Body And Fitness Blog

Wednesday - back and biceps

Back

I started my workout today on a different machine than usual. I would usually start with cable rows, but as I’ve got to the stage where I can’t get any heavier on that machine now, I decided to use a different machine and pre-fatigue my muscles before I did my cable rows.

I decided to do two three-set drop sets on the lat pulldown machine, using a wide grip. I don’t like using this machine as much as I would a wide grip cable pulldown, but my gym doesn’t have a wide grip for the cable pulldown. I started heavy, went to failure, then knocked the weight down 10kg, did another set to failure, and finally knocked another 10kg off and did a set to failure. I did two of these drop sets and was feeling pumped for my cable rowing. Here’s the weights and reps:

• 100kg for 1 rep, then drop to
• 90kg for 3 reps, then drop to
• 80kg for 7 reps, then two minute rest
• 100kg for 2 reps, then drop to
• 90kg for 4 reps, then drop to
• 80kg for 6 reps

I followed this with my usual seated cable row and close grip cable pulldown routine. To spice things up this time, I went for three heavy sets (the heaviest the machine goes to that is), and I performed each rep extra slowly. This technique was repeated on both seated cable rows and close grip cable pulldowns.

• Cable row, 50 kg for 10 reps
• Close grip cable pulldowns, 50 kg for 14 reps
• Cable row, 50 kg for 9 reps
• Close grip cable pulldowns, 50 kg for 14 reps
• Cable row, 50 kg for 9 reps
• Close grip cable pulldowns, 50 kg for 8 reps

I was feeling good after this workout, I felt like I was making progress, as the weights are feeling lighter. To make more progress, I will need to find a more serious gym, or should I say, a body building gym rather than a fitness gym.

Biceps

I decided against doing bicep curls using the cable machine today and instead opted for a dumbell workout. I decided that I needed to go heavy on the dumbells, opting for a four set drop set, starting at a weight I’ve never lifted and working down to a weight that I can lift normally.

• 18kg dumbell curl for 3 reps
• 16kg dumbell curl for 5 reps
• 14kg dumbell curl for 6 reps
• 12kg dumbell curl for 8 reps

This was a good set, I literally wasted no time between each set, just dumped the dumbells back in the rack, picked up the next pair and got on with the set.

I followed this by a three minute rest (I didn’t time it, but it seemed like about three minutes), and then did my hammer curls.

For hammer curls, I alternate between doing them across the chest, to straight out in front of you. Today I was doing them straight out in front of me, so that the dumbell starts down by your side, with the plates either side of your leg, then just curl it straight up, and bring it down as if it were a rubber stamp onto a desk. I find this way really gives my biceps a pump, and is good for the forearms too.

• 12 kg hammer curls for 7 reps

Followed by a drop set:

• 12 kg hammer curl for 8 reps
• 10kg hammer curl for 6 reps

By the end of this bicep routine, my biceps were pumped and so were my forearms. I think the creatine that I’ve been taking is really starting to have an effect now, as I seem to be able to do more reps or heavier weights.