17-08-2019, 05:47 PM
3156
Re: Post your daily exercise routine
To round-up the first three weeks of my new programme, I combined Routines #3 & #4 and added a new version of my ‘tension training’ formula to include an extended 7-second pause which will take place of the previous 2-3 seconds I normally utilise into my workouts. What’s more, the pauses take place at the most strenuous point of the rep, mid-way through the lift, which actually makes my muscles go into spasm briefly until I carry on with the rep.
Now that I’m used to this kind of training I’ve found that I am getting stronger again and the 7-second idea is an old one dating back to the 1950’s when bodybuilders found out that holding the weight in mid-position without dropping the set actually increases muscle mass better than even adding more weight to a further set, so I tried it out. By golly it works! It’s hard and you need to get the breathing right but after each set the muscles are contracted so much that they feel very tight and are harder, thus stronger, even with fewer sets. I have come up with a plan to revise my template from next week onwards, but for now the ‘practice’ session is noted below.
Also from next week I’ll be doing three routines instead of four to give me more rest time. That’s not an excuse for doing less work because all of my exercises are still present spread across the three routines, except for the arm curl machine, DB press and one or two of the smaller sets I normally do.
So take note of the new “7s” (seven second) pause annotations in my write-up and you get the idea.
Please note that I have left out any leg work from today to concentrate fully on this new programme. The legs will get their airing tomorrow in a separate full session before splitting the programme into its new 3-parter from Monday (or Tuesday).
Saturday 17th August 2019: Upper body round-up. 1hr.40mins.
(All weights in kgs)
Lat pulldown (hammer Bar):
12x40, 10x50, 6x70 – 7 sec pause – 2x70
*I’ll up the weight on this and most of the other exercises from next week as there are less sets for each.
Smith shoulder press, 60° incline bench:
12x30, 8x35, 5x45 – 7s – 3x45
Smith flat bench press, close-grip:
6x40 – pause - 6x40 – pause - 6x40 – 7s - 4x40
*Not dropping the bar at all between sets throughout the exercise. The 7-second pause before the final set was a killer! Up to 50kgs next week just for more torture!
Chest press:
15x60, 12x70, 10x80, 6x90 – 7s – 2x90
15x40 +5
Standing DB curl, alt. (diagonally across chest, swap over):
8x14 – pause - 8x14
5x16 – pause – 5x16
4x18 – pause – 4x18
*No extra seconds on this exercise but I did the reps very slowly to contract the biceps fully on each rep.
Standing barbell curl (paused):
6x25 – pause - 6x25 – pause - 6x25 – 7s - 3x25
E-Z preacher curl, seated:
10x38, 8x43, 6x48 – 7s – 2x48
4x53 – 7s – 2x53
5x58
25x18 – 7s – 2x18
*This was amazing. The pauses in these sets were truly battering my arm muscles and for some added effect, I didn’t load the bar with the usual extra 5 or 10kg weights. I took them all off and put on a 25kg plate on each side – to the amusement/gasps of people standing nearby lol! Normally a weight you’d do as a deadlift, not curling on a bar seated.
DB standing preacher curl (leaning forward over bench), alternate arms:
8x18, 4x20 – 7s -2x20
3x22 – 7s – 2x22
*Going for it big time by doing a starting weight of 18kg I managed it, piece of p!ss. To celebrate I upped the final set to use a 22kg dumbbell.
Hi-pull bicep cable curl:
12x25, 8x30, 6x35 – 7s – 2x35
12x15 – 7s – 7x15 – 7s – 5x15
*No stopping me on these double bicep curls today. The final lighter set was mainly for pumping up the biceps as far as they could peak and it worked a treat.
Tricep extensions (paused):
15x50 – pause - 15x50 – pause - 15x50 – pause - 15x50
25x30 – 7s – 10x30
DB concentration curl, alt:
6x16 – 7s – 2x16
12x10 – 7s – 5x10
*I had to curtail this final exercise as my arms were just about dead with all the curling today and simply gave up when I tried the 18kg weight. So a few very light 10kg reps sealed the muscles in place for this week.
Loved all that! Tomorrow, legs.
Thanks for reading