KONG's Training and Self-rehab

[Dwayne_KONG_Wint]

I decided to start an online training journal here.

I guess I can be considered a competitive lifter because I competed in a powerlifting meet May 15th 2010. I was a bench-only person in that meet due to my infamous left knee injury which I have been not dealing with properly for the last 2-3 months. I posted a 345-355-365 on my attempts and got first place in the 275's (it was a small meet and I was the only person in my class...nevertheless it was a great experience!).

Here's a vid of my meet performance back in May:


A little history/stats on me:
Age: 29 Height: 6 ft 2 in Weight: 270 lbs
Best Squat worksets: 400X4, 405X3X3, 415X2X2 (last time heavy squatting was in the beginning of May)
Best Deadlift worksets: 485X5, 505X1 (last time heavy deadlifting was in the beginning of May)
Best Presses: yesterday 222.5X5X3
Best Bench: this past Monday 357.5X5X3

I started lifting weights at 17 as a member of my university's lacrosse team. Not much to say about that other than that was when I started.

2002-2007: I competed in 4 tested Bodybuilding competitions. I never placed lower than 3rd and my best was placement was 1st place overall...which is how I scored my protein supplement sponsorship from Beyond Nutrition. I don't hate bodybuilders because I was one BUT I do think I wasted a ton of my potential in strength during those 5 years of bodybuilding.

2008: A whirlwind year. I became a dad. Things changed. A time for thought. Training was there but really not productive.

Jan 2009 - Nov 2009: I became really interested in increasing my strength. I received Starting Strength as a gift and read it. I also started training with the Sheiko method. In this period of time I drove my squat max from 275 to 375 and drove my deadlift max from 385 to 495. I also managed to fuck my shoulder up pretty bad benching heavy three times a week. In that time period my bodyweight went from 190 to 210 (because I hadn't discovered eating yet).

Dec 2009: Decided to jump in the linear progression. Within the first four weeks I drove my squat 3X5 from 225 to 365. My best 3 sets of 5 on the Sheiko method was 275. I also drove my deadlift 5RM up to 445. My best 5RM on Sheiko was 385. This happened in 1 month. My bodyweight went from 210 to 240 in 4 weeks. I also hit my first injury-my left elbow. At the end of December, I met John Sheaffer for the first time to see what I could do for this elbow thing. He suggested safety bar squatting and making sure that once I did start low bar squatting again that I adjusted my grip appropriately.

Jan 2010: Took a break from the low bar back squat for the safety bar squat, which feels similar to a high bar squat. This gave my elbow time to heal and get me back on the stick with pressing and benching. I started my linear progression with no benching due to the shoulder being fucked from Sheiko lifting. All I did was press in December. I started with 155X5X3 in December and was hitting 185X5X3 in January. At the end of January, I started benching again, starting with 225X5X3 with only a little pain.

Feb 2010 - Apr 2010: FULL FORCE LINEAR PROGRESSION. Drove my bodyweight from 245 to 265. At the time I was benching around 310X5X3, pressing 205X5X3, squatting 405X3X3, and deadlifting 485X5. It was "the end" of the linear progression for squatting and deadlifting because shortly after hitting these bests I hurt my knee. I am pretty sure the progression would have continued IF I had not gotten injured, as it has for benches and pressing.

May 2010 to present: Pressing and Benching progressing with very small increments but still progressing week to week (pseudo intermediate). Tried once to squat through my knee issue only making it up to 385 to only make matters worse. Tried taking time off and while my knee does feel improved, my squats and deadlifts are a lot weaker than before. I have decided to start my own self-rehab to build my strength up and beyond where I was before.

THE PLAN:
Over the next 12 weeks, I will rehab and drive my squat up and beyond the 405 mark.
Over the next 12 weeks, I will rehab and drive my deadlift up and beyond the 505 mark.
On Sep 26, I will compete again (as a bench only) in my 2nd powerlifting meet.

Here's hoping for some muscle memory!

[Dwayne_KONG_Wint]

Here's is my split:
M: Bench 3X5, Chin 5 sets (not to failure)
T: Squat & Deadlift Rehab
W: OFF
R: Press 3X5, Chin 1 max set
F: Squat & Deadlift Rehab
off on the weekends
--------------------------------------
This week in training:
M:
Bench: worked up to 357.5X5X3 - PR
Chins: 5,5,4,4,4

T:
First day Squatting again...very weak
SQ: worked up to 205X5X3
First day Deadlifting again...also very weak
DL: 265X5

W: OFF

R:
Press: worked up to 222.5X5X3 - PR
Chins: 1 set of 18 - PR (at this bodyweight of 270 lbs)

F:
SQ: adductors were too sore to stretch, opted for foam roll and lacrosse ball work, live to squat another day
DL: 285X5

[Dwayne_KONG_Wint]

Tomorrow I will fill out my forms for the meet on Sep 26th, and even though I will only be able to bench in it, I still feel that it will be a good experience and help to focus me the same way it did earlier this year.

Today I kind of smushed my Monday and Tuesday workouts into one with the intention of taking the next two days off to prepare for a weekend away. I will smush the Thursday and Friday workouts into one as well. Departing on Friday!

Today's work:
Squat rehab: work: 215X5X3 - some left knee pain but not a lot. left adductor still a little sore but not enough to stop me from hitting depth and getting a good bounce.
Bench: work: 360X5X3 - PR - don't know how much longer I'll be able to keep this up...but I'll stay positive and try not think about it
Deadlift rehab: work: 305X5 - no knee pain at all but at this point I'm remembering how much endurance I had when i was doing full body workouts three times a week and how I don't have that endurance right now.
Chins: 5 5 5 4 4

The rehab portion of the workout always depresses me a liittle because it reminds me that I am only a fraction of what I used to be....but on the upside, with each rehab workout I'm a larger fraction of what I used to be.

[Dwayne_KONG_Wint]

SQ rehab: work: 225X5X3
Presses: work: 223.75X4, 4, 3 light back off sets: 135X5, 5
DL rehab: work: 325X5
Chins: 1 max rep set - 20 reps - PR

I'm going to chalk the lack of 'press prowess' tonight to a late night...and also, I went to the bar with some of my colleagues after work to celebrate one of their birthdays. I had a couple beers...not enough to stop me from training...but I'm sure it mellowed me out a bit tonight and thus, the lower performance. I will get the sets and reps next time. This was the first time squatting in the last three squatting sessions where I felt absolutely no pain in the knee. I also felt no pain in the knee deadlifting again (in stark contrast to not being able to get into deadlift position last month). This means things are moving in the right direction with this approach.

Next three days are off!

[LudwigVan]

Hot damn. Both presses are great, but I'm really impressed with 20 chins at 270. I've got 10 on a good day at 195.

But at least for now, I'm squatting and pulling more than you, sucka! You have to rectify this situation ASAP.

[BrotherIron]

You don't think some time off in between training sessions wouldn't help your knee recover quicker? Something like a day off in between training days like Mon - Wed - Fri - Sun.

[MAD9692]

Chins: 1 max rep set - 20 reps - PR

HOLY SHIT!
Well done...great to see you posting a log here.

[Dwayne_KONG_Wint]

Thanks MAD

[misspelledgeoff]

I'm hoping my pending new job will let me travel to Philly area. I would f'ing love to train some at JP's.

Kong, I have two words for your press and bench. Fucking frightening. Nice work.

[Dwayne_KONG_Wint]

Thank you misspelledgeoff.
Both you guys (misspelledgeoff and Squatson), if you are around in the area, give John a call or an email!