Michigan Muscle Boy

Eccentric Training: The end of max strength training

Arnold and I just completed our sojourn in max strength training.  Maybe the most interesting thing was the eccentric training we did at the end.  In eccentric training, you go beyond what you can lift and just do the negative of each exercise.  We did 120% of 1RM.

So, in the leg press, say you think your 1RM is 545, you would do 655 for 120% 1RM.  Obviously, you can't lift that, so you have to have spotters.  We did that for 5 sets of three reps.

Initially, it's very mentally challenging, you think the weight is going to come down and crush you, but no, you actually control it.  To get maximum benefit, you need to lower the weight slowly.

It is typically the case that you can lower a lot more than you can lift.  The difference is a measure of how far you are from exerting your absolute strength potential in your 1RM.  If you are very good, you can get up to 90% of your aboslute strength potential, but usually you get 80% or less.  Our Muscle Ventures post provides more details.

Maximimizing Max Strength: Hip Flexor Stretch

So, Nancy and I have put up some new videos at muscleventures. This is our hip flexor stretch. It was a hoot to make at 8:30 AM last Sunday.  We do these stretches to help get us in shape for max strength.

In our training, we've been progressing from 5 sets of triples at 90% to 5 sets of doubles at 95%. Those are hard.  Here's a sample workout:

• Hammerstrength Leg Press (95% 1RM): 505 lbs/ 2 reps X 5 sets;
• Partial stiff legged deadlift (80%): 167.5 lbs/6X5;
• Bench press (95%): 182.5/2X5;
• Seated bent over row with cable (95%): 160/2X5;
• Hack machine calf raise (95%): 300/2X5;
• Hammerstrength ab machine (80%): 40/6X5

Nancy and I have never done max strength before this cycle.  It's kind of fun but hard.

A Muscle Definition Workout

So, yesterday I mentioned I would describe one of our muscle definition workouts.  The basic regimen with these is that we do a superset of two exercises for 30 reps each at 30%–50% 1RM, rest 30 seconds, and repeat 2 more times.  We then move on to the next superset.  We do this for four supersets.

These can really knock you out.  Today's superset focused on the upper body.  Here's what we did:

• Bench (75lbs)/Dumbbell Shrug (30lbs)
• Incline flyes (25lbs)/Calf raises at 45 degrees (100lbs)
• Side Lateral (8lbs)/incline dumbell curl (20lbs)
• Seated calf raise (80lbs)/front dumbbell press (20lbs)

It was fun workout that Nancy and I pulled off together.

Onward

Well, the strike continues or maybe not, but I've decided to move on.  As a new faculty, I'm not on strike because I am in a weird gray zone, and the president of the union advised us all not to go on strike.  I'm also not picketing but have brought various sustenance to the picketers.  They're colleagues.  I've never been in a situation where I was on the opposite side from management.  It's a stressful line to tread, hence the last post.

I responded to comments on that post.  I really appreciate the support.

We've been doing a lot of workouts, and I have not been reporting on them too well.  Here's where we stand.  Right now, we are concluding a muscle definition phase after having started our metabolic diets.  We did the muscle definition phase to figure out how it worked before Nancy got hot on her competition.  We're doing one tomorrow, so I'll write up what it is like then.

Next week, we may begin a three week max strength period.  When we have done max strength in the past, the one thing I have remarked is the level of mental concentration it takes.  I wonder if now is the time to do it. 

Diane, a reader who commented on the last post, notes that she has done some figure competitions and is interested in following Nancy's progress in her preparation for the next bodybuilding competition (here and here).  Diane, I highly recommend looking at Serious Strength Training.  For female bodybuilders, they focus a lot on max strength and muscle definition.  We will do more hypertrophy than they recommend, probably all of October, November, and December.  In our most recent podcast, Nancy and I discuss some of her training goals.

More Hypertrophy Training

I worked out at 6:00 PM yesterday.  What a hard time to work out.  I'd been in an orientation all day and was kind of hungry, but I felt I had to hold to the training regimen.

Here's the drill (60 seconds between sets):

• Bench (60% 1RM): 115 lbs./12 reps X 4 sets
• Incline dumbbell flye (60%): 30/12X4
• Front dumbbell press (60%): 35/12X4
• Incline side lateral (60%): 15/10X3
• Dumbbell shrug (60%): 50/12X4
• Incline dumbbell curl (60%): 30/12X4
• Seated calf raise (60%): 120/12X4

It was hard, but I held up pretty well.  However, I was tapped on cardio.

Today, I ate shortly before going in for cardio.  That worked well.

Squats vs. Leg Press in an H workout

Remarkably, it's Tuesday, two days out from the weekend carb load, and I'm feeling like a stud.  I'm not sure I've got the carbs quite right, but it feels better than last week.  One thing, I seem to sweat a good bit more.

As I mentioned in my last note, Nancy and I are on a hypertrophy phase.  This is the light week.

Here's today's workout:

• Nautilus Leg Press (60% 1RM):  275 lbs./ 12 reps X 4 sets
• Single leg pulley leg curl (60% 1RM): 70/8X3
• Smith Lunges (60%): 113/12X4
• Bent Underhand Rows with EZ Bar (60%): 105/12X4
• Back Extensions: 15X3
• BOSU Crunches: 15X3
• Skull Crushers (60%): 65/12X4

One might wonder at the leg press.  The movements is similar to the squat.  Muscle activation studies show that the squat works the glutes and lower back more than the leg press.  However, stress on the lower back may also be just the reason for avoiding the squat, particularly if you have back issues.  One intriguing suggestion is to combine the leg press with a partial deadlift to get the glute activation.  I may try that.

Short H Workout

Hammered out an H workout today with some good intensity.  I seem to have my strength back after a lull.  Eating close to 4000 calories per day in fat and protein.  I think the body is coming around.

Here's the workout:

• EZ Bar skull crushers (80–85% 1RM):  85 lbs./7 reps X 2 sets; 90/5X3;
• Behind neck pulldown (80–85%):  125/7X2; 135/5X3;
• Dumbbell rear delt lateral (75%): 25/6X5;
• Dumbbell shrugs (80–85%): 60/7X2; 80/3X5;
• Back extensions: 15X5

A good but tough max strength workout

The Big Girl seems to be having an easy time cutting over to the anabolic diet, a good thing.  I've done low carb diets like the anabolic diet before, but my experience is that I tend to need more than the minimum carbs to feel really good.  The thing that attracted me to this diet is that it seems designed to get you to the right level of carbs for exercise ... eventually.

I hit the wall a bit on carbs yesterday, day 3 of the diet, and felt a little drained.  But, I had a decent enough workout.  Here's what I did:

• Smith Squats (90% 1RM):  174 lbs./2 reps X 1 sets; 184/2X4;
• Kneeling hammerstrength leg curls (80%):  95/6X5
• Bench Press (90% 1RM): 172.5/2X5
• Bent underhand EZ Bar row (90%): 150/2X5
• Front dumbbell press (90%): 55/2X1; 50/2X4;
• Hack calf raise (80%): 240/6X5

A few observations.  We worked out at Gold's.  The Smith machine there is different, angling you back in the squat, and the bar weight is also different also.  It's harder than what we do at Liberty, so I can do less weight in the squat. 

On the bench I needed some light spotting on the last two sets (thanks Arnold!).  The bar is also a little heavier than standard (47.5 lbs. vs. 45).

Based on past performance, I felt pretty sure I could do 55 lbs. on the dumbbell press.  Well, barely.  I suspect the carbs were hitting me.

Nice little H workout with intensity

So, I trained with Mary today and did a nice little H workout.  Lots of intensity, hitting some new levels.  Here's the workout:

• Skull crusher (80-85% 1RM): 85 lbs./7 reps X 2 sets; 90/2X5; 90/1X3; 85/1X2;
• Nautilus wide grip pull-down (80–85%): 125/7X2; 135/3X5;
• Incline rear delt dumbbell flyes (75%): 25/6X5;
• Dumbbell shrugs (80–85%): 65/7X2; 70/3X5;
• Back extensions: 15X4

Max Strength Day

So, Arnold and I did a max strength workout yesterday.  We also talked about the plan going forward, something Scott has been asking about.  We'll have more on that in a later post.  It includes elements of diet and measurement.

We stuck with Smith squats.  We're both getting good depth and range of motion.

Here's the workout:

• Smith squats (90% of 1RM): 198 lbs./3 reps X 4 sets; 178/3X1
• Single leg curls (80%): 80/6X5
• Bench press (90%): 170/3X5
• Bent underhand EZ Bar Row: 150/3X5
• Overhead dumbbell press (90%): 50/3X5
• Seated calf (80%): 190/6X5