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Liftandswim's Log

I prefer hammer curls for tendinitis pain. Mashing the bicep never really helped, just butterknifing the forearm flexors and extensors.
 
Them trap bar deads/squats work the Quads really well. We don't have a trap bar here, but there's sort of a plate loading machine with parallel grips to do "trap bar" squats. They just use it for traps work. Pretty sure they lost their minds when I started doing squats on it. Well it does have a sticker saying "squats/lunges"

They're okay. I just wish the ROM was larger.
 
11/22

Week 16, Day 6

Squat
(belt-less)
250x3
290x3
325x3
370x1 (belt-less PR)

Bench
work up, work up
300x1
315x1 (was supposed to be 310...oh well)
320x1 (5lb PR, taped) Invalid Link Removed
275x6 (2 rep PR)

Weighted Pull-ups
+37.5x5
+37.5x5
+37.5x5
+37.5x5
+37.5x5

Tricep Pushdown
100 total

Side Bends
50 total

Thoughts:
Squatting belt-less feels much easier now that I understand how to brace my core, maintain proper ribcage positioning, ect. 370 was around an RPE 7

Problem is, low-bar sucks. It's the source of my bicep pain. Think I'll be switching to high bar and fronts (with/without pauses) for my rep/volume/practice/whatever you wanna call them days. I'll squat low bar on my max effort days. Unless someone else has any ideas?

Bench was strong, but felt like crap because of my biceps. The eccentric portion of the lift, above 225, hurt like hell. Fug. Was causing me to mis-groove as well. Watch the video of 320 and you'll notice the elbow shake on the way down. It wasn't from the load because it was happening with 225, something I can rep out all day. Still happy with the PRs though. Fighting tooth and nail for every little bit above 315.

Oh, and the floors are still slick or something. Ugh. Can't drive my feet into the ground as hard as I'd like. Wiping the area clean does nothing. Ideas?!

Rest of the workout alleviated some of the discomfort in my biceps. Push downs work wonders.

Love y'all. Best of luck to PumpHouse today!

Stay strong AM.
 
Nice...
I think your secretly a 400lbs bencher and 500 squatter already just just doing what we call in cards as sandbagging lol
 
Nice... I think your secretly a 400lbs bencher and 500 squatter already just just doing what we call in cards as sandbagging lol

Lol I wish! My lifts look "fast", but they feel heavy. Bar speed is quick until it's not, good and bad thing I guess.

I'll get those numbers one day though. Squat much sooner than bench.
 
Very impressive numbers LS.
 
I'd squat low bar if you can for "competition" movement days (your heavier/max effort days) and switch to any variations that don't bother it on accessory movements (high bar for example).

I'd also try to pinpoint the cause of the biceps pain. I know for me personally and a couple people I've worked with we've had some decent success with: rolling out the pecs with a lacrosse ball in the warm up and on off days, stretching the chest and lats (when I'm on my comp I can get links), and de activating trigger points in the infraspinatus (I'd check the other rotator cuff muscles just to be safe too).

Also working with a bit wider grip until the mobility is fixed.
 
I learned I was putting to much torque on my elbows when squatting I switched to thumbless grip widened it out quite a bit and learned to pull down with my lats not with arms
 
I'd squat low bar if you can for "competition" movement days (your heavier/max effort days) and switch to any variations that don't bother it on accessory movements (high bar for example). I'd also try to pinpoint the cause of the biceps pain. I know for me personally and a couple people I've worked with we've had some decent success with: rolling out the pecs with a lacrosse ball in the warm up and on off days, stretching the chest and lats (when I'm on my comp I can get links), and de activating trigger points in the infraspinatus (I'd check the other rotator cuff muscles just to be safe too). Also working with a bit wider grip until the mobility is fixed.

Thanks, bolt.

Yes, ideally I'll be able to pin point the issue. Don't really think it has anything to do with the pecs or lats (not 100% though). It almost feels like the bar, despite being locked in place on the meat of my rear delts is resting on my arms...if that makes sense. Or that somehow my biceps are helping support the weight..?

Widening my grip helps, but as soon as I'm above 80% it doesn't matter, still get pain.

I use compression cuffs, but that only mitigates some of the pain.

Thoughts? No need to rush to reply. Won't be squatting again til Thursday.
 
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Great article by mr. Bolt

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I also do this now, and it was weird at first, but now I love it. I'll tell you Tuesday when I have heavier weight how it feels.

Aside from that I do pull aparts everyday, I voodoo floss my forearms, and I do trigger points from Bolt's article. I also am not hesitant to move a non-comp squat or bench to a front squat/SSB squat or OHP variant. I'm managing pretty good. Not perfect but as you can see I'm doing better.
 
Shoulder Rotational Stretch, Dynamic Flexibility ...: Invalid Link Removed

Try these too I got away from them for a while and when I brought them back all my pain went away
 
Shoulder Rotational Stretch, Dynamic Flexibility ...: Invalid Link Removed Try these too I got away from them for a while and when I brought them back all my pain went away
I do these and they help tremendously! I found one of those old small diameter barbells works well too. It's only 10 lbs and is really comfortable.
Weight isn't needed for this but it saves from taking the broom off the handle...
 
Thanks you two. I already do those actually.

Beginning to think I'm holding the bar incorrectly when doing low bar. Idk. I'll experiment.
 
Squatting low bar often will cause pain, simple as that. There's a whole list of things you can do to make it better, and you'll have to learn more tricks as you get more weight on your back, but it will continue to hurt. I'm really avoiding low bar in the future to keep my elbows and shoulders healthy. As you get bigger and get benching in the high threes and low fours, you'll be tighter and bigger in the shoulder girdle, which will exacerbate the problem further. Buffalo bar, extremely stiff heavy duty squat bars, and other specialty squat bars are my only answer for the chronic pain. Once I get one thing nailed down, other things bother me. Overstretching my pecs before a heavy bench day is what caused my strain, as well.
 
Squatting low bar often will cause pain, simple as that. There's a whole list of things you can do to make it better, and you'll have to learn more tricks as you get more weight on your back, but it will continue to hurt. I'm really avoiding low bar in the future to keep my elbows and shoulders healthy. As you get bigger and get benching in the high threes and low fours, you'll be tighter and bigger in the shoulder girdle, which will exacerbate the problem further. Buffalo bar, extremely stiff heavy duty squat bars, and other specialty squat bars are my only answer for the chronic pain. Once I get one thing nailed down, other things bother me. Overstretching my pecs before a heavy bench day is what caused my strain, as well.

Good post, herder. I think I'm going to stick with what I said then. Utilize high bar and fronts more often and really only hit low bar on competition-lift max effort days. Wish I had access to a SSB, that'd help too. I'll make it work.

Still going to play around with things to make it better though. Not completely abandoning ship. I am leery of this bicep pain finding it's way over to my elbows or up to my shoulders.
 
Jacked and Tan Day.

11/23

Week 16, Day 7

Cable Rows
12-10-10-8

Chest Supported Row
15-15-15

NG Chins
1xF

Preacher Curl
superset
Dumbbell Curl
10+10, 10+10, 10+10

One-Arm Lateral Raises
10-10-10-10

Hammer Curls
a lot

Seated Calf Raise
15-15

Unilateral Calf Raise
15-15

Pumps, pumps everywhere.

Stay strong AM.
 
Ok finally back.

So based on your feedback so far in regards to the low bar issue:
1) Find out if you are in the right position regardless. Maybe take a pic or vid and we can analyze if you are sitting right.
2) While it may feel like the biceps are taking the load (which isn't supposed to happen), that may be stemming from mobility problems. With your swimming history I'd assume you don't have huge shoulder mobility issues, but still may be worth looking at.
3) I'd definitely adopt "easier" alternatives (high bar, front, etc.) for a bit while you work on figuring out the problem.
4) Stay diligent. Mine annoyed the hell out of me for probably 6 months. I made a plan (trigger point therapy, mobility, rotator cuff stability work, and flossing with voodoo) and stuck with it and it eventually ironed out my issue.

Hope you figure it out, but hey maybe it is just because your lifts have EXPLODED lately and you are making crazy progress. Maybe "stuff" just needs to catch up (for lack of anything scientific haha).

Keep up the good work though.
 
Ok finally back. So based on your feedback so far in regards to the low bar issue: 1) Find out if you are in the right position regardless. Maybe take a pic or vid and we can analyze if you are sitting right. 2) While it may feel like the biceps are taking the load (which isn't supposed to happen), that may be stemming from mobility problems. With your swimming history I'd assume you don't have huge shoulder mobility issues, but still may be worth looking at. 3) I'd definitely adopt "easier" alternatives (high bar, front, etc.) for a bit while you work on figuring out the problem. 4) Stay diligent. Mine annoyed the hell out of me for probably 6 months. I made a plan (trigger point therapy, mobility, rotator cuff stability work, and flossing with voodoo) and stuck with it and it eventually ironed out my issue. Hope you figure it out, but hey maybe it is just because your lifts have EXPLODED lately and you are making crazy progress. Maybe "stuff" just needs to catch up (for lack of anything scientific haha). Keep up the good work though.

I'm almost certain the bar is sitting incorrectly on my back. Watched a Paul carter video about it and realize what I need to do (or at least try). In an attempt to bring my hands in as close as possible, I'm letting the bar shift into my palms so my elbows/brachialis is taking a lot of sheer force.

If that doesn't work, I'll post up a pic/video for you guys to pick apart.

Thanks for the kind words too. Lol I'm sure it doesn't help that I've added over 100lbs to my squat in the past 6 months and around 30lbs to my bench and OHP.

In the end, it'll all work itself out...I hope because I love me so low bar.
 
No appetite today...reoccurring theme. I'm not used to a consistent caloric surplus. Brb force feeding myself to hit my numbers
 
Wish I had that problem I could eat endlessly the switch in my brain that tells me stop eating doesn't work

Some days I can. And back when I swam, I ate everything.

But after eating above maintenance for 6 months I've lost interest in food. Sucks.
 
Trap bar was in use..so what did I do? Said fuk it and pulled conventional from the floor. Warmed up very thoroughly and wrapped it lightly. Pain free. Albeit with light weights.

11/25

Week 17, Day 2

Leg Curl
50 total

Deadlift
290x3
330x3
370x3
410x1 (82%)
Called it there. Speed was great, wanted to end on a high note. Deadlift wasn't the sole focus today anyway.

Press
work up, work up
175x1
180x4 (taped) Invalid Link Removed
164x6
Both rep PRs.

Was in a crunch for time, moved quickly from here on out.

Barbell Curl
x10
x10
x10

Hammer Curl
x10
x10

Lunges
50 total

Weighted Back Raise
x15
x15

Face Pulls
75 total

Two minutes til the gym closed so I hopped on the leg press and repped whatever weight was loaded already until I heard the closing announcement. Sickening pump.

Thoughts:
Still will be mixing in variants frequently on deadlift til I'm 100%, but today was a good sign.

Failed the 5th rep on OHP. I don't care. Already was a PR and figured why not go for broke. Too me, the lift is relatively non taxing so it's whatever.

Feeling great in the gym. Can't wait to squat on Thursday.

Stay strong AM.
 
I agree. 225 should come in short order. Presses looked strong and explosive.
 
Very solid looking pressing.

What do you think is causing my legs to get shaky on heavier OHP, L&S? (My stance is slightly wider than yours)
 
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