26 JUL: Upper body

Well, this is the last week of Phase 2. After that, I have 1.5 weeks till I go on vacation. Instead of starting Phase 3, I'll just do Crossfit WODs as they appear on the website. I hope they are conditioning / stamina dominant workouts, as that will help me get more hiking done on vacation.

I got a late start tonight, so my results aren't the best ever.

  1. Pullup: BW x 7, 8
  2. One-arm T-bar row: 50 x 12 (each arm)
  3. Inverted row: BW x 11
  4. Incline bench press: 175 x 8, 8
  5. Dips: BW x 6
  6. Skull crusher: 95 x 8, 8
  7. Prone raise: 20s x 8
  8. Lateral raise: 20s x 8
  9. Incline DB curls: 25s x 13, 8, 6
  10. EZ-bar rvs curls: 65 x 12, 12, 12
  11. Ab wheel: 10

My biceps are finally catching up to my torso and triceps. I know I've been doing lighter weights, but the added reps are pushing me into a pain barrier that I never reached with heavy weights or compound-only movements like rows. As much as I'm a proponent of focusing on compount (i.e. multi-joint) exercises and training body movement vs. muscles, I have to admit that doing direct bicep work is working faster and better than anything I've done before.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Intro to Calisthenics

 I'm kind of big and kind of heavy. I weigh 235 and wear XXXL shirts ťailored to fit my size L waist.  Even so, after moths of consistent effort, I'm strong enough to incorporate calisthenics as my primary form of training volume. My current plan is paying off in the form of major leaps in endurance, tighter physique, and fat loss.  The schedule is: Mon - whole body Tue - arms Wed - whole body Thu - off Fri - whole body Sat - arms Sun - off My torso has always grown faster than my arms and I need to build proportion, so they get 2 dedicated sessions a week.  A typical whole body session runs like this: 1. Single leg calf raise: 3-100 method* 2. 10 min EMOM: Big power movement like deadline, or snatch grip high pull, or clean&press.  Start at 10x3 and stick with the same weight till you can perform 10x6.  Rotate between 5-6 movements every session. 3. Conditioning circuit 1: 5 rounds of   A. Pushup progression   B. Pick a single leg squat patte...
Read more

The Warrior's Path

This year has been a real test of character, and I have to say, I  passed with probably a B+, or maybe A-.   What makes a warrior different from the ordinary man is not whether he faces obstacles or not. We all face obstacles.  No; what makes a warrior different is how he faces the obstacles. An ordinary man and a warrior will both map out a course to  their objective. The ordinary man will get distracted along the way.  He might see the trail up the mountain and convince himself he never really wanted to reach his objective. When his arms go numb from shouldering the load, he discards item from his pack he suddenly sees as unnecessary.  He might sprain an ankle, call 911 and decide the course is too dangerous for any sane person to attempt.  So much the better, because now he has plenty of time for other more important things.  Isn't it football season anyway? The ordinary man makes excuses to stay ordinary. The warrior notices and ...
Read more