Striking a Balance

Training Training Logs
241

February 28th

Warm-up: Jumping jacks, band pull-aparts, cubans, internal rotation stuff, v-crunches, x-walks

Pull-ups, band-assisted:
10,10,10,5,5,5

Wrist is troublesome today (different part than usual), so went a little light at the end.

Overhead press: (C3W2+BBB)
8 x 5
18 x 5
28 x 5
50 x 3
54 x 3
57 x 9
38 x 10
38 x 10
38 x 10
38 x 10
38 x 10

Barbell rows:
38 x 8
58 x 8
78 x 8
98 x 3
103 x 3
108 x 3
103 x 3
98 x 3
68 x 15
68 x 15
68 x 15

Barbell floor press: (C1W2)
58 x 3
63 x 3
68 x 3
72 x 15

Finishers:

Power cleans: 58 x 5

Chin-ups, band-assisted: 13,9,7

1hand cross over chest: 15,15,15
SS with: Cavalier crossover 27x 5,5,5
SS with: Upper chest pullover 15,15,15

Lateral dumbbell raise 8.4 x 15,15,15
SS with: Face pulls: 10,10,10

Decent workout. Not really happy with my press these days. Thinking back, I have had a minor pain/muscle knot behind the bottom part of my scaps the past couple of weeks. Perhaps that contributes to the poor press. Think I will have to get one of those rollers for loosing tight muscles.

3 Likes
242

Thatā€™s a lot of work.

243

Probably overdid it a little to be honest, felt pretty knackered afterwards.

244

March 2nd

Warm-up:
Shoulder mobility stuff, hip/leg/back mobility stretches, bird dogs, glutes bridges, band pull-aparts, jumping jacks, external rotator stuff, air squats

Deadlift (C3W2)
58 x 5
78 x 5
106 x 3
113 x 3
121 x 12

Zercher squat: 58x 3,5,5
SS Band leg triple ss exercise: 10,10,10

First time I tried Zerchers - mostly on a whim, because I saw the mmentioned earlier. My knee seemed to like them ok(ish). Not sure my lower back will thank me tomorrow though. Weā€™ll see.

Push-ups: 21,21,21,21,21
SS: Straigth band flyes 10,15,15
SS: Various incline/upper chest stuff: 10,10,10,15

Dumbbell hammer curls 8.4x 25,25,25

4 Likes
245

March 4th

Warm-up: Jumping jacks, band pull-aparts, cubans, internal rotation stuff

Pull-ups, band-assisted: 10,10,8,8,8,8

Overhead press: (C3w2)
8 x 5
18 x 5
28 x 5
50 x 3
54 x 3
57 x 8

Dumbbell rows, kroc style:
27 x 22
27 x 21
27 x 20

Lateral dumbbell raise
8.4 x 15
8.4 x 15
8.4 x 15
8.4 x 12
8.4 x 12
8.4 x 12

Finishers:
Rear delt /high band row: 10,10,10
Lat low band row: 10,10,10

3 Likes
246

March 5th

Core day: SS-ABC in each round
A Sit-ups 15,25,35
B Corkscrews 10 es
C Reverse hypers 30,30
B Sideplank w/twist 30 es
B Band corkscrew 30 es
A1 Ab wheel rollout 20
A2 Band abb pulldowns 30
B Band slegdehammer 30 es
C Banded goodmornings 30,30
RDL 5x 58,78 / 8x 102,102,102,102,102
Glutes bridges 20
Bird dogs: 20
4 Likes
247

I think I will have to stop deadlifting.

These past few months, I have noticed a problem with my left hip.

It has progressed steadily from a minor annoyance to something that worries me a bit.

I have for some time had consistent low level pain when I have slept on that side.
It has now started to be more painful throughout the day as well and to become a hindrance for walking and moving around freely. Yesterday I had noticed having trouble sitting comfortable during a car ride.

It is still a minor problem, but it gets a little worse every day it seems.

This is the same leg where I have an unresolved knee issue, and as I have noticed this hip being noticeable weaker than the other, I had figured there was a connection.
(Something in the hip causing muscles in the thigh and around the knee to not pull correctly and thus causing the knee problem.)

But yesterday it stroke me - what are the new factor I have introduced these last 6 months?
Thatā€™s right, I have started doing deadlift variations a couple of times a week.

So I will stop doing that for some time to see if that helps.
I kinda like deadlifting and it is one of the few heavy lifts I can do completely in my limited home gym. So are majorly bugged about this - but it is not worth the risk.

(Will probably try a heavy single max, to see how far I have gotten before stopping though.)

2 Likes
248

March 7th

Shitty day yesterday, did not feel it at all. A little warm-up and just the bare necessities:

Pull-ups, band-assisted: 10,10,8,8,8

Overhead press: C3W3
8 x 5
18 x 5
28 x 5
57 x 5
60 x 3
64 x 2

Man, I am beginning to doubt if 5/3/1 is for me. 3 cycles in and Iā€™m lifting less than I did before I started.

2 Likes
249

March 8th

Warm-up: some

Barbell floor press C1W3
58 x 8
72 x 5
76 x 3
80 x 12

First time in a long time I did not do floor press at the end of the main part of a session, where it is the somewhat painful thing to get over with. Felt fresh and had a bit of fun. Nice.

Push-ups: 25,20,20
SS with: Straight band flyes: 12,12,10

Band leg triple exercise (Hip/glute/quad): 10,10,10

Finishers:
Light incline band press: 15,15,15
Glutes bridges: 30 @ 27kg

3 Likes
250

531 is a long game. You must be patient.

251

March 9th

Warm-up: Band pull-aparts, external rotation stuff

Pull-ups, band assisted: 8,5,5,5,5
Switched to a lighter band

Barbell rows:
58 x 5
78 x 5
98 x 3
103 x 3
108 x 3
110 x 1
110 x 1
108 x 2
100 x 3
68 x 20
68 x 18
68 x 15

Finishers:
Band rear delt/high row: 10,10,10
SS with band lat low row: 10,10,10

1 Like
252

Yeah, thanks, will try :slight_smile:

253

Sounding a bit yoda-like there chicken.

Good work in here doomy

3 Likes
254

March 11th

Warm-up: Internal shoulder stuff, band pull-aparts

Sit-ups: 20,20
Band good mornings: 20,20
Sideplank w/twist 20,20 es

Overhead press: C3W3 + WSL
8 x 5
18 x 5
28 x 5
48 x 3
57 x 5
60 x 3
64 x 2
48 x 5
48 x 5
48 x 5
48 x 5
48 x 5

Lateral dumbbell raise: 8.4x 15,15,12
SS with band facepulls: 10,10,10

Triceps pull-downs, band: 20,15,15

4 Likes
255

March 12th

Warm-up: Band pull-aparts, Band corkscrews, Ab wheel rollouts, v-crunch, reverse hypers, Jumping jacks, Jackhammers, X-walks.

Pull-ups: 3,3,3,3,3

Pull-ups, band-assisted: 10,10,10

This was a much needed win. My intention was to master 5 x 10 with the heavy band, then move down to a lighter band, do the same, and then start doing unaided pull-ups. But turned out that the lighter band did not feel all that different, so jumped the gun and just went for it.
So now I have the immense satisfaction of actually being able to do pull-ups, which I could not do in the autumn.
(Long term goal is to be able to do ten pull-ups the day I turn 50. (year & a half from now.) I thought it was an outlandish goal but, hey, just maybe it is not so far off as I thought.)

Dumbbell rows, kroc style:
27 x 22
27 x 22
27 x 22

Standing rows, band: 10,10,10

Dumbbell hammer curls: 8.4 x 25,25,20

5 Likes
256

Congrats on the pull ups!

1 Like
257

Thanks :slight_smile:

1 Like
258

Good work man.

My 2c is that to be able to do lots of pull ups, you need to do a lot of pull ups. Iā€™m using the Russian Fighter Pull up program, which seems like a smart way to do that.

2 Likes
259

I did a pullup programme back in my 20ā€™s where you take half you max reps, do 4 sets with 2 mins rest a few times a week, next week reduce the rest by 30 seconds, repeat, then each week reduce by 30 secs again. I started with max rep of 4, on 5th week got 8.
Its the only pullup programme Iā€™ve tried, but worked for me.

3 Likes
260

Yeah, that is also more or less my conclusion. Messed around with hangs and negatives at the outset, but soon just concentrated on getting some reps in.

Another useful conclusion is that at some point, doing more reps per set just stops being helpful and messes up my elbows and forearms instead.

1 Like