Bassist_Phil's Log Of Joy

[Bassist_Phil]

Suppose it's best to actually start a log. It might actually encourage me to stick to it, and also help problem-solve some issues that I'm having, or could flare up in the future.

Caveats:

Firstly, I'm not really Doing The Program. I've Not Been Doing The Program for a long, long time. Health, work and life problems/commitments have got in the way. But, I do try. I've also got fat and older in the process.

Secondly, this thing could be rather sporadic. Due to work, I can't always commit to heading to the gym 3 times a week (I work in live entertainments, which generally means 8am - 10pm Monday, half days Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, full day Wednesday, and Saturday, usually 1pm - 4am, with only one break. Oh how I weep). So, I can usually only commit 2 x a week due to work/gym opening times/actually seeing the girlfriend.

Thirdly, I have some health issues. I have suspected TOS on the left side. The NHS point-blank refuse to do any thorough tests because NHS. I'm still pushing this. In the mean time, I've started seeing a chiro who is doing an amazing job (Graston technique mainly). I'd see someone else who'd do active release or something, but I live in a lovely little, and rather posh, city called York, and NO-ONE is willing to actually give anyone a proper massage, but happy to charge a fortune. I've had a few hip and knee pains due to sketchy squats, and am flat-footed and like to sit on my ass and play computer games most of the time.

Fourthly, I'm a really poor athlete. I can't lift for shit.
I went to see the UK's only SS coach, the great Carl Raghaven down in London a while ago. He taught me how to actually lift, and lo and behold, none of it stuck because I suck. Once I win the lottery, I'll be back down there for another session.

Old PRs:

Squat: 127.5x5x3
Deadlfit: 160x5
Bench: ~80x5x3
Power Clean: ~80x3x5
Press: 47.5x5x3

Current:

Squat: 90x5x3
Deadlift: 110x5
Bench: 60x5x3
Power Clean: 60x3x5
Press: 42.5x5x3

I have two current goals: Hit my old PRs, and lift more than one of the guys who goes to the same gym as I. He's a small chap, very dedicated, but I reckon I can catch up to him in no time if I really tried.

[Bassist_Phil]

18/08/2015

Tuesday was the first squat session that I had zero pain in my shoulder. It's usually the exercise that really makes it flare up (pain/numbness down the left arm).

OHP: 42.5x5x3
Squat: 90x5x3
Deadlift: 110x5

I'm currently doing the presses at the start as I want to really warm up the shoulders and arms before squatting. I'm also doing a few face pulls right at the start, and mobility stuff etc etc. Seems to be working.

OHP: https://youtu.be/m2yCHvUJHZM

I don't think they're quite as bad as they look. But I am definitely doing something weird with my back. I had some pretty shitty pelvic tilt going on. I'm trying to sort it out. If anyone reading has any advice, gimme a holler.

Squats side view: https://youtu.be/L3zsH5JitR4
Back view: https://youtu.be/MjrH97nkad0
Diagonal view: https://youtu.be/jiR7vmYpWUc

I love Kinovea. Recently installed it. Compared to some old squats, these are amazing. Still shit though. One thing I learnt this, despite reading the book about a million times, is lifting the chest and elbows AT THE SAME TIME really helps set the upper back. I'm also still struggling with a slight heel raise/knee slide, but this is getting better.
I need to stop doing a little dance between sets and stop doing that stupid bounce at the top.
And why is my left knee so much less stable than my right?

Deadlift: https://youtu.be/pcANflF51Cs

And I thought I was alright at deadlifts. Obviously not. Simple fix: SQUEEZE.

[Bassist_Phil]

Today's lifts

Bench Press: 65x5x3
Squat: 95x5x3
Power Clean: 60x5x3

Squats are getting better I think. Took some advice on my tendancy to lift the chest a little on the ascent. Seems to be getting better but I still need to work on the knee slide a bit more. I have a feeling it's going to take a long time due to how long I've been doing it. After watching one of the sets, I've tried cutting off the depth a teeny bit to see if that helps, but I may have taken it too far.

Side view: https://youtu.be/Uf91TR1zvd0
Angled view (with higher depth):https://youtu.be/EOhrWXo8JXo

Bench press, like the OHP, is going at the start of the sessions due to my shoulder problem. This is the first time I've ever filmed the benches, and I instantly saw an issue - at the lockout, I think the bar is above the scapula, but it's actually above the forehead! No wonder the bench contributed to my shoulder pain. Not 100%, but better.

Angled view:https://youtu.be/ZKduIpazZKc
Side view: https://youtu.be/m9Q2V_2dpgw

Power Cleans are pretty shitty. The last set seems to be getting there though. Is my back angle ok? I know I'm pulling with bent elbows, and I'm working hard to stop that. I may redo this weight next time, or even drop the weight to 55kg.

here's the PC videos
https://youtu.be/1NQnjTrJ-NQ
https://youtu.be/t-0CqRp5Mlk

Things I've learnt: the buses are rubbish. I think it's time to buy a new bike and cycle to and from the gym. It'll be a lot quicker than public transport. Also, I hate a lot of people who watch the horseraces. Oh, had a little debate with a guy about the difference between a straight back and a vertical back (he was basically questioning why I wasn't super-vertical). He started the argument.

[carson]

Welcome. Neutral neck on DL please lest you hurt your neck. Good looking shoes.

[Bassist_Phil]

Thanks Carson. I'll be working on the neutral neck along with dragging the bar up the shins on Monday.
I like the shoes. They're the second cheapest one can buy in the UK (got them off ebay). I was hoping to get matching knee sleeves.

[Bassist_Phil]

Tonight's lifts

All lifts in kgs

Overhead Press 45x5x3
Squat 100x5x3
Deadlift 120x5

Felt a bit of a cold coming on during the day, but the session was great overall. Very little shoulder issues, maybe a bit tight during the warm-up sets on the squats. Knees felt great, too.

Overhead Press

These started out real bad, but I corrected as much as I could after watching the first two sets. The third set felt easy, but I didn't realise that my wrists were so bet. Do I still have excessive lean-back? I feel like it's a bit tighter.

Squat angle view

Squat rear view

I was hoping to get a side view, but the gym was a bit busy tonight. These felt really easy. Probably just the belt though. Am I still raising my chest too early? I'm trying to really focus on hip drive.

Deadlift

Again, felt pretty easy. My main focus was on keeping a neutral neck, so I focused on an object a lot closer, on the floor, instead of the far wall. Also, I concentrated on dragging the bar up my shins. How do they look now?

Things I learnt
Those Bench Slingshot thingys look fucking stupid when an underweight kid, who can barely bench 60kgs for one rep, uses one. He and all of his mates thought it was amazing.
Catch 22 is an amazing book. Everyone should read it.

[Bassist_Phil]

Forgot to log Wednesday's lifts, so will probably be posting twice today. Here's the other day's lifts

Bench press 67.5 x5x3
Squat 105 x5x3
Power Clean Technique

Still got this cold. It's not harming anything, just a bit annoying.

Bench felt easier than previous session, and more solid. Still got a bit to work on, mainly lining up the bar at lockout over the scapulas, and NOT over my face.

Bench press Angle
Bench press side

Squats felt a bit tough. Felt good though. Looks like I was dropping into the bottom a bit too quick, as there's a little bit of forward knee travel. I'll keep working with that foam roller and concentrating on hip drive.

https://youtu.be/Es845oQDL9E
https://youtu.be/k0b6C6h9YQc

No proper power cleans today, as I stupidly asked someone for some form help. I've seen him loads of times - a guy in his mid-late 40's (maybe even older), doing lots of Olympic lifts. I ask him to help me my overuse of arms in the clean, and he basically tells me I'm doing everything wrong. I knew it wouldn't be good when he got me to put the bar practically over my toes. He was a British Weightlifting coach, so there was no chance of an argument. I'm tempted to lend him my copy of Starting Strength - he's the kind of guy who would read it, too, and actually weigh up the arguments.

[Bassist_Phil]

So as I warned, work got in the way last week. I did manahe to finish off the Fridays session following the last post, but then 12 - 14 hours a day work got in the way (oh, and a birthday to London). So got back in to the gym this past Monday. I didn't have the time to log the lifts, so I'll just put down what I did today.
I've made a slight reset to take into account the week off

squat 105kg
press 40kg
Power clean 50kg

The squats seem to be going really well, so I'm going to leave the filming for a while. Bar path is cleaning up nicely, zero knee pain or clicking (yay!), and weighy going up.

I really tried to concentrate on the form in both the press and the power clean. For the press, I'm focusing on moving the hips FORWARD and not leaning BACK. I can certainly feel the difference already.
Although, I did seem to tweak my right trap, which is odd as it's usually the left side that gets messed up. Maybe my shoulder issues are more spinal. Food for thought.

I've purposefully stuck to 50kg on the PC to really concentrate on form. Felt much better than usual, and I certainly feel like I'm using my arms less. All in all, a good session (the trap tweak didn't interfere).

[Bassist_Phil]

Had to postpone Fridays session due to work and instead went yesterday (then followed that up with a 14 hour shift. God I'm tired today). But an extra day did help my neck loosen up a bit, and I had no problems with it whatsoever.

squat 110kg
press 42.5kg
Deadlift 120kg

Squats were fine. Last set was a bit of a struggle and left knee refused to stay out. I think I'll just need to keep at it, and maybe work on a little stretching (right knee generally stays put these days). Only felt a bit of a grind on the very last rep. I've also noticed that really slowing down the lift (well, all the lifts) has helped immeasurably, especially in keeping tight.

Yes, yes. I did press again. Mainly because I've been preoccupied with the form. I think it's getting better. I'm tempted to start microloading from now, even though my PR is 47.5kg.

Deadlifts are deadlifts. Just making sure I kept the bar up against my shins. I was pretty tired by the time I deadlifted, and one or two reps were a little rounded on the upper back, but I know I can do it.

I've started chinning every session now. On Monday, I managed a measly 3,3,3. Whereas Friday's sessions I managed 5,5,5. I'm doing these to help my poorly shoulder and for dem gunz. It helps with work, too. I work in a hemp house, which is a listed theatre where we've still got the old hemp bars, and we don't have the capacity to counterweight them. Gotta say, it's one of the more manly jobs in theatre. I've also acquired a bike, so I'll be cycling to and from the gym. Should help in the warmups.

I'm planning on filming one or two sessions this week to see if I'm heading in the right direction.

[Bassist_Phil]

The new wheels are ace! Nice and easy ride to and from the gym, shaving off around 1 hour from the travelling time (I hate buses in York). Saw my chiro today. He's really helping out. It's quite a slow process, but he's one of the only people who has actually done anything other than say they don't know what's wrong, and to stop lifting. But it's getting expensive. Good job it won't be for much longer now.

squat 112.5kg
bench press 70kg
power clean 32.5kg
chins 6,6,5

Squats were a lot easier than Saturday's session, probably because I had a day off work yesterday and had the chiro appointment today. Still getting better and better.

Bench was fine, still fine-tuning "the groove", and the bar path. It's cleaning up, and as such, is getting stronger. I'll be going down to 2.5kg increases from now on (I've only been doing the 5kg jumps just to get back up close to my previous PRs). I'm still doing the press and bench at the start of the work out due to my shoulder, but hopefully I'll be healed up all properly to put it back into the middle, as I have a feeling that the squat and deadlift being back-to-back will be real tough real soon.

I'm taking it really slow on the power clean, as I think doing accidental inverted rows has at least contributed to the poorl shoulder. If I miss a rep, or pull with the arms, I can feel it instantly in my left arm. But overall, apart from 2 or 3 slightly dodgy reps, these seem to be ok. Much more work needs to be done.

Finished Catch 22 over the weekend. This week I'll be starting Fahrenheit 451.