Finally: A solid workout

The last week or so has kind of been a bust, but I had a good session tonight. I wanted to get some volume in, which seems to have worked well for me in the past.

bench, pinkies on rings: 225×3, 275×1, 295×1, 315×11x1, 315×3 I got a total of 14 reps with 315, which is pretty darn good for me. I think that’s damn near the most reps I’ve ever done in one session at that weight.

machine row, neutral grip: 115×8x5

close grip bench: 185×4x12

one arm pressdown: #3×12, #3×10 I did these with one leg up on the seat of the lat pulldown, because I really wanted to accentuate the top of the ROM, where the elbow is flexed, since it’s the lockout that’s emphasized in the press.

reverse curl: 75×12, 95×7 (EZ bar) 65×10, 85×1 (straight bar)

isometric hammer curl: 30lb, 30 s

isometric tricep kickback: 20lb, 30s x 2

isometric pec deck: 200×30s, 250×30s

If I would have remembered, I would have done an isometric for the lats/back, probably one for a row and one on the pull-up bar. What’s with the isometrics? Am I trying to be some coverboy? Well, when you do an isometric, the muscle actually pinches off it’s own blood supply, so it can’t get any blood and hence transport oxygen, glucose and remove waste products like hydrogen ions. This appears to be an important stimulus for growth. So I figured “What the Hell, it’s worth a try.” There’s even a Japanese name for training with a tourniquet on for the same effect; kaatsu. You can read up on it online or at Pubmed.

It’s weird to actually have a pump.

Oh, and I actually got some R-ALA to use with my post-workout shake, for what it’s worth.