House projects always take longer than expected, especially when your trying to live in the same place. Right now Tara and I are in the middle of remodeling our kitchen and we are just finishing our the tiling. Things are finally coming together and we were able make some time this afternoon and head into the gym. Here's how it went......
*Warm-ups excluded
Pullups- 1x12(BW) / 1x8(+55) / 1x6(+55) / 1x8(BW)
DB Rows- 1x10@200lbs / 2x8@210lbs
NG Pulldowns- 4x8
Stiffarm Pulldowns- 4x10
Its Apple Blossom here in Wenatchee all this week, so things are crazy to say the least. There is a Food fair, carnival and two parades that finish off this weekend and then its back to normal! I can't wait!! I went in a little early today to hit up chest and abs before they started closing down some of the streets for the parade tomorrow morning. I am also posting a video from my peak set of Hybrid Sumo Deadlifts from Wednesdays workout. It was a great one and here's how it went.....
Tempo is definitely one of the most overlooked parts of a workout routine. Many people are usually more concerned with how much they are lifting rather than how they are lifting it. When you slow down and focus on your tempo you will not be able to lift as much weight, but the quality of the lift will be much improved. It also increases the TUT (Time under tension) of the working muscle. Tempo is usually shown as counts that you do in your head or with a partner to time. An exercise with the tempo of 2/1/2 is preformed with a count of 2 on the eccentric, or lowering phase. Then a 1 second pause at the bottom of the exercise leading to a count of 2 during the concentric, or raising of the weight. Next time try mixing up your routine with a change in tempo to help progress and push your physique to the next level.
Today was Chest and calves, so I decided to slow things down. Here's how it went.....
The single most effective strategy for dealing with a physical and mental challenge is preparation. Not only will preparation ensure that are ready for the physical demands, but just as importantly it will help you with motivation, confidence and focus to achieve your goals at hand. If you can not picture yourself lifting it, you already failed an attempt at the lift. My main concern when in the weight room is to focus on each set as it is the only one being preformed that day. Mentally preform the lift then physically. This behavior coupled with a structured program and an intense training philosophy will help you strive for improvement each and every day.
Today Tara and I hit up Golds Gym and a crowded one it was! Really kept shorter rest periods and a slower rep speed on all sets. Here's how it went.....
I had an amazing workout today with Ty at Golds! Its always great to hit the gym on a Saturday afternoon. There is no one in the way, you can crank your music and do some work! Also, we are probably going to meeting up tomorrow morning for legs. I have a feeling its going to be one of those workouts, because I'm already getting excited to KILL IT! Here's how today went....
One of my favorite lifts for shoulders are single arm dumbbell lateral raises, so I thought it would be appropriate to post for the lift of the week.
This week's lifting plan is a deload week, so nothing too exciting weight wise. I am pretty much keeping it a little lighter in all areas and at about 65% of my usual intensity. It's a necessary evil, but very helpful in preventing over training, mental burnout, injuries and helps increase progress. Next week things will be back to normal and all out. Here's how today went down......
One of the areas that I was told I needed to improve on before hitting the Pro stage was my shoulders and upper back. So the plan is to place a little more emphasis on them along with my traps this year. My goal will be a noticeable change next time I step on stage. One of the things I am also implementing is an off day that usually falls on the day before to make sure I am ready, refreshed and recovered to do some work. They happened to be on the list today and here's how it went.....
This week has been a crazy one to say the least. Tara and I are currently remodeling our bathroom, so we have tile and grout everywhere. Also, I have been working some long days at work, but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger...right?! Well, at least that's what I tell myself......
Since I have been placing more of a focus on Front Squats into my routine I have noticed a huge difference in my quad development. They also allow a more natural movement which is easier on my lower back and knees. Here are some examples of bar placement and travel for the three different squat variations.
1-Front Squat
2-High Bar Squat
3-Low Bar Squat
Now onto today's workout. The gym was really packed and Tara and I couldn't even find a parking spot! Gotta love days like those! I decided to stay with a little more volume on the DB's and I am really happy with how this one went. Kept all the reps slow and controlled.
*Warm-ups excluded
DB Press- 3X10@130's / 1x8@130's
Nautilus Incline press- 4x8
Machine Flyes- 2x8 / 2x10
High Cable Flyes (Mimic Most Muscular)- 2x15
I started preforming rows this way a few years ago when I was having some wrist issues, which were aggravated by Barbell rows. I absolutely love the movement, so I had to find a way to work around using a straight bar. The name came about last year from a good friend of mine. A natural competitor, 3DMJ and All American EFX sponsored athlete Jason Bosak. A few pointers are to keep your knees slightly bent, chest up and your elbows in. Here is a back relax shot of mine from the 2010 California Natural Muscle Mayhem in Sacramento, CA.
This week's layout is a little different than usual. During my current rotation I typically skip one workout per week, changing my six day lifting rotation into five with two days for recovery. This week it just so happens to be my Leg/Quad focus day off, which would have landed on Saturday. Instead, I am moving my Deadlift/Hamstring day to then, for a little more attention. Plus the thought of an empty gym on weekend sealed the deal. With this change I was able to meet up with my good friend Ty, whom I have been training with for the past 4 years. We still manage to meet up at least two days a week for legs and deadlifts, which really helps with the motivation. Today was a great one! All really controlled reps, walked in, killed it and walked out. Here's how it went...
*Warm-ups excluded
Pulldowns- 2x10 / 2x8
Non supported DB Rows- 2x12@150's / 1x10@150's / 1x8@80's (TUT)
Hammer strength High row- 2x10 / 2x8
Stiff arm pulldowns- 3x10
Pretty plain and simple workout tonight. I really wanted to go a little heavier with the Dumbbells today and I ended up not getting as many as I wanted on my last set. So, I decided to make up for it and squeeze in a drop set. Here's how it all went down....
