15 Saturday Jul 2017
Posted in Workout Routine
10 Monday Jul 2017
Posted in Workout Routine
Tags
Today’s workout!
Hello, Readers! Happy Monday. Sorry for not posting a quote or workout yesterday, but my brother and niece are keeping me busy (they’re visiting from Arizona). Anyways, I did not miss the workout, just didn’t get it posted. Nonetheless, here’s today’s workout. Today was Shoulders, Trapezoids, and Abdominals.
See you tomorrow!!
| Barbell Shoulder Press | 2 | 3-5 | Shoulders | 5/110.0 5/110.0 | |
| Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press | 2 | 3-5 | Shoulders | 5/35.0 5/35.0 | |
| Smith Machine Upright Row | 2 | 3-5 | Shoulders | 5/60.0 5/60.0 | |
| Dumbbell Lateral Raise | 2 | 3-5 | Shoulders | 5/25.0 5/25.0 | |
| Face Pull | 2 | 3-5 | Shoulders | 5/57.5 5/57.5 | |
| Barbell Shrug | 2 | 3-5 | Traps | 5/205.0 5/205.0 | |
| Behind The Back Barbell Shrug | 2 | 3-5 | Traps | 5/205.0 5/205.0 | |
| Straight-Arm Pushdown | 2 | 3-5 | Traps | 5/254.0 5/254.0 | |
| Cable External Rotation | 2 | 3-5 | Shoulders | 5/20.0 5/20.0 | |
| Cable Internal Rotation | 2 | 3-5 | Shoulders | 5/20.0 5/20.0 | |
| Smith Machine Hip Thrust | 2 | 3-5 | Abs | 5 x 160lbs 5 x 160lbs |
5/130.0 5/130.0 |
| Machine Crunch | 2 | 3-5 | Abs | 5/160.0 5/160.0 | |
| Plank | 2 | to failure | Abs | 45 x 1lbs 50 x 1lbs |
60/1.0 45/1.0 |
06 Thursday Jul 2017
Posted in Workout Routine
Tags
Abdominals, Bodybuilding, Deltoids, healthy living, Lifting after 50, Obliques, Shoulders, Trapezoids
Today’s workout!
Today I focused on Shoulders using reverse progression (higher reps, lower weights) coupled with pre-exhaustion. Notice the compound exercises at the end of each block of exercises (Barbell Shoulder Press for example). This ensures that the shoulders are absolutely destroyed by the time you finish the workout.
You may also be wondering about straight arm push downs, internal and external rotations. These are really great exercises because they focus on the bundles of muscle that support the shoulder socket–an area that is really easy to injure, particularly when you are pushing some heavy weights. I just wanted you, my readers, to understand what these are. For those in my audience that are experienced in the gym, these should be part of your repertoire already.
Anyways, great workout today. See you tomorrow!!
| Lying Cable Rear Delt Raise | 3 | 16-20 | Shoulders | 20/15.0 20/15.0 20/15.0 | |
| Cable Lateral Raise | 3 | 16-20 | Shoulders | 20/5.0 20/5.0 20/5.0 | |
| Cable Front Raise | 3 | 16-20 | Shoulders | 20/7.5 20/7.5 20/7.5 | |
| Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press Alternating Arms | 3 | 16-20 | Shoulders | 20/15.0 20/15.0 20/15.0 | |
| Barbell Shoulder Press | 3 | 16-20 | Shoulders | 20/70.0 20/70.0 20/70.0 | |
| Dumbbell Shrug | 2 | 16-20 | Traps | 20/45.0 20/45.0 | |
| Barbell Shrug | 3 | 16-20 | Traps | 20/155.0 20/155.0 20/155.0 | |
| Straight-Arm Pushdown | 2 | 16-20 | Traps | 20/234.0 20/234.0 | |
| Cable Internal Rotation | 2 | 16-20 | Shoulders | 20/10.0 20/10.0 | |
| Cable External Rotation | 2 | 16-20 | Shoulders | 20/10.0 20/10.0 | |
| Hip Thrust | 3 | 16-20 | Abs | 20/80.0 20/80.0 20/80.0 | |
| Cable Crunch | 3 | 16-20 | Abs | 20/70.0 20/70.0 20/70.0 | |
| Oblique Crunch | 2 | 16-20 | Abs | 20/1.0 20/1.0 |
17 Saturday Jun 2017
Posted in Workout Routine
Overview
Today was a killer shoulder, trapezoid, abdominal, and oblique workout! 28 sets of shoulder work, 12 sets for the trapezoid and the abdomen. Day 3 of the Down and Up Mass program completed. As mentioned in yesterday’s posting, I’ll be taking tomorrow off to celebrate my Dad’s 78th Father’s Day. I hope all of you are having a terrific weekend! I’ll be posting my workout results for Day 4 on Monday. This will be the first leg day routine. As always, if you have any questions or would like more information about Jim Stoppani’s website or weight lifting programs, feel free to reach out. I can point you in the right direction.
Asking for help…
There are a lot of folks who go to the gym, each for their own reason. Watch the people in the gym as you go through your routine. You’ll see some folks who come once in a while, others that are a little more consistent, and others who are in the gym every day of the week. Look at the folks who appear to be in good shape. They are a wealth of information. Today I asked one of these guys the best exercises for bulking the upper chest. His response was awesome! He said, “if you want to bulk the upper and middle chest, Incline everything, and do lots of flys from the upper and lower cable and dumbbell positions.
The best thing you can do for yourself is to be open to other ideas. Watch others. Why are they doing that exercise? What are the set and rep counts? What are they expecting to achieve by doing this particular exercise? If you remain open-minded and humble, people are more than willing to let you in on their routines and why they are doing what they are doing.
Today’s Workout
Barbell Shoulder Press 2 9-11 Shoulders 11/70.0 11/70.0
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press 2 9-11 Shoulders 11/30.0 11/30.0
Smith Machine Upright Row 2 9-11 Shoulders 11/40.0 11/40.0
Dumbbell Lateral Raise 2 9-11 Shoulders 11/15.0 11/15.0
Face Pull 2 9-11 Shoulders 11/35.0 11/35.0
Barbell Shrug 2 9-11 Traps 11/135.0 11/135.0
Behind the Back Barbell Shrug 2 9-11 Traps 11/135.0 11/135.0
Straight-Arm Pushdown 2 9-11 Traps 11/180.0 11/180.0
Cable External Rotation 2 9-11 Shoulders 11/15.0 11/15.0
Cable Internal Rotation 2 9-11 Shoulders 11/15.0 11/15.0
Hanging Leg Raise 2 9-11 Abs 11/1.0 11/1.0
Standing Cable Crunch 2 9-11 Abs 11/50.0 11/50.0
Cable Woodchopper 2 9-11 Abs 11/35.0 11/35.0
12 Monday Jun 2017
Posted in Workout Routine
Tags
Bodybuilding, Calves, Deltoids, Exercise, Shoulders, Trapezoids, workout
Today’s Exercises
Shoulders
Traps
Calf
Workout Overview
Today’s workout is Day 3 Week 4 Phase 3 of Jim Stoppani’s Shortcut to Size (www.jimstoppani.com). This workout works in three 4-week cycles starting on week 1 with rep ranges of 12-15. All exercises this week will be in the 3-5 rep range.
Today’s workout hits the Shoulders, Traps, and Calves.
Current Bodyweight
235lb
Yesterday’s macros
Carbohydrates 122g; Fat 43g; Protein 299g
Supplements and Water intake
Water
128 Fluid oz. (1 gallon)
Morning
During Workout
Post Workout
Evening
See you tomorrow!!
07 Wednesday Jun 2017
Posted in Workout Routine
Hello, Readers! Happy Hump Day!!
When do I increase the weight?
I wanted to talk about increasing the exercise load (weight) in a workout. Each of us is different. Our bodies will adapt differently to various exercises. Some people will adapt quickly, while others may take a while. The point I’m trying to make here is to really pay attention to your body and what it is telling you.
Increasing weight is important to force the body to get stronger and continue to adapt to the exercises you put it through. However, it is crucial that you progress slowly and maintain good form. Jerking weights or jumping up 20-30lbs in an exercise from one workout to the next is not a safe way to go. Weight lifting can injure you. Injuries will cause you to miss workouts while you heal and potentially result in surgery or permanent injury that you will not recover from. Please be careful!
How much weight should I add?
I tend to progress 5lbs at a time for single-joint exercises and 10lbs for multi-joint exercises. An example of a single-joint exercise is the bicep curl. An example of a multi-joint exercise is the bench press or squat. These exercises engage multiple muscle groups to move the weight. Subsequently, you can increase the weights more quickly with these types of exercises.
When do we increase weight? I increase weight when I can perform the maximum sets/reps on a given day while maintaining form. For example, if I am scheduled to do 4 sets of 12-15 reps of standing bicep curls and I curl a 50lb barbell for all 4 sets by 15 reps, it is time to elevate. The next time I do 4 sets by 15 reps, I will increase to 55lbs. Make sense?
If you’ve noticed, the Shortcut to Size workout drops the number of reps each week within a 4-week cycle. This also allows us to add weight because we are doing lower reps, we should be able to lift more weight. This is not always true, however. Sometimes, you’ll need to stick with the same weight from one week to the next, because the muscle is still not strong enough to complete the exercises with good form at the higher weight. You have to be the judge of this, but believe me, you’ll know when you’ve hit a peak.
Take it slow and avoid injury
A good example is this week. I did not move up my weight in either the Dumbbell Lateral Raise or the Bent Over Lateral Raise. Why? Because I could not maintain my form and add 5 more lbs. These exercises are also working the deltoid muscle group, which are the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint. This is one joint you DO NOT want to injure. It is better to take your time when working this muscle group to avoid any injuries because a shoulder injury could potentially wipe you out for a year.
Just take this slow. Building the physique you want takes time. This is a marathon, not a race. Those folks that are successful take their time, maintain their form and are in the gym to improve themselves, not impress some guy or girl with how much weight they can throw around (usually with ridiculously bad form). Take your time, keep your form, and you’ll progress as fast as your body can adapt.
Today’s Exercises
Shoulders
Traps
Calf
Workout Overview
Today’s workout is Day 3 Week 3 Phase 3 of Jim Stoppani’s Shortcut to Size (www.jimstoppani.com). This workout works in three 4-week cycles starting on week 1 with rep ranges of 12-15. All exercises this week will be in the 6-8 rep range.
Today’s workout hits the Shoulders, Traps, and Calves.
Current Bodyweight
235lb
Yesterday’s macros
Carbohydrates 191g; Fat 102g; Protein 253g
Supplements and Water intake
Water
128 Fluid oz. (1 gallon)
Morning
During Workout
Post Workout
Evening
See you tomorrow!!
31 Wednesday May 2017
Posted in Workout Routine
Tags
Today’s Exercises
Shoulders
Traps
Calf
Workout Overview
Today’s workout is Day 3 Week 2 Phase 3 of Jim Stoppani’s Shortcut to Size (www.jimstoppani.com). This workout works in three 4-week cycles starting on week 1 with rep ranges of 12-15. All exercises this week will be in the 9-11 rep range.
Today’s workout hits the Shoulders, Traps, and Calves.
Current Bodyweight
235lb
Yesterday’s macros
Carbohydrates 296g; Fat 129g; Protein 278g
Supplements and Water intake
Water
128 Fluid oz. (1 gallon)
Morning
During Workout
Post Workout
Evening
See you tomorrow!!
24 Wednesday May 2017
Posted in Workout Routine
Tags
Today’s Exercises
Shoulders
Traps
Calves
Workout Overview
Today’s workout is Day 3 Week 1 Phase 3 of Jim Stoppani’s Shortcut to Size (www.jimstoppani.com). This workout works in three 4-week cycles starting on week 1 with rep ranges of 12-15. All exercises this week will be in the 12-15 rep range.
Today’s workout hits the Shoulders, Traps, and Calves.
Current Bodyweight
My current weight is 240lbs and I am 6’ tall. The goal is to be around 245-250 by the end of this 12-week workout and maintaining my body fat percentage, which is around 20%. This is higher than I’d like, but during any bulking phase, it is quite common to gain some body fat or stay where you started because of a large amount of food a mass building program requires.
This week’s macro goals
Carbs – 240g; Fat 120g; Protein 240g (reducing protein and carbs to a 1:1 ratio per pound of body weight
Yesterday’s macros
Carbohydrates 232g; Fat 95g; Protein 195g
Supplements and Water intake
Water
Water intake is more than a gallon a day. I drink a 1/2 gallon of water just with my pre-workout, during, and post-workout drinks. The rest of my water intake is around my meals (six in total each day). I currently feed every two hours.
Morning
During Workout
Post Workout
Evening
See you tomorrow!!
18 Thursday May 2017
Posted in Workout Routine
Tags
Bodybuilding, Calves, Exercise, Shoulders, Trapezoids, workout
Today’s Exercises
Shoulders
Traps
Calf
Workout Overview
Today’s workout is Day 19 Week 3 Phase 2 of Jim Stoppani’s Shortcut to Size (www.jimstoppani.com). This workout works in three 4-week cycles starting on week 1 with rep ranges of 12-15. All exercises this week will be in the 3-5 rep range.
Today’s workout hits the Shoulders, Traps, and Calves.
Current Bodyweight
My current weight is 240lbs and I am 6’ tall. The goal is to be around 245-250 by the end of this 12-week workout and maintaining my body fat percentage, which is around 20%. This is higher than I’d like, but during any bulking phase, it is quite common to gain some body fat or stay where you started because of a large amount of food a mass building program requires.
Yesterday’s macros
Carbohydrates 115g; Fat 46g; Protein 145g
Supplements and Water intake
Water
128 Fluid oz. (1 gallon)
Morning
During Workout
Post Workout
Evening
See you tomorrow!!
12 Friday May 2017
Posted in Workout Routine
Tags
Abdominals, Bodybuilding, Calves, Hamstrings, Obliques, Quadriceps, Shoulders, Trapezoids, workout
Today’s Exercises
Hello, folks! Sorry I missed yesterday. My family had an unexpected death in the family. Combine this unexpected loss with Mother’s Day preparations and my schedule has been a little disrupted. The death, although tragic, was expected. My Aunt (in-law), passed Tuesday night after 2 separate battles with Cancer. She passed in her sleep, with the family in attendance.
Here are Thursday’s and Today’s workouts combined with my daily macro counts.
Thursday’s Workout
Shoulders
Traps
Calves
Today’s Workout
Quadriceps
Hamstrings
Abdominals and Oblique Muscles
Workout Overview
Today’s posting covers Day 11 and 12 of Week 3 Phase 2 of Jim Stoppani’s Shortcut to Size (www.jimstoppani.com). This workout works in three 4-week cycles starting on week 1 with rep ranges of 12-15. All exercises this week will be in the 6-8 rep range. One more week to complete Phase 2!!
These workouts hit the Deltoids, Traps, Calves, Quadriceps, Hamstrings, Abdominal and Oblique muscles.
Current Bodyweight
My current weight is 235lbs and I am 6’ tall. The goal is to be around 245-250 by the end of this 12-week workout and maintaining my body fat percentage, which is around 20%. This is higher than I’d like, but during any bulking phase, it is quite common to gain some body fat or stay where you started because of a large amount of food a mass building program requires.
My Macros
My current macros were calculated using Jim Stoppani’s recommendations. He recommends 1.5 to 2.0 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, .5 grams of fat per pound of bodyweight, and 2.0 grams of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight. Since I am trying to maintain my body fat percentage, I’ve reduced the carbohydrate intake to 1.0 gram of carbs per pound of bodyweight.
235lbs (current weight)
235 x 1.5 = 352.5 grams of protein per day
235 x 1 = 235 grams of carbohydrates per day
235 x .5 = 117.5 grams of fat per day (rounded to 117 for ease of tracking)
Yesterday’s macros
Carbohydrates 246g; Fat 156g; Protein 233g;
Wednesday’s Macros
Carbohydrates 165g; Fat 125g; Protein 264g
I use my MyFitnessPal (I the iTunes App Store) to track my macros each day.
Supplements and Water intake
Water
Water intake is more than a gallon a day. I drink a 1/2 gallon of water just with my pre-workout, during, and post-workout drinks. The rest of my water intake is around my meals (six in total each day). I currently feed every two hours.
Morning
During Workout
Post Workout
Evening
See you tomorrow!!
