12/24/19 Tuesday December 24, 2019 (BB Bench, OHP in Kauai))

Training from Kauai, HI for vacation

12:30pm - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, Original Strength resets  - 15 minutes

12:45pm - warm up

Some overhead holds with light KBs, some KB presses, squats, swings, just different things to get the body warmed up

1:00pm- Training session -  BB Bench, OHP

BB Bench:

warm up
45 bar x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5 (easy)
205 x 3 (left elbow didn't like it)

work sets
185 x 5 x 3 sets

BB OHP:

warm up
45 bar x 5
95 x 5

top work sets
135 x 3 x 3 sets

rolling
hanging from the bar

Bear crawls 2 minutes

1:30pm - Complete

Notes - Well, this was a fun experiment.  I haven't bench pressed in something like 6, 7 years.  It's been a hell of a long time.  So it was odd to do that.  I will have to study the Blue Book quite a bit, I have little idea if I was in the most advantageous positions but was trying to fire the lats, push into the ground with the feet, look at the ceiling not the bar, etc. Everything was pretty good except my left elbow got irritated at 205 lbs, so I dropped back and just did 3 work sets at 185.  The reps were super easy.  Way back in the day I had worked up to a 235 bench, at 190 lbs bodyweight, so now at 220 lbs bodyweight if I developed great technique and worked at it, I think I could get to a 300 bench.  I really don't give a shit.  Something about that lift jacked me up before and I am not particularly interested in going down that road again.  Now on the other hand overhead pressing with the bar was amazing today and felt awesome once I had a plate on each side.  With all of the KB work I have done over the years, this is a stronger position for me, and I enjoy getting that bar overhead.  Working towards a bodyweight press is a great goal and it's time for me to work it into the NLP.   I will OHP one more time this week, but not bench.  Just not that excited about it.

12/23/19 Monday December 23, 2019 (BB Squat, DL in Kauai))

Training from Kauai, HI for vacation

Swimming in the ocean - 2 hours

1:15pm - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, Original Strength resets  - 15 minutes

1:30pm - warm up

Some overhead holds with light KBs, some KB presses, squats, swings, just different things to get the body warmed up

1:45pm- Training session -  BB Squat, DL

BB Squat:

warm up
45 bar x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5 (with belt)

work sets
175 x 5 x 3 sets (belt)

BB DL (hook grip all sets):

warm up
45 bar x 5
135 x 5
175 x 5

top work set
205 x 5 (this felt incredibly easy)

Overhead press:
45 bar x 5

95 x 5 (just wanted to see what it felt like)

rolling
hanging from the bar

Bear crawls 2 minutes

2:30pm - Complete

Notes - OK, getting back in the game, it felt great.  Was extremely cautious today and didn't want to push the weights hard at all, but it was hot in the gym, and I ended up doing some good work.  No issues on anything, which is the main thing.  Felt good getting back into the squat, felt safer having the belt on.  Didn't love the belt for deadlifting, but I will still with it, I know it will ultimately be helpful and it's good to use it.  I was very pleasantly surprised at how good and easy deadlifting felt.  Good for the back.  My plan is to bump up 20 lbs in each lift later this week, going for 195 on the squat and 225 in the DL for work sets.  More or less dropping back into a revised NLP at much lower weights but will try and ramp quickly, but safely.  I am thinking I can get back to 275 in the squat and 300 in the DL quickly, and then will be very intentional about adding to the bar but only what I can absolutely handle, probably 5 lb increments.  I must get better reps in the squat this time around given the lessons over the last several weeks.

12/16/19 Monday December 16, 2019 through Sunday December 22, 2019

Quick log for this week working through the injury.  Walked the dog every morning for an hour.  Felt great for my back and legs.  Practiced squatting, pull-ups, and push-ups 3 days last week (M/W/F).  Did 6 sets, 8 sets, then 10 sets on the 3 days of each exercise, sets of 5 for squats, pull-ups were in a 2/3 rep format alternating each set, and push-ups were sets of 10.  Didn't touch a weight other than warmed up deadlifting the 48kg each day.  Also got to my bodyworker / acupuncturist several times, which was a huge help, really turned a corner.  His thought was that I had sprained a ligament near the or the SI joint, and had taken a lot of load on the right side, which was locked up, though left side was painful, as I think it was pulled during the bad squat attempt. It's been a real learning experience.  I am a bit scared now to go back to heavy squatting, but I need to get over it.  I know the number of things I didn't do right and can do better.  I'll be dropping way back and restarting my NLP under Starting Strength, and re-building up.  My belt arrived from Dominion Strength just in time for our trip to Kauai, so I will get a chance to practice.  I am pretty sure I will feel a lot more confident and safer with the belt on at heavier weights.