Multi-day regimen…

(Brainstorming… Every session under 30 minutes… Fit in grip training and core training Sunday and Wednesday…)

Good exercises…

Weekly breakdown…

1: Biceps Stretching Spider curls "Cheat" BB curls Isolation curls One-arm cable curls "21's" 2: Triceps Stretching DB press Cable pressdown Dips Narrow-grip BP Elbows-out DB extension 3: Quads/Calves Stretching Squat Front squat Lunges Leg extensions Hack squat / Leg press 4: Back Stretching BB rows Pullups Lever rows (sagittal, low) Hypers Cable/Lat pulldown (Shrugs) 5: Chest Stretching Bench press Decline DB press Pullover-press DB flyes Cable cross flyes 6: Hamstrings/Calves Stretching DL / Snatch DL Stiff-leg DL Leg curls Standing calf raises Hip raises Glute extensions 7: Shoulders Stretching Arm circles Front cable raise-and-press Rear DB flye / Kowtow rear DB flyes Lateral DB flye Standing press (Shrugs)

WEEK 1 (M T Th F) 1, 2, 3, 4 WEEK 2 (M W F) 5, 6, 7 WEEK 3 (M T Th F) 7, 1, 2, 3 WEEK 4 (M W F) 4, 5, 6

Gym regimen - April 2011

Even-Keel Workout 1
50 mins, 96kg
[I guess summer is melting off my fat! Today was hot but I slogged through. Allegedly, according to my spotter on the bench, "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger." I'm giving Creatine another try.]

WARMUP

CIRCUIT:

Pullup: 16, 15, 14
[Could have had better form on tail end of set 3. And then one day I'll be dead.]

Bench press: 8, 6, 5* @ 75kg, 82.5kg, 90kg
[Felt very solid on these. See additional workout notes below. My chest is coming along.]

Snatch deadlift: 8, 6, 5 @ 100kg, 110kg, 120kg
[A slightly narrower grip, just outside the rings in the knurling worked much better. Frankly, a wider grip brings the bar onto my "junk" at the finish.]

Military press: 10, 8, 6 @ 45kg, 55kg, 65kg
[I was actually taken aback at much more I am able to press nowadays. Ties into my improved bench press.]

Spider curl: 8 + 4, 8 + 3, 4 + 2 @ 35kg, 42.5kg, 47.5kg
[I love these!]

Front squat: 10, 6, 6 @ 70kg, 75kg, 80kg
[These felt much better: hands were placed well and I am sure my knees weren't drifted more than necessary. Dug deep on set 3, for damn sure! A Taiwanese guy walking in stopped to look at me and then smiled at me as I walked away from the rack. Flex some nuts!]

* * *

Post-work workout:

WARMUP

CIRCUIT:

Low lever row: 12, 10, 10 @ 80kg, 90kg, 100kg

Bench press: 10, 8, 10* @ 70kg, 77.5kg, 85kg
[Spotter helped me on last, maybe, 5, probably 4, reps of set 3. Where did that come from!? Game on.]

Spider curl: 8 + 4, 8 + 4, 3 + 3 @ 37.5kg, 41.5kg, 47.5kg

CIRCUIT:

Wrist roller: 6kg, 6kg, 5kg

Wrist curl: 12, 10, 14 @ 5kg, 10kg, 12.5kg

* * *

My grip training arsenal is nearly complete: Captains of Crush #1.5, and then a #2, in the mail in the next 1, to 6, weeks; Adjustable battery–jumper grippers; Wrist flexor bars; Wrist roller; Thick-grip barbell and dumbbell; Eagle catcher; Plates and dumbbells; Severe negative slider-post [kind of like this… but "simpler"… i.e. "ghettoer"];etc.

My body is responding very well to the new regimen: more rest, more intensity, more spontaneous mini-workouts. On my after-work workout I took off my button shirt and trained in my wifebeater… and must say, I looked bigger than last time, and I think I turned a few heads (not gay!). Patience, Humility, Confidence…. Stay tuned.

Gym regimen - April 2011

FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2011

Even Keel Workout 2

50+ mins, 98kg

WARMUP

CIRCUIT:

Squat: 8, 6, 6* @ 110kg, 115kg, 120kg

[Spotter supported my ribs a little on set 3.]

Incline bench BP: 8, 6, 5* @ 70kg, 80kg, 85kg

[Spotter on rep 5 of set 2., just for heck of it!]

Seated lever row: 10, 8, 6 @ 100kg, 110kg, 125kg

Tricep pushdown: 10 + 2, 8 + 2, 6 + 2 @ 35kg, 40kg, 45kg

[+ 2 were two reps with a close grip.]

EZ-bar preacher curl: 12, 10, 8 @ 35kg, 40kg, 45kg

Deadlift: 8, 6, 4 @ 120kg, 135kg, 150kg

[Hook grip to the rescue on set 3!]

Grip training…

Since I shouldn't treat my grip training as "merely" ancillary to my strength training, I should keep records of my grip workouts.

Today (and last week I did virtually the same routine) I did some finger springs occasionally while doing speech training in the afternoon… and then took a walk in the evening between classes… in which I did the following (data apply to each hand, of course)…

Light (black) gripper: 100, 100

Medium red gripper: 20, 20

Heavy red gripper: 5, 5

Heavy red gripper: 1 overcrush/negative

Medium red gripper: 15, 15

Medium red gripper: 1 overcrush/negative

Once I can close the heavy red gripper 12–15 reps, I will add more rubber bands.

Last week I did follow this up with some wrist and palm training at home with my various devices, but it's late and I'm tired and I must teach early, so I will just go to bed.

I have decided to order a Captains of Crush #1.5 gripper. I have a feeling my heavy red gripper is close to a CoC #1, and if I order a #1 and find it's too easy, I'll have to train that much longer and then order a #2, perhaps even buying a #1.5 in the interim. Ordering a #1.5, if I find it too easy (ha!), I at least know I have good reason to get a #2.

I have been studying Latin like a demon, too! Hooray! Stay tuned.

Gym regimen - April 2011

Tuesday, 19 April 2011
Even-Keel Workout 1
50 mins, 97kg

[I seem to have lost some weight. Mostly fat, as far as I can see. Fine by me. Gains in strength, regardless. Or maybe that scale is just wacky.]

WARMUP

CIRCUIT

Pullup: 15, 14, 13

Bench press: 8, 6, 5* @ 75kg, 82.5kg, 90kg

[Spotter helped on rep 5 of set 3.]

Snatch deadlift: 8, 6, 6/“2” @ 100kg, 110kg, 100kg/125kg

[I goofed on setting the weight on set 3––fatigue'll getcha! The last "set" was kind of a joke. My grip was fried and I didn't even stand all the way up for rep 2.]

Military press: 10, 8, 8 @ 45kg, 50kg, 55kg

[Progress indeed!]

Spider curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 35kg, 45kg, 50kg; Standing BB curl: 10 @ 40kg

[A good deal of "body English" on set 3. This weekend I did a spontaneous workout with my pike barbell––lots of curls, nearly as many tricep extensions, and some front squats, plus some good core work before bed––, which I think accounts for the pain I felt in my forearms when I started each set of these.]

Front squat: 8, 6, 3 @ 70kg, 75kg, 80kg

[Great Scot! A bugger of an exercise. My left wrist felt painfully hyper-extended on set 1, my fingers felt pinched between the bar and my shoulders on set 2, but my grip felt better on set 3. According to this guide, my hands were too close to my torso and I mustn't let my knees drift inward as they tended to do. Also, based on this helpful analysis, I think my toes were too adducted. Gotta keep practicing at low-ish weight. Nice to see my quds get pumped as in days of yore, though!]

Gym regimen - April 2011

FRIDAY, 15 April 2011

Even Keel Workout 2

50 mins, 99kg

WARMUP

CIRCUIT

Squat: 10, 8, 6 @ 90kg, 110kg, 120kg

[I felt a bit "woozy" on the penultimate rep or so of set 2 or 3. Good effort. 90kg really felt like a warmup. Next week I'll go for 11, 9, 7 at the same weight. I like deadlifting and squatting twice a week, with sufficient rest between workouts.]

Incline BP: 10, 8, 6 @ 70kg, 75kg, 80kg

[Felt good on these: "resorted" to closed grip on the bar only the last reps of sets 2 and 3. My grip training is having an effect.]

Lever bench row: 10, 8, 6 @ 90kg, 110kg, 120kg

[I could have done more on these, but I wanted to save some juice for my deadlift.]

Tricep pushdown: 10, 8, 6 @ 30kg, 40kg, 45kg

[45kg did not actually feel unwieldy, though 30kg certainly like a "mere" warmup. Progress!]

DL: 10, 8, 5 @ 110kg, 130kg, 150kg

[I tucked my feet in closer to the bar and used a narrower grip than usual (just outside the sides of my feet), as per Rippetoe's tips in this video, and boy did I feel these much more in my hamstrings. I "resorted" to a thumb-lock grip on the last 3 reps of set 3 and that last set took me some time. Dead, from the ground, every rep. Hoorah.]

DB curl: 10, 8, 7 @ 18kg, 18kg, 22kg

[I tried set 1 on the curl-bench but didn't like the rest at the top or the focus on the inner head, so I just went for standing curls, alternating every other rep or so between neutral grip and crossbody hammer curls.]

***

It may sound silly, but after some research while cobbling together this post, I am of a mind to zig when I said I would zag. Meaning: contrary to my original intention to add reps at the same week next week, I think I will drop reps and increase the weight. E.g.:

Squat: 8, 6, 4 @ 100kg, 120kg, 130kg

Incline BP: 8, 6, 4 @ 75kg, 80kg, 85kg

Lever bench row: 10, 8, 6 @ 90kg, 110kg, 120kg

[Well, actually, I like high volume on this! So… as is.]

Tricep pushdown: 10, 8, 6 @ 30kg, 40kg, 45kg

[As is again: volume is good.]

DL: 8, 6, 4 @ 115kg, 135kg, 155kg

DB curl: 8, 6, 4 @ 22kg, 22kg, 26kg

For my Even Keel workout 1, it would be something like the following:

Pullup: 14, 13, 13

[As is.]

Bench press: 8, 6, 4 @ 80kg, 85kg, 90kg

[Really? Well, something like that…]

Snatch DL: 8, 6, 4 @ 100kg, 110kg, 120kg

Military press: 8, 6, 4 @ 45kg, 50kg, 55kg

Spider curl: 12, 9, 6 @ 40kg, 42.5kg, 45kg

[Since I want to maintain good form on these, I will go for greater volume. We'll see… Tweaking…]

Front squat 10, 8, 6 @ 70kg, 80kg, 90kg

[I actually have no idea how to calculate for these. I'll be trying them for the first time next week. I reckon it's a (significant) loss in "weighted power", akin to going from the DL to the snatch DL: at least 1/6th lighter.]

The nice thing is, my current regimen is rooted in the Big Three: benching, squatting and deadlifting twice a week! Hard to go wrong, I'd say. Patience, Humility, Confidence…

Gym regimen - April 2011

Sunday, 10 April 2011
40 mins
Skip rope, Ski machine, calf raises, shrugs, pec deck, bench situps, shrugs

Monday, 11 April 2011
40 mins
KB drills, mace drills

Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Even-Keel Workout 1
50 mins, 99kg

WARMUP

CIRCUIT

Pullup: 14, 13, 13

Bench press: 10, 8, 6 @ 70kg, 80kg, 85kg
[Having a longer rest between sets over the circuit gave me the energy to do a soild 6 reps on set 3! I'm just going to be patient with my bench, though I would like to do 11, 9, 7 at the same weight next time, and then go a tad heavier for 10, 7, 4 the time after that, and then build up to 10, 8, 6 and then 11, 9, 7, etc.]

Snatch DL: 10, 8, 6 @ 90kg, 100kg, 110kg
[Should try a narrower grip and go heavier on these next time.]

Military press: 10, 8, 8 @ 40kg, 45kg, 52.5kg

Spider curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 35kg, 40kg, 45kg; Standing BB curl: 10 @ 40kg
[Interesting feeling as my pecs and neck flexed to get the weight up. Want to go heavier on these next time. I did that last set of BB curls on a lark, just to shred my biceps a little more.]

Squat 10, 8, 6 @ 90kg, 105kg, 110kg
[Will do 11, 9, 7 next time and then raise the weight, etc., as above. Good breathing. Never felt too strained, just solid and "exerted".]

Home workout…

The past few days I haven't hit the gym or even really worked out at home. Last week we had a four-day weekend (due to Tomb Sweeping Day), and I really made the most of taking it easy. I also hurt my hand the day before yesterday, so I haven't been in a mood to aggravate the wound (a small hole on my left palm from a slipped screwdriver).

Even so, going long enough without working out makes me edgy and, well, bored, so tonight, despite an earlier fancy just to lie down and sleep early, when I got home I bandaged my hand and went for what turned into a solid hour full-body workout. I have recently made some new "toys", including a mace and a pike/pry-bar turned barbell, and I tried them out with much delight tonight…

CIRCUIT:

T-bell swing: 20, 20 @ 15kg

KB squat press (per side): 10, 10 @ 10kg

Chest expander leg-arm "crunch" (underhand/overhand): 20/20, 20/20
[I held one end of the expander with my foot and the other with the same-side hand and held a curl while raising and lowering my leg.]

CIRCUIT:

KB curl (per arm): 10, 10 @ 10kg

Indian club tricep extension (with calf raise): 20, 20
[My new thick-grip wide DB, weighted with chains and a wet rag inside.]

Indian club front delt raise and tricep extension (per arm): 15, 15
[Same as above.]

One-hand goblet (DB) curl squat : 8

Hammer-grip DB curl/squat: 10 @ 10kg

T-bell swing: 20 @ 15kg

KB squat press (per side): 10 @ 10kg

KB core rotation squat (per side): 20 @ 10kg

CIRCUIT:

Mace chop/shovel (per side): 20, 20 @ 5kg

Mace squat press (per arm): 15, 15 @ 5kg

Wide T-bell bent-over row: 24, 25 @ 25kg, 27kg

Indian club tricep extension: 15 @ +2kg

Indian club front delt raise and tricep extension: 15 @ +2kg

Mace chop/shovel: 20, 20 @ 5kg

CIRCUIT:

Floor press: 20, 20, 20 @ 42kg

One-arm KB flye (per arm): 15 @ 10kg

DB pullover: 15, 15 @ 18kg

Notes for grip training…

On my grip training day (Wednesday吧) …

Stretching

Power ball, 30+ sec sets

Easy gripper, at least 100 reps for a few sets

Weighted stick rotations

Eagle catcher, 30 sec sets per hand

Medium gripper, 1o reps per set

Spring-pulley pinches

Forearm bar

Wrist roller

DB head holds

Hard gripper, negatives

Gym regimen - April 2011

FRIDAY, 1 April 2011 A4: Triceps, Deltoids, Traps 60 mins, 98kg WARMUP CIRCUIT: Lateral DB flye (plus rear delt flye): 10+2, 8+2, 6+2 @ 14kg, 16kg, 18kg Cable pushdown (straight bar): 10, 8, 6 @ 30kg, 35kg, 40kg CIRCUIT: Anterior DB flye: 10, 8, 6 @ 14kg, 16kg, 18kg Incline BP: 10, 8, 6 @ 60kg, 67.5kg, 70kg CIRCUIT: Elbows-out extension: 10, 8, 6 @ 16kg, 18kg, 18kg BB military press (standing): 10, 8*, 5* @ 40kg, 40kg, 42.5kg CIRCUIT: Overhead shrug: 24, 20, 15, 30 @ 40kg, 50kg, 60kg, 40kg Cable curldown: 30, 27, 21 @ 25kg, 35kg, 40kg BB shrug: 10, 8, 6 @ 105kg, 110kg, 115kg

+++

A rough workout and I played it safe, as my shoulders and forearms are feeling a little sore after a long, hard week. Granted, I went wild on shrugs, but that is my wont. It was nice to get a new feel on the tricep pushdown with a straight bar. Felt solid and controlled, just right between too easy and too hard, on the incline bench. My traps got fried today and last night's oblique pulldowns didn't help, I'm sure, so my military press was pretty deflated. I need to work my abs more, so lately I've been doing some leg raises (pilates like) when I wake up and the ab curldowns felt awesome today. I really enjoyed the overhead shrugs. The problem is, it's such a precarious position that I have to go light. I discovered a great way to get the bar overhead: start from a squat with the bar on a rack, lock it on my upper chest, and then drive up into a squat-military press. Going to take it easy this weekend, my whole body needs to recover. Patience, Humility, Confidence...