Bench press
So, empty bar was no bueno with or without the Bowtie. Plate a side was even less bueno.
Tried DB benching, which was much better, apart from getting into position which was painful.
2x10x75 lbs
Then I remembered there is a football bar
Bench press 2.0, football bar
10x181 lbs - thought the bar was 55 lbs, when it’s 66 lbs. Unloaded as required
10x176 lbs
Wide grip bench press, football bar
2x10x176 lbs
CGBP to a one-board, football bar
11x154 lbs
Machine flys replacing DB flys
3x20x66 lbs - figured these were a safer bet today
DB tricep extensions
4x12x25 lbs
Dip-simulating machine replacing bench dips
3x20xplate each side - no way in hell I was going to do any kind of dip. Kinda cool machine, works like an upside down Hammer Strength pulldown
An hour.
Left the gym feeling like I had done absolutely nothing of any worth. Which is stupid. On the bright side, it doesn’t seem like any of this made my bicep any worse.
Yesterdays training is still bugging the shit out of me, but there’s no good reason for it. I think it’s because I got in and out in an hour including the fuckery at the beginning; and because nothing that session was remotely taxing. I’m not saying I judge anything by how gassed I get or how hard the reps are, but I’m used to at least a couple of things making me work and that session had none of that, which seems to have really thrown me.
Probably all this is because my head goes to a shittier place by default if I’m hurt. This bicep thing will clear up soon enough, it isn’t as bad as it was a couple of years back. Well, it’s a little different. The first time it was the tendon all by itself, and this doesn’t feel quite the same although I’m certain the tendon is somwhat inflamed and involved. I just suspect it’s also something in a muscle in that area too.
Which is getting better daily, let us not forget. So realistically I’m whining about nothing. Gee, what a shock.
Mark would you consider seeing a physio and getting a little work done on the arm. The gap cost isn’t usually too much and if it helps clear it up quicker you are winning. If not then the other option is to self massage the bicep, pec and shoulder and after massaging ice it for about 20 mins. Thats basically what the physio will do anyway.
@simo74 if it doesn’t get better within a week, I most likely will; or at the very least hit up the Team Panora guy. At this rate, it should be cleared up by then so really I’m just being a sook.
@chris_ottawa not really. I swtich which hand is under between sets so the stress is evenly spread.
This is how I feel too but I honestly think that the workouts that dont actually crush you are probably the most productive especially for PLing. Your form will always be better. You recover more completely allowing for better (stronger) future workouts and sometimes we just damn need an easy one mentally.
Just the other day. I’m almost certain I know what happened too. My rotator cuff got tired part way through Friday, so my bicep had to work extra which was already tight from curls on Monday and bang.
Assault bike
Five minutes around 20 km/hr (1500ish metres)
8x10 sec work/20 sec rest - first three were over 50 km/hr, remainder between 48-49 km/hr. So now I know what to shoot for: all eight over 50 km/hr, then shoot for 55 km/hr
So the bicep seems to have almost cleared up. Oddly, it felt this way from when I got off the Assault Bike yesterday. In what I do not think was a coincidence, the bike pumped my rear delts and upper back up like you wouldn’t believe. At a guess, having this pump for 10 or so minutes took a LOT of tension off my bicep tendon.
Todays training
3x10 bracing hip thrusts supersetted with 15 air squats
10x10 second bracing 90/90
DL, stiff bar
2x10x335 lbs making sure my left hand was over both sets
Rack pull from mid shin
2x10x355 lbs - used straps because even overhand my left bicep felt some strain on the deadlifts
DL without touching floor
11x231 lbs - no straps but TBH they would have been a good idea
DB row
5x10x130 lbs - straps, DUH. Bicep held up OK. Hard, though
BB row
20x154 rest/pause 10/4/2/2/2 - that surprised me. Apparently the DB rows were taxing
Hammer Strength press replacing seated press
3x12x33 lbs each side - this was actually awesome, lit my tris up. I figured it would be smart to press in a way as easy on my bicep as possible
Facepulls
4x10
An hour and a half, because the gym was packed and I could only deadlift on the furthest platform from any rack. So basically had to not only do a bunch of loading and unloading, but a bunch of carrying plates too.
After that Hammer Strength press, I had a thought that I might somewhat change tomorrow’s bodyweight bullshit. I think I could get away with most of it if I do my pushups using the football bar. The dips are a no-go, I would use the machine. Pullups are 50-50 because I know my biceps will work. So effectively I don"t know for sure how good an idea it is to try.
It’s pretty obvious the bodyweight day is intended to let you get in a mostly upper body day without placing too great a burden on recovery. Which it does, provided nothing craps out because however fucked the session is it never is hard to recover from.
So I figure I’ll play it safe and sub out all the pushing exercises and the pullups for machines. Same deal, 50 reps with 10 second rests as needed and load so it’s as close to what I’d move with bodyweight.
Then, next week I’ll bench with the football bar, and do the bodyweight as written. Assuming, of course, my bicep does what I expect it to do.
That’s the idea. I think also that Greg tries hard to make sure he puts in exercises anyone can do at any gym. He never assumes we have access to much beyond a rack, bar, plates, bench and dumbbells.