Yeah I have a similar problem, used to take me out for at least a week at a time but I have a lot of strategies now. One of the main reasons I switched to kettlebells, and I’m surprised I haven’t had it since starting deadlifting again. I know you’ll get over it quickly, but it’s still frustrating!
Haven’t been online much lately but have enjoyed catching up on your log.
Also your blog is amazing, I love the stream of conscious posts. This weeks particularly funny…and a little sad…
Hey man, thanks. It means a lot that you came through to read my log. And thanks for being a blog reader too. This last entry was a little caustic, but it’s what happens when I’m out in public for too long, haha.
Axle Strict Press
5xAxle
5x66
5x116
5x156
3x176
6x196
10x155
superset w/
DB rows 105
10
9
8
7
6
3x5
Notes: Pain free pressing. First time in a long while. Left shoulder and right elbow played very nice. Had a 7th in me on the top set, but didn’t want to lean back enough to get it. Still playing it safe with the back. This was a great set for post back tweak; bodyweight for 6.
Log press (clean once) 110
3x10
2x8
superset w/
NG Chins
1x25
4x20
Notes: Getting better breath control with the log. Still tries to kill me, but I’m relearning.
Axle curls
Notes: Decided that my right shoulder is most likely the bicep tendon, as just trying to curl the empty axle was really pissing it off. I CAN reverse curl, so I might start doing that, but for the most part I just took it easy.
Band pushdowns
50
Kroc rows 105
1x20
General notes: Woke up at 193.2. This was really like an old training session for me (to include being beat up, haha).
SSB Squats
5xBar+Chains
5x115+chains
5x155+chains
5x205+chains
3x245+chains
13x315+chains
Notes: Wasn’t what I wanted, but not terrible. For those that didn’t follow my last log, I’ve got a bum left hamstring that acts up on occasion (usually after a badass dropset squat workout), and I was dealing with that today. It was just super tight. Combine that with my back still being a little touchy, and it ended up making it so that I couldn’t fully lockout at the top of the reps. This meant my shoulders stayed rounded, so my lungs were being crushed the whole time. At rep 13, I just plain ran out of air and had to rack it before I did something stupid. Plan to stick with this weight next week and really just crush it.
Got video, will upload later.
Reverse hyper 110
4x10
superset w/
Standing ab wheel
4x8
Car deadlift simulator 5 plates
1x20
Notes: Hit my goal. Remembered a trick that I used to use before, and wrapped up my hamstring with a knee wrap to keep it all in one piece. Really goes a long way in allowing me to still hit some heavy weights. Onto bigger things next time.
Got some video. Will upload later.
General notes: Woke up at 195.4. Think my weight is balancing out from vacation.
Some video from yesterday
Just watched the SSB Squats and they look different. It looks like a good morning hybrid of sorts. Is there a particular reason as to why you’re doing it like this? I’ve followed your log long enough to know that you do have some rather unorthodox ways of doing certain exercises.
Oh and I just started using your range of motion progression on the deadlift and I can’t wait to see what happens at the end of the cycle.
With SSB squats, most folks push up on the handles and put the weight further down on their back so that they can arch their upper back and make it more like a low bar squat.
When I do it, I pull the SSB as far forward as possible to really increase the lever arm. I find that this makes the exercise much more difficult vs pushing the handles up, and really makes me have to fight to move. I then round my upperback to make the movement more analogous to a deadlift or stone load vs a squat. In turn, whereas handles up tends to carry over to squats, I find handles down carries over more to deadlifts (and, by extension, more strongman stuff).
That being said, this most recent session wasn’t a great one as far as form was concerned. Still dealing with my back tweak and my hamstring issues, I was pretty much just getting reps in anyway I could. I wasn’t able to fully extend on any of the reps, so my posture was getting really exaggerated at the end.
Good luck with the ROM progression. I am such a big fan of that approach. I hope it works well for you.
1 Like
“the clouds will part and the sky cracks open
and god himself will reach his fucking arm through
just to push you down
just to hold you down”
-Trent Reznor “Wretched”
I’m honestly in a great mood, but I’ve been in a bit of a NIN kick recently and it’s like I just heard this verse for the first time. I know it’s supposed to be angsty and depressing, but it genuinely fires me up. I’m an adversity junkie; bring it.
DELOAD
Axle floor press 186
5x10
superset w/
Seated Incline hammer curl 35lbs
5x10
Notes: Went back to something I learned from some bodybuilding training and did the seated incline hammer curls to use less weight while still stressing the arms pretty decent.
NG chins
1x35
5x20
superset w/
DB lateral raise 20lbs
5x10
T-bar rows
2x5x1 plate
2x5x2 plates
2x5x3 plates
1x5x4 plates
DROPSET
15x4plates
10x3plates
15x2plates
20x1plate
Notes: Did a LOT of warm-ups to work around my back, right arm, knee and serratus, but it paid off. This felt great, and I got a crazy pump out of it.
General notes: Woke up at 194.4. Lots of little aches and pains, but knee feels awesome.
Treadmill
Running 30:00 at 8.1 mph
Distance: 4.05 miles
Incline: 1.5
Notes: It’s pretty crazy that I’m still doing these distance runs, but I haven’t been in this kind of running shape in a long time and I figure I might as well hold onto it as long as I can. Haven’t gotten a long run in for the past 2 weeks, so I scaled the incline down and increased speed slightly. Honestly wanted to quit at 13:00 in, since I’ve been primarily running 1.5 miles and wasn’t really used to the time any more. Happy to keep enduring it. Kept garage door closed to make things more miserable.
Woke up at 197.0. Not too shocked. Ate a lot of sodium yesterday (breakfast meats for dinner) and drank a lot of fluids. With my cheat meal being today too, probably going to see a crazy spike.
Plan to get a 2 a day in today. Might ease off the prowler, since that’s what caused my right shoulder to be buggy and it’s still a little miffed. May do an EMOM or tabata approach. See what happens. Historically, I am pretty stupid, so I’ll probably just do what got me injured.
10 minutes EMOM
100lb keg clean and press x4
Notes: This wasn’t as challenging as I thought it would be. It WAS the first time I had clean and pressed ANYTHING since my injury, let alone a keg, so that was a victory, but next time I need to do something more. This was kinda a dud of a conditioning session. I might try to squeeze in something higher intensity later in the week.
I took some video of it just to document. I’ll be uploading it tonight.
Light cheat meal; nachos bel grande at taco bell and the inside of 3 chicken flatbread sandwiches.
(7) Axle Mat Pull
5x123
5x156
5x246
5x336
2x426
1x516
4x521
10x426 (touch and go)
Notes: Let me explain to make things make sense; the Ironmind axle weight 33lbs. First I slap on a pair of 45lb bumpers, and then I add a 7.5kg plate per side (33lbs). So, when it’s all said and done, it’s like training with a 66lb bar.
Well, I forgot this by about the time I had 4 45s per side, so when I added the 5th, I thought it was 495. I pulled that single as a warm-up, it felt really heavy, I got pissed because I hit 500 for 3 off a 5 mat a little earlier, so I threw on a 2.5 and decided to just cowboy up. Once it was done, I re-did the math and realized I had moved much more weight. Hooray for math PRs.
Touch and go backoff set felt good. None of these were to my absolute limit, but it was still challenging.
Reverse hyper 110
4x12
superset w/
GHR sit up
4x12
Buffal Bar squats
5xBar
5x100
5x140
3x190
1x230
1x280
1x320
2x320
35x230
Notes: So I was going to work up to another stupid dropset with a heavy top set, but my legs were just fried. Don’t think I ate enough beforehand. Decided to see what I could do with 230. Really wanted that 40, but things were getting dangerous techniquewise, so I shut it down. Got some video I’ll upload later.
Here is footage of the keg workout
General notes: Woke up at 195.6. Light for me post cheat meal.
1 Like
Surprise 2 a day!
Prowler w/100lb keg
Backwards sled drag 50’
High handle push 50’
6 or 7 rounds
Notes: The very first round I also did a keg run and unloaded backwards drag, but my legs were just fried so I decided to drill some basics. Goal was to just never stop on each round. Build that Juggernaut momentum.
Had a more legit cheat meal. Half a large stuffed crust pizza from Pizza Hut. Nutrition is getting slightly off point, but nothing major.
That’s cool and all but I can’t imagine how annoyed I’d be if that happened to me. That being said, I’m the kind who’ll save up for a really nice ass gym, like one with a platform/power rack and maybe even an Eleiko bar or two. Do you ever plan on doing a complete overhaul of your garage gym or is that simply not within he budget/part of the plan? I already have a checklist for the things I want in my future dream home gym and holy shit it’s a long list.
The Ironmind axle is actually pretty top of the line. It’s huge in American competitions (like the gold standard). I’m kinda curious what you think in my gym needs overhauling, as I think it’s a pretty sweet set-up, haha.
Home gyms are an addiction. I feel like I’m finally squared away, but I know I keep looking for some more dumbbells to round it out. I should bite the bullet and get a legit circus DB sometime too.
And yeah, if I ended up pulling less weight, I’d be pretty miffed, but accidentally pulling more is always pretty awesome.
EDIT: I would like a better log I suppose, but it was a gift from the Mrs, so it’d be tricky to replace without offending her, haha.
I reckon your home gym is beastly. Having said that, there’s always room for a couple of heavy kettlebells 
1 Like
Well, I’m looking through your videos just to see what you don’t have and you pretty much have everything. Like you said, a better log would probably be a good suggestion, you ghetto log is a little… Ghetto-ish. I’d suggest you remove you middle part you added on and tell her you’re getting a bigger log so you can do press medleys or something.
Maybe it’s just the appearance of your gym haha, it looks very garage gym-ish. Personally I’d like to have a more professional looking one, one with nicer walls and all but that’s just me. Maybe a platform cause I’m rather interested in the olympic lifts. Maybe a nicer looking power rack cause… It looks prettier? Kegs, check. Tons of various speciality bars, check. Farmer’s Walk/Yoke/Prowler, check. Rolling thunder, check.
Oh and maybe it’s just me being extremely anal but I’d like plates that all from the same manufacturer and all. I get your gym is a collection of items after years and years of getting deals of craigs list but yeah. I like pretty gyms haha.
Probably something along the lines of this.
I like how I basically fantasied my home gym and put it right beside yours and did a side by side comparison haha, sorry for the spam.
The total cost for his gym is around 6k-ish and honestly, I’d be more than willing to spend that much and more on a home gym, if I ever get to. Now that I think about it, yours probably adds up to over 10k, right?
You got it all wrong, little homie!
1 Like
@furo Yeah, all I got is a 45lber. It shows up on my radar every once in a while. If my routine opened up a little more for assistance work, I’d probably start working them in. That, or I found a crazy craigslist deal, haha.
@Benanything Ah, that makes more sense. There are 2 reasons for the state of my gym. 1: I move a lot in my job. In fact, I’ll be moving in August, so I don’t tend to make the gym too stable. It’s kinda a gyspy gym; has to be able to pick up and move at a moments notice. But the other thing is, I don’t really like training in a nice environment. I prefer something more sparse. I really don’t enjoy training, nor do I want to, and keeping things dingy and utilitarian keeps me that way. I feel like even once I’m a little more stable, I would keep it pretty basic.
As for my gym cost, you’ll have to keep in mind that there is a question of cost vs worth. I got a craiglist deal on some Ironmind and Rogue gear which set me back a grand, but when I totaled it all up, it woulda cost 3.5k if I bought it from the vendor. All of my plates are second hand, and cost at the most half the price of new plates.
Of the things I bought new (or Mrs got as a gift)
-Texas power bar
-Texas deadlift bar
-NYBB SSB
-CFF log
-Elitefts Prowler II
-NYBB squat box
-Set of 105lb DBs (I forget the company)
-Pendlay bumper plates (45s and 7.5 kilos)
-NYBB power rack
-KegCo Keg
Jeez, there is probably more. I’ve crunched the numbers before, but honeslty I have no idea. It’s been in work since 2007, haha.
@FlatsFarmer You got it figured out man! Classic stuff, haha.
Gonna go for a run today, but here is the squat video from yesterday.
1 Like
Treadmill
Running 1.5 miles at 9mph
Time: 9:56
Incline: 3
Notes: Redemption from last week. Still sucks, but I made it through. When I woke up this morning, it felt like my legs were made of lead after the high rep squats and prowler workout yesterday, so this was the cherry on top. Just going to keep pushing until I can’t I suppose.
General notes: Woke up at 197.0. There is the spike I was expected. Ate light today to make room for a 1.25lb ribeye at dinner. Happy Father’s Day to me.
1 Like
Society
http://www.aspirebariatrics.com/about-the-aspireassist/
what was once normal ,is now abnormal
what was once abnormal,is now normal