Conrad's Training Log

[ConradH]

Today's workout:

2x10 Hanging Leg Raises
2x10 Captains Chair

Squats
2x5 bodyweight
1x5 45 lbs.
5x5 85 lbs.
Weird day - I felt as good as I've felt with the weight making it through the reps but the sore/tight muscle near the pelvis (I think its the pectineus) is still an issue.  It was pretty tight after each set and pretty much the rest of the time I was at the gym, even just walking around sometimes.  Gotta get that figured out.  I was favoring the left leg on a couple reps and that is also the leg where that muscle is tightest, probably not a coincidence.

Bench Press
2x5 45 lbs.
1x5 95 lbs.
1x3 125 lbs.
5/3/3/2/1 150 lbs.
Really disappointing day on the bench.  I didn't eat or sleep that well over the weekend or today so that could be some of it but the weight was really difficult.  I got all reps at 145 so the dropoff seems pretty sharp.  Try again next time.
Rows
2x5 45 lbs.
1x5 85 lbs.
5x5 110 lbs.
I forgot that after the last workout I was going to keep the same weight and instead went up 5 lbs.  Back form still feels like an issue and some of the reps I couldn't get the bar up to my chest. 

Dips
2x5 bw
5x5 35 lbs.
Still doing lots of stretches on off days, trying to increase flexibility and improve form.

[ConradH]

Jan 22 report -
Hip adductors pretty sore/painful today.  Movement isn't limited but occasionally walking, getting up from seated, or certain other movements are pretty annoying.  Definitely more pronounced on the left side than the right. 
Stretches:
5x30+ secs  Hip adductor stretch
5x30 secs Squat stretch
3x30 secs Supermans
3x10 Birddogs
3x10 Leg swings
Hope things feel better before my workout tomorrow

[Mehdi]

Never worry about one bad day/one bad workout. It always happens. It's what you've done in one month/one year/etc that counts.
 

[ConradH]

I'm much more concerned about the tightness and soreness in the groin area that seems to be getting worse than the one bad workout.  Mostly sleep and diet was teh culprit so no big deal.  Gotta get this groin issue figured out though before it turns into an injury.

[ConradH]

Today's workout:

2x10 Hanging Leg Raises
2x10 Captains Chair

Squats
2x5 bodyweight
1x5  45 lbs.
1x5  65 lbs.
1x3  90 lbs.
Did two sets of leg swings before starting squatting to try to loosen up a bit as the groin area pain has been bad.  Made it through the warmups ok but it was getting painful and my form was suffering as well.  Tried to work through it and do the work sets but after a couple reps I was really hurting and couldn't maintain form either.  Groin very sore the rest of teh time I was in the gym.  Right before I left, I did 3 x 30 secs. of the hip adductor stretch and that seemed to help some but it is still sore now hours later.  Not sure what I should do about this issue - drop weight and increase reps for a week or so (Rippetoe injury method)?  Going to keep stretching every day and see how I feel.

Overhead Press
2x5  45 lbs.
1x5  65 lbs.
5x5  85 lbs.
Weight getting harder but got all the reps without much problem.

Deadlift
1x5 45 lbs.
1x5 65 lbs.
5x5 95 lbs.

Pullups
9/6/5

[Mehdi]

drop weight for now yes. Watch out with too much static stretches when "injured", not the best thing to do. Try body-weight squats while holding your toes, as rippetoe describes it in starting strength. Knees out, break parallel.

[ConradH]

Did 2 sets of 25 bodyweight squats yesterday and the groin area was sore (and is still today) but not as bad as it has been.  I have been doing 3 to 5 sets of 30 secs of the hip adductor stretch every day - do you think that is too much?  Is it that too many stretches don't give the muscle time to heal? 
I will be going to the gym later today to do my normal workout A, but replace the squats with 2-3 x 25 at bodyweight.

[Mehdi]

Try to ice it if it hurts a lot. Stretching an injured area is not the best thing thing do as I wrote earlier. Better is to do some body-weight squats or the squats while holding your toes.
Also stick to reps of 10. 5 sets of 10 reps for example instead of the endurance work @ 25 reps.

[ConradH]

Today's workout:
Squats - 2x20  BW
Bench - 5/5/5/5/4  150 lbs. 
Rows - 5x5  110 lbs.
Dips - 5x5  40 lbs.
 
Thanks for the tips as always.  I didn't see your note until after my workout so I did 2 sets of 20 bodyweight squats.  Definitely felt the tightness / soreness toward the end but it felt slightly better later in the workout, until I tweaked it a bit getting up on the tricep stand with the weighted belt on.  I will try 5 sets of 10 tomorrow.  Every day according to Rippetoe, right? 
Everything else felt pretty strong today.  Bench was much better except the last rep of the last set I went for it without a spotter and got stuck.  First time for that...  hopefully last time too   I will probably stay at the same weight next time just to make sure I can get all reps and form is good.

[Mehdi]

Do it like rippetoe said yes, it speeds up recovery to do them daily, flushing blood/nutritients into muscles.
Try this one for the bench press: stronglifts.com/how-to-bench-press-safely-when-youre-alone/

[ConradH]

1/27: Did 5x10 bodyweight squats.  Just curious - Why do you suggest 5x10 instead of 3x15-25?
1/28:
Squats - 5x10  BW
OH Press - 5x5  90
Deadlift - 1x5  105
Chinups - 10, 8, 6
Tweaked the injured groin/hip muscles a bit during deadlifts.  Should I change what I'm doing with deadlifts also during the recovery period?  It's feeling better some days but then keeps getting randomly tweaked so I'm not sure how long this recovery is going to take.  Still stretching, drinking water, etc.  Everything else is feeling good.  Presses are getting tougher but I still feel like theres room to go before stalling.

[Mehdi]

Technique deteriorates as you do more reps (fatigue sets in). 5x10 = 50 reps  3x15 = 45 reps, so you get about the same total amount of work.
If deadlift hurts too, better to keep away from it yes.

[ConradH]

1/29:  5x10 bodyweight squats.  Also did stretches.
1/30:
Squats - 5x10  BW
Bench - 5/5/4/3  150 lbs.  1x5  135 lbs.
Rows - 5x5  115 lbs.
Dips - 5/5/5/5/4  45 lbs.
The squats are still causing some pain while I do the bodyweight reps, as well as the hip/groin feeling tweaked randomly throughout the days.  I feel like the glute activation is getting better though so maybe that was part of the problem.  I will continue doing bodyweight every day, and hopefully add the bar soon.
Not sure what the problem was today but i felt like I had hit the wall a bit.  I was excited for the bench after almost getting 5x5 at 150 last time but today was weak.  Dropped weight for the last set as noone was around to spot.  This is the third wokout I couldn't get the 150 so I will deload to 135 next time.  Rows were also weak from the beginning set.  Form broke down a lot and many reps I couldn't get to my chest.  Will try again next time I guess.
Dips felt pretty good with the 45 lb plate on the belt but i couldnt get the last rep so I'll try that again too.

[Mehdi]

Don't worry about stalling, happens for everyone Conrad

[ConradH]

1/31: Did 5x10 bodyweight squats and stretching
2/1:
Squats - 5x10  BW
OH Press - 1x3  95, 4x5 90
Deadlift - 1x5  80
Pullups - 7, 7, 6
Still doing bodyweight squats as the groin/psoas area is still tweaked.  Some days its feeling better , others not so much.  I am really concentrating on the glute activation at the bottom and I think that is helping.  It seems like maybe I was going down too low before and not tightening the glutes or hamstrings really until I tried to push up upward.  Now, I can feel more tightness just as I pass parallel and that causes what seems like the bounce people talk about.  Hope thats right and better technique.
OH Press I tried the first set at 95 and felt very weak but wanted to get the sets in so I dropped back to 90 and ended up feeling stronger as the sets went on and finished 4x5.  I'd like to use smaller increments  but I haven't seen any plates less than 2.5 lbs. or a chain at the gym.
Deadlift I was going to try to do but when I did a warmup set and the 80 lbs. I felt the groin again and decided to stop.
Pullups felt good.  Haven't been progressing much though.  I was thinking of getting a pullup bar for home and doing the "greasing the groove" method...  removing pullups and chinups from the workouts and just doing some here and there every day.  Having teh bar at home would also let me do my abs workout (hanging leg raises) at home and take less time at the gym.