April-ly Good Month to Lift
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Today is going to be upper body only - my left hamstring is bothering me, and pain emerged in the adductor on that leg as I was walking this morning. It's because I squatted lower on goblet squats as I was supposed to. I'm walking around now and the adductor is hurting more and more.
What's frustrating is that it stops me from doing bent over rows because I tighten hamstrings, glutes, and adductors to stay in place, so they will hurt as I row.
I am one frustrated lifter right now. I just want to get stronger, is that too much to ask?
I guess I could do the following:
Bench press, pushups, seated rows, close-grip lat pulldowns, curls, OHP
Sounds like you might need to address those adductors. If they're angry because you went a little lower on depth, it means they're probably weak and there's a chance your knees might cave in on your squats, but you won't see it if you look in the mirror because your ankles compensate.
As for rows, just do them sitting facing down on an incline bench for today! It's actually one of my favorite ways to really get the lats working and not using momentum to swing the weight up
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Thanks @krokador for that, I will do the incline bench rows instead.
Yes, my adductors are probably weak - they also tighten up a lot. Any time I get a sports massage, it hurts like hell when the therapist works on my adductors. My hamstrings are tight as well. Glutes need strengthening as well. A physio once told me I kept injuring my hamstrings because they had to take over for weak glutes.0 -
Thanks @krokador for that, I will do the incline bench rows instead.
Yes, my adductors are probably weak - they also tighten up a lot. Any time I get a sports massage, it hurts like hell when the therapist works on my adductors. My hamstrings are tight as well. Glutes need strengthening as well. A physio once told me I kept injuring my hamstrings because they had to take over for weak glutes.
Sounds like adding in lunges to your routine might not be a bad idea, then! The version where you step back is an easy one, or you could do them staticly, and raise your back foot a big on a small box (bulgarian split squats). I guarantee you will know where your glutes are after a few sets of these 1 -
Those types of lunges will be good, I'll work on those when they don't hurt. I've tried walking lunges in the past and I can feel those! although at times they hurt my left hip/IT band. My balance is useless, so that needs work too.
Edit: just tried some step backs with no weight and felt no pain! YAY I'll do more this afternoon at the gym. YAY!0 -
Workout went better than expected
Step back lunges unweighted 3 x 10 on each leg
Leg extensions 3 x 12 each leg 40 lb then 3 x 8 each leg 45 lb
Close grip bench press - with 25-lb dumbbells, could not do more than 2 x 4 reps. then tried 22.5 lb dumbbells, could not do more than 2 x 3 reps
OHP 5 x 5 @ 30 lb
Curls 3 x 8 @ 30 lb
Close grip bench press again, this time with a 40 lb fixed barbell. 3 x 8. The dumbbell ones use more triceps and those need more work.
Barbell rows deload to 50 lb. No back or leg pain. 3 x 8
Close grip lat pulldowns 1 x 12 @ 50 lb, 1 x 12 @ 60 lb, 2 x 6 @ 70 lb
Abdominals (bicycles) 3 x 10
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Day 2 of the rotator cuff program in the books! This one was a little less boring, but actually more humbling than the first o.o
Started out with 10 min of DUBS practice again. Didn't go as well as it did on wednesday. I kept whipping myself! (If you follow my IG you'll see the marks!) but I still managed more than 20.
5x5 low and high band pull aparts, 5s holds again - felt a little better, and I'm starting to question whether the 5x5 instruction means just 1 set of these of what >_>
kneeling 1 arm arnold press: I did 1 set of 8 at 5lbs just to gauge how much I thought I could do. Then 10lbsx10, and 12lbs x10 (but barely). The 2-0-2 tempo probably is one of the reasons these felt so hard. You wouldn,t think looking at this than I can overhead press 100lbs!
resistance band "sword", lightest band I could find in the gym. Did a set of 10, then looked at my log sheet and realized I was supposed to do 12. Well, the second set was more of an 8/4 than a straight 12! lol
lying DB external rotation - yes, these are the rotations you see folks do in rehab. I did 2 sets of 10 with 5lbs, then tried a set with 8lbs to see how far I could go. Hit failure at 7 reps.
I then went on to do some hip mobilization for about 20 mins, and in between that tried to hold a crow for a short amount of time (it's a good starter towards handstands). That,s also a work in progress, but I was able to balance it for 2-3 seconds, at least! =D
Oh, and like 15 mins on the treadmill for ~1.2 miles. My legs felt like they were filled with lead, though. My cardiovascular ability seems to be able to take more of a beating than my legs at the moment. I'm not sure how that happened, though.
Gonna walk and romwod (the 40 minute warrior series) this afternoon and hope I can squat tomorrow =D0 -
Add me to the gimpy crowd (again). I did something to my knee almost a week ago and it's not been right since. I can't bend or straighten it all the way and it gets stiff and clicky when I walk more than a few feet. Feels like something is sliding around in and out of place. Probably going to call the doctor on Monday in case it's torn meniscus, since that doesn't always heal on its own. So in the meantime almost no workouts this week except one upper body on Tuesday. Hopefully I can at least get some more bench or OHP kind of stuff in this week.1
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amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »Add me to the gimpy crowd (again). I did something to my knee almost a week ago and it's not been right since. I can't bend or straighten it all the way and it gets stiff and clicky when I walk more than a few feet. Feels like something is sliding around in and out of place. Probably going to call the doctor on Monday in case it's torn meniscus, since that doesn't always heal on its own. So in the meantime almost no workouts this week except one upper body on Tuesday. Hopefully I can at least get some more bench or OHP kind of stuff in this week.
Ow, sorry top hear that about your knee. Sounds like you may have hyperextended it? The clicky noise is typically due to a tendon sliding over stuff - can happen if you have inflammation or some other muscles are taking over for something that is sprained and causing mechanics to be a bit wonky. I'd suggest taking some ibuprofen, and trying to keep moving it without weight (so, sitting with your leg extended, maybe resting on another chair, and putting a bit of pressure down) to regain full ROM as soon as possible. Don't force anything, though. Stop if it hurts!
I hope you get it sorted out soon!1 -
First day of the "double your squat" program (I don,t know why that,s the name of it. Anyone with a bit of squatting experience would not be able to double the amount they squat, and anyone who's a beginner would see such little jumps in % that it probably wouldn't work that well. But I digress)
It looked easy on paper, but keep in mind here I only rested 2 mins between sets!
started with a squat warm-up of 45x5/10/15/5 and 65x8/8/12 (slow squats at 45, regular at 65, good mornings, calf raises, and speed squats at 45) 85x6, 105x5
Then a quick 3x3 low box speed jumps (focus on rebounding out of the rep), 12'. I'm not comfortable doing anything higher! lol
work sets: 125x10, 135x8, 135x8, 145x5
Straight into front squats 45x8, 65x5, 85x3, 95x5, 100x5, 105x5
I tried to do some incline Db curls and triceps pushdowns and deadbugs and other isolation exercises a bit randomly. My elbows were bothering me a bit, so I figured some curls would help, but I couldn't seem to feel them right. Ah well.
Gonna go for a jog/run/walk combination in a little bit here. After I vacuum. Always chores to do!0 -
amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »Add me to the gimpy crowd (again). I did something to my knee almost a week ago and it's not been right since. I can't bend or straighten it all the way and it gets stiff and clicky when I walk more than a few feet. Feels like something is sliding around in and out of place. Probably going to call the doctor on Monday in case it's torn meniscus, since that doesn't always heal on its own. So in the meantime almost no workouts this week except one upper body on Tuesday. Hopefully I can at least get some more bench or OHP kind of stuff in this week.
not at all to deter you from checking out a possible meniscus problem, but just to try cheer you up a little: i've had a few times when i was convinced i had ruined a knee, only to learn that rectus femoris can, yes indeedy, get so tight and so pissed that it yanks your kneecap and probably other things out of alignment and causes you symptoms exactly like that.
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I took Friday as a rest day, as I once again showed up late to the potluck cleaning event.
Saturday was squats
5x45 - not on plan, but it was a morning lifting session, and I needed the extra stretchy time
5 x 65
5 x 95 (just me, or did this escalate quickly???)
3 x 105
5x115
2 x 5 x 120
Leg press 3 x 10 @ 150
Lunges
3 x down and back @ 35
This is technically a drop in weight, but it’s a step I’m proud of. I had been using dumbbells so I could have my hands down and catch myself if I was having stability issues. The 35 lbs was a ladies barbell... so hands were up and occupied... and more stability required.
Barbell hip thrusts
3 x 10 @ 65
Today was a 4 mile treadmill run. Run 4 min walk 2 intervals. This is a huge step in the right direction, but we will see if I took it too far. I may have been lamenting the fact I wasn’t fitting into my warm weather clothes as I packed for an upcoming trip. Which may have lead to my ambitious run attempt.
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WO-AH!
Added a 30ish minute slog with the Zombies run app yesterday early afternoon. It was nice to get out and run even if the sun had disappeared by the time I'd made it out. I ate lunch at like, 2:30PM. Started feeling it after sitting on the couch at my mom's for a few hours. I decided to challenge myself with the longer romwod, before bed. The past 2 ones hadn't been that bad, but this one had me in THE WORST position after all I did, for 80% of the 40 minutes. 2 min dragon, 2 min lizard, 6 minute fragon. My front leg would get so fatigued just sitting there I actually had to get up and walk around on both sides, twice O_o.
I _had_ to foam roll after that. All the muscles in the back of my leg, all the glutes, were just seized up xD
All I'm doing today is walking (like a zombie) and upper body stretching.
@halonsk Even if 45 is not on plan, I always do a set with the empty bar of everything. It doesn't take long and doesn't add a ton of fatigue, but it allows a level of control in the reps that you can only have without too much weight. + The stretchy time (I love rock bottom bounces for the squat. It's such a small movement with big benefits
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Ow, sorry top hear that about your knee. Sounds like you may have hyperextended it? The clicky noise is typically due to a tendon sliding over stuff - can happen if you have inflammation or some other muscles are taking over for something that is sprained and causing mechanics to be a bit wonky. I'd suggest taking some ibuprofen, and trying to keep moving it without weight (so, sitting with your leg extended, maybe resting on another chair, and putting a bit of pressure down) to regain full ROM as soon as possible. Don't force anything, though. Stop if it hurts!
I hope you get it sorted out soon!canadianlbs wrote: »
not at all to deter you from checking out a possible meniscus problem, but just to try cheer you up a little: i've had a few times when i was convinced i had ruined a knee, only to learn that rectus femoris can, yes indeedy, get so tight and so pissed that it yanks your kneecap and probably other things out of alignment and causes you symptoms exactly like that.
Thanks kindly Krok and Canadian! The knee is slowly beginning to improve, so I'm guessing it's not meniscus. My knees and elbows do hyperextend but I don't think I jammed it back. Hopefully I just pissed off a tendon or two and it'll continue slowly improving. I wore a brace today and that seemed to help some. Elevating it and resting now while the kiddo naps. I'll be sticking with upper body workouts for a while til I'm sure everything is back to normal. If it isn't normal by this time next week I'll definitely call the doctor.
Today:
Bench press 3x5 @ 72/82/92
Seated OHP 5x5 @ 62
Seated row 5x5 @ 90
Triceps cable pulldowns 3x8 @ 40
Face pulls 3x8 @ 45
Dumbbell biceps curls neutral/hammer/wide grip 3x181 -
Nothing to add to krok and canadian's good advice, but good healing wishes.
Goblet squats this morning, with lighter weight to I don't bug the hamstring
1 x 12 @ 15 lb, 1 x 12 @ 20 lb, 3 x 10 @ 25 lb
Afternoon: Walked to gym (about 2.5 km) then
Dumbbell bench press 3 x 5 @ 30 lb, 1 x 4 @ 30 lb (failed), 1 x 5 @ 27.5 lb
Barbell row 5 x 5 @ 60 lb at least the hamstring and lower back didn't bother me
Close-forward grip lat pulldowns 1 x 12 @ 65 lb, 1 x 10 @ 70 lb, 3 x 8 @ 75 lb
Glute bridges 3 x 20 with 25-lb plate
Abdominal bicycles 2 x 20
Felt the effects of the glute bridges as I walked the 2.5 km home. Not sore but stiff.1 -
amyinthetardis1231 wrote: »Thanks kindly Krok and Canadian! The knee is slowly beginning to improve, so I'm guessing it's not meniscus. My knees and elbows do hyperextend but I don't think I jammed it back. Hopefully I just pissed off a tendon or two and it'll continue slowly improving. I wore a brace today and that seemed to help some. Elevating it and resting now while the kiddo naps. I'll be sticking with upper body workouts for a while til I'm sure everything is back to normal. If it isn't normal by this time next week I'll definitely call the doctor.
Today:
Bench press 3x5 @ 72/82/92
Seated OHP 5x5 @ 62
Seated row 5x5 @ 90
Triceps cable pulldowns 3x8 @ 40
Face pulls 3x8 @ 45
Dumbbell biceps curls neutral/hammer/wide grip 3x18
For some reason, it seems like Travis from Smashwerx always comes up with a video that can help either me or someone I know right when needed. I think this could help you:
It's not on his youtube channel yet (should be within the day or so), but most times the instagram short he makes is enough to get a good grasp of the moves and why he's suggesting them. Worth a look. Hey, if anythign else, you get a good reason to get your feet up against a wall like a kid!
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Today was basically a repeat of my first rotator cuff workout. I did animal walks instead of DU practice to warm-up. Including duck and frog walks. How to look incredibly silly at the gym!
Took a little less time to get through the sets, shoulders burned a bit less, I was able to do the planks and push-ups better. Already noticing a bit more stability in that left shoulder! Lots of work left to do, tho.
Also did try to double under a bit, but I was a clumsy monkey today. lol. Legs are getting back to normal. Gonna go walk off the rest of the soreness, and hopefully with another romwod tonight I'll be golden for tomorrow 0 -
Me again! This time reporting in after a squat day!
Like 30 minutes to warm-up (yes, I'm still that slow. BUT I choose to view it as I do get in some extra mobility work here that I don't need to do later in the day. )
Back squat 135x3x6 (1 min rest only between sets)
The % are pretty spot on. With that short amount of rest, that last rep on sets 2 & 3 were pretty much the end of the line, lol.
Bulgarian split squats: bw x6, 35lbsx5, 45x5, 55x5 (about as much as my right leg can handle)
Wobbly McWobbly! I'm gonna be feeling my glutes after this, lol!
3 sets of barbell RDLs x10 (@95lbs) and hanging knee raises x15 (divided into 2 sets because grip. I used my wrist straps for the first time in MONTHS ! lol)
And that was all she wrote. Short and sweet. The actual working sets only took about a half hour. 1h and done? I could get used to that. Although if I'd made it to the gym a bit earlier, I would've added in a little more core work. :P1 -
Wobbly McWobbly! I'm gonna be feeling my glutes after this, lol!
Right there with you...albeit at much lower weights.
Monday - I was running late and only had time to warmup and DL - 3x5 @ 100 pounds.
Tuesday - Cardio - Hills on the elliptical @ low heart rate - 15:53/mile
Wednesday - SLRDL 4x10 @ 30 pounds...and my wobble moment. Oy, those stabilizer muscles better get it together quick! I have unilateral stuff 1-2x/week for the next 3 months.
Pushup - 3x8
Inverted rows - 3x5
Really struggle with the arms today. I hate horizontal press/pull. HATE. Well, I hate pushups. Maybe I need to switch to BP.
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I feel like I have had an epiphany in the gym today! After struggling for weeks with my ohp and my dicky shoulder I’m hoping I’ve finally made some progress. I decided to read all the notes on the stronglifts 5x5 website to see if there were some other tips I could pick up about my form. I have watched loads of videos and thought I was on the right track... until I read Medhis form tips. What was this shrug he was talking about, over and over again! I have watched loads of videos on the ohp and never picked up on this. I never knew I had to lift my shoulders up at the end. Apparently it helps avoid shoulder impingement.
So tried it out today and omg it seemed so much easier. Hopefully now I am doing it correctly and the shoulder issue will improve. After today’s session I even feel confident I can increase the weight next session. I’ve just ordered fractional plates so will just take it 500 grams at a time. I’ve also booked a couple of sessions in with the personal trainer so he can check all my lifts again now the weights are getting heavier to make sure I’m still on the right track.
Today’s workout felt great. The iron tablets must be doing their thing and I had loads more energy.
Warm up 5 min run
5x5 squat 40kg (deloaded to try and get my squat a bit lower)
5x5 ohp 20kg
5x5 dL 62.5kg
2x10 leg press - I haven’t done this since I started doing stronglifts 7 weeks ago but still had loads of energy left so thought I would do a couple of sets. I had just progressed to plate 10 pre stronglifts and it was a struggle. Easily did plate 12 today so definitely getting stronger.
Finished off with 10 minute run1 -
Krok, it's so funny to see that video. Takes me back to my dance days - that was a common stretch (in many variations) and I had super flexible hips, hamstrings, and inner thighs so that was an easy one for me. I don't stretch as routinely any more so I've tightened up some, but it's a good reminder to be more deliberate in building in stretch time. Knee is slowly getting better, so I'm on the right track.
Sticking with upper body till my knee is back to 100%
OHP 5/5/5 @ 67/72/77
Bench 10/10/10 @ 72
Assisted pullups 5/5/5 @ -80
TRX row 1x20
Two point plank 12/12/12
Seated KB ab twists w/ 20 lb KB 12/12/122
