Xuaxace's log, Recovery

[Xuaxace]

After lurking on the logs for so long, I finally bit the bullet and decided to make my own.

Basically, I have been training properly since around october of 2009. I weighted around 160lb back then. I'm currently at 196 in the morning.

I have had quite a few injuries a long the way, the worst was and still is a herniated disc in my lower back, which happened when I tried to deadlift without having a clue about the exersise. I always have pain, but strengthening my body has helped a lot in managing the pain, which I'm very used to now.

The main drawback is my compounds suffer due this injury, and progress is painfully slow, everything has to be spot on or I can hurt my back and be 2 weeks off compounds which has happened a few times.



Enough of talking. My PR's as they stand are


Squat = 307lb x 2 to parallel ( a few weeks back) /275 x 4 ATG yesterday.
Deadlift = 307x 5 (sumo)
DB press = 105's x4 full room.
Millitary press = 154 x 1
Db press = 83's x 5
Bent over rows = 230 x 5
Yates = 250 x 5
Pull ups = 22lb +Bw x 8
Dips = 33lb +bw x 10



That is all I can think off now. Mind you this are PR's that I have done in the last month or so. For some of the exercises I'm doing less as for workings sets and because I'm always trying to push to the edge/ don't ever use a spotter, some weeks I might do less than the week before. It is always the little things that can make or brake a set for me.



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A few pictures, Strong lighting, strong fatty, I will cut when I get to 210lb I think.


http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k191/dayyan/me2.jpg

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k191/dayyan/m3-1.jpg

[Xuaxace]

So today I started doing something different, chest and shoulder together. I used to have a separate day for each, but now I'm going to have 2 days for both. I will evaluate in two weeks if it works better or if it is an over kill.


Flat db press

105's x 3
105's x 3
105's x 2
77's x 7

Shoulder db press

77 x 4
77 x 2
77 x 2 + 71's x 6 (Went straight to 71's after failing the third rep)
60 x 10

DB incline
83's x 5
77's x 6
77's x 5
60 x 10

(I was hoping to get more reps out of the incline, but wasn't able, I usually do 77's so maybe the 83's drained me a little).

Millitary press

120lb x 6
110 x 5
88 x 8
88 x 8

( I was using a very slow form on this one, not so much the weight, but just going slow and controlled)


Next session I will start with Millitary or seated press because today shoulders were a bit secondary.

[beardymcbeard]

Nice dumbbell pressing and size, bf doesn't look too high to me

[Xuaxace]

Nice dumbbell pressing and size, bf doesn't look too high to me

Thanks, not the most impressive session today as it was a bit experimental, I usually would have gotten 3-4 reps in the ones I got 2... but owell. Getting closer to hitting those 50kg dumbells that I have been eyeing for so long.

oh and thanks for the Yates rows that I learnt from your blog, my favourite back exersise as for now!

[Xuaxace]

So I did back today, I felt like crap before I went to the gym, it didn't get much better, 5 missed sets on deadlifts, made me rage, which helped me get it done.





Sumo deadlift

330 x 1 failed...
320lb x 1 (pr.... yey?)
320 x 4.5 belted
320 x 4 belted
286 x 6
286 x 6

That took 50 mins ( plus all the failed sets and warm up, felt crap although I did hit a PR I was hoping for 330lb) I really think I can hit 4 plates in 4-5 weeks I hope, I know I have the strength, but need to work mentally on it and get my CNS accustom to the weight.

Rows wide mixed grip

At this stage I only had 25 mins before the gym closed.

220 x 5
220 x 5
200 x 8
200 x 8

yates

210 x 8
210 x 8
175 x 10
175 x 10


Pulldowns machine

220 x 8
220 x 8
175 x 10

Then I did a few pull ups and a row machine, didn't focus on weight, just to get a big of a pump on the back as I didn't do anywhere as near as I normally do, specially for lats :(.

Hopefully next back session is better.

[Xuaxace]

Another mediocre session, Was at uni from 8am to 6pm, went to the gym straight away at 7pm. Was knackered.


Db shoulder press

83lb x 3
83lb x 3
83lb x 5 (spotted mildly)
66 x 6

This destroyed my triceps :S

db chest press

99 x 3
93 x 3
88 x 5


I should have gotten 99x4x3 at least, triceps where dead.


Millitary

110 x 7
110 x 5
88 x 8

at this stage I feeling blah,.

incline

77x 5
72 x 7
72 x 6
61 x 6



Very inconsistent numbers, Hopefully next week is better.

[Xuaxace]

Enough of talking. My PR's as they stand are


Squat = 307lb x 2 to parallel ( a few weeks back) /275 x 4 ATG yesterday.
Deadlift = 307x 5 (sumo)
DB press = 105's x4 full room.
Millitary press = 154 x 1
Db press = 83's x 5
Bent over rows = 230 x 5
Yates = 250 x 5
Pull ups = 22lb +Bw x 8
Dips = 33lb +bw x 10



That is all I can think off now. Mind you this are PR's that I have done in the last month or so. For some of the exercises I'm doing less as for workings sets and because I'm always trying to push to the edge/ don't ever use a spotter, some weeks I might do less than the week before. It is always the little things that can make or brake a set for me.



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So I haven't bothered to update as lazy has taken over me, but a few PR's that I have beaten have been


Back to squating 307x3 after a few months of recuperating from back injury
Starting benching after 9 months today. did a 1rm paused max of 230lb
Deadlift 360x1
bent over rows 240x5 mix grip


all and all, happy but not happy at the same time. I think 1rm of squat can be at least 160 in a 6 weeks or so if all goes well.
Deadlift, I'm hoping 4P in a few weeks and 4.5p in 6 weeks.



I'm progressing, but I still feel very weak compared to most people here.

[beardymcbeard]

Nice rows!!



Don't feel weak too, btw. Progress is progress. Lotta' guys I see in the gym are NOT lifting your numbers.

[Xuaxace]

Turn things around a bit, my QL muscle got strained 6 weeks back, I had to take 2 weeks off the gym as I went on a holiday. Last week/ this week have been great. Box squated 375lb today to a parallel box. Also did 175lb millitary press yesterday. Need to get 200lb on military and 400 on squat. So 25lb each. Why the **** can't I make paragraphs?

[Xuaxace]

I think I will keep a few logs because of lower volume, so I can look back in the near future.


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Today I was benching, Still polishing my technique, dialing down all the factors for a good PL bench, today was mostly about leg drive, and switch to pure vertical movement of the bar instead of the J arc type that I have learnt from dave tate. I can push more straight line so I will do this for a while.


The max I have done on bench in the past has been 242x1 (110kg)

THe goal today was to get at least 8 reps in the 90% range.

95kg (210lb) x 2
102.5kg (225 ) x2
105 (230) x 2
107.5 (235) x 2
100kg (220) x 4

So I got 10 reps in that range, very easy repping, just had to get used to a few form adjustments, definitely the best bench form I have done so far. I think It is a platform for 120kg in the very near future. I had little time so rest times were sorter than usual.

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Started bb inclining for the first time ever.

75kg x 8 (165lb)
75kg x 8
70kg x 5
60kg x 6 + 6 (wide then narrow, straigh away)

I did the incline in less than 10 mins, and I had 5 mins left

Did flat db 30kg x 10 , then 20kg x 12 drop set, very fast, speed primary thing.

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I normally would have done a bit of back work, mainly rows and pull ups as accesory for bench, but just didn't have time.

[Xuaxace]

Had legs today, a bit of a mediocre session. Was feeling very bad with hay fever and extremly tired today. Worst bit, I only had 1 hour, I usually need 1.5 hours to get through what I need to do.

First, squats, I had to squat to a 14inch box because my brother wasn't at the gym to gauge depth. The bad thing is that I had to drop slower to I wouldn't bounce of the box, this decreased my stretch reflex a bit.

I worked to the max of the day

100kg x 5 (2 plates)
120 x 3
140 x2 (3 plates')
150 x 1
160 x 1 (3.5 plates)
165 x 1 all felt very easy, although I was having problems getting my glutes fired up, deffinitely need more accesory lifts to get this going.

I droped back to 140 and made the box 12 inches, considerably below parallel.
140x 3
140 x 3


I was running out of time. at this stage.

romanian

60 x 10
80 x 5
100 x 8
100 x 8 (2 plates)

I try to get as much strech as possible, very slow drop, hips very high to maximise the tension, I think a lot of people drop the hips to mimic a normal dead to get more weight from it...


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Did some kleening squats for the first time, 120kg or so, didn't feel very good, will do glute bridges next time.