Guest viewing limit reached
  • You have reached the maximum number of guest views allowed
  • Please register below to remove this limitation

Journey to Elite

Glad to see some lower body action taking place. Good news on the QL injury front
 
Torobestia said:
Glad to see some lower body action taking place. Good news on the QL injury front
Click to expand...

I'm hoping to bench in a couple of weeks and continue to increase my QL and psoas release techniques. I was a little too aggressive at the beginning and bruised the area.
 
smoker145 said:
You try benching the bar recently or anything of that sort?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, it's not enough weight to tell whether or not it's good to go. My style of benching is with a high, tight arch and it's hard to say with the bar under 225.
 
Rodja said:
Unfortunately, it's not enough weight to tell whether or not it's good to go. My style of benching is with a high, tight arch and it's hard to say with the bar under 225.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I wouldn't imagine 45lbs would do anything to trigger any sort of stress to see where you're at in the healing process, either.
 
Rodja said:
Unfortunately, it's not enough weight to tell whether or not it's good to go. My style of benching is with a high, tight arch and it's hard to say with the bar under 225.
Click to expand...

Would it be bad ya think to bench real light for you, like work up to 200 or something to get some blood flow and all that? Or you thinking that would be counter productive and just keep on resting it?
 
Torobestia said:
Yeah, I wouldn't imagine 45lbs would do anything to trigger any sort of stress to see where you're at in the healing process, either.
Click to expand...

Exactly.

While my AC is pissy, it's my QL and hips that determine how well my bench day will be. I live and die by leg drive.
 
smoker145 said:
Would it be bad ya think to bench real light for you, like work up to 200 or something to get some blood flow and all that? Or you thinking that would be counter productive and just keep on resting it?
Click to expand...

DBs are fine and I haven't stopped doing those.

Since you're kinda new, here's what I mean when I say I'm a big archer:
 
Rodja said:
DBs are fine and I haven't stopped doing those. Since you're kinda new, here's what I mean when I say I'm a big archer: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ieAaDEh-Ik">YouTube Link</a>
Click to expand...
Yea that's bigger than I was picturing. Pretty impressive to me.

And I wouldn't say I'm kinda new.

Id say I'm still very new
 
Rodja said:
DBs are fine and I haven't stopped doing those. Since you're kinda new, here's what I mean when I say I'm a big archer: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ieAaDEh-Ik">YouTube Link</a>
Click to expand...

I recognize those stubby legs and ponytail..
 
1/4

CG Incline Press
135x5x7
185x3x3

Cable Rows
180x12x4

JM Press
95x10x3

DB Preacher Curls
30x10x3

Side Laterals
30x10x3

Pullapart Series (mini)
10x2


1/5

Low Bar Box Squats
135x5x3
185x3x2
205x3
225x2
245x2
255x2

DB BSS
50x10x3

Band Pallof Press (mini)
8x4

Rolling Hypers
BWx10
BW+25x10x3

Getting back in the groove. I'm keeping some good speed and making sure to stay completely tight in my core. The temptation is there to push myself a bit more, but I'm remaining with my plan and hope to work up to 315 by the end of the month at the latest.
 
1/7

OHP
160x6
140x11

Meadows Row
95x12x3

Incline DB Press
80x8x2
80x10

Rodja Rows (lights)
6x3

Cambered Curls/Tate Press/Pullapart series (light)
95x10x3/40x10x3/10x3

I created a new exercise that is designed specifically to help learn how to keep the weight in your lats on bench. Attach a set of bands to the top of the rack. Set up as though you were about to attempt a bench press (you may need to use the bands to assist in setting up). From here, row the band while maintaining your set up and main points of contact on the bench. Keeping your body on the bench is the difficult aspect. You'll have to both row lower and use leg drive to pull it maximally and stay on the bench. Also, keep the same groove as your actual bench.

Beyond that, everything went well despite a little more back stiffness than I'd like to have.
 
That does sound like an excellent one. I always did the doubled mini "pretend you're benching" in a chair and the close parallel grip lat pulldowns to the sternum, but nothing carrying over like that.
 
It's similar to a Dizenzo row, but those don't pull you off the bench or force you into the same position.
 
Subbed for the learning experience.
 
Rodja said:
I'm not anti-Westside, but I don't see carryover from upper body speed on a frequent basis. I see it's merit every 3-4 weeks as a deload, though.
Click to expand...

Agreed. The only movement I ever utilized speed sets for was the deadlift. That was months ago and I have since ditched speed work and rely more on multiple backoff sets for reps after an AMRAP set or after working up to a single. Are you following a particular template/philosophy with your training or is it self designed?
 
throneof said:
Agreed. The only movement I ever utilized speed sets for was the deadlift. That was months ago and I have since ditched speed work and rely more on multiple backoff sets for reps after an AMRAP set or after working up to a single. Are you following a particular template/philosophy with your training or is it self designed?
Click to expand...

Right now, I'm still recovering from lumbar and AC strains so my training is limited. My OHP is 5/3/1 based and the remaining days will eventually run similarly to a Cube rotation with some twists.
 
Rodja said:
Right now, I'm still recovering from lumbar and AC strains so my training is limited. My OHP is 5/3/1 based and the remaining days will eventually run similarly to a Cube rotation with some twists.
Click to expand...

Can't go wrong with 5/3/1. I'm not too familiar with the Cube, but it seems to be popular and I've only heard good things. I saw you invented your own row variation. Very cool. I read about it in Sean's log. Would the Rodja row benefit a raw lifter like myself? The reason I ask is because I think you said that it mimics being shirted.
 
throneof said:
Can't go wrong with 5/3/1. I'm not too familiar with the Cube, but it seems to be popular and I've only heard good things. I saw you invented your own row variation. Very cool. I read about it in Sean's log. Would the Rodja row benefit a raw lifter like myself? The reason I ask is because I think you said that it mimics being shirted.
Click to expand...

The Cube is just another permutation of the conjugate method with some more structure for each day.

My row variation would help anyone that has problems staying tight on the bottom and keeping the weight in your lats.
 
1/9

Conventional Deads
275x3x5
315x1x3

GM
135x10x4

Walking DB Lunges
40x12x4

Rolling Hypers/Band Pallof Press (light
BW+45x10x4/8x4

Chipping away. Slowly chipping away and getting back to where I want to be. 315 wasn't the best speed in the world, but it moved smoothly. Everything else was pretty much on point and my lower body is healing up nicely. The shoulder, however, still seems a couple of weeks away from being ready to bench. I know part of it is upper back tightness and I'm doing my due diligence to work all of the junk out in the area.
 
1/10

Bench (yes, bench!)
135x5x5
185x2x2

Rodja Row (light)
6x4

HS Row (neutral)
135x12x3

Prone Incline DB Shrugs/Side Laterals
80x10x3/30x10x3

Rope Pressdowns
70x10x2

Pullapart Series
10x2

By request:


I absolutely did not plan on doing any benching until later, but I threw a plate on just to see how it would feel. As with squats and deads, I had to stay completely tight in the lats and legs, but I had only very minor discomfort. I don't expect the numbers to climb as quickly as they have been with the other stuff and I don't care. I'm just happy to bench something again.
 
Rodja said:
Zero idea!! I'd love to get back to 225 by mid-February, but I'm going to be very cautious with the AC.
Click to expand...

Take advantage of that Titan Ram! I thought about decreasing from 2-board to 1-board w/ the Ram. Not sure if that's overkill or too cautious or not.
 
Sean1332 said:
Take advantage of that Titan Ram! I thought about decreasing from 2-board to 1-board w/ the Ram. Not sure if that's overkill or too cautious or not.
Click to expand...

Boards will be involved in the process and so I can get some heavier weight in my hands.
 
I'm so sore in my mid traps and lats today. QL is a little stiff from holding my arch so tightly, which is expected since I haven't benched since November.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top