From: krw@cbnewsk.cb.att.com (keith.r.smith)
Subject: Blasting the stubborn parts (was Re: Loss of Energy ....)
Organization: AT&T
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 20:14:43 GMT

In article <1993Jan8.094949.613@hnrc.tufts.edu> loszewski_im@hnrc.tufts.edu writes:
>In article <1993Jan7.222114.7747@cbnewsk.cb.att.com>, krw@cbnewsk.cb.att.com (keith.r.smith) writes:
>> 
================ stuff deleted ===============
>> Rob,
>> Your comments on carbs and their effect upon workout intensity are well
>> taken, but if ths were Ram's problem (not enough carbs in his diet),
>> then, would that not effect his lower-body training as well?  For that
>> matter, would it not _especially_ effect his lower-body training?
>
>You could be right Keith.  I am assuming that he does not work his lower and 
>upper body both in the same day.  

I am assuming as much, as well.

>I am also assuming that it happens to be 
>coincidence that this only occurs on days that he works his upper body.  

I had not considered this possibility.

>It also could be psychological as well.  If he knows that he has is weaker
>in the upper body, then he will be less inclined to want to improve.  

I think that this should read:
"less inclined to _believe_ that he can improve"
I think that this ties in pretty well with the thread on muscle cell memory.
I think that one of the reasons that folx can "come-back" to a given state
of fitness faster than they got there the first time, is just as much mental
as physical.  You simply do not have the same mental barriers before you
as you did on the first-go-round.

>In other words,
>(for example), my chest and lats are my upper body weaknesses, but my bi's and
>tri's are great.  I love to work my arms, but cringe all day when I know that 
>"tonights" workout is chest and back; because I know that I will have to work
>alot harder to improve my chest and lats.  

The most responsive parts _always_ seem to be the most fun to work :-).
Is this a case of the chicken-and-egg syndrome, or a self-fulfilling-type
prophecy.  I have a buddy who is small-boned, as I am, and about the same
height, but some 10 pounds lighter.  We are both in pretty decent shape,
and quite a bit stronger than most folx expect.  For all of our adult
lives, he has had better delts and traps than I, while tend to have better
quads, lats and pecs than he.  For quite some time, I am sure that both
of us took these differences to be purely genetic in nature, but these
days, I am not so sure.  For one thing, my buddy really enjoys doing
military presses and press-behind the neck.  As for me, I just don't care
to do any sort of standing presses with straight bar or dumbells, nor do
I have the shoulder flexibility to make a good go of press-behind-the-neck.
Anyway, one day he showed me this "superset" that he had been doing.
The superset was seated presses followed immediately by upright rows.
Talk about _one helluva burn_!!!!  I have been doing some variation
thereof (I prefer to use dumbels, these days) ever since, and my delts
are coming along pretty well now..... and dammit, I am sprouting traps!
I _never_ had good (upper) traps before!  Now, If I could only convince
my buddy to put his all into some serious leg training :-).

>-Rob
>
>> 
Keith R
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