Bluestreak's 2nd Training Log

[bluestreak]

Wed, 18 Feb 09

I went in twice. In the morning, I did the all I/O and some M2 stretches again, as well as my normal mobility routine and some light weights for my shoulders. The shoulder is feeling so much better and stronger.

Just another week of this and I'll start on the path of lifting heavy weights again. I'll start out light as I want my form on all my exercises to be as near perfect as possible. As such, I plan on asking for feedback from people at the gym and the community here.

In the evening, I was meant to meet up with my MMA mate but he couldn't make it. Too bad, as I wanted help with my bench. So I decided to do the following, to practice and reinforce tips I got from my powerlifter friend in Oz.

Squats
1x5 @ 20 kg
1x5 @ 40 kg
2x5 @ 60 kg
1x5 @ 80 kg
1x5 @ 100 kg
* The basic problem was getting my feet in the right spots, with the correct distance and angle. Little adjustments made a difference. I want to practice this until it becomes ingrained and second-nature, like breathing.

Bench
2x5 @ 20 kg
3x5 @ 40 kg
1x5 @ 60 kg
* My powerlifting mate gave me a lot of tips on this. I felt I must have looked like a powerlifting doing my bench (just like the photos in Starting Strength). With a bit of work, I know I'll smash through my old 5x5 PR of 62.5 kg

Deadlifts
1x5 @ 60 kg
1x5 @ 80 kg
1x5 @ 100 kg
* Once again, got tips from my powerlifting friend and this was just to practice. He recommend a slightly wider foot position (I feel more firmly planted now) and to get my hips a bit higher in the starting position.

Thurs, 19 Feb 09

So tired... went to bed too late all week, it's catching up to me. This is something I need to stop doing.

Today I did all the I/O and easy M2 exercises again, as well as my regular mobility routine and light weights for my shoulders (I've started to crank up the weight). Shoulder continues to improve.

Right on bluestreak, a competition on the horizon will focus your training like you wont believe. Good luck, and hell, maybe I'll see you there.

Coming to NZ? I don't think I would have done had I not seen your progress and you ultimately competing.

I agree, it does focus me. It's on my mind all the time. I can only imagine what it will be like when I've got a specific date to aim for.

Aren't you excited that your shoulder/elbow problems are going to melt away? Good luck with the training, let us know!

I'm absolutely overjoyed. I look forward to training hard, in order to catch up to yourself and others

[Vlad]

Hi Bluestreak,
Good to see that your shoulders are improving nicely and so fast. That was a good bench @ 60 kg 1x5. Was that totally pain free? Or was there any discomfort/pain after a couple of days? BTW, how bad were your shoulders initially? Could you do push-ups at that moment, and can you do them now (I mean pain free)?
I am asking because I also have shoulder problems. I had them before I started SL. I was totally pain free when non-exercising due to trigger point massage. But now I am getting warning signs from my shoulders that I am pushing them maybe too much. I use trigger point massage and it makes a huge difference, but it feels that my shoulder recovery even with the massage is not sufficiently fast to keep up with the weights increasing so fast.
So I am very interested in your experience since you have the same (similar) problem. I know that if the muscle is injured, then one will have to train through some discomfort in the affected area. It is inevitable. If I am not asking to much, it would be really great if you describe how your shoulder feels after doing your sets of BP and OHP (during the lifts, immediately after and the next day). This could be really helpful to a lot of people with similar problems.

Vlad

[simonaotearoa]

Hey Ben

You've got my support in the Gym. It was great this morning that we paired up for Chin ups and Prone Bridge hold. I'm sure we'll progress really fast.

Thanks for your incredible support.

Simon

[Metalpetrucci88]

Great to hear the shoulder is getting better...the prehab and rehab from that I/O sound great.

Your form looked great from before. I can't imagine how it's looking now dude. Must be insane

Are you going to stick with normal squats to get the form down to follow powerlifting regulations? I think that it's a great idea, but I also think that once that's up to par, box squats will just further improve your strength for when the competition actually comes. The carryover in strength will be big!

Just an idea, I have no knowledge of powerlifting, other than these guys are beasts

[bluestreak]

Friday, 20 Feb 09 - 7 am

Got 9 hours sleep last night but still tired. I'll catch up on sleep this weekend.

Squats
3x5 @ 20 kg
2x5 @ 40 kg
* Training with Simon and doing it to confirm my form. Simon said my form was solid and video confirmed it. Next time I'll get video of different angles, to confirm it's all good.

OHP
3x5 @ 20 kg
2x5 @ 40 kg
* Couldn't resist the urge to try and push myself. These felt pretty good, no pain at all

Deadlift
1x5 @ 20 kg (with circular wooden plate)
1x5 @ 60 kg
1x5 @ 80 kg
1x5 @ 100 kg
1x3 @ 120 kg
* I was doing 1x5 with Simon, then a Metallic song played and it got me pumped up and I JUST HAD to do some more. I love deadlifts
* I made sure to face away from the mirror. Whenever possible, I need to do all my exercises without the mirror. Rather hard as the squat racks face it

Negative Pull ups
3x3 @ as long as possible
* Having Simon there was really helpful as he made sure I was flaying around, as I jumped up.
* Also worth nothing no elbow, arm or shoulder pain! Woo hoo

Prone Holds
3x30 secs
* These weren't that hard. I remember when that wasn't the case. Simon made sure my back was straight. We'll have to switch to something harder.

Great to hear the shoulder is getting better...the prehab and rehab from that I/O sound great.

Your form looked great from before. I can't imagine how it's looking now dude. Must be insane

Are you going to stick with normal squats to get the form down to follow powerlifting regulations? I think that it's a great idea, but I also think that once that's up to par, box squats will just further improve your strength for when the competition actually comes. The carryover in strength will be big!

Just an idea, I have no knowledge of powerlifting, other than these guys are beasts

I don't know much more then you about powerlifting. From what I understand, the process for squatting is: I rack up, they yell squat (I squat down) they yell lift and then I lift up. As such, I'll need to practice being in the down position. I've started already, by finishing the last rep of each set by holding it at the bottom position for a second.

As my powerlifting friend was telling me, some judges are slow, some are fast. You need to be able to hang around irregardless, not be too quick to get up.

I'll see how my training goes. I have that plan, at the start of my log, and it's intentionally less specific as time goes by. It all depends on my progress.

As for form, it can always be better.

Hey Ben

You've got my support in the Gym. It was great this morning that we paired up for Chin ups and Prone Bridge hold. I'm sure we'll progress really fast.

Thanks for your incredible support.

Cheers mate. I think you and I will accomplish a lot together. Great to see that you're committed!

[bluestreak]

This could be really helpful to a lot of people with similar problems.

Even if it only helps you, I'm happy to explain this. Hope the following helps.

BTW, do you have a medical background of any sort?

I've always had a weaker upper body. What always bothered me, before doing SL and 'bulking up', were my skinny arms. Their size were proportional to my strength. No wonder I struggled with a 20 kg bench when I started. I couldn't do a single push up either

Before starting up this new training log, I was away for about 2 weeks on vacation. Before then, I felt terrible. The pain was found in my left arm/elbow and hips. This was when I got up to a 112.5 kg box squat. The pain in my arm was usually in my tricep/bicep above my elbow. The first time I ever experienced this was doing power cleans with about 40 kg, maybe 6 months earlier. I would get the same, sharp pain when I attempted chins/pull ups with a jump start. It would take 2-3 days to recover. As such, I avoided chins/pull ups and eventually cleans. I couldn't even begin to do dips either (still can't). I didn't mind as the core three exercises took up all my time at the gym.

Maybe a 6 weeks ago, I was away on a business trip and during that time I started doing push ups. They felt ok but never got past doing 7 push ups before my arms gave out. It felt good as I could tell I was strengthening my triceps, which felt like they were the problem. Note that I do proper pushups, arms tucked in and going down till my nose touches the floor.

Getting back to the recent incident: I went to a physio next door because I was fed up. Of all the problems and injuries I've had, this is the only one I couldn't figure out. He didn't know what was going on with my elbow BUT... he did notice my left shoulder was weak and didn't feel right. He gave me some simple exercises to do with really light weight, at a very slow speed... it was painful. It freaked me out when i did a one arm, bent-over barbell row with a light weight. Right shoulder was fine, left shoulder was painful and weak.

The physio said it appeared to be a muscle imbalance - I specifically needed to strengthen it. He also noticed it would pop, click and crunch a lot, a sign of what he said was all the little muscles needing time to develop. All this this makes sense as I always noticed the bar on the OHP and bench leaned in on the right. I've always noticed the clicking but pushed through it.

Looking back, I'm surprised I was having problems with my shoulder as I working on a 47.5 kg OHP BUT my bench was shit... just didn't feel right, was struggling with the 50 kg range, despite getting up to 62.5 kg 5x5.

Before I/O, my rehab involved light-weight dumbell work and stretches. I suspect that rest also helped a lot. I'd been working long hours before I left on vacation (desk job).

Getting back to your specific questions.

That was a good bench @ 60 kg 1x5. Was that totally pain free? Or was there any discomfort/pain after a couple of days?

Yes, pain free. I think a lot it had to do with using proper form: shoulders tight and down on the bench. Even now, I feel ok... just a little bit of that muscle fatigue that you get from lifting.

My shoulders and next are sore - just waiting for the tennis ball and foam roller - but I suspect it's a mix of having a terrible office chair, fatigue and pushing myself every day at the gym this week.

Could you do push-ups at that moment, and can you do them now (I mean pain free)?

I did some this morning. I did four and took a video. The problem that was noted was that my core didn't always stay tight, so on the way up my shoulders went higher then my core. I need to strengthen my core.

So yes, pain free but still weak and with some crunching/clicking/popping. I could probably do my max if I wanted.

One other thing to note... for some reason, if I do a really tough workout - especially deadlifts - then I can do more pushups or at least they feel easier, I can do them faster. Odd...

[Vlad]

Thank you, Bluestreak! This is really a very thorough answer.

BTW, do you have a medical background of any sort?

I have a PhD in medicine, but I am not a medical doctor. I am a researcher specializing in mathematical modeling of biological processes and determination of protein structure by nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray. However, I am constantly in contact with medical people, and my current project involves work on the insulin receptor with the aim of obtaining a better treatment of diabetes. So, I think I have a sort of medical background.

That is really great that you can bench 60 kg and press 40 kg and totally pain-free! This the best case scenario for recovery after injury. In my case, I have a slight discomfort in my shoulders when I bench and press, even after a very thorough warm-up. I am thinking about getting the inside/out DVD as well. I am quite curious about it.

Again, thanks a lot for your answer. Good luck with the recovery and your powerlifting goals!

Vlad

[KIB]

So, I think I have a sort of medical background.

You are a master of understatement, Vlad! Great to have you on the forum and thank you for your work.

@Bluestreak: Great to hear about the reduced pain and the increased push-ups. Your note about "pop, click and crunch" really got my attention. I used to have a whole percussion section in my shoulders and elbows that would use my push-ups as a chance to go on a massive solo. When I read what your physio said about those noises and "small muscle development", I had a sudden realization that I haven't heard those noises in many, many months! Looks like the muscle build up from SL has provided that development and fired my shoulder percussion section! Hope the same results come true for you, BS.

[Metalpetrucci88]

haha KIB you beat me to the punch! After reading about your shoulder, I have the same problems. Even through after a thorough warmup I start doing OHP's and at the top position everything cracks and pops. Almost every other rep you hear a popping/clicking sound just as you described. It's a hinder on progress for sure, but now it makes a little more sense. Thanks for sharing that with us Ben.

[mjh]

I have a PhD in medicine, but I am not a medical doctor. I am a researcher specializing in mathematical modeling of biological processes and determination of protein structure by nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray.

Huh?
(Let's just say science ain't my forte!)

[Beppe]

Congratulations, moderator!

[bluestreak]

Monday, 23 Feb 08

Regular mobility exercises today, just to save time.

Squat
2x5 @ 20 kg
1x5 @ 60 kg
2x5 @ 80 kg
* No problems here, just confirming form

OHP
5x5 @ 20 kg
* Did these with Simon, between his sets

Deadlift
2x5 @ 40 kg
* Once again, did these with Simon. I was happy to make note of little things in my form as I worked with him on this

Negative Chin Ups
6x as long as possible
* Still no pain!

Prone Holds
3x30 secs
* Felt harder today. Will start trying to hold it for 45 secs next time

Yesterday I took my daughter for a ride on her bike. To get to the park, you are mostly going downhill. I ran most of the way and it felt great, barely got my heart rate up and no lower back/hip/shin pain. Coming back, I had to push her most of the way. This killed me, especially as I had to bend over and push from her seat. Today my lower back is sore. Bloody annoying and somewhat depressing.

Shoulder continues feel better, stronger. Previously, it hurt to do a pushing motion such as pushing my daughter on the swing. Now it's fine, no matter how I do it or how hard I push.

Today I spent some of my time helping out Simon and Casey, answering questions. Didn't mind as all I wanted was an easy, light workout. As of tomorrow they're on their own but I'll always be available to spot or do a quick form check. Next week I start lifting some more significant weights.

I just realized that I will now have competition for the squat racks Hmm... maybe I should tell them the smith machine isn't so bad after all?

Looks like the muscle build up from SL has provided that development and fired my shoulder percussion section! Hope the same results come true for you, BS.

Great to hear that! Already, I've noticed that the 'percussion' has greatly decreased.

haha KIB you beat me to the punch! After reading about your shoulder, I have the same problems. Even through after a thorough warmup I start doing OHP's and at the top position everything cracks and pops. Almost every other rep you hear a popping/clicking sound just as you described. It's a hinder on progress for sure, but now it makes a little more sense. Thanks for sharing that with us Ben.

If you'd like, I can go into more detail on what my physio got me to do. I'm sure you'll get over it as well

Congratulations, moderator!

Thanks, I like my username in green

[Vlad]

@KIB
I ment that I have no formal education in medicine, but obtained some due to my work. Thank you for the nice words.

@mjh
I did not want to scare anybody with that science bla-bla-bla. Just typed it automatically as if I was making an application for a grant.

@bluestreak
Congratulations with the moderator!

[bluestreak]

Tuesday, 24 Feb 09

Went through all the I/O exercises again, this time doing 10 reps of each (not 3-5). My arms and shoulders were sore. On Thursday, I'll go through all the Magnificient Mobility exercises and pick some out of that.

I look forward to hitting some real heavy weights next week

I did not want to scare anybody with that science bla-bla-bla. Just typed it automatically as if I was making an application for a grant.

Don't worry about it. I currently do software development and sales for aviation and I can be much the same, though I'd be spouting off an endless stream of acronyms

[KIB]

Funny how the lower back can flare up when it is tired after a w/out and then pushed into a position that really shouldn't do much damage. After a big DL session I have a hard time doing the dishes for some reason. It is just the wrong angle for my back when it's tired and I have to keep taking breaks. But on your little girl's wedding day you won't remember the back pain, you'll only remember the girl on the bike

'Bout time you got modded. This place just keeps getting better!