Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Back and Biceps

It's Wednesday and I admit to being a bit tired when I got to the gym this morning. What else is new? I have no idea how my body is going to react to the new routine until I do it so here we are Day 3. 30 minutes of cardio on the Precor gives me 3 miles. That makes me sweaty, warm and happy. Then I go wrestle with the Olympic bar and a pair of 45 lb plates for Reverse Grip BB Rows. I could just use the 25 lb plates and toss a couple of 10s on each end, but the 45s are more impressive, lift the bar higher off the floor, and keep me from slacking too much. I have to move from 45 lbs (just the bar) to 135 lbs (one pair of big plates) instead of dawdling at 95 or 125 lbs.

I do three sets at 155 lbs, and it makes me tired. The extra cardio is making lifting harder, but I knew that was going to happen. To make up for it, I do two sets of 20 reppers afterwards instead of one. My left and right sides are not quite in sync so I have to be extra mindful. Next week I might do One-Arm DB Rows or Pendlays instead. I really hate Pendlays because they seem to stress my lower back. I probably just need to use a much lighter weight.

Next is Neutral Grip (Close Grip) Lat Pull Downs. I already know I'm going to have trouble with the heavy sets. Still, it feels pretty good to hang momentarily from the cable, kick my feet under to catch the seat and pull myself down into position under the lap bar, and then pull back until the handles just touch my chest. I almost don't make the last rep of the last set. To give my arms a rest, I do three sets of 20 reps on the Lower Back Extension machine. The DB area is ridiculously crowded and all the EZ bars are in use. I grab a straight solid 50 lb bar to do BB Curls by the other wall. My elbows are a bit twingey so I only do 3 sets. Then I grab a pair of 20 lb DBs for standing alternate twisting DB curls. 20 lbs would seem light except that my arms are toast and I'm having trouble holding the DBs because my hands are tired as well. I can barely manage three sets. I completely skip Reverse Grip BB Curls because there's no point if I can't hang on to the bar!

After a quick turn at the Torso Twist machine, I clamber back onto a Precor elliptical for 20 minutes and 2 more miles. Then onto the Mats for Dive Bomber Push Ups, a 60-second plank, and a full stretch. The gym scale reads 113.2 lbs which is better than it was Monday when it hit tilt at 115.4 lbs. I feel really good, but I'm so hungry I could eat my arm, and I had breakfast this morning. Yesterday I reviewed all my past progress photos and conclude that I'd like to drop back down to 108 lbs. That's when I could see the horseshoes in my triceps and my quads had some shape to them. Actually, the weight doesn't matter. It's the body fat that determines whether I can see my triceps or not. So what I'd like to do is drop my BF down from its current 20.8% down to 18.5%.

After the gym I have a few errands to run but I stop by Marshall's to check out their fitness clothes. I've made the surprising discovery that the newest style of sports bras with thin adjustable straps and hook and eye backs are the most comfortable for me since they don't dig into my traps or delts when I work out and get a big back or chest pump. I'm surprised because, in general, daily wear bras with skinny straps are uncomfortable. Now it's the thick shoulder straps that are killing me. I like the removable modesty pads as well, because I don't have to worry about high-beams and I can just concentrate on my work out. You can talk about me behind my back or in front of my face. I don't care and I can't hear you anyway. But you'll be talking about how much I can lift, or how big my arms are, not whether you can see my boobs. 

Wednesday Back and Biceps

30 min Precor elliptical = 3.01 miles

Reverse Grip BB Rows
15x45 lbs (bar)
12x135 lbs
3x12x155 lbs
2x20x135 lbs (for fun)

Neutral Close Grip Lat Pull Down
12x75 lbs
10x90 lbs
10x105 lbs
8x120 lbs
3x8x135 lbs

Lower Back Extension Machine
3x20x180 lbs

BB Curls (solid straight bar)
3x12x50 lbs

Standing Alternate Twisting DB Curl
3x12x20 lbs

20 min Precor elliptical = 2.06 miles

Mat Stretch with 2x12 DBPUs, 60-second plank, splits, upper & lower back stretches

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