Born Again Gym Rat: chest shoulder bicep workout

Showing posts with label chest shoulder bicep workout. Show all posts

Monday, July 21, 2014

You Know It's Time

You know it's time to increase the weights when you start to get sets of high reps in big movements. I blame it on having to decrease my cardio on Tuesday and Thursdays, and on wonky knees that feel better when I do a bit less than 5 miles a day. I can tell that my bench is better than it's been. I know I've benched heavier in the past, but for few reps and always with a nagging front delt soreness to follow. I also know that I really need a decent 20 minute warm up before I lift, not just 5 minutes on the elliptical. Using the LifeFitness Cross-trainer has really helped with my bench and BB rows (15 rep sets at 155 lbs means time to up it a tad).

Today I get to the gym a bit late after dropping my son at camp. After a busy weekend, I'm not very enthusiastic to work out although I know that it will ultimately clear my head and energize my body. The gym is only moderately busy and I attribute that to the relatively nice weather. Most people would rather go for a run outside. I take my time on the Bench and I'm not that surprised to get 12 reps at 115 lbs. I've benched 125 before. Heck, I've benched 135. But since my epic fail a few months ago, I'm wary of what I move. What I wonder is if I can get two more sets or not. Because I don't quite trust myself, I pull back after 11 reps for the next two sets. I'm thinking I could up the weight next Monday and see about getting sets of 5-6 reps. The 20-repper that follows is a bit of a grind. Usually it's not that hard. I toy with doing another set but I still have a lot more exercises to do. I'm having to learn to let go.

The Inclined Bench is free so I do a few sets of Inclined Presses followed by DB Inclined Flyes. I could go heavier but the right front delt verges on a twinge. Better not risk it. I use the same 20 lb DBs for Standing Lateral DB Raises. 15 reps means up the weight. I grab a pair of 25s and knock out the bulk of my sets, then finish again with 15 reps at 20 lbs. I still have the 20s when I plant myself at the Seated Overhead Press Rack. It's one of the older models so I can sit in it comfortably with my chest in my lap to do Reverse DB Flyes. Since I get 15 reps with both the 20s and the 25s, I grab the 30s. Okay, this is definitely harder. Only 12 rep sets here.

Now only three arm movements left to go: Alternate Twisting DB Curls; BB curls with EZ bar; Reverse Grip BB Curl for forearms. Done. Well, sort of. 20 min on the Precor barely gets me a mile and a half. Bummer. I need a Mat Stretch to keep my shoulders and back from knotting up. My upper abs have been sore for days and I know it's not from the crunches. As I roll my upper body up from the floor (from a cross-legged position) using my abs to pull myself into a seated pose, I suddenly realize why my stomach's been so sore. Well, duh. The three sets of Dive Bomber Push Ups and the single plank don't feel any easier either. I finish with a few crunches for fun because I won't get the chance tomorrow. We're planning to catch the 11 am showing of Planet of the Apes so I'll be racing through my workout.

Monday Chest, Shoulder and Bicep Workout

Weight Lifted

21657.5 lbs

Elliptical Training

Calorie : 95 CAL
Distance: 2.2 mile
Speed : 6.57 mph
Duration : 00:20:00

Barbell Bench Press

Set 1 : 45x12
Set 2 : 95x13
Set 3 : 115x12
Set 4 : 115x11
Set 5 : 115x11
Set 6 : 95x20

Dumbbell Incline Bench Press

Set 1 : 45x12
Set 2 : 65x12
Set 3 : 85x10
Set 4 : 85x10
Set 5 : 85x10

Dumbbell Incline Fly

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12
Set 4 : 20x12
Set 5 : 20x12

Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Set 1 : 20x15
Set 2 : 25x12
Set 3 : 25x12
Set 4 : 25x12
Set 5 : 25x12
Set 6 : 20x15

Dumbbell Reverse Flyes

Set 1 : 20x15
Set 2 : 25x15
Set 3 : 30x12
Set 4 : 30x12
Set 5 : 30x12
Set 6 : 30x12

Dumbbell Alternate Bicep Curl

Set 1 : 20x12
Set 2 : 20x12
Set 3 : 20x12

Barbell Curl

Set 1 : 15x12
Set 2 : 37.5x15
Set 3 : 37.5x15
Set 4 : 37.5x15

Barbell Reverse Curl

Set 1 : 40x20
Set 2 : 40x20
Set 3 : 40x20

Elliptical Training

Calorie : 181 CAL
Distance: 1.63 mile
Duration : 00:30:00

Torso Twist machine

Set 1 : 25 x 50
Set 2 : 25 x 50

Dive Bomber Push Up

Set 1 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 2 : 12 Lap/Rep
Set 3 : 12 Lap/Rep

Plank

Set 1 : 00:01:00

Crunches

Set 1 : 50 Lap/Rep

Monday, June 30, 2014

Act As If

Today was my son's first day of summer camp so I had to make sure everything was packed and ready to go before we were. It's only for 4 weeks, 3 days a week. On the other two days I'll bring him to the gym with me where he'll wait for me in the Child Care room. Tuesdays we'll go to $5 movies. Thursdays we'll do something else. I'm not sure what he'll be doing the rest of the summer. Last year we split his time between summer camp and tae kwon do camp. I might do that again this year.

The fresh cherries we've been gorging on have made my stomach a bit crampy so I'm late getting to my workout. Two miles on the elliptical is hard, and I barely bust a sweat. I have no enthusiasm either. But I'm a contrarian. Taking weekends off doesn't make me feel better come Monday. Instead time off makes me slow and stiff, as if I'm not quite awake. My second cardio session of the day is completely different: I feel happy and energetic afterwards. The vertigo is virtually gone. Virtually. It only bothers me when I'm leaning forward, like when I'm brushing my teeth.

So Benching is okay today, but nothing to get excited about. My right shoulder still twinges at the heavier weights and I cut my sets to just one 20-repper. Dave Draper (davedraper.com), old-time Blonde Bomber of the 60s, claims that Bench pressing is awful for the shoulders as we age. He recommends lighter sets of DB press. There's definitely a greater range of motion with DBs but I have too much flexion in my upper back. At heavier weights I've nudged my back out of alignment and that's painful. I don't want to need a chiropractor every time I do chest so I limit the weight to the three sets of 115 lbs and a 20-repper or two. Today it's just one set.

But, I feel pretty good on the Inclined BB Press. I have moved more in the past, but again, I'm going for volume: sets and reps. I see a few regulars flit about but I'm not chatty when working out. Two exercises for each body part should do it for today: Chest, Shoulder, Biceps. I should probably up my weights on the DB Lateral Raises but I don't. I actually do up the weights on the Inclined DB Reverse Flyes though. It's less than the 30s I was hoisting with Bent-Over Rear Flyes. But getting 15 reps means I should probably do at least a few sets at a higher weight. Yes, I'm a true believer in high reps and sets. I figure the proof is in the mirror.

One thing I can't figure out is when I see some folks holding a slightly loaded BB over head as in a Bench Press or Inclined Bench Press, and then they just move it barely two inches, like a reverse shrug of sorts. I'm not sure what it's suppose to do for them, and I'm not really interested enough to break my routine in order to question them. Of course, these are not muscley people either.

By the time I get to Bicep DB Curls and BB Curls, I'm in a much better mood. Then I hop back on an elliptical for 3 miles, varying the incline and my speed, sometimes pedaling backwards just for fun. I don't have time (again!) for a full Mat Stretch or abs because I need to be across the county for an eye doc appointment. The abbreviated Mat Stretch hits the hamstrings, glutes, upper and lower back, shoulders and neck. Tomorrow I'll do some cardio, kickbox a few rounds, do some more cardio and stretch. Then my son and I will sneak our own popcorn into the theatre to watch Maleficient.

Monday Workout

Elliptical Training

Calorie : 170 CAL
Distance: 2.01 mile
Duration : 00:23:00

Barbell Bench Press

Set 1 : 45x12
Set 2 : 95x12
Set 3 : 115x8
Set 4 : 115x8
Set 5 : 115x8
Set 6 : 95x20