Routine A-Day 3-Back & Shoulders

Whew. I am very sore but in that good for you, your body is being forced to adapt, delayed onset muscle soreness kind of way. So this is the last day of the split before-gasp-THANKSGIVING and I couldn't be any more excited. I love to train back and shoulders. To train both in one day? Perfect. I was also excited to try yet some more "foreign" movements. Namely, the T-Bar row. So, here's how it went.

Underhand Lat Pulldown

3 warms

180 lbs. x 5 reps.

180 lbs. x 5 reps.

180 lbs. x 5 reps.

This was fairly intense, however, at this weight, I was trying to differentiate whether the weight was being moved by momentum or what have you. I guess the mind/muscle connection wasn't quite there for this movement. I wasn't herky jerky or anything but I wasn't pausing at the eccentric like I'd typically do for sets of 10-12. It was challenging and at 180 lbs., it allowed me to move it in a controlled fashion within my ability.

T-Bar Row

2 warms

125 lbs. x 10 reps (Olympic Bar + 45 lb. plate + 35 lb. plate)

135 lbs. x 10 reps.

135 lbs. x 10 reps.

Luckily, I watched a bit of "Pumping Iron" the previous night so I can watch Arnold demonstrate this move. I obviously didn't use as much weight as he did but if it works for "The Oak", it works for me. This is another movement I haven't done as much, if at all but this is great because I know this'll shock the body. The weight, I feel, is fair and to pump out 10 reps. was challenging. How challenging? Challenging enough so I can control the weight for a full range of motion without compromising form. I'll try another 5-10 lbs. next week.

Dumbbell Deads

1 warm

70 lbs. x 10 reps.

70 lbs. x 10 reps.

I'm a fan of deads and this taxed me. I definitely felt the heart rate go up here.

Dumbbell Press

2 warms

60 lbs. x 5 reps.

60 lbs. x 5 reps.

60 lbs. x 5 reps.

At this point, all i can think about is post workout carbs.

Front Raise/Seated Lateral Raises-Superset

15 lbs. x 12 reps/15 lbs. x 12 reps

15 lbs. x 12 reps/15 lbs. x 12 reps

15 lbs. x 12 reps/15 lbs. x 12 reps

This superset, to cap off this sesh, was tough. Really felt the burn here.

Ab Exercise of the day

The Roman Chair-Knee Raise/Up

1 warm

15

15

15

GREAT WORKOUT!

Steady State Cardio

30 Minutes on the Stepmill

I'm scared of the upcoming weekend but I'm going to plan as best I can to make sure I have meals on hand if I'm on a pinch and just let myself "enjoy" thanksgiving for what it is. NOT a binge-fest. I've already had my share of that. I'm still experiencing residual headaches that I attribute to the drastic drop in calories I'm consuming from the even more dramatic SURPLUS of calories I've been consuming the past few months. Got-To-Keep-FOCUSED.