Are you gonna take one for the team and try the other two flavors and tell us which is the best? lol
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Yes tomorrow I was planning to try the Brown Sugar Cinnamon, I’m not sure if it’d be smart as a pre-workout meal. I’ll think about it lmao
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Didn’t really know where to the post this. Pretty proud of this original riff I made. Legato Style is difficult for me to make sound melodic, but when you hit the groove, it sounds majestic. Rare guitar video from me.
6 Likes
How long have you been playing?
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Like 7 Years, on and off now and days but for the first 3-4 I was pretty consistent with playing, lost a lot of my chops lol. Alot of Blues & Jazz Fusion stuff
My family was pretty involved in music back then, my uncle and aunt did a lot of gigs with their own bands so I’d always hear them practicing.
Never found anyone to do a sit in jam with but I did do street performing for like a year or two lol
3 Likes
that’s awesome!
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May 18th
Foam Rolling
Hip Adduction 1x20
Hip Abduction 1x20
Bird Dogs
Good Mornings
Hamstring Stretches
Squats 1x20
Conventional Deadlift off 3" Bumpers (Soft Lockout)
5 x 135 x 1
225 x 2
315 x 2
405 x 1
455 x 1 RPE 3.5
Barbell Rows off Pins
275 x 4
335 x 4
395 x 4 RPE 5
Foam Rolling (Adductors, Hamstrings, Quad, Low Back)
Seated Hamstring Curl
2 x 85 x 15
2 x 130 x 12
Variety of Standing Hamstring, Glute and Hip Stretches, Different Angles
Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown
220 x 10
220 x 10
245 x 10
BTN Lat Pulldown - Close Grip
2 x 120 x 12
Had to be much more strategic today, decided against going heavier and just matched my sumo pull, and did rows instead. With the way my Psoas was feeling after conventional deads, I also swapped out Hyperextensions for some pump work in the hamstrings.
Felt much more discomfort bending down, which would go away when I did hamstring work and come back a couple minutes later. So what this tells me is that it’s tightening up on me and getting loose and tightening up. I’m 99% sure its my hammies and glutes that are pulling down on it. Squatting down and bending forward doesn’t cause much discomfort at all. So it got me thinking.
The hamstring, Glute and Hip stretches that I did do, made it so much better. 90% of the pain went away immediately.
Post session, my back feels significantly better (Not completely pain free, but better). When I took 475 3 weeks ago, that took me out. I feel maybe 1/4th of that pain & tightness right now. This is improvement.
9 Likes
you seem to bounce back really well from injuries
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Well, alot of it is trial and error, some of it is grit, experience, and some of it is just trying to find some sort of work around. I don’t WANT to do Block Pulls with a Soft Lockout- but I do it because I know trying to grip and rip and fully extend with this weight is probably going to fckn kill me.
Same thing with my Pec. Its not significant enough for me to get it checked out but I am pretty sure it’s a ligament I fucked up. I only make this deduction because working through the ROM doesn’t cause me pain. When I start pushing off my chest, and when I fully lockout, is when I start feeling pain. From experience, I can “kinda” guess what’s going on but the fact I can work through 75% of the ROM is significant and I take advantage of that.
The Psoas is WAY trickier though, I’m still learning how to work around this. Not only does it attach to the spine, it also helps stabilize the hip & abdominals. So it’s ends up being an almost three-fold injury within different planes of motion (from what I’ve felt).
Really the biggest hurdle for me right now is mentally. If I don’t ever try to push it, I won’t ever get better. But if I push it too much, I’ll set myself back. If I feel better the following week than I did last week, that right there is my sign that I’m healing.
Sorry for the rant 
I don’t want to come off like I know everything because I don’t. Though, these last 5 months have been really humbling and thought provoking for me and I’ve learnt a lot of things about myself since then.
4 Likes
May 19th
Week 4
Bird Dogs
Bridges
Side Planks
Cat Camels
Curl Ups
Hack Squat 1x20
Hip Adduction 1x20
Banded Good Mornings 1x20
Foam Rolling (Adductors , Quads , Hips, Glutes , Low Back)
Buffalo Bar Squat - Raw + Belt
2 x 135 x 3
255 x 2
335 x 2
390 x 2
425 x 1
485 x 1
525 x 1 RPE 7.5 / RIR 3
Foam Rolling (Lats, Upper Back, Pecs)
Shoulder Rotations
Banded Pull Aparts
Plate Loaded Chest Press 1x20
BTN Lat Pulldown 1x20
Single Arm Tricep Extension 1x20
Larsen + Reverse Grip Paused Bench
45 x 20
135 x 3
225 x 2
275 x 2
315 x 4 RIR 0 / RPE 10 kinda overshot this lol
Seated OHP
135 x 3
185 x 3
230 x 14 AMRAP w/ Wraps
BTN Lat Pulldown - Close Grip
120 x 12
160 x 12
Single Arm Cable Flye (KG)
2 x 20 x 15
Hatfield Split Squat with SSB
2 x 115 x 10-12
Single Arm Hammer Curl
2 x 37.5 x 12
Amazing session today, I feel exhausted coming out but outside of that, my body feels good and in one piece.
I was really afraid because Sundays Deadlift Session destroyed my Back/Psoas. Sunday Night into the entirety of Monday I had shooting pain moving and bending over. I spent all of yesterday rehabbing it, doing McGills Big 3 and just trying to get blood flow in. I also kept hydrating through the day. It paid off because I was as good as new waking up this morning. I’m assuming I broke up scar tissue.
I put in the work and it paid off today.
Squats
-
525 moved like butter. With the speed of it I am definitely still capable of close to 600 with wraps. The weakest link (My Psoas) will dictate if I stay injury free working up to this in the coming year though.
-
That’s the end of this block. I’m not getting greedy. Next cycle I’ll plan to go for 535-545 Paused.
Bench
- Larsen Reverse Grip is WAYY harder than it sounds. It feels like it’s super isolating my tris and pecs. Holy fuck.
OHP
-
I originally planned out a progression with 240 but honestly for the sake of my shoulders and joints, I decided I’d just progress 5lbs and do a AMRAP right before failure.
-
230x14 is a Rep PR. Yeah I didn’t really lockout and the ROM could’ve been better but I was more focused on the rep count here.
I still got a sickening pump from this. It hurt.
Its been 5 months since I’ve even come remotely close to this type of weight. In November 24 I left off with 560 for a paused double, RPE 10.
These Hatfield Squats are going to be a staple rehab movement.
10 Likes
May 21st
Paused Floor Press
5 x 135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 2
265 x 2
285 x 12 RPE 9 10LB Rep PR
Skullcrushers
135 x 10
225 x 7 1 Rep PR, Lifetime PR
Side Lateral Raise Machine - Single Arm
2 x 170 x 12
Lat Pulldown Standing Curl
2 x 85 x 15
Single Arm Seated Row (2-2 Tempo)
2 x 85 x 10
Single Arm Rear Delt Flye Machine
2 x 200 x 10
Pain. Everything was achy today, tendonitis like a bitch from squats yesterday. But we hit that shit. Progression on everything.
But what I care about the most is my back. No pain, feels great. This is good.
Skullcrushers I dug so deep for. Floor Press was also a 10lb PR. Will I be smoked for Friday? Probably. We’ll see.
E1RM through strength level is 399lbs.
For a back to back pushing day, I’d say my performance was MORE than acceptable. Pre exhausted and pre fatigued.
9 Likes
Couple solid PRs there. Congrats!
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Thanks man , super happy with the way training is going. Bench has been the strongest ever, even with this injury. I’ve done it long enough to know its going up even if I’m not handling heavier tonnage.
I’m at that point I think I can start making some year end goals… Squatting 585 Raw again and Benching 440 w/ wraps would be awesome. As long as nothing breaks of course lol
2 Likes
May 22nd
Rehab Day
Foam Rolling (Lower Body)
Bridges x5
Curl Ups x5
Bird Dogs x5
Cat Camels x5
Knee Flexion Exercises using Box x10
Step Ups x10
Squats x10
Trunk Twist & Bends x10
Foam Rolling (Upper Body)
McLeod Flies using Bands x10
Shoulder Rotations Against Wall x10
External Rotations with Bands x10
Internal Rotations with Bands x10
Pull Aparts x10
Glute, Hamstring, Adductor, Low Back Stretches
Pec, Shoulder, Lat, and Bicep Stretches
7 Likes
May 23rd
Week 4
McGills Big 3
Cat Camels
Bridges
Lunges 1x20
Knee Flexions Single Leg 1x20
Foam Rolling (Quads, Adductors, Hamstrings, Hips and Glutes)
RDLs 1x20
Hack Squat ATG 1x20
Hamstring, Glute and Hip Stretches using Bench
SSB Squat - Wraps + Belt
5 x 135 x 3
275 x 2
330 x 1
395 x 1
440 x 5 RIR 7 / RPE 5
Foam Rolling (Lats, Upper Back, Cuffs, Rear Delts and Pecs)
Band Overhead Pull Aparts 1x20
McLeod Flies 1x20
External Rotations 1x20
Internal Rotations 1x20
BTN Pulldown 1x20
Single Arm Tricep Extension 1x20
JM Press 1x12
Paused Competition Bench
45 x 20
115 x 10
185 x 4
225 x 2
275 x 2
4 x 315 x 5 RPE 6
Close Grip Touch and Go Bench Burnout
225 x 32 Popped Pec started hurting a bit much for my liking, but I could’ve kept going, I’d say reaching RPE 10 RPE 8.5 lifetime Fep PR
Hatfield Split Squats
115 x 10 (decided against this and direct leg work in general)
Seated Face Pulls (KG)
3 x 95 + Two 40lb Dumbbells (300) x 20 PR
Single Arm Dumbbell Skullcrushers
3 x 70 x 8 PR
Seated Lateral DB Raise
2 x 60 x 10 PR
Jesus Christ we were in here for 4 hours.
Back felt a little beat up for sure from this session. Backed off on any lower body work. I’m supposed to be rowing 405 for reps on Sunday… I will be MORE than okay not doing this today.
First time in 5 WEEKS I’ve been able to comp bench pain free. Thank god. 315 for sets of 5 moved easy, about the lightest 3 plates has ever felt for me, so by default this is a PR.
440x5 was easy on SSB. Definently had 12 reps me. I’m pretty confident my Max here is around 575.
We’ve got one more heavy day before deloading… Let’s get it.
Didn’t mean for this angle to cut off my depth lol was trying to see if it would look better.
Edit: Readjusted RPE for both my Bench and SSB.
Edit 2: Forgot to log my prehab work lol
9 Likes
PR city! Nice work, my dude—you’re looking beastly, you’re working hard, awesome stuff!
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Definently coming out of one my all time lows. I appreciate it.
In a way I’m treating this as a fresh start. Using it as a way to clean up my technique, learn how to do proper prehab and work on mobility.
I think I’ll come back to be even stronger as I slowly build back up because these are all traits I lacked. Maybe I needed to be forced to learn these things.
Its a fine line to walk though. I’m pushing it but I’m trying not to push it too far… Hopefully everything I’ve done isn’t in vain, as long as I stay smart
4 Likes
Nice PRs dude! Keep killing it in here. 
1 Like
May 25th
End Of Week 4
McGills Big 3 1x10ea
Bridges Into Hip Thrusts 1x10
Banded Good Mornings 1x20
Leg Press Ultra Wide Stance 1x20
Foam Rolling (Adductors, Glutes, Hips, Quads, IT Band)
Reverse Band Sumo Deadlift - Mini Reds
3 x 135 x 5
225 x 2
275 x 2
315 x 2
385 x 2
405 x 6 RPE 3/4 Resetting Each Rep, Took About 15 Seconds in between
Barbell Row off Pins
315 x 5
365 x 5
405 x 5 RPE 7.5
Barbell Hyperextension
135 x 5
185 x 3
195 x 12 RPE 7
Lat Pulldown - Reverse Grip
70 x 5
180 x 3
2 x 260 x 10
BTN Lat Pulldown - Close Grip
140 x 12
160 x 12
Standing Reverse Curl using Lat Pulldown
2 x 100 x 12
I think I just found the movement I can progress on. Reverse Banded Pulls. My back feels much better than it did last Sunday doing Conventional Block Pulls.
I also felt new muscles tightening up and getting worked. It wasn’t uncomfortable but it felt like I was using everything on my right leg for the first time in a very long time. Felt like I engaged everything in tandem.
I don’t want to speak too soon though. I’ll have to see how I feel tonight and the following days. If soreness stays the same , good. If not , bad. But right now, coming out of the gym, I feel like a million bucks.
This is the end of the heavy week. I need some time to figure out what I want to do next block. Starting Tuesday, it’ll be a deload.
The setup I was using, I doubt the bands gave me more than 20 off the floor. Regardless, this wasn’t the point. I’m just blessed to be able to pull for reps with no pain.
The fact I feel good after doing pulls, rows and Hyperextensions back to back in the same session is huge.
Edit: Forgot to log Prehab Again. And also I forgot to add a mental note for future reference, I felt that my prehab time was significantly shorter today. I could jump straight into it.
7 Likes
Sounds like the McGill big 3, and extra foam rolling and activation work is working. 
1 Like