miked512’s BodyBlog

This post is meant to be an introduction to the bodyspace state tour as well as the highlight of the first stop.

I must first detail the goal and aims of the Bodyspace state tour.  Recently, I’ve become slightly bored with the hohums of my usual training week.  Doing my prescribed number of sets and reps with various exercises, changing it up just for me, and throwing in bits of GPP on the weekend.  Before I’d just find another workout, add and subtract some of its methodologies or even more fun, make up my own thing.  However, I got tired of asking people what they were doing and incorporating it into my own so I decided to do the next best thing which is, go do what other people are doing.  So I got the idea after asking a bodyspacer for a workout, “Hey, why don’t I just stop by and workout with a different bodyspace when I’m in their area?”  So this is how the bodyspace state tour has been born.

At any rate, my first stop was to go workout with snlewis25.  This was the weekend I had to go talk to kids at my old high school about doing well in school and how it can contribute to them doing well at life.  All of that good important stuff.  At any rate, I went to go visit him on a Saturday.  After enjoying family, chilling with one of my semi-pro wrestler friends who will probably be featured here later, and delicious barbecue.  After being content and eating this deliciousness in Morven, GA I made the hour and a half drive to Douglas, GA.  Nice, long winding roads, crisp country air, and a wonderful breeze.  I got to his place at about 8 pm.

After getting lost in Douglas, having a few “aaahhhh, you drive crazy moments” and talking with snlewis25 on the phone I finally made it.  So of course, I get there to be greeted by a lovely female  and himself.  We introduce ourselves, talk a little bit, and me being the ever industrious training nerd, am pretty much able to get dressed and be ready to go in 30 seconds flat.

However, before getting to the workout I notice the previous used supp stack on the refrigerator.

HOLY GEE WILLIKERS!! I’m thinking to myself.  “That is a huge stash”.  We go over the effectiveness of a few of the supps he’s used, something I can think of thats comparable to it, how much we like it, and well, what else we plan on buying in the future.  Then of course, it was time to go out to the back for the weight training.

For those of you that don’t know, snlewis25 works out in his backyard, away from the hustle and bustle of a crowded gym with limited hours.  However, just because its in his backyard does not mean this man is lacking in training equipment.  He has just about everything one would need to build an awesome, rock solid physique of their choosing.  I would almost say the only thing he’s lacking is a station for doing pull-ups/chins but he actually happens to have that too.  The problem is, using that requires an extreme amount of grip strength that a fledgling probably would run away from before he attempted to try it.  So what was the workout piece for the day.  ARMS!!!!!!

snlewis25 trains 4-5 days with a Heavy-day/light day alternating routine.  His fifth day is usually devoted to arms if he can find time to do it.  He’s been using his current routine for about 5 months.  On with the show.

This workout begins at 20:12.  First we start off with 2 sets of 20 on the rope pulldown.  He goes through his set easily.  My turn, I’m thinking to myself, “Wow, 20.  I’m definitely not a high rep guy.  This is so going to suck.”  I get through it though.  Too bad this is a warm-up.  “Damn, this is just stop 1 and I’m about to be a bologna sandwich this whole workout.”

Second set begins.  Its not so bad.  So of course, I adjusted my weight from snlewis25’s weights just because I had to get the neural patterns for various exercises.  Then we followed up with 3 sets of Close Grip Bench Press in a 12, 10, 8 respective rep scheme.  This was followed by Skull Crushers with a 15, 10, 5 rep scheme.  Of course this was with a straight bar so that of course makes life oh so difficult.

Skull Crushers introduced a new concept I haven’t seen written about but what snlewis25 does in practice.  Its called a “continuation set”.  After the last set of skull crushers, it is immediately followed by the first set of 15 dumbbell triceps extensions.  After the continuation set, there is one more set of dumbbell tricep extensions for 15.  He he,  I’m laughing because throughout the whole triceps portion of the workout my weights were considerably less than his.  Go figure.

Then we got to the biceps.  Bicep curls with 3 sets at a 12, 10, 6 rep scheme.  In an effort to try to sound slightly useful, I had him try them up against the wall and man did we both feel it.  Then that was followed by 2 sets of 10 Reverse Grip Curls and Hammer Curls.  Then there was the interesting wrist curls.  Its a technique that has to be seen and experienced.  I can’t really describe it but it was awesome.  2 sets of 20.

Our workout ended at 21:06.  Afterwards we ended the workout, talked more about supplementation, wrestling, bodybuilding.com prices, drank some syntha-6 and overall I had a blast.  Then it was time to leave so I made my 2 hour drive back to quitman and well, spent time with my family.

Closing thoughts:  I really enjoyed this workout, mosquitoes and all.  Yeah, I was also a bit too stubbon to put on insect repellent so I got my ass eaten up and pretty much itched all of last week.  I have scars to prove it.    It goes to show that although you may not have a gym membership, with a small investment you can build yourself a damned good home gym that can be used for a multitude of exercises.  Quite awesome how that all works out for him.  I also realize that I’m going to have to train a heck of a lot harder to be able to keep up with him on any of his other workouts he might have in store.

So, on to the next person.  Pictures of this journy will be put up later.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 12th, 2008 at 5:49 pm and is filed under Training. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.