Buff (did you know I have a niece we call Buff?), if you like to stretch the spine, have you tried hanging on a chin bar? I’ve done that a lot, and it really relaxes the spine. (I have scoliosis, so i pay extra attention to my back.)
Cavalier, sometimes when I hang from the chin-bar in just such a fashion… I can actually hear my vertebrae pop into place. What’s really fun? Sometimes it’s even loud enough for others to hear it! The look on their faces is priceless!
Truth be told, I’d rather it was just Buff… I just need to get rid of all the extra stuff, if you take my meaning! Of course then I’d look like a bodybuilder, and we know what those guys are like! With the vanity, and the tans, the primping and the preening and the hordes of fitness bunnies hanging off them…
Wait… what did I just say?
[quote]Canada_K wrote:
Yes, the Canadians are taking over. No Minnesota does not count as Canada. Minnesotans aren’t sexy enough to meet Canadian standard.
And despite all the chest-thumping the powerlifters are indulging in, they all really wish they had the dietary control to be bodybuilders. Since they don’t, they lift increasingly heavy things to take out their frustrations. And now all the powerlifters will line up to kick my ass.
[/quote]
I’m first in line.
[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
Believe it or not I’ve never seen a star wars film.[/quote]
Huh?
[quote]buffnstuff wrote:
Squat
Ugh… Not exactly my favourite movement to train. [/quote]
Blasphemy.
Monday, April 18/2011 - Alpine training
Okay, okay. I realize that skiing may not qualify as standard training for powerlifting. But, two days in rarified air of the glacier altitudes of Blackcomb has left me stiff and sore and smiling as much as any balls-out lifting session ever could!
Can’t really list set/reps and poundages, but my quads, low back and even arms and shoulders are fully aware of the intensity of this sort of workout variation. Tomorrow… back to the iron.
Now, about this individual who claims to have never viewed Star Wars. Boogle. You must be rarer than a virgin after Prom Night. But more to the point, why? They are fine films, good escapist fun. Just do yourself a favour, remember that there is only the trilogy. If you hear about some Star Wars-ish films referred to as “prequels”, pay them no mind. Trust your feelings… you know it to be true.
Oh, and I agree that my lack of luv for the squat does border on blasphemy. I shall elaborate. Squats are not my favourite, cuz I suck at them! I am very tall, long levers and bad balance. I’m kinda clumsy. However, I also believe that squat is basis for all real strength and power. In fact, if for some reason real life intrudes on my fun and I find myself limited for gym time during a given week. I’ll squat.
It’s that important. I just get feral and growl/grind them out!
[quote]buffnstuff wrote:
Now, about this individual who claims to have never viewed Star Wars. Boogle. You must be rarer than a virgin after Prom Night. But more to the point, why? They are fine films, good escapist fun. Just do yourself a favour, remember that there is only the trilogy. If you hear about some Star Wars-ish films referred to as “prequels”, pay them no mind. Trust your feelings… you know it to be true.
[/quote]
It’s true. I grew up right in the midst of the craze aswell and even used to play with my friends Millenium Falcon but I was never really into it, I much preferred Action Men (and don’t mis-interpret that).
I still hate Sci-Fi. Even when I was young and had to watch Star Trek with my Dad (only one telly in those days) I remember thinking "how come they’ve travelled millions of light years to far off distant galaxies and the only difference between the crew and the alien female inhabitants was that they had blue hair and didn’t know how to kiss (what is this thing you earthlings call kissing?) How unimaginitive.
I might sit down and watch it one day after I’ve watched every other film that’s ever been made!
Wednesday, April 20/2011 - Bench
Bouncing around on different jobsites has a way draining your willpower. But I am still managing to get the training in. Received my new bench shirt in the mail last night… looking to try it out maybe next week, maybe the week after. Depends on how my coach/training partner sets up my numbers for my training.
Last night’s training…
Warmup: Stationary cycle, lots of stretching, still sore after the weekend on the hill
Bench
135 x 12
205 x 8
245 x 5
260 x 2
Really trying to groove in the technique. And concentrating on leaving a little in the tank at the end of training. Whoda thunk that not killing yourself in the gym couuld be the best training style?
Assistance - Push/Pull
Incline DBs for speed
Lat Pulldowns
Barbell Rows
Tricep Pressdowns
And a whole bunch of stretching afterwards!
My training partner/coach was warning me to watch my training volume… I know he’s right, but it is damn hard to leave the gym unless I feel totally spent. Old habits die hard, as they say
Monday, April 25/2011
Split the weekend between family and first aid commitments. Still managed a fair to middling squat workout on Friday
Friday night’s training…
Warmup: Stationary cycle, lots of stretching
Squat
135 x 12
225 x 8
275 x 5
315 x 2
Still working the technique. Concerns over nagging injuries that continue to bug me. Looking to start some equipped training before I decide whether the June competition date is realistic… There’s always the Fall Classic
Assistance - Prehab
Lat Pulldowns
Pullovers
DB Rows
Alternating Curls
And still a whole bunch of stretching afterwards!
As an aside to training, on Saturday morning I was volunteering at a trail race. Runners tearing through the early morning mountain trails. Good challenge without the punishment of a run on asphalt. Some of these folks are in incredible shape! I had to haul ass through the trees at one point to assist an injured runner out to the service road. Noticed two things… One, when necessary, all injuries, aches and pains seem to disappear. Two, once the situation was under control, my lite jog back to my station just sucked! Might have to look into upping my conditioning level!
Late to the party but always nice lifting, eh.
Wednesday, April 27/2011
Yay! I got me a new bench shirt! Now I have to break it in… Eeesh!
Tuesday night’s training…
Warmup: Very little warmup, just some stretching.
Bench
135 x 12
205 x 5
240 x 4
Attempt to pull on bench shirt
280 x 3 ← about 10" off chest, weight swaying all over the place!
295 x 4 ← maybe 6" high
295 x 4 ← still high and wobbly
295 x 4 ← finally down to about 3" high
295 x 4 ← three board press, clean pauses
Fun and games with new gear! Managed to settle down eventually, but not after some serious pain and suffering. I owe alot to my training partners… We have a good group of lunatics!
Assistance - Push/Pull
Incline DBs - speed presses
Close-grip Lat Pulldowns
Rope Hammer Curls
Tricep Pressdowns
And a bunch of stretching afterwards!
Ahh yes, the novelty factor of new lifting gear! Probably one of my better workouts in a while. It is going to take some real work to get the shirt grooved in. Until then, I’m the one with the grooves! Triceps, shoulders, pits and even upper back look like I’m a regular at an S&M club! Not that I would know anything about that sort of thing…!
One interesting side effect. I managed to blow a few blood vessels around my eyes and even in the inside corner of my left eye. At work, my Project Manager said I looked tired, then remarked I looked like I’d been punched!
Heh… good look on her face when I explained what I had done!
Friday, April 29/2011
First squat session with wraps and a suit… squat has not been my friend of late. This could be interesting
Thursday night’s training…
Warmup: Lots of warmup, lots of stretching.
Squat
135 x 12
225 x 5
285 x 5
suit up and roll my wraps
305 x 5 ← only one rep actually was to depth!
345 x 3 ← got to depth, but the reps were very unstable
385 x 1 ← total stall in the hole… not a good feeling at all
Assistance -
Front Squats
Lat Pulldowns
Ab work and a bunch of stretching afterwards!
Oh boy… that was not fun. Between some serious tightness in the back and a lack of hip drive, combined with my lifting gear resulted in my squats tipped forward and half of the rep looking more like a good morning! More work/focus and re-evaluation of my technique will be required!
Thursday, May 5/2011
I seem to have encountered a situation. After my remarkably piss-poor squat performance last week, I decided to take a couple of days off, just some active recovery exercise; stretching, foam rolling, that sort of thing. Seemed to be working… until Sunday morning. I woke up with severe pain in my left elbow. I was also unable to flex or extend my arm much outside the mid range of motion! The pain and inflamation was very obvious and only slightly controled with vitamin I. I was unable to even stretch, and the pain was actually causing a headache and nausea.
Now, I’ve been hanging around the weights for a very long time. I’m no stranger to muscle soreness and even some minor and a few major injuries. This has been going on for three days now, my body is trying to tell me something. This, combined with some low back and knee rehab, post ski season, has forced me to decide to opt out of the BC Provincials in June. My training is not up to meet preparation standards. My performance is down and everytime I try to push the accelerator… I pay for it. This is not good.
So, I will now embark on a program of mobility, prehab, volume training and diet. This will be in preparation for the Fall Classic… for which I will once again put my foot to the floor! I’d welcome anyone’s ideas or advice on what to do with the above mentiobned goals in mind?
Friday, May 13/2011
So, it’s been a week since I posted any progress. See, after the above posting about retraining my mobility and refocusing my, uh, focus for my next attempt at a lifting competiton, I ran into a little snag. Or more to the point a little snag ran into me.
On my way to work last Friday morning, in the pouring rain, while stuck in a line-up for access to the bypass, I was involved in an accident. I drive a 4x4 pickup, the other driver was in a small company van… so my trailer hitch and bumper basically destroyed the front of his van with only some minor body work and bumper damage on my truck. But more to the point, I saw his headlights at the last second in my rear view mirror, but having no where to go, I was stuck on an on-ramp, all I could do is involuntarily tense up and take the hit. Which I felt right across my mid back, at about the diaphram or kidney level. The Doc I visited after work that day diagnosed me with “classic” whiplash.
Which kinda put the nail in the coffin of my intentions to compete this summer.
I’ve never been the most mobile/flexible guy. More of a brute force and enthusiasm type. But I am a voracious reader. That’s what bought me to T-Nation in the first place. My GF, concerned about my getting all bummed about not competing, has given me a copy of, “The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion”. A bit on the touchy/feelie side but it seems to be grounded in some pretty good logic. The movements seem simple until you really get down on the floor and give them a go. Takes me over an hour and I have yet to manage some of the exercises! For those interested, find the book here:
Last night was my first time back at the gym. The Doc had told my to take a couple of weeks off… bugger that!
Warmup: Lots of warmup, lots of stretching.
Squat 135 x 10 - for ten sets, took me till set three to even get the technique to smooth!
Close-grip Pulldowns 5 sets
DB Shoulder Press 4 sets
And that’s it! The shoulder presses were to test out my upper back. The pulldowns were to stretch my lats. And the squats were… well, squats are just important! I figured one hundred reps would be an interesting challenge.
It was!
Sorry to hear about your run of bad luck.
Mobility and rehab work is boring as hell, but has to be done at our age sadly.