Yes and no. I want to get to around 117 kg within two months if I can. Right now it seems like my body likes sitting around 113 to 113.5 kg. Maybe once I start training again it’ll start going up.
It’s been a shithouse month in terms of training and general health. I’ve had maybe two decent sessions, and a total of I think five or six. On the plus side, I think I’m finally getting over this cold and my energy levels are getting back to normal; and all signs point to my back being just about fixed.
All I need to do from Monday is keep it together for seven weeks and get through nationals with a respectable showing.
I think you are spot on. Your body has been in recovery as well as a fighting a virus. It’s not the ideal environment to add weight.
Once you start training again just add some extra rice and you’ll soon fill out again.
Woke at 250.4 lbs, looking similar to yesterday. The cold is definitely on the way out. Back seems fine despite the squats and sitting on the couch a lot. So far so good.
Two weeks of accumulation training and then back into peak. All I can really expect is to repeat last meet without the missed lifts; and that will do me nicely, with a 1500 lbs total.
OH boy coming from a nice week of deload and recovery to that one …
Do I read this correct 35 reps done in one long rest pause set.
Do take care Mark, you’ll put a lot of stress to your back with that kind of training.
Well I know you will.
Good to hear you feel ready to lift again
I’ve trained once in the last 14 days. I now have seven weeks till meet day. That’s six training weeks, two normal and four peak.
I don’t have time to baby my back or take a slow walk up to normal training. I’ll keep doing my activation and work on bracing well; I have a pretty fair idea of what stretches are most helpful. I’m going to wear my belt for pretty much every squat and deadlift set above a plate until the meet too. Probably overkill, but I’m taking no chances. Combined all that should keep me out of trouble until the meet is done, I rest another week and then start again.
I know I’m not going to accumulate any useful levels of fatigue in two weeks, so I’m looking at it as an opportunity to practice the lifts, flush some blood through my muscles and get a bit of condition back (and I am so glad work keeps me moving, that’s been a life saver in this respect).
Like I said before both in peak and in meet I’m just looking to replicate what I did two months ago, with the important exceptions of getting hurt and sick in the last two weeks.
I know you’ll be doing everything right Mark.
And I do think if you weren’t ready to lift you wouldn’t do it.
I do think you could do very well at Nationals, because you haven’t released the full potential of the last bout of training. If you do everything right and keep free from illness and injuries you might surprise yourself.
Squat, walked out
2x10xbar/60 lbs - could it be? It didn’t hurt! I wasnt stiff!
6xplate/148 lbs - still ok. Still not hurt
4x2 plates/236 lbs - belt on because not dumb, but felt fine
2x281 lbs - still fine
6x335 lbs - fine, but no way in hell I can do 35 with 15 second rests and brace properly. I still need to think WAY too much to brace right now. Told you I’d be careful @mortdk
5x5x335 lbs - kept the rests as short as I could, pretty much going set, short rest, set, longer rest
4x335 lbs - still fine. No tingles. No pain.
Wide stance squat (feet two inches out)
2x6x335 lbs - damn bar kept rolling but fine. Knees and quads were toast so used very loose Iron Zs for support. Also got the mono gate run because I didn’t fancy walking out to a wide stance
Still fine. Belt off, still fine.
Single leg hack squat replacing single leg seated leg press
2x10x44 lbs - effectively really shitty ROM pistol squats
Lat pulldown
4x10x143 lbs
Glute medius, glute and hip flexor stretch 30 seconds each side
