Recovery after major shoulder repair

[fittofattofit]

Yesterday's sessions bumped (cos I got a PR on my deadlift)

25th October 2012

170.5lbs

Round 1 --- PT 'core' session

Single legged deadlifts on a bosu ball 12, 12, 12, 12 each leg

corner bar high-low rotations 12, 12 x 5kg on oly bar and 12 x 10kg on olybar, each side. Oly bar in the corner + 10kg plate. Hold bar with 2 hands under the collar and rotate form high to low
Great stability exercise for torso and hips

TRX - pistol squats 12, 12, 12 each leg going ATG
Getting better but I'd fall over without the TRX straps

plank - 3 point 12, 12, 12 each side = legs together on the floor and one arm stable, then extend out fully with the other arm
Tough core and hip stability exercise

Pistol squats in the rack - one hand to support 4, 4, 4 each side
This is much harder than using the TRX straps - using one hand to support really causes you to rotate at the hip during the deep part of the squat

Plank with feet in the TRX straps: push-ups and single legged jack-knife 12, 12. Plank position, pushup position, foot on a roller board, and the other suspended - perform a jack-knife with the foot on the roller, push-ups at extension
Abs and hip stabilisers totally activated throughout. Push-ups make it so hard on the abs

rolling + 30 minutes






25th October 2012

170.5lbs

Deadlifts with the new PT

Thoracic and hip rotrations

Deadlifts
5 x 60kg (132lbs)
5 x 100kg (220lbs)
5 x 130kg (286lbs)
3 x 150kg (330lbs)
1 x 170kg (374lbs)
1 x 175kg (385lbs) PR
3 x 150kg (330lbs)
5 x 130kg (286lbs)
175kg PR lift felt good

Reverse lunges
12 x 40kg (88lbs) each leg
10 x 50kg (110lbs) each leg
8 x 55kg (121lbs) each leg
6 x 60kg (132lbs) each leg
Concentrated on back and hip control down
Explosive power up

Superset 45 second rest between SSs
Snatch grip (wide) pendlay rows
12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 x 40kg (88lbs)
With Sumo cleans
12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 x 40kg (88lbs)
Power off the ground

Superset No rest between SSs
Overhead squats
6, 8, 10, 12 x oly bar (44lbs)
With
ring pull-ups
10, 8, 6, 4 x BW
Conditioning

Superset No rest between SSs
woodchoppers
12, 12 x oly bar +5kg
12 x oly bar +10kg
With
Kettle bell swings
12, 12, 12 x 24kg (53lb)
Woodchops for core stability
Swings to get the explosive hip drive for the lockout

Tri-set
Thoracic extensions on a swiss ball
12, 12, 12
Plank rollouts on a swiss ball
12, 12, 12
Ring 'holds' in the pike position
30 sec, 20, sec, 20 sec

TRX chest flyes SS with TRX reverse flyes
12, 12

Stretching glutes, hammies, lats and triceps

75 minutes


Fifth session with the new trainer! I'm feeling stronger and fitter, but at the end of every session all I want to do is fall asleep!


The Deadlifts
We got straight into the deads after a little stretching.
The lifts:
150kg felt easy. I leant forwards on the first few reps. My form was best on the last two reps
170kg old PR/2RM. Didn't feel too hard, but I felt myself lean forwards
175kg I concentrated on just gettimg down and lifting th bear --- not lingering too long over the set-up. I also thought about sticking my chest out.
The bar went up pretty easily. The PT said it was a much better lift than the 170kg (and it felt better)
175kg/385lbs is a PR for me. We didn't want to try a 180kg --- we'll leave that for a few weeks time

The reverse lunges
I've never really done these before. Concentrating on core stability and head position made it relatively easy --- slow and controlled down, then power up!
I did 4 sets increasing weight to 60kgs

The Overhead squats
The Overhead squats are challenging for me because of my limited external rotation. I held the bar with a snatch grip and was able to go ATG. This is a great execise for keeping tight through the whole core, hips and posterior chain --- any instability immediately throws you off balance. A great exercise for forcing me to keep my weight through my heels and drive up through the hips, keeping the torso more upright

Accessory exercises
The snatch grip pendlays were slow with a squeeze at the top - working on strengthening the lower back arch and holding the thoracic extension/head up
The sumo cleans were to get that explosive lift from the floor
The kettle bell swings are to help with explosive hip drive and lock out
Other exercises are for core and upper body strength and stability


Summary
Today was a great day. He gave me 75 minutes again
175kg/385lbs is a PR for me and it didn't feel like a bad lift or a grind.
The other exercises are all geared up for either strengthening me functionally/improving drive from the bottom/improving speed of the bar
I've left the last few sessions feeling totally wrecked and sleepy in the car on the way home.
Physically tired = great feeling!

Our next session is on Tuesday next week. We won't go for the 4 plates (180kg) then, but maybe the session after that

Today:

26th October 2012

171.5lbs

Rows

Tennis ball rolling and stretching - Pyriformis and glutes
Thoracic extension work

Yates Rows
10 x 60kg (132lbs)
10 x 80kg (176lbs)
10 x 100kg (220lbs)
10 x 110kg (242lbs)
8, 8 x 120kg (264lbs)
6, 6, 6, 6, 6 x 130kg (286lbs)
14 x 100kg (220lbs)
130kg is feeling pretty tight now


Pendlay Rows
6, 6, 6, 6, 8 x 90kg (198lbs)
Hips down and chest up more.
Felt strong on these and upped reps on the last set

UH lat pull-downs Tempo 5:2:5
6, 6, 6, 6, 6 x 220lbs
Serratus, biceps, lats

Glute-ham/roman chair sit-ups
15, 15, 15

60 minutes


I felt so sleepy after yesterday's sessions that I fell asleep at 9 and woke up at 7 --- the best sleep I've had in ages
Normally Friday is my leg day but my quads, hammies and glutes are really feeling sore and swole after the deadlifting and lunges. Surprisingly, my lower and upper back felt great so I did some rowing instead --- I'll leave the legs until tomorrow

The yates rows are feeling much more stable at 130kg so that the form is getting tight
With my Pendlays I got a few more tips after last week's vids and put them into practice:
1. Think 'Superman chest'
2. Drop the hips for stability
3. Watch the 'toe curls' i.e. keep the balance evenly through the feet
I did these and the rows felt really good and strong. I threw in a few extra reps on the last set and the form stayed tidy, so I'll just bump the volume next time.

UH rows were very strict

My weight has stabilised around the 171 and 172 mark --- I've been planning to keep cutting but since I've upped the training frequency and volume with the new trainer I've noticed that I'm leaning out and my tank tops are getting really tight (I'll have to move to XL ) and my legs and butt are filling out my work trousers. So everything is heading in the right direction. I reckon I'm around 12-3% body fat at the moment, so I'll start cutting a little bit harder and hopefully hit 9%/165 for Summer (December here)

[-calvus-]

Pretty strong stuff the last few days. Awesome DL PR. Just a few doughnuts away from 4 plates now. I did some reverse lunges the other day with about the same weight. Pretty interesting challenge. Good things happening in here with the new PT. Keep that progress up.

[SupaaJ]

Heavy back rockin Fitto! Reminds me how much I miss Deadlifts and heavy BB Rows.
Keep up the great work!

[Raigs]

Very surprised Fit that you were able to bit back today after hitting that PR yesterday.

Nice rows yes keeping that chest out had to help. Glad you got a solid night of sleep probably helped out those numbers.

Your 172 your looking strong in the other pictures.

[fittofattofit]

Pretty strong stuff the last few days. Awesome DL PR. Just a few doughnuts away from 4 plates now. I did some reverse lunges the other day with about the same weight. Pretty interesting challenge. Good things happening in here with the new PT. Keep that progress up.

Thanks Jeff! Well you've made me jealous with your easy reps of 405 for deficits
I liked the reverse lunges and it was interesting to note that when I started to tire on the last rep of 135 I could feel my pelvis start to rotate and my spine start to round --- they really would be a good exercise for core, hip and posterior chain stability if you bump the weight

That PT has been really good for challenging me to do new stuff that's forcing me to adapt my lifting technique!

Heavy back rockin Fitto! Reminds me how much I miss Deadlifts and heavy BB Rows.
Keep up the great work!

Thanks J! Appreciated!

Very surprised Fit that you were able to bit back today after hitting that PR yesterday.

Nice rows yes keeping that chest out had to help. Glad you got a solid night of sleep probably helped out those numbers.

Your 172 your looking strong in the other pictures.

I wanted to train and my legs and glutes felt trashed while my back felt OK!
Working on better thoracic extension has carried over into my BB rows, my squats and my deadlifts --- it amazes me how much tweaking one part of your movement can have such a dramatic effect on how well you feel you are lifting
And thanks! I'm feeling solid at 172 and I don't want to limit my chances of getting that 405, but I do want to have my 6 pack for our Summer as well!

[blkbelt42]

Wow!!! Great work on the Deads & Rows Andrew.

[fittofattofit]

Wow!!! Great work on the Deads & Rows Andrew.

Thanks Ken! Nothing in your league but I've been upping the volume lately and I'm staying injury free (relatively) so things are looking up

[nads786]

Awesome work Andrew!! Hitting PRs in deads! I'm finally back and ready to lift tonight.

[Sinaku5]

Great Row work!

Loved that you upped the reps on the last set of Rows. I like those tips - I'm probably going to implement them tomorrow on mine and let you know what I think of them since they really seemed to help you.

Awesome feeling to have your clothes fitting better .

Summer is in DECEMBER there?!...

Good part bout being in WI is that I don't need to cut till like January...doesn't get nice outside till round March . 3 months is more than enough to cut

[fittofattofit]

Awesome work Andrew!! Hitting PRs in deads! I'm finally back and ready to lift tonight.

Thanks Nadeem! I'm expecting to see you hit some PRs yourself after your break

Great Row work!

Loved that you upped the reps on the last set of Rows. I like those tips - I'm probably going to implement them tomorrow on mine and let you know what I think of them since they really seemed to help you.

Awesome feeling to have your clothes fitting better .

Summer is in DECEMBER there?!...

Good part bout being in WI is that I don't need to cut till like January...doesn't get nice outside till round March . 3 months is more than enough to cut

Thanks!
It was nice to up the reps because the form had been feeling really good!
I'll be keen to see how you feel with the Pendlays yourself.
And yeah......our Summer is December to Feb.........and we walk upside down as well

27th October 2012

Deconstructing my squat

172.5lbs

BB squats - oly bar T&G 12" box
10 x bar
10 x 60kg (132lbs)
10 x 80kg (176lbs)
6 x 90kg (198lbs)
6 x 100kg (220lbs)
3, 3, 3, 3, 3 x 110kg (242lbs)
8 x 100kg (220lbs)
Used the box to get to depth - didn't deweight

GHRs
10, 8, 8, 6, 6
Slow - hammies burning
Hard work after the deads on Thursday

Leg extensions Tempo 5:2:5
10, 10, 10, 10, 10 x 50kg (88lbs)
quads burning

Calf presses - horizontal hack
20, 20, 20, 16 x 300lbs

BW lunges and stretch

Thoracic extension work
Rally's idea:
the double tennis ball and a 55lb plate on the chest

70 minutes



I still had good leg and glute DOMS from Thursday but I didn't want to miss out on a leg session
The lateral side of my left knee was aching where I strained the knee/tore the meniscus/fractured my leg skiing last March. There is a small swelling there as well.
I think that this was due to the sumo cleans/upright rows from Thursday's deadlift session
The knee hurt a little when I started squatting but it was bearable if I kept a narrow stance

I started squats with the oly bar again --- still a very high bar position but my shoulders are getting much more flexible. I kept the weight at 110kg/242lbs for the working sets and squatted to the 12" box to maintain below parallel depth. I concentrated on keeping my chest out and head up but I still feel that I can do better with form, so I'll stick at the 100kg for the moment. Up fresh I'd be happy to add reps but my legs were already tired at the start of the day

GHRs felt good but I could feel the fade with the 3rd+ sets. I use minimal push-off now and it really hits the glutes and hammies

I also tried out a suggestion from Rally about thoracic extension work: I used my double tennis ball down the spine, but held a 55lb plate on top of my chest and breathed through it --- my midback/posterior chain muscles felt great after that! Thanks Ral!

This week has been a week of drama at home: my 18yo has now completed school and has exams commencing on Melbourne Cup/US election day. As the day approaches she has been getting more and more stressed --- I was at a work dinner on Tuesday night and drove into my garage at 9pm..........I could here the 'screaming' from my car
My wife: 'you're lazy!'
My daughter: 'you're a b....'
I stood in between, and then the daughter picked up a 2 litre bottle of pepsi max, shook it and pointed it at us!
Cola everywhere! Needless to say....there was a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth
It's all kissed and made up now, but damn this is a stressful time with teenagers doing exams

At least I get to 'decompress' in the gym --- I'd go insane if I didn't have that outlet!

[alex2363]

Thanks Jeff! Well you've made me jealous with your easy reps of 405 for deficits
I liked the reverse lunges and it was interesting to note that when I started to tire on the last rep of 135 I could feel my pelvis start to rotate and my spine start to round --- they really would be a good exercise for core, hip and posterior chain stability if you bump the weight

That PT has been really good for challenging me to do new stuff that's forcing me to adapt my lifting technique!


Thanks J! Appreciated!


I wanted to train and my legs and glutes felt trashed while my back felt OK!
Working on better thoracic extension has carried over into my BB rows, my squats and my deadlifts --- it amazes me how much tweaking one part of your movement can have such a dramatic effect on how well you feel you are lifting
And thanks! I'm feeling solid at 172 and I don't want to limit my chances of getting that 405, but I do want to have my 6 pack for our Summer as well!

When is your summer?

[fittofattofit]

When is your summer?

Our summer is December to February, but it will be in the 70s+ between September and April
It's a beautiful sunny day outside today, and I'll be going for a walk in shorts and a T

[RyouBakua]

Our summer is December to February, but it will be in the 70s+ between September and April
It's a beautiful sunny day outside today, and I'll be going for a walk in shorts and a T

i forget that sometimes


give me winter anyday


then again, its not that cold here

[fittofattofit]

i forget that sometimes


give me winter anyday


then again, its not that cold here

Winter in Hawaii sounds good to me!

Actually the climate where I live is like SoCal --- even winter is often sunny and never too cold, but I do like a real winter so I can go skiing
And I spent many a wintry day in Ireland in a pub in front of an open fire, drinking pints of Guinness
The biggest downside to winter is that the ladies rug up ---- there are certain aesthetic advantages to a hot summer

[Raigs]

Nice squats there fit. I like the touch and go work on your squats.

Sucks your knee was bothering you switch to front squats might take off some of the pain/strain.

Thoracic exercise with the plate sounds interesting.

[alex2363]

Our summer is December to February, but it will be in the 70s+ between September and April
It's a beautiful sunny day outside today, and I'll be going for a walk in shorts and a T

U still would look good even at 20 pounds overweight ( no Homo)

[Sinaku5]

Lol - Andrew...sounds like theres never a dull day in your home.

Squats are strong. And slow GHRs with no push-off is intense.

The thoratic work sounds interesting. I did some yesterday, but I like the idea Rally posed that you did above. Ill have to try that.

[moshvr]

Good squat session Andrew! Bet you're feeling some DOMS today.

GHR's are something I really need to start incorporating into my sessions ... such a great workout!

[wonderdude2]

How's the knee feeling today? Have you tried foam rolling the lateral part of your left thigh (the IT band)? Also, squatting to just above parallel may help ease the knee pain as well.

Regardless, nice work and good luck with the stressed teenager! Ha. Gotta love exams.

[Sinaku5]

Good squat session Andrew! Bet you're feeling some DOMS today.

GHR's are something I really need to start incorporating into my sessions ... such a great workout!

Yeah...GHRS rock. I do my leg days at a different gym just cuz of them lol.

[fittofattofit]

Nice squats there fit. I like the touch and go work on your squats.

Sucks your knee was bothering you switch to front squats might take off some of the pain/strain.

Thoracic exercise with the plate sounds interesting.

Thanks Raigs! The sumo cleans put the strain on my knee, and then when I assumed a wide stance for the squatting I could feel it again. When I narrowed the stance it was OK but I don't want my knee to start playing up now. Fronts are awkward for me because of the RC instability but I may play around with goblet squats.
The thoracic extension with the plate actually felt really good

U still would look good even at 20 pounds overweight ( no Homo)

Thanks Alex
I can carry some extra weight but over a certain point I start to feel slow and sluggish. My stamina feels good at the moment but I know it would plummet if I let myself get too heavy again

Lol - Andrew...sounds like theres never a dull day in your home.

Squats are strong. And slow GHRs with no push-off is intense.

The thoratic work sounds interesting. I did some yesterday, but I like the idea Rally posed that you did above. Ill have to try that.

Teenage boys destroy your house, girls destroy your head! (Really!)

I'm enjoying the squats but I want to keep the form tight. Ultimately I'd like a good deep 3 plate squat, but I'm in no rush to test it
I love the GHRs for the way they seem to hit the lower hamstrings. Since I've been doing them the lower hammies have filled out significantly

Good squat session Andrew! Bet you're feeling some DOMS today.

GHR's are something I really need to start incorporating into my sessions ... such a great workout!

Thanks Michael! I can feel the DOMS and it's in the quads, glutes, hammies and calves.
I was going to get a vid of the GHRs but the gym was too busy.........I have to set up the phone on the machine next door and I feel like a tool if anyone sees me doing it

How's the knee feeling today? Have you tried foam rolling the lateral part of your left thigh (the IT band)? Also, squatting to just above parallel may help ease the knee pain as well.

Regardless, nice work and good luck with the stressed teenager! Ha. Gotta love exams.

Thanks for dropping in! The knee is still a bit swollen and hurts if I put lateral pressure on it, but it was OK for cycling today, even with the resistance turned way up. The problem will be when I try to deadlift or squat again, because I've been trying to get the feel of pushing out on the knees while driving up from the hips. I'll really get in with the ITB rolling before the next session and I'll see how I go at or over parallel

Yep.....the last exam is on the 22nd November, so still nearly 4 weeks of high drama left! Of course after that she'll be partying, then I'll probably have to scrape her off the floor a few times

Yeah...GHRS rock. I do my leg days at a different gym just cuz of them lol.

Yep......the first time you do them you're in for big DOMS so you know they work. They're now a weekly 'must' for me

28th October 2012

174.5lbs

RPM/HIIT cycle class

50 minutes

Wide-grip pull-ups tempo 5:2:5
10, 8, 8, 7, 6

Glute-ham/roman chair sit-ups
15. 15, 15

15 minutes




I've been in a 'good paddock' this week My weight is back up to 174lbs
Lots of meals out and too much alcohol, so now it's time to cut back harder if I want to convince my 15yo that the 6 pack has come out of 'hibernation'

A good sleep and a big (alcohol fuelled) feed last night meant that the HIIT cycle was good today, even though I've had heavy leg work on 3 out of the last 4 days. My knee still has a little fluid on board but the cycling was OK --- the biggest problem is when I put a lateral stress on it. I'll be steering clear of sumo stance from now on

It's a beautiful day here today, so we're planning a nice evening walk in the country
It's back to the grind tomorrow, but meanwhile I'm looking forward to Tuesday and the next deadlift session

[Sinaku5]

I'm sorry to hear bout the knee problems dude. If it makes you feel better my groin pull is still irritating me. I may take another week off soon to try and let it recover.

You know that day you were talking about where you slept like a baby after leg work with the trainer? I had that after hitting 275x3x5 on my squats lol. Felt AMAZING. I literally woke up in the same position I went to bed in ahah.

I'm probably going to up my membership soon so I can begin taking cycling/resistance classes soon. They seem good for recovery and for working the smaller muscles that probably don't get worked much.

[fittofattofit]

I'm sorry to hear bout the knee problems dude. If it makes you feel better my groin pull is still irritating me. I may take another week off soon to try and let it recover.

Thanks! I've usually got something aching so I'll be happy as long as it doesn't stop me doing my deads tomorrow
The swelling is annoying because it may mean taking it easy between deadlift sessions to let it subside
The groin strain is a bummer but it didn't seem to stop you hitting those heavy squats!

You know that day you were talking about where you slept like a baby after leg work with the trainer? I had that after hitting 275x3x5 on my squats lol. Felt AMAZING. I literally woke up in the same position I went to bed in ahah.

I'm probably going to up my membership soon so I can begin taking cycling/resistance classes soon. They seem good for recovery and for working the smaller muscles that probably don't get worked much.

I have to say that the feeling of being physically tired is great (as compared to mentally tired which is where I am at the end of most working days). Physically tired = great sleep and eats and I feel that muscle growth is happening. Mentally tired = restless and my diet is often sh!tty

And it's a good move to add to your options in the gym........I think that adding in core work, HIIT and functional movements has helped me a lot and if I was to sit on a bike on my own I would get bored quickly, but in a class with the music and a good instructor I actually enjoy it!

29th October 2012

171.5lbs

Chest

BB close grip benching Tempo5:2:5
6, 6, 6, 6, 6 x 60kg (132lbs)
Don't do this often
60kg feels the way 120kg used to

HS bench press Tempo5:2:5
10 x 30kg ps
6, 6, 6, 6, 6 x 40kg ps
12 x 30kg ps
Easier because of machine gives shoulder stability

Straight arm lat pulldowns
8, 8, 6, 6, 6, 5 x 180lbs PR
Lats, serratus, tris

V-grip pull-downs to chest Tempo5:2:5
6, 6, 6, 6, 5 x 220lbs
Upper chest, serratus and arms hit

Pec deck Tempo5:2:5
8, 8, 8, 8, 8 x 87kg (191lbs) PR
Strict form on the pec deck.
Great pump in the chest

Thoracic extension work

55 minutes


Monday is international Chest Day and it always my least satisfactory day. I like working legs, back, arms, core and even shoulders, but I get depressed when I try to hit chest
I rarely do BB benching but today I decided to set up as though I was going to do a proper heavy push set. I got into my strongest bench position and 60kg felt heavy the way that 120kg felt 3 years ago. I shouldn't give up totally but it is disheartening and I don't know whether I should keep at it and try to slowly work towards a 'respectable' bench (ie 100kg for reps) within my limitations or whether to just keep working around it. My chest is still pretty sh!tty IMO

I did get some joy with the other exercises though: straight arm pull-downs feel really good and while not strictly a 'chest' exercise the serratus and pecs do get hit, as well as the lats and tris = actually a good exercise for 'aesthetics' and shoulder stability

V grip pull-downs and pec deck felt good as well
I've got a vid of the straight arm PDs --- last set of 5 reps. A little bit of 'english' but a great exercise


Now I'm looking forward to the deads session tomorrow!

[NaturalPursuit]

No need to be discouraged by chest bro! Think of it this way...bench is a weakpoint..so it can only get better!

I say push that **** and I KNOW in a couple weeks that bench will shoot up and you'll be LOVING IT!!! Still a solid ass session man!!!!

[viennafat]

I can kind of feel your pain on the chest situation.
Aside from push ups, I havent done any chest pressing in 12 weeks. (cant believe it's been that long)
If my pecs looked half decent I wouldn't mind as much, but they dont.

That being said, nice work on the cg bench. With a closer grip and slow tempo, 60kg is still good weight. Definitely good enough to stimulate the pecs.
I'm sure the pec deck did the trick. That movement (or db flyes) really hit the pecs nicely.
Nice HS press and the straight arm pulldowns were very heavy. Gotta check out the video later.

Great work, Andrew.

[moshvr]

Chin up buddy.

I'd keep working on it. You could even see (after you've gotten your help with the deads) if the trainer could help you with the bench. Just working with your shoulder and getting your technique bang on.

Good session though!

[Sinaku5]

No need to be discouraged by chest bro! Think of it this way...bench is a weakpoint..so it can only get better!

I say push that **** and I KNOW in a couple weeks that bench will shoot up and you'll be LOVING IT!!! Still a solid ass session man!!!!

This.

We all got weak points. Weak points are just areas that have a greater room for growth. Smash through the weights and get that bp up.

Be exciting to see u at 100kg for bp.

Solid session as always.

[Raigs]

Nice session! The CG is still good you pushed a good amount of reps overall. Thanks for that video on the straight arm pulldowns. You take a super wide stance and are pretty far back. Nice PRs there today!


With the Front squats put some straps on the bar. Takes alot of strain off the shoulders. (it does for me at least)

[nads786]

Good stuff buddy! Don't let the chest stuff get you down!

[fittofattofit]

No need to be discouraged by chest bro! Think of it this way...bench is a weakpoint..so it can only get better!

I say push that **** and I KNOW in a couple weeks that bench will shoot up and you'll be LOVING IT!!! Still a solid ass session man!!!!

Thanks Alex!

I can kind of feel your pain on the chest situation.
Aside from push ups, I havent done any chest pressing in 12 weeks. (cant believe it's been that long)
If my pecs looked half decent I wouldn't mind as much, but they dont.

That being said, nice work on the cg bench. With a closer grip and slow tempo, 60kg is still good weight. Definitely good enough to stimulate the pecs.
I'm sure the pec deck did the trick. That movement (or db flyes) really hit the pecs nicely.
Nice HS press and the straight arm pulldowns were very heavy. Gotta check out the video later.

Great work, Andrew.

Thanks Tom! I should just suck it up and stick at the 60kg and see if I can slowly bump the reps on the close grip benching. I've seen vids of people benching 315 with Poland's syndrome = one pec missing, so I shouldn't feel sorry for myself. The pecs still get some stimulation, but its just not the same as hitting a good BB bench

Chin up buddy.

I'd keep working on it. You could even see (after you've gotten your help with the deads) if the trainer could help you with the bench. Just working with your shoulder and getting your technique bang on.

Good session though!

Thanks Michael --- I've been thinking that, and benching with reverse bands might help me with lockout stability.
Deads are the priority at the moment but I'll tap him to help me with the benching at some stage

This.

We all got weak points. Weak points are just areas that have a greater room for growth. Smash through the weights and get that bp up.

Be exciting to see u at 100kg for bp.

Solid session as always.

Thanks! I know that I won't ever get a super strong bench without an intact RC, but I should still be able to adapt my lifting to at least get it 'respectable'!

Nice session! The CG is still good you pushed a good amount of reps overall. Thanks for that video on the straight arm pulldowns. You take a super wide stance and are pretty far back. Nice PRs there today!


With the Front squats put some straps on the bar. Takes alot of strain off the shoulders. (it does for me at least)

Thanks Raiger! With the straight arm pull-downs being heavier than my BW I need to take that wide stance and really brace my core --- it's a good exercise for core and shoulder stability at that weight

Good stuff buddy! Don't let the chest stuff get you down!

I'll try not to
If I can get a deadlift PR next week, I won't give a fig about the chest!

30th October 2012

171lbs

Deadlifts with the new PT

GM/rotation combos

Rowing warm up - ergo x 250metres

Deadlifts
6 x 60kg (132lbs)
6 x 100kg (220lbs)
6 x 130kg (286lbs)
5 x 140kg (308lbs)
5 x 150kg (330lbs)
Just higher reps today --- looking at form

Superset 45 second rest between SSs
Good mornings
10 x 40kg (88lbs)
8 x 50kg (110lbs)
6 x 55kg (121lbs)
With Prone incline kettle bell rows
10, 10, 10 x 22kg KBs
Explosive from the ground, 1 second squeeze at the top

Superset 45 second rest between SSs
Supine grip pull-ups
8, 8, 8
With kettle bell cleans
8, 8, 8 x two 18kg/40lb KBs
Explosive from the ground, upright posture

Overhead squats
8 x oly bar
5, 5, 5 x 30kg (66lbs)
core stability/balance and body positioning

Rack Superset No rest between SSs
Kettle bell swings
6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 x 32kg/70lb KB
With hanging jack-knifes
6, 5, 4, 3, 2 ,1
Swings to get the explosive hip drive for the lockout
Hanging Jacknives for ab strength/stability

Jackknives on swiss ball
12, 12

Stretching glutes, hammies, lats and triceps

60 minutes


Sixth session with the new trainer! 35*C/95*F today. My energy was sapped!
His gym is down near the beach and this is what it looked like today!



The Deadlifts
We got straight into the deads after some GMs/rotations with a broom stick and some rowing.
The lifts - today was just going for reps and trying to maintain form:
60kg to 140kg One minute between sets. Form was good
150kg/330lbs x 5 felt pretty easy as long as I remembered to stick my chest out

The Good Mornings
Each first rep felt tight but I concentrated on breaking at the hip, keeping the low back arched, and keeping my feel flat on the floor
Supersetting with the prone incline kettle bell rows, my tris and rhomboids were aching

The Overhead squats
The Overhead squats are challenging for me because of my limited external rotation. We bumped the weight from last week --- just 30kg. The first attempt I arched slightly forward and dumped the weight. When I concentrated on looking up, then the lockout became easy and the squat felt stable.
Went ATG

Accessory exercises
The chins were from a dead hand to chin over the bar. MY biceps were aching after supersetting this with the KB cleans
The kettle bell cleans were to get that explosive lift from the floor, and to ingrain that upright chest posture. When I leaned forward it was much harder than when I concentrated on the leg drive to get the KBs from the floor and the shrug and hip drive to get the clean.
The kettle bell swings are to help with explosive hip drive and lock out
Other exercises are for core and upper body strength and stability


Summary
Today was tiring because of the heat --- I drank loads and my stomach felt bloated at the end. He gave me 60 minutes today and I suspect that he would have given me more if I hadn't looked like I was about to arrest
Today was only 5 days since the last deadlift session.
The next session will be on Thursday next week, so 9 days, and the plan is to go for the 180kg PR.
That's 4 metric plates but only 396lbs for the deadlift Nazis
I'll do some RDLs mid way but I'll save the deads until then