Still on the Right Side of the Grass

[Browndog]

7/15/23

Memphis Prep - m3 / w2 reps/sets

Squat -
Singles at 122.5 / 132.5kg, down sets at 110kg 3*3. Close Grip T&G Bench at 75kg 4*3. Rows, Revs Fly and Tempo Down BSS for successories.
Singles were OK, and no more than that, Knee was a little cranky...
Bench was solid

Bench -
Singles at 91 / 93.5kg, T&G triples at 80 / 82.5 / 85kg. Close Grip sets at 72.5kg 8*2. Slow Eccentric Bis's and Tri's for successories.
Sronk Bench work...veddy nahce.

Deadlift -
Singles at 175 / 187.5kg, down sets at 165kg 3*3. Close Grip Larsen 4 Count Down / 3 Count Pause at 75kg 2*3. Kroc Rows, Pullldowns, Single Leg Curls and Extensions for successorries.
Good Pulls, they actually had some pop in them.

SBD Saturday -
Pause Squats at 110kg 5*3; Close Grip 3 Count Spoto at 72.5kg 6*3; BWP + one block at 173kg 2*3.
Good Squats - for some odd reason, my Saturday Squats are technically better than Monday's work...I'm getting a much better brace into the belt these days.
Bench is silly...I'm not a fan of Spoto work, but if coach wants to program Spoto sets, that's what I do.
Decent Pulls, again good speed was the hallmark today.

We've got 4 lifters competing at the NorthEast Regionals this weekend. They've all put in the hours, hope they have a day...

[Browndog]

7/20/23

Memphis Prep - m3 / w3 reps/sets

Squat -
Single at 132.5kg...failed the top single at 142.5kg.

Bench -
Single at 92.5kg...failed the top single at 97.5kg

Deadlift -
Singles at 187.5kg and 200kg...YAY!

Oye...so the thyroid issue finally caught up with me. I'm tired, out of breath, sore, and really weak in the legs and hips. I'm right back where I was a year ago when this thyroid issue was "discovered". I have no "pop", no explosiveness...

I see my PCP tomorrow morning. I really pissed that we're back in an energy deficit. It's like 8 fucking weeks out from Memphis. and I cannot step on the platform in this condition.

If there isn't a bump up in the Synthroid to an appropriate level, I'm gonna schedule a consult with Dr. Whitmer and bypass my PCP entirely.

Grrrrr...I'm not a happy camper.

Anyway, I'm on the road this weekend. I may, or may not get in a session on Saturday, depends on how hard we party tomorrow.

[BrooklynJerry]

Sorry to hear that. Maybe the weekend of will help you recharge.

[Mr. Bingley]

sorry to hear that BD...kick some ass this weekend!

[Browndog]

Sorry to hear that. Maybe the weekend of will help you recharge.

sorry to hear that BD...kick some ass this weekend!

Thanks gents...

More to follow!

[Browndog]

7/29/23

Memphis Prep - m3 / w4 reps/sets

Let's get the lifts out of the way first:

Squat -
Top Single at 145kg. Might have had one more in me...

Bench -
Top Single at 95kg. A conservative call by my coach. Had at least one, maybe two more reps in me...

Deadlift -
Top Single at 210kg. Rocket Fucking Ship...certainly one more in the tank, with a real grind at a 3rd.

***

So, the appointment with my PCP was "interesting".

As the office was training a new PA, the appointment was a lot more give and take, defending of positions and choices being made, so as to allow the PA to "understand" how to work with a patient who's more "informed" than a normal patient. I use the scare quotes, as my PCP has a hard time with my pushing back on certain treatments they'd like me to undergo.

Anyway, we really did a deep dive on my Thyroid Issue. Initially the PCP was disinclined to do more to address the issue. He wanted to wait another 3 months to "see" a more definitive trend line.

I pushed back as politely as I could, insisting that my quality of life was being compromised by taking such a conservative approach to addressing what is obviously an issue. My points being:

1) The Synthroid was helping, but was not at an appropriate level...even though benefits had been seen.
2) I am back to feeling just a crappy as I was when we started.
3) Waiting is costing me "time" I may or may not have going forward. While my cancer prognosis is still "good", things can change. Given the fact that my middle brother died from Prostate Cancer a little over a year ago at age 74, shit can happen even though there are no genetic markers between our two cancers.
4) I have goals (that may or may not be realistic, I still want to chase them), and they are time dependent. We need to be as aggressive in getting me back to "optimal" as we can be.

After much back and forth, he acquiesced to my request to bumping up the dosage. We've gone from 50mcg to 75mcg...it's still a conservative bump but it's a start. We'll test Thyroid levels in 3 weeks, as well as C Reactive protein (to check my inflammation levels).

Will it make a difference before Memphis, who knows?

But here's what happened. I traveled to Cleveland for the weekend, and wasn't able to address the new dosage. Got to train at Kings Gym in Bedford. I ran into a couple of guys I've seen at past Raw Natls events. It was a fun day of training: nice guys, good atmosphere!

Started the new dosage Monday morning, and the placebo effect certainly helped the Squat.

By Thursday I had noticed that walking up and down stairs was not as painful...this was one of the first indicators that made itself know back when we started on this journey. Deadlifts were outstanding that day. My Pulls have been all back for the most part since I've been having these "issues". Thursdays pulls featured good leg drive off the floor...and NO KNEE PAIN. Oh, and for the first time in forever I was able to Bound...I used to do Skip Jumps / Bounds as warm-ups back in the before times, but have had to drop them do to too much pain in my knees. Not today baby! I actually could bound just as high on my bad leg as my good leg...what wizardry is this?!?!

Today's SBD day was wonderful. I was able to Squat with no pain...no hips barking at me, no knee pain in the hole, and no pain coming out of the hole...and these were Paused Squats. Deads were just as good.

Now, maybe this is another false dawn...who knows?!?! I'm just thrilled to have had two pain free sessions back to back. I really thrilled to have bounced back from a fairly emotionally disastrous week three. I expect that my wind will start to improve over the next few weeks. This next block of training is supposed to be a 3 weeks block. For the first time in months, I'm "optimistic" about stepping on the platform in September.

Yay...

[Bill Anders]

I had an annual similar to yours where the trainee was doing his familiarization training with my PCM. Too overeager to panic about everything. I eventually told the PCM that he needed to leave. Hopefully they had a good talk after that.

"...two pain free sessions back to back..." is fantastic news, BD. Hopefully that trend continues and you crush your goals at Nationals.

[Mr. Bingley]

sounds like a good trajectory BD!

[Browndog]

8/5/23

Memphis Prep - m4 / w1

It's gonna be a four week block...go figure.

Squat:
Top Single at 125kg...supposed to finish at 155kg. Disappointing, but that's what my body has allowed me to train to.

Bench:
Top Paused Single at 91kg...looking to finish at a solid 100kg PAUSED, with commands. Should be doable, lord knows we've trained this lift to within an inch of its life this year.

Deadlift:
Top Single at 185kg...215kg is the target. There's a precedent that was set back in 2019, where a pull of 215kg prior to Raw Natls turned into 227.5kg when the day came. Let it be written, and let it be done...

SBD Saturday:
Squat: 3 paused triples at 112.5kg. Hips and knee felt great...seem to be picking up some pop out of the hole...(shhhh)

Bench: 2 paused close grip doubles at 85kg. Pretty easy...(again, shhhh)

Deadlift: 3 Big Wheel Pull singles at 183kg. Pulled a nice warm-up double overhand at 163kg...my grip hasn't been that strong recently, so pulling that single was a bonus.

Had a damn pant load of successories, and got them all in without wilting. My knee continued to be accommodating to all the activity...no swelling / no stiffness / no pain.

So for the first week of this very important cycle, we finished strong. I was fatigued from the end of the third cycle, and it showed with my bar speed being "slow" during the week. Today evidenced a good recovery: speed, strength, endurance was all there.

The bump in thyroid meds is starting show benefits above and beyond placebo effect...(shhhh).

Getting my weight to 210lbs, and holding my weight at 210 is a real struggle at the moment (I'm at 206lbs at the moment, and that's really ephemeral). I thought I had an opportunity to change my weight class down to the 90kg class, but it turns out I can't...new rulez and all that nonsense. So I'm committed to the 100kg class, cannon fucking fodder. Not only am i going to be a really light 100kg competitor, but if I can't keep my weight above 90kg come meet day, I'll be a "guest" athlete and won't qualify for ANYTHING. Looks like I'll be eatin' dirty for the next 6 weeks. It's a real bitch not being able to eat a lot at one sitting, and basically not being all that hungry to begin with....sigh.

Anyway, on to week two...

[Browndog]

8/12/23

Memphis Prep m4-w2

Squat -
Top Single at 135kg, down sets at 120kg 2*2
I'm so in my head on Squats right now. 135kg wasn't bad, it's just that I need to KNOW that I can rip off a set of fahve at this weight...and I don't know that
at the moment

Bench -
Top Paused Single at 94kg, down sets T&G at 84kg 2*2
Not a bad rep at 94kg, it's just that my shoulders are tired. Hopefully the way the program is written will allow for some recovery as the weeks dwindle away.

Deadlift -
Top Single at 195, down sets at 180kg 2*2
Supremely easy pull at 195kg, and the down sets were as well...even if I did get out of position on the second reps (what's was up with that?).

SBD Saturday -
Paused Squat: 117.5kg 3*3
Close Grip Paused Bench: 86kg 2*2
Big Wheel Pulls: 193kg 1*3

Went with a more aggressive bar loading approach today, as well as a more certain outlook to getting under the weight / bar in hand. That, along with the theme from the Magnificent Seven on repeat made the bar "fly" (for varying degrees of "fly").

Squats were comfortable; Bench didn't wilt with the more aggressive loading (eb / 50kg / 80kg / 85kg); the BWPs were all done with a Hook Grip...three singles at 193kg and I didn't flinch, I'll give a full pull with a hook grip next Thursday during the warm up to 205kg...probably stop at 185kg and go to a mixed grip at 195kg...or not.

Pretty strong day, not too terribly tired.

Still having issues keeping my weight up: I'm 204 to 206lbs. I've added extra carbs in the form of Rice, and PB&Js every day. Sooner or later this extra 500 to 750 calories is gonna show up on the scale...pleaz!!!

Five Weeks Out...