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 partially due to injuries 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. I have degenerative joint disease, have had two shoulder surgeries (right shoulder now needs replaced), one full hip replacement, knee surgery, and herniation's in all three regions of my spine, Bone spurs (all joints). 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.
* 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.
Monday, shoulders.
Seated shoulder press, neutral grip machine.
Three warm up sets of eight to ten reps and then four work sets of eight to fifteen reps, each set to failure.
Behind the back kettlebell dumbbell swings.
These are just like the dumbbell swings held in front, except you're bringing the kettlebells behind your back so you can think as a behind the back side raise, only doing the first 20% of the motion. One set of one hundred reps, which brunt my delts like crazy.
Tuesday, arm day.
Seated dumbbell curls.
Two warm up sets of ten to fifteen. Four work sets of eight to twelve reps. Each set to failure
Machine curls.
Three warm up sets. Ten to twelve reps. Five work sets of eight to twelve. Each set to failure.
Tsunami bar face curls using the cable machine with the cable set up at about nose level.
Three warm up sets to determine what weight to use and then four work sets of eight to twelve with each set, to failure.
Kettlebell tricep extensions.
Two warm up sets of ten. Four work sets of ten with each set being two reps shy of failure.
Tricep ladder push downs.
Two warm up sets and then three sets of ten to twelve. Each set to failure with each grip so it was a total of six work sets.
Seated tricep push downs.
One warm up set to determine what weight to use and then eight sets of ten with each set to failure and about thirty to forty-five seconds rest between sets.