Today I did the following:
3x5 Squats - 85 lbs
3x5 Standing Shoulder Press - 65lbs
2x3 Negative Pull ups
3x5 NS (Needsize)crunches
I kept the squats what I did before since it was only my second time. I think it was a mistake, they weren't as challenging as last time. I'll be uping them by 10lbs for next time.
The shoulder presses are new. I'll be alternating them with bench presses. I decided to start with the same weight as the bench press and it was a good move. They were fairly challenging without killing myself. Killing yourself is bad I've learned. Once you do it, you're dead and there is a giant mess on the gym floor. Granted, it's not your mess but it's someone's.
I wasn't surprised I couldn't do a vanilla pull up.With my high weight and low upper body strength, it wasn't going to happen. I can't wait for the day I can do one though. until then I'm stuck with negative (assisted) pull ups. I'm supposed to do three reps until failure. I got two sets done before I gave up. I'm going for three next time.
To finish it off I did Needsize crunches. The idea is to get on a slanted board, have your torso sit straight up, lower it until it is parallel with the floor, and hold it for five seconds. I always thought my abs were strong. Needsize answered that with a "Oh dear gods no." Those were some of the toughest ab exercises I've ever done.
Ab exercises are important for beginning strength training since your back isn't strong and when you do squats, a lot of the slack will fall to your abs. Squats will work on your abs (hell, squats work on your whole body) but extra is good. Starting Strength recommends that you do your ab exercises after your workout but not on your off days. That way weak abs don't mess up your squats and hurt you.
As an answer to your painful ab exercises, I give you a quick, fairly painless routine you can do every morning without hurting yourself (not to replace what you're doing, mind you, but perhaps to ease and/or supplement your other efforts). Got it from my youngest brother who is easily the most in shape person I know.
ReplyDeletehttp://thingsidowithmytime.blogspot.com/2011/06/really-good-abdominal-workout.html
You can skip right to the video unless you really want to read my narrative.