Short1 - Bodybuilding Competition Log

[musclemom]

Alright, I know absolutely less than anybody, here, but I workout by myself, too, and I have noticed that finding the right exercise are what taught me to "feel" a muscle more than any single thing. I never "felt" my lats until I started doing one arm bent rows and especially in trying to do pullups (one piece of equipment that is just OUT of a home gym league, assisted pullup machine, but damn I wish I had one, I'd join the local Y if they had an assisted pullup machine). I did lat pulldowns for ages without knowing WTF muscles I was really supposed to be activating. This is a very real problem with working out by yourself. Frédéric Delavier "Strength Training Anatomy" helped a SHITload, too.

But for me personally, it's really tough to isolate a muscle when you can't connect with it "doing" something. We know what our legs and arms do, but how many of us think about what our backs do?

 

[the-short-one]

Alright, I know absolutely less than anybody, here, but I workout by myself, too, and I have noticed that finding the right exercise are what taught me to "feel" a muscle more than any single thing. I never "felt" my lats until I started doing one arm bent rows and especially in trying to do pullups (one piece of equipment that is just OUT of a home gym league, assisted pullup machine, but damn I wish I had one, I'd join the local Y if they had an assisted pullup machine). I did lat pulldowns for ages without knowing WTF muscles I was really supposed to be activating. This is a very real problem with working out by yourself. Frédéric Delavier "Strength Training Anatomy" helped a SHITload, too.

But for me personally, it's really tough to isolate a muscle when you can't connect with it "doing" something. We know what our legs and arms do, but how many of us think about what our backs do?

Shadow gave me a exercise to do that helped a lot - I can engage my lats, I'm just having problems bringing it all together - and getting them spread out enough.

BM was right abut my rear lat pose - I know I'm pushing my shoulders to far forward in an effort to spread my lats. grrr. it's just hard. I'm working on it right now...

 

[Sassy69]

I"m just curious if it would help if you have Jeff put his fingers on where your lats are - the widest point that is still your lat and not your shoulder or delt or something else, and hold it there while you do the pose. That might help you pinpoint where to pull from.

 

[superqt4u2nv]

Off topic sorta Musclemom if you have a power rack and and a bench that inclines you can do a variation of assissted pull ups AKA rack chins. Basically you take the bench set it an incline to your hip level then count out 3 steps from the bar and postion the bench in the centre there bar should be set at about eye level. Then swing your legs up on the edge of the bench crossed. Your own assissted chin machine. Only thing I would note is that they are some what easy for example I can do 3-5 regular chins rack chins I can do 12-15 you could set a plate on your lap if you had someone there to assist you and that would make it harder.

 

[musclemom]

I actually remember the first time I made mine flex, because it startled me that much, I was lying in bed and had my hands under my pillow, hubby was talking to me, and I sort of shrugged on the left side and my left lat "popped" out. I was like, WTF is that, I've never had one of those before, honey, come here, feel this!

 

[the-short-one]

I"m just curious if it would help if you have Jeff put his fingers on where your lats are - the widest point that is still your lat and not your shoulder or delt or something else, and hold it there while you do the pose. That might help you pinpoint where to pull from.

this is a good idea - I'll try it.

 

[blut wump]

Off topic sorta Musclemom if you have a power rack and and a bench that inclines you can do a variation of assissted pull ups AKA rack chins. Basically you take the bench set it an incline to your hip level then count out 3 steps from the bar and postion the bench in the centre there bar should be set at about eye level. Then swing your legs up on the edge of the bench crossed. Your own assissted chin machine. Only thing I would note is that they are some what easy for example I can do 3-5 regular chins rack chins I can do 12-15 you could set a plate on your lap if you had someone there to assist you and that would make it harder.

I've done something similar with resting my toes on a chair behind me.

I've found a great solution, though, using bands. I stretch a band across the hooks at the front of the rack and then stand on it. I can use different bands and set the hooks at different heights to vary the amount of assistance.

 

[The Shadow]

Shadow gave me a exercise to do that helped a lot - I can engage my lats, I'm just having problems bringing it all together - and getting them spread out enough.

BM was right abut my rear lat pose - I know I'm pushing my shoulders to far forward in an effort to spread my lats. grrr. it's just hard. I'm working on it right now...

Once you push the delts forward....set the lats, then move the ENTIRE upper back BACK about 3 inches and it will be perfect.


imo - your lat spread is as wide as it CAN be at this point.

I think folks are assuming that you CAN pull them outwards more, and imo - that isnt the issue....its that you are rotating FORWARD to much....throw the delts forward, then sit back a few inches.

Continue the exercise I gave you.....this time do several posed in order, starting the hands on top of each other....the slide them outward 2 inches per pose

 

[The Shadow]

GH BOOST WEEK .................







I.E. - HELL WEEK


TUT = 4 on all exercises(2 second positive:2 second negative unless otherwise listed).......


GIANT SETS 3 cycles - 12 reps on all exercises unless otherwise indicated.......2 minutes rest between cycles

NOTE:

DO NOT GO TO ABSOLUTE FAILURE ON ANY OF THE EXERCISES......OTHERWISE YOU WONT MAKE IT THROUGH THE ENTIRE THE WEEK AND WE ARE DRAMATICAL INCREASING THE NUMBER OF WORK SETS FOR EACH BODYPART.


MONDAY

Stiff legged dumbells
Weight assisted chins
Incline DB Press
Side Lateral Raises
High Cable Curls(double bicep thing)
Wide grip straight bar pushdowns


TUESDAY

Walking Lunges(12 steps PER leg)
Seated rows - pulling high as per usual
Low cable crossovers - finishing eye level as usual
Seated Machine Overhead PRess
Hammer Curls
DB Kickbacks


WEDNESDAY

Lying Leg Curls
Stiff Arm Pulldowns(should feel identical to the hands/lat thing I have you doing)
Incline DB Flyes
DB Upright rows
Cable Curls(narrow grip - straight bar 3-4 inches between hands)
Overhead Cable Tricep Extensions


THURSDAY

Bench Step Ups(10 per leg)
Modified Rear Laterals
Incline Press Machine
Seated Dumbbell Press
Preacher curls(BB or DB)
Bench Dips(shoulder permitting...otherwise Vbar pushdowns)


FRIDAY

Seated Leg Curls
Dumbell shrugs
Flat DB Press
DB Side Laterals
Alternate standing DB Curls
Weight Assited Dips







AM CARDIO PLAN BEGINNING THIS WEEK:

M, W, F, Sat
45 minutes steady state, treadmill or elliptical

Tu, TH
45 minutes Stair MILL or Bike



AB WORK: TU AND TH:

STRAIGHT SETS BUT REST ONLY 45-60 SECONDS BETWEEN SETS - 4 SETS EACH

HANGING LEG RAISES - 45 REPS
DECLINE CRUNCHES - 45 REPS
BICYCLE WITH UPPER BODY MOTION - 90 seconds
LYING LEG SCISSORS(HEELS NO MORE THAN 6-9 INCHES FROM THE FLOOR) - 90 seconds


DIET:

CHANGES THIS WEEK:

DECREASE TOTAL EVERY MEAL EXCEPT FOR 1ST AND PWO BY 20%.....IE - simply reduce overall meal size, keeping the same macro split

WATER STAYS 1.5 GALLON MINIMUM THIS WEEK


SUPPLEMENTS THIS WEEK:

DAY 1(MONDAY) - 60 mcg(3 splits)
DAY 2 - 80 mcg(4 splits)
DAY 3 - 80 mcg
Days 4 and 5 - 100 mcg(5 splits)
Days 6 and 7 - 100 mcg


.......WITH EACH DOSE - add 500 mg taurine and 100 mg of potassium.


T-3......INCREASE to 25 mcg/day




...the drop in cals will yield about a pound of fat loss for the week - the heavy aerobic content of the weight sessions will burn another pound during the week.

We might rotate Deca back in on an EOWeek basis in place of the NPP is the should continues to be an issue.

 

[velvett]

Frédéric Delavier "Strength Training Anatomy"

He has great books - i recommend them all the time.