Thursday, September 10, 2009: Lower Body
(Deadlift Priority)
Today was the last day of training this week before I leave for a long weekend. It is also the last workout of my Neural Potentiation Phase. I used this phase for 3 weeks and it included a variety of heavy compound movements with 2 upper body days and 2 lower body days each week - - each one with a different emphasis. I have been able to allow some minor aches and pains to heal as well as start to get my strength back up. Next phase (which coincides with the beginning of my ripping phase) will feed off of each of the movements I have been using.
Trap Bar Deadlift (2 x 4-8 after 4 warm-up sets) 315 x 8 Easy!, 365 x 7
Walking Lunges (2 x 10-16 total steps after 1 acclimation set)
Seated Calf (2 x 10-12 after 1 acclimation set) 100 x 12, 110 x 10
stagger setted with
DB Reverse Wrist Curl (2 x 15-20) 15 x 10, 10 x 15
Note: My current program is based on Neural potentiation which is aimed at priming the body for growth by improving the muscle/central nervous system connection – which improves the subsequent hypertrophy phases by facilitating the recruitment of the fast-twitch muscle fibers. It also increases strength which will allow me to use more weight in the pure hypertrophy phases.
Summary: Everything felt pretty good today. I haven't used the Trap Bar for Deadlifts but I love it! It feels so much more natural for me. Holding the weight with my arms at my sides feels a lot better on my lower back than the standard barbell version where the weight is displaced more in front of me. I get a better leg drive, as well. Walking lunges felt okay. I think my intensity started to suffer as I am kind of burnt out being that this is the end of a very heavy phase for me (topped off with the fact that I may have already mentally checked out on my mini-vacation). Seated Calf Raise and Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curls are done in non-stop fashion. I do a set of calves, go over and do one arm of wrist curls, then the other, then right back to calves. Every thing else that is either straight setted or stagger setted gets rests of 2-3 minutes between.
Diet and Supplement update: As promised, here is my full Neural Potentiation Phase diet and supplement plan. You have an inside look at my my meal-by-meal diet, what supplements I am using, and other get-big/get-ripped training and nutrition info. Check it out to see exactly what I'm taking and when. You'll get plenty of ideas on how to tweak your own supplement intake.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009: Upper Body
(Pull/Shoulder Press Priority)
As my cutting phase looms in the near future, countdown at 5 days, I am closing out on my neural potentiation phase. I am starting to feel like my strength is coming back, although today should have been tougher. I get up at 3:30 in the morning to start my workday, but I don't workout until about 5:30 PM. I usually get a nap in around 2 PM on days that I am training. Well, not today! I entered my workout pretty tired. But once I finished my warm-up sets, I was feeling pretty psyched to workout!
Underhand Pulldowns (2 x 4-8 after 4 warm-up sets) 200 x 7, 200 x 6
stagger-setted with
Standing Military Press (2 x 4-8 after 4 warm-up sets) 205 x 5, 205 x 6
Low Cable Row (2 x 4-8 after 1 acclimation set) 230 x 8, 250 x 5
stagger-setted with
Incline Press (2 x 4-8 after 1 acclimation set) 235 x 7, 235 x 5
Cross-body Hammer Curl (2 x 4-8 after 1 acclimation set) 380 x 8, 380 x 7
stagger-setted with
Closegrip Bench Press (2 x 4-8 after 1 acclimation set) 205 x 8, 225 x 7
Note: My current program is based on Neural potentiation which is aimed at priming the body for growth by improving the muscle/central nervous system connection. It focuses on heavy compound movements done more frequently. This will improve the subsequent hypertrophy phase by facilitating the recruitment of the fast-twitch muscle fibers. It also increases strength which will allow me to use more weight in the pure hypertrophy phases.
Summary: I was going to do Chin-ups today, but with the way I walked into the gym, I felt my concentration and effort would be best put forth on the Underhand Pulldown. After it was all said and done, I probably would have performed just fine on the Chin-ups. The Standing Military Press went great. This is the best performance I have had with these yet! I do these super-strict with no leg drive or bending rearwards with my back. If you have ever done standing versus seated presses, you know how much harder these are without having the luxury of the back support. I used to be all about the seated version. Now, I am becoming a bigger fan of the standing version. I like the extra added benefit of having to stabilize myself. The Low Row/Incline Press combo started out great, but I ran out of gas by the second round. This is where my lack of sleep hit me. On a positive note, today was the best my shoulder has felt in all of my pressing movements. I think I may have turned the corner on this problem. I tried the Cross-body version of the Hammer Curl. I don't like it. I like the standard version much better. Lastly, I due to running out of gas on the Incline Press, I overcompensated on my weight selection for the Closegrip Bench. I could have handled much heavier today.
Diet and Supplement update: Coming this week - my full Ripping Phase Nutrition & Supplement Schedule for the remainder of ’09. You'll get an inside look at my my meal-by-meal diet, what supplements I am using, and other get-ripped training and nutrition info. Check it out to see exactly what I'm taking and when. You'll get plenty of ideas on how to tweak your own supplement intake.
Monday, September 7, 2009: Lower Body (Squat Priority)
I don't like working out earlier in the day. I can say that much. My body clock is so used to my 5 PM workouts, anything earlier feels foreign to my body. But with Labor Day, the shortened gym hours, and having the day off from work, it was doable.
Hack Squats (2 x 4-8 after 4 warm-up sets) 270 x 8 Easy!, 360 x 7
Hyperextensions (2 x 8-10 after 1 acclimation set) 25 x 10, 35 x 10
stagger setted with
Shrugs on the Calf Machine (2 x 4-8 after 1 acclimation set) 380 x 8, 420 x 7
Standing Calf (2 x 7-9 after 1 acclimation set) 380 x 8, 380 x 7
stagger setted with
DB Wrist Curl (2 x 15-20) 20 x 20, 30 x 17
Note: My current program is based on Neural potentiation which is aimed at priming the body for growth by improving the muscle/central nervous system connection – which improves the subsequent hypertrophy phases by facilitating the recruitment of the fast-twitch muscle fibers. It also increases strength which will allow me to use more weight in the pure hypertrophy phases.
Summary: Everything felt pretty good today. I haven't Hack Squatted in a while and the last time I did it was in the back end of a pre-exhaustion super-set. So I kind of underestimated my strength on it. Hypers are done with a weight held across my chest and a solid one second hold at the top. I try to do these Romanian Deadlift style where I DON'T round my back. I more concentrate on pushing my sternum towards the floor and pivot as much around my hips as possible. This is getting easy and I can't hold much more across my chest. Next step is to put a barbell on my back (like in a squat). Everything else is self-explanitory. I do the Standing Calf Raise and Dumbbell Wrist Curls in non-stop fashion. I do a set of calves, go over and do one arm of wrist curls, then the other, then right back to calves. Every thing else that is either straight setted or stagger setted gets rests of 2-3 minutes between.
Diet and Supplement update: Coming this week - my full Ripping Phase Nutrition & Supplement Schedule for the remainder of ’09. You'll get an inside look at my my meal-by-meal diet, what supplements I am using, and other get-ripped training and nutrition info. Check it out to see exactly what I'm taking and when. You'll get plenty of ideas on how to tweak your own supplement intake.
Sunday, September 6, 2009: Upper Body
(Bench Press/Row Priority)
Sundays aren't my favorite day to workout, but with a trip I have planned to head to Boston for the coming weekend (I get to see my Red Sox on Saturday against the Rays...I hope Beckett has his stuff that day!), I am going to be short one available workout day. So that pushes everything a day closer. Today, except for the tricep extensions where I was shooting for 8-10 reps, all sets are done for 2 working sets of 4-8 reps (after warm-ups and acclimation sets).
Bench Press (after 4 warm-up sets) 255 x 8, 265 x 6
stagger setted with
Lever Row with Chest Support (after 4 warm-up sets) 100 x 8, 110 x 6
Standing Hammer Grip DB Press (after 1 acclimation set) 65 x 8, 75 x 8
stagger setted with
V-bar Pulldowns (after 1 acclimation set) 180 x 8 EASY!, 200 x 8
Overhead Cable Extensions with Rope (after 1 acclimation set) 70 x 9, 10
stagger setted with
Incline DB Curls (after 1 acclimation set) 42 x 6, 35 x 8
Note: My current program is based on Neural potentiation which is aimed at priming the body for growth by improving the muscle/central nervous system connection – which improves the subsequent hypertrophy phases by facilitating the recruitment of the fast-twitch muscle fibers. It also increases strength which will allow me to use more weight in the pure hypertrophy phases.
Summary: I am still getting over some tight shoulder issues. It affects me on my chest presses more than my shoulder presses. It is getting better,but it is a long road back to using 315-365 pounds on the bench. I am getting better (and closer) with each passing week. The chest supported lever row is definitely humbling. I am used to bent rowing anywhere from 225 to 315 pounds, depending on my rep range. And with good form! I am lucky if I will be able to handle half of that on this machine. If you don't have access to this machine you can emulate it by doing dumbbell rows lying face down on an incline bench with your palms facing back. The Standing Hammer Grip Shoulder Press is similar to the Log Press I used last week. It is just doing a Standing Dumbbell Press with the palms facing each other. If you are not used to it, again, this can be humbling. Stability is a big factor! Everything felt great. HUGE PUMP even after this workout...even with the low reps and low volume. I can probably credit Gaspari Nutrition's SuperPump250 for that, though. And as I type this, my triceps are already sore!
Diet and Supplement update: Coming this week - my full Ripping Phase Nutrition & Supplement Schedule for the remainder of ’09. You'll get an inside look at my my meal-by-meal diet, what supplements I am using, and other get-ripped training and nutrition info. Check it out to see exactly what I'm taking and when. You'll get plenty of ideas on how to tweak your own supplement intake.
Friday, September 4, 2009: Lower Body (Deadlift Priority)
End of the week before a holiday weekend, so I was amped up!
Leg Press (after 4 warm-up sets) 2 sets x 4-8 reps
Rack Pulls (after 3 warm-up sets) 2 x 4-8 reps
Standing Calf Raise (after 1 acclimation set) 2 x 8-10 reps using 2/1 technique
Behind the Back Wrist Curls 2 x 10-12
Note: My current program is based on Neural potentiation which is aimed at priming the body for growth by improving the muscle/central nervous system connection – which improves the subsequent hypertrophy phases by facilitating the recruitment of the fast-twitch muscle fibers. It also increases strength which will allow me to use more weight in the pure hypertrophy phases..
Summary: I did Rack Pulls today as my main deadlift movement. Due to the shortened range of motion and the lack of leg drive, I started the day with heavy leg presses. Rack Pulls are one of my favorite posterior chain movements. I can use a ton of weight and stimulate my whole back tremendously without the uncomfortable stress on my lumbar region.
The 2/1 technique I used on the calf raise is executed my doing the concentric (raising) portion of the movement with both feet and the eccentric (lowering) portion with 1 foot. I alternate feet with each rep for a total of 8-10 reps per set.
Diet update: Pumps have really been pretty good, considering my bodyfat is a little more than it was back in June. I will be putting up detailed descriptions of my diet and supplement intake next week, so be on the look-out for that. This will be extra crucial come September 14th when I start my ripping cycle again. Check it out to see exactly what I take and when. You'll get plenty of ideas on how to tweak your own supplement intake.
Due to the fact that I am going to be away next weekend and won't get to train on Friday, I will be back in the gym on Sunday for my next upper body workout. I will be short 1 less rest day but I will have an extra day off from the gym come next weekend. This coming week's training schedule will be Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. See you in 2 days!
Thursday, September 3, 2009: Upper Body
(Chest Press/Row Priority)
This is the second upper body day of the week. Again, I am using different exercises and my rep range stays between 4 and 8 except for dips where I shoot for 8-10 reps.
Bentover Rows (after 4 warm-up sets) 235 x 8 EASY!, 255 x 5
stagger setted with
Incline Press (after 4 warm-up sets) 235 x 8, 255 x 5 Moderately Hard Reps!
V-bar Pulldowns (after 1 acclimation set) 180 x 7, 180 x 7
stagger setted with
Standing Shoulder Press (after 1 acclimation set) 145 x 8 Moderate, 165 x 8 MAX!
Incline Hammer Curl (after 1 acclimation set) 35 x 8 EASY, 40 x 6
stagger setted with
Dips (after 2 acclimation sets) BW plus 25 x 10, BW plus 50 x 8
Summary: Because I am still trying to get over some aches in my shoulder region, I began the week being over-conservative with some of my weight selections. Today was better. The incline press felt pretty good. I was, however, caustious with the dips since I hadn't done them in quite some time. I could have handled much heavier. That's ok. I am just starting to build momentum!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009: Lower Body (Squat Priority)
This is the first lower body day of the week. Again, I am using different exercises and my rep range stays between 4 and 8 except for the the calf press where I shoot for 7-9 reps and reverse wrist curls where I shoot for 12-15 reps.
Front Squats (after 4 warm-up sets) 255 x 8, 275 x 6
Leg Curls (after 1 acclimation set) 100 x 8, 110 x 5
Calf Raise on Leg Press (after 1 acclimation set) 360 x 7, 360 x 8
DB Shrug (after 1 acclimation set) 110 x 8, 120 x 7
EZ Bar Reverse Wrist Curl 35 x 12, 35 x 12
Summary: I haven't done front squats in a long time...and they felt great! I am getting towards the end of my mass building phase and am just a couple short weeks away from starting my ripping phase again. Getting anxious!
Monday, August 31, 2009: Upper Body
(Pull/Shoulder Press Priority)
This is the first upper body day of the week. I am using different exercises this week. Again, my rep range stays between 4 and 8 except for the lying tricep extensions where I shoot for 8-10 reps.
Pulldowns (after 4 warm-up sets) 200 x 8, 210 x 8
stagger setted with
Seated BB Military Press (after 4 warm-up sets) 195 x 8, 205 x 6
1 Arm DB Row (after 1 acclimation set) 110 x 8, 120 x 8
stagger setted with
Bench Press (after 1 acclimation set) 225 x 8, 245 x 8
Standing Alternate DB Curl (after 1 acclimation set) 45 x 6, 40 x 8
stagger setted with
Lying EZ Bar Extensions (after 1 acclimation set) 115 x 7, 115 x 9
Summary: Because I am still trying to get over some aches in my shoulder region, it has caused me to be over-conservative with some of my weight selections. The bench press felt particularly uncomfortable. It is definitely more shoulder than strength that is an issue. But it doesn't feel like anything I can't work through as long as I am careful.
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Blog Updates:
"Rip it Up" Body-blog: My daily workout report, with diet updates and training tips highlighting every move I make during my Fall Pre-Exhastion Training Phase.
"Build it Up" Body-blog: My daily workout report with diet updates and training tips highlighting every move I make during my Summer Neural Potentiation Training Phase.
Coming - Neural Potentiation Phase: An inside look at my first phase of training focused on strength and muscle mass. Get a complete workout by workout breakdown as well as the full scientific details.
Coming - Pre-Exhaustion Phase: An inside look at my second phase of training focused on pure hypertrophy. Get a complete workout by workout breakdown as well as the full scientific details.
My "Build it Up/Rip it Up" Nutrition and Supplement Schedule: My exact meal-by-meal and supplement-by-supplement plan for each phase geared towards maximizing musclular gains and obliterating fat!