also @T3hPwnisher and @Koestrizer appreciate it. Glad to have you guys in touch through the years.
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11/10/21 - bw 227 yikes. Did not get as many calories as I should have th day before. I felt pretty trash and in a funk the last few days btu this workout made up for it.
Barbell Push Press
135x3,3,3
185x3,2
225x2
275x2 easy
300x5 ok this might have been a gamble. First 3 were very clean, but last rep was big grinder. Not great strength for me but zero carbs and feeling pretty rundown+almost no back pain i will take it.
275x5 tough
275x5
275x5 dipped less with legs and felt like i got more bang for my buck. Again, 1-3 were smooth, last two are brutal.
275x5 same deal, but the last rep was barely finished. Feel like my body is using so much neural capacity to lift and each individual muscle has such low output.
Incline Bench to Lat Pulldown SS
205x5/x12
235x5/x12 wonder if I have damage to my vestiibular system. I get an acrophobia sensation when I unrack the bar. I don’t know what to look at and my balance gets super fucked. I mean I almost had to rerack the bar out of fear I was gonna drop it on my face.
205x5/x12
205x5/x12
205x5/x12
Delt Ladder SS w/ tri ext
x10/x10/x12 x 4 rounds
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Lots of work in that session mate. Good job
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11/17/21 -bw 226 Some update for y’all. Last weeks training was pretty shit. Don’t need to log it. I pulled my left pec benching and I could explain what it was but as usual, it’s a funneling effect.
This weeks training however has been amazing. I bought FAI-fix (inspired by Pete Rubish) and have been working on some issues related. My back and hip feel notably better and significantly better since the last 5 weeks with Travis coaching. I deadlifted 345 for 3x7 and it felt easy. The week before I could not pick up 345 ONCE.
Today on push press I was sadly unable to go beyond 225 due to pec acting up, but it’s okay because the presses felt insanely easy and my back is feeling fine. I am super excited moving forward.
On a side note, Travis is currently in the hospital fighting a severe infection in his leg that has borderline hijacked his body. He’s been moreorless absent from coaching and understandably so.
Still on no carb with the occasional cheat meal. Gonna have a moose burger tonight with very little wild game tasting experience so this should be interesting.
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11/18/2021 - bw 226 sort of struggling to maintain 230s right now. Need to work on upping calories.
High Bar Back Squat
45x10
95x3,3
135x3,3
185x3
225x3
275x2
Belt on
315x10
315x10
315x10
315x10 left rib felt like it just gave out on the 7th rep. Finished my set somehow but that was nasty. I think it’s my left shoulder blade being a bit out of place and the bar ends up resting on my left set of ribs and naturally some of them pop out when combined with the pressure of the belt and bracing.
Note to self** do not take fucking fat burners before a leg workout, literally trying not to puke during this entire session
Sled Drag
Tire x 2 x 80’ absolutely awful.
Note to self** do not take fucking fat burners before a leg workout
I gotta ask: why are you taking fat burners in the first place?
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How’d you like the moose burger? I actually made some myself a couple nights ago for the first time. Found the flavor to be pretty mild yet still rich.
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I got some for free last year and opted to not drink coffee (the usual preworkout) so I just slapped a few fat burners down thinking it’d be totally okay and not a bad idea.
Bad idea.
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I was honestly surprised. It tasted a lot like beef and was super tender. I only cooked it with an egg and hardly any seasoning. Have some more I’ll actually put on a burger here soon for a cheat meal.
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11/22/2021 - bw 230 cheated on diet and ate 97000 carb.
Push Press
135x5,5,5
185x3,3
225x3,3 no issues with pec surprisingly
265x5
300x5 could hardly lock out the right arm. Hands were not even on bar.
275x5
275x5 feeling smooth. I think my power output is super good in the high 300’s at the moment.
CG bench to 4 board
145x8
145x8
145x8 tentative and light due to pec, felt minor issues
Low Incline Bench SS with Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown
135x8/x8 x 4 rounds again, tentative, pec had minor issues. No pain but just struggling to stabilize to keep the pec from taking too much strain.
Delt Ladder (15 front raise, 12 lateral, 15 pull aparts)
x4 rounds
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11/23/21 - bw 226. This day was first time touching a stone since the bicep tear a year ago almost to the day. I was nervous but of course things went welll.
2 inch Deficit Deads
135x3,3,3
185x3,3
225x3
275x3
315x2
345x5 feels okay
345x5 this set was shit, definitely did not position myself properly my bracing was done at the bottom and I let my mid back go in between reps, this was awful and made the last rep hard
345x5
345x5 big fix here and the set was EASSSSSY.
Stone over bar
175x5
175x5
Nordics
x8
x8
x8
x8
Reverse Hyper
x10
x10
x10
11/25/21 - bw 224 wtf im so light stop this madness
Bench Press SS with Bent Row
145x5/x8x5 rounds. Pec is a bit tight but no issues.
Flat DB bench (neutral grip) SS with Laterals
40x10/x10 3 rounds
JM Press SS with Spider Curl
95x10/x12 x 3 rounds
Decline Sit Up
x10
x10
x10
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11/27/2021
Back Squat + Green Bands
135x3,3,3
185x3,3
225x2
275x1
295x5
295x5
295x5
295x5
295x5 these were so rough. Started feeling some sciatica in my right leg which usually happens from back squats.
Yoke
185x80’
275x80’ x 3 had to use a squat grip on the crossbeam. If i put my hands down to the uprights I get sciatic flare ups in the right leg.
Finished the sets decently but I’m noticing some instability in the low back again which is not a good sign. Easy to control with a barbell but the yoke is just erratic and training it again fresh is challenging.
Bulgarians
3x10
Sled Drag
5x60’ fuck
Calf Raise
3x10
Ab Pulldown
3x12
Not a bad day just a reminder things are not perfect which sucks.
12/1/2021 - flunked a press day earlier in the week. Just felt so dead in every way. Likely a result of not sleeping well after the squat day Friday then working like hell through the weekend. Back is also feeling a bit tense lately.
I felt an immense stress on the looming deadlift day. I just had a hard time reconciling any sense of optimism. If press went wrong, so would deadlifts. Fortunately deadlifts yielded a better outcome.
2.25inch Deficit Deadlift
135x3,3,3 feeling honestly bad already, this infuriated me
185x3,3 felt a weird movement in my SI joint. More angry, I pushed on but with a wider stance.
225x3,3 this stance accommodated a hip instability (not for lack of effort with prehab work), no issues with SI or back
275x3 easy
315x2 easy
365x5x4 accidentally did 5 sets of 4 instead of 4 sets of 5. I was seeing red on all the sets though. Just biting the bullet and embracing my fear that I might indeed fuck myself up yet I would not let it decide the session. Part of the fear is also a pill to be swallowed at the miserable thought that I am literally exuding a tremendous amount of tenacity just to work with weights near 50% of my max. It’s demoralizing to say the least, but I got through it.
Stone extension
175x5
175x5 felt okay, nothing worth noting
Nordic
x8
x8
x8 these felt dreamy, happy
Hyper ext
x15
x15
x15 these feel great but I wonder if they just irritate the back. I will see in the next few days.
Hanging Leg raise
x15
x15
x10
12/3/2021 - bw 226
Bench Press/Bent Row SS
45x8,8,8
95x5,5
135x5
185x5/135x8
185x5/135x8
135x5/135x8
185x5/185x8
185x5/185x8
Neutral Grip Seated DB Press SS with Laterals
55x10/25x10 x 3
BTH Tri Ext/BB Curl/Hanging leg Raise Giant Set
55x8/65x12/x12
55x8/65x12/x12
55x8/45x12/x12 x 2
12/5/21 - bw 227
Back Squat w/ Green Bands (around 60-80lbs at top)
135x3,3,3
185x3,3
225x2,2
275x2 felt so easy
315x5
315x5
315x5
315x5
315x5 not nearly as bad as last week but definitely some SI/spine discomfort. No real pain. Belt was on loose but just enough to feel it surrounded my core.
Yoke
185x80’
185x80’ put hands high but on uprights still while pushing out. Travis mentioned this and it helped tremendously.
275x80’ x 3 literally sprinting on yoke with no issues at all. Happy as fuck about this.
Bulg Split Squat
x10
x10
x10
Calf Raise SS AB pulldown
x10/x10 x 3
Sled Drag
tire x 60’ x 3
tire x 120’ FUCK this sucked. Zenned out though.
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12/8/21 - bw 222 fucked my diet up bad. I just grossly underestimated how many calories I truly need amidst no carbs in the diet. Fortunately I had a great showing on push press. Travis also gave me the go ahead to add carbs back in, albeit very deliberately.
Push Press
135x3,3,3
185x3,3
225x3
245x2
275x2
315x2 nice! Not that hard either.
295x2
295x2
305x2 smoked this.
250x6, rest 1 min, x5. Absolutely fried at this point.
CG Bench to 1 Board
185x6
175x6
175x6
Low Incline Bench SS w/ Lat Pulldown
185x8/x8
175x8/x8
155x8/x8
135x8/x8
Delt Ladder (front raise, lateral)
x10/x10 x 3
Rear Delt Flye SS w/ Ab Pulldown
x10/x10 x 3
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How is the body holding up mate?
12/9/21 - bw 221. First day using carbs. They’ll be centered before and after the workout in most situations at the moment.
Deadlifts off 2.25 deficit
135x3,3,3
185x3,3,3
225x2
275x1
315x2
375x5
375x5
375x5
375x5
Deadlifts are scary. I hate them. I am always so worried about hurting my back at this point it is crippling me with fear of action. I have forgotten to be positive sometimes and it shows. It’s weird how fearless we can be in our youth and once any injury strikes, we are twice shy. Certainly not a concept I am foreign to, it’s just that these things snowball and you don’t even realize it until deadlifting almost half of your all time best scares you.
Stone Extension
175x2x5
Nordics
x8
x8
x8
Hyperextension SS w/ Hanging Leg Raise
x15/x10 x 3
@simo74 I have lost 9kg/20lbs but retained my strength and my body feels better. Although far from 100%, definitely better than where I started.
I bought FAI Fix which is a hip impingement program Pete Rubish mentioned in a video helping him with his hip and back issues and I’ve been studying it quite a bit. The biggest thing gleaned is that I lack hip internal and external rotation of the left hip. It’s odd that I passed nearly every other hip ROM aside from those two. My right hip conversely is free and almost entirely unaffected by any impingement whatsoever.
Travis has me following a warm-up routine which has helped a lot as well. It’s stuff I have admittedly neglected; things like glute and PNF stretching. It’s ultimately going to be a long process. I don’t expect this year to end with any bang. I will use 2022 to heal and just try to become a better me.
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Your feelings are absolutely understandable, mate. I think most of us can understand them to some degree.
The problem is, that the fear you’re describing is in and of itself a huge driving factor for back pain. In therapy this is one of the most, if not the most complicated factors to deal with.
It’s important to understand that you’re body is adaptable and resilient and that tissue heals. Past injuries don’t define present and future you. Stay away from “experts” on social media who put out all kind of nocebos and assure you that this and that set of exercises is gonna free you from pain and future injury.
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@Koestrizer I sometimes have this strange recurring thought of how crazy it is that we destroy our bodies so consistently and somehow, they recover enough to get stronger. I’m just shocked that my body is still healing from my workouts even though I’m only approaching my prime physical state.
Being injured is a weird feeling. It has been so long since I have been hitting huge numbers on deads/squats that when I watch old vids of me, I almost can’t believe it’s me in the video. Like I feel a weird disassociation with that person.
Then I see videos of people cat back deadlifting 700lbs with no belt and I curse the sky. These days I have my “stop giving a shit” button for the most part. As I have gotten older I have learned to stop and appreciate what I do have. At age 19, there was NO way I could stomach the thought of someone being able to deadlift 700lbs so effortlessly, so in response I would do 10 sets of AMRAP deadlifts with 80% of my max until my nose bled screaming on every rep thinking exertion=more PRs.
The old me, quite a character - an asshole even. Funny how we wallow in our careless youth somehow thinking it will last forever. I am so humbled by a simple change in my psyche that allows me to reflect on my past self.
The craziest thing though, is that back then I thought I would be way stronger nowadays. One of my biggest overhead presses was done back in 2014 when I was only 20 years old! Although I haven’t progressed in a few years…I somehow feel stronger than ever. I am actually stronger than I have ever been but my numbers might not reflect that. Is that weird?
Tl;dr I’ve absolutely lost my shit
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