JailHouse

Good job on stepping the weights up! How did 135 feel on a regular flat!

Jailhouse Journal

Archangel

Agree with Sister Sam here, don't rush the shoulder by any means my Friend!!! Slow and Continued progress are what we are ALL lookin for!!! Your w/o looked SOLID to me, excellent transition from Smith to Free imo!!!

"I can do ALL things through Christ, who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13

"For NOTHING is impossible with GOD" - Luke 1:37

nadirmg

thanks for the encouragement AA! yea i guess i got addicted to the quick improvement i had at the beginning. i suspect it was always able to do this much i just never asked my muscles to do it before. no that i'm hitting the wall 'slow and continued progress' is something i'll have to get used to

felt great! like i was actually lifting the weight myself! imagine that...

it feels strange doesn't it? and it's always in my right tricep... don't worry, sam. i'll be careful with the shoulder. i may need to guys to help keep my ego in check though..

w/o log
5'5" - currently bulking - 145lb on 5/16
weight goal I: 150 :: bench goal II:170 :: squat goal II: 250 :: weighted chin goal IV: +35 x 5 x 5

nadirmg

saturday - 02.22.08 - shoulders/arms/grip

back extensions - straight extensions w/30lb BB s/s side extensions with 20lb DB
30 x 12 ------- s/s ------ 20 x 12
30 x 12 ------- s/s ------ 20 x 12
30 x 15 ------- s/s ------ 20 x 15
30 x 15 ------- s/s ------ 20 x 15

shoulder press machine
50 x 10
70 x 10
70 x 10
70 x 10

DB shrugs
65 x 12
65 x 12
70 x 10
70 x 10

lat raise machine
25 x 15
30 x 15
30 x 15
25 x 15

standing face pulls - w/rope at lat pull-down
30 x 20
30 x 20
30 x 20
30 x 20

seated zottman curls
25 x 10 (each arm)
27.5 x 10
30 x 10
30 x 10

DB curls - started w/palms facing back
20 x 10
22.5 x 10
20 x 10

standing DB wrist curls
12.5 x 15
12.5 x 15
12.5 x 10
12.5 x 15

BB face pulls
30 x 10
30 x 10
30 x 10
30 x 10

standing BB curls ----- s/s ------ plate curls
40 x 10 ------ s/s ------- 25 x 10
50 x 10 ------ s/s ------- 25 x 10
40 x 10 ------ s/s ------- 25 x 10

today i started hitting the light weight on my shoulders to try and help rebuild their strength. upping the weight on my bench will be impossible unless i start fortifying them. also i hit my bis and grip strength pretty hard today. at the end of my w/o my forearms were ROCK HARD. the way my arms are still tired an hour after my w/o i know i'm gonna have 'fun' driving tomorrow.

w/o log
5'5" - currently bulking - 145lb on 5/16
weight goal I: 150 :: bench goal II:170 :: squat goal II: 250 :: weighted chin goal IV: +35 x 5 x 5

Scarface30

nice job man, that's some great volume going on there

something I find even better for grip are static holds, or as Gaz was doing monkey hangs. wrist curls are good and all but if you want to seriously increase your grip strength try one of those!

Warning: Seismic Testing Zone

SamEaston

Any reason you're doing machine stuff for your shoulders? You might be better using very light free weights instead of building the shoulders up using machines then doing yourself a damage when you move to free weights (which is ultimately what you want to do, right?).

No problem

www.extremebodybuilding.net

nadirmg

you have a point, sam.
but i'm still just easing into it. back in november when i re-injured my shoulder all it took was 2 lateral raises with a 10lb DB to put me out of commission for another 3 months!
doing DB benches with 30lb is scary too even if it's not a 'shoulder' exercise. in the next week or two i'll probably move off the machines and do some raises and presses with the 5 pounders but in the meantime i just want to see if my joints, ligaments and stuff can perform that movement while supporting some kind of weight.

i should probably buy those tiny weights and do that at home. i can't bring myself to lift 5lb DBs at the gym...

w/o log
5'5" - currently bulking - 145lb on 5/16
weight goal I: 150 :: bench goal II:170 :: squat goal II: 250 :: weighted chin goal IV: +35 x 5 x 5

goob

Nice Wo Nad.

How do you do a BB Face Pull?

Triple Threat

If they're what I think they are, another name for them is upright rows. And upright rows, if done incorrectly, can wreak havoc with the shoulders. It's not an exercise I would do if trying to recover from a shoulder injury. Been there, done that.

goob

Got ya. Yeah, I've done them before also, and have felt the strain they put on the rotators.

SamEaston

I know mate - i understand.

You need to get them little weights you just strap onto your wrists, then you can just go about your business, doing lat raises every now and then without anyone having a clue what you're up to!

www.extremebodybuilding.net

JailHouse

making progress! Can you explain your split layout?

Jailhouse Journal

nadirmg

thanks JH!

back extensions - straight extensions w/30lb BB s/s side extensions with 20lb DB
30 x 12 ------- s/s ------ 20 x 12
30 x 12 ------- s/s ------ 20 x 12
30 x 15 ------- s/s ------ 20 x 15
30 x 15 ------- s/s ------ 20 x 15

are you talking about the split thing up there? it's just a super set.
straight back extensions on the left followed by a superset of side extensions on the right.

w/o log
5'5" - currently bulking - 145lb on 5/16
weight goal I: 150 :: bench goal II:170 :: squat goal II: 250 :: weighted chin goal IV: +35 x 5 x 5

StanUk

looking good Nad, still making good progress pal keep it up!

JailHouse

I was talking about your Mon-sun work out schedule, what body part on what days.

Jailhouse Journal

Archangel

Great w/o BRother N, slow and STEADY progress my Friend, thats the BEST thing!!! You seem to have a plan, now keep at it!!!

"I can do ALL things through Christ, who strengthens me" - Philippians 4:13

"For NOTHING is impossible with GOD" - Luke 1:37

nadirmg

hrrm, generally i don't have set days of the week i do things on. i try not to any more than 2 days off in a row. but sometimes i don't get all the body parts done during the course of 7 days.

but here's the order i do 'em in
day 1 - legs
day 2 - back/lats/bis
day 3 - chest/tris
day 4 - shoulders/arms

for example. i slept like crap sunday night and only got 4 hours of sleep. i didn't want to go to the gym with only 4 hours of sleep (didn't want to get up at 5am either), so my leg day, which is usually on mondays got moved to today. i don't really adhere to a strict schedule. if i don't have flexibility then if i mess up the world might end

w/o log
5'5" - currently bulking - 145lb on 5/16
weight goal I: 150 :: bench goal II:170 :: squat goal II: 250 :: weighted chin goal IV: +35 x 5 x 5

nadirmg

thanks AA! a plan? no way, i'm still figuring all this out one day at a time.

thanks stan. funny how since you've started calling me 'nad' a few other people have too lol

w/o log
5'5" - currently bulking - 145lb on 5/16
weight goal I: 150 :: bench goal II:170 :: squat goal II: 250 :: weighted chin goal IV: +35 x 5 x 5

nadirmg

Tuesday - 03.25.08 - Legs!

Front Squats - first time trying them out
bar (55) x 10
75 x 10
95 x 10
105 x 10
not too bad, certainly hit the quads more than the hams and glutes though. my shoulder may not do too well with this one. we'll see how it goes.

Leg Press
270 x 10
360 x 10
410 x 10
430 x 10

Leg Curls s/s Leg Extensions
110 x 10 ------ s/s ------ 90 x 10
120 x 10 ------ s/s ------ 100 x 10
130 x 10 ------ s/s ------ 110 x 10
130 x 10 ------ s/s ------ 110 x 10

Calf Press s/s DB Lunges
135 x 20 ------ s/s ------ 20lb dbs x 10 (each leg)
135 x 19 ------ s/s ------ 20lb dbs x 10
90 x 20 ------ s/s ------ 20lb dbs x 10
90 x 30 - ----- s/s ------ 20lb dbs x 10

Cable Crunches
100 x 20
110 x 20
120 x 20
120 x 20

and today marks 3.5 years since i quit smoking cold turkey. not a single drag since then. i could really go for a djarum and black though...

w/o log
5'5" - currently bulking - 145lb on 5/16
weight goal I: 150 :: bench goal II:170 :: squat goal II: 250 :: weighted chin goal IV: +35 x 5 x 5

katt

wow - 3 1/2 years is sweet! Workout doesn't look bad either..

so you liked the front squats, huh?

the other half

ya, becarefull with the front squats. once your shoulder is 100% i would give them a go.

killer leg press. good workout all the way thru

"katt's spotter"
" its not how much u can benchpress. its how much other people think u can." bob chicherillo

RasPlasch

Congrats on the 3.5 years free from smoking!
You own at leg pressing!

nadirmg

wednesday - 03.26.08 - chest/tris

flat bench on the rack
105 x 8
125 x 8
135 x 8 - rep PR
140 x 4 - weight PR

dips ------ s/s ------ diamond pushups
bw x 10------ s/s ------ 15x
bw+15 x 10* ------ s/s ------ 13x - weight PR
bw+15 x 8* ------ s/s ------ 10 x
bw+10 x 5* (then bw x 1) ------ s/s ------ 0x
*first time adding weight to my dips. the combination of the weighted tips and superesetting them with diamond pushups totally wasted my tris.

DB flat bench
27.5 x 8
30 x 8
30 x 8
30 x 8
still staying at 30lb for the sake of my shoulder. would gone up to 35 but my tris were already gone. so i stuck with 30lbs.

swiss ball crunches ------ s/s ------ planks
30x ( 10x left, middle, right) s/s (until failure)
30x ( 10x left, middle, right) s/s (until failure)
30x ( 10x left, middle, right) s/s (until failure)
didn't time my planks but they hurt like a mofo.

cable flys
40 x 8
50 x 8 - weight PR
50 x 8
50 x 8

good w/o today. upped the weight on a couple of things and feeling stronger these days. just need to get my shoulders stronger, benching the 30lb DBs and holding them above my head like that... feels like my shoulders can't support much more than that at this point.

w/o log
5'5" - currently bulking - 145lb on 5/16
weight goal I: 150 :: bench goal II:170 :: squat goal II: 250 :: weighted chin goal IV: +35 x 5 x 5

katt

dips ss w/pushups.... I've seen that before...lol..

Great workout!

JailHouse

Good job brother your makin IM proud. What do you mean by on the rack on ur BB becch? How is your shoulder feeling now with all these higher pressing numbers bro?

Jailhouse Journal

RasPlasch

Do you mean benching on a smith machine?

Nice job on the 140 bench though you are movin on up.
Great job on adding weight on the dips, they are tough.

nadirmg

nope i've stopped useing the smith machine all together. free bar only from now on yea, they're tough, but dips are my favorite!

i just mean i didn't use the smith machine.
i think my shoulder is slowly getting stronger. it feels great to put on more weight, bench it, and think, 'woah, i can handle this much?!'
but for now it's probably wise not to start pushing heavier DBs. benching BBs has a little safety since you don't use quite as many stabilizing muscles.

yea, i steal most of my best moves from the pros
thanks katt!

w/o log
5'5" - currently bulking - 145lb on 5/16
weight goal I: 150 :: bench goal II:170 :: squat goal II: 250 :: weighted chin goal IV: +35 x 5 x 5

nadirmg

ok i may post this in the open chat forum later but...

what are you's guy's thoughts on talking to girls at the gym. i mean seriously. it's a great place to meet girls you know are serious about fitness. a great thing to share in a relationship, right?

but is there a way to talk to a girl at the gym that you've never spoken to without it coming across as "i'm full of myself and now I'M HITTING ON YOU!"? seriously, i don't think it can be done. but i'd like to know if it's worked for any guys out there.

w/o log
5'5" - currently bulking - 145lb on 5/16
weight goal I: 150 :: bench goal II:170 :: squat goal II: 250 :: weighted chin goal IV: +35 x 5 x 5

katt

Boy that's a tough one,,, other than saying "hi" or "hows it going" I would think that a guy is hitting on me.. But, I guess,,, if you doing cardio next to a cute one, you could strike up a conversation about something random, and it wouldn't be so noticeable???? Or helping spot? That's just tough.. I'm so focused when I'm in the gym I'm sure most people think I'm a snob.. lol

I realized you wanted the guys input, but I thought I'd throw my 2 cents in

SamEaston

That also applies to me. And if someone comes over to me when im between sets they get such a dirty look mostly because im timing my rest intervals for 60s so i don't have time for chit-chat.

However, i have struck up a few conversations with lads in my gym (inbetween sets), completely by mistake. For example, when i need to use the squat rack i normally do it first out of all my exercises, so if someone's on it, i just go up and ask them how long they're going to be and do they mind if i wait? (i always do this now because last time i didn't ask, the guy was on it for half an hour - i was losing the will to live and seizing up all the while). A couple of times the lads have said 'you can work in with me if you want' which always leads to a bit of banter, or they sometimes say 'can you watch my form on this while you're standing there' etc... which presents lots of opportunities in itself

I mean, you seem like a nice guy so its pretty unlikely that a lass is going to think you're a retard, but you could help the situation along by asking her to watch your stance, while squatting for example, and say something like 'Look, i can't tell if my back is curving at the bottom of this squat. Would you mind checking for me while i do this set?' Not only does this show that you're not afraid to ask for help, it makes it perfectly clear that you know what you're talking about and you're serious about your training, PLUS it also gives her a PERFECT opportunity to check out your ass.

Go get em tiger

www.extremebodybuilding.net