Lo/Rez Training

Training Training Logs
781

[quote]Spidey22 wrote:

[quote]LoRez wrote:
Given the article today: Squat form check. Sorry about the angle. I’m still trying to figure that one out.

What do you see? I could really use some help.

Personal notes: it may not make sense to go so deep, since my lower back does actually round toward the bottom. Overall, my lower back still seems too mobile… pretty arched up top, slightly rounded at the bottom, not at all “tight, stable”. While I could get my elbows more under the bar, upper back stayed stable. Speed looks fine.

(I can’t believe how much it looks like that weight leans me forward though. I could definitely use another 50 pounds of bodyweight.)[/quote]

You could probably pull your elbows ‘down’ more, keep them more underneath the bar if you’re going to go high bar like that. Also, I can’t really tell, but you may by overarching your lower back, when you ideal want it a bit more neutral, bracing your entire core (as in not just pushing out your stomach but also your obliques and lower back, expanding the entire area 360 degrees).

I’m not an expert on Squatting obviously, but it’s probably the lift I suck at the least. Also, I think before you continue to cut under 150 lbs, I’d get a tan. I’m serious. you’re pretty lean. A tan would help a ton. lol
[/quote]
I think his elbows are back that far because he needs more mass.

782

Bar path was straight.

It didn’t look like you pitched forward much at all. If anything, look down at a spot about 12 to 20 yards away from you (or closer if need be), and drive your head/neck/traps back into the bar at the bottom. I think I can see you looking up at the bottom, which is something I’ve always thought shouldn’t be done. (I don’t have a reason for that recommendation, it is just what the majority of my reading and experience has shown.)

Lower back rounding was minimal.

Elbow position maybe could be a bit more vertical, but it was just about in line with your torso at the bottom of the rep. No biggie.

It didn’t look like your knees caved much (difficult angle for that).

TLDR: Unless you are in pain, or have joint soreness after your lifts, it looked good man. If that was at or above 90%, you’re golden in my book. Anything anyone else could say would be nitpicking in my opinion.

783

[quote]T3hPwnisher wrote:
On the topic of cheap swiss bars, this guy is pretty legit

http://www.blackwidowtg.com/Swiss_Bar_Football_Bar_p/bar-swiss.htm

That said, I honestly found the swiss bar pretty underwhelming, and I think it’s due to the lack of rotating sleeves. You think it’s going to feel super awesome and solve all your problems, but really, it’s just ok when it comes to neutral grip stuff in my experience. Unracking is kind of a bitch with it, and it’s difficult to really pull the bar apart due to your hand angle. I really like it for variety’s sake, but as far as specialty bars go, there are a few more I’d place about a swiss bar.

In your specific situation, a quick fix may be something like a shoulder saver/bench boards.[/quote]

Thanks for stopping in.

My problem with benching is less shoulders, and mostly my right elbow. There’s a spot around 2" from lockout where the joint sometimes just gives out on me. I can literally unrack the bar, start to lower, and my right arm collapses.

Benching from pins has been a great change in that sense, since I don’t have to worry about dropping the bar on me when I start at the bottom. It still hurts as I lockout most of the time though.

I’ve cut ROM at the bottom due to Dr. recommendations, which already seriously cuts into the effectiveness. Cutting ROM at the top too would pretty much make the lift useless.

So I’m now wondering how much rotation plays into it. Regular DB curls can be impossible with my right arm (due to elbow pain at that same point); hammer curls are much easier. I’m wondering if benching would be the same.

While driving this weekend, I came up with an idea to test it, since my DIY swiss bar bar couldn’t be loaded up anywhere near enough to find out.

I’d hate to spend money on a bar that doesn’t do much for me.

784

Regarding squats… I took a break from them since that video. No good reason except I just wasn’t “ready” to do them yet.

That video was 225. My barefoot 1RM is 285. I think something’s wrong when there’s that much of a discrepancy.

I’m doing them barefoot today. I think the footwear that lets me move the most weight is probably the best choice, all things considered.

785

Chiro and massage therapist visit. Today I’m bruised across my back and my front. They say everything is so screwed up there’s not even any point in doing rehab exercises yet.

They want me to stay away from horizontal pressing for now.

BTN Press
112.5 x 5, 5, 12

I pushed myself pretty hard on the 12. Somewhat rest pause just holding the bar overhead for the rests. Even holding the bar at top is a great core stability and shoulder stability workout too so it was a good amount of fatigue either way. Pretty happy with the progress I’m making on these.

I did a lot of pullups from floor joists while I was at my sister’s over the weekend.

I also tried another attempt to see if neutral grip pressing will work for me, but still, no luck. I’m pretty close to just buying a bar either way.

786

2448×3264 1.23 MB

Neutral-ish grip overhead press hack. This actually works very well for overhead pressing from the rack. I need some rubber to protect the bar and keep the chain from sliding laterally but that’s a cheap purchase. This is possibly a better option than a swiss bar even. I’ll do this for real instead of my BTN presses next session.

Doesn’t work for horizontal pressing for me as far as my elbow. It’s actually almost worse this way. I’ll give it a real trial tomorrow.

Also an elbow sleeve with a strap cinched on it to simulate a compression sleeve didn’t help much either.

787

I think I’m going to stop trying to upload direct from my phone. This is the 2nd time I’ve done it and I don’t like the results this time either.

788

I’m sure you’ve probably answered this at some point, but have you seen anyone about your shoulders?

789

[quote]nkklllll wrote:
I’m sure you’ve probably answered this at some point, but have you seen anyone about your shoulders? [/quote]

Yeah. I got painkillers and some rehab exercises. And… things got slightly better.

I’m currently working with a chiropractor and massage therapist that also do rehab. I’ve got 5 weeks of 2x weekly sessions with each of them right now, and we’ll assess from there.

790

Since this is now already at the top of the list… stuff today.

I did a 40 minute walk. I added in some fat burner pills for the first time today.

Definition is coming in, but I’m surprised at how much more I still have left. I guess I thought I was leaner than I actually am (not that I’m not very lean… but still). A week and a half left before I’m calling it. I have photos from yesterday though, which I’ll throw up here eventually. Tomorrow maybe.

I also did a bunch of pullups, tricep pushdowns and rear delt flyes. I know I did 4x20 with the rear delt flyes, and sets of 7 and 8 with pullups some neutral, some with rings, but not really sure what weights or whatever.

791

did you ever get an actual diagnosis?

792

[quote]nkklllll wrote:
did you ever get an actual diagnosis?[/quote]

Sports medicine said possible impingement, but refrained from actually saying anything. I could probably follow up with them at this point and get an MRI and/or xray. I haven’t done that.

Chiropractor and massage therapist have me diagnosed with “upper crossed syndrome”. At its most basic level, it means the anterior stuff is tight and the posterior stuff is inhibited. He wasn’t at all surprised that YTWLs, pullaparts, face pulls, etc. did very little for me.

His take is that unless that’s taken care of, it doesn’t really matter what’s happening from an impingement, tear, bursa standpoint… since I’ll end up just reinjuring things. After they finish with their course of treatment and get my shoulders and neck all balanced out and functioning correctly (I have anterior neck and chest/scapula stretches they want me doing daily), if I’m still having issues, radiology will probably be my next stop.

In the meanwhile, pullaparts, dislocates, rows, rear delt flyes, pullups have pretty much been staples, along with cissus which has helped quite a bit. Whether it’s primarily serving as a painkiller or anti-inflammatory or even helping with tissue regrowth… I don’t know… but it’s made me feel quite a bit better. Kingbeef strongly recommended it in his threads awhile ago, and I can see why.

Otherwise, focusing on working around my gimp elbow (been like this as far back as I remember) is the current topic of focus, while I have other people working on my shoulders.

793

what hurts the elbow?

794

[quote]nkklllll wrote:
what hurts the elbow?[/quote]

In general, pronated or supinated curls. Hammer/neutral is pretty good.

It’s in the last few inches from lockout; with any weight in my hands, pressing or curling, I lose complete control of the joint. It freezes up on me curling, and if I’m unracking a barbell to bench, it sometimes straight-up gives out on me.

It’s been like this since at least my freshman year of high school. That’s when I first noticed it, since I couldn’t move a trumpet through the proper straight up and down range for marching band (from the side, to the lips in a fluid motion).

795

I bought a 10’ piece of 1-1/2" black steel schedule 40 pipe tonight. Basically an axle. I used two of my vice-style collars as, well, collars.

This feels really good for overhead pressing, and pretty good for horizontal(ish) pressing.

Low Incline Axle Bench from Pin 3 (lower than normal)
90 x 8
120 x 3
140 x 3
150 x 2
140 x 2
130 x 2
120 x 8 - wrapped and cinched a webbing band just under my elbow, on the forearm side
100 x 7
105 x 3,2 - hand were too wide, I hit the pins so stopped and brought them in a bit
110 x 0

Not sure how much the bar is… my math says it should be right around 30lbs (~2.7lbs per foot of pipe + 2 1lb collars). All weights are assuming this.

7 Mat Pulls w/Chains
185 x 5
225 x 3

I’m going to hold off on these until tomorrow.

Axle Savickas Press (suicide grip)
30 x 3
50 x 3
70 x 3
90 x 1 - I fell backwards…
90 x 2

And called it a night.

The 10’ length is a bit clumsy in my garage; I had to move my weight trees and it was difficult to get plates on… but I like the way these felt enough that I think I’m going to keep the axle. It cost $29 with tax from Home Depot. I may see if I can find a 7’ length somewhere, or just cut it down. I do actually have an angle grinder.

The strap around my elbow/forearm seemed to help a bit. I talked to the chiro and massage therapist today, and they’re going to address my elbow more intensely. It seems I have some areas on my right tricep that are so knotted it feels like bone.

She also did some subscapularis work today that was about a 9 to 9.5 on the pain scale, where 10 is the worst pain imaginable. I was pretty close to blacking out when she did my right arm.

796

The subscap work is always pain. I haven’t met a single person that didn’t hate it.

797

[quote]LoRez wrote:
I bought a 10’ piece of 1-1/2" black steel schedule 40 pipe tonight. Basically an axle. I used two of my vice-style collars as, well, collars.

This feels really good for overhead pressing, and pretty good for horizontal(ish) pressing.
[/quote]
This is one of my favorite things at my gym. Basically just a simple piece of pipe lol. Works great.

798

@csulli: for some reason it just feels right for pressing.

Squats - barefoot
45, 95, 135, 185
210 x 3 x 5

I was talking about doing those mat pulls today. I needed to do squats though, so I did squats. Mat pulls Saturday. Squats on Monday.

Messing with my stance a bit, but I’m actually stronger when my feet are closer together. I got some knee pain; not necessarily tied to stance width. I pretty much am just doing things in the way I feel strongest.

–

General training thoughts.

I’m not really vain enough to be a bodybuilder. I want physique results, but I’m not a fan of that style of training.

(Raw) powerlifting is ok. My only concern is bench press sucks for me.

A subset of strongman training appeals to me. Mainly a focus on overhead press stuff and deadlift stuff. I also really like that these guys seem far less focused on “doing the right program”, and really just on doing whatever they need to do to do what they need to do. There’s a lot more variety in training methods, since there’s a wide variety of events, and it hasn’t gotten mainstream enough competition-wise to be associated with trendy programs.

Since horizontal pressing is mostly out of the question right now (chiro/massage recommendations), I’m putting more thought into how I can do overhead work.

Reading/watching some of Mike Jenkins’ stuff. His upper body training usually followed the format of: 1) savickas presses, 2) low incline or floor presses, 3) heavy pushdowns or skullcrushers. CT mentioned the other day a combo for delts using 1) savickas presses, 2) BTN presses, 3) raises.

I’m going to stick with the standing BTN presses, but will probably start my incline day with savickas and use the axle for both presses. Swiss Bar purchase is on hold. I have some wrist wraps on the way though.

799

[quote]nkklllll wrote:
The subscap work is always pain. I haven’t met a single person that didn’t hate it.[/quote]

Is that the stuff where you have to place you arm behind your back lying on your stomach and the therapist presses hard under your shoulder blade from the middle out?

800

Are you considering doing a strongman comp in the future? And it is good to see you are looking into some of Mike’s stuff for pressing. He really started focusing on his overhead right around when he turned pro and made some tremendous jumps.