Dr Gainslove or: How I learned to stop worrying and love the carb

[Simon Rest]

I can't tell if it's the angle or what, but it looks like your right leg is turned out more than your left?

I was not square to the rack here so it's hard to tell. I'm gonna call it "too jacked up to squat properly" and move on. By which I mean I'll struggle through stubbornly when I shouldn't and probably hurt myself.

There spine is feeling pretty good, and I'm not as tight as I was last week so hopefully come training on Monday I'll be better.

Have you checked your arches and called your legs wheels yet?

My arches are non existent, my legs are the same length, and my legs would make the world's slowest wheels.

[Simon Rest]

warm up

small amount of rolling. Back is feeling much better. Tightness in hips/ITB, but only minor soreness in the SI joint

Squat
100 x 5 x 3
all felt pretty good (though harder than I'd like for such a light weight). Depth was OK, hips were pretty straight. Slight knee cave on the LHS though.
Instagram

bench
112.5 x 1 @7
115 x 1 @8
120 x 1 @9 whoops
91 x 5 x 5
bench felt heavy. As it does.

story time
- had a new girl start working for me this morning so hopefully that will ease some of my workload, but until she's up to speed it's only going to make it worse.
- 2 dudes signed up for a 1 week trial at my gym. One was wearing knee length SBD socks. They warmed up for ages then came to do deadlifts and front squats. Both really nice guys who are keen on joining full time and training at lunch times. Will be good to get some other lifters there
- spoke to the gym boss about some new plates. I was saying I would buy some new ones because I found a cheap deal and he told me he's been building up a cash reserve for new equipment so he'll buy some new plates. the imperial experiment is over. I put him onto a guy who makes revolver plates and that's what we'll go for. I almost had him on the hook for a full set of calibrated rogue comp plates, but he wouldn't do it. I think I've also convinced him to get at least 1 more comp spec bar.

[Simon Rest]

Warm up
LAX ball rolling. Slightly tight in the SI joint and hips

Deadlift
60 x 5 x 2
70 x 5
setting up is still trouble - I can't reach down and grab the bar without bending my legs - but I can pull myself into a half decent start position. Weight is super light, but at least I'm pulling from the floor again. Hoping that by running through this in normal movement helps rehab the last remaining issues

Press
65 x 6 @7
67.5 x 5 @8
70 x 5 @9.5
66 x 5 x 2 @9
these were OK. Am losing pressing strength rapidly.

[Simon Rest]

Boring ass GPP shit

Warm up
Foam rolling
5 min treadmill

Prowler + 20kg
5 x 40m sprints, high handles there, low handles back. 2 min rest
Fuck I'm unfit

Tricep push down
6 min amrap
50lbs x 6 x 8 sets

Lat pull down
6 min amrap
120lbs x 6 x 8 sets

Planks
6 min amrap
30s x 6

All done on close to no food, and shitty sleep. I feel like dying just so I can get a good rest

[Simon Rest]

Feeling feint from not eating.
Back felt OK going in

Warm up
rolling, stretching, lax ball

Squat
110 x 5 x 2
I think these look ok but they started to feel painful again so I stopped after 2 sets. I'm also weak as a kitten - I can't believe I'm struggling with this weight.



press
70 x 1 @7
75 x 1 @8
62.5 x 5 x 3
these felt like shit.

More rolling and stretching

took the prowler for a short walk - seems to help?

[Simon Rest]

Woke up sore again. Whatever spinal thing I had done a few weeks back (facet joint?) is now resolved but glute med, ITB, TFL, basically everything in and around my pelvis is sore and tight. I'm still unable to touch my toes.

Foam rolling - makes a huge difference. Wish I could work lying on a roller

catapult bench
112.5 x 5 @7
117.5 x 5 @8
122.5 x 5 @9+
115 x 5 x 2 @9
this is a no carb, no caffeine PR for this weight performed ona friday in winter. a PR is a PR

EX bar curls
29kg x 8 x 5 - 1min rest

treadmill
10 min - 1 km.
hardly broke a sweat or raised the HR, but it made my shins and ankles hurt, so there's that. I need a better form of cardio

[Simon Rest]

Had some family bullshit to deal with so had to shoehorn training between afternoon meetings

foam rolling - sorted back out and was moving freely

squats
120 x 5
100 x 5
all warm ups felt like nothing - like regular warm ups - but the work set had my back tightening up again. I don't think there's any lateral shift, but soreness is only on the RHS. Maybe I'm just too weak still
back off set was fine.

any comments?

Bench
115 x 1 @7
117.5 x 1 @8
122.5 x 1 @8.5
100 x 3 x 3
these all felt good. I didn't press record on the top single like an idiot, so I'm guessing at RPE
Back off sets felt good - I would have done more sets but I was out of time

[Cody]

I don't think there's any lateral shift, but soreness is only on the RHS.

any comments?

Video doesn't show any shifting, mechanics look very high-barish. Considering you're working around a boo boo, these look fine to me. If you weren't, I would widen your stance a foot-width or two.

I can't tell on my phone if you're in heels or flats, but have you tried the opposite of whatever you're currently wearing on some warmups just to see if it makes a difference?

[Simon Rest]

Video doesn't show any shifting, mechanics look very high-barish. Considering you're working around a boo boo, these look fine to me. If you weren't, I would widen your stance a foot-width or two.

I can't tell on my phone if you're in heels or flats, but have you tried the opposite of whatever you're currently wearing on some warmups just to see if it makes a difference?

Thanks Cody, good to know others aren't seeing something I'm missing that's causing me pain.

I'm wearing heels. I tried squatting the bar in socks a couple of weeks ago and found hitting depth really hard. I might try again and see if my back loosening up has helped that.

Regarding the stance I find being slightly narrower with knees out is more stable. I'll keep trying to get my feet out a bit. I'm not going to be able to hit your width though

[Cody]

Thanks Cody, good to know others aren't seeing something I'm missing that's causing me pain.

I'm wearing heels. I tried squatting the bar in socks a couple of weeks ago and found hitting depth really hard. I might try again and see if my back loosening up has helped that.

Regarding the stance I find being slightly narrower with knees out is more stable. I'll keep trying to get my feet out a bit. I'm not going to be able to hit your width though

Lol! I can go wider than my current stance :P It looks wider than it really is because I'm "all legs".