I had to make a few decisions about rearranging my training today due to schedule conflicts. Normally in this program, back and arm movements will be performed on different days. Today, however, I was forced to combine two days of training in order to make room for Legs on Saturday. Normally I would just hit the gym tomorrow to knock arms out however I have classes during the day and I will be heading to Terre Haute in the evening to help Brandon setup for a seminar on Saturday. After considering my options and time constraints I decided that I was willing and able to combine the two and get the work put in. The session(s) looked like this…
- Stretch and Warm-Up
Back Movements
- Meadow Rows
- 90×10, 100×10, 110×10, 115×10
- Lat Pulldowns
- 120×12, 140×12, 160×12, 180×12
- Bent Over Barbell Rows
- 135×8, 155×8, 175×8, 185×8
- Dumbbell Pullovers – 3×12
- Glute-Ham Hypers / Back Extension – 4 Sets to Failure (16, 15, 12, and 10 reps)
Arm Movements
- Rope Pressdowns – 4×12
- Single Arm Pressdowns – 4×10
- Dumbbell Skulls – 4×15
- Barbell Curls – 4×8
- Reverse Curls – 4×12
- Band Curls – 3 Sets to Failure (It didn’t take many at this point…)
- Cable Ab Pulldowns – 4×20
I do not enjoy deviating from a program like this but if there are two days in this cycle that could be combined I would definitely prefer it to be the back and arms sessions. This will also let me rest tomorrow before hitting a leg day with Brandon on Saturday following his seminar. All in all I feel really good after hitting a wide range of muscles today and look forward to a great weekend before spring break. I once again experienced a great pump, I mean with this much volume today I’d almost have to be dead not to, and only feel like I performed a little poorer on my arm movements than I would have had I been fresh going into them.
You may notice that I don’t specify weight lifted on my arm movements and for a couple back movements. I have done this with other training sessions as well and it simply means that I don’t feel it matters so much what I lifted so much as how well I lifted it. Most of the time when it comes to accessory work I go by feel in choosing my weights. No two training sessions are ever alike and I feel that a lot of variables can affect the weight which should be chosen for these sets. Obviously, in the long run, you would want your strength for those movements to increase but on a session to session basis continual progress on the accessories is not to be expected. In my hard copy training log I tend to track every weight that I attempt on the lifts but this is more or less for reference when, down the road, I come back to an accessory and want to see where my general strength level was the last go ’round.
As I mentioned, tomorrow I will be travelling down to Terre Haute to help set up for Brandon’s seminar. Saturday after assisting him with that we will hit a training session and then I’m officially on spring break! I look forward to having nothing to do but train, relax, and catch up with old friends. Until next time!