Pumping Iron

It’s game time, and I’ve been waiting for this all damn week.  When it comes to time to train Legs (mainly Quadriceps), you better get your head in the ****ing game.  Don’t bring that cell to the gym, dust off the ol’ leather belt and blast some hardcore **** before you step into that Squat Rack.

I like to get properly warmed up before I train the quads, so I hit the leg extensions for some light (no pre-exhaustion here) warm-up sets, not going over 60lbs.  Then I went to the Squat rack to do 3 more sets to get the blood flowing.  I switch up Front and Back squats week-to-week, and this week it was time for FRONT SQUATS baby!  They kick so much ****ing ass.  Sets went like this: 225 x 12, 245 x 8, 265 x 6 and 275 x 3 (PR).  I was pretty damn happy about those, considering that I haven’t done them in at least 2 months.  By the way, please remember to strip off the weight after your done with any barbell/,machine–it’s just rude and disrespectful to leave that **** on there for someone else to take off.  It takes me like 20 seconds to get the weight off…You can’t spare 20 seconds? Thanks. (Rest for Front Squats=2-3.5 minutes).
Leg presses were next–I had to wait a little bit for my favorite machine, but that was ok.  First set was 630 x 15, feeling good.  Next one I was on the way to 20, but I got 18.  Then I got up to 720 and got 10, which is close to, if not a PR.  Last set I did some nice patented Giant-Drops.  You should try these, they aren’t for the faint of heart. After I got 6 with 720, I took a plate off of each side, so it was similar to this: 720 x 6, 630 x 4, 540 x 5, 450 x 5, 360 x 8, 270 x 8, 180 x 12.  I wish that I was done with my workout after that, but I was only half-way done. (Rest was only 1 min. for the Presses’).

Then it was time for some Hack Squats, best set was 315 x 12.  I usually do Giant-drops for Hack’s too, but I was pretty tired the last set, so I got 14 reps rest-pause style.

Leg extensions were the last-first set=180 x 10…after that I lighted up and tried to get some higher reps because I was just dead by this time.

I was considering doing lunges before I started this workout, but I don’t want to be in a wheelchair all week, so I decided against it. I’m already going to be ridiculously sore from this workout, and I didn’t need to do lunges to worsen the DOMS.  By the way, if you’re seriously training legs, try to spilt up the Quads and Hams.  Why?  Because if you’re like me, and blast the **** out of your quads, there is simply no energy left to properly work the hamstrings.  I’m going to do them later this week with shoulders.  If you don’t listen to this advice this might happen: you’re playing a pick-up flag-football game, or you’re running to catch the bus, or you’re running the "Michael Scott’s Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race For The Cure,"  and half-way into it your hamstring tightens up and you pull it…or worse!  All because you threw in 3 crappy sets of hamstring curls after a tough quad workout and your ham’s pale in comparison to your Quads’s.  Hamstrings deserve just as much respect as Quads do!

I’m going to elevate my legs, Happy Lifting!

Today arms came up in the rotation, and who doesn’t love arm training? It’s not my favorite body part to train, but I still have a lot of fun training them.  Close-Grip Benches were first.  Now I’m just starting to work them back in as my main-triceps mass-builder, and when all was said and done I got 245 x 5 (ideally, I would like that to be around 245 x 6-10).  I was happy about that ’cause last week I got 245 x 3.  (If you don’t already know I usually do 4-5 sets per exercise).

BB curls were next for biceps, I believe I got 105 x 7--that is not were I want to be.  I want that  to be around 115 x 6, but I’ll get there.  Of course I did a nasty giant-drop set for my last set.

Skullcrushers were next–90 x 12 was a highlight, I’ve probably move to an 100 ez-bar next week (last two sets=Super-set with close-grip presses).

Incline curls=45’s x 5-8 which was nice.  I’m starting to really dig this exercise for the bi’s.

Pressdowns with a V-Bar=180 x 12, last set was a giant-drop set with like 15 drop’s in it.  I make V-bar Pressdown’s my bitch.

Preacher Curl’s were next; 90 x 6 was the best (Hooray!).

I did a giant set for forearms: Weight=135/40/40/45’s for BB Wrist Curl/BB reverse Wrist Curl/Reverse Curl/Cross-body Hammer Curls.  Gotta go for the burn for forearms, make em’ work. (Please tell me you work forearms, do I have to call Frank McGrath? Ok, thought so).

For calves, I did 4 Supersets of Seated Calf Raises and Donkey-calf raises. I’ve included pics so you can see what a donkey calf raise machine looks like, if you’ve never encountered one before (note: there is another machine that I use where one is completely bent-over at 45 degrees and the weight sits over the hips).

I was going to do abs today two, but I took the bus today, so I had to leave earlier to catch it!

Happy Lifting!

Whew…Long Day.

It all started when I woke up at 6:30 so I could get to the local high school track to do some 500m sprints at Race Pace for an upcoming 5K.  I don’t know if anyone else has this problem, but I have two angry lovers on my hand.  One part of me wants to eat anything and everything, bulk-up to 235lbs. and become a full-time bodybuilder.  That’s not possible though because the other part of me loves to run and wants to go all "Steve-Prefontaine"-Like and become a true runner. I’ve always had this problem…probably why I was never an outstanding sprinter in college-my quads were too big.  I remember sometimes, I did full-blown leg workouts BEFORE my 400m-workouts. Jeez.

Anyways, I went to the track and did 8 500’s around 5:30 mile pace, the last one being around 5:00 pace.  They all felt pretty good, but I doubt I could hold that pace for a full 5K race (hopefully I can hold a 6:00 minute-mile pace and finish under 18:00…we’ll see).

After that, I had a huge breakfast (whole-wheat pancakes, egg white, OJ, half of a spartan-omelete, and some potatoes) did some book-shoppin’ and took a nap.

Then I went to the gym, and thank God there was an open Smith-Machine.  Got up to 235 x 8 for seated Military’s.  That was nice.  I figure, "what the hell?", so I threw in DB Military Presses’ after that, and got 5-10 reps with 70’s.

After that, I did a lil’ superset consisting of bent-over and side laterals with 40’s, reps were around 6-12, 4 sets.  Some drop set action for the last two sets.

If you didn’t already know, I’m quite fond of DB Shrugs.  Took the 150’s off the rack and did 4 sets of 8-12 reps.  That has to be my favorite Trap exercise.

My rear delt’s need some work, so I threw in 5 more sets of reverse pec-decks, don’t count the weight here, just go for reps and the burn.

For calves I used the donkey calf-raise machine, ultimately getting the whole stack (400lbs.) for 10ish reps.  2nd to last set was a giant-drop set, and last set was a reverse-giant drop set (where you would go UP in weight instead of DOWN) that was similiar to this: 100 x 15, 200 x 12, 300 x 6-8, 400 x 3-6.  Awesome.

I’m not on steroids so I was pretty damn tired at this point, having woken up early for some ****ing reason to do some damn speed work, so I went home after the calf work. (Well I did do some weighted side bends and supported leg-raises for abs, but I don’t really count that).  And now I think I’m gonna take another nap after I down a steak and some brown rice…

As Always, Happy Lifting

Back was today, and I’m not going to lie…I was fairly excited.  I was so excited that I forgot to take my Pull-up/Dip belt so I was forced to rep-out WIDE grip pull-ups.  I did as many sets (5-8?) as it took to get to 75 reps.  Great warm-up for the big show.

Heavy bent-over BB rows were next.  I put the Altus belt on, hooked on the Harbringer wrist straps and did work…son.  I got up to 275 x 6, which is kind of a PR for me.  Side note: please, please, PLEASE strip off plates and put back weights when your done.  I hardly ever see anyone else in the gym strip off a barbell/machine after they use it.  What the hell?  If I owned the gym that would be grounds for expulsion.  If your strong enough to put 6 plates on each side for shrugs, then your sure as hell strong enough to put the damn weights back.

I love doing old-school T-bar rows with the BB in the corner, but I also like the Flex Fitness T-bar machine, so that is what I did today.  A little higher rep range (15-8) working up to 205 x 8.  A thing about these: last set I love to do a giant-drop set…stripping off a plate until I’m repping with only one plate on the machine.  Great exercise.

Lat-pulldowns were next.  Takin’ a wide grip I got 180 x 11 (last set=giant-drop set).  Now these are not like swaying pull-down mid-back mass exercises for me…this is a strict LAT pull-down exercise to target and widen the back.  Most people I see doing these lean back and really put some motion into it…get it right.  That is an acceptable mid-back mass-builder (sort of…) but if your trying to really widen the lats…don’t cheat man.

Alright, so all the seated row stations were taken, so I used the Hammer Row machine (where the plates are loaded overhead) and I got 3 plates on each side x 15 (unliaterally).

After this brief side-track I did seated rows (using two D-handles, old-school like, and not the V-bar..Try it..seriously) and I got around 180 x 10 (last two sets=Giant-drop sets).

After this I was toast…went home for a P-shake and a lil’ bagel-jam action.

Happy Lifting

It’s Monday and for most of us, that means Chest Day.  Like everybody and their mother, I was raised with the notion that the barbell bench press was the grand-daddy of all exercises.  So for most of my early lifting career, my chest workouts revolved around it…how foolish.  Now I have to work to bring up my upper-chest so it can stand toe-to-toe with my thick middle and lower pecs.

I started with Incline DB presses, eventually I got 10 reps with 95’s, which is was I was hoping for.  Sidenote: I know from time to time that everyone drops DB’s when doing benches of military presses, it’s inevitable.  But please do so IN A controlled matter.  After I finish my presses, I try to lower the DB’s as close to the ground as I can before I drop them–yes they do drop, but probably only 15-6 inches from the ground.  I was farmer-walking back some DB’s, and some dude basically threw the DB’s off of him after he was done benching.  Totally stupid and hazardous.  You can injure yourself, others, and eventually **** up almost any pair of DB’s.  It’s everyone’s gym,  so don’t ruin the equipment or risk the health of others.

After the incline DB presses, I move into flat-DB presses.  I only managed 6 reps with 90’s..which was not what I was looking for.  8-12 would  have been much better, but I was running a headache, so I guess I can use that as an excuse.  Last two sets were drop-sets.

Weighted dips were next (DO THEM...they are a fantastic mass-builder for your chest, triceps, etc.).  I have not done them in a while, so with 90lbs. added to my belt I got 6 reps.  Last set I stripped one 45, kept reppin’, dropped the other…kept reppin’…then after I couldn’t do any more with only my bodyweight, I did some negatives, trying to lower myself as slowly as I could…it was great.

Incline fly’s were next.  12 reps with 50’s…then 5-8 with 60’s (I do enjoy going heavier on fly’s….what? So sue me…you can stick to your 12-15+ rep-sets…I’ll be over here with heavier DB’s…).

I went over to the seated calf-raise machine and supersetted it with the "donkey-calf raise" machine (the one where it’s at a 45-degree angle, kind of like a mini-sled?  Not a regular donkey-calf machine where the the pad is over your hips..this one is like a mini 45-angle sled…Got it? Good.).  I did 4 super-sets.

Next I did some hanging leg raises, 8-15 reps x 4 sets…then decline crunches 4 sets x 10-20 reps (at the highest incline with a 45-60lb. DB across the chest.

I threw in 4 sets of pec-deck fly’s to end the workout…just because.  I don’t really count these, I just try and get some higher reps and really squeeze my chest at the peak contraction.

That was it…please honestly think about your chest training–if you have not been doing justice to your-upper pecs then tweak your workouts and stop flat-benching for a while.  It’s not the best exercise.  Instead of saying "how much you bench?"….it should be.."How much you Deadlift? Squat? Row? One-Arm Dumbell Snatch?…etc."  Those exercises are all more exciting and respectable then the act of bouncing how ever many pounds off of your chest.

Happy Lifting

Let me start by saying that Leg training is imperative to building a championship physique.  I have less respect for those who choose not to train legs, and instead simply where track or basketball pants around the gym to hide their non-existant Quads, Hams and Calves.  I see it everytime I’m in the gym and it’s simply embarassing.  Having a huge upper-body on chicken-**** legs? Who the heck wants that.  Now maybe you have some injury that makes leg training impossible, if that’s the case, I’m sorry, but if not, get your ass to the Squat Rack!

You cannot build great legs without squating, period.  Oh some pro’s might say they never squat now, just leg press etc., but you know years ago that they laid the fountain in blood and tears at the squat rack.  At my gym, probably only 1 out of 10-12 guys squats seriously, and that’s sad.  Unless you have some herniated disk in your back, please squat..and go at least parallel, oh my God-don’t do these quarter-rep-bull**** reps (unless your doing partials as an intensity technique).  I usually do ass-in-the-bucket reps for my warm-up, then go at least parallel for the working sets.

I started the workout with squats, I usually alternate with Front Squats (which you should try if you haven’t done so) but I’m focsuing now on simply increasing the volume, so I did back squats today, rounding out at 315 x 8, which was ok.  I just love quad day.  Blast "Cherry Pie" by Warrant, step in there, unrack that bar and do work.  And try front squats, I’ll guarantee your turn heads because hardly anyone does them and they work your quads so well!
P.S. please don’t work Quads on the same day as Hamstrings.  If you truly blast your Quads, your not going to do any justice to your hamstrings…and watch, come Flag-Football season, your going to tear a hamstring because your quads overpower your Ham’s.

Leg Press came next, I like higher reps, Squats are usually 10-3, for Leg Press, I like 10-20.  Worked up to 630 x 12, but here’s the kicker. On my last set, I like to strip off a plate off each side for a multi-drop set, until I get to only one or two plates on each side….holy crap…it’s intense, try it.

Hack Squats were next…and less I use a belt for them, but I’m pretty tired by this point so lay off ok?  And please don’t be one of those guys who wears the belt (and a ****ty brand for that matter) for the ENTIRE workout. Why? Use the belt for heavy squats, row, deadlifts, shrugs, etc. (and maybe Hack’s…).  This time I stopped around 3 plates on each side x 10-12, and again I did two-strips for a hellish drop set on my last set.

Leg Extensions are next.  I like 15-8 reps for extensions.  8 reps, wtf? C’mon man, you gotta go heavier on these once in a while, it’s fun.  I worked up to 200 x 8..last set was similiar to this…200 x 8, 180 x 4, 140 x 5, 100 x 5, 80 x 3, 60 x 5—-this is how I like to do my drop-sets…Giant Drop sets..man that sounds nice…none of this one or two drop b/s.

P.S. Warm-up properly before training your Quads…I usually do 3-4 light, LIGHT sets of leg extension, then 3-4 warm-up sets of light squats before I get into it.  Leg training is very demanding, and you better be nice and prepared.

After the extensions I was done, and as I was walking out of the gym, I had that "man it’s going to freakin’ suck walking up the front stairs of the house tmrw" walk going on.  You know where your quads start spasm’n and twitchin’ and you know that it was a good workout…but you know that any stair-climbing adventures you have in the near future are going to be wrought with heartache and pain. "Hey honey, let’s do that race where you run up the stairs in the Sears Tower"…..NOOOOOOOO!
Except I’m planning on running 9-12 miles tmrw….Man that is really going to suck.

As Always, Happy Lifting.

I haven’t done an all-out arms workout in a while, so today I was pretty excited to increase the volume.  I really love to do close-grip benches, except the weight isn’t where I want it to be.  I got up to 225 x 9 and 245 x 3; now ideally, in the next few weeks, I’ll be satisfied if I get to 225 x 12+ and 245 x 6-8+.  Nevertheless, they were good considering I haven’t done them in a while.

You have to BB curl if you want to put some mass on the biceps, period.  I worked up to 105 x 6, which was pretty depressing, but I haven’t done BB curls in a while, so what are you going to do?

I’m trying to get my skull crushers up, and 90 x 10 wasn’t so bad.  Throwing the classic close-grip bench superset in is pretty fun too.

I’m really don’t think regular standing alternate curls work my biceps properly, so I’m trying to get the incline curls up, 40 x 8-10 was the highest I got I believe.

I’m very strong on pressdowns with a v-bar handle (180+ for reps), so I like to do just ridiculous multi-drop sets for them.  I’m talking like 180 x 10, 160 x whatever, 140, 120, 90, 60, etc., until my tri’s are just burnin’. It’s nice.

Preacher’s rounded out the end of the workout, 70-80 x 5-10.

A favorite tri-set for forearms that I like is BB wrist curls w/Reverse BB wrist curls then across-the-body DB hammer curls.  I only did three tri-sets because I was getting tired.  All-in-all I really enjoyed this workout, and I hope next time I can beat all my rep ranges (I keep track of reps so I can beat them next workout).  I believe in having a goal for your next workout, and if you don’t remember how many reps you got on a certain exercise last workout, how are you goint to measure progress?  I don’t keep track of everything, just the major lifts and the ones that I really want to inprove on.

ARM WORKOUT:

Close-Grip bench: 5 sets x 3-10

BB Curl: 5 sets x 5-10

Skullcrushers: 5 sets x 6-10

Incline DB Curls: 5 sets x 6-10

V-bar Pressdowns: 5 sets x 8-20

Preacher Curls: 5 sets x 6-8

Tri-Set: Wrist Curl/Reverse Wrist Curl/Hammer’s: 3 sets x 8-15

Usually only 1 min. rest between sets, but in the beginning for bench’s and BB curl’s, sometimes I like 2 min.’s for the heavier sets.

Hope you get some nice ideas from my workout!

You know I really like doing seated Smith-Machine Military’s for my front delts, but alas, all the machines were taken when I got into the free-weight area at X-Sport.  But why whine like a little Bitch?  I decided to switch in to behind-the-neck standing presses (my rear delts do need the work!).  I haven’t done them in a while, so I struggled with 155 pounds, don’t worry, I’ll get there.

I love to do heavy wide-grip upright rows as a mass-builder for the shoulders.  I started with 185 and worked down to 135 x 12 for my last set.  Next time your doing upright rows, put a little more weight on, move your grip outwards and have some fun!

Sometimes I superset db laterals and bent-over db laterals, but I’m adding more volume recently, so I did straight sets. 40 pounders, 4 sets each, 8-12 reps.  Ok, not great.

My rear delts pale in comparison to my front, so I hit some reverse pec-deck fly’s, I don’t really count sets or reps here, I try to go by feel and really work the rear delts as hard as I can.  It’s still going to be a while until they reach the level that my front delts are at.  You know maybe I’ll pre-exhaust them next time before seated Smith Military’s…that sounds kind of fun.

I love heavy DB shrugs for the traps, my gym only goes up to 150 pounders, so I just strap in and try to get as many reps as I can.

I also tried to do some bent-over cable laterals, but I couldn’t really feel them at all, so I gave them the axe.  I much rather prefer bent-over DB laterals, and rear laterals on an incline bench.

All in all, coming back from limited lifting because of heavily increased cardio, I say this workout was ok.  I only hope next time there’s an open Smith machine! Damn I love Smith military’s.

Happy lifting!

I had a pretty good back workout today.  I’ve been toning down my lifting recently so that I could conserve energy for running.  I had a  4-mile race the other weekend, which wasn’t as fast as I would have liked it to be.  Anways, I started with weighted wide-grip chins.  There’s really no other way to properly get that Cobra-like wingspan.  Franco Columbu did these and…need I say more? We’ll I only did them with a 25 pounder attached to my belt, don’t worry, I’ll get to 45 pounds+ eventually (again).

Next was bent-over bb rows, working up to 265 pounds times 6.  I like to treat my rowing exercises as power moves, a little body english is sometimes required to complete my sets.

I love the t-bar row machine from Flex Fitness, I like to alternate this machine with regular t-bar rows (with a BB in the corner, using a V-handle).  I worked up to 5 plates, and my favorite intensity-booster is stripping a plate after every drop set during my last set.  Eventually I’m using only one plate for my last drop-try it sometime.

Wide cable pulldowns are next; 4 sets, 7-10 reps.  I don’t like to turn this into a middle-back thickness exercise, I train to remain upright to focus on the lats.

Seated cable rows was last; 4 sets 8-10 reps.  I really have no issues on not staying completely stationary during this exercise.  If I was refining or getting ready for a competition, I would not let my body rock, but when I’m trying to gain mass and strength, some movement is ok.  Now I’m not giving you a reason to go bat-**** crazy and try to heave the entire stack, and leaning so far back that your back hits the bench.  Use common sense you know?  Some movement during your last sets are fine, in my opinion.

Note: I usually use drop sets as my only intensity-booster on the last set or two, I would use forced-reps but I train alone.  Rest-pause is used occasionally, as are negatives.

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