Jason's Journal

[Jason2459]

Bird dogs

walked for a good 10 minutes at a decent pace. Very happy about this.

Bracing out hard on my abs, sneezing, and pissing still hurt. Have to watch out very carefully how I sit down, pick things up, stand up, just everyday stuff.

[Jason2459]

2014-09-25 22:59 - M2 W1 D3 ME Bench

Bench Press

• 45 lbs x 5 reps
• 45 lbs x 5 reps
• 45 lbs x 5 reps
• 135 lbs x 5 reps
• 185 lbs x 3 reps

Bench Press

• 225 lbs x 3 reps
• 275 lbs x 3 reps
• 295 lbs x 3 reps
• 315 lbs x 3 reps
• 325 lbs x 3 reps
• 335 lbs x 1 reps
• 355 lbs x 1 reps [PR]

Comments: Reverse Light bands added. 325x3 PR and 355x1 PR

Bench Press

• 245 lbs x 5 reps
• 245 lbs x 5 reps
• 245 lbs x 5 reps

Face Pull

• 40 lbs x 20 reps
• 40 lbs x 20 reps

Snatch

• 20 lbs x 20 reps

Comments: standing band snatch with mini band

Notes: rehab erry day throughout the day still.

[CROMAGS1985]

Bench getting good...

[Jason2459]

Bench getting good...

Hope so, it's all I can do right now. Going to try some goblet squats next week.

[Marshall28]

Wait so 355 was raw?

[Jason2459]

Wait so 355 was raw?

Some day but it was with Reverse Light bands. Felt like I could have easily doubled that 335 if not push it to a triple too but already hit my triple PR and will leave that 335x3 for next time.

[Marshall28]

Some day but it was with Reverse Light bands. Felt like I could have easily doubled that 335 if not push it to a triple too but already hit my triple PR and will leave that 335x3 for next time.

I have never tried reverse bands for bench. I always use the slingshot for the overload work. What are the advantages of the bands vs. something like a sling shot?

[Jason2459]

I have never tried reverse bands for bench. I always use the slingshot for the overload work. What are the advantages of the bands vs. something like a sling shot?

More natural groove. The slingshot will change your technique. Unless you use strong bands the reverse bands don't really change anything besides making it weigh less at the bottom. Then you want to try and make it take off as very little as possible or 0lbs on the top so you get a feel for the full weight. Using mini, monster minis, and light bands I don't feel them at all. At lighter weights I can feel the average bands grooving the bar a bit but once heavy they don't change anything. Strong bands I can feel grooving the bar different but they are fun as hell to use sometimes.


Benefit of the slingshot you can do it on any bench. Reverse bands require something to attach up top.

[Marshall28]

More natural groove. The slingshot will change your technique. Unless you use strong bands the reverse bands don't really change anything besides making it weigh less at the bottom. Then you want to try and make it take off as very little as possible or 0lbs on the top so you get a feel for the full weight. Using mini, monster minis, and light bands I don't feel them at all. At lighter weights I can feel the average bands grooving the bar a bit but once heavy they don't change anything. Strong bands I can feel grooving the bar different but they are fun as hell to use sometimes.


Benefit of the slingshot you can do it on any bench. Reverse bands require something to attach up top.

This is good to know...Thanks Jason. I do something strange on meet day when doing warm ups I hit my last warm up with the slingshot. I think this meet I will open with 314 so I will hit 325-330 with the slingshot. That way my actual open will feel SUPER lite and then my 2nd attempt won't feel very heavy at all. It's worked for me in the past so I keep doing it.

[Jason2459]

This is good to know...Thanks Jason. I do something strange on meet day when doing warm ups I hit my last warm up with the slingshot. I think this meet I will open with 314 so I will hit 325-330 with the slingshot. That way my actual open will feel SUPER lite and then my 2nd attempt won't feel very heavy at all. It's worked for me in the past so I keep doing it.

That can work. I've seen many guys load up the bar with more then they will hit for their 3rd attempts and just unrack the weight just to feel it and put it back.

[Jason2459]

2014-09-30 14:54 - M2 W2 D1 DE Bench

Bench Press

• 45 lbs x 5 reps
• 45 lbs x 5 reps
• 45 lbs x 5 reps
• 135 lbs x 5 reps
• 185 lbs x 5 reps
• 225 lbs x 5 reps
• 275 lbs x 3 reps

Bench Press

• 185 lbs x 3 reps
• 185 lbs x 3 reps
• 185 lbs x 3 reps
• 185 lbs x 3 reps
• 185 lbs x 3 reps
• 185 lbs x 3 reps
• 185 lbs x 3 reps
• 185 lbs x 3 reps
• 185 lbs x 3 reps
• 185 lbs x 3 reps

Close Grip Bench Press

• 225 lbs x 5 reps
• 225 lbs x 5 reps
• 225 lbs x 5 reps

Cable Seated Row

• 80 lbs x 12 reps
• 80 lbs x 12 reps
• 80 lbs x 12 reps

Pull-Up

• 1 reps
• 1 reps
• 1 reps
• 1 reps
• 1 reps
• 1 reps
• 1 reps
• 1 reps
• 1 reps
• 1 reps
• 1 reps
• 1 reps
• 1 reps
• 1 reps
• 1 reps

Notes: Tried some KB Goblet squats yesterday. Didn't feel good. Stopped. Goal right now for a few more weeks is to avoid pain and try and let my SI calm down. Wish it was just a muscle injury. Muscle injuries are easy to deal with.

[Jason2459]

Milestones.

I pissed today.

Let me expand. I pissed with out pain today. It wasn't a max effort push it out piss but not having pain even trying to ease it out is awesome feeling.

Its been crazy having to relearn a lot of movement patterns so my sciatic nerve doesn't get pissed off. Its been worth it. I'm walking pretty normal now which is great considering I had drop foot and hurt like hell to try to lift my left foot. I can now floss my si nerve which makes it very happy. Kind of hurts doing it and about the only thing I'm doing that I purposely do now that does hurt because after it feels so much better.

Still doing things everyday several times a day. I make sure to stand up frequently and reset my posture like in the second chapter of Supple Leopard. Then will floss the nerve a few times. Try and walk around when I can.

Im back to walking everyday for up to 15-20 minutes now. Use more arm swinging at the shoulder as described by Stuart McGill. In fact his stuff has been gold. Cat/camels, bird dogs, and mcgill crunch every morning. Mornings are the absolute worse. I do wait to floss a couple hours per his recommendations. Planking on the floor hurts but do them on a wall is all good and do that and rolling to side bridges.

Have tried to do nothing now that causes more pain or flexion. So trying to figure out how to do everything has been interesting. Still no idea how to put on socks or shoes with out some flexion or pain. Also trying to get a better way to get off the bench as that doesn't feel good.

Highly suggest Stuart McGills Ultimate Back fitness and performance book 5th edition to everyone even those tthat don't have back issues to help prevent them. Trying to follow all his advices and exercises in that book, on the web from his articles and Brian Carrol's, and YouTube vids with McGill in them.

[bobbydigitaloa]

Congrats on the bench PR, J.

Reading that ^^ now.

[Jason2459]

Congrats on the bench PR, J.

Reading that ^^ now.

lol I thought for a second you congratulated me on my pissing.

Thanks for checking in. Thoughts or plans on any upcoming meets?

[bobbydigitaloa]

lol I thought for a second you congratulated me on my pissing.

Thanks for checking in. Thoughts or plans on any upcoming meets?

HAHAA

I'm going to do a BB comp in Apr and then back to PL.

[Jason2459]

So been asked supplements taken, "supplements" taken, meds etc

First no "supplements" , prescribed meds, musle relaxers ,nsaids, pain meds, anti inflammatories, etc have been taken. I've been prescribed pain, anti inflammatories, muscle relaxers and was tempted at first but skipped it.

I have bumped up a few things I think help reduce inflammation and recovery.

I've reduced caffeine in take a lot.
Increased water consumption a lot.
Increased vitamins C to something north of 2g/day
16 fish oils caps a day split up 8 at a time
8 caps of cissus split up 4 at a time
Vitamin D 2000-5000 iu
And two 600mg NAC caps.

Otherwise still following a CBL type diet. Take in some creatine and a couple multivitamins a day.

[Jason2459]

Quick log update. Last friday I did a fluff and buff type day and got dat pump on. Yesterday did some quicky benching with 205 and some accessory stuff after that.

Otherwise rehab every day as usual. Cat/Camels, bird dogs, McGill Crunches, starting to get some planking on a bench now as from the floor still hurts, walking 15-20 minutes at a good pace, and sciatic nerve flossing are the core and done several times a day. Starting to do some single leg GM/Deadlift no weight just hip hinging and sliding a little back into a lunge. Air squats and get about parallel still but anything below starts hurting. That's about it. Once I can get below parallel without hurting I'll try and goblet squats and the hip hinging stuff with some weight.

Having some better days and bad days and mornings are always really really bad. I always hurt most in the morning anyway and now is just torture. This will be the 4th week of rehab. Plan is to get a bar back on my back once I can get through a couple weeks of goblet squats with no pain. This could be another 2-4 weeks away or more. Then I'll slowly work my way back up and will probably incorporate 10/20/life's offseason method for deads and squats at that time. RPE based and 2 up and and 1 down approach for recovery.

[Anthony21]

Damn bro i'm sorry you're going through this rehab and not able to lift how you want to right now.

Stay strong boss.

[Jason2459]

Damn bro i'm sorry you're going through this rehab and not able to lift how you want to right now.

Stay strong boss.

In the long run this may be a good thing for me. I've really relearned a lot of basic motion patterns to reduce spin flexion and increase spin stability and health. I found I did a lot of things in a non-optimal way mainly to get around other pains in my body at the expense of my back. I cant say enough how much I recommend Stuart McGill's Ultimate Back book especially to those that have a pain free back to help keep it that way and to increase performance.

[Anthony21]

In the long run this may be a good thing for me. I've really relearned a lot of basic motion patterns to reduce spin flexion and increase spin stability and health. I found I did a lot of things in a non-optimal way mainly to get around other pains in my body at the expense of my back. I cant say enough how much I recommend Stuart McGill's Ultimate Back book especially to those that have a pain free back to help keep it that way and to increase performance.

He does a lot of work with Bryan Carroll huh?

[Jason2459]

He does a lot of work with Bryan Carroll huh?

He's done a lot of work with all kinds of top athletes and every day people. Brian called him up having multiple severe issues including some fractures and blown discs. In less then a year he was back squatting over 1000lbs.

http://www.powerrackstrength.com/bul...mcgill-part-i/
http://www.powerrackstrength.com/bul...cgill-part-ii/


Playlist of a bunch of video's with Stuart McGill in them
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...Jt7sgMh1WxklWx

[Anthony21]

He's done a lot of work with all kinds of top athletes and every day people. Brian called him up having multiple severe issues including some fractures and blown discs. In less then a year he was back squatting over 1000lbs.

http://www.powerrackstrength.com/bul...mcgill-part-i/
http://www.powerrackstrength.com/bul...cgill-part-ii/


Playlist of a bunch of video's with Stuart McGill in them
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...Jt7sgMh1WxklWx

Thanks for the links. I'll take a look at them later.

[Jason2459]

Max Effort Benching Last night with some doubled mini bands was fun. Worked up to some heavy triples and then took off the bands and did some reps with 275, 245 and 225 narrow grip. Then some upper back stuff. Yep, back to training in the middle of the night before bed.

Have a lot more good times than bad times with that nerve. Upper left part of my calf and left glute just feel like they have a mild cramp or sore from training now and need massaged out but I'm not touching them as I know it's just the nerve causing the sensation. There's still some things that hurt and usually worse after sitting or laying down and of course the morning after waking up. I want to get squatting and pull so bad and having all that equipment sitting in my basement does not help. Have to hold off just a little longer. I was able to hit below parallel last night doing some body weight squats holding a pvc pipe overhead. It was just mildly uncomfortable but no shooting pain.

[Donkeyno9]

I haven't checked on your journal for a while Jason. It' depressing to see you injured but I'm glad you didn't just walk away from lifting afterwords. Get better so I can whoop your ass the right way

[Jason2459]

I haven't checked on your journal for a while Jason. It' depressing to see you injured but I'm glad you didn't just walk away from lifting afterwords. Get better so I can whoop your ass the right way

Not going to say this doesn't really suck but it's just one more obstacle to overcome. Not the first and won't be the last. The list is too long. Never give up.

Havent seen you around for awhile unless I accidentally unsubscribed from your log. Hope everything is going well for you. Thanks for checking in.

Rehab has been progressing well. Will start holding some weight in my hands. Like goblet squats, farmers walk, lunges to start. Nothing heavy. Do that for a couple weeks and go from there.

[Jason2459]

So, last night I held on to some weight. 20lbs kettle bell. Went ok. Some discomfort and I have some really bad left knee instability. It's like my muscles are not firing right at all. I'm not feeling any worse today so that's a good sign and will continue on.

Did some warmups and right into some KB Goblet Squats. Left knee and leg was all over the place and had a hard time with getting the muscles to work together. Some pain if I went to low.

Then did some full stepping back lunges with no weight as it was taking way too much to try and keep balanced.

Finished up with some 2 hand KB swings with the 20lbs and those felt great just hip hinging the weight up.

Going to have a lot of work to do. Still walking and stabilizing/stiffening the spine every day.

[HARRYBEAST]

I keep hoping to come in here and see a post where you are all healed up and feeling good. Keep you head up and plug on my man

[Jason2459]

I keep hoping to come in here and see a post where you are all healed up and feeling good. Keep you head up and plug on my man

Getting there slow and steady. I'm really hoping within the next couple weeks to get a bar on my back. Need to get down in the goblet squat with no pain. Putting a bar on my back and compressing the spine would just make it worse.

[Marshall28]

Getting there slow and steady. I'm really hoping within the next couple weeks to get a bar on my back. Need to get down in the goblet squat with no pain. Putting a bar on my back and compressing the spine would just make it worse.

Take your time. We need you healed up and 100%

[Jason2459]

Take your time. We need you healed up and 100%

Don't think I have ever been 100% and probably wont ever be. But yeah, I need this nerve issue to go away or I won't be able to squat at all if I can't get my knee under control. The pain I can handle but not being able to keep my knee stable will eventually lead to a blowout.