sking's log

[sking1001]

Madcow Intermediate Week 10

Squat (PR)
170x5, 210x5, 250x5, 295x5, 335x5
Finally got it. Depth could have been better.

16" Close Grip Bench Press
105x5, 130x5, 160x5, 185x5, 210x5

Power Clean
70x3, 90x3, 105x3, 125x3, 140x3

Weighted Hypers
55x15x2

That's all the time I had today.

Food Log
My wife's birthday today:

[sking1001]

[sking1001]

Madcow Intermediate Week 10

Squat (light)
170x5, 215x5, 255x5x2

Press
95x5, 115x5, 130x5, 150x5

Deadlift
240x5, 290x5, 335x5, 385x5
See what happened on the 3rd rep of the work set? Good example of what NOT to do. The 4th and 5th reps started to degrade a bit too, but the hips rising too early was much more egregious on the 3rd rep.

Dumbbell Bench Press
40'sx10, 50'sx10, 60'sx10, 70'sx10, 80'sx8

Power Shrugs
135x5x2, 225x5, 315x5, 405x5, 495x4

Shrugs are done as outlined in SS 2nd ed., page 215, also demonstrated here. It's a type of rack pull that starts above the knee. For the first 2 warm-up sets at 135, I rack the bar to my shoulders like a power clean, which establishes the correct movement pattern for the subsequent heavier sets. The bar returns to the pins in the rack at mid-thigh after each rep.

When I got to the heaviest set of shrugs at 495, I noticed a massive pull on my lats and therefore didn't get my 5th rep. I figure I should be able to do 100 pounds over my deadlift PR, but that pull in my lats concerned me.

Food Log:

[sking1001]

Interesting note here. My traps are pretty sore today after the power shrugs yesterday. Pretty happy about that. I'm hardly ever sore anymore. Here's the interesting part. I think strengthening my traps is actually going to help me with my weird shoulder injury. I'm no anatomy expert, but I believe the proper description to locate my injury is on that bony point where the clavicle connects to the shoulder.

I can't feel the pain much at all today. We'll see how it feels after the soreness goes away and especially after I build my traps up a bit. It's worse in the morning when I get up.

[Oldster]

I'm glad to see the squat PR, sking. And especially heartened to see you recognizing a breakdown in form. That goes a long way toward building long term healthy strength!

I can't wait to hear about how your traps are about this time next year if you continue to shrug hard and heavy.

[sking1001]

Thanks, Oldster. My wife will probably make fun of my traps if I continue...so that's the goal, heh :-)

[Oldster]

I reckon that's the goal! I can't seem to grow outstanding traps. Instead they just kind of blend in with everything else as a big chunka mass. I'm always slightly jealous of those who have outstanding traps.....

[sking1001]

Shoulder feels better than ever this morning even though trap soreness is mostly gone. I'm please with the healing progress. On that front, I really don't foam roll at all anymore. Whatever problems I had in my quads caused by my previously poor squat technique have nearly disappeared since I corrected my form.

FitDay has a new 2.0 interface that I tested out in Beta last night. Still had some issues with server response, however:

[Oldster]

Shoulder feels better than ever this morning even though trap soreness is mostly gone. I'm please with the healing progress. On that front, I really don't foam roll at all anymore. Whatever problems I had in my quads caused by my previously poor squat technique have nearly disappeared since I corrected my form.

Excellent news.

Once the pain goes away it is much easier to make meaningful progress!

[sking1001]

Oldster, you were they key agent for this new path I'm on. Sorry if you're tired of hearing it, but thanks again.