I slept in that splint thing you recommended last night @BethB - that’s two nights (well, a night + a couple hours) in that. I can straighten my arm a little more today, so I’ll say it’s helping.
This morning I got in a pretty decent push workout where I was able to do some machine pressing starting the movement just about 90°. My right pec isn’t flexing exactly the same way, which I figure is just due to the discomfort on that side.
Off to volleyball!
That’s great to hear! I hope you get all fixed up.
Hey dudes, I’ve had a couple light workouts, but nothing of real note. Today I did a leg workout I’ll whine about below. Elbow is improving, I think; everything is still kind of a dull discomfort and limited ROM.
I swear it took me the last 3 days to recover from my travels (and back out tomorrow). I don’t know if I’m older or wussier or what, but it’s taking a bigger toll than it used to.
Anyway, onto legs today. I feel like I’m in rebuild mode.
Seated Leg Curls
Tons of sets just building volume and trying to get a pump here. Probably 8 sets or so, but only the last couple were difficult.
Leg Extensions
Really wanted my knees warm before squats, so did these too. Worked up doing something like 30, 20, 15
SSB Squats
This is where things are getting gross lately. Squats haven’t been feeling great, which is fine because I know I’m in places and rotating movements and stuff a lot. But today I couldn’t even get comfortable with 225, and it was frustrating. Keeping in mind my situation (44, injuries, physique/ mental focus, travel) I see some options here:
@T3hPwnisher @simo74 and the rest of you geniuses, how do you all differentiate between you’re giving yourself an out vs you’re maturing and being smart with your body?
Leg Press
Worked up to 6pps for 14ish and then 4pps for 16 or so slower reps.
Hack Squat
This is an Arsenal machine and my favorite I’ve ever used. I was spent and cranky here. Did 2pps for a couple sets and came home. Take that, calves and abs.
I assume I’m giving myself an out and so double-down on working harder. Haha.
But only sort of, “Haha.” Very keen to see what folks have to say here…
Kind of my default too. Then I regress and triple down on the cycle
I genuinely don’t understand how these are different things.
Giving myself an out IS maturing and being smart with my body. At the height of my most self-destructive immaturity, I never gave myself an out. And I got the results of those decisions.
These days, if I find myself giving myself an out: I take it. I must really need it if I’m giving it to myself.
I’d listen to that voice if it’s happening.
In the context of this discussion: ever consider box squats? Stan Efferding and Mark Rippetoe both talked about how that’s what they’re leaning toward in their later years, and I see myself open to that as well. It makes total sense for anyone with knee issues, since you break up the eccentric and concentric chain.
And for myself, I’m rotating squat movements frequently, just as a way to ride the razor’s edge before I run into the issues that come with prolonged exposure. I think it’s one of the great things that come along with age: there’s always another tomorrow. I don’t ever say that I’ve written something off forever: it’s just on hiatus. I legit took an 18 year hiatus from martial arts and now I’m back. Squats can get put on hold for a few years.
I’d tag in @bulldog9899 on this one as well. He’s done an excellent job navigating the waters of barbell squatting.
I get you. I guess I more mean “when am I finding an excuse to avoid the hard stuff vs it’s legitimately time to try a different road?” The rest of your post explains it either way.
I think you’re right. I think we all have a default, and we have to know what that is so we can respond appropriately. Yours is self-destruction, mine is “just work harder,” so if we think it’s time to back off on something, it’s probably past time.
This is a good callout! I have done these with some real frequency in the past, mostly when my knees hurt. This might be a good switch here. Between these, hack squats, belt squat, pendulum squat, etc, I really do have a lot of body-friendly movements if I zoom my thinking out a bit.
You’re 100% right. I tell everyone else none of this is a life sentence; it’s not here either.
Thank you for the insights!
I’m whining (my forte) about squats feel awful lately and whether I should just let them out of my routine for a bit for friendlier variations.
Well if its a elbow issue as you mentioned above…. Ssbar or hip belt. Would be a good choice. At this point nothings is off the table.
Long as your getting in some type of squat pattern.
Surely you know me well enough now that I rarely ever give myself an out. I just take my old man medicine. Actually going to tag @wiseman83 here as he has done such a good job with my programming over the last 8 years. If it were me and squats were not feeling good. I would drop the weight a little but increase the frequency and include some light and some technique work. Box squats could be a good option to keep as your heavier day and then use tempo or pauses and have a light volume day.
Squat is one of those full body movements that for me responds to high frequency. If I dont do them even for a week they feel like I have forgotten how to squat.
Thanks @simo74! I think it’s kind of falling in line with a trend of “behaviors match goals” for everyone. Squatting is specifically the goal for you, so you’re going to figure it out.
For me, I think I’ve got a good list of movements I can rotate when something feels off. I probably just need to pull that trigger faster in the session. I may also try a little bit of light work here and there; it certainly has helped with those Jefferson curls @Frank_C suggested. I don’t think I’m going to multiple squat days - that’s a bigger overhaul than I wanted.
I ended up going to a chiropractor that’s a friend of my wife’s yesterday, mostly to loosen all the cranky mid back stuff up between trips. He also dug into my bicep and angry elbow for a good bit, which seemed to help a lot. Besides the nerve, I had a really hard knot in my distal bicep he was able to work out. I’ll see how this goes over the next week or so and then update the physio thread. He also told me to work on my shoulder mobility, so he’s not entirely a good person.
Arms today and then headed back on the road here shortly. My wife is joining for a day (hence the Saturday travel), so that’s good, but I would have preferred to spend another day with the kids (we won’t tell her). After Friday, though, I get them for almost 2 straight weeks the way spring break works out so it’s ok.
I’m hovering right around 202 the last couple weeks. Believe it or not, that’s nearly a 20 lbs loss… I’d gotten pretty heavy. I need to lose another 10ish before I’d be comfortable both for the summer and trying to maybe put some muscle back on, but I’m not going to force this. I’ll let this hold for another couple weeks or so and then take the next run.
Copied a YouTube arm workout:
Press down into OH Extensions
Quite a few sets working up on these. This gym had a cool handle with grips so that was kind of fun.
Swiss Bar Press
This bar had really fat grips, which I liked. I worked up to a couple sets of 185 x 10.
DB Skullcrusher
Low incline for these. I was doing sets of around 20, because any heavier didn’t feel good.
Cable Curl
4 or 5 sets here
DB Hammer Curls
On these I did alternating hammer curls, then dropped the weight and did pinwheel curls. This felt pretty crampy- good stuff.
DB Preacher
One arm at a time
Stretch Cable Curls
I used a single rope and did these hammer curl style but facing away. I just went back and forth on each arm until I couldn’t do anymore.
Calves
I did 4 reps a plate working up until I missed, and then did it back down until I was getting 10+ and it wasn’t hard anymore.
BOSU Crunch
4 sets
That’s fantastic—congrats!
Those things are no joke. They can knock everything out of whack.
What a jerk. 
Seriously! Do you get this? What do you do to keep it in line? I definitely had to hold back today.
I know! He needs church.
Thanks man. The secret is to have absolutely no dietary restraint for ~6 months. It really sets up an easy baseline.
Hah! I get what you’re saying, and I’ve been there myself, but don’t sell yourself short: It’s still a win—keep up the good work!
I do. My trapezius gets really bad. I get them in my right forearm pretty bad too. Honestly I go for a massage once a month. I also dig my shoulder blade into corners like a bear scratching it’s back. Lol. I’ve tried not going for the massage but when I go too long my neck and shoulder locks up and then I end up on muscle relaxers and high dose ibuprofen. A properly placed foam roller or ball helps too. The girl I go to does this horrible/ wonderful thing where she grabs my shoulder blade and pulls it away from my back then she rubs the muscle while it’s still pulled away. It is the most amazing agony I’ve ever felt. But actually I’ve been going long enough that the massage usually doesn’t hurt anymore. If you have the resources I highly recommend it. I can’t get my husband on a routine schedule, but when he starts losing mobility I just make him an appointment and make him go. It’s probably one of the most underrated preventative things that you can do. That was a really long answer for get massages.
This is exactly what happened in my house yesterday!
I have done massages a couple times when I get real bad, so I hear you. I hate making time for it. I should definitely be more proactive about the lacrosse ball and staying on that. I remember a couple times I rolled a barbell around on it - that hurt like hell but also really made my shoulders loosen up. These are all the things I let slide and then “remember” when I start getting the results you get from not doing the recovery work. I was surprised how thick the bicep knot was this time, though… new record!
I get the making time thing. My problem is that if I let it get too bad I can’t work. My job is the main problem. Lifting exacerbates it. I think every sonographer that I work with gets massage monthly. I also foam roll basically my whole body before I lift. Lol. I’ve noticed that it makes the massage more comfortable.
I used to be more diligent about this, but it bored me so much I started to hate lifting. That doesn’t mean I need to throw the baby out with the bath water and not get into specific things that need it though
Edit: was my 5000th post seriously about foam rolling? I’m too disgusted for words.
I’m sorry that I ruined your 5000th post. I promise to steer clear of your 6000th post.
