IronGeek's Training Log Part Deux: Striving for Mediocrity

[irongeek]

2.15.18 Moar Rehab

Deadlift w/ belt - 275 x 8 x 4 (easy w/ no pain)
Floor press (on 1.5" mats) - 205 x 8 x 4 (I love these when my lower back hurts.)
Pullups - BW x 6, 6, 5, 5, 4 (improving a bit - feel a little pain in lower back on ascent. Makes sense since I want to put my back into a bit of extension on the ascent.)
Dips - (BW+25) x 10, 10, 10, 9 (PR!!) Next time add 5 lbs.

Hey. At least I can PR my dips!

Overall - good workout. Less pain down right hamstring. I only really feel it when I put my back in hard extension.

[irongeek]

2.17.18

Deadlft w/ belt - 315 x 8 x 4
Press - 145 x 8 x 3, 135 x 8
Rows - 185 x 10, 205 x 8 x 3
Dips - BW x 15 x 3 (PR)
Chins - BW x 5, 4

Still PR'ing my dips. Just a bit of pain in right glute/ham. Back stiff, but no pain.
Did some chins. Didn't put too much effort into them. Very little elbow pain, but it's still there - just a tad.

[irongeek]

2.19.18

Squat - 225 x 8 x 2, 255 x 8 (was going to do another set, but wanted to be conservative. No pain during the lifts, but only after racking the bar. Weird.)
Floor Press - 215 x 8 x 3 (Still get a bit of lumbar pain, but better than bench)
Pullups - BW x 6 x 5 (Some kind of PR)
Dips - (BW + 35) x 8 x 3 (Some other kind of PR).
Curls (using curl bar) - Bar+70 x10, Bar+90 x 8 x 2

Still have some pain down glute/ham, but it's still getting better. Will LP weight up on squats unless pain gets worse.
I've never done any real work with dips until recently. I'm starting to notice my shoulder girdle getting bigger to handle the increasing loads. I have no idea if it will help my bench or press, but it's starting to make my upper back/shoulders look a little bigger.

[irongeek]

2.21.18

Squat - 255 x 8 x 2, 275 x 8 (Sore as shit, so these were harder than they had to be. No pain during squats, which is good. Just pissed that I'm only doing 255/275)
Press - 150 x 8, 7, 7 (Not quite up to where I was before injury, but getting close.)
DL - 345 x 6 x 3 (Was going to do 8s, but just too tired and sore from squats. Need to eat a little bit more before my workout.)
Dips - BW x 19 (PR - had to PR something. Dips are the only things I'm having any luck with.)

Meh....
Doing OK. I think my back is getting better, but sometimes, out of the blue, the pain down the glute/ham comes back. But then it goes away.
I think I just need to give it more time and to continue working on form.

[irongeek]

2.23.18

Squat - 275 x 8, 8
315 x 8 (Good to get back to 3 plates again. Less glute/ham pain than Wednesday. Things looking up!)
Bench - 225 x 8 x 3 (Close to my last bench press doing 8 rep sets before injury. Didn't have to do floor press - lower back a bit touchy, but not bad!)
Rows - 225 x 8 x 4 (These felt easy. Again, still some glute crampiness, but more when unracking the bar.)
Dips - (BW+35) x 9 x 3 (PR!)

Feeling better. Getting closer to pre-injury weights. I hope to be there in another week or 2.
Using less vitamin-I - only when the crampiness starts to piss me off. I find that one dose does it for the day when I do take it.

[irongeek]

2.23.18

Quick aside. I've found this website to be useful dealing with pain (such as my little bout with lumbar pain that radiates to glutes and ham.)
Seems very much aligned with the article written by Austin about the problem of pain. Lots of good articles. I'm reading one on stretching and why it's pretty much a waste of time. Good stuff. Just thought I'd share.

[irongeek]

2.26.18

Squat - 315 x 6, 5, 5, 5 (Bar speed slowing on 6th rep, so stayed with 5s. Felt good, no pain. Just cramping during warmups)
Press - 150 x 8 x 3 (Made these with a bit in the tank. Failed these last week. LP continues... Some ham cramping during 1st set/warmups. Then it got better)
DL - 365 x 5 x 4 (hook grip). Felt good.
Dips - (BW+35) x 10 x 3 (PR) (At least I can PR SOMETHING)
Pullups - BW x 3 x 5 (Trying something different since these take FOREVER to make progress with. Doing 3's with a "dynamic effect" high speed movement. We'll see if it helps...

Overall, good workout. I think I'll be able to get with Andy's program again soon after this week or maybe the week after...
Less back pain, but it's still not 100%. Funny thing is it was bugging me yesterday and I had to take some ibu. Felt better after training.

[irongeek]

2.28.18

Squat - 335 x 5 x 4 (Still some hamstring crampiness, but it went away after a couple sets.)
Bench - 245 x 5, 4, 4 225 x 9 (Barspeed dropped on 5th rep, so I did 4s instead. Getting there...)
DL - 385 x 5 x 2 (Hook grip, then straps. Legs tired by the time I trained this)
Pullup/Dip mini-circuit - (5/12), (5/12), (5/12)

Pain and crampiness in my hams still improving, but not completely cleared up. It comes and goes. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

[irongeek]

3.2.18

Squat - 305 x 5 x 5 (DE) (Some ham/glute crampiness)
Press - 165 x 5 x 3, 135 x 10 (Some ham/glute crampiness)
Rows - 245 x 6 x 2, 255 x 6 x 2 (No pain whatsoever)
Dips - (BW + 45) x 8 x 3 (PR!)
Pullups - BW x 8, 6, 4

Squats feel weak. Just gotta LP them back up.
Most pain gone. Just some ham/glute crampiness. At this rate, another week or so. But it will take longer to get my lower half as strong as pre-injury
I have a new-found appreciation for body-weight exercises, as those were the only thing I could train consistently. I think the dips have helped me maintain my press.
They seem to be putting on some mass on my upper chest/back/triceps, too

[irongeek]

3.3.18

Went to a lift "brush up" event at Black Iron Training in Lansing, MI. Coach Chris and Brooke found a few ways I could improve my lifts. Esp: Get more quad into my deadlifts. On several reps of my DL, I was extending my legs too quick and stiff-legging the load up. Also, my press had too much layback. This could be a reason why my low back is hurting. It was a great event. Nice environment and great coaching. My wife came along too. Even though she hardly lifts, she wanted to get her form checked so that she could lift with confidence when she does pick it up again. We may engage Brooke over the summer to coach my wife and daughter twice a week for a month or two.

My wife and I made a date out of it and went to an Irish pub nearby for "recovery" beverages. Good day.