Coalminecanary's Log

[Peter Dempster]

I finally decided to give this log thing a shot!

Background:

37 yo male, about 6'1 or 6'2, currently 218 lbs, about 21% bf. I have RA which has not seemed to adversely affect my training thus far, except that I can't rack a power clean due to terrible wrist flexibility. I work in an office and travel about 2x per month.

Started training with some focus in May 2016. I started working with a SSC in June and reset all my weights since I was doing it all wrong. Then in August I f'ed up a deadlift and herniated a disk in my low back.

I started up again in mid October with the following work weights:

Squat: 75 lbs (very cautious because of injury, not a true expression, but not that far off)
Deadlift: nil*
Bench: 135 lbs
Press: 90

* I was scared shitless to deadlift again. My SSC switched in low weight RDLs to get me started with some pulling.

Current work weights:

Squat: 235 lbs
RDL: 155 lbs
Bench: 172.5 lbs
Press: 117 lbs

In this period (mid October to now) I gained about 14 lbs.

Program is modified but more or less mid late LP with a touch of assistance work:

Day 1:

Squat 5x3
Bench 5, then 5x2 @ 90%
Chins (assisted) 3xAMRAP

Day 2:

Squat 5x3
Press 5, then 5x3 at 90%
RDLs 8x3
Push-ups 3xAMRAP
Cable face pulls 20x3

Ok. Let's do this!

[Peter Dempster]

Today trained with my SSC, Craig Bearss. Fun session at East Van Barbell.

Squat: 235 lbs and went 4, 4, 5. Frustrating, and strange, because I only got the last fifth rep in.
Bench: 172.5 lbs and went 2, 2, 1, 1, then 6 @ 155. I had a huge cramp in my left hamstring that went full charley horse when I was benching. I have to push my feet out to avoid this!
Deadlift: 155 5x2. Yay deadlifting again!

Program mod to come from Craig now that I'm DLing again.

[carson]

Welcome and keep up the good work.

[Peter Dempster]

Welcome and keep up the good work.

Thanks Carson!

[Peter Dempster]

Missed the session yesterday due to a bad cold. Almost better today but still exhausted, will lift tomorrow. Got my revised program today though from Craig:

Day A

Squat 3x5
Press 5, then 2x5 @90%
Deadlift 1x5
LTE 3x10
Negative Chins x3, as slow as possible

Day B

Squat 3x5
Bench 5, then 2x5 @90%
RDL 3x10 (lighter than before)
A mess of planks
Negative chins, as slow as possible

LTE thrown in to help drive the slowing bench and press, abs thrown in to support my back.

Weight was 216.5 pounds this AM. I blame the cold.

I just noticed that this might be more of a "General" log than a "SS" log...if an admin sees this, feel free to move it.

[Peter Dempster]

Still fighting off the cold but I trained anyway.

Squat 225lbs, 5x3. I took a slight light day given the cold. Felt all shitty and on video I was a couple inches high, form was bleh, etc. Will post a video in technique forum.

Press 117 lbs, 4x1. Lost the weight forward and couldn't get the fifth rep up. Then did 105 6x3. Then I got mad about missing the fifth rep from the first set and I made myself do 95 lbs AMRAP. That was dumb.

DL 165 lbs, 5x1. Felt easy but I was a bit gassed, I took too long in setting up and had a head rush. Whee!

LTE 55 lbs, 10x3. Last set was tough, but I should have done 60 or 65 lbs. Next time.

Negative chins. Managed 3, all around 22 seconds. One day I'll do a chin up!

See you Friday.

[Peter Dempster]

Woke up sick but not as bad as Wednesday.

Squat 240 lbs, 5x3. Felt like garbage on the 2nd and 3rd set. Bad technique, etc.
Bench 172 lbs, 5x1; 155 lbs, 5x3. Felt good!
RDL 125 lbs, 10x3. Craig had me go lighter to get the higher reps in.
Negative chins. 3, for 25 seconds. Improvement!

[carson]

I gather that your RA not only affects the Olympic lifts but also your Deads. Any possibility that you can overcome this?

[Peter Dempster]

I gather that your RA not only affects the Olympic lifts but also your Deads. Any possibility that you can overcome this?

It's not bad actually. The problem I have is that I was undiagnosed for about 2 years. In the meantime my wrists went to shit and I had to have carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists. My hands are entirely flunctional, except I can't bend my wrists back more than about 20 degrees. So, I can't rack a bar, but I can grip one just fine.

[Peter Dempster]

Squat 245 lbs. went 5,4,5. Felt fine but the 4th rep of the second set was awkward and took 4+ seconds.
Press 120 lbs. 3 reps, then fail. Should have repeated 117 lbs. Then did 110 for 6,6,4. Bleh.
DL 175 lbs. 5 reps felt fine.
LTE 60 lbs was easy for 10,10,10. Should have done 65 lbs.
Negative chins x3, for 30 seconds each.

Felt beat. Cold is gone but it took a lot out of me.

BW 218 lbs.

See you Wednesday.