Sorry to hear about your knee brother. Are you going to get an MRI or anything?
I appreciate it Alpha. I have a referral to get an MRI scheduled and meet with an ortho, just navigating my health insurance at this point. Want to get some answers so I can know how to move forward.
[quote]Benanything wrote:
Yo T3hPwnisher, is there anyway to get faster at Farmer’s Walks? Just did a session of farmers today(its on my training log). Just asking cause I’m prepping for my upcoming strongman competition and the weight they’re using ain’t exactly heavy for me but I just can’t seem to get any faster than I am already.[/quote]
Hey brother, I am not the end all-be all what so ever with strongman, but I saw where you asked Punisher about how to speed up your farmer’s walks. i just took a look at your video and i might have some ideas for you.
Firstly, that video Punisher posted with Clint Darden was spot on. When the weights are fairly light, like in your upcoming competition, a good option can be to pick the handles with a staggered stance. Not drastically, but enough that your body is already in the start of a walking position before you even get moving. Also, i would soften your knees some when walking. If your steps are loud when they fall, then that is similar to heel striking when running. Each step is like applying the breaks before you can take the next which can really arrest your speed.
Also the louder the steps, the harder your foot is hitting the ground…Which in turn, shakes your body…which breaks down your core bracing and slowly rips the implements out of your hands. Both of which are not conducive to a solid, fast farmer’s run.
Keep your knees a little softer like you are trying to sneak into your house when everyone is sleeping. the more you “roll” your foot with each step, the more efficient your movement will be. If your head is moving around a lot and bouncing up and down then you are losing energy that could be applied to your grip and speed. Try to isolate your upper body from your legs. Your torso should remain static in approximately the same position while your legs are rolling like you are in a cartoon.
Also, on your tire flip, you will gain some seconds if you “ride” the tire down with your hands. This will keep it from circling around like a coin on a table (and if it does, your hands are already in place to stop it) and you will already be in the down position for your next flip. Just throw your shoulders up against it, dig your hands under and get right back to it.
like I said man, I am not an expert, but i have made similar mistakes and these are some things I have learned from them. I hope it helps.
=======================
I apologize for the hijack punisher! And yea man, dealing with health insurance companies is always a pain in the ass. But, like you said, the sooner you know, the sooner you can get to remedying the problem. No one rehabs as well as you, I have no doubt that you will be back under a yoke in no time.
Its not a setback, it is an opportunity to show what is possible if you put in the work and have a hard mindset.
[quote]Alpha wrote:
[quote]Benanything wrote:
Yo T3hPwnisher, is there anyway to get faster at Farmer’s Walks? Just did a session of farmers today(its on my training log). Just asking cause I’m prepping for my upcoming strongman competition and the weight they’re using ain’t exactly heavy for me but I just can’t seem to get any faster than I am already.[/quote]
Hey brother, I am not the end all-be all what so ever with strongman, but I saw where you asked Punisher about how to speed up your farmer’s walks. i just took a look at your video and i might have some ideas for you.
Firstly, that video Punisher posted with Clint Darden was spot on. When the weights are fairly light, like in your upcoming competition, a good option can be to pick the handles with a staggered stance. Not drastically, but enough that your body is already in the start of a walking position before you even get moving. Also, i would soften your knees some when walking. If your steps are loud when they fall, then that is similar to heel striking when running. Each step is like applying the breaks before you can take the next which can really arrest your speed.
Also the louder the steps, the harder your foot is hitting the ground…Which in turn, shakes your body…which breaks down your core bracing and slowly rips the implements out of your hands. Both of which are not conducive to a solid, fast farmer’s run.
Keep your knees a little softer like you are trying to sneak into your house when everyone is sleeping. the more you “roll” your foot with each step, the more efficient your movement will be. If your head is moving around a lot and bouncing up and down then you are losing energy that could be applied to your grip and speed. Try to isolate your upper body from your legs. Your torso should remain static in approximately the same position while your legs are rolling like you are in a cartoon.
Also, on your tire flip, you will gain some seconds if you “ride” the tire down with your hands. This will keep it from circling around like a coin on a table (and if it does, your hands are already in place to stop it) and you will already be in the down position for your next flip. Just throw your shoulders up against it, dig your hands under and get right back to it.
like I said man, I am not an expert, but i have made similar mistakes and these are some things I have learned from them. I hope it helps.
=======================
I apologize for the hijack punisher! And yea man, dealing with health insurance companies is always a pain in the ass. But, like you said, the sooner you know, the sooner you can get to remedying the problem. No one rehabs as well as you, I have no doubt that you will be back under a yoke in no time.
Its not a setback, it is an opportunity to show what is possible if you put in the work and have a hard mindset. [/quote]
Thanks Alpha! I’ll keep this advice in mind the next time.
Much appreciated Alpha. I suppose it may be telling how good I’ve gotten at rehab. Maybe I should learn something from that, haha. I am excited about getting to build back up again. At least I got all sorts of cool toys to help.
EARLY AM WORKOUT
Blast strap fallouts
3x10
Notes: Like the ab wheel, but less stress on the knee joint, since I remain more upright.
Seated band crunches w/average band
2x10
1x21
Notes: As much as it’s popular to bag on Louie Simmons these days, I’m so thankful for all the time I spent reading Westside Barbell/Elitefts stuff, because I know of a million different exercises that I can do. As much as I love the GHR sit-ups, these were pretty slick.
Plank
2 minutes
LATER AM WORKOUT
Arm day (I’ve become everything that I hate)
Down the rack barbell curls (no rest between sets)
10x115
10x105
10x85
10x65
10x45
Notes: Used the commercial gym by my house for this. Thought it would have preset barbells, but no such luck, so I was curling a texas power bar in a squat rack for this. Wasn’t strict form, used a little English, but still blew the arms up something fierce.
DB curl/hammer curl superset
2x10/10 of 20lbs
1x10/10 of 25lbs
1x10/10 of 30lbs
Notes: Perform all reps with one arm, then the other. Biceps were torched from the BB curls at first, and got better as I went along.
Hammer strength preacher curl reverse grip/normal grip superset
4x10/10 w/45lb plate
Notes: Next time, use straps for reverse curl. Puts too much stress on the thumb. Thought the gym would have a normal preacher curl station, but this did the trick.
Tricep rope pushdown/overhead extension superset
1x15/15 of 30lbs
3x15/15 of 20lbs
Notes: Weights are embarrassingly low, but my triceps were getting fried from these.
Dumbbell overhead extension/bench dip superset
4x15/15 with 30lb dumbbell
Notes: That feeling when you grab a weight that you think is going to be a warm-up and it turns into a working set. I was supposed to do 20 reps on the bench dips, but had no chance. Feet were on the floor versus on a bench.
Down the rack skull crusher (no rest between sets)
10x65
10x60
10x55
10x50
10x45
Notes: Performed with a straight bar on a flat bench. Needed a slightly wider grip to not destroy my elbows.
General notes: Woke up at 189.8. With a little smoke and mirrors, I saw a full on 6 pack in the mirror today. After this workout, it’s clear to me that my arms are weak, and as much as it’s killing my soul, the arm day is probably going to be a positive thing for me. I may do some of them in my home gym when I can get away with it.
LEG PREHAB
High box squats (box+7 mats) w/buffalo bar
4x25
Notes: Height is just at the level where knee wants to give out. Focusing on not locking out and keeping tension on the quads. Amazingly, the right quad fatigued before the left. I imagine it’s been taking on more of the work with my limp.
Buffalo bar good mornings
4x15
Notes: Didn’t bother my knee, but since I couldn’t fully straighten it, a little harder to get tension on my hamstrings.
General notes: Woke up at 189.6. Knee continues to improve, limp is getting more fluid. Psuedo cheat meal today of a 6" wrap with turkey, roast beef and heavy mayo, along with a quarter of a low carb pizza and a quest bar.
CHEST DAY
Reverse band axle bench 350+normal short bands
5x5
Notes: I always forget how much reverse band stuff sneaks up on you. Everything would feel fine, and alluva sudden I’d be out of gas in the middle of the ROM. Had it set up so that the bands stopped providing assistance at the very top. Really tried to focus on getting the chest versus the triceps in on this. The axle was a program deviation of my choosing, going to try to use that whenever possible so that I don’t lose the feel of the implement.
Low incline DB press 105
2x8
1x7
1x5
Notes: Supposed to be 4x10, but was running low on time so cut rest periods short, and only have the 105s to work with. I’m not listing all of my warm-ups on these exercises, but I’m doing quite a bit to get in some volume.
Dips
2x10 w/20lbs
Dropset
1x10 w/20
1x5 w/10
1x5 w/BW
Notes: The dropset at the end was supposed to be 3x10, but I just had nothing left in the tank. This type of training is definitely challenging, not used to hitting the same muscle for so many movements in a row. Hard to see such low numbers, but it means I’m getting stronger.
General notes: Woke up at 191.4. Once I get a diagnosis on my knee, I’ll be more willing to commit to a diet 1 way or the other. I’d like to see 186 on the scale, as that should mean that I’m walking around at 7% bodyfat, but at the same time I am really missing the quantity of food I used to eat. I don’t even care about eating junk food, I just want to eat bigger. Knee is getting better every day. Now, even it’s moments of instability are more stable than before. I’ll feel the knee shift slightly, but it won’t give way. I’ve been able to get away with more movement now, although the ROM is still terrible. My legs are actually a little sore from my workout on Saturday, so that’s a positive.
Ah yes, I forgot to mention that the biggest support I’ve had through this injury has been my wife who, upon seeing a sample of pre-workout powder that had ended up on the counter somewhere remarked to me “Wow, you’re really taking this whole ‘bodybuilding’ thing seriously aren’t you?”
You can always count on your loved ones to cut you the deepest, haha.
1 Like
PM workout
Tabata slam ball slams
Notes: Been racking my brain for conditioning work I can do and re-stumbled upon this gem. Trick is to bend at the waist versus the knee to grab the slamball. First rep or so was a little tricky, but after that I fell into a good groove. Think I’m going to end up getting pretty good at these. Got a birthday coming up as well and may treat myself to a prowler that I can pull arm over arm with a rope.
BACK DAY
Meadows rows
10x100
10x110
10x120
10x130
Notes: Again, not counting warm-ups. Always been a big fan of these. Really focused on contracting the lat hard at the top.
Wide grip lat pulldown 140
4x10
Notes: Weight is light, but this is a plate loaded lat pulldown, so not sure how much weight is actually being moved.
Chest supported barbell rows 135
4x8
Notes: Don’t have a chest supported row apparatus, so had to get creative. I set myself up in my glute ham raise so that the pad was on my stomach/chest and rowed a barbell off the floor from there. Steve Pulcinella demonstrated a similar movement in his Ironsport Method book, but for his you set-up like a normal back extension to really hammer the errectors. This “worked”, but like ever other time I try chest supported rows, the limiting factor was that the chest pad was crushing my diaphragm and making it harder to breathe. Still got a decent contraction. Got a couple other work-around ideas I might try in the future.
DB shrugs 105
3x20
General notes: Woke up at 189.8 (scale was fighting between that and .6). Still have more of the workout to do, but ran out of time this morning, will finish it later (3x20 hyperextensions against bands. Funny note, there is a typo in the program that says to perform 30 sets of 20 reps…god I hope that is a typo). Gaining a lot more mobility and stability in the knee. If I didn’t have an MRI scheduled and a meeting with an Ortho, I’d honestly be training the damn thing by now. I am hoping this is the sign of just a partial tear.
Finished the workout on my lunchbreak with
Hyperextensions w/choked light band
3x20
Notes: These were tough, but it’s good to know I can do them with the buggy knee.
SHOULDER DAY
Leaning lateral raises 20lbs
3x20
Band pull aparts
4x25
Notes: Really focused on squeezing the contraction at the end here. Normally, I pump out pull aparts with pretty minimal ROM, just hitting the end over and over again, but this time I made sure to return my hands in front of me for each rep and drive really hard to the end. Made a difference.
Axle strict press
6xaxle
6x58lbs
6x115lbs
6x148lbs
3x188lbs
6x168lbs
6x158lbs
6x148lbs
Notes: This was supposed to be a military press where I slowly work up to a 6 rep max, with at least 4 sets being work sets. Switched to the axle, and then hung around a little bit after hitting the 3rm, just trying to get in a little more volume. Suppose I could work up a little more gradually next time, but I honestly had no idea what I was going to put up, between the shoulder work beforehand and the bum knee. I still can’t fully straighten it, so it’s like trying to balance on one leg, which makes stability with overhead work a little tricky. I think the forced time off of push presses are going to be a good thing though, as my strict press needs some work. Bodyweight for 3 on an axle after all the work beforehand isn’t terrible, but I used to have a lot more in me.
Barbell shrugs 335
5x10
Notes: Biggest factor is that I’m still not able to really heavily load the left leg. Can still get a decent trap workout, but I’d really like to see more weight on these movements. I’m hoping that, if nothing else, I can get a knee immobilizer at my next appointment so that I can start loading up.
General notes: Woke up at 188.6. Lightest I’ve been in a long time. I can actually feel some pain in the front and outside of the knee at times, which is honestly probably a positive sign, as it’s means the swelling is reducing enough to get to properly diagnose what the hell is going on. The bruising on my foot/toes is reducing. ROM is improving and the speed of my limp is increasing. I was able to carry the 100lb plates around the gym today without much concern, and I’ve actually moved my yoke a few times without the knee buckling. It’s as good as can be.
Any news on the MRI yet? Or have I missed it, been out of the loop recently.
[quote]dagill2 wrote:
Any news on the MRI yet? Or have I missed it, been out of the loop recently.[/quote]
Scheduled for tomorrow, with a meeting with the Ortho on the 28th (my 30th birthday).
My in-laws are both registered nurses, with my Father-in-law having gone through 4 years of med school before deciding he wanted to be a nurse instead and going through all of that, so I’ll probably send them a copy of the MRI results to get their opinion on it while I await for the official word from the Ortho. I feel good enough to train, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anything, haha.
Got the MRI, will get the report on Monday, along with a disk. Meeting with ortho is on the 28th. Progress is being made at least.
Woke up at 190.0, and that was after a fast food lunch yesterday. Seem to have a good handle on my weight.
EARLY AM WORKOUT
Blast strap fallouts
3x10
Notes: 5 second hold on very last rep, really getting a tight contraction on these.
GHR sit-ups
3x10
Notes: Really happy I can do these again. Going unwegihted, very slow, focusing on squeezing the abs.
Neck harness 45lbs
1x50
LATER AM WORKOUT
ARM DAY
DB bicep curl dropset (all one big dropset)
10x50
10x40
10x30
10x20
10x10
Notes: I should really start lower on these and make smaller jumps, as my technique isn’t as conducive as I’d like. Getting more delt involved on the heavier sets.
V-bar pushdown dropset (all one set)
10x80
10x65
10x50
10x35
10x20
Cable curls (45 second rest between sets)
5x15x30lb
DB extensions on flat bench (45 second rest between sets)
5x10x30lb
EZ bar reverse curl (45 second rest between sets)
5x10x35lbs
Notes: That’s assuming a 15lb EZ curl bar.
EZ bar incline skullcrushers (45 second rest between sets)
5x10x65lbs
General notes: Woke up at 188.6. This arm day was much faster than last week, and more within my wheelhouse. Big fan of dropsets and short rest periods, and by the end I had a pretty decent pump going. Really focusing on contracting the muscles rather than just moving the weight. Trying today without my knee brace to see how it goes. I feel like all the limping is just reinforcing bad walking mechanics and as a result my left calf muscle feels shortened (standing on my heel really stretches it out and burns). I’m getting itchy about healing this damn thing.
PM Workout
Tataba slam ball slams
Notes: Still without my brace. Glad I can still get some conditioning in.
LOWER BODY REHAB
Box squats (box+6 mats)
Worked up to 280+light bands for 3
Notes: Just wanted to get a feel for my knee stability. Strength is still there, and I felt like I had an easy 400 in me, but knee was slipping around a little on these so I decided to cap it. Used bands because I felt like they’d act as an artifical stabilizing device for my knee (based on the observation Westside barbell had in regards to certain lifters using band tension too often and LACKING the ability to stabilize when it came time to free squat. Felt I could use that to my advantage).
Reverse hyper 50lbs
3 minutes
Notes: This is still viable for the most part. Have to be cautious about letting my left foot run into the heel of my right on the concentric, as that gets my knee to flare.
GHR
3x5
Notes: This wasn’t very knee friendly. I gutted through it, but I’m going to have to find a different movement next time, or try it next week and if it doesn’t fly, switch. Maybe kettlebell swings.
Massive box squat dropset (only resting long enough to change plates)
5x280+chains and lightband
5x280+lightband
5x230+chains and lightband
5x230+lightband
5x190+chains and lightband
5x190+lightband
5x140+chains and lightband
5x140+lightband
5xbar+chains and lightband
5xbar+lightband
5xbar (free squat)
Notes: Trying to create as much intensity as possible with as much weight as I can safely handle, so throwing in just about everything here. Made a conscious effort to not plop onto the box for any reps, which really kept the tension high with the bands and chains. This still wasn’t quite the intensity I’ve put out in the past, but it’s not bad for 2 weeks post injury. I am really hoping I don’t need surgery, not due to a fear of surgery, but more so that this time spent healing hasn’t been wasted.
General notes: Woke up at 190.0. Knee felt a little more swollen than normal 1 day post being without a brace, but also has way better ROM, and I was able to sleep without being conscious of my knee position through out the night. Thing going without the brace was the right call.
Today’s cheat meal was a large plate of nachos with carne asada, sour cream, refried beans, quac and jalapenos. Real system shock. Birthday will be midweek, plan to cheat some on that day as well.
Feel like my stride is becoming much more natural without the brace. I still limp when I need to hurry, but I more slide/shuffle the bad foot otherwise.
Here’s to wishing you happy birthday in advance!