Now logging back into work. YAY!

56

Legs are TOAST from Sunday. Cardio this morning SUCKED.

/rant

57

Wednesday - DL + Back

Dialed volume down tonight as it took a while to recover from last week’s session.

DL
3 x 265
3 x 300
5 x 340

I could’ve pushed it to 7 or 8 reps but just stopped at 5.

A. Deadstop DB Row
4 x 8

B. WG Lat Pulldown
3 x 10

C. Seated Rope Pulls
2 x 15

30min MI Cardio.

Weight is still around the same but I’m definitely leaning up. I’ll post a before/after pic at 6 weeks (in a couple of weeks). It certainly feels nice to be slowly losing weights (about 4lbs over 5 weeks) and to lean out immensely and maintain/gain strength.

Wish that could happen all the time.

58

That sir is the holy grail of any kind of weightlifting good for you!

59

nice work.

I found RDL and ghetto glute ham raises
pushed my squat a bit

a few things that made things move faster
with squats and pulling

weighted air humps
or glute bridges

and bw squats in several chunks of 50

Bret Contreras wrote an awesome glute training article here a year or so ago

and the bw squat thing I figured out when I was not able to train for a few months

60

DUDE!

Those are nice lifts. Can I say that I am totally geeked out over the back shot in your avatar? W.I.C.K.E.D!