Alright...an installment.
I have been into a pulse like routine of trying to gain LBM without getting fat. So far so good. It is a challenge when I know my "work load" on some exercises is not as energy consuming because of my innability to move greater weight...right now. So I have done my best to replace working load weight with working load volume.
But things are getting much better
EX: Pre injury I could incline press 120lb BD for 4-6 when I was as heavy as 210-215lbs. At a BW of 195-200lbs I was still pushing 90's for 8-10+ reps at a good TUT temp.
Post injury: incline press with 20lb DB. Keep in my that my injury was unilateral. So my left side had absolutely no mechanical stability and very little to no muscle recruitment...at least not much if at all the target muscle.
3-24-08, one year post injury: Incline DB press with 65lbs for 12-15 reps. Keep in mind that these are done unilaterally. Meaning both DB get pressed up to the start position and only the left one does reps....go ahead and give that a try
I have put back on nearly an inch on my left arm and lost 20lbs.
So back to the pulsing type of routine/diet.
I have chosen to commit more time to my family so I can invest myself in a thing or two a little more important that my physique (news flash....there are more important things, just step away from the mirror for a minute and you might be lucky enough to find that out too).
My work shift is Thurs, Friday, Saturday (3-12's) and Sundays (5-6 hours) with the possibility that the 3-12's could be 13's. I am hourly and get paid 40 for 36. So anything above 36 hours shifts to overtime.
I had been using those work days after work to get on the treadmill and cardio for an hour. There was no traing on those days with the exception of sometimes I would go in and train on Sunday afternoons.
I am no longer doing all that cardio on the off days and putting in a hour or two to make the overtime. I make more in 3 hours than my wife did in 20hrs working part-time out of the house...so I fired her. She is a tremendous caretaker and mother and much much more valuable to my family, house and home than any dollar she could make...well almost ANY
So it kind of goes like this: (Sunday-optional) Monday, Tues, Weds at the gym in the AM.
Chest/Back/Core
Arms/Legs
Shoulders/Core
10-15 mins pre workout low intensity cardio
20-30 mins post workout HIIT cardio
Here is where it gets fun and inventive:
Chest/Back:
Low Incline DB Press (unilateral)
Left Arm Lat Pull Down
Slight Decline DB Press (unilateral)
Left Arm DB Row
Cable Crossovers (unilateral)
Left Arm Seat Cable Row
Arms/Legs:
Hammer Strength Dips (unilateral)
Hammer Curls or DB Curls (unilateral)
Tricep Cable Press Downs - Drastic Drop set for one Arm Press
Left Arm Cable Curls or Preacher Machine Curls
Leg Press*
Leg Curls
Calf Raises
Shoulders:
One Arm Cable Upright Row (bilateral)
Lateral Delt Raise Machine
Seated High Row Machine
Right Side DB Shrug**
* should not put any weight upon my shoulders for squating to avoid aggrevating and or further injuring my C7 disk
** my left side back (pull) work has put a little imbalance to my traps with a bit my hypertrophy on the left side. It has always been that way genetically. I am not really supposed to be doing and shoulder press work or shrugs so I go light with much focus on both eccentric, concentric and contraction.
EDIT: tried to post this yesterday from work but for some reason now my work PC has some new word screening software or setting that comes up on some threads and states that I cannopt view the page because of "banned words" :think:
So I moved on to another PC at work this morning. I mean at $40/h I am more motivated to post than at free from at home.
I will add a bit more about my "pulsing" ideas regarding a few other aspects of my go forward plan.
Thread title is going to change too because it has become more than just a USPLabs product log.