Joel's Workout Journal

[jtroster]

Welcome to my workout journal. This is the continuation of my previous journal thread http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=469760. And so with a new journal I present my new four day split.

Four Day Split Design

Day 1 - Chest/Biceps

Incline DB Press - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralClavicular/DBInclineBenchPress.html

DB Bench Press - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/DBBenchPress.html

Stability Ball Fly - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/DBFly.html

Assisted Chest Dip - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/PectoralSternal/AsChestDip.html

Standing EZ Bar Curl - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Biceps/BBCurl.html

Concentration Curl - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Brachialis/DBConcentrationCurl.html
alternate with
Incline Hammer Curls -

Stability Ball Crunch


Day 2 - Legs

Squats - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/BBSquat.html

Seated Leg Curl - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Hamstrings/LVSeatedLegCurl.html

Leg Press - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/SL45LegPress.html
alternate with:
Cybex Leg Extension - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Quadriceps/LVLegExtension.html

Seated Calf Raise - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Soleus/LVSeatedCalfRaise.html

Leg Raise - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/RectusAbdominis/WtVerticalLegHipRaise.html


Day 3 - Shoulders/Triceps

Seated DB Shoulder Press - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidAnterior/DBShoulderPress.html

Upright BB Row - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidLateral/BBUprightRow.html

DB Lateral Raise - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidLateral/DBLateralRaise.html
alternate with:
Lying Rear Lateral Raise - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidPosterior/DBLyingRearLateralRaise.html

Close Grip Bench Press - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/BBCloseGripBenchPress.html

DB Triceps Extension - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/DBTriExt.html

Twisting Stability Ball Crunch


Day 4 - Back/Abs

Deadlifts - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/ErectorSpinae/BBDeadlift.html

Assisted Pullups - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/AsPullup.html

Seated Cable Rows - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/CBSeatedRow.html
alternate with:
DB Bent Over Row - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/BackGeneral/DBBentOverRow.html

BB Bent Arm Pullover - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/BBBentArmPullover.html

DB Shrugs - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/TrapeziusUpper/DBShrug.html

Cable Side Bend - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/Obliques/CBSideBend.html

Cybex Crunch Machine - http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/RectusAbdominis/LVSeatedCrunchGripless.html

Cardio
Twice a week sessions on the at-home elliptical http://www.precor.com/hpr_efx_519.php
Starting at 20 minutes and work up to 40 minutes.


Split Design Reasoning

Goals
- Increase strength
- Lose the remaing midsection fat and get close to 15%BF (as measured by Omron)
- Keep away all those pains (knees, lower back, shoulders)
- Look good dressed and undressed

Why a 4-day split?
I workout three days a week (Tuesday p.m., Friday a.m., Sunday a.m.). I don't want to always do the same workout on the same day - "if its Tuesday then it must be legs". Also, my energy levels are different on each of those workout days. So I'll cycle a 4 day split through the three workout days in a week.

My previous 3 day split did not give enough emphasis on my weaker parts - shoulders, legs, biceps and abs. This split trys to remedy that.

Workout Design
Each workout has a maximum of 7 exercises. I start with compound exercises, move to isolation exercises then to Abdominals. I cover each of the big lifts - Squat, Bench, Deadlift.

Reps & Sets
- Squat, Bench and Deadlift get 4 sets of 6-8 reps.
- Calves and unweighted Abs exercises get 3 sets of 20 reps.
- All other exercises get 3 sets of 6-8 reps.
- Once a month I'll throw in a cycle of 4x10 or 5x5 to shock things up.
- I might also superset a compound with an isolation or a push with a pull exercise occasionally.

Chest/Biceps Day
I previously did Chest/Triceps and Back/Biceps days. That worked fine as the triceps were also hit by the Chest exercises and the same for Back and Biceps. However, I found that I could not get the most intnesity on my Biceps after they were pre-exhausted by the back exercises. So I'll try Biceps with Chest to see if I can hit them harder.

Legs Day
Previously I did Legs and Shoulders in one day. When I hit legs real hard I did not have much energy left for a good shoulder workout. Since my shoulders are still my weakest link I moved them to a separate day. I also want to work harder on squats and that means more rest between sets.

Shoulders/Triceps Day
A separate Shoulder day means that I can work all parts (front, side & rear) and still have some energy left for some triceps isolation exercises. I find that my triceps respond very well to being worked after being pre-exhausted by other compound exercises.

Back/Abs Day
Just like squats on leg day I want to work harder on deadlifts. I also hit the abs hard with weighted exercises.

[ChocoChick]

Happy Birthday to you...
Happy Birthday to you...
Happy Birthday dear Joel...
Happy Birthday to you...


Your present is that you only have to read my singing ;)

[GSCampbell]

Great new layout!

Looking forward to watching your progress.

GSC

[want-to-be-big]

the program looks solid
best of luck

[joed]

Happy Birthday to you... ;)

How does she know all these things?

JT: sounds like good reasoning & a good plan. Look forward to seeing your progress.

[jtroster]

I started my new split at day 3 as I wanted to do back with my trainer next time.

Mostly this workout was searching for the best working weight. So I did more sets where my guesstimated initial weight was too low. I'm aiming for a weight where I can just do 6 reps. However the results were quite good. My shoulders and tris are real pumped.

Seated DB Shoulder Press - 15/15, 20/8, 30/8, 35/6. The first set was just to warm up. Next time I'll do 15/20 to warm up and then go right to 35 for 4 sets.

Upright BB Row - 40/8, 50/8, 55/8. 55 finally felt like a good working weight. I'll start with 55 next time.

DB Lateral Raise - 15/8, 20/6, 20/6

Lying Rear Lateral Raise - 10/8, 12/8, 15/8

Close Grip Bench Press - 45/10, 65/8, 75/8, 85/8, 95/6. I have never done these before so it took 5 sets to find a good working weight. I really like this exercise and I'm sorry I did not try it before.

DB Triceps Extension - 30/8, 35/8, 40/8, 45/6

Twisting Stability Ball Crunch - 3 sets of 20.

PWO shake of Surge followed later with a lunch shake of a banana with two scoops of PVL's Smooth Peanut Butter Chocolate Whey Gourmet.

[ChocoChick]

How does she know all these things?



Because in his journal thread he wrote: I'll be starting a new journal thread Sunday for my 55th birthday.

I'm like Santa Claus - I'm always watching ;) :D

[jtroster]

I also got a nice birthday email from bb.com.

[Original Poster]

Happy Birthday Joel ! :)

I love the routine you have come up with.
Indulge today and then tomorrow it's back to serious bizz.

:)

[jtroster]

Thanks Chi. Thanks also to Jag who PMed me comments.

We'll see in about three weeks what results I get.

[jaguarr]

Happy birthday, Joel! The routine looks damn solid! Hit it hard and see how your body likes it! :D Enjoy your day. Birthday cake is a cheat meal. ;)

Cheers!
jag

[ms_mac]

Happy Birhtday, JT. Hope you are having a good day!

[jaguarr]

I started my new split at day 3 as I wanted to do back with my trainer next time.

Mostly this workout was searching for the best working weight. So I did more sets where my guesstimated initial weight was too low. I'm aiming for a weight where I can just do 6 reps. However the results were quite good. My shoulders and tris are real pumped.

Seated DB Shoulder Press - 15/15, 20/8, 30/8, 35/6. The first set was just to warm up. Next time I'll do 15/20 to warm up and then go right to 35 for 4 sets.

Upright BB Row - 40/8, 50/8, 55/8. 55 finally felt like a good working weight. I'll start with 55 next time.

DB Lateral Raise - 15/8, 20/6, 20/6

Lying Rear Lateral Raise - 10/8, 12/8, 15/8

Close Grip Bench Press - 45/10, 65/8, 75/8, 85/8, 95/6. I have never done these before so it took 5 sets to find a good working weight. I really like this exercise and I'm sorry I did not try it before.

DB Triceps Extension - 30/8, 35/8, 40/8, 45/6

Twisting Stability Ball Crunch - 3 sets of 20.

PWO shake of Surge followed later with a lunch shake of a banana with two scoops of PVL's Smooth Peanut Butter Chocolate Whey Gourmet.

So, how do ya feel after hitting a day of the new split? You're due for the next workout today, aren't you?

jag

[jtroster]

My shoulders and triceps are both still pumped from Sunday's workout. The shoulders less as I did not really get up to working weights for the full number of sets. Tonight is Back & Abs.

[jtroster]

Last night was trainer's choice so we decided to go heavy on rows ans skip deadslift. A few personal bests were broken.

Seated Row - 120/8, 150/8, 165/8 (PB#1). I am really hitting this exercise hard, and my back feels it this morning. Since I did 8 reps on my PB I'll be increasing weight next time again.

BB Bent Over Rows - 115/10, 115/10, 135/8. My trainer spent time correcting my form. Since you have to keep your back from hunching over the way to set up this exercise is to start with good deadlift form. Once you are standing upright with the weight and have the correct arch to your back you then bend over and do the rows. With the correct form my previous personal best (135) felt light.

Assisted Pullups - -80/10, -80/8, -70/8

Iso-Lateral High Row - 90(per side)/8, 100/8, 110/8 (PB#2). I used my straps to get a good grip on the last set.

Weighted Stability Ball Crunches - 8/20, 12/20. These were done holding a medicine ball overhead. Its much better than trying to hold a plate or DB on your chest.

Leg Raise - 1 set of 20.

Later this afternoon I'm flying to Vancouver to meet up with my wife. She has been there at a conference since Sunday. We are staying a B&B until Sunday night. Chris gave me the name of a chain of gyms nearby so I'll be reporting my next workout from the west coast.

Happy Hump Day everyone.

[Hibiscus09]

Damn. I missed a birthday!!

"Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday, dear Joel!! Happy Birthday to You!!"

I hope you had a super-terrific day!! :D

Great looking workouts in here too! ;)

[GSCampbell]

Great back workout - congrats on the personal bests!

GSC

[jaguarr]

Congrats on the PB's and have a safe trip and a wonderful time with the wifey at the B&B. Sounds romantic. Maybe you two will even see a bigfoot when you're out that way! :D

jag

[fitbyfifty]

Damn. I missed a birthday!!

"Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday to You! Happy Birthday, dear Joel!! Happy Birthday to You!!"

I hope you had a super-terrific day!! :D

Great looking workouts in here too! ;)


Darn!! I missed it too!:(
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOED!:) Nice Workout!!!:)
Brenda

[jtroster]

What a great city. With lots of fitness centres to choose from. This has to be one of the fittest cities in the world. Also it has lots of very well behaved dogs.

Here is the workout:

Incline DB press - 20/15, 40/8, 40/6, 40/6

DB Bench press - 40/8, 45/8, 50/6, 50/6. I tries to go up to 55 and but my left arm just would not move. Probably because of the incline presses where I did quite well.

Stability ball fly - 15/10, 25/8, 30/6

Standing EZ Bar curl - 35/10, 55/8, 60/6. 60 is now my working weight.

Concentration Curls - 20/8, 20/8, 25/6 - Got a real burn on these.

Abs - 3 sets of crunches

I'll blog more abour Vancouver when I get home.

[Gunn27]

Good looking workout! I loved Vancouver, got a chance to work out there a couple of years ago and I'd love to go back. Look forward reading your blog entries!

[jtroster]

Had a good workout in Fitness World's Kitsilano location in Vancouver. Its a large club with lots of equipment. The only thing that was missing was an assisted Dip/Pullup machine like the Gravitron.

Here's the workout:

Incline DB Press - 20/15, 25/8, 40/6, 40/6.

DB Bench Press - 40/8, 45/8, 50/6, 50/6. I tried the 55s but they just would not move. Frustrating as my personal bets is 60.

Stability Ball Fly - 15/10, 25/8, 30/6

Assisted Chest Dip - Skipped these are the gym did not have the equipment.

Standing EZ Bar Curl - 35/10, 55/8, 60/6.

Concentration Curl - 20/8, 20/8, 25/6. First time doing these and I like them. A good finishing exercise.

Stability Ball Crunch - Three sets of 20.

Vancouver
My wife and I had a great time in Vancouver. She was there from Aug 7 for a conference and I met her Wednesday night and we returned to Toronto Sunday night. We ate great food, shopped, spent a day at the beach and saw a great concert. The weather was just perfect - 27 degrees with a clear blue sky.

Vancouver has to be the fittest city I have ever seen. The number of active-wear stores is only surpassed by the number of coffee bars. The city has lots of great beaches, cycling and jogging paths and of course lots of nearby mountains for hiking. We saw very few overweight people compared to other large cities such as Toronto and New York. It must be the climate ;)

[GSCampbell]

DB Bench Press - 40/8, 45/8, 50/6, 50/6. I tried the 55s but they just would not move. Frustrating as my personal bets os 60.


This is frustrating when you know you can move more but some days are just not your day. Hang in there - every workout can't be full of PB's.

Good work - keep plugging.

GSC

[kimsquit]

I'm glad you enjoyed Vancouver and sorry that we couldn't get together while you were there - hopefully you'll plan on a return trip!

:)

[jaguarr]

Good work, Joel. One thing I noticed when I first started doing the Incline presses before my flat bench work is that my flat bench numbers dropped a bit for awhile, but pretty soon they were back up where they should be and climbing. Took awhile for my body to get used to the incline DB presses as a warmup.

Sounds like you had a great time in Vancouver. It is a very beautiful city, indeed.

jag

[jtroster]

Legs day last night. I also started some new supplements. I recently received Controlled Lab's Blue Rhino (test boost), White Blood (NO2/Arginine), and Green Bulge (CEE) from a Canadian internet store in Calgary. They ended up costing less in Canadian dollars than the US price from a number of US internet stores. I am going to try all three colours together pre-workout for the next month and see what gains I get.

The workout:

Squats - 135/8, 205/8, 225/8, 255/8, 275/6. Great feeling doing these. 275 is my current personal best and I think I will beat that next time.

Seated Leg Curl - 70/8, 80/8, 90/6. Supersetted these with Leg Press.

Leg Press - 360/8, 360/8, 360/8. My personal best is 500 when not done with Squats on the same night. However, 360 felt just fine as a post-Squat finisher.

Seated Calf Raise - 90/15, 90/15, 90/20. It took until the third set to get up the the 20 reps that I wanted to do. I got quite a burn on the last rep.

Leg Raise - Three sets of 20. Most of the time I do these "knees up" with some full leg raises. On the third set I managed all of the reps as leg raises. My lower abs felt real strong. Too bad they don't show themselves yet.

Initially I did not notice anything different from the Controlled Labs's products. But about halfway through the workout I got a boost of energy that carried me through to the end. I really wanted to keep on working out but I had finished my plan for the night. Tonight is Shoulders & Triceps. I'll take the capsules a little earlier to see if I can get that energy boost from the start of the workout.

[joed]

Looks like a good hard workout JT.

[GSCampbell]

Good work - keep us posted on the supps - I have seen a lot of good ink on those products.

[jtroster]

Looks like the White Blood (NO2+) has helped next-day soreness. Usually after that intense a workout I am sore and pumped. Today I'm only pumped with just a little soreness in my glutes. In the past I have found that NO2 products help reduce soreness.

After reading lots of threads on Controlled Lab's three products I decided to take them also on non-workout days just after work. Also, I found that Blue Rhino did not hinder my sleep even though I took it at 6:30pm.

[Hibiscus09]

Nice job on the leggies! :) I love when that boost kicks in during a workout! :D

[jaguarr]

Let me know what you think of the Blue Rhino, Joel. Especially in comparison with the T3, as I know you've given that a run before as well.

Cheers!
jag

[jtroster]

I took my three colours (Blue Rhino, White Blood & Green Bulge) a little earlier and I had a burst of energy throughout my workout. I also broke a few personal bests today. I guess that stuff is starting to take effect.

Seated DB Press - 20/8, 25/8, 309/8, 35/6, 35/6. 35 is my working weight. I just need a few warmup sets before I can tackle it.

Upright BB Row - 50/8, 55/8, 60/6 (PB#1)

DB Lateral Raise - 15/8, 20/8, 25/6 (PB#2)

Lying Rear Lateral Raise - 12/8, 15/8, 15/8

Close Grip Bench Press - 95/8, 105/8, 115/6 (PB#3). I'm beginning to really like these. I get a great triceps workout and it also works my chest without hitting my weak left shoulder.

Seated DB Triceps Extension - 40/8, 45/8, 50/8 (PB#4)

Twisting Stability Ball Crunch - 2 set sof 20

In all a fabulous workout. Now I rest until Friday morning when its Back & weighted Abs.

[joed]

Great workout JT. Man you're doing terrific. If it was me, I wouldn't give credit to the supps for the PB's, I'd be pattin' myself on the back & crowin' like a rooster at dawn.

[jtroster]

I took my Green Bulge at 4:00, the White Blood & Blue Rhino at 4:30 and then did a 30 minute session on the elliptical at 5:00 with heart rate pegged at 120. Usually I get tired at the 20 minute mark. This time either the supps or the placebo effect kept me going for the full 30 minutes. Next cardio session I'll increase the time by 5 minutes.

Tomorrow morning is Back day.

[CONTROLLED LABS]

I took my Green Bulge at 4:00, the White Blood & Blue Rhino at 4:30 and then did a 30 minute session on the elliptical at 5:00 with heart rate pegged at 120. Usually I get tired at the 20 minute mark. This time either the supps or the placebo effect kept me going for the full 30 minutes. Next cardio session I'll increase the time by 5 minutes.

Tomorrow morning is Back day.
try to change the order of them to:

green bulge and white blood first
blue rhino 30 minutes later.

tank

[jtroster]

Thanks Tank. I'll try that tomorrow.

BTW, are there many logs of folk using all three products? In general what have they found to be the best timing?

[jtroster]

I had an enervating back workout at 7:00am today with three personal bests!

I took my green bulge and white blood when I woke up at 6 and then the blue rhino 30 minutes later. Things kicked in just after I started my workout. By the end of the workout I felt that my whole body was energized. Even though I did no direct arm workout I felt my biceps and triceps get pumped.

Deadlifts - 135/8, 185/8, 225/8, 245/6(PB#1), 245/6. I realized after looking at some exercise web sites that what I am doing are romainian deadlifts. I take bar from the rack and go to just below the knees. RDLs are supposed to be good for the hamstrings however I feel it mostly in the lower back.

Assisted Pullups - -70/8, -60/6, -60/6

Seated Cable Rows - 135/8, 150/8, 165/6

BB Bent Arm Pullover - 55/8, 60/8, 65/8(PB#2)

DB Shrugs - 45/8, 50/8(PB#3), 50/8

Cable Side Bend - 100/8, 100/8

Cybex Crunch Machine - 11(plates)/8, 11/8

By the time I hit the showers I was quite exausted and drained. I sipped my PWO shake of Surge in the car going to work and the exhaustion slowly drained. I now feel quite virtuous sitting at work.

Next workout is Sunday for Chest & Biceps. Have great weekend everyone.

[GSCampbell]

Look at you and your deadlifting ass!

Great job on the PB's - you're sending a lot of motivation my way - thanks! :D

[jtroster]

GSC,

Thanks. I'm the one who had had chronic lower back pain for 20 years. Strengthening my core and lower back and doing deadlifts has completely cured the pain.

[jaguarr]

Look at you and your deadlifting ass!


Joel has a donkey that does deadlifts? :confused:


Thanks. I'm the one who had had chronic lower back pain for 20 years. Strengthening my core and lower back and doing deadlifts has completely cured the pain.

Count me in that list of guys who had chronic back pain that deadlifts seems to have cured. I had sciatic issues for years that are no longer there since I started the deadlifts (and got accustomed to doing them).

Nice job on the PB's and the workout overall, Joel! You're making great progress!

jag

[jtroster]

Just a note. I started a supplement log since I am trying Controlled Lab's three products.

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=559107

Instead of duplicating my workout log there I'm posting links back here with just my comments on the CL products in the supplement log section.

[jtroster]

I workout out at 10:00am this morning. I took the Green Bulge and White Blood 1 hour before and Blue Rhino 30 minutes before. I had some trouble with the presses as my left shoulder was acting up. But I did make two new personal bests on the biceps exercises.


Shoulder Warmup:
- Incline DB press - 25/15
- Behind the neck BB presses - 25/12

Incline DB Press - 35/8, 40/6, 40/6

DB Bench Press - 45/8, 50/8, 55/6, 55/4

Stability Ball Fly - 25/8, 30/8, 30/8

Assisted Chest Dips - -80/8, -60/6, -60/6

Standing EZ Bar Curl - 55/8, 60/8, 65/7(PB#1)

Concentration Curl - 20/8, 25/8, 30/6(PB#2)

Stability Ball Crunch - 3 sets of 20.

I am typing this in the late afternoon and my biceps are still pumped.

[jtroster]

Yesterday after my workout I went to Ikea and loaded up 5 Billy bookcases to assemble in my home office. By bed time I got 3 of them hauled up to my office and assembled. I learned that Ikea-assembly makes for a great forearm workout. Man are they pumped today.

[jaguarr]

Oh, man. Ikea and Sauder furniture assembly without some electric power tools is an exercise in insanity. I bet you're feeling it today, man! :D

Nice job on the workout and the two new PB's!

jag

[jtroster]

It was legs day and I worked out in the morning before work instead of in the evening. I made a personal best today in squats!

I took Green Bulge and White Blood at 6:00am and Blue Rhino at 6:30. I had a light breakfast (orange, 7-grain toast with hummus, coffee) and made it to the gym by 7:00am.

Squats - 135/8, 185/8, 225/8, 255/8, 275/8, 285/6(PB!) - That last set did not look pretty but I managed to squeeze out 6 reps.

Seated Leg Curl - 80/8, 80/8, 90/6 Supersetted these with Calf raises

Seated Calf Raise - 90/20, 90/20, 90/20

At this time I was going to do Cybex Leg Extensions but my legs were too fried to attempt them.

Abs - 2 sets of 20 Leg Raises and 1 set of 20 Stability Ball Crunches.

PWO shake of Surge.

This was an exhausting workout when it was over but I had lots of enegry during it.

[mom24boys]

woo -hoo on your personal best today. :)

[Gunn27]

Congtrats on the pb, that looked like a punishing workout. Nice job!

[SoMdHunter]

But be careful! I did a PB on curls last Thursday, and while doing reverse bb curls for my forearms, I injured by right elbow. I now have what is called tennis elbow, and it is NOT fun! I have been in constant pain since. Needless to say, I'm forced into a break from lifting. Going to see the Dr. tomorrow to see how much damage is done.

The ironic thing of it is, the therapy for tennis elbow is weight training, so go figure.

[jtroster]

My left shoulder has been giving me trouble on all presses. I feel a weakness in the left lateral deltoid that has limited my ability to do DB shoulder and chest presses.

My Massage Therapist of choice moved 2 months ago to a town north of the city so I needed to find another. So I made an appointment with the RMT that works in the Chiro clinic I go to. It turned out that she was a personal trainer before becoming an RMT and she knew a lot about shoulder problems.

During the 1 hour massage she found out that I really have not been stretching enough. I need to do more on my chest, lats and biceps and she taught me how to stretch them. While working deeply (and painfully!) on my left shoulder she also found that I had some adhesions or scar tissue in my lateral deltoid that was probably causing the original problem. She worked a lot on loosening up that muscle and freeing the adhesions.

After the massage she reviewed my 4 day split and made suggestions on how to keep my shoulders healthy. Upright rows have to go. Also, when doing chest presses (flat, incline) I should only go down to the point where my elbows are at right angles.

I have to go back in a week for more work on those adhesions. Meanwhile for my next two shoulder & tricep days I'll drop all heavy shoulder work and use very light weights just to keep the blood flowing.

[kimsquit]

Good call - I steer clear of upright rows and my bench is always to 90 degrees.

Another chest exercise that's easier on your shoulder is reverse grip dips. Same as regular dips, but turn your hands so that your knuckles are facing inwards.

:)

[jaguarr]

Sounds like you made an awesome find with the new massage therapist, man! Having someone knowledgable like doing your body work can be a godsend! :cool:

jag

[joed]

JT, sounds like she's a keeper.

[SoMdHunter]

I'm fortunate enough not to have any shoulder problems. I think the biggest reason is I don't do bench presses with the bar, only with db's. I can't lift as much that way, and since I don't need to feed my ego, my shoulders thank me by not giving me problems.

Glad ya found someone that knows what to do. A rarity these days.

[GSCampbell]

Lock that massage therapist in the closet and keep her around.

Go ahead, it's OK, I won't tell anyone ;)

[jtroster]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I'll certainly try the reverse grip dips.

No need to confine the RMT. She worked for the same clinic now for several years. She is a real keeper.

[jtroster]

Due to the massage therapy I had on my left shoulder this week I only did light sets for shoulders but I decided to balance that with hammering my triceps. One new personal best today. I also dropped upright rows on the advice of my RMT and added in Lying External and Internal Rotations for my weak rotator muscles.

Took Green Bulge and White Blood 60 minutes before the workout and Blue Rhino 30 minutes before.

Seated DB Shoulder Press - 25/12, 30/8, 30/8, 30/8. The left shoulder felt better since the massage. However, I did not push too hard. This was just to get the blood flowing.

DB Lateral Raise - 15/8, 15/8, 15/8

Lying Rear Lateral Raise - 15/8, 15/8, 15/8

Lying External Rotation - 8/8, 8/8, 8/8
supersetted with:
Lying Internal Rotation - 8/8, 8/8, 8/8

V-bar cable pushdowns - 90/8, 100/8, 110/8, 120/6 - I did these instead of my usual close grip bench press to keep the shoulders out of the exercise.

DB Triceps Extension - 45/8, 50/8, 55/6(PB)

Twisting Stability Ball Crunch - 2 sets of 20

Be the end of the workout my shoulders felt warm and pumped from the light workout but not sore. My triceps, on the other hand, were throbbing.

Have a great weekend everyone.

[jtroster]

No workout this morning - I'll catch up tomorrow morning.

Instead I took my 8 month puppy Rudy to a dog show on Saturday and Sunday. He was entered as a junior puppy (6-8 months). He got a few ribbons just for showing up. It was a good experience for both of us as I learned a lot about how to handle him in the show ring. I'll spend more time training him and enter him into another show in October.

[Dutchman]

Good log and great progress JT! Keep up the good work. Man your deads are so good they seem out of proportion to your other accomplishments. Real nice effort. Taking some time off is a good thing. We need it as we age. I also have added more time between sets to help me recover and then attack it again. FYI, I'm still using my Blue Rhino and loving it. This is my second cycle on it.

[jtroster]

Dutch,

My deads are really Romanian Deadlifts - from a rack to below the knees. Today I started doing the light sets from the floor.

[jtroster]

Good back workout with two personal bests. I took my Green Bulge and White Blood at 6:00am and the Blue Rhino at 6:30am. I was in the gym by 7:10.

Abs Superset:
Cable Side Bend - 100/8, 100/8, 100/8
Stability Ball Crunch - 2x20
Like others in this forum I switched my Abs to the start of the workout. Doing them before Deadlifts helps keep my form.

Deadlifts - 135/8, 185/8, 225/8, 245/6 - The first two sets were from the floor. The heavier sets were from a rack to just below the knees. I'll keep doing them this way until I can do the heavier ones fom the floor.

Assisted Pullups - -60/8, -60/8, -50/6(PB#1)

Seated Cable Rows - 150/8, 150/8, 165/6

BB Bent Arm Pullover - 60/8, 60/8, 60/6 - I'm not really feeling that this exercise is doing what I want it to do. So I'm going to switch to DB pullovers next back day. I like them better.

DB Shrugs - 45/8, 55/8, 55/6(PB#1) - My previous personal best was 50 pounds. But when I looked for them someone else was using them. So I took the 55s.


PWO Shake - Surge while driving to work.

[GSCampbell]

Great job on those deads!

[jtroster]

Oy those deadlifts! I think I'm going to need a single malt muscle relaxant tonight.

[jaguarr]

Oy those deadlifts! I think I'm going to need a single malt muscle relaxant tonight.

They're totally worth it, though. :) Good workout, man!

jag

[jtroster]

This workout really rocked. You see every Tuesday night I workout with my trainer J. Only for the past few weeks my wife has been working out with him twice a week and she took my usual Tuesday timeslot. A few weeks ago a new trainer joined the gym. He, G, used to be a competative bodybuilder. J told me that sometimes he has scared clients away with his intense high-rep workouts. So I decided to try him last night. We did a variation on my usual Chest & Biceps routine.

I took my CL supps in the usual order - GB & WB 60 minutes before the workout and BR 30 minutes before.

This is what we did:

Incline DB Press - 25/15, 30/8, 35/10, 40/8, 45/8, 40/10 - Six sets! These were done with a much faster tempo than I usually do them with no pause or lockout at the top of the motion. Also he had me tip the DBs slightly inward. By the last set I had soaked my workout towel with sweat. I could feel the energy from the Blue Rhino kick in while doing these. My left shoulder felt much better and was pain-free but slightly weaker. Looks like the massage therapy has been working.

Superset of:
Cybex Chest Press - 5(plates)/15, 6/15, 7/15
Flat DB Fly - 15/10, 25/10, 25/10
I did these with no rest between the press and the flys. G corrected my form so that the flys really hit my chest. Another soaked towel.

Hammer Strength Seated Dip - 50/20, 70/20, 75/15. - This dip machine (http://us.commercial.lifefitness.com/content.cfm/seateddip) is usually idle at the gym. G really liked it and I cranked out three high-rep sets. I found the action hit the lower chest without straining the shoulders. I'll probably use it from now on alternating with the assisted dip machine.

Standing EZ Bar Curl - 35/15, 45/15, 50/12, 50/8. - G showed me a different form than usual. You curl with your elbows slightly away from your body and bring the bar up to your nose. That last set was brutal.

DB Spider Curl - 15/15, 15/15, 15/15. - These were done one arm at a time. Using the preacher bench they worked better than the concentration curls I had been doing. I'm going to switch my routine over to these.

PWO Shake - Surge followed by a nice slice of watermelon while watching TV.

This morning my chest and arms are still pumped but not sore. I think its the White Blood that is working to reduce the soreness. That alone makes the supplement worth its price.

Happy Hump Day everyone.

[Hibiscus09]

Only for the past few weeks my wife has been working out with him twice a week and she took my usual Tuesday timeslot.

LOL -- we're good at that sort of thing. ;)

Great workout! Glad you enjoyed it so much. It looks intense. :)

[kimsquit]

great workout!

:)

[jtroster]

Hibby,
My wife says that where else can she get one hour of undivided attention from a young buff man.

Chris,
Thanks. You are up early!

[kimsquit]

Chris,
Thanks. You are up early!

Yeah....it's my Rest Day (No carbs) but I tend to reflexively wake up at 0500 to get to the gym.

Wasn't it Ben Franklin who said "Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, tired and boring"

*laughs*


:)

[jaguarr]

Oh, the sordidness! JT had a thing going with J, but Mrs. JT did, too, and that seems to be going better than anyone had expected and now J just doesn't have time for JT as he's spending all of his time with Mrs. JT. So, now, JT has been spotted spending time with the hot, new, buff young stud on the scene, G. Will JT and J be able to reconcile, or will JT dive headlong into his sordied new relationship with G? And what about Mrs. JT? Is she so wrapped up in J that she hasn't even noticed JT's new "friend"? Stay tuned to this channel and find out! <cue organ music>

:D

Looks like quite a workout G gave you, JT. ;)

jag

[jtroster]

Jag,

You have been watching too many soaps ;)

[jaguarr]

Jag,

You have been watching too many soaps ;)

Sorry about that. My wife's one vice is that she watches some of those crazy Spanish "Novellas" (Which is Espanol for "Cheesy Soap Opera") on Univision. It's a bad habit she picked up from her mother, who lives on the other side of the country, but it gives them something to talk about and me something to make fun of. :D

jag

[mom24boys]

LOL @ Jag

Morning JT :)

[jtroster]

Happy September.

A little update. Tuesday's Chest and Biceps workout with the new trainer really hit those muscles hard. I'm still pumped. There is a little soreness mainly where the pecs attach to the sternum but in all I have not had much DOMS.

So I'm going to do my next three Tuesday workours with the same trainer to see what I can learn. That should cover all four days of my split. I hope I can survive him :) Next Tuesday is Back day.

[jaguarr]

Happy September.

A little update. Tuesday's Chest and Biceps workout with the new trainer really hit those muscles hard. I'm still pumped. There is a little soreness mainly where the pecs attach to the sternum but in all I have not had much DOMS.

So I'm going to do my next three Tuesday workours with the same trainer to see what I can learn. That should cover all four days of my split. I hope I can survive him :) Next Tuesday is Back day.


Better watch out. J is going to get jealous of all the time you're spending with G. Of course, maybe that's what you really want? :confused:

:D

Sounds like you're learning a lot from this new trainer, and that's a good thing!

jag

[mom24boys]

Have a Great weekend Jt .

[jtroster]

An early morning leg workout.

I took my CL supps in the usual order - GB & WB 60 minutes before the workout and BR 30 minutes before.

Leg Raise - Three sets of 20. Its good to warm up Abs before squats. It keeps my form in check.

Squats - 135/8, 135/8, 205/8, 255/8, 275/8, 285/6. Things felt real heavy this morning. It took a few warmup sets to get into the swing of things. At least I met my PB of 285.

I then supersetted these three:

Leg Press - 270/12, 360/8, 360/8
Seated Leg Curl - 80/8, 80/8, 90/8
Seated Calf Raise - 100/12. 100/15, 100/15

By then my legs were completely wiped out.

PWO Shake: Surge while driving to work.

Happy Labour Day weekend everyone:)

[kimsquit]

congratulations on making 285 for the squat - when you can do it on the "struggle" days (as opposed to those "in the zone" days), then you really know that the strength is there

:)

[jaguarr]

Great job on the workout, man! Overall are you digging the Green Bulge more than the Kre-Alk?

jag

[jtroster]

Jag,

I am finding that Green Bulge is working much better than Kre-Alkalyn. But I was taking 2 caps a day of the Kre and that might not have been enough.

Also White Blood seems to dramatically reduce next-day soreness. I have found in the past that NO2 supplements do that for me. White Blood works better than any other NO2 supps I have tried. The pump is nice but the DOMS reduction is better.

BTW, my body fat is done to 21.9% as measured by the Omron. I am slowly getting leaner as well.

[jtroster]

Great workout with one personal best.

Took Green Bulge and White Blood 60 minutes before the workout and Blue Rhino 30 minutes before.

Twisting Stability Ball Crunch - 3 sets of 20

Seated DB Shoulder Press - 25/12, 30/12, 35/1, 40/9, 40/8(PB!). I finally broke through my plateau on this exercise and make a personal best. The left shoulder felt fine

Superset:
DB Lateral Raise - 20/8, 20/8, 25/6
Lying Rear Lateral Raise - 15/8, 15/8, 20/6

Superset:
Lying External Rotation - 8/8, 8/8, 8/8
Lying Internal Rotation - 8/8, 8/8, 8/8

Close Grip Bench Press - 95/8, 115/7, 115/6 - These felt a little shaky given that I hit a PB on the shoulder press.

DB Triceps Extension - 50/8, 50/8, 55/8 - I'll try 60 pounds next time!

PWO Shake - Surge.

I'm coming to the end of my CL products. I'm going to reorder and stay on Green Bulge and White Blood. I found that Blue Rhino did not do much for me as a test booster though it did work as a workout energizer. However, for now I'm going to use up a supply I have of Neurostim+C.

[Gunn27]

Congrats on the new PB, great work. Thanks for posting the info on the CL products, I have been taking note of your reports on these, with interest.

[jtroster]

Gunn,

Thanks. I'm impressed with CL's products. They make good products at good prices. Canadians can also get them at a very good price from Better Bodies in Calgary.

[jtroster]

Four personal bests last night.

Took Green Bulge and White Blood 60 minutes before the workout and Blue Rhino 30 minutes before.

Deadlifts - 135/8, 185/8, 225/8, 245/6, 245/4 - As usual the first two sets were from the floor. The next three were Romanian Deadlifts done from the rack to below the knees. I was really sweating after these.

Assisted Pullups - -70/8, -60/8, -50/6(PB#1) - I did sets 1 and 3 wide grip and set 2 close grip palms facing. I think I like close grip best. Next time I'll do 4 sets and alternate grips.

DB Bent Over Row - 55/8, 60/8, 60/8 - The left side felt slightly weaker but next time I'll go for 65.

DB Pullover - 55/8, 60/8, 65/6(PB#2)

DB Shrugs - 55/8, 55/8, 60/8(PB#3)

Cable Side Bend - 100/8, 110/8, 110/8(PB#4)

Cybex Crunch Machine - 10(plates)/12, 11/11, 11/10

PWO Shake - Surge

Good News: No soreness this morning.

[mom24boys]

Thumbs up on all your pb's! and your supps sound colorful if nothing else. *grin* Have a great day

[Gunn27]

Nice job again, you're really "in the zone" hitting those new pb's! I think I might give the Green Bulge a try sometime, thanks for the info on Better-Bodies, I found that most useful. Have a good one...

[jtroster]

Gunn,
This split and the sups are really working for me. I'm able to increase my intensity and not feel real sore the next day.

Mom24,
Thanks. And have a Happy Hump Day. Its also fruit day at work - we got peaches today.

[ms_mac]

Congrats on all those pb's JT. Awesome workouts coming from this journal. Keep it up, my friend. You are doing awesome!

[jaguarr]

Looks like you're really cranking away on things, man! Awesome work with a lot of new PB's, which is great to see! I may give the Green Bulge a try (that just sounds....so wrong...) based on your experience because I know the Kre-Alk didn't do a damn thing for you, just as it didn't me. The Blue Rhino doesn't sound like it's worth the trouble, though. Frankly, I haven't found anything better for me as far as a test boost supplement than the ZMA + Tribulus stack. Seems to bring the best and most consistent results for me.

Keep at it, man. You're definitely in "The Zone"!

jag

[GSCampbell]

Four personal bests last night.

Great job - you're makin' me jealous ;)

[jtroster]

Thanks ms_mac, Jag, GSC.
Its funny but when I workout I feel that I have to keep my BB.com cheering section happy. It encourages me to push that little bit more and I benefit with increased strength.

[Hibiscus09]

Great job on the PBs, sweetie! :)

[jaguarr]

Thanks ms_mac, Jag, GSC.
Its funny but when I workout I feel that I have to keep my BB.com cheering section happy. It encourages me to push that little bit more and I benefit with increased strength.

And that, my friend, is one of the beauties of keeping a journal in this place. :cool:

Nice job on the workouts and the PB's!

jag

[jtroster]

Three personal bests last night and a re-hitting of a long lost previous PB.

Took Green Bulge and White Blood 60 minutes before the workout and Blue Rhino 30 minutes before. I'll run out of Blue Rhino soon. I'm going to drop it when its gone but keep up with the Green Bulge and White Blood. I ordered two bottles of each and they should arrive today.

The workout:

Incline DB Press - 30/12, 35/8, 40/8, 45/8, 50/6. My previous PB was 50 but I was been able to hit that weight for some time now because of my left shoulder. Well all that massage therapy finally worked and I was able to hit 50 pounts again. I tried for 55 but the shoulder said "not yet". Maybe next chest workout.

DB Bench Press - 50/8, 55/6, 55/8. My PB on this is 60 but I decided not to try given I upped the weight on the incline press.

Stability Ball Fly - 25/12, 30/8, 35/6(PB#1)

Hammer Strength Seated Dip - 90/8, 90/8, 110/8(PB#2). I'm beginning to like this machine. I'm going to alternate it with the assisted dip machine. Maybe in a few months I'll be able to do unassisted dips.

Standing EZ Bar Curl - 55/10, 65/8, 65/8 - I'll try 70 next time.

DB Spider Curl - 15/12, 20/8, 20/6 (PB#3)

PWO Shake: Surge

This weekend we are off again to see two shows at Stratford - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and The Tempest. I have been looking forward to seeing the Tempest as Prospero is played by Bill Hutt who is retiring from Stratford after this season. I used to see him when my high school did their annual trip to Stratford. He is a magnificent actor.

Have a good weekend everyone.

[Gunn27]

I'm begining to think you are working in marketing for CL! :D All these PB's and the positive results with the Bulge & Blood products, you have convinced me to give them a try.

Enjoy the shows this weekend.

[jtroster]

All these PBs are either the supplements, or the 4-day split design, or both. Looking over my previous 3-day split journal I never had so many gains in a week.

[jaguarr]

What's your diet looked like during all your gains, JT? That can always make a big difference as well. Looks like you're on a roll, man!

jag

[jtroster]

My diet is mostly clean. I avoid simple carbs and try to keep to 40% carbs(complex), 40% protein and 20% fats. I eat lots of fresh fish. My breakfast is usually an orange, whole wheat toast with one of cheese, eggs or smoked fish. Lunch at work is either grilled fish or chicken on salad or a low carb meal replacement shake. Supper is chicken, fish or beef with two vegetables or one vegetable and brown rice. Snacks are fruit or a PVL Whey Gourmet shake. My wife and I eat out most Saturday nights. We eat well but stay away from fried foods.

[joed]

A PB here, a PB there...just another day in the life.

We in your cheering section are on our feet jt. Good work.

[jaguarr]

My diet is mostly clean. I avoid simple carbs and try to keep to 40% carbs(complex), 40% protein and 20% fats. I eat lots of fresh fish. My breakfast is usually an orange, whole wheat toast with one of cheese, eggs or smoked fish. Lunch at work is either grilled fish or chicken on salad or a low carb meal replacement shake. Supper is chicken, fish or beef with two vegetables or one vegetable and brown rice. Snacks are fruit or a PVL Whey Gourmet shake. My wife and I eat out most Saturday nights. We eat well but stay away from fried foods.


Looks somewhat similar to my diet, and I've had my fair share of new PB gains going, too. Hmmmmm.....

jag

[jtroster]

One Personal Best today.

Took Green Bulge and White Blood 60 minutes before the workout and Blue Rhino 30 minutes before. My stock has run out and I sure hope my new supply of Green and White arrives today from Calgary.

Squats - 135/8, 185/8, 225/8, 275/8, 295/6(PB!) - As usual when I hit a PB in squats they were not low enough but I'll get there over the next few weeks. I think I'll keep my max at this weight until I get do all 8 reps below parallel.

Seated Leg Curl - 80/8, 80/8, 90/8

Leg Press - 360/8, 360/8, 360/8

Seated Calf Raise - 100/15, 100/15, 100/15

Leg Raise - 2 sets of 20

[jaguarr]

^^^
Nice workout, Joel. Any day you score a new PB is a good one. :)

jag

[Hibiscus09]

Congrats on the PB, Joel!! Nice job! :)

[GSCampbell]

Fantastic! Great job on the squats - I need to catch up! :D

[jtroster]

Thanks Hibby, GSC & Jag.

I got my resupply of White Blood and Green Bulge yesterday. I'm going to stay on those and not continue the Blue Rhino. Tonight its Shoulders and Triceps with the trainer who was a competative BBer. I survived his chest workout and I wonder what he has in store tonight. Keep tuned ;)

[mom24boys]

morning Jt, catching up on my reading here LOL WoW look at all those PB's your getting..what ever, it is your doing dont change anything......seems to be working great for ya!

[jtroster]

Last night I worked out again with the trainer who has competed in BB contests. We did a variation on my usual plan but with higher reps.

I took my Green Bulge, White Blood and Blue Rhino at the usual times. That was the last of the Blue Rhino. But I have two more months of Green and White and I'm going to keep those up as my regular supps.

Seated DB Shoulder Press - 15/20, 20/15, 25/12, 30/8, 30/8, 25/8. My usual top weight in this is 40 pounds. However with the higher volume I was quivering with the 30s.

DB Lateral Raise - 8/20, 12/15, 15/12- The trainer corrected my form and I got a better pump on the shoulders.

Shrugs - 30/20, 35/20, 40/15, 45/12 - I usually do my shrugs on Back day. But these fit in nicely here. I might switch my usual routine to do shrugs on Shoulder day.

Smith-Machine Seated Press - 2 sets of 8 with 25 pounds on each side of the bar. By this time my shoulders were getting quite warm and pumped.

Upright BB Row - 3 sets of 40/12. I usually don't do these anymore but we chose a lower weight and did them with better form.

Cable Pushdown - 10/12, 100/12, 100/12

Skullcrushers - 40/12, 40/12, 40/12.

Well I survived and with little soreness this morning.

Happy Hump Day!

[Gunn27]

Looks like a solid workout Joel. I am curious what your trainer's advice was on your DB lateral form? The reason I ask is that I suspect my form is not all it could be on these, and I am probably lifting more weight than I would be able to handle with strict/correct form.

[jtroster]

For Lateral Raises he had me:

- Start with the DB at the side instead of in front of the hips.

- Keep the arms slightly bent

- Lead with the elbows so that they were always slightly higher than my hands.

I usually use this (http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/DeltoidLateral/DBLateralRaise.html) form.

I found that the the trainer's form concentrated the weight better on the shoulders.

[Gunn27]

Hmm, I will have to try it as he suggests, did you have to use less weight than normal doing it his way? Sorry for all the questions, and thanks for the info!

[jtroster]

I used a slightly lower weight but that was mainly because I did higher reps and was concentrating on form.

[kimsquit]

For Lateral Raises he had me:

- Start with the DB at the side instead of in front of the hips.

- Keep the arms slightly bent

- Lead with the elbows so that they were always slightly higher than my hands.

Excellent advice! and not just because it's what I do *chuckle*

:)

[Hibiscus09]

Nice job on the workout! :) Happy Wednesday!


I took my Green Bulge, White Blood and Blue Rhino at the usual times.

LOL -- that's a colorful list of supps. :)

[GSCampbell]

Man oh man, that volume would kill me - I'd be a quivering mass on the floor :D

More power to you if you can do it though. Great job.

[jtroster]

This trainer believes that when you train an "older" body that higher reps on the first sets are better to warm up the muscles. Its hard to do but I'm not that sore the next day. However, I don't think that I could keep up with that volume every workout. I'm going to train each of my four split days with him once before I switch back to my regular trainer. I have a leg day and a back day left. Its always interesting to learn from difference trainers. Sometime in the winter I'll do the same thing with another trainer who is a rock climbing freak.

[joed]

This trainer believes that when you train an "older" body that higher reps on the first sets are better to warm up the muscles.

I'll be interested to see what he has you doing on legs & back. Also when you return to heavier weights if you still use the correct form how many reps/sets you'll do (will your endurance have also increased your strength?; sloppy way to say it, my brain is still foggy this morning).

[jtroster]

joed,

My September 9th Chest workout was on my own and one week after I did the same workout with the trainer. That day I hit 3 personal bests and re-attained one long-lost PB. So I think the high volume day helped.

[jtroster]

This morning I was going to work out alone but my wife had a conference call and she could not use her regular trainer slot. So I took it. This was with my regular trainer that I have been with since Jul '04.

No new personal bests today but I did learn a great variation on pullovers.

Abs - Some crunches and DB Side bends.

Romanian Deadlifts - 135/12, 135/12, 225/6, 225/8, 245/6

Assisted Pullups - -60/8, -60/8, -50/6, -50/6. I did these alternating wide grip and close grip.

DB Bent Over Row - 50/8, 55/8, 60/6

Low Cable Pullover - 60/12, 7/08, 120/4 - This was a new way to do pullovers. You put the V-bar on the low cable and lay facing away from it on a Stability Ball. Reach behind and grab the bar and do a pullover. I usually do DB pullovers with 65 pounds. Because of the pulley on the cable setup the equivalent weight would be 130 pounds. However, using 120 on the Cable was much harder than the DB.

[kimsquit]

lookin' good joel!

:)

[jtroster]

One personal best today but I really hit my chest hard as I upped my reps from 6-8 to 8-12.

Incline DB Press - 35/12, 40/12, 45/10, 50/6, 50/8.

DB Bench Press - 50/8, 50/8, 50/8 - I tried for 55 but the inclines tired my chest and shoulders out a bit.

Stability Ball Fly - 30/8, 30/8, 35/8

Assisted Chest Dip - -70/8, -60/8, -50/6(PB!)- I am looking forward to doing dips unassisted. Maybe in 2 months.

Standing EZ Bar Curl - 65/7, 65/8, 65/8 - I decided to srtart with my mamimum weight to see how I would do and I surprised myself with three nice string sets. Next time I'll increase the weight.

DB Spider Curl - 15.12, 20/8, 20/8 - These are really growing on me. They act like a concentration curl but with less ability to cheat.

PWO Shake - Surge

Lunch - Sliced rare tuna leftover from last night's supper on top of salad with bocconcini cheese. Then some yardio - I planted three butterfly bushes and a hydrangea.

[jtroster]

I have used this split since August 14 and I'm shaking it up a little. I'm moving triceps to back day, moving weighted Abs to Shoulders day and moving shrugs from back day to shoulder day. I am also changing from 6-8 repetitions to 8-12. The split will now look like this:

Day 1 - Chest/Biceps

Incline BB Press
DB Bench Press
Stability Ball Fly
Assisted Chest Dip OR Seated Dip
Standing EZ Bar Curl
DB Spider Curl
Twisting Stability Ball Crunch

Day 2 - Legs

Squats
Seated Leg Curl
Leg Press OR Cybex Leg Extension
Seated Calf Raise
Leg Raises

Day 3 - Shoulders/Abs

Seated DB Shoulder Press
DB Lateral Raise
Lying Rear Lateral Raise
Lying External Rotation
Lying Internal Rotation
DB Shrugs
DB Side Bend
Weighted Stability Ball Crunch

Day 4 - Back/Triceps

Deadlifts
Assisted Pullups
Seated Cable Rows OR DB Bent Over Row
DB OR Cable Pullover
Close Grip Bench Press or Skullcrushers
DB Triceps Extension or Kickbacks
Stability Ball Crunch

[kimsquit]

what are Spider Curls?

I've seen others refer to them and I'm darned if I can figure out what they are

:)

[jtroster]

Spider curls are when you use the preacher bench from the other side: http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Spider+Curl

[Hibiscus09]

Happy Sunday, Joel! :) Good luck with your new split!

[jaguarr]

what are Spider Curls?

I've seen others refer to them and I'm darned if I can figure out what they are

:)


You don't know what they are? They were made popular by Ms. Muffett a few years back. :D

The new split looks pretty good, Joel. Give it a run for a few weeks and see how you like it!

jag

[jtroster]

Last night I did a grueling leg workout with the high-rep maniac trainer. Exhausting but no soreness this morning.

Squats -135/12, 155/12, 185/10, 225/8 - We did these as a drop set. The Smith machine is next to the squat rack so we put 95 pounds on the Smith and then did a set of squats with the heavy weight followed immediately by a set of 15-20 reps of sumo squats on the Smith.

Leg Press - 180/12, 180/13, 180/15, 180/15 - Again higher reps and lower weights. Time to switch my workout towel.

3 supersets of 15-20 reps of:
Cybex Leg Extension - 5 plates
Cybex Lying Leg Curl - 4 plates

By then when he said "How about some lunges?" I was too pooped to try.

My next and last workout with the high-rep maniac trainer is next Tuesday when we will do back. Then its back to my regular trainer for a few months.

Happy Hump Day.

[Hibiscus09]

LOL at the high rep maniac description. :D I've tried high rep squats -- 5 sets of 30 reps and have also done that on leg presses. My legs were sore right afterwards, but I didn't get the DOMS like I normally get lifting heavier. I don't know why. It still is a kickbootie workout and nice to switch things up sometimes.

Happy Wednesday, Joel! :)

[kimsquit]

Great workout

I'm wondering why your calves weren't mentioned...did you run out of time/energy?

:)

[jtroster]

I usually do calves but by the time we were finished I could not do anything more. I'll throw calves into my next workout (Shoulders & Abs).

The maniac trainer is not that good at workout planning. What I am learning from him is intensity. The energy he puts into his own workouts is astounding. It is quite a sight to see him do one arm rows with 100 pounds.

Also, he mentioned last night that he is on M1T. That dropped my respect for him a little.

[jaguarr]

Sounds like a pretty intense leg workout, Joel. I always try to keep in mind that intensity in the gym is great, but without good planning around what you're going to be doing in the gym, you won't be maximizing your time and getting the most out of things. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that some of the guys that I've seen get relatively big on intensity alone did it almost by dumb luck, eating a lot and lifting intensely but not smartly. Glad to see you recognize the difference! Intense AND smart in the gym...now that's the right combo. :cool:

jag

[jtroster]

I did this workout with my regular trainer. My wife is away at a conference so I can take her slot :). One Personal Best tonight.

Seated DB Shoulder Press - 35/9, 35/10, 40/8

Rear Delt Row (on Iso-Later Low Row) - 90/12, 110/10, 130/10

Lying Rear Lateral Raise - 5/12, 8/12, 10/12, 12/15

DB Lateral Raise - 8/20, 1-/15, 12/13

DB Shrugs - 50/8, 60/8, 65/8(PB)

Abs:
Weighted Stability Ball Crunch - 6/20 - Thats holding a 6 pound medicine ball at arm's length while crunching.

Leg Raises - 1 set of 20

"Dead Bug" - 1 set of 20

[Gunn27]

Nice work there again Joel. Save me the trouble of searching if you don't mind.... what kind of ab excercise is the "dead bug"? :confused: I always thought dead things didn't move much. :D

[Hibiscus09]

LOL -- I was thinking the same thing. What's a dead bug? Not a literal dead bug. I know what that is. :D The ab exercise, I mean.

Nice job on the workout and congrats on the shrug PB! :)

[joed]

I'm imagining they're lying leg raises up over the head; one of the women a few months ago who was new to the over35 club called them flags, can't exactly recall who she was right now. Dead bugs, spider curls, gotta be a vet these days to lift weights.

[jtroster]

After I posted I though someone would ask.

Lay in your back with your arms and legs straight up. Lower your right arm and leg to the floor and bring them back up. Then do the left side. Alternate sides for 20 reps.

[kimsquit]

keep up the good work!

:)

[jaguarr]

I wonder if you tried to do dead bugs and frogs in the same workout, if the frogs would try to eat the dead bug? Hmmmm... :D

Looks like you've hit a great stride, Joel. Keep at it, and have a great weekend!

jag

[jtroster]

Only one personal best today.

Incline BB Press - 45/15, 65/12, 85.8, 95/8 - I have not done these in a long time so I switched over from DB inclines. In my previous version of this split I did up to 6 sets of incline DB presses. That left me unable to use heavier weights for flat DB presses. So for this split I'll do 3-4 sets of these and go heavier on the DB Presses. I also concentrated on squeezing my shoulders together before unracking the weight. I found that this takes the strain off of the shoulders.

Superset:
DB Bench Press - 45/8, 50/8, 55/8
DB Flys - 20/8, 25/8, 30/8
Supersetting press and flys really hit the chest right.

Assisted Chest Dips - -60/8, -50/8, -40/6(PB!) - These are coming along. Soon I'll be able to do them unassisted.

21s - 20/20, 30/30 - A good biceps warmup.

Standing EZ Bar Curls - 65/4, 65/8, 65/8

DB Spider Curls - 3 sets of 20/8

Abs - One set of twisting stability ball crunches.

In all a good workout.

[joed]

It does look like a good WO. Hang tough man.

[Hibiscus09]

Good job, Joel! Congrats on the dips PB! :)

[jaguarr]

Man, PB's are just awesome. They're what keep me motivated...always doing a little bit better than the time before. Nice job, Joel!

jag

[kimsquit]

Man, PB's are just awesome. They're what keep me motivated...always doing a little bit better than the time before. Nice job, Joel!

jag

PB&J's are what motivate me :p

Great workout joel!

:)

[joed]

<Kimsquit, with only 2% to go, thinking about his reward>

[jtroster]

Thanks folks. As OHIOSTEVE said it in another thread just knowing that other are following my workouts keeps me focused.

Have a great week everyone. We have rain here in Toronto - remnants of Rita I think.

[jaguarr]

PB&J's are what motivate me :p



LOL! I think we need to start a betting pool on how much weight you put on in the first week after your competition, man. :D

jag

[jtroster]

Last night was my last workout with Greg the high-rep maniac trainer. I don't think I ever worked my back harder.

Cable Pulldown Superset - 60/20+10, 75/17+8, 90/10+5 - I usually start my back day with deadlifts. Greg, however, likes to warm up the back first. I did wide overhand grip pulldowns for the first amount of reps. Immediately I then switched to a close underhand grip did 1/2 of the original reps. Thats why I wrote 60/20+10. I really liked doing pulldowns this way and I'll incorporate them into my regular workouts.

Deadlifts - 135/10, 185/7, 185/8 - After the pulldown warmup I could really feel my upper back at the top of the deadlift. I'm going to switch the order of my regular workout to this.

Cybex Seated Row - 6(plates)/20, 8/10, 10/12 - Also after the first set we did one set of assisted pullups because the machine was free.

Seated Cable Rows - 75/10, 75/10, 75/12, 75/12 - These were using less weight then I usually use (150) but after all that came before it was all I could do.

Hammer Strength High Row - 50(per side)/15, 50/12, 50/12

Cross-bench DB Pullovers - 35/20, 50/10, 35/15 - I usually do my pullovers lying lengthwise on the bench. These were awkward at first and put a little strain on my lower back. I think I'll stick to my way.

Tricep V-bar Pushdowns - 60/10, 80/10, 80/10

Skullcrushers - 50/10, 50/10, 50/10 - I did some of the reps as Firecrushers (elbows angled backward) but I could not do all of them that way.

Well I survived Greg's workout and my back really felt pumped. The good thing is that don't have any soreness this morning, just the lingering pump of a good workout.

Happy Hump Day everyone.

[Hibiscus09]

Very nice workout, Joel! :)

[kimsquit]

That's an outstanding workout!

:)

[jtroster]

Thanks folks.

I don't think I could do a back workout like that every week. But I did take away some good ideas such as the pulldown superset.

[jaguarr]

Thanks folks.

I don't think I could do a back workout like that every week. But I did take away some good ideas such as the pulldown superset.


Learning new tricks like that is the whole point of trying new things and getting with a trainer. At least, I think so. It's nice to find ways to REALLY whammy your muscle groups so you can do so every now and again. Nice job, man!

jag

[jtroster]

I was preparing to workout last night by myself when my regular trainer called. He had a cancellation and ask if I wanted the time slot. So I did legs with him. No squats but we did Lunges.

Superset:
Leg Press - 180/20, 270/12, 450/10
Seated Leg Curl - 45/15, 70/12, 80/10

Leg Press drop set - 450/10, 360/10, 270/10, 180/10. Ouch! 40 reps with only the time to remove the plates between sets.

Superset:
Cybex Leg Extension - 6(plates)/10, 7/10, 8/10
Cybex Lying Leg Curl - 4(plates)/10, 5/10, 6/10

Superset:
Seated Calf Raise - 90/12, 90/12, 90/12
Walking Lunges - 20 lunges with 8, 10 and 12 pound DBs

By the time we were finished I really did not miss the Squats. I really needed my PWO shake of Surge.

Have a great weekend everyone.

[kimsquit]

Lunges are a lot tougher than people realize!

Wasn't "Surge" the name of Bronson Pinchot's character in "Beverly Hills Cop"?

;)

[jtroster]

I have not been doing lunges a lot but I finally got the form perfect last night and I'm now going to include them in my leg days .

Bronson Pinchot's character was called Serge. See http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086960/

[rpaul11]

that sounds like an incredible leg workout....good job

[joed]

<JT, soon to be joining Chi & Hibby walking down steps one at a time>

[jtroster]

<JT, soon to be joining Chi & Hibby walking down steps one at a time>

What so you mean soon? I found it real hard to come down for breakfast this morning - 16 steps!

[jtroster]

One personal best today.

Seated Shoulder Press - 35/9, 35/8, 40/8, 40/8 - I tried 45 but not yet. Maybe next shoulder day.

Superset:
DB Lateral Raise - 15/8, 15/8, 20/8, 25/6
DB Rear Delt Row - 15/8, 15/8, 20/8, 25/8

Superset:
Lying External Rotation - 8/8, 8/8
Lying Internal Rotation - 8/8, 8/8

DB Shrugs - 65/8, 65/8, 65/8

DB Side Bend - 65/12, 65/8(PB!) - I usually use 50 pounds, but I just picked up a 65 aftr the shrugs and did them.

Weighted Stabiliy Ball Crunch - 4/20, 6/20

[jaguarr]

Nice workout, Joel. Looks like you're adding PB's on a fairly regular basis! Keep up the great work, man!

jag

[jtroster]

I did my usual Tuesday night workout on Wednesday because of Rosh Hashanah. The Jewish high holidays started Monday night. The family had a fabulous feast at my sister's Monday night, then synagogue Tuesday morning, another feast at my place Tuesday night and again at synagogue Wednesday morning. I really had to work off all that food so I dragged myself into the gym last night.

Superset Cable Pulldown, Overhand Wide Grip & Underhand Narrow Grip - 90/15+7, 90/10+5, 90/10+5 - I incorporated this warmup from the 23 set back attack I did with trainer Greg. Its a great way to warm up the back before doing the deadlifts.

Romanian Deadlifts - 135/10, 225/8, 225/6, 245/4

DB Bent Over Row - 50/8, 55/8, 60/6

DB Pullover - 55/8, 60/8, 65/6

Close Grip Bench Press - 95/8, 115/6

V-bar pushdowns - 100/8, 110/8, 120/7

I did not feel all that strong for this workout. It must be all the food from the past two days. But my weight did not increase despite the feasts. I'm still hanging in there at 175. My next goal is to get down to 170 which I figure is a good weight for my height of 5'7".

On another note my son Charles returned Monday at 6:30am from his three months of backpacking across Canada and the US. You can read all about his travels in his blog (http://www.livejournal.com/users/queerasmoi/). He graduated from university this spring with high destinction in French Language and Chemistry. He is taking a year off before starting graduate school where he will be studying Chemistry. He was awarded a National Science and Engineering Research Council grant to help him along.

Cheers everyone - and now back to work slogging software.

[mom24boys]

mornin' Jt..skimmed your boys Blog....what a fun way to take a break.... did you keep up with him thru his blog? How did you feel reading about it? Have great Day

[jtroster]

My wife and I learned a lot about our son by reading his blog. We checked every morning and night for new entries. I even had my 78 year old mother-in-law checking every day from her computer.

[Hibiscus09]

That is really great, Joel! :) I bet that was fun following his travels via his blog. Isn't the internet amazing? I wouldn't mind seeing Brian, Jr. doing something like that during his college years. What a nice experience. My brotherinlaw's (Joel also) daughters went to Europe and did the backpack traveling thing the summer before they began college.

You must be really proud of your son. Sounds like he's done fantastic with his schooling! Congrats! :)

Little B just said to me yesterday that he is always wanting to be Jewish this time of year because his friends start getting days off from school for religious holidays. :D

Sorry you felt weak for your workout. We all have those days. :p Nice job, anyway!

[jtroster]

Well, I'm back to the iron after a week off. Last week was filled with feasting. First there was the Jewish High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah) with big dinners on Monday and Tuesday nights, then my nephew had his Bar Mitzvah on Saturday. We a dinner for 50 out of town guests at our house Friday night, there was a lunch on Saturday after the services and then a big party Sunday night. I must have gained 8 pounds.

Some good news - I had my annual physical yesterday morning and despite all the feasting I am still down 8 pounds from last year. Also, my blood pressure is down right into the normal range (140/80) for my age (55). I'll get blood test results next week - I asked for testosterone levels to be added.

And on to the workout. I worked out with my regular trainer Jason and made one personal best:

Flat BB presses - 135/8, 135/8, 155/6, 155/8 - The great news is that after the week off my left shoulder no longer feels wonky. The presses were smooth without any of that shifting/clicking I used to feel. This was slightly offset by the fact my Doctor gave me my booster shot (tetanus, etc.) in the left shoulder and that hurt.

Lying Cable Flys - 20/12, 25/8, 25/12

HammerStrength Seated Dip - 90/12, 110/12, 130/6(PB) - This machine is growing on me. I am starting to like it better than the Gravitron assisted dip machine.

21s - 35/21 - Nice bicep warmup

Standing EZ bar curls - 65/8, 65/8 - Next time I'll add 5 pounds.

Cable Preacher Curls - 70/8, 70/8

DB Hammer Curls - 20/8

PWO shake of Surge and home to watch some mindless TV.

[Gunn27]

Nice workout Joel, and good news on the bp and weight form you visit to the Doc. I have just started (and Jag has too) trying the Chest/Bi - Back/Tri split, and I think I am going to like it set up this way. Back and Tris later today.

[mom24boys]

great news from the doc JT...WTG!

[joed]

Yeah jt, those tetanus boosters feel like you've got a golf ball inside your shoulder. Glad your shoulder's better.

[jaguarr]

Simply outstanding all the way around, Joel! Keep up the good work in here! :)

jag

[Hibiscus09]

Some good news - I had my annual physical yesterday morning and despite all the feasting I am still down 8 pounds from last year. Also, my blood pressure is down right into the normal range (140/80) for my age (55).

Cool beans! You're a stud! :)

Nice job on the workout!

[kimsquit]

Simply outstanding all the way around, Joel! Keep up the good work in here!

what he said!

:)

[jtroster]

I did a legs workout after work before dinner. Usually I workout after a meal. I think I really need that meal as I struggled through the last set of squats. I added lunges now to my leg day and I feel it this morning.

Warmup Leg Press - 100/20

Squats - 135/12, 225/12, 225/12, 275/6. Almost lost my balance on that last set.

Superset:
Seated Leg Curl - 80/11, 80/12, 90/8
Seated Calf Raise - 100/15, 100/15, 115/15(PB!)

Walking Lunges holding DBs - 20/12, 20/12, 25/12, 25/12

PWO shake of Surge and then a sushi dinner.

Have a good weekend.

[Hibiscus09]

Yeah, I really notice it if I haven't eaten a good preworkout meal before doing legs. You did a nice job, anyway! :) I love sushi! Yum!

[Gunn27]

Good job getting through in spite of feeling underfed Joel. I cringe at the very thought of lunges, for some reason it is one of my least favourite exercises. I always feel them the next day though so I know it was worth doing them.

Enjoy the weekend.

[kimsquit]

Happy Saturday, Joel!

:)

[jtroster]

Great Shoulder & Abs workout this morning.

Seated DB Shoulder Press - 25/15, 35/8, 40/8, 40/6 - My tendonitis is gone now but this movement seems to feel like it will occur again. So I'm going to only do light weights on this exercise as a warm up and do seated military BB presses for heavier weights. The BB presses don't seem to hit that once-sore spot.

Superset:
DB Lateral Raise - 20/9, 20/8, 25/8, 25/8
DB Rear Delt Row - 20/9, 20/8, 25/8, 25/8

Seated Military Press - 45/8, 55/8, 65/8 - Just seeing how these feel. Next shoulder day I'll increase the weight.

DB Shrugs - 60/11, 65/8, 65/8

Abs: One set of 20 reps of each of the following:
Stability Ball Crunch
Leg Raises
DB Side Bend - 65 pounds
Wood Choppers - 50 pounds
Cybex Crunch - 100 pounds
Dead Bugs

[Hibiscus09]

Nice job, Joel! :)

[mom24boys]

hey JT....:)

[jtroster]

Last night was trainer's choice. Two Personal Bests.

Superset:
Wide Grip Pulldowns - 80/15, 90/12, 100/10
Back Extensions - 0/12, 10/12, 10/12

Iso-Lateral High Row - 70(per side)/10, 80/10, 90/10

DB Skull Crushers - 15,12, 25/10, 30/6(PB#1)

Cable Lat Pullover - 45/12, 50/12, 60/7

V-Bar Pushdowns - 110/10, 120/8, 130/6(PB#2)

Rope Pushdowns, drop set - 80/10, 70/10, 60/10, 50/10 - Only 30 secs between sets.

[Hibiscus09]

Congrats on the PBs!! :) Happy Wednesday!

[mom24boys]

WTG on the PB's yo and jag having a competition to see who can get the most? Lol
Happy HuMp day.

[jtroster]

While I can't handle the weights that Jag does I do feel some kind of connection. Maybe I need a tattoo ;)

[ms_mac]

Awesome job on the pb's Jt!

[mom24boys]

yea thats it..you need a tatoo :) it only hurts for a little bit ya know LOL

[jaguarr]

Now, now, the only people we compete against around here is ourselves. :) Nice work on the PB's, Joel! I'll skip the advice on shopping for a tat artist and design for another time. :D

jag

[mom24boys]

i disagree, mild competion is healthy for ya :)

[jtroster]

A good Chest & Biceps workout with three new Personal Bests.

Incline BB Press - 65/12, 75/12, 85/12, 95/8, 105/8(PB#1) - I just switched from DB to BB on the incline presses. I started low to warm up the shoulders. Each set I added weight and it felt just fine. I'll add more weight next time.

DB Bench Press - 50/8, 50/8, 50/8 - I tried 55s and they did not want to move. I'll keep trying until they do.

Stability Ball Fly - 25/12, 30/8, 35/8 - I think I'll try decline flys next time. I'm not getting any chest work in that position.

Assisted Chest Dip - -50/8, -40/8, 0/3 - The assisted dips are feeling easier each time so I tried unassisted dips for the last set - three lousy reps. But I'll keep doing that for the last set set so I can build up to doing them all unassisted.

21s - 30/20, 40(PB#2)20 - Someone hid the 35 pound BB so I used the 40.

Standing EZ Bar Curl - 65/6, 65/6, 65/6 - I usually do 8 reps but increasing the weight for the 21s tired the bis.

DB Spider Curl - 20/8, 20/8, 25(PB#3)/6

PWO Shake of Surge and I'm back at work fixing software.

Have a great weekend everyone.

[kimsquit]

Another great workout Joel - Happy Friday!

:)

[Gunn27]

Excellent work Joel, and nice work on the PB's. Did you leave a note thanking whoever hid the 35 DB's? That's one way to ensure progress, lol.

[mom24boys]

3 news PB's woo hoo great job!
Enjoy your weekend :)

[jaguarr]

Gotta love it when the PB's fall like that, Joel. Nice job! Give the decline flies a try. I'm really liking those. Keep the angle as perpendicular to the floor as you can when you do them and really "hug the barrel" or "strike the stage pose" or whatever analogy works for you for making sure your form stays good. I find that if I let the angle slip towards my head at all, it starts putting more strain and emphasis on my shoulders than my chest. Have a good weekend, man!

jag

[jtroster]

Thanks for the hints Jag. I have been finding that doing flys on the stability ball approximate an incline fly and that is starting to hit my shoulders more than my chest. So I'll switch to declines to take the strain off the shoulders.

[Hibiscus09]

Yay, Joel! Congrats on the PBs!!! Have a great weekend! :)

[fitbyfifty]

Congrats one the PB's and Good Workout Joel.:)
Brenda

[jtroster]

I felt up for today's leg workout. I also added some abs.

Warmup Leg Press - 180/20

Squats - 135/12, 225/12, 245/12, 265/8 - I did not want to push for my PB of 295 as I added in Leg extensions and wanted to finish my planned workout.

Superset:
Seated Leg Curl - 80/8, 80/9, 90/7
Seated Calf Raise - 100/15, 100/15, 110/15

Superset:
Cybex Leg Extension - 6(plates)/12, 7/8
Cybex Crunch - 100/20, 100/20

Walking Lunges - 2x25/24(Paces), 2x30/24 - I am getting to like these things.

iPod: Cats

After lunch we are off to the Opera - Bizet's Carmen.

[Gunn27]

Nice workout Joel, enjoy the opera..... I'd much rather spend my day there than where I'm going. :D

work :(

[jtroster]

Now that the weather is cooler I'm starting back to adding cardio. Yesterday I did 20 minutes on the elliptical with my heart rate set to 120. I'm going to commit to at least one cardio session a week on top of my 3 workouts.

[Hibiscus09]

I've never been to the opera. Hope you enjoyed! :)

Come on now, let's try 2 cardio sessions -- maybe 3. ;) Commit baby! :D

[mom24boys]

I've never been to the opera. Hope you enjoyed! :)

Come on now, let's try 2 cardio sessions -- maybe 3. ;) Commit baby! :D


me either..not sure if i would like it :)
I am with Diane...more cardio LOL

[jtroster]

The opera was great. Lots of good music and singing.

As for cardio - I'll commit to only what I know I can do. For now. If I can keep it up for a month I'll try adding another session.

[Gunn27]

The opera was great. Lots of good music and singing.

As for cardio - I'll commit to only what I know I can do. For now. If I can keep it up for a month I'll try adding another session.Glad you enjoyed the opera. Good choice on the cardio, do you have an elliptical at home or is that done at the gym?

[jtroster]

We have a Precor model 5.19 at home with a TV in front ot it. I watch the Food channel as incentive.

[Gunn27]

We have a Precor model 5.19 at home with a TV in front ot it. I watch the Food channel as incentive.LOL, I don't know if that is incentive or masochism at is worst!?

[jtroster]

It was trainer's choice tonight so we did a workout that went heavy on the rear delts.

Warmup Seated DB Shoulder Press - 20/20

DB Lateral Raise - 10/20, 15/15, 20/10

Rear Delt Row (on Iso-Lateral Low Row) - 45/10, 45/15, 45/15

Bent Over DB Rear Delt Raise - 5/12, 5/12, 8/12 - These were done with a 2 second hold at the top.

Seated Military Press - 45/10, 65/8, 65/8 - I found that these felt best when I first squeezed my shoulder blades together before doing the lift.

Behind the Back BB Shrugs - 115/10, 115/10, 135/10 - First time doing these.

Abs:
Russian Twists - 20
Stability Ball Crunch - 20
Dead Bugs - 20

PWO shake and then walk the dog so he could deliver his pee-mail.

[jaguarr]

Nice job, man. I think the rear delts are something a lot of guys undertrain, to be honest. Good to see you hitting 'em!

jag

[jtroster]

I can really feel my rear delts this morning. The neat thing is that I can train them without any pain in my middle delts.

[jtroster]

Awesome Back & Tri workout this afternoon. I hit two new personal bests.

Warmup Superset Cable Pulldown Wide & Narrow Grip - 90/12+6, 90/12+6

Romanian Deadlifts - 135/12, 225/8, 225/8, 245/8, 255/6(PB#1) - Boy did these feel good today.

Assisted Pullups - -60/8, -60/6 - After the Deads I had trouble doing the pullups. I think I am going back to doing Iso-Lateral High Rows instead.

Seated Cable Rows - 135/18, 150/8, 150/8, 165/6

DB Pullover - 60/8, 65/8, 65/8 - Next time I'll try for a PB of 70

Close Grip Bench Press - 95/11, 115/11, 125/7(PB#2)

V-bar pushdowns - 110/8, 110/8, 120/7

[Gunn27]

That's a good looking workout Joel. Congrats on the PB's, you have been making a few of these lately too, nice job. Are you making any adjustments to your nutrition as the weights go up, and you have added cardio, etc? :)

[jaguarr]

Hey, nice work, Joel! The PB's are really rolling in for you, lately! Whatever you're doing, it's working, man!

jag

[jtroster]

I have not changed my nutrition much. Possibly my carb intake has gone up a bit. When the weather starts to get colder something in me tells me to eat more carbs. Also, I have gone back to taking Blue Rhino before my workouts. In August when I took it I found that it did not do much as a testosterone booster but it did work just fine as a workout energiser. I find that I'm more focused when I take it.

As for the PB on the deadlifts I learned from the "high-rep maniac trainer" to warm up the upper back before doing deads. That's why I do that cable pulldown superset first.

Have a great weekend everyone.

[mom24boys]

wow you are on a roll.....dont stop whatever it is it is working :) have a great weekend

[jtroster]

I worked on increasing my intensity for this workout and I got two personal bests.

Incline BB Press - 65/15, 95/8, 105/8, 115/8(PB#1) - I switched to BBs from DB as I was having trouble hoisting up the weights into position. So after more than three months of doing DB presses I switched over to BB presses and they felt just fine without any shoulder pain.

DB Bench Press - 50/8, 55/8, 55/6 - Next workout I'll switch these over to BB presses as well and see how they go.

Decline Flys - 25/12, 30/8, 25/8 - First time doing these and I like them. They concentrate on the chest better than flat flys and completely take the shoulders out of the action. I did the second set with 30s but I felt that I was getting a better stretch with the 25s.

Seated Chest Dip - 90/12, 110/10, 120/8(PB#2)

21s - 30/21, 35/21

Standing EZ Bar Curl - 55/8, 60/8, 60/8 - My personal best on this is 65 pounds but I was cheating a little so I dropped the weight to concentrate on better form.

DB Spider Curls - 25/8, 20/8

I tried a new PWO shake - Allmax's Postmax. Not as great tasting as Surge but a lot cheaper in Canada.

Have a great week everyone.

[jaguarr]

Nice job, man. Glad you liked those decline flies. I've found them to be really effective. Hope your week is great as well, Joel!

Cheers,
jag

[jtroster]

Did 25 minutes on the Elliptic after work - that's two Mondays in a row now.

Then dinner, handed out chocolates to the tricksters and headed out to choir practice. I tried to not eat to much chocolate but I guess I need to do more cardio to make up for those Coffee Crisps.

[kimsquit]

I read somewhere that it takes 20 minutes for your body to deplete it's glycogen reserves during cardio, after which you start to get the real benefits of it.

Perhaps it's just more internet folklore...

:)

[jtroster]

I'm working up to 30 minutes, then I'll increase the effort.

[Gunn27]

Or, how about trying your weekly cardio pre-breakfast? That way you don't have to do the 20 minutes of depleting glycogen.... straight to fat burning. At least that's the theory I'm using, LOL. :)

Good job gettign that cardio in regardless of how and when.

[jaguarr]

I'm really liking pre-breakfast cardio, personally. Maybe it's cuz I'm still too sleepy to be fully cognizant that I'm doing it. :D

jag

[Hibiscus09]

That's true about prebreakfast cardio -- at least that's what I choose to believe. Unfortunately, lately I've been enjoying my cup of java and my jammies too much to head out there. :p

Hope you enjoyed Halloween, Joel! :) I couldn't do enough cardio to make up for the chocolate I ate, so I'll just pretend it didn't happen. :D

[kimsquit]

I couldn't do enough cardio to make up for the chocolate I ate, so I'll just pretend it didn't happen.

Hallowe'en chocolate doesn't have calories...but only if you eat it before midnight on the 31st!

:)

[jtroster]

I don't have time for morning cardio. I get up at 6:00am and am at work around 7:00am. So thats why I do my cardio after work before any supper or snacks.

I brought all the remaining chocolates to work and left them in the break room. They were all gone within am hour ;)

Tonight its legs. Maybe I can work off the damage I did be eating chocolate.

Happy Hump Day.

[someday]

Hallowe'en chocolate doesn't have calories...but only if you eat it before midnight on the 31st!

:)

thanks for telling us that now! :D

[jtroster]

Did a leg workout last night with my trainer Jason. I used less wieght than usual but worked on increasing range of movement.

Leg Press - 180/20, 270/15, 360/12

Superset:
Seated Leg Curl - 70/10, 80/8
Seated Calf Raise - 105/13, 105/15

Squats - 135/12, 135/12, 135/12 - My PB is 295 but I was not going low enough. So we dropped the weight and worked on form and better range of motion. These were all done below parallel.

Superset:
Cybex Leg Extension - 6(plates)/10, 7/10
Cybex Abductor - 6(plates)/10, 7/10
Cybex Adductor - 6(plates)/10, 7/10

Walking Lunges - Holding 25s/24

Stability Ball Crunches - 2 sets of 20

[jaguarr]

Man, that looks like a killer leg workout, Joel. I got tired just reading it! Nice work! :)

jag

[jtroster]

I was pretty wiped out after the workout but a PWO shake helped. This morning I'm only a little sore.

[jtroster]

I moved up on two exercises. When working my shoulders I really need to warm them up first or the tendonitis will come back.

Seated DB Shoulder Press - 25/15 - These are for warmups. Next time I'll drop the weight to 20 and do 2 sets of 20.

Superset:
DB Lateral Raise - 20/10, 20/10, 25/10
DB Rear Delt Row - 20/10, 20/10, 25/10

Seated BB Press - 65/8, 70/8, 70/8, 75/7(PB#1)

BB Shrugs - 95/12, 115/12, 135/8(PB#2) - I like BB shrugs now over DB shrugs. They can be done in front or behind and I can handle in total a larger weight than with DBs.

Abs - One set of 20 each of:
- Stability Ball Crunch holding 8 pounds
- Leg Raises
- DB Side Bend - 65
- Cybex Crunch Machine - 100

PWO shake of Surge and on to work. Have a great weekend everyone.

[jaguarr]

Nice work, man! I really like those BB Shrugs, too. Try them with more of a close grip and see what sort of difference you feel. I mix a shoulder width grip on some sets with a close grip on others and really feel like I'm hitting every part of the trap in my workouts. Just something to experiment with! :) Have a nice weekend, Joel!

jag

[jtroster]

My main problem with DB shrugs is holding. With the BB I can get a good grip.

[jtroster]

I hit Back & Triceps this morning with one personal best.

Warmup Superset Cable Pulldown Wide & Narrow Grip - 90/12+6, 90/12+6

Romanian Deadlifts - 135/12, 225/8, 245/6, 255/6

Iso-Lateral High Row - 70(per side)/10, 80/8, 90/8

Bent Over DB Rows - 50/8, 60/8, 65/6(PB)

Standing Cable Pullover - 90/8, 100/8, 110/8

Close Grip Bench Press - 115/8, 125/8, 130/6

Seated DB Triceps Extensions - 35/10, 40/10, 45/10

PWO Shake of Surge and back home to cook for the freezer. Yesterday we made a huge pot of chicken soup for the freezer. Today I made some veal ribs in black bean sauce.

[jaguarr]

Nicely done, Joel! Sounds like your weekend has been a good one!

jag

[jtroster]

Monday night I did my cardio at home. That makes three weeks in a row.

Last night was trainer's choice. It was a good night with three new personal bests.

Incline BB Press - 958. 125/8, 130/8, 135/6(PB#1)

Stability Ball Cable Flys - 20/12, 30/8, 30/10

DB Bench Press - 40/8, 45/8, 50/8

Seated Chest Dip - 90/10, 110/8, 120/8(PB#2)

21s - 30/21, 35/21, 45/21(PB#3) - I usually just do 1-2 sets of 21s for Biceps warmups. But this time we did 3 sets for weights. I had to grunt through the last set.

DB Hammer Curl - 15/12, 20/11, 25/8

I had my PWO shake of Surge and hit the couch for the latest installment of Commander In Chief. Now that's a great show.

Happy Hump Day.

[mom24boys]

WTG on the 3 PB's JT!

[Hibiscus09]

Nice job on the workouts! :) I haven't watched "Commander in Chief" -- that's the Geena Davis show, isn't it?

[jtroster]

Yes Geena Davis as President with Donald Sutherland as the speaker of the house trying to get her to resign. Lots of great political posturing.

[kimsquit]

Did you know that Geena Davis is a member of mensa and was on the US Olympic archery team way back when?


just thought I'd contribute to the thread...

:)

[Baldsnake]

Don't you just love it...The Prez has silicone injected lips. Isn't Sandy Berger the former Clinton advisor, who was caught stuffing classified documents into his shorts at the National Achives, an advisor to this show? I tried to watch the show and broke out into a case of warm and fuzzies. (Momma Snake loves the show....what can I say?) Can we send the whole cast north? Don't the baby white seals need some help with an international invasion from the evil empire to the south?

OK....off the couch everyone and lets put in some old Jack LaLanne tapes.

[jtroster]

Leg day!

Warmup Leg Press - 180/20

Squats - 135/12, 185/8, 225/8, 275/7

Superset:
Seated Leg Curl - 80/8, 80/8
Seated Calf Raise - 120/15, 120/12

Superset:
Cybex Leg Extension - 8 plates/8, 8/8
Cybex Crunch - 8 plates/20, 8/20

Walking Lunges - 2x25/24

I felt a little flakey after that workout and the PWO shake of Surge really helped. Now I'm at work hunting down another graphics driver bug - green spots all over the screen!

Have a great weekend.

[jaguarr]

Did you know that Geena Davis is a member of mensa and was on the US Olympic archery team way back when?


just thought I'd contribute to the thread...

:)


She may be a MENSA member, but she was also stupid enough to marry Renny Harlin and let him talk her into starring into not one but two really bad movies that he directed. At least she wised up and divorced him, though. :D

Nice job on the workouts, Joel!

jag

[jtroster]

To honour Chris' win I had to make a new personal best today.

Warmup DB Shoulder Press - 25/15, 25/15

Superset:
DB Lateral Raise - 15/10, 20/10, 20/10
DB Rear Delt Row - 15/10, 20/10, 20/10

Seated BB Press - 65/8, 70/8, 75/8, 80/6(PB!)

BB Shrugs - 135/8, 135/8, 135/8

Abs - One set each of:
Weighted Stability Ball Crunch - 20/20
Leg Raises - /20
DB Side Bend - 60/20
Wood Choppers - 60/20
Cybex Crunch - 100/20

[jtroster]

Last night was Back & Triceps with my trainer. But first a story. There is a guy in the gym who spends up to 4 hours at a time there. He makes a lot of noise when he actually does an exercise but mostly he is a gym-groupy. He likes to hang around people who look like they know what they are doing and brag about what he will be able to do soon. The last time I saw him he was put to shame by the 82 year old man who benched more than him. This time the groupy saw me doing deadlifts and figured I was his next target. Now its initially flattering to have a groupy. But then it just gets annoying. As I was loading up 245 to lift he got another bar and put 135 on it. He did 2 reps accompanied by a lot of noise and then when he saw I was not paying him attention he left to find someone else.

Here was the workout:

Superset Cable Pulldown Wide & Narrow Grip - 90/12+6, 105/12+6

Romanian Deadlifts - 135/10, 225/8, 245/8 - We worked on form a lot. I manage to keep my upper back in proper form but at the bottom of the lift I tend to round my shoulders slightly forward. Perhaps doing more read delt work might help.

Back Extensions - 2 sets of 12, unweighted

Cybex Seated Row - 6(plates)/12, 8/12, 9/10 - We moved ot the Cybex room to escape the groupy.

Iso-High Row - 70/12, 80/12, 90/10

Close Grip Bench Press - 115/8, 115/8, 125/8

DB Skullcrushers - 15/12, 20/10, 25/8

Finished the night feeling pumped with bulging Triceps.

Happy Hump Day.

[Gunn27]

Good job getting rid of the "groupy", god I hate that. Does every gym have at least one of these guys, it sure seems like it? Solid workout again, and belated congrats on Sunday's PB. Nice work. :)

[jaguarr]

LOL! Another side benefit of working out at home for me....no groupies. :D If all else fails, laughing and pointing at guys like that and then loudly calling them a pussy will usually get rid of them. Just something to keep in mind in case you need to use this valuable piece of information. LOL! :D

Nice job on the PB's, man! You're clicking right along, bro!

jag

[jtroster]

Jag,

I always thought your wife is your groupy, or is that gropey.

[jtroster]

My wife was in New York on business since Wednesday so I flew down Friday morning so we could have the weekend seeing a show and dining with friends and family.

We stayed at the Holiday Inn on West 57th street. It had a nice gym in the lower level called New York Underground Fitness. Lots of iron and nice owners. So after I checked in Friday morning I did a chest & biceps workout there and Sunday morning I did a leg workout. I'll post the details tonight as I did not bring my log with me today.

Friday night we say Monty Python's Spamalot - the broadway musical based on the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It stared Tim Curry and David Hyde Pierce. It was an fabuliously funny show that even my wife loved and she is not a fan of Monty Python like I am.

Saturday we shopped, visited the recently rennovated Museum of Modern Art and had dinner with friends at a great Belgium place. Moules-frites for everyone.

Sunday we had brunch with family. My brother lives in nearby Teaneck NJ and my twin nieces and their husbands live on the upper west side. Also my sister was visiting from Toronto. So we all had brunch together at a place at 75th and Amsterdam.

Have a great week everyone.

[jaguarr]

Sounds like you had a really nice weekend, man. MOMA is a great place to spend some time if you have it. :) I'm jealous you got to see that show, by the way. I've wanted to catch it but we haven't made it to NYC for quite awhile.

jag

[jtroster]

The best part about MOMA is sitting and contemplating the Monet Water Lilies. Those three huge panels can put you into a real state of serene peace.

[kimsquit]

sounds like you had a perfect weekend!

:)

[jtroster]

This was the first of my two New York workouts.

Incline DB Press - 35/12, 40/12, 45/10 - I tried hoisting up a pair of 50s but it was not the day for them.

BB Bench Press - 115/8, 135/8, 145/6, 155/4

Decline Flys - 20/12, 20/12

21s - 35/21, 45/21

Standing EZ Bar curl - 55/8, 60/8, 65/8

[jtroster]

The second of my two New York workouts.

Leg Press - 180/20, 270/15, 360/10

Squats - 135/12, 225/8, 225/8, 275/6

Seated Leg Curl - 75/12, 90/12, 90/12

Seated Calf Raise - 90/12, 115/12 115/12

Leg Extension - 90/8, 105/8, 120/6

Weighted Stability Ball Crunch - 0/20, 6/15

Walking Lunges - 2x25/24

[Hibiscus09]

Friday night we say Monty Python's Spamalot - the broadway musical based on the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It stared Tim Curry and David Hyde Pierce. It was an fabuliously funny show that even my wife loved and she is not a fan of Monty Python like I am.

I'm glad you had fun! Little B loves Monty Python. He thinks it's hilarious. I didn't know there was a show in N.Y. -- I'll have to tell him.

Nice workouts!

[mom24boys]

Hiyas JT

[jtroster]

Mom24boys,

As my bubby used to say, "Hello yourself".

[jtroster]

It would have been a trainer night except he was deer hunting on the weekend and put his back out lifting a big bag of meat. So I just followed my script and did Shoulders and Abs. I made one personal best.

Warmup Seated DB Shoulder Press - 25/20

Superset:
DB Lateral Raise - 15/8, 20/8, 20/8
DB Rear Delt Row - 15/8, 20/8, 20/8

Seated BB Press - 65/8, 75/8 80/8 - I'm going to add weight next time.

BB Shrugs - 135/8, 135/8, 155/6(PB)

Abs - one set each of:
Weighted Stability Ball Crunch - 20/20
Leg Raises - /20
DB Side Bend - 65/8
Wood Choppers - 60/12
Cybex Crunch - 100/20

Happy Hump Day!