Back Day: Depleted, But Still Pushing!: Tom Venuto's Bodybuilding Secrets Blog

Back Day: Depleted, But Still Pushing!

Tom Venuto

Tuesday, September 6th, 2005. Once again I went to Strong & Shapely for back day because of the wide variety of equipment there. S & S has approximately 40 different back machines, including an entire line of hammer strength back machines; three different types of pullover machines, three different types of T-bar rows, four seated cable row machines, each with a different angle, and so on.

BACK

A1 Hammer Strength Isolateral High Row: 3 sets X 145 lbs per side (3 plates + tens) X 8, 7, 6 reps
A2 T Bar Row: 3 sets X 125 lbs X 12 reps; No rest between supersetted exercises A1 & A2, 90 seconds rest between supersets
B1 Pullover machine: Set 1: 170 lbs X 9 reps; Set 2: 150 lbs X 9 reps; Set 3: 120 lbs X 10 reps
C1 Bent Over Barbell row Smith Machine: 3 sets X 195 lbs X 12 reps
D1 Seated Row Machine (selectorized machine): 3 sets X 130 lbs X 12 reps (wide palms down grip, elbows high)

Workout Commentary

I continued to work on some of the same exercises I have for the past several workouts; T bar rows, smith machine barbell rows and when I train at S & S, hammer strength high row and the pullover machine. I’ll probably do a routine change next week, focusing mostly on detailing exercises for the final few weeks.

I was just slightly off today physically, but I pushed my way through it for a solid workout, even though the weights were down just a bit from previous weeks.

Even when I make a small drop in calories and or carbs as I just implemented, I can feel it immediately. I do three days low carb then one day high carb/ high calorie, so each low carb day is more challenging as glycogen gets progressively depleted. You get used to it a little bit as the carb adapted body shifts and becomes more efficient running on fat (and protein), but you never REALLY get used it.

I was driving by the bagel store today on my way back home from the gym and then I couldn’t stop thinking about bagels! Damn, I don’t even remember what one of those things tastes like. Sigh…

The good news is, at this point, with the strictest diet while still pushing as hard as ever in the gym, the very last of the body fat comes off quickly; I start to look much, much more defined and the skin really thins out. When you finally start to get that rock hard, ripped look, that gets you psyched and keeps you motivated and pushing as hard as you can, because you see all the hard work paying off and you know it’s all worth it. There’s no stopping now!

Published on 06 September, 2005