Hear hear
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03.03.
Warm up was mainly banded hip stretches to please my hips, some back raises and then I toyed around with yoke carries in a “zombie” front squat position.
I have one of those super thick cross beams on the yoke so the “bar” is resting somewhat on the delts and arms. Likely won’t be able to load that but this activated the core and abs right away.
1 paused front squat (beltless)
5 @ 60 kg
5 @ 80 kg
3 @ 100 kg
I was very tempted to either throw some real weight on or go for some real reps. But it’s deload.
2 weightlifter squats (high bar, close stance, as deep as possible, beltless)
3 x 5 @ 100 kg
3 back raises (unweighted)
3 x 20
Notes:
- I feel like the box squats already did a good job of teaching me how to load my hips @flatsfarmer. These front squats felt so good that I decided to see what 100 kg would be like. Wanted to do a single but ended up doing a very easy triple. This was a lot easier than I remember the same set with a belt and no pause! Exciting! Looked really good too if you compare with older videos of me front squatting.
- I liked today’s workout. Everything felt good, the different squats were kind of fun and I feel fresh going out of it.
- the squats put me in kind of a good mood. Don’t know why. I think I could have done some damage today. Sign of me maturing that I didn’t. Now I am looking forward to enjoying some beers tonight and in 2 or 3 days I start mission “140 kg overhead” and “the deadlift rebuild”.
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That’s excellent. I like what you said about “Learning” to load your hips. If you can find a good lift to use the muscles your brain goes Oh Yeah and then suddenly you can use those muscles better in every other move. Like CNS/Neural or “beginner gains” when you’re not a beginner anymore.
It’s also great to have some success and fun in the gym! Make some progress, feel positive about it, get more motivated.
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Oh yeah! Keep it fresh so you don’t build up a tolerance. The goal is to stimulate the muscles, not lift the heaviest weights in training. I always get caught up in “progression” and “beating the log book” and forget that idea.
But I guess that’s a super important concept when we’re trying to perfect a lift or movement or whatever. Use an assistance move to load the muscle, then rotate moves before you adapt. Because I usually adapt by cheating.
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It’s definitely been a good feedback. In the past I have always judged assistance exercises by wether or not they helped to increase a main lift or maybe if they helped me to stay/ become injury free.
This is a good experience of how an exercise has value besides those points. Plus I’m shifting good weight on the box squats so it will probably not hurt my overall performance and the deadlift.
4 Likes
05.03.
I felt pretty tired and dehydrated going in.
1 push press
6 x 8 @ 100 kg
Worked on kind of a “rebound technique” at the beginning of each set. Saw that in some videos from Paul Smith (also common in CrossFit I think). Worked good for high reps but made figuring out when to breath harder since you can’t really let go of the brace at any point.
2 Heavy unrack (rack position as in OHP)
3 x 5 sec @ 140 kg
First time using this. Saw some convincing arguments for it and thought I’ll implement them for the coming weeks.
3 unilateral standing db press
3 x 10 (per arm) @ 22 kg
4 chest supported t-bar row
5 x 10
5 push ups (40 total)
15, 10, 10, 5
6 face pulls
4 x 12
7 fat grip db sz curls
4 x 10-12
Notes:
- the sets of 8 left me gasping for air. Either it was the lack of breathing or lack of cardio, lol. The fatigue accumulated pretty fast with each completed set.
- pressing itself was easy. Thought about doing more sets but didn’t want to destroy my elbows too much as I have a lot planned over the next weeks.
- good session. 100 kg moved like it’s supposed to
4 Likes
Probably a little of both. lol
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Hey man! Don’t think I’ve ever posted on here but I check in from time to time, strong as an OX!
Saw the deadlift programming and thought I’d be that guy who drops in with unsolicited advice.
Some of my best deadlifting started from a 3 week speed block. It was fairly basic, twice a week.
Week 1 was 15x2 at somewhere around 55% for both days
Week 2 was 12x2 at somewhere around 60% for both days
Week 3 was 10x2 at somewhere around 65% for both days
Week 4 was 10x1 at somewhere around 70% for both days
All was about a minutes rest and were supersetted with quadruped walkouts
@MarkKO also layed out a great plan too. As for other unsolicited advice I can throw in there my deadlift took the biggest turn when I gained a confident attitude towards the lift. Which is another reason why light cycles of deadlfiting can help you, if you never miss a rep you start to feel unstoppable in the deadlift.
Keep up the work man! You’re ridiculously strong.
3 Likes
Hey Brett, great to have you as a reader and thanks for the kind words!
The cycle you posted looks pretty cool. I could imagine using it if I want to get back into more of a peaking shape. For example as a follow up to Mark’s plan. Good point on the mindset regarding deadlifts. There is definitely room for improvement on my end.
I think I haven’t congratulated you on your PR yet. That was some freaking impressive work! I’ve always enjoyed your log and am watching in awe as you blow by me and a lot of other people on here in strength while you’re still so much younger! Keep up the good work man.
2 Likes
06.03.
1 deadlifts (beltless)
5 x 5 @ 127,5 kg
2 good mornings (used the straps tor a ghetto ssb setup)
3 x 10 @ 60 kg
4 reverse hyper (ghetto version with a table)
2 x 25
Not sure if I found a decent substitute or awkwardly raped a table
5 db row (no straps, ultra strict)
3 x 10 @ 41.5 kg
6 lying leg raise
25, 15, 10 (couldn’t do 50 unbroken)
Notes:
- the entire goal for deadlifts was full body tension on every rep and every decent! That made me slow down the decent (at least more than I am used to) which in turn made these more fatiguing than you’d think for 60%. I was able to create a lot of tension in my lats. Personally liked set number 4 the best
- I filmed all sets of GMs because I’m new to the movement. It feels like I could use a lot more weight because the concentric feels effortless. I was focused on practising my bracing and engaging as much posterior chain as possible. What I did notice between sets and afterwards was that this got my abs going like crazy! To a greater extend than compounds usually do.
5 Likes
I just borrowed Stuart McGill’s “The Gift of Injury” at the library which is about returning from injury as a strength athlete with a lot of emphasis placed on back health. I’ve skimmed through it cover to cover and I think it would have a lot of value for you.
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Sounds interesting. McGill is definitely a great resource on the topic of back health and general rehab
This one seems acutely pertinent to your current predicament. It talks about diagnosis, rehab, not relapsing into injury. And dealing with injury mentally as an athlete.
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That all looked good. It’s a very good start
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Today is the first day with zero discomfort in my back, hips and piriformis. Even that tightness or whatever in that one spot in my lower back (the one that stems from my supposed disc damage a few months ago) can only be provoked if I really try. In a seated position and even then only to a degree that is hardly palpable or even uncomfortable.
So guess I am back, bitches!
I think the lower back thing is something that might follow me for another while but at this point it seems to only be relevant after heavy ohp days and is not associated with pain or real discomfort.
Today is rest day (will include a few hours of yard work though). My abs and hip flexors are really sore today, lats too. Never thought about specifically training hip flexors but might be good, who knows.
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Great to hear you feel better. Now it’s time to stick with the program and get stronger, without all the pain and fatigue. Quality
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Yeah as Simo says, stick to the program, resist the urge to go grab something heavy.
Good to hear your back is good.
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That book is hard to find. Not on Amazon (in Europe anyway) and not in the two university libraries that I checked and have access to via friends. Only source I found listed it at 45 € + 25 € shipping, which is ridiculous! So I guess that was a pretty lucky find in your library
I asked them to order it
That’s a neat service