Hi gorillavanilla! May I make a suggestion only because both my psoas are always acting up. It’s not the most manliest of poses, I certainly get a few looks in the household when I do it. But after you roll, stretch etc to release the psoas, the inverted legs up the wall (or viparita karani as the yogis call it) for 15 minutes is great as its one of the positions where the psoas doesn’t have to do anything & can just chill. Basically doing the opposite of what it has to go through every day we walk, sit and stuff. Especially good if you are feeling it from your thigh too, as gravity will let it relax the other way.
Lifting went well tonight and I did my new hybrid Greg/Sheiko 10 days to the meet program.
T-Handle Swings:
100 lbs x 2 sets x 20 reps
Bench Press:
140 x 3
165 x 3
195 x 3
225 x 1 (Pause)
265 x 1 (2 sec. pause)
265 x 2 (Paused)
265 x 2 (Paused)
Deadlift:
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 1
495 x 1
545 x 2 (Full stop and reset)
Abs:
90 lbs x 3 sets x 10 reps
Everything felt good tonight. Looks like my opening bench for the meet will be 265 lbs and my opening dead will be 550 lbs. My best lifts and PRs at last years meet were a 265 lbs bench and a 550 lbs dead. So, I would like to make about 30-35 lbs more on the bench and
50-75 lbs more on my dead. I haven’t settled on my squat opener yet but I will decide soon.
A good, deep tissue massage may do you wonders. I’ve always liked to get a deep-tissue massage every 60-90 days. As the meet draws near I do a deep tissue 30 days out, 10 days out and a leg flush @ 3 days out. My hips feel great and almost have that new car smell.
Tonight was weird. About 4 PM I had a big TEX MEX chimichonga and beans and rice and salsa and chips and queso and meat…ugh…delicious. It was a mistake in food timing because I had a heavy lifting session scheduled and the meal put me to sleep. I was extremely sluggish until after a huge coffee and supplements I finally woke up around 8:30 PM to begin lifting.
T-Handle Swings:
100 lbs x 2 sets x 20 reps
Squats:
135 x 10
225 x 5
315 x 3
405 x 3
495 x 1
585 x 1
605 lbs x 1
Bench Press:
140 x 3
165 x 3
195 x 3
225 x 1
280 lbs x 1 (2 sec pause)
225 x 6
Standing Crunches:
90 lbs x 20 reps
So squats felt great, benches felt great, I felt great afterwards. I didn’t expect to have a good performance but somehow my body absorbed all the food I ate and lifting was in the groove. Eight days to the meet and this coming week will be mostly about mobility work, resting and recovering, as well as Monday and Wednesday light lifting then Saturday, July 13th The Orlando Athletics Challege-RAW UNITED. It’s on like Donkey Kong!
Hope I didn’t kill my recent good results in training. Last night my wife left for a flight at 3:30 AM and I haven’t slept since she left plus I’m taking care of our 4 month old and my 3 year old. Hoping to get a nap when the kiddies nap so I can rejuvenate a little but my body aches and I feel like every minute I’m moving through dense mud to get around. Sleep tonight will be like ambrosia.
GV, your training has been solid. Trust it. Take care of your body, calories, and get your mind right. The hard part has been done. Kick ass, taking names is optional. Leave it all on the platform.
Thanks hawkcapt1912, it’s all done but the fun part.
I get intermittent cramping in a similar area. I think it is from the descent on squats. I try and foam roll it between sets to help it chill on days when it is acting up. Otherwise sometimes it cramps itself into a strain. I find foam rolling to be weird. Sometimes it helps. When the muscle is cramped up, I guess. Othertimes it doesn’t.
When the muscle is strained, I guess. Hard to tell the difference between a cramp and a strain sometimes, I think. Like how sometimes foam rolling on an off day really helps me feel better. But other times my body just seems to need to be left alone.
Alexus: I have similar results. Maybe it’s my age or fatigue from all the work activity and lifting. I try to manage, the best I know how, with minerals and vitamins as well as supplements such as ribose to help with recovery and energy but sometimes the only and best thing I need is more rest. I do love my foam rollers and lacrosse ball for mobility work.
HEY guys if I may chime in here I am a 45 year old man, and have had lots of muscles pulls in the same area as you guys. I used to lift very heavy and do lots of the big 5 lifts I found taking a day or two off and just stretching work wonders for me. I hope this will help.
Thanks MrAmericaspt your advice has very practical application in my current situation as I am taking yesterday and today off from any lifting and only lifting Monday and Wednesday (light work) before my contest on Saturday. Time off seems to be the only cure sometimes but I can’t stand being away from the iron too long.
Rest up and tear it up at the meet looking forward to the results.
[quote]MattyXL wrote:
Rest up and tear it up at the meet looking forward to the results.[/quote]
x2 - Gorilla SMASH!
Thanks ya’ll, results will be posted and hopefully some video.
Your welcome.
Your welcome. I am glad I could help. I hope all works out.
What are your planned openers GV?
Good luck at the meet GV. The Psoas won’t affect your performance, its just very annoying. It can pinch on squats if you don’t keep the knees pushing out.
I had mine worked on by an ART guy and got it released. It’s deep and hard to reach, but if you can find it with the lacross ball on the inside of the crest of the hip, you’ll know it. Illiacas sits right next to it and it could be that as well. It will cause ladorsis in the lower back if its shortened. There are lots of good stretching exercises for it.
I like the TexMex/Nap combo - one of my all time favorites.
[quote]Oldman Powers wrote:
Good luck at the meet GV. The Psoas won’t affect your performance, its just very annoying. It can pinch on squats if you don’t keep the knees pushing out.
I had mine worked on by an ART guy and got it released. It’s deep and hard to reach, but if you can find it with the lacross ball on the inside of the crest of the hip, you’ll know it. Illiacas sits right next to it and it could be that as well. It will cause ladorsis in the lower back if its shortened. There are lots of good stretching exercises for it.
I like the TexMex/Nap combo - one of my all time favorites.
[/quote]
X2 on what OMP said with the lacrosse ball.
Give’em hell at your meet!
My openers for the powerlifting meet on Saturday are:
Squat: 585 lbs
Bench: 265 lbs
Deadlift: 555 lbs.
I figure these will all be fairly easy lifts and then I can decide how far to push up my 2nd attempts. Second attempts could be anywhere from 15-50 lbs higher. I will have to assess how I am feeling and what is going on with my body then make my next go one for bigger and better, stronger and heavier.
Thanks everyone for all the support.