Richard Gibney's 365 Days of Fitness: Day 283
Day 283 I ended up doing my workout in two parts today. This morning I joined my client Ryan for a bench press focused session using a protocol I hadn't used before. Then in the evening I went back to the gym with Nicole and added a couple more full body functional exercises.
The bench press session this morning utilized a 10 sets of 3 reps protocol. In the past I've used a 10 sets of 10 reps protocol for the purpose of accumulating volume and developing muscle mass. The purpose of today's protocol wasn't much different. The main goal in the end was to get a lot of work in but the load that I was using was a lot heavier.
Typically when we use heavier loads it stimulates the recruitment of fast twitch muscle fibers. Of the muscle fibers in the body, these fibers are the most powerful and the strongest. Your fiber type make-up is determined by your genes. Athletes such as sprinters and weight lifters typically have a higher percentage of fast twitch muscle fibers, whereas marathon runners and other endurance athletes will have a higher percentage of slow twitch fibers. The average person will have a more balanced ratio of fast versus slow twitch muscle fibers. Although your genes play a major role in your fiber type, through training you can shift you body more toward fast or slow twitch.
By performing multiple sets of a heavier load, I will stimulate more fast twitch fibers than if I used a lighter load for more reps. Typically though if I were to perform sets with a 3 repetition maximum load I wouldn't be able to perform very many sets. For today's protocol, the goal was to perform a large number of sets with a relatively high load, so to accomplish this goal I used a slightly lighter load than I would if I did a single set of 3 reps. The main benefit of this protocol doesn't come from just the load but from the accumulated volume of heavy reps over the course of the workout.
Today's Workout:
AM Component:
Bench Press Prep:
Dowel Chest Opener: 10 reps Dowel Shoulder Turn-Over (Posterior Deltoid Opener): 5 reps per side Dowel Internal Rotator Stretch: 10 seconds per side
Tubing T: 15 reps Tubing External Shoulder Rotation: 15 reps per side
Push-ups: 10 reps
Exercise 1: Bench Press 10 sets / 3 reps / 2 min rest Set 1 through 10: 3 x 185lbs
My shoulders have been a little dodgey lately. My left was bugging me for a bit but settled down and lately it had been my right. I avoided most pressing movements last week to let my shoulders calm down and thought today would be ok. Thankfully, things went pretty well. I was able to bench with relatively no pain, however, relatively is not what I was hoping for. I was thinking I'd push closer to 205 for my sets today but after I decided to be a little more cautious and go a bit lighter. I still pushed a good amount of weight over the course of the workout, just not as much as I had hoped.
PM Component
Foam Rolling:
Upper spine Lats Glutes IT Bands
Tennis Ball Trigger Point:
Deep Hip Rotators
Exercise 1: Kettlebell Swing 3 sets / 10 reps / 60 seconds rest Set 1 through 3: 24 kg x 10 reps
Exercise 2: Power Clean 4 sets / 5 reps / 2 min rest Set 1 through 4: 135 lbs x 5 reps
Exercise 3: Barbell Overhead Squat 3 sets / 6 reps / 60 seconds rest Set 1 through 6: 95 lbs x 6 reps
My AM workout was pretty monotonous, so getting into some bigger more dynamic movements later in the day was quite satisfying. The extra foam rolling and soft tissue work was also very welcome. I didn't do any cardio today but I'll try to make up for it tomorrow. I might join Nicole first thing in the morning. Not typically my best workout time but I'll give a try.