100 days, 100 supersets, day 1: 12/18/12

[mrhtbd]

Supersets 71 and 72, Day 67, February 23, 2013

Had a few days off with my kid sick, but it turned out just what I needed. Went in today to work off some steam.
SS #1 Bench press (175x6, 155x4, still weak but the elbow is starting to be useful with the bar) with seated hammer strength row (180) 10x10

SS #2 Incline bench press (115) with wide-grip front lat pulldowns (120) 10x10

On some of these I have to lower the weight or use rest/pause to finish the 10 reps in a set. It's OK, because it's all good stress for my elbow injury, relearning how to push the bar with the new damaged configuration. It's working as my strength is increasing.

Well, you know what they say, proof's in the pudding.
Took this photo today, right after my workout.

[mrhtbd]

[BSuperset 73, Day 68, February 24, 2013][/B]

Whoa, sore already from this afternoons SS.
SS Lunges with barbell across shoulders (115) 10x20 reps with straight-legged deadlift (95) 10x10

I do 20 reps on lunges because I want to work each leg a full 10 reps per set. It's not easy, though.

Lunges are done by stepping forward a stride, bending at the knee (but don't let your front knee go forward enough to pass the toes of that foot) then "kicking back" so you end up in the upright position. This "kicking back" motion, enough to get to the upright position, puts much stress on the lower quad and helps develop the lower front quad in a unique way. The only other exercise I know that does this is push presses, where one must bend the knees and push the weight up and overhead to get it up. Whe I did these my lower front quads were the biggest by far.

For the record, IMO, lunges done by splitting the feet and just doing one-legged presses done one leg at a time is ridiculous and removes the most beneficial aspect of the exercise (pushing with force to get back to upright).

I now have 27 supersets and 32 days to complete them to complete my 100 supersets by the Spring Equinox, March 20, 2013. This was actually only 93 days between when I started 12/18/12 to the Spring Equinox. I'm ahead of the goal. For now, I want to aviod injury so I can step up my training in the Spring Quarter.
Baby steps, folks, that is what is necessary to make progress when other methods have failed.

Big Daddy Shoulders tomorrow!

[mrhtbd]

big shoulder day, 800 reps

Supersets # 74, 75, 76 and 77, Day 69, February 25, 2013

SS #1 Hammer Strength front shoulder press (140) with Hammer Strength front lat pulldown (150) 10x10 each

SS #2 Seated, collar-to-collar, angled, behind-the-neck Smith machine presses (115x6x10, 105x4x10) with seated, wide-grip, behind-the-neck lat pulldowns (120x10x10)

SS#3 Right-handed, Standing cable rear laterals with standing cable front laterals (cross body to opposite shoulder) (20lbs x10x10)

SS#4 Left-handed, Standing cable rear laterals with standing cable front laterals (cross body to opposite shoulder) (20lbs x10x10)

All the lateral work may seem extreme for such a small muscle group, but my shoulders are becoming shining gems with all the work, as opposed to years ago when I was doing heavy (185lb) push presses for 5x8, when they were big but lacked separation, striation, and integration, three things that separate a man's shoulders from a boy's.

Just look at the Statue of Poseiden, in the harbor at Copenhagen, Denmark, (below) where the artist used a mature model, with muscles carved from years in action on land and sea.
That's what I want.

[mrhtbd]

Arms-only blitz

Superset # 78, 79, and 80, Day 70, February 26, 2013

Been training hard for several days, extra supersets per day and such. Starting to wear down my upper body because of hitting muscles indirectly with all the compound movements, but still making progress.
Yesterday I did shoulders only, and today I hit arms only. This was the first arms only workout I'd say in two weeks.

SS #1 Incline D-bell curls (40'sx10x10) with two-handed, single-dumbbell french press (behind head to upright) (80x8x10, 70x2x10) (a lot of cheating, especially the last few sets. I lost count and may have done 12 sets.

SS #2 Straight bar reverse curl (60) with tricep pushdowns (60) 10x10 good isolation for the brachialis

SS #3 Concentration curls with tricep kickback (20x10x10 w/each arm)

I was a swimmer for 9 years over a 14 year period. Volume keeps me lean and tight.
My muscles were built using volume as a degree of increasing intensity.
I love volume training.
Strength and mass will come as I get stronger and start doing sets of 5x5; that's for the Spring Quarter 2013.

[mrhtbd]

Superset 81 and 82, Day 75, March 3, 2013

SS #1 Lunges (by stepping a stride forward then kicking back) (10x20x135) with straight-legged dealift (10x10x115)

SS #2 Leg press (10x10x270) with leg curl (10x10x80)

A tough workout. Could barely stand and/or walk afterward.

[mrhtbd]

Supersets 83 and 84, Day 78, March 6, 2013

Today was special, I broke code and didn't follow protocol, shame, shame, but I also broke serious mental barriers. I went to train with an old (of 25 yrs or so) friend, who always loved doing volume heavy bench. I've seen him bench 225 30 times.

Anyway, training with him I broke a milestone, benched 315 for two reps. First time I did that since 2003, and have only benched 315 about 8 times in my life (sorry, wide and narrow with long arms, better for rowing).

Here goes:
SS #1 Bench press, (135x25, 185x16, 225x8, 275x5, 315x2, 225x6, 135x4x10) with Long pulley close grip cable rows (120x25,
140x16, 180xx16, 220x16, 240x12, 220x16, 180x4x10)

SS #2 Incline press (145x10x10) with front lat pulldown (145x10x10)

My left shoulder is very sore; where I tore the labrum. Thought I was going too much too soon but figured it's time to test every 3 weeks or so.
Dick Smith, the Assistant Coach to the Olymypic US Weight-Lifting Team, told me once, "You shouldn't do max lifts all the time, and not more often than at least three weeks, five weeks is better. That's where guys get injured, always pushing for a max when they are in various statres of recovery. Better to only test every three to five weeks, less injury." Also he said, ..."and stay away from singles, doubles, and triples, I've seen those weights injure more guys than I can remember."

[mrhtbd]

Superset 85, Day 79, March 7, 2013

Another brutal day and some milestones. I haven't hit this weight on the leg press in 4 years.

SS #85, Leg press (3x10x270, 2x10x360, 1x10x450, 1x10x540, 3x10x630) with single-leg curls (10x10x40 each)

Yeah that's the first time I got 630 for 3x10 was over 4 years ago.
I was crawling out of that place, old muscle coming back!

[mrhtbd]

Supersets 86, 87 & 88, Day 80, March 8, 2013

Steve Reeves always insisted on the benefits of starting with shoulders, period, and it showed!

SS #1 Seated, collar-to-collar grip, behind neck presses (120) with Behind neck lat pull-down (120), 10x10

SS #2 Right-hand, Low pulley rear lateral raise with cross front lateral raise 10x10x40

SS #3 Left-hand, Low pulley rear lateral raise with cross front lateral raise 10x10x40

I'm even. I have 12 days left to finish 12 supersets. Been pushing heavier weights all along.

[mrhtbd]

Supersets 89, 90, 91, 92, and 93, Day 82, March 10, 2013

Getting down to the wire. Went in for chest/back today.
The first sets felt hard, but I just kept adding more.
The pump was all therre today.

SS #1 Hammer strength chest press (180) with hammer strength seated row (180) 10x10 each

SS #2 Hammer strength incline press (120) with front lat pulldowns (120) 10x10 each

SS #3 Seated incline curl (30's) with incline press (30's) 10x10 each

SS #4 Incline flyes (30's) with front lat pulldown (120) 10x10 each

SS #5 Flat bench d-bell press (pressing the dumbbells together, 40's) with t-bar row (110)

I have 10 days left and 7 supersets in this challenge to make my goal, and am amazed at my progress in just 3 months.

[mrhtbd]

Superset # 94, Day 84*/92, March 12, 2013

*Small problem here. I started this on December 18th and wanted 100 supersets "in 100 days" to be done the first day of spring, 3/20/13. Problem is, that's only 93 days! So, Tuesday was day 84 from December 18th, but I only have until the 20th to finish. Therefore, I must make the adjustment and switch Day 84 to Day 92, since there are only 8 days until march 20, 2013.That said:

SS #94 Lunges (135x10x20) with lying leg curls (70x10x10)

[mrhtbd]

Superset 95 & 96, Day 86/94, March 14, 2103

SS #1 Incline press (collar-to-collar grip) (155x6x10, 135x4x10) with front lat pulldowns (155x10x10)

SS #2 Flat Bench close grip, (135x10x10) with seated pulley row (105x5x10) (90X5X10)

Only 6 days left to finish 4 supersets.

Here's the look following today's workout.

[mrhtbd]

Superset 97, Day 95, March 15, 2013

A masher today, a real masher!

Squat (135x1x10, 185x1x10, 225x8x10) with straight-leg deadlift (115x10x10)

Ouch! Didn't want to finish with pansy sets.
I thought 8x10 with 225 was a good challenge!

[mrhtbd]

Finished

Supersets 98, 99, & 100, Day 88/96, March 16, 2013


SS #1 Collar-to-collar smith machine shoulder presses (155) with behind neck wide-grip pulldown (150)

SS #2 Standing Rope curls with kneeling rope tri extensions (80x10x10, then curled 1x40x100 reps) and did tricep, 2x40x50 reps) both using the rope and the lower pulley.

SS #3 Reverse curls with nose crushers 10x10x40

That's it then, completed 100 supersets in 88 days.
Made a lot of progress. It worked out very well for me.
I would do it again, and may adjust the spring workout season with sets of 8x8 and add weight. We shall see!

Thanks for following along!

[mrhtbd]

Couldn't stay away

Superset 1, Day 89/97, March 17, 2013

SS #1 Lunges (8x8x175) with straight leg deadlift (8x8x135)

Haven't done lunges with that since the 1990's.
ctually, 185 is the most I ever used with lunges, and that was only for 3x6. That was probably 1994.

[mrhtbd]

Superset 2 and 3, Day 92, March 20, 2013, first day of spring

SS #1 Chest press(160) with seated row (160) 8x8

SS #2 Incline chest press (160) with front lat pulldown (160) 8x8

I am surprised at how strong I am getting.

Today's the first day of spring!