Gwynn's Training Log

[Mr.City]

Nice numbers. Have you started to microload the squat?

[Gwyn Brookes]

Yep. I've been adding less than 5lbs to all my lifts for some time now.

[Gwyn Brookes]

11/24
light squat day:
Squat 135x5x2
Press 79x5x3 (barely)
Deadlift 228x5x1
roman chair: 3 sets weighted situps x5, 3x10 back extensions
pullups: 3x2 and dips: 3x2

[Gwyn Brookes]

11/26
Crappy training day.
Squat 160x5x3
Bench 106x5x3
Power Clean totally crapped out.
I'll do it tomorrow. In fact, perhaps I'll go down to cleaning once a week, and not on a squat day. Looking forward to my new belt coming in the mail!

[Mr.City]

Nice, what kind of belt?

[Gwyn Brookes]

11/29
After three days of being totally crippled by pain (except during training after I warm up, small favors I know but thankful for it anyway) I decided to change my programming a little until my hip starts to work like a hip again.

Not a big change, I will simply put deadlifts and power cleans only on my light squat day and alternate them every week, and add in chins/pullups on the other days.

Squat
161x5x3 (conservatively only added one pound today)
Press
80x5,4,4 (I was supposed to do 79.5 but I can't microload 4.5 pounds, only 4 so I went right up to 80, I'll hit 80 again next time I press and hopefully make all reps)
Chins (used the blue band, oddly enough even though chins are easier, I can do pull ups more easily than chins b/c I've been training them - due to golfer's elbow which is mostly gone now) - 3x5

[Gwyn Brookes]

Nice, what kind of belt?

Oh, and I ordered an Inzer. I also have been following the knee sleeve conversation and ordered a couple of those as well.

[Gwyn Brookes]

12/1
squat 135x3x5
bench 107x3x5
power clean 104x5x3

[Gwyn Brookes]

So my new hopefully temporary goal is to heal my hip. It's great that it doesn't hurt after I warm up so I can train. It is not so great that the rest of the time I am hobbling like an 85 year old. I took a whole week off, very light training throughout and pretty much slept the whole time (I could do that b/c my work is at a lull now).

I reset 10% back and on 12/8 did:

squat 145x3x5
press 72x3x5
deadlift 205x1x5

It all felt great especially the squats with my new belt and knee sleeves.

But by the end of the next day I was hobbling again and my hip felt like someone was sticking me with an icepick. Sparring class last night actually seemed to help.

I suspect what's holding me back from healing (now that I've cut out anti-inflammatories and my corticosteroid inhaler) is asymmetrical use of back and legs on the deadlift. My right leg's adductors don't want to participate and so my abductors are forced to work harder. Don't know how that would cause my hip flexor tendons to swell up as well, it's just a guess.

Tonight I'll check it out by training sans deadlift and if I'm still ok tomorrow maybe I'll have a plan.

[murrie]

Hi Gwynn,

Just wanted to let you know I'm enjoying your log. Keep up the good work. Am
a fellow chickadee doing SS. Am 45 and am plagued ( I mean PLAGUED)with nagging old lady aches and pains and injuries but I'm still plugging at it cuz I feel worse if I don't lift. I loved it when you made an entry for a "crappy" work out doing squats at 160. What I wouldn't give to be able to do 160!! My goal now is to just get to 135. I have gotten very close twice now and have had to back down due to something hurting bad enough. We are crazy people huh.

Keep up the good work!!

Murrie