Wide-Grip Pull-Ups and DB Bench Press

Two new videos:

Log Update 101207 Legs

I haven't mentioned legs much on this site. I'm not as versed on lower body workouts as I am on upper. This is what I did today. My calves grew an inch after only one month of calf raises. I'm two months in to my lower body exercises, and one month into squats and deadlifts. At first I was doing lunges and step-ups, but after feeling severe knee pain, I switched to my current routine.

85 Ball Hamstring Curls
85 Leg Extensions (8lb)
85 Calf Raises (42lb)
60 Squats (42lb)
60 Deadlifts (42lb)

Pull-Ups and Upper Body Routine

New video.

Log Update 101126

300 push-ups (slow pace with perfect form, one-leg, wide, decline, incline variants)
78 pull-ups (163lb bodyweight, chin-ups, wide-grip, close-grip, parallel, alternating)

15 benchpress (5x45lb, 5x135lb, 5x145lb)

110 db curls (hammer/zottman 21lb each hand)

42 shrugs (42lb)

Injury Update

I've been avoiding making this post. Last weekend I was feeling some back pain, and Monday I nailed out 730 push-ups, but couldn't perform any dips. It was too painful. Tuesday I woke up with severe upper back pain. Wednesday was the same, as was Thursday, and today is Sunday. I did 170 push-ups Friday, but the injury's not gone. I'll post what happens, and I'll end with a disclaimer that Goblin Core can *uck you up.

Push-Ups Routine

I've altered the push-up routine for the 26th week. It's 16 sets. The first half of the routine is one-leg push-ups. There are a few variations I hadn't tried before: wide incline one-leg, close-grip, triangle one-leg, zombie, and wide zombie. The zombie style is one hand with a parallel grip and the other with a palm down grip.

It may look like a lot of sets, but I've been lowering my rest times between sets to uphold a higher intensity in all of the exercises I do. I used to take about 2-3 minute rests, but have changed that to 20-30 seconds. Endless endurance is my goal, and it's working out very well for me thus far.

Week 26 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3  
100 110 110 one-leg push-ups  
50 50 52 decline one-leg push-ups  
50 50 52 wide one-leg push-ups  
30 32 34 triangle one-leg push-ups  
40 40 42 incline one-leg push-ups  
20 22 24 wide incline one-leg push-ups  
40 40 42 decline wide one-leg push-ups  
50 52 54 three-chair one-leg push-ups  
25 25 26 three-chair push-ups  
61 61 62 decline push-ups  
51 51 52 wide push-ups  
39 39 40 decline wide push-ups  
30 31 32 close-grip push-ups  
60 62 63 zombie push-ups  
60 62 63 wide zombie push-ups 
24 26 27 push-ups  


Total 730 753 775

Log Update 101105

725 push-ups
64 pull-ups
64 dips
84 db curls
8 wrist rolls
16 shrugs, side bends, bent-over rows, wrist curls, reverse wrist curls, ulnar deviations, and radial deviations

Halloween 2010

I wouldn't allow myself to see this Halloween without 700 push-ups. I hit that goal and I've also been motivated to edit and write on a splatterpunk vampire novel, EYES OF FRIGHT. It's my Halloween gift to you.

Two New Supplements

I'll be taking a new protein powder, Cytosport Muscle Milk : Banana Creme and a during-workout drink that aids in recovery, Cytosport Cytomax : Go Grape. I tried samples of 20+ supplements in September, and Cytomax was the only to get five stars. I like the carbs, dextrose, and electrolytes in it. It felt like a good product for cardio, and a workout with high reps that lasts over an hour could be considered cardio, maybe even over 45 minutes.

Log Update 101029

700 push-ups
61 pull-ups
61 dips
60 db curls
7 wrist rolls

Hitting 700 was a milestone I had planned three months ago when I was only at 376 total. The next milestone is 1000 push-ups, which I should hit in three more months. This coming week I'm practicing squats and deadlifts with dumbbells.

Progress Video 101026

Here's a video of four months training progress from goblincore: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyqLhDobshI

Dip Variation

I use two variations for parallel bar dips: triceps and chest. The triceps version is done with your legs behind you and folded, and using a full range of motion going from top position to below parallel. Chest dips are the same but with your legs in front of you and your chin pointed down along with your chest slightly rotated forward. That puts your weight directly on your chest whereas legs behind with chin straight ahead, the weight is on the triceps.

Either way works the shoulders as well. If you want to incorporate your abs and serratus muscles, you can hump your back up in the up position, and even crunch your lower body upward. To get full range of motion on either dip variation, you must sink very low. It's fine to lower into the position of parallel with forearm and upper-arm, making a 90 degree angle in the first set or two, but each rep afterwards should be lower. Otherwise you won't be hitting all of the muscles.

Log Update 101022

675 push-ups, next is 700 push-ups
57 pull-ups, next is wk6 pull-ups, the last week of the 20 pull-ups routine, 2nd column
57 dips
44 db curls
6 wrist rolls

Log Update 101015

650 push-ups
54 pull-ups
54 dips
44 db curls
5 wrist rolls

Why Use Two Legs?

I've searched so many lists online for push-ups variations, so I don't know why it took me so long to think of using one leg. I've revamped my push-up routine for next week. I'm on Week 22. I've dropped the rotational ones and added 5 one-leg variations. I would say, "Hopefully this doesn't jack-up my legs," but I want it to.

Week 22 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3
58 52 53 decline push-ups
36 42 43 decline one-leg push-ups
105 100 105 push-ups
20 27 28 triangle push-ups
20 27 28 triangle push-ups
30 32 33 three-chair push-ups
36 42 43 three-chair one-leg push-ups
48 52 53 one-leg push-ups
47 42 43 wide push-ups
26 32 33 wide one-leg push-ups
47 42 43 decline wide push-ups
26 32 33 decline wide one-leg push-ups
105 100 105 push-ups
26 31 32 incline one-leg push-ups
 
Total 630 653 675

New Routine

Tomorrow is looking like this for me: 605 push-ups, 50 pull-ups, 50 dips, 12 hammer curls, 12 zottman curls, 5 wrist rolls. I'm on Week 21 of push-ups, Week 5.5 on pull-ups, and Week 1 on hammer curls and zottman curls.

I included the biceps dumbbell curls because the only exercise targeting them were the chin-ups and close-grip chin-ups. I'll be using 21lb weights. starting at 12 reps total and upping it by 4 reps each workout. The wrist rolls target the forearms and the wrist flexors. It gives an instant pump. It's good for vascularity as well.

Exercise References

These two sites are great references. They have muscle charts for you to select from, that'll give you a list of exercises and stretches for that muscle. The first, which has videos is Bodybuilding.com and the second, which is more detailed and lists the smaller muscles is Exrx.net. Be careful not to accept any information as blatant fact. It's good to check a number of resources to ensure the technique you're using won't injure you, that the exercise you're performing is hitting the region you're trying to work, and so that you can find variations, finding what works best for you.

Log Update 101008

625 push-ups
47 pull-ups
47 dips

I finally started working legs this week. I've had trouble with squat form so I'm focusing on the following 4 exercises: Step-Ups, Lunges, Reverse Lunges, and Calf Raises. I'm using 1x 21lb dumbbell and switching hands half way through each set. I plan to use 2x 21b dumbbells and just increase in reps and sets since I have no other dumbbells. I'll update how that works out in 1-2 months time.

Pull-Up Technique

I've only recently started breathing correctly on pull-ups. I find it awkward because you're supposed to exhale as you begin the first rep. I also recently found out that when you're in the up position, you should pull your shoulders back and push your chest forward. For range of motion, your arms should be locked on the down position and your chest should touch the bar in the up position. Just getting your chin over the bar isn't good enough. I also recommend not using any momentum as used in kipping pull-ups.

Perfect Pushup

I recently was able to try out Perfect Fitness's Perfect Pushup. I had wanted to try them for a very long time and was excited as I tried it out. The handles actually spin both clockwise and counter-clockwise. I'm not sure if there's a way to lock it so that it can't spin. I have read in a bodyweight book that it's good to fight resistance and spin your hands inward to create a spiraling motion that goes all the way up to your shoulders. The bottom is rubber coated so it doesn't budge beyond the spinning left and right. I don't care for them and I wouldn't use them again. I'm aware that because you can move the two handles around that you can try more variations perhaps, but I prefer grounded push-up handles.

One-Leg Push-Ups and Rotational Push-Ups

The close-grip push-ups weren't working out for me. The grip was painful and the range of motion wasn't there. I'm sure I could have improved with them after a while, but I already have a similar close-grip push-up in the triangle push-ups. So I've exchanged the close-grip and decline close-grip with one-leg push-ups and rotational push-ups. One-leg push-ups involve holding one leg straight in the air while performing push-ups then switch for the next set. Rotational push-ups are normal push-ups where you go down, then up, then roll to left side and extend right arm straight towards ceiling and hold for a pause then do a push-up and come up and roll to the right side with left arm straight.

Log Update 20101001

605 push-ups, on to Week 20
44 pull-ups
44 dips

I tried using the back of a chair to get a steeper decline, but the chair just rocked up and down with each rep. I'm just going to have to kick my feet up on some furniture or the wall. I have had success with chest dips though. Grip the parallel bars,  start in up position with arms locked, point chin to your chest, cross legs in front of you and suspend them up. Your chest should be tilted down.

Push-Ups Revision

I'm in Week 19 at Day 2 and I realized I hadn't been making the large rep sets. The formula I had made increased too rapidly at one point and now it's too high of a goal to even be reasonable. I intend to get to 200 continuous reps in one set, but for now, 145 is my highest. So I'm dialing back the last set, and have added three sets: close-grip push-ups, decline close-grip push-ups, and a second set of three-chair push-ups.

I think I might try to find a way to elevate my feet even more for a decline to help me advance to handstand push-ups.

Routine Flaws

I just came upon FiftyPullups. It states several times: 7 weeks to 50 pull-ups, but when you look at the actual program, it's actually 17 weeks and that's if you can do 13 pull-ups in one session at the start. There's also prep weeks that include negatives, and if you were to do them as well, it would be 23 weeks total (6 months) and the highest rep you do is 35. So even after 6 months, you're taking a long shot in trying to hit 50 reps. That's a similar problem with HundredPushups, it claims it can get you to 100 reps in a row, but in the program, the highest rep is 60. And somehow you're supposed to bang out another 40 reps after doing 60 for the first time.

Dips

I realized I hadn't included anything on dips on this site yet. I had never been able to do them prior to high-rep push-ups. They were never a goal or something I planned to add to my routine. At first I was only doing push-ups, then I added pull-ups, and one day I tried them since I knew I should have the tricep strength to do them. I matched how many pull-ups I did, and I've been doing that since then. At first, the pull-up counts were smaller, and the dips were easy, so I'd do them very slowly in an isometric style, but the quantity is finally ramping up, and I'm speeding up.

I wasn't a fan of chair dips as I didn't feel I was able to get full range of motion, but on parallel bars, you're lifting your entire bodyweight, and you're able to get such a nice stretch out of your chest. I love sinking low in the dip.

Pull-Ups Chart

I've added a Week 4.5 to the Pull-Ups Chart. Sometimes there's just too big of a gap in the pattern between weeks and you need to create a workout between your last one and the one just beyond your reach. I've always enjoyed performing pull-ups, but on Wednesday, I did 41 total in 7 sets.

Similar to the high-rep push-ups I perform, entering the 40 range in pull-ups, I feel like I've hit a new plateau. In this state, I don't feel like I have strength, I'm rather dazed and hazy, but I have a confidence in my abilities and I know that I can do the next set. It's a sort of endurance that knows no end. It's like the autopilot feeling I've mentioned. I can't wait to hit three digit pull-up counts. I attribute my recent success in pull-ups due to concentrating on my lats, and flexing them often throughout the day, so that each time I perform a pull-up, I can flex my lats to boost me like a rocket over the bar.

I'll be making a Week 5.5 as well, and after Week 6, I'll devise a formula that has a smaller increase in reps with each week. In my experience, I've found that increasing what you do each week by just a little amount gives you guaranteed results, whereas trying to set big goals more frequently and advance more rapidly leads to injury, failure, and ultimately a weaker mental game.

Log Update

575 push-ups
85 exercise ball ab moves

My last workout, Wednesday, caused intense soreness in my right bicep. I didn't think I'd be able to workout today, but I decided to cut the pull-ups and dips, and only perform push-ups and use the exercise ball since my tailbone is black-and-blued from choosing too hard a surface for ab exercises.

Abs

I devised a list of 25 ab exercises from 3 workout tapes: Abs

Incline Push-Ups

I'm still not fully knowledgeable on whether or not incline push-ups are useful to work your lower chest. Declines work the upper chest, so logic tells me incline works the lower chest. I haven't assigned any sets to the inclines, but if I fail a set, I'll finish it with incline push-ups. This doesn't happen often, but it's worked in my favor. If you never fail any sets, then I'd suggest doing 30 or so either before or after the majority of push-ups.

Planks

I haven't done planks or my core routine in 3 weeks and 3 days. I feel a bit embarrassed, but I'll explain. I also dropped doing regular crunches 2 weeks and 2 days ago. The planks seemed to sap more strength than I was planning to exert for them. Especially on the side flags with your hand on the ground and arm locked. I didn't like how much arm strength it used. As far as the regular planks, they were always such hell to endure and I think may have been a source of back pain from poor form.

I don't want to close the book on planks, but for now they're not for me. I may incorporate them later on. The regular crunches weren't targeting a large enough region of my abs. It's not enough of a compound exercise, which would work multiple muscles and regions. I've been happy with the 10-20 reps per ab exercise. The low rep count allows me to focus on form and make each one count that much more.

I actually don't like four of the ten exercises in Ab Ripper 100/200. The leg lifts, I don't feel in the abs enough, hip rock, I don't think I understand the technique, bicycle crunches, my form's too sloppy, and the whole body crunch is painful on my back. So I'll be swapping these 4 out with new ones shortly. I'll be posting the Ab Ripper X list of exercises and I'll be trying them out for the first time.

Pull-Ups Chart Tweak

I split the wide parallel pull-ups with close-grip chin-ups now. I read that the close-grip chin-ups target the biceps very well for a bodyweight exercise. I also just wanted more chin-ups in general. They're my favorite style of pull-up.

Log Update 100917

550 push-ups
35 pull-ups
35 dips
ab ripper 200 (20 reps, 10 sets)

Pull-Ups Chart

I've detailed out the pull-up chart with the different variations. Week 5 and 6 have 2 additional sets each. Pull-Ups Chart

Push-Up Chart Revision

For Weeks 16-35, I've changed the layout so that it shows the 8 sets for Day 1, and 11 sets for Day 2-3. It's the same formula as before, but visually broken up into into the separate variations.

Log Update 100910

525 push-ups, entering Week 17 and including incline push-ups for lower chest
32 pull-ups
32 dips
1 ab ripper 100 routine (10 sets, 15 reps)

Supplements

I haven't ventured far into the world of experimenting with supplements. I scored a bottle of Orange Triad from Controlled Labs, which I'm excited to implement into my routine. It's a multivitamin with joint relief, digestion control, and immunity. I'll be trying some samples of various companies within the next few weeks. I'll be reporting back on my experiences.

Core Holds

cobras (lay on floor belly down and lean on arms, navel off floor.)

superman (lay on floor belly down and lift arms and legs up towards ceiling nad straight.

hip raiser (sit on bottom, push hips ahead and up so that your legs and arms create a table with your torso the table, hold for 3 seconds.)

air plunges (lay on back, legs straight up in air, using your arms to push against the ground, raise hips off ground high as you can, lower hips slowly)

inverse push-ups back, legs bent, place hands on ground near your head, push your body up until arms almost straight, exhale going up, inhale coming down.

thumbs up (lay on belly, lift shoulders and head off ground, arms out horizontal, thumbs up)

standing knee raises (abs) raise left knee as high as possible, hold it up for three seconds

New Variations

With the major improvements I've had from adding variations to the push-ups and pull-ups, I've added a new pull-up variation, the alternating chin-up, and I've added more sets to be able to incorporate the extra variations. Eleven sets of push-ups with six variations and six sets of pull-ups with 5 variations.

Push-Ups
Set
1 decline push-ups
2 decline push-ups
3 push-ups
4 push-ups
5 triangle push-ups
6 triangle push-ups
7 three chair push-ups
8 wide push-ups
9 decline wide push-ups
10 decline wide push-ups
11 push-ups

Pull-Ups
Set
1 chin-ups
2 pull-ups
3 under/over pull-ups
4 wide parallel pull-ups
5 alternating chin-ups
6 chin-ups

Failures = Breakthroughs

When there's no roadblocks, you're just moving and flying through, building progress upon progress, but then there's that brick wall. Many a man hit that wall and get frustrated. But the wall resembles a challenge, which you must look at with fresh eyes and decipher your own way of breaking through the wall.

I just recently went through a wall, and I wouldn't have it any other way. I can see another wall though and I'm getting mentally prepared for it.

Log Update

500 push-ups, on to Week 16 of 35 on the road to 1000 push-ups
26 pull-ups
26 dips
44 squats
1 ab ripper 100 routine

Abs and 3-Chair Push-Ups

I was relying on push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, dips, squats, and planks to develop my abs, but they weren't targeting the area effectively enough. I tried a quick routine called Ab Ripper 100. It's 10 exercises with 10 reps each. It hits a more complete area of the abs than anything I was doing prior. I did the routine a second time, only waiting about ten minutes. I'm going to continue doing the separate crunches and this new routine.

After some more practice with these new techniques, I'll break them down more and look into exactly what regions the moves target.

I still plan to hit 500 push-ups this Friday, but I've just added a new push-up variation that I'm still experimenting with. It's the 3-chair push-up. One chair for each hand, and one for both feet. This allows you to go deeper than floor push-ups and push-up bars. I'm not sure if I want to hold the down positions or just slam into them and slam out. It worked my pecs and chest to a degree I hadn't hit yet.

Log Update

475 push-ups, max set 135.
30 pull-ups
30 dips
65 squats
72 crunches

Log Update

Performed 450 push-ups, 126 max set, 23 pull-ups, 30 dips.

Push-Up Device

Pro Fit's Iron Gym Upper Body Workout Bar is what I use for my push-ups. I used it for pull-ups as well when I lived in a different location. It doesn't fit in older built doorways. I prefer using a bar that I can raise my head over, and not have to worry about doorways. But I find this device irreplaceable for push-ups.

I didn't use to enjoy push-ups because of the strain on my wrists. With this device, you have a curved vertical bar for each hand to grab that sticks up in the air so that you can lower your upper body deeper than a normal push-up. The one I own is a slightly different version with more grips for pull-ups, Extreme Edition.

20 Pull-Ups

Twentypullups is where I attained the first six weeks of the pull-up program. I recommend performing the push-ups first and the pull-ups after. I use variations for different sets as shown on the page above.

Counting

Counting 1-100 sequentially is very daunting. Counting to five is easy as pie. I do 5 reps a set in my head and count 5 sets of 5 reps as 1. I start over with the sets of 5 and hit 50 at the end. So four groups of 5 sets of 5 push-ups equals 100. Counting to five involves the five numbers that you're constantly repeating in your head opposed to using more of your mind. That would be 100 numbers in your head. An emptier mind is easier to focus.

Autopilot

We can find ourselves in situations where reality is no more than a burden needed to be shrugged off our shoulders. For that there is autopilot. You attain it by getting many hard, vigorous work outs under your belt. You've gone through the motions, you know the technique to use, and you employ it.

When you have muscle, breathing, counting, and overall technique down, you can slip into an autopilot state in which you perform flawlessly. Starting Week 6 of the push-up program, on day 2 and day 3 of every week, you must complete 9 sets. It's OK to be dead after the 8th set because you can do the 9th on autopilot.

You get in position for the set, breathe, count, and perform. Those three things don't require a real-time intelligence. You can wipe your mind clean of any thoughts and just submerge yourself underwater. It's like being on clouds, like being dead, like being in the middle of the ocean.

Once you learn how your body performs and what it can handle, you should be able to know what is and isn't attainable, and if you see something that's attainable, then you can have it. The downside would be injury if you've gone too far beyond what you can handle, but you should be able to feel out that process.

Breathing

We breathe involuntarily, otherwise we'd be unconscious or dead. But that doesn't mean you can't assume control of your breathing. Every inhale and exhale matters. Timing matters. For push-ups, exhale when you lower your body and inhale when you straighten your arms. If you don't breathe or breathe ineffectively, you can pass out. Before I optimized my breathing, I was seeing red and more succumb to dizzy spells.

Breathing is very hypnotic. It can prepare you for meditation, exercise, presentations, or anything else you need to focus for. Just breathing in and out and listening, you can sync everything in a comforting, focused way. I'm going to miss breathing when I'm dead.

You can perform more push-ups and pull-ups with proper breathing. So it's better to tune your technique sooner than later. 

Push-Up Log

It's good to record information about your workout so that you can analyze and optimize your technique and lifestyle. I'm currently on Week 13, Day 2 of the program. 428 is my highest in one session so far and 120 is my highest set.

100 Push-Ups

In order to pass 100, you need to hit 100. HundredPushups is a good program and is what I used as the base for my own. It invovles a 6 week program that gets your total push-up count to 276. Goblin Core will take that number to 400+, all the way to 1000 push-ups in one session.