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Sweetlou's training log

Good on Gene to uphold his responsibility to the RPS and PL community in general.Mistakes are gonna be made and gifts are gonna happen but WRs don't need to be bastardized.
 
Thank sweet baby Jesus.

Too bad I can't do that meet next year though, now I'll actually have to work to beat WRs.

Now, how can I get that singlet? Seriously.
 
10/6/15-lower
Warmup
Hips mobility and scapular mobility

Squat
Warmed up high bar just to see. Hated it.
Low bar
395x2x1 knees hurt bad
2 in block pull
495x3x1 mixed grips up. Both suck and neither one felt better on my left scapula. Thoughts
Ghrs
Bwx2x5
Pull ups/stir the pot
10/10 forward and 5 each side
6/same as above
Notes: nice little deload day besides squatting and my knees. Gonna try to do some upper back work each session to really even myself out. Pullups felt best they have in a long time.
 
This deload was much needed. Rested all day today and feeling much better. Need to keep up with my recovery stuff or my knees fall apart.

Weight 224, it goes everywhere it seems.

I'm soon to start a cut per my gfs word. I've reversed into the low 220s with little fat gain while reducing aas use to actual trt levels again. About 8lbs gained. Strength is everywhere but that's bc most of my time was spent with volume. Excited to see where I am after my strength blocks.

The cut to 198 begins soon!
 
10/8/15-bench
Warmup
Rolling out ect
Micro band scap/rear felt work

Cg bench paused
185x2x5
205x5
Flat db press rehab
30x20
Seated oh db press
50x10
Bb rows
145x2x10
195x2x10
Rolling db ext/bb curls
35x20/45x20
Unilateral side raises/micro band rear delt raises/micro band ext rot/seated ext rot
15x15/15/10/5x10, 2 sets
Close neutral grip lat pulldowns
3 sets to test something.
Notes:
Part 1
Feel like crap. Appetite gone, light headed, lots a pressure, right hand kinda numb. Assuming insomnia and blood pressure spike. Whatever. Still not as bad as I was on trest. Really want to get this under control.
Part 2
Close grip felt best it ever has. Bb rows showed me just how twisted I am lol. Felt OK. Gonna start doing some ext rot work pre lifting bc it allowed me to move everything the way I want after I did that at the end. The lat pulls felt perfect and so did some bb movements.
 
I'm 236. Don't know if I should cut down towards 227 to be at striking distance of 220 or just keep letting my body grow. Not gonna be competitive either class but I could stand to lose some fat
 
I'm 236. Don't know if I should cut down towards 227 to be at striking distance of 220 or just keep letting my body grow. Not gonna be competitive either class but I could stand to lose some fat

Right there with ya.
 
Any gym recommendations for the Sanford area? Gonna be there a week in Nov. my hotel is near an LA Fitness, PF, and a couple X-Fit gyms.
 
Any gym recommendations for the Sanford area? Gonna be there a week in Nov. my hotel is near an LA Fitness, PF, and a couple X-Fit gyms.

Where you gonna be exactly? Bc Orlando barbell is about 15min south of Sanford off 417. A week pass would should be 24 hr access as well.
 
Where you gonna be exactly? Bc Orlando barbell is about 15min south of Sanford off 417. A week pass would should be 24 hr access as well.


705 Currency Cir will be my hotel.
 
I just looked up obb on wrights road. It's 25 min away. I'm there for a work conference in a city vehicle, but I'd be tempted to take my personal vehicle if the week fee is reasonable. I'm not excited to be sharing a car with my coworker anyway.
 
I just looked up obb on wrights road. It's 25 min away. I'm there for a work conference in a city vehicle, but I'd be tempted to take my personal vehicle if the week fee is reasonable. I'm not excited to be sharing a car with my coworker anyway.

Platinum gym will probably be your best in that case.
 
10/10/15-squat deadlift
Warmup
Duffin routine
Comp pulls
335x3x3
High bar pause squat
275x3x3
Notes: found out my right arm grip and numbness issues are from a nerve impingement from when I dropped that squat bar. When I get in a good low bar position my hand goes numb. High bar doesn't have the same issue. So I'll probably go high bar for a while to see if I can't get some relief. Squats felt fine. Knees were a little bugged. I may go to squatting once a week to try and get as healed up as possible. Thoughts?
 
Backing off the squat will always give some temp knee relief but might not actually do anything other than serve to detrain you. I'd try mashing/rolling/flossing and such more first before I'd cut a full day out of squatting. Especially since you could have the 2nd day be something like belt less high box SSB that would be very easy on knees and shoulders/elbows and still get work in.
 
Just a thought I'm no expert but something I'd consider while pondering this. Especially cuz now isn't a great time for you to add more bench.
 
Just a thought I'm no expert but something I'd consider while pondering this. Especially cuz now isn't a great time for you to add more bench.

Thanks for the tips man. I'm working bench back up. Feel recovered now.

BTW something I've been struggling with is back position with the bar. Anyone got any vids they like on this? I feel like I may be losing out on my squat bc of this.
 
A spot between high and low bar positions lol.

I'm trying 'medium' bar. I prefer low as I can get it, it seems to sit comfortably there until I get over 3 reps. Then the bar wants to slide or I lean more.

High bar just sucks.

What's wrong with your current positioning Lou?
 
Thanks for the tips man. I'm working bench back up. Feel recovered now.

BTW something I've been struggling with is back position with the bar. Anyone got any vids they like on this? I feel like I may be losing out on my squat bc of this.

I'll post if I think of any. My cue is to grab the bar with arms extended and standing a few feet behind, then do a behind the neck pull-up as I walk into it and wedge under, then dig it in. If I don't do that, I cave. Dunno if that helps ya or not.
 
I'm trying 'medium' bar. I prefer low as I can get it, it seems to sit comfortably there until I get over 3 reps. Then the bar wants to slide or I lean more.

High bar just sucks.

What's wrong with your current positioning Lou?

If you remember when I dropped the bar when squatting I deff pinched something in my right shoulder. So low bar over time causes some pain and numbness in my right hand. I can deal with it actually. But until I have insurance I feel it may be best to let it rest.

Second I stole herders set up for squats (which I love) but not all racks allow this set up so sometimes I'm actually **** outta luck for a good rack position. Like today.

What's med bar for you? Its actually the most common bar position.
 
I'll post if I think of any. My cue is to grab the bar with arms extended and standing a few feet behind, then do a behind the neck pull-up as I walk into it and wedge under, then dig it in. If I don't do that, I cave. Dunno if that helps ya or not.

I like that and get a tight back yet it always puts my in extension which is its own problem. I really struggle with that.
 
I'll post if I think of any. My cue is to grab the bar with arms extended and standing a few feet behind, then do a behind the neck pull-up as I walk into it and wedge under, then dig it in. If I don't do that, I cave. Dunno if that helps ya or not.

This is actually exactly what I've noticed for myself.
 
What's med bar for you? Its actually the most common bar position.

As low as I can get it with my thumbs just outside the rings. It's hard to explain the placement without being under a bar.
 
This is probably why i don't understand it.

To me high bar is anywhere in the traps. Low bar is the lowest possible position on your back that you can successfully squat. Anywhere in between is medium, IMO.
 
My medium may be another's low though.
 
10/13/15-strength block week 1 day 1 medium bench
Warmup
Ext rot, lats, and delts
Comp bench paused
Work up
315x1, conservative max to set the days numbers.
75%-235x4x5
Flat db press paused (rehab)
30x2x20
Seated oh db press
55x2x8
Db rows
70x10
80x4x8
Incline Tate press/hammer curls
40x10/30x10, 2 sets
Side raises/micro band rear felt raises/micro band ext rot/seated ext rot
20x15/15/10/5x10, 2 sets
Ext rot stretch and sub scap stretch, work on right shoulder with lacrosse ball.

Notes: good first day back. I'm under fed and need more sleep plus I reduced my caffeine intake. I stayed at the low end of my percents and volume today to gauge how I recover over the next couple weeks. I had no training max for this day due to my pec injury. Worked up and hit 90% of my meet max. Very happy about this. Tried I different form and didn't like it. Sticking to the tried and true with some modifications bc of my back and hips. Not very strength like besides the main work but proper rehab is more important to me then optimal atm for my pecs/bench.
 
10/13/15-squat/deadlift
Warmup
Duffins warm up plus some super d stuff

Comp squat
80%-400x4x4 all high ugh
Pause deadlift
80%-405x3x4
Ghrs/walking lunges
Bwx8/15x8, 2 sets
Abs wheel/reverse grip pulldowns
10/120x10 2 sets
Cardio: 20min liss on the bike.

Notes: I need to keep up on my hip mobility daily to fix my squat. I keep pitching forward on my toes. I have side videos to check. Its why I'm high and my knees hurt. Played a round and oly shoes deff helped. Will address this over time. Bc of the extra squats I was shot. So I switched to pause pulls to reduce the load used for pulls today. Added walking lunges to help my hips out too. All assistance work had reps in the tank for sure. Cardio for my hr/bp.

I will get better in time. Keeping my hips loose is like keeping my pecs loose. Its a must for me to lift healthy.
 
Since I clearly have some stuff going on with my squat form ect. Would you guys think it would be a good idea to lower my training max so I can really work on depth and form and not worry about the weight? The power is there.
 
Since I clearly have some stuff going on with my squat form ect. Would you guys think it would be a good idea to lower my training max so I can really work on depth and form and not worry about the weight? The power is there.

Anything you can think to do to fix technique without lowering weight? If so, I say added an issue and try again. If not, then maybe drop the load and increase the volume.
 
Anything you can think to do to fix technique without lowering weight? If so, I say added an issue and try again. If not, then maybe drop the load and increase the volume.

I'll leave all alone as is for now and work on my mobility and form each session. I'll only lower the weight if I have to.

My big thing is find a place for the bar with this shoulder impingement. I hate high but I may have to there for now. Herders way seems to put a lot of pressure there. If my thumb is wrapped around the bar I'm good to go. Yet where I like to grab is where the rack is. I'll be moving to an area with no mono so I gotta figure it out eventually.
 
I took 7 weeks just SSB work to give elbows a break and learn to stay upright under load. It worked well. Took another 4 wks to get back to my old weights. If you have at least 8 weeks to basically detrain then retrain it's worth it; otherwise I'd keep the weight on the bar.
 
I'm the same way with my hips and knees. I have to do several banded wall squats and rev banded BW squats to get everything ready for squatting. The bat hangs where you put your heels together work great too.

Can you just inch the bar up the back slowly? Maybe on a deload week? Whenever I move the bar position it doesn't feel comfortable at all, but you get used to it.

High bar is the devil.
 
I took 7 weeks just SSB work to give elbows a break and learn to stay upright under load. It worked well. Took another 4 wks to get back to my old weights. If you have at least 8 weeks to basically detrain then retrain it's worth it; otherwise I'd keep the weight on the bar.

I like this idea. A lot. I can use the ssb on my other squat/deadlift day. I won't always have access to it if I'm seeing the gf on the weekend tho. I can afford some detraining honestly. Maybe front squats?
 
I'm the same way with my hips and knees. I have to do several banded wall squats and rev banded BW squats to get everything ready for squatting. The bat hangs where you put your heels together work great too.

Can you just inch the bar up the back slowly? Maybe on a deload week? Whenever I move the bar position it doesn't feel comfortable at all, but you get used to it.

High bar is the devil.

I will add in wall squats and the reverse band. Both are great for teaching you to sit into your psoas. My major issue. As I did it yesterday some and my hips are shot today. Lunges are also great for this.

I will be inching the bar up slowly, looking for my own medium bar as low just isn't in the card ATM.

High bar isnt to bad. I've squatted 500 raw high bar and 785 in gear high bar as well. I'm just not use to it anymore and I need better hip mobility to do it right.

Thanks for all the tips guys. Helps a ton.

Edit. The hangs did nothing for my back/hips/so joints. Did them exactly how duffin and super d explain.
 
Ever think maybe bringing your squat stance in a hair? If it's so high maintenance to get out that wide, maybe you're meant to be in a little.
 
Ever think maybe bringing your squat stance in a hair? If it's so high maintenance to get out that wide, maybe you're meant to be in a little.

Its been brought in over time. I have poor ankel mobility so I'm as narrow as I can comfortably now without an elevated heel. I'm also sure pulling sumo this whole time with my hips only adds to the stress. The only saving grace with sumo is my hips are well above parallel.

So this said I feel I have two options to really turn around my hips. Switch to conventional or add conventional on my second lower body day. Or bring stance in a touch more and rock the elevated heel.
 
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