coreJack's Log

[coreJack]

No, all the injuries are from sports, nothing from training, though certain lifts would aggravate existing conditions.

[coreJack]

Went to the gym to do some stretching today, and was feeling energetic, so I started on DB bench presses. First time benching in years. A paltry 20lbs on each side. As long as my shoulders don't complain, I'm going to program this like everything else - 3x5 and incrementing weight each session. Between starting benching and recently restarting OHP, maybe I can get the kind of upper body growth that will make my belly look smaller, so I won't have to start threads about how I miss my abzors.

And I did some barbell curls. Oh yes I did.

[coreJack]

2/10/10
Box Squats: no weight, just working on form
SL Hip hyperextensions: 130lbs, 3x8
Seated hamstring curls: 152.5, 2x7
Reverse hypers on swiss ball: 7.5lbs, 3x10
Few rehab exercises

[coreJack]

2/12/10
RDLs: 225lbs, 3x5
Pullups: +25 (TW = 176.6), 2x5, 1x4
Box Squats: bodyweight, worked down on box height and did a few sets on a below-parallel box
OHP: 37.5, 3x5
Hang cleans: 45lbs, 3x3
Power cleans: 45lbs, 2x3
Curls for da gurlz

Box squats - eked out a few sets on a below-parallel box, which is about 10-12" shorter than the box height I had to start with a couple of months ago. Hopefully the increase in posterior chain control and proprioception, not to mention controlled depth, will help my back squat.

Cleans - pretty ugly, but getting better toward the end. Will probably need to use the empty bar for a few sessions to get to acceptable form. Definitely need to do some wrist stretching.

Diet - eliminated most non-milk carbs (which has had the effect of making milk taste even better!). I get pretty hungry between meals, and have shed 3lbs in the last few days (probably mostly water).

[coreJack]

2/15/10
Back squats: 45lbs, 3x5
OHP: 40, 3x5
DL: 135, 5x1, 165, 5x1
Cable row, med grip: 115, 3x5
Box Squats: bodyweight
Face pulls, curls

Back squats: Didn't seem to bother my knees too much, but I managed to mildly tweak my back. In an effort to get below parallel, I think I must have rounded my back. Fucking back squats. If it's not my knees, it's my back. This damn exercise is becoming my Moby Dick. Hopefully the tweak was mild enough that I don't wake up stiff (the bad kind) tomorrow. I think I'll work on squat stretches for a week or two and try again. Will keep doing bodyweight box squats in the meantime, and work on getting lower.

DL: Tried to DL using my now cut down DoWins. I think the extra height was a bit too much for me to set my back well, so after two reps, I switched back to the Vibrams. I think I need more hamstring flexibility before I can pull with these shoes.

[Sgsolberg]

How is it that you cannot lift the bar for a 3x5 back squat without getting injured? Video is necessary.

Also, drop the rows for the time being, they can seriously get your back out of kilter if you aren't doing them correctly.

Oh, and video of the deads please.

[coreJack]

How is it that you cannot lift the bar for a 3x5 back squat without getting injured? Video is necessary.

I have no fucking idea. I feel like I'm doing no, or very little rounding, and certainly much less than some of the bigtime buttwink videos I've seen on the net, yet those guys are fine with 200+ pounds, and I'm tweaking my back with an empty bar.

Agreed, video is necessary. My gym has a rule against any video and they enforce it. I was hoping to get to a friend's gym today, but he had to bail. Will try again.

Very frustrating. If we had proper plyo boxes in my gym, I might have just said 'fuck it' to the back squat and switched permanently to box squats. Anyway, I'm sure I'll be more reasonable about this tomorrow, especially if I don't wake up with a stiff back.

Also, drop the rows for the time being, they can seriously get your back out of kilter if you aren't doing them correctly.

I'm using the form described by Lyle in his article. No back or hip flexion and extension to move the stack - I assume that's the poor form you are referring to.

Oh, and video of the deads please.

Yep, ditto. I can feel my back get straighter when I'm in the Vibrams (basically barefoot) than when I'm wearing the squat shoes.

[Sgsolberg]

Don't fuck with the squats, you don't yet have a valid opinion of what you should do permanently.

If you want to keep the rows, fine, but video those too. If you are tweaking your back now there is a significant problem going on somewhere in your programming or lifestyle.

[coreJack]

Don't fuck with the squats, you don't yet have a valid opinion of what you should do permanently.

Fair enough.

If you want to keep the rows, fine, but video those too. If you are tweaking your back now there is a significant problem going on somewhere in your programming or lifestyle.

It's the back squats - the last time I felt a tweak like this when I was last doing back squat a few months ago. Heavy RDLs (225lbs) and deads (now that I have the hammy flexibility to set up properly) are fine.

Hey, thanks for checking in on my log.

[coreJack]

2/17/10
DB bench: 50lbs, 3x5
SL Hip hyperextensions: 135lbs, 3x8
Box Squats: bodyweight
Natural GHR: 5x3
Few rehab exercises

Re: the back tweak from squatting Monday, back was a little stiff upon waking yesterday (pretty sure it was spinal and not muscular), but not so much that I couldn't work out today, but I skipped the reverse hypers to play it safe. Hopefully it will be resolved enough by Friday to permit a full workout.

Nat GHRs: brutal.