16/27 Back

Was not sure how this would feel after my rhomboids got destroyed last night.  But was ready to give it my best shot.  Went in there with no rush, took generous rests, and just wanted to get comfortable.

 

 

warm-up foam rolled IT Bands, Adductors, Piriformis; back roll to V sit; prone spinal twists

then I saw the DL platform was open, so I rushed over and claimed it

Deadlifts (no straps, barefoot)

warm-up (2 min rest, double overhand)

170 x 5

210 x 5

250 x 5

main (belt goes on, 2-5 min rest)

295 x 3

335 x 3 (change to crossgrip)

380 x 5

 

 

notes:  skinned my knee on the last set, so I stopped it there.  Did not want to bloody the bar.  Need some knee-length socks, stat!

 

Squats (Romaleos)

warm-up (change weights and go again)

125 x 5 (narrow, paused)

155 x 5 (narrow, paused)

185 x 3 (narrow)

235 x 1 (medium stance, belt came on)

 

 

main assist (60-90 sec rest, medium stance, belt)

280 x 3

280 x 3

280 x 3

280 x 3

280 x 3

 

Optional Abs:  Hanging Knee Raises (30 sec rest)

10, 10, 10, 10, 10

notes:  grip felt good so bypassed the Roman Chair to do them hanging-style.

 

post-workout:  15 min stairmaster

16/27 Chest

Had to switch up the order of the sessions a bit.

Bench Press

warm-up – Superset Bench and Rotator Cuff Work (no rest between supersets)

75 x 5 / over & backs w/ resistance band x 8

95 x 5 / o&b

115 x 5 / o&b

main – Superset Bench and Widegrip  Pulldowns (1-2 min rest b/w sets)

135 x 3 / 130 x 5

150 x 3 / 130 x 5

170 x 10 / 130 x 5

 

Assistance

Overhead Press   (no rest for warm ups)

warm-up

60 x 5

75 x 5

90 x 3

115 x 1

 

main assist (60-90 sec rest)

135 x 3

135 x 3

135 x 3

135 x 3

135 x 2

notes:  ya, failed on the last one.  maybe I just have a stronger shoulder using a cambered bar (this was a straight bar), maybe my shoulders are beat up, maybe I need the elbow sleeves, hard to say.  it is just assistance, so I live to fight another day.

 

widegrip free cable pulldowns (60 sec rest)

140 x 10

180 x 10

200 x 10

220 x 10

240 x 10

 

then I went for a massage.  RMT said my rhomboids were hard as ROCKS!  this might have contributed to my fatigued shoulders.

 

15/27 Legs

warm-up:  foam rolled IT bands, adductors, piriformis

 

Squats (Romaleos worn)

warmup  (change weights and go again)

125 x 5 (narrow, ATG, paused)

155 x 5 (narrow, ATG, paused)

185 x 5 (medium stance)

 

main (2-3 min rest, belt worn, medium stance)

200 x 5

235 x 5

265 x 9  Rep PR!!

 

Assistance

Deadlifts (barefoot)

warm-up (no belt, double overhand, change weight and go again)

170 x 5

210 x 5

250 x 3

315 x 1 (belt, crossgrip)

 

main assist (60 sec rest, belt, crossgrip)

380 x 3

380 x 3

380 x 3

380 x 3

380 x 3

 

post-workout:  20 min LISS on the elliptical

15/27 Shoulders

Was nervous about a heavy shoulder day after the last one 2 weeks ago was so rough, and because my shoulder hasn’t felt 100% this week, so I tried to approach today cautiously and carefully.

 

Overhead Press

warm-up – Superset OHP and Rotator Cuff Work (no rest between supersets)

60 x 5 / 15 lb DB taken through ROM 15 times per arm

75 x 5 / roto

90 x 5 / roto

main – Superset OHP and Assisted Widegrip Pullups (assisted for 1/3 BW, 1-2 min rest b/w sets)

100 x 5 / 5

115 x 5 / 5

130 x 10 / 5 (sleeves on OHP)

 

Assistance

Bench Press  (no rest for warm ups)

warm-up  (paused all reps an inch above chest, Spoto Press style)

75 x 5

95 x 5

115 x 3

145 x 1

main assist   (60 sec rest)

170 x 3

170 x 3

170 x 3

170 x 3

170 x 3

Assisted Chinups (assisted for 1/3 BW, varying grips, 30 sec rest)

7 widegrip

10 underhand

5 hammergrip

6 under

6 wide

 

 

was running tight on time, so I went off to do cardio

 

post-workout:  15 min LISS elliptical

15/27 Chest

Bringing the volume down on the arm work, at least those sets that tax my shoulder, while it gets over some recent soreness (keeping my shoulder work restricted to the essentials)

 

Bench Press

warm-up – Superset Bench and Rotator Cuff Work (no rest between supersets)

75 x 5 / over & backs w/ resistance band x 8

95 x 5 / o&b

115 x 5 / o&b

main – Superset Bench and Widegrip Free Cable Pulldowns (1-2 min rest b/w sets)

125 x 5 / 115 x 5

145 x 5 / 115 x 5

160 x 10 / 115 x 5  (used elbow sleeves)

 

Assistance

Overhead Press  – superset with pulldowns (no rest for warm ups)

warm-up

60 x 5 / 115 x 5

75 x 5 / 115 x 5

90 x 3 / 115 x 5

115 x 1 / 115 x 5

 

main assist (90 sec rest)

135 x 3 / 115 x 10

135 x 3 / 115 x 10

135 x 3 / 115 x 10

135 x 3 / 115 x 10

135 x 3 / 115 x 10

 

 

Optional Assistance:  Arms

rest-pause system:  you have 5 sets to hit the desired total number of reps, with 30 second breaks.

V-Bar Pushdowns (35 rep goal)

77.5 x 15

REST

x 9

REST

x 6

REST

x 5

 

Dumbbell Hammer Curls (35 rep goal)

45s x 15

REST

x 9

REST

x 7

REST

x 4

 

Rear Delt Cable Fly (30 sec rest)

15 x 15

15 x 15

15 x 10 (was distracted by a coworker)

 

Cardio:  LISS elliptical, 15 min

15/27 – Back

Welcome back to the gym!  Assistance gets heavier, all weights keep climbing up.

 

warm-up Defranco Agile 8

Deadlifts (no straps, barefoot)

warm-up (only enough rest to change weights, double overhand)

170 x 5
210 x 5
250 x 5

main (belt goes on, 2 min rest)

275 x 5

315 x 5 (change to crossgrip)

355 x 9   Rep PR!!

 

notes:  Upper back starting round, but I was just REALLY hungry for this PR.

 

Squats (Romaleos)

warm-up (change weights and go again)

125 x 5
155 x 5
185 x 3

235 x 1 (belt came on)

 

main assist (60 sec rest, belt)

280 x 3

280 x 3

280 x 3

280 x 3

280 x 3

post-workout:  20 min somewhat HIIT cardio on the bike

14/27 Deload Double Day – Bench, Deadlifts

Welcome to my “off” week!  Off is in parentheses because I still go the gym 4 or 5 times, I just go there to push pink dumbbells along the floor with my foot 🙂

 

I pushed Monday’s workout to Tuesday, but didn’t want to push back Tuesday’s so double workout day, hooray!

 

For deload, my main lifts and my main assists hover around 50%, optional assistance can be whatever I feel like, as long as I don’t kill myself doing it.

 

AM Workout

Bench Press – Superset Bench and Rotator Cuff Work (no rest, change weights and go again, all bench reps are paused Spoto style)

75 x 5 / over&backs x 8

95 x 5 / over&backs x 8

110 x 5 / over&backs x 8

 

Fly Movement (rest 30 sec)

DB Fly 30s x 9

Cable Crossovers 85 x 10, 65 x 10

notes:  tried the DB flys, and my shoulders groaned a lot.  Obviously, that bad Shoulder workout on Thursday was no fluke, my shoulders were tweaked a bit.  Crossovers felt better, although I could see they were uneven in the mirror.

 

Overhead Press (60 sec rest)

75 x 5

75 x 5

75 x 5

 

Free Cable Widegrip Pulldowns (30 sec rest)

85 x 10

95 x 10

105 x 10

 

Closegrip Bench Press (30 sec rest)

135 x 10

135 x 10

135 x 10

 

Standing Dumbbell Curls (twisting, 30 sec rest)

30s x 10

30s x 10

30s x 10

 

Incline Rear Delt DB Fly (30 sec rest)

10s x 15

10s x 15

10s x 15

 

notes:  then went to do a full day of work.

 

After work, headed over to a different gym for some more light work.

 

PM Workout

Deadlifts (rest only enough time to change weights and go again, barefoot, double overhand, no straps, no belt)

165 x 5

205 x 5

245 x 5

 

Squats (Romaleos, no belt, 60 sec rest)

all squats were ATG with a long pause.  drop all the way down… stare at myself in the mirror… back up

120 x 5 narrow stance

150 x 5 narrow stance

180 x 5 medium stance

 

Assisted Chinups (30 sec rest, resistance band assistance)

7 widegrip

7 hammergrip

7 hammergrip

 

Glute-Ham Raises (30 sec rest)

12, 12, 12

 

Decided 2 workouts can take the place of cardio, and went home 🙂

 

13/27 Extra Back

Had to make up for what I missed on Friday.  Ready for a deload like crazy, but one more time to throw myself at it.

 

warmup:  low back releases – spinal twists, supported waterfall, supported bent legs against chest (I used the wall for support)

Deadlifts (barefoot)

warmup (double overhand, change weights and go again)

165 x 5

205 x 5

245 x 5

main (belt, crossgrip, change weights then rest 90 sec)

330 x 5

330 x 5

330 x 5

330 x 5

330 x 5

 

notes:  felt good!  low back was tired but I still had energy.  I remembered my problems a week or so ago with locking out, so I decided to do some rack pulls for the first time in a long time.

Rack Pulls (rack just above knee, 60-120 sec rest – 120 sec for the first few sets, then as my low back relaxed I dropped it to 60 sec, no belt)

165 x 5 (shoes, double overhand)

205 x 5 (shoes, d/o)

245 x 3 (shoes, d/o)

285 x 1 (barefoot now, d/o)

330 x 1 (crossgrip now)

370 x 5

370 x 5

370 x 5

 

notes:  had to put on shoes because I saw a gym employee hovering nearby.  as soon as they left, shoes came off.  given the length of my arms, setting the rack just above my knee means it is about 85% just throwing my shoulders back.  that is fine, it is just the very top of my DL I was working on.

Considered doing shrugs, but my shoulders still felt sore from Thursday, so I packed up and went for lunch.

13/27 Legs

Ugh, about to crash.

 

Squats (Romaleos worn)

warmup  (30-60 sec rest)

120 x 5

150 x 5

180 x 5

 

main (2-3 min rest, belt worn)

225 x 5

255 x 3

285 x 7  Rep PR!!

 

Assistance

Deadlifts

165 x 5

205 x 5

 

ran out of time and had to stop, will do more deadlifts on saturday

 

13/27 Shoulders

 

 

Overhead Press

warm-up – Superset OHP and Rotator Cuff Work (no rest between supersets)

60 x 5 / over & backs w/ resistance band x 8

75 x 5 / o&b

85 x 5 / o&b

main – Superset OHP and Assisted Widegrip Pullups (assisted for 1/3 BW, 1-2 min rest b/w sets)

110 x 5 / 5

125 x 3 / 5

140 x 4 / 5

notes:  125 felt surprisingly heavy, and just couldn’t get it going on the AMRAP set.

 

Assistance

Bench Press  (no rest for warm ups)

warm-up – superset with pullups (paused all reps an inch above chest, Spoto Press style)

75 x 5 / 5

95 x 5 / 5

110 x 5 / 5

main assist – superset with pullups  (90 sec rest)

150 x 5 / 5

150 x 5 / 5

150 x 5 / 5

150 x 5 / 5

150 x 5 / 5

 

Optional Assistance:  Arms

Used a rest-pause system:  you have 5 sets to hit the desired total number of reps, with 30 second breaks.

Closegrip Bench Press (30 rep goal)

160 x 8

REST

x 7

REST

x 5

REST

x 5

REST

x 3

notes:  Failed to hit 30!  will keep weight for next time.

 

Straight Bar Pushdowns (35 rep goal)

60 x 35

rested a few minutes, upped the weight

90 x 35

 

notes  ok… way too light, but I moved on anyways.

 

Dumbbell Curls (35 rep goal)

40s x 10

REST

x 8

REST

x 7

REST

x 7.5 (it was a failed rep)

REST

x 3

 

notes:  good weight!

 

Bicep Machine Curls (35 rep goal)

60 x 20

REST

60 x 10

REST

60 x 5

notes:  way too light, but I got a good ROM, it felt good

 

Optional Abs

Straight Leg Raises (roman chair, 30 sec rest)

10, 6, 10, 10, 10

 

post-workout:  10 min elliptical