Sticking to the theme of lighter weight and heightened concentration on the working muscles, we move to biceps and abs tonight.
Stretch and warm up!
Using much lighter dumbbells than you're used to for bicep curls (I used 20's), use the palm up technique to begin. Before moving, concentrate on your bicep. Relax everything else, even your hands. Engage your bicep before any movement is done, and keep that connection to your mind, while keeping the rest of your body loose. Alternate arms, and use slow, controlled reps. Your arms should never go much past parallel with the ground, to keep the biceps in constant engagement throughout the exercise. Keep reminding yourself to keep your hands and all other muscles but the biceps loose. Once you get to the point where you can't do more reps with the same quality (doesn't matter the number), switch to hammer curls, with the same weights, no break. Keep that loose grip, loose muscles, focus on the bicep contraction, like you're flexing it and using that flex to move the weight.
Do 4 sets of this, with one minute rest between each set. It should take a while, due to the slow reps and the fact you're not counting your reps, you're going until your muscles have been engaged and worked, however long it takes. The slow speed of the reps, keeping in constant tension, and the concentration will more than make up for the light weight.
Now, to seated preacher curls. Again, use less weight than you normally would, much less. I used 15 pounds on each side of the EZ Curl bar. Before starting, get into proper position. Armpits at the top of the pad, arms stretched completely out, butt as far backwards on the lowest seating position you are comfrotable with. Keeping your hands and every muscle other than the biceps loose, do slow and controlled curls, short range at the top to keep tension, and stretch all the way down on each rep. Look at your biceps, ensure you are using them to their fullest and are eliminating any other muscle use to move the weight. You will know when you've done enough reps, as a 3-count raise becomes impossible after a while. :) Do 3 sets, with one minute rest. Your rep number (that you're not counting anyway) will drop significantly.
You will be surprised how spent your biceps will be after those two exercises. Now, to abs.
Two different 3-exercise sets, performed three times each.
First set:
-Cable crunches. 10 reps, 180 lbs. using the rope, holding the rope ends at your ears while you do the crunch, placing your forehead on the floor using the abs.
-Cable crunches... 10 reps, 120 lbs, using a single hand attachment. Hold it in the right hand at your right ear while you crunch your head to the floor.
-Cable crunches!! 10 reps, 120 lbs, using a single hand attachment. Hold it in the (you guessed it) left hand at your left ear while you crunch your head to the floor.
Rest for 1:00 between sets, no time between exercises.
Next and final ab trio:
-Hanging leg raises. 10 of them. Do your best to not swing any part of your body. Keep your knees straight, and raise your legs above parallel with the ground.
-12# medicine ball russian twists. Basically sitting on the ground with your knees bent and feet off the floor, hold the medicine ball in the air, and touch the ground next to your hip with it on each side, going from side to side quickly. 20 total ground touches- go fast!
-Lying flat on the floor with your feet touching a wall, crunches. Two movements- crunch your head and engage your abs, then using your feet to press against the wall, raise your back off the ground. These are brutal.
Rest for 1:00 between sets, no time between exercises.
Although we only did two bicep exercises, this workout took longer than average.
Get good sleep! Eat well- track your food intake and carbs, fat, and protein. Knoweldge is power!
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