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Skipped Weds, trained again today, and started some mild adductor rehab. The good news is I barely notice it anymore in normal activities of daily living. The bad news is I couldn't even bodyweight squat today without a fair amount of pain, so it will probably take a little while to come back from. Still, it could be a lot worse. I will go as fast as I think is reasonable to go, but not faster.
Press
195x5, 210x5x2 with belt, 195x5
Notes: All pretty routine. I tried to do BW squats to start rehab, but the discomfort level was high enough to suggest that was too advanced for today.
Close Grip Bench
255x7, 280x7, 300x7
Notes: 300 was moderately challenging but not too hard. Overall just glad I could do upper body work unimpeded, including being able to pick weights up and put them back down on the floor. That would've been challenging later in the day Monday, and Tuesday.
210x5 press and 300x7 CGBP on Insta
Chins
BW x6,6,5,5
Rehab Reverse DL
45x8x3
Notes: Chins were uneventful. For rehab, since I couldn't squat, I took a more toes forward stance and basically did empty bar DLs from the top, stopping at a point of mild discomfort. It was about 2/3 of the way down into a DL, a few inches higher than I'd stop for a cocaine DL, and with no pause at the bottom. I could feel these, but doing them didn't make anything feel worse. And felt slightly better afterwards. It's something. Couldn't have done that a few days ago.
DB Curls
45x8, 55x8x2
Monday, 7/27
Bench Press
395x1 @8.5
315x5x3 @7-8
Notes: 395 is the heaviest bench rep I've done in 6 months, since doing 435x1 paused on Janaury 31st and straining my pec. So that's a win in and of itself. It was a little slow, but considering I still felt some fatigue from Friday's work, which was a fairly big bump in volume for what I'm currently adapted to, it's OK. I'll take it for the moment. And no belt or wrist wraps either. That said, I want to hit 425x5 and 500x1 before the year is out, so I have work to do. But I think despite the pec strain, forced time off, and lack of access to a bench till May, I can still do it. It'll take a near perfect rest of the year, but it's within the realm of possibility.
Hell, even with the lingering fatigue from Friday, and still in the ramp-up process, I could've probably tripled 395 yesterday. So let's say 395x4 without the fatigue. It won't be too long till I can do it for 5, which is only 15# below my 5 rep PR of 410. It's not as far from my best as it seems.
KB Press
28kg x10x3
Notes: EZPZ
Lat Pulldown
150x10,8,10
Notes: Simply forgot on the middle set I was doing 10s. Oh well.
DB Strict Curls
35x12x2
Ab Wheel Rollouts
2x4 - just added one rep here to last week. Even the triples made me sore Af for 3-4 days last week. Whereas an additional 33% volume hardly made me sore at all this time. Adaptation is wild. Ab wheel and RDLs are the two things where you have to be really careful when doing them for the first time in a while, and stay well below your capacity or else you get crazy sore.
Adductor Rehab
* Was able to do bodyweight full ROM squats yesterday, albeit needed to take a slightly narrower and more toes forward stance to do so. Could feel it, but it wasn't bad enough that I felt I needed to stop, like I did Friday.
* Increased ROM of my top-down empty bar DLs by 3-4 inches, almost down to full deadlift ROM. Felt it here too, but also not enough to have to stop. Also a slightly more toes forward stance here than my usual, but doable.
So, slow progress but progress. I don't feel it at all during activities of daily living anymore, even climbing stairs or getting up from a low seat, where I felt it quite a bit the first few days.
Video comparing/contrasting the lockout position in a barbell vs kettlebell press:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijSDfz_-oHE
Truckin along, and adductor continues to do better.
Press: 4" belt
257.5x1 @9 (also wrist wraps for this one)
215x5 @7.5, 187.5x10 @8
Notes: Disappointed once again at bar speed for the top single. Even though I added 7.5 lbs since my last press single two weeks ago, I've also continued ramping so I actually expected it to be slightly easier than that 250 was, not slightly harder. It wasn't maximal, but it was hard and slowed down a lot. BUT, this is heavier than I've pressed since Feb 24th, eons ago before lockdowns and forced time away from the bar, then slowly ramping back up, then only doing 1 training session in 2 weeks while traveling, then ramping back up again. So I'm not thrilled about it, but I'll take it for now.
As of now I still plan to hit 265 in two weeks, will re-assess if I have to.
Back-off sets were fine.
Close Grip Bench: 1ct pause to a 3 board
225x6, 255x6x3
Notes: EZPZ. I wanted to do dumbbell bench today, but was leery of picking up heavy DBs and getting into position with my adductor, so did a regular bench variant instead. I do have a swiss bar on the way, ETA still unknown, would've used that if I had it.
Chins
BWx6x4 - solid.
LTEs
77x10, 97x10x2
Adductor Rehab
Was able to squat full ROM with no discomfort at all on the inner thigh, so that is an improvement since Monday, when I could do it but still felt some discomfort. Did 6 sets of 5 reps of squats, the first two holding onto the rack, so using less than full bodyweight, the next 4 just regular bodyweight below parallel squats. I also moved my stance slightly wider and toes out, closer to my normal squat stance, with no problem.
Also was able to do full ROM empty bar deadlifts with no issues, also an improvement from Monday when I did them, but with some discomfort. Did 3 sets of 5, then a final set of 8. Also moved my stance slightly more toe-out, closer to my usual deadlift stance.
Wolf, we need you upstairs in Rip's area. Good discussion on libertarianism formulating...
Saturday, 8/1
Made this an easier day since I only have one rest day before the next training week starts.
DB Bench Press
75x12, 95x12x2
Strict Press (Dead Stop)
155x5, 165x5, 175x5 - beltless
Lat Pulldown: Tempo 1-0-1
135x10x2
DB Curls
55x10x2
Ab Wheel Rollouts
3x3
Adductor Rehab:
BW Squats:
6x6 - increased volume. Will add a little weight via goblet squats on Monday.
Deadlift:
2x8 full ROM @45 lbs.
3x6 @95lbs from 5" blocks
Bench Press
365x2 @7
340x2x2
285x10
Notes: Bench moving much better today, which was a nice surprise after last Mon and Thurs bench and press were both a little slower than I wanted, and after only 1 day's rest since I finished last week's work on Thurs/Sat instead of Weds/Fri. I didn't quite make 365x5 about 5-6 weeks ago on my return LP (EDIT: It was 7.5 weeks ago, on 6/11), which was after 13 weeks off bench and 8 weeks off training altogether, and 365x5 bench is kind of like my 225x5 press - it's the baseline number I feel I should be able to hit (if not utterly drowning in fatigue) pretty much all the time. At the depth of an easier/off season stretch it may be closer to a max, but I should still be able to do it. So I was annoyed when I got 360x5 but 365x4 at the end of my re-LP. Could've definitely gotten it for 5 today, so I'm pretty happy with it.
As a pure % of my press, that number should be 340, not 365, in terms of that "baseline number" I should always be able to hit. But 365 is a nice round plate milestone, so even though it's relatively harder than 225x5 press, that's how I feel about it. Arbitrary, yes, but those things keep us motivated.
Circuit Style: 30-60s between movements, 2-3 mins between rounds, to save time in the Texas August heat.
*KB Press: 24x8, 32x8x3
*Rehab DL off 6" blocks: 95x5, 115x5, 135x5x2, 95x5 (did the final one @95 while cleaning up)
*Lat Chin-Down: 90x8, 160x8, 170x8x2
DB Strict Curls
30x10x3
Plank
30s x3 sets
Adductor Rehab
Did the DLs as outlined above, but also did two 45x8 full ROM sets, one as a warmup and one after the weighted block pulls.
Also started weighted squats today. Did BWx8x2, then Goblet Squats as follows:
10x5, 20x5, 35x5x3, for 41 total reps. So added 5 total reps to Saturday's count, plus 25 of those had a small amount of external load. No pain, no discomfort. Going slow because adductors are known to be easily re-tweaked, but so far, so good.
Squat
BWx10, 45x5, 65x5, 85x5, 45x5, BWx10
Notes: Adductors felt all good here. Still taking it slow.
Press: 4" belt
200x5, 225x5 @8, 200x5, 170x10
Notes: All solid here. It's the 3rd or 4th time I've done 225x5 since coming back to training again post lockdown, but this is the first time it felt good and routine again, as it did before. Still got a ways to go before it'll be a set of 10 again, but it was solid and routine again today.
225x5 Press vid
Chins
1x5 @BW
3x5 weighted @+25
Deadlift: 4" blocks
45x8, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5, 155x5, 95x8
Notes: First time using this much for weighted chins in a while, I don't remember when for sure, but at least 6 months. Felt good. DLs feeling and moving well - added 2 inches ROM and 20 lbs, and turned my toes back out to their normal angle.
LTEs
87x10, 102x10x2
Side Plank
15s x2 sets/side