Gym regimen - May 2011

Even-Keel Workout 1
50 mins, 97kg

WARMUP

CIRCUIT:

Pullup: 15, 14, 13
[I kept my form tighter, with less quasi-kipping. I think I should try weighted pullups next time.]

Bench press: 10, 8, 6* @ 75kg, 85kg, 92.5kg
[Spotter on last couple reps of set 3. Gains, baby, gains! Next week I'd like to try 8, 6, 4 @ 75kg, 80kg, 95kg.]

Snatch deadlift: 10, 6, 6* @ 100kg, 115kg, 130kg
[Straps on set 3. Such an awesome pump, I was tingling! I would like to use straps on set 3 of my DL next week and do 160kg. Next week: 8, 6, 4 @ 110kg, 120kg, 130kg.]

Military press: 9, 8, 6 @ 50kg, 55kg, 65kg
[A good bit of body English on set 3, but solid eccentric control. Next week stick to 8, 6, 4 with tight form.]

Spider curl: 10, 8, 8 @ 37.5kg, 42.5kg, 47.5kg

[Am I using a cheat on these? Cf. VIDEO. I see that I need to set the bench closer to horizontal and have the bar farther away from the frame. I should go lighter and keep tighter form. Next week 10, 8, 6 @ 35kg, 40kg, 45kg 好嗎？]

Front squat: 10, 6, 3 @ 75kg, 80kg, 85kg
[Sets 2 and 3 felt very good. Set 3 took all I had and my wrists were sore from the bending. Must keep elbows up! Next week do 8, 6, 4 @ same weights.]

* * *
I got a good night of early sleep last night, and felt good this morning. I brought my "grip pack" to the gym today: my bag of crushers and assorted gear. No one could close the CoC #1.5 and they had nearly as much trouble with my Heavy Red. I left my heavy-negative device there and I might train with it Saturday.

After the gym, I had lunch with a friend and then he visited my place to check out my homemade "toys". While showing him the #1.5, I closed it with my right hand, and with some authority. Gains! My left hand is still lagging by a hair.

The night before last I used half (yes, half) of my thick barbell to do floor presses––quite an experience! I loaded 30–35kg on one end, attached a handle outside the plates with a coupling, and held the other, thick end in my other hand. I did 4 sets of high reps (approx. 15/15, 10/10, 15/15, 15/15). Good stuff.

Next week I need to stick to a strict 8, 6, 4 rep-pattern but set the weight a little higher on all fronts.

Stay tuned.

Gym regimen - May 2011

WARMUP:

2" wrist roller: 10kg x 3; gyro ball; ab roller: 20 reps, 20 reps

TRAINING:

Sub-maximum effort:
10 reps, 8 reps

Maximum effort:
8 reps, 6 reps, 1 double-hand-set negative (20 seconds), 1 double-hand-set negative (10 seconds)
[I think I invented a great new way to set the gripper for a closed negative: pliers adjusted wide. Set the gripper in your palm and clamp it shut with the pliers at the top of the handles, near the springs. I wrapped the plier teeth in duct tape to minimize scuffing/grinding the CoC knurling.]

2" wrist roller:
10kg x 3

Forearm bar (angled and straight grip):
11kg x 2, 11kg x 2

Plate pinch:
11kg x 2
[I stuck a 1kg plate between the 5kg plates to add width to the plates.]

2" throttle:
9kg x 2

A lot of chalk was used tonight, my friends! I was going to train grip tomorrow, but I was antsy and realized the day would be too busy, so I just went for it tonight.

Gym regimen - May 2011

Even Keel Workout 2
80+ mins, 96.5kg

WARMUP

CIRCUIT:

Squat: 8, 6, 4 @ 105kg, 110kg, 120kg
[Wore a belt and put the safety rack in place for set 3.]

Incline bench BP: 9, 7, 3/3 @ 70kg, 80kg, 85kg/82.5kg
[Had the safety rack in place for set 3.]

Seated lever row: 10, 8, 6 @ 100kg, 110kg, 130kg

Rope-handle pushdown: 9, 7, 5 @ 35kg, 40kg, 45kg

Seated DB curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 17kg, 19.5kg, 22kg

Deadlift: 8, 6, 6 @ 110kg, 130kg, 140kg

CIRCUIT:

Leg extension: 10, 8, 6 @ 45kg, 50kg, 55kg

DB pullover-press: 10, 8, 6 @ 32kg

Overhand EZ-bar curl: 10, 8, 6 @ 35kg, 37.5kg, 40kg

It has begun!

I got my first official Captains of Crush (CoC) gripper yesterday, a #1.5! (And there was much rejoicing in the land. Or… in the hand?) My very first attempt for each hand left a few millimeters between the handles. Sometime later, though, just before taking a nap, I did manage to close it with my right hand and I'm certain I got within a millimeter for my left hand, if I didn't close it outright. When I got up, I did a training session, as per the instruction booklet that came with the gripper, followed by some exercises I like:

Warmup effort:

10–12 reps x 2

Sub-maximum effort:

8–10 reps x 2

Maximum effort:

8 reps

1 double-hand-set negative (~20 seconds)

1 double-hand-set negative (~6 seconds)

Wrist roller:

6kg x 3

Forearm bar

5 kg x 3

Thick bar "throttle"

11kg x 2

[For these I kneel, rest my forearm on a stool, and clutch my 2" dumbbell until my grip gives out. This time I tried one set with the weights above my hand, which was an interesting adjustment, since the weight wobbled and thus activated my rotational strength. I discovered a similar drill last week on my standing press: try the press with an H-bar! Your hand wobble like mad. Reduce your normal weight by at least 15%.]

Gut wrench core drills

The upshot is that, before I ordered the CoC, I said that, if the #1.5 were not too difficult for me, I would commit to closing the #3. So––I'm on the road to closing a #3! I will not invest in a #2 until I can close the #1.5 at least 5–7 times and do some strap holds with the #1.5. It was nice to discover that my homemade "heavy red gripper" was very close to a #1.5, and may even count as more difficult since the handles are noticeably broader and angular than the CoC's round handles. Now I have a nice range of resistance levels to train: medium red gripper (with some rubber bands removed to make a real warmup level), heavy red gripper (also with some bands removed), and the CoC #1.5.

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!]