@muskratlifts do it. Run the Hungarian oak! Do it! Do it! You will never know what a bad ass you can be! Don’t look back in 4-5 months and think…I wish I had done that leg program…
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Haha good points. I might just have to run it after I finish out my current 5/3/1 plan.
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Why is your young son getting so beat up, and you, the old guy, thriving? What rookie mistakes is he making? Don’t worry, we’re not picking on him. Its not gossip if we learn something.
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Great question. We are trying to figure it out. Like today he is having some real shoulder issues. (Rotator cuff). He has knee issues from a dickhead basketball coach that ran his ass into the diet and made him run on a sore knee until it created a systematic knee problem. I helped him rehab that with strengthening the quad. His ROM improved and is much better…
This shoulder issue is different. His bench form is excellent. I’m thinking that the shoulder girdle just doesn’t have enough mass on it to protect the internal structure.
We will rehab his shoulder issue before he begins to lift heavy again.
Any input would be appreaciated.
3/19/18- bench deload (no barbell work)
DB press flat:
15x10, 20x10, 25x10, 30x8, 35x8, 40x8,
55x8x3 all hammer position
DB press incline: (2 sets per 3 positions)
40x10x6 all hammer position
Straight arm push down:
60x10x3
DB Back fly:
50x10x3
DB Incline bench fly:
25x10x3
DB side raise:
15x10x3
DB front raise:
15x10x3
Hammer curls/ kick backs
20x10x3
One arm rows:
50x10x3
Concentration curls:
25x10x3
Seated cable tri extensions
50x10, 60x10x2
Incline cable fly:
50x10, 40x10x2
Seated cable row (wide):
120x12x3
Cable crossovers:
30x many many many
Working low to high then back to low slow and methodical. Around 60-100 reps.
Some face pulls, shoulder dislocations, band pull aparts were a part of the early work in between sets
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Maybe just general abuse from basketball, and having arms overhead and reaching out at weird angles all the time. That’s just a guess, I usually avoid all basketball.
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He hasn’t played basketball in 3+ years. It is/ was an older nagging knee issue. The shoulder thing is relatively new. He said it has always kind of bothered him because he sleeps on it under his head…
Maybe some sort of inpengment due to sleep position manifesting with weight lifting
Do you do any band work, pull aparts, facepulls stuff like that. Rotator cuff rehab.
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Interestingly enough, I used to have the same exact problem (impingement from sleeping weird). I started sleeping with my arm by my side instead, and I’ve only had one small shoulder discomfort thing since then.
Also you could try warming up the shoulder with 15-20 or so light dumbbell reps where he moves his arms side to side, then 15 side lateral raises, then 10-15 rear delt raises, and then another 10 moving his arms side to side. I started doing that a year or so ago, and it makes my shoulders feel awesome for pressing stuff.
Edit: Nice and controlled push-ups for high reps (20+), a ton of high rep band pull-aparts / face pulls, and a lot of back volume has also made my shoulders feel good. Make the upper back big and strong, and you might be able to prehab away some of the shoulder issues. If you fix the sleep thing and implement a lot of back volume after the shoulder heals up, it might feel better. These are just things that have worked for me and a couple of my pals, so take them with a grain of salt
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I agree with all of this. Sleeping position matters. There are a few videos on youtube about the advantages and disadvantages of sleeping in different positions. I believe sleeping on your back is the best, with the only downside being that you’re prone to snoring.
My bench warmup is dislocations with a pvc pipe, slow arm circles, one arm at a time, with retracted scapulae (try to feel your upper back/traps getting worked during these), OHP for 1-2 sets of 10 with just a 45lb bar, and one set of behind the neck press with a barbell for 8-10 reps. Overhead presses are a great way to get your shoulders loosened up before a bench session without feeling like you’re taking any energy away from your bench press. There’s also a fantastic band stretch for shoulders that I’ll try to find and link in a little while.
Face pulls are magic. You can never go wrong with a few giant sets of face pulls + rear delt flyes.
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Barbell bench presses at any angle mangle my shoulders after just a couple workouts. Biceps curls also cause impingement in my anterior delts, so I have to limit curling volume.
For pec exercises, my shoulders feel good when I do dumbbell presses on a flat or low incline bench and push-ups for volume, especially on push-up stands that allow for a straight wrist.
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He has been reading all these suggestions. Last night he did some rehab stuff…face pulls and pull aparts with bands. Side and front raises with dumbells, and push-ups.
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I suggest doing the pull aparts and plenty of reverse fly movements for volume in addition to avoiding things that hurt.
If bench hurts but DB bench does not, then do DB bench. Unless he’s competing he doesn’t have to use a barbell. None of us do.
The summer of 2002 (I was 17) I did nothing but DBs and Hammer Strength machines for my pressing. I gained 20 lbs in a 6 day a week bro split (chest/tris, back/shoulders/bis, legs).
When I returned to school for my senior year my bench didn’t really reflect that I could do 100s for reps but once I practiced barbell bench for awhile my strength showed up and I was hitting PRs.
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It’s so comfy, but my I snore like a beast that way so my girlfriend always kicks me to stop.
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3/20/18-- squat deload
Last deload workout before the
PILLAR LEG SQUAT PROGRAM WITH HYPERTROPHY begins on Friday.
We will take the next two days completely off…we better.
Today was a bunch of single leg stuff.
Goblet squat:
BWx 10
30x10
60x10
120x5 (held 2 60DB together biggest aval)
60x10
60x10
Single leg RDL
30x10x3
Step-ups w DBs
20sx10x3
Bulgarian split squats: (these are hard)
20sx7 (had trouble with stabilization)
20x10 (fixed it)
20x10 ( the burn is real)
Single leg lying leg curls:
25x8x3
Single leg press: (weight is per side)
45x 10
70x10 (identified left leg is weaker)
70x10
Hang leg raise (legs up and over a box)
16,15,12
Decline sit-ups throwing 10lb med ball to partner:
20,30,20
Russian twist:
25 plate x 40 total (20 per side)
Nice and fresh feeling post workout. Tried some new stuff and didn’t overwork a deload day…
Off the next two days…then the shit goes down!
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Bulgarian Split Squats are harsh hey, the burn is nasty. Ive been doing them for a while after squats and I never thought doing such light weight would burn so much.
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Yes sir. They are a keeper. Totally brutal…I like it. I knew you enjoyed the pain of getting better…
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If you think those hurt then try reverse lunges on the Smith machine. I prefer the Smith for the balance. It’s one of my favorites / most hated.
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That’s pretty damn impressive!!
Have your boy lay off the barbell bench press for 4-6 weeks and use dumbells with a neutral grip. As pain dissipates he can move his hands internally some to mimic a more natural grip ala a barbell. Have him do some slow side lying external rotations with a 5-10lb db or plate until close to exhaustion, then hold it at peak contraction for 30 sec. No heroes here, he needs to keep his arm pinned down and keep the reps strict. Need to exhaust the external rotators and stretch the internal rotators. Then have him work on some shoulder circles both directions working up to a 5lb db or plate. Start with narrow circles as pain allows, and build up to wide circles basically up and down. Then have him finish with some static holds with a 5-10lb db or plate in peak lateral position to failure.
Hope he feels better.
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Thanks so much! He has been reading my log and the information passed along. I keep reminding him that he is in this for the long term and can take it slow…
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