Finding Out that the Iron Never Lies

[bustermonkey2]

March 28, 2018
Bodywt 227 lbs

Press @ 135 lbs-15. I'm using a slightly more narrow grip with my middle fingers on the first rings. Although I'm still adjusting to it, I think it might help me grind a bit more.
Press @ 185 lbs-4,4,4 Rpe 9.0. Not too bad.

Deadlifts @ 135 lbs-10 Easy and hip ok.
Deadlifts @ 225 lbs-10,10 Weight easy but tiring. Quad seems fine today, although it ached a bit yesterday. It's tough to be patient enough to make sure I don't aggravate it.

[bustermonkey2]

March 30, 2018
Bench @ 225 lbs-22
Bench, 1st rep paused @ 315 lbs-4,4,4 Rpe 9.25
Squats @ 185 lbs-10
Squats @ 225 lbs-10,10 Rpe 8.0 but very tiring. Left quad ok.


April 3, 2018
Bench @ 225 lbs-23
Bench, 1st rep paused @ 315 lbs-5,4,4 Rpe 9.25
Squats @ 225 lbs-10
Squats @ 275 lbs-8,8 Rpe 8.5. Probably could have ground out 2 more reps but trying to make sure I don't aggravate quad. It still sometimes hurts when I get out of a chair too quickly or climb stairs.

[bustermonkey2]

I skipped a couple of days because my left quad was beginning to ache again. Sometimes when walking. Sometimes when sitting. Sometimes while sleeping. Frustrating.

April 9, 2018
Press @ 135 lbs-16
Press @ 185 lbs-5,4,4 Rpe 9.25

Deadlifts @ 135 lbs-10
Deadlifts @ 225 lbs-10
Deadlifts w/ straps @ 315 lbs-8, very tiring. Rpe 9.0. Quad was ok though.

[bustermonkey2]

April 12, 2018
Bodywt 227 lbs

Bench @ 225 lbs-23
Bench @ 315 lbs-5,5,4 Rpe 9.5

Squats @ 275 lbs-8
Squats @ 315 lbs-6,8 Rpe 9.0 but tiring. I planned on doing 2 sets of 6 but realized after first set that I could do 8 reps. Quad seems ok although it was aching a little bit after 2nd set. I think I'll be able to switch back to regular programming in about a week.

Chins-11,11

[bustermonkey2]

Left quad feels good enough to return to former powerbuilding programming. I'll pull the weights down a bit for next couple weeks as I transition.

April 16, 2018
Barbell Rows@ 225 lbs- ,6,6,6,6,6 Rpe 9.5
T Bar Rows @ 45 lbs-10, @ 55-10, 10, 10 Rpe 9.0
Pulldowns w/ D grip attachment @ 80 lbs-10,10,10,10 Exhausting
One arm row @ 45 lbs-12,12

April 18, 2018
Bodywt 230 lbs
Squats @ 315 lbs-8,@ 325 lbs-8, @ 335 lbs-8 Rpe 9.0 although tiring
Leg curls @ 40 lbs-15, @ 50 lbs-15,15,15
45 degree back extensions-10,10,10,10 Tough
Calf raises w/ 50 lbs-25,25,25,25 Rpe 9.5

[bustermonkey2]

April 20, 2018
Incline bench @ 185 lbs-8; @ 195-8; @ 205-8 Rpe 9.0
Incline db press @ 45 lbs-12; @ 55-12 Rpe 8.5
Bench press (fatigued) @ 275 lbs-5 Rpe 9.0; @ 225 lbs-10,10,9 Rpe 9.25 Couldn't get 10th rep so stopped on 9th.
Bbell curl @ 95 lbs-6,6,6 Rpe 9.0
Db preacher curls @ 20 lbs-10,10,10/arm Rpe 9.25

April 23, 2018
Bodywt 231 lbs- getting a bit heavy. I'll need to pull it back down a bit.
Deadlifts @ 315 lbs-8 Rpe 9.0 but very sore thumbs due to limited hook grip exposure in last month.
Deadlifts w/ straps @ 330 lbs-8; @ 345 lbs-8 Rpe 9.0. Very tiring.
Leg press @ 275 lbs-15,15,15,15 Rpe 8.5
Leg extensions @ 90 lbs-15,15,15,15 Rpe 8.0
Decline situps-15,15,15,3. Terrible cramping on 4th set so quit there.

Generally speaking, my left quad seems ok at the gym. No real pain and my lifts are pretty close to where I was before injury. However, there is still some pain/discomfort in the quad at random times throughout the day, usually while sitting. It's not affecting walking or sleeping, so it's clearly improved from a few weeks ago. I guess I'll just have to hope it will fully recover in time.

[bustermonkey2]

April 25, 2018
Press @ 135 lbs-16
Press @ 165-8, @ 170-8,8 Rpe 9.75. Real tough.
Seated db press @ 45 lbs-10,10,10 Rpe 8.0
Side delt raises @ 20 lbs-20,15 too heavy, @ 15-15
Dips w/ 45 lbs-10,10,10 Rpe 8.0
Cable press downs @ 70 lbs-20, @ 80-20,20 Rpe 9.0

[bustermonkey2]

I haven't been great at updating my log. Mostly because I forget to bring my written journal in to enter it on the computer. It occurred to me today that I could just take pictures of my written log and use those to update my log here, as I always have my phone with me. No explanation as to why it took this long for me to realize such a simple solution.

April 27, 2018
Chins-6,6,6,6,6,6
T bar rows @ 125 lbs-6, @ 150 lbs-6,6, @ 125 lbs-10,10,10 Rpe 8.5
Db shrugs @ 55 lbs-15,15, @ 60 lbs-15 Rpe 9.0

April 30, 2018
Bodywt 229 lbs
Squats @ 375 lbs-5, @ 385 lbs-5, @ 395 lbs-5 Rpe 9.5
2" sldl w/ straps @ 225 lbs-8,8,8 Rpe 9.0 but exhausting
Leg curls @ 45 lbs-15,15,15 supersetted with lunges
Walking lunges-30,30 Rpe 10. Just dead tired.
Calf raises @ 50 lbs-25,25,25,25

May 4, 2018
Bench, 1st rep paused @ 315 lbs-4,5,4. These should have been 5s across but haven't benched in 2 weeks so a bit detrained.
Bench @ 225 lbs-10,10 Rpe 9.5
Incline bench @ 185 lbs-8,8,8,6. Too fatigued to finish last set
Incline db curls @ 25 lbs-10,10,10,10 Rpe 9.0
BB curls @ 65 lbs-15,15 Rpe 9.0

May 7, 2018
Deads @ 405 lbs-5, @ 415 lbs w/ straps-5,5 Rpe 9.5
Hack sqt @ 245 lbs-10,10,10 Rpe 9.0
Leg extensions@ 90 lbs-20,20,20 Rpe 9.0
Situps-20,20,20
Calf raises @ 70 lbs-15,15,15 Rpe 8.5

May 9, 2018
Press @ 135 lbs-17, @ 185 lbs-5,5,5 Rpe 9.5
Seated db press @ 45 lbs-12,12,12 Rpe 9.0
Side delt raises @ 15 lbs-20,20,20 rest/pause Rpe 9.0
Dips w/ 45 lbs-15,15,15 Rpe 9.5
Lying db tricep extensions @ 25 lbs-10,10,10 Rpe 9.0

[bustermonkey2]

May 11, 2018
Bodywt 228 lbs
Chins w/ 35 lbs-5,5,5
Wide grip pulldowns @ 170 lbs-10,10,10 Rpe 9.25
Bbell rows w/ straps @ 225-6, @ 205 lbs-8, @ 185 lbs-12
Db rear delt raises@ 10 lbs-10,10,10 Rpe 10
Face pulls @ 45 lbs-15,15,15
Clean and press @ 185 lbs-0,1 I need to get some more practice on these.
Farmers walk @ 115 lbs-50 yards, @ 135 lbs-50 yards

May 17, 2018
Squats @ 385-4,5 Rpe 9.5
Bench @ 225 lbbs-1- @ 275 lbs-8,8 Rpe 9.5

May 20, 2018
Squats @ 425-2, @ 440 lbs-2, @ 455 lbs-2 Rpe 10
2" SLDL @ 255 lbs-6,6,6 Rpe 8.5 but exhausting
Calf raises @ 90 lbs-25,25,25
Walking lunges-100 total
situps-15,15,15

[bustermonkey2]

I haven't updated my log in over a month and yet I can still see it on the first page. Not many people using the competitive lifters forum anymore. I've been lifting but doing a poor job putting it here. I'm not going to list all my workouts over the last 5 weeks as it would take a long time. In late May I broke a tooth which then got infected. It had to be pulled because it was cracked all the way through the root. Then the site got infected (or stayed infected) so was placed on antibiotics for 2 weeks. During this same time I went on a week long trip to Florida with the family, which was good, but I missed over 2 weeks of lifting, my longest break in 7 years. I started training again and did a quick linear progression to try to get up to speed as quickly as possible. I did a strongman event this past Saturday June 30th at Testify Gym in Omaha. I really like the lifters from that gym and they keep the competition moving efficiently. This was a small competition, maybe 20 total competitors. I still wasn't at 100% due to the extended lifting break, and definitely needed more conditioning work. There was only 1 other guy in the masters middleweight class, and I think he beat me in all events. I've competed against him in strengthlifting in the past, and although I'm a bit stronger than he is, he is much more athletic than I am. Most of these events involved an element of speed/quickness, which I just don't have. I did a yoke walk with 460 lbs, sandbag over bar with 150 lbs, axle clean and press with 185 lbs, farmers walk with 197 lbs/hand and a truck pull. I think I finished each timed event within a second or two of the other guy. On the sandbag, I think he got 1-2 more reps and he did several more reps on the axle press, largely because I was strict pressing, and most competitors were jerking or push pressing the weight. That's one thing I could really work on before doing another strongman event. The nice thing about this event is that it was done by noon, so I didn't have to sit around in the sun all day.

Now that I'm done with this strongman, I'm going to take a few days off to recover and then start a medium/light/heavy 12 week taper. I'll probably do a few lighter sessions first so the DOMS isn't debilitating.