Week #4's shoulders day is done. Really, really done.
A curious thing happened. I did my usual very minor stretching and then a quick warm-up set for overhead (machine) press. Then, I sat down and banged out the exact same in weight and reps as last week - but I couldn't do any more. So, I waited for a couple of minutes. Curiously, my shoulders weren't that stressed from the first set. So, I experimented a bit. I decided that I'd sit down and bang out as many more as I could with the same weight (140lbs). Normally it's 1-3 more reps when I'm mucking around like this.
I ended up lifting it easier than the first set and then I banged out 6 more. Uhm, ok!
Hypothesis: I used too much weight (a little over 50% of my "first set weight") as my warm-up weight and my first set, while exhausting, was still a "warm up" set of sorts.
Test: I'll push less weight for a couple more reps to warm up next week and then I'll shoot for at least 8 reps of that weight, effectively ending my time at that weight for my first set.
After that, I still managed to bang out one more set for overhead press, followed by progressions on dumbell overhead press and delt raises.
Trap raises were going to tell the tale. Did I have enough left to progress there as well? I was pretty wrecked by the end of my delt raises.
...yup! I maxed out my 12 reps for my latest weight and now I'll add another 10lbs next week and go for 8 (or more) for my first set there. I also managed to progress on my 2nd and 3rd sets.
Overall, this was likely the best improvement I've had on my shoulders, week-over-week. I love massive progressions. :)
Back day is today, right after work. Can't wait for another BIG day!
Have a great weekend folks!
Friday, March 4, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
A quick note - a happy one at that!
So, it was "Google myself" time again. "Rep to falure" was the search term. I came up #3.
No AdWords. No other advertising besides the MuscleHack fan page wall and my signature link on the MuscleHack forums.
Wow. That's awesome! Hopefully I'll be able to do my part and help more people learn about Targeted Hypertrophy Training and the MuscleHack ways!
This is great! Onwards and upwards - both with the visibility and the weights!
Keep lifting folks!
Adam
P.S. - The blog just passed 1000 pageviews as of today! I've decided that I'll have another contest starting up when it hits 1500 page views! If you want to help the contest start earlier, it's really simple: share this blog with your family and friends, and anyone else who you believe might benefit from the viewpoints of someone who's just trying to do their best to be in the best shape of their life. Cheers!
No AdWords. No other advertising besides the MuscleHack fan page wall and my signature link on the MuscleHack forums.
Wow. That's awesome! Hopefully I'll be able to do my part and help more people learn about Targeted Hypertrophy Training and the MuscleHack ways!
This is great! Onwards and upwards - both with the visibility and the weights!
Keep lifting folks!
Adam
P.S. - The blog just passed 1000 pageviews as of today! I've decided that I'll have another contest starting up when it hits 1500 page views! If you want to help the contest start earlier, it's really simple: share this blog with your family and friends, and anyone else who you believe might benefit from the viewpoints of someone who's just trying to do their best to be in the best shape of their life. Cheers!
Week #4 biceps and abs done
This was an interesting gym run. I went up on my opening standing cabled curls. I then actually lifted less for straight-bar curls, reinforcing what I've thought for a couple of weeks now since replacing single dumbell curls with cabled curls: I had some weight increases to make and that would knock down my 2nd and 3rd exercise weights.
In reality that's perfectly fine. The numbers don't matter, so long as you keep progressing. In fact, I was so trashed that for my second set of incline seated dumbell curls, I actually switched to hammer curls just to be able to move the weight I wanted to move. I've since decided that I like one set of seated incline curls and one set of seated incline hammer curls as my biceps "finisher" exercises.
Abs day was a whole different story - in the same vein of "good". I smashed out new gains on the kneeling ab crunch and on my decline weighted situps. I don't have any straps that I can use for weighted leg raises, so I sub in suspended knee raises that go tight to my chest in sets of 20. Next week I'll make them sets of 25.
When I woke up this morning, my abs were feeling pretty damn good, and that means that I've finally found my "crawl" point for progression with them. Now to just keep blasting them until I really get them up. I normally also throw in a set of kneeling cable crunches and a set of decline weighted situps on Fridays and then I give myself till next Wednesday to rest.
Shoulders day is today. I'm stoked :D After a couple of weeks of improv for traps, I'm looking foward to some Smith Machine time so I can really smash out some trap raises. I'm also stoked to hit another progression on overhead press tonight - both seated machine and dumbell!
Lift hard folks!
In reality that's perfectly fine. The numbers don't matter, so long as you keep progressing. In fact, I was so trashed that for my second set of incline seated dumbell curls, I actually switched to hammer curls just to be able to move the weight I wanted to move. I've since decided that I like one set of seated incline curls and one set of seated incline hammer curls as my biceps "finisher" exercises.
Abs day was a whole different story - in the same vein of "good". I smashed out new gains on the kneeling ab crunch and on my decline weighted situps. I don't have any straps that I can use for weighted leg raises, so I sub in suspended knee raises that go tight to my chest in sets of 20. Next week I'll make them sets of 25.
When I woke up this morning, my abs were feeling pretty damn good, and that means that I've finally found my "crawl" point for progression with them. Now to just keep blasting them until I really get them up. I normally also throw in a set of kneeling cable crunches and a set of decline weighted situps on Fridays and then I give myself till next Wednesday to rest.
Shoulders day is today. I'm stoked :D After a couple of weeks of improv for traps, I'm looking foward to some Smith Machine time so I can really smash out some trap raises. I'm also stoked to hit another progression on overhead press tonight - both seated machine and dumbell!
Lift hard folks!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Week 4 chest and tris done! A theory...
I had a thought yesterday as I arrived at the gym - what if I wasn't totally up to spec last week for chest day? What if I really was a bit off, my positioning on the bench was a bit off and this would have kept me from lifting as much as I could have any other day.
Hmm.
So, I decided there was only one way to find out definitively - load 180lbs on the bar and go again. So I did.
This just in - yes, I really can bench 180lbs for reps. True enough, it was for 8 reps, but I hit it! Then, I managed to hit 160lbs for 10 reps. That alone told me that when I can rep higher on the second set (as has been my custom), I can normally hit my progression the next week fairly easily.
The rest of the day was just as rewarding. I've been subbing in overhead dumbell tricep extensions for decline tricep extensions (skullcrushers) due to the fact it's been getting pretty busy at the gym. Still progressing there. Tricep pushdowns "stalled" this week, but seeing as they're at the tail end of the workout, I'm not too worried about not progressing there. That just means that I REALLY hit everything prior to them hard yesterday. They'll come up in time.
A side note - my quads are SUPER trashed today - the old "you'll feel it two days later" syndrome. Bar squatting is quite different than the muscle action for decline leg press. That and the fact that I hadn't squatted for weeks combined to really kick my ass - and quads. They feel like bricks today! On a happy aside, the hack squat machine is back! I'm not sure I'm going to go back to it right away - I think I might give Smith machine barbell squatting a few weeks to see how it does for me.
Just remember - that weight won't move by itself! MucleHack it!
Biceps and abs are tonight. Lift safe folks!
Hmm.
So, I decided there was only one way to find out definitively - load 180lbs on the bar and go again. So I did.
This just in - yes, I really can bench 180lbs for reps. True enough, it was for 8 reps, but I hit it! Then, I managed to hit 160lbs for 10 reps. That alone told me that when I can rep higher on the second set (as has been my custom), I can normally hit my progression the next week fairly easily.
The rest of the day was just as rewarding. I've been subbing in overhead dumbell tricep extensions for decline tricep extensions (skullcrushers) due to the fact it's been getting pretty busy at the gym. Still progressing there. Tricep pushdowns "stalled" this week, but seeing as they're at the tail end of the workout, I'm not too worried about not progressing there. That just means that I REALLY hit everything prior to them hard yesterday. They'll come up in time.
A side note - my quads are SUPER trashed today - the old "you'll feel it two days later" syndrome. Bar squatting is quite different than the muscle action for decline leg press. That and the fact that I hadn't squatted for weeks combined to really kick my ass - and quads. They feel like bricks today! On a happy aside, the hack squat machine is back! I'm not sure I'm going to go back to it right away - I think I might give Smith machine barbell squatting a few weeks to see how it does for me.
Just remember - that weight won't move by itself! MucleHack it!
Biceps and abs are tonight. Lift safe folks!
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Week #4 leg day done - barbell squats!
OK, after yakking with the guys on the MuscleHack Bodybuilding Forums, I decided to go with two sets of barbell Smith machine squats and then my two sets of leg press, followed by the usual two sets of straight-leg deadlifts.
Good news: I can bar squat well over 200 lbs.Once I really hit it next week, I'll likely hit for about 240 on my opening rep. Yesterday I still got a wicked burn doing 180 x 10 and then 200 x 8 as I was more concerned about form and cadence than sheer weight. I'm pretty confident I gave my legs a decent workout, because I still progressed on leg press (650 to open) and even my calves are protesting this morning.
I have to say, every time I take the time to learn something new with bodybuilding / weightlifting I've yet to be disappointed.
Chest and triceps day today! Stoked! I'm looking forward to more progressions on my benches and pec deck again today. My triceps will be filing a restraining order by supper time. Can't wait for work to end today so I can hit the gym! C'mon 3:30!
Lift hard folks - but safely! Get that PCP and you'll be rewarded!
Cheers
Adam
Good news: I can bar squat well over 200 lbs.Once I really hit it next week, I'll likely hit for about 240 on my opening rep. Yesterday I still got a wicked burn doing 180 x 10 and then 200 x 8 as I was more concerned about form and cadence than sheer weight. I'm pretty confident I gave my legs a decent workout, because I still progressed on leg press (650 to open) and even my calves are protesting this morning.
I have to say, every time I take the time to learn something new with bodybuilding / weightlifting I've yet to be disappointed.
Chest and triceps day today! Stoked! I'm looking forward to more progressions on my benches and pec deck again today. My triceps will be filing a restraining order by supper time. Can't wait for work to end today so I can hit the gym! C'mon 3:30!
Lift hard folks - but safely! Get that PCP and you'll be rewarded!
Cheers
Adam
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