The cold was ca. 1.5 weeks in the making but I only really felt bad on the weekend. I took three days off from work but I actually felt ok on Monday and pretty good on Tuesday. So it wasn’t really necessary to call in sick but on the other hand I haven’t been sick in over half a year and three extra days to relax and put some extra work in my bachelor thesis isn’t bad either. I have been in a fucked up mental state lately so I thought that some time off might help with that as well. That isn’t necessarily true though because now the distraction by work is missing.
Decided to lift yesterday (Tuesday) as I was feeling ok and I don’t have much time this week to fit workout in. My parents are visiting over the weekend and Thursday is my “running event” after work. Trained at a different gym to not run into a coworker.
1 deadlift
3 x 5 @ 170 kg
2 paused deadlifts
3 x 5 @ 130 kg (last set beltless and that one felt the best)
3 sldl
2 x 10 @ 110 kg (beltless, t&g)
4 chest supported db row
3 x 10 @ 30 kg
Notes:
so the treatment for my back worked super well and that was fine BUT my technique was all over the place. The weight itself felt rather easy but my form looked fucked up! Completely different to the last sessions. Back rounded and everything. The sets got a little better but I didn’t really get in the groove.
that session was supposed to lift me up but I got even more angry and down on myself for performing so poorly. Hopefully it was just an off day.
it was supposed to be a 5x5 with 170 kg but since I haven’t lifted in a while and then my shit technique, I did cut it at 3 sets.
You’re over analysing. Don’t sweat it, they’re all fine. I think the angle for the first set makes it look worse than it is when all that happens is your bracing in the first set is sloppy.
Thanks for the review man. I agree with the bracing. That was not solid. My hips rose on some reps without the bar moving. That usually means that my bracing is off and I am not transferring enough tension to the hamstrings.
The push press got better each set as I was finding my groove. That is one reason why I never favor strict press or bench press as a main movement… I need to practise my leg drive pressing regularely to stay on point with it.
2 hicks press (little lower board than usual)
4 x 8 @ 100 kg
3 lat pull down
5 x 10-12
4 seated row
3 x 15
5a tricep extension machine
3 x 12
5b bicep machine
3 x 10
5c butterfly reverse
3 x 15
Notes:
yes the double was for the ego. I needed a win and wanted to assure my fragile little ego that I still can move some weight. The sets of 5 were a reduce in volume (by 3 reps per set) to what I have been doing before though. The double wasn’t as smooth as I would have liked, but no struggle either. Not maximal and with the build up fatigue figured in actually a good effort.
So a weird and scary thing happened yesterday. I was feeling completely fine all day (and I am not saying that to justify any behaviour, I really was!). Then 20 minutes before my shift ended I was feeling dizzy and my vision went blurry. I transferred a merchant’s phone call to a collegue and went to the bathroom. I was feeling so shaky that I texted a coworker that if I don’t return in 5 minutes, he should come get me.
After I returned, I lied down on the couch and everyone was telling me I looked pale as a ghost.
My team leader wanted to call an ambulance but I asked him to not do that. Nicely enough, at least one or two coworkers at a time or my boss stayed with me and after 1 hour I started feeling better. They wouldn’t let me drive until half an hour later when I started to look better (at that time hunger and appetite returned). I had consumed a bunch of glucose by that point as well. The weird thing about the whole incident was how sudden this all went down. No signs of me feeling off beforehand at all!
After that I went to this running event I wrote about before. It was actually a nice event and weather was georgous. I was still a bit shaken up but the walking actually made me feel better. I ended up just walking one round around the lake, placing a donation (it was a charity event) and then I left.
Today I returned to work but still didn’t feel completely right and left again for the doctor an hour later. I feel the cold coming back a little bit.
So the doctor gave me a good check up including an EKG, blood pressure and the like. All my results were without a flaw. He couldn’t find an explanation for yesterday’s occurance. Maybe it was stress in combination with the virus infection that I still carried without really noticing.
He told me to take it easy with sports and I asked him how I would know when I am good to go. He couldn’t give an answer because usually you are good to go once you feel fine. He said to be sure I should take a couple of days extra, after I feel fine again
Can I get a fucking break please?! I just want to finally be able to go to the freaking gym and move some weight
I had a good birthday weekend with my parents visiting. We had delicious food and drinks.
Haha not yet. I can’t really interpret my body’s signals right now. Am I feeling ok to train, am I still sick, is this just anxiety? I just can’t tell. So the plan was to go lift today. Since I was so unsure about everything I settled on doing upper body instead of deadlifts, since they are more strenuous.
1 push press
1 @ 100 kg
6 @ 105 kg
1 @ 125 kg
and that was that. Thanks for tuning in and until next time when Koestrizer tries to make his way back into a gym routine.
Yeah decided that I wasn’t feeling good enough (also I can’t pin point to what is wrong exactly) and will wait another couple of days. I’ll maybe go in later this week again. I am on holidays this week (well, I am at home and have to work on my bachelor thesis, but I am not going to work) so hopefully that will speed things up.
The rep at 125 kg wasn’t really an issue strength wise (which is still promising on an off day) but technically needs improvement. You can see that I pressed out in front of me. I need more practice with weights upwards of 100 kg. With a decent build up, I think I can attack 130 kg soon.
Now for something else: I need some inputs on programs/ progression models! I think once I am back into a routine, I am too far out of the loop to just continue with what I have been planning to do. So I might just go back to a more linear progression based approach.
I might just do a 3-4 week hypertrophy block and then go into a linear progression strength phase. This will most likely put me out contention for my deadlift goal that I set out for the end of the year … and that is bugging me.
In other news: I started a diet this week. I want to shed some fat.
I have put some thought into the whole situation that I am in while I took a walk this evening.
I had to take time off from training due to a back injury
I tried coming back but got a virus
I am under tremendous stress right now
It seems like every time I try to come back and pick up where I left off, I don’t succeed.
So I decided to change my approach and build back up with lighter weights and do a hypertrophy block. My body may just need this kind of break. I have layed out the next 4 weeks of this training approach. After that I’ll try to have another go with a strength block and see if there is still time to tick off some boxes that I have set out for this year. If not: Okay! I need to learn some patience. I am in it for the long run.
looks Ok to me. The only question I have is how you think rows are going to go on day 1 after 2 lots of deadlifts. I always find them hard after deadlifts especially grip, but if you are using straps this isn’t an issue. I was thinking maybe move the rows onto the pressing day so you are doing something with the antagonistic muscle (and I like the pump I get with press and back together) and maybe move the arm work into Monday.
Its really just a personal preference thing, it still looks ok as it is.
I always do some rows after deadlifts, so I am used to it. The geil won’t be an issue as I always deadlift with straps.
I try to get in a decent amount of upper back work and have some variety with. So some form of upper back work on every training day
