Back Training

Sounds like a good workout to me.  HHHmm, I have always done deadlifts from the floor.  Is it better not to do it that way?  I don't think my gym has a rack.  I have to  check.

Not bad, for 11/2 months off, mate! One must assume that you are having a hard time bending over today and getting worse by the hour . . . . .

As with Annette, I have never performed Deads from the rack. Either from the floor or stiff legged off the end of a bench. I might try every other workout from the rack & try & up the poundage a touch . . . . . what's your most beneficial height to pull from? I guess this question is a bit like " how long is a piece of string ", but I would be interested in your answer, in any case.

It really depends on what your goals are.  Clearly the from the floor to almost the knee is going to be the weakest part of the movement, since the lower back is relied upon a lot within this range, therefor you will never be able to truly employ the overload principle while targeting the lats and traps here.  So pulling from a slightly higher starting position will not only allow you to do this, but will also reduce the amount of risk that you put on your lower back.

Now, I dont think that pulling off of the floor is a bad thing, if you are training more for functionality, and for total body, then pulling from the floor is fine.  I just dont think I would ever try to pull anything close to the same weight I would off of a rack.  There is a tendency for people to really loose form when pulling from the floor b/c they dont have the flexibility in the hamstrings and glutes, but maintaining a strictly flat back and keeping the shoulders above the hips is critical...especially when upping the weight.

As for your last question Alan...I wouldn't spend too much time pulling anything that starts higher than 1-2 inches below the knee...you are really just doing a super shrug at that point.

That is why I stopped doing deadlifts.  I was feeling like the only thing I got out of them was a sore lower back and I didn't want to risk injury.  That was probably why.  If there is a rack in the gym, I will try it that way.

Annette...having a strong lower back is important for so many lifts, as well as functionality in life.  It is also key to having a strong supportive core.

Start by doing some rack deads either at knee level or just below, with time begin to lower the starting point little by little until you can incorporate more of your lower back at a gradual pace.  Additionally, 1 or 2 times a week aside from the day you deadlift perform some unweighted hyper extensions, only of course when your back is not stll sore from anything else.

In short order you will have built a stronger lumbar region and thus reduced any chance for injury.

Case in point...yesterday I performed deads from the floor...something I NEVER do...and I went relatively heavy.  My training partner (who has only recently started doing deads and as such does NOT have as strong of a lower back) did deads as well, but he did them with a trap bar (a movement that reduces the lower back involvement and incorporates way more quads).  He and I went for a run today and he said that his lower back was toast, I feel no soreness in my lower back today.  My goal is to neve let my lumbar region be the limiting factor in my weight training.

7/27/10

Today we actually worked in some chest with the back workout, partly b/c I have been traveling and havent been able to get into the gym, and I will be headed to Evansville tomorrow for a busy weekend which will likely only have one chance to get any further training in...sooooo...I had to make the most of this one.

Bent over BB Rows SS w/ Incline DB Press

worked up to a couple sets of 5 with 225 with a drop to 135 for 10 SS into sets of 5-6 with 70's

I havent done a chest and back pairing in a long while, and I forgot how tough it can be.  By the time I picked up the DB's for the last couple sets of presses I was feeling the fatigue!

HS ISO Reverse Grip High Row SS w/ HS ISO Flat Prss

Worked up to a couple sets of 5 with 2 plates a side SS into sets of 10 with 2 plates a side

This chest movement is always iffy on my shoulder...so I try to keep the weight moderate and really focus on the contraction

Lat Pull Down (Wide) SS w/ Plate Loaded Incline Machine SS w/ Cable Pull Over

Worked up to a few sets of 5 with 140 SS into sets of 5-6 with 135 with slow negative movements SS into sets of 10 with 60

This chest machine was quite goofy feeling, but I think it was good, it allowed you to control the lateral movement of the handles with was weird at first, but added a nice dynamic to the motion.

Overall it was a decent workout, nothing to write home about, but I was certainly fatigued by the end of it.  Plus I got to shout at Greg to get moving on the supersets like 8-10 times...and that is always fun!

7/10/10

Worked some chest into the back training again today.  I am really liking that pairing.

Sumo DL off the floor SS Cable Flys SS Pushups

Worked up to a couple sets of 3 with 325 (most I have pulled off the floor).  Took it sort of easy on the flys b/c of my superspinatus.

Sumo DL off the floor SS HS ISO Incline press

2 more sets with the DL at 225 going for more reps and getting a couple warm ups in on the incline press.

HS ISO Incline press SS HS ISO Lat pull down SS Supported T-Bar Rows

Worked up to a couple sets of 6-8 with 90 per side on the incline press, 90 per side on the pull down, and just 70 on the row to focus on good contractions.  Plus I was pretty spent by this point.

One final set of the above with the incline done as a drop set.

Back...toast...Chest...toast...toast...mmmmmm