Bluestreak's 2nd Training Log

[Metalpetrucci88]

Sucks about the back pain. But it's a mere workout hurdle in the way that you will overcome and beyond. Ditto to what Beppe said about the spinal decompressions. Done them only twice now, but It really makes you feel better, and I can barely hang on for 30 seconds WITH wrist wraps. Feels great though.

All the best with the 3x5. I'm sure you'll be busting through new plateaus that you didn't think possible.

Heat stroke? damn, how hot is it over there??? drink that gallon-o-water!

[Vlad]

Hi Bluestreak,

I watched your video again, and I noticed this time that you hyper-extend your neck. I think it's probably due to looking in the mirror while squatting. This is a minor fault and it would not affect the weight you lift, but you might injure your neck. I know this from my own experience: recently injured my neck. It does not affect squatting (I keep my neck neutral now), but the pain is rather difficult to get rid of even with a regular massage.

I read once an advice from an experienced powerlifter (can't remember the name): never ever try to set a 1RM record just because you are curious how much you can lift today. He said that he saw a lot of athletes injured this way. One has to gradually transition from 5x5 to sets of 3, then 2 and finally singles gradually increasing the weight and only after training singles for a while can one safely try to set 1RM record.

So I think your lower back pain could be a consequence of your singles at 130, 140 and 150 kg without preparing the back to such weights. I could be wrong of course, but still it would be wise to refrain from 1 RM max efforts without preparation.

The article about the defective bencher is just great. Thanks for posting it. It contains also links to some other great articles from the same author: "The art of the deload" and two articles with many really valuable advices on how to get rid of shoulder pain. I thought I knew a lot about shoulders, but after reading these articles I understood that that was far from being so.

Thanks for visiting my log!

Vlad

[bluestreak]

Wednesday, 11 March 09

Just a light day, did some mobility exercises and practiced bench (3x3 with 40 kg). I think it helped today. It also got me out of the house. I work from home and lately I get no emails or calls so it's desperately needed, to keep my sanity.

I also did some light dumbell work. I find it very useful to feel the difference in strength between the two arms. I still need to keep an eye on my left shoulder.

Thursday, 12 March 09

Brrr... getting cold recently. Come back summer!

Squats
1x3 @ 40 kg
1x3 @ 60 kg
1x3 @ 80 kg
3x5 @ 102.5 kg
* Last set felt like the best form. No real problems here

Bench
1x5 @ 20 kg
1x4 @ 30 kg
1x3 @ 40 kg
1x1 @ 60 kg
3x5 @ 65 kg <- PR Hell yeah!
* That article, by Eric Cressey, helped. Having a good handoff helps, as well at the arch in the back, feet placement, keep everything tight etc.
* I struggled at a few points but I managed. Thankfully my spotter didn't touch the bar! I actually think my form was better with 65 kg then 62.5 kg

Hanging Clean
5x3 @ 42.5 kg
* I decided to try 5x3, as I often lose my grip after about 3. I think I'll stick to 3x5 as it felt too long. Weight was relatively easy.

Push ups
3/2/1
* Pathetic

Reverse Crunch
8/4, 8/4, 8/4
* I always seem a bit sore after 8, need a momentary break


Back is better. Turns out it wasn't the back, was a muscle closer to my hip (hard to explain). I was doing foam rolling and found the pressure point and pain just melted away...

@Metal, Beppe - I like spinal decompressions but I can never hang for long. I'll definetly try it out on the dip bars next time - thanks for that!

@Metal - sun here can be very intense (high UV). And it's still summer, despite the recent cold snap.

@Vlad - it's funny how I know I shouldn't do something and yet I do it. For example: the neck. I know I shouldn't look at the mirror but I can't help it. Sorry to hear about your neck.

On Wed, I asked if we could move the squat rack facing the wall again. Apparently, a lot of people complained last time so it got moved back in from of the mirror. Sigh.

With the 1RMs, I suspect the failure at 150 hurt something around my hip. I know I shouldn't be testing 1 RMs but I do it once every 3-4 months and I enjoy trying something insanely difficult. If I get hurt (which, invariably, I do) then I'll learn first hand.

[bluestreak]

Hmm... I found three interesting articles I've decided to keep for later, when I'm closer to my competition:
Your First Meet: Part I Setting a Date and Developing Goals
Your First Meet: Part II Getting Diesel
Your First Meet: Part III The Meet

All found here: http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/articles/

[mjh]

Heat stroke? damn, how hot is it over there??? drink that gallon-o-water!

The problem is that the hole in the ozone layer is directly over New Zealand. In direct sun you can feel your skin burning. Often people from hotter climates will remark that it's not hotter than home, but they feel the sun more, if that makes any sense.

[dst]

The problem is that the hole in the ozone layer is directly over New Zealand. In direct sun you can feel your skin burning. Often people from hotter climates will remark that it's not hotter than home, but they feel the sun more, if that makes any sense.

Defo put me off going to NZ now!
Here's me thinking that only OZ had that problem.

Bluestreak, good thread! I'm enjoying the journey, even though it's you that's doing all the hard work.

[Beppe]

Congratulations on the bench PR, good job also on the squats, I guess they aren't giving you trouble yet. Glad to read that foam rolling solved your back problem.
Seems like it's time to switch weather, here in Italy we are starting to see the sun again!

[bluestreak]

Friday, 13 March 09

An off-day so I just had fun doing whatever. I started by doing most of the I/O exercises, as well as a few M2 exercises.

Followed that up with 5x10 face pulls with light weight (see this article Push-Ups, Face Pulls, and Shrugs... for Strong and Healthy Shoulders! I remember Mehdi recommended this to me long ago.

Then some standing dumbell shoulder presses (great to feel the difference in strength between both shoulders, elbows) and some rows. Also did some spinal decompression on the dip bars.

Just a nice, fun morning. Also gave me plenty of opportunity to check out a gym bunny

A few misc things:
* I've got Pecs! So cool. When I look down, I see them and they're hard. I can start to see them through my shirts. I remember sometime last year I could see the ribs on both side of my sternum and a tiny patch of muscle where my pecs muscle should have been. What a difference!
* I love full fat milk.I've been drinking the skim milk that the wife buys but the full fat milk is SO much better.
* I've been getting 9+ hours of sleep at night. I think that this has been helping my lifting recently.
* More of my t-shirts are getting snug. One shirt, which was always too baggy, is now just a bit baggy. So very cool.
* The wife FINALLY admitted that there is a difference in my physical appearance. She's been telling me for ages she noticed nothing, partially to tease me.

Congratulations on the bench PR, good job also on the squats, I guess they aren't giving you trouble yet. Glad to read that foam rolling solved your back problem.
Seems like it's time to switch weather, here in Italy we are starting to see the sun again!

Thanks Beppe. Seems like everything is falling into place at the moment. I can tell summer is retreating because it's darker each morning

[groundskeeperwillie]

I've got Pecs! So cool. When I look down, I see them and they're hard.

Ha Ha! Only the other day I said to my wife that when I look down I can't see my nipples! They're now under the overhang, Wahoo! .


gkw

[Metalpetrucci88]

I enjoy you taking the time to write out not only the workout days, but the days you do prehab and form focus. It gets me in more of a gear to do all the mobility and stretching on my off days that I usually neglect to do.

Nice that you are filling out the shirts. You sure are lifting a huge amount of weight so that muscle is sure to show.

Weather is finally getting better here. God, I can't stand the cold weather. Bring on the longer sunny days and warmer temperatures.

[KIB]

Feels great to have a big chest, huh? Mine is the biggest it has ever been by far and it is weird to be able to "see" it out of the lower "corner" of my eyes from time to time. Glad the wife is finally giving in and admitting that she's impressed. It can be really hard for some people to watch change come to their partner. It can really stress them out about the changes they'd like to make about themselves but don't/can't/haven't/won't.

Big congrats on that PR, Bluestreak. That Cressey article really helped me and my wife today on our bench. Thanks a bunch for that link.

[bluestreak]

Some video of my pushups, in response to gkw's push ups with 20 kg on his back. I had a few more reps left in me but the wife thought I was stopping there.

I often take videos of my lift but I normally don't post them as I can can see what's going wrong. In this case, I can see I don't keep my core/midsection tight. I'm making it harder on my shoulders, elbows, etc. The video reinforces my need to do push ups and focus on improving that core stability. All this reminds of the first part of this article, entitled Stuff You Should be Doing (SYSBD) #1: Do Your Push-Ups for the Love of God.... yes sir

Despite that issue, I have to say I'm pretty happy my push ups considering that a few months I couldn't do a single push up.



In other news, I had a dream last night I did 18 chin ups easily. I woke wanting to go straight to the gym, to see if could reproduce it.

@Metal - I like to go to the gym to get out of the house. In your case, you probably don't need to worry about it as much as you already have a physical job. Plenty of opportunity to do some light lifting. But please - keep winter for a while longer. I'm just starting to get my beach muscles!

Ha Ha! Only the other day I said to my wife that when I look down I can't see my nipples! They're now under the overhang, Wahoo! .

I look forward to that day!

@KIB - glad that article helped. When you buy Inside-Out, they provide a more detailed version of that article in the e-book. I guess me always telling her things like "hey, check out the size of my thighs!!" didn't help the situation

[markg]

Hi bluestreak,
Just been reading your log. Can't fault your effort and progress mate.

I watched the push up video. Any reason why you do them on your fists? I guess that makes them tougher..
Cheers,
Mark

[RobCosimo]

hi Bluestreak

Forgive me for the ignorant question, but with powerlifting, do you have to do squat, deadlift and bench, or can you just do one or two etc? Are the numbers in all three combined, or are they treated as separate things...

cheers

Rob

[mjh]

I watched the push up video. Any reason why you do them on your fists? I guess that makes them tougher..
Cheers,
Mark

I can't speak for bluestreak, but I do them like that because my wrists give me hell if I don't. It's a similar principle to how you're supposed to grip the bar on the bench press: with straight wrists.