DB Shoulder Press
40 x 6 (+1)
// convinced I would only get 4 on these today, but I am gonna switch them for push presses next week, 1 rep a session is not enough
Seated Laterals
17.5 x 12
// I LOVE these, they are awesome, even better than cables. Just being seated seems to make a huge difference.
Seated Bent Over Raises
10 x 15
// stopped early because I remembered that I plan to do rear delts on back day (tomorrow) to stop fatigued rear delts hurting my rowing etc… also prefer doing these seated
Seated Front Raises (not alternating, steeple-angle)
20 x 15
// need to not ramp up so slowly… oh and I tried those underhand versions Stu was on about (last week though), I don’t know, just didn’t get as good of a contraction, and it felt kind of uncomfortable, and not really “right” so I’m going to stick with these “steeple raises”
Shrugs
220 x 12 + 3 (rest pause)
240 x 0 (straps broke which kind of sucks, I was gonna end it at 220, started taking weight off, then got all hyped to try for more)
// note: 4th pin (knee height)
CGBP in Smith (counter-weighted) // ass off bench
40 x 8
60 x 8
80 x 6
90 x 3
Pushdowns
stack x 15
Rope Pulldowns
// don’t remember but I fucking nailed my tris today for once (I miss my old gym for triceps)
kind of annoyed, at the time, that I only did 1 pressing movement for shoulders (usually do 2-3), but it actually felt like it was enough
Kind of a deload since I did this same set up of a work on Sunday, and I want to give my joints a break because saturday will be extremely heavy since it’s our bench training day with the former southside guys.
OK, Brotherhood, I need some ‘advices’ about my arms. More specifically, my biceps.
Been lifting for a couple years now, arms are measuring about 17.75", but my biceps look like shit… and I want to fix that before it gets worse. Now, I know that the general advice is to just do more biceps work to bring them up, but here is my problem: I can’t feel the damn thinks working. At all, really. And, I think that is the reason why they suck balls despite my working with 70’s for curls (because you would think that, at this point, they would at least be slightly decent).
It seems no matter what exercise I do for them, and no matter what the rep range, I just can’t feel the muscle, itself, doing the work. Instead, I feel the strain/burn and next-day soreness just past the insertion of the muscle, like it’s the tendon, itself, that is sore. The only exercise I can kinda feel my biceps actually working on is the bilateral cable curls where the motion mimics a front double bi, and even then only if I keep it light, focus on the contraction, and supinate my hands as much as I can (oftentimes uncomfortably so).
Lately, I’ve been working with those to see if I can get them sore/pumped enough to get a feeling going in other movements, but haven’t had any luck thus far. Anyone else had any experience with this, or have any suggestions? I’m pretty damn frustrated at this point, and would really appreciate any tips or tricks.
Having partially torn both biceps, I’ve had to really focus on ‘training’ not just lifting with the muscles. For well over a year now, I’ve always started my bicep routine with non-support concentration curls. Don’t become one of those guys who swings the weight up though, and if you’re angled correctly, you can get a great squeeze at the top without actually taking the stress off of the muscle. During my prep last year, I didn’t go above 35 pounders the whole time (partial bicep tear!), but was very meticulous with each rep. Nowadays, if I do barbell curls, it’s always at the end, when my bis are already fatigued (and can get more from less weight).
I have a monstrous Polish dude helping me with my Squatting these days, his calves are nearlu the size of my upper thigh its just so insane - the man is so far beyond my squatting ability it’s quite annoying !
I’m quarter way over the 400lb Squat mark - start to push towards 500, this guy has been a god send in regards to helping identify what i need to do. Infernal hamstrings need work so he says so Squatting is going on a hiatus for a few weeks.
Sumo DL is now my No.1 Lift
No.2 being Rack Pulls which seems ratehr silly that i can’t lift more with less distance. Something is well off there cest le vie.
Deadlift is still behind my Back Squat which is rather annoying but can’t have everything, Deadlift seems to have hit a wall - Rack Pull is increasing but the DL is motionless but i’ll sort it.
Rack Chins i’m up to adding a significant amount of weight - but more is always needed.
Toying with introducing Front Squats for Sumos while i take the back Squat out to for Romanian DL - better split for legs.
Any opinion’s greatly appreciated. Ramp is 4 weeks so bear that in mind - Growth Phase i’m stretchign each one to 6-7 weeks now instead of 4 - more for less Ramp seems to work for me.
That’s great that you found someone to mentor you in person! I’m sure that will make all the difference and you’ll make it to 500 shortly. So are you in full bulk mode once again? What’s the weight at?
[quote]bugeishaAD wrote:
That sucks. My biceps pump up pretty easily. But let’s do this.
Post pics of your biceps. Relaxed, and front DB pose. I wanna see attachments and muscle belly and stuff.
post a few sample bicep sessions, wherever these fall. Include warmup sets, and give comments as to how the sets feel. We’ll go from there.[/quote]
Best I can do for right now is this progress pic I posted a little ways back. A recent update for my Blackberry killed my phone, so I’ll need until this weekend I think to see what Verizon will do about that. Hopefully, this gives you an idea of what I’m working with. If not, give me a few days.
My biceps do attach higher on my arm than would be optimal - flexed, I can fit two fingers between the muscle and elbow fairly easily.
As far as routines go - I’ve tried quite a few things over the past couple years. I’ve done chest/tri and back/bi splits as well as given arms their own day. Typically, I would go with 2 exercises on back/bi splits and 3 - 4 on arm days (actual exercises have varied considerably over the years, I’ve tried pretty much every classic curl variation I can think of). I’ve kept rep ranges low (~5) and tried them higher (12+). Seems like no matter what happens, the fatigue occurs at the elbow and not in the muscle, itself (going heavy brings this on faster than higher reps).
My biceps appear to have potential to look decent, based on the few times I’ve gotten a pump in them… which is why I really want to get this fixed rather soon. I could take the typical advice and just add another 30 pounds to my curls, but I’d feel more confident in the journey if I could feel like my biceps actually got a workout in after doing them.
Convo Deadlift:
top set 465lbs*3 (PR up 20lbs from last time with same rep range)
Wide-grip pullups:
BW*12,13,10,8 (+1 rep total PR)
Machine Hack Squats:
2pps6
2pps+256
2pps+506
2pps+756
2pps+75*5 (PR too? Never done a combined total of 3pps+ for over 4 reps)
Standing Calf Raises:
ramping*15,15,12,10
Notes: Noticed less overall volume compared to last time I had a DL empahsis session. Work, MCAT studying, plus planning for a wedding = less sleep and endurance. Especially if you’re used to working out at 5pm, now do it at 10pm and you normally sleep 11pm. Ahh cest le vie… sometimes its the consistency and the eternal drive to just fucking lift not the exact execution that brings progress… ok i’ll stop rambling.
[quote]hungry4more wrote:
Hopefully I won’t be a meth-head in this vid…
405 Front Squat here. [/quote]
How do you prevent yourself from getting choked out by the bar at that weight??? It seems like anything 315+ asphyxiates me before I can fatigue my quads lol
[quote]hungry4more wrote:
Hopefully I won’t be a meth-head in this vid…
405 Front Squat here. [/quote]
How do you prevent yourself from getting choked out by the bar at that weight??? It seems like anything 315+ asphyxiates me before I can fatigue my quads lol[/quote]
Practice my man, practice. However, that’s why I usually stick to 6 reps and below on front squats, because there’s always a little limitation of oxygen. Hence the heavier weights. This was quite the milestone for me, considering I used to be afraid to front squat more than 225.
which kind of sucks, I was gonna end it at 220, started taking weight off, then got all hyped to try for more)
