27 Nov 2014 - Trying not to let things get the better of me. oh and an MRI!

26  Nov 0555 hrs

My body was feeling a little more tired than i would liked so I did push the bench or even session hard but enough to get some solid work in. I expected this as as I have added swimming into the mix.
Chest Supported Rear Delt Rows 
1 x 20 x 20
1 x 20 x 25
1 x 20 x 30
1 x 20 x 35
I took almost no rest between sets. Time enough to get the next set of Db's and then back at it. Excellent pump to start the morning.

Dynamic Bench
1 x 3 x Bar
1 x 3 x 95
8 x 3 x 135
Short rest avg of about a min between sets.
Db Rows (1 min rest) 3 x 7 x 100lbs
OH Rope Extensions (1 min Rest)
1 x 15 x 120 lbs
1 x 11 x 120 lbs
Rear Delt Rows (EFS Strap /Forehead) 3 x 20 x 60 lbs
YTWL  2 x 15 x 2.5 lbs
GHR (10s sec + hold on the last rep) 2 x 9
Shrugs 2 x 8 x 225 (in between sets of GHR)
So despite feeling a little beat up and low on energy I would call this a very good session. Going to Sit down this weekend and hash things out for next week. Need to manage the volume so i do not have too many days like this. The Lunch time naps are helping.


27 Nov 0600 hrs

This really makes me laugh

Warm Up:
Banded Side step 2 x 20+
GHR 1 x 12

Sumo Deadlift
1 x 11 x 135
1 x 7 x 225
1 x 5 x 255
3 x 7 x 7 (Shrug at the top of every rep)
Chuck V Back Ext (Back Ext w/ 12 lbs Med Ball & Red EFS Band)
1 x 15
2 x 13

Not time to turn this on for help just yet. 

Warming up things felt fairly decent. The 2 sets of Sumo Deadlift felt OK. Not spectacular but solid enough to go heavier. The 255 did not feel heavy but felt awkward and my IT seemed to tight to let things work the way they should. So i dropped down and did some sets of Sumo with a Shrug.
I then attempted to squat. I tried a few attempts at a few different heights (up to # inches above parallel) but i kept getting a pinching feeling at the top. So I shut it down. Try to squat another day. Frustrating to put it lightly but i know i will have days like this.
I got the idea to do Back Ext with a med ball and light band from my buddy Joe Schillero. He got the idea from an old Chuck Vogelphol video. So i will call them Chuck V back Ext from now on. Different sensation. I will not be doing them every week but the hard hamstring and low back contraction felt good. I also did some various ab stuff including Plank  for about a min, 1 set of side bends, and a few sets of Pull down abs. I like the exercise that came from John Meadows but still trying to figure out a good weight for these.
I had scheduled to do weighted Abs but with the pinchy hip I opted even trying these today.

All winter long.

Physio Visit:
She noted my Adductors on my left side are a little tight. So my quality of movement is diminished. My IT band although not terrible had a few knots that required needling. The last one really sucked, I mean SUCKED. So what did i do? I EMBRACED IT!

MRI was today. it went off without a hitch. the ladies at the imaging centre are super nice. I am pretty sure I slept (and snored) my whole way through. Next week when i see physio she should have the imaging report. I will get a copy of my X ray report and lay out everything that is wrong with my hip.

Keep Moving Forward, Keep Getting Strong(er)t

25 Nov 2014-The slow steps of rebuilding

24 Nov 0605

Today was a day designed to back things off slightly and do some rehab work. It felt good and by the end of the session my hip even felt pretty balanced and solid.

Sled Drags
4 x 100m x 140 lbs (F, F, B, F)
This was just enough for today. I will add in 2 x 100m to increase it to a total of 600m. From there I will wave the weight up and down. 90lbs, 140 lbs, 190 lbs. I will start my sessions with a backwards walk first (based on track movement) and alternate. The front walk has to be slow and controlled but it still does not seem to irritate things.

Pull Ups 4 sets of 3 reps
Banded Shoulder series 2 x 11
Superman's 2 x 10
Wipers 2 x 20
Bird dogs 2 x 20
Lying Hip Extensions 2 x 20
Plank 2 x 30 sec
Side Plank (L&R) 2 x 30 sec
Single Leg Hip Bridge 2 x 20
GHR 9, 17

I took my time rotating through the exercises in no particular order. I was sweating by the end but i made sure to do everything controlled and with conviction trying to recruit /activate what was supposed to be working.
The Single Leg Hip Bridges felt great, I was able to open my hip flexors without irritating my hip in any way.
The Wipers I did not enjoy. I will have to make sure I do them at least once a week. They are a definite weakness (rotational core movement)

1234 hrs

Lunch time Swim

20 lengths with 30sec rest. Total time approximately : 20 min
For only my second swim session I am just getting my stroke back. As well trying to hammer out a goal. This went well. I want to build into an Interval session and a Continuous High Intensity session each week. We a Long slow swim once every second Saturday.

Keep Moving Forward, Keep Getting Strong(er)

24 Nov 2014 - building the squat volume

24 Nov 0610hrs

Banded side steps 2 x 20+
GHR 2 x 11
SSB Box Squats (1 inch High)
1 x 20 x Bar
1 x 10 x 135
1 x 11 x 225
3 x 10 x 275
Snatch Grip Straight Leg Deadlift
1 x 10 x 135
1 x 11 x 185
1 x 9 x 185
1 x 11 x 185
GHR 2 x 7
Upright Rows (wide, medium, close grips)
3 x 5/5/5 x 135
Weighted Abs 
1 x 20 x 80
2 x 20 x 85
Pull down AB Crunch 1 x 6 x 160 lbs
Glute Activation 1 x 50+
Back Extension 1 x 11

Solid session. Going to make some adjustments next week to increase the volume slightly. I watched a video last week of Ed Coan squatting 600 lbs which is awesome, he has had a few hip surgeries, and he handled the weight with ease. Since then watching any other vids of people squatting has been bit of a blow. A reminder of what I cannot do.Today was good therapy, still able to squat for volume. Feel the weight on my back, and drop down and then up as low as I am able. Which today was pretty good. The increase in hamstring strength has allowed me to go a little wider removing my hip from the equation and letting me almost get to parallel. Not going to be squatting in a meet any time soon but for now it feels good just to have the bar on my back.
Tomorrow is an active recovery day with sled drags and a long list of low volume core stuff. Maybe some pull ups too.

Keep moving forward, keep getting Strong(er)

23 Nov 2014- Even in these chains, you won't break me

23 Nov 1320hrs

Chest Supported DB  Rear Delt Rows 4 x 20 x 25 lbs

Incline Bench

1 x 55 x Bar

1 x 11 x 95

1 x 3 x 135

1 x 3 x 175

3 x 3 x 155

1 x 8 x 155

Side Bends 3 x 13 (L/R)

The DB Rear Delt Rows are a hybrid Rear delt raise and row movement i use to warm up before benching. I picked up the idea from Matt Wenning's programming. His stuff has really cleaned up any front delt issues I had by simply raising the volume on the rear delt and upper back work where it counts. 

The Incline Bench I really needs a spotter not so for the lift off but for pressing. Well i guess not having a spotter keeps me honest. I pause and hold all my reps about 2 inches off my chest. That initial set with the bar using really high reps feels great as well. When I dropped back down to 155 lbs I did the side bends in between as a superset. 

Fat Gripz WideV-Bar Pulldowns (1 min rest)

1 x 27 x 130

1 x 23 x 130

2 x 21 x 130

Rear Delt Cable Row (wide bar to Chin) 3 x 20 x 90 lbs

The gym got a new Wider V-BarI am loving it. Using it with the fat gripz only seems to enhance the effect it has on making my inner tricep head work and pump right up. THe Rear Delt Cable Rows were supposed to be for 4 sets but i stopped being able to contract my rear delts and upper traps so I shut things down.  

YTWL 2 x 15 x 2.5 lbs

GHR (1 min rest) 2 x 15

Finished up with some prehab shoulder work. This one simple series of movements twice a week has also help to sort out my delts. The GHR is rehab for my hip. Keeping my Glutes and Hamstrings active has helped my hip pain tremendously. 

More applicable today than ever.

Managing Angry Moments

So after training i have made it customary when i have time to sit in the sauna for 15 - 30 min as it seems to relieve the chronic ache in my hip for at least while I am in there. The usual business of the geriatric crowd wandering around naked, shaving naked, and today a gentleman at the entrance to change rooms trying to apply his Prep H. No he could not go to the back of the change room and get some privacy where the rest of us don't have to avoid seeing him trying to find his brown eye. Nope front and centre. So another common occurrence is the super naked old dudes in the sauna. Another place some of them like to shave naked. Which I do find kind of gross but have never said anything. 

Then today i am laying in the sauna (in shorts)  with my eyes closed enjoying the heat and the feeling of ache draining away as my hip flexors relax. I am in there a about 10 min when I young teenager comes in. I glance at him but generallyy ignore him initially. After a few minutes I hear the sound a long drawn out spit. I ignore it thinking I was hearing things. Then a few minutes later i hear the same sound. So I slowly sit up a little. Opening my eyes. Then as I am sitting up fully he spits again. 

At this point the following conversation happens:

Me "Did you just fucking spit in the Sauna for a third time?"

Him "Oh Sorry"

Me "That is disgusting. Do you know how much bacteria is in your spit? Well at least it is not as disgusting as the old dudes who fucking shave in hear" at this point my voice is pretty monotone and not aggressive. We sit in silence for another 10 min. Finally as he gets up to leave he blurts out

Him "I will be sure to get a mop to clean up my sweat" Then he slams the door trying to take it off its hinges. 

So of course at his display of passive aggressive weakness I get up and follow him. Thinking briefly if this gets physically violent it could look a little like the end of "EASTER PROMISES" with Viggo Mortensen.

Me pointing at him with a knife hand "Do you have something to say to me? Say it" No i can sense my posture and tone is getting aggressive. Which is not all that manly as i out weigh this kid by at least 60 lbs. But he steps up. 

Him "I don't know why you had to rain on my day. We are sweating anyways what difference does it make?"

Me "Sweating is accepted. Spitting is unhygienic."

At that point i disengaged and went back to the sauna. So the next generation is butt-hurt when they are confronted about doing something stupid? So weak and soft. 

Keep Movig Forward, Keep Getting Strong(er)

23 Nov 2014- The week in review.

Quote of the Week:
"You are the only guy I know wo has injuries that are terrified of their owner" - D. Payne (yeah that is his real name.

The week in regards to training was fairly solid. I have messed around enough and figured out what I can do, what I can do with consequences and what I cannot do at all.

Here is the highlights of each session:

16 Nov - SSB Box Squat (1" above parallel) 1 x 3 x 335lbs
Not a super impressive number but consider I only have one good hip and I have had to work the past month to solidify my Low back and core i was very happy with this. I only shut it down because there were no spotters but it was a very strong set. I finished up with 3 sets of 11 rep Sumo DL and Upright rows.

17 Nov -Incline Bench 1 x 1 x 185 lbs
Pull Ups 7 sets of 9, 1 x 8, 1 x 7, 1 x 4
After the single I dropped the weight and did some high rep sets. Using this as more of a muscle builder /Supplemental lift rather than a straight accessory lift. in other words I am using it to get bigger not just to get strong(er). I will save that for my actual Bench work. The Pull Ups were because I missed my previous week's session. It was supposed to be 10 sets of 9 but the energy just was not there today. The previous day squat session was in the evening and this was an early morning session. Not an excuse but an actuality, i could feel my energy drain quickly and I ran out of Gas. More shrug work as well.

18 Nov -Snatch Grip Straight Leg Deadlift
This is an exercise I have brought into the rotation. Using it also as a muscle builder. I can conventional DL heavy off of blocks but not every week. This is a good trade off. It taxes my grip and upper back immensely. I also did a few sets of light box squats.

20 Nov -Close Grip Bench (w/Fat Gripz)
Sets of 5 reps +10lbs after every completed set 95 lbs to a top weight of 155 lbs. Minimal rest. Dropped down to 95 lbs for an AMRAP of 50 reps. Heavy Db rows as well 95 lbs Db for 3 sets of 6 to 12 reps.

22 Nov - Pull Ups
10 sets of 10 reps. Rested the day before so this was an easier to complete pull ups session. Did a boat load of Callisthenics in between sets and then some Trap and Tricep work to round Silver Back Saturday.

Other Notes:
-I got in the pool this week, it felt very good and I had a solid first session. 12 min of swim a length, 30 sec rest and then back.
-Every training session I finished with GHR. Doing these daily I have gotten good at them very fast. As per Coach Selkow's direction I change it up everyday. The goal is to simply do them.
-The rest days were inflicted by a long stressful work week that was time consuming. Some weeks you just have to manage the stress cup.
-I offset this by trying to get more sleep and napping when I can.
-Speaking of napping, that will become a lunch time ritual in my car.I am finding i need extra sleep but of the higher volume in my training sessions and because some nights hip will wake me several times a night.
-I have written out my trg for the week. I plan on stretching this further out on a longer timeline.

Keep Moving Forward, Keep Getting Strong(er)

20 Nov 2014 -Once again my mettle will be tested...

20 Nov
A new Direction
    So the last few months have been up and down to say the least. But today everything peaked; not in pain, or discomfort, or training success or turning a corner knowing everything is going to be. No actually in some ways the exact opposite.
    It was confirmed from the X-ray assessment that I have FAI or hip impingement caused by bone spurs.Recommendation is a visit with an Orthopaedic surgeon and surgery to correct the problem. My MRI is scheduled for next week so from that i will find out what soft tissue damage i have if any. From some of the pain i have gritted through in the past month i would be surprised if there is no damage.
    Pain management has become key. The PT and I have worked diligently and determined what will trigger pain, discomfort or nothing at all. The problem with this injury has been that at the time of doing anything I have had no pain but then hours later i get pain in a sharp manner or a chronic ache.
   Where did this come from? My best assessment is not from a single event. But rather from living as open throttle and hard I could for the past 19+ years. All I know is that my mettle will be tested once again. Not as nervous or scared as I was with the knee surgery. I will have new unknowns to deal with, I will document and write about them.

The Way Ahead

So after discussing with Physio today we have come up with a strategy for the way ahead.

-Manage IT Band pain by doing daily Glute and Hamstring work.
-Daily TKE's to keep the VMO active and strong
-limited ROM Hip flexor work to keep it firing
-Box Squats, the weight on my back keeps my hip compressed and highlights blood flow
-"Core" work to keep my low back healthy. So abs, obliques, spinal erectors, etc
-Deadlifts of all kinds
-GHR DAILY this exercise has been gold for me
-Swimming a few times a week, stretches the body out, conditioning, work the glutes and hips in a ROM that is non irritating

I still have to test sled dragging forward and backwards to see if i will add them to this list. Which is not extensive. I am coming up with other training and performance goals that will lead to the over goal pre-surgery in check and excelling. The goal going into surgery is to be healthy and strong as Frack the day of surgery. Maintaining ROM in the hip will be a secondary goal. The third goal is to observe and try to minimize adaptations I will naturally make pre-surgery.

So starting tomorrow the chronically will continue with a new direction.

Keep Moving Forward, Keep Getting Strong(er)