Low RPE stuff, intentionally, today. Figures I wouldn’t want to do anything after NYE, and I was indeed correct . Luckily, I’m not a Total idiot, and focussed just as much on eating and hydrating properly as I did on smashing bourbons with the neighbors…
I regret nothing. What a Great night it was in truth…even I did crawl into bed at 3am . Thankfully I was able to sleep until 1130, so.woke up Reasonably okay.
On a big side note, two weeks ago I started training the 13 year old young fella from the across the street. Squats. Bench. Deadlift. Press. He’s a high level junior soccer player, a damn good one. But unfortunately there is next to no focus on anything strength related at the clubs down this way, Atleast not for his u15 side. He’s playing an age up, and STILL scored the most goals this season…quite the natural athlete. He asked me a few weeks ago if I would train him to be stronger. Of course I agreed .
He hasn’t missed a beat. Never late. Laser focussed. I’m basically taking him through a strating strength style LP. Today was session 5, Squatted 27.5x5x3, benched 22.5x5,7,10, and deadlifted 50x5x3. All to plan…the bench out of no where looked Strong as shit today, but I’m not letting the weight increase faster than it needs to, so instead chucked a few more reps on. He probably had 15 in him. First couple bench sessions were just wobbly and terrible, but for whatever reason it all just started to click today. Squats also. He’s a lanky bugger, but anyone can get stronger. Forgot how much I like coaching people, especially in person.
Giving back that accumulated knowledge. Good stuff. Maybe a good move to put your name out there as a PT if you derive a lot of enjoyment from coaching.
The trouble in Australia with PT stuff, is that the people who need the most assistance…also think certificates are everything. No cert in personal training? Then no good apparently. Lol.
The irony of course, is that most of the PT’s I know personally, don’t know very much about actually lifting weights properly, because that’s not what “Personal training cert 4” even teaches.
I’ve got the ASCA Level 1 certification…most PT’s don’t even know what that is, let along gen pop
When I first started lifting I employed a “trainer”. He was not certified. He was a man who was huge and clearly knew his way around a gym. He showed me how to properly execute lifts and how to write my own routine to serve my purposes. His was like a really good parent. He taught me how to be independent so I could succeed on my own. It was the best money I ever spent. Sometimes experience is so much more helpful than certification.
I can say for sure that he changed my life. Actually my whole family. Once I started and was seeing results it made my husband want to do it. Then my kids were watching and now they lift. All because an experienced lifter showed me the way.
Totally agree! I tell all my clients that my goal is for them to not need me. I’m gonna give you the tools, teach you how to use them, and then let you go live your best life!
Very lethargic today. A few big days travelling about with the family on days trips, and a full round of golf on a hot day has left me a bit over done. No regrets of course, best time of the year. Still on leave until the 12th, nothing much more planned, expecting a decent heat wave again from tomorrow through Saturday…so a heap of pool and swimming I’d say.
Deadlift still felt good though, just a bit labored if anything . Ham curls a slight bump on load. Half CBF’d, half just cooked. .
Back to the cricket. Young bloke coming over in an hour or so for session 7. Good opportunity to sneak in another Accessory if I can be fkd.
Seem to have strained something in my back. I assume this was from Golf the other day…stupid game, honestly .
Was fine. Did that session above even. Was all fine. Then playing with the daughter yesterday before lunch and something got triggered…
Limped/hobbled back to the car. Went for a swim to try and loosen up. Worked for a time. Hot shower and voltaren made the evening bearable.
A good sleep though luckily overnight, and it’s improved this morning. Got through the gardening I had planned before the heat wave. Went for a swim. Have tried to stay active all day so far and it’s getting better as we go along. So clearly just a burner thankfully.
Reminded me of @T3hPwnisher waking up with varying degrees of niggles from sleeping .
Can only imagine what this is like for sedentary weak folks. Lol.
Back is back to 90% already. Small tweaking confirmed haha. Have kept moving and active. Movement is medicine.
Will train today, but will swap squats for some leg accessories and back extensions instead. Bench tomorrow, rack pull on Sunday in lieu of full deadlifts, then we back to normal I reckon from there.
Loaded Carry of the day makes a return:
Farmers Walk: 20kg each, 2 full minutes. Google says it was 66m each way, so 132m total.
Side Bends:
10x20 each side.
Notes:
Extensive warmup for front squats, mostly targetting the front rack position. Same as i’ve done in the past. Triceps smash for a minute each, wrist leaning/rolling whatever its called, cat cow things, front rack stretch, and hip flexor marching. I forgot how much the front rack hurts when coming back to it - it’s not something you miss…
The front squats themselves went ok. Final set started looking closer to correct, so a little more warming up next time. Though, todays warmup, was the workout.
Press and RDL’s were fine. No lower back pain critically. Though this wasnt a test..but my physio wants next to no pain on those two in particular. He didnt expect anything really with the front squats, and i felt nothing there at all either.
I stress though, there is still SOMETHING not 100%, hence the particular training choice for today - Movement focussed, all easy.
The perks of knowing your physio personally, are that we sometimes talk about training away from his office…we used to train together a few years ago. And hence he knows most of my training history. He’s suggested just sticking with the EES setup from Dan John. So that was day 1. Wants me staying a fair distance away from any kind of failure for the first 2-4 weeks on anything that loads the spine. He thinks, like i did, that i wrecked my QL a little bit, and possibly on both sides, for good measure. LOL. Then lumbar went into “protect at all costs” mode to keep me from wrecking more shit. Couldnt walk for about 36 hours. Not well, anyway. Then I could, and i was away…and it’s feeling better everyday, obviously as it heals.
Press is lighter due to back, but also giving the old elbows a break from pressing anything with weight…he worked those over also, and it hurt alot, and i Hate him. But, its definately my shout at lunch next week as he didnt let me pay again. Just called me an idiot and said get out i’ll see you next week. Suits me.
So i guess on back in tomorrow for the same workout.
Main squat movement. Hurt me back a week ago being a regular, but old apparenrtly, human. (playing golf. Stupid game anyway). Its the lightest variation for me with a barbell. Physio suggestion.
Loaded Carry of the day:
Suitcase carry: 30kg x 30 seconds each side.
Glute Raises:
108x20
Notes:
Felt signifiicantly better today. I figure there are 5 stages to an injury, however minor or major.
1: “Fuck”.
2: “I’ll never train again”.
3: “Okay maybe i’m exagerating”
4: “Definately exagerating, its a burner”.
5: “Thanks, now i dont trust how my body moves anymore”.
Yeasterday was stage 5 for me. Today was sublime. Day 1 is always awkward, but neccesary.
Squats felt great. Well, the worksets felt great. Solid. Consistant. I always find it funny that regardless of the warmup system, i CANNOT properly front squat an empty bar, lol. Put 60kg on and its like i can now counterweight myself and balance correctly, belt on, and voila its as perfect as I can get it.
Press felt good, too. No elbow pains today at all, not even on the chinups. Bar moved fast, snappy, stress free. Want to keep that going…
RDL’s caused some Dom’s to be recognised from yesterday, but it felt good.
And we all know i Love loaded carries. 30kg was difficult without being too hard. Easy without being pointless. Could feel my QL’s in both directions, but it wasnt “pain”. Just alert i think, maybe still some risidual fatigue in them.
Pretty Good really. Pissed off for a 45 minute walk with the doggos straught after.
Best session so far. Everything felt great. Squat was easy to warm into, even the front rack.
Press felt solid, no elbow pain at all anymore. It flared either due to back squats or bench. I don’t really care which one causes it, it’s just nice to not be dealing with it today. Totally fine with the front rack, often not with back squat (hence I like the SSB, but I’m so inconsistent with the movement with it, for whatever reason, which flares my knees up).
RDL were good. Nice stretch. Could feel my back with those, but it was all muscular, zero joint/spine pain at all.
Chinups were Flying…gone from kinda hard and uncomfortable on day one, to just feeling normal and powerful today already. I’ve been worried about the elbows with them, but again, I think it’s always come from bench or back squat. I’ve been avoiding China lately thinking they were possibly fucking my elbows. Being over 100kg, every rep and set for chinups and pullups is quite a lot of work realistically. So this is great news also. Top set felt as easy as the first set, though 5kg on top isn’t much of a jump.
All conservative and easy still, as per the program. Actually quite enjoyed this week so far. So wanting to skip anything, if anything wanting to so more. That’s a great place to be today.
. Luckily, I’m not a Total idiot, and focussed just as much on eating and hydrating properly as I did on smashing bourbons with the neighbors…
if I can be fkd.