VeganEssentials

Routine isn't bad, but sometimes as noted by Justin, some muscle groups fare better for recovery and growth with less work vs. more. It all depends, though - my upper back recovers VERY quickly and I can train it twice per week, but all other parts are just once per week (I'm training to maintain size and lose fat now, but otherwise, when bulking I'm changing to doing upper back only once per week again in the future). You know your body best of all, but as I've experienced, sometimes you'll get better results by doing less frequency rather than more. That was a key factor with my biceps, they grew a LOT more when I stopped doing direct arm work except 2-3 sets of DB hammer curls once every two weeks. If you see progress, then keep at it with this plan until it fails to yield results. If it stalls out, then consider cutting back on the 2nd session for chest and biceps and maybe swap it out with deadlifts or some lower back work instead for something that would be a better option. Deadlifts will, in their own way, help your complete upper and lower back development as well as biceps, so you may find that less direct work and more "indirect" lifting can pay off big time!

Olympic lifts are fun (and great for building strength and power), but the caution point is that if you don't learn proper form early on, it increases chances of injury AND it's hard as heck to learn how to do the lifts correctly after learning to do them with improper technique. I never power cleaned more than 280 lbs. due to my lack of proper coaching and technique, but was told by an experienced olympic lifter that I'd probably have been good for 50 lbs. more or better had I been trained correctly. Despite dropping the weight a ton and trying to learn the correct way to do them, I just couldn't get the hang of it, my goofy style of muscling the bar up with more leg drive vs. being effective in the 2nd part of the pull just couldn't be broken to help me learn better technique. My technique in the snatch was a bit better, but still, not great, and those flaws couldn't be fixed easily, either. Olympic lifts are fantastic, I just always encourage anyone who really likes them to make sure they get proper technique training from someone experienced so that they get started on the right course from the get-go. It's better to learn how to do them correctly early on and take longer to build up than it is to start strong and either stall out or get hurt because of bad form!

Quick leg workout tonight - Squats - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x5 @ 185 1x5 @ 225 8x5 @ 285 1x12 @ 225 1x20 @ 185 All sets pretty easy, but the 20 rep set took all the wind out of me. Angled leg press w/bands - 3x20 @ 360 lbs. Plus black bands Alternated with 3x25 glute/ham raises Wrapped up with one light set of reverse hypers with 50 lbs. and that was plenty. Upper back and chest tomorrow!

Upper back and shoulder work on Friday that I forgot to log sooner - Weighted pull-ups - 1x5 @ bodyweight (243 lbs. clothed) 1x10 @ 45 lbs. added (feet just barely touching floor for 1 second deload between each rep) 1x6 @ 62.5 lbs. added (same 1 second deload between reps) 1x3 @ 82.5 lbs. added (about 3-5 seconds deload and a few breaths between each rep) 1xfail @ 102.5 lbs. added (got eyes up to the bar, but couldn't finish the last inch or two of the pull) Standing overhead strict press w/ axle - 1x5 @ 145 lbs. 1x3 @ 175 1x2 @ 195 1x1 @ 205 1x1 @ 215 1x1 @ 225 1x1 @ 235, went up fairly easily will work to hit 240 later this month 3x5 @ 205 1x12 @ 175, got 10 reps, had to rack the axle, rest 10 seconds to finish last 2 reps of set Heavy 1-arm sled rows in parking lot - 1x20 each arm @ 335 lb. sled 1x20 " " @ 370 1x20 " " @ 405 Have to lean back about 20-30 degrees at start of pull to get sled moving each time, but finding I can definitely go heavy on these easily enough. Light stone loading work - 3x5 lifts to 48" platform w/ 190 lb. stone 1x5 rows to chest w/ 250 lb. stone 1x3 rows to chest w/ 270 lb. stone Called it a day, am hoping to get leg training in later but pulled a muscle in my middle back from laughing too hard last night (of all things...) so I downed 1000mg of ibuprofen and am keeping fingers crossed I'll be up for light squatting later tonight. Otherwise, it'll be tomorrow!

Always consider this - even if you stay with around 2100 cal./day and train hard, it isn't as if fat is magically going to sneak up on you one day and deposit 20 lbs. without notice. You can still eat more carbs and test things, if you find that you're gaining weight too rapidly after a few weeks, then try your trainer's advice and decrease carbs a bit to see how it fares. Look at it this way - if they've been right about everything so far, and have gotten you close to where you want to go, then it doesn't make sense to abandon all they've been teaching if you want to stay the course for progress. You can also SLOWLY increase total calories as well, maybe just upping the total by 50-100 cal./day from your current amount to the higher 2100 total over the course of a few months, thereby allowing better adaptation without as much shock to your system from a rapid increase. Figure this, it's like anything else, if you diet hard and strict for a few months, your system will be in prime "store everything I can because I don't know when I'll get to eat like this again!" mode, which does make fat gain more likely with a quick return to higher calories, so perhaps a slow return is the better approach. Not to mention, along with fat loss, you've certainly had some muscle loss as well, therefore your body will still require fewer total calories per day than it did when you were bulking up at the end of 2011. I know all too well how it is to be carb-sensitive - too much rice, bread, fruit, etc. all ends up settling extra weight right in my gut, the last place it ever wants to vanish from. Doesn't matter if I stick to "clean" carb sources, once I'm over 400g/day (and don't forget, I'm also 6' tall and 238 lbs.), my fat gain kicks back up and it's back to square one. Some of us really do operate better with fewer carbs and more protein/healthy fat, we're not all the same and there's no "perfect" plan for people to follow that will guarantee things will work out ideally. I know there are tons of vegans who say "Just eat lots of good carbs, don't worry about protein, it'll be great!", but what works for them does NOT work for everyone else, and if I followed such advice, I'd be 300+ lbs. and feeling like crap within a year or two. There's nothing wrong with being carb-sensitive, it just means it's a bit more tricky to fine-tune diets without having to always be more protein-focused. It all boils down to what you want in the long run. If you want to stay lean and not worry about gaining fat for a while, then play it safer and don't up the carbs too much/too quickly, keep protein high, and change things slowly. If you plan to compete again later and want to gain more mass and/or don't mind dieting down again, then there's no worry about putting a little fat on with your lean mass, it's bound to happen. If you're focused on health completely, then that will likely take you in a different direction. Just think about where the next season's goals lie for now, and plan accordingly!

You can also "backtrack" the movement starting with the front double biceps pose, too. Basically, get into that position where you can feel the proper lat flare - now, keep the lats tensed, and let your arms straighten out to your sides in a "t" position (arms will likely need to be angled forward slightly to keep lat tightness, maybe about 10-20 degrees angled forward instead of perfectly straight). Once you have gotten used to having your lats flared and tight without the biceps being a part via having your arms in the position mentioned above, you can tighten up more and likely increase the flare slightly by pulling your elbows back an inch or two (can be done into the lats or slightly out and away, it seems to work better than a straight pull back) as if you're doing an angled row of the elbows into or slightly away from the lats against imaginary weight. Once you get into that spot and feel it, you can let the elbow swivel and have forearms drop, and you'll be in a decent front lat spread position. It can be hard to get them to fire on command easily, but just think like you're doing a near isometric pull against an object that can't be moved to keep tight and you'll get the hang of it with practice

Lower back and some assistance work tonight! Light "rehab" deadlifts continue - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x5 @ 225 10x5 @ 265, only 60 seconds rest between each set, done in 15 minutes total time including rest periods. 700 lb. tire flips - 3 sets of 5 flips, this one's heavy, gets off the ground easily but the midpoint transition to the flip is pretty tough. MUCH harder than the 500ish tire, that's for sure. Good Mornings with safety squat bar - 3x20 @ 145 lbs., just getting used to them again, keeping light. Glute/ham raises alternated with barbell shrugs - 4x25 Glute/ham raises, doing 4x50 shrugs @ 235 lbs. in between the GHR sets (two sets in front, two behind the back) Wrapped up with 3x20 @ 120 lbs. for reverse hypers, called it a day. Taking a nice long walk tomorrow and doing yard work, skateboarding Thursday, should get in some light leg work Friday if the knee feels better, will definitely do some overhead pressing then!

That's actually quite backward for most people experience. You can get a far better and more effective workout with a quality range of different weight dumbbells than a range of isolation-based machines that won't mimic the real feel of a lift in comparison to free weights. Saying you can't build muscle with dumbbells only is quite false, definitely not accurate. Plenty of people have done well with dumbbells only, so if you can't build muscle with using them by themselves, it's not the dumbbells, but how you're training and eating that's the issue!

Had a few chaotic nights where I didn't get time to train, but was in last night for some upper back/chest work - Weighted pull-ups - 1x3 @ bodyweight (244 clothed, weight starting to come down slightly, currently 238 in the morning) 5x5 @ 62.5 lbs. added, done with feet just barely touching floor and a quick breath or two between each rep. First 3 sets easy, 4th had one ugly rep, last set required about 10 seconds between the last 2 reps to get them done. Flat bench press, using power bar (55 lbs., slightly thicker diameter) instead of axle to start - 1x5 @ 145 lbs. 1x3 @ 195 1x2 @ 235 5x2 @ 265, first rep would be touch-and-go, 2nd rep had one second pause on chest Changed over to axle at that point - 3x6 @ 235 lbs. Plate-loaded seated row - 1x12 @ 280 lbs. 2x12 @ 290 Incline DB press - 3x20 @ 65s Wide-grip pulldowns - 3x15 @ 220 lbs., pulled to sternum, barely any lean back 1-arm seated row using "D" handle attached to orange band that was wrapped around one base of the main power rack - 2x25 each arm, tension unknown but felt like 50ish lbs. in hand at start, maybe close to 100 lbs. at finish of each row That was it, today is lots of yard work, tomorrow will be deadlifting and some light event work.

Very nice shipment you received there, VS! I'm envious of the tires in particular, we have three, but the treads are narrow and far apart on the 500ish lb. one (my favorite for higer-rep flip sets), making it a pain in the ass to work with. The others are in the 700ish lb. range, one with slightly better treads but it's about 2.5 feet tall, I can barely get my hands under it with my arms fully stretched. The 3rd is nice but the treatds are really worn, seems we can't find a solid tire to get for our facility! Got in for some lower back work with overhead pressing tonight, been a stressful start to the week, father-in-law had to get two stents in his arteries this morning as he was 90% blocked in one and 70% in another, both ones that go straight to the heart, would have only been a matter of time before he'd have had his 2nd heart attack (he's already got a quadruple bypass under his belt from 17 years ago, last thing he needs is to push his luck as he's nearing 80 years old!) Trying to keep my mind off things by staying on point with training, wasn't too bad tonight - Standing overhead strict axle press - 1x10 @ empty axle 1x5 @ 145 lbs. 1x2 @ 175 1x2 @ 205 1x2 @ 210 1x2 @ 215 1x2 @ 220 3x8 @ 180 1x12 @ 145 Really worn out by the end, but technique is improving again, starting to really remember to "get my head through" as the axle clears it, once you start to press it slightly behind as the head comes forward, it really locks out much more easily. Continuing with my light "rehab" deadlifts - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x5 @ 225 lbs. 10x5 @ 255 lbs., just 60 seconds rest between sets Hip/low back extension machine - 3x20 @ 120 lbs. Safety squat bar Hise shrugs - 1x20 @ 225 lbs. 1x20 @ 275 1x20 @ 315 All sets done slow with a squeeze at top and slow lowering, can't afford the compression damage of having the weight come down fast any longer. Reverse hyperextensions - 2x35 @ 50 lbs. Hanging lat shrug-ups from a medium grip pull-up position - 2x35 @ 45 lbs. strapped on (290 lbs. total weight cloted with added weight) Nothing too tough tonight, just wanted to get through everything, should get to doing some upper back work and maybe some light event training on Friday!

Unfortunate, but oftentimes far too accurate with the multitude of trainers out there who took a quick course and decided they wanted a new career path when they're still miles away from having any idea how to even get themselves to the physique they would like The comment about interviewing multiple people who have sound coaching experience and have produced top-placers in their respective competitions is the way to go. Sometimes, you'll find that one person can't do it all, and you may need to have a coach for training and someone to help with diet (in the event you find one who is awesome in one area but may lack in another). That's the one issue we have at our faciity - Kirk (our sole trainer) is freaking INCREDIBLE at getting people stronger and to their strength/mass gaining goals at an amazing pace, but he admits he's really bad at helping people with difficult pre-contest diets if they need absolute hand-tailored precision for getting ripped. In which case, he has someone to refer clients to that can help them get in perfect shape to step on stage, as they work together closely and keep everything in line the way it needs to be. If you ever find yourself working with a great coach or a great diet expert, that person should always be very open to working hand-in-hand with anyone else who may be helping in areas that they aren't as well-versed in. Don't be afraid if it isn't easy to find one person who is perfect in all facets - you may get lucky and find one who can do great on both diet and training, but sometimes, if you want the absolute best, you may want one who handles each, depending on level of commitment to what you're after as well as finances. Though, for most people, simply finding someone who is very good at both will be MUCH better than just trying to go it solo if you need some help with goals that include contest preparation!

Last week was freakin' crazy for work, had our main customer service and billing person gone, so I had to double-duty it all week and didn't get out with fewer than 13 straight hours logged in at the office each day/night. No time to train, but this only happens once or twice per year, nothing I could do to get around it except stay locked in! Trained upper back and chest yesterday - Weighted pull-ups - 1x4 @ bodyweight (245 lbs. clothed, still coming in about 239 in the mornings), 1x2 @ 25 lbs. added (270 lbs. total weight) 3x10 @ 45 lbs. added (290 lbs. total weight), done as 8 fast singles with just a breath or two between each, toes just touching floor to slightly deload at bottom before each pull, last two reps on each set required abotu 5-10 seconds rest between each as I've never tried to do more than 8 in a set with 45 lbs. added on Flat bench press w/ axle - 1x5 @ 145 1x3 @ 195 1x2 @ 235 1x1 @ 265 Put on Slingshot 1x3 @ 295 1x1 @ 315 1x1 @ 330, felt like it almost killed me to get the rep, dropped weight down 1x10 @ 265, done as 8, rack bar, rest 10 seconds, unrack to finish last 2 reps Wasn't feeling great with the axle tonight or for chest in general, changed gears at this point. Wide grip pulldowns - 3x12 @ 260 lbs., pulling to sternum with slight lean back Barbell floor press in the power rack - 1x5 @ 235 lbs., triceps were already beat up 2x12 @ 195 lbs. 1-arm DB rows - 2x15 @ 150 lb. DB each arm Horzontal bench machine w/bands, two orange one purple - 3x20, changing grips each set 1-arm sled rows - 2x20 @ 300 lbs. each earm 1x30 @ 250 lbs. " " Decent back/chest after a break, came back tonight for leg day - Squats - 1x5 @ 135 lbs. 1x3 @ 185 1x3 @ 225 1x2 @ 275 12x2 @ 300, was originally going to do 25x2 and do "greasing the groove" workout to rework form after too much time off, but right knee (my good one) started giving me fits right after the 12th set of doubles. Might have been that I was going too quickly for sets, I would only get about 45-60 seconds max rest, but patellar tendon was crabby with me so no more squats tonight, next week I will drop the weight and just up the reps again. 45 degree leg press w/thick black bands - 1x30 @ 90 + bands (add about 50 lbs. tension at bottom, about 125-150 est. added resistance at top) 1x20 @ 180 + bands 1x20 @ 270 + bands 5x20 @ 360 + bands Glute/ham raises - 4x25 @ bodyweight Reverse hyperextensions - 3x25 @ 100 lbs. 1x25 @ 50 lbs. done slow with no swing, a hard glute squeeze each time Lower body fried at this point, called it a night. Back in the gym Tuesday again for upper back/shoulders if the legs are still sore, deadlifts and some light event work if the lower body has recovered!

I primarily use a foam roller for hips and legs for rolling out prior to squatting or deadlifting. They come in handy during times where I might get a pec cramp as well, they've saved me more than a few times when I was hurting pretty badly!

I'm all for keeping the decibel level down but what's wrong with deads and overhead lifts? Do they consider them unsafe or something? Baby Herc Yep, Planet Fitness apparently has a list of lifts they do not approve of in their gyms. After all, you could drop an overhead lift and whack yourself in the head! And, god forbid the racket from setting down a deadlift should disturb someone else, so it's obvious why they MUST keep those infernal lifts out of their facility! But, it's just even just that - they apparently don't even allow the standard "I let out a bit of a grunt due to completing a heavy lift" which happens involuntarily from time to time. We're not talking the "guy who never wears anything but a string tank top who screams during every set" situation, but imagine going all-out on your training as normal while being expected to maintain the level of being quiet as if you were trying not to wake a sleeping baby on the other side of the room. If they think you're being loud enough to break someone else's concentration, they can sound the alarm and force you to pack up and leave. And, of course, like VS said, no chalk either. Not sure if they've gone so far yet as to measure lifting straps to ensure that they're not so long as to be unsafe

This is fascinating. Do you mean during one-armed lat rows with one knee and a hand on a bench for support? Or is this for bent over forward rows with both hands? Can it be employed in a seated row machine? I was told by an awesome weight room manager to visualize pulling with only the lat muscles, nothing else, and pretending the arms and hands were merely tools, imagining squeezing a quarter between my rhomboids all the while, up high or down low, depending on the grip and lat area targeted. Works on me like a charm. Baby Herc Hey, Herc! Yep, I'm referring to one-arm DB rows using a bench and opposite arm for support. Doesn't work the same with a barbell, but with a DB you can shift the leverages a bit better to make the lats work harder with a few tricks. So, you'd get into normal DB row position on a bench, but instead of gripping the DB evenly, let it tilt forward and slide down in the hand a bit (you can use the wrist to support the weight as the plates [or hex end] will inevitably come in contact with your hand as the tilt occurrs and the weight slides forward), and it makes it easier to remove the biceps recruitment and make it almost a fully lat-centric pulling movement. The DB being braced by the hand/wrist also helps aide in holding on longer for a better grip, as it takes some of the strain off of the fingers as well, which means less need for using straps if the grip is weaker. And yes, the advice you got was spot-on - you only want to think of the hands and forearms as hooks attached to poles that keep the weight attached to your body for the lift, not that they should be a focal point for use to get the weight moving. The sooner people can learn to forget their biceps completely on a rowing or chinning movement, the better off they'll be! Think about it this way as well - you could in theory still build a massive set of lats even if you didn't have a lower arm past the elbow, so long as you could attach the weight to yourself still. The biceps couldn't be recruited in such a way, but the lats would still be able to do their function without any problem. Which brings me to pointing out this tool that would probably be the best way fors someone to be able to learn how to NOT use their arms for rowing/pull-ups - http://isolatorfitness.com/ If they weren't so expensive, I'd want to get a pair just to see how it feels to use them!

Glad to hear it worked well, VS!

Ah, Planet Fitness! Lots of fun discussions here and on many other lifting-related boards about them. Just don't plan on deadlifting, overhead pressing, making any grunting sounds, dropping a weight by accident, or looking too "meat-heady" to the staff, otherwise, they'll be sounding the Lunk Alarm on you and will escort you out of the facility! They are cheap for price, but the downside of their bizarre and insane "We show our tolerance to new lifters by being intolerant to serious lifters" method of running things is a factor that makes a lot of people steer clear of them.

You'd be pretty hard-pressed to find an inversion machine at a commercial gym. I've been to dozens over the years, never seen an inversion table at one of them no matter what gym it was. Most likely, the notion that someone could fail to strap in correctly and end up being dumped on their head when inverting is the probable culprit in why you don't see them anywhere. Any time there's a fair chance for human error that could lead to a lawsuit, it usually means that the piece of equipment in question will not be available. Much like how you no longer see the old neck machines in gyms, all it took were a few dimwits who ended up hurting themselves to ensure that something of use would vanish completely over time!

Precisely! If it weren't for the simple fact that it seems 3 out of every 4 famous folks who declare themselves to be vegan end up coming back to slander the lifestyle later on, I wouldn't care so much. Unfortunately, there's no shortage of Hollywood types who take to veganism for a short time and end up speaking out against it months or years later (always based on some lame excuse) which has made me quite jaded when it comes to caring much about what famous folks say about our lifestyle and their "connection" to it

Yep, Drew was vegan in the early 2000s, she graced everything that PETA could put her face on, then declared that she was sick of not being able to buy the shoes and clothes she liked and that the "limiting" factors of veganism in the lifestyle she wanted to have was enough to make her give up on it. Sad, but she's not the first to say something like that, and I'm sure she won't be the last. Fully agreed on how Portman's comment wants to make me bang my head against the wall. If I can manage to help someone in 'middle of nowhere, Nebraska' get vegan cookies and sweets shipped in to fill their cravings, how the hell does a millionnaire Hollywood actress have any grounds to claim that she wasn't able to get what she wanted?!? Incredibly absurd, but that's the world we live in - people these days many times are looking to simply slap one more label on their persona for some extra attention, but when they can't just walk out the door and get the perfect vegan version of something they want, they call it quits and declare the whole thing a failure. I hope Mike Tyson is a changed man, I don't think it's fair to hold it against someone for life if they claim they're different and don't want to be the same person they once were (so long as they show they're serious about being a better person in the end). But to me, it just hasn't been enough time elapsed to know for sure if he's serious for the long haul, or, if it was simply a PR stunt to get some extra attention at a time when he was falling into obscuity save for a cameo in The Hangover. Only time will tell on that part, looks like we'll just have to wait and see!

Yeah, VS, I don't usually recommend machines much, but pullover work is one way that people can really learn to feel their lats activating, so anything that gets people in tune with how they should work during back movements is a good thing, at least while in the learning stages! Face pulls are good with hands held with thumbs at top, it all depends on hand positioning many times for lat activation. I was taught to do them with a rope with a knuckles-up grip which tends to be more of a rear delt/rhomboid-centric pulling movement rather than one that has much lat incorporation, but it only takes a slight hand adjustment to change the feel of the movement to definitely be more lat focused! DB rows, I learned one trick that really helped me out with lat focus - I was told to let the DB tip downward, so that it's angled in the hand about 30-45 degrees with a tilt so that the grip is primarily in the fingers, and that helped me to put more lat focus on rowing. If I don't use straps when going heavy for higher reps, I always go that route, letting the DB tilt downward at the front and it does two things - my grip is better for holding on longer, and the angled pull in takes off the forearm and biceps focus to put it all to lats for the movement. Give it a shot sometime, for some people it can really make a difference!

For the most part, I keep the tech stuff to a minimum. After 10 years without a cell phone, I finally was convinced to buy a cheap "burner" phone, the $25 I loaded on it back in January still has $23.25 in balance left, if that says anything about how much I use it My wife's phone serves as the main way to get in contact with me (considering we're together 90% of the day), my phone only goes with me to the gym or if I'm on the road for a while. I've never understood how people can feel compelled to have to fiddle around with their phones every free moment that they're not focused on something else. I sit at a computer for work for the bulk of my day, so when I'm done, the last thing that sounds entertaining is numbing my mind with more computer stuff. Perhaps I'll poke around to look something up later in the evening for a few minutes, but not much urge to be plugged if I'm not doing something work-related, I get plenty during that time. Aside from a few lifting-related forums I still post at, I've managed to sever most ties with things that dominated too much free time over the years. Television, I might DVR a few random shows to put on while eating a late dinner and relaxing for an hour or two, but there's nothing I obligate myself to feeling the need to be home to watch regularly. Otherwise, we've got a massive DVD library, usually it'll be movie night at the end of the day as we head off to bed to drift off while listening to something we've watched a dozen times before. Other that that, I can go either way with technology. For the most part, it doesn't affect my life outside work one way or the other, since it's not a hobby for me to get that cool new phone they're pushing down at the mall and I don't have much interest in spending time with social media stuff or other time-wasters. These days, when I'm not stuck at the office late, I'd much rather be spending my time working in the back yard fixing things up for summer, in the gym lifting, taking a nice long walk, or sipping a margarita at one of the nearby lakes. MUCH more enjoyable to me than burning my retinas starting at digital gibberish all night!

Robert, Agreed on the health part being a major factor in what gets people's attention. I just see it still that if we embrace everyone who chooses to go vegan without being a bit discriminating, we end up getting burned as has happened time and again. For example, look how much damage Drew Barrymore did after being the poster child for a few years, then when she went off the wagon and publicly stated "I didn't want to stay vegan because the lifestyle was limiting me" - I think in the end she did more harm by telling the world that veganism is some form of tough, self-sacrifice that prevents people from getting what they really want than she did in the few years she was trying to be a role model for asipiring vegans. Now, Tyson's no Barrymore, but a man who seems punch-drunk during most normal conversations is a bit of a loose cannon, one I'm thinking may end up eventually come back to haunt the movement one day. Mike, albeit seeming like he's changed in some ways, is still someone I'd be really leery of using as an example to get attention to veganism in many ways. I hope he's changed, but I still believe in the old saying of "You're known by the company you keep", and some of what he's said/done hasn't been long enough for me to really get over and look past for wanting to be connected to him in any real way. It was only a few weeks ago he was blathering some nonsense during the heat of the Trayvon Martin case where he essentially said in one sentence that we can't judge what happened because none of us were there to witness it, then he followed up seconds later with how he'd wished Zimmerman (the man he just got done saying not to judge) would be dragged behind a car until he died. The man's not playing with a full deck in many ways, not the sort of "he might say/do some batshit crazy stuff at the drop of a hat" thing that I really want to be associated with. But, that's me, everyone's entitled to their own opinions!

My first year of lifting, I think ALL my upper back work was more of a biceps workout than anything else, I know what it's like. Basically, once you learn how to activate the lats on command (via a lat flare style bodybuilding pose), you'll know just how upper back training should feel as you'll realize how to actually pull with your lats vs. using your arms. I'd suggest learning how to activate the lats properly before doing too much upper back work as if you have too much accidental focus on biceps, you leave them prone to being easier to injure, so you'll want to learn how to activate the proper musculature before long. Not to mention, you'll be shorting yourself on overall upper back progress in your training. You don't necessarily need to squeeze the shoulder blades together to activate the lats properly for rowing or pull-ups/chins, rather, here's a few ways to visualize how the lats should activate properly - ALWAYS think "Pull with the elbows!", every single set for any rowing or vertical pulling movements. You should NOT think to actually intentionally use your biceps on pulling movements unless you're struggling to finish a last rep and need a bit of help, otherwise, you need to essentially train upper back as if your arm stops at the elbow. Any direct intentional incorporation of the biceps for pulling will change things in a negative way immediately, so while learning to incorporate the lats, you need to completely remove all thoughts of the biceps being able to assist on such movements. Yes, your biceps will be recruited indirectly to some degree and may be sore, but if you do an upper back workout and your biceps are pumped and aching and your lats barely feel anything, then something's definitely wrong and needing correcting. There are two machine movements can can be excellent for training on how to better incorporate the lats for other lifts. Those would include the pullover machine (if your gym has one), otherwise, straight arm standing pullovers on a lat pulldown system or cable tower will also work. Video here for how to perform the movement - The pullover machine will be self-explanatory, but for the straight arm pullover, it's similar to doing a triceps pressdown, except that you keep the arms either totally straight or a fraction away from being locked out 100% straight (just a few degrees of a tiny bend, barely any), and it will then activate the lats for the movement. If you keep the arms from bending through the movement, you'll find that the lats are what will be doing the work during the lift, as your arms will only work as levers on which the weight moves, but won't do anything much to actually move the weight themselves. It might take a few tries and a few sets to get the hang of it, but it will be one of the easier ways to show how it feels to activate the lats. Once you become proficient at how it feels when they come into play, you will know EXACTLY how it should feel on pull-ups and rows as well. You can also try the Cobra lat pulldown as shown here: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/best_of_back This site has some good tips on lat activation - http://relativestrengthadvantage.com/how-to-unleash-your-pull-up-work-out-potential-with-lat-activation/ And, I also recommend lat stretching, where you grab a pole or small pillar with both hands at around belly button height, toes are up against pole or close to it, and slowly shoot your hips back behind you to while holding the pole tightly to REALLY stretch the lats out. You can do it with both arms at the same time, or, one at a time as in this clip: A good lat stretch will help you recognize the feel of where you should be seeing things activate during your lifts. Eventually, the benchmark to being able to fire your lats properly is that you'll be able to flare them on command, or, at least make them cramp up just by pulling your elbow into your ribcage against an imaginary resistance. Once you can do those things, you'll be set for life on how to get them working on your other lifts!

Hey, Robert! It was fun, but my shirt was ruined from the tire water (no idea how long it had been in there, but it was pretty dark and funky smelling), it took all I could muster to hang on for flipping it with wet hands, but that just addded to the challenge Didn't skate much yesterday, extremely tired from previous night's training, so I just goofed for about 30 minutes and called it a night. Back to the gym tonight for upper back and shoulder work! Pull-ups - 1x3 @ bodyweight (246 lbs. clothed, weight coming down slightly) 3x8 @ 45 lbs. added on (292 lbs. total with belt and attachment), done as 6 reps with a quick breath between each and feet barely touching ground, rest about 10-15 seconds, 2 to finish. Final rep on final set was pretty questionable, barely got eyes up to the bar, but I'll just say it's good and leave it at that Standing strict overhead press w/ axle - 1x5 @ 145 lbs., not feeling strong, so didn't want to go too heavy tonight 1x2 @ 175 3x5 @ 195, not as bad as I'd thought, but probably couldn't have done more than 1-2 more reps on a set if my life depended on it. Pulldowns - 3x10 @ 270 lbs., one set wide grip, one just about shoulder width, one with V handle Log press in the rack, set at height where I just need to roll it into position and press - 3x8 @ 160 lbs., these were REALLY tough, kept over-rolling the log and whacking myself in the chin (I now have a nice little knot under my chin, looks like I won't be shaving the beard off this week ) 3x20 @ 100 lbs, rather than do something else, I just went for light weight high rep pressing to get more work in. Meadows rows w/ barbell wedged into corner - 2x15 each arm @ 125 lbs. plus bar weight (never sure what to call it in this case, maybe 20-25 lbs?) Sled rows outside now that it was dry - 1x20 each arm @ 280 lbs. 1x20 " " @ 330 lbs. Used Prowler sled instead of usual one, didn't like it as much as the front would tip up on each row, couldn't feel as comfortable with that. Prowler is much better suited to pushing or dragging, rowing not so much. Wrapped up with a quick shrug circuit - 50 reps of front squat harness shrugs @ 240 lbs (225 lbs. barbell plus 15 lb. harness) 50 reps hanging lat shrugs from pull-up position Done twice, 30 seconds rest between each set Was done, but while carrying the log back to the corner spot, I stopped to hit one set of log curls, 20 reps @ 70 lbs. done hammer curl style due to handle position, called it a day after that. Feeling much better with training again, looking forward to keeping my focus on the summer goal of trying to shake off a few lbs. of fat while keeping strength from any noticeable decrease. Currently eating 3300-3500 calories on training days (high protein, moderate carbs and fat) and about 2400-2600 max on non-training days, high protein and fat, moderate carbs on those. So far, so good, goal is to try and take off about 10 lbs. by August without really doing much of any direct cardio and no rough dieting, about 2 lbs. of fat gone so far in 2-3 weeks, so things are on course!