My training History: I trained less than one year before competing in my first powerlifting meet as a teenager back in 1983. Before leaving the sport partially due to injuries in 2005 I achieved my elitefts status in the 198,220,242,275 & 308 weight class. Throughout these years I did have a 3 year run in the bodybuilding world. I have  degenerative joint disease, have had two shoulder surgeries (right shoulder now needs replaced), one full hip replacement, knee surgery, and herniation's in all three regions of my spine, Bone spurs (all joints). I can't even begin to list the number of muscle tears I have had, surgical and non surgical.  I am "The Mashed Up Meathead" and this is my story. 

You can find my training log archives HERE and my most current training log posts HERE. 

My best lifts are behind be but my best training is yet to come. 

* Unless otherwise noted the tempo of the work sets is about 1/2 of what most would consider normal. In most cases, if I did the set with normal temp what I fail at with 8-10 reps in training I could do for 20 reps with a normal tempo. This is to keep the joint stress down while increase the stress on the muscle. I have found this to work best for me provided the conditions listed in my training history above.

 

Saturday - Back

 

Tsunami Bar Pulldowns
* Five to six warm up sets, four work sets of ten to twelve all sets to failure.

 

Low rows using a Double D handle
* Three warm up sets of ten repetitions. Four work sets of ten to twelve. All sets to failure.

 

Prone bench, kettle bell rows
*using the Primal kettle bells. Two warm up sets of ten. Four work sets of ten. One strip set of eight, eight and eight. Then, one maximal set of six reps with the heaviest bells and then one loaded stretch using the heaviest bells.

 

 

Stretchers his is a John Meadows classic exercise. Basically a Double D strap handle pull down from a standing position with an arched back. One warm up set then three work sets of twelve reps.  

 

Pull overs *for this I use the sand bells which I found have a little bit different feel than using the kettle bells. I like the way they felt because I was able to change my wrist position at the top which allowed for a little bit of different contraction. I was also able to relax a little bit more in the bottom position to allow for a little greater range of motion.   Compared to when I first started doing the pull overs with the kettle bells to where I am now, there's really been a substantial difference in the range in motion. I'm going to keep doing these and see where it leads.

 

 

Back attack.
It's a plate loaded machine. Set it up essentially just to only hit or supposedly to only hit the spinal erectors. A lot of that has to do with where you position the feet and the pad that goes across your back. With this two warm up sets, any of the settings all right. Then, three work sets of six to eight reps with each set to failure and a super slow tempo. After those three sets, that was about all my lower back was going to handle. Had the old school lower back bump going on and I don't like to train any deeper than that.

 

Seated toe pushes
for the calves, three sets, fifteen reps. Standing calf raises, four sets of fifteen to twenty reps, all sets to failure.

 

Then, using the sand bell again, neck work, two sets, each direction.