Today I am going low-carb and low calorie. The weekend is coming up and we are traveling. I hope that I can maintain some sort of dignity in eating.
One Life to Live
Showing posts with label HIT. Show all posts
Showing posts with label HIT. Show all posts
Friday, May 6, 2011
HIT Progress Pictures - May 2011
I took some progress photo's yesterday. Nothing special but I can see an increase in size in both my arms and shoulders. My waist still appears to be the same size. I have not measured it but my clothes are still fitting good (if not a little loose). My weight has stayed the same from last week but I attribute that to the intense workout I put in yesterday.
Today I am going low-carb and low calorie. The weekend is coming up and we are traveling. I hope that I can maintain some sort of dignity in eating.
Today I am going low-carb and low calorie. The weekend is coming up and we are traveling. I hope that I can maintain some sort of dignity in eating.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Reverse Pyramid HIT
On Friday I decided to switch up my usual (one set to failure) HIT workout with a technique called Reverse Pyramid's that I had been reading about on leangains.com. I headed to the gym with the same exercises planned that I was going to do before, but now I was going to do them Reverse Pyramid style.
What is Reverse Pyramid?
One of the most conventional types of lifting is the pyramid. Most of the guys you see at the gym are going to be doing this. You start out with a light weight and lift it for about 12 reps. You then add weight to the stack and pump out 10 reps. Add a little bit more weight and do 8 reps. The last set is usually the hardest and peaks out around 6 reps.
The reverse pyramid is the complete opposite. Your first set should be your hardest and you should complete somewhere in the neighborhood of 6-8 reps to failure. From there you would actually decrease weight by about 10% and pump out 10 reps. Decrease the weight by another 10% and pump out 12 reps. That's it. You are done and you can move onto the next exercise. The idea is that you should be lifting the hardest weight in the beginning while your muscles are still fresh. Not at the end where you are already fatigued.
So I set out to the gym to do just that. Reverse Pyramid. My intent was to do Chest and Back. Same exercises I have done the last few weeks but with a little bit different of an approach.
Chest
Back
It was a little hard at first to try to pick a weight that I knew I could only lift 6-8 times. After a bit of trial and error I got it though. I went through my usual routine and felt fantastic afterwards. And by fantastic I mean that I was shaking and felt like I was going to vomit. I left the gym and headed back to the office completely worn out but thrilled with this new type of workout.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I wake up with the intent that I am going to go do some sprints at the park. It didn't happen. My chest and back where so sore from the workout that I could barely move. Sprints postponed.
Fast forward to Sunday morning. I wake up with the intent that I am going to go do some sprints at the park. It again didn't happen. Although not as sore as I was on Saturday, I was still feeling the effects of Friday's workout. The sprints will have to wait until tomorrow.
I am going to play around with this technique a bit more in the coming weeks and see if there is anything to it or it my soreness was a fluke. I figure if it works for Martin at leangains along with all of his clients, it might work for me as well.
What is Reverse Pyramid?
One of the most conventional types of lifting is the pyramid. Most of the guys you see at the gym are going to be doing this. You start out with a light weight and lift it for about 12 reps. You then add weight to the stack and pump out 10 reps. Add a little bit more weight and do 8 reps. The last set is usually the hardest and peaks out around 6 reps.
The reverse pyramid is the complete opposite. Your first set should be your hardest and you should complete somewhere in the neighborhood of 6-8 reps to failure. From there you would actually decrease weight by about 10% and pump out 10 reps. Decrease the weight by another 10% and pump out 12 reps. That's it. You are done and you can move onto the next exercise. The idea is that you should be lifting the hardest weight in the beginning while your muscles are still fresh. Not at the end where you are already fatigued.
So I set out to the gym to do just that. Reverse Pyramid. My intent was to do Chest and Back. Same exercises I have done the last few weeks but with a little bit different of an approach.
Chest
- Incline Press
- Fly's
- Push-Ups
Back
- Dumbbell pullover with one arm
- Bent Over Rows
- Pull-Ups
It was a little hard at first to try to pick a weight that I knew I could only lift 6-8 times. After a bit of trial and error I got it though. I went through my usual routine and felt fantastic afterwards. And by fantastic I mean that I was shaking and felt like I was going to vomit. I left the gym and headed back to the office completely worn out but thrilled with this new type of workout.
Fast forward to Saturday morning. I wake up with the intent that I am going to go do some sprints at the park. It didn't happen. My chest and back where so sore from the workout that I could barely move. Sprints postponed.
Fast forward to Sunday morning. I wake up with the intent that I am going to go do some sprints at the park. It again didn't happen. Although not as sore as I was on Saturday, I was still feeling the effects of Friday's workout. The sprints will have to wait until tomorrow.
I am going to play around with this technique a bit more in the coming weeks and see if there is anything to it or it my soreness was a fluke. I figure if it works for Martin at leangains along with all of his clients, it might work for me as well.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Down But Not Out
I haven't been feeling the best the last few days. I am not sure if its allergies, a cold, stress, lack of sleep or all of the above. Last night my wife took on all baby duties and allowed me to go to sleep early and get a good nights rest under my belt. I am feeling a bit better today but still not at 100%. I am suppose to have a workout tomorrow but I may forgo that and allow my body to completely recover. After all, with Easter just a mere 3 days away, I really don't want to continue to be sick.
I am currently working on a new workout program called HIT. I am hoping this program will allow me to have more time outside of the gym doing things that really matter. Like hanging out with my family and friends. Spending 5 days a week in the gym gets to be a bit much and I have been doing it week after week for almost 6 years now. I am ready for a change. I just hope that HIT will give me the change I need but still allow some growth. Time will tell.
I am currently working on a new workout program called HIT. I am hoping this program will allow me to have more time outside of the gym doing things that really matter. Like hanging out with my family and friends. Spending 5 days a week in the gym gets to be a bit much and I have been doing it week after week for almost 6 years now. I am ready for a change. I just hope that HIT will give me the change I need but still allow some growth. Time will tell.
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