After watching Hodor valiantly save Bran and Meera from the horde of white walkers (sparing his own life), I was extra motivated in the gym the next day. Yes, fictional shows have certain effects on my reality. R.I.P. Hodor...every door I hold open for someone whether it is a stranger, my girlfriend or the oblivious elderly at the grocery store, it will be in your honor.
I've rotated back to the log bar for my floor press and wanted to see what I could push. I was taught by Todd Bock via my buddy Bruce Mason to always pause your floor presses for a second, otherwise you are just bench pressing on the ground. So that's what I've been doing. I come down with control, hold it, then BOOM. I try and blow that motherfucker out of the water. I ended up hitting 355 on my last set for a single and was very happy with it.
So I've had some very minor right pec tightness due to (I'm assuming) all the pressing I've been doing this offseason. So after floor press I just did some easy cable flys and light machine press for a stretch and blood flow. What I've also been experimenting with is for every rep for a push I do, I will pull 1.5 reps. So for this day, I finished with 130 reps of chest (I counted my fly reps as well) and I finished back with about 200 total reps. This is ensuring my base is getting plenty of work done instead of doing a couple rows and pull ups. I started off my back exercises with slow eccentrics and hard/paused contractions. A lot of times I neglect my back work in the sense that I fly through it instead of focusing on each rep and feeling the muscles work. Mind and muscle connection. It works, I swear.
Warm Up
Brent Pekarski Special (Dr. Brent Pekarski, DPT, CSCS, FMS, FMT - Brentpekarski@gmail.com for performance inquiries)
This was the first day doing Brent's warm up for my upper body. My shoulders felt great walking into this workout.
A. Log Bar Floor Press
125x10
175x8
215x5
265x3
305x2
325x1
355x1
B1. Hammer Strength Seated Press
1 plate x 12 x 4 sets (Slow eccentric)
B2. Cable Flys
4x15
C. Hammer Strength Row
3 plates x 12 x 4 sets
Focused on stretching the upper back instead of putting torque into my trunk. Held contraction for a 2 count.
D. Lat Pull Down
4x15
E. Wide Grip Cable Row
4x15
F. Lat Push Down
4x10
G. Rolling DB Tricep Extensions
4x10
H. Rope Pushdowns
3x20