Week #3's back day wrapped yesterday with gains across the board. I even threw in some extra abs (weighted decline situps and kneeling cable crunches) for good measure. Also did some bent-over rows with 100lb dumbells. Not too shabby, considering that's a personal best for me too - and after the actual "back day" exercises to boot.
Going to the gym these days, it just seems that the gains keep piling on, my strength keeps going up and my lean mass keeps increasing. I can't argue with that, not at all!
What's important here is the simplicity of what I'm doing. It's several sets of exercises per major muscle group, repping to failure on each set within 8-12 repetitions. It's simple and very effective. There's nothing obscure or hidden in what I do, no black magic or weird science.
You eat, lift, eat, rest and repeat. Well, 3-4 good-sized meals of good low-carb food per day but still. It's not rocket science. It's really just common sense if you think about it a bit and deprogram yourself from all of the consumerist crap you've been force-fed since you were a kid. No processed, preservative-laden food. No complex sugars (glucose-fructose especially). Lots of protein, healthy fats, healthy grains and vegetables. Some low-carbers dodge some dairy due to the observed insulemic response of milk. I don't and I don't seem to be suffering for not doing so. Your mileage may vary.
I don't religiously "low carb". I'm a self-described "lower carb" guy. I enjoy whole grain buns for my submarine sandwich bread. I toast whole-wheat brown bread for my fave after-workout snack - brown toast with all-natural peanut butter. I drink 1% milk with my whey protein isolate shake mix.
It boils down to doing what works for you. There's always some experimentation when getting yourself onto a new routine. The basic guidelines are laid out to work for just about everyone, and by and large they will work for just about everyone. Sometimes you need to fiddle a bit - but it's important to stick to the basic tenets of what is being proscribed to you if you want to accomplish things in the same vein as others who have gone down this road before you.
Mark has put in a LOT of time and effort to make sure that what he tells us to do will work. I have to say, with each and every workout, I'm reminded of the pile of work and raw knowledge Mark has given to us - for free. Thanks Mark, and I don't think I'll ever stop thanking you.
All the best for a great Sunday. Lift smart folks!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Week #3 shoulders day done - plateau busted!
YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
OK, enough CSI for this early in the morning. I smashed through my shoulders plateau last night, putting up not only a true 140lb x 6 wide-grip overhead press (seated) but also a 120lb x 8 set and a 90lb x 12 set (previous to those were 110 x 12 and 90 x 9). VICTORY!
I also managed to smash out 100lbs x 6 for the dumbell overhead press and 90lbs x 8 for the second set. Previous was 90lbs x 10 (didn't see the lower rep range that day) and 80lbs x 12. Gained nicely on the delt lat raises as well, 45s and 40s.
Trap shrugs were almost a disappointment, because both the power rack and Smith machine were occupied. So, I subbed in extra-duration weight stack raises at max weight (305lbs) and did 12, 10 and 10 reps. I was trashed after that. I had been looking forward to more gains on plated reps, but that will have to wait till next week.
Back day is today. If looming obligations creep in as I expect that they might, back day might have to be tomorrow. We'll see.
Just remember: if at first you can't lift that weight, don't sweat it. Just MuscleHack it. You'll move it in no time. :)
Happy Friday everyone! Lift safe and have a great weekend!
OK, enough CSI for this early in the morning. I smashed through my shoulders plateau last night, putting up not only a true 140lb x 6 wide-grip overhead press (seated) but also a 120lb x 8 set and a 90lb x 12 set (previous to those were 110 x 12 and 90 x 9). VICTORY!
I also managed to smash out 100lbs x 6 for the dumbell overhead press and 90lbs x 8 for the second set. Previous was 90lbs x 10 (didn't see the lower rep range that day) and 80lbs x 12. Gained nicely on the delt lat raises as well, 45s and 40s.
Trap shrugs were almost a disappointment, because both the power rack and Smith machine were occupied. So, I subbed in extra-duration weight stack raises at max weight (305lbs) and did 12, 10 and 10 reps. I was trashed after that. I had been looking forward to more gains on plated reps, but that will have to wait till next week.
Back day is today. If looming obligations creep in as I expect that they might, back day might have to be tomorrow. We'll see.
Just remember: if at first you can't lift that weight, don't sweat it. Just MuscleHack it. You'll move it in no time. :)
Happy Friday everyone! Lift safe and have a great weekend!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Week #3 biceps and abs day done
That was a really, really awesome workout. I did elect to switch it up at the end of the biceps portion and performed hammer curls for my last set (after incline seated dumbell curls, one set). I was beyond trashed. It's annyoing sometimes as my left arm is a bit smaller than my right, both in the bicep and in the tricep. It's a constant battle to progress my left faster than my right so I can "catch up". This might not ever be feasible, but I'll keep trying. I did an extra set of single cable curls yesterday for my left arm, but might progress that to two extra sets next week. The same increase for my left tricep too.
I have the same thing with my lower right calf muscle, the inside lower edge flares quite a bit more than my left. So, I've been doing some extra left calf work to try and bring it up too. I've always been a "personal symmetry" guy. The thought of being fairly lopsided unnerves me, not so much in a vanity-geared way but in a "can I depend on each muscle to perform equally?" way.
Shoulders day is today, including a number I wasn't expecting to hit anytime soon - 140lbs for the overhead press. It's been a bit of a "unicorn" for me, so to blast through that now would be AWESOME. Smith machine trap shrugs are up, too.
All I'm waiting for now, truth be told, is for the damn hack squat machine to come back. I love leg press, but not THAT much.
I have the same thing with my lower right calf muscle, the inside lower edge flares quite a bit more than my left. So, I've been doing some extra left calf work to try and bring it up too. I've always been a "personal symmetry" guy. The thought of being fairly lopsided unnerves me, not so much in a vanity-geared way but in a "can I depend on each muscle to perform equally?" way.
Shoulders day is today, including a number I wasn't expecting to hit anytime soon - 140lbs for the overhead press. It's been a bit of a "unicorn" for me, so to blast through that now would be AWESOME. Smith machine trap shrugs are up, too.
All I'm waiting for now, truth be told, is for the damn hack squat machine to come back. I love leg press, but not THAT much.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Can't remember if I mentioned this before
There are ads on this blog! HORROR OF HORRORS!
I could have easily run the blog without ads. However, I had a different idea in mind and I've decided to make it a public one: I'll take 80% of the ad revenue from my site and donate it back to MuscleHack.com. Mark deserves our support for all of his hard work and effort. Indeed, the vast majority of us use his training plans and meal ideas daily and it would be cool to really give something back.
So, I'm empowering all of you to be able to give something back. Click an ad or two that seems relevant. Come back every couple of days or so and do it again if you can. :) If even 20% of the MuscleHack FB fan page did this, the turnaround would be amazing.
I've been slowly gaining banked revenue since the site started... but I have yet to break $10 banked. Google Adsense pays out on $100 banked or higher.
So, share the blog with your friends if you think they'd be interested in reading the ramblings of a guy who has decided that as of two years ago, he'd never be "out of shape" ever again - and I've stuck to it. Share the blog and ask those you know to have a read if they want a "pick me up" by reading about an average guy who decided to combat the stereotypes about his body composition type and actually build real muscle.
Or, if they have questions and they want some answers about working out in general, staying healthy or even food choices for low/lower-carb diet options - fire away. If I don't have the answer, I'll find it for you AND tell you where I got it from.
Cheers, folks!
Adam
I could have easily run the blog without ads. However, I had a different idea in mind and I've decided to make it a public one: I'll take 80% of the ad revenue from my site and donate it back to MuscleHack.com. Mark deserves our support for all of his hard work and effort. Indeed, the vast majority of us use his training plans and meal ideas daily and it would be cool to really give something back.
So, I'm empowering all of you to be able to give something back. Click an ad or two that seems relevant. Come back every couple of days or so and do it again if you can. :) If even 20% of the MuscleHack FB fan page did this, the turnaround would be amazing.
I've been slowly gaining banked revenue since the site started... but I have yet to break $10 banked. Google Adsense pays out on $100 banked or higher.
So, share the blog with your friends if you think they'd be interested in reading the ramblings of a guy who has decided that as of two years ago, he'd never be "out of shape" ever again - and I've stuck to it. Share the blog and ask those you know to have a read if they want a "pick me up" by reading about an average guy who decided to combat the stereotypes about his body composition type and actually build real muscle.
Or, if they have questions and they want some answers about working out in general, staying healthy or even food choices for low/lower-carb diet options - fire away. If I don't have the answer, I'll find it for you AND tell you where I got it from.
Cheers, folks!
Adam
Week #3 chest day done
Wow. Every time I step into the gym, I make an effort to ensure I'm lifting right, that I'm lifting the right amount of weight and that I lift with as much intensity as possible. Chest and triceps day is no exception to those tenets.
Last night, I realized I wasn't benching with as much movement (all the way down) as I should have. So, on my second set... I really laid into myself. Holy crap could I ever feel it after the second set was done!
I also moved to a 30 degree incline bench from a 45 degree setup. Another big difference there, resulting in less weight moved than the previous week. That's ok, a full rep and a full set x 2 are better than doing it wrong. :)
Triceps - these things keep feeling like they're going to catch fire! Another great night of triceps worked. Did some dips at the end, or tried to. Should have called them "gradual negatives-based dips" cause I think I was able to do 3 dips, tops.
The good side: everything's gaining muscle mass everywhere. The down side: I've got a lot of shopping to do in the coming months as a lot of stuff pretty much doesn't fix me right anymore. Work clothes, lazy clothes, going-out clothes, etc.
Biceps and abs today. I've subbed-in standing cabled curls for standing alternating barbell curls. My "finisher" move will still be incline dumbell curls, however. Those last sets really kick my arms into overdrive!
It's a short work-week! Lift hard folks!
Last night, I realized I wasn't benching with as much movement (all the way down) as I should have. So, on my second set... I really laid into myself. Holy crap could I ever feel it after the second set was done!
I also moved to a 30 degree incline bench from a 45 degree setup. Another big difference there, resulting in less weight moved than the previous week. That's ok, a full rep and a full set x 2 are better than doing it wrong. :)
Triceps - these things keep feeling like they're going to catch fire! Another great night of triceps worked. Did some dips at the end, or tried to. Should have called them "gradual negatives-based dips" cause I think I was able to do 3 dips, tops.
The good side: everything's gaining muscle mass everywhere. The down side: I've got a lot of shopping to do in the coming months as a lot of stuff pretty much doesn't fix me right anymore. Work clothes, lazy clothes, going-out clothes, etc.
Biceps and abs today. I've subbed-in standing cabled curls for standing alternating barbell curls. My "finisher" move will still be incline dumbell curls, however. Those last sets really kick my arms into overdrive!
It's a short work-week! Lift hard folks!
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