1 deficit deadlifts
up to
3 @ 180 kg - felt easy
followed by some technique practise
2 RDLs/ SLDLs or whatever
3 x 6 @ 140 kg
3 hip thrust
3 x 10 @ 140 kg
4 behind the back barbell hold (no chalk, deadlift bar)
3 x 30 sec @ 120 kg
5 dead bugs
3 x 10
6 pull aparts
4 x 50
Notes:
yesterday’s training put me in a really good mood. Today not so much. I struggle once again to find a decent deadlift technique (something completely new, I know…)
more details in the next post. Opinions and tips and what not are much appreciated.
So as I said the deficit deadlift triple felt pretty good. Both difficulty wise and movement wise. I actually felt the hip hinge in my glutes and hams. BUT it looked like a dog taking a shit. Like something you’d see in a workout fail video:
I think it looked better without the belt but maybe that’s deceiving?
So then I messaged my buddy (the guy who deadlifts a lot) and asked him for advice. He sent me this picture and said he wanted me to try and feel both positions.
I have seen it before but it was a good reminder and I played with it a bit:
Then I followed it up with RDLs/ SLDLs where I again focused on the new technique. Once more it looks like my back looks to be in a better position without the belt (see set 3):
Comparing both styles of deadlifts, my “normal” technique feels more powerful and the other one more hamstring dominant (but weirdly also more lower back dominant - at least for the RDLs).
I am not really sure what to do going forward. Should I just set everything into learning the new technique better? If so, should technique work be mostly lighter sets or heavier ones as well and should I let myself get back to my old technique if the weight is too heavy for the new one or should I just not surpass a weight that is doable with the new one?
Any other ideas or comments?
I think your best bet is to work on your bracing, your lower back strength and your ab strength. Fix those and you will be much less likely to get hurt. It will also make it easier to execute technique properly
Technique work should always be a cornerstone of training for us, and that usually means staying between 50 and 90 per cent.
Kinda weird. Body feels decent joint and muscle wise but even the warm up had me out of breath. I’ve noticed that I sweat even more than usual the past days and sleep a lot. Maybe there is a virus in the background that isn’t showing symptoms yet. Before anyone gets scared about Corona, this happens kinda frequently to me. So it doesn’t necessarily mean anything at all and could just stem from my hormon imbalances, side effects from my meds or being a fucked up being alltogether, haha. Well or I have a/ the virus .
1 log lift (clean each rep)
Up to
2 @ 103 kg - failed the third rep. Camera malfunctioned. Felt lilke I was lacking power + stability from the hips and lower back
3 @ 103 kg - ties all time PR but that was done on a “easier” log. So PR for this log. Attacked this set with more anger, completely butchered the first rep, took a few deep breaths between rep 2 and 3 and pulled through sucessfully.
3 x 3 @ 83 kg - all sets Vipers. PR for that movement
2 axle pin press (forehead, seated without back support)
3 x 6 @ 76 kg
3a incline db bench
2 x 12 @ 32 kg
1 x 10 @ 32 kg
3b lat pull down
5 x 12
4a cuba rotation
5 x 12
4b triceps extensions
3 x 15
Notes:
going in I actually had 106 kg in mind for the top set. Adjusted that after warm ups but obviously not enough. I mean it kinda played out all in all but it took a lot to retake and complete that top set.
all in all a good session beside the first attempt at my top set
I still have that weird compressed feeling in my lumbar on some days. Especially after log or axle (since more backwards lean is required/ happening). I guess it probably is the combination of overheads and deadlifts. Maybe the physio was right that I have a slight disc damage. My back is still better than it has been a few weeks ago. I have no problems during training right now.
It’s important to notice that the compressed feeling is not associated with pain just discomfort that is provocable. 90/90 breathing really helped right now. Need to do that more maybe.
Yeah back isn’t feeling good upon waking up. It feel like that one spot is pinched or something.
Crap! -.-
Will skip squats today and see if I feel better tomorrow.
2 90/90 breathing with foam roller between knees
3 x
2 dead bug with pressing a form roller between elbow and knee
3 x 10
3 clamshells with band
1 x 50 per side
4 various glute bridge (incl. banded and foam roller between knees)
5 hip flexor stretch
6 some pelvic movement and a knew form of lower back traction that my mother showed me (she knew that one from the physio because she had a pretty severe ruptured disc a few years back). That was pretty good!
Notes:
I know I shouldn’t make such a big deal out of this and I feel kinda guilty about it. A lot of lifters deal with similar and MUCH worse stuff. I think you know me well enough by now to realize that this stuff easily gets to me. I start to see everything as super severe and my mind jumps at 200 miles an hour from “my back is off and has been repeatedly for a longer period” to “I have a disc damage at only 25 years old!” to “I won’t be able to train and compete anymore in the near future” to well… worse stuff.
I am emotionally involved in my sport in a different way than most others. I am not naturally competitive. I don’t need to ever win a strongman show. The whole process just is something that keeps me sane. To lose that (or deteriorate from that) is something I can’t take in my current state. That’s why I overreact the way I do. In case anyone was wondering or was annoyed because they are dealing with much worse injuries.
actually talking to my mum was pretty wholesome right now. I always think that people would judge me (and have in the past) like “yeah no wonder your back is hurting” or “this is your own fault” or “think about your future!” and stuff like that. She didn’t react that way this time because I think she finally understood how important this whole lifting weights thing is for me. I’d say that shows an improvement in our relationship (not that said relationship was bad or anything).
Now off to take an epsom salt bath and hopefully I’ll be good to squat tomorrow
Haven’t been here for 3 days, so didn’t see the deadlifts until now.
Your DL isn’t that much out of control, the pictures shows a bit of the culprit.
The reason is that your body relies on your strong back.
What should happen in the deficit pull is that your back angle should stay the same.
Meaning your setup should be exactly the same as you conventional setup, only difference is that you bend the legs a little more to reach the bar.
When you start the deficit pull you start with legs, and keep using the legs, until the bar is just under knee height, now you start engaging the backside of the body.
What happens is that you’re using to much weight, this is an assistance movement, this is where you train with perfection.
When you watch the video your back MUST stay in the same angle and position for the first part of the lift.
Look at the McGill big 3 do them everyday and as part of the warm up at least for lower body days.
As @MarkKO says you have to have a super strong core.
Oh and if it is the Covid19 stay at home for the next 14 days, don’t spread it.
Hey Mort, thanks for the review and I agree with your assessment.
I am as positive as I can be that nothing is wrong with me at this point. The sweating has stopped again and I feel fine. I do follow all official guidelines to a t though. I practice as much social distancing as possible
Warm up consisted of smashing the glutes with a lacrosse ball, 90/90 breathing, some brief hip flexor stretching, chasing a glute pump, the McGill big three and a set of back extensions.
I was of course worried going in, since that pinch in my back is still there (although a little milder compared to yesterday). Crazy thing was - the more weight I loaded, the better my back felt. Zero pain and ZERO discomfort during the squats themselves. Like when I did the empty bar, it pinched. 60 kg: A little. 100 kg and up: Nothing.
1 box squats (briefs + sleeves)
6 x 2 @ 180 kg
2 yoke
3 x 1 lane (ca. 9 meter) @ 285 kg/
3 walking lunges
3 x 20 (10 per leg) @ 25 kg (lol)
There is no exercise in existence that tortures my glutes and glute-ham tie in like these do. Should probably do them more
4 tabata
Notes:
the more I do them, the more I like these squats. Can’t turn the voice off that keeps questioning if they are worth it, but they feel so good on my joints, you know? Much more natural than free squats somehow. The briefs make my hips feel brillant. I dont know how much help I am getting from them. It’s not nothing but can’t be huge either since I can force a touch in them with no weight on the bar.
squats felt ridiculously strong today for some reason
haven’t had a yoke that heavy on my back since last year’s preparation for the German Cup in Stendal (Summer). My style of yoke training is paying off though: Less is more and today’s weight felt absolutely okay.
I have the luxury (well I did pay for everything and have been collecting for years but still) to be able to train in isolation and even only use equipment that is solely touched by me. I feel you guys who aren’t as fortunate as me. I take all offifical guidelines very seriously and am taking on no “gym refugees”.
best workout of the week. Hopefully my back stays happy afterwards, enjoys the off days and is back in shape next week.
Also found a solution for my problem of always hitting the rack on my walkouts.
Believe in the box squats! As long as you sit back and load up your hams, glutes and hips (basically make the move harder) they will work something. Just don’t cheat by using a close stance and sliding your knees way out in front of your toes they are good.
How did they look in that regard? I am fairly new to the movement but for some reason they felt a lot more powerful today compared to the last two weeks.
In general you’ve been looking better and better each week. And generally your technique looks better towards the middle of squatting, like your 4th and 5th sets are pretty solid.
If you go back to Set 1 on the 13th the caption reads “didn’t sit back enough.” You can see your knees go forward, and during the descent you sort of lean forward. Like you’re shifting the weight out in front and loading up quads and lower back. Also you just tap the box instead of sitting on it. That’s not a great rep, and it’s an example of what you want to avoid. The good news is you improve from there. Sets 3 and 7 look particularly good, you can really see the way you sit back.
Watch the first rep of the first set on your most recent video. Just before you hit the box, like a few cm from the bottom your knees kick forward and you slide your hips forward just a little bit. Again, this isn’t a great rep, but it’s less of a breakdown than the first rep of the previous workout. From there you get better and better. Even the 2nd rep is better. By set 5 you’re looking really good.
Keep up the good work! You’ve made improvement already. I expect that next week you’ll be even smoother. You’re getting better at keeping your knees in one spot while you drive with your hips, using more glutes and hips on the way up, and I think that’s why you’re feeling more powerful.
DOMS are real today, especially in the glutes. Begs the question why I haven’t included lunges before. They are here to stay now for sure.
Also my back feels a lot better. Not 100% but huge improvement today. I’ll probably train later today and therefore have a day in between overhead and deadlift.
Felt super fatigued today. No amount of caffeine could change that. Maybe the training is taking it’s toll or the weird sleep schdule I’ve had lately. Maybe it’s the depression. Whatever it is, I decided to push through.
Heaviest week of the cycle yet.
1 push press
Last warm ups 1 @ 110 + 1 @ 120 kg
6 x 1 @ 130 kg - huge volume PR. Previous best was a single and this is 5 kg off my 1RM.
2 hicks press
2 @ 110 kg + chains
2 @ 120 kg + chains
3 x 2 @ 115 kg + chains
3 seated rows
5 x 10
4 face pulls
5 x 12
5 biceps curls with fat gripz
3 x 10
Notes:
six total reps with 130 kg. Fatigued, no hype up, no smelling salt, just focus on technique. I’ll take it! Technically I am ok with most reps. Not perfect but most of them were not bad. Especially since this is quite an accomplishment. Lat set was obviously the worst. 4th the best.
back felt very good during. Let’s see about after.
my elbows and biceps definitely felt those amount of reps … Ouchi. That made the rack and catch in the later sets very uncomfortable! Which did impede my technique a little.
The epidemic hits in a lot of ways… I am out of work, which is not good for me but not terrible either. We have a good social system, I won’t starve and after the crisis is over, I can return.
A lot worse is the current situation with my beloved grandmother. Her dementia is rapidly worsening and she can hardly walk and take care of herself. The ambulant care service comes in the morning and evening to take care of her medication and help to shower her, my parents are with her at least once a day and my mother cleans the apartment. I usually visit a couple of times a week (recently less because I was afraid I might infect her with this damn virus).
Early this morning the ambulant care service called me and informed me that she had fallen down at some time in the early morning or night (she has an alarm button but of course she didn’t have that thing on her) and had been laying … well in a not pretty situation in her hallway until she was found. So my mum and dad came from their work and I drove down from home. My father and I brought her to the hospital to get the an x-ray of the foot.
She kept saying “you’re not going to admit me into an old people’s home, are you?” after we returned. We do everything we can but there is no way around it anymore. The care service said so as well. What really hurts is this: We found a place in a home not too far but because of the epidemic you won’t be allowed to visit. All residents are isolated in their rooms. She is admitted tomorrow morning…
This hurts. It really does. My grandfather, her man, was the biggest influence and inspiration for me out of all my family members and I had a very special bond to both of them my whole life. They weren’t ashamed to admit that I was their favorite grandchild because I was always visiting when I was home and took care of grandpa, when his body started to go… It was hard to see him rot away and die a very slow death after his mind went too, He died in a senior home as well.
My father is breaking her the news right now. I couldn’t bring myself to stay for that. I’ll either visit tonight or go tomorrow for her admission. My sister will likely drop by tonight. I am a little irritated with her because she hasn’t visited grandma in a long time despite visiting us at home and having the time. I wonder if it’s too much for her or what’s behind that. She never visited as much as me but this is out of character for her. My three cousins and the rest of the family can fuck off, they only cared when they were forced to or could benefit in any way.
I hope grandma doesn’t have to suffer as much as grandpa had to and maybe dies rather sooner than later. This may seem evil but I know where the road she is on leads down to.
She is also my last grandparent.
.
