Changing It Up On Back Day!

If you follow this blog you will see that I try to do different variants of similar exercises. Take rows for example: One armed dumbbell rows, up right barbell rows and landmine rows. I think it is a good thing to work muscle groups with a variety of exercises. This not only keeps me from getting mentally bored but it also keeps my muscles from getting used to one workout routine. By constantly changing parts of my workouts and their intensity my body is more likely to change for the better. Today I added in fat bar wide grip pull-ups, a weighted keg lift onto a platform and sumo deadlifts!

Today's quote is from Steve Jobs:

"For the last 33 years I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: 'If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?' And whenever the answer has been 'No' for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something."

Morning Lifting Routine: Back
Dumbbell Pullovers
One Arm Bent Over Dumbbell Rows
Superset: Pull-ups, TRX Rows, Upright Barbell Rows
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers

Evening Circuit: (Do each exercise in order to complete a set. Three sets total. One minute rest between sets.)
Fat Bar Wide Grip Pull-Ups, maximum repetitions
Kettle Bell Swings, 20 repetitions
Fat Grip Dumbbell Snatches, 5 repetitions per side
Weighted Keg to 48" Platform, 5 repetitions

Evening Lifting Routine:
Landmine Rows, 3 sets
Sumo Deadlifts, 3 sets

Have a Great Day!

Heavy Weight Training Day and Progress

I increased the weight on quite a few exercises today. I have also increased the number of repetitions with the 100 lbs. weighted keg. It may be time to add another five to ten pounds of sand. It is always good to see progress and to feel stronger.

I am living in Gabrielle Gifford's Congressional district. Though she no longer serves in Congress, she continues to serve the citizens of this country through her foundation Americans for Responsible Solutions which focuses on ending gun violence. Today's quote is from her husband Mark Kelly regarding her recovery from the gunshot wound to the head she received while meeting her constituents on January 8, 2011:

"Gabby's got a long road ahead of her. We know that the recovery from these kinds of injuries isn't measured in days or weeks. It is more like weeks and months... But ya' know, she's a really, really tough woman."

Weight Training: Shoulders and Triceps
Heavy Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Lateral Dumbbell Raise
Alternating Front Dumbbell Raise
Dumbbell Triceps Kickbacks
Diamond Push-Ups
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
Heavy Barbell Facebreakers ("Skull Crushers", "Facebreakers".... whatever.)
Heavy Barbell Shoulder Shrugs
Weighted Keg Presses, maximum repetitions
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers

Have a Great Day!

Shoulders and Triceps. WOD: "Sweet Potato Buuuuurp"

It was a fine day here at NOLS Southwest. We have six fired up instructor teams in town getting ready to take 79 students and chaperones into the field from the Archer School for Girls. We are psyched to have these instructors and students here at the base. We are running on all cylinders getting ready for their big issue day.

Tonight we had four folks take part in a solid shoulder and triceps focused WOD I am calling "Sweet Potato Buuuuurp". That is the answer I received when I asked my friend and co-worker Ryan what he had for dinner mid-workout.

The quote of the day is from Henry Ford:

"Whether you think you can, or think you can't, you are right."

Weight Training: Shoulders and Triceps
Seated Dumbbell Press
Alternating Front Dumbbell Raise
Lateral Dumbbell Raise
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers
Overhead Triceps Press
Diamond Push-ups
Dumbbell Kickbacks
Heavy Barbell Shoulder Shrugs
Barbell Triceps Face Breakers
Weighted Keg Push Press

WOD: "Sweet Potato Buuuuuurp" (Each exercise is done for one minute to make a set. There is a one minute break after each set. There was a total of three sets).
Jump Rope
Diamond Push-ups
Barbell Push Press
TRX Triceps Face Breakers
Front Plate Raise
Crunches
Lateral Dumbbell Raise
Heavy Rope Whips

Have a Great Day!!

WOD: "The Shoulders of Giants"

There were two folks who came out for the circuit training today after work. The name of the WOD comes from a quote from Isaac Newton. It is a reminder that all of us benefit from the work of those before us:"If I have seen further than others, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants".

Weight Training: Shoulders and Triceps
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Alternating Front Dumbbell Raise
Lateral Shoulder Raise
Triceps Dumbbell Kickbacks
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension
Diamond Push-ups
Captains of Crush Hand Grippers
Heavy Barbell Shoulder Shrugs
Barbell Triceps Face-Breakers
Weighted Keg Push Press

Circuit Training WOD: "The Shoulders of Giants" (Each exercise done for one minute and fifteen seconds, three sets. One minute rest between sets).
Jump Rope
Triceps Dips
Front Plate Raises
TRX Triceps Face-Breakers
Sandbag Overhead Press
Seated Wall Ball Toss
Heavy Rope Whips

Have a Great Day!

Shoulders, Triceps and the Travel Workout: "The 25-Minutes of Pain"

Today was a great day at work as the NOLS Southwest Semester got all geared up for 80 days in the backcountry. They head out for the mountains early tomorrow morning.

I am headed back east to visit with some long time friends for the weekend. I travel as light as possible when I fly but still want to workout. My traveling workout is pretty simple and something I like to call: 

"The 25 Minutes of Pain": (Each exercise for one minute, three sets. 10 second rest between exercises, one minute rest between sets.)
Jumping Jacks
Squats
Lunges
Plank
Abdominal Crunches
Push-ups
Shoulder Circles
It is a good full body workout where I only need to have a pair of shorts and my shoes to workout. It keeps me moving while I am gone and I am still ready to get back to the gym when I return home!

Today's weight training was Shoulders and Triceps:
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Alternating Front Dumbbell Raise
Lateral Dumbbell Raise
Diamond Push-ups
Dumbbell Triceps Kickbacks
Suspension Strap Triceps Face Breakers
Weighted Keg Push Press

Have a Great Day and I will post again on Monday!!

WOD: "Keg Stand? What a Waste of a Good Keg?!"

I went on Craigslist here in Tucson and found a perfectly good keg at a yard sale for $25. I stopped by the local Ace hardware and purchased a 2-inch rubber cap that had a hose clamp attached. When I got home I followed the directions in this Sanke Diassembly Video to remove the valve.

Once the valve was out I filled the keg with sand to a total weight of 100 lbs. The great thing about training with an odd object like a keg is that as you lift it the sand shifts. As you clean the keg up the challenge comes from the moving weight of that shifting sand. This progression ends up involving a lot of core muscles to control the weight. We added in a keg clean to push press into today's workout.

Dumbbell Workout:
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Lateral Dumbbell Raise
Diamond Pushups
Triceps Dumbbell Kickbacks
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Press

"Keg Stand? What a Waste of a Good Keg?!"(Three sets of each exercise, maximum of six repetitions per set).
Heavy Barbell Shoulder Press
Heavy Barbell Shoulder Shrugs
Barbell Triceps Face Breakers
Keg Push Press

Have a Great Day!!