This is DOGGCRAPP!!!

NBS 4life said:
Thats pretty much what I have been doing however im not sure if my problem is the same as yours was. Was yours a sharp pain?
Click to expand...

Sharp pain, yes. Is yours getting any better at all? For how long has it been going on?
 
Tuesday 19.08.08

Upper workout

Chest
Bench press RP: 6,0 @100kg
Chest stretch 50sec@18kg dbs
simply too heavy. At first I thought that getting 0 after the RP was weird, but later in the workout that changed. Technique was also bad, specially after the RP, next time I'll reset my setup after the RP

Shoulders
BB military press RP: 6,1,0 @50kg
dip stretch 60 sec @bw
it seems I need to go higher on the reps to avoid failing flat out on the RP sets. I'm really weak with overhead pressing, as I've never done much strict work

Triceps
Karky press RP: 7,2,0 @12kg dbs
tri stretch 60sec@16kg
The Karky press is like the tate press only that instead of elbows out I tuck the elbows in and basically lower the DBs until they hit my shoulders. It's not like a skullcrusher because you have some shoulder movement.
I dunno if this already is an exercise, until someone tells me someone else have used it and coined it I will call it the "Karky press" :D

Back width
m pron grip pulldown RP: 12,3,3 @70kg

Back thickness
Machine rows RP:10,5,3 @60kg

Pullup hang stretch 60sec@25kg (took a brief pause for about 5 sec half way through to reset my grip)

+ regular lat stretch

Next time I'll lower the weight a bit for the pressing :D
 
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Karks, It has been going on for a while since last year actually. It just wont go away. Im thinking of stopping running and picking up my swimming again.


Typhon, ChrisJG has been on 800 rep for ages.
 
Thursday 21.08.08

Lower workout

Was sore going into this, but I didn't hold back all that much :p

Biceps
single arm DB preacher curls RP: 11,2,1 @14kg dbs

Forearms
db wrist extensions SS: 15 @7kg

this was really too light, more weight next time, I forgot biceps stretch :(

Hamstrings
Back extensions SS: 15 @20kg

Quads
Reverse short lunge off box(2) SS: 8 @20kg dbs
Leg extensions SS: 15 @40 kg

I loved the lunges. Got really good ROM with the steps under my working leg, so a lot of knee flexion here for the quads to take care of. Lots of hip flexion too for the glutes and hams :D

Leg extensions never get hard, my muscles just give out from lactate.. it never slows down, lactate just kills my quads in isolation moves :(

Quads stretch:
I almost forgot it, so I didn't do this right after like I should.. Can't really find the right position to really feel the stretch, which sucks.. I didn't hold for time I just tried to find the right position and hold it, didn't time it.

Ham stretch: this is simple, was ok.

Calfs
supposed to do this before hams and quads but I forgot :p

Single leg belt calf raises RP: 15,5,3 @ 25kg

more weight next time, didn't really reach faliure here.


I'm forgetting a lot of the stretching.. but I guess once I get used to it I'll remember :D

PWO: the usual.
 
Saturday 23.08.08

Upper body

Chest
30 degree incline DB press RP: 12,2,1 @28kg dbs
chest stretch: 50sec x 18kg dbs

The second RP set with 2 reps got a bit screwed since I barely got the weight up on the first time due to a crappy kick-up

Shoulders
Seated db Arnold press RP: 14,3,3 @14kg dbs
Shoulder dip stretch: 60sec

Triceps
Close grip 6cm-board press RP: 8,2,1 @80kg
Triceps stretch: 60 sec x 18kg db

Happy with the weight considering how fried my tris, shoulders and pecs were from the exercises before. I'm a bit unsure if the middle set was 1 rep then second rep failed, but failed high enough to rack, or if it was the 3d rep that failed just high enough to rack..
On the last set I had to roll the weight off me because I failed big time on attempting the second rep. Rolling the bar down, sitting up when it was on my lap, then just getting up leaving the bar on the bench was no problem really

Back width
Smith pullups RP: 5,1,1 @BW

God I suck at pullups. I'm not gonna do them in the smith anymore though, it's too low

Back thickness
Krock row RP: 10,4,3 @36kg db

pleased with these.. 36 is as high as the DBs in my gym go, which is pathetic. I'll just have to increase reps here, probably until 20 then I'll improvise

Pullup hang stretch 60 sex x 25kg with one break to reset grip.
I'm getting this stretch to stretch more now as I'm letting my shoulderblades go, shrugging upwards, that really stretches the lats.

PWO: the usual
 
Did you remember all your stretches? BTW the stretches put me though more torture than the RP did. I actually had a single tear come down my cheek when I was doing the chest stretch, but it was actually because it reminded me of evo..
 
I remembered all the stretches this time. I have forgot some in the past but I think that's just in the beginning since I'm not used to doing them. Some of the stretches are a bit awkward to do, I don't feel it a lot in the quad stretch for example. The tri stretch can be problematic, but I think I'm getting the hang of positioning my upper arm in a way that makes it stretch.
 
The lack of updates is because I'm sick.. if it's a small flu or just a cold I don't know. I think I'm getting better though, I might train today, probably tomorrow.
I've been just at the level where I could go to school,

I've been using the time to read the "cardiovascular system and exercise" chapter in my work physiology book, that was really interesting, but somewhat hard to understand, I have to dictionary and google a lot of words because they make no sense :p
 
Satu[rday 30.08.08/B]

Had the flew for a week.

Lower workout:

Biceps
45 degree incline curl RP 12,2,1 @14 kg dbs
good improvement, used 12kg dbs last time
Forearms
Plate pinch ss: 40 sec x 20kg
no improvement, don't but I'm giving myself a little lee way because I've had the flew
I also forgot the damn biceps stretch...

Hamstrings
Single leg ham leg press RP: 12,5 @60 kg
My left abductors hurt when using the left leg.. I think it's a ROM problem. Dunno if I should be going straight sets here, it's kinda hard to fail and I need to be a bit careful with leg press due to the back

Quads
Forward lunge SS: 16 @ 20kg dbs
6 reps up from last time. I need to use more weight next time.

Front squats SS: 15 @ 60kg
not really near faliure. The problem with high rep squatting is getting out of breath.. Next time I'll try more weight, 60kg used to be what I figured my limit was for my back, but this gave me no pain, so I feel comfortable with upping it

Quad stretch: 60 sec. I'm getting the hang of this now. Gotta squeeze the glutes and eliminate any anterior pelvic tilt that might be there to feel the stretch better.

Ham stretch: 60 sec.

Calves
Leg press calf raise RP: 10,7 @170

I won't do this again, the angles were all off.. Also, I don't think I should be doing RP for calfs, the calfs almost restore completely after 12 deep breaths, lol

PWO: the usual
 
Tuesday 02.09.08

Upper workout

Chest
DB bench press RP: 12,3,2 @32 kg dbs
more reps now than last time, also more weight
chest stretch: 55 sec @ 18kg dbs

Shoulders
DB shoulder press RP: 10,2,1 @20kg dbs
heavier dbs, less reps.. I think I need to use another exercise here, I could feel these in my back. Either that, or use a belt. I dunno

Shoulder stretch: 60 sec

Triceps
Tate press RP: 11,2,2 @14 kg dbs
Triceps stretch: 60 sec @ 18kg dbs.
still having a hard time with the triceps stretch, it feels like it stretches much more in the lats/where the arm meets the torso.

Back width
Wide parallel pulups RP: 7,1,1 @ BW
I'm ditching all pullups from the routine, it's official, I can't progress in them. I've tried everything and I never get high reps, the only thing that works is adding weight with no more than 3 reps per set (I'm sure I could do 3 reps with 20kg hanging from me if I train for it, but not be able to get more than 7 with BW.. the first few reps on pullups are so easy it's weird, if I let go I'd hit the ceiling but it quickly goes down from there), which is out for this program as I wouldn't be able to do one single RP

Back thickness
Face pulls RP: 14,5,5 @45kg
don't really fail at these, The ROM gets changed a little, then I call it a set

Pullup stretch 60 sec @ 25kg with one pause to reset grip.

Thoughts/questions

On the pullup/hang stretch, should I let my shoulderblades shrug upwards?
this really stretches the lats, I can feel that, but it makes it difficult to breathe and I can only take very shallow breaths.

The program says that for quads you should do one heavy set with few reps, then finish off with one widowmaker set.. the problem is, I don't think I can get lunges to become like 5 reps. The idea was to do lunges with high weight and low reps, then squats afterwards with high reps and low weight (convenient due to back issues) but I'm having doubts about getting lunges down that far, form would probably go out the window before that actually happened. I guess I just have to experiment more.

Should I rest pause on movements I don't go to faliure on? for example long stride lunges for the hams, the program says you can do RP for hams, and I try to keep a set definition of when I end the set due to form breaking down, but it's impossible to end it at the same level of form deficiency every time..

Jumping from 12 to 14 kg dbs on exercises that hit small muscles such as the tate press is harder than you'd think.

Face pulls are awesome, it's the only exercise I really feel works my mid back, between my shoulderblades, etc. I think with rowing my lats have a tendency to take over.
 
Karky said:
Tuesday 02.09.08

Thoughts/questions

On the pullup/hang stretch, should I let my shoulderblades shrug upwards?
this really stretches the lats, I can feel that, but it makes it difficult to breathe and I can only take very shallow breaths.
Click to expand...

I try to relax every muscle I can with this stretch with the exception of the grip, and shrugging the shoulders (or rotating upwards) is something that inevitably happens.
 
Yeah, that's what I figured.

And while you're here. Do you know what the difference is between stretching a muscle while it's producing tension and while it's not?
With stretches like the pullup stretch, your lats are obviously producing tension (by holding you up there) while they are being stretched. How does this differ in outcome from if you just did a normal lat stretch?

Same example can be used with a chest fly stretch versus a regular pec stretch..
I've been pondering this for some time.
 
That's actually pretty damn interesting, Karks. And I'll give you a few theories:

In essence, the two stretches are not entirely different from each other. The only real difference is that you're fighting against gravity in one stetch, and against another muscle's contractions in the other. In both stretches, the lat will provide tension: it's the muscle's natural elastic characteristic.

On the other hand, you have multiple muscles contracting in the hanging stetch to make sure your arm doesn't go out of your socket (external rotators, teres major, triceps) that concentric contraction in the lat muscle is going to be minimal, which makes it an effective stretch for the lats.
 
So a muscle will make tension slightly no matter how much you stretch it? I guess an easy example would be ham stretches. One regular one with the foot on top of a bench and leaning forward, you can relax the leg muscles and hams (maybe not 100%, though) but if you were to do a ham stretch which involved holding the bottom position of an SLDL, there would be significant isometric contraction of the hamstrings to hold the weight there and not let it fall down to the ground.

In doggcrapp, the stretches are not only supposed to provide flexibility, but also growth, and I was thinking how could regular stretching make a muscle grow? But a lot of the stretches advocated are stretches that are under load.

Have you heard about Frank Starlings law of the heart?
Basically, it says that when the heart gets stretched from enhanced venous return, the heart can contract more forcefully because when a muscle is stretched the myofilaments are arranged in a better way. (although there is a length that if exceeded the heart won't contract more forcefully)

The Frank-Starling law of the heart (also known as Starling's law or the Frank-Starling mechanism) states that the greater the volume of blood entering the heart during diastole (end-diastolic volume), the greater the volume of blood ejected during systolic contraction (stroke volume).

This means that as the heart fills with more blood than usual, the force of the muscular contractions will increase; this is a result of an increase of the load experienced by each muscle fibre due to the extraneous blood entering the heart. This stretching of the muscle fibres increases the affinity of troponin C for Calcium, causing a greater number of cross-bridges to form within the muscle fibres; this increases the contractile force of the cardiac muscle. The force that any single muscle fiber generates is proportional to the initial sarcomere length (known as preload), and the stretch on the individual fibers is related to the end-diastolic volume of the ventricle. In the human heart, maximal force is generated with an initial sarcomere length of 2.2 micrometers, a length which is rarely exceeded in the normal heart. Initial lengths larger or smaller than this optimal value will decrease the force the muscle can achieve. For larger sarcomere lengths, this is the result of less overlap of the thin and thick filaments; for smaller sarcomere lengths, the cause is the decreased sensitivity for calcium by the myofilaments.
Click to expand...
Frank-Starling law of the heart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I know it's from wikipedia, but it seemed pretty consistant with what was in my textbook.
Could this law be valid for skeletal muscle, too?

So what I'm getting at is that when a muscle is stretched under load the muscle works very efficiently, producing more tension, equaling more growth.

I think I'm gonna ask my professor about this, as it is darn interesting. But I'd love to hear your/other people's take on it aswell.
 
This information is great and can definitely be used to describe skeletal muscle. You may have heard of the Stretch-Shortening Cycle for muscles. Same concept, as in doing plyometric training is the same concept. Take for instance a countermovement jump (squat jumps): If you didn't have that initial countermovement down, you will not have the same vertical if you did use a countermovement jump, because you're stretching your quads followed by a quick concentric contraction. But this all has to be very fast, powerful movements, and most powerful movement will not elicit growth

Unfortunately, in the case of lifting for growth, all this becomes moot, because you are training for the elasticity characteristcs of muscle, not the hypertrophy characteristics, so I am not sure where Doggcrap is getting that info from. It could possibly be that when you stretch, you increase ROM, which will make your muscles work through a longer ROM, working them more effeciently, and could possibly cause hypertrophy...pretty far-fetched, but I'd have to read into a lot more.

is there a website, or maybe a book out that maybe I could look into? Now I'm intrigued, may even go through some research journals, or pubmed.org publications


Happy Training!
 
hey karks! nice log :]]]] what happened to your back???
oh and i have a question. why 40g protein after workout? iv been taking 20g protein and a lotta carbs, do you think there is any benefit to any more than that? or is it just that your bigger than i? x.x whey is expensive
 
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