Week 2 Day 4 - "Remember The Name"

9/04/15 Day 11- Back

Wow, I feel better for that sleep. I don't even think inanimate objects sleep as well as I did last night, just goes to show how your body lets you know what it needs. Listening to your body is absolutely key, going against what your body needs will only result in damage one way or the other. I order to function properly you need 8+ hour sleep a night (more like 10, if you are really into your training), eating good, healthy balanced meals throughout the day, and limiting or even cutting alcohol out from your diet. To see results you must make lifestyle changes that are achievable. To Learn more about Diet, and the dos and don't of nutrition head over to: http://nutritiontothegods.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/section-1-foundation-layer.html

But on to today's training! Hurrah, its Back day, my favourite.

Lat Pull Down – 2 Sets x 18-20 Reps

Pull Ups – 3 Sets x Max Reps

Close Grip Pull Ups – 3 Sets x Max Reps

Single Arm Barbell Row – 3 Sets x 14-18 Reps

Leverage Iso Row – 3 Sets x 14-18 Reps

Wide Grip Lat Pull Down – 3 Sets x 14-18 Reps

Cardio - Interval Training 15mins Total

Today's sessions was actually quite a quick one, maybe I was just super excited to train at 100% again or maybe that extra rest just gave me the boost I needed to smash this workout. With some nice light sets to start on the Lat Pull Down, I built up to a fairly respectable weight quite quickly and impressed myself at the ease of the high reps. Now as I have said before I usually train in the 12-15 rep range most of the time, so these high rep sets usually take it our of me pretty quick. Focusing on pining my elbows into my sides on the contraction allows me to fully engage the whole length of the lats, and allowed me to pre fatigue the muscles slightly before moving on to the next to killer exercises!

Pull Ups & Close Grip Pull Ups are not my friends, I have always struggled with these exercises, probably something to do with my 2m+ wingspan, but none the less I cracked on. For the Pull Ups I used a assistance band, I felt that without this band I would not get an adequate amount of reps out to warrant doing the exercise. By making it slightly easier to perform the reps, I make it twice as hard by squeezing out as many reps, and ½ reps as I can, again looking to flood those muscles with as much blood as they can hold! “I Don't Start Counting The Reps, Until It Starts Hurting”-Muhammad Ali

When moving on to the Single Arm Barbell Rows, I knew that I was going to find this quite hard. With the exercise being standing up and bent over, it means that my lower back really had to work hard to help transfer the energy into the movement, and I know my lower back is one of my weak points, but its slowly getting stronger, and secondly my muscles were so fatigued from my Max reps, that squeezing out some heavy reps was going to be a challenge. You know me, I don't back down from a challenge, I rise up, to conquer.

I took a few minutes to regain my breath and focus, and then moved onto the Leverage Iso Row, no w not all gyms have these, so you may need to find a alternative. This is another first for me, and proved to be a lot more difficult than expected, I wanted to make sure I was achieving full range on this machine, so I threw my attention into driving my elbows back hard and fast, squeezing at the top for 1 second, then slowly lower back to the beginning trying to spread my lats on the way down, for the eccentric work.

Finishing off the session the same way I started, Wide Grip Lat Pull Down, I became aware very quickly of how worn out my muscles had become when performing this. With a lower rep range, I told myself I could add a few more stacks on the machine, nope. Having to work with the same weight I started the session at I could believe how hard this was now. So when ever I have to lift lighter than I want I always make sure I work as controlled and as effectively as I can. Make those wings grow.

With an evening at work fast approaching its time for a quick shower, a spot of lunch (probably chicken and rice) and a leisurely cycle in this glorious English sun!

How is your Thursday?

Happy Lifting

Matt