Reply With QuoteOh. Ya. Oops.
Starting Strength Coach
Didn't you press 225x1, not 200x1?
Member
Oh. Ya. Oops.
Member
Trained later than planned tonight, but the upside was the gym was closed for the second half of my workout so I was there by myself instead of all the chaos and stupidity swirling around me.
Press
95x8, 135x5, 165x5, 190x5x3 @8
Notes: Used my 4" belt for the first time in almost 6 months. Presses felt slow, but even without filming, I know they moved faster than they felt. Just getting used to pushing against a heavier load again for the first time in a long time.
Rack Pulls - mid shin (6" blocks)
185x5, 275x5, 315x5, 355x5 - DOH
375x5, 415x2, 435x1 - mixed grip
Chins
BWx5x4
BWx4
BWx3x2 = 30
Notes: Used the belt here too. This is about the lowest height my knees can handle. Any closer to the ground and the forward knee travel required to do it is excruciating on my knees. First attempt at treatment for that, since finding out what the problem actually is back in October, and insurance taking forever to approve it, and then the doctor's office ordering the wrong version of the stuff that my insurance doesn't cover, begins Monday. Fingers crossed.
But after needing almost 6 months to be where I thought I'd be 6 weeks post-op, I am super duper grateful to even be able to do what I can currently do.
Chins were fine. I don't need to be as strict about trying to "stay hollow" during these now, to avoid aggravating the ventral repair site.
DB Curls
40x10, 45x8
Planned to do a conditioning circuit, but had a headache all day, despite some tylenol, that got worse when I exerted on the work sets, so just scrapped it.
Member
Bench Press
135x8, 185x5, 225x5, 255x5
275x5, 295x3, 315x2 - all @6ish
255x5
Notes: No belt, might try that next week. Today was the first time I didn't feel seriously hampered on the bench. I could do my set-up, get reasonably tight and arched, and stay that way as I drove through the floor and bench to push the bar away. It's not my 100% yet, but I don't feel seriously hampered for the first time since hernia surgery, nearly six months ago. Happy.
Today's Bench Press on IG
BB Rows
135x5, 225x5, 255x5x2
Notes: Tried doing the DL set-up, just to see, and it KILLS my knees. It's amazing how painful this is, just to get into position and initiate the pull with knee extension. I couldn't even do one rep, cause the pain built up so bad before the bar broke the floor. While I do appreciate being able to pull off 6" blocks, I'd really like to be able to pull properly from the floor again.
Anyway, I did these more like SLDLs - squeezing my back up as best I can, with my shins and knees back. Makes it harder and will limit the weight, but since this was the first time doing them since August 7th, to be precise, I stayed light and it was no issue. But alas, before surgery, I could still pull from the floor normally with an uncomfortable but manageable level of pain. Now I can't. Really hoping this treatment helps.
Standing EZ Curl French Press
77x8, 82x8x2
Pullups
BWx3x3
C2 Erg
30/30 x5 - paces 1:50-1:55/500m
200m at a 2:00 pace
Notes: Sad! But really just testing the waters. Knees were OK. Hernia repair let me know it is still not 100% during the finish, when doing the back extension phase beyond 90 deg. The ab engagement there is still a little iffy. It was fine at this pace, but my guess is will be an issue at paces of 1:40 or so, and faster. So I may do longer pieces that are slower, till this is better, or stick with other modalities till it's more healed.
Either way, was nice to get back on the rower, even if it was easy. HR got up to about 150-155 at the end of all the intervals, which isn't super fast, but tells me how out of shape I am considering how not intense the work was.
Starting Strength Coach
That was 6 months ago? I thought you would be back by now.
Last edited by Alex Ptacek; 01-24-2018 at 07:45 PM.
Member
Dude, I thought I'd be back to training in a few weeks and back to full strength in 2-3 months. That, or similar, was the experience of everyone I spoke to who lifts and had a hernia repair. This has been a very unpleasant surprise. Of course, it is most likely due to 1) I had an open incision procedure, not a laparoscopic one, and I didn't find out that would be the case till minutes before I went into the OR* and 2) I had a triple repair all done at once, which compounds #1. I ended up with like 8 or 9 inches of total open incision to heal up.
The asterisk is because I consider it my fault that I didn't know, because I didn't even ask. I spoke to 10-15 people who had it, and they all had it laparoscopically, every last one, so I - very stupidly - just assumed that would be the case for me as well. Now, should the surgeon have discussed this with me beforehand? Yes. But I consider it my fault anyway, because I assumed, instead of doing due diligence and asking. If I had been told when scheduling that it would be an open incision, I would have sought out a surgeon who would do it laparoscopically. But after having gone through the whole 9 yards of arranging my entire work and life schedule around the surgery date, having my gf arrange so she could be there and stay with me for a few days afterwards, and going through all the pre-op testing, getting there at 5am, going through all the operation prep, I wasn't going to walk away and re-do all that shit when I found out.
Anyway, long story short: I'm ever so sorry to disappoint you. You, Alex, the primary reason and motivation that I train at all.
Starting Strength Coach
Ha! Consider me sorely disappointed.Originally Posted by Michael Wolf
Anyways, I hope to see you back on the platform soon. Was gonna take one of your cycles, but I moved out of Manhattan last month. I'll hopefully catch you at a seminar one day.
Member
How sore? Like after a regular day of SSLP, or after a day when you trashed your tris and chiseled your chest and did 600 sets of each?!?
The chances that my knees will be able to squat and DL again are honestly not great. But if I can squat and DL, you will see me on the platform again.
Moving out of Manhattan was a good move. I should be so smart.
Last edited by Michael Wolf; 01-24-2018 at 10:54 PM.
Member
Press
195x5x3 @9, all with belt.
Notes: Harder than expected. Pretty slow. Doesn't feel heavy coming out of the rack, but I'm still stuck in 3rd gear. Of course, I was stuck in 2nd gear till about two weeks ago so this is still good. But I don't think, unless I wait longer, I'll be able to run a true re-LP back to where I was before. I'm still limited, but don't want to wait to lift any longer.
Block Pulls - 6"
185x5, 275x5, 325x5 - DOH
365x5, 385x5, 425x1, 455x2 - alternate grip, belt
365 x 5 second hold, 315 x 10 second hold - DOH
Chins
BWx5x5, BWx4x2 = 33
Notes: 425 and 455 felt slower than expected but filmed the 455 and it was super fast so just taking some time to get the feeling back. Chins were easy. Left hand grip still lagging. Feels like something is wrong there, but can't put a finger on what.
DB Curls
40x10, 45x8x2
Ran out of time for conditioning.
Member
Hey Wolf, I am sorry to hear about your injury woes.
I have been following this log for a while and I think somewhere along the line, I missed why your knees are giving you trouble. What happened to your knees that they are causing problems?
Posting Permissions