Patreon Extra: Random Workout 1/12/20- A Plague on Pectorals

Jamie Chaos

January 13, 2020

As you guys know, I despise writing about myself. In a universe in which everyone thinks they are the star of their own reality show, I fucking despise being on camera, and I despise performing for other people- it’s the main reason why I despise filming my lifts.

As such, most of you are unaware that after inclining 345 at around 205 about 7 months ago, I underwent a series of debilitating shoulder knots that defied my every effort to undo them and prevented me from benching on a flat or an incline. And I realize that 355 isn’t going to melt anyone’s panties, I was chasing a 405 incline, which should melt a couple of panties, at the very least. Edible ones, perhaps, would melt under the increased temperature and moisture.

In any event, I stopped doing any and all barbell work for my shoulders and chest and went entirely to machines and cables. The result is that my chest and shoulders look fucking amazing, but I’m not quite sure how my strength has fared in the interim. I did easily double 255 on strict overhead press once, beltless, and it felt like my fucking abs were tearing in half but the load on my shoulders was definitely more than manageable, so I’m thinking benching should be similarly decent.

Yesterday was the day I tested it out, and he’re what I did:

Incline Bench Press– 135 x 25; 135 x 20; 225 x 10; 275 x 1; 295 x 1; 315 x 1; 325 x 1

My right shoulder is the one that most recently gave me shit, and it was a bit tight, so I decided to stop at 325, which was pretty easy and done without a spotter or a liftoff.

Machine Flyes– (I don’t pay any attention to what the weight is- I just keep adding it until I’m at the stack and alter my contraction time downwards as I increase weight. For the first couple of sets I do a 4-6 count contraction, then reduce it to just slamming the handles together as I get to the stack) shitload of sets ranging in reps from 12 to 3. This has been my bread and butter exercise for months and I swear by it- clearly, it’s working.

Hammer Strength Chest Press– 2 x 30 x 1 plate a side; 2 x 20 x 2; a few sets for max reps with 3 plates; 2 x 4 x 3 plates and a 25; 1 x AMRAP x 3 plates; 1 x AMRAP x 2 plates

Reverse Flyes (rear delts)- 5-6 x 12

So I have no idea what I weigh right now and don’t care- what I do care about is that I lost no strength whatsoever in the intervening months of not touching a barbell, and really drank in the value of rep work on machines. That’s not to say I’ve quit on barbells- this is just the natural ebb and flow and progression of lifting.

By the way, if you restrict yourself to barbells because you think it makes you cool, it fucking doesn’t. How you guys got the notion I’m part of the internet’s anti-machine movement is a fucking mystery.

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Jamie Chaos

I am a former all-time, all federation world record holder in raw powerlifting at 181lbs, a record I broke just to say fuck you to the internet’s “lifting” community and the powerlifting community at large. Over the last ten years I’ve written over 500 articles on strength training, nutrition, and supplementation, and continue to do so simply to fight the tide of weakness and sadness that currently pervades the scene I’ve called home for the better part of three decades. I’ve got personal trainin certs, BodyPump and BodyCombat certs, a BA in History and East Asian Studies from the University of Arizona, and MBAs from the Vienna University and University of South Carolina on my side, in addition to some sick lifts and a hell of a lot of rage. What the fuck have you got?

4 responses to “Patreon Extra: Random Workout 1/12/20- A Plague on Pectorals”

steve

January 13, 2020

High reps edify the joints. Have a look at this for ideas…
https://www.muscleandfitness.com/flexonline/training/build-muscle-mass-while-preventing-joint-damage

“The team of scientists discovered that heavy loads — such as weights that prevent you from completing more than eight reps — can cause inflammation in joints that results in cartilage deconstruction and inhibits its reconstruction. Heavy weight seems to affect genes in cartilage cells that cause cell-signaling molecules, called cytokines, to initiate a chain of events that result in the release of chemicals that appear to attack the cartilage. This type of attack is similar to that in arthritis.

If you frequently train heavy and your elbows, knees, hips or shoulders are sore, it may not necessarily be due to a specific training injury. It could be the breakdown of your joint cartilage over time from the heavy pounding your joints sustain. Ask any oldtime bodybuilder who trains heavy about joint pain, and he’ll likely recite a long list of aching joints that he has accumulated over the years.”

Yup, I am that oldtimer.
1. Jamie Chaos
  
  January 14, 2020
  
  Oh, this wasn’t a joint issue- just knotting. I would get it massaged out (which was agonizing) and the other one would immediately seize on me. it was driving me fucking nuts. As to my rep work, it’s just because I’ve been enjoying it and I like getting a bigass pump.
  
  Good to know, though. I suppose that would explain why I no longer have need of wrist wraps, though- nothing seems to hurt my wrists since I added a lot of high rep machine work.
Matthew Powell

February 8, 2020

Hey brother when is the cookbook(stews) gonna come out? Also, does it come in paper/ book version? Thanks
1. Jamie Chaos
  
  February 10, 2020
  
  Tara is working on the formatting today and all of the writing is done. I’ve gotta do a last pass on the edits and the recipe book will be out within the next 48 hours. A full blown cookbook with all of the historical shit in it is in the works- we’re using the recipe book to generate revenue for all of the shit you need for photographing food. The recipe book is a nearly 300 page compendium of the recipes I’ve already posted on the site, but edited and cleaned up and standardized in terms of weights and measures and overall format.