[quote]Ass Banana wrote:
What rotator cuff tests were you doing out of curiosity.[/quote]
Tons of combinations of movements.
I did drop arm, empty can, external rotations, apley scratch, pull apart, and tons of combinations of various movements trying to reproduce pain.
The pain has almost completely resolved now. I am going to give it another day or so before I really start trying to reproduce pain again.
Is there anything else you would suggest looking at?
7/31/14
I didn’t eat well yesterday. I had a subway sub at noon, and then ate Wendy’s at 1 AM.
Went to the new gym today.
Squat
10xBW
5xBW
5x135
(Terrible reps. I was stretched out and feeling ok, but I couldn’t make depth at all without my olympic shoes. My knees left knee was popping, and what not.)
3x225
3x245
3x280
8x315 (Belted.)
(Terrible reps. My form broke horribly on the 7th rep. I mean I was on the fast track to snap city. I almost cannot even claim these reps as squats. The bar rolled back on my hands, and my arms went numb. I just decided to rack it. This set felt horrible and heavy.)
2x365 (Belted. Paused.)
(These were a bit better. I got pissed and just wanted to pick something heavy up.)
5x315 (Belted.)
(Reps 1-3, and 5 were good and paused. Rep 4 was tng, and I am not sure about form/depth on that one.)
3x285
3x285
3x285
My back started to get stiff, and I just called it a day. I wasn’t going to do front squats given how my shoulders have been feeling.
On my way home I stopped at subway to get some subs because I can’t cook. Some guy ran into my car.
I have a ton of work, and I am tired of being alone in a damn hotel room. Tomorrow I work 12 hours.
Today was my birthday.
[quote]trivium wrote:
[quote]Ass Banana wrote:
What rotator cuff tests were you doing out of curiosity.[/quote]
Tons of combinations of movements.
I did drop arm, empty can, external rotations, apley scratch, pull apart, and tons of combinations of various movements trying to reproduce pain.
The pain has almost completely resolved now. I am going to give it another day or so before I really start trying to reproduce pain again.
Is there anything else you would suggest looking at?[/quote]
Naaa not really, only others I can think off the top of my head are to Hawkins-Kennedy, and Neers.
A Declaration
It has become apparent to me that I am overtraining my body’s ability to recover. This is determined by my emotional stress (rising), school demands (increasing), and my ability to get quality meals/sleep (decreased).
It has also dawned on me that I don’t have a real plan, and that solely relying on 5/3/1 and “lift as hard as you can” is not going to get me to my goals in one piece. I NEED TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MY LACK OF PROGRESS. I NEED TO MAKE MY TRAINING MORE MANAGEABLE.
I am going to abandon the 90% training max starting place. I am going to recalculate my numbers based on goals that I want to hit 6 months from now. I will then back track for 6 cycles and start there.
The largest jumps I am going to make will be 5 lbs for the three main lifts and 2.5 lbs for press. (Surely I can make 5 lbs a month happen.)
Frequency of the main lift is going to come up to once per week for each lift. Overall volume is going to stay the same over a 2 week period.
I am going to design my own 5/3/1 template as best I can.
There is a difference between training intelligently, and using a program. I have not been using 5/3/1 intelligently like I was previously.
A few things got in the way, but my planning for previous situations does not cover my current one, therefore I will have to re-evaluate.
Goals are going to stay the same as before (1150 with perfect form).
I am going to structure my plan so that I develop needs, not wants.
I need to:
-Press 180 lbs for 3.
-Bench 300 lbs for 3.
-Squat 385 lbs for 3.
-Deadlift 435 lbs for 3.
When I hit these, then my EDM should be around my goal.
I feel like I have been capable of a couple of these in the past, however I have not been able to hit them consistently. I AM NOT INTERESTED IN BEING A FLASH IN THE PAN KIND OF LIFTER. MY EVERY DAY MAXES NEED TO TOTAL 1150 WITH ACCEPTABLE FORM. NO EXCUSES.
Current TM:
Press - 190
Bench - 285
Squat - 346
Deads - 382
Reset TM:
Press - 170
Bench - 285
Squat - 375
Deads - 425
TM in 6 cycles:
Press - 185
Bench - 315
Squat - 405
Deads - 455
My last heavy week of the 6th cycle will land exactly on those 3 rep max attempts. I won’t have to change a single thing to make that happen.
Discipline and maintaining form will be stressed.
I will create my template later and post it.
8/3/14
YTWL/APLEY/BDL/BPA
Bench
10x45
5x45
5x135
3x185
3x200
3x230
7x260 (Paused. Felt good.)
3x230 (Paused. Close grip.)
3x230 (Paused. Close grip.)
3x230 (Paused. Close grip.)
(For my top set: I am not sure if I had one left in the tank or not, but the last rep wasn’t a grind at all.)
Kroc Row
10x120
10x120
10x120
10x120 (Right side was waaay faster and easier than left.)
11x120 (I tried to perform the previous set again but in reverse, if that makes sense.)
(I was short on time, and had to get to work. So, I made the decision to not try to be a hero with my assistance work, and just get the baseline 50 reps in.)
Nothing too special here.
My shift on 8/3/14 was loooong and I overslept the next day.
I decided to skip on 8/4/14.
I am going to pack up, drive home, hit the gym/get my required reps, take care of my school needs, watch the pirates, and study for my other school stuff (yea there are three separate sides to my schooling that I must juggle).
I have found a few cool things that I would like to share. They are youtube channels.
I am sure that you all know Ben Rice. I wanted to post up a few videos where what he says really resonates with my own thoughts on my training as of late.
I am not really training. I am constantly testing on 5/3/1. That needs to end.
“Yeah man, I have a plan. I am doing 5/3/1. I don’t test, I train.”
No, I looked at my log. I am always going for PRs, even on assistance. Where is my base work? What is my goal?
“I want to be stronger bro. I want to eventually total 1150.”
Bullshit. I am setting better goals now. Where do I want to be in 6 months, what do I have to hit each cycle to make that happen, and can I make it manageable without being a hero? I am going to have to try to strike that perfect balance of volume, intensity, frequency, and perceived exertion to move me forward. How do I want those lifts to feel? What will my form look like?
I am really taking time to re-evaluate things and find my motivation/plan. Usually when I get a plan, my motivation picks back up.
Maybe my newb gains are somewhat done, and my life stress/ lack of recovery abilities are starting to really catch up with me.
The second cool thing I wanted to share was a youtube channel that I feel doesn’t get a ton of traffic, but is worth checking out. If you have read a few of my other forum posts, you will understand why I enjoy these videos so much.
That last post didn’t go up all the way.
I am not sure what is up with that. I fixed it though.
Luckily I have made a habit out of copying all of my posts before submitting on this website, as that seems to happen a lot here.
One last thought before I have to drive home.
Rehbands, SBD, Titan.
Which one?
Alternatives?
I may make another thread like the belt thread. Any thoughts though?
[quote]trivium wrote:
One last thought before I have to drive home.
Rehbands, SBD, Titan.
Which one?
Alternatives?
I may make another thread like the belt thread. Any thoughts though?[/quote]
While I dont have any of those sleeves I have heard good things about rehbands. I personally have elitefts sleeves and love them, took a little while to break them in tho.
[quote]Ass Banana wrote:
[quote]trivium wrote:
One last thought before I have to drive home.
Rehbands, SBD, Titan.
Which one?
Alternatives?
I may make another thread like the belt thread. Any thoughts though?[/quote]
While I dont have any of those sleeves I have heard good things about rehbands. I personally have elitefts sleeves and love them, took a little while to break them in tho.[/quote]
I want something that is going to give me a little support, and keep my knees warm.
The way I look at it is that if I want to get anything out of gear that goes on my knees, I will buy wraps haha.
Thanks for the reply man. I will take those into account.
How much was it with shipping and handling?
I felt sick today after I went out to eat. I will spare you all the details.
I am going to deadlift tomorrow, and maybe throw some rowing/triceps on afterward to make up for the missed lift.
I have hit a rough spot in my motivation/training. I won’t make excuses. It has gotten exponentially more difficult to get to the gym.
On a side note, I have been fascinated with rolling thunder, grippers, hiplifts, backlifts, strongman events, and arm wrestling?
WTF?
[quote]trivium wrote:
[quote]Ass Banana wrote:
[quote]trivium wrote:
One last thought before I have to drive home.
Rehbands, SBD, Titan.
Which one?
Alternatives?
I may make another thread like the belt thread. Any thoughts though?[/quote]
While I dont have any of those sleeves I have heard good things about rehbands. I personally have elitefts sleeves and love them, took a little while to break them in tho.[/quote]
I want something that is going to give me a little support, and keep my knees warm.
The way I look at it is that if I want to get anything out of gear that goes on my knees, I will buy wraps haha.
Thanks for the reply man. I will take those into account.
How much was it with shipping and handling?[/quote]
They took like four squat workouts to break in but they are pretty comfortable. Gives me a good amount of support I feel like. I got them on sale for about $12 for a pair which is ridiculously cheap. Im cheap so thats why I got them. They do tend to bunch up around the back of the knee tho. Theyre pretty good for the price but not the best.
8/6/14
Deadlift
10x135 (Sumo.)
5x135
3x175 (Plus 1 clean and press haha. Easy.)
3x225
3x275
3x315
3x365 (Right hand up. Belted.)
3x405 (Left hand up. Belted.)
3x435 (Left hand up. Belted. Video on the way.)
3x315
3x315 (Video available, but may not post.)
3x315
1x315 (Pulled in socks out of curiosity.)
1x315 (Pulled in socks again.)
Stiff Leg Deadlift
(Skipped.)
I skipped my assistance and only deadlifted today because I am going to raise my training maxes. Reformulate my program, and work on form. I am going to hit my top set again in 6 months with better form.
Consider this a slight deload for that reason.
My knees/back were feeling a bit beat up all day.
Had a very, very slight tweak in my back. I am going to chalk this up to sleeping in an awkward position and not my workout. I am still able to touch my toes and was able to finish my workout without pain. No big deal. I almost didn’t mention it, but figured I would just for the hell of it.
I will comment on how I feel later.
I still haven’t written out my split yet. I will post it up as soon as it is finished.
I will comment later if I think of anything, or my video uploads tonight. (For some reason it takes forever for me to upload a video from my phone.)
Thanks for reading everyone!
EDIT: I want to note that 3x435 deadlift is the heaviest set I have ever pulled for 2 or more reps. This was truly an RPE 10 set.
[quote]Ass Banana wrote:
[quote]trivium wrote:
[quote]Ass Banana wrote:
[quote]trivium wrote:
One last thought before I have to drive home.
Rehbands, SBD, Titan.
Which one?
Alternatives?
I may make another thread like the belt thread. Any thoughts though?[/quote]
While I dont have any of those sleeves I have heard good things about rehbands. I personally have elitefts sleeves and love them, took a little while to break them in tho.[/quote]
I want something that is going to give me a little support, and keep my knees warm.
The way I look at it is that if I want to get anything out of gear that goes on my knees, I will buy wraps haha.
Thanks for the reply man. I will take those into account.
How much was it with shipping and handling?[/quote]
They took like four squat workouts to break in but they are pretty comfortable. Gives me a good amount of support I feel like. I got them on sale for about $12 for a pair which is ridiculously cheap. Im cheap so thats why I got them. They do tend to bunch up around the back of the knee tho. Theyre pretty good for the price but not the best. [/quote]
Thanks for the posts man. I’ll be sure to check em out.
Did you pull these with the rounded upper back (“Lats in your pocket”) form from the video you posted a little while back? Ever since I watched that on here, I have been curious to try it and see if it helps. Wanted you opinion
[quote]Alpha wrote:
Did you pull these with the rounded upper back (“Lats in your pocket”) form from the video you posted a little while back? Ever since I watched that on here, I have been curious to try it and see if it helps. Wanted you opinion[/quote]
Well, I have been reading your posts on here since I was 148 lbs in 2006. I am honored that you would ask me to offer up any type of opinion on my experience.
As you can tell, I have been struggling with form because I was hasty with my rep PRs, but I found that I didn’t consciously have to cue my lats to my pockets after all.
I moved my belt a bit higher, and I noticed that it was pinching the hell out of my skin over my lats. (I am a skinny fat 215 right now, and turning into a fat 225. I’ve got some meat back there to be pinched.) This, while giving me a burning sensation during each rep, let me know that I was flexing the right muscles.
When I get down to grab the bar, my lats seem to naturally fire. I think it is to make up for my “lack of mobility”, so needless to say, I think that I am pretty much stuck with round back deadlifting. I have been trying to arch as hard as possible though, and I am going to deload for 6 months to try my best to fix it.
I am starting to think that conventional guys with “regular people” genetics are meant to have a bit of a rounded back. The only people I see pulling huge weights with flat backs are on youtube.
A lot of the best conventional deadlifters in the world have rounded backs like that video shows as well. Not all of them, but a good portion of them.
I think the most important part of what I am learning is that:
(Some of us genetically have more rounded postures than others. This does not necessarily mean that you have poor mobility or flexibility. You just need to engage the right musculature, and let your body distribute the forces to where it is naturally going to handle it. That is not to say that you should dismiss good form though, just that you need to be conscious of how your body is built and what you are capable of.)
(They span the back and by flexing you not only bring “your lats into your pockets” but you are also pulling your lumbar spine into a flat position as the lats connect to your sacrum, hips/pelvis, and spinous processes. Less ROM, flatter back in my own theory.)
(Stability, belt pressure, etc…)
(In my experience, less rounding in the low back means less hitching. Less hitching therefore means less rounding int he low back. Less hitching also seems to mean more glutes/hams are involved. More muscles means stronger lifts, right?)
Here is the video of that set though.
As you can see, my form is still not optimal, but it is getting better considering that one of those reps, I got out of the groove (never knew what that was until it happened a few times recently), and that it was the heaviest set for more than 1 rep that I have ever done.
I am thinking that a good deload with emphasis on form and a slow buildup back to my current numbers is just what I need.
I hope this answers your questions. I know it turned out to be a mini rant, but I just got excited haha.
Thanks for taking an interest man.
I just wanted to add to my log that my hamstrings seem to be a bit sore despite the fact that I skipped stiff legs.
Could this be a sign that my from is starting to come around and actually involve my posterior chain more?