March to the Gym
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Aw geez louise, this wasn't fun... in a kind of fun way? I'm not... super happy with how I did. I reckon I could've given myself an extra inch of height on the box to the pullup bar (standards say head 6 inches below the bar, I was probably 8' away), and that may have pushed me over the edge of the round of 15. But I didn't and I don't think I'll redo this, considering how much that 7 min took from me anyway. I didn't make it to the pain cave - the pull-ups certainly held me back, and since I needed my legs to jump to the bar, I couldn't go balls out on the thrusters either.
So 7 min AMRAP of 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, etc
- barbell thrusters @ 45lbs
- jumping chin-over bar pull-ups
Made it through the round of 15 thrusters, with 11 pull-ups on top (I no-repped my last jump to be honest with myself. I tried to get it, but my chin did NOT clear the bar. And especially not on time).
It still hurt.
Not a lot of options left to complete 35x3 while I'm at it, so after a bit of rest I went for what sounded like the lesser evil.
3 min AMRAPS + 1 min rest (KB @ 35lbs / 16kg)
- 1 arm KB power clean : 70
- 1 arm KB hang snatches: 50
- Kb Goblet squat: 40
- HR Push-Ups: 28
- Recline rows: 30
+ 400m run for time (on treadmill): 2:06
I managed to hold a 7 mph pace for a min, then 7.2 for 30s, and I think went 7.4 or 7.5 for the remaining time. Just telling myself "hang in there, it's almost over. Come on, You got this. Keep going!" over and over again. I prefer running distances like this on a track. You have a better feedback about where you are, and your stride length doesn't have to be even, and you can vary your speed accordingly. Anyways, that wasn,t too bad. Last time I tried to run a 400m I think it took me 2:35! lol.
So, bring on the recovery now. A good hot bath is in order, and I'll def go enjoy the sunlight for a walk this afternoon, and do another romwod session later on, too
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Friday 23/3
Decided to keep some of my weights the same this session as I was struggling a bit on form.
Squats 47.5kg 5x5
Bench 32.5 5x5
Rows 32.5 5x5
All lifts felt heaps better this time around.
Unfortunately I’ve had a really niggly shoulder/arm this last week that has got progressively worse. Went for a massage yesterday to hope to loosen it up. The massage was great but still have pain in my shoulder when I lift it certain ways. The funny thing is I haven’t felt any pain while lifting, just in the days after. Going to have a break from the ohp for a few days and see if it helps. If no improvement in a week will get some further investigation done. Feeling bummed coz want to keep the momentum going on the program
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@krokador funny you mention the Romwod... I’ve been eyeing that again myself, and today definitely reinforced that.
Squat day.
5 x45
5x 50
5x 65
3 x 75
3x 90
3x 100
3+ x 110 (I got 10)
So, having seen a lot of folks lately not anywhere close to depth, I did the first 4 sets down to a ball. To make sure I wasn’t calling a kettle black.
I videoed several sets. And my depth was good. Even my top set, was at least decent. But OMG I am so totally bent/ folded over. Even at the light weights, even when I am squatting to the ball. Which means at a minimum I need to do more squat therapy. But it’s yet another reason that the romwod would be a good idea.
Leg press
4x10 @ 90
I dropped weight here, but there was some set up/ form issues I was noticing, and I wanted to clean it up.
Lunges
Down and back with 20lb dumbbells - these were questionable on the stability. And since I keep getting more run and jump and plyo clearance on the condition I’m “smart” about it, I decided being dumb on lunges would be counter productive.
So, 2 x down and back with 1t lb dumbbells
Barbell hip thrusts
10 x 45 lbs
2 x 10 @ 50 lbs
Bar bell ab roller
4 x 100 -
Unfortunately I’ve had a really niggly shoulder/arm this last week that has got progressively worse. Went for a massage yesterday to hope to loosen it up. The massage was great but still have pain in my shoulder when I lift it certain ways. The funny thing is I haven’t felt any pain while lifting, just in the days after. Going to have a break from the ohp for a few days and see if it helps. If no improvement in a week will get some further investigation done. Feeling bummed coz want to keep the momentum going on the program
Have had my share of shoulder issues, is it soreness, or a pinching sensation, or something else? And which part of the shoulder (or "ers", if it's both of them) is bothering you? Does it happen after every training day, or just after certain specific moves?@krokador funny you mention the Romwod... I’ve been eyeing that again myself, and today definitely reinforced that.
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Even at the light weights, even when I am squatting to the ball. Which means at a minimum I need to do more squat therapy. But it’s yet another reason that the romwod would be a good idea.
Folding over to a degree is normal, though. Especially if you're squatting low bar (and body proportions also come into play). If you're unfolding out of the hole like an accordion is when I would get worried. And that's actually a strength issue, and not mobility afaik!
I think the 1 month free is still good, so you don't have much to lose in trying it out! The videos are mostly around 20 mins each and not all that fatiguing at all (it's mostly just trying to relax into a position, although I would recommend having a cushy mat and a few props sitting around to help you stay somewhat comfortable throughout the ordeal xD I'm glad I have foam rollers and yoga blocks!). I've used it before bed for the most part, and it makes for a great transition into sleep.
Speaking of, I did one of their longer "WODs" today, that they call the goddess series or something like that. Sitting for 4 minutes into a 1-leg straddle does not fit into my definition of relaxing! But that's cuz I have terribad external hip rotation. And I'm hoping sticking to this is going to help alleviate that.
But yeah, a walk and romwod. Plus chores. It's all that's on my plate for today. I woke up too stiff and sore to imagine going to the gym and not getting hurt, lol. My right ankle is so, so angry at me (as it usually is when I get back into running. I have one leg that,s significantly shorter than the other, and especially urnning on a treadmill exaccerbates the way I have to compensate for that, and since my hips can only rock so much, my ankle ends up taking a pounding.
I spent 20 minutes with my neck massager (this thing, basically) just trying to work out the knots in my calf. XD
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Unfortunately I’ve had a really niggly shoulder/arm this last week that has got progressively worse. Went for a massage yesterday to hope to loosen it up. The massage was great but still have pain in my shoulder when I lift it certain ways. The funny thing is I haven’t felt any pain while lifting, just in the days after. Going to have a break from the ohp for a few days and see if it helps. If no improvement in a week will get some further investigation done. Feeling bummed coz want to keep the momentum going on the program
Have had my share of shoulder issues, is it soreness, or a pinching sensation, or something else? And which part of the shoulder (or "ers", if it's both of them) is bothering you? Does it happen after every training day, or just after certain specific moves?@krokador funny you mention the Romwod... I’ve been eyeing that again myself, and today definitely reinforced that.
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Even at the light weights, even when I am squatting to the ball. Which means at a minimum I need to do more squat therapy. But it’s yet another reason that the romwod would be a good idea.
Folding over to a degree is normal, though. Especially if you're squatting low bar (and body proportions also come into play). If you're unfolding out of the hole like an accordion is when I would get worried. And that's actually a strength issue, and not mobility afaik!
I think the 1 month free is still good, so you don't have much to lose in trying it out! The videos are mostly around 20 mins each and not all that fatiguing at all (it's mostly just trying to relax into a position, although I would recommend having a cushy mat and a few props sitting around to help you stay somewhat comfortable throughout the ordeal xD I'm glad I have foam rollers and yoga blocks!). I've used it before bed for the most part, and it makes for a great transition into sleep.
Speaking of, I did one of their longer "WODs" today, that they call the goddess series or something like that. Sitting for 4 minutes into a 1-leg straddle does not fit into my definition of relaxing! But that's cuz I have terribad external hip rotation. And I'm hoping sticking to this is going to help alleviate that.
But yeah, a walk and romwod. Plus chores. It's all that's on my plate for today. I woke up too stiff and sore to imagine going to the gym and not getting hurt, lol. My right ankle is so, so angry at me (as it usually is when I get back into running. I have one leg that,s significantly shorter than the other, and especially urnning on a treadmill exaccerbates the way I have to compensate for that, and since my hips can only rock so much, my ankle ends up taking a pounding.
I spent 20 minutes with my neck massager (this thing, basically) just trying to work out the knots in my calf. XD
I can only feel it when I stretch my arms in certain ways. I think it sort of comes from just above my armpit and through the side and top of my shoulder. Nothing hurts when I press it, it’s inside my shoulder. It’s not really painful, more of a dull ache that increases with some sharpness when I move my arm up. When I mimic the ohp movement by the time I get my elbow perpendicular with my shoulder that’s when it starts to hurt. My shoulder is clicking as I lift my arm up and down too which I’m pretty sure it wasn’t before. If I press my fingers in to the joint at the tip of my shoulder it seems to be the closest point of feeling where the pain is but all the muscles around that side of my back feel tight so I’m hoping it’s just muscular. When I wake up in the morning it’s worse but loosens up pretty quickly. Not sure if it’s because I lay on that side to sleep or just from not moving it.
When I went for the massage I couldn’t put my left arm up as high as my right above my head as it was really tight. That seems to be ok now and the shoulder definitely feels better than it did on Saturday. Haven’t felt any pain at all when lifting, except just exertion so hoping it’s nothing major that a bit of rest can’t fix.
Supposed to be ohp today so think I will just stick to squats and deadlift and see how we go. Any tips would be gratefully accepted krokador if it sounds like anything you’ve experienced before. Feel like a bit of a dill trying to explain how it feels seeing as it’s very random on when it hurts
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I can only feel it when I stretch my arms in certain ways. I think it sort of comes from just above my armpit and through the side and top of my shoulder. Nothing hurts when I press it, it’s inside my shoulder. It’s not really painful, more of a dull ache that increases with some sharpness when I move my arm up. When I mimic the ohp movement by the time I get my elbow perpendicular with my shoulder that’s when it starts to hurt. My shoulder is clicking as I lift my arm up and down too which I’m pretty sure it wasn’t before. If I press my fingers in to the joint at the tip of my shoulder it seems to be the closest point of feeling where the pain is but all the muscles around that side of my back feel tight so I’m hoping it’s just muscular. When I wake up in the morning it’s worse but loosens up pretty quickly. Not sure if it’s because I lay on that side to sleep or just from not moving it.
If that's on the front of the shoulder, it sounds like it may be the pec minor. In this case I'd say, you may be bending a bit backwards to get the weight up on ohp, and incorporating too much pecs, which are typically already quite stiff in general. They're fairly easy to stretch out, and correcting that might also be as simple as cueing yourself to tighten your butt when pressing up.
If it's the back of the shoulder, the teres minor can refer pain to the tip of the shoulder. It's a small muscle that crosses under the lats, so it feels pretty deep, and it's responsible for externally rotating your shoulder. It may be taking a beating trying to keep the shoulders in place for the deadlifts, especially if you're letting the bar drop them forward as opposed to keeping them tucked into your back pocket by retracting the scapula (which, btw, also should be done on the OHP
).
The clicking part does have me lean more towards the back of the shoulder here, as those are the muscles responsible for keeping the arm well in place and if they are weak or not well activated, it can cause clicking and pinching in the shoulder. Whereas the pec minor will restrict movement when it is tight, and will pull your shoulders out of a good posture for sure, but shouldn't compromise your stability.
Those are just somewhat educated guesses though, so I could be way off. But the cues on the lifts are definitely worth it, either way. And if it really is just tightness in either of these muscles, you could get a lacrosse ball or a tennis ball and work on the tissues yourself up against a wall.1 -
I can only feel it when I stretch my arms in certain ways. I think it sort of comes from just above my armpit and through the side and top of my shoulder. Nothing hurts when I press it, it’s inside my shoulder. It’s not really painful, more of a dull ache that increases with some sharpness when I move my arm up. When I mimic the ohp movement by the time I get my elbow perpendicular with my shoulder that’s when it starts to hurt. My shoulder is clicking as I lift my arm up and down too which I’m pretty sure it wasn’t before. If I press my fingers in to the joint at the tip of my shoulder it seems to be the closest point of feeling where the pain is but all the muscles around that side of my back feel tight so I’m hoping it’s just muscular. When I wake up in the morning it’s worse but loosens up pretty quickly. Not sure if it’s because I lay on that side to sleep or just from not moving it.
If that's on the front of the shoulder, it sounds like it may be the pec minor. In this case I'd say, you may be bending a bit backwards to get the weight up on ohp, and incorporating too much pecs, which are typically already quite stiff in general. They're fairly easy to stretch out, and correcting that might also be as simple as cueing yourself to tighten your butt when pressing up.
If it's the back of the shoulder, the teres minor can refer pain to the tip of the shoulder. It's a small muscle that crosses under the lats, so it feels pretty deep, and it's responsible for externally rotating your shoulder. It may be taking a beating trying to keep the shoulders in place for the deadlifts, especially if you're letting the bar drop them forward as opposed to keeping them tucked into your back pocket by retracting the scapula (which, btw, also should be done on the OHP).
The clicking part does have me lean more towards the back of the shoulder here, as those are the muscles responsible for keeping the arm well in place and if they are weak or not well activated, it can cause clicking and pinching in the shoulder. Whereas the pec minor will restrict movement when it is tight, and will pull your shoulders out of a good posture for sure, but shouldn't compromise your stability.
Those are just somewhat educated guesses though, so I could be way off. But the cues on the lifts are definitely worth it, either way. And if it really is just tightness in either of these muscles, you could get a lacrosse ball or a tennis ball and work on the tissues yourself up against a wall.
Thank you so much for this, I really appreciate it! Definitely have crappy form on the ohp towards the last lift of the set and feel myself leaning back, but will also take note of keeping my shoulders back on both deadlift and ohp. Have felt a massive improvement today and hardly any pain at all so keeping my fingers crossed it was just tightness. I haven’t been stretching after my lifting and have been duly told off by the masseuse and given some stretching exercises to do.
I can only do my lifting twice this week due to going camping over Easter so I think I’m going to lift tomorrow instead of today to give it extra recovery time. Will also drop my weight a bit on the ohp and concentrate on getting my form right and maybe increase reps before upping my weight again. Was getting a bit carried away about trying to get the weight increased and potentially letting form suffer as a result. Hopefully this was just a small warning to concentrate on form first!
Thanks again for the advice.
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Woah. All this cleaning yesterday took more of a toll than I thought it would. I was dragging my feet a bit getting up because I didn't sleep well earlier, but once I got to the gym, I was just not happy to be there (forgetting my phone and having to listen to what kids call "music" these days and not having my water bottle didn't help either).
Got through my sets of "20s" anyway
bench 75x18, 75x19, 75x16, 95x5, 115x3, 130x2 singles with 30s pauses, + 120x3 singles
walking lunges as supersets, bodyweight only x8/10/12
pendlay rows 65x20, 70x20, 70x19, 85x5, 100x3, 115x5 singles w/ 30s pauses
superset with glute bridges 65x10, 70x12, 70x13 and sumo deadlifts 85x10, 100x12, 115x12
that took me an hour and 20 minutes. It sucked. I'm taking tomorrow off xD0 -
Kind of a weird gym day, had to cut my leg work a little short bc of my dumb shoulder being weird again, of all things. I had planned to do more weighted step-ups but when I got under the bar to get it on my back, I could not get my left shoulder to settle properly into place. I tried 4 times, it was just a no-go. Felt like it was going to pop out of joint, so I gave up and added a few min on the elliptical instead.
Squats: A bunch of pause squats for warmups
3x3 @ 155
Sumo deadlifts: 3x6 @ 155
Step up fail
Elliptical 30 min
Speaking of sumo, can anyone recommend a good legging that will withstand the barbell scraping up my legs without tearing holes in my leggings? I've ripped up 3 pairs of pants in a couple months.0 -
ICF Workout A
Goblet squats - warmup 1 x 10 @ 35 lb, 1 x 10 @ 40 lb THEN 5 x 5 @ 55 lb my highest so far! No idea how I managed to lift that dumbbell off the rack, much less get it into position.
Supposed to do bench press next but every single bench was taken! Finally did barbell rows next
2 x 5 @ 70 lb, failed on last rep, did 3 x 5 @ 60 lb
Barbell shrugs 3 x 8 @ 70 lb
A bench opened up and I did db bench press - already tiring so I couldn't do the 30 lb dbs.
5 x 5 @ 27.5 lb dbs
Tricep extensions - 3 x 8 @ 25 lbs
Incline curls - 1 x 8 with 12.5 lb dbs, then 2 x 8 with 10 lb dbs. already tiring out
Cable pull throughs 1 x 10 @ 20 lbs, 2 x 10 @ 25 lbs
Bicycle abdominals 3 x 10 sets0 -
Lol @lkpducky you talking about getting the 55 off the rack.... months ago I was doing some sumo dumbbell squats and went to grab like a 60 or 70 lb dumbbell, where I had the same thought, like can I even get it off and back on the rack.... and a guy goes “oh, do you need the other one? I’m almost done!” I remember thinking - Like, really, did it look like I had any hope of handling one of them??? Let alone both???
Yesterday was conditioning
5 x 15 wallballs @ 35
3 x 10 push-ups
4 x 10 mountain climbers
4 x 10 bicycle crunches
Then did a run 4 walk 2 interval run for a total of 2 Miles, probably 1.5 of actual running. Longest run since mid December. Which I thought was a bad Idea by the end. But it seems to be ok now, and pt says if bad lasts less than 24 hours I’m still good.
Today was deadlifts
Trainer was there when I started, and looked at my last week deadlift video and this week’s squat video. And seemed to agree the deadlift looked good, and the squat form needs some work. So we went over some mobility ideas. Also, on mobility @krokador are you doing the daily romwod? Or going back and picking one... if you are doing the daily... omg I don’t know about you, but today stretched things I didn’t know needed stretched.
Per mobility convo with trainer we started with good mornings and added weight to them
3 x 10 @ 65
Deadlifts
5x 85
5x110
3x130
3x160
3x180
3+ x 205 (I got 5) which is a rep pr- I only got 2 or 3 at this weight ever before.
All sets were double overhand and no chalk till the top set, which went to chalk and mixed grip.
Bent over rows
3 x 10 @ 65 - I think these were supposed to be heavier, but I still don’t have my stuff in a group after last week’s training, and so didn’t have my last week’s numbers with me
Straight leg deadlifts
3 x 12 @ 85
Face pulls
3 x 20 @ 90
Also, despite people being there when I started.... one of the usual 6pm lifters is on nights for a few weeks.... sooooo I was lifting in an otherwise empty gym at 6pm tonight.... it still amazes me that that is possible.1 -
@hanlonsk Hmmm...! I should try doing some sumo dumbbell squats as well. As far as back squats, I can practically never find an empty squat rack! I go at off hours, around 3:30 pm or so. I do manage to get hold of a bench for bench presses, but the squat racks are generally all taken. And forget the hyperextension station, that's always taken! I'm supposed to do hyperextensions in ICF, but had to substitute cable pull-throughs because of this. At least that substitution is allowed.
Forgot to add that I had some jelly candies an hour before lifting. I guess that's the secret...
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Today was deadlifts
Trainer was there when I started, and looked at my last week deadlift video and this week’s squat video. And seemed to agree the deadlift looked good, and the squat form needs some work. So we went over some mobility ideas. Also, on mobility @krokador are you doing the daily romwod? Or going back and picking one... if you are doing the daily... omg I don’t know about you, but today stretched things I didn’t know needed stretched.
I picked and chose which one I wanted to do last week cuz i started mid-week. I'm gonna try to follow along this week (and add in from the upper body path on some days, because they focus VERY heavily on lower body, and the upper body positions are typically shorter hold. I get that we are a sedentary lifestyle bunch and the hips DO need work, but so do our poor rounded shoulders!), so I must've done the same one you did. I wanted the supine twist to last 2 minutes! Other than that, wasn't a fan of the supine lizard or whatever, probably should've looked up the explanation video first. My hands were hurting from holding my foot with a belt, but that was about it, lol.
Just wait until you encounter the full saddle O_o (I would suggest having a big fluffy towel or a pillow to put between your butt and feet. I actually ended up using my foam roller there the last time and I was able to actually lean back into it and, yes, that stretch... wow!0 -
The supine twist is the one where I went, wtf are those muscles and why do they hurt??!! Like 2 minutes would have done me good, but I was kinda was glad for it to be over0
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Well 3 days out of the gym did wonders. Have been doing some incidental activity bike riding and walking the dog but that was about it. Was feeling so tired and sore last week so had a few days off and was back in the gym today and felt great. Weight loss was only .2kg this week as a result of less activity but at least it’s still going in the right direction.
10 mins elliptical and 10 mins treadmill waiting for squat rack to be free.
Then squats 5x5 47.5kg, ohp 5x5 20kg, dL 5x5 60kg. Kept squats and deadlift at same as last week and dropped ohp down. Just working on making sure form is good and will keep these weights for the next few sessions before increasing again. OHP felt good on all reps and concentrated on getting low on squats and keeping weight through my heels. Wore my vans today for first time instead of my running shoes and did feel like they made me feel a bit more grounded.
Finished off with some stretches and ten minutes stationery bike.
Happy to report no shoulder pain.
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Supposed to be ohp today so think I will just stick to squats and deadlift and see how we go. Any tips would be gratefully accepted krokador if it sounds like anything you’ve experienced before. Feel like a bit of a dill trying to explain how it feels seeing as it’s very random on when it hurts
chipping in. please know that i don't know, but i've been dealing with tendinopathy for the past six months. and that passive-aggressive 'feels fine at the time but then the next day . . . ' that's tendons. for me anyway.
when the doc said it i went doh, because how could i have forgotten my rheumatologist telling me exactly that years and years ago. 'if it hurts on contraction that's muscle. if it hurts at decontraction, tendon.' or something like that.
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Good to know, thank you! Maybe that’s why I couldn’t really feel it when I was prodding around with my figures trying to work out where it hurts. Will have a bit of a google re tendons. Seems so far so good after rest, so fingers crossed it won’t give me any more grief.canadianlbs wrote: »Supposed to be ohp today so think I will just stick to squats and deadlift and see how we go. Any tips would be gratefully accepted krokador if it sounds like anything you’ve experienced before. Feel like a bit of a dill trying to explain how it feels seeing as it’s very random on when it hurts
chipping in. please know that i don't know, but i've been dealing with tendinopathy for the past six months. and that passive-aggressive 'feels fine at the time but then the next day . . . ' that's tendons. for me anyway.
when the doc said it i went doh, because how could i have forgotten my rheumatologist telling me exactly that years and years ago. 'if it hurts on contraction that's muscle. if it hurts at decontraction, tendon.' or something like that.
Edited to add that I’ve just googled shoulder tendinitis and it sounds exactly what I was experiencing! Treatment includes massage, stretching, rest and anti inflammatorys which funnily enough I just started today for something else and didn’t even link that’s why my pain may have subsided.
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Just wait until you encounter the full saddle O_o (I would suggest having a big fluffy towel or a pillow to put between your butt and feet. I actually ended up using my foam roller there the last time and I was able to actually lean back into it and, yes, that stretch... wow!
Hmmm... I think that was a rather timely suggestion.... wow some of that lit me up after yesterday’s deadlifts.
Conditioning
5x15 kB swings
5x down and back dumbbell farmers carries with 30s
5x 15 plate swings with 25
3x 10 tempo rope crunches. 100,110, and 1200 -
Just wait until you encounter the full saddle O_o (I would suggest having a big fluffy towel or a pillow to put between your butt and feet. I actually ended up using my foam roller there the last time and I was able to actually lean back into it and, yes, that stretch... wow!
Hmmm... I think that was a rather timely suggestion.... wow some of that lit me up after yesterday’s deadlifts.
Haha, yes. I tacked on the first upper body path wod yesterday. So much puppy dog! But yeah, being able to not worry about your feet/ankles being squished into oblivion makes the saddle so much more effective, lol. And ugh, that long frog hold. So much ugh.
SQUATS! 1RM test in prevision of the squat program I'll be running next.
45x5 slow with a pause/10 bottom bounces/10 good mornings/15 calf raises/5 explosive
65x3/8/8/12/3
85x5, 105x5, 125x3, 145x2
165x1, 175x1, 185x1, 195x1
That last oen was a MIGHTY grinder. But one where I didn't accordion/good morning up! Considering I'm nowhere near fresh/peanked/rested, that I came just 10lbs shy of my meet PR of 205 in january makes me happy!
This took almost an hour, so I was a little short on time for my conditionning part. So I came up with what I thought would be short and sweet. 14:30 is NOT short, and definitely NOT sweet. I decided to call it "Deck Scrub"
- 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 x 100m row
- 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 power clean & jerk @ 75lbs
And while my heart was pounding and I was huffing and puffing, my crappy HR monitor watch was telling me I was at 86 bpm. YEA RIGHT! No wonder it told me I only burned 260 cals for this 1h10m workout -_-' Every time I wear this thing I get frustrated at it. I should've gotten a real fitbit...
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ICF Workout B
Goblet squats 1 x 10 @ 37.5 lb, 1 x 10 @ 45 lb
Back squats 1 x 5 @ 45 lb - easy for my legs but it hurt my shoulders. Something is wrong if I can't do back squats because of my shoulders hurting when pulled back
Back to goblet squats 5 x 5 @ 55 lb when will I ever be able to lift the db off the rack? I'm going to be stuck for a while.
RDL - 1 x 5 @ 90 lb Not good, the barbell pulled my shoulders forward. Could not hold them back. At least my back didn't bother me.
OHP 5 x 5 @ 30 lb
Barbell rows 3 x 8 @ 60 lb
Close grip bench press 3 x 8 @ 40 lb a bit easy
Curls 3 x 8 @ 30 lb
Abdominals bicycles 1 x 20, 1 x 100 -
Yeah, the frog kicked my butt too. I had to start over on todays... I wasn’t paying enough attention and got all messed up.
Today was bench day
And all I gotta say is wow!!!! Like I am wired enough slee May elude me entirely tonight. I had been dreading today for weeks, and I usually don’t dread bench. I was dreading it badly enough I had like 5 people offer to spot me. Two of whom had rest days and wouldn’t be coming to the gym otherwise. Today’s top set was written as 3+ x 120. That would be a 10lb pr if I got it for one. But more on that later.
Supersetted with pull-ups, all with black band because of how scared I was for the bench sets, I didn’t want to wreck myself on pull-ups
5x45
5x50
9 pull-ups
5x 65
9 pull-ups
3x75
8 pull-ups
5x95
7 pull-ups
3x105
7 pull-ups
Now came the 120, by this point trainer said to go for 1, not 3, depending on how 1 went, we would go up
I got a spotter. Tried 120. Who claims I all but threw 120 back at him. So, I think we are trying 125... no... I get told to put plates on... as in big kid plates....
I BENCHED BIG KID PLATES!!!!!! 135lbs!!!!!
We then tried 145, which moved, and then tried to repeat 135 to get photographic evidence... which also didn’t happen... but I think it’s because after the first one I ended up soooo wired, it was unreal but also unfocused. But I’m saying it again... I benched big kid plates!!!! This has been a goal of mine for forevers!!! And a TWENTY FIVE POUND PR!
Dumbbell bench
10x35
2x10 @ 40 (also is a 10lb pr)
Chest supported rows
3x10 @ 40
Rear laterals
3x 10 @ 10
And then I stuck around to watch some other PRs. One girl got 255 on deadlifts, another 170 on bench and 335 on deadlifts, and the mom of that girl got 235 for 8 on squats.
It was an awesome day.
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How the heck do people do proper deadlifts if their lower body strength is more than their upper body strength? I am having trouble keeping my shoulders back when I do them. Yesterday my legs could pull 90 lbs but my shoulders were pulled forward when I leaned over, even if I got them straight at the top of the lift. Should I be doing more barbell shrugs to help with that? or rack pulls?
Between those problems and my struggling with lifting the 55-lb dumbbell on the goblet squats, I have pain in my upper back.0 -
I BENCHED BIG KID PLATES!!!!!! 135lbs!!!!!
We then tried 145, which moved, and then tried to repeat 135 to get photographic evidence... which also didn’t happen... but I think it’s because after the first one I ended up soooo wired, it was unreal but also unfocused. But I’m saying it again... I benched big kid plates!!!! This has been a goal of mine for forevers!!! And a TWENTY FIVE POUND PR!
That's awesome! I remember the way that felt, it was so amazing. I tink more than the 2 plates deadlift!
That was like 3 or 4 years ago for me and I've only added 15lbs to that PR since, but I haven't trained bench for half that time, and I had my shoulder injury that took me back quite a bit in there, too.
MAAAN am I feeling my lower body today. The 1RM attempt DOMS is real O_o Thus I decided to go for a 1RM OHP today (might as well just hurt all over, right?! xD)
35x8, 45x5, 55x5, 65x3, 75x2, 85x1, 90x1, 95x1, 100x1 (i was pretty happy with that, but it was a bit of a grinder, I'll admit), 105x got stuck at eye level. So I reracked, composed myself, and push-pressed the heck out of that bar for good measure.
Then I finished off the session with a 24 min EMOM (Ugh!). This one was nicknamed "The Daily Grind" the first time I did it, and I always dread coming back to it.
- 2KB squat clean x3
- 2kB Front rack squat x3
- 2KB push press x3
I used double 30s. Made it through the first 12 rounds with squat cleans, but my right knee was blowing up and crying for mercy, so I did the next 12 rounds as power cleans (made for an easier transition into the squats which meant more rest time between sets), and also did the last 2 rounds with squat cleans. It sucked. My legs and lower back and core... everything... top to bottom... Rest day now pl0x? Hehe.
2 workouts to go til deload. Oooooh yeah!1 -
@krokador what I'd give to get that OHP!
Anyway - repeating my question - should I be doing more to strengthen my upper back so my shoulders don't get pulled down and forward when I do deadlifts? My legs worked fine at 90 lb - no pain and no pain in my lower back - but if my shoulders are pulled down, that's no good and suggests I'm too weak to pull that weight. Should I work on my upper back and in the meantime deload on RDL?0 -
ICF Workout A slightly out of order
Goblet squats 1 x 10 @ 37.5 lb, 1 x 5 @ 45 lb
A bench opened so I grabbed it.
DB bench press 5 x 5 @ 27.5 lb dbs, 1 x 4 @ 30 lbs (trying to get out of a stall)
Bent-over row 5 x 5 @ 70 lb
Barbell shrugs 3 x 8 @ 70 lb
Tricep extensions 3 x 8 @ 30 lb
Cable pull throughs (my back was sore so I had to be careful) 2 x 10 @ 20 lb
Curls 30 lb EZ bar (I feel like that bar is helping me at the top of each curl, am I cheating?)
Back to goblet squats 5 x 5 @ 55 lb - lifting the darned thing is straining my forearms
Bicycle abdominals 3 x 100 -
@krokador what I'd give to get that OHP!
Anyway - repeating my question - should I be doing more to strengthen my upper back so my shoulders don't get pulled down and forward when I do deadlifts? My legs worked fine at 90 lb - no pain and no pain in my lower back - but if my shoulders are pulled down, that's no good and suggests I'm too weak to pull that weight. Should I work on my upper back and in the meantime deload on RDL?
I been bulking for a while now xD and I do a lot of overhead work in general. This has been years in the making, and I've only added like 10 lbs to that OHP in the past 2-3 years. Such slow progress... lol (And I really do need to lose some fat. Eesh).
Had totally missed your question, previously, sorry!
It's somewhat normal to a certain degree for the shoulders to be pulled down on the deadlift when the weight gets heavy. There are a few ways to make the upper back stronger: higher volume on the deadlifts + widening the grip. Doing rows. Heavy barbell squats where you brace properly and make sure not to let your upper body cave in. Goblet squats only work if your shoulders are in the proper position while you do them. Front squats would probably help. Doing scapular retractions off a pull-up bar. DB or barbell high pulls, maybe? Farmer's carry (again, making sure to keep the shoulders in the proper position and not just let the weight pull them down). Any sort of shoulder external rotation work will also help. And more than just the deadlift. We're pretty much all rather forward folded people. External rotational strength in the shoulders is something really important to counter balance all that internal rotation we've got going on. Things like band pull-aparts, face pulls, lying DB external rotations can all help build some of the strength.
Another thing worth pointing out is that the upper (thoracic) bracing is nearly impossible if you break at the midline on the deadlift. It may very well be that what happens is you try to yank on the bar and are not in a strong position at the bottom to begin with. Make sure to breath into your belly and really lock that down before you begin pulling. Shoulders tucked into your back pocket. Chest through your arms, and see if the angle of your back stays more level with those cues. You can always post a form check video, too
On another note, if you are having trouble getting the heavier DB into the goblet position, perhaps you could try 2 DB front rack squats. The stimulus will be similar on your legs, maybe you'll get a little more core engagement, but holding the DBs at the shoulder will allow you to practice that scapular retraction with a somewhat unstable load (you can try 1 arm at a time and FEEL that core working twice as hard to keep you upright, too). Kettlebells work too (maybe even a little better to a degree). Just note that if you rest the bells on your shoulders, or push them together, you ARE taking some of the load off of your shoulders. So you can start by having them barely touching your collarbones, and as your upper body fatigues, push them back to rest on your shoulders (in case of DBs) or towards each other to where they are touching and keep going from there. 1 -
Thanks so much @krokador this is all very helpful! Looks like I've got some homework to do - I've got weak, tight shoulders anyway. I need to work on mobility as well. Over a year ago I had a frozen shoulder, and it still isn't 100% up to the mobility of the other. Tried doing back squats a couple of days ago with just the bar, and my shoulders hurt, while at the same time they were too easy for my legs.
I also should try front squats - although getting my arms high enough is impossible because the bar squashes the front of my neck. Maybe my wrists are too stiff? I'll go ahead and give the DB front rack squats a go.0 -
Mental game was strong today. All the romwod has been doing good things to my body. I recovered from the wreck I was on thursday quite well! (Falling asleep on my couch twice yesterday probably also helped a bit xD)
So i decided to go and test my clean 1RM. I had been stuck at 125 (well. I got 127.5 not *that* long ago) for YeARS, so I was really itching to test it again after how 115 felt in the open.
95 flew up. 105 too. 115 was not super deep (i was not concerned into making these squat or power cleans, so it was a catch it wherever game). 125 felt really good, so I jumped to 130. Figured it would be a PR and i could run away with it. It was hard to stand it up a bit, but my legs can front squat more than that. I was so happy when i stood it up that i let out a big "YES!" Scream and people looked at me funny, but i did NOt care. I was buzzing.
So I went for the number I really was going for: 135lbs. AND I GOT IT! Standing it up was a bit of a struggle, but I was NOT going to drop that one even if i had to grind for 30s to stand with it, haha! So happy! So, so, so happy!
I then stripped down the weight to 75 to work on some barbell cycling, then eventually ramped it back up to 105 for 2 rounds. 1 clean deadlift into hang power clean, front squat, full clean, jerk. Not too shabby!
Then the conditionning part was a 4 rounds of 40/20 intervals: strict 1 arm press (30x11, 25x12, 20x14/15), 2 kb/db front rack squat (30x13, 25x15/14/13), and 2kb/db rows (30x16/15, 25x18/17)
And then 60 burpees for time. I decided to try and pace myself with sets of 6 or 5 every 45s until the last 10ish reps, (which ended up being 3s for the last 15 reps), and finished in 8:15. Ugh. Buck furpees. -_-'
I then went to the store on the way, to then decide to go for a "run" when I got home. I did 2 miles in 40ish minutes xD hills and all, snow and gravel... It wasn't pretty. I just hope that doesn't make me too sore. Now i need allll the foooods!1
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