So here's a typical workout week for me. By no means, do you have to do everything. It's just a suggestion. The rest periods are somewhat lax. I usually take 48-60 hours rest between workouts. Sometimes I get unmotivated and take 72 hours rest.
Monday 11 am
Reflexive bench press
Warm-up
Single rep max out set
1 set of 3 reps (usually twenty to fifty pounds less than single max out rep weight)
Single rep max out set
1 set of 3 reps
Single rep max out set
1 set of 3 reps
Single rep max out set
Tricep extensions (these can be done either using a cable hooked to a machine or suspending a bar over your chest with a double overhand grip and lowering the bar by bending the forearms and lowering the bar at the elbow to the point where the forearm comes close to touching the bicep)
Warm up
Single rep max out set
Single rep max out set
Single rep max out set
Single rep max out set
Add more single rep sets if needed to attain a feeling of soreness in the tricep muscles
Standing Bicep Curl with straight barbell(these have to be done while standing on concrete or two 45lb plates. You need a stable surface so you can keep your whole body in alignment. It's also important to take a small sip of air and hold your breath before lifting and after completing the lift because it keeps your lower back in a locked tight position)
Warm up
Single rep max out set
Single rep max out set
Single rep max out set
Single rep max out set
Add more single rep sets if needed to attain a feeling of soreness in the bicep muscles
Regular Deadlifts
Warm-up without straps and when the weight gets too heavy to grip, switch to straps.
1 rep max out set with straps
1 rep max out set without straps
1 rep max out set with straps
1 rep max out set without straps
1 rep max out set with straps
1 rep max out set without straps
1 rep max out set with straps
Reflexive squat
Warm-up
1 rep max out set
1 rep max out set
1 rep max out set
1 rep max out set
Add more single rep max out sets if needed to achieve soreness in the quadriceps and glute muscles
Wednesday 9 pm
Pause bench press
Warm-up
Single rep max out set
1 set of 3 reps (usually twenty to fifty pounds less than single max out rep weight)
Single rep max out set
1 set of 3 reps
Single rep max out set
1 set of 3 reps
Single rep max out set
Seated military press (these are done while sitting and lifting the bar by grasping the bar with a double overhand grip and pressing both arms overhead. They can either be done at a military press rack or squat rack with adjustable safety arms. Take a small sip of air to maintain tightness in the torso but not enough to cause any arch in the lower back which could lead to injury. The start of the lift is to have the bar at shoulder level where it's high enough to get the palms under the bar but low enough where you can touch your forearm to your bicep. Never lift the bar out from behind and above your head. This puts the shoulders in a position susceptible to injury.)
Warm up
1 rep max out set
1 rep max out set
1 rep max out set
1 rep max out set
Add more single rep max out sets if needed to achieve soreness in the tricep muscles.
Standing dumbell curls or one arm cable bicep curls (the main point of this is to extend the hand or hands behind the vertical plane of the torso before the lift is initiated. The form for this is the same as the standing bicep barbell curl. Before the lift you're going to take in a small sip of air through the nostrils to lock the lower back in place but not so much that you put a severe arch in the lower back. Stand on either concrete or 45lb plates to give your feet a nice stable foundation to lift from.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Egg intake
On the advice of this doctor, I've increased my egg intake three fold. With every meal I'm eating three whole eggs, so that makes my total egg consumption nine eggs a day. It seems like I'm less hungry and I can go a longer time without eating between meals. I haven't had my cholesterol levels measured so I don't know if I'm wreaking havoc in my body. As far as strength gains go, I did go up in my pause back squat and slightly in my cambered bar bench press. The gains weren't anything miraculous but I'll take a couple small gains rather than nothing at all.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Bench press form: squeeze your glutes
This is from a trainer who recommends squeezing your glutes. He also recommends doing light then heavy days for muscle building in the bench press. I can't really agree with that, but the glute squeezing I agree with.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
A nice combo: the bicep workout
I do bicep curls to help me add stability to my bench press. They work the wrists, the forearms, and the biceps which all work together to stabilize the bar throughout the entire range of motion in the bench press.
I alternate standing bicep barbell curls on one workout day with seated dumbbell bicep curls on another workout day to avoid repetitive movement injury. When you have your hands wrapped around a bar in a fixed position, it places a great amount of stress on the wrists and forearms and shoulders. The seated bicep dumbbell curl reduces that because the hands have the mobility to move around.
The form for the standing bicep barbell curl is first load a barbell with weights. I prefer to have the barbell at a waist high position either sitting on safety crossbars of a squat rack or power rack. It reduces the amount of work to complete the lift but if you have to lift the barbell off the ground then it's no big deal. Although you will have to put your lower back in a deadlift position to protect your lower spine
when lifting the bar off the ground. Also the floor you lift on has to be rigid and level otherwise put two forty five lb plates on the ground and step on those to give yourself a stable base to lift from.
Now take in a breath of air through the nose to fill the chest cavity to lock your spine in a straight up and down position. Grab the bar underhanded with both hands in a slightly wider than shoulder width position. Now while keeping your elbows close to your sides, curl the bar to your chin by bending at the elbows. It's an absolute must you hold your breath throughout the entire range of motion in the lift. This will lock your spine and reduce the chance of back injury. It will also stabilize your body to give you a nice powerful lift.
Now let the bar down on the rack or floor. If you want to do reps, you'll have to keep that breath of air in you or let the bar down and reset your breath and lock your spine again before attempting to lift again.
Form for the seated dumbbell curl is completely different. First off sit on a bench and place two dumbbells on the outsides of both your feet. Take in a breath of air through the mouth and put a severe arch in the lower back and lift the dumbbells off the ground.
Now take in a breath of air through the nose to fill the chest and lock your spine in a straight up and down position. Curl the dumbbell with one hand bending at the elbow while keeping the other dumbbell in your other hand stationary by your side. This will give stability to your lift.
Notice how to clear the dumbbell past your bent knee you have to keep the dumbbell perpendicular to the floor. When you clear the knee, twist the dumbbell to a horizontal position parallel to the floor. This will tax the wrists and forearms and strengthen them. If you experience any soreness in the wrists, rub the point of pain on your knee to dissipate the pain. Check out why this works here.
Lower the dumbbell back to your side and curl the other dumbbell in your other hand. If you have to exhale between the alternating curls, keep in mind you'll have to reset the air back in your chest and relock your spine in a straight up and down position. Now lower the dumbbells back to the ground.
I try to do only single rep sets when I'm bicep curling because it yields the greatest adaptive strength gain response although if I feel like I can do a couple more reps I'll go ahead and bang them out to achieve soreness and fatigue in my biceps.
I alternate standing bicep barbell curls on one workout day with seated dumbbell bicep curls on another workout day to avoid repetitive movement injury. When you have your hands wrapped around a bar in a fixed position, it places a great amount of stress on the wrists and forearms and shoulders. The seated bicep dumbbell curl reduces that because the hands have the mobility to move around.
The form for the standing bicep barbell curl is first load a barbell with weights. I prefer to have the barbell at a waist high position either sitting on safety crossbars of a squat rack or power rack. It reduces the amount of work to complete the lift but if you have to lift the barbell off the ground then it's no big deal. Although you will have to put your lower back in a deadlift position to protect your lower spine
when lifting the bar off the ground. Also the floor you lift on has to be rigid and level otherwise put two forty five lb plates on the ground and step on those to give yourself a stable base to lift from.
Now take in a breath of air through the nose to fill the chest cavity to lock your spine in a straight up and down position. Grab the bar underhanded with both hands in a slightly wider than shoulder width position. Now while keeping your elbows close to your sides, curl the bar to your chin by bending at the elbows. It's an absolute must you hold your breath throughout the entire range of motion in the lift. This will lock your spine and reduce the chance of back injury. It will also stabilize your body to give you a nice powerful lift.
Now let the bar down on the rack or floor. If you want to do reps, you'll have to keep that breath of air in you or let the bar down and reset your breath and lock your spine again before attempting to lift again.
Form for the seated dumbbell curl is completely different. First off sit on a bench and place two dumbbells on the outsides of both your feet. Take in a breath of air through the mouth and put a severe arch in the lower back and lift the dumbbells off the ground.
Now take in a breath of air through the nose to fill the chest and lock your spine in a straight up and down position. Curl the dumbbell with one hand bending at the elbow while keeping the other dumbbell in your other hand stationary by your side. This will give stability to your lift.
Notice how to clear the dumbbell past your bent knee you have to keep the dumbbell perpendicular to the floor. When you clear the knee, twist the dumbbell to a horizontal position parallel to the floor. This will tax the wrists and forearms and strengthen them. If you experience any soreness in the wrists, rub the point of pain on your knee to dissipate the pain. Check out why this works here.
Lower the dumbbell back to your side and curl the other dumbbell in your other hand. If you have to exhale between the alternating curls, keep in mind you'll have to reset the air back in your chest and relock your spine in a straight up and down position. Now lower the dumbbells back to the ground.
I try to do only single rep sets when I'm bicep curling because it yields the greatest adaptive strength gain response although if I feel like I can do a couple more reps I'll go ahead and bang them out to achieve soreness and fatigue in my biceps.
A nice trio: exercises for core, back and leg strength
I've been experiencing annoying nagging soreness and swelling in my knees thanks to to doing reflexive squats and then alternating with pause squats. The range of motion in both exercise forms is identical so I pretty much expected pain in the knees. The problem is for the strength gains to keep coming in the squat, the range of motion where you bend the knees and lower the glutes to almost touching the ground has to be severely taxed and stimulated in a consistent manner. So how do you make strength gains in the squat with limited knee pain?
Enter the acute angle deadlift. The beginning of the lift has you standing on two stacks of two forty five lb plates stacked on top of each other. One foot goes on one stack. The other foot goes on the other stack. The stack of plates on either side of the barbell remain on the ground. This forces your body to be in a balled up position. Your knees are in a bent position but not as severely as in the squat. Your lower back and shoulders are in a rounded position. This places a great amount of stress on the legs and lower back so quit when you start to experience severe soreness in the lower back.
My theory is that the combination of alternating the pause squat on one workout day with the acute angle deadlift on the next workout day will see an increase in the reflexive squat with reduced knee soreness. I say reduced because you'll always experience knee soreness if you bottom out while doing squats. Another benefit is if you make a strength gain in the acute angle deadlift it will transfer to a strength gain in the deadlift. Also if you make a gain in the pause squat I'm theorizing that a strength gain will be made in the acute angle deadlift.
Enter the acute angle deadlift. The beginning of the lift has you standing on two stacks of two forty five lb plates stacked on top of each other. One foot goes on one stack. The other foot goes on the other stack. The stack of plates on either side of the barbell remain on the ground. This forces your body to be in a balled up position. Your knees are in a bent position but not as severely as in the squat. Your lower back and shoulders are in a rounded position. This places a great amount of stress on the legs and lower back so quit when you start to experience severe soreness in the lower back.
My theory is that the combination of alternating the pause squat on one workout day with the acute angle deadlift on the next workout day will see an increase in the reflexive squat with reduced knee soreness. I say reduced because you'll always experience knee soreness if you bottom out while doing squats. Another benefit is if you make a strength gain in the acute angle deadlift it will transfer to a strength gain in the deadlift. Also if you make a gain in the pause squat I'm theorizing that a strength gain will be made in the acute angle deadlift.
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