4/16/19 - bw 221, light log training, restarting my training for a bit and gonna build back up slowly.
Log Clean and Press (all split jerks)
110x3,3,3
160x3,3
210x5 clean once
210x2 clean twice
210x3 clean all 3
180x3 clean all 3
Strict Log
180x12
Skullcrushers
45x10
55x5
65x5
85x5
95x5
115x5
drop set
85x6
Pull Ups
x12
x12
x12
Band Pull Apart
x15
x12
x12
x12
x12
Laterals
x12
x12
x12
x12
Bicep/forearm stuff, called it.
4/18/19 - bw 220
Ab work
Hip Thrusts (bodyweight)
Back Squat
135x3
225x3
315x3
365x3
365x5 some of the hardest/heaviest feeling squats i’ve done. I am way off on squat strength.
Ever since hitting 420 for 5 on the front squat I haven’t quite felt right. I peaked hard for that and I’m spinning my wheels atm. Think I need to take time off of squats and work on my deadlift. I’ll do that.
Single Leg Elevated Squat
40x15
40x15-20
40x15-20
40x15-20
Actually feel like my quads are working.Amazing.
Band Pull Apart
x15
x15
x15
x15
4/19/19 - BW 219 amazing workout.
Deadlifts
135x3
225x3
315x3
405x3
500x1 easier every time i pull it. super pleased
Stone to shoulder
175x5
175x5
250x3 wow, did not expect this to be so easy after not touching this stone since the injury last summer.
Nordic Hamstring Curl
x8
x8
x8
x5
x5 brutal
DB Row (slow tempo, stretch at bottom and 1 second pause at top)
100x10
100x10
100x10
100x10 nightmare fuel
4/23/19 - bw 219
Log Split Jerk (out of rack)
110x3,3,3
160x3,3 I only move up in weight if the set feels right.
210x2
230x1 blacked out bad, i need to stop holding my breath the entire lift
250x1
250x1
250x1
250x2 really easily. no effort to nail the jerk. Thinking “Back foot first and bring my traps to my ears”
One thing that really seems to be crucial for me is staying extremely calm and using shallow breathing before I start the set. Sounds counterintuitive, but all deep breathing does on log/front squat or any front carry for me, is make me pass out or blow out my lung. A 300ft 350lb husafell carry being so smooth for me is probably due to the fact that my resting heart rate was pretty much what it would be lying down to sleep before starting, whereas a lot of guys are hyping themselves up.
I just don’t see how heavy breathing and/or holding the breath can be good for log or a front carry. Feel free to shed some light on it if anyone has other ideas.
Strict Log
160x5
160x8
160x5 had 1 more but didn’t wanna push it on the low back
160x6 this is the sad truth of where i’m at right now on strict log.
*
that is where my log strict press was at its strongest. My press overall is way stronger due to split jerks and just general full body strength increase since then. This movement wavers immensely for me though, a bit shocking to see where I was at a few years ago.
Skullcrushers
45x10
65x8
65x8
65x8
Low calories atm so volume is down. Just getting some work in.
Bicep stuff
Band Pull Apart
x10
x10
x10
x10
4/26/19 - bw 219
Sumo Deadlift (off 1 inch mats)
135x3,3,3
225x3
315x3,3
belt on
405x1 offset the right foot back about an inch, easiest 405 pull of my life
495x1
550x1 this is over 100lbs less than my best pull but holy shit this is a huge deal for me. It has been so long since I’ve been able to deadlift anything over 500lbs with any sort of confidence since a year ago. This is also a new bar so it’s significantly stiffer and I’m not sure if it has to be “broken in” or if the bar simply has less whip. The rogue website indicates it having the same whip as my previous bar, though that was purchased in 2013.
405x3
405x3
405x3
Nordic Hamstring Curl
x10
x10
x10
x10 these felt amazing today
Pull Over Shrugs (band)
x15
x15
x15
DB Shrug
100x20
100x20
100x20
Pull Ups
x12
x12
x12
Congrats man. I know that feeling all too well and it’s a good one for sure. Looked solid too. Strength in the position is definitely still there.
Great pull man! And also, the starting screen for the video makes it look like you have a manbun with your car’s sideview mirror right over your head. Had to do a double take, haha.
Can’t believe you posted this. I was watching that video thinking exactly the same thing. I was going to ask if he was related to Steven Segal ?
I wish i had that much hair hahahaha. I should have just went along with it LOL.
Easy lift, well done!
4/30/19 - bw 223 carb loaded and ready.
Log Clean and Press
110x3,5,5
160x3,3
210x2,2
250x3
250x4 pretty easy but stability is not great and i’m favoring my left leg on the dip
250x4 better, first rep was nasty, dipped too late or pressed too early but the rest of the set was better
250x4 solid set, just almost died
Strict Log
160x8
160x8
160x8
Skullcrusher
45x15
65x8
75x8
75x8
75x8
Bicep curls
Band Pull Apart
x15
x10
x10
x10
5/2/19 - bw 220 Today I front squatted with oly shoes. I’ve been going barefoot for about a year or so now. I’m definitely weaker at the bottom with oly shoes since my quads aren’t strong but I can stay more upright so it’s a trade off.
Pause Front Squat
135x3,3,3
185x3
225x3
275x3
275x3
275x3
Triple Pause FS w/ bands (pause 1/4 descent, at parallel, again halfway up)
135x8
185x3
185x3
205x3
My left QL and rib is bugging the fuck out of me lately. Likely poor sitting/sleeping. Need to work on that.
Tire Flip
680x dead legged the hell out of my right quad. Hooooooly mother of god that was painful. Just felt my quad smack against my femur like lightning.
Note to self: Pain.
680x3 this tire is honestly soo easy for me. It’s hard to break a sweat on it, but to be fair, it is very heavy. The second I slip technically, I feel all of its weight, and I have gotten badly injured on it. Tire flips are so critical technically, especially as it gets heavier. They’re no joke.
I KEEP DEADLEGGING MORE. AOSDJFOIASJ OFIDOI. I have to seriously stop using my right leg to knee it over. My left leg is what I always do but i’ve somehow forgotten that or I’m afraid to use it because of my calf injury.
680x10
680x10
680x10
Lungs on fire and got my body working as a unit. Great day.
5/6/19
Just felt like typing this up as an update, because I won’t be logging any training…because training isn’t happening.
I woke up Friday morning with the familiar feeling of a floating pain at slightly under mid-back and to the left of my spine about 3 inches (not a big deal, had it hundreds of time since I was a kid, never clashes with training and goes away within a day or two). I think of the rib as being the issue. Floating rib maybe, but it could be my terrified brain trying to convince myself it’s not a disc in my spine.
Anyway…
Next day, I was stretching by side bending hard to the right (as if to perform a DB side bend) but I was leaning over excessively and pretty stupidly because I’m neurotic and tend to contort my body in frustration when I experience floating pains or aches of any sort. Right after this, I had a slow building trigger point that steadily climbed from discomfort, to pain, to unbearable pain and weird clicking and popping sounds in that aforementioned area, and now a day later I’m pretty much out of action.
It feels like I have an ice pick jammed between what feels like my floating rib and someone is prying them apart. The pain only exists when I move. Twisting my spine to the right causes most of the pain but flexion does cause some pain as well and if I look straight down it’s an immense pressure in the area; then upon looking up after having my head down, causes even more pain, which is scaring the shit out of me because that screams (to me, given my ignorance) lateral thoracic bulging disc which could potentially cripple me.
I’m obviously going to get this looked at soon, but this is the worst possible thing I could imagine happening. There’s nothing worse than an injury that happens outside of lifting for seemingly no good reason.
I often have a voice in my head telling me to just quit. I have a horribly disfigured body that lends itself to some pathetic mobility and a plethora of chronic issues that are exacerbated by the lifting I do, and then I see big name athletes with great mobility and body symmetry throwing in the towel due to injuries at some point in their career and it makes me think how the fuck I have the nerve to assume that’s not going to happen to me, but earlier, and at a far worse circumstance e.g. catastrophic injury or being essentially crippled at 25 years old.
Not to digress as to make this the point of this all, but for the sake of venting, sometimes passion is a plague. This is killing me but it’s something I love so much and it’s a huge part of my identity. I could just be overreacting as I sometimes do at the early stages of injury, and I just need to focus on healing and getting back to 100%.
Anyway, the return to degradation. Oh so welcoming. Feel free to slap some logic into me, good or bad, or shed light on the issue implying any of you can do so until I see a professional.
Sorry to hear that man, hope the doctors can get a hold on whatever is going on quickly for you.
I still have a hard time believing your a few years younger than me sometimes when you post the shit you lift.
Not gonna lie man, even though we’re pretty close in age I look up to you a lot. You’re a bad dude with an even more badass attitude. When I’m feeling confused or not knowing what to do in training, I come and pull a lot from your log because you do insane shit even when you’re beat down. I know how hard it is to deal with nagging, rough injuries that we have no control over. I know what it’s like to have a crossroads with training due to this and not knowing where to go. If you ever need to talk one on one or about anything in particular, send me a message here or on Instagram and we can talk on the phone or anything man. I know you’ll pull through this shit and go back to smashing everything in your path because you’re fucking strongmanvinny.
You will overcome.
You got this Vinny!
Use this down time to evaluate your training and your movements and use this as an opportunity to identify gaps in what you have been doing and eventually be able to fix them.
speedy recovery! I haven’t had any injuries as of yet but i understand having a twisted ass body. you have inspired me to not give a fuck about it. i used to think" i won’t do this because of this imbalance, this body part is longer etc." but then in your log i see you toying around with massive weights and doing insane crazy workouts. in the end my excuses were invalid. you will recover and come back better then ever
Gutted to hear that. Get better soon mate!