Arms

The countdown to leaving has begun. Soon, I'll be working out in a different gym (probably another Gold's, if they let me trasfer my membership.) Good arm day today.

The numbers:

Friday, April 25, 2008 - Arms

Exercise	Cory	Matt
Tricep pushdowns	80 x 15 : 87.5 x 20	72.5 x 12 x 2
Skullcrushers	135 x 10 x 2	70 x 10 x 2
Overhead tricep extension	72.5 x 15 : 80 x 10	72.5 x 10 x 2
Preacher curls (M)	160 x 10 : 165 x 9	110 x 12 x 2
DB bicep/hammer curls	35 x 10 x (b/h) x 2	30 x 10 x (b/h) x 2
Barbell bicep curl	60 x 12 x 2	65 x 10 x 2
Palm down wrist curl	45 x 20 x 2 (bar)	45 x 20 x 2 (bar)
Palm up wrist curl	45 x 20 x 2 (bar)	45 x 20 x 2 (bar)
Tricep pushdowns II	87.5 x 15 x 2	65 x 12 x 2
Preacher curls II	110 x 10 x 2	115 x 6 : 115 x 10
TOTAL	23,287.5	18,040

Tonight's Double Header - Legs AND Arms!

So, as is probably obvious from the previous posts (or lack thereof), Matt and I missed legs on Wednesday. I think he had an exam, and he was too sleep-deprived on Thursday. So, we decided to go for the gold and have the Friday night combo. I'm sure we'll know in a day or two whether this was a folly-ridden decision.

By the end, I was pretty exhausted (in a good way), and felt like my arms were going to explode (in that REALLY good way).

As a side note, my gym is undergoing some changes, and I can say with certainty that I'm not a fan. The owners are opening a second gym in the neighboring town, and instead of having the financing completely in place, they seem to be cannibalizing the gym equipment from Ann Arbor (location I) and shifting it to Saline (location II). Every day, it seems that more equipment is gone. People are starting to have to wait extended periods for flat benches, ellipticals, and pretty much everything else. Really, it's become like "Gold's Montana - The Gym of Wide, Open Spaces." Seriously, you have to go on safari just to find clips for the free weights.

I wonder if there will be anything left when I get back in September. Hell...I wonder if there will be anything left by the end of the month.

The locker rooms are closed over the weekend for "repainting and maintenance." I hope that means "getting rid of the mold in the showers." Yuck. How hard is it to make spraying the showers and curtains with anti-mildew spray as part of closing duties?

Anyway - enough bitching. Here are tonight's numbers.

Friday, April 11, 2008 - Arms and Legs

Exercise	Cory	Matt
Tricep pushdowns	65 x 15 : 80 x 12	65 x 10 : 72.5 x 10
Skullcrushers	115 x 12 x 2	70 x 10 : 70 x 12
Overhead tricep extension	72.5 x 15 x 2	72.5 x 10 x 2
Preacher curls (M)	160 x 10 x 2	110 x 12 : 130 x 9
DB bicep/hammer curls	35 x 10 x (b/h) x 2	32.5 x 10 x (b/h) : 35 x 10 x b : 27.5 x 6 x h
Barbell bicep curl		60 x 12 x 2
Palm down wrist curl	45 x 20 x 2 (bar)	45 x 20 x 2 (bar)
Palm up wrist curl	45 x 20 x 2 (bar)	45 x 20 x 2 (bar)
Tricep pushdowns II	80 x 15 : 80 x 20	72.5 x 10 : 80 x 5
Preacher curls II	100 x 15 x 2	125 x 9 : 110 x 9
Torso rotation	150 x 20 x (L/R) x 2
Leg press	530 x 10 x 2	530 x 10 x 2
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 10 : 180 x 5
Glute kickbacks	180 x 10 x (L/R) x 2
Hip abduction	250 x 20 x 2
Hip adduction	250 x 20 x 2
TOTAL	83,130	35,665

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

Arms

New routine, since we've had the old one for a while and a changeup is in order. After doing more reading on Bodybuilding.com, I found some advice about doing several exercises in a row that target the same muscle, and performing them until you've really fatigued and shredded the muscle to failure. Moving from large muscles to small muscles that would be triceps, then biceps, then forearms. I decided to throw a twist in there just to make sure we were tired at the end: return to a few more failure sets of triceps and biceps after finishing the forearms/wrist curls.

On another note, today I tried the smaller, tabletop-type wrist/forearm isolation machine, which seemed to provide a lot more isolation and stability than palm-down wrist curls with the barbell. For the barbell type, I found that it's impossible for me not to move my arms as they rest over my legs, which act as a fulcrum. I'm sure I'll know by tomorrow if it was more effective.

Without further ado, here are today's numbers:

Saturday, March 29, 2008 - Arms

Exercise	Cory	Matt
Tricep pushdowns	65 x 15 : 65 x 12	72.5 x 12 : 65 x 12
Skullcrushers	90 x 15 : 90 x 18	70 x 12 : 70 x 18
Overhead tricep extension	65 x 12 x 2	57.5 x 11 : 65 x 9
Preacher curls (M)	150 x 10 : 150 x 12	125 x 10 x 2
DB bicep/hammer curls	30 x 10 x 2 x (b/h)	27.5 x 10 x (b/h) : 25 x 10 x (b/h)
Barbell bicep curl	70 x 10 x 2	60x 10 : hurt wrist
Palm down wrist curl	20 x 10 x (L/R) : 10 x 25 x (L/R)	hurt wrist
Palm up wrist curl	30 x 15 x 2 x (L/R)	hurt wrist
Tricep pushdowns II	35 x 20 : 65 x 15	65 x 10 x 2
Preacher curls II	95 x 15 : 95 x 10	110 x 10 : 110 x 4
TOTAL	18,935	12,027.5

Arms

No Matt today. Exam or something like that.

I added something back into the routine that I hadn't done for a while - the famous Mike Stack Rotator Cuff Prehab/Rehab Superset. This is a killer, but it' amazing at strengthening the rotator cuff. From now on in this blog, it will be referred to as the RCStackSet. It consists of the following, all done without rest between sets, and done by holding plates in both hands. Also, be careful not to bring the arms above parallel while doing the raises, as this will then move from working the rotator cuff to activating the deltoid.

• 10-15 arm raises to parallel in front of body, thumbs pointing up


• 10-15 arm raises to parallel in front of body, thumbs pointing down


• 10-15 arm raises to parallel at 45º, thumbs pointing up


• 10-15 arm raises to parallel at 45º, thumbs pointing down


• 10-15 arm raises to parallel at 90º, thumbs pointing up


• 10-15 arm raises to parallel at 90º, thumbs pointing down


• 10-15 reps holding arms parallel to floor, out to sides, and bring in to front of chest and back out


• 10-15 reps upper arm parallel to floor, elbows bent 90º, and rotate arms forward until entire arm is parallel with floor, then rotate back up.


• ABC's - left and right arms (more easily done one arm at a time): Hold the plate, and extend arm in front of sternum. Trace the entire alphabet in the air.

Today's numbers:

Friday, March 21, 2008 - Arms

Exercise	Cory
Skullcrushers	90 x 12 x 2
Preacher curl	140 x 10 : 150 x 8
Overhead tricep extension	50 x 12 : 70 x 12
DB bicep curl	35 x 10 x (L/R) : 40 x 5 x (L/R)
DB hammer curl	35 x 10 x (L/R) : 40 x 5 x (L/R)
Barbell wrist curl palms down	45 x 10 x 2
Barbell wrist curl palms up	45 x 15 x 2
RCStackSet	10's @ 5 lb plates
TOTAL	11,710

Arms

I really love arm days. It's where I probably have the most to gain, and when I leave the gym I feel like I definitely did something substantial. As with all of the other days, Matt and I are (to the extent possible) dropping the weights and concentrating on slow lifts, technique/form, and the full range of motion.

Tonight's numbers:

Friday, January 18, 2008 - Arms

Exercise	Cory	Matt
Skull crushers (F)	80 x 15 x 2 : 90 x 15	80 x 10 x 3
Bicep curl (M)	110 x 12 x 3	110 x 10 x 2 : 95 x 8
Triceps push-downs (M)	65 x 12 x 3	72 x 8 : 65 x 9 : 57.5 x 8
DB biceps curl (F)	30 x 10 x 3	30 x 20 x 2 : 27.5 x 10
DB hammer curl (F)	30 x 10 x 3	25 x 10 : 22.5 x 10 x 2
Barbell wrist curl - up (F)	45 x 10 x 3	45 x 10 x 3
Barbell wrist curl - down (F)	45 x 10 x 3	45 x 10 x 3
Lateral raise (M)	80 x 10 x 3	50 x 10 : 80 x 10 : 80 x 8

Arms

Tonight was a really good night. Matt called and was unable to make it due to an unforeseen push at work. No worries. I've come to find that arms is the one lifting day where a partner is very motivational, but not critical for things like safety.

We've been trying out a different type of lifting lately, and I think I like it. Instead of going for maximum weights, we're dropping the weight, doing deeper movements through the range of motion, focusing strongly on correct form and technique, and slowing down the movement a lot. For some movements, I've started seeing how slowly I can go both on the positive and negative components of the cycle. It's amazing how challenging that is, and afterward, I feel like I've taxed the muscles far more thoroughly and evenly.

I think one secret to good arm workouts is to pay close attention to the placement of the elbows, the inner/outer rotation of the arm in the shoulder socket, and the fulcrumatic point chosen for the exercises. The machine exercises largely dictate the fulcrum, but you can rotate the arms with variance. The free weights require mindfulness of all these things. It's worth the added cognitive demand, I think.

So, here's tonight's rundown:

Friday, January 4, 2008 - Arms

Elliptical	7:34 / 1.0 miles
Skull crushers (F)	70 x 10 x 4
Bicep curl (M)	100 x 10 x 3
Triceps push downs (M)	115 x 10 : 95 x 10 x 2
Dumbbell bicep curl, standing (F)	27.5 x 10 x 3
Dumbbell hammer curl, standing (F)	27.5 x 10 x 3
Lateral raise (M)	70 x 10 x 3
Barbell wrist curls, palm up	65 x 12 x 2
Barbell wrist curls, palm down	65 x 12 : 65 x 6