Chris_ottawa's Training Log

Training Training Logs
1728

Saturday, October 24 - Bench assistance day

Floor press
355x3 - 5lb PR if I’m not mistaken. Couldn’t do another rep, but maybe I could do it with 5-10lbs more.

325x5 - Left a rep in the tank, too much straining is no good. Especially after yesterday’s bullshit deadlifts.

Military press
205x11, 7

Barbell curl - Leftover from yesterday
125x14, 10 - My wrists don’t hurt on squats since I started doing these again, its a worthwhile sacrifice.

Side raise
35’s x8, 7 - Feels heavy for this, but probably could have done a few more reps if it wasn’t for the curl right before. I don’t really care too much though.

W shoulder rotation
3 sets, 2 with super mini and one with the light band - rotator cuffs are feeling strong.

Here’s the unintentional paused deadlift from yesterday - I should have just pretended I was doing a paused deadlift and nobody could have said otherwise:

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1729

Monday, October 26 - Squat day

Squat
up to 465x1 in knee sleeves
Wraps (SBD):
515x1 - Fast, easy, good depth
555x1 - Good but depth was borderline. Moved well at least.

595x1 - Still struggling with depth, same old story, but otherwise this wasn’t too bad. I was thinking about all the little details of what I needed to do to make this a perfect lift, but then I started to descend and it was like my mind just went blank. I need to make good technique an depth automatic.

Pause squat in wraps
485x3 - I kind of rushed the pause on these, it felt like I was down there for a long time but sitting in a full squat with wraps on and 485 on your back can mess with your perception I guess.

Band leg curl
light+super mini bands x15, 10, 8

Band bad girl
Light band x20, 18 - I would have done another set but I was running out of time, had to get moving and go to work. I do a couple sets of these to warmup anyway so it probably doesn’t make a difference. I felt like my knees wanted to come in sometimes and my left TFL was getting tight (apparently it takes over if the medial glutes aren’t doing their job) and I fixed that, so it’s basically just maintenance for now.

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1730

How many cues do u have for your squat? I find that when setting up it’s alright to use quite a few to get it just right step by the step but for actually executing the lift I can only have 1-2 in my head. Everything else is auto.

1731

Most of my cues are non-verbal, like I’m thinking about what I’m going to do and not the words that would describe it. Normally I don’t have a problem staying focused but when I felt 595 pushing me down I couldn’t really think about anything else except getting back up.

Mostly I was thinking about how it would feel when I’m at depth and pushing the bar up and back as I come up so I don’t get thrown forward.

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1732

Wednesday, October 28 - Main bench day

Bench press
395x1 - Moved well, maybe had a double

415x fail - I got greedy and threw on another 20lbs but it wasn’t happening, bad idea. I just couldn’t help myself. Not even a struggle, just stopped and dropped, felt like my triceps were asleep or something. Seems like I was better at grinding on bench at one time, if I could do that then I would have made this lift but not today.

370x2 - fail 3rd - That failed single fucked me up, same story here and the first two looked good, I had no doubt about another rep. Not sure what my problem is today, but at least the 395 was good.

Rack lockout
385x1, 415x5 singles - If I can figure out how to strain like this on a regular bench press then I should soon be benching a lot more.

Floor pause DB tricep extension
55’s x11, 9, 8

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1733

Friday, October 30 - Deadlift day

Sumo Deadlift
Didn’t have a specific plan, just working up and see where it goes
Singles: 405, 455, 505, 545 - 505 kind of felt like something, 545 was about RPE 8, not a struggle but not easy either. Definitely better than 545 last week before I failed 585, and I didn’t want a repeat of that so I did some backdown sets instead:

480x3x2 sets - With straps because the skin where I tore my thumb is all thick and scaly and hook grip doesn’t feel good on it. I don’t know what it is, but straps just don’t feel right with sumo. Sumo just feels awkward overall, but I’m not far from where I left off so once technique gets back to where it should be I think I will see some gains.

That’s all for deadlifts since I’m keeping volume low, seems to work better for me. Maybe next week I will do some RDLs.

Chin ups - 45 degreee supinated grip
bw+50x8, 6 - maybe 5.5 on the 2nd set, didn’t get all the way up on the last rep. I think I will switch this for a different grip, I have been doing these for a while now.

Barbell curl
125x15, 12

And that’s it.

1734

Saturday, October 31 - Bench assistance day

Triceps feel a bit beat up from Wednesday, not the elbow but just the muscle itself. I’m guessing the rack lockouts are the main reason. I was thinking of making this an easy session but you know I have a hard time restraining myself so I went ahead to see how things go.

Floor press
360x2 - fail 3rd - First two were good and I should have had a third but it seems I lost control halfway up, it wasn’t even like it stuck but it just felt off balance and I dumped it. Kind of disappointing seeing as I had more in the tank last week with 355x3, but my triceps are kind of sore still and I could use an easier upper body session. So I decided to cut things there.

Band pushdown
super mini band x15x2 sets - could probably do 10 more reps, just getting some blood flowing to the triceps.

I really need to stop failing, every once in a while I get stuck in the same situation on bench/pressing exercises, I fail a rep here and there and next thing I know I’m failing in every workout. Really I should have just made this an easy day from the start, I don’t think the top set did anything good for me at all. I’m trying to keep pushing my comp bench every week for this cycle of training so every 2nd or 3rd Saturday will be an easy day instead.

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1735

Coan principle. He said that he always likes to feel that there was one more in the tank. Sometimes there isn’t, but it helps the continued recovery week to week. But the ego is a strong force in the gym, lol.

2 Likes
1736

Yeah, all-out straining to finish a rep definitely takes a lot out of you. Failing is worse though because it will mess with your confidence, now I have to try and forget it ever happened.

2 Likes
1737

I agree. I don’t mind barely getting the last rep once in a while, but every session finishing that way is pretty taxing overall, and actual failure might be great fo hypertrophy but is totally counterproductive for strength gains IME.

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1738

Monday, November 2 - Squat day

Squat
up to 465x1 in sleeves
Wraps:
525x1 - easy but cut it right at parallel
565x1 - Looks like depth but I got thrown forward/let hips rise too fast coming up, would have been easy if I could have stayed in control. Still moved OK considering the technical error, and it seems I’m actually pretty strong in that good morning-ish position.

I was thinking of going for 605 but cutting it high or grinding until my eyes bleed isn’t really a good plan so 565 is all for today.

Pause squat in wraps
495x3 - Held the pause slightly longer but still a bit fast, also just barely at depth. I should be going well below depth ideally, it just feels extremely uncomfortable with the wraps choking the hell out of my knees and the bar on my back.

Leg curl
light+super mini bands x16, 11, 9

Band bad girl
light band x22, 20

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1739

Wednesday, November 4 - Main bench day

This was a bad day, nothing is going my way. 395 moved well last week and warmups were going good, 375 was fast and easy, so I went for 405 but I got stuck at lockout and failed. My back cramped up too. I wasn’t about to give up that fast so I tried again but it wasn’t happening.

Next I was going to do 375 for 2 or 3 reps, it came up fast but I felt something cramp in my right pec and rather than push through it and risk tearing it I dumped it. It doesn’t hurt or anything and no bruising, I’m pretty sure it was nothing more than a cramp but either way I’m not going to push my luck so that was that. I did a couple sets of band pushdowns and called it a day.

Also looks like these rack lockouts are no use, I think I was getting more out of slingshot bench. I’m getting frustrated, not only a lack or progress but now pec cramps or whatever. It appears to be the clavicular head (upper part of the pec) where the issue is/was, hopefully it’s nothing. A few years ago I got a pec cramp doing Spoto presses and I thought I tore it but it was nothing, this seems even less serious.

1740

I really think all those failed reps messed me up, now it’s like once the weight feels challenging something in my brain puts on the brakes and won’t let it go up.

1741

Friday, November 6 - Deadlift day

Sumo DL
Just working up and see where it goes:
525x1 - Nice and easy
575x1 - Not so easy, slow from the floor to just above the knees but lockout was strong. Some improvement over the last few weeks but still a way to go to to something good. Technique is real ugly too, way too bent over, looking just like Dave Ricks which is not necessarily a bad thing but if I can get more leg drive and wedge my hips in a bit more I should be able to pull more too.

485x3x2 sets - straps - getting better but still ugly

Barbell row
245x12x3 sets

Barbell curl
135x10, 7 - I’m trying to keep these strict but the weight is heavy (over half my bodyweight) so it has me swaying around a bit. Whatever, as long as it makes my arms and wrists feel better.

I’m pretty sure I have a very minor pec strain, I’m going to have to take it easy on bench and do high reps instead for the next while. I don’t want to risk totally blowing out my pec, especially right now with all surgeries being delayed until who knows when.

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1742

Not sure about this, but have you considered trying Reverse Grip or Inclines for a while just to shake things up?

1743

Don’t think u can force any particular positions without ur hips shooting up anyway or having no leverage. Just have to get in a good position for u. If u can increase ur hip flexibility should translate directly into better positions without having to change ur hip height or other trade offs. Might need thrice a week mobility to build it up

1744

Reverse grip feels very awkward and I never liked it, but incline isn’t a bad idea. Right now I’m pretty sure I have a very minor pec strain and I don’t want to make it worse so I’m going to do a bunch of high rep stuff for the next while. Seems like muscle mass makes the biggest difference for bench so maybe some hypertrophy-ish training will pay off.

My technique was better before I took a break from sumo, now it seems I’m using more back and hamstrings and less adductors and maybe glute too. It’s not a huge difference but a few inches in one direction or another can make a difference in what you can lift.

I do a bit of mobility work everyday, but the main thing is just goblet squat stretches and a few goblet squats. The only thing that increased mobility would do is allow me to use a wider stance, but even now I’m not at the limit of how wide I can go. If I go a couple inches wider I instantly feel weaker. If you know some way to increase arm length that would help though.

1745

Saturday, November 7 - Pec rehab handicap day

Looks like I have a strained pec so no heavy bench or floor press, trying to push military press (or OHP or whatever you want to call it) instead

Military press
worked up to 225, could have probably done around 10 reps but cut it at 5 because while it didn’t feel bad at first I felt this pulling sensation in my right pec more and more on each rep. It didn’t hurt but I don’t want to press my luck. Maybe in a week or two I will be able to push this more.

Rehab bench
bar x25
65x25
85x25
105x25, 20, 15 - Just pushing until my pecs are burning, not near failure. Resting maybe a minute between sets.
95x20
I felt “something” in my pec on the first few sets but it feels normal now, just pumped. I guess that is a good sign.

Band pushdown
light band x8 - too much tension, I haven’t done this exercise for anything but a warmup in a while
super mini looped over the chinup bar x15, rest pause set: 12, 6, 4
I can do 20+ with the super mini but the so-called light band is a bit too much so I have to adjust things.

Band flys
light band x50 reps

W shoulder rotation
3 sets, varying the length of the holds, one with the light band and two with the super mini. I don’t even track reps because who cares really.

So that’s it. Kind of sucks but it is what it is and it could be much worse. It’s a good thing I dumped the bar when I felt that cramp in my pec or the damage would likely have been way worse. I think the fact that I failed a few reps in recent weeks, plus the rack lockouts that had me straining like crazy, and then failing 405 twice before getting injured (the first one was an all-out struggle that I just narrowly missed) are the main reason I got injured, that one rep with 375 was just the straw that broke the camel’s pec. So in the future, avoid failing, and not only that but maybe avoid too much grinding because both cause a lot of muscle damage and as that accumulates over time it can lead to injuries.

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1746

I mean for a given stance width the more you can open ur hips the more upright you’ll be unless you’re already at like thighs running parallel to the bar in the start position

1747

Yeah but being more upright is only better if it allows you to lift more. I can open my hips more but it doesn’t help me lift more, so I’m stuck looking like Dave Ricks.