We experienced a windstorm here in the Seattle area which knocked out power for most people for at least 12 hours, but for where I live it lasted 27 hours. Hence the reason I wasn’t able to post many training logs the last few days. We’ve got power back so I’ll try and make up for lost time!
The following details my last primary chest, shoulder and triceps workout in a 12 week program designed by my coach, John Meadows. Christina and I trained at Kirkland Gold’s Gym and did make some slight modifications to the workout – FYI.
Flat Dumbbell Press
Set 1 x 8 reps with 60lbs (warm-up)
Set 2 x 8 reps with 70lbs (warm-up)
Set 3 x 8 reps with 80lbs (warm-up)
Set 4 x 8 reps with 100lbs
Set 5 x 8 reps with 100lbs
Set 6 x 8 reps with 100lbs
Set 7 x 8 reps with 100lbs
*The key here is to perform these like rest-pause reps after a few warm-up sets. Lower the weight under control to the stretched position and pause for a 1 second count before driving the weight up to ¾ lockout.
Incline Smith Press – 10’s
I deviated from John’s program here. He called for 4 sets of 10, but felt like being a little crazy and implemented the technique we used on leg press in my Leg Assault training log. The idea is to select a weight in which you can get 30 reps, but only do 10 reps before resting for 10 seconds and then do another 10 reps followed by 10 seconds of rest, another 10 reps and so forth until you get to 10 sets of 10. This was much harder on the front delts and triceps than I anticipated, so here is what my set looked like:
10 reps with 155lbs
Rest – 10 sec
10 reps with 155lbs
Rest – 10 sec
10 reps with 155lbs
Rest – 10 sec
10 reps with 155lbs
Rest – 10 sec
7 reps with 155lbs
Rest – 10 sec
7 reps with 155lbs
Rest – 10 sec
7 reps with 155lbs
Rest – 10 sec
7 reps with 155lbs
Rest – 10 sec
6 reps with 155lbs
Rest – 10 sec
7 reps with 155lbs
*This amounted to 81 reps total. Brutal!
Unilateral Cable Machine Press
Set 1 x 6 reps with 125lbs
Set 2 x 6 reps with 125lbs
Set 3 x 6 reps with 125lbs
Set 4 x 6 reps with 125lbs
*I used a unilateral cable machine so I could utilize a semi-neutral hand position. The key is to work the stretch and then hold the contraction for a split second with your arms fully extended.
Here’s a video of Christina for a change of pace:
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tkSQFs1Uzo]
Machine Rear Delts
Set 1 x 15 reps with 125lbs
Set 2 x 15 reps with 125lbs
Set 3 x 15 reps with 125lbs
Set 4 x 15 reps with 125lbs
*The key here is to use a slow 2 second tempo on the eccentric and concentric and hold the contraction for 1 second on each rep. Make this burn. For whatever reason I got a massive pump on this today!
Seated Dumbbell Press
Set 1 x 10 reps with 60lbs
Set 2 x 10 reps with 60lbs
Set 3 x 10 reps with 60lbs
Set 4 x 10 reps with 60lbs
*Take these all the way to lockout and flex hard for a 1 second count on each rep.
Cable Triceps Extensions
Set 1 x 12 reps with 150lbs
Set 2 x 12 reps with 150lbs
Set 3 x 12 reps with 150lbs
Set 4 x 12 reps with 150lbs
Set 5 x 12 reps with 150lbs
Set 6 x 12 reps with 150lbs
*The key today is pump and stretch with short rest breaks. Be sure to stand upright with your elbows pinned to your sides and only bring the bar up until your elbow joint is at 90 degrees before extending back down. Don’t pause at the bottom; just flex and continue immediately into the eccentric portion of the movement. Go somewhere that you can stretch your triceps while your training partner does their set and then go straight back to your next set. Pump and stretch, pump and stretch. 6 working sets like this.
That concluded this chest, shoulder and triceps workout.
Train hard!
Mark
I was just wondering. How do you know when to progress weights? I see you always mix up the exercise order, do you just add weight to the first exercise and keep the rest = to last session's volume?
John Meadows programs my workouts so I by in large follow the exercise sequence as he's ordered them. However, John doesn't program the weight I lift. Sometimes he will suggest I take a given set to failure and other times he wants me to stop a rep or two short of failure, but I still select the weight. For this I go on how I feel and the prescribed reps I'm aiming to achieve for a given set. It's not all about progressive overload via weight increases from one workout to the next. I did that in my 20's until I started getting injured in my early 30's. Intensity doesn't always = more weight and there's other methods to encourage hypertrophy. I hope this makes sense and answers your question.
All the best,
Mark