lifthard’s training log

[lifthard]

Friday

Quick in-and-out tonight after work to get the blood going

20 minutes interval training on the elliptical
Rotator cuff work
stretching, rolling, etc.

Steve

[atypical1]

Great job on the deads! Your lifts are coming along quite nicely indeed. And chalk definitely is the best lifting aid out there at any price.

james

[lifthard]

Thanks James.

Well, this morning I was a bit out of sorts. I left home to the gym and forgot something..went home.. and then got to the gym and forgot the xls with the weights. No big deal, I knew the weights anyway for squats and I was bagging the bench today due to the shoulder. DOMS was mostly gone..I had been ODing on L-Glutamine for a few days eating a ton of it.

Anyway it didn't get any better from there. 375 squat was not going to happen...unless I did two reps of 190.

10x135, 5x185, 5x245 (this feels strangely heavier then usual), 5x305. Man this is heavy... Let's take a good 5 minutes before 335. 335 x1. That's it, no way I could do 2 reps of this weight. My back is still sore and I cannot keep everything tight to hold the weight. No point in doing 245 again, unrack and call squats a day. I can't do any heavy compound lifts today.

Well, since the bench is out...I did DB Curls working up to 10x75 lbs. Those small muscles still work.
Tricep Pulldowns working up to 8x200
Chest Cable Crossover 3 sets up to 10x70. This was lackluster.

Worked the rotator cuff and the foam roll.
Worked the jaw a lot talking to people.. I am usually mostly business working out with headphones on so it was a good time to catch up.

That's all folks...body is still recovering form the deads on Wed. I need to make sure I do a lighter volume next week on the deads. 4 sets max. 9700 lbs is waaaaaay too much (that's six a's in way to stress) No biggie, Wed was a great workout and this one wasn't... I will rest 48 hours and give it a go Monday morning. I got lousy sleep last night but will make sure the next two nights are better.

Steve

[Buffalo150]

Steve-

I was working on a Deadlift program earlier in the summer that damn near killed me.
4x5 @ 90% of 1rm...it took me a couple of weeks before I felt "right".

It was part of the reason I ran screamin to momma, and started 5/3/1...

-Bflo

[lifthard]

Buff-

I think I found your killer workout just now...Jun 11th. You did 4x5x300.

My lower back is sore big time.

Steve

[lifthard]

Monday-

I did 90 minutes yesterday in the jacuzzi and cold plunge (switched every 15 minutes). Had the jet right on the lower back. Back felt a lot better.

Still wasn't sure on the squats but gave it a go. Put the empty bar on the back and felt the lower back when coming out of the hole with the hips. Just keeping the core tight bothers it. Not worth continuing if an empty bar is going to aggravate it.

Shoulder feels better. Tried the bench.
8x135, 5x185, 5x225,5x255, 5x255. I only felt slight discomfort on the last set. It was minor compared to before.

DB rows- 5x80lb, 5x90lb, 5x100lb,5x105, 5x110. Second five of 110lb on the left arm were a little sloppy.
Tricep pulldowns- 8x150, 8x170, 10x195, 8x200.
DB curls- 10x50, 10x60, 10x65

Rotator cuff exercises.

No tabata or intervals. Just need my body to recover to get back on track soon. Did 30 minutes in the jacuzzi and cold plunge instead.

Steve

[Kathy]

No biggie, Wed was a great workout and this one wasn't...

I gotta work on emulating your attitude instead getting all sulky when I don't have a good workout

Nice job sticking with the rehab and listening to your body. I know it can be frustrating at times but you do a great job of working around your injury. Enjoy Labor Day!

[lifthard]

Thanks Kathy.

I'm probably more like you if its not a physical thing. My body was just sore from the deads. If I have a bad workout from lack of effort, etc. then I would be annoyed/pissed at myself too.

My body seems to be wearing down from this program. My lower back is marginally better but I might be like Buffalo and take two weeks to be right (it's six days today). Shoulder felt fine yesterday for benches except for minor discomfort for the last set. Now my shoulder is back to bothering me. Looking back, I should have maxed at 225. I can stretch shoulder and back and then they feel fine temporarily. I am "throwing the kitchen sink" at the shoulder in stretches, exercises, etc. but without proper rest, I just go back to square one once I think its better.

Re: Listenig to my body- Despite the progress I have made, I am going to can the whole program and stop lifting for two weeks. I'll just do some low intensity cardio, stretching, mobility, etc. Then I'll revise the program or do something else with less volume. I took it easy for six days before I started this program and it is in its eighth week but I have been going at it hard since January. I have added a fair amount of muscle in that time so it is time to give the body more then a week rest.

This will be weird as I have not taken more then a week off from weight lifting in so long (I can't recall any time). Even when we go on week long vacations, I get a workout in right before and resume right after.

Steve

[Buffalo150]

Steve-

That's what I love about 5/3/1...a planned deload week.

The perfect antidote for those of us who don't know when to dial it back.

Anyway, stretch, roll, get a massage...DON'T LIFT.

-Bflo

[atypical1]

I concur. If I don't plan out my deload and rest it simply doesn't happen and it definitely takes a toll.

james

[lifthard]

You're both right...I am in the same mode, of pushing forward and not dialing it back.. The more I read about 5/3/1, the better is seems suited for me since I am getting dinged up more as I approach 40.

No lifting for me Bflo...

Steve

[lifthard]

Figured I'd check in. I think the back is slowly getting better. I wake up ok but the lower back just tightens up at work. I get up every 20-30 minutes and stretch it throughout the day at the office.

Went to the gym the last two nights to do some stretching and shoulder exercises. Then the jacuzzi and cold plunge..back and forth between them a few times. My back feels great for a few hours after the jacuzzi.

This happened Sat when I worked out after two full days of rest after those heavy deads Wed (and bad doms Thurs). On Sat, I backed off the squats since everything felt heavy...but then my lower back started bothering me that night. Even with the two days prior of doing nothing, maybe I wasn't fully recovered and strained something in the lower back.

Steve

[atypical1]

Back injuries just suck. Sorry to be so obvious but they just simply do. Good on you for taking the time off. Are you thinking it's a muscle strain or just DOMS?

james

[Kathy]

Oh no Steve, not back trouble! I find it so frustrating as you can't pinpoint exactly what caused the problem so I'm always concerned that I'll do it again.

Hope it feels better soon! No squats, no bench...your workouts are going to be short

[lifthard]

James- yeah they do. I could work around the shoulder...but the back cripples you. I don't think its doms. I couldn't even squat an empty bar right now without the pain intensifying and with doms, you can still work through soreness. Only other back problem I ever had was pulling a muscle in my back playing basketball. I felt that immediately and by the time I got to my car, could hardly get down into it. That was about 12 years ago so I guess I was overdue. I could barely get out of bed that time for two days but felt great with 3-4 (of course I was also in my twenties too) .

This pain is not as bad as the bball one..I feel good in the morning, but within an hour at work, feel it. Stretching does provide some relief. Just need some time to heal.

Kathy- You're right it is hard to pinpoint because I didn't feel anything go or feel it immediate. Super short workouts now! The heaviest weight I picked up was 3lbs for the rotator cuff work. I'm not doing anything active...it's a good thing College and NFL football started

Steve