Gym regimen – July 2010

3 July 2010
87kg, BMI 25
"A4" workout: Traps, Tris & Shoulders: 100 mins

Warmup: 60 jumping jacks and calisthenics/stretching

Abs (one exercise per set): Russian twists 30x & crunch 10x @ 12lbs.; Russian twists 30x & crunch 10x @ 12lbs.; Supine leg lifts 40x

Barbell shoulder press: 12x @ 30kg, 10x @ 35kg, 8x @ 40kg, 6x @ 45kg

Dumbbell upright row: 12x @ 17.5kg, 10x @ 20kg, 8x @ 27.5kg, 8x @ 30kg

Prone reverse fly (weight for each arm): 12x @ 5kg, 10x @ 10kg, 8x @ 15kg, 8x @ 17.5kg (?)

Shrug & Behind-the-back shrug: 12x @ 40kg, 10x @ 60kg, 8x @ 60kg, 6x @ 70kg (?)

Bench dip: 10x, 10x, 10x, 10x (Nice and slow and deep!)

Lying triceps extension (incl. EZ Curl barbell): 12x @ 15kg, 10x @ 17.5kg, 8x @ 30kg, 6x @ 35kg (Sloppy form on the last set… but then again I forgot I was only supposed to three sets, according to my workout guide. Hoo-rah!)

Rope triceps extension: 12x @ 20kg, 10x @ 20kg, 8x @ 25kg, 6x @ 25kg (Nice pump on the last two sets, but sloppy form on the last set… but then again, as above, I forgot I was only supposed to three sets. Double hoo-rah!)

Cooldown: Treadmill: 20 mins (walk, jog, incline, etc.; 140–160 pulse)

+++

Not much to say about this workout. I don't like shrugs because they have such a short range of motion (ROM) and I feel like I'm never doing them correctly. I read about the anterior and posterior shrugs, since I don't recall ever doing behind-the-back shrugs before. It turns out the front shrug not only uses the serratus anterior ("those little rib muscles," pull the shoulders together, like when we're threading through a crowd of people) but also allows you to lift more weight. The posterior shrug targets the median trapezius and upper mid-back. So decided to alternate posterior and anterior each set, adding weight for anterior shrugs.

I didn't sweat nearly as much as I have in previous workouts, maybe because the muscle groups were smaller or the humidity was lower. It was harder to sink my teeth into this workout, but that happens. You just have to stick to the program and maintain good form with a positive attitude. My guess is that my pulse is between 120 and 150 beats per minutes between sets and in the midst of them, respectively.

I caught another trainer smoking, twice. Not that he's coy about it. It's just part of the culture, I guess: you can "do exercise" and "be buff" but don't forget to be a local Taiwanese man. This trainer was pretty cut, props to him, with huge plates for pecs. Yet it seemed to me that his forearms, triceps, and biceps were disproportionately smaller, which suggests he does a lot of cable flyes to isolate his pecs as impressive show muscles. But again, no judgment, just analysis.

The barbell shoulder press was a good challenge and I was pleased to feel no discomfort even when it activated my upper pectoralis. I should be all right for tomorrow's chest/calves workout, as long as I don't get a sudden case of weekendwarrioritis.