Weights, cardio and stuff log

Where did you go on vacation to? Almost a month long vacation, that sounds nice.

How are DB rows in comparison to regular BB rows or cable rows? I've considered them, but the main drawback to me is that it takes twice as long to do the same amount of volume.
 
KL & Penang - Malaysia. My gf is from there and we stayed with her folks and family for a few weeks, went to a wedding, good times and awesome food :). In Australia, the Christmas-NY's holiday is pretty much 'the nation takes a break' for about 3 weeks. Add to this the legally-mandatory 4 weeks paid leave and the 9 paid sick days we get ... most Americans are a bit shocked at our rate of holidaying :p. So yeh, coupled with the 3:1 exchange rate and it was awesome. Deloaded using apartment-complex multi-station rather than de-conditioned. I'm also almost certain I'll drop back to BW + 30kg's for chins though.


I like the DB Rows a lot. I really think they need to be done w/a plate that has a handle grip so you can hold it like a kettlebell, or else the angle is a bit awkward at times. I think what I like most is that it's a ballistic lift, a power lift. Like pretty much all pulling exercises the 2nd half of the motion is harder than the first. As for the time factor, I don't think it's a big deal as you don't really 'rest' between arm. Probably only 2-3mins longer for my 5x5 than it would be with a BB. Less work from the front delt too. Middle delt cops an absolute blasting.
 
AlexAustralia said:
15 clustered chins, 5,4,3,3, 15-second loaded stretch, CG palms facing, BW + 31.5kgs. Still getting into the swing of it. 2nd set was pretty poor. Going to switch it up to D-bar soon I think.
...

5 chins, CG palms facing, BW - just wanted to make those lats work. Maybe shouldn't have pushed the inner elbows and bi's like this, but f**k it, they can deal.
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I never had a problem chinning with just bw. It's when I add load that my muscles and tendons get strained. Not sure why you thought 5 bw chins would be risky after having done a whole bunch of weighted ones? Or am I misunderstanding what you did?
 
19 clustered chins, 5,5,5,4, CG palms facing, BW + 25kgs. Dropped it back to 25 to work on the concentric. I suppose it also lets me do a longer progression. 27.5 or 8 come Monday.

5x5 DB Upright Rows - 40kg, booyah, quite easy, corrected by stance a little. Will bump it next time if I'm not especially sore tomorrow.

11 clustered DB Shoulder Press, 40kg - 1, 37.5kg - 2,2,2,2,2
 
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2hrs of doubles badminton. It was like the Memorial Day Massacre @ Boston Garden, 93% + humidity apparently.
 
Switched to DB Rows, just time for a mix-up. I have a small equipment conundrum, being that I can only load 70kg onto a DB handle before I run out of space and 70kg is closer to my (1x) 7 or 8RM or my 5x5RM, but as I'm cutting I'm not going for size gains so leaving the weights where it is should be fine until I can get a new BB and additional plates. I'll be doing a few more loaded stretches as well. My 20kg plates are too large for the DB - becomes giantly awkward and very little muscle contraction happens, just bloody awkward leveraging.

DB Rows, 70kg, 5x5. Working on form as much as anything, aiming to do them more slowly overtime, and eventually master the supinated grip (right now it's somewhere between natural and pronated). I can't imagine a need for any biceps work whilst I'm doing this. I think I'll be doing 5x5 at natural speed one day, then alternate with slow reps of probably half volume.

DB Shoulder Press, 2,2,2,2,3,3 - 37.5kgs - felt good
 
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Single-leg squats, 5x5 - tiny bit sore from badminton but I'm glad I got back into leg work before doing cardio after my holiday. Starting off on cardio without any weights would have felt like murder afterwards; conditioning etc.
 
19 clustered DB Rows, 4,4,4,4,3, slow-eccentric, 10-second loaded stretch each arm, 70kg. Might be the best back workout I've ever done.

16 clustered DB Shoulder Press, 3,3,3,2,2,3 - 37.5kgs.

4x5 DB Upright Rows - 40kg
 
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19 clustered DB Rows, 4,4,4,4,3, slow eccentric, 70kg.

2hrs doubles badminton

16 clustered DB shoulder press, 5,4,4,3 - 40kg - f**k yeh bitches. Felt easy, w00t for clustering.
 
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AlexAustralia said:
19 clustered DB Rows, 4,4,4,4,3, slow eccentric, 70kg.
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Alex, that's a monster dumbbell. Good job to you too, Sir! Do you rest your free arm on a bench, or do you do these rows Kroc style with your free arm resting against your knee?
 
Lol said:
Alex, that's a monster dumbbell. Good job to you too, Sir! Do you rest your free arm on a bench, or do you do these rows Kroc style with your free arm resting against your knee?
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For pronated grip I can do it free-arm literally free (or on the knee), considerably harder ofc. For supinated I have to rest on the chair/bench/whatever. The size of the DB is more of an obstacle than the mass, TBH. Maybe if lead didn't kill us we'd still have more dense (hence smaller) plates :p
 
That is a monstrous dumbbell. I rarely see anyone handling anything that size at the gym. Do you use straps to hold the DB or anything like that? I find DBs that size hard to hold on to for more than 6 to 8 reps generally.
 
Nah, no straps. Just working the forearms and all that. I would prefer if I could stack it higher for really heavy rows but it just won't load any more. If I put my kg plates on (non-olympic), the sizing basically wipes out the leverage - so much harder to move it at all - and I haven't found a good position yet. I've tried doing it from a height, lowering it to a step below but it isn't working yet.

Ideas?

Atm it's 15-10-10 on each side.
 
20 clustered DB rows, 4,4,4,4,4 - pronated grip, really slow for both eccentric and concentric (slow as possible ofc, still need the rep to be done etc) - 70kgs. Insane activation along the back today, had the whole 'arms as hooks' going. Definitely improving my grip too. 25 reps was too many, 16-20 seems about good for me. I'd say it's ballpark 6RM, but I'm doing them so slowly that TUT is far higher and obviously it's harder to move that (relative) load slowly. Great stuff. Had an idea about how to counter the awkwardness of my 20kg plates too.

12 clustered DB shoulder press, 3,3,3,3 - 42.5kgs - PB.

3x5 DB Upright Rows - 42.5kgs
 
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AlexAustralia said:
Had an idea about how to counter the awkwardness of my 20kg plates too.
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My thought was to use a short length of ~28mm tube as a handle; run a loop of strong chord through it and then attach that to the hook on a vertical plate holder (the kind that you get for attaching to a head-harness for neck training). You would, of course, have to stand on a platform for a full ROM. You could easily use 100kg this way with a stack of 4 x 25kg plates.
I have an Oly DB I can load up to around 85kg using 5kg plates (9.5"/240mm). I always thought that would be plenty heavy enough but it wouldn't solve your problem for long. :)
 
Lol said:
My thought was to use a short length of ~28mm tube as a handle; run a loop of strong chord through it and then attach that to the hook on a vertical plate holder (the kind that you get for attaching to a head-harness for neck training). You would, of course, have to stand on a platform for a full ROM. You could easily use 100kg this way with a stack of 4 x 25kg plates.
I have an Oly DB I can load up to around 85kg using 5kg plates (9.5"/240mm). I always thought that would be plenty heavy enough but it wouldn't solve your problem for long. :)
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I'm thinking I'll pick up a length of chain and a single D-handle (cable attachment kind, not the two-handed D-bar of awesomeness). Wrap the length around the handle, bring the ends ~ 10-15cm beyond the plate height and carabiner them together. Similar idea and I'll need to use it from a slight height for full ROM.
 
Squats 1x10, BW - bruised each kneecap during badminton on Saturday, so taking it easy on squats this week

Single leg squats, 3x5
 
25 clustered DB Rows, 4,4,4,4,4,5**, supine grip, 15-second hang stretch - might try and do this for as long as I can (progressively), increasing grip strength etc - 70kgs. Might stick to really slow pronated/neutral grip. The angling doesn't allow for greatest lats work, although middle traps certainly get hit. Adjusted to the weight now, just a question of positioning.

**This cluster was done pronated, very slow eccentric, explosive concentric and about 4hrs after the others. Followed it with a 10-second hang stretch. Just felt like pumping some more iron with my back. Pretty sure I will definitely work on a positioning and set up that lets me do a heavier load w/my 20kg plates. Will explore this on Friday.

11 clustered DB shoulder press, 3 - 45kgs, 4,3,1 - 42.5kgs


6.6km walk around the neighbourhood with the Ms
 
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