In the 6x6 program, we retest our 1-rep max every 2 to 4 weeks, then reset our working loads accordingly. Results in pounds:
Zercher Squat - 127.333
Quite a jump from the previous 1RM of 91.73! Most of the gain was from experimenting with the body positioning last Friday, eventually settling on position least likely to hurt the back or the knees.
Shoulder Press - 59.333
For my last 1-rep max attempt, I only focused on one cue, and that was to press myself away from the bar as hard as possible. This resulted in a 63.4 lb. force reading, which brought the average up to about 59.333 lbs. which is about a 5 lb. improvement from the previous test.
Seated Row - 137.3
Every time I think I put in as much effort as possible into a rep, there turns out to be an extra gear hidden inside my body to boost the force even more. I can't figure out why I got about 123 lbs. max on one attempt and 151 lbs on another. The average score was so close to the previous one that is I'll be working with the same working load for the next 2 weeks as the previous 2 weeks.
Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Some resources for Ableton Live and Max For Live
The Ned Rush Channel was recently recommended during an Ableton Live 11 discussion. Saving here for future reference.
9 Incredible functions of Ableton Live
Pattern Engine:
Arrange Mate
Tip for recording MIDI from generative sequencer: Create a new midi track, set Monitor to ‘In’, recording arm ‘on’ and finally set ‘midi from’ to whatever track is outputting the midi that you want to capture. Your new track should now be receiving midi from another track. Create a new midi track, set Monitor to ‘In’, recording arm ‘on’ and finally set ‘midi from’ to whatever track is outputting the midi that you want to capture. Your new track should now be receiving midi from another track
Tapes is a set of simple audio processing tools for Ableton Live that simulate the unique sound and characteristics of tape recording machines playback
Isol8 is an advanced mix monitoring tool. It divides the frequency range into 5 bands. These 5 bands can be soloed or muted individually. This will help you to concentrate on certain frequency ranges during the mixing and mastering process. Video demo.
HoRNet MasterTool
ElisabethHomeland has several utility devices that look useful
ringtone.tools
FPB Key and Scale Matcher
Light Reft Monolit fader and button controller - not cheap but has decent functionality inside small enclosure
ELPHNT offers Ableton tutorials and packs/devices like Earth, Steps, etc.
KORD Detect | Max for Live Device for naming chords
9 Incredible functions of Ableton Live
Locator Manager plugin
Chordimist as introduced on CDM. Current store link
aicd acid pattern generator
Pattern Engine:
Arrange Mate
Tip for recording MIDI from generative sequencer: Create a new midi track, set Monitor to ‘In’, recording arm ‘on’ and finally set ‘midi from’ to whatever track is outputting the midi that you want to capture. Your new track should now be receiving midi from another track. Create a new midi track, set Monitor to ‘In’, recording arm ‘on’ and finally set ‘midi from’ to whatever track is outputting the midi that you want to capture. Your new track should now be receiving midi from another track
Tapes is a set of simple audio processing tools for Ableton Live that simulate the unique sound and characteristics of tape recording machines playback
Isol8 is an advanced mix monitoring tool. It divides the frequency range into 5 bands. These 5 bands can be soloed or muted individually. This will help you to concentrate on certain frequency ranges during the mixing and mastering process. Video demo.
HoRNet MasterTool
ElisabethHomeland has several utility devices that look useful
ringtone.tools
FPB Key and Scale Matcher
Light Reft Monolit fader and button controller - not cheap but has decent functionality inside small enclosure
ELPHNT offers Ableton tutorials and packs/devices like Earth, Steps, etc.
KORD Detect | Max for Live Device for naming chords
Saturday, January 21, 2023
Isochain 6x6: Week 2
So far my back held up fine during Zercher Squat sets. I did notice I had to exert extra effort to get my chest up to protect the back. So for the Friday session, I tried reps with my feet closer to the spring. Feet too far from the spring would increase the risk of the low back flexing forward. Feet too close to the spring may cause some strain in the knees. I eventually settled on a position that felt fine for the knees, and also allowed the chest to be up without additional effort. For my last rep, I scored 108.2 lbs - my highest score so far in this 6x6 block.
My shoulder press numbers showed a slight downward trend over the course of the week, but my max force on the last rep of the Friday session was still over 50 lbs. However, I also feel like I've been working harder on every rep this week. Last week, I pushed hard enough to trigger the Isochain beeper at the 38lb. setting (38lbs. being about 70% of my 54-ish lb. 1-rep max), and keep the beeper going, but maybe I wasn't really going as hard for some reason. The best news is continued reduction in pain in the shoulder when reaching overhead or reaching for the opposite armpit.
I also scored a PR in the Seated Row - 151.2 lbs.
I didn't mention it last week, but I've generally kept up my practice of Geoff Neupert's Manly Mobility routine too, working up to 20 reps of diaphram breaths, neck nods, neck rotations, and egg rolls in the Side Lying position at Level 1. I'm not really rushing to get to Level 2, because the Level 2 position is side bridge, which would place greater load on my still-healing shoulder. Manly Mobility works really well for recovery between 6x6 sessions.
My shoulder press numbers showed a slight downward trend over the course of the week, but my max force on the last rep of the Friday session was still over 50 lbs. However, I also feel like I've been working harder on every rep this week. Last week, I pushed hard enough to trigger the Isochain beeper at the 38lb. setting (38lbs. being about 70% of my 54-ish lb. 1-rep max), and keep the beeper going, but maybe I wasn't really going as hard for some reason. The best news is continued reduction in pain in the shoulder when reaching overhead or reaching for the opposite armpit.
I also scored a PR in the Seated Row - 151.2 lbs.
I didn't mention it last week, but I've generally kept up my practice of Geoff Neupert's Manly Mobility routine too, working up to 20 reps of diaphram breaths, neck nods, neck rotations, and egg rolls in the Side Lying position at Level 1. I'm not really rushing to get to Level 2, because the Level 2 position is side bridge, which would place greater load on my still-healing shoulder. Manly Mobility works really well for recovery between 6x6 sessions.
Monday, January 16, 2023
Isochain 6x6: Week 1
Since this is my first week of 6x6 in a while, I decided to review the cues for each of the chosen exercises:
Zercher Squat - mimicking double kettlebell front squat
Good first week of 6x6. I already beat my 1-rep max scores in the Zercher Squat and Shoulder Press.
Zercher Squat - mimicking double kettlebell front squat
- Feet turned slightly out, just enough to accommodate the elbows.
- Chest up
- Do not collapse knees inwards
- Pull up kneecaps
- Protract the scapula to protect the shoulder
- Squeeze glutes
- Squeeze abs
- Shoulders rolled back
- Squeeze abs to eliminate curving of the lower back
- Straighen legs - don't have to be perfectly straight but pushing the feet helps generate whole body tension
- Pull bar towards stomach
Good first week of 6x6. I already beat my 1-rep max scores in the Zercher Squat and Shoulder Press.
Tuesday, January 10, 2023
Isochain 6x6: 1-rep Max Testing
After several months of dynamic, hypertrophy focused training, I'd been looking forward to strength training on the Isochain. There are a variety of ways to exercise to stimulate strength gains, from calisthenics ("bodyweight-only"), to lifting an external weight, to isometrics. For 2023, overcoming isometrics on the Isochain, under the 6x6 routine, will be my primary exercise for stimulating strength gains. It is the only method I found that delivers strength gains without any concern for the load getting so high that the tendons might be damaged.
6x6 starts with a 1-rep max testing session. I followed the usual protocol, which is to apply as much force as possible, record the max force, rest 1 minute, then repeat until I have 3 force readings, then calculate the average of the 3 readings to arrive at the official score. Results in pounds:
Zercher Squat - 91.73
Shoulder Press - 54.87
Seated Row - 137.8
The only surprise was the Shoulder Press result. I thought the score would be higher, not virtually the same as one year ago. Then I remembered that I was now working with the Isochain bar at a higher position than last year. Last year's position had the arm at slightly less than 90 degrees to the torso, which allowed more of the chest musculature to add force. It was set there because when I was bending my knees more, the arm were closer to 90 degrees. After I realized I should straighten the knees, as part of making the body tighter for the press, the bar position relative to my body naturally went down a little. So it make sense that the force numbers would be lower at 90 degrees. Some trainees only train the Shoulder Press at the low angle, because you get maximum engagement of the chest, and the front delt and triceps are lengthened, which all contribute to higher force output compared to middle or high angle. However, the book Ultimate Isometrics Manual advises spending the bulk of training at the midpoint, and cites a number of reasons.
The midpoint position is a little closer to the edge of of my shoulder pain-free ROM, but pressing is pain-free as long as I protract the scapula and keep the elbows within reasonable distance of each other.
6x6 starts with a 1-rep max testing session. I followed the usual protocol, which is to apply as much force as possible, record the max force, rest 1 minute, then repeat until I have 3 force readings, then calculate the average of the 3 readings to arrive at the official score. Results in pounds:
Zercher Squat - 91.73
Shoulder Press - 54.87
Seated Row - 137.8
The only surprise was the Shoulder Press result. I thought the score would be higher, not virtually the same as one year ago. Then I remembered that I was now working with the Isochain bar at a higher position than last year. Last year's position had the arm at slightly less than 90 degrees to the torso, which allowed more of the chest musculature to add force. It was set there because when I was bending my knees more, the arm were closer to 90 degrees. After I realized I should straighten the knees, as part of making the body tighter for the press, the bar position relative to my body naturally went down a little. So it make sense that the force numbers would be lower at 90 degrees. Some trainees only train the Shoulder Press at the low angle, because you get maximum engagement of the chest, and the front delt and triceps are lengthened, which all contribute to higher force output compared to middle or high angle. However, the book Ultimate Isometrics Manual advises spending the bulk of training at the midpoint, and cites a number of reasons.
The midpoint position is a little closer to the edge of of my shoulder pain-free ROM, but pressing is pain-free as long as I protract the scapula and keep the elbows within reasonable distance of each other.
Monday, January 09, 2023
2022 Fitness Summary, 2023 Goals, and related thoughts
2022 Fitness Summary
I began 2022 with the following goals:
I was able to leverage strength gains from Isochain training to work on the Pike Pushup to Handstand Pushup progression with elevated feet, which is higher up the progression than the level I was working at before I hurt my shoulder and got the Isochain. I was also able to start on Mixed Grip Pullups, which is the next step after regular pullups on the progression to One-Arm Pullups. Both exercises were done with Accommodating Resistance, to increase load on the eccentric phase of each movement, so that the muscles work just as hard on the eccentric as they do on the concentric.
Unfortunately, I started feeling pain in my right shoulder after about 6 weeks of calisthenics with Accommodating Resistance. I eventually lost the ability to reach overhead with a straight arm without pain. Reaching towards the opposite armpit while taking a shower also hurt. I decided not to see a doctor about it because the pain only manifested in certain positions for the shoulder, and gradually started dissipating over time. Thus, I don't have an exact diagnosis the injury. However, an abrupt and large increase in training load, such as going from isometric overhead pressing to working with my full bodyweight on the eccentric phase of a pike pushup - like I did - has been known to cause injury to tendons.
Paul Wade actually warned about this in his classic calisthenics book Convict Conditioning. He recommended trainees "put reps in the bank" by working up to high-rep sets of an exercise, before progressing to an exercise variation that would put more load on the joints. Without "banking reps" first, the trainee is more likely to suffer an injury.
So I should have accepted that my body was not ready for calisthenics with Accommodating Resistance, and instead stuck with Isochain 6x6 for strength training and switched to high volume kettlebell training for hypertrophy.
So for the rest of 2022, I either did calisthenic exercises that did not require me to reach overhead, or trained on Isochain.
I also started training with more emphasis on hypertrophy. Some people think more muscle mass protects the joints. Also, the high volume that is characteristic of hypertrophy-focused exercise stimulates more blood flow through the tendons. Greater blood flow, in turn, facilitates healing and strengthening of tendons.
I spent about 6 weeks on calesthenic Micro Workouts, generally hypertrophy focused, found on the Red Delta Project Youtube channe. Then 6 weeks on Isochain 6x6 for strength training. Then 6 weeks on Isochain 3 Days On for hypertrophy. Then the Easy Muscle program to finish the year.
Bioneer uploaded an updated tendon training video. I'm sure quite of my 2022 training would qualify as "tendon training" - in particular the high volume dynamic exercise and high-intensity isometrics with Isochain.
Strength Gain compared to start of 2022: Because of the injury, nothing to report. I did not retest strength on the same lower body and pulling exercises to compare 2022 to 2023 progress.
Hypertrophy Gains from earliest 2022 log to Jan. 8 2023:
Left Forearm: 2.35%
Right Forearm: 1.12%
Left Arm: 6.25%
Right Arm: 8.51%
Chest: 1.35%
2023 Goal: Press a 24kg Kettlebell Overhead
Having suffered shoulder injuries twice doing calisthenics with Accommodating Resistance, I have no plans to resume that style of training in 2023. For 2023, my training focus will be on restoring the overheard pressing strength that I lost due to the injuries, then working towards pressing double 24kg kettlebells. I am confident I have found a good path towards that goal.
I've had kettlebells for years but hadn't used them much since I suffered a shoulder subluxation/impingement from dropping a 24kg KB during a KB Arm Bar attempt - foolish mistake on my part, as this is a weighted mobility drill, not a strength exercise, intended to be used with a light KB, not a heavy one. I lost weeks - maybe even several months - of training time recovering from the injury. Then I explored exercise tools other than KBs, barbell or dumbbell. Then I tried KB training again in the form of Simple And Sinister for several months. S&S sessions felt like "workouts" but I did not feel stronger by the time I gave up on S&S. There should have some carryover to a basic calisthenic exercise like the pushup, but there wasn't. So I went back to calisthenics to pursue my goals of handstand pushup, one-arm chinup, planche pushup, and front lever row. I've always wanted those 4 skills because they demonstrate the greatest possible strength that can be achieved in vertical pushing and pulling, and horizontal pushing and pulling; with just one's bodyweight.
I got the Isochain in the first place becaused I'd injured my shoulder during calisthenics training. It offereed me a way to resume strength training evven while injured. But because I was new to isometrics, I was still keen on eventually going back to strength training through calisthenics, and just alternating Isochain and calisthenic training blocks.
Eventually, I started hearing about Geoff Neupert's kettlebell training programs, bought Easy Muscle, then decided to try it after reading about Schedule C. I'd already done some hypertrophy work on Isochain and was curious to compare results. As previously mentioned, I trained under Schedule C, which combined 2 calisthenics exercises with the 2-arm KB swing. I liked the concepts enough to choose Easy Muscle for my hypertrophy training in 2023.
So my 2023 goals is to press a 24kg KB overhead, which I have never done, due to choices which led to injury or just unproductive training time. I think I can achieve this goal by scheduling my training with alternating blocks of Isochain 6x6 for strength and Easy Muscle for hypertrophy. Easy Muscle Schedule A, which is KB clean-and-press, should give me lots of practice of KB pressing technique, as well as hypertrophy. Isochain 6x6 would train me to leverage the new muscle mass for pressing strength gains, as well as continue progressing in my pulling strength and lower body strength.
A stretch goal would be to press a 32kg KB overhead but I don't anticipate that happening in 2023. Completion of a full 8-week training block of Easy Muscle with double 32kg KB clean-and-press would signal to me that I'm ready to try my luck at the calesthenic skills I've pursued in the past, namely handstand pushup, one-arm chinup, planche pushup, and front lever row. 64kg is very close to my bodyweight, so when I can clean and press my bodyweight in sets of at least 4 reps for 20 minutes, my tendons are probably strong enough to handle the load levels of those calisthenic exercises.
Easy Muscle, Schedule A would produce faster results with double KB clean-and-press, compared to one arm at a time. Naturally, I want to work with double KB, starting with my next Easy Muscle training block. However, double KB overhead work demands greater mobility than single KB overhead work. Brett Jones, highly regarded kettlebell coach, recommends t-spine mobiility exercises, particularly the Rib Grab, Brettzel, and knees flexed torso rotation, to meet the mobilty requirement. For each exercise, Jones recommends 10-15 crocodile breaths, and as many breaths as it takes to feel like you stop improving the rotation and be equal side to side. For crocodile breathing and most diaphragmatic breathing drills there should be pauses so a low slow inhale > brief pause > long full exhale with a longer pause before the next breath. The pause should not be so long that you have to "gasp" to start the next breath—they are pauses not breath holds.
I will also continue practicing the OS Dead Bug
I began 2022 with the following goals:
- Achieve Handstand Pushup
- Achieve One-Arm Pullup
- Achieve Pistol Squat with 16kg kettlebell
I was able to leverage strength gains from Isochain training to work on the Pike Pushup to Handstand Pushup progression with elevated feet, which is higher up the progression than the level I was working at before I hurt my shoulder and got the Isochain. I was also able to start on Mixed Grip Pullups, which is the next step after regular pullups on the progression to One-Arm Pullups. Both exercises were done with Accommodating Resistance, to increase load on the eccentric phase of each movement, so that the muscles work just as hard on the eccentric as they do on the concentric.
Unfortunately, I started feeling pain in my right shoulder after about 6 weeks of calisthenics with Accommodating Resistance. I eventually lost the ability to reach overhead with a straight arm without pain. Reaching towards the opposite armpit while taking a shower also hurt. I decided not to see a doctor about it because the pain only manifested in certain positions for the shoulder, and gradually started dissipating over time. Thus, I don't have an exact diagnosis the injury. However, an abrupt and large increase in training load, such as going from isometric overhead pressing to working with my full bodyweight on the eccentric phase of a pike pushup - like I did - has been known to cause injury to tendons.
Paul Wade actually warned about this in his classic calisthenics book Convict Conditioning. He recommended trainees "put reps in the bank" by working up to high-rep sets of an exercise, before progressing to an exercise variation that would put more load on the joints. Without "banking reps" first, the trainee is more likely to suffer an injury.
So I should have accepted that my body was not ready for calisthenics with Accommodating Resistance, and instead stuck with Isochain 6x6 for strength training and switched to high volume kettlebell training for hypertrophy.
So for the rest of 2022, I either did calisthenic exercises that did not require me to reach overhead, or trained on Isochain.
I also started training with more emphasis on hypertrophy. Some people think more muscle mass protects the joints. Also, the high volume that is characteristic of hypertrophy-focused exercise stimulates more blood flow through the tendons. Greater blood flow, in turn, facilitates healing and strengthening of tendons.
I spent about 6 weeks on calesthenic Micro Workouts, generally hypertrophy focused, found on the Red Delta Project Youtube channe. Then 6 weeks on Isochain 6x6 for strength training. Then 6 weeks on Isochain 3 Days On for hypertrophy. Then the Easy Muscle program to finish the year.
Bioneer uploaded an updated tendon training video. I'm sure quite of my 2022 training would qualify as "tendon training" - in particular the high volume dynamic exercise and high-intensity isometrics with Isochain.
Strength Gain compared to start of 2022: Because of the injury, nothing to report. I did not retest strength on the same lower body and pulling exercises to compare 2022 to 2023 progress.
Hypertrophy Gains from earliest 2022 log to Jan. 8 2023:
Left Forearm: 2.35%
Right Forearm: 1.12%
Left Arm: 6.25%
Right Arm: 8.51%
Chest: 1.35%
2023 Goal: Press a 24kg Kettlebell Overhead
Having suffered shoulder injuries twice doing calisthenics with Accommodating Resistance, I have no plans to resume that style of training in 2023. For 2023, my training focus will be on restoring the overheard pressing strength that I lost due to the injuries, then working towards pressing double 24kg kettlebells. I am confident I have found a good path towards that goal.
I've had kettlebells for years but hadn't used them much since I suffered a shoulder subluxation/impingement from dropping a 24kg KB during a KB Arm Bar attempt - foolish mistake on my part, as this is a weighted mobility drill, not a strength exercise, intended to be used with a light KB, not a heavy one. I lost weeks - maybe even several months - of training time recovering from the injury. Then I explored exercise tools other than KBs, barbell or dumbbell. Then I tried KB training again in the form of Simple And Sinister for several months. S&S sessions felt like "workouts" but I did not feel stronger by the time I gave up on S&S. There should have some carryover to a basic calisthenic exercise like the pushup, but there wasn't. So I went back to calisthenics to pursue my goals of handstand pushup, one-arm chinup, planche pushup, and front lever row. I've always wanted those 4 skills because they demonstrate the greatest possible strength that can be achieved in vertical pushing and pulling, and horizontal pushing and pulling; with just one's bodyweight.
I got the Isochain in the first place becaused I'd injured my shoulder during calisthenics training. It offereed me a way to resume strength training evven while injured. But because I was new to isometrics, I was still keen on eventually going back to strength training through calisthenics, and just alternating Isochain and calisthenic training blocks.
Eventually, I started hearing about Geoff Neupert's kettlebell training programs, bought Easy Muscle, then decided to try it after reading about Schedule C. I'd already done some hypertrophy work on Isochain and was curious to compare results. As previously mentioned, I trained under Schedule C, which combined 2 calisthenics exercises with the 2-arm KB swing. I liked the concepts enough to choose Easy Muscle for my hypertrophy training in 2023.
So my 2023 goals is to press a 24kg KB overhead, which I have never done, due to choices which led to injury or just unproductive training time. I think I can achieve this goal by scheduling my training with alternating blocks of Isochain 6x6 for strength and Easy Muscle for hypertrophy. Easy Muscle Schedule A, which is KB clean-and-press, should give me lots of practice of KB pressing technique, as well as hypertrophy. Isochain 6x6 would train me to leverage the new muscle mass for pressing strength gains, as well as continue progressing in my pulling strength and lower body strength.
A stretch goal would be to press a 32kg KB overhead but I don't anticipate that happening in 2023. Completion of a full 8-week training block of Easy Muscle with double 32kg KB clean-and-press would signal to me that I'm ready to try my luck at the calesthenic skills I've pursued in the past, namely handstand pushup, one-arm chinup, planche pushup, and front lever row. 64kg is very close to my bodyweight, so when I can clean and press my bodyweight in sets of at least 4 reps for 20 minutes, my tendons are probably strong enough to handle the load levels of those calisthenic exercises.
Easy Muscle, Schedule A would produce faster results with double KB clean-and-press, compared to one arm at a time. Naturally, I want to work with double KB, starting with my next Easy Muscle training block. However, double KB overhead work demands greater mobility than single KB overhead work. Brett Jones, highly regarded kettlebell coach, recommends t-spine mobiility exercises, particularly the Rib Grab, Brettzel, and knees flexed torso rotation, to meet the mobilty requirement. For each exercise, Jones recommends 10-15 crocodile breaths, and as many breaths as it takes to feel like you stop improving the rotation and be equal side to side. For crocodile breathing and most diaphragmatic breathing drills there should be pauses so a low slow inhale > brief pause > long full exhale with a longer pause before the next breath. The pause should not be so long that you have to "gasp" to start the next breath—they are pauses not breath holds.
I will also continue practicing the OS Dead Bug
Sunday, January 08, 2023
Isochain 6x6 Planning
Having done several months of hypertrophy stimulus training, it's time to do another strength training block under 6x6. As usual, I'll pick one exercise for each of the following: push chain, pull chain, squat chain. The selected exercises:
Zercher Squat - Here I'll be trying to mimic the double kettlebell front squat, with thighs at or just above parallel, which is a sticking point for me. I don't have a specific lower body strength goal for 2023, so I'll be satisfied with any strength gain I get here.
Shoulder Press - Once again at middle angle for carryover to the widest range of motion in dynamic overhead pressing. This should hopefully get my overhead press rep max with 2 16kg KBs closer to 10 reps.
Seated Row - I don't have a specific goal for pulling strength, so I'll be satisfied with any strength gain.
What I'm hoping for, with this 6x6 training block, is restoration of my ability to press a 16kg kettlebell overhead with my right arm, without any pain. I'm confident this will happen because of how high-intensity isometric shoulder pressing reduces pain in my shoulder
Zercher Squat - Here I'll be trying to mimic the double kettlebell front squat, with thighs at or just above parallel, which is a sticking point for me. I don't have a specific lower body strength goal for 2023, so I'll be satisfied with any strength gain I get here.
Shoulder Press - Once again at middle angle for carryover to the widest range of motion in dynamic overhead pressing. This should hopefully get my overhead press rep max with 2 16kg KBs closer to 10 reps.
Seated Row - I don't have a specific goal for pulling strength, so I'll be satisfied with any strength gain.
What I'm hoping for, with this 6x6 training block, is restoration of my ability to press a 16kg kettlebell overhead with my right arm, without any pain. I'm confident this will happen because of how high-intensity isometric shoulder pressing reduces pain in my shoulder
Easy Muscle Weeks 7 and 8
Range of motion for the recovering shoulder continued to improve. Sessions generally went smoothly. Instructions called for higher than usual effort for the final week, so I tried to rest for a little less time between sets. For my very last session, I did one more set of chinups and dips each, after the timer expired.
Size improvements based on tape measurements:
Left Forearm: 2.35%
Right Forearm: 1.12%
Left Arm: 2%
Right Arm: 5.15%
Chest: 1.35%
Size improvements based on tape measurements:
Left Forearm: 2.35%
Right Forearm: 1.12%
Left Arm: 2%
Right Arm: 5.15%
Chest: 1.35%
Friday, December 23, 2022
Easy Muscle: Week 5 and 6
Week 5 was my first full week doing 2-arm swings with the 32kg kettlebell. I've been feeling more post-workout soreness in my lower back muscles, compared to 2-arm swing sessions with the 24kg kettlebell. Otherwise there seem to be no ill effects from the load increase, as of the completion of Week 6
I rewatched the videos of Geoff Neupert performing chinups and dips and noted that his eccentric movement was nowhere near as slow as the 4-6 second eccentrics I've been doing in those exercises. Neupert also clarified that slow eccentric is not recommended for Easy Muscle. The eccentric should be performed under control, but not too slowly. So, for my push-pull session, I aimed for not more than 2-sec. eccentric. My heartrate was faster with the faster eccentric. My exercise volume increased as expected.
My shoulder continues to heal, with pain-free ROM gradually increasing.
I rewatched the videos of Geoff Neupert performing chinups and dips and noted that his eccentric movement was nowhere near as slow as the 4-6 second eccentrics I've been doing in those exercises. Neupert also clarified that slow eccentric is not recommended for Easy Muscle. The eccentric should be performed under control, but not too slowly. So, for my push-pull session, I aimed for not more than 2-sec. eccentric. My heartrate was faster with the faster eccentric. My exercise volume increased as expected.
My shoulder continues to heal, with pain-free ROM gradually increasing.
Friday, December 16, 2022
Easy Muscle: Week 4
I completed Week 4 of the 8-week Schedule C in Easy Muscle. I did Week 3 twice because I took some time off for Thanksgiving.
I switched to the 32kg kettlebell for my 2-arm swing sessions. My body felt ready to handle the increased load. There was a little more soreness in the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings on the day following the swing session, compared to what I'd been feeling after swing sessions with the 24kg KB. There was also some soreness in my left forearm. If I want to eventually train under Easy Muscle Schedule A, which is the Clean-And-Press only schedule, with double 16kg kettlebells, I need to make sure I can swing a 32kg load.
I have admittedly not been exercising the forearm extensors with the Ironmind Expand Your Hands bands that I've had for years. The Simple And Sinister book advises exercise with these or similar elastic bands, including the ones that typically come with vegetable produce, to balance out the work that the forearm flexors get from kettlebell swinging, and help prevent elbow pain. So this week, I started doing 3 sets of about 12 repetitions with the blue bands after my Easy Muscle sessions.
I like keeping my thumbs turned out for the dips on the NOSSK trainer. This seems to allow more ROM on the bottom of the movement, and keeps enough muscles of the upper back and shoulder external rotators engaged to keep my shoulder and elbows comfortable, even with the front delts and chest getting a stretch at the bottom. While the Easy Muscle instructions say to perform the eccentric/negative of movement under control, it does not specify how long the eccentric should be. I take about 3-4 seconds on my dip eccentric. This Bret Contreras article says fast eccentric may actually stimulate more hypertrophy than slow eccentric if the load is high enough, although it also cautions against speeds high enough to risk injury. This research article indicates no difference between 2- and 4-second eccentric for stimulating muscle growth. I'll see what info I can find.
I bought the Duonamic Rings set, which is designed to replace the stock handles on the Duonamic Eleviia doorway pull up system. It took a while to figure out how to set up the rings as high as possible for pull ups, but it was worth the time and effort. Pull ups on these rings feel much more comfortable for my elbows and shoulders, compared to the stock handles. Palms facing each other at the bottom position and supinated palms at top position seemed most comfortable for me. I still could not drop all the way to an active hang, but I felt I like I had just a little more pain-free ROM restored in thei movement compared to when I started.
I switched to the 32kg kettlebell for my 2-arm swing sessions. My body felt ready to handle the increased load. There was a little more soreness in the lower back, glutes, and hamstrings on the day following the swing session, compared to what I'd been feeling after swing sessions with the 24kg KB. There was also some soreness in my left forearm. If I want to eventually train under Easy Muscle Schedule A, which is the Clean-And-Press only schedule, with double 16kg kettlebells, I need to make sure I can swing a 32kg load.
I have admittedly not been exercising the forearm extensors with the Ironmind Expand Your Hands bands that I've had for years. The Simple And Sinister book advises exercise with these or similar elastic bands, including the ones that typically come with vegetable produce, to balance out the work that the forearm flexors get from kettlebell swinging, and help prevent elbow pain. So this week, I started doing 3 sets of about 12 repetitions with the blue bands after my Easy Muscle sessions.
I like keeping my thumbs turned out for the dips on the NOSSK trainer. This seems to allow more ROM on the bottom of the movement, and keeps enough muscles of the upper back and shoulder external rotators engaged to keep my shoulder and elbows comfortable, even with the front delts and chest getting a stretch at the bottom. While the Easy Muscle instructions say to perform the eccentric/negative of movement under control, it does not specify how long the eccentric should be. I take about 3-4 seconds on my dip eccentric. This Bret Contreras article says fast eccentric may actually stimulate more hypertrophy than slow eccentric if the load is high enough, although it also cautions against speeds high enough to risk injury. This research article indicates no difference between 2- and 4-second eccentric for stimulating muscle growth. I'll see what info I can find.
I bought the Duonamic Rings set, which is designed to replace the stock handles on the Duonamic Eleviia doorway pull up system. It took a while to figure out how to set up the rings as high as possible for pull ups, but it was worth the time and effort. Pull ups on these rings feel much more comfortable for my elbows and shoulders, compared to the stock handles. Palms facing each other at the bottom position and supinated palms at top position seemed most comfortable for me. I still could not drop all the way to an active hang, but I felt I like I had just a little more pain-free ROM restored in thei movement compared to when I started.
Friday, November 11, 2022
Easy Muscle: Week 1
I chose Schedule C because of a shoulder issue limiting my range of motion when reaching overhead with a straight arm.
Following Schedule C, I did the pullup-dip session on Wednesday. Because of the shoulder issue, it hurts to get into the hang for a pullup, even with depressed scapula, because the hang pulls my arm... overhead. So for a workaround, I started each rep by positioning my body as if I were going to do a row, with feet on the floor in front of my hips, then pulled myself off the floor.
I hadn't done dips for almost 2 years, and my ring dip rep max, even with both shoulders feeling healthy, is well short of 10. So, I set my NOSSK suspension handles about hip height. Then I warmed up with 2 sets of 5 dip shrugs, then 2 sets of 10-second top position holds. Then I started the 20 min. timer, doing the dips with feet on floor to lighten the load. Turning the palms slightly out helps to engage the shoulder external rotators, which help stabilize the shoulders.
I should try some knee raises as part of the warmup next time.
Dip shrugs for warmup
I studied this video to review how to do assisted dips
I found doing the dips after the partial pullups - done carefully - stretches my shoulders nicely enough to wash away any irritation from doing the partial pullups. So going forward, I'll make sure my last set on Pullup-Dip sessions will be the Dip set.
The schedule for this week had Monday and Friday as my 2-hand swing days. I tore some skin off of my ring finger when I tried 2-hand swings on the 24kg kettlebell last week. This particular kettlebell has a handle that does not allow a comfortable fit for all my fingers, so in the past I had to squeeze my hands a bit. The tear happened because I was gripping the handle too hard. So to avoid reinjuring the finger, I tried leaving out the ring fingers when gripping the handle, and instead rest the ring fingers on top of the middle and pinky fingers, and not grip the handle too hard, just letting the fingers be hooks
I think it's a decent first week of Easy Muscle.
Following Schedule C, I did the pullup-dip session on Wednesday. Because of the shoulder issue, it hurts to get into the hang for a pullup, even with depressed scapula, because the hang pulls my arm... overhead. So for a workaround, I started each rep by positioning my body as if I were going to do a row, with feet on the floor in front of my hips, then pulled myself off the floor.
I hadn't done dips for almost 2 years, and my ring dip rep max, even with both shoulders feeling healthy, is well short of 10. So, I set my NOSSK suspension handles about hip height. Then I warmed up with 2 sets of 5 dip shrugs, then 2 sets of 10-second top position holds. Then I started the 20 min. timer, doing the dips with feet on floor to lighten the load. Turning the palms slightly out helps to engage the shoulder external rotators, which help stabilize the shoulders.
I should try some knee raises as part of the warmup next time.
Dip shrugs for warmup
I studied this video to review how to do assisted dips
I found doing the dips after the partial pullups - done carefully - stretches my shoulders nicely enough to wash away any irritation from doing the partial pullups. So going forward, I'll make sure my last set on Pullup-Dip sessions will be the Dip set.
The schedule for this week had Monday and Friday as my 2-hand swing days. I tore some skin off of my ring finger when I tried 2-hand swings on the 24kg kettlebell last week. This particular kettlebell has a handle that does not allow a comfortable fit for all my fingers, so in the past I had to squeeze my hands a bit. The tear happened because I was gripping the handle too hard. So to avoid reinjuring the finger, I tried leaving out the ring fingers when gripping the handle, and instead rest the ring fingers on top of the middle and pinky fingers, and not grip the handle too hard, just letting the fingers be hooks
I think it's a decent first week of Easy Muscle.
Sunday, November 06, 2022
Akai MPC One
While I've enjoyed using the Roland MC-707 groovebox, I've always been curious about the Akai MPC (Music Production Center) platform. From the introduction of the MPC-60, the first MPC model, and onwards, the Akai MPC became known for its impact on hip-hop and electronic music. My only previous experience with the MPC platform was trying out an Akai MPC Keys 61 at the store, along with a friend who had previous MPC experience. Having a friend show me how an MPC could be used to build up a song - drum track, bass track, etc. - was helpful.
The MPC workflow for building up a multi-track song, under the hands of an experienced user, looked pretty fast to me. Another appealing thing to me was the drum pads. The MC-707 drum pads feel fine. The MPC pads feel nicer - I'm not sure exactly why, but maybe the very slightly lower height of the MPC pads as well as the materials have something to do with it. Also, no matter how much I tweaked the MC-707 settings, I could never get its drum pads to be as responsive to light finger strokes as the MPC pads.
Another attractive feature is the autosampling feature, for easy sampling of my Moog Matriarch or Moog Subharmonicon - both synths that do not have patch memory, but do have MIDI input.
So when I realized the Akai MPC Live 2 and MPC One models were on sale, I decided to buy an MPC One.
First impressions:
The drum pads feel just as nice, and are just as responsive to light finger strokes, as the MPC Keys 61 drum pads. The feel is so pleasant that I'm motivated to work more on my finger drumming. The default color-coding is red for kicks, yellow for snares, amber for hi-hats, etc.
Volume knob is in the back of the unit instead of the top panel, which is a strang location for those of us used to the volume knob being the top panel on synths, drum machines, competing grooveboxes, etc.
The level meter is very useful for gauging how loud drum parts might sound in a mix. I've often been fooled before, by recording something that sounded loud in my headphones, but then it sounded soft in the mix when played back through monitors.
It was easy to learn how to load a preset drum kit for a track on the Roland MC-707. The process is less intuitive on the MPC. For a while I started to believe that preset drum kits do not exist on the MPC, and that if I wanted a new kit, I had to manually assign samples to each and every drum pad, every time. Then I learned that in the MPC world, a drum kit is called a "drum program".
This 5-hour tutorial for beginners is really good. Besides the generous amount of content, there is a lot of useful details like which buttons do what, the default colors of the drum pads and what they represent, etc.
The MPC One reportedly has bugs related to using external MIDI controllers. Video with advice on avoiding the bugs:
Some advice from a more experienced MPC user:
Sequences are your best friends on the MPC! Use them! Get an idea moving in one seq and duplicate it 4 or 5 times, have fun going in different directions with each Seq, then move between them to experiment and get used to this way of performing. This stops you getting locked in one loop, which is the fastest route to feeling irritated and frustrated IMO.
The MPC workflow for building up a multi-track song, under the hands of an experienced user, looked pretty fast to me. Another appealing thing to me was the drum pads. The MC-707 drum pads feel fine. The MPC pads feel nicer - I'm not sure exactly why, but maybe the very slightly lower height of the MPC pads as well as the materials have something to do with it. Also, no matter how much I tweaked the MC-707 settings, I could never get its drum pads to be as responsive to light finger strokes as the MPC pads.
Another attractive feature is the autosampling feature, for easy sampling of my Moog Matriarch or Moog Subharmonicon - both synths that do not have patch memory, but do have MIDI input.
So when I realized the Akai MPC Live 2 and MPC One models were on sale, I decided to buy an MPC One.
First impressions:
The drum pads feel just as nice, and are just as responsive to light finger strokes, as the MPC Keys 61 drum pads. The feel is so pleasant that I'm motivated to work more on my finger drumming. The default color-coding is red for kicks, yellow for snares, amber for hi-hats, etc.
Volume knob is in the back of the unit instead of the top panel, which is a strang location for those of us used to the volume knob being the top panel on synths, drum machines, competing grooveboxes, etc.
The level meter is very useful for gauging how loud drum parts might sound in a mix. I've often been fooled before, by recording something that sounded loud in my headphones, but then it sounded soft in the mix when played back through monitors.
It was easy to learn how to load a preset drum kit for a track on the Roland MC-707. The process is less intuitive on the MPC. For a while I started to believe that preset drum kits do not exist on the MPC, and that if I wanted a new kit, I had to manually assign samples to each and every drum pad, every time. Then I learned that in the MPC world, a drum kit is called a "drum program".
This 5-hour tutorial for beginners is really good. Besides the generous amount of content, there is a lot of useful details like which buttons do what, the default colors of the drum pads and what they represent, etc.
The MPC One reportedly has bugs related to using external MIDI controllers. Video with advice on avoiding the bugs:
Some advice from a more experienced MPC user:
Sequences are your best friends on the MPC! Use them! Get an idea moving in one seq and duplicate it 4 or 5 times, have fun going in different directions with each Seq, then move between them to experiment and get used to this way of performing. This stops you getting locked in one loop, which is the fastest route to feeling irritated and frustrated IMO.
Saturday, November 05, 2022
Easy Muscle and Manly Mobility
I was pondering what exercise program to do after the 3 Days On cycle on Isochain. After 2 cycles in a row of Isochain training, I wanted to do a dynamic exercise program again. I enjoyed Accommodation Resistance calisthenics as taught by Mindful Mover, but my shoulder injury showed me that my body is not ready for that. I'm not sure if the injury was caused by not allowing enough time to deload and/or rest, because I did transition from high-load isometrics on the Isochain to Accommodating Resistance calisthenics without taking at least one week off.
Easy Muscle is a training program created by Geoff Neupert, who is a respected fitness coach, especially among kettlebell training enthusiasts. The title "Easy Muscle" implies that it is a training program for stimulating muscle growth, but it also promises fat burn and strength gains. I put off buying Easy Muscle at first because I thought it was mainly a program built around the kettlebell Clean-and-Press, and my shoulder felt painful whenever I tried to reach overhead. I then realized it actually contains 3 different training schedules, including Schedule C which was designed for people like me, who currently have trouble pressing weight overhead. I figured any hypertrophy-friendly progra is not going to subject my body to as heavy a load as a strength-focused program. So I went ahead and bought it.
Schedule C has you practicing the 2-hand kettlebell swing on one day, and two other exercises on the other day. Those 2 other exercises are the chinup and dip.
When I bought it Easy Muscle, I was given the option of also buying Manly Mobility, also created by Neupert. I went ahead and bought it. It's billed as a mobility program for guys who hate stretching. Inedeed, there does not seem to be any emphasis on holding a stretched position for longer than a second or two.
For the Tuesday session, I focused on Manly Mobility. I tried all the Phase 1 exercises taught for each of the 3 body positions. Since I'd already used up time taking measurements to get the results of my Isochain 3 Days On training, I limited myself to 10 reps of each exercise. The exercises are simple to learn, as promised, and I did notice some reduction in tightness, although I don't remember which muscle groups because I didn't write dowm my impressions right away.
For the Wednesday session, I tried the chinup and dip workout. I tested my chinup, which is pullup with supinated palms, but I felt some unwanted tightness in my previosly injured forearm - the "Golfers Elbow" arm, so I substituted pullups (pronated palms). Because of my problem reaching overhead, I could not start/stop a pull-up in the dead hang or the active hang (scapulae pulled down). I trained pullups by beginning and ending each rep with my arms straight and in front of me, at around a 100-120 degree angle to my torso, smy legs stretched in front of the torso and feet on the floor. This may not be the ideal range of motion for gains in strength/muscle from pullups, but it was the best ROM I had without irritating my shoulder.
I used my trusty NOSSK Twin Trainers for the dips. I set the handles fairly low so that my feet on the floor could reduce the load. I turned my palms forward in the bottom position to try to add a bit of stretch for my chest, but I was careful to not do anything to the shoulder.
I took Thursday off from training. Because I hadn't practiced pullups or dips in a while I had some DOMS in the pecs lats, and triceps.
For the Friday session, I tried the 2-arm kettlebell swing workout with a 24kg kettlebell. I took it easy since I hadn't practiced this exercise for almost 3 years. Afterwards, I practiced the Manly Mobility exercises. The following morning, I had minor DOMS in the hamstrings and calves.
Next week, I will begin Week 1 of Easy Muscle, Schedule C. I suppose the 2-hand KB swing day is for fat-burning, and the pullup-dip day is for hypertrophy. It will be interesting to see what the results will be after Week 8.
Easy Muscle is a training program created by Geoff Neupert, who is a respected fitness coach, especially among kettlebell training enthusiasts. The title "Easy Muscle" implies that it is a training program for stimulating muscle growth, but it also promises fat burn and strength gains. I put off buying Easy Muscle at first because I thought it was mainly a program built around the kettlebell Clean-and-Press, and my shoulder felt painful whenever I tried to reach overhead. I then realized it actually contains 3 different training schedules, including Schedule C which was designed for people like me, who currently have trouble pressing weight overhead. I figured any hypertrophy-friendly progra is not going to subject my body to as heavy a load as a strength-focused program. So I went ahead and bought it.
Schedule C has you practicing the 2-hand kettlebell swing on one day, and two other exercises on the other day. Those 2 other exercises are the chinup and dip.
When I bought it Easy Muscle, I was given the option of also buying Manly Mobility, also created by Neupert. I went ahead and bought it. It's billed as a mobility program for guys who hate stretching. Inedeed, there does not seem to be any emphasis on holding a stretched position for longer than a second or two.
For the Tuesday session, I focused on Manly Mobility. I tried all the Phase 1 exercises taught for each of the 3 body positions. Since I'd already used up time taking measurements to get the results of my Isochain 3 Days On training, I limited myself to 10 reps of each exercise. The exercises are simple to learn, as promised, and I did notice some reduction in tightness, although I don't remember which muscle groups because I didn't write dowm my impressions right away.
For the Wednesday session, I tried the chinup and dip workout. I tested my chinup, which is pullup with supinated palms, but I felt some unwanted tightness in my previosly injured forearm - the "Golfers Elbow" arm, so I substituted pullups (pronated palms). Because of my problem reaching overhead, I could not start/stop a pull-up in the dead hang or the active hang (scapulae pulled down). I trained pullups by beginning and ending each rep with my arms straight and in front of me, at around a 100-120 degree angle to my torso, smy legs stretched in front of the torso and feet on the floor. This may not be the ideal range of motion for gains in strength/muscle from pullups, but it was the best ROM I had without irritating my shoulder.
I used my trusty NOSSK Twin Trainers for the dips. I set the handles fairly low so that my feet on the floor could reduce the load. I turned my palms forward in the bottom position to try to add a bit of stretch for my chest, but I was careful to not do anything to the shoulder.
I took Thursday off from training. Because I hadn't practiced pullups or dips in a while I had some DOMS in the pecs lats, and triceps.
For the Friday session, I tried the 2-arm kettlebell swing workout with a 24kg kettlebell. I took it easy since I hadn't practiced this exercise for almost 3 years. Afterwards, I practiced the Manly Mobility exercises. The following morning, I had minor DOMS in the hamstrings and calves.
Next week, I will begin Week 1 of Easy Muscle, Schedule C. I suppose the 2-hand KB swing day is for fat-burning, and the pullup-dip day is for hypertrophy. It will be interesting to see what the results will be after Week 8.
Wednesday, November 02, 2022
Isochain 3 Days On Results
The goal of the 3 Days On program is to stimulate hypertrophy - muscle growth. Before I started the program I took some measurements of various body parts, using a sewing tape measure, so I could measure any changes in size that may be due to muscle growth. I watched this video to see how bodybuilders have their measurements taken:
I tried not to squeeze the tape measure, and avoided flexing the muscles. The results:
Forearms - No change
Left Arm - About half an inch for 4.167% increase in diameter
Right Arm - About 3.2% increase in diameter
Shoulders - No change, despite training the Shoulder Press. This was a tricky measurement, seemingly impossible to take properly
Chest - No change. I did not train the Chest Press or any other exercise that could have stimulated chest hypertrophy
Calves - Actually shrunk a little.
There were other measurements mentioned in the above video, but I didn't take those because I just didn't care. Going forward, I'll probably just measure my forearms and arms for tracking hypertrophy progress, because they're easy. I'd like to see my shoulders grow but there's no easy way to measure them. Just about everyone measures only the shoulder-to-shoulder width, which does not take into account the size of the deltoids, which grow in multiple directions, not just outward.
So ends my 3 Days On training cycle.
I tried not to squeeze the tape measure, and avoided flexing the muscles. The results:
Forearms - No change
Left Arm - About half an inch for 4.167% increase in diameter
Right Arm - About 3.2% increase in diameter
Shoulders - No change, despite training the Shoulder Press. This was a tricky measurement, seemingly impossible to take properly
Chest - No change. I did not train the Chest Press or any other exercise that could have stimulated chest hypertrophy
Calves - Actually shrunk a little.
There were other measurements mentioned in the above video, but I didn't take those because I just didn't care. Going forward, I'll probably just measure my forearms and arms for tracking hypertrophy progress, because they're easy. I'd like to see my shoulders grow but there's no easy way to measure them. Just about everyone measures only the shoulder-to-shoulder width, which does not take into account the size of the deltoids, which grow in multiple directions, not just outward.
So ends my 3 Days On training cycle.
Isochain 3 Days On: Weeks 5 and 6
I lowered the bar again for the Drag Curl, which lengthened the biceps more than before. The increased muscle length seemed to allow for stronger contraction. My grip muscles (forearms) still fatigue before the biceps do, but at least the biceps feel like they're working harder.
I've found body positioning for the Triceps Kickback that feels comfortable for the low back. With only a slight bend of the knees and hips, I would not doubt that mechanical advantage allows me to produce more force in this drill, but safety to the low back outweighs using mechanical disadvantage to increase load on the triceps. Being able to produce more force also imposes more load on the triceps anyway.
For my latest Zercher Lunge session, I increased the number of sets from 3 to 4. Perhaps bumping up the volume will lead to improvement in endurance at this position. Simply holding the position without hardly any force output is already a challenge for me.
My strength in the Rear Shrug jumped.
Rear Delt Row with torso perpendicular to legs is getting a little uncomfortable for my low back. I might try leaning back a little.
I've found body positioning for the Triceps Kickback that feels comfortable for the low back. With only a slight bend of the knees and hips, I would not doubt that mechanical advantage allows me to produce more force in this drill, but safety to the low back outweighs using mechanical disadvantage to increase load on the triceps. Being able to produce more force also imposes more load on the triceps anyway.
For my latest Zercher Lunge session, I increased the number of sets from 3 to 4. Perhaps bumping up the volume will lead to improvement in endurance at this position. Simply holding the position without hardly any force output is already a challenge for me.
My strength in the Rear Shrug jumped.
Rear Delt Row with torso perpendicular to legs is getting a little uncomfortable for my low back. I might try leaning back a little.
Sunday, October 16, 2022
Isochain 3 Days On: Week 4
A couple of weeks ago, I started getting sick with what felt like the common cold. I took a COVID test and got a positive result. So, I didn't do any exercise as I rested up and waited for my already-vaccinated body to fight it off.
This week I felt good enough to start working out again. Despite about 2 weeks of no exercise, I was still able to perform each exercise for at least 20 seconds at the same target loads as before, or even higher. I lowered the bar for the Drag Curl to get the biceps a little more elongated, which allowed me to work at a higher load. I was able to raise the target load for Calf Raise as I got better at relaxing my wrists to let the lifting hooks take on more load - will try holding the bar behind the back next.
Wrist/forearm fatigue seems to be the limiting factor for my Seated Row. I don't think there's much I can do about that other than hope that repeated practice will stimulate some muscle growth in the wrist/forearm, so that it stops fatiguing before my biceps or lats do.
This week I felt good enough to start working out again. Despite about 2 weeks of no exercise, I was still able to perform each exercise for at least 20 seconds at the same target loads as before, or even higher. I lowered the bar for the Drag Curl to get the biceps a little more elongated, which allowed me to work at a higher load. I was able to raise the target load for Calf Raise as I got better at relaxing my wrists to let the lifting hooks take on more load - will try holding the bar behind the back next.
Wrist/forearm fatigue seems to be the limiting factor for my Seated Row. I don't think there's much I can do about that other than hope that repeated practice will stimulate some muscle growth in the wrist/forearm, so that it stops fatiguing before my biceps or lats do.
Friday, September 16, 2022
Isochain 3 Days On: Week 2
I did not feel like the high position deadlift or the middle position Zercher Squat worked my glutes as much as the Zercher Lunge. So I replaced both exercises with the Zercher Lunge. This exercise is a unilateral exercise, and thus takes up twice as much time as a bilateral exercise since it has to be done on each side. So my Day 3 routine just has the two exercises - Zercher Lunge and Calf Raise.
My Calf Raise sets on Tuesday were cut off by my grip wearing out. I understand why some people think that lifting straps/hooks should never be used. However, I think that if my grip is getting a decent enough workout from the Drag Curl, shrugs, and rows already, then it's ok to use my lifting hooks for the Calf Raise. The objective of the Calf Raise in the 3 Days On program is to stimulate calf growth, not target my grip. How can I stimulate calf growth if I let my grip prevent me from training my calves to failure? So for Friday I decided to use the lifting hooks
In this video, this trainer claims that most people do not need to do the Front Raise, because they target the front delts, which are active in most pressing exercises anyway. He also mentions that a front delt vs. rear delt imbalance could lead to more shoulder injury.
I was thus convinced to eliminate the Front Raise from my Day 1 routine. I moved the Tricep Kickback out of the Day 3 routine into the Day 1 routine. To work the rear delts, I added the Rear Delt Pull to the Day 3 routine.
Monday - Day 2
Zercher Lunge
Calf Raise
Tuesday - Day 3
Rear Shrug
Hinged Tricep Kickback
Seated Row
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - Day 1
Shoulder Press
Hinged Tricep Kickback
Drag Curl
Friday - Day 2
Zercher Lunge
Calf Raise
I tried a variety of chain settings for Hinged Tricep Kickback. I searched for a position that would minimize the load on my lower back. I settled on a setting that puts the bar fairly close to my butt and below the butt. This allows me to lean forward only a little, which does not seem to make my low back work as hard as a more pronounced lean.
For the Friday session, I used the lifting hooks with the Calf Raise. They do not totally removed the load from my grip but did decrease the load enough to let me perform the exercise for a longer amount of time, and at slightly heavier load.
My Calf Raise sets on Tuesday were cut off by my grip wearing out. I understand why some people think that lifting straps/hooks should never be used. However, I think that if my grip is getting a decent enough workout from the Drag Curl, shrugs, and rows already, then it's ok to use my lifting hooks for the Calf Raise. The objective of the Calf Raise in the 3 Days On program is to stimulate calf growth, not target my grip. How can I stimulate calf growth if I let my grip prevent me from training my calves to failure? So for Friday I decided to use the lifting hooks
In this video, this trainer claims that most people do not need to do the Front Raise, because they target the front delts, which are active in most pressing exercises anyway. He also mentions that a front delt vs. rear delt imbalance could lead to more shoulder injury.
I was thus convinced to eliminate the Front Raise from my Day 1 routine. I moved the Tricep Kickback out of the Day 3 routine into the Day 1 routine. To work the rear delts, I added the Rear Delt Pull to the Day 3 routine.
Monday - Day 2
Zercher Lunge
Calf Raise
Tuesday - Day 3
Rear Shrug
Hinged Tricep Kickback
Seated Row
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - Day 1
Shoulder Press
Hinged Tricep Kickback
Drag Curl
Friday - Day 2
Zercher Lunge
Calf Raise
I tried a variety of chain settings for Hinged Tricep Kickback. I searched for a position that would minimize the load on my lower back. I settled on a setting that puts the bar fairly close to my butt and below the butt. This allows me to lean forward only a little, which does not seem to make my low back work as hard as a more pronounced lean.
For the Friday session, I used the lifting hooks with the Calf Raise. They do not totally removed the load from my grip but did decrease the load enough to let me perform the exercise for a longer amount of time, and at slightly heavier load.
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
Isochain 3 Days On: Week 1
I realized that "3 Days On" means 3 days of training, then at least one day off. That's why in the book The Ultimate Isometrics Manual, the schedule has workouts for Days 1-3, then Day 4 as an off day, before repeating the cycle of days. The book does say that if training 3 days in a row is too hard to recover from, then add one or more rest days to your schedule. With that in mind, I scheduled 4 workouts for this week.
Monday - Day 1
Shoulder Press
Front Raise
Drag Curl
Tuesday - Day 2
Regular Deadlift (high angle)
Zercher Squat
Calf Raise
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - Day 3
Rear Shrug
Hinged Tricep Kickback
Seated Row
Friday - Day 4
Shoulder Press
Front Raise
Drag Curl
This week was more about learning all the exercises that were new to me, than training hard to stimulate muscle growth. I spent more time and effort searching for good chain settings and body positioning than really burning the muscles. It's the first week, so it can't be helped.
Monday - Day 1
Shoulder Press
Front Raise
Drag Curl
Tuesday - Day 2
Regular Deadlift (high angle)
Zercher Squat
Calf Raise
Wednesday - Off
Thursday - Day 3
Rear Shrug
Hinged Tricep Kickback
Seated Row
Friday - Day 4
Shoulder Press
Front Raise
Drag Curl
This week was more about learning all the exercises that were new to me, than training hard to stimulate muscle growth. I spent more time and effort searching for good chain settings and body positioning than really burning the muscles. It's the first week, so it can't be helped.
Saturday, September 03, 2022
Isochain: Transitioning to 3 Days On Program
In the book The Ultimate Isometrics Manual, the Burn Count program is purported to build strength by holding a load for a progressively longer amount of time. It is also purported to build muscle. I tried it last year for about 6 weeks and gained some strength, but as noted, I forgot to measure my biceps with sewing tape. Tape measurements at the start of Burn Count and at the end would have provided useful data for measuring gain in muscle size (hypertropy). I did not observe obvious hypertrophy in the mirror.
The book has a page entitled "Pro Tip: Isometric Bodybuilding". It mentions research indicating that stress to the muscle and depletion of ATP-PC energy system in the muscles are strong triggers for muscle growth. It also mentions research indicating that muscular fatigue/failure - not load or volume - is the key factor in triggering hypertrophy. The page concludes by referencing Burn Count as the program based on these findings. However when I compare the Burn Count guidance to the guidance for another Isochain program called 3 Days On, the latter program seems to match the research more closely, with 3 sets of 20-45 second holds per exercise, and a shorter rest period (20-30 seconds). Burn Count recommends 60 seconds of rest between holds, which seems like a rather long rest for a hypertrophy-focused routine. If the goal is to drive the muscles to failure - deplete APC-PC as much as possible - shorter rest between reps makes more sense. So, for the goal of stimulating muscle growth, I decided to try the 3 Days On program
The 3 Days On guidance in the book is to set Isochain to Feedback Mode, and try to apply enough force during the 20-45 second hold so that muscle failure is achieved within this time frame. One issue with Feedback Mode is that the Isochain timer is not available in this mode, so I would have to use an external timer. I feel like I would struggle to coordinate using the external timer, with executing a proper rep of the exercise. Also, I'm not really sold on relying on my own imagination/perception to regulate the force output during the exercise. Thus, one modification to the program is to use Load mode on the Isochain instead of Feedback mode. Load mode does have the timer function, which will start as soon as I reach the target load. Being able to set a target load would help me ensure that I am applying enough force to induce muscle failure within the 20-45 second timeframe. It should not take long to find suitable target load values. This week I tried some of the exercises and was able to identify target loads for them. For the rest of the exercises, I'll work with an arbritrary target load, and use the average force reading to help find suitable values.
Another modification to the book guidance is the exercise selection and order. This is the lineup I'm envisioning:
Monday
Shoulder Press - same as book
Front Raise - same as book
Drag Curl - A Red Delta Project favorite because the biceps work harder than on the regular curl, especially if the bar is at a lower position than what the video shows.
Wednesday
Hack Deadlift/Behind The Back Deadlift - Doing first instead of last because it wears out the forearms if mixed grip is not used.
Zercher Squat - does not demand extreme wrist flexibility like Front Squat and works the abs more
Calf Raise - Doing last instead of 2nd because the grip will need a break after Deadlift
Friday
Rear Shrug - Front Shrug stimulate upper trap growth while Rear Shrug stimulate increased thickness.
Hinged Tricep Kickback - Another Red Delta Project favorite because it involves shoulder extension which lights up more muscle mass of the triceps. Also, weak shoulder extension was found to be one of the strength deficits that may cause more stress on the elbow.
Seated Row - much safer for lower back than Bent-over Row
There's one more thing that needs to be done before starting 3 Days On or any hypertrophy program: Measurements! I got a sewing measurement tape and measured the widths of my arms, shoulders, chest, and calves, with the muscles in as relaxed state as I could get them. Accurate measurement is impossible because it's way too easy to squeeze the measured body part just a little too tight, because of the pliabilty of skin, muscles, etc. However, if there's any hypertrophy at all after 6-8 weeks of 3 Days On training, there should be a difference in measurement, even if there's an error of plus or minus half an inch. I don't believe looking at myself in the mirror is a reliable means of assessing progress in muscle growth. Tape measurements, even if not 100% accurate, should give me data that is more useful than simple visual judgement.
The book has a page entitled "Pro Tip: Isometric Bodybuilding". It mentions research indicating that stress to the muscle and depletion of ATP-PC energy system in the muscles are strong triggers for muscle growth. It also mentions research indicating that muscular fatigue/failure - not load or volume - is the key factor in triggering hypertrophy. The page concludes by referencing Burn Count as the program based on these findings. However when I compare the Burn Count guidance to the guidance for another Isochain program called 3 Days On, the latter program seems to match the research more closely, with 3 sets of 20-45 second holds per exercise, and a shorter rest period (20-30 seconds). Burn Count recommends 60 seconds of rest between holds, which seems like a rather long rest for a hypertrophy-focused routine. If the goal is to drive the muscles to failure - deplete APC-PC as much as possible - shorter rest between reps makes more sense. So, for the goal of stimulating muscle growth, I decided to try the 3 Days On program
The 3 Days On guidance in the book is to set Isochain to Feedback Mode, and try to apply enough force during the 20-45 second hold so that muscle failure is achieved within this time frame. One issue with Feedback Mode is that the Isochain timer is not available in this mode, so I would have to use an external timer. I feel like I would struggle to coordinate using the external timer, with executing a proper rep of the exercise. Also, I'm not really sold on relying on my own imagination/perception to regulate the force output during the exercise. Thus, one modification to the program is to use Load mode on the Isochain instead of Feedback mode. Load mode does have the timer function, which will start as soon as I reach the target load. Being able to set a target load would help me ensure that I am applying enough force to induce muscle failure within the 20-45 second timeframe. It should not take long to find suitable target load values. This week I tried some of the exercises and was able to identify target loads for them. For the rest of the exercises, I'll work with an arbritrary target load, and use the average force reading to help find suitable values.
Another modification to the book guidance is the exercise selection and order. This is the lineup I'm envisioning:
Monday
Shoulder Press - same as book
Front Raise - same as book
Drag Curl - A Red Delta Project favorite because the biceps work harder than on the regular curl, especially if the bar is at a lower position than what the video shows.
Wednesday
Hack Deadlift/Behind The Back Deadlift - Doing first instead of last because it wears out the forearms if mixed grip is not used.
Zercher Squat - does not demand extreme wrist flexibility like Front Squat and works the abs more
Calf Raise - Doing last instead of 2nd because the grip will need a break after Deadlift
Friday
Rear Shrug - Front Shrug stimulate upper trap growth while Rear Shrug stimulate increased thickness.
Hinged Tricep Kickback - Another Red Delta Project favorite because it involves shoulder extension which lights up more muscle mass of the triceps. Also, weak shoulder extension was found to be one of the strength deficits that may cause more stress on the elbow.
Seated Row - much safer for lower back than Bent-over Row
There's one more thing that needs to be done before starting 3 Days On or any hypertrophy program: Measurements! I got a sewing measurement tape and measured the widths of my arms, shoulders, chest, and calves, with the muscles in as relaxed state as I could get them. Accurate measurement is impossible because it's way too easy to squeeze the measured body part just a little too tight, because of the pliabilty of skin, muscles, etc. However, if there's any hypertrophy at all after 6-8 weeks of 3 Days On training, there should be a difference in measurement, even if there's an error of plus or minus half an inch. I don't believe looking at myself in the mirror is a reliable means of assessing progress in muscle growth. Tape measurements, even if not 100% accurate, should give me data that is more useful than simple visual judgement.
Wednesday, August 31, 2022
Isochain 6x6: Last Session
Another Monday brings another 1-Rep Max Test day. Results:
Zercher Lunge - 90.1 (based on weaker leg scores)
Shoulder Press - 75
Seated Row - 138.4667
Zercher Lunge performance gain so far has been minimal, when comparing to the 81.9 lb. result that was recorded end of 2021. Most of my progress in this exercise has been in mobility - being able to get the the thigh closer to parallel to the floor thanks to improvements in hip and ankle mobility.
Shoulder Press performance, compared to the end of 2021 score of 57 lbs, is almost a 32% strength gain for the current year.
Seated Row 1RM was not tested end of 2021. Strength gain compared to the start of the current 6x6 cycle was only about 8%. I'm ok with that though, as I rarely put in as much effort per rep as I did on the other exercises. I was wary of possibly hurting my low back, even though I was also aware that the body positioning should put the low back at much, much lower risk than the standing bent-over row.
Before the Monday session, I was thinking of training under 6x6 for 8 weeks, then switching to the Geoff Neupert Easy Muscle program. Easy Muscle is said to be adaptible to any equipment, and the clean-and-press is one of the featured exercises. I intend to use a kettlebell for clean-and-press. That all said, my shoulder still does not feel good when reaching overhead, or when I press the kettlebell overhead.
One option was to continue 6x6 for two more weeks, then see if there is any improvment in the shoulder's pain-free range of motion. The 6x6 program for Isochain has received positive reviews from fellow Isochain users for both strength gains and hypertrophy. However, 6x6 by design is meant to deliver mostly strength gains with some hypertrophy. Another option is to switch to a hypertrophy-focused program on the Isochain, and see if 6 weeks of training under that, combined with RMT Club swinging for shoulder rehab, will increase the pain-free ROM. One thing we know for sure is that isometrics, with or without Isochain, poses practically zero risk of further joint damage compared to any dynamic form of exercise.
I chose the hypertrophy program with Isochain. I'm not convinced that I will achieve the necessary pain-free ROM for overhead pressing within 2 weeks, even with RMT club swinging. I think there's a better chance that I'll achieve this goal in 6-8 weeks on another Isochain program plus RMT Club swinging. I think the longer period of favoring isometrics over dynamic training - for strength and muscle - will be more of a factor in shoulder healing than adding muscle mass in and of itself. That said, adding muscle mass is a priority for health benefits such as maintaining blood pressure at healthy levels.
Some finds:
Neck extension against wall for improving posture
Ring face pulls for improving posture
Trap-3 Raise (Y-fly) for improving shoulder mobility and posture
Mobility exercises for preventing/relieving pain from computer slouching
Zercher Lunge - 90.1 (based on weaker leg scores)
Shoulder Press - 75
Seated Row - 138.4667
Zercher Lunge performance gain so far has been minimal, when comparing to the 81.9 lb. result that was recorded end of 2021. Most of my progress in this exercise has been in mobility - being able to get the the thigh closer to parallel to the floor thanks to improvements in hip and ankle mobility.
Shoulder Press performance, compared to the end of 2021 score of 57 lbs, is almost a 32% strength gain for the current year.
Seated Row 1RM was not tested end of 2021. Strength gain compared to the start of the current 6x6 cycle was only about 8%. I'm ok with that though, as I rarely put in as much effort per rep as I did on the other exercises. I was wary of possibly hurting my low back, even though I was also aware that the body positioning should put the low back at much, much lower risk than the standing bent-over row.
Before the Monday session, I was thinking of training under 6x6 for 8 weeks, then switching to the Geoff Neupert Easy Muscle program. Easy Muscle is said to be adaptible to any equipment, and the clean-and-press is one of the featured exercises. I intend to use a kettlebell for clean-and-press. That all said, my shoulder still does not feel good when reaching overhead, or when I press the kettlebell overhead.
One option was to continue 6x6 for two more weeks, then see if there is any improvment in the shoulder's pain-free range of motion. The 6x6 program for Isochain has received positive reviews from fellow Isochain users for both strength gains and hypertrophy. However, 6x6 by design is meant to deliver mostly strength gains with some hypertrophy. Another option is to switch to a hypertrophy-focused program on the Isochain, and see if 6 weeks of training under that, combined with RMT Club swinging for shoulder rehab, will increase the pain-free ROM. One thing we know for sure is that isometrics, with or without Isochain, poses practically zero risk of further joint damage compared to any dynamic form of exercise.
I chose the hypertrophy program with Isochain. I'm not convinced that I will achieve the necessary pain-free ROM for overhead pressing within 2 weeks, even with RMT club swinging. I think there's a better chance that I'll achieve this goal in 6-8 weeks on another Isochain program plus RMT Club swinging. I think the longer period of favoring isometrics over dynamic training - for strength and muscle - will be more of a factor in shoulder healing than adding muscle mass in and of itself. That said, adding muscle mass is a priority for health benefits such as maintaining blood pressure at healthy levels.
Some finds:
Neck extension against wall for improving posture
Ring face pulls for improving posture
Trap-3 Raise (Y-fly) for improving shoulder mobility and posture
Mobility exercises for preventing/relieving pain from computer slouching
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)