"It Was a Pleasure Kicking Your Ass" (The "Richie Sessions", Continued): Tom Venuto's Bodybuilding Secrets Blog

“It Was a Pleasure Kicking Your Ass” (The “Richie Sessions”, Continued)

Tom Venuto

Wednesday, July 27th, 2005. Shoulders and Triceps with Richie again. Richie is a busy guy these days, with something like 50 or so PT client sessions on a typical week, but I try to schedule my training so I work shoulders/triceps days and back days with Richie. I do legs on my own, because my legs are a strong point. No worries there. I also usually do chest and biceps on my own. I can always improve everywhere, but the one thing that will improve my physique the most, in my opinion, is to increase my width -wider shoulders, wider back - so working with a trainer on deltoids and back is a matter of prioritization. It’s working… but man, he kicks my ass every time… especially today!

DELTOIDS (AM, with Richie Smyth)

A1 Cybex Shoulder Press Machine: Set 1: 110 lbs X 12 reps, no rest, increase to 130 lbs X 6 more reps; Set 2: 130 lbs, 150 lbs, 170 lbs X 6, 6, 6 reps (ascending set); Set 3: 150 lbs X 8 reps, no rest, increase to 170 lbs X 5 more reps
B1 Cybex Lateral raise machine: Set 1: 80 lbs, 90 lbs, 100 lbs X 6, 6, 6 reps (ascending set); Set 2: 100 lbs, 80 lbs, 60 lbs X 6, 6, 6 reps (descending set); Set 3: 60 lbs, 50 lbs, 40 lbs X 10, 8, 8 reps (descending set), super-strict
C1 Dumbbell press, neutral grip (palms facing each other): Set 1: 50 lbs X 11 reps, FULL range; SINK dumbbells at bottom, all the way down; Set 2: 55 lbs X 8 reps, FULL range; SINK dumbbells at bottom, all the way down
C2 Three-way cable lateral raises: Set 1: (part a) left arm 8 -10 reps lateral raise start from front of body, (part b) left arm 8-10 reps lateral raise start from behind body, (part c) left arm 8-10 reps front raises, (part d) right arm 8 -10 reps lateral raise start from front of body, (part e) right arm 8-10 reps lateral raise start from behind body, (part f) right arm 8-10 reps front raises; Set 2: (part a) left arm 8 -10 reps lateral raise start from front of body, (part b) right arm 8-10 reps lateral raise start from front of body, (part c) left arm 8-10 reps lateral raise start from behind body, (part d) right arm 8 -10 reps lateral raise start from behind body, (part e) right arm 8-10 reps front raise (part f) left arm 8-10 reps front raises; No rest between exercises c1 and c2, about two minutes between supersets
D1 Seated (vertical) rear delt dumbbell laterals (“The rear Delt Shockwave”): Set 1: 15 lbs X 8 reps; Set 2: 12 lbs X 10 reps; Set 3: 12 lbs X 9 reps
E1 Reverse Pec Deck (rear delt machine): Set 1: 110 lbs X 6 reps locked elbows/straight arms, then 5 reps 1/2 reps top (contracted) position, then 4 full reps; Set 2: 110 lbs X 4 reps full range, 4 reps 1/2 reps top position, 4 reps, 1/2 reps bottom position, 4 reps full range; Set 3: 110 lbs X 4 reps full range, 4 reps 1/2 reps top position, 4 reps, 1/2 reps bottom position, 4 reps full range

TRICEPS (PM, by myself)

A1 Rope pushdown giant sets: Part a) Rope pushdown, pull hands apart 12 reps; Part b) rope pushdown, elbows back, drag along body 10 reps; Part c) rope pushdown, bent over to forehead, 8-10 reps; Part d) rope pushdown, upright, hands pushed together 8-10 reps; Part e) turn around face away from machine, overhead rope extension 6-8 reps; Ascending weight pattern: 80 lbs, 90 lbs, 100 lbs, 110 lbs, 120 lbs; Repeat (for a total of two giant sets)
B1 Decline Two Dumbbell Tricep extension with outward rotation (neutral to pronated grip): 4 sets X 25 lbs X 12 reps, strict
C1 narrow grip (tricep) dips
: 3 sets X bodyweight X 12 reps
C2 Reverse Dips On Cybex Assisted Dip Chin Machine: 3 sets X stack X 12 reps, 12 reps, drop set on last set 12, 8, 8 reps, full range, all the way up (full stretch); No rest between exercises C1 & C2, 60 seconds rest between supersets

Workout commentary

Yes, I ADMIT it - this shoulder routine kicked my ass! The volume was much higher than usual, and in fact, deltoids alone took about 45-50 minutes (front, side and rear delts all hit thoroughly and deliberately). I came back later in the day to hit triceps and abs on my own.

We started out on the cybex shoulder press machine for three sets - all three of them using the ascending sets technique (opposite of a descending/drop set: rather than strip weight off, you add weight, do more reps, add more weight, do more reps).

We zipped through the machine shoulder presses quickly then moved on to the Cybex lateral raise machine. I’m not sure which model this machine was, but it was a well-designed piece. Most lateral raise machines suck, IMO, especially the ones with those roller pads. This one had a flat, rectangular pad with a handle on the end, which allowed you to really hit that lateral head of the deltoid for width and the deltoid/arm tie-in. Richie had me do one ascending set, followed by two descending sets.

But this was just “warming up!” The REAL heat was about to be poured on!

Downstairs we went to the free weight room and on to seated dumbbell presses with the neutral grip (also called ‘W-Presses’). These were supersetted with the most insane combination of cable lateral and front raises I have ever done. Each “set” was like three sets in one: 8-10 reps to the side starting from front of body, 8-10 reps to the side from behind the body and 8-10 reps to the front for a total of 24-30 reps in a row… then switch arms and repeat immediately. That was set one.

Then it was back to the dumbbell presses, and then back to the cables again, only set two of the 3-way cable raises was done alternating arms (left arm, right arm, left arm, right arm, left arm, right arm), all the way through each variation. Oh, man, the delts were on FIRE! But nope… there was even more..

Next, Richie had me sit on an upright seat - the one you usually do shoulder presses on, but instead of having my back against the pad, I turned around and faced the pad (chest/stomach in the pad). Then he handed me the 15 pounders (dropped to 12 pounders on 2nd & 3rd set… and NO snide comments about “light weight” until you haul your ass over here to Hoboken, New Jersey and try this yourself - with Richie!)

This movement started with the dumbbells hanging at arms length in front of me, palms facing to the rear as if I were about to do dumbbell front raises. I began like a front raise, but as I lifted the dumbbells higher, I started changing the angle so I was raising them up and to the side at the same time. Then, as the dumbbells were half way up, I started lifting up and BACKWARDS at the same time, while rotating my hands so the thumbs were pointing up at the finish. This created a sort of “ripple effect” that began with the front deltoids initiating the movement, then as I pulled the dumbbells up and backwards at the same time, the side delts kicked in, then at the finish as I pulled the dumbbells way back (thumbs up at the top), it was mostly in the rear deltoids. The exercise was performed with ZERO momentum allowed… ZERO… 100% deltoid action.

I looked at Richie with my usual “You are a sadistic bastard” expression on my face (after the ocean of lactic acid had left my delts), and said, “What the heck was THAT? Do you have name for that monstrosity? That was like a “wave” going through the entire deltoid from front to rear.”

“A wave? Hmmmm… The rear Delt shockwave”, yeah, that’s it. Another new exercise invented.

By the way, before you comment… YES I know we need pictures or videos of these weird exercises that Richie comes up with… Some days I get pictures, but most days he is too busy spotting, etc (“kicking my ass”) to snap photos… Don’t worry. Richie and I are in the preliminary planning stages of putting together some very unique bodybuilding videos/DVD’s that will show these and many other unique exercises along with many of the techniques I’ve mentioned in passing in these blogs…

But I digress. Back to delts. No… he STILL wasn’t finished “abusing” me… more rear delts! Back upstairs we went to the Nebula pec deck/rear delt machine, where we finished up with three more sets with more heinous intensity techniques… This time, partial range of motion mixed with full range. For example: 3-4 full range reps, then 3-4 partial reps at bottom, then 3-4 partial reps at top, then 3 full reps. All reps were done with less weight than usual and TOTALLY locked elbows (no bend in elbows whatsoever!)

You know that saying, be careful what you wish for, you just might get it? Well, I tell my trainer Richie I want to work my delts really hard and “specialize” on shoulders… and this is what I get… Deltoid MURDER! My delts were TOAST… Well done… Char broiled!

Beginners… don’t try this at home! (and even if you’re advanced… well, good luck to you!)

I still had triceps (and abs) yet to go, but Richie looked at his watch and said, “It’s been a pleasure kicking your ass!”

I came back in the evening to hit my triceps and abs…. But sorry… I’m too damn tired to write any more… I’m going to go take a nap!

PS. Is this overtraining? Yeah, probably… So? :)

Published on 27 July, 2005

Comments

Tiago said:

Hey Tom, Good blog today. Those were very tough workouts and I don't know how you go through it. Keep up with the great work. Anyways, I was wondering, if you want to become a bodybuilder, do you have to do all those sets and work every side of the muscle?

Posted on Aug 03, 2005 09:42 PM

Thad said:

I've just began reading your blog this week after I heard about it on Marc David's podcast. So far I've used your bicep and delt workouts in the past week. All I can say is WOW. They have kick my butt and I'm really feeling it. The Shockwave delt movement at the end really did me in.

My training needed a revamping and this blog looks like its going to be a valuable asset. Thanks!

Posted on Aug 04, 2005 08:35 PM