Training Journal for Geek

[thehobbes]

My cat sleeps in the bed with me and has peed on the bed before - with me in it - woke up with something warm and wet dribbling down my feet - ew! And the other cat has long butt fur and occasionally gets dingleberries stuck back there...haven't had to deal with poo directly on the bed yet but I have had her jump up next to me and put a dingleberry 6 inches from my face. Yuck! I keep a pair of scissors in every room just for her

Nice work in here! You're kicking butt!

What the hell is going on in this thread?!

Awesome work in here G-dog!

[Flounderbout]

It took me forever, and for the first few sets, I was shaking in my chucks. So frightened that I wouldn't be able to do one rep, much less three. I have only hit 220 a handful of times while testing 1 rep maxes. It's never been a work set. Next week is 225. Two plates for reps! Hurrah!!!

There were a few reps in those ten sets, towards the last of the sets, where it was a real struggle to get up. I was stuck after bouncing out of the hole, fighting to keep upright. The good news is, this only resulted in a squat morning once. The rest of the reps, I fought my way out.

**** you, smolov!

The single best thing about Smolov for me was the change in mentality that comes from exactly this. Weights you assume would be tough to get a single at you do for reps, and then you do it again and again! You really start to realise what you are capable of.

In 5 weeks 200 will feel like a warmup and 225 will be a breeze.

Can't believe you go from that to all that benching!!!

Oh, and on the errant cat front, I have twice now had my cat kindly present a live mouse in my bed while I was asleep. Woke up both times up to find saidmouse curled up against my back...

[SophieM]

Agrees about the volume. I'd be limp as a noodle.

[thehobbes]

Oh, and on the errant cat front, I have twice now had my cat kindly present a live mouse in my bed while I was asleep. Woke up both times up to find saidmouse curled up against my back...

Came home one day to some blood droplets on the tile floor, found a legit puddle of blood on the fireplace mantle and blood all over my cat's side and paws. Checked her and other pets for a wound, nothing, ran her up to the vet to see what was up and even showed them a pic of how much blood I found. Kitty was in perfect shape so it was determined they killed a mouse and I guess ate it or crawled back out of the house somehow. Expected to find a mouse body sometime after but this was over 6 months ago now. We need CSI up in here.

[SteveWright1]

an excellent journal geek23ka - read all 16 pages this morning

1st post lift meet video = excellent

I would totally agree with Flounders comments on Smolov - on paper it looks impossible and there are doubts you will get to the end when you 1st start the journey
but each session feels less hard than you expected it would do ( my experience with the Jr version anyway)
and as you complete each session that builds confidence for the next one
also the format is great mentally - sure the weight increases, but the number of reps decreases, which in my mind was the overiding influence
sure 185 x 4 must be easier than 175 x 5 - was how I got myself through it and on occasion for the 1st few sets anyway, that is exactly how it felt to me

another surprising aspect I will mention as I note you do Squats and bench at same session ( I did, but bear in mind mine was the Jr version and only 3 weeks of focused squat and bench)
on 5/3/1 some of the bench numbers used felt really hard, yet I was fresh, and had not done X amount of sets of squats 1st
when those numbers came up on Smolov Jr after only 5 or 10 mins rest between Squat session and Bench session - they all felt notably lighter
I am sure that is simply because my body and CNS decided " great at least this middle aged fool is lying down to exercise now"

[serinebean]

Just coming in to check on ya! No insanely awesome workout to gawk at.....not yet.

[beatha]

Kudos for you keeping up the workouts while on a keto diet.
Have a good week G

[jjeane]

Where are you Geek? I hope the new diet is going well.

[geek23ka]

What the hell is going on in this thread?!

Awesome work in here G-dog!

<3

The single best thing about Smolov for me was the change in mentality that comes from exactly this. Weights you assume would be tough to get a single at you do for reps, and then you do it again and again! You really start to realise what you are capable of.

In 5 weeks 200 will feel like a warmup and 225 will be a breeze.

Can't believe you go from that to all that benching!!!

Oh, and on the errant cat front, I have twice now had my cat kindly present a live mouse in my bed while I was asleep. Woke up both times up to find saidmouse curled up against my back...

if i can make it, that sounds awesome.

Agrees about the volume. I'd be limp as a noodle.

oh boy, my joints are crying.

an excellent journal geek23ka - read all 16 pages this morning

1st post lift meet video = excellent

I would totally agree with Flounders comments on Smolov - on paper it looks impossible and there are doubts you will get to the end when you 1st start the journey
but each session feels less hard than you expected it would do ( my experience with the Jr version anyway)
and as you complete each session that builds confidence for the next one
also the format is great mentally - sure the weight increases, but the number of reps decreases, which in my mind was the overiding influence
sure 185 x 4 must be easier than 175 x 5 - was how I got myself through it and on occasion for the 1st few sets anyway, that is exactly how it felt to me

another surprising aspect I will mention as I note you do Squats and bench at same session ( I did, but bear in mind mine was the Jr version and only 3 weeks of focused squat and bench)
on 5/3/1 some of the bench numbers used felt really hard, yet I was fresh, and had not done X amount of sets of squats 1st
when those numbers came up on Smolov Jr after only 5 or 10 mins rest between Squat session and Bench session - they all felt notably lighter
I am sure that is simply because my body and CNS decided " great at least this middle aged fool is lying down to exercise now"

LOL! the middle aged fool business is something i have thought myself.

steve, welcome and thank you so much. i might be a bit of a disappointment. my joints are so pissed off at me that i am thinking about stretching and i bought a knock off beastie ball to try and sort how to do trigger point therapy. i am that desperate to finish the program, but obviously this week is a bust.

i've never squatted that much, that heavy in 2 weeks. intense. much more intense than i thought it would be.

Just coming in to check on ya! No insanely awesome workout to gawk at.....not yet.

not yet. :sad face: i gotta learn to take care of myself. damn it.

Kudos for you keeping up the workouts while on a keto diet.
Have a good week G

yeah, some days i feel super exhausted, but i think i might be coming out of that. my keto sticks show only minimal spilling of ketones, so i am starting to fat adapt. hurrah!

Where are you Geek? I hope the new diet is going well.

new diet... well? everyone talks about how weight FLIES OFF with keto, but that's not happening. i am writing down everything i eat, and staying under 50 carbs... usually under 35 carbs a day. the calories aren't insane, but maybe this is maintenance for me. i'll start shaving off calories next week or so, i think. for now, i am just glad that i am adjusting and that part is going well. i was 247 when i started and i have been 238 for a number of weeks now. i should ask a keto forum if a stall happens in the first two months r/t adjustments.

[geek23ka]

so i am gonna stalk laura and k's journals today and try and figure out this faux beastie ball, and do some foam rollouts.

i think it's gluteus minimus. might be g. medius on the left side.

i have snap crackle pop in both hip flexors and a bit in the right knee.

and in behind right knee medial pain. likely a tear in one of those tendons attaching one of the hamstrings to the joint. UGH

and honestly, i think it's *all* related. iand i think it started with tight hip flexors. if laura or kaleida see this, input would be appreciated.

oh! and i had an exercise phys student (last semester before degree) look at my squat yesterday, and he said he could see that my right heel rolls inward a bit when i go down and come back up.

when i was a child i was told i would never become an ice skater (i liked to skate) because i had weak ankles, esp right. so there might be some anatomical anomaly that i have to work around. i know that my stronger leg is the left. in gymnastics i always used left leg for the beginning of tumbling sequences (3-5th grade) and when rich tested me to see which leg should be in front for a split jerk, it was the left.

[kaleida]

If you think there is a tear in the tendon I'd start with the muscle that attaches to the tendon (not putting pressure on the torn tendon, look in the muscle that attaches to it for spots that feel tender under pressure). behind the knee there are hamstring attachments, calf muscle attachments, and two tiny muscles right behind the knee joint, popliteus and plantaris. Might be useful to look at a picture of all of them to try to figure out which tendon it is.

My spapping sounds in the hip flexors were caused by a misaligned pelvis, maybe a chiropractor can check it for you and help you figure out which trigger points to work on first.

[SophieM]

new diet... well? everyone talks about how weight FLIES OFF with keto, but that's not happening. i am writing down everything i eat, and staying under 50 carbs... usually under 35 carbs a day. the calories aren't insane, but maybe this is maintenance for me. i'll start shaving off calories next week or so, i think. for now, i am just glad that i am adjusting and that part is going well. i was 247 when i started and i have been 238 for a number of weeks now. i should ask a keto forum if a stall happens in the first two months r/t adjustments.

How much fat and protein are you eating every day? How much water? The initial weight loss is mostly water so it will slow after that.

Hope your joints feel better soon.

[geek23ka]

How much fat and protein are you eating every day? How much water? The initial weight loss is mostly water so it will slow after that.

Hope your joints feel better soon.

last seven days

cals ---C----F----P
1,910 40 136 130
2,226 33 159 123
1,769 25 151 81
1,788 35 125 134
2,304 32 182 142
1,824 44 138 156
2,269 35 176 144

water is iffy. somedays i am super thirsty and some days not.

i just started mag in evenings and i am buying lite salt for the potassium. i also eat avocados (bc yum!) when i can find good ones.

oh! durrrr i started creatine.

[geek23ka]

If you think there is a tear in the tendon I'd start with the muscle that attaches to the tendon (not putting pressure on the torn tendon, look in the muscle that attaches to it for spots that feel tender under pressure). behind the knee there are hamstring attachments, calf muscle attachments, and two tiny muscles right behind the knee joint, popliteus and plantaris. Might be useful to look at a picture of all of them to try to figure out which tendon it is.

My spapping sounds in the hip flexors were caused by a misaligned pelvis, maybe a chiropractor can check it for you and help you figure out which trigger points to work on first.

i know i should see a specialist, but i have spent money this month on things like a nice pillow and a bedskirt and clothes for the kids and fukkin yankee candles (omg i love those candles) so chiro is out atm. fark. wish i hadn't done that. but man, i really hate looking at that exposed bottom mattress after cleaning my room and making it sparkly. (don't have a bedframe)

[kaleida]

i know i should see a specialist, but i have spent money this month on things like a nice pillow and a bedskirt and clothes for the kids and fukkin yankee candles (omg i love those candles) so chiro is out atm. fark. wish i hadn't done that. but man, i really hate looking at that exposed bottom mattress after cleaning my room and making it sparkly. (don't have a bedframe)

If it's any consolation I didn't see a chiropractor until about 4 months after I started and I was able to make lots of progress on my own...I think I fixed at least 80% of my aches and pains on my own
Starting with the thing that's hurting is a good strategy - make it stop hurting - then see what hurts next? That's pretty much what I did. Don't be alarmed if it feels like pain whack-a-mole for a while ... bones change alignment slightly when muscles are released (in a good way - more symmetrical, less twisted, less hunched over, etc) but the new alignment can stress other muscles that aren't ready for it, that just means they need to be released too.

This book is really helpful if you want to do it on your own: http://www.amazon.com/Trigger-Point-...dp_ob_title_bk

[geek23ka]

thanks, kaleida

[jjeane]

Creatine. Oh man it can throw a wrench in weight loss. But keep at it Geek! Let me know if I can help cheer you on in any way. And I hope you can get your leg issues resolved.

[serinebean]

I am scared to try to squat again, actually, because of all my injuries. It takes money to hire people to help you fix those issues, and money over time because they don't just disappear after one session. Which really is aggravating.

I thought the majority of wt lost initially with keto was water weight...maybe you wont have that flush?


Take care of yourself!

[kmac1196]

Yankee candle obsessed here too!

I stock up at Friends and family (60%off large jars make them $11 each). When I say stock up...I mean stock up. It happens 2-3 times a year.

My only addiction that costs money, really. LOL

Hope you feel better soon.

[SteveWright1]

dissappointment - no way 210 x 10 sets of triples and then 220 x 10 sets of triples is awesome effort in my opinion and with limited recovery between the sessions its a fantastic effort

stretching and pre hab are your alies in this battle - so good news on anything you can do to alleviate the muscle issues/ aches/ pains

I was neoprene coated by the finish of Jr (knees, elbow and hamstrings) and pretty much an abuser of Tiger Balm and other medicinal ointments designed to ensure the body could continue to function

seriously when I did Jr I was on calorific surplus and if I had not been when I started I certainly would have been before I could finish
so your doing this with limited carb intake is also very impressive to me

[ilovethe80s]

Sorry you are in pain, geek! It does sound like you are a little out of alignment. Hip flexors are bilaterally unhappy? I'd release them, and your quads. But check all around too if you can, you never know what you might find. When you work your right hip flexor TrPs, try contracting your right glute before, during and after the release and see what you think of the quality of the contraction. See If it is slow and soft or hard/quick, and if there is a change before, during and after working on the anterior trigger points. If you have a lot built up there, you might not be able to detect anything right away, but sometimes it is obvious. Try comparing it to the left side too. Anterior hip trigger points can do a really good job of inhibiting the glutes, might be part of what is going on on your right side with the foot/hip wanting to come in and putting pressure on the knee instead of sinking it into the glute. That seems to be a common combo.

Quad TrPs yank on the knee and you might not have any idea they are there until you hit one with the ball... They are don't seem to cry out the way the hip flexors do.

IMO, I wouldn't touch directly on the tender area behind the knee. Sensations from trigger points there can also be mistaken for torn meniscus or ligaments. It also can give that torn sensation if higher on the muscle is shortened with trigger points. As Kaleida said, look higher on the muscle belly for points. Be careful with knee wraps too if you have stuff going on there, that area doesn't like to be wrapped when it is angry

I had a really tender TrP behind the knee after my si joint explosion convulsion attack and it felt like a hamstring lower insertion was ready to tear right off. It also get these awful cysts when things are going on with the knee. Things behind the knee can sometimes clear on their own if the underlying problem is resolved. That area is like the wasteland for all biproducts of knee dysfunction. Hoping it is just something like that and not a pull.

Hope that helps, please let me know if you need any help or have questions.

The cals look really reasonable, you think this is your current maintenance? Looks great, if you do end up needing to bring some cals down to reach your goal, there should be some room to play around under that number without getting into the hungry horrors zone.

[geek23ka]

the only person i could give some greenz to was beatha. everyone else is on spread. i think i'm gonna have to sprinkle greens so i can give you guys more.

thank you, all of you, for supporting me. i'm gonna go workout today and see what happens. i will bring the beastie ball and my foam roller, and take my time, and see what's what.

i found a trigger point book on kindle unlimited so i am gonna look through that one.
http://www.amazon.com/Tennis-Ball-Se...=trigger+point

laura, thank you for the specifics. this evening, i will try and release the anterior portion of my thighs and hips. and then see if i can get at the glutes. and i won't mess with anything behind the knee.

[thehobbes]

Oh man I hope you feel better ASAP G-dog!

Yankee Candles... oh lawd. BRB buy this candle that smells like flowery potpouri febreeze with a hint of tulips and cat-butt. I want a candle that smells like VICTORY!

[kaleida]

I like Laura's idea, releasing hip flexors and quads. Those could pull the pelvis down in front / up in back which definitely affects the hamstrings.

I also remembered a few weeks ago I thought I was having pain in that inside-edge hamstring tendon near my knee, and I spent a few days smashing the hamstrings and getting nowhere. It turned out to be my adductor magnus even though I swore it felt like a hamstring tendon. It helped me to sit on a hard chair with a tennis ball poking the very top of my adductor magnus (near the pelvis - tucked in the butt fold near the groin). So there's another possibility to add to the list. It could be so many things though.

[doughnutgut]

[pharty]

What's going on in here?

[SteveWright1]

How is the recovery going G?

did you get a workout done on 23rd and just not had time to journal it?
are you able to get any form of training in? even if it is not the programme you commited to run

in my opinion anything is better than nothing and I have had to improvise on occasions due to circumstances beyond my immediate control

if squatting is not going to be possible due to injury/ pain etc - maybe you could focus on bench or any other exercises / accessories that would not cause any pain/ worsen the injury

[Muzzlrpress]

Hurry up and heal so you can lift some motherfukkin weights!

[Flounderbout]

Oh man. Everyone in this place who decides to do Smolov has died...

[geek23ka]

Oh man. Everyone in this place who decides to do Smolov has died...

except for you!

ok all of you are super awesome for checking up on me.

i took a week off. i am playing the getting to know you game with my muscles and the trigger point massage ball. that's kind of fun.

and i started up another type of training that focuses more on conditioning in general with some heavy weights thrown in.

cardio warm up
strength AMRAPS
metabolic conditioning

is typically how it goes. when the AMRAPS are full/lower body, they are also the metabolic conditioning.

yesterday

cardio
landmine variations - 30 seconds each. no rest
squat press
one arm press R
one arm press L
bus driver
two arm press R
two arm press L
some sort of landmine movement where you toss the bar from one hand to the other. don't know the name.

strength - metabolic
AMRAP - 15 minutes
squat @80% (190) for triples
power cleans (kept it at 88 lbs bc i have **** form) - for triples
did 4 rounds

trap bar deadlifts 225 lbs for triples
power cleans - 88 lbs for triples
did five rounds

some standing leg curls, laying leg curls and KB clean and squats and fighter figure eights.

then i walked 1.5 miles at the track at the university just to walk.


today

cardio
battle ropes 30 seconds on - 30 seconds off
alternating with squats
stagecoach with backward lunges
alternating with side lunges
stagecoach with front lunges
jump up and down while bird flapping (this one sucked)

strength
AMRAP - 15 minutes
bench press @75% (115) for triples
wide grip lat pulldown (90 lbs) x8
did 4.5 rounds

AMRAP - 15 minutes
KB incline press (12kg) x5
Machine Rows (120 lbs) x8
5 rounds

AMRAP - 15 minutes
close grip pulldowns (100 lbs) x8
tricep extensions (20lbs) x5
(5 rounds)

metabolic conditioning
(i crapped out here. there is a huge long list, but i only got through the first two)
15 long cycle (pink KB. oh shame)
15 monster rows ES with the pink KB

done.

A whole bunch of people are doing this at the gym. He has suckered in so many people into doing this. lol.