The Revenge of SA

[Serpens Aeon]

Another day of becoming cognizant of one's limitations, and another fire under my ass (seriously, my glutes are aching as I write this).

Lower A - RE Squat

Box Squat

Medium-Width Stance (feet pointed outwards, just beyond shoulder width).

Warm-Up Sets

10 x 45
5 x 95
5 x 135
3 x 175
2 x 205

Work Sets

6 x 225
6 x 205
6 x 185

I got my ass walloped again. It seems I'm in such poor shape that the warm-up weight acclimation is even somewhat of a challenge now. That, and my lower-back wasn't too keen on being loaded up, but more on that in a bit.

Originally, I had wanted to do your standard squat, but I found during warm-ups that I was going into a sort of squat-goodmorning contortion, and quickly realized that my flexibility, and thus my depth, had gone down the shitter. With some flexibility and posterior-chain work, along with subbing in box squats for the rest of the cycle, I'm confident my squat form will be back to normal very shortly.

My first work set was at a very low weight. Inititially, I thought I'd be hitting up 250 for 6, and that that would be easy, but such was not to be. Overall, again, the weight felt very light, and went up with ease. My physiology would repeat itself again, however, and my legs were sapped, as though they felt that they'd just been robbed of their ability. I probably could have squeezed more weight out, but I just didn't want the slightest risk of something going wrong, and reverting back to inactivity due to resetting the bulge into the nerve, or even herniating another disc.

Romanian Deadlift

These were omitted today on account of the lower-back being stiff after my squats. Depending on how I feel next time out, I just might not include a posterior chain supplement, and add volume to my posterior chain accessory work.

45-degree Hyperextension

10 x BW
10 x BW
10 x BW

These felt fantastic. The stretch was really there, and although they can really burn and hurt like a sonuvabitch, I was enjoying them because while I was incurring pain from lactic acid buildup, I was losing pain from the spinal problems. Although I could have easily added weight, I wanted to really work on the stretch, and get that often elusive mind-muscle connection going. I had so much fun with these that I added in another set.

Although the pump was ridiculous initially, after a good foam rolling, my posterior chain, and especially my lower-back, feel fantastic. Worked over, but in a manner that feels as though that the stimulus was conducive towards recovery.

Decline Lying Leg Raise

10 x BW
10 x BW

These were a little too easy, but I'll feel them in the morning. My abdominal strength has always been a weak point, and my abdominals always hurt inordinately when I train them for the first few workouts of a layoff. Like the hyperextensions, I really focused on holding the contraction towards the end of the eccentric so as to facilitate more effective accrual of static strength. While I do this normally for improving squat stability, I'm more gung-ho about them than ever since doing abdominal work this way will make it so that my back can take more upright movement, and what not.

Final Remarks

Going back to my prior comments regarding performance weakness in the flat db presses, and the squats, I suspect that what's happening is that my mind still remembers what those weights felt like, and should feel like moving them, but my neuromusculature just isn't up to speed yet. It's suspiciously like how amputees sometimes experience the "phantom limb"; the mind's conception of the self in the world still includes using prior information on experience in its cognition of new experience. Or not, the thought just sounds kinda cool.

While again I'm somewhat disappointed I'm also sure I'll be back to some good workouts soon. The phase of regaining one's bearings always sucks, but I'm now another workout closer to training properly again.

[r_graz]

Originally, I had wanted to do your standard squat, but I found during warm-ups that I was going into a sort of squat-goodmorning contortion, and quickly realized that my flexibility, and thus my depth, had gone down the shitter. With some flexibility and posterior-chain work, along with subbing in box squats for the rest of the cycle, I'm confident my squat form will be back to normal very shortly.

What sorts of things do you find helpful in improving flexibility vis-a-vis squats? I know one of the things holding my squats back is general inflexibility in the posterior chain, which causes considerable pelvic tuck as I get low in the squat. I do a decent amount of PC work (RDL's, hypers, GHR's), but while it makes me stronger, it doesn't make me more flexible.

I suspect that what's happening is that my mind still remembers what those weights felt like, and should feel like moving them, but my neuromusculature just isn't up to speed yet. It's suspiciously like how amputees sometimes experience the "phantom limb"; the mind's conception of the self in the world still includes using prior information on experience in its cognition of new experience. Or not, the thought just sounds kinda cool.

I'm sure as your conditioning and workload capacity improves, your body is going to quickly catch up with what your mind is saying you can do.

[Serpens Aeon]

What sorts of things do you find helpful in improving flexibility vis-a-vis squats? I know one of the things holding my squats back is general inflexibility in the posterior chain, which causes considerable pelvic tuck as I get low in the squat. I do a decent amount of PC work (RDL's, hypers, GHR's), but while it makes me stronger, it doesn't make me more flexible.

There are a few tricks I've employed before that seemed to work...

1) Do some sort of stretching routine everyday for that segment of the body. Now, I have shamefully paid almost no attention to stretching and flexibility as a performance aid or component of training, but I found that simply stretching my legs with my upper body in all sorts of positions helps.

This meant things like standing up and bending over to touch my toes, to lying down, sticking my foot under something to hold it, and sliding my body under more and more to produce a stretch that brought my shin ever-closer to my face, and the like.

As soon as I hear of (i.e. look for) a reliable text on the study, I'll let you know. Perhaps if one of the more knowledge posters here in regards to this subject happens upon my journal they can enlighten the both of us.

2) This is something I'm sure helped, although made me look like I either had a real bad case of 'roids (not the injectable ones...) or like I just gave birth. Before sitting on ANYTHING, I would set my hips and feet-up, arch back and tighten my abdominals, push the chest out, and yep, you guessed it, sit into a squat. This meant squatting into my chair in class or onto the porcelain god's collection pan; whenever I sat, I practiced my squat form.

3) Practice with a lightly weighted barbell and get someone to eye your depth, and learn what it feels like to get lower and lower until you're comfortable and/or your form breaks down. Remember that some folks just aren't made to squat ass-to-the-grass too.

I'm sure as your conditioning and workload capacity improves, your body is going to quickly catch up with what your mind is saying you can do.

I have no doubts about this. In fact, I feel almost ambivalent about it sometimes, but if I'm not hard on myself I won't get there. Unless I perceive a challenge or threat, I seem to get spontaneous cases of boredom induced ADD. This works for me, otherwise I'd be too indifferent about almost everything. The perceived competition I sometimes have to make-up just to do simple tasks gets interesting...

[Misanthrope]

You'll get there, man. Just try not to allow the first few workouts frustrate you to the point of discouragement.

[Serpens Aeon]

You'll get there, man. Just try not to allow the first few workouts frustrate you to the point of discouragement.

Discouragement is not going to happen. I'm more worried about other things right now; getting my weights back to their past glory is somewhat of a secondary imperative for now, but still very much a necessary one. The encouragement is appreciated, however.

[Sentinel]

i am subscribed

[VikingMan]

Cool man. I'll be quite curious to follow your journal.

[Serpens Aeon]

Brief update minus barbell training.

1) My back was being a gigantic shitbag on Monday morning. I couldn't really walk without serious pain. I am cursed being a stomach sleeper. A traction treatment later in the day got my spine back in place, although I had so many pain meds in me that I was afraid to even touch a barbell.

2) I was going to simply move the prior days training to today (Tuesday), but that didn't happen because I've been up all night and haven't slept in about 24-25 hours. It was for a good cause, though.

Good News: I mustered up the balls to have a chat with my ex, whom I love and happened to push away via being a confused asshole, because I can't deal with my shame anymore. That, and it just dawned on me that people who can deal with me on a consistent basis are a rarity.

Bad News: She's in Canada, and I'm in Singapore. A 12 hour time difference can really screw your schedule up. You might as well say I'm back on N. American time now.

Good News: The first thirty minutes or so of our conversation was civil, and surprisingly lacking any sort of awkwardness. You might even say it was relieving for both parties.

Bad News: I'm deathly afraid of looking at my phone bill now.

Good News: I won her back! (In actuality she was kind enough to allow this, but I'm a winner, dammit!)

I know, I'm a sissy, I let a woman get in the way of my training. I'm still staunch proponent of the motto that says behind every great man is a woman pulling him back down. I really like her, though. Forgive me, fellas?

In any case, I salvaged what I could. I just did the following:

Push-Ups w/ Green Band wrapped around back into palms

10
9
8
8

Apparently I'm getting some work capacity back. Sweet!

Standing DB Shoulder Press w/ Purple Bands

12 x 25
11 x 25

Again, work capacity seems to already be bouncing back given that I also did those push-ups.

Seated Blue Band Rows

10
10
10
10
10

I braced the band against the leg of my bed post, while planting my feet on the side-board. These were done with controlled speed with 45 second rests on account of my cardio being so piss-poor last time I pulled. The extra volume was done given that a band is easier than a barbell.

I'm going to go slug down some protein now and take some much needed rest. Ideally, bullshit is over, and barbell training can resume unabated on Wednesday.

[Serpens Aeon]

Cool man. I'll be quite curious to follow your journal.

Glad to see you here, man.

[Misanthrope]

Sorry to hear your back is giving you troubles again. Do you think it was from your latest brush with lifting, or is it something that was going to happen no matter what?

Good News: I mustered up the balls to have a chat with my ex, whom I love and happened to push away via being a confused asshole, because I can't deal with my shame anymore. That, and it just dawned on me that people who can deal with me on a consistent basis are a rarity.

Bad News: She's in Canada, and I'm in Singapore. A 12 hour time difference can really screw your schedule up. You might as well say I'm back on N. American time now.

Good News: The first thirty minutes or so of our conversation was civil, and surprisingly lacking any sort of awkwardness. You might even say it was relieving for both parties.

Bad News: I'm deathly afraid of looking at my phone bill now.

Good News: I won her back! (In actuality she was kind enough to allow this, but I'm a winner, dammit!)

I know, I'm a sissy, I let a woman get in the way of my training. I'm still staunch proponent of the motto that says behind every great man is a woman pulling him back down. I really like her, though. Forgive me, fellas?

I'm too tired at the moment to muster up anything insightful to say. As long as you aren't one of those pussies that keeps crawling back to women that treat him like shit, you are forgiven. A good woman is hard to find.