Ken "Skip" Hill

Well, my fat ass took a few days off this weekend as I have shifted gears with my training just a bit. I admit that I got side-tracked after the show with my weight going up and it was easy to do because I was still in great shape all the way to pretty much 230. Even at 230 I was the leanest and strongest I had been at that weight but ..... as I started to slowly go past 230 and get even stronger, you guessed it, my back started fucking with me and giving me problems again.

I tried. I secretly tried to make a run at a relatively lean 245-250 by the end of the year (the leanest I would have even been at that weight) but I just can't do it. I fool myself because just like everyone else, I don't like to admit that I am getting older and have limitations that I just can't ignore. It is what it is. Plus, my gut was starting to get big again and I don't like that look so I was starting to feel a little shitty about my condition. I want to stay pretty lean and I was going against that as I got caught up in it all. It is easy to do.

Anyway, I will be starting this journal or log officially tomorrow and plan to detail my training and my philosophies about training, etc.. I plan to use a lot of pics and video, too, so I hope it will be fun and entertaining. I won't be taking this one down as I made sure that as I come into this log that it is something that I am willing to keep up. I feel better about this one because I can now be as detailed a I want to and not be giving up information that others may perceive as trade secrets and take them as their own. It also allows me to do some experimenting with my nutrition and not have it under a microscope, at the same time.

My training split will remain the same as I start this next phase of leaning out a bit. I don't have a goal weight or anything like that. I just plan to lean down and get the look back that I like.

Split:

Monday a.m.
chest, delts, tris, calves

Tuesday p.m.
back, traps, bis, lowerback

Thursday p.m.
quads, hams, calves, abs

Friday p.m.
repeat of Monday

The following Monday would have me doing the back workout and then repeating that on Friday. The upperbody workouts cycle through every 2 weeks but legs remain only once a week. This seems to be working well and my primary focus is on my back and then delts and chest. I plan to do very little calf, tri and bi training in relation to everything else due to them being very strong points. Obviously, legs aren't going to be trained with priority, either.

I will get a weight tomorrow after being a pig for the weekend and go from there.

I am also going to leave this thread open for questions and dialogue. That way, all questions and info about training is here and not going into my Skip thread.

Skip

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wakejump4me

will your rep ranges be ,at first, the same as you had it in the other journal (off season) ?

you ain't kidding about weight gain and back issues . when i got up to my highest, ever, weight, last month . i thought i was walking with another person sitting on my shoulders all day . now i am back down about 10 lbs. and feel ridiculously great .

are you gonna use new exercises or stick with the old ones ?


wake

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Ken "Skip" Hill

I don't use a ton of different exercises. I use what I like and feel comfortable with and that is it. I don't squat because "everyone has to squat" and I don't do deads because "you can't build a big back without them". I do what fits for me and fits into my injury card at that time. I am too old to fuck with something that I feel doesn't work but everyone says I "have to do". I am not about rules, anyway. : )

As for rep ranges, USUALLY, this is what I do and will be doing most of the time: 3 working sets per exercise with the same weight for all 3 sets. If upperbody, I will shoot for somewhere in the 10-12 rep range so that for the second and third set I can still get about 8 or so and then about 6-7 for the last one. What this does for me and I why I like it so well is that it allows me to get heavy and low rep work in but only after I am very warm and I feel this is safer for ME. I just hate the feel of a heavy, low rep set right out of the gate. I guess the best way to explain the 3 sets is like taking a RP set and stretching it out so that you are pretty fresh between all 3 sets for more reps, total. For legs, I will shoot for 15-20 on the first set and then it drops to about 10 or so and then for some exercises it goes straight to about 6-8 for all that I have in me.

I am also going to finish most bodyparts with a "finishing" move. This is not as much for growth as much as it is for a better pump and for my brain. I am working with more volume right now and because I am not used to it, I am growing very well. I don't particularly NEED the finishing move but I want it and, as I said before, I am making the rules here. So, I may finish triceps with a couple sets of cable pressdowns for a good squeeze and I may even finish quads with some higher rep, good squeeze extensions.

I am going to give my calves very little attention for the next several months. They are good and this isn't the 80s, anymore: Calves aren't putting anyone over the top in a show. My calves are good enough that if they don't grow anymore, at all, they won't be a problem for me for years to come.

I am also going to give arms very little priority and only hit them with moderate weights with little focus on increasing their size. I find it funny that I have not pushed them for the last year and yet they continue to grow - maybe better than other bodyparts. Go figure.

I will do something similar with legs but not kick back as much as arms and calves. I still need to add some size to my legs but I have to be careful and patient because my knees and back aren't in great shape. Though I schedule to train them once a week, every 5 weeks or so I have to skip a workout and let my knees kind of catch up.

Right now, I am struggling with my lowerback even with lower weights for legs. The pressure from the added bodyweight and distention is putting me right on the edge of having another injury with my lowerback. In fact, I am going to kickback for the next couple weeks with the amount of weight that I am using to take the stress off of my back. That should be long enough to then go 100% because I am also leaning down right now, as well. As my bodyfat comes down, the chance of injury is much less.

My bodyweight after this last weekend was 240 on the nose. That is up about 5 pounds because Sissy and I took the weekend off, completely. Her new job had her pretty stressed last week and after struggling with my back on Thursday while training legs we both figured let's take the weekend and just have some fun. We both blew up like puffer fish. lol So, my weight should come down pretty good this week. I am hoping to be about 233-235 by the end of the week. I don't see that this will be that difficult.

Skip

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Ken "Skip" Hill

Monday, April 28th, 2008
Bodyweight 240.

Trained in the a.m. today like I usually do on Mondays.

Chest -
decline bench press 315x12, x8, x6
incline dumbell presses 110x11, x8, x7
pec deck flyes 3 sets at 60 pounds for about 10 reps each, give or take. I don't count reps as much on finishing moves. I just get what I can with a slow, controlled squeeze.

delts -
overhead hammer press 245 x 10, x7, x5 (I don't like dropping below 6 for anything, ever)
I am struggling with shoulder pressing poundages because I have not rested them or "cruised" in a while. I may switch these out to dumbell presses but that exercise isn't terribly comfortable to me.
seated side laterals 30x10, x8, 25x10, x8

triceps -
overhead "Skip" extensions 90x13, x9, x7
pressdowns 2 sets at 60 lbs for 10 reps or so with a good squeeze

Keep in mind that my reps are a bit different than most in that I am very slow and controlled so some of my weights just aren't going to be as high as some may think they are. I shoot more for flawless reps than just moving the weight.

I am actually pretty surprised that the workout went as well as it did because I didn't eat much the entire weekend. When I go off of my diet, yes, I eat some shit but I usually take advantage of not having to eat rather than stuffing my face.

Skip

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"From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." - Luke 12:48

iron05

this is awesome thanks for doing this i'll definitely be keeping close tabs.

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DCBliever

Skip, as usual "topnotch", definitely staying on top of this journal. I like the way you think, only you know what's best for you.

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groversbeef

This is an interesting read Skip. I like your ideals, makes sense to do what you know works for YOU.

Nice work on the 315X12 decline bench! What are overhead "Skip" extensions?

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"I don't care what anyone blows up your ass, you ain't sore you don't gain shit..." ~ InHuman

Ken "Skip" Hill

Here are some of my videos posted from the old journal:

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

YouTube Video

Skip

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"From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." - Luke 12:48

Ken "Skip" Hill

Tuesday, April 29th, 2008

Trained in the p.m. about 6pm.

back -
hammer latt pulls to front (not a unilateral pull) 160x 11, x7, x5
supported tbar rows 4.5 plates x 10, x 6, 4 plates x 7 (had to drop as the last set was heavier than I wanted it).
long pulley rows 210 x 9, 190 x 8, 180 x 8 (I went a little lighter to pull back further for a better squeeze)
narrow, neutral grip chins (just inside shoulder width) -50 x 9, x 6, -60 x 6

I have been focusing more on what I call finishing my back reps. What I mean is that I think a lot of guys, myself included, get caught up in weight too much and the last inch or so of the rep doesn't get finished because the weight is too heavy. I focused more today on making sure that my elbows were back further than normal at the end of each rep. Good back development = finishing reps.

traps -
smith shrugs 405 x 8, x 6, 365 x 8, x 6

biceps -
EZ bar curls 80 x 11, x 8, x 6
machine hammer preacher curl 50 x 7, 45 x 7 (this exercise was useless today because I was shot at this point. I could barely feeling my bicep contracting at all)
Remember, too, that the weight of my arm movements matters little to me. My focus is not on arms, at this point.

lowerback -
hyperextensions 0x12, 45x12, x10, x9
I have to be very careful with these because my back is pretty vulnerable right now. I got a good pump and then didn't push it

Skip

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wakejump4me

as you know i am probably in the same boat as you are in regards to back problems . i noticed that this exercise has given me a solid lower back and even took care of the pain due to increased muscle ...
do you go all the way up until your back is arched ? i personally don't . just curious how you are doing yours ..


wake

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iron05

"I have been focusing more on what I call finishing my back reps. What I mean is that I think a lot of guys, myself included, get caught up in weight too much and the last inch or so of the rep doesn't get finished because the weight is too heavy. I focused more today on making sure that my elbows were back further than normal at the end of each rep. Good back development = finishing reps."


goodpoint

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bigchino

On the Mark Dugdale dvd "A Week in the Dungeon", where Dorian trains him, there is a part where Dorian tells Mark something like if you can't hold the weight (where your contraction would be), then you didn't get it there by muscular power. Dorian seems to be a stickler for form, and he did have (in my opinion) the best back ever.

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This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight," declares the LORD.
--Jeremiah 9:23-24

JESUS IS LORD!

iron05

good call...and i'll second ure opinion of his best back.

Indeed i read about that when MArk went to train with Dorian and one thing MArk took away was on moves like cable rows and tons of moves actually to actually squeeze to get all of the muscle involved, something he wasn't doing before...it is a good point.


u get that DVD?

it's gotta be good

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Ken "Skip" Hill

The arch doesn't bother me but I don't exagerate it, either. What bothers me is if I curl too far underneath with my abs because this pulls my lowerback apart.

I don't know who "Mark" is and I don't know who "Dorian" is but I think it is a safe bet that they aren't anymore popular than I am. *sigh*

Skip

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"From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." - Luke 12:48

Ken "Skip" Hill

Wednesday, April 30th, 2008
Bodyweight 234.

Weight is coming down nicely as the water from the weekend comes off. I don't train today but will be doing 30 minutes of cardio tonight.

Skip

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"From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." - Luke 12:48

emazur24

I bought it at the Arnold, and yes, it is very good. My only complaint was that it was a bit too short, but that was due to Mark getting food poisoning on the way over to England.

bigchino

Yeah, I have it, it is a good one. I have both of Dugdale's dvds, worthwhile purchases in my opinion. You should check them out.

Yeah, no hamstring training on the dvd, it seems short--but thoroughly entertaining & informative nonetheless.

__________________
This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight," declares the LORD.
--Jeremiah 9:23-24

JESUS IS LORD!

bigchino

Oh snap! I just saw your post---hahahaha--sorry Skipper, didn't mean to hijack your thread!

Hey, I noticed on your video of the incline DB presses that they're "rocking" some mellow No Doubt in your gym, probably just gets you right pumped to train hard, lol.

I'll be following along, eager to absorb info & learn. Thanks for keeping a journal for us to follow.

__________________
This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,
but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight," declares the LORD.
--Jeremiah 9:23-24

JESUS IS LORD!

Ken "Skip" Hill

I have to wear an Ipod. I can't train to Kenny G.

Skip

__________________
Leaner, harder, fuller, tighter, drier, more shredded, more ripped, more detail, more knowledge and more experience - Call it what you like but call on me:

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TEAM SKIP clients get their protein from only one place: TRUEPROTEIN.com.

"From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more." - Luke 12:48

Ryan Bid

skip

i trained my arms the same way as you have mentioned for the last year, low priority at the end of the workout. can't go as heavy but the results have been much better then in the past. it really make me shake my head when i see guys that come into the gym just to train biceps.

your diet, is it for a show? what week are you in?

ryan

Ken "Skip" Hill