a_welch503 WORKOUT JOURNAL

[.V.]

Thanks for the information. I'll put some thought into it. I just think my chest needs to catch up to the rest of me. It is weak.

[.V.]

05-29-2005

Legs
Squat.............210x3x6
SLDL..............240x3x6
Calf Raise........335x3x4
Leg Extension.....185x3x4
Leg Curl...........85x3x6

Cardio - none - got rained out.

Diet
M1.....4 egg whites, steak, oatmeal
M2.....Chicken sandwich on whole wheat
M3.....Weider ass mix
M4.....Grilled chicken salad (chicken breast, lettuce, tomato)
M5.....Another big grilled chicken salad
M6.....Peanut butter sandwich

Comments
Woke up this morning by a terrible muscle spasm in my left leg and foot, couldn't even move it - finally got it stretched out after about an hour. Then my legs were like jello for a while. Finally got up the nerve to hit the gym and actually had a pretty good workout. My legs didn't really want to cooperate, but I made them comply with my wishes and had a good workout. Improved on every lift by at least something, a bit of weight or a rep or two.

I was really looking forward to hitting the bag today, but since I hang it outside the rain put the damper on that. I've got new hand wraps I wanted to try out.

I work tomorrow so there will be no workouts - I'll just hope it isn't raining the next day.

[gcs118]

What if for bench you used wide grip to hit the chest and still kept your PL set up?

[.V.]

I guess I could keep the same setup, but I just found that by doing it that way, I wasn't actually touching the bar to the chest. This way, I am. I guess I could watch the form a bit better AND make sure the bar touches the chest with every rep. I'm just trying to make the chest itself stronger (and a nice side effect - bigger). It seems that not using the other muscles to help it out would be the way to do this.

[gcs118]

The bar should always be touching the chest on bench no matter what though. I'm no expert just tossing out some thoughts. I'm sure you'll get that big chest sooner than you think :

[abarlament]

Originally Posted by a_welch503

I guess I could keep the same setup, but I just found that by doing it that way, I wasn't actually touching the bar to the chest. This way, I am. I guess I could watch the form a bit better AND make sure the bar touches the chest with every rep. I'm just trying to make the chest itself stronger (and a nice side effect - bigger). It seems that not using the other muscles to help it out would be the way to do this.

Hey man that's like saying I want to just make my quads bigger, so it seems not using my hamstrings when squatting would be the way to do it. The bench is a complex exercise, don't try to isolate the pectorals.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by gcs118

The bar should always be touching the chest on bench no matter what though.

Well, there's the problem. I've always done it that way - even with the PL setup. The suddenly found myself unable to move weight from my chest that I could before. To get it up, I had to stop a couple of inches above the chest. Newfound chest weakness I guess. Then looking in the mirror, I noticed that it was smaller than the abs (not abdominal fat - the actual visible part of the rectus abdominus). That is why I'm going to specifically work on making the chest catch up.

Oh there is so much work to be done. I guess that is part of why we do this though - to fix the things we don't like.

[.V.]

Originally Posted by abarlament

Hey man that's like saying I want to just make my quads bigger, so it seems not using my hamstrings when squatting would be the way to do it. The bench is a complex exercise, don't try to isolate the pectorals.

That does make sense. That's why I'm going to keep the grip wide, keep squeezing those blades together. But take the legs out of it.

[.V.]

05-31-2005

Arms
BB curls.........135x6,6,4
Skull Crushers.....110x3x5
DB curls..........60x6,6,3
Cable pressdown....100x3x6

Cardio - none. No motivation for it today, don't care.

Diet
Yesterday.....None
Today.........Egg sandwich, turkey sandwich, spaghetti & meatballs. Just not into cooking, had to feed the kids so made easy to fix things. Had some of my dad's famous fattening spaghetti sauce in the freezer, nuked it - cooked some spahgetti, there it was.

Comments
Not eating yesterday or eating right today didn't help. Don't really care today. Maintained last week's workout - except for losing a couple of reps on DB curls. Good enough for now. I was supposed to add concentration curls and one arm tricep extensions to my arm routine today. Just not into it enough to do it today. I'll add them next week.

[gcs118]

You've been making great progress with arms Andy, you sure you need to add more work?

[.V.]

Well, they have certainly gotten stronger, but no bigger. I'm thinking a bit of isolation work to compliment the big compound movements will be helpful.

[.V.]

06-02-2005

Shoulders
Front Shrugs.....270x3x6
Rear Shrugs......270x3x6
Mil Press........100x3x6
Upright Row......125x3x5
DB Mil Press......40x3x6

Cardio - None
I just don't have it in me to do much right now.

Diet - Crap
I did eat a bit yesterday. Today, I really didn't want to, but I made myself eat somewhat better.

M1.....Ham, 4 egg whites
M2.....Weider's Ass mix
M3.....Sesame chicken and green vegetables

Water, I don't know - whenever I was thirsty.

Comments
Did make some improvement over last week's shoulder workout. It will get better later. I just don't feel like putting what is required into it right now, doing cardio, and eating is really the last thing I want to do. Next week will probably be better and I'll be able to get back into my routine. Tomorrow I will not have time to lift. Probably won't have time to eat either. Saturday doesn't look promising either.

[Firehawk]

How in the world are you upright rowing more than you can military press? Are you ready to drop the bodybuilding stuff for awhile and come over to the dark side (powerlifting)? Come onnnnnnn...it'll be fun....

lol

[.V.]

I don't know - different muscles used I guess. I've lost ground in both lately - did get some back today though. Plus I do seem to be able to pull weights better than I can push them.

Powerlifting? Probably eventually will end up there. I am gradually moving towards the longer rest periods. I really love the day I first raise the weight and only have to do 4 reps. Right now doing Max OT, being somewhere in between the two is kind of working for me. I have a ways to go before I'll be strong enough to even consider powerlifting though.

[Firehawk]

Do your shoulders bother you at all? If i was doing what youare, plus a heavy bench day, I'd be overtrained and nearly injured. That's alot you do there.

I pull better too.