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Ryan's "Hope to compete again in 2014" log


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Lots of plowing yesterday, snow was nearly waist-deep in some spots, two hours of freezing my arse off but it is done!

 

Weird stuff with left leg going on. Knee hyperextension feels normal now, no more pain in the calf/hamstring attachments, but two days ago I started to get some sharp pain about 2" below the kneecap, felt like it was either a shin splint or could have been an unusual strain on my instep, not exactly sure. Hurt less yesterday, hurts slightly less today (walking up or down stairs is pain-free, but sometimes it hurts at the end of a step on flat surfaces), but now I'm getting sort of an odd "clicking" sensation every few steps in that area. It's definitely below the knee, not sure what is going on now, but looks like my plans to squat tonight will have to wait a few more days. May get some light upper back and chest stuff in today or tomorrow, hope to be able to do some moderate weight squatting on Sunday if things are feeling better!

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It was trial by fire tonight, lower back and leg work, things weren't "bad", but they could have been better for the knee -

 

Speed deadlifts -

1x2 @ 135 lbs.

1x2 @ 225

1x2 @ 315

10x2 @ 330, all done fast and as best as I could hope for in keeping form perfect every time. No more than 45-60 seconds rest between each set.

 

Squats -

1x2 @ 135 lbs

1x2 @ 225

1x2 @ 275

2x2 @ 315, knee had some strange twinges of pain under the dead center of the kneecap, something that I wasn't experiencing before. Not "oh crap, drop the weight" painful, but the kind that says "don't even think about going heavy or doing a ton of reps" pain. First set was deep, 2nd set I tried to go wide to an 18" box to see if that would help, neither one felt great. A few more days off, will try on Wednesday again with Kirk.

 

Changed the game plan and swapped legs out for chest/triceps instead -

 

Close-grip flat BB bench -

1x2 @ 135 lbs.

1x2 @ 185

1x2 @ 225

10x2 @ 240, most sets touch-and-go rather than paused

 

Cable pull-throughs, ultra wide stance -

3x20 @ 100 lbs.

 

Wide grip flat BB bench -

1x15 @ 175 lbs.

1x20 @ 155 lbs.

1x30 @ 115 lbs.

 

Back extension machine -

3x25 @ 200 lbs.

 

Decided at the last second to do some seated leg curls to get at least some assistance leg stuff going, since my hamstrings are still needing plenty of work even if I can't squat yet. Did 3x20 @ 100 lbs. single-leg style, then 2x30 @ 150 lbs. and called it a day.

 

Upper back tomorrow night or Tuesday, will try to squat on Wednesday again to see how it goes!

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Upper back night!

 

Pull-ups (bodyweight 239 lbs. clothed)

1x5

2x13

 

1-arm rows, bar w/one end wedged in corner, other end loaded w/ plates, grabbing 2" diameter sleeve with strap -

1x15 @ 165 lbs. (135 lbs. in weight, est. 30 lbs. for bar weight in hand)

1x15 @ 170

1x15 @ 185

Wanted to do lower reps and heavier, but it is hard to support at 200+ lbs., not the same as a dumbbell row where you can really keep it under you properly with ease.

 

BB shrugs behind the back -

1x20 @ 315 lbs.

1x15 @ 405

1x12 @ 455

1x8 @ 505, not a great set, almost fell forward on the last rep, took off 100 lbs. after final rep and did 1x10 @ 405 immediately afterward

 

Straight bar 45 degree pulldowns to sternum -

3x20 @ 220 lbs.

 

Cable face pulls -

2x20 @ 120 lbs, superset with yellow band pull-aparts for 20 reps immediately afterward, total rear delt destroying combination

 

Wrapped up with one "fun" endurance set of 45 lb. empty bar strict curls. Did 50 reps regular curl style, rested 15 seconds, switched to reverse curls and did 30 more before I couldn't move my arms.

 

That was it, will test the waters for squatting again tomorrow with Kirk, hope the knee is a bit better than it was on Sunday!

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Hey, gsop_3! Knee was getting better, now it's a bit off again just below the knee, I think it's time to get it looked at so I'll know if it will be a lingering problem or something that just needs a little more time to heal up. Pain under the kneecap is over, but there's notable soreness in the fibula at the base where it meets the tibia, as well as some soreness in the musculature surrouding it. Kept me from doing much this past week, I took more time off, but did some training last night -

 

Flat close-grip BB bench -

1x5 @ 135 lbs.

1x3 @ 185

1x2 @ 225

1x1 @ 245

5x1 @ 250, each rep 2-3 second pause on chest, definitely better power again with heavier paused work

2x5 @ 225, touch-and-go

1x20 @ 135 touch-and-go

 

Deadlifts -

1x5 @ 135

1x5 @ 225

1x5 @ 315

10x2 @ 355, working on speed but was pulling a bit slower than expected. Didn't have my belt to get that extra "snap" at lockout for speed pulling, so be it.

1x10 @ 315 to finish

 

Played around with a horizontal bench machine I hadn't touched before for a few sets -

2x20@ 175 lbs.

 

Wrapped up with some light seated good mornings on the bench, 2x20 @ 135 and that was it.

 

Felt decent after a week of minimal activity, leg does have that bit of tenderness still, so I'll hopefully get it looked at by the start of next week whenever I can get an appointment. I miss squatting, so I need to know what to expect for the coming months to plan around it if I need time off from direct leg work, we'll see how it goes!

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3 more weeks we train!

 

Hey man, let's plan a chest day. I want to hit 315 while you're there! You staying extra days?

 

Thanks again for the inspiration to get back in the Iron Game. I'm loving it!

 

Hope that knee gets better soon.

 

In the meantime hammer that chest, back, shoulders, arms and abs!

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Hey, Robert!

 

Let's make it a chest/back session and you're on!

 

I say we both go for 315, I haven't tried that weight in quite a few years, maybe we'll both pull it off on the same day

 

Definitely going to have time to train, taking an extra day afterward so I'm not as rushed, let's either train early at the beginning or Sunday afternoon once things wind down as Saturday, I'm usually a wreck after walking about 30 miles over the previous two days. We'll make it happen, and now that I know they have a full gym at the hotel that I missed the previous year, there's no excuse!

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Great!

 

Or, depending on when you fly in, we can hit it before the Expo even starts!

 

Then we're both totally fresh, no super long days of walking miles, long meetings, after parties/meetings, etc.

 

We can just get in there, toss some iron around, hammer chest and back and then have a great expo!

 

And if we're up to it, we can go squat one of the other days!

 

We'll be in touch about it. I'm still booking flights, as I might bail the very next day to join Charles and his family in Hawaii, a trip we've been planning for months. I just have to arrange my flight details. I'm working hard to sell more books. So far so good.

 

Have a great one! See you soon.

 

Robert

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Friday's quick back/shoulder workout -

 

Standing strict overhead press -

1x5@ 95 lbs.

1x3 @ 135

1x2 @ 185

1x1 @ 205

2x8 @ 175

 

Pull-ups -

2x12 @ bodyweight (239 lbs. clothed)

 

Seated overhead press machine -

2x15 @ 150 lbs.

 

Seated horizontal row machine -

2x15 @ 230 lbs.

 

Hammer Strength plate loaded pulldowns -

2x10 @ 270 lbs.

 

Cable face pulls -

2x20 @ 175 lbs.

 

Wrapped up with one set for biceps, alternating arms on preacher curl machine for drop-rep sets, no rest just chaning arms after each set -

1x10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 @ 40 lbs. each arm

 

That's it, should be getting in for lower back work later tonight!

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Quick chest/lower back work day -

 

Flat close-grip BB bench -

1x5 @ 135 lbs.

1x3 @ 185

1x2 @ 225

All sets from here on are paused on chest for 2-3 seconds each

1x1 @ 245

1x1 @ 255

1x1 @ 260

1x1 @ 265

1x1 @ 275 - right arm cocked out slightly, spotter tapped me up on that one instead of letting me fight it for a second, but that's fine. Being 99% sure that I can hit 275 with a 3 second pause on the chest is good enough for me, since a touch-and-go rep with that weight was tough just a month or so ago. Should be able to hit about 300 or slightly more without a pause now, definitely getting more strength back in close grip benching!

5x3 @ 230, first 2 reps touch-and-go, last rep 3 second pause each set

1x10 @ 185, 2 second pause each rep

1x20 @ 135, touch and go all reps

 

Rack deadlifts, starting position about 6" above normal floor position -

1x5 @ 135 lbs.

1x5 @ 225

1x5 @ 315

1x5 @ 365

1x5 @ 415

1x10 @ 365

Gassed today and short on time, just wrapped up with 2 sets of back extensions @ full stack for 25 reps each and that was it.

 

Getting the leg checked out on Thursday morning to see what's up, been better again but it flares up from time to time, may as well know if there's any real damage or if it's just going to irritate me for a few more weeks. Upper back work on Wednesday, may squat on Friday if I get a clean bill of health!

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Going in to get the leg checked out today, been feeling okay the past two days so I opted to get a light workout in to see how it'll be come tomorrow morning -

 

Squats -

1x5 @ empty bar

1x5 @ 135 lbs.

1x3 @ 225

1x2 @ 275

1x1 @ 315

1x1 @ 365

1x1 @ 385, not bad for a month off squatting again, dropped weight for doubles w/ 1 minute rest between sets

10x2 @ 330 lbs.

Felt okay on the leg, first 7 sets were fast, last 3 started to slow on the 2nd rep, final set I could feel a bit of a twinge under the kneecap, so the timing to wrap it up was good.

 

Single-leg presses, heels only, wide stance -

3x20 each leg @ 180 lbs.

 

Lying leg curls -

3x15 @ 175 lbs.

 

That was it, quick 45 minute leg day, we'll see what the diagnosis is tomorrow after a visit to the doc!

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Diagnosis came to be that I most likely did some sort of minor tendon strain that's just going to take time to heal. Lots of "could be this, could be that" stuff, but based on the low level of pain I had after squatting, the doc seems to think it's nothing seriois, so that's good. The pain is now 95% gone and only flares up on occasion (like the last rep of the last set of squats), so I think it's just going to take another month to get through it. But, to have done most of my squats pain-free was a good thing, here's to hoping things get all the way back to normal before too long!

 

Had a free week pass to a gym across town last night that's SUPPOSED to be open 24 hours/day, drove 20 minutes there to train, find out that they aren't open all the time on weekends (weekdays only), was not happy, had to go back to my usual spot and opted for some "conditioning" style training tonight for something slightly different.

 

Standing strict overhead press -

1x5 @ empty bar

1x5 @ 95 lbs.

1x5 @ 135

5x5 @ 150

5x5 @ 155

2x20 @ 95

These were all done back-to-back with the pull-ups below, only 15-30 seconds avg. rest between sets -

Pull-ups -

2x2 @ bodyweight (243 lbs. clothed tonight, bloated and wearing boots to come in heavier than normal)

10x5 @ bodyweight

5x5 w/ 25 lbs. strapped on

5x5 @ bodyweight

Goal was to get in 100 reps total, needed to throw in those with the added weight as it was actually feeling too easy without putting in a bit more challenge.

 

Seated overhead partial presses, semi close grip position for more triceps work -

2x20 @ 115 lbs.

2x12 @ 135

Done alternating with the pull-ups to keep things moving well enough with little rest.

 

Finally, wrapped up with some band pull-aparts w/ yellow band for 4x20 and Panora pressdowns with the rope handle on cable stack for 3x20 @ 100 lbs. and that was it.

 

May get some deadlift doubles in tonight if I feel more recovered, pretty beat up from last night but I want to get more lower back stuff in before Wednesday's leg day. Will post when it's done!

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Tired tonight, but got in a quick session -

 

Speed deadlifts -

1x2 @ 135 lbs.

1x2 @ 225

1x2 @ 315

10x2 @ 365, first few sets were slower than I'd like, speed picked up about halfway through once I hit my groove for a fast pull

 

Seated good mornings -

1x20 @ 135 lbs.

1x20 @ 185

1x20 @ 225

Still keeping these light so I don't continue to throw my right side imbalance out of whack even more

 

1-arm shrugs in the Smith machine (not counting counterbalanced bar)

1x25 @ 115 lbs. each arm

1x20 @ 155 " "

1x20 @ 175 " "

 

Circuit of back extensions followed by hip adductor, then hip adductor machine -

3x25 extensions @ 200 lbs.

3x20 adductors @ 300 lbs.

3x25 abductors @ 250 lbs.

 

That was it, not super motivated tonight, just lower back maintenance junk for now. Should get some chest and upper back in on Tuesday if I'm feeling recovered by that time, otherwise, next training will be legs on Wednesday!

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Thanks, gsop_3 - knee/leg is doing MUCH better, so I think it'll just be a waiting game for that last residual pain to go away completely.

 

Squat day, too tired to get upper body stuff in last night.

 

Monolift squats to 15" box, wide stance -

2x10 @ 55 lb. empty power bar

2x10 @ 145 lbs.

2x5 @ 235

1x3 @ 285

1x2 @ 325

3x1 @ 375, all with pause on box

Just re-learning the feel again, didn't push hard, just had to make sure I remembered what I'd learned for all the important setup points over the past few months.

 

Rack pulls from 17" (just below top of kneecap), done with front half of feet angled upward on wedge pads, apparently it helps with more of a glute/hamstring "push" to lockout better, felt odd at first but became comfortable after a few sets -

1x5 @ 135

1x5 @ 225

1x5 @ 315

1x5 @ 365

1x5 @ 405

2x1 @ 495

 

Wrapped up with one 3 minute set of walking lunges, spent about 40 seconds gasping for air, remainder of time spent actually doing lunges. Kirk called it a short day to not hit it too hard after a month off of training with him, we'll work in the volume again over the next few weeks!

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Quick lower back day yesterday -

 

Deadlifts -

1x5 @ 135 lbs.

1x5 @ 225

1x2 @ 315

10x2 @ 375

 

Defeceit deadlifts from 4" box -

5x2 @ 315 lbs. for a bit of extra work

 

Cable pull-throughs -

3x20 @ 120 lbs.

 

Back extension machine -

2x25 @ 210 lbs.

1x50 @ 150 lbs.

 

That was it, keeping things simple leading up to this week's trip, should get one more session in before I leave on Thursday!

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