Warrior Challenge 34.1 - Beach Bods pt1

[This is Seth]

Beach Bods

pt. 1

 

Hello Warriors! Welcome to the start of the Summer! In these next few challenges, we're going to take a look at how to level up your beach bod. How to get a good "pump" on some of your most noticeable muscles while you're out there styling and profiling on the beach circuit. 

 

Now normally, we don't like to boost our own egos here in the Warrior Hall. But here's the thing, we're the strong ones, the tanks of the party, we take bruising every once in a while for the sake of our teammates. So, every once in a while, we like to strip down and show off dem muscle groups which help us deal damage and make our saving throws against constitution.

 

Each week, we'll give you a new exercise or two that we'd like you to throw into your programming. Get your pump on and gain a point for both Strength and Constitution.

 

 

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First up, we're going to take a look at our shoulders and upper back. Why would you want one and how do you get one. 

 

 

 

Feast your eyes upon Lü Xiaojun(Chinese Weightlifter) and Kali Muscle(mother trucking monster). These guys get these giant traps and rhomboid muscles from pulling super, silly weights. This muscle growth takes years of work, but we can get you started on how to build up the shoulders and upper back using two of these simple exercises. 

 

The Shrug

We can use either a barbell or a dumbbell for this exercise. The barbell will allow you to get more weight moving, which will stress the muscles more. The dumbbells will allow you to isolate the muscle groups and get a bit more of a squeeze into it. 

 

The movement remains the same. You grab your weight and let it settle down into your grip. Let it stretch out your shoulders and back. Keep your back tight the whole time, with a slight convex arch. Pull your shoulders back and then literally "shrug" them. You should be feeling the pull on the muscles right underneath your shoulders in your upper back(check the traps/rhomboids links for maps of the muscle groups). 

 

This movement should be slow and deliberate, nothing jerky about it. The more slowly you can bring the weight up and down, the more your muscles will tear, providing you with more stimulation for growth. Depending on the weights you use, you can either go for low weight x higher reps(8-10) or heavy weights x lower reps(3-5). Both work for different purposes, definition versus thickness respectively. 

 

 

The Push Press

There are a lot of different variations on the pressing movement. This week we're going to look at the push press because it allows you to move about 25-30% more weight than you can strict press. More weight equals more gains. That's science. 

 

If you know how to strict press, then the only addition you need to add is a little leg drive. Start from the front rack position and drop your hips straight down about 4" or so(dependent on your height) and then start your drive. Push through your heels, up through your hips, and finishing through your shoulders. When your knees and hips are locked out, that bar should already be on its way up; your only job now is to push that bar straight up with your shoulders. Be sure to move your head out of the way instead of moving the bar around your head, that's just not efficient. 

 

The movement finishes with everything tightened up: your abs, your glutes, your upper back, and your elbows locked above your head. After that, you want to just reverse the movement. Bring the bar back down into your front rack position and let your knees bend a bit to allow for some give when you catch it. 

 

This movement hits your traps and rhomboids again, but also the deltoids as well, which give you that wider taller shoulder musculature. Dem shoulders, yo. Look to get in a 5x5 workout with your max strict press. That should get you a good pump. 

 

 

Have at it, Warrior. You have until midnight EST next Saturday. 

[SpecialSundae]

Sounds like fun. :-)

[Br0din]

I'm in for awesomeness.  Week 1 = yoked up.

[Stronkey Kong]

Tomorrow is clean and press + upper body assistance work...

 

I'll just make that clean and push press and make sure my shrugs are heavier and more voluminous than usual.

 

Consider this one done!

[wildross]

Shrug, guess in a press I could push myself to do something like this.

[INSAIYAN]

I'm game.

[SevenofSeven]

Done and have the DOMS to prove it

[wildross]

When the grandkids were here, Christi had me pose in the pool...sort of a reverse wet t-shirt contest.  Was going to use them in a flex-friday thread, but they seem appropriate here.

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/f8jnt2uhepp3wrn/20140603_104030.jpg

 

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zz6o71e5yw0nxmi/20140603_104036.jpg

[INSAIYAN]

BOOM! Push Press was fun!

[This is Seth]

Wildross is a beef cake. Aspire to be him, young Warriors. 

[Morrigainz]

Aw I just saw this.

 

Not that I've tracked stats for a while now. Oh well.

[VTSPE772]

Wet T-Shirt Contests, what is this, Spring Break? Keep it clean WildRoss! 

 

Ever since starting SL 5x5, I have been noticing how my shirts fit differently across my shoulders and me likey!  I am in, and that Kali Muscle is bananas!

[Cardinal_22]

I'm all over this challenge. Already doing shrugs in my regular routine, but I'm happy to throw in push presses. =)

[INSAIYAN]

Doing Barbell Shrugs today. How much weight should I try? Here are my PRs to give you something to work with:

 

Squat 1RM: 385lbs

Bench Press 1RM: 265lbs

Deadlift 1RM: 365lbs

Overhead Press 5x5RM: 130lbs

Pendlay Row 5x5RM: 135lbs

[gingered]

I'm in! This will be my first warrior challenge.

 

Just saw this after my workout today, so I will do these Friday!

[wildross]

Wet T-Shirt Contests, what is this, Spring Break? Keep it clean WildRoss!

Ever since starting SL 5x5, I have been noticing how my shirts fit differently across my shoulders and me likey! I am in, and that Kali Muscle is bananas!

well I do live in Florida

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[INSAIYAN]

Got my shrug on! 135lbs was a comfortable "try it out" weight.

[Morrigainz]

I'm down with the thickness. Think I'll give these a go today.

[This is Seth]

Got my shrug on! 135lbs was a comfortable "try it out" weight.

Let us know how you feel tomorrow. With a > 3 plate deadlift, I'd like to see you putting two plates on the bar at least.

Really drawing the shoulders back nice and slow to get that strain in. 

[INSAIYAN]

Overall my upper back feels a little more worked than usual. I'll try 2 plates next time.

[AlexCold]

I'll be doing this Saturday morning! 

[Stronkey Kong]

Did my shrugs yesterday

225# 7,6, 3x5

Shot for 5x8, but grip was the limiting factor.

Did push press today

135# 4, 3, 3

I was surprised. My last strict press workout was 125# 3x5, but I have been doing a lot of clean and pressing lately including yesterday. Probably didn't recover. I will rest up and try these again.

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[VTSPE772]

Did my push-press today, after 5x5x95 OHP, I did 2x8x95 of the Push-press.

After DL I did 2x8x185 Shrugs...my wife says I should be really good at the form since I constantly shrug at her!

 

Thinking I may try to keep those in there after I finish my SL 5x5 lifts for the day.

[SpecialSundae]

I did the shrugs but sort of failed on the push press (as I'd already done 5x10 on OHP).

 

Shrugs

35kg 2x10

40kg 1x10

45kg 2x10

 

Push-press

 

35kg x5

40kg x5 (almost dropped it on my head on the last one so ditched further sets.)

 

5kg off my max for OHP for push-press, but I did give it a try.

[Br0din]

Did someone order some Traps with a side order of delts?  #notasgoodaswildross

 

 

 

Shrugs:  10 @ 315lbs, 2x8 @ 365lbs, 12, 10 @ 275lbs

push/pull:  10 @ 95lbs, 8 @ 105lbs, 2x6 @ 115lbs