Mental Notes & Random Musings

I'd rather invest in an entrepreneur who has failed before than one who assumes success from day one. ~ Kevin O'Leary

Shoulder Press (Dumbbell Seated) Target Muscles: Anterior and medial deltoids, Upper Pectoralis major, Triceps, Shoulder girdle muscles (Trapezius, Supraspinatus) Starting Position: 1. Sit on an upright bench, angled at 75-90° so that your lower back is firmly in contact with the bench. 2. Hold a pair of dumbbells, hands facing forwards, level with your shoulders. The Movement: 1. Press the dumbbells upwards and inwards until they almost touch over your head. Straighten your arms but do not lock out your elbows. Hold momentarily. 2. Lower the dumbbells slowly back to the starting position. Tips: • Keep your torso upright - don't lean backwards or arch your spine as you press the bar upwards as this will strain your lower back. • Hold your abdominal muscles taut to help stabilize your spine or, if you are using a very heavy weight, wear a weightlifting belt. • Lower the dumbbells until they touch your shoulders. Don't shorten the movement.

Pulldown (Cable Narrow Grip) Target Muscles: Latissimus dorsi, Rhomboids, Biceps, Posterior deltoids, Fore-arms. Starting Position: 1. Hold the grips, with your palms of your hands facing each other. 2. Sit on the seat, adjusting it so that your knees fit snugly under the pads. Your arms should be fully extended. The Movement: 1. Pull the grips down towards your chest until it touches the upper part of your chest, arching your back slightly. 2. Hold for a count of two; then slowly return to the starting position. Tips: • Keep your trunk as still as possible - avoid swinging backwards. • Focus on keeping your elbows directly under the bar and squeezing the shoulder blades together. • Do not shorten the return phase of the movement - extend your arms fully. • Do not lean back too far. • Use wrist straps to improve your grip when using heavy weights. • Do not pull the bar down behind your neck. This can stress the weaker muscles in the shoulders and reduce the work done by the back muscle...

Lily is having a tough time of it now as Jack is shaking off everything. The one to nothing score is not making the events any easier to deal with as Jack is out of gas with a no hitter on the line, one strike out away from 4000 strikeouts and two outs in the ninth inning. Lily finally calls “Time” to the umpire and then trots out to the mound, where Jack looks increasingly pained as she gets closer. “Listen Jack, do you want that 4000, or do you just want to get out of this game with the no no?” Jack looks at her with the sweat rolling down his cheek, and says to her quite frankly, “I just want to get out of here with a win Lily. The only stat I have ever cared about is the W, just so you know and the two of them hear the umpire starting to make the usual noises that they make to speed the conversation along. Jack then adds, “Besides I have a few no noes, and I have a whole season to get 4000, so I’ll probably get there, God willing.” Lily’s trot back to the plate is a bit confusing, ...

I won't eat anything that has intelligent life, but I'd gladly eat a network executive or a politician. ~ Marty Feldman

Upright Row (Cable Standard) Target Muscles: Anterior and Medial deltoids, Trapezius, Biceps, Brachioradialis Starting Position: 1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. 2. Hold the cable bar with your hands about 15 cm apart, palms facing towards your body. The bar should rest against the front of your thighs. The Movement: 1. Pull the bar directly upwards towards your chin, bending your elbows out to the sides until the bar is level with your neck. 2. Hold for a count of two; then slowly lower the bar back to the starting position. Tips: • Keep the bar very close to your body throughout the movement. • Make sure you do not sway backwards as you lift the bar. • At the top of the movement your elbows should be level with, or slightly higher than, your hands. • Lower the bar slowly, resisting the weight. Variations: Wide grip: Using a shoulder width grip, places more emphasis on the deltoids and less on the trapezius.

Row (Cable Low) Target Muscles: Latissimus dorsi, Rhomboids, Teres major and minor, Erector spinae, Biceps, Fore-arms, Pectoralis major Starting Position: 1. Sit facing the cable row machine and place your feet against the foot rests. Grasp the bar and bend your knees slightly. 2. Lean forwards and grasp the pulley handles, while maintaining a normal, slightly curved spinal position. 3. Pull back a little way until your torso is nearly upright and your arms are fully extended. The Movement: 1. Pull the bar towards you until it touches your lower rib / upper abdomen region. You should be pulling your elbows and shoulders directly backwards as far as possible. 2. Hold for a count of two; then slowly return to the starting position, maintaining a near ­upright position. Tips: • To achieve maximum back development, keep your torso nearly upright during the entire movement - it should not move forwards or backwards more than 10°. • Maintain a normal curve in your back - do not arch your bac...