Back, shoulders and biceps

Justinef

Justinef

Cathlete
Finished this one this morning - another great workout. Just like chest, shoulders, tris, it was the finishers which really finished me. On some there were even 2 finishers! Loved the explosive band pulls. I managed to go really heavy, and was shaking by the end of the workout.
Cathe's timing was spot-on for me. I don't think I'll get DOMS (I've been on a 3 month hypertrophy rotation, so there wasn't much 'shock' to the muscles), but I know I've had a great workout.

Eventually I may split the 2 upper-body workouts into 3 workouts (eg chest & tris, back & bis, shoulders) so that I can go really, really heavy......
 
That's a great idea, Justinef. Would you also keep the reps in the 8-10 range, instead of 12?

I did the Chest, Triceps, Shoulders workout last night and my arms were too fatigued to lift them above chest level when I was done. I don't have the soreness yet, but I'm sure it's coming. I have no idea how Cathe could hammer out 15 straight-leg push ups after that first round of bench presses with 30lb dumbbells! She's a machine!
 
Sandra - those push-ups are killers after all that work, eh? I hadn't thought about reducing the number of reps....but I think it'd work brilliantly! Thank you.
 
Justinef said:
Finished this one this morning - another great workout. Just like chest, shoulders, tris, it was the finishers which really finished me. On some there were even 2 finishers! Loved the explosive band pulls. I managed to go really heavy, and was shaking by the end of the workout.
Cathe's timing was spot-on for me. I don't think I'll get DOMS (I've been on a 3 month hypertrophy rotation, so there wasn't much 'shock' to the muscles), but I know I've had a great workout.

Eventually I may split the 2 upper-body workouts into 3 workouts (eg chest & tris, back & bis, shoulders) so that I can go really, really heavy......
Click to expand...
Oh that's too funny-- I was plotting a 3-way UB split rotation an hour before I read this...
What were you thinking?
I was pondering something like:
Mon: LIHI chest/tri's + plyo HiiT
Tue: LIHI legs + abs
Wed: LIHI back/bis + low-impact HiiT
Thu: HiiT LB circuit + abs
Fri: LIHI shoulders into HiiT UB circuit
Sat: LIHI legs + abs

I might omit some of the doubles (cardio hiit on heavy UB days) due to time constraints.
Obviously this rotation wouldn't be sustainable long-term but might be fun to try. ..
Roz
 
Roz - from previous comments on the workouts, I thought we had similar taste in exercise!!!
I hadn't planned much out in my mind, since I haven't tried either of the circuit workouts yet. I may do one week as you suggest and then the next:
Mon chest/shoulders + plyo HiiT
Tues legs
Wed UB circuit
Thurs Double low impact HiiT (ie both 1 and 2)
Fri back / shoulders
Sat LB circuit

Taking out biceps/triceps every other week (since mine are getting pretty impressive...), but it depends on how heavy the UB circuit is. Also, I'd have to put abs in somewhere, but that quite often ends up as 'when I can be bothered'.
 
I have this scheduled for tomorrow. I already made up my own weight sheet with all the exercises so I can keep track for the future.
 
Justinef said:
Roz - from previous comments on the workouts, I thought we had similar taste in exercise!!!
I hadn't planned much out in my mind, since I haven't tried either of the circuit workouts yet. I may do one week as you suggest and then the next:
Mon chest/shoulders + plyo HiiT
Tues legs
Wed UB circuit
Thurs Double low impact HiiT (ie both 1 and 2)
Fri back / shoulders
Sat LB circuit

Taking out biceps/triceps every other week (since mine are getting pretty impressive...), but it depends on how heavy the UB circuit is. Also, I'd have to put abs in somewhere, but that quite often ends up as 'when I can be bothered'.
Click to expand...
Oh, your rotation looks great! (I think we have similar tastes indeed.) I agree that I'll need to try the circuit workouts before I set anything. If I can get to Back/Bis/Rear Delts tonight, I may try LB circuit tomorrow, then UB circuit Friday.... and by then I think I'll be ready for a day off. Or at least a day off HiiT. (There may be a tempting new Live by then...)

Would you work front and rear delts twice weekly, or do the shoulder split?

With respect to core work, I feel that if I'm lifting heavy, I'm working my core. (In Meso 3 I was deadlifting more than my body weight... why waste time with crunches?) Lower body? Working my core. And I find with these new HiiT workouts -- especially the low impact, throwing my body weight around and stabilizing myself -- I'm certainly working my core. So core-specific stuff, while all fun and good, isn't my top priority when I'm short on time.
Exciting possibilities abound!
Roz
 
Did this one late last night. I loved it! No DOMS but every little bit of my back feels worked. I adored the explosive band work! The whole workout was just a gem.
 
Roz - I agree about the core being worked all the time. Especially with those awesome deadlifts of yours! I did Circuit Legs today - I'm still exhausted 4 hours later (think I may be due a day off!) There was one particular move - a crossback lunge into a knee lift off the step, which I just didn't get the balance for. Now THAT will have tested my core!
 
Justinef said:
Roz - I agree about the core being worked all the time. Especially with those awesome deadlifts of yours! I did Circuit Legs today - I'm still exhausted 4 hours later (think I may be due a day off!) There was one particular move - a crossback lunge into a knee lift off the step, which I just didn't get the balance for. Now THAT will have tested my core!
Click to expand...
I also did circuit legs today! You know what they say about great minds (er, great glutes?)...
I really loved it -- it felt like an Imax with barbell.
With respect to the rotation above, I'm toying with the idea of one day of LIHI Legs and only other other day of outright lower body, perhaps doing LB circuit but loading the barbell significantly heavier than 40 lbs. I like the idea of a day of double low impact in there -- and that's no cakewalk for the lower body. (Cathe: idea for a new move? The '[no] cake-walk'? ;) )
A day off sounds wise... though I may try to squeeze in UB circuit tomorrow before mine. We shall see...
Roz
 
I've just had a peep at circuit UB - there's no way I'll manage that many squats tomorrow! Either Cathe Live, or a mash-up of Plyo HiiT2 & Low Impact HiiT 2 (or will that be just as tough on my legs)

Now I can see why Cathe et al look so ripped in the new series.......
 
I did this one this morning but did the premix without finishers. My tris were still sore from that workout on Tuesday, so the pullovers probably were not as good as they should have been. Will have to do back/bis/shoulders before the chest/tris/shoulders next week and see if that helps. I also only went to 10 reps for each exercise, that way I could go heavy and still end when cathe did for each set. I still am not sure how she lifts so heavy going so fast. I slowed down and was able to go heavier than normal.
 
Well, I did this one for the first time yesterday, and today my entire upper torso is stiff/good-sore, right into my hips. The lower body and core do a lot of stabilizing to balance against the heavy weight of the dumbbells in the unilateral moves, and boy do I feel that today! I really appreciated that all of the heavy back work was done with dumbbells, and that the light barbell rows were saved for the finishers.
 
Justinef: I dropped pullovers a while back because I tend to feel pinched in my anterior shoulder. I ran into an article talking about putting more arch in the upper back to ease this problem. I hadn't really tried them, though. Typically I find another rowing motion to replace them to avoid any shoulder impingement.

But THEN I found this article and I have thought about this as a substitution:
Pimp Your Dumbbell Pullovers
http://www.musclemag.com/pimp-your-dumbbell-pullovers-2/
 
Started my RWH adventure with this one today....WOW! I was mostly able to use the same weights as Cathe, and I was spent at the end. LOVE the finishers...yes, Killers might be a better name for them. This workout reminds me of a faster-paced Burn Sets which makes it just about perfect. Oh, and I've decided I want Cathe's boobs and Jai's legs. Hehehehe!!
 
Gibbee said:
Justinef: I dropped pullovers a while back because I tend to feel pinched in my anterior shoulder. I ran into an article talking about putting more arch in the upper back to ease this problem. I hadn't really tried them, though. Typically I find another rowing motion to replace them to avoid any shoulder impingement.

But THEN I found this article and I have thought about this as a substitution:
Pimp Your Dumbbell Pullovers
http://www.musclemag.com/pimp-your-dumbbell-pullovers-2/
Click to expand...


Gibbee:

great article, thanks for posting it, very useful......

Clare
 
gibbee- good article, I'll try the pull overs on a decline. I found the best exercise to isolate my lats is a pull down. I sling my blue band over my pull up bar and then, holding both ends in one hand, do the pull down unilaterally. I can use the other hand to feel my lats working. I used to have difficulty isolating my lats. It's really helped with my pull ups (well, sort of... I can do 5 only).
 
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