Ash's Journal

[deegee]

Big workout there, I like the idea of slow positive and negative, too many people I see get into there wok like it is a race.

[Varven]

Hey Ash,

plan sounds good.

But Instead of burning out all on oneday, any reason not to venture into a "upper-lowe-upper" routine that gets swapped around ?

Thats what Im doing atm.

My split looks like :

Mon

Chest/Back/Shoulders

Wed

Quads/Halms/Bi&Tri&forearms - you could include calves here though i dont train them directly

Fri

Chest/Back/Shoulders

Of course the following week would see Wed workout carried out on Mon and Fri and upper body stuff done only on wed.

Oh I must also mention whatever routine is being 'repeated' during the week, its with a different set of excercises.

Oh and training is NOT always pushed to failure. Most work is done to the tune of 3 sets hitting 10 reps. Focus on form, much like yourself.

[Ash]

Big workout there, I like the idea of slow positive and negative, too many people I see get into there wok like it is a race.

My form generally isn't that bad - I used to go slow on the negative and quite quick on the positive (as per DC training) but it sometimes gets a bit loose on the last few reps and that's when I get nailed.

With the new routine, the 2 secs up/2 secs down is just a guideline - on some exercises today, it was more like 4/4. Overall it felt very different but good. I'm hoping the slower reps will help me avoid any injuries.

Hey Ash,

plan sounds good.

But Instead of burning out all on oneday, any reason not to venture into a "upper-lowe-upper" routine that gets swapped around ?

I thought of that - especially when I got to the point where I had to start legs today but I like the idea of going back to a "train the whole body, rest the whole body" scenario.

This way I can give my system a break with 2 full days off between each big session. I'm not too fussed about calves, traps and forearms, I can do the lot in 10 -15 minutes on one of the rest days without tapping into my recovery.

Oh and training is NOT always pushed to failure. Most work is done to the tune of 3 sets hitting 10 reps. Focus on form, much like yourself.

Sounds about right - I'm training to "technical" failure...when I can't get another rep without breaking form, the set is over. It still felt pretty intense to me.

[jono]

keep it up ash

[ExpensiveUrine]

The new routine isn't set up how I would like it to be due to my back injury (no squats, DL or bent rows) but I'll give it a bash and see how it goes

Have you tried doing rows on a machine? Or a row where you lie on a bench (horizontal) and row to your chest that way?

Keep eating too.

Best of luck.

[Ash]

Have you tried doing rows on a machine? Or a row where you lie on a bench (horizontal) and row to your chest that way?

Keep eating too.

Best of luck.

Thanks EU. The eating is the hard part - training is easy :?

I've been doing machine rows and DB rows on an incline bench but I've gone back to an old favourite for this routine - pulldowns sitting on the floor with my body at an angle...this makes for a great row movement with none of the lower back strain of cable rows.

How's your training going these days?

[Ash]

Just some cardio today and the "leftovers" - calves, forearms, traps

DB Shrugs

25 x 10

25 x 10

25 x 10

Standing DB wrist curls

22.5 x 10

22.5 x 8

22.5 x 8

Standing calf raises

83 x 10

83 x 9

83 x 9

[Ash]

Incline DB press

25 x 10

25 x 9

25 x 9

How can such light weights be so damn painful to lift? :pfft:

Floor pulldowns

66 x 10

66 x 9

66 x 9

Seated BB military press

50 x 9

50 x 7

50 x 7

I overestimated my strength on this. With the slow form and shortish rest periods between sets, I should probably have started off with about 5kg less.

Standing cable curls

36 x 10

36 x 9

36 x 9

Great sets today - as light as that weight is, my bis were on fire.

CG bench

60 x 10

60 x 10

60 x 9

Seated leg press

82 x 10

82 x 10

82 x 10

No hamstring work today, I started kickboxing last night and the tendons on the back of my legs are feeling it today.

Overall a good workout (except for the embarrassingly light weights that is). Still.....I'm enjoying the slow reps and the weights will climb again.

[Growth]

Hey Ash, excuse my ignorance but is the pain you are experiencing while you do the db presses soft tissue related? How did you find the joint formula?

[Ash]

Hey Ash, excuse my ignorance but is the pain you are experiencing while you do the db presses soft tissue related? How did you find the joint formula?

No worries mate - that's not related to any injuries, it's the good kind of pain. The slow reps burn like hell towards the end of the set, even with weights that are well below my max.

The joint formula has worked quite well, I've still got a few twinges but my wrists and knees are improving.

[jono]

great work ash. you will get there keep at it

[Growth]

Well thats good then, here i was thinking it was injury type pain and it is infact the pain we all love to feel when working out :grin:

[Ash]

great work ash. you will get there keep at it

Thanks jono

Well thats good then, here i was thinking it was injury type pain and it is infact the pain we all love to feel when working out :grin:

Yeah but it was OK when it was a set of 40kg DBs, now I'm cringing at a pair of 25s :pfft:

[Ash]

Traps, forearms, calves

DB shrugs

27.5 x 10

27.5 x 9

27.5 x 9

Standing BB wrist curls

45 x 10

45 x 10

45 x 8

Standing calf raises

83 x 10

83 x 10

83 x 9

[Varven]

forearm work is looking solid.. hows the Kick Boxing going too.. getting a mean cardio workout ?

[deegee]

That must be a fast workout!! good going though

[Ash]

forearm work is looking solid.. hows the Kick Boxing going too.. getting a mean cardio workout ?

Only done 1 session of kickboxing so far - it was a decent enough cardio workout but not as good as freediving for 2 hours in a reasonable current this evening. Watching your dive buddy climb out of the water onto the rocks because of the shark that ate his catch will get your HR up every time

That must be a fast workout!! good going though

Yeah that's a quick and easy workout - it's just the bits that are leftover from the main full body workout.

[Ash]

I felt like death warmed up today for some reason and wasn't going to train but I got off my ass and went in anyway. Turned out to be a good but hard workout, where I added reps to everything.

Decline BB press

65 x 10

65 x 10

65 x 9

Close grip pulldowns

66 x 10

66 x 9

66 x 9

Seated DB press

20 x 10

20 x 9

20 x 9

Seated DB curl

12 x 10

12 x 10

12 x 10

Hammer tricep machine

50 x 10

50 x 9

50 x 9

Leg ext

40 x 10

40 x 10

40 x 10

Leg curl

30 x 10

30 x 10

30 x 9

[deegee]

Miserable day weather wise out where I am made mehave second thoughts about going to the gym. Good to see you had a solid workout.

[Growth]

Nice work buddy :grin:

[Ash]

Thanks guys

It feels so strange to be using light weights because of the slow rep speed :?

I must say that I feel a lot safer (injury wise) while training this way. Not that my form is normally bad or anything but with zero momentum involved and everything always being totally controlled, the slow speed seems to be a good bet for someone like me.

The gains are yet to be established.

[Ash]

Leftovers again today

Hise Shrugs

60 x 10

60 x 10

60 x 10

These are a real oldie but they're a great trap exercise that I used to do years ago. I mentioned them to Varven as something to try while he gets over his elbow hassles and I thought I should get back into doing them myself. I went light today but it felt good.

Smith machine calf raises

60 x 10

60 x 10

60 x 10

Standing DB wrist curls

22.5 x 10

22.5 x 9

22.5 x 9

[Ash]

I went in on Saturday for a full body workout and was just too hammered. I gave up after 5 sets - no focus or energy.

After a few more days off, today was better although a bicep injury from last year is giving me heaps of trouble, will have to be careful here.

Incline DB press

25 x 10

25 x 10

25 x 9

Floor pulldowns

66 x 10

66 x 10

66 x 10

Seated BB military press

50 x 10

50 x 9

50 x 9

Standing cable curls

36 x 10

36 x 10

36 x 10

CG bench

60 x 10

60 x 10

60 x 9

This is the only movement that I didnt add reps to today :evil:

Seated leg press

87 x 10

87 x 10

87 x 10

Leg curl

30 x 10

30 x 10

30 x 10

[Ash]

Leftovers again today

DB shrugs

27.5 x 10

27.5 x 10

27.5 x 10

Standing BB wrist curls

45 x 10

45 x 10

45 x 10

Standing calf raises

83 x 10

83 x 10

83 x 10

[Ash]

Not a bad workout today, although I felt quite weak and unfocussed towards the end. I'm still getting used to these full body workouts :pale:

Decline BB press

65 x 10

65 x 10

65 x 10

Close grip pulldowns

66 x 10

66 x 10

66 x 10

Seated DB press

20 x 10

20 x 10

20 x 10

Seated DB curl

14 x 10

14 x 8

14 x 8

Hammer tricep machine

50 x 10

50 x 10

50 x 10

Seated leg press

96 x 10

96 x 10

96 x 9

Leg curl

35 x 10

35 x 8

35 x 8