Arms

Another good workout day. I like this technique of focusing on one muscle group and exhausting it through multiple exercises, then moving on to another muscle. It seems to have more impact.

Here are tonight's numbers:

Friday, April 4, 2008 - Arms

Exercise	Cory	Matt
Tricep pushdowns	65 x 15 x 2	65 x 10 x 2
Skullcrushers	100 x 12 : 100 x 15	70 x 10 x 2
Overhead tricep extension	65 x 15 x 2	65 x 10 x 2
Preacher curls (M)	155 x 12 x 2	125 x 10 x 2
DB bicep/hammer curls	35 x 10 x (b/h) : 30 x 10 x (b/h)	35 x 10(b) : 27.5 x 10(b) : 25 x 10(h) : 20 x 6(h)
Barbell bicep curl	70 x 10 x 2	65 x 10 : 65 x 8
Palm down wrist curl	20 x 10 x (L/R) x 2	45 x 30 (DB) : 25 x 45 (bar)
Palm up wrist curl	20 x 15 x (L/R) x 2	45 x 30 (DB) : 25 x 45 (bar)
Tricep pushdowns II	65 x 20 : 80 x 15	65 x 5 : 80 x 5
Preacher curls II	110 x 15 x 2	10 x 9 : 110 x 6
Torso rotation	150 x 20 x (L/R) x 2	190 x 12 x (L/R) x 2
Abdominal crunches	60 x 10 x 5 (MTS)	25 x 10 x 2 (Jackknife)
TOTAL	36,120	26,605

Legs

Big workout tonight, which was a good thing. After recovering from the other night's mistake with doing too many abdominal crunches and then getting a muscle spasm through the entire rectus abdominus, you would think that I had learned my lesson. But no...I did it again tonight. Grrrr...

Been reading (bit surprise there) a bit about structuring sets to not do too many during warm up, and only doing a few to work up to near max weights. Thought I might try that tonight, but think that there is a bit more reading and planning to be done before integrating it.

On the note of integrating new things, tonight was the first time EVER that I did lunges. Strangely, I had been thinking earlier in the day that I might like to try them. I ultimately didn't, since I was looking forward to squats and leg presses. Matt, though, said he just wasn't up for squatting (both he and I have had some lower back spasms and general discomfort. He thinks that he might have a compressed disk. I'm sure that mine is simply an imbalance between stabilizing muscles in the lower back and abdominal region). So, he suggested lunges, and I figured that the universe was telling me that the time had come to try them out. DAMN...those are difficult. Moreso the balancing than the weight. Doing two sets of 10 at low weight tuckered me out almost as much as a round of heavy squatting. We'll see for how many days I stay sore.

At any rate...here's the workout and the numbers.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008 - Legs

Exercise	Cory	Matt
Lunges (barbell)	65 x 10 x (L/R) x 2	65 x 10 x (L/R) x 2
Leg press	530 x 4 : 800 x 7 : 980 x 1 : 890 x 8	530 x 10 : 620 x 9
Leg extensions	190 x 12 x 2	190 x 10 x 2
Hamstring curl	190 x 10 x 2	190 x 10 x 2
Seated calf raise	180 x 15 : 180 x 20	180 x 10 : 180 x 14
Glute kickbacks	160 x 10 x (L/R) : 180 x 10 x (L/R)	Skipped
Hip abduction	250 x 16 x 2	210 x 10 x 2
Hip adduction	260 x 16 x 2	190 x 12 x 2
Abdominal crunches	100 x 25 x 2
Torso rotation	150 x 20 x (L/R) x 2
TOTAL	72,880	34,160

Chest

The theme for tonight seemed to be s-l-o-w. I was talking to powerlifter buddy Dominic, who said that every once in a while, he spends three months slowing everything down (which, of course, means dropping the weights and working back up). He suggested, when doing it seriously, a cadence of 10 seconds down, 2 seconds rest, 10 seconds up, 2 seconds rest. This minimizes any advantages to the lift you would gain through momentum, inertia, or bouncing. The lift is ALL YOU. I slowed things down for almost all of the lifts tonight, using a 5:2:5:2 cadence. WOW... I don't know if I'm up for the next three months of doing it, but it certainly was an experience that I'll throw in regularly from now on.

Also started adding back in some small amounts of abdominal work at the end of the workout. I haven't been doing Pilates for a while, and have let the ab work slide tremendously. I can tell, too, and think that the lack of natural tension and strength in the abs and core may be contributing to a bit of fatigue and pain in my lower back.

And as a follow up, I posed the "Should I be using a weight belt" question to two experienced lifting friends. One gave me a non-answer. The other looked at what I've been doing and said, "yes...you should be using a belt." That was more helpful. I ordered a belt from Elite Fitness Systems, on his recommendation. It should get here relatively soon. I'll post about what I think of it, and whether I think it makes a difference.

So, here are tonight's numbers:

Tuesday, April 1, 2008 - Chest

Exercise	Cory	Matt
Flat bench	185 x 10 : 135 x 10	155 x 10 : 135 x 10
Decline DB press	55 x 15 x (L/R) : 55 x 12 x (L/R)	55 x 12 x (L/R) : 55 x 10 x (L/R)
Incline DB press	55 x 15 x 2 x (L/R)	55 x 12 x 2 x (L/R)
Cable cross	35 x 12 x 2 x (L/R)	35 x 12 x (L/R) : 35 x 10 x (L/R)
Decline bench	135 x 10 x 2	135 x 6 x 2
Incline fly	40 x 9 x 2 x (L/R)	40 x 10 x (L/R) : 40 x 6 x (L/R)
Torso rotation	150 x 15 x 2 x (L/R)
Abdominal crunches	100 x 20 x 2
TOTAL	31,290	12,400

Cardio/Abs

The HIIT wasn't so bad tonight. I didn't want to die, though I won't say that it was pleasant yet.

At any rate. Tonight...

• HIIT
  • 5 minutes warm up
  • 10 cycles of 45s max / 75s recovery
  • 5 minutes cool-down


• Straight-leg Captain's chair: 10 x 3


• Machine crunches: 55 x 15 x 3


• Just too tired to do Roman Chair - time to call it quits tonight.

Cardio/Abs

I wanted to die by the time I was done. This interval training is going to either be killer good, or kill me flat out. I did twice as many interval iterations tonight and went for a full half hour. Oh. My. God.

At any rate. Tonight...

• HIIT
  • 5 minutes warm up
  • 10 cycles of 30s max / 90s recovery
  • 5 minutes cool-down


• Straight-leg Captain's chair: 10 x 3


• Roman chair: 45 x 12 x 3


• Machine crunches: 55 x 15 x 3

Cardio/Abs

I've decided to take a different approach to my cardio training in order to burn more fat. I've been reading a number of books that espouse the benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). HIIT claims that while the workout itself primarily burns carbohydrates instead of fat, the technique is far superior in elevating metabolism and keeps fat burning far longer. Enough sources have claimed this, so I'll give it a fair shake. Plus, running for an hour at the same speed three times per week just gets boring. The plan I'm trying comes from Building the Perfect Beast...Naturally. I tried it out tonight and will be modifying slightly, adding more cycles. I'll still be doing cardio three times per week. Two will be HIIT for five minutes of warm up, twenty minutes of two-minute cycles, and five minutes of cool-down. The third day will be 40 minutes of low-medium intensity running. In addition to this, I'll be adding abdominal work for these days. The Pilates I've been doing are targeted toward the deep "core" abdominal muscles. The gym abdominal work will target the more superficial muscles. No...the irony is not lost on my that I'm working the superficial muscles for superficial reasons.

At any rate...here is tonight's workout.

• HIIT
  • 5 minutes warm up
  • 5 cycles of 30s max / 90s recovery
  • 5 minutes cool-down
  
  
• Machine crunches: 55 x 15 x 3 : 30 x 10


• Roman chair: 45 x 12 x 3


• Straight-leg Captain's chair: 10 x 2