Re: workout details for Elaine – painfully long and detailed

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In a message dated 3/4/04 5:15:26 PM Eastern Standard Time,

bettysmith997@... writes:

> On the squat and dead lift I do what I think referred to as a

> power cycle (??) where you do a series of seven sets, each set

> separated by a minute. Each set consists of the following reps: 8,

> 5, 3, 1, 1, 1, 3. The weight gets increasingly heavy as the reps

> decrease. So for example a squat workout would be:

That's the thing I'm following. I've modified it slightly. For deadlifts

and squats, I've decided to dump the 8-rep set and use the same set as a warmup

set for 5. Two reasons: 1, Pavel Tsatsouline recommends for some reason I'm

not aware of, limiting squats and deadlifts to 5 reps. Two, sometimes when I

deadlift I get temporary pigmentation in my forearms like I got a tan, but in

blotches. I have no idea what it is or if it is harmful (my only guess is

that the heavy workout induced adrenocotropic hormone which has for some reason

an increased melanocyte response, blah blah), but I noticed I get it mostly

when I do high-reps, and don't get it when I do singles.

> Right now 5 lbs is a huge % of my total weight, but later when I'm

> doing like 100-150 lbs I might use bigger increments.

Don't be surprised if you don't. Progress is faster when you begin working

out. However, if you don't stress out your program and have it overstay its

welcome, you can probably make 10-lb gains. There will come a point when your

gains trickle off. If you feel like your gains are slowing, dump the program.

Rearrange your rep numbers, or just dump the exercise for a month and do

different exercises. Go back to it reducing your weight 20-30% and start again.

That should help you make continual large gains.

>

> On the bench press and curls, I do five sets of decreasing reps: 5,

> 4, 3, 2, 1. I use the same weight for each set. On Mondays I repeat

> this with two different weights and on Fridays I just do one. I use

> the following pattern to increase 5lbs per week:

> M: 35 lbs, 30 lbs

> F: 40 lbs

> M: 40 lbs, 35 lbs

> F: 45

> M: 45, 40

> F: 50

That's kind of like what I do, but a little different. I use the same rep

scheme, but my weekly cycle looks like this:

M: 180

W: 185

F: 190

M: 185

W: 190

F: 195

M: 190

W: 195

F: 200

> I'll eventually adopt the bench press/curl routine for the dips, but

> right now I'm still working up to five dips.

Some gyms have assisted dip machines, where you can change the angle or

somethign or other (we don't have one at mine) to reduce the effective weight.

But

I'd just do what you're doing. I always do my dips weighted. I tried them

non-weighted after testing my bench press max and did 22, so I could probably

do more if I was fresh. I always go down ALL THE WAY. I see a lot of people

just go down to perpendicular or some people don't even go that far. I highly

recommend going all the way down, or as much as your shoulders can take, and

doing fewer reps, once you have that capability.

Eventually I'll replace

> bench press with pull-ups.

Out of curiosity, why? It seems like they're both valuable to me. Pullups

are quite a different motion from bench press and use different muscles.

> I can't do one pull up right now.

Do you do them with your palms forward or towards you? If the former, the

latter is easier.

My > husband will continue to do bench presses, though, because he wants

> big arms and chest.

Bench press is good for triceps, but doesn't do much for biceps. If he wants

big biceps, he'll have to do curls too (and pullups wouldn't be a bad idea).

He'll probably make continual gains best if he swtiches around the breadth he

holds the bar at. Typically you have your pinkies on the rings. You can

also do close-gripped where your index fingers are right at the edge of the

smooth part. This does your inner pecs and triceps more. I'm going to

alternate

between those two from now on, doing a complete cycle of each, with a

kettlebell cycle inbetween.

>

> I've been increasing my bench press load 5 lbs per week and my squat

> and dead lift amounts 15 lbs every two weeks with no sign of this

> slowing down (I know, it eventually will).

Fantastic! Keep it comin'!

At first I was tempted to

> do all exercises everyday, but that would take twice as much time and

> I don't think I would gain twice as much weight to make it worth the

> time. So I do two exercises a day and it only takes 10-15 minutes.

No, that would be a total waste of time and hurt your progress. Keep doin'

what yer doin'! Sounds good to me! :-)

Chris