Project HUGE: Huge In A Hurry - Get Ready - Week Two
Posted March 23, 2009 at 7:52 PM by Ben Nadel
I just started week two of Chad Waterbury's, Get Ready phase of the Huge In A Hurry fitness program. The Get Ready phase of the program is designed to get you used to working out with Chad's suggested style: Moving heavy stuff fast and lighter stuff faster. Last week, when I began this phase, I think I definitely concentrated to much on the speed aspects of the movement. Meaning, I think I sacrificed weight in favor of speed (and at the expense of form at times). Now, there are going to be times during the program where you want to go lighter; but, my concern was that even on the heavy days (4-6 Rep Max days), I was picking weight that was too light for the Rep Max (RM) range. Only, I didn't realize this because at the speed I was trying to move it, it "felt" like a 4-6 RM (or rather, it was at 4-6 reps that my faster speed slowed down).
This week, as I enter week 2 of the Get Ready phase, I am trying to go a little heavier. Because of the heavier weights, I will have to move the weight slower; but, I think that my weight will be more RM-appropriate (ie. my selected weight will be more accurate for the Rep Maximum of the given day). While I understand that when we move weight fast, we can activate large motor units (the motor units capable of the greatest hypertrophy), I also believe that when I go heavy, I have to really go heavy to really hit those large motor units.
The following is what I did today:
Wide Row (Seated Pulley)
- 90 x 6
- 100 x 5
- 100 x 5
- 100 x 5
- 100 x 4
Notes: Felt good to go heavier today. Switched over to wide pulley row.
Dips
- 100 x 6
- 100 x 5
- 100 x 5
- 100 x 6
- 100 x 4
Squat (Split DB)
- 60 x 6
- 70 x 5
- 75 x 5
- 75 x 4
- 75 x 5
Notes: Grip giving out first!! Need straps next time.
I went heavier today on both wide cable pulley row and split squats. On split squats, I feel like I could have gone heavier, but my grip was giving out on the second leg. On dips, I didn't go heavier, but I did start off at the heavier weight rather than working up to 100. I really liked the way the heavier weight felt; and although it was heavier, I still tried to move it as fast as I was able to.
I'll see how this methodology workouts out for the rest of the week.
Reader Comments
Just curious, what made you switch from the standing cable row to the seated row?
@Matrix,
I couldn't keep my form standing. I couldn't provide enough resistance without leaning back too much. With the seated row (with wide grip), I have my feet to brace me in place. I think it allows me to concentrate on the rowing action and not on the standing aspect.
There are plenty of exercises where I can worry about full-chain pulling (ie. Dead lifts, cleans, etc.).
Ah ok. I figured it was something like that.
I just started the program this week. The standing rows are very awkward. I thought about switching to the seated rows, but I like the concept of the standing row.
I did the 2nd workout of get ready today and those deadlifts are just brutal.
@Matrix,
Yeah deadlifts are brutal, and deadlifts for higher reps (10-12) are especially difficult!
