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.
Thursday: Arm day.
Tri-Bell Pushdowns.
This is a tri-bell handle, 2 to 3 warm-up sets of 15 to 20 and then 6 work sets of 10 to 12, all sets to failure.
Bent-Over Pushdowns with Tribell.
Bend over completely at the waist, take the handle from my forehead down to a complete extension trying to pull apart at the bottom keeping the elbows as stationary, or in the same place. Bring it up for a full stretch in the tricep and then back down to the contraction. Only thing that should be moving are the arms and the flexing of the tricep. That's it. No movement of the waist. Keep it isolated and flex hard.
1 Arm, Reverse Grip Pushdowns with the comfort grip handle.
2 warm-up sets to determine what the weight is, and then 4 work sets of 10 to 12 with all sets to failure.
Cross-body Kettlebell Tricep Extensions.
2 triple sets to failure. The first round was around 15 repetitions, the second round fell somewhere around 10, and then the third was between 4 and 5. That was about the same for both sets.
Long, straight handle tricep extensions with chains.
2 warm-up sets with 1 chain, then I put a couple more chains on and did 3 work sets of 10 to 12. Then I found if I grab the handle about midway, but then at the top of the extension pushed my thumb to the ceiling and my pinky down to the floor, I got a much greater contraction in my triceps, so I did 4 more sets with each arm doing them that way.
Seated Curls with the comfort grips and chains.
6 sets of 10 to 12 repetitions with each set going to failure. The chains are set up on this so there's a little bit of the chain that's always on the floor. I don't use a whole lot of weight with the chains because I want to be able to get the best contraction I can and not have to heave anything from the bottom. What happens when you use the chains on curls is it deloads the bottom, which can allow you to use a lot of the momentum to try to build up and get through the part of the strength curve where it's going to start to, where the chains start to come on, and where you're really trying to focus. I use a really slow start and a slow tempo throughout the whole movement with lighter weight because I get a lot better training effect from doing them that way.
Standing dumbbell curls.
Both arms at the same time with my palms out the entire repetition. 2 warm-up sets, and then 4 work sets of 6 to 8. The goal that we're shooting for was to have the work sets between 10 to 12, but at this point I was worn out and I really didn't want to bother with changing the weight. I think the weight I used was 35 pounds, kept the tempo the same. I just failed a hell of a lot sooner than what I really expected to.
Dumbbell Hammer Curls,
Both at the same time. I used the same weight I used for the standing curls. 4 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions, each set to failure. 2 second contraction and lowering for 4 second eccentric contraction and then the concentric, which is regular tempo.
Super set of Seated Tricep Dips.
1 repetition with a 15 to 20 count, for me it was a 20 count, eccentric followed by a zigzag bar cable curl with a 15 to 20 second eccentric, followed by a loaded stretch with the TRX straps for my triceps, and then a loaded stretch using the zigzag bar curls handle for the curls.