Yomo's Wannabe Powerlifter Log...

[SkRaw85]

Breakouts as in acne, or hives?

Acne

 

[SkRaw85]

But then is gone after a few days. Very sporadic.

 

[Hyde]

But then is gone after a few days. Very sporadic.

I would definitely not attribute acne to it - there’s a massive list of variables that influence breakouts: diet, sleep, training, stress, cycling, hygiene/sweat, etc.

 

[Yomo]

But then is gone after a few days. Very sporadic.

mine was always hives like symptoms, heat flashes, red patches, etc.

 

[Yomo]

well....definitely dealing with a herniated disc...could barely walk last Sat/Sun...went into work Sunday night for Monday, when I definitely shouldn't have...eventually all the walking at work helped a bit...stuck to decompression style stretches and hangs up until yesterday...mornings are still the worst, and have been popping IBs since it happened...down to a single 800mg a day now...was strictly ice for the first 2 days, and I eventually moved to heat while incorporating the decompression work starting Wednesday...today I went through a pretty thorough and intense session that at least let me break a sweat.

Decompression Hang - 60 seconds
Decompression stretch (arms extended at chest level; goodmorning style arched back stretch) - 60 seconds
Cat / Camels - 20 reps each movement
Child's Pose - 60 seconds
Bird / Dog - 20 reps
Child's Pose - 60 seconds
Dead Bug - 20 reps
Child Pose - 60 seconds
Lying Prone Extensions - 20 reps, then a 30 second hold
Tennis Ball Mash - glutes, hips, entire back
5 Minute Walk - decently paced, back and fourth in my living room with the Bowtie on
PSOAS Strech - on stairs, 30 seconds each side
Lying Trunk Rotations - minimal lateral movement
Decompression Stretch - (arms extended below knee level) - 60 seconds
Child's Pose - 60 seconds
Tennis Ball Mash - glutes, hips, entire back


Rest 5 minutes - do it all over again, 3 times total.

By the 3rd cycle through I was able to fully rotate trunk while lying down with zero pain or stiffness, as well as slightly rotate trunk while hanging without any pain....tossed an ice pack on my lower back just to make sure nothing becomes too inflamed...tingling down left leg very minimal...depending on how I feel tomorrow, I'll probably walk through a similar cycle again.

 

[Hyde]

Brooooooo I’m sorry to hear it. See if you can get a refund for the meet. Either way, prioritize your spinal health.

 

[SkRaw85]

Damn, no good. Discs are the worst for sure. At least you know what’s up to shake it all back into place. Wishing you a speedy recovery

 

[dapack]

Hope you heal up quick.

 

[Yomo]

Thanks all....def not what I wanted, but rehab has gone much better than expected so far...next week is openers week, so I'll make the decision based on feel by then...refund only if the meet is sold out, and another lifter still wants in.

 

[Hyde]

I remember like it was yesterday...I was set to take my squat opener on the Kingpin coming up on a meet. 435 was loaded, my last warmup before I would take the opener. I lowered the weight and felt hot knives ripping through my back as I tried to reverse the weight. I was drug down to the pins before even getting under my opener.

When they blow, they blow man - and yours blew if you were locked up like that. Don’t test it right now, think 9 months down the line. I went to that meet, took a token squat of 226, hit a crappy 3lb bench PR & missed my 3rd, and dropped my second deadlift of 550 when my back popped during it, ending my day.

What a waste of a day, and set back my recovery another 3 weeks.

Maybe do bench only in the next weightclass up instead of cutting?

 

[Yomo]

I remember like it was yesterday...I was set to take my squat opener on the Kingpin coming up on a meet. 435 was loaded, my last warmup before I would take the opener. I lowered the weight and felt hot knives ripping through my back as I tried to reverse the weight. I was drug down to the pins before even getting under my opener.

When they blow, they blow man - and yours blew if you were locked up like that. Don’t test it right now, think 9 months down the line. I went to that meet, took a token squat of 226, hit a crappy 3lb bench PR & missed my 3rd, and dropped my second deadlift of 550 when my back popped during it, ending my day.

What a waste of a day, and set back my recovery another 3 weeks.

Maybe do bench only in the next weightclass up instead of cutting?

I can't argue with what you're saying at all...it's completely the right call...I'mma jacka.ss, I know.

I can only say that this is probably the 5th or 6th time I've "thrown" my back out, and the most recovered I have felt barely a week afterwards...being used to dealing with bulging disc pain on a daily basis makes it a lil easier, but I have spent every minute I could have over the past 10 days avoiding anything other than rehab type movements, no weights at all...I mean literally, every hour on the hour, even at work, stretching and focusing on nothing but recovery...

Today was the first day my hard headed a.ss put weight back on the bar, which ended up being singles with what I would consider my final warm up weight...I did compression style tests to make sure it didn't feel irritated over the last couple of days as well.

the plan was to see how squats went today, focus strictly on all the rehab movements I've been doing up until this Saturday...then will Bench, and test deads with 50-60% of the last warm up weight...that will make it 2 weeks post injury reattempting deads...I will most likely make my decision then.

3/19/19

Squat (+wraps)

425 x 1, 425 x 1, 425 x 1

Hypers - 3 x 10
Reverse Hypers - 3 x 10


I spent maybe close to 45 minutes stretching, mashing, warming up, etc...from probably a hundred bodyweight squats, to close to 50 warm up reps beforehand...every rep from start to finish, including Extensions to end it, were done with full concentration and focus on whether or not pain became an issue...nothing really noticeable during squats, minimal pull/tightness during hypers, favoring the left side...right now, back just feels sore as it would have after most sessions, but still icing it for a bit out of paranoia...I have vids of the singles, just haven't posted them yet.

 

[Hyde]

Wishing you the best. As long as you understand the very real risk you are taking, I can’t object any further.

 

[Yomo]

decided to play the long game, and ditch the short term goal...it all worked out in the end...the meet director was cool enough to grant me admission to a 2019 meet of my choosing after all...there's still some minor stiffness in the mornings, but no more pain at all during decompression hangs, and I have stuck to relentless rehab protocols every day since without missing a beat...1st day back!


4/2/19

Weight = 180.4 lbs #tiny

Squats (+wraps)

385 x 2, 385 x 2, 405 x 2, 405 x 2, 405 x 2 (Vid of sets 1 and 3 @ 405)

Front Squats

135 x 8, 185 x 8, 215 x 8

Snatch Grip RDLs

135 x 15, 135 x 15, 135 x 15

Hypers - 3 x15
Ab Rollers - 3 x 15

[video]https://www.dropbox.com/s/ja3a6m31sp52hvt/AndroVid_join_8175.mp4?dl=0[/video]

good and bad...I feel close to 80%...but in the same breath, weak as sh.it...not a bad session considering it'll be a month this upcoming Saturday since I threw my back out...gonna stay away from heavy accessory work for the time being, at least the 1st couple of weeks...1st 3 Squat sets were with a pretty light wrap job,but wrenched down pretty good for the final 2....it felt amazing being back under the bar nonetheless.

 

[Hyde]

Very glad you are getting healthier and the meet money wasn’t wasted!

Watching your vids, the weight looks light for you. Your elbows seem like you may be able to wedge them a bit more forward, and you may want to focus on sitting into the wrap harder vs sitting back - this could help you hold a bit more vertical torso angle and pick up another inch or two of depth.

 

[SkRaw85]

Glad you’re doin good man. That’s a healthy lookin comeback squat for sure!

 

[Yomo]

4/4/19

Paused Feet Up Press

205 x 3, 205 x 3, 205 x 3, 205 x 3, 205 x 3, 205 x 3, 205 x 3, 205 x 3

Close Grip Floor Press

135 x 15, 135 x 15, 135 x 15

Dips - BW, 3 x 15
Single Arm Arnold Press - 3 x 15
SS Hammer Curls / Cross Body - 3 x 10
SS Hypers / Ab Rollers / Banded Tri Push Downs - 3 x 15/15/25

 

[Yomo]

4/6/19

Deads

405 x 8 (Vid)

High Bar / Narrow Stance

245 x 8, 245 x 8, 245 x 8 (Vid 2nd set)

Bulgarian Squats - +25lbs, 3 x 15
Hypers - +25lbs, 3 x 15
Ab Rollers - 3 x 15


https://www.dropbox.com/s/zxzaf242lc57na9/AndroVid_join_0902.mp4?dl=0

was nervous heading into my first dead session since...tried to control the reps, and limit any jerking of the bar...weight felt heavy, but moved decent, and most importantly back held up... @Hyde , I actually spent some time on shoulder mobility before this session, and tried to focus more on keeping elbows in a better position, something I'm very lazy at doing, lol.

 

[Hyde]

You look like you’re hyperextending at the top of your deadlifts - don’t do that. It’s extra stress your lumbar doesn’t need over time.

Both those and the squats especially looked fast AF!

 

[Yomo]

You look like you’re hyperextending at the top of your deadlifts - don’t do that. It’s extra stress your lumbar doesn’t need over time.

Both those and the squats especially looked fast AF!

I'll keep an eye on that! ..def not intentional, it may be a byproduct of trying to push my hips through as fast as possible.

 

[Yomo]

4/9/19

SSB

305 x 3, 305 x 3, 305 x 3, 305 x 3, 305 x 3, 305 x 3, 305 x 3, 305 x 3 (Vids 1/4/7)

SSB Pin Squats

225 x 5, 225 x 5, 225 x 5 (Vid set 1)

Paused Front Squats

205 x 5, 205 x 5, 205 x 5 (Vid set 2)

Single Arm DB Rows - 3 x 15
Band Pull Aparts - 4 x 25
SS Hypers / Ab Rollers - 3 x 15/15

https://www.dropbox.com/s/blcrf0mqdh947g8/Project5_2019_04_09_1_00.mp4?dl=0

 

[Hyde]

I'll keep an eye on that! ..def not intentional, it may be a byproduct of trying to push my hips through as fast as possible.

Which you are doing a great job of, fwiw

 

[Yomo]

4/11/19

Close Grip Bench

235 x 8 (Vid)

Paused Incline Bench

205 x 3, 205 x 3, 205 x 3

Larsen Press

185 x 15, 185 x 15 (Vid set 1)

Dips - BW, 3 x 20
SS Hammer Curls / Cross Body - 3 x 10
SS Hypers / Ab Rollers / Banded Tri Push Downs - 3 x 15/15/25

https://www.dropbox.com/s/f3pizrlmd7q4c6g/AndroVid_join_6066.mp4?dl=0

It's been a loooong work week so far...feeling pretty beat up.

 

[Hyde]

Paused incline bench, yuck!

 

[Yomo]

Paused incline bench, yuck!

ha...was experimental...will most likely be the first and last time...never have really been a fan of incline bench, always feel compromised.

 

[Yomo]

4/13/19

Weight = 181.0 lbs

Deads

415 x 2, 435 x 2, 460 x 2, 460 x 2, 460 x 2 (Vid of 3x2)

Snatch Grip RDLs

185 x 15, 185 x 15, 185 x 15

Bulgarian Split Squats - +35 lbs, 3 x 15
Hypers - +35 lbs, 3 x 15
Ab Rollers - 3 x 15
Face Pulls - 4 x 25

https://www.dropbox.com/s/difjm6pmedbn0hd/Project1_2019_04_13_1_00.mp4?dl=0

Program called for 5x2 @ 460, but decided to work my way up there instead, as well as practice full resets to avoid remaining under constant load...weight felt stupid heavy, but Zero pain.

 

[SkRaw85]

Those paused incline do wonders. Torturous but effective...

 

[jswain34]

Those paused incline do wonders. Torturous but effective...

Ive heard that from several people, most of which were good pressers like yourself, and have tried them on at least 2 separate occasions...just hate them so much each time i do them that after the 4 weeks they're programmed i ditch them asap lol.

 

[Hyde]

Ive heard that from several people, most of which were good pressers like yourself, and have tried them on at least 2 separate occasions...just hate them so much each time i do them that after the 4 weeks they're programmed i ditch them asap lol.

I tend to give more interest to what gave the most noticeable improvement to someone’s lift over what they enjoy or are good at. If you have a great bench, don’t tell me what you usually do - I wanna know what got you through a real sticking point. Or better yet, lemme ask that short-armed bastard how he took his deadlift from crap to acceptable over one year - THAT is where the gold is, IMHO.

 

[SkRaw85]

Short armed bastard

 

[Hyde]

Short armed bastard

Not you, just many great benchers in general. When they deadlift they’re smashing their grapes usually, so if they also manage a solid pull - you better ask for the secrets!

 

[SkRaw85]

Not you, just many great benchers in general. When they deadlift they’re smashing their grapes usually, so if they also manage a solid pull - you better ask for the secrets!

I know, just made me laugh for some reason.

 

[Yomo]

4/16/19

Squats (+wraps)

405 x 6

Wide Stance Good Mornings

205 x 8, 205 x 8, 205 x 8

High Bar/Narrow Stance

135 x 25, 135 x 25

Wall Squats - 3 x 15
Bulgarian Split Squats - 3 x 15
Hypers - 3 x 15
Ab Rollers - 3 x 15

4/18/19

Close Grip Floor Press

275 x 2, 265 x 2, 255 x 2, 245 x 2, 235 x 2

Larsen Press

205 x 12, 205 x 12, 205 x 12

3 Second Paused Dips - BW, 3 x 10
Dips - BW, AMRAP = 40
Single Arm Arnold Press - 3 x 15
SS Hammer Curls/Cross Body - 3 x 10
SS Hypers/Ab Rollers/Banded Tri Push Downs - 3 x 15/15/25

 

[Yomo]

https://www.dropbox.com/s/j90bwlwuxmmmyha/Project3_2019_04_16_2_00.mp4?dl=0
^^^405x6 and 2nd GM set
https://www.dropbox.com/s/uk0esfn04zvq0f8/AndroVid_join_1170.mp4?dl=0
^^^275x2 CG FP, 1/3 Larsen sets, 1 Paused Dip Set, 1 AMRAP Dip

8x3 w/ 345 on Sat for Dead work + accessory stuff...skipped Tues, back was stiff from a loooong day of walking the day before at the Philly Zoo...getting ready for the Bench stuff soon.

 

[Hyde]

40 dips, cheese & rice man

 

[Yomo]

last week came and went...no lifting was done...heard a drip during bench warm ups in the basement Thursday...long story short, ended up ripping up a decent amount of drywall before I eventually found a crack in a pipe in my garage.

 

[Yomo]

4/30/19

Squats (+wraps)

435 x 2, 435 x 2

Front Squats (sleeves)

225 x 8, 225 x 8

Snatch Grip RDLs

185 x 15, 185 x 15

Lying Ham Curls - 3 x 15
Leg Extensions - 3 x 15
SS Hyperextensions / Ab Rollers - 3 x 15


will slowly up the intensity of accessory work...Leg Extensions were something I was being cautious with, since being able to raise my leg in a swinging motion at hip height was one of the last things I could do without causing pain, so went dumb light...

 

[Hyde]

Leg Extensions are also easily the least useful accessory there, so not like they’re worth taking away from being able to do the important stuff either.

 

[Yomo]

5/4/19

Bodyweight = 184.4 lbs

Deads

460 x 5 (Vid)

SSB Close Stance

275 x 8, 275 x 8, 275 x 8 (Vid set 2)

Close Grip 3ct Larsen

225 x 2, 225 x 2, 225 x 2, 225 x 2, 225 x 2, 225 x 2 (Vid 2/5)

Dips - 1xAMRAP=45, 3x15 (Vid AMRAP)
Lying Leg Curls - 2x15
Leg Extensions - 2x20
SS - Hammers/Cross Body Curls - 3x10/10
SS - Hypers/Ab Rollers/Banded Tri Push Downs - 3x15/15/AMRAP

http://instagr.am/p/BxDHOg3FcEw/

 

[Hyde]

45 dips wtf

 

[Hyde]

45 dips wtf

 

[Yomo]

45 dips wtf

I know it's somewhat insignificant, but I'd like to eventually hit 50 straight.

 

[dapack]

That 1st rep just exploded up like it was a warm up rep

 

[Yomo]

That 1st rep just exploded up like it was a warm up rep

Thanks! ...sure didn't feel like it...but I'll jot it down as progress for now.

 

[Yomo]

http://instagr.am/p/BxKvFGcgKn_/

One of those days where I had no desire to hit the weights coming home from work...eventually got the legs working and took the trip downstairs only to enjoy every minute of being under the bar...I'll take it.

 

[Hyde]

You never know how it’s going to go until it’s over with

 

[Yomo]

http://instagr.am/p/BxVDtBxg1lx/

after one too many drinks last night, wasn't expecting today's session to go as well.

 

[dapack]

Congrats on PR!!

 

[Yomo]

Congrats on PR!!

Appreciate it!

 

[Yomo]

http://instagr.am/p/BxcrkxKAv1X/

Amazing what sleep does...felt like trash yesterday because of sinuses, 2 IB PMs later I got my first solid 7.5 hrs of sleep in what felt like ages...lil drowsy heading into work, but eventually it wore off during shift, and I didn't even need a scoop of Assault pre w/o like I typically do on sh.it sleep.

 

[Hyde]

Sleep is golden. None of your videos ever play for me on the app btw. But good work!