My training History: I trained less than one year before competing in my first powerlifting meet as a teenager back in 1983. Before leaving the sport in 2005 I achieved my elitefts status in the 198,220,242,275 & 308 weight class. Throughout these years I did have a 3 year run in the bodybuilding world. Loved the training didn't like the competing aspect so I went back to my first love, powerlifting. Injuries have been a part of my life ever since I can remember and were the biggest reason for leaving the sport (I can no longer hold a squat bar on my back). I have degenerative joint disease, have had two shoulder surgeries (right shoulder now needs replaced), one full hip replacement, knee surgery, herniation's in all three regions of my spine, Bone spurs in places I didn't know you could get them, planter facetious, tendinitis and bursitis. I can't even begin to list the number of muscle tears I have had, surgical and non surgical. I am "The Mashed Up Meathead" and this is my story.
You can find my training log archives HERE and my most current training log posts HERE.
My best lifts are behind be but my best training is yet to come.
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* Unless otherwise noted the tempo of the work sets is about 1/2 of what most would consider normal. In most cases, if I did the set with normal temp what I fail at with 8-10 reps in training I could do for 20 reps with a normal tempo. This is to keep the joint stress down while increase the stress on the muscle. I have found this to work best for me provided the conditions listed in my training history above.
Tuesday: shoulders and biceps.
Standing side raises.
Six to eight sets of ten reps using between eight and fifteen pounds for sets of anywhere between ten and twenty. These were all warm-up sets, so going through full range of motion, just trying to get blood in the shoulders. A couple of the sets were actually front raises as well.
Dumbbell swings to the side
I like to do these frequently, an exercise I really like for my shoulders because it's a back exercise I can do without pain, and it's an exercise that I do get a lot of progress, and I get a lot of work out. Two sets of thirty reps for 35 pounds, one set is 40 reps with 40 pounds, and one set is 50 reps with 50 pounds.
Stripping the rack presses
Using the American Angle Grip Press Bar . This is the new bar that I wrote about in one of my past logs. I wanted to use it today for stripping the rack presses. These presses are where you set the bar up on pins in a power rack at chin level, and as you press the bar, you push the bar into the wire, trying to strip paint off the rack as you press the bar upwards.
The grip I used was the outside grip - Reverse. Three warm-up sets of ten to fifteen reps with no weight, added a dime on each side for a set of six, and immediately grabbed the inside handles with a neutral grip for a set of six. I super-set it, the wide reverse grip with the close neutral grip for every set. The next jump was two times per side for two sets of six, six. Next set, three times for six six. The next set, four times for four and six. I suck when it comes to any type of overhead work, because it's a reverse grip, but my hands are not wide. A lot of that has to do with the shoulder issues I have. It is what it is, I can't do a whole hell of a lot about it.
Rear delt pulls
Using a cable crossover machine, grabbing the comfort grip straight handle in each hand. Just as I did last week, my hands were crossed over each other and you pull the cables apart. Six sets of twelve, fifteen repetitions, all sets failure.
Seated side raises using the machine
Started at I believe 130 pounds on the weight stack, and did sets of ten, stripping one plate per set all the way down til there were no plates left. I do believe there were nine plate drops, so a total of 90, maybe even 100 reps, but I'm not too sure.
Machine shrugs
Using the standing calf raise machine. Five sets, fifteen reps. On the last set, I did a loaded stretch and just let the machine bear down on my traps, stretch the traps out for 30-45 seconds. This provides a great stretch in the shoulders and the traps. You can feel the circulation going through your shoulders all the way down into your hands. It's one of the best loaded stretches out of all the loaded stretches that I've ever done. Biceps: standing cable curls. Three sets, ten reps to warm-up sets. Progressively added the weight for four work sets of ten reps until I couldn't get ten reps anymore.
Face curls
Next exercise was using the Fat V Bar handle with the four-inch grenades. Super-set it, face curls by holding the grenades, and base curls were holding the stem of the handle. Fifteen and fifteen reps for four sets.
Hammer curls
Two warm-up sets. Those are really light weight, probably twenty reps. I always do a couple warm-up sets of this, regardless of how warmed up I feel. I need to feel and see how it feels before I determine what type of weight I'm going to use. Based upon the warm-up sets, 40 to 50 pounds seemed about the right range for the work sets that I wanted to do. I split it in the middle at 45 pounds for four sets, eight reps. The way I executed these sets were the same: moderately slow tempo that I always use with the two-second hold and the contraction. Once again, this was four sets of eight reps.
Stupid Curls
My favorite one to never admit: concentration curls. This time I really did it up and did seated concentration curls. I folded my arm over, slapped my other arm over the top, did them old school. Six sets, slow reps, each set to failure.
That was it.