On back day, definitely do some lower back hyperextensions (with a weight plate in your hands). Other than that, nothing else should be done on that device on back day.

The 8-12 rep scheme for the arms day on 5x5 means you are doing moderately heavy weight, but not very heavy weight. You are training a bit more volume for a bit less weight.

You should start light, then go heavy, and finish medium.

Great thanks!

What's your take on hammer-strength bench press by the way: when is it useful in a chest workout? I'll have the unit soon and I'm just not entirely certain as to how I should be going about machine exercises. I know you said it's useful, I just need to understand better. I've basically changed my workouts to being free-weight and compound-oriented, and it's been so long since I used machines that I'm somewhat confused about how they really integrate with freeweights (other than cable machines which I understand better). For example, if I'm doing a shoulder day and I'm feeling fairly worn out, and I've done military presses and front raises and side raises and shrugs, I then don't know how the machine really plays in as opposed to throwing in a freeweight exercise.

I followed your 5x5 arm routine with the 8-12 schemes mixed in today... excellent pump. On my third set of bb curls 5x5 I got my curl up to 90 x 5 for barbell curls, which for me is pretty good (a month ago was doing 85 x 7 on my first set after warmup). However I had to shoot that weight down to 70 on the next set of curls.

This post was edited by Canadian_Man on Oct 27 2011 07:54pm

No bro, I don't drink alcohol lol. And no symptoms.

See a doctor, get a full blood panel. Check for Hepatitus, liver disease, wilsons disease, and also celiacs disease.

If you check clear for all of that, do NOT donate any plasma. 6 months from now, get another test for ALT levels and see if it has changed. If not, you might have a serious condition.

The hammer strength bench press is great. You can use it as one of the last exercises on chest day.

What more do you want to know about it? It should be used on its own towards the end of the workout for added muscular failure and pectoral isolation.

It's quite good and isolates more than freeweights while also being generally safer.

That pretty much answers everything. That clears up my confusion. Thanks

This post was edited by Canadian_Man on Oct 27 2011 08:18pm

Aight man, thanks.

What's the difference between a palms down front raise and a palm facing opposite arm front raise? I find I can raise heavier dumbbells when my palms are facing in

hey raynor just letting u know my problem was hemmerhoids got cream for it
thanks for ur help bro

palms down is mostly for front delts...when you face the palms together you start using more forearms and lats. Its much easier to use the palms together grip as this generally is a neutral grip that also utilizes more muscle groups and is thus easier.