24-12-2018, 06:41 PM
2244
Re: Post your daily exercise routine
Christmas Training Programme. Days 3&5*
Monday 24/12/18: Strength session / Intensive fixed weight session
2hr. 15mins.
(All weights in kilos)
Lagging behind with my plans re the gym, today I made a concerted effort to try and catch up with some of the workouts I’ve had to miss. Why oh why did I decide to begin an elaborate set of plans right on Christmas? It was never going to work was it?
It’s not the fact that I’ve been in any way lazy. On the contrary, I’ve been flying around town getting last minute presents, visits, assembling three kids’ pushbikes (not to mention trying to wrap them too!) and of course my obligatory Saturday afternoon out with my mates, which was a boozy affair if there ever was one, so yesterday’s plans went right out of the window!
But I am super-determined to complete my “9-day training plan”, though it will finish a bit later than anticipated, which in effect doesn’t matter too much as the rest does the muscles good, so I’m not that bothered. However, in amongst all of this I’ve had to juggle around my sessions a little. The cardio sessions for example haven’t taken place at all yet, so there will be two in a row at some point hopefully next week. Without boring you further and trying to explain it, today I did Day#3 and Day#5 which enabled me to do a full-on heavy and intensively lengthy session to really test my strength, stamina and endurance.
Splitting the session into those aforementioned two “Days”, here’s the fruits of my labour:
PART ONE: Day 3; Heavy strength session
[As many sets as possible with increasing weights up to a maximum lift. Low, slow reps]
DB bench press (two dumbbells, one each hand, lifting on 15% incline bench):
10x22, 8x24, 6x26, 6x28, 6x30
6x32, 4x34, 4x34
*Tried lifting the 36kg weights but my triceps were feeling the strain after so many sets, so with the need to need them again later on I left it at the 68kg total lift.
Smith flat bench press:
6x50, 6x60, 3x70, 3x70, 3x70
3x70, 3x70
*Resisting the temptation to go heavier than a nice rounded 70kg in order to do as many slow and controlled sets as possible.
E-Z curl, seated preacher bench:
12x28, 8x38, 6x43, 6x48, 6x53
4x58, 2x63
PB
*This was some extremely taxing work on the biceps. Lifting the final 63kg (or 63 bags of Tate+Lyle sugar) just by using the biceps is some feat and it’s nice to know I’ve lifted a personal best with that today, those guns bursting out like cannonballs.
As usual, a couple of younger lads were watching this and to vent my pleasure at lifting my max I asked them if they needed to bar dismantling when I had finished. Funny how they tend not to speak to your face but talk to your biceps instead lol.
Oddly enough though my arms were still ready for more, so I added a different exercise on the same apparatus: A single dumbbell but going as heavy as possible.
DB curl, seated on preacher bench:
5x16, 5x18, 5x20, 5x22, 4x24
3x26
*Again, a one-arm bicep curl of 26kg isn’t bad really is it?
To give my arms a rest I did a quick unplanned few sets on the legs…
Sled press:
12x150, 12x170, 12x190, 8x200, 8x200
8x200, 8x200, 8x200, 8x200, 12x200
*That was interesting. Using the same procedure as the upper body exercises above, I managed a full 10 sets on the sled press – the 200kg on seven sets because that is the maximum the machine will reach. Felt good.
Fly delt dec:
12x80, 12x80, 8x95, 8x102,5, 8x110
8x117.5, 6x125, 6x132.5
*Now this really was lifting to the extreme. Never before have I managed that kind of weight just by using the deltoid and shoulder muscles, my previous best on this was 110kgs.
Without a break I moved straight into the second routine of the day...
PART TWO: Day 5; Intensive.
[5 sets; 10 reps; fixed, medium weight]
Chest press:
10x80, 10x80, 10x80, 10x80, 10x80
Tricep extensions:
10x50, 10x50, 10x50, 10x50, 10x50
Seated row:
10x59, 10x59, 10x59, 10x59, 10x59
Single DB press:
10x50, 10x50, 10x50, 10x50, 10x50
Lat pulldown, hammer bar:
10x50, 10x50, 10x50, 10x50, 10x50
It was nice to do some back and chest work there too, in fact my arms were shot by this stage and the final planned barbell curl exercises were just too much even with a moderate weight of 30kgs.
I really surprised myself with that little lot. All I can think of is that I’ve had a very good rest away from using the full capacity of my strength and my body somehow unearthed some long forgotten power from my bodybuilding days once again. I was absolutely cream crackered but happy with the fact that at aged 54 I can still lift very heavy (although, yes, that is a pointless exercise at my age to be fair, except for a little inward ego-boosting) and out last everyone else in the gym with the duration of my performance. Nothing to be sniffed at really but it’s also not the sort of session I plan to be doing on a regular basis either.
That’s about it from me until after Christmas when I think my next session will be on Friday when I’ll be itching to get back into things after the Christmas festivities. Cardio will definitely be on the agenda preceded by a full leg workout.
To all of you who have participated in this thread over the past year, thanks for reading and have a fantastic Christmas, your families too.