Getting stronger getting older

Alf Veedersane

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Wouid it be ok to do rack pulls tng? It’s a fairly short ROM. I tried it on one set and it fried my hamstrings

Did you do them TnG today?

Dtp1979

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Did you do them TnG today?

I did one set TnG yep just to see

Alf Veedersane

Dtp1979 wrote: »

I did one set TnG yep just to see

Just to see if they were easier...and they were so now you want to do them TnG

Dtp1979

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Just to see if they were easier...and they were so now you want to do them TnG

Haha they’re easier in the sense the set finished quicker but to be fair my hamstrings feel more tired after TnG

Dtp1979

Back day

NG pull ups x 5 x 7

Lat pulldowns 65 x 5 x 8

Seated cable row 65 x 5 x 8

Trap bar shrugs paused 110kg x 4 x 12

Overhead cable pulldowns 25 x 3 x 10
Db rev flys 10kg x 3 x 12

Hammer curls 18kg x 3 x 12
Abwheel rollout x 3 x 10

Shoulder felt very stiff doing pull ups so I didn’t stretch out the arm fully when lowering. 7 reps were pretty doable

Everything else was good n pumpy.

Dtp1979

Squats 127.5kg x 5 x 5 Pb

Front squats 70kg x 5 x 8

Leg press 110kg x 5 x 8

Set 1 was rough. A few half good mornings added in for good measure. Recovered very well set 2. The last reps on the remaining sets were struggles. Still a nice 5kg Pb on this weight x reps, and that was from smolov jr. On this program nearly everything is an increase on smolov, which is a good sign I suppose.

Front squats with tired legs is soul destroying. At least I got to sit down for leg press.

Dtp1979

Bench press

65kg x 5 x 5

Incline press 18kg x 5 x 8

Flat press 20kg x 5 x 8

Skull crushers 20kg x 4 x 12

Cable pushdowns 27 x 3 x 10

Main lift cause pain in shoulder ffs. Getting fed up of it now. It’s been months. I’d have recovered from surgery quicker.

Incline and flat were ok as were skull crushers. Maybe I should stop doing barbell Bench completely or really drop the weight off.

Dtp1979

Deficit deadlift 20mm

162.5kg x 5 x 5 PB

Snatch grip RDL 75kg x 5 x 8

Leg curls 36 x 3 x 15

Far too much rounding of the back today. I felt tired too. Video is set 4. Actually switched grip after the second rep. I never do that but my starting grip felt terrible
The first 3 reps went up reasonably quick on all sets. The last couple were tough. Any tips to stop the back rounding?
I had an ache in my lower back after rdl’s So I skipped rack pulls.

https://youtu.be/Nk3fWW5xA5A

Dtp1979

Back day

NG pull ups x 5 x 8

Lat pulldown 70 x 5 x 8

Cable seated row 70 x 5 x 8

Trap bar shrugs paused 115kg x 4 x 12

Biceps/rev flys/ab wheel

Set 1 of pull-ups my shoulder was stiff and sore. If the 1st rep of set 2 wasn’t much better I was gonna stop. Luckily Twas grand. I’d say I have 5 x 10 in me. Cycle 2 I’ll add weight
Lat pulldowns were fine. Seated cable rows were near the limit. Maybe 75 next week.
Pausing on shrugs makes a HUGE difference. Happy trapsday
The rest was just tiring out the muscles

Dtp1979

Squat

135kg. 4, 3, 4, 3, 4

Leg press 100kg x 5 x 8

Tried wrists wraps and narrower grip for overall tightness.
Lost balance on set 2. Leaned too far forward in the hole and couldn’t recover. Had to unload and reload the bar. Pain in the.....hole.
4th set was bar techniche and I just hadn’t got a 4th rep in me. Didn’t even attempt it.
5th set I ditched the wraps, widened grip back to normal and all was ok. I think I’ll graduslly add in wraps and grip changes in future, and not while attempting PB sets like today.
Short on time so a lot of chips today. Including front squats thankfully

Deano7788

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Squat

135kg. 4, 3, 4, 3, 4

Leg press 100kg x 5 x 8

Tried wrists wraps and narrower grip for overall tightness.
Lost balance on set 2. Leaned too far forward in the hole and couldn’t recover. Had to unload and reload the bar. Pain in the.....hole.
4th set was bar techniche and I just hadn’t got a 4th rep in me. Didn’t even attempt it.
5th set I ditched the wraps, widened grip back to normal and all was ok. I think I’ll graduslly add in wraps and grip changes in future, and not while attempting PB sets like today.
Short on time so a lot of chips today. Including front squats thankfully

Out of curiosity, did the narrower grip feel tighter? I changed my grip partway through my training for the weekend to get tighter as the bar was rolling a bit on my back, I had originally thought narrower would help (in my head it seemed the obvious way to go) but one of the coaches here actually helped me figure out that I needed to widen it slightly and it worked perfectly.

Dtp1979

It didn’t feel tighter tbh. It didn’t even feel much different. But it’s hard to know cause I made the change with wraps too today.
When I say I went narrower I’m only talking about 1 finger in so not a lot.

Deano7788

Dtp1979 wrote: »

It didn’t feel tighter tbh. It didn’t even feel much different. But it’s hard to know cause I made the change with wraps too today.
When I say I went narrower I’m only talking about 1 finger in so not a lot.

I'd say you'd still have felt tightness differ if it felt any better, even with the wraps. They should really only be easing pressure on the wrists, wouldn't really change tightness.

You'd be surprised what a finger width can do, that's how much I widened mine by and my back and lats are much tighter and engaged now.

Alf Veedersane

Deano7788 wrote: »

Out of curiosity, did the narrower grip feel tighter? I changed my grip partway through my training for the weekend to get tighter as the bar was rolling a bit on my back, I had originally thought narrower would help (in my head it seemed the obvious way to go) but one of the coaches here actually helped me figure out that I needed to widen it slightly and it worked perfectly.

In exactly the same boat. Narrowed a bit more than usual just thinking "narrower = more solid without actually really focussing on how it felt. In hindsight, I think it probably made me lean forward a touch more, in an unhelpful way, and it was harder on my elbows.

It wasn't even that much but bringing it back out felt batter and I actually felt like I could keep my upper back tighter (the old 'pull the bar apart' cue).

Alf Veedersane

Dtp1979 wrote: »

When I say I went narrower I’m only talking about 1 finger in so not a lot.

Mr. CooL ICE

I've tried narrower grip before. It just felt like the bar was weighing down on my hands and gave me wrist/elbow pain. I couldn't tuck my elbows in and couldn't pull down on the bar. Probably poor shoulder mobility. Widening it made things easier and more pain-free. But my squat is a pile of sh1te so take my anecdote with a pinch of salt.

Alf Veedersane

Dole Scrounging Vegan Crossfitter wrote: »

I've tried narrower grip before. It just felt like the bar was weighing down on my hands and gave me wrist/elbow pain.

I felt like my arms were supporting it too much and not letting it sit on my back enough so not dissimilar.

Dtp1979

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

In exactly the same boat. Narrowed a bit more than usual just thinking "narrower = more solid without actually really focussing on how it felt. In hindsight, I think it probably made me lean forward a touch more, in an unhelpful way, and it was harder on my elbows.

It wasn't even that much but bringing it back out felt batter and I actually felt like I could keep my upper back tighter (the old 'pull the bar apart' cue).

Didn’t realise it would have such an issue with forward leaning but thinking back, that’s prob why I missed 2 reps.

Alf Veedersane

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Didn’t realise it would have such an issue with forward leaning but thinking back, that’s prob why I missed 2 reps.

It might not have been as a direct result so the whole caveat about correlation and causation applies but they did coincide.

But the other elements I mentioned had a bigger (negative) impact.

Dtp1979

Bench

DB Ohp 8kg x 3 x 12

60 degree Db press 10kg x 3 x 10

45 degree Db Press 12.5kg x 3 x 10

Skull crushers

Sore aul session with the physio last night. I questioned whether I sound get out of my warm bed. I did, and when I got to the gym it was closed. Didn’t open till 6.45, which means I got nothing done.
Probably not a bad thing today. Kept anything chest related really light

Alf Veedersane

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Sore aul session with the physio last night. I questioned whether I sound get out of my warm bed. I did, and when I got to the gym it was closed. Didn’t open till 6.45, which means I got nothing done.
Probably not a bad thing today. Kept anything chest related really light

Has the physio looked at the movements or the ROM that aggravate it or just done soft tissue work?

Dtp1979

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Has the physio looked at the movements or the ROM that aggravate it or just done soft tissue work?

He’s done both. It’s hard to pin point as it’s not always the same excersises that aggravate it. One day it’s pullups, one day it’s Bench, then it could be something else

Alf Veedersane

Dtp1979 wrote: »

He’s done both. It’s hard to pin point as it’s not always the same excersises that aggravate it. One day it’s pullups, one day it’s Bench, then it could be something else

Looking back the last few pages, it seems to be primarily the barbell bench and pull ups. And one post was that it was sore/uncomfortable to fully hang on pull ups.

When it happens on the bench, does it get sorest from the middle of the pressing portion of the movement?

Dtp1979

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Looking back the last few pages, it seems to be primarily the barbell bench and pull ups. And one post was that it was sore/uncomfortable to fully hang on pull ups.

When it happens on the bench, does it get sorest from the middle of the pressing portion of the movement?

No usually the first few inches off the chest

Alf Veedersane

Dtp1979 wrote: »

No usually the first few inches off the chest

Could still be external rotation if you flare a bit off the chest.

And your shoulders externally rotate at the bottom of pull ups, though to a lesser degree with neutral grip.

I think a physio and not just an internet stranger with no qualifications would need to see the movements. But both those cause shoulder issues even though they're a push and pull...but certain points of both movements can have similar parts.

I think you might be better served by dropping barbell bench.

Dtp1979

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Could still be external rotation if you flare a bit off the chest.

And your shoulders externally rotate at the bottom of pull ups, though to a lesser degree with neutral grip.

I think a physio and not just an internet stranger with no qualifications would need to see the movements. But both those cause shoulder issues even though they're a push and pull...but certain points of both movements can have similar parts.

I think you might be better served by dropping barbell bench.

Yea that was the plan as much as it pains me. Db work seems fine and even pull-ups most times

Alf Veedersane

Dtp1979 wrote: »

Yea that was the plan as much as it pains me. Db work seems fine and even pull-ups most times

See how the DB work goes but try and keep elbows a bit more tucked to protect the shoulder a bit more or even do DB pressing with a neutral grip. Spare the shoulder in the short term and it will benefit you in the longer term.

Dtp1979

Deadlift

172.5kg x 4, 3, 4, 4, 4

Snatch grip rdl 100kg x 5 x 8

Leg curl 40 x 4 x 10

Better than I expected even though I bailed on the final rep set 2. I think I came into the zone set 4. I really concentrated on form and it paid off. By far the easiest set.
Jumped from 75 to 100 on the rdl. Wasn’t troubling at all

Dtp1979

Pull ups x 2 x 9

Lat pulldown NG
85 x 7
90 x 5
95 x 4
100 x 3

Trap bar shrugs 110kg x 4 x 12

Db rev flys
8kg x 16
10kg x 12
12kg x 10

Lateral raises 6kg x 4 x 10
Biceps cable curls 25 x 4 x 12

Abwheel rollout x 4 x 12

I had the worst ever lower to mid back Doms the last few days. Really bad, which is good cause I feel like I’m not working my lower back on back day. Thankfully it’s getting a good going over on deadlift day.
Just took it handy today. A little stiffness on the pull ups so I dropped them.

Dtp1979

Squats

Toe squats up to 100kg x 2

120kg x 1
130kg x 1
137.5kg x 1

145kg x 1
140kg x 2
140kg x 1
140kg x 1
140kg x 1

Abwheel rollout x 1 x 5

Mobility

Well I don’t know what the fcuk happened today. It was supposed to 145 x 5 x 3. There wasn’t a hope in hell. Failed the second rep. I had nothing to offer. Barely got through the 140 singles. I’ll chalk it down to god knows what, call this a mini deload maybe and retry next week.

Didn’t realise it until I started the abwheel but I had an underlying bad dose of lower abs waiting to be woke. They’re wide awake now.

Rolled the flutes till they hurt
Shjt day