This tends to happen with the axle. It’s the body employing a defensive mechanism against the failing grip. The axle makes some weird things happen, haha.
2 Likes
Warmup stuff:
Thoracic spine stretch. I made this stretch up, it might have a real name. Like a kowtow. Basically the same position, forehead on ground, bring the butt off the heels, press the spine to the ground. Arms forward some of the time, head only some of the time.
Some light DB presses. Yellow band pullaparts.
Windmills with toe-touch: 45# x 5 (per side)
Flared KB Rows: 40# x 16 (per side) - thumb to nipple
Palm-forward Alternating DB Press: 20# x 12
Wide-grip Thick-bar Curls: 70# x 3; 60# x 5 - elbows at hips, arms out maybe 30 degrees
Jefferson Squat: 230# x 10 (5 each side) - somewhat more upright
Backwards BB Raise: 31# x 8
3 Squat Variations: 40# x 30; 14,7,5,5; 30 (91 reps)
Forward Bend: 78# x 12 - 6 DOH, 6 strapped
Shrugs: 72.5# x 24 - strapped
Dead hang: 20 seconds? 30 seconds?
Straight-leg Situps: 31# x 7
Pullovers: 31# x 17
H2H Swings: 40# x 14
Notes:
- Overall this felt really good. Swings felt like a nice close to it all. Tying it off with a bow.
- Everything is going up. A few exercises are now more difficult variations, and even though the weight dropped for those, it’s still “going up”.
- Warmup was sufficient for the windmills
- Changed some exercise order, which made this all work together again
- Still taking too-long breaks between all the squat types, which drives the total session time up
- I dropped the zottmans, but am working in more grip work with the forward bends, H2H swings and hangs
- Wider grip on the axle curls is better for my wrist pain (which still hurts)
- Made sure to lock out all of the forward bends, based on yesterday’s axle observations
- Pullovers immediately after ab work may not be quite right; felt some straining in my abs
- Straight-leg situps are easier on the abs, but harder overall right now compared to bent knee
- I have a bunch of l-leucine from long ago, so I’m slowly using it up.
This is what I use for those forward bends.
Nothing special about the thing in the middle or the tape. Used to be a supported wrist roller that I had set up hanging on gymnastic rings.
I think I’m going to re-quote this every couple weeks.
I started weighing myself morning and evening, every day. I now have 10 days of morning measurements, so, a baseline.
There’s a lot of variance right now, but weight gain is in the range of 1.9 to 6.7 pounds a month (closer to 2.4ish), based on calculating the 7,8,9,10 day trendlines. Not consistent enough for my liking, but all in the right ballpark.
Projecting, this should put me at a “fairly lean 175” around this time next year. So many assumptions baked into that, of course.
(It’s not like this is clean data anyway: it included 4th of July, a party with my wife’s coworkers, finishing a course of antibiotics that totally messed up my gut, and some nausea/indigestion/appetite stuff.)
My short term goals are to just steer in the right direction:
- Keep the weight gain above 2 pounds a month and below 10 pounds a month
- Add weight and/or reps to every exercise at least once a week
- Don’t get distracted with pursuing/increasing maxes
Milk is my current tool, outside of meals. Throughout the day. Then 24 ounces before bed, but early enough so I don’t have to wake up and pee.
I videoed myself doing windmills and presses on Friday and it looked like crap. Very far from how it should have looked.
Thus, I did some stretching and rehab stuff over the weekend.
I’m not happy with my overhead mobility right now. I don’t know whether the problem is in the spine or the shoulders. Either way, trying to get a bit more range of motion at the top so I can press UP or even UP AND BACK. Versus up and forward.
I don’t have a protocol or plan. Just trying stuff right now.
I also continue to reread, and reread, Super Strength. There’s a lot of information and it’s organized a bit chaotically.
-
I think I’m going to add in some light one-arm overhead squats. He says to start around 25 and work up to 75 before switching to two-arm overhead squats. I was already planning on doing this down the road anyway, but windmills will probably benefit from it now.
-
I read how to properly clean a dumbbell. What I was doing was pretty bad in the video, and youtube seems to be no help. I originally learned how to do it with a kettlebell, and was trying to use that technique with a dumbbell.
-
He talks about using kettlebells for pressing. He doesn’t spell it out, but one thing it does is rotate the arm backwards as you’re pressing. External rotation. Something I need.
-
I tried to see if I could put a handle on my dumbbells to make them more like kettlebells for pressing. There’s a product called a “Kettlegryp” but it’s plastic and only rated to 50 pounds. I tried mocking something up but I don’t know if this will work; weight plates seem to be in the way at the lower pressing position.
Oh, also, bodybuilding stuff apparently works. I’m not sharing photos but all those squats are actually doing something, despite the super super light weights. Thighs started getting wider, then started developing a taper from the hip to the knee, and now are getting deeper front to back. Genuinely a weird and novel experience for me to see these changes.
1 Like
I have some more ideas of how to improvise a kettlebell-like press using my loading pins. It’ll take another trip or two to the hardware store to test it out.
I did find this useful paragraph in a study that says KBs work better than DBs for seated overhead press in terms of total muscle stimulation. For everything but upper traps. Which is interesting because Calvert had KBs for shoulder presses, but ALSO shrugs for upper traps. Almost like he knew what he was doing.
It was shown that all of the analysed muscles had the highest activity during kettlebell pressing with a weight of 70% of 1RM. The largest differences between trials of 70% of 1RM pressing kettlebell and dumbbell of 29% and 24.2% were noted for the serratus anterior and lower trapezius, respectively. The remaining anterior deltoid, posterior deltoid, spinal erector, and upper trapezius muscles had 19%, 7.5%, 4% and 1.5% higher activities for kettlebell pressing, respectively. Moreover, it is worth mentioning that during the 6 kg pressing, higher muscle activities were also recorded for kettlebells, successively for the serratus anterior (18.1%), lower trapezius (10%), posterior deltoid (3.6%), spinal erector (1.2%), and anterior deltoid (0.88%). This relation was not observed for upper trapezius muscle, where there was 3.4% higher activity during the 6 kg dumbbell press.
What’s also interesting is how this KB press form differs from the current press form. The bottom position keeps the bells to the back, rather than rotated around in the rack position.
Warmup:
Axle overhead hold
Yellow band distractions
Yellow band bent over back raise
Yellow band pullaparts
Windmills with toe-touch: 45# x 6 (per side)
Flared KB Rows: 40# x 18 (per side) - thumb to nipple
Palm-forward Alternating DB Press: 20# x 14
Wide-grip Thick-bar Curls: 60# x 7
Jefferson Squat: 230# x 12 (6 each side)
Backwards BB Raise: 31# x 10
3 Squat Variations: 40# x 32; 16, 11, 5; 32 (96 total reps)
Shrugs: 72.5# x 24
Forward Bend: 78# x 14 - 9 DOH, 5 strapped
Straight-leg Situps: 31# x 8
H2H Swings: 40# x 14
Supported Axle Wrist Roller: 25# x 3 flexion, 3 extension
Pullovers: 31# x 18
Notes:
- Set up wrist roller again; a plus of DIY equipment is you can just reconfigure at will. Used the bar from my farmers walk handles within my rack.
- I read in my old log that when I was doing the wrist roller, my wrist pain went away. Trying that out to see if it helps this time around.
- Situps are still hard with straight legs, so I may give this some time and/or work back up to this
- Cleans and windmills are much better with better form for both parts
- No workout drink with leucine; trying to rule out whether the nausea the other day was from that (it’s 8 years old)
1 Like
I guess I’ll split this into three posts, just to keep them topical. A pain/injury check-in, a food post, and the actual workout with notes.
So, pain first. Documenting this for reference.
Old pains, before this round of lifting:
- occasional burning pain on inside left ankle. been around for 3 years now, started when I was doing standing meditation work
- occasional pain on inside of right knee. Went to PT for this with no results from PT, but figured it out for myself. I think it’s tightness of the gracilis muscle, and it can be relieved with stretching. Most of the stretch is actually near the groin.
- left shoulder pain. Posterior side of GH joint. Went through PT for this. Got some results from PT, but it never fully went away.
- left low back pain. QL tightness, says my massage therapist. I get regular work on this.
- right forearm pain. This has been happening on and off since my elbow surgery a few years ago. Orthopedist doesn’t know why. Massage makes this worse. “Dry needling”/acupuncture can relieve it. I do that myself when I need to. Stretching also helps.
New-ish pains:
- right rhomboid (?) pain. Massage therapist says it’s rhomboid. Between the scapula and spine on the right side. She said it was clearly inflamed last time I was there. Changing up my press form and windmill form (keeping the bells further back) seems to be moving this in the right direction.
- left SI joint pain. This happened on and off before with deadlifting/pulling. It happened again. Seems fine today. There are some very tight glute muscles. Took a tennis ball to it the other day and it’s awful; puts my body into a mix of chills and sweats.
- neck pain. Neck stuff has been off and on for years, but currently sharpness at certain angles, especially left side. Recently triggered from pushing that set of shoulder presses.
- top right ab pain. Just kind of a pinch/ache underneath the ribcage. Probably just needs rest and voltaren gel. (That’s what some urgent care guy told me when I pulled my abs whitewater rafting years ago.)
There’s all sorts of other pain/discomfort in my back right now, but I think those are just “sorting everything out” pains. I’ve been pretty aggressive with that thoracic mobility stuff after seeing my round-upper-back deadlifting form.
Could just be getting old though.
1 Like
I’m really glad we finally have a decent Hawaiian place in town. Huli huli chicken, kalua pork, and some hawaiian japanese-style chicken.
My wife still expects fresh vegetables even with takeout.
Broiled asparagus:
- snap the stems where they break so you cook only the tender parts
- put in a pan with foil
- rub everything with a higher temp oil like canola/rapeseed
- broil hot, but one rack down from the top
- turn every couple minutes until cooked through and slightly charred
- add salt after it’s done
Here’s the shrimp and broccoli she made the day before. Sauce from scratch.
And we also have a good Chinese place in town too. Not American Chinese.
Chongqing noodle. Chongqing chicken. Some beef and vegetable thing. Zhajiang mian (there’s probably an english name… “Old Beijing Fried Sauce Noodle, 炸酱面” says the internet.) Yangzhou fried rice.
Another recipe.
- fairly thick sliced zucchini
- put in hot pan with a layer of oil (canola/rapeseed)
- moderately-heavily salt the top sides only - you want to let this sit a bit so the salt can draw some water out
- flip every couple minutes until you get some bubbling/charring and they’re cooked through
- finish by pouring a splash of a neutral rice wine (or vermouth, or whatever) and let the wine fully bubble away
1 Like
And now the only thing that’s actually relevant in this log…
Windmills with toe-touch: 45# x 6 (per side)
Flared KB Rows: 40# x 20 (per side) - thumb to nipple
Palm-forward Alternating DB Press: 20# x 16 - better form with tensed front thighs
Wide-grip Thick-bar Curls: 70# x 4 - could have been 60# but too lazy to move around some 10s when I can just use 25s
Jefferson Squat: 235# x 14 (7 each side)
3 Squat Variations: 40# x 34; some; half - the extra flexing during pressing took its toll, also probably not enough rest
Forward Bend: 78# x 18 - all DOH
Shrugs: 72.5# x 25
Straight-leg Situps: skipped to let ab pain heal
Pullovers: skipped to let ab pain heal
Backwards BB Raise: 31# x 15
H2H Swings: 40# x 16
Wrist Roller: later
Notes:
- New form cue to remain upright when pressing - tense the front of the thighs. Worked well. Impacted squats.
- Also did a better job getting lat work out of the bottom end of the presses. That insight came from even more reading and inference of his stuff.
- I’ll do the rest of those squats later. Still want to get the work in. I usually have a long rest between the Jeffersons and those, but didn’t today.
- Repeated the windmill weight and reps (as I really should for EVERY exercise), and this second batch felt so much better.
- Got the Jefferson weight right this time. Misloaded unevenly with 230 last time. Oops.
- My daughter liked my wrist roller setup. She wanted to stand on the weight while I rolled it up. 25 + her (40ish) was doable.
1 Like
Ok. Finished those squats. 34 of variation 2 and 3.
Wrist roller 25# x flexion, extension, flexion, extension. Supersettish.
Starting the grip work early:
1 Like
The wrist roller with her was kind of funny, but I saw her yesterday doing stuff on the rings and bars at her gymnastics class… and maybe some grip work is actually a good idea?
I looked up some stuff, and I guess the current medical thinking is “if the kid is able to be in organized sports i.e., coordinated and can follow instructions, they can do some strength training… just not competitive weightlifting until they’re older”.
So maybe some grip stuff and goblet squats.
I think I need more pressing. And/or more shoulder work.
My interpretation and translation skills are being taxed, trying to piece this stuff together.
The Milo Courses went like: do The First Course for a few months, then you can start working in exercises from the Second Course. And eventually, from the Advanced Course, which is really more like showmanship lifts rather than “developing exercises”.
He wrote those in 1905 and trained people along those lines for 15+ years. They were sent out with every barbell set he sold, and he did correspondence training. Old-school online training. Do this, write me a letter, send photos, and I’ll advise you on your next step.
But then he wrote Super Strength in 1921 (or so), with that extra 15 years of insight. His exercise selection is more limited, and more focused, but there’s no actual program.
So, in other words, I “made my own program”. But I used the lifts he talked about, with reps and sets he talked about, filling in the gaps from stuff in the Milo Courses and his Strength magazine.
And sometimes I need to tweak stuff.
For instance, now I think I ought to move the heavier lower-rep barbell curls before the rows, because I currently still use a lot of biceps with the higher-rep rows.
And I think I need to do something about shoulders and pressing. Biceps are getting hit hard, but triceps are not. Deltoids really aren’t either. (This is now based on observation of results, not perceived “effort”).
When it comes to triceps, he says something to the effect of “they are hit well enough with pressing”.
And when it comes to pressing, he talks about pushups/“floor-dips” being ok for the triceps but not for the shoulders. Then talks about “two-hand barbell pressing” being better, for both. And “alternating kettlebell pressing” even better.
And then says something along the lines of: the absolute best press is a leaning-away one-arm shoulder press. You lean away as it goes up, and reverse on the way down. He talks about it in both Super Strength and in the first Milo course. I might do this.
Super Strength says “practically any man can start with 25, 30, or 35 lbs.” “You should use a bell of such a weight that you can repeat the movement ten or twelve times”.
The First Course says 3-6 reps, then increase by 5 pounds.
The First Course also uses a behind the neck press and a floor press, each session.
So I don’t know what my plan forward is yet.
It might be something like:
- something heavier for shoulders (maybe that one-arm leaning press, maybe a BTN press)
- something lighter for shoulder (probably keep doing those alternating press)
- something heavier and tricep focused (maybe floor presses, ideally from the mats I do Jeffersons from, if they’re tall enough)
- the current tricep long-head rear-barbell raise
But there’s already a ton of exercises I’m doing, so I don’t know yet.
Maybe I should have just followed his actual course.
Different topic, but one that’ll come up again.
I know there’s a bunch of people with opinions like “why do these dumb lifts”. Why use the Jefferson squat when you can deadlift? Why all these weird squats instead of normal squats? Why not just a normal overhead press? Why not just bench press?
Despite popular opinion, it’s not because they didn’t know about them back then.
In fact, Calvert specifically talks about “normal” squats, deadlifts, overhead press, and a couple precursors to the bench press: floor press, and press from the wrestler’s bridge. Talks about records. Talks about techniques.
However, his goals were to create all-round strength with a physique to match. To set you up so that later if you want to specialize in those lifts, go ahead. If you want to do olympic lifting, you also have a good base. If you want to be a strongman circus performer, again, you have a good base.
And, well, there’s this line:
In a book which I wrote a dozen years ago I said that the average 170-lb. amateur, who could lift a 250-lb. bar-bell above his head (with both hands), should be able to do 2500 or 3000 lbs. in a “back” or “harness-lift”; and I am still of that opinion.
What stood out to me: a 250 lb overhead press was just “average”
Lifted and then went to massage.
Hot today. 97F/36C outside, not quite as hot in the garage. This was a rough session. Did the work, but did not have much motivation/energy. I was motivated yesterday on my rest day, which is not useful at all.
Windmills with toe-touch: 50# x 3 (per side)
Wide-grip Thick-bar Curls: 70# x 5
Leaning Side Press: 30# x 6 (per side)
Flared KB Rows: 40# x 14 (per side) - reps went down
Palm-forward Alternating DB Press: 20# x 14
Jefferson Squat: 235# x 16 (8 each side)
[motivation really started to fail]
Shrugs: 72.5# x 25
3 Squat Variations: 40# x 36; 36; 36 - hoooly f- this sucked
Wrist Roller: 27.5 x 2 each way - between squat variations
Forward Bend: 78# x 20 - strapped
Straight-leg Situps: skipped to let ab pain heal
Pullovers: skipped to let ab pain heal
Backwards BB Raise: 31# x 10
H2H Swings: 40# x 18
[and collapsed (again) for a bit]
Notes:
- yesterday I was thinking “I hit my stride with all this, rest and work is nicely balanced”. And then I go and change stuff.
- I actually really like this side press. Kind of neat how it works.
- Tricep/shoulder work seems “right” now
- I was scared of the 50# weight for the windmill, but it was completely fine.
Massage was productive. Lots of stuff going on.
I have some clues that show some compensation patterns. PT could probably help with this. But really, the real solution is probably lots of lunges.
Both glutes, but especially right. Both shoulders, but especially right. Both pecs, but especially right. Right knee.
Then crossing the body. Left low back and QL was the worst part she said.
This was good. I hurt, but good hurt.
I’m a bit sick at the moment.
Motivation/energy dropped, sinus pressure, coughing at night, motion-based dizziness over the weekend, esophagus pain yesterday evening (drinking water, no less), and now a general feeling of not-quite-awake, not-quite-asleep and some depression-y symptoms and thought patterns. Took the day off work.
Not sure of the cause. It’s not a cold. I was coughing up clear stuff, but I’m not sure where it’s coming from, because I don’t have sinus drainage and my lungs seem clear. Maybe some sort of reflux thing. No acid-pain but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything. Maybe the massage knocked something loose? Maybe the potato and tomato the other night triggered nightshade intolerance stuff? Maybe I just caught yet-another-something from the kids.
Not sure if I’ll lift today.
Bodyweight is continuing in the right direction. Lots of daily fluctuation but the smoothed out data says I’m still on track for a 2.5-5 lb gain a month.
I added a formula in my spreadsheet to forecast when I’ll hit the 2.42 lb/in weight target, and it says sometime between January and April 2024. Which is a super-wide range. Almost uselessly so, except to say, “it’s doable in the next year, if you stay on track”.
I ran across a “show off your biceps” and a “show off your back” thread from 2021. Took a picture of my back to see where things were now.
First photo I took made me laugh. It looked like I only train my spinal erectors.
But honestly, what I really care about right now:
- spinal erectors
- obliques
- abs
- legs
Photos are cold.
Apparently this physique/fitness pose actually does highlight the obliques.
So, while sick, I did a few things.
Windmills with Toe-touch: 50# x 4 (per side)
Wide-grip Axle Curls: 70# x 5 - until right wrist started hurting, sadly
Leaning Side Press: 35# x 6 (per side)
Flared KB Rows: 40# x 12 (per side) - better form, lower reps
Palm-forward Alternating DB Press: 20# x 16
Jefferson Squat: really not feeling it
Notes:
- windmills have moments that seem precarious with balancing the weight overhead at weird shoulder angles with weird body angles, but it’s always fine. 50# felt heavy on the the ground but not heavy in the air.
- bumped 5 lbs on the side press and got 6 reps. This feels like the right place to be for next workout: 40# and 3 reps.
- I started looking up while doing the DB presses per the photos, and I think I like it.
- I think I’m going to start all the way over with these rows to learn how to do them right. I keep folding my arm in with my biceps… which isn’t that bad on its own, except I’m messing with leverages and not hitting my back the way I should. I need to pull straight up from the elbow, and the elbow should be in line with both shoulders.
My body seems to be in better shape than my head.
Jefferson Squat: 235# x 18 (9 each side)
F- it, whatever.
And Backwards BB Raise: 31# x 20
Feeling much better today.
I tested out ab stuff last night, and that seems better. Did a set of 5 with the 31# bar.
And I may have solved the row problem. I had a few objectives.
- At the top, the elbow should be in line with both shoulders (to hit the upper back and rear delts)
- Biceps should be minimally used
- Shouldn’t require too much work to move plates/bars around
What I ended up with turns out to actually have a name. It’s a modification to Meadows Rows. A cross-body landmine row, and in this case, with the bar running in line with the shoulders. Should be pretty easy to just make sure my elbow is always pointed at the far end of the barbell.
To set it up, I can use my Jefferson Squat setup on the mats. Pull off a few plates, and use a support for my other hand.
Photos should make it clearer.
I’m still not really 100% but I’m now good enough to fake it.
Warmup with yellow band dislocates, backward band raises. 5# wrist roller a few times. Some light ez bar curls with 31# bar. My right arm/wrist/elbow just hates me and hates curls.
Windmills with Toe-touch: 50# x 5 (per side)
Wide-grip Thick-bar Curls: 70# x 6
Upper-back Landmine Rows: 45# x 12 (per side) - mediocre ROM
Leaning Side Press: 40# x 3 (per side)
Palm-forward Alternating DB Press: 20# x 18
Backwards BB Raise: 31# x 15 - chasing tricep burn
Jefferson Squat: 235# x 20 (10 each side)
3 Squat Variations: 40# x 38; 10,15,13; 38 (114 total reps)
Shrugs: not today
Forward Bend: 88# x 10 - strapped
Straight-leg Situps: 31# x 6
H2H Swings: 40# x 20
Wrist Roller: 30# x 2 each way - that forearm pump feels really good
Pullovers: 31# x 10
Notes:
-
134 total squats
-
this is the stupidest thing to be proud of, but I did 14 more squats than @T3hPwnisher’s 120 today. This will probably be the first and only time I can say something like that, so I’m going to revel in this single number while I ignore every other dimension of training.
-
bodyweight is still down due to 24 hours of basically no food and water on Monday, but coming back up
-
otherwise, good workout. Nearly everything is going up. Curls are eh. Right forearm is kind of angry. (Except with the wrist roller, it likes those)
Couple videos.
Windmills
That second squat variation, the last 13 reps of it
Forward Bends
1 Like
You are forgetting my 300 bodyweight squats…haha.
3 Likes
Believe me I tried, but I just couldn’t let this go.
I did 300. And another 10 for good measure.
Took about 17 minutes.
When you do them daily they get faster, haha. Good on you
1 Like