Crash, Burn and an Upper Body Workout

Yesterday was a nice rest day. On my last running day however, there was an incident. I was running at Stringer's Ridge on a trail when a pesky root tripped me. The ensuing crash opened up a big, nasty flapper on my left knee. This will be the first (probably not last....) incident where I am glad that there is an ER doc in the house. This photo was taken just before Rebecca said "Oooooo! I just got a big stick out of it!"

This morning I figured it would be best NOT to do a bunch of squats that usually go along with my normal Olympic lifting workout on the wounded knee. Today will be an upper body workout with the hopes that I can run on it tomorrow.

Warm-Up:

Jump Rope, 100 skips

Weight Training:

Bench Press, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions

Strict, No-Kip Pull-Up, 4 sets of 10 repetitions

Barbell Shoulder Shrug, 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Seated Barbell Military Press, 4 sets of 4-6 repetitions

Core Work: Perform 20 repetitions of each exercise in order with no rest between exercises.

Flutter Kick

Lying Heel Touch

Knee Pull-In

Lying Leg Lift

Mobility:

Banded Shoulder Stretch

Have a Great Day!!

The Win for the Land and the Workout

It was really fun last night texting with my friend who has been a long suffering Cleveland sports fan. LeBron James and the Cavaliers pulled off what seemed to be damn near impossible: 1) Beat Steph Curry and the Warriors three games in a row, 2) Win a professional sports championship for the City of Cleveland, 3) Come back from a 3-1 series deficit which had never been done before and 4) LeBron would need to lead BOTH teams in all major categories to pull off the win (Points, assists, rebounds, blocks and steals). In the end, there will be the memory of "The Block" on Andre Iguodala by LeBron who seemed to materialize out of thin air and "The Shot" from Kyrie over Curry. I am not a Cleveland fan but I am very happy for the city and my friend to finally have another championship.

Warm-Up: Perform each exercise for one minute each to complete a round. Three rounds total. No rest between exercises or rounds.
Heavy Rope Whip
AbMat Sit-Up
PVC Wraparound
Weight Training:
Seated Barbell Shoulder Press, 5 sets of 1-3 rep
EZ Bar Skull Crusher, 3 sets 8-10 rep
Barbell Shoulder Shrug, 5 sets 4-6 rep
Cable Triceps Kickback, 3 sets of 8-10
Front Plate Raise, 3 sets of 15 rep
Core Work: 25 repetitions of each of the following exercises. No rest between exercises.
Flutter Kick
Lying Heel Touch
Lying Knee Pull-In
Lying Leg Lift

Have a Great Day!!

What was Jefferson Thinking? Shoulders and Triceps

A lot has been made of Thomas Jefferson recently. Yes, he was a slave owner. Yes, he had a long term relationship with Sally Heming, one of the slaves on his property at Monticello. Yes, Jefferson was most likely the father of six children by Sally Heming. For their own convenience, some people say that our nation was founded as a Christian country. Jefferson was not a Christian. Jefferson did not believe the most fundamental part of being a Christian: That Jesus was the Messiah and the son of God. Often, we hold our "Founding Fathers" on a pedestal, making them perfect. These guys were not perfect, but they were very brave. July 2, 1776 independence had already been declared, but Congress would not approve the final text until July 4th. Making last minute changes and kicking around the idea of putting everything that he had built in his life on the line... Again, not perfect. Just brave.

Today's quote is from Omar Bradley:

"Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death."

Workout: Shoulders and Triceps
Warm-Up:
HIIT Heavy Rope Whip, 5 sets 30 seconds maximum effort. One minute rest.
Bicycle Abdominal Crunch, 50 repetitions
Flutter Kicks, 25 repetitions
AbMat Crunches, 30 repetitions
Weight Training:
Barbell Push Press, 5 sets 1-5 repetitions
EZ Bar Skull Crusher, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Alternating Dumbbell Front Raise, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Side Raise, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Medicine Ball Push-Up, 3 sets of 20 repetitions
Barbell Shoulder Shrug, 3 sets of 10 repetitions

Have a Great Day!!

Derrick Rose is Back, Shoulders and Triceps

After having both of his knees blown up and repaired, after all of the rehabilitation, after all of the nay sayers saying he is done.... Derrick Rose is back! Rose is attacking the lane fearlessly, actually hitting three pointers and has supporting players around him! The Bulls may actually threaten the Hawks and Cavaliers for the Eastern Conference title. 34 points, 8 assists and 3 steals per game... Watch out LeBron.

Today's Quote is from Mickey Rourke:

"Comeback is a good word, man."

Workout: Shoulders and Triceps
Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order for one minute to complete a set. Three sets total.
Heavy Rope Whip
Bicycle Abdominal Crunch
Weight Training:
Barbell Push Press, 20 total repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Deltoids, rectus femoris, vastus medilis, lateralis and intermedius)
Barbell Shoulder Shrug, 50 total repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Trapezius, rhomboids, levator scapulae)
Super Set: Perform each exercise in order to complete a set. Three sets total.
Dumbbell Side Raise, 10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Lateral deltoids, supraspinatus, trapezius)
Alternating Dumbbell Front Raise, 10 repetitions per side
(Primary muscles worked: Anterior deltoids)

Axle Bar Skull Crusher, 40 total repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Triceps brachii)
100m Farmer's Carry, 3
(Primary muscles worked: Flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris)

Have a Great Day!!

Team Excellence, Shoulders and Triceps

Growing up in the Washington DC area, my family rooted for the University of Maryland in college basketball. Last night, I unfortunately watched the Maryland Women's Basketball Team get dismantled by the UCONN Women's team. There is no shame in that of course, the Huskies are the latest dynasty in women's basketball that for me started with Pat Summitt at Tennessee who won a total of eight national championships. This morning I heard on the radio that the UCONN women's starting five players scrimmage against eight defenders?! That is awesome! Gino Auriemma has developed a team that plays as a team... they understand what excellence is and demolish their opponent every time they step onto the court.

Today's quote is from Geno Auriemma:

“Monday we start the whole process over again; Monday, we start the chase – I call it the chase. Somebody sent me a pretty good Lombardi quote recently. It said, ‘Perfection is unattainable, but if you chase perfection you’ll catch excellence.’ So the chase starts, and some people just get tired of the chase. Some don’t even start the chase. Some start it, realize they can’t catch it and they just stop. What I’ve been trying to teach my players all along is that’s the fun part – knowing that you can’t get to that and you’re going as hard as you can to get there anyway.”

Workout: Shoulders and Triceps
Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order for one minute to complete a set. Three sets total.
Jumping Jack
Kneeling Diamond Push-Up
TRX Reverse Shoulder Fly
Heavy Rope Whip
Bicycle Abdominal Crunch
Seated Wall Ball Toss
Weight Training:
Super Set: Perform each exercise in order to complete a set. Three sets total.
Alternating Front Dumbbell Raise, 10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Anterior deltoids)
Dumbbell Side Raise, 10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Lateral deltoids, supraspinatus, trapezius)

Dumbbell Shoulder Shrug, 20 repetitions

(Primary muscles worked: Trapezius, rhomboids, levator scapulae)

Weighted Keg Push Press, 3 sets of maximum repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Deltoids, rectus femoris, vastus lateralis, intermedius, and medialis)
Axle Bar Skull Crusher, 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Triceps brachii)
Medicine Ball Push-Up, 3 sets of maximum repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Triceps brachii, pectoralis major, anterior deltoids)
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension, 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Triceps brachii)
Dumbbell Triceps Kickback, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Triceps brachii)

Have a Great Day!!

Quick Shoulder and Triceps Post

We went to dinner with a group of friends tonight. It was a great time but it has gotten late so I am just going to quickly post this morning's workout.

Morning Circuit: Perform each exercise in order to complete a set. One minute break between sets, three sets total.
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrug
Dumbbell Side Raise
Alternating Front Dumbbell Raise
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extension
Dumbbell Triceps Kickback
Diamond Triceps Push-Up

Have a Great Day!!

Big NFL Weekend, Shoulders and Triceps

It is the time of year to see if defense indeed wins championships. There are still a lot of great quarterbacks left in the playoffs as well as a number of good defenses. I personally believe that a great defense beats a great quarterback. We will see who is headed to the conference championship games after Sunday.

Today's quote is from Vince Lombardi:

"People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football defenses, or the problems of modern society."

Workout: Shoulder and Triceps
Warm-Up: Perform each exercise for one minute to complete a set. Three sets total.
Heavy Rope Whips
Ball Slam
Weight Training:
Barbell Push Press, 5 sets of 1-6 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Deltoids, vastus lateralis, medialis, and intermedius, and rectus femoris)
Barbell Shoulder Shrug, 3 sets of 15 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Upper trapezius, scapulae levator)
Front Plate Raise, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Anterior deltoids)
Dumbbell Side Raise, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Lateral deltoids, supraspinatus, trapezius)
Super Set:
Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Triceps brachii)
Diamond Triceps Push-Up, 3 sets maximum repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Triceps brachii)

Have a Great Day!!

Flowers, Grindstones and Big Shoulder Day!

Today is a day that I need to just go get Rebecca flowers. She is feeling the crunch of medical school
pressure as she enters the last third of her internal medicine rotation. We went to dinner last night with friends and co-workers and it was great to just get her away from the books for one night. But she was back at it today getting up at 5am to be out the door by 5:30am. I don't think that she will be expecting flowers and hopefully it brightens her day.

Today's quote is a proverb with an anonymous author:

“It's tough trying to keep your feet on the ground, your head above the clouds, your nose to the grindstone, your shoulder to the wheel, your finger on the pulse, your eye on the ball and your ear to the ground.”

Workout: Shoulders and Triceps:
Morning Session:
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press, 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Deltoids)
Dumbbell Shoulder Shrugs, 3 sets of 15 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Upper trapezius, levator scapulae)
Dumbbell Side Raise, 3 sets of of 10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Lateral deltoids, suprapinatus, trapezius)
Alternating Front Dumbbell Raise, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Anterior deltoids)
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions, 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Triceps brachii)
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers, 5 sets of 15 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Brachioradialis, flexor carpi radialis, flexor carpi ulnaris)

Afternoon Session:
Warm-Up: Perform each exercise in order for one minute and 15 seconds to complete a set. Three sets total. No breaks between sets.
Heavy Rope Whips
Ball Slams
Seated Wall Ball Toss
Weight Training:
Push Press, 5 sets of 2-10 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Deltoids, vastus lateralis, medialis and intermedius, rectus femoris)
Barbell Shoulder Shrugs, 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Upper trapezius, levator scapulae)
Front Plate Raise, 3 sets of 10
(Primary muscles worked: Anterior deltoids)
Single Fat Grip Dumbbell Shoulder Press, 3 sets of 3-5 repetitions
(Primary muscles worked: Deltoids)
Barbell Skull Crushers, 3 sets
(Primary muscles worked: Triceps brachii)

Have a Great Day!!

Warm-Up Circuit and Heavy Shoulders

Today we had our first mini-circuit of the season to warm-up before a heavy shoulder and triceps lifting day. One of the interns for the fall season here wanted to join in, so it was nice to have an additional person in on the workout. After lifting in the 100 degree heat it was nice to sit in the shaded swimming pool to bring the body core temperature back to something resembling normal.

Today's quote is from Christopher Reeve:

"Either you decide to stay in the shallow end of the pool or you go into the ocean."

Workout: Shoulders and Triceps
Solo Weight Training:
Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press, 3 sets 5-8 repetitions
Dumbbell Side Raise, 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions
Alternating Dumbbell Front Raise, 3 sets 5-8 repetitions
Diamond Triceps Push-Ups, 3 sets of 25 repetitions
Dumbbell Triceps Kickbacks, 3 sets of 6-10 repetitions

Warm-Up Mini-Circuit: Do each exercise in order for one minute to complete a set. Three sets total.
TRX Triceps Extensions
Seated Wall Ball Toss
Abdominal Crunches

Weight Training:
Side Dumbbell Raise, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Front Plate Raise, 3 sets of 10 repetitions
Barbell Shoulder Shrugs, 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions, 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions
Barbell Skull Crushers, 3 sets of 5-8 repetitions
Triceps Dips, 3 sets of 20 repetitions
Barbell Push Press, 3 sets ending with one maximum weight repetition

Have a Great Day!

Shoulders, Triceps and the Return of the Odd Object

I was feeling fantastic today so I thought I would bring back the Atlas Stone. Moving weight with perfectly balanced barbells like my Rogue Power Bar are one thing and there is a lot of benefit to traditional weight training. But, manipulating something like a stone is more realistic to the everyday type lifting that a person may do. Mixing in odd objects into your lifting routine is a great way to break up the monotony.

Today's quote is from Robert Frost:

"Let him that is without stone among you cast the first thing he can lay his hands on."

Weight Training: Shoulders and Triceps. Three sets of 6-8 repetitions unless otherwise stated.
Seated Heavy Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Side Dumbbell Shoulder Raise
Alternating Front Dumbbell Raise
Captains of Crush Grip Trainers
Triceps Dumbbell Kickbacks
Overhead Dumbbell Triceps Extensions
Diamond Triceps Pushups
Atlas Stone Overhead Press, 3x5
Heavy Barbell Shoulder Shrugs
Barbell Triceps Skullcrushers
Barbell Push Press, 3 sets of 10, 3, 3 repetitions
Abdominal Crunches

Have a Great Day!!