Monday, April 4, 2011

I was a Barbell Sandwich

Thank you stranger in the gym who freed me from a state of human barbell sandwich.

There's this great bench exercise where you take a resistance tube that has a handle at each end, put one handle over one side of the barbell, run it under the bench, and put the other handle on the other side of the bench, thereby increasing resistance at the top of the lift. (read more here and see picture below)

it's like this only with a two-handled resistance tube running under the bench and hooking at either end


It's a great exercise at least until you tumble off that sheer cliff of failure...then poof....human sandwiched between bench and barbell.  I waited a brief eternity until I caught the eye of a fellow lifter who bailed me out....I think with just his pinkie finger.

I realize the hardest thing about lifting solo is going to be figuring out just how far I can push myself without Jake here as my automatic backup spotter.  And learn to ask for a spot, but I hate that.

Other than that, the first solo workout that Jake sent my way went well - 35 sets - hitting chest, some shoulder, and core, and I worked up a pretty good sweat.  I think this virtual trainer setup is going to work just fine.