1425 hrs
Great time to be in the gym. Terrible time to GO to the gym. It took me 15 min longer than normal which ate into the window i had to train today. I missed out on some recovery conditioning. But i did run my bad shoulder area through some work and after being in the sun reading my book for two hrs it was definitely time for some gun show work. I will not get into detail how i got all of this done but rest was minimal.
45 Deg back Ext /Side bends /Rev Hyper 2 x 15
Upper Pec Cable Fly's
1 x 15 x 20lbs, 30lbs, 40lbs, 35lbs, 20lbs Barbell Curl
1 x 20 x 45lbs, 55lbs, 60lbs, 40lbs, 40lbs Trap machine Shrug
1 x 30 x 45lbs
1 x 30 x 70lbs Side laterals
3 x 15 x 15lbs
2 x 15 x 20 lbs Hammer Curls
1 x 20 x 20lbs
1 x 20 x 30lbs Tricep Pulldowns
1 x 30 x 40lbs
1 x 30 x 50lbs Tricep Pushdowns
3 x 30 x 60lbs Head Harness
4 x 20-30 x 25lbs
I can definitely feel that tricep is not firing at 100% for all sets my right tricep was just starting to burn and my left one was pumped but not sore. Doing the shrugs is bit of a gamble but they felt good today so i thought i would put some blood in them. The Flys allow me to keep the pecs working and i find stretching them out a little makes things feel better. I did not attempt regular or downward flys today, figured i would go with what has been safe.
The plane will be to work they affected area doing exercises or movements that keep things as stable as possible with as much weight as it can handle for 15-30 reps. Things are feeling better daily no reason to mess up a good thing.
I would like to call this a rest day but really the whole day was sort of wasted. Other than my Neural reactivation first thing in the AM not much else was accomplished. Did my body need rest? Yes. But not a total day off. The day sort of just got away on me. Days like this eat at me. Time is not finite. Wasting a day bothers me. But i did watch this:
If this does nothing else it should at least make you think for 5 minutes about what you put in your gob. I am not a healthy nut, i like drinking alcohol. I eat cake and chips and pop. But my parents always taught me moderation. Pop for me as a kid was a special treat on Fridays, not the daily drink with supper.
Understand i will be the last person to agree that Obesity is a disease. But it is good to see that the medical community is at least thinking about changing their approach and may come to the conclusion that Sugar consumption and massive intake of Carbohydrates is a big part of the Obesity problem. But i have no schooling, i just read a lot of books and experiment on myself with various nutrition protocols.
29 June 2013 1810hrs
Ok so i had to make up for yesterday's lost day a little. I did so in spades. I got all the groceries and even went and got ammo for the pistol. I hit the gym tonight with the Girl. She had to make up for yesterday also. She had an extremely long week and yesterday was the longest day of the week so i did not harp on her when she wanted out last night. Anyhow what was i to do? A proper Silver Back Saturday was out of the question with my should /Upper back still in recovery mode. So i came up with some work arounds. Which as i sit here now i can say worked out ok. i am a little sore and fatigued on my left side but i don't think i caused any undue stress /damage.
and because it is hot, throw a few grains of salt in there too.
Close Grip (Black)Banded Incline Push Up
5 x 20
1 x 15 Bosu Sit Up 6 x 20 Blast Strap Rows (Pronated to neutral Grip) 10 x 15 reps
We both did these in a circuit pattern. not rushing from exercise but simply getting the work completed in a timely fashion. The banded push ups did not stress my shoulder blade or rotator but gave my triceps a decent amount of work. The blast strap rows allowed me to train my back and work through the weakened range of motion but using the reverse motion.
Head Harness (Done through out)
10 x 30 x 20 lbs
Prowler (All weights pushed for 20 m)
1 x 25 lbs
1 x 25 lbs + 20 kgs
1 x 50lbs + 20 kgs
1 x 25 lbs + 20 kgs
1 x 75 lbs + 20 kgs
2 x 50 lbs + 20 kgs
2 x 75 lbs + 20 kgs
2 x 50 lbs + 20 kgs
That was 220 m of Prowler work so that you don't have to do math. Why Kgs and Lbs? I used metric and Imperial bumper plates. Initially for the singles i was finishing up the neck work. The girl was pushing in between.Timing rest was not the worry again it was about just doing the work in a timely fashion. But if you are really interested this whole session was just under an hr and a half. Sweating, breathing hard and trying to keep most of my body primed for when I get back to doing pull ups.
In the mean time i will enjoy some mashed sweet potatoes and stuffed chicken breast.
Oldie but a goodie from 2 now aging giants of Metal. 26 June 2013 0530 hrs Basic Yoga DVD -working on Hip Flexibility and allows me stretch out the still semi parts of my shoulder /upper back.
Also did the Neural reactivation stuff.
So first things first, the change in momentum continued today. I saw the surgeon, really nice guy, FOR THE LAST TIME. He was very happy with my 6 month post op abilities and strength. The Single leg Jump to leg landing.
Right Leg - 101 cm
Left Leg -98 cm
Those were my two best jumps of the three i performed. He said feeling my knee and working it through the ROM it feels "normal". Which he said is rare. He doesn't get many "normal" feeling knees at this stage post surgery. He said if i had pants on he would not know which one he worked on. He gave me direct credit for how hard i have worked (he said this without actually knowing any of my trg)
So the day has come I am cleared to resume normal activities fully. With one small caveat. It will still be a few more months to continue building the strength, endurance and co-ordination in my leg. For me to do full contact sports it will take a little more time. So i will have to get out and do some cone drills and some other basic agility, jumping, and explosive work to ensure my leg is as injury proof as i can make it. But for now I crossed a big milestone.
So how did i celebrate?
1800 hrs Hip mobility series X 1 x 10 (ea movement) GHR 2 x 10 Rear Rotator Activation 1 x 10 400 m Repeats
Lap 1 (0 - 400 m) -1 min 51 sec /Rest 3 min 30 sec
Lap 2 (400 - 800 m) - 1 min 43 sec /Rest 4 min
Lap 3 (800 - 1200 m) - 1 min 44 sec /Rest 4 min
Lap 4 (1200 - 1600 m) - 1 min 50 sec /2 min then i went on to other stuff.
I went in with no intention on pushing the pace really hard but enough to feel like I was at least running. Both my knees were a little sore, so the distance was perfect. I was sucking wind at the end of every 400 m series but not the point where after a minute or so i was not breathing normal. I focused on trying to remain long and upright while cycling my legs smoothly with my hands /arms. Overall i was happy with the 400 m lap times they are still improving without me having to kill myself to do it. Also of note no irritation in my low back during this, which was a concern having only had it reset 2 days before. This spine adjustment thing is new to me so the effects for a few days i am always curious as to how my body will respond.
Sled Drags (45 lbs) Super set (down and back) Chest Flies 15m* /20m /20m High Pull (I/Y Laterals) 20m /20m /20m
*this first set i tried pulling downwards, which caused immediate weakness in my shoulder. I switched the next two series to an upward fly motion with no issues. I /Y pulls gave me a great delt /trap pump with out irritating anything Super Set Ab Wheel 3 x 10 Head Harness 3 x 30
Harry, i know you will like this one!
27 June 2013 1755 hrs Hip Mobility Series X Skipping Banded Side Step Shoulder dislocates (w/ Orange Band) Squat (Bench Jumps 3 reps after the first 3 sets)
2 x 10 x Bar
1 x 12 x 135
3 x 10 x 185
1 x 10 x 135 Front Squat (Narrow Stance)
2 x 10 x 65 lbs
1 x 10 x 95
1 x 10 x 135
Vincent Knows how to SFW
I had to let something sink in today. It sort of came out of talking to the surgeon in a way. My squat is slow because my Quads are still weak. Yes i squatted 315 the beginning of May but it was slow as Frack. Why? Because my legs are weak and my Squat Sucks. It will take time but now that i am allowing myself to accept this i can move on, write my template out with my crappy numbers and earn my Squat back. It is not frustrating or depressing, it just is the reality. I had my knee altered 7 months ago. I knew going in asking for a Patellar graft that my Quads instead of my hamstrings, would take the hit in strength.
I just don't know why it took me so long to realize this. Tonight was purely about building Volume and living within my current reality. Next week 5/3/1 starts. In August when i know what my work scenario is going to me I will go on a Squat heavy template to re-build /reconstruct but until then i will do the regular program and smash it hard. To quote Vincent Dizenzo "SFW"
For the unitiated -SMASH FUCKING WEIGHTS
Head Harness 4 x 30 x 20 lbs Farmer's Walk 2 x 40 m x 70 lbs (KB's) Prowler 4 x 20 m x 180 lbs GHR 3 x 10-12 reps Barbell Curl 2 x 20 x bar
Long session but that is what volume is about and the humidity in the gym is not really forgiving right now to fast sessions. A few more days and i will be in full sweats and pushing the pace. Thankfully the rubber track flooring was dry so pushing the Prowler was not a task for the insane. The other night with the floor being wet still an empty prowler felt like it was bolted to the floor.
0500 hrs
Answered the call of Nature then did this while i waited for my coffee.
Neural Reactivation exercise Wall Slides Fore arm wall slides 0550 hrs
Played around with the TRX just working through different ranges of motion for my shoulders, pecs, and upper Back. Some light stretching with the TRX followed by some Single leg RDL's and Lunges. I was trying to warm up and test to see where things were at.
Hip Mobility Series X Roll overs Mountain Climbers w/Groin stretch GHR 2 x 5 (pause at the bottom) Ab Wheel 2 x 10 TKE 20 each leg Rumble Roller -Back, IT Band, Lats, Shoulders Lax Ball -Upper back
Stretched my Hip Flexors Warrior 2 Pose
All this was a prep for the evenings /after work activities.
1830 hrs
Everything felt pretty solid compared to the last few weeks. Not 100% but still a lot better. I had high hopes for Deadlifting tonight. But sometimes the weights are your best friend and will tell you the truth you don't want to admit. Tonight i listened.
Warm Up: Hip Mobility Series X Roll overs Forearm Wall Slides External Rotator activation Skipping 3 min
I always say this with a Russian Accent in my head.
Deadlift
1 x 3 x 135
1 x 3 x 185
1 x 3 x 225
1 x 3 x 275
6 x 0 x 315
I made 6 different attempts at 315 lbs. Initially my hips were too high. I made the correction but could not properly get the bar off the floor. i say properly in the sense that there was no pop, I could have gotten it up but that is not the point. I am trying to correct my technique and retrain my body to lift this way. I also have been completely out of alignment for about a month so i was not surprised or upset when this happened.
Everything up to 225 was very fast. 275 was noticeably slower but i was still able to lock things in and load myself like a lifting Spring. But with 315 my upper back that now started to feel weak would not let me lock things in. It will come back quickly, i know it, tonight was not the night. My Low back felt great. But the spot where the ribs were pushed back in require some lax ball attention as does my neck and rear delt.
Bar Bell Row
1 x 10 x 135
3 x 10 x 145
1 x 10 x 135
KB Row 1 x 20 x 70 lbs GHR 4 x 10 Black band Dicenzo Rows 3 x 10 Prowler
2 x 50 m x 50 lbs
6 x 50 m x No Weight
They cleaned the rubber track this morning and with the humidity it is still wet. Pushing the Prowler was insanely tougher than normal tonight. any downward pressure and the front ski would lock itself to the floor.
So i took the weekend to continue to just simply do my rehab exercises, Take minimal Robaxacet to calm my back discomfort, visit with with friends, and as always drive all over the country side. Things were feeling slightly better but with odd positions causing chronic ache in my rear delt and triceps as well as my upper back. So really not much had changed.
A friend of mine who is going to school for Physio had made a few suggestions. Which paid off because they at least gave me ideas on what my pain triggers were.
I saw my Physio this morning and we discussed them. As well as my ailing, uncomfortable Psoas (this will come into play later in the day).
My physio did the usual assessment of movement and we established some additional movements to practice to re-train my shoulder blade.
She worked my upper Thoracic Spine (T-2 /T-3) finding my T-2 extremely locked up. She eased it up so i walked out of my physio appointment feeling better but still not a hundred percent.
We both agreed that it felt like something, one thing, was off causing all the issues. Once we found it then things would fall back into place.
This afternoon i also had a RMT appointment. This RMT actually works with my Physio at another clinic. So the to health professionals were able to discuss my symptoms /issues. Which saved time when i came in the door.
The RMT i will call "Shaman". He did as many assessments if not more than my Physio has done to date. This was not your average massage appointment (no i am not talking about those parlors in Thailand you sicko's!). I am used to a basic sit down of 5 - 10 min and then have the RMT smash muscle knots for an hr and you walk out of there relaxed.
The Shaman was totally different. He did multiple assessments. Checking posture, strength from various angles. Due to the fact i had no muscle atrophy there was a few signs pointing to neural issues. Basically a few things had forgotten how to fire properly. So what he found in a nutshell:
-My left humerus was sitting pretty far forward. he actually set it back in during the initial stages of his assessment because it would throw to many things off. Simply by pushing it back in a lot of my discomfort subsided. I will say this resetting my humerus was pretty painful. THIS WAS HUGE #1! -So after several more assessments he had me lay face down to check my T Spine. Low and behold that Rhomboid tightness was actually 2 Ribs out of joint. Almost instantly everything in my back relaxed and he tested to see and alot of minor things had improved strength wise. POP! POP! HUGE #2!
-Then he check the rest of my Thoracic spine and cracked the rest of my back. Crrrrrraaaccck! Weeks of feeling like the tin man gone!
-At this point he finally did some soft tissue work on my trap and upper back. Then worked very briefly on my Tricep, Pec Minor /Major, as well as my rear delt. He released my Pec which had started to tighten in a compensatory fashion.
He reassessed and even the strange weakness in my left hand (he was checking the strength of my fingers) was gone. There was noticeable improvement in my my grip strength and all of my left side tests.
-downward rotation was partially off, he gave me homework for the next 3 weeks to turn this back on (less than 3 min a day) Huge Number 3!
-Rear Delt will need more Lax ball work. it is still ropy.
I mentioned offhandedly about how my hips were tight and i had thrown my back out riding my bike. I still had time so he quickly checked. Sure enough my left side lumbar was stiff and a little off. He set me into position and snap, crackle, pop! Huge #4! MY PSOAS pain was instantly gone! He explained that the vertebrate that were out of place were the ones causing the Psoa discomfort.
So in about an hour i had everything majorly causing me issues fixed. I will be back to see the Shaman in 3 weeks. i will see my Physio in the mean time to monitor.
I am giving my body the evening to relax and let these adjustments settle in. Tomorrow i start focusing in on the Bench only meet in Ottawa. If this holds i feel ready to go. i will ramp it up gradually. A lot of strength is still there i just have to get everything working the way it should and i have the time to do it. It will take some focused intelligent training but i got this.
It feels great to be back on the train and not being dragged by it. final surgeon's appointment is later this week.
I will return to actual training log sessions tomorrow. first up....DEADLIFT
This is not me bitching. This is not me Moaning. This is not me looking for encouragement or well wishes. This is apart of my path during my recovery.
This is record of things that are going on right now with me physically. I thought I was averting what is going on right now. Unfortunately my body has other thoughts.
This is entry is more for a record for myself. I have been training. But a lot of what i have been doing is rehab, foam rolling and stretching with a bands to get some traction. Despite all this my body, my joints in particular feel tight.
My Knees i expect and accept because i am still doing the Eccentric work on the leg press.
Riding my bike to work did throw my back out slightly. this is because my hips are too tight. so the my low back stretching and my vertebrate shifted as a result.
My Rhomboid, Shoulder blade, External rotator is a bigger issue. No. Trickier than i expected. I have a lot of my strength back in my external roatator. but a lot of phantom tightness /discomfort through my Rear delt, trapezius, and Tricep. The only time i feel decent is when i am in the gym lifting and the muscles are warm and full of blood. Things are improving but very slowly.
After i reset my back on Monday i did go full Meat Head and decided to Squat. Things felt decent enough but by the last set i could feel my external rotator was fatiguing and starting to hate me.
I still haven't t done face pulls in nearly 3 weeks.
Also my Left hip flexor /groin /Adductor ( i really am just guessing) is now feeling strained.
The common theme trough all this? MY LEFT SIDE
My brother called it the other day. (he is a YOGA instructor). "yeah Your body is balancing out after months of compensating and being out of balance."
On the positive side of things. My Deadlift is improving technique wise which means heavier weights are getting lighter. I have even more rehab exercises in my tool box and i am figuring out how to rehab and keep myself healthier down the road.
I will admit i am mildly annoyed at all this. But also i found the humurous irony. At this stage i should be ramping things up to full. Instead i am sputtering and stalling. I have to find something to keep me focused and on keel. Until then i will keep plugging away at the exercises i know are important. I will keep stretching and traction my body. But most of all i will keep moving Forward, even if that means i have to turn around and head back a short distance to turn around again.
Out of all of this i am able to stay focused on the truly important things. It is allowing me to hone and focus my long term goals. As always "what can i do today to get me to one of those goals?"
This is apart of my path. I may get annoyed or discouraged, but this is always temporary. The fire burns inside me and i also have a phenomenal group of people behind me helping me, coaching me, making me laugh, and inspiring me to keep biting and scratching as long as there is breath in me. I knew this was not going to be easy last July 2012. Being in the middle of it is a lot easier.
Me and The Maxine at the Drive In (barrel says STRONGMAN)
After a late night at the Drive In with the Girl and My Old Dog i slept in till nearly 10 and then i had a Brunch to go to. Anytime you get a chance to get a bloat on before Deadlifting you take it. Plus hey it was free food and lots of laughs with friends. Anyhow after being out in the sun in the afternoon walking the Dog at the point i was fully energized on Vitamin D (and a Coffee) to go Deadlift.
My low was feeling better still as was my shoulder. My Knee is barely a concern at most times which is exactly where I need to be. The surgeon wants my knee and my activities to be feeling mostly normal when i see him later this month.
This was designed to be another Technique session for my Deadlift. I would call the weights as I lifted.
Warm Up: One Arm Core Blaster Shrugs 1 x 12 x 35 lbs (no counting bar) Hip Mobility Series 1 x 10 ea movement
Deadlift (all sets Double Over hand)
2 x 5 x 135
1 x 5 x 185
1 x 5 x 225
1 x 5 x 275
1 x 5 x 295
Head Harness (between all sets)
1 x 20 x 26 lbs
1 x 15 x 35 lbs
3 x 15 x 44 lbs
One Arm Core Blaster Shrugs 2 x 10 x 35 lbs Mtn Dawg Rows 2 x 8 x 60 lbs GHR 3 x 6
Gym was hot and humid. I still left my hoodie on because i am like that. The Deadlifts felt great. i had the front desk guy watch me for the set with 225 and he said they looked fast and explosive. 275 felt just as easy as 225 so i knew i was having a great day. Decided i would try 295 Double Overhand just to see how things would go. I did do 2 resets during the set with 295 but that was more for body positioning and not so much my grip. But even 295 felt really fast and light. My grip even felt strong(er) i think because the Bar is coming off the floor in a better path over all. No Issues my knee either. Everything felt rock solid. The extra low back work paid off because i felt i was holding a stronger arch as well.
The Rows and shrugs gave me a little added rear delt work on the day on top of my rehab exercises.
10 June 2013 0540 hrs
A little slow and groggy but feeling good overall this morning. Less and less ache in the shoulder every morning. With the sun shining and the day looking promising my knee felt great as well. I had my thoughts on doing some repeats on the track and of course neck work.
Back Ext 3 x 10 Side Bends 3 x 10 Rev Hyper 3 x 10 Leg Press Eccentrics 3 x 8 x 90 lbs (Back & Forth /L&R non stop) Head Harness
1 x 10 x 25
1 x 10 x 35
1 x 10 x 50
1 x 15 x 35
1 x 20 x 35 Kirkawoski Shrugs
1 x 20 x bar
1 x 15 x 115
1 x 15 x 165
1 x 15 x 165 Band Pull-A-Parts 4 x 20 (red band)
I attacked the Shrugs today. I made extra careful to keep my hole body tight. Low back is getting better everyday but i don't want to do something foolish at this point. There is something to be said for 50 lbs Head Harness at 6 am. It is invigorating and makes you feel bullet proof for the day. I really had planned on going lighter today with the Head Harness but i was just feeling it today. First time doing TKE's in a while. I felt a much better contraction today while doing these. I think the eccentric work may be partially to account for this.
The Sprints i did not push really hard but decent enough. What i did notice is that my whole body felt smoother and more comfortable running. Rest was 2 min after the first 400 and then 4 min after each following lap. My last lap was the fastest at 1 min 40 sec, i was not pushing the pace and this felt fairly easy. My slowest lap was my first one, 2 min 5 sec.
Considering i had not run in weeks this felt like an outstanding session over all. before heading out i used the Lax ball on my traps and low back as well as stretching out my Hip Flexors something fierce.
First Off Remember me posting the Video with this guy?
It was all about THIS book.
Mine came in the mail yesterday. I went late last night and picked it up.
Remember that low back pain i was bitching and moaning about yesterday?
Yeah i sat down and flipped through this book over my morning coffee. In less than an hour i figured out primarily what was wrong and fixed it. Now walking around pain free. I did not even have the book for 12 hrs and it paid for itself. If you even think about being active you should own this book.
This is a resource that will pay for it self 100 hundred fold.
Oh and i loosened my hips up. Now this will be a daily focus for a few weeks but being able to correct those minor things will pay huge dividends down the road.
I have noticed a repeating message this week from a variety of different sources. First from Brian Carroll's Trg Log on EFS viaStu McGill
To sum up the message it is this:
"...there is no distinction between lifting heavy in the gym and picking up a pillow from the ground....no matter what you are doing throughout the day you should always think about improving your position and movement mechanics..." -Kelly Starrett (Becoming a Supple Leopard)
Ok enough talk about that. Now onto today's Training.
Due to the External Rotator Issue No Silver Back trg this week. Yeah not being able to do Pull Ups Makes me want to fling mud too.
1130 hrs
45 Deg Back Ext 3 x 10
Rev Hyper 3 x 10
Leg Raises 2 x 10
Eccentrics Single Leg Press (L&R)
1 x 10 x 90
2 x 10 x 180
Pulcinella Weighted Abs
3 x 10 x 95 lbs
Head Harness
5 x 20 x 20 lbs
With the low back feeling better i still wanted to push some blood through it. Mostly as active rehab and to warm up as well. I am working at holding the top position with a 1 count (ct) contraction during all reps and then on the last rep holding for 5-20 sec. Same thing with the Rev Hypers.
It creates a massive low back pump and fatigues things quickly at least for now. It felt good to do some weighted Abs, i have not done these for months. Head Harness work was simply to loosen the neck up after 2 hard days of pushing it.
It should be noted that my girl came with me today to partake in my Saturday training.
Next Saturday i have a plan for an all new SilverBack Saturday. I am adding in insane amounts of Neck work on top of the Pull Ups, Push ups, and Sit Ups. During the week I will continue to do Head Harness daily and one other Trap movement. On Saturdays it will be everything together. I want traps like JL Holdsworth
JL is the Giant standing next to me.
After the Head Harness work it was off to the field house. Time for some Prowler with My Girl.
Prowler
100 m x 50 lbs
60 m x 50 lbs
100 m x 50 lbs
60 m x 50 lbs
100 m x empty
I set this up so i ran /sprinted the 100 m. My Girl would walk it back just until she started to fatigue then i would finish the return trip. I would suck wind for 30 sec and then Run it back. After the eccentrics this felt like an insane thing to be doing. I did not over do it, especially with my low back feeling better but probably not 100%. As well with the addition of riding my Bike to work the idea today was to get Prowler time in. It was an Intro day for My Girl and a Recovery session of sorts for me. i finished up with 5 min of doing the hip reset for my low back, followed up by the couch stretch for my hip flexors. My Girl laid on the floor and begged for death. She started this whole show with an additional 2 x 100 m with the empty Prowler. A cardio queen she is not. But she had fun!
I did my Puff Daddy Rehab Exercise this morning upon waking and then again this afternoon. I will do it again tonight before bed.
The anniversary of Goonies is today. In the Gym it is always my time. And Goonies NEVER say die! (yes i can be cheesy as F**k.)
Back in the swing of things. Put together a plan to continue to stay on top of the leg and rehab the shoulder.
24 June is the next marker date - I see the surgeon for hopefully the last time. 20 July after that which is my next Bench meet. I have all but decided against doing the Triathlon in August. With the shoulder needing time to heel and re-strengthen swimming is out. So working around two hindrances right out of the gate before a training cycle even starts is foolish.
The secret for my shoulder is simple. Make my entire Upper back and shoulders more massive and strong(er).
Running, Biking and Swimming will be apart of my rehab still but in a different, less intensive capacity.
That is some of what i am looking at. I will also factor in Sled Drags and Prowler Pushing.
Mid to late August i will look at Hill Sprints making a return.
Riding my bike has caused an unexpected issue. My left low back is mildly strained. nothing major, i have two days off before i commence riding again. It doesn't impede anything but it does ensure i use correct form to pick and bend over at all times. Ride OR Die!
Beast Mode is a creation of the weak willed.
1310 hrs 45 Deg Back Ext 2 x 10 Rev Hypers 2 x 10
I did these as a super set. After the second set of Rev Hypers my low back was PUMPED like a tire. It felt great and I knew I was ready to go. Head Harness
1 x 20 x 15lbs
1 x 20 x 20 lbs
1 x 20 x 25
1 x 20 x 30
1 x 15 x 35
1 x 15 x 40
1 x 15 x 30
1 x 20 x 20 Fat Man Rows
1 x 12 x 45
1 x 12 x 80
1 x 10 x 115
1 x 10 x 95
1 x 12 x 85
1 x 20 x 55 lbs
I alternated between these two stations. Minimal rest. I was training the reps hard but moving at a medium pace between the two exercise "stations"
Medium Pronated Grip Cable Rows
1 x 15 x 60
1 x 15 x 75
1 x 15 x 90
This was all about Upper back Contraction. i held each rep with a squeeze for a 1 count. The Pronated Grip doesn't irritate my delt and pulling to mid /low back got a solid contraction. Coming forward i got a mild stretch.
V Bar Cable Tricep Push Downs 3 x 20 x 50 lbs
Getting back to solid weight and away from the band work gave me a solid pump-a-tude. YTWL 2 x 10 ea
This gave me another solid feeling in the middle of my back. Muscles are firing nicely. Single Leg Press Eccentrics
1 x 10 x 90
1 x 10 x 160 Two Leg Press Eccentric with Push
1 x LOTS x 250lbs GHR 2 x 10 Hip Mobility series 10 reps ea leg - i will get some photos to demo these. pretty straight forward but they are doing wonders for my tight hip flexors. I try to do them 1-4 times a day every day.
06 June 2013 Physio Therapy Assessment So my Physio was happy i had not destroyed myself further at the meet. We talked things through and then she did her assessment. Already the strength is coming back but we have narrowed down the problem to my External Rotators in my Shoulder. There is a ton of tightness and Knottiness ( i invented this word) in my Left upper back.
-Both traps have increased Tone. Cause and effect -Since the LTTS i have backed way off the Head Harness. I cranked it back in tonight during training and already felt a difference.
-My Left Rhomboid is still tight but better than last week
-While testing i had residual /radiating pain in my left Tricep
-NO Issues with range of motion. Although certain movements i can feel a slight tightness or mis-aligned tracking. It is mostly overhead movements.
-when she pokes my rear delt area it is sore.
-We determined my change in Technique from the seminar is partially the cause. New things are now working harder than before and it comes down to simple fatigue followed up by being in a bad position for 3 days driving.
The first plan of engagement to Rehab things a reduction in movement that cause external rotation to give the area a chance to catch up and strengthen.
Also, although they are an excellent strengthen exercise for the upper back and traps i am not allowed to do Face Pulls for about a week. She will re assess next Thursday but just simple me demonstrating that movement for her she could see my Traps firing in overload to compensate on my left side.
The following is out:
-Squats
-Bench
-OH Press
The list for what i am allowed is quite long. I am still allowed to Deadlift (sub-maximal). So Technique work is still a go for that. Front Squats are also a go to exercise. But i am still working on the Eccentrics with the leg press anyhow. I can start benching when i am pain free, at least technique work with the bar.
She did not give me a timeline but due to the fact we caught this early this will not be an irritation too long but I know it will something i have to stay on top of in future. The LTTS revealed so many areas to work on. I am excited to not only rebuild my knee but solidify A lot of little things. I turned 37 a few weeks ago so now is the time to keep things locked down and solid.
But as for Rehab Movements I now have this bad ass exercise to do:
(Note: I will come up with a name for it)
Start (Pull Band apart, hold elbows in)
Start Position (Keep Elbows bent at 90 Degrees)
Raise Elbows up moving only through the shoulder joint trying to keep elbows tucked and stationary.
Stop when the elbows get just above or at shoulder height. Lower back down. Tempo to Raise is about a 5 Count. Tempo to Lower is the same.
This bad boy Puff Daddy Exercise hits me right where i need it. Just practicing for her i banged out about 12-13 reps. She said most people barely hit 10 their first time. So yeah i am busting ass in my Rehab sessions.
I do have another Massage treatment booked in a few weeks. In the Mean time i am going to Lax Ball my back and stretch the knots out. Just a small caveat to my ACL recovery. I have to keep things interesting for myself and the Physio.
I did get in the Gym tonight for a short session. I convinced the girl to go despite her tiredness. She benched and i messed around in a semi serious manner. Helping her with her bench in between sets.
Head Harness
1 x 15 x 25
1 x 20 x 20
1 x 25 x 25
1 x 30 x 25
1 x 35 x 23 Seated Calf 3 x 15 x 80 lbs Standing Leg Curl 3 x 10 x 40 lbs Leg Press Eccentrics (single Leg) 2 x 10 x 90 lbs Side Cable Laterals 3 x 10 x 20 lbs Rear delt laterals (into Rear Delt Destruction)
1 x 10 x 20 lbs
1 x 10 /10 x 20 /10 lbs
1 x 30 /25 /15 x 45 /20 /10lbs
I have also started riding my Bike to and from work. Up hill both ways (sort of). About 20 minutes one way. I go hard as i can without trying to get struck by the local wacko drivers who have already managed to kill /maim 3 cyclists this summer.
On this day of days in Human History there were those that were already busy fighting the Nazi regime in Itlay. My grandfather used to hum and sing this from time to time, he was one of the few lucky ones who made it home from the war. A lot of who i am was formed from the lessons he taught me. May he be Rest in Peace.
So where the H-E-Double Hockey sticks have i been? I have not given up on this log by any means. Since the last time i wrote:
-Saw a RMT for an appointment. She did a decent job on the Rhomboid /Upper back area. Good enough i decided to go ahead with the Bench Meet.
-Went to the Bench Meet only to pull out of the competition during warm ups because some odd was going on in my shoulder. I got pinned under 185 lbs and then 135 lbs, so i decided it was better to walk away mostly healthy so that i can Smash Fucking Weights 20 July.
The Toronto Super Show -IPA Powerlifting Meet - Bench Only
The days leading up the super show my trg was still just simple Range of Motion and Blood flow work. To keep my Upper back loose and not let it stiffen to much. The same goes for the rest of my body. Nothing really worth writing down because it was of no long term consequence ( i say that now but i am sure one day). I also spent a lot of time in the sauna the week of the show. Not because i was worried about weight but mostly because i found it relaxing and seemed to assist my back getting in the sauna and alternating with Cold showers. Now I decided to do this PL Meet for a variety of reasons. 1. Keep my ACL recovery focused. Even though a Bench Only meet doesn't directly help my leg it keeps my overall training focused. Which in turn benefits my Knee /Leg. lack of focus /lack of direction is something i have felt a lot of these past few days. (LTTS and this Meet were 2 big marker posts since Dec /Jan) So at the end of the day doing this meet was not about fucking myself up further but something to keep on a path.
2.I wanted to do an actual PL Meet where i had to go through all the steps. You can't truly call yourself a PL unless you compete (I have heard that somewhere, a few times, from pretty much every high level guy in PL. Matt Kroc i think even said it at the LLTS )
3.The stress, focus, and intensity that any competition brings i feel is very healthy. It helps push self imposed barriers. Creates an opportunity to learn about ourselves mentally and physically. This is something I have not put myself through in some time. Doing this meet was a good way for me to push myself and test myself. If you aren't trying to find your personal limits you really are not trying hard enough in life. This was my true first PL meet. i had done a small gym meet. But this was a full on sanctioned meet in front of a crowd of people.
I was stressed going into the meet. I had all the normal mental stages to go through. I had self doubt. I had thoughts of tearing a Tricep and coming away injured (fear). Most of this was driven by the unknown. This was a first. But i tried to remain even keel and relaxed despite what was going on in my head. I was ready to hit the numbers i wanted to hit.
Numbers which really at the end of the day are for me and no one else.
I have been accused of over thinking /Analyzing things from time to time. As well as under estimating my potential from time to time. But my preparation is mine alone. Don't under cut me or doubt my logic.
I got to go through all the steps except for one giant one. Going from the Chalk Bowl to the Bar. Getting to the event went semi-smooth. I weighed in Shorts on at 104.3 Kilos. My gear was checked and signed off. While standing in line i met a Canadian Veteran of Canadian Powerlifting (25 yrs) Mark Griffin. Super nice guy. He was there to do all 3 lifts and go on to represent Canada at the Pan-Ams. He encouraged me to start my own PL Club and even offered to stop in sometime and help me lift if he was in town. There was also a few Crossfit guys there to do Bench Only as well. But overall the experienced guys were all super friendly and helpful. After registering i went up stairs and got my Bench Heights. Then i went and got changed.
My Girl was super excited about the Lemur!
Now when i got up Sunday Morning i did have to heat my back but considering how it had felt earlier in the week it was in the 80% range or so i thought. I started warming up with the bar, No issues. I stretching and rolled on the Lax ball a little to work some more upper back stiffness out.
I got under 135 lbs not thinking i needed a spotter. I did my set up as i was taught 2 weeks previous. Un-racked the bar and lowered it. Slow and under control. When i went to press my left arm /shoulder lost tightness about 4 inches from my chest and the bar did loop de-loop on the way up. That was the first sign something was off. One of the older guys even came over and said if i needed a spot to simply ask. I said yes for sure, but what had just happened was no where near normal for me.
I took some more time to roll out and stretch. Decided to try 185 lbs. This time i asked for a spot. i warned the spotter of the potential problem. This time i lower 185 lbs no issues. Go to press and NOTHING. I was Pinned. Spotter pulled it off and asked what my opened was. I told him A lot more than that. He suggested i drop it.
I went out and talked to my girl and my friend who had come along to watch. I talked about pulling out but then decided to drop my opener. Just to get at least one in. So i went to the table and dropped the opener to 185 lbs.
Went back to the warm up room. Really tried to warm up the rear delt and get things activated. I tried 135 lbs again. Thinking if i can at least rep this out a few times i can Smash 185. Nope. Pinned AGAIN. This is when i knew something was wrong. So I went back to the Table and called it.
I talked to a few of the experienced guys. One guy said he had gone to the Pan-Ams one time only to have to pull out. They said it was a good move. No reason to really fuck myself up and have to go to the hospital when i knew something was off.
Not how i am going to fix this.
I have another Bench meet 20 July. Lots of time to Rehab and get things back under control. Tomorrow i will cover today's Visit with the Physio Therapist.
