March 5 Workout

Being home with a sick boy has one advantage: I can take the time to work out without having to worry about watching the clock.

Today was designated shoulder day. I stuck to the staples of my routine, performing mostly compound movements and, after the first straight set, all super sets.

As for the super sets, I actually prefer the pre-exhaustion method, which I believe was introduced by bodybuilder Robert Kennedy, publisher of Musclemag International and author of a number of bodybuilding instructionals, including Beef It! Upping the Muscle Mass, where I first read about the pre-exhaustion technique.

The basic principle of pre-exhaustion super sets is to perform an isolation movement followed by a compound movement. The idea is to exhaust the target muscles with the isolation exercise and then complete the super set with a combination movement where assisting muscles allow you to perform additional repetitions to tax the target muscle group even more.

I kicked off today's workout with standing overhead barbell press, or push-press, if you prefer. I completed four straight sets in the 6-8 rep range, resting about two minutes between sets. I don't like to superset with this movement because it would force me to work out at a lower weight. I want to maintain the intensity and be able to track my progress, increasing the weight I can lift each week. Getting stronger is, after all, the primary goal.

The philosophy is to work heavy early in the workout. The rep work can come later.

After the barbell presses, the super sets kicked in with dumbbell side lateral raise and seated dumbbell press, four sets of 6-8 reps each.

I followed this up with two super sets of side lateral raise again, this time with military press on the Powertec Workbench.

In the final super set, not a pre-exhaustion set, I did three sets of bent-over row supersetted with rear lateral raise.

Tonight I'll get in a little cardio work with some more step-ups and stair climber.