In Search of Strength

[CharlesSwann]

09/29
Rehab stuff
Overhead press: 3 x 135x8

[CharlesSwann]

10/01
Rehab stuff
Single-leg SLDL: 3 x 95x10

[CharlesSwann]

10/02
Rehab stuff
Incline bench: 3 x 185x8

[CharlesSwann]

10/04
Rehab stuff
Beltless RDL: 3 x 315x10

[CharlesSwann]

10/07
Rehab stuff
Bench: 2 x 225x10, 225x9

[CharlesSwann]

10/09
Rehab stuff
Overhead press: 135x10, 135x8, 135x10

[CharlesSwann]

10/11
Rehab stuff
Single-leg RDL: 3 x 95x10
Pause front squat w/ feet together: 3 x 275x3

10/13
Rehab stuff
Incline bench: 3 x 195x8

[CharlesSwann]

10/14
Rehab stuff
Beltless RDL: 3 x 315x12

[CharlesSwann]

10/15
Rehab stuff
Bench to 7th pin: 365x1
Bench: 3 x 275x3

Wow my bench is way down lately. Pin work was supposed to be a go at 375x6. Guess I gotta build back up.

[CharlesSwann]

10/18
Rehab stuff
Single-leg RDL: 4 x 45x15
Bench to 7th pin: 315x5
Overhead press: 3 x 155x6

[CharlesSwann]

10/23
Rehab stuff
Bench to 7th pin: 315x8
Incline: 3 x 200x8

[CharlesSwann]

10/24
Rehab stuff
Beltless RDL: 3 x 365x8

[CharlesSwann]

I may have had a breakthrough with this injury. We'll see soon.

10/29
Rehab stuff
Bench to 7th pin: 325x7
Bench: 3 x 275x4

[CharlesSwann]

10/31
Low-bar: 7 x 315x2
Overhead press: 3 x 165x6
Beltless high-bar: 4 x 165x6

Note to self: high bar seems like the best move, with cues: (1) stack the right ankle, (2) grip with both feet, (3) tempo descent to keep even. Also don't bother forcing the feet forwards. 165 seemed to go well, but do small, incremental increases to make sure it doesn't get away from me.

[CharlesSwann]

11/04
Bench to 7th pin: 335x8
Incline: 3 x 205x8
Beltless highbar: 5 x 225x5, 225x10

[CharlesSwann]

11/06
Bench to 7th pin: 345x7
Bench: 3 x 275x5
Beltless highbar: 5 x 235x5

[CharlesSwann]

11/08
Overhead press: 175x4, 175x5, 175x4
Beltless highbar: 5 x 245x5

[CharlesSwann]

11/11
Bench to 7th pin: 355x5
Incline bench: 3 x 210x8

[CharlesSwann]

11/12
Beltless highbar: 5 x 255x5

[CharlesSwann]

11/13
Bench to 7th pin: 355x7
Bench: 3 x 275x6

[CharlesSwann]

11/14
Beltless highbar: 5 x 265x5

Note: heel weight and bottoming out seemed to help.

[CharlesSwann]

11/16
Push press: 245x1, a bunch of near misses at 265
OHP partials: 3 x 195x3

[CharlesSwann]

11/17
Beltless highbar: 5 x 275x5

Note to self: honestly, was just better with right foot more forward.

[CharlesSwann]

11/18
Bench to 7th pin: 365x5
Incline bench: 3 x 215x8

Getting close. 375x6 is the goal, then dropping the pins to go for the single. Aiming for it this year, so some 6 weeks left.

[CharlesSwann]

11/19
Beltless highbar: 5 x 285x5

Note to self: this time I did feet even, wide, forwards, balance back, eyes at top of the pen. Basically no idea what I'm doing. Different things work every day...

[CharlesSwann]

11/20
Bench to 7th pin: 365x6
Bench: 2 x 275x7, 275x8

Another note to self: try adding mini bands to knees for squatting next session (start with the black one). See if it helps.

[trey1x1]

Have you trained benching to pins before? Do you find it translates well? I've never focused on them so I'm interested to see the results

[CharlesSwann]

11/22
Beltless highbar: 8 x 295x5

Note to self: this time I did a warm up focused on pigeon pose (getting left side even to right) and supine knees-in IR stretch (getting the left femur rotated by starting with PPT and easing in and down). It seemed to help. Used a black miniband around knees and I'm not sure if that helped much. Things are still all kinds of messed up for me, but this is the best work I've done since the original injury. I'm kind of hopeful that I'll come out the other end of this and PR squat again one day.

Have you trained benching to pins before? Do you find it translates well? I've never focused on them so I'm interested to see the results

I have! It worked really well for me before. Two big points for me are that I tend to fail fairly high up, and I tend to get sloppy with higher weights. The pin work gets me comfortable and stricter with above-max weights, and overloads my triceps/top end of the ROM. Hits my weaknesses pretty well. But I figure more triceps strength is always good.

I also found out approx. pin height vs. bench max strength, so it works as a gauge for me too. I'm really enjoying aiming for 6 reps on a PR weight.

My goal this time around is w/ 375:
7th pin: x6
8th pin: x4
9th pin: x3
10th pin: x2
full ROM: x1

Hopefully that's happening over the next few weeks.

[CharlesSwann]

I tried working push press and OHP partials yesterday, but both hurt my shoulders. Need to start up Lu raises, some scap prehab, and maybe ease into my volume.

11/24
Beltless highbar: 5 x 305x5

This squatting felt great! Maybe the best yet despite the rising weight. Here's the set up:

Warm up: jumping jacks, leg swings, pigeon pose (L even to R), supine knees-in IR (emphasize L rotation), squat knee-drops, bridge to SL bridge (emphasize core)
Squat: black micro-band around knees, R foot slightly in front, weight even on feet (heel bias), look straight forwards not down, moderate tempo

edit: potentially add those side-lying rolls in and out, but I still have to figure out how I feel about using these to progress vs. just gauge

[CharlesSwann]

It's happening!

11/25
Bench to 7th pin: 375x6
Incline bench: 3 x 225x8

Next up, drop the pins an inch and go for x4!