Just. Don't. Suck (Part 1)

Training Training Logs
2339

I find that I feel great after a layoff of a period of lower intensity. I’m in the middle of that probably up till early August. Joints get a little less sticky, and I can improve conditioning and body comp a bit.

To help bounce back after not going heavy for a month or so - I like the following on key lifts (frequency depends on you).

20x1 at 80% or so with short rest week 1 (harder than you’d think on deads with a reset for each one) then week 2 go to 15x1 at 80% plus a few lbs and 3-5x1 going up to as heavy as you can manage (should be over 90%) then you’re ready to go back at whatever program you want.

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2340

During your layoff are you doing the movements at all?

When I first came back from surgery I was squatting 205 for 8 reps in my workouts. I eventually got back to where I wanted over the 12 week program, but I’d like to be able to start heavier and reach some PR’s at the end of the 12 weeks. I’m afraid after this layoff I’ll be back at 205 and working for 12 weeks just to get back to where I am now.

It’s what I always do. I build and build and then stop the movement for various reasons (usually pain or discomfort). Once I work my way back around I’ve lost my progress and start over. I work hard to get back to where I was and then it starts over. Pain or discomfort shows up or a change in priorities and I fall back again. I’d like to build, maintain, and build for a change.

2341

This time, not really. Single arm DB snatches, yes - and pretty heavy (100#) which is probably about a 150-155# barbell Snatch - Deadlifts with DBs - so more ROM but relatively light. Heavy lunges and split squats - which should help squat not regress. No cleans or normal squats. Maybe some heavy swings or goblet squats at 100#.

2342

7.14.18

Well, last night did not go according to plan. We ended up going to the wedding reception (which was nice but I had to behave myself) and I missed my workout. I also wasn’t able to get up early and train. Why didn’t I get up early, you ask? My wife typically meets with a small running group way too damn early on Saturday mornings. I figured she’d be up and out of the house which meant I had to stay home (they didn’t run due to rain but my alarm was already set). I want to run the Built for Battle Power workout which involves muscles snatches and box squats (instead of Zerchers). Well, I don’t have a box at home and I fear the bench is low enough that it’ll bug my hip. I also can’t press overhead in my basement while standing so the muscle snatch is out. I thought about doing it from my knees and doing RFESS instead of box squats but I just decided to sleep in (til 6:20). I have to work a baseball game after work tonight so I’ll be short on sleep before tomorrow’s shift anyway. I guess this week just turned into a mini deload.

2343

If you get an answer to this, tag me! 100% rest is the only thing I’ve had success with, and I hate rests days as much as the next TNation guy.

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2344

I think part of my problem(s) come from sitting in a car all day at work. I don’t think it’s possible to rest those muscles!!

I read that the hip flexors can become tonic (i.e. look tense/flexed) when they’re weak. They tense up to make up for the weakness? Yeah, I meant to put a question mark there because I don’t entirely understand it. I guess weakness is the cause of tightness sometimes so you have to use the muscle. I’m trying it with my QL to see if it gets any better.

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2345

I hope that works for you. When my hips were angry after my PL competition and lots of sumo leading up to the meet I had to just rest it. Leg raises or other abdominal work would really seem to bother them too.

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2346

Mine are tight for different reasons. I wish I was tight from doing something cool like deadlifting almost 700 lbs. That type of tightness and soreness I can handle. The type I have seems to be for no reason other than that general area is unhappy about something. The hypothesis before surgery was that my body was trying to protect my injured hip. I’d hoped that would be the end of it. Guess I was wrong!

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2347

Haha, I will admit that I wasn’t as frustrated with the pain as I usually am because it was worth it. Usually it is something stupid.

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2348

My forearms have been prone to constant spasm lately. What’s worked for me has been electrolyte supplement, painful massages, and a muscle relaxer. The last one was the most effective, but it makes me pretty sleepy so it can’t be a go to solution.

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2349

Yes please figure this out and tag me too lol. I’ll rest,foam roll, get a massage and an adjustment and the same muscle will still feel tight

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2350

7.15.18

Woke at 239.4 lbs.

Last night’s game went smoothly. The home team won 8-6 (finally) and we were out of there by 10:30 pm so I got some decent sleep. It still wasn’t enough; I was sleeping pretty hard when the alarms started going off this morning.

I guess I’m going to rest again today. Tomorrow is 3RM day for my new exercises and hopefully I’ll do more than three workouts this week. I can’t have two deload weeks in a row. Time to suck it up and make it happen. I need to hit five circuit workouts and two to three conditioning sessions this week… and then maintain it. If I don’t then all that CrossFit crap was for nothing.

2351

7.16.18

Woke at 240.6 lbs. I was hungry last night.

Built for Battle Take 2 (Power Emphasis)

2 LAP DYNAMIC WARM UP

3RM CIRCUIT STYLE

3 reps on every set

MUSCLE SNATCH
95, 115, 135, 145

BOX SQUAT 24"
225, 275, 295, 315, 345, 375

HANG SGHP
145, 165, 185, 205

INCLINE HAMMER PRESS
90, 140, 180, 230, 250

SEATED CABLE ROW
160, 180, 200, 220, 240, 260

Time: 26-27 minutes

HIP ABDUCTION/ADDUCTION MACHINE
3 x 10 ea @ 110, 130, 150

AB CIRCUIT (2 x 15 ea)
Hanging knee raise, side crunch, back extension

CONDITIONING
Run the straightaway, walk the curve x 10 (5 laps)
Time: 9:26 (last week was 8:41)

I think the hip work sabotaged my running. I didn’t even try to go fast.

This circuit is much easier than last week’s work. Removing deadlifts and basically quarter squatting really reduces the intensity. I’ll be doing underhand bent over rows instead of cable rows the rest of the week. I maxed out the stack and decided I need some more back work since deads are out of the mix. Bent over rows will be better than seated rows. I’ll do my best to stick to this circuit for three weeks. After that I might throw in some trap bar deads for the next round. I also need to figure out a way to do box squats around 20-22". 24" is just too tall. I can tell I’m going to be able to load them up and it’s going to strain my patellar tendon.

2352

It’s not the most glamorous solution, but you could bring a couple pieces of 2x6 or 2x8 into the gym with you. Put them next to the box where your foot placement goes and you can drop that 24" down to 22 and change pretty easily.

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2353

I thought about something like that but with plates. I could put a bumper plate on the top of the 18" box.

Worst case scenario I could use the safety bars as a depth stop and turn my squat into a pin squat :laughing:

2354

A bumper plate is a way better idea haha. No need to be concerned with ‘stepping up’ onto the pieces of wood.

2355

I guess I failed to mention that there’s an 18" box I can use so that’s partially my fault. I almost tried to put the box on the regular floor. The power rack has a wooden platform so it’s a couple inches taller. Unfortunately I think the supports of the rack would be in the way of my bar path because the box would actually be outside of the rack.

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2356

7.17.18

Woke at 238.8 lbs. I’m not sure if I’m cutting or bulking. I guess I’m doing neither because my weight has been stable for awhile.

B4Battle W2 D2
2 LAP DYNAMIC WARM UP

CIRCUIT
6/5/4/3/2/1 (first round was my warm up)

MUSCLE SNATCH
95/120/125/135/140/145

BOX SQUAT 22" (Stacked the 25 lb bumpers on top of the 18" box. They’re 2" each.)
275/300/320/340/360/375

HANG SGHP
145/165/175/185/195/205

HAMMER INCLINE
180/200/220/230/245/250
I mixed up my row and Incline weights and caught it on the last set.

UNDERHAND BENT OVER ROW
185/200/215/225/240/255

Time: 34+ minutes

CONDITIONING
AIRDYNE BIKE
Tabata 4 min, burned 90 calories
Calories seems like a good way to track progress.

Chiro and dry needling at 3:30 and then it’s time for session two for my tattoo.

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2357

While at the chiro they checked my hip flexion strength and my left leg is garbage! I couldn’t move his hand! F*#@!

I got a couple needles jabbed into my hip flexor and was told my psoas isn’t firing.

I also figured out that I feel pain during a squat but only when it’s loaded. If I lie on my back then there’s no pain with the movement.

The pain I feel nonstop is aching/tight muscles. The pain I feel when squatting is deeper and feels more like joint pain. The muscle pain can be treated by the chiro but he said to go back to my surgeon if the other pain persists. FML.

2358

That’s it. No more log name changes. This is the one.

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