This has been my issue with pressing and pulling at the moment, fought an outboard motor on a wake board and lost, no surface pain, it’s a deep one, not cool, stretches down into my armpit and to the top of my lat, healing, slowly.
Yeah, I think with how things have been going this is smart, I’m losing confidence as I get into heavier loads and it’s making me mad, dropping and re-mastering is a smart step for sure, the insight is always appreciated…Maple Syrup Strongman 
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Haha, the people have spoken. Thanks for the suggestion, I like it.
7/6/17
Weight: 207.8
7/5 Workout: Shoulders
75% 130 x 5 (Tricep/Elbow OK)
85% 150 x 3 (Done but not feeling good)
95% 165 x 1+ (Did not attempt)
3 x 10 @ 95lbs
Pull Aparts
150 total, done between sets of other stuff 25 at a time
Front Raise
4 x 15 @ 25
Lateral Raise
4 x 15 @ 20
Rear Delt Raise
3 x 20 @ 20
Tricep Extension (Left only)
4 x 25 @ 30
/Rant/Vent/
So super bummed about my tricep/shoulder/lat thing, very achy on all pressing, seems to be affecting my elbow more than I initially had thought, can’t really latch onto anything on the floor either as stabilizing it as I come up it tweaks my lat.
Thinking: High volume/low weight doesn’t seem to bother my injury much at the moment and most accessory moves that I have been using seem to be working ok. May drop the percentage based stuff on everything except squats and just hammer everything else with volume. Any input here would be very welcome.
Weight seems to be normalized at just below 208, even after gorging myself on and off, have really loosened up my eating and just not eating as often. I don’t seem to be flabbing up, but I can tell I’m in a caloric deficit (duh, despade) and strength is a bit down, but that’s the way it goes.
Writing is a bit disjointed and incomplete for whatever reason (I assume lack of heavy deadlifting is the culprit) but I guess I’m going to try and maintain the deficit and hammer stuff with volume until I’m healed up (do it for the sick abs, bro). Ugh, disappointment.
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7/6/17
Weight: 208.4
Squats
4 x 10 @ 185
1 x 20 @ 135
RDL
4 x 10 @ 55lb DBs
Half Mile Run (4:10)
Quarter Mile Weighted Carry (88lbs)
Squats felt heavy, don’t know why I didn’t do 5 sets, apparently I thought I had done enough, I dunno. The 20 set sucked, even with 135, which was disappointing. Gonna stick to the volume/stimulation train for a bit and see if I have any luck with DB benching (although I’d guess that takes more lat involvement to stabilize). Maybe this weight I’ve lost has simply been muscle and kept the flub. Chest today (7/7) so we will see how this pans out.
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Ouch, I somehow missed your injury last time I was in here. That doesn’t look nice.
Wake boarding behind and outboard and fell forward into it?
Nah…I was just strong enough to get myself hurt…squatted the board too far underwater and caught the front edge so it pulled me onto my face and I was able to hold on just long enough to pop something in my lat. Range of motion is increasing, but pressing really locks my elbow up on that side and I can only pull in certain planes right now without really hurting that lat, really frustrating, but such is life.
Ah, gotcha. Well at least it is just an acute muscle injury and should probably heal up pretty quick. Frustrating, but far from game changing!
1 Like
7/7/17
Randomness
Giant Set: 3-4 rounds
DB Bench
DB Row
Sit Ups
Giant Set: 3 rounds
DB Curls
Jump Rope (100 skips)
V-Ups
Giant Set: 3 Rounds
Single Arm Tri Extensions
Cable Curls
Cable Flies
Cardio: 1 mile (21 minutes) 15% grade 2.5-3.0 mph
Good sweat, good arm day, ROM on the right elbow/shoulder/lat is increasing, was able to do extensions without much pain in the elbow and light pressing on DBs, able to do kind of a high pull/bastardized row to hit upper back without much pain in the lat on that side, but range much out of that and it definitely hits the wrong spot. Onwards and upwards.
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7/8/17
Weight: 206.4, 206.4 (probably dehydration after too much good whiskey and beer last night)
Back/Shoulders
DB Row (L. Arm Only)
5 x 10 @ 100
DHandle Row
2 x 20 @ 150 (iffy on the lat)
Single Arm Pulldown
3 x 15-20 @ 60,80,80
OHP
4 x 10 @ 95
Giant Set: 3 x 10-12 @ 10lbs
Lateral Raises
Rear Delt Fly
Front Raises
Another day, just punched the clock on this one, moderately hungover, moderately painful. Go me.
3 Likes
7/10/17
Weight: 209.2
Squats
2 x 10 @ 45
2 x 10 @ 135
1 x 5 @ 185
1 x 5 @ 225
1 x 3 @ 275
5 x 2 @ 315
1 x 5 @ 225
2 x 10 @ 135
RDL
1 x 12 @ 65lbs
4 x 12 @ 80lbs
Standing Calves
4 x 12 @ 100lbs
3 x 15 @ 50lbs
Leg Curls
3 x 15 @ 50lbs
Leg Extensions
2 x 20 @ 80lbs
Surprisingly good leg day, 315 still feels heavy, but I seem to own it now, I guess. The 5 doubles felt surprisingly good for the most part. Hamstring feels really good.
Played sand volleyball all weekend in a tournament (I’m a dumpster fire of a vball player) and was afraid for my hamstring thinking I’d for sure pull it again, but it actually feels so much better having been jumping and sprinting on it for hours, stoked on that! Talked to a physical therapist that was on my team about my shoulder/lat thing, think it is actually the insertion point for my tricep is what is inflamed, so yeah, now i know!
3 Likes
7/11/17
Weight: 207.2, 206.4
Shoulders
OHP (First 3 sets superset with 25 pull aparts)
2 x 10 x 45
1 x 8 x 95
7 x 5 x 115 (Elbow really started grinding on the 7th set)
3 x 10 x 95
Band Pull Aparts (Blue Tension)
3 x 50
Lateral Raises
4 x 12 x 25
Plate Raises
4 x 12 x 35
Front Raise
3 x 12 x 25
Lateral Raises (band)
2 x 15
Pretty good volume, felt a good pump, 115 moved easily it just all came to a head on that 7th set and I figured I’d go ahead and drop the weight, no issues once I did that. The band pull aparts were good, gonna really start hammering these to try and keep my upper back in shape. Weight remains below 210 although I don’t feel like I look any different, face is thinner in pictures, not too terribly worried about it, another 15 pounds if I want abs anyway haha
Contemplating running Smolov Jr. as a sort of “Leg Specialization Block” since I can’t hold onto any weight for a deadlift and can’t press because of the tricep issue, any insight for those hardy few following along?
Smolov Jr
Looking like this for the first 3 weeks (Calculated off 90% of 370)
Week 1
Lift Sets x Reps Weight
Day 1: Squat 6 x 6 230
Day 2: Squat 7 x 5 250
Day 3: Squat 8 x 4 265
Day 4: Squat 10 x 3 280
Week 2
Lift Sets x Reps Weight
Day 1: Squat 6 x 6 235
Day 2: Squat 7 x 5 255
Day 3: Squat 8 x 4 270
Day 4: Squat 10 x 3 285
Week 3
Lift Sets x Reps Weight
Day 1: Squat 6 x 6 240
Day 2: Squat 7 x 5 260
Day 3: Squat 8 x 4 275
Day 4: Squat 10 x 3 290
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Go for it if you want, but remember Smolov is for peaking. You’re unlikely to hold on to much of the progress for long.
I’d probably just squat wherever deadlift would be in addition to your regular squatting. Either hit the same weight twice, to get really comfortable with it; or do speed/technique work like pauses, lots of doubles, etc.
Good call, saw a boatload of squatting and was like, “Well, why not?” but for sustainability purposes adding an additional day would make more sense, although I may steal some of the rep schemes to mix it up.
2 Likes
Those rep schemes do look like fun. You could follow a similar progression but just spread it over a longer period.
Like:
Week 1
Lift Sets x Reps Weight
Day 1: Squat 6 x 6 230
Day 2: Squat 7 x 5 250
Day 3: Squat 8 x 4 265
Week 2
Lift Sets x Reps Weight
Day 1: Squat 10 x 3 280
Day 2: Squat 6 x 6 235
Day 3: Squat 7 x 5 255
Week 3
Lift Sets x Reps Weight
Day 1: Squat 8 x 4 270
Day 2: Squat 10 x 3 285
Day 3: Squat 6 x 6 240
OR:
Week 1
Lift Sets x Reps Weight
Day 1: Squat 6 x 6 230
Day 2: Squat 7 x 5 250
Week 2
Lift Sets x Reps Weight
Day 1: Squat 8 x 4 265
Day 2: Squat 10 x 3 280
Week 3
Lift Sets x Reps Weight
Day 1: Squat 6 x 6 235
Day 2: Squat 7 x 5 255
Depending on how much weekly squat volume/frequency you find you can handle.
2 Likes
Mind blown, I am terrible at tweaking stuff intentionally, I seem to be able to auto regulate really well and tweak on the fly, but I really like that first one with 3 days a week. Dude! I appreciate you. haha
3 Likes
Haha, I’m terrible at auto-regulating!
Also, tweaking stuff for myself? Not good…For others? I seem to be less stupid.
4 Likes
7/12/17
Weight: 206.6
Back
Warm Up Circuit of Rows and Skipping Rope
Kroc Rows (defined as such due to body english)
3 sets x AMRAP
24, 18, 18 @ 100
Superset:
Upright Row (Smith Machine)
4 x 20 @ No Additional Weight
Skip Rope
5 x 100 skips
Single Arm Lat Pulldown
4 x 10 @ 100
Single Arm Low Row
3 x 20 @ 40, 50, 60
DB Strict Curl
1 x 12 @ 20
4 x 12 @ 25
Superset
Hammer Curl
3 x 10 @ 30
Single Arm Barbell Row (Balance grip in the middle)
3 x 12 @ 45
Pull Aparts
1 x 100 (Blue Band)
Tried to do some real light pulls on the right side, not havin’ any of it. But the left side did solid for me, the Kroc rows I think is a rep PR at 24 with no straps, and if i’m being honest with myself I probably had another 3-5 but took the coward’s way out.
All in all a short, sweet session that I’m surprisingly happy with, given the circumstances.
1 Like
PM Workout 7/12
Weight: 207.0
Squats
2 x 10 x 45
1 x 10 x 135
1 x 5 x 185
6 x 6 x 230
2 x 5 x 135 paused
Step ups
2 x 10 x 185
1 x 10 x 135
Front rack holds (30 seconds each)
135
185
205
3 x 225
205
Front Squats
3 x 5 x 135 (paused)
Shoulder tri set (rear delt, front raise, lateral raise)
3 x 10/10/10
Single Arm DB OHP
2 x 10 x 35
1 x 5 x 45
2 x 5 x 55
Went back to simply start that Smolov style program for legs and ended up feeling good so kept going. The front racks got pretty rough, 225 was pretty shaky the last 10 seconds of the second two sets. Interesting lift and hold, upper back is torched, love it.
1 Like
7/13
Off
Weight: 206.4, 205.6
New recent history low for weight.
1 Like