Jettisoned Ponderings

Hey, if GJ can post hers, then I can post one of mine, too! (I already know who’s gonna appreciate this one, heh…)

Upped the intensity tonight and went a bit closer to failure on most everything. I wasn’t able to finish my very last set for full reps and was absolutely spent. It feels fantastic! As usual, 10 reps of every exercise:
Shoulders: Rotation 1
Bent Over X-Cbl Laterals: 30
Standing X-Cbl Laterals: 30-
Seated DB Presses (Slow): 40s
Standing Bent Over DB Laterals (Quick): 15s
Seated DB Front Raises: 15s
Seated DB Laterals: 15s
Seated Bent DB Laterals: 15s
Standing BB Front Presses: 60
Shoulder Width Upright Rows: 50
Cable External Rotations: 25
Cable Straight Arm Front Raises: 25
Cable Upright Rows: 65

Rotation 2
Standing Around The Worlds (Lateral First/Power Up, Slow Down): 12.5s
Standing Around The Worlds (Opposite Direction): 12.5s
Bent Over DB Laterals: 12.5s
Slow Lateral/Front Back and Forths: 12.5s
BB Front/Back Shoulder Presses: 20

Rotation 3
Hammer Machine Uni-Lateral Shoulder Presses: 70
Standing BB Front Presses: 60+
BB Shoulder Power/Rack Presses: 65
Smith Shoulder Presses Triple Drop 3×10: 60/40 (spotted)/20×7 (Total Failure)

That’s it, I’m addicted to these! GJ and I are now talking about doing this style of training for a month straight in the future after the pendulum training. If you’ve never trained with massive giant sets, you should really give it a try! I know GJ had a wonderful time showing off for the boys at the gym. One in particular was quite stunned hearing she was doing giants, but I’m sure she’ll post of that… Anyhow, here are the stats for tonight’s session with some amendments based on equipment available. Again, 10 reps of everything:

Back: Rotation 1
Close Grip Front Pulldowns: 100
Prone DB Rows on Incline: 35s
Prone DB Shrugs on Incline: 35s
Seated Shrugs Machine: 90+
Bent Over Rows (On platform, extra deep): 70+
BB Bent Rows: 135
Rack Pulls (Flared Lats): 155+
BB Shrugs: 155+
Bent DB Rows (Leaned Against Wall): 45s+
Prone Grip BB/Smith Rows: 90+

Rotation 2
T-Bar Rows (Parallel Grip): 70
T-Bar Rows (Wide Grip): 70
Lat Pulldowns To Front (Machine): 130
Hammer Strength Row (Close Grip, Max Seat Height): 90+
Hammer Iso-High Row: 110+
Parallel Grip Lat Pulldown Machine: 130
Seated DB Shrugs: 60s+

Rotation 3
Wide Grip Front Lat Pulldowns: 90+
Close Parallel Grip Front Pulldowns: 100
Partial Behind Neck Lat Pulldowns: 90
Med Width Parallel Grip Front Pulldowns: 100
Leaning Cable Straight Arm Lat Pulldowns (Full ROM): 100+
Close Grip Seated Rows: 100
Parallel Grip Assisted Pull-ups: -110+ (Fatigue Started To Hit Here)
Reverse Grip Seated Rows: 90
Wide Parallel Grip Seated Rows: 90
Full Wide Grip Asst Pull-ups: -130
Seated Rows w/2 Horseshoe Handles: 80
Narrow Width Front Lat Pulldowns: 80
Rotary Lat Pulldown Machine: 70
Med Width Parallel Grip Seated Rows: 70

Absolutely loved this session! If you haven’t had a chance to watch the youtube videos, you might want to! I very much like how the flared lat rack pulls hit the lats. At first I thought it was going to be hard on my low back with the upper thoracic arched but it was not at all the case. Probably would be different if I was going heavy, same with the behind-neck partial pulldowns. At any rate, tomorrow is arms which will be a very tiring workout. You’ll see why…

Ok, so I got really piqued for trying out giant sets. Yes, this will require going to the gym quite late in the evening to be able to use all the machines and weights needed. However, I think it should do fantastically well to absolutely deplete GJ and just plain shock my muscles senseless. Its not about the weight lifted, its about how its lifted and getting that high amount of stimulation. So, with that, inspired by Milos Sarcev, here’s what’s on the plate for tomorrow:

Chest: Round 1
Cable Crab Flies 1×10
Dips (Elbows Wide) 1×10
DB Incline Flies 1×10
Flat BB Bench 1×10
Incline BB Bench 1×10
Decline BB Bench 1×10
Flat DB Flies (Slow) 1×10
Machine Incline Press/Fly 1×10
Low Incline Smith Press 1×10
Incline Smith/Rack Power Press 1×10

Round 2/3
Flat Negative BB Bench 1×10
DB Decline Around The World 1×10
Smith Incline Press (Touch Chest) 1×10
Machine Flat Bench 1×10
Hammer Decline Press 1×10
Hammer Flat Press 1×10
Hammer Incline Press 1×10
Flat DB Flies (Quick) 1×10
BB Press (Quick)  1x 20/Fail

Lemme know what you guys think, and check it out if you haven’t already. It helps when one of the fastest athletes in the world is backing you up, too!
http://juicin3sixty5wealth.com/

I’m always a fan for some good quotes and thought I’d share a one from my business mentor,

"For people who see and seize opportunity, there’s nothing you need to say. For those who do not see it, there’s nothing you can say."

He’s right, too. Opportunity hits people in the face every day. How many people recognize it and take it on, or blow it off only to later wish they’d acted on it before it passed? Its alright, though, because we need people to fail. Seriously, if everything was easy then what sort of recognition and accomplishment would there be for the people who do stand out and push ahead of the crowd? It doesn’t matter the context, there will always be a bridge that needs to be filled between failure and success. So I ask you, will you be one to stand out, or will you be one more who falls short and makes those who succeed that much more so? Just something to think about…

GJ just headed out to NE for the 4th to visit family. I’m still working tomorrow so no trip for me. At least I have some friends who are having a BBQ up at the drag strip to go see some of the races and hang out. Still sucks that I’m left here with just the cat as he’s pretty much useless as a spotter. I actually have not been to the gym at all this week. Wasn’t the plan, but GJ needed to let her mouth heal before doing anything to get her blood pressure up. Once she gets back though we’ll definitely be hitting the gym as the depletion will be starting soon. I started watching Dennis Wolf’s movie Hungry Like A Wolf and I have to admit that I’m gaining a new respect for Giant Sets watching it as he’s depleting just before his show. Everyone’s body is different and last time for GJ’s shoot we didn’t go that hard in the gym, but reflecting back she’s always responded better to the more fatigue-intense training like I have. The down side is that the only way we’d be able to pull those off is to go very late at night. No idea what next week will actually play out like, but it should be an exciting and educational time.