RT1957 journal

[RT1957]

Great looking bench accessory day Ron, likes the paused feet up bench, looks real tough!
Congrats on the incline 10 rep PR! Solid progress coming down the pipe!

I think my pecs are my weak point in my bench press so I'm hoping the feet up press will make me work my chest harder. That way I can get more drive off my chest....The 10 reps with 140 was surprise...I actually wasn't really feeling it today going into the WO so a PR is nice when you think you feeling weak

Good weight with the feet up BP, and u paused them! Taking leg drive out would kill mine but total isolation has to strengthen ur bench.

Was feeling those 10 reps on deadlifts along with u, it's fun to totally knock the wind out of yourself. Grats on ur rep PR Ron.

That was only my second time trying the feet up press...I'm going to keep them for a while as I think it will help

10 reps on deadz is just another version of cardio HIIT...LOL....

Smooth looking bar path on the benching Ron, and your arms still show that the primping work is paying off keeping up your size.

Thanks EK....I'm working on it

[TM79]

Great job yesterday Ron! Man, that is a lot of benching! Upper body has to be feeling that today. Way to get it done and I hope the FS/Squats go well today.

[shaneinga]

That was a great looking Upper day Ron. Lots of good reps on flats and inclines. Pause, feet up and pin presses help to bring lots of variety.

Looking great man.

[wasmeFINAFLEX]

Spring is here... garage door up! That is the one things i will miss about moving my gym to the basement, open air workouts..

[RT1957]

That was a great looking Upper day Ron. Lots of good reps on flats and inclines. Pause, feet up and pin presses help to bring lots of variety.

Looking great man.

Yeah it was a fun WO...I was really happy I got the 10 on Inclines especially at the end of the WO after all the other work...shows better progress to do that fatigued...

Spring is here... garage door up! That is the one things i will miss about moving my gym to the basement, open air workouts..

Garage door up later...its very nice out right now....I'll get in a few sets of squats later...did a class at the local senior center today subbing for one of the trainers there so I actually got some good rehab type work in for my hip and found a couple more exercises to add for rehab...

[RT1957]

2017 Cycle 3 W3 D6
Front Squats & Back Squats
Morning weight No weigh in

Reps X Weights X Sets

Warmups

Front Squats Alternate with Back Squats Super Set SL RDL

Front Squats
2 X 95 X 1
2 X 115 X 1
2 X 135 X 1
2 X 155 X 1
2 X 185 X 1

Front Squats 2 X 185 Rep PR


Squats
3 X 95 X 1
3 X 115 X 1
3 X 135 X 1
3 X 155 X 1
3 X 185 X 1
3 X 205 X 1

SL RDL
6 X 15 X 1
6 X 20 X 1
6 X 25 X 1
6 X 35 X 5

My leg is starting to feel better. Today I decided to alternate sets between front and back squats. I was able to get 2X185 with fronts and I took my back squats up to 205 to keep myself above the 200 barrier

Super set all squat sets with SL RDL

Deload begins now...cycle 4 starts Saturday....I'll be off tomorrow and I'll do some light rehab work Wednesday and Thursday

[SixTribes]

Congrats on the PR RT...sneaking in some dreaded front squats!..glad hear the leg is holding up and feeling better. I think you have another rep or 2 at that weight already

[grouchyjarhead]

Good front squats!

[TM79]

Good front squats!

+1.

They looked good to me. Glad your leg is feeling better. Hopefully some rest time and a deload week will help it along even more.

[RT1957]

Congrats on the PR RT...sneaking in some dreaded front squats!..glad hear the leg is holding up and feeling better. I think you have another rep or 2 at that weight already

My legs might have had a couple more but the core did not...I had a heck of a time keeping the bar on that second rep

Good front squats!

Thanks Grouchy!!

+1.

They looked good to me. Glad your leg is feeling better. Hopefully some rest time and a deload week will help it along even more.

Thanks TM....my leg is feeling better but its still not there yet...I figure another 6 weeks for it to really feel 100% if I don't get crazy and stress it too much

[raynerd]

Great work on the front squat PR! 185x2 is a strong set! Nice job on the 205 triple on back squats too, still getting some great work in while you rehab!

[RT1957]

Great work on the front squat PR! 185x2 is a strong set! Nice job on the 205 triple on back squats too, still getting some great work in while you rehab!

Thanks Shawn...today my leg/hip is not so happy, deload is here and it'll be back to RICE for a few days...

[SteveWright1]

Rice = the Chinese Oly weight lifting team swear by this so I have learned

congrats on the rep PR with 185lb on the Front squat and for consistency with over 200lb on the back squat variety

[raynerd]

Thanks Shawn...today my leg/hip is not so happy, deload is here and it'll be back to RICE for a few days...

Rest up Ron, hard work put in the last cycle.

[RT1957]

Rice = the Chinese Oly weight lifting team swear by this so I have learned

congrats on the rep PR with 185lb on the Front squat and for consistency with over 200lb on the back squat variety

Thanks Steve...we've actually discovered the wonders of yellow jasmine rice....so that's been a my big carb source for a while ....too bad I can't use it for rehab though

185 for 2 reps was fun....my leg hasn't though so since....but that's a whole other cup of rice...The 205 was easy peazy so I'm happy that it feels much more doable now so I don't want to lose any of that but in reality I need to not squat for a few weeks and let this hip heal...or at least not for any significant volume

Rest up Ron, hard work put in the last cycle.

Tuesday was not a good day...surprising I never feel it when I'm working out and I actually got up Tuesday feeling good but I walked up a set of stairs from my basement and my leg totally shut down and went in to spasm for most of the day after that...very painful...yesterday...no pain but I am taking some anti-inflammatory meds...leg work this cycle will be limited to rehab eccentric exercises and maybe 1 or 2 sets of squats just to keep weight on my back and keep the move grooved until I can hit hard again....I still need to draw blood there I just don't need to stress it in the process

I'll do a deload/rehab session after I get back from my morning work...

[shaneinga]

Well congrats on the PR on front squats Ron, but I am sorry to hear about how you are feeling afterwards.

It sounds like it is time for a good deload/rehab session.

[wasmeFINAFLEX]

Nice PR man... the fronts looked good!

[RT1957]

Well congrats on the PR on front squats Ron, but I am sorry to hear about how you are feeling afterwards.

It sounds like it is time for a good deload/rehab session.

Seems like march is a bad month for me...last year it was my back this year my hip...chit happens...I'm in too much of a hurry to get past this and I'm just aggravating it by squatting right now. So I need to take some time off from squats and going hard after legs until it gets better...I can still do all my other work so its not as bad as last year when my back took me completely out of the game...I rested the last 3 days I'll probably do some leg rehab today and start my cycle 4 tomorrow for upper body

Nice PR man... the fronts looked good!

Thanks Simon...looks are deceiving ....the second rep was tough to keep the bar...one of the reasons I only do doubles with Fronts....

[RT1957]

2017 Cycle 3
Deload
Morning weight: No weigh in

Reps X Weights X Sets

Warmups
PVC Rotations & Dislocations
RC Flies& Waves

BW Squats
10

Back Ext
10

Bench Press
10 X Bar X 1
3 X 95 X 1
3 X 115 X 1
3 X 125 X 1
3 X 135 X 1
3 X 155 X 1
3 X 175 X 1....barely....

Band Pull a-parts
20 X Band X 3

Rear Delt Laterals
10 X 25 X 4

Left Leg Rehab:
Negative Leg Press
10 X 100 X 2

SL RDL
10 X 15 X 1
10 X 20 X 4

SL Neg Leg Drop/Lift
10 X leg X 3

Deload is done for this cycle I'll take tomorrow off and start my next Cycle on Sunday 4/2

[SixTribes]

deload..so important, but so painful..mentally.. Looking forward to more success in your next cycle RT..

[RT1957]

deload..so important, but so painful..mentally.. Looking forward to more success in your next cycle RT..

I use to take a week and do some light work...now I just take 3 days off do 1 light WO take 1 or 2 more off and I'm ready...Rest days seem to work better for me than actually doing active recovery work...

I'm ready to hit it again...body feels good...other than the leg but as long as I don't stress it too much it doesn't hurt...Feels ok this morning after last nights rehab work...

[fittofattofit]

Tuesday was not a good day...surprising I never feel it when I'm working out and I actually got up Tuesday feeling good but I walked up a set of stairs from my basement and my leg totally shut down and went in to spasm for most of the day after that...very painful...yesterday...no pain but I am taking some anti-inflammatory meds...leg work this cycle will be limited to rehab eccentric exercises and maybe 1 or 2 sets of squats just to keep weight on my back and keep the move grooved until I can hit hard again....I still need to draw blood there I just don't need to stress it in the process

I'll do a deload/rehab session after I get back from my morning work...

Damn Ron .... and I thought your front squats looked the best yet: deep and balanced, plus you followed it all with some good back squats. I do remember that happening to me when I was walking the dog with my daughter and I just had this terrible shooting pain ... just couldn't move and had to send for a car to get me back. I think it was piriformis spasm then. At least with your rehabbing so far you've turned one-step-forwards-two-steps-back to two-steps-forward-one-step-back

Still strong on the bench and I'd be very happy with 175 barely. I'm sure that the problem with the thigh impacted on how much tightness you could maintain for your bench

[RT1957]

Damn Ron .... and I thought your front squats looked the best yet: deep and balanced, plus you followed it all with some good back squats. I do remember that happening to me when I was walking the dog with my daughter and I just had this terrible shooting pain ... just couldn't move and had to send for a car to get me back. I think it was piriformis spasm then. At least with your rehabbing so far you've turned one-step-forwards-two-steps-back to two-steps-forward-one-step-back

Still strong on the bench and I'd be very happy with 175 barely. I'm sure that the problem with the thigh impacted on how much tightness you could maintain for your bench

Front squats have always made my hip squack a bit the day after....The problem is 2 fold...piriformis and rectus femoris tendons are both very painful...and yes it was a shooting pain that goes right down the side of the leg...starting from the piriformis. But also I feel pain coming from my rectus femoris origins down the front of my leg....then knee pain...anterior tibialis pain and then down into the top of my foot. I have a big clump of scar tissue right at the front of my hip and I've been working on that bad boy....This is gonna be awhile before it clears up and I'm giving myself this cycle to see improvement...if not then I'm going to see if I can get an mri done to see whats going on in there....because I should see some improvement in a month of not hitting legs hard and just doing the eccentric work...

Interesting read I found on how eccentrics helps tendons rebuild by tissue being laid in line with tendon fibers when doing eccentric moves..also stretching does that too according to the article I was reading yesterday

Deload 175 was deload brain so I take it with a grain of salt....for some reason when I deload all the weights feel heavy

stretching and Ice later today Cycle 4 starts tomorrow

[fittofattofit]

Front squats have always made my hip squack a bit the day after....The problem is 2 fold...piriformis and rectus femoris tendons are both very painful...and yes it was a shooting pain that goes right down the side of the leg...starting from the piriformis. But also I feel pain coming from my rectus femoris origins down the front of my leg....then knee pain...anterior tibialis pain and then down into the top of my foot. I have a big clump of scar tissue right at the front of my hip and I've been working on that bad boy....This is gonna be awhile before it clears up and I'm giving myself this cycle to see improvement...if not then I'm going to see if I can get an mri done to see whats going on in there....because I should see some improvement in a month of not hitting legs hard and just doing the eccentric work...

Interesting read I found on how eccentrics helps tendons rebuild by tissue being laid in line with tendon fibers when doing eccentric moves..also stretching does that too according to the article I was reading yesterday

Deload 175 was deload brain so I take it with a grain of salt....for some reason when I deload all the weights feel heavy

stretching and Ice later today Cycle 4 starts tomorrow

Unfortunately we accumulate so much scar tissue as we get older, especially so since 30 years ago the only rehab advice you ever got was RICE and there was no thought to active re-mobilisation
I'd be interested in reading that article: my rehab has been about focussing on the eccentric for that reason. My own injury has gone on for a full year now so my physio is recommending PRP injection for me now

[RT1957]

Unfortunately we accumulate so much scar tissue as we get older, especially so since 30 years ago the only rehab advice you ever got was RICE and there was no thought to active re-mobilisation
I'd be interested in reading that article: my rehab has been about focussing on the eccentric for that reason. My own injury has gone on for a full year now so my physio is recommending PRP injection for me now

I've had that ball of scar tissue for decades...I hurt that hip flexor when I was 15 and as I get older it comes back to haunt me...There was no rehab when I was a kid..same with when I herniated that disc when I was 20...there was no thought of doing RDL's or Good mornings...back extensions to strengthen my back...I was told to never lift weights...so I didn't until I was 55...I have to believe the hip flexor injury lead to the back injury that lead to where my left leg got so far behind...since my sciatica was down my left side during those years I always used my right leg for any kind of strength needed and the left leg was basically a stilt...

I'll try to find that article a little later...but I typed into goggle..."eccentric exercise for rehab" and it came up

[TM79]

Good looking deload session the other day Ron. Somewhat heavy compared to what I do on a deload, but good nonetheless. That's really inspiring to hear how lifting has helped you, even though you were told not to do it. I don't subscribe to that line of thinking personally. "If something might bother you then don't do it." If I took that approach, I would probably weigh 250 lbs and have had a heart attack and died already. I'd rather push it as hard as possible, while taking injuries/problem areas into consideration. If it harms you, dial it back. If it helps you, dial it up. Find the balance. Anyway, you guys that are pushing 60 and killing it are such an inspiration to me. My hat is off to you all.

[RT1957]

Good looking deload session the other day Ron. Somewhat heavy compared to what I do on a deload, but good nonetheless. That's really inspiring to hear how lifting has helped you, even though you were told not to do it. I don't subscribe to that line of thinking personally. "If something might bother you then don't do it." If I took that approach, I would probably weigh 250 lbs and have had a heart attack and died already. I'd rather push it as hard as possible, while taking injuries/problem areas into consideration. If it harms you, dial it back. If it helps you, dial it up. Find the balance. Anyway, you guys that are pushing 60 and killing it are such an inspiration to me. My hat is off to you all.

I hadn't lifted for 3 days so I needed a little stimulation for the CNS before hitting it again the next cycle...

Getting back to lifting has made a huge change in my life. I held a belief system for many decades that said this was impossible...I'd rather have these injuries then be what I was before...at least I know why I hurt now...LOL...Leg is better today, some slight discomfort after my morning yardio session but it's calmed down...had a good upper body day and so far no aftermath with the leg...so that's a big positive....I'll do some leg rehab work tomorrow

OK workout on the whey

[RT1957]

2017 Cycle 4 W1 D1
Upper body
Morning weight: No weigh in

Reps X Weight X Sets

Warmups
PVC Rotations & Dislocations
30 total

RC Flies & Waves
30 total

Ball Slams
25 X Ball(6lb) X 2

Super Set Bench Press – Yates Rows

Bench Press
WU's
10 X Bar X 1
5 X 105 X 1
5 X 125 X 1
3 X 145 X 1
Work Sets
4 X 175 X 4
3 X 175 X 1
4 X 175 X 1

Bench Press 4 X 175 Set 2 of 6


Bench Press 4 X 175 Set 4 of 6


Bench Press 4 X 175 Set 6 of 6


Yates Rows
WU's
10 X Bar X 1
5 X 105 X 1
5 X 125 X 1
3 X 145 X 1
Work Sets
4 X 175 X 6

Triset: Pullovers – Side and Rear Lateral Raises

Pullovers
8 X 75 X 1
12 X 65 X 1

Side lateral raises
10 X 25 X 3

Rear Lateral Raises
10 X 25 X 3

Super Set Paused Skull Crushers - DB Curls

Paused Skull Crushers
8 X 80 X 1
6 X 80 X 1

DB Curls
6 X 37.5 X 2

First day of cycle 4 and I'm coming close to a stall on the 6 sets of 4....I lost a rep on set 5 and only got 3 but was able to recover and get my 4 on the last set...Too many grinder reps so I may rest 10% down to app 160 and do sets of 6 working back up...we'll see how it all plays out over the next week...I also switched my order and I'm doing my pull first then my push...I've been watching some Brian Alsrhue vids and that is the way he runs his sets....Pull first then push so I thought I switch it around and see how that works...I'll give it a cycle to see if I get use to it

Yates rows matching reps and sets with Bench

Pullovers triset with side and rear laterals and finished off with just a couple sets for arms...I was running late for family dinner so I cut out 1 set of skull crushers and DB curls....

Leg rehab tomorrow

[TM79]

Great job last night Ron! Strong sets! I'm facing the dreaded stall on this cycle as well and have been wondering how to approach it. I think I may run the entire cycle at my prescribed weights and see how many rep ranges I stall at. If I only stall on one or two weeks (out of 6), then I may accept that and move on. It may just be a bad day. Or maybe I'll advance the rest of my reps and repeat the stalled weights. Who knows... Great work. It all looked solid to me.

[fittofattofit]

I've had that ball of scar tissue for decades...I hurt that hip flexor when I was 15 and as I get older it comes back to haunt me...There was no rehab when I was a kid..same with when I herniated that disc when I was 20...there was no thought of doing RDL's or Good mornings...back extensions to strengthen my back...I was told to never lift weights...so I didn't until I was 55...I have to believe the hip flexor injury lead to the back injury that lead to where my left leg got so far behind...since my sciatica was down my left side during those years I always used my right leg for any kind of strength needed and the left leg was basically a stilt...

I'll try to find that article a little later...but I typed into goggle..."eccentric exercise for rehab" and it came up

I found a BMJ article that looks good but the search threw up a dozen articles I'm going to have to read (OCD)

Well, you may have had a 354 year hiatus but you've been making it up for the last 5 years
Those bench presses looked great and you look to have those sets of 175 x 4 pitched perfectly