Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas...... Part II
There are two parts to this column for the sole reason that I enjoy writing it and wanted to provide as much information about Trevor and my training as possible......
This entire 2nd part covers the much anticipated back training explanation of BFT. This is the training session that yields more LOATHING, than it would fear. Why?, you ask, well two reasons. First is that while Trevor is strong on all movements that we do, he seems to have an extra amount of strength on back and leg days. The second reason is that I so want to bring my back width up to match that of my shoulders that I am just plain hard on myself when it comes to back training.
To date, all back training sessions have started with the same exercise. We start with the Hammer pullover machine. This is not one of my favorite machines, but it does seem to give that stretch that is needed when wanting to reach full muscular potential through the lats. When I speak of lats, please picture what it is I want. I do not want the classic V shape that so many of yester year strived for. I would rather fight to build the Dorian-esque lats that appear to be two slabs of meat hanging off the side of the body. Two slabs of vascular, thick, dense striated muscle! This is what the goal is! Upon starting a light warm-up is done, more for the shoulders on my part as I have experienced one too many shoulder injuries and want to insure they are stretched. After warming up, we LOAD the machine. LOAD is done in capitals due to the fact that Trevor is now up to 5 plates on each side and moving them quite easy. This first part of the drop is done for 6-7 reps, and then I drop the weight to 3 plates on each side so he may continue. What I still find amazing is that as easy as the 5 plates move, they also exhaust the back muscles and leave him able to move the 3 plates for only 4 reps or so. It is after this that I drop the machine again to 2 plates and Trevor performs the last part of the set. It is here that the reps start to tear each and every one of the last fibers that did not respond to the larger weights. It is also here that as you have been told in the past, Trevor not only changes colors, but also froths continuously at the mouth! Damn, this can be frustrating as one is trying to spot from the front. Lucky for me, this drop is usually the shortest as Trevor is spent from the first two parts of the set. My turn!, the machine is loaded back to 4 plates on each side as I prepare to do my set. The development of my lats is so very important to me that I take these sets beyond serious. As of late, I have been frustrated that I am not feeling what I need to in my back due to some previous injuries to the elbows. Once the pain in the elbows flares up, it is hard to focus 100% on the back.. I get frustrated more so that I am having a hard time focusing. Pain can be endured, but when it takes one's focus away, it leaves places for more injuries to occur. I reach 5 reps on this first weight and it is time for the 1st drop. The machine is taken down to 2 plates, and I keep moving. Understand that by now, my elbows and my back are screaming in pain. The fibers in the lats stretch more each set, while my elbows feel as though hammers are pounding on them! After 5-6 reps, it is time to take the machine down to 1 plate, that is right 1 plate on each side. This weight should feel easy, but by now it is feeling just as 4 plates was in the beginning. Struggling through another 5-6 reps is hell, but once it is done a feeling of relief comes over me. Pullovers are finished, yes, just one giant work set. Trust me, when done right, this is all most should need. Proof lies in the fact that Trevor continues to grow well past 360, while adding density to his back, and I, while dieting still see muscular gain to my physique.
We move on to the Hammer row. It is not the row made popular by Dorian, but instead a version of the machine that leaves the one doing it to pull the weight up and towards the shoulder blade, instead of straight to you. It is an awkward machine to use, but does produce a burn in the outer lat that is again needed in my case. The only way we are able to perform the exercise is to do it one arm at a time. We do not fit into the machine straight on; therefore, it is necessary to turn the body slightly for two reasons. The first reason for turning the body is so you may rotate the body at the end of the movement to further contract the lat. The second is that gripping the lever is awkward due to the angle of it. Anyway, this is done straight, no drops. A weight is selected and reps are done until the one doing it completes a final 3 forced reps. Maintaining your grip is hard on this machine as once the lats start to exhaust, some of the weight is shifted to the forearms, it is not a pleasant feeling! Trevor rows on this machine with 5 plates on each side. This too causes anger, not at Trevor, the machine, as it barely holds the 5 plates. I, while spotting, must reach over and hold the 5th plate on. As if BFT is not enough work, now I am holding plates on! Me, I stick to 3, sometimes 4 plates, this is more than enough! Trust me. After one agonizing set, it is time to move on to a new exercise for us, the T bar row. Here we do two sets, the first is our, "ego set", just kidding, but both of us like throwing on 8 plates and going to work! The hardest part, for me, on this movement is just standing up with the weight, lower back injuries are not fun. After we both complete this set, we now drop the weight to 5 plates and do pause sets. In saying pause, I mean that at the top of the movement, we hold the weight for a count of 5, while flexing the erectors and lower lats. This set is harder than the heavier set in that after 5-6 reps, just holding that much weight at the top is tough. By now, my lats, actually my entire back is pumped. Recently, Trevor had me do a finishing movement where we use the angled T bar, and use one arm at a time. It is done to give the lats a last burst of blood before moving on to biceps. After reading this, I know that some will question the supposed, "lack of volume", but trust me when witnessed, or better yet performed you will scream, whimper and hurt all the way through.
In the next Ground Zero column, I will describe the brief, yet very very intense biceps and triceps training. These are the two bodyparts that most do not believe can benefit from one, long, painful set. I will attempt in word to describe how one of the principles of BFT, being that the training sessions are performed so that one training session compliments the other, is the key to making the arm routines work.
Having watched many bodybuilding video's, I cannot express enough that when the BFT video is made, these words in this column and the others before will make more sense. Witnessing Trevor train, and training with him, gives me the feeling I had seeing Dorian train on the, Blood and Guts video. I will close this column with something I have done over the years, but now feel I am mastering in my training.
Going into a gym is a different experience for each individual. Some are there for stress release, some to build a massive physique, others more for the social part of it all. Anyone that wants to be successful at BFT has to understand that it takes more than a desire to go beyond failure. It takes the ability to flick a switch in your head, to change into something that defines intensity. Intensity is not judged by how loud, or how heavy one may train, it is their ability to focus beyond the realm of just seeing yourself in the mirror. Since starting with Trevor in the gym, I do not see myself as I am now, rather, I see what it is I want to build. Much like an architect, I focus on the finished product. The finished product for me personally may never happen, I am never happy with my development. It is the quest to find that finished product that I focus on. Each rep, every set, exercise after exercise I try to push the envelope, mentally, physically, and to a degree spiritually. Those seeing us train think that we are one rep away from an injury, yet I have witnessed injuries when one was warming up with the lightest of weights. I have thrown out my back by turning too quick or leaning over too fast. Both Trevor and I are very much in control in the gym. I may joke about frothing at the mouth, which does happen, or the degree of color change in Trevor's face as we train, but my real message is not a joke. It is written to show you that no amount of intensity is enough, what is enough? Any of you deciding to challenge yourself enough to do BFT, please know that it is a mindset, the ability to knock down the negative thoughts that can limit our training. Once the switch is on, one cannot think about significant others, car trouble, finances, any of life's problems. I see my training as a blessing in many ways, but one in particular is that I can stop stressing about life for an hour, and take it all out on my body, not in a negative way, but one that will yield, for me, positive results.
Bye for now, next month , as mentioned will cover arm training.
