Better Living Through Iron

soldog · September 23, 2009, 2:30am

[quote]mcl wrote:
Cycle 5, Week 2, Day 1:

OW OW OW OW OW.

Well, so much for the “my shoulders feel ok” thing.

Warmup: the usual, plus 10@bar.

Military Press: 3@90, 3@100, 8@115 (PR)

Things were fine, until I decided to try a couple of Anderson squats, just to see how they go. I had a choice of my normal pin placement when I squat, which is about 3 inches below parallel, or the pin above, which is 6" higher than that, so 3" above parallel. I went with the higher pin, just to get the hang of it.

I set up by bending over, getting my back on the bar and my hands in place, and then moving my lower body forward. Perform the movement, finish, get out from under the bar. For some reason, this REALLY tweaked both my shoulders. I’ve got shooting pains on the outside and insides of both my arms from this.

Anyway,

Anderson back squats: 1@225, 1@275, 1@315, 1@365 (all PR for the Anderson, since I’ve never done them before, and the 365 is a PR in general for any squat movement I do.

After those, my shoulders were worthless. my arms were shaking, and I couldn’t move them to chest height without some deal of pain. Nonetheless…

standing 1-arm DB overhead presses: 5x5@60 (PR)

DB front lateral raise: 5x5@20

front raise: 5@20. Hurt like hell, so I switched to 2x5@15, then gave up.

side raise: same thing. 5@20, too much pain, switched to 2x5@15, and gave up.

As I’m writing this, the pain’s shooting as far down as my elbows. I really don’t want to have to make an unscheduled trip to the doctor again.

Weight: 248.[/quote]

Nice PRs! but I agree with DCA, don’t mess with anything that smacks of nerve involvement. Shooting pains are a big No-No…

mcl · September 25, 2009, 3:14am

Crap. No time to work out; emergency at work today. Made me 3 hours late to the gym, working out during the biological ‘down’ time, and my eating’s off due to the emergency.

Went in, no warmups at all.

Cycle 5, Week 2, Day 2:

Deadlift: 3@260, 3@305, 3@340.

Pullups: 10. I now owe myself 40 tomorrow.

70-degree inc. BB bench@135: 5x10.

Weight: 249. Ate crappy at an A’s game with my girlfriend’s employer, who took them all to a game.

DaCharmingAlbino · September 24, 2009, 11:27pm

Are the arms/shoulders feeling better?

jjackkrash · September 24, 2009, 11:33pm

Life got in the way, but you got some work in and made your reps, so good work. I will say, the last time I got rushed and skipped my deads warm-up, I spent the next three weeks rehabbing a tweaked back. That is one lift you really need to be careful with skimping on the warmups.

mcl · September 25, 2009, 1:24am

[quote]DaCharmingAlbino wrote:
Are the arms/shoulders feeling better?[/quote]

No, they’re still being finicky. Tomorrow’s bench; I’m going to take it very easy. I’ll probably just do 3/3/3 for them as well, keeping the elbows way in. I’m going to skip the dips and do skullcrushers and random chest exercises that won’t stress them.

I may call next week to try to push up my followup with the join specialist I saw for the cortisone a few weeks ago, if they’re still causing twinges on Monday.

mcl · September 25, 2009, 1:25am

[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
Life got in the way, but you got some work in and made your reps, so good work. I will say, the last time I got rushed and skipped my deads warm-up, I spent the next three weeks rehabbing a tweaked back. That is one lift you really need to be careful with skimping on the warmups. [/quote]

True. Thankfully, it didn’t happen today. I even forgot my belt in my office, so I was lifting completely raw (no straps, either). Good gor my grip and core, at least.

LittleStrick · September 25, 2009, 11:41am

I hate days like that. Great job getting in what you needed to! The train keeps moving…

mcl · September 25, 2009, 10:09pm

Still getting shooting pains in the shoulder, so I’m back to the specialist a week from Monday, hopefully for more cortisone and an MRI.

Cycle 5, Week 2, Day 3:

Warmup: usual, 10@bar, 10@95

Bench: 3@145, 3@170, 6@190

BBB: 5x10@135 supersetted with:
4x10 pullups, 5x10 seated cable rows @165, 5x10 ez-bar skullcrushers @65

Accessory: 3x10 ez-bar curls@55

Couldn’t do dips today (I wouldn’t dare with the shoulders the way they are), so the skullcrushers, rows, curls are to make up for that lack, hopefully.

Weight: 249. Really stressed from yesterday.

mcl · September 28, 2009, 10:04pm

Cycle 5, Week 2, Day 4:

Warmups: usual, 10@bar, 10@135

Squat: 3@235, 3@270, 2x3@300 (wasn’t feeling the reps, so I racked after 3, then did 3 more).

Accessories:
Decline DB pullover 5x10@40, supersetted with:

Zerchers from pin 2 (below parallel): 5@225, 5@245, 5@265, 5@285, 3@315. I know I said pin 2 was parallel before, but I realized that’s only on setup. When I’m actually squatting the weight up, my ass starts around my ankles.

The 315 zerchers really toast my forearms trying to hold the bar in.

Skipped the leg curls today. Just wasn’t feeling them.

Weight: 251 (My eating always suffers over the weekend (i.e., I end up eating a lot of carbs), and it always seems to show up on the scale on Monday.)

At least my shoulders aren’t twinging today. We’ll see how it is tomorrow after military presses, though.

mcl · September 29, 2009, 11:36pm

Cycle 5, Week 3, Day 1:

Warmups: the usual, plus 10@bar, 10@65

Military Press: 5@95, 3@105, 6@120 (PR). I may have cheated a bit and turned the last two into a tiny bit of a push press, but what the hell, my shoulders hurt.

Accessories: Standing 1-arm db press: 5x5@60, supersetted with the following:
front lat db raise: 5x10@25
front raise (palms inward up, palms outward down): 5x10@20
side raise: 5x10@15
40-degree incline bench on the Smith machine: 5x10@145, starting from a dead stop on my clavicle each rep, with very close grip, keeping elbows as far in as possible. I’m trying these to see if they help increase my MP any (and I get the extra benefit of a bit of pec work and possible bench assistance).

15 pullups. I’m going to start spreading my 50 pullups out across each week.

20 minutes steady-state cardio. Sick of being a fatty again. I want to have the strength of a powerlifter with the body of…well, either a bodybuilder or whatshisname, the huge, ripped Czech strongman. I’m hopeless.

Weight: 251.

Brain kept trying to get me to pussy out on the accessoreis, but I stuck it out. Shoulder didn’t start twinging until after I was done, thankfully. But it was threatening to by the 2nd set of accessories.

mcl · October 2, 2009, 11:32pm

when it rains, it pours. Emergency at work again yesterday. So much so I didn’t have time to go to the gym. Emergency continues today, but managed to get in, do some work, and get out.

Cycle 5, Week 3, Day 2:
Warmups: usual, plus 5@135, 5@225
DL: 5@270, 3@325, 1@360, 1@405, 3 FAILS @455 (one: couldn’t get off floor. two: couldn’t get above knees. 3: got 6" off floor.) 1 FAIL @405 (got to thigh, couldn’t lock out).

Got to gym @2:30. Total food eaten prior to gym: 2 tbsp natty PB. I’m out of food (didn’t have time for grocery run yesterday).

Accessories: 2x10@105 lat flys
3x10 seated rows@70
1x10 seated rows@95

15 pullups

Exhausted, called it a day. Pretty pissed off at myself, and at work.

Weight: 251.

soldog · October 3, 2009, 1:04am

[quote]mcl wrote:
when it rains, it pours. Emergency at work again yesterday. So much so I didn’t have time to go to the gym. Emergency continues today, but managed to get in, do some work, and get out.

Cycle 5, Week 3, Day 2:
Warmups: usual, plus 5@135, 5@225
DL: 5@270, 3@325, 1@360, 1@405, 3 FAILS @455 (one: couldn’t get off floor. two: couldn’t get above knees. 3: got 6" off floor.) 1 FAIL @405 (got to thigh, couldn’t lock out).

Got to gym @2:30. Total food eaten prior to gym: 2 tbsp natty PB. I’m out of food (didn’t have time for grocery run yesterday).

Accessories: 2x10@105 lat flys
3x10 seated rows@70
1x10 seated rows@95

15 pullups

Exhausted, called it a day. Pretty pissed off at myself, and at work.

Weight: 251.[/quote]

Damn - that’s a lot of attempts at a max deadlift, esp. on no food…

mcl · October 5, 2009, 5:53pm

Yup. Color me stupid.

By the way, saw the specialist today about my shoulders. Turns out the shooting pain was from straining my deltoids. He said my rotator cuffs are looking good and strong now. Got some prescription anti-imflammatories, and a deload week coming up. We’ll see how that works out.

LittleStrick · October 5, 2009, 7:53pm

[quote]mcl wrote:
Yup. Color me stupid.

By the way, saw the specialist today about my shoulders. Turns out the shooting pain was from straining my deltoids. He said my rotator cuffs are looking good and strong now. Got some prescription anti-imflammatories, and a deload week coming up. We’ll see how that works out.[/quote]

That’s great news! You be back at full speed in no time!

mcl · October 6, 2009, 1:32am

So, today was interesting. Took an anti-inflammatory about an hour before hitting the gym.

Cycle 5, Week 3, Day 3:
Warmup: usual, 10@bar, 10@85
5@145, 3@185, 5@200 (PR)

Accessories:

bench: 10@145
Floor press: 3x10@135, close-grip. Wound up hitting exhaustion on the last set. Had to do these off of 2 plates. Straight from the floor and I couldn’t get under the bar, much less get my arms in position.

Press from pins (6" off chest): 6@225 Had about 3 attempts that were outright FAILS in addition to those 6.
Incline Smith machine, super-close grip (my hands were touching) 3x10@135
Skullcrushers: 4x10@70
pullups: 15. I finally managed these as 4+1, 3+2, and 3+2. Woot!
Pec flys: 10@105, 10@120

Shoulder started to twinge, so I stopped.

I feel like an idiot hurting my delts while rehabbing my rotator cuff.

Weight: 250.

I ordered a GoWear Fit (http://www.gowearfit.com/) with the wireless monitor; should be here sometime next week. Should be very interesting. I’m hoping it’ll help give me some better feedback on my NEPA and my in-gym intensity, as well as help me dial in my diet some more.

I’m also considering buying a CMS-50e finger pulse oximeter, because a) I’m a nerd, and b) it’d help with my sleep apnea therapy.

Was wiped while in the gym, but feeling great just an hour later. I could go back. (But I won’t!)

So, here’s a puzzler: Would one still be swole if one took anti-inflammatories after a workout?

Elaikases · October 6, 2009, 4:39pm

[quote]mcl wrote:
Yup. Color me stupid.

By the way, saw the specialist today about my shoulders. Turns out the shooting pain was from straining my deltoids. He said my rotator cuffs are looking good and strong now. Got some prescription anti-imflammatories, and a deload week coming up. We’ll see how that works out.[/quote]

That is great news. The deltoids will fix, that the rotator cuffs are good, and are in good rehab is really good news.

mcl · October 6, 2009, 10:12pm

Today COMPLETELY made up for the utterly shitty past week or so.

Cycle 5, Week 3, Day 4: last day of cycle

Warmup: usual, plus 10@bar, 5@135, 5@185

squats: 5@250, 3@285, 5@320 (huge PR).

The most I’ve ever tried to squat before – and what I set my 5-3-1 max at when I started 5 months ago – was 315. I really struggled with 3 singles, had my knees buckling inwards, and was sucking wind hard. Today, I repped 320 for 5, and still had a ton left in the tank.

How much left in the tank? Well, I was curious too, never actually having tried a squat max. So, I tried.

I threw 365 up, because I’d previously managed one Anderson squat at that weight (though I strained like hell to do it, and injured my delts in the process).

I squatted 365. TWICE. And not as singles, either! huge honkin’ PR!. I actually got it down and up a third time, but I was high when I started back up, so I’m not counting it. Also, I started to get a weird pain in my gut, under the belt. Knowing how I wind up when I ignore such things, I took it as a sign to give up the squats for the day. I suspect I probably could’ve gotten 405 down and up once if I was feeling it today.

Still! I’ve added 50 lbs to my squat in 5 months, and can now rep out more than my previous 1RM. Not bad for an old fart who hasn’t been doing this whole lifting thing very long!

I also, for the first time ever, managed 15 pullups as 3 sets of 5 reps, rather than having to take triples, doubles, or singles to finish a set. Which also takes me to 60 pullups for the week, 10 more than I’ve been managing. So let’s just call that a PR too.

Accessories: decline db pullovers, 3x10@45. Would’ve done 5x10, but my shoulder started warning me off, and this time I’m listening to it.

1-leg db squats (30lbs). 3x5. Was going to do 5x5, but …well, I’ve got no excuse here. My stabilizers are weak, my balance was for crap, and I was tired. In short, I pussied out on these. They feel good, though.

I skipped the heavy Zerchers I’d usually do on a squat day to protect my shoulder, but you can bet your ass I’m going to be doing them again after the deload. I credit them directly with my squat gains.

Weight: 252 (wtf? This is why I’m getting stuff to help quantify a bunch of biometrics, so I can figure out where the hell I’m going wrong, since macro and calorie manipulation doesn’t seem to give any clues).

I was sort of sad that it looked like there was no way I’d hit my original goal set back in January of squatting 405 by the end of the year. Now, it looks doable! (though only just. I’ll try a 1RM sometime that last week in December).

All in all: WOOT!

(EDIT: for those of you who may be thinking “hernia!” when I mentioned that weird pain…I think it’s just because I’ve packed on 10 lbs or so since I set the belt, and it’s probably just too tight at this point. I had a similar problem last week with deads, and I discovered some nasty bruising on my hips and gut from the belt.)

DaCharmingAlbino · October 6, 2009, 10:17pm

[quote]mcl wrote:
Today COMPLETELY made up for the utterly shitty past week or so.