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.

12/9/19 Monday December 9, 2019 through Monday December 16, 2019 (injury update)

Training details don't matter too much for this period.  Was doing a set of 5 back squats in Washington DC on Monday the 9th, in a fatigued state, and coming off a pretty emotional personal period the previous day involving my ex wife and wife.  Not great.  Was doing 325, which was a PR.  Second set of 5, last rep was bad, a bit of good morning, leaned to the right, pulled on my SI joint on the left.  Racked it, was like what the hell just happened.  Walked it off and then did the 3rd set of 325, no issues, better focus, but thought something was a bit off.  I then went to deadlift.  Like an idiot, I pressed on. Deadlifts were feeling fine.  Got to the top set of 5, 365, another PR.  On the 2nd rep, locked it out and felt a little "pop" near the SI on the left side.  This is an old issue area.  I immediately cut the workout. 

Rolled around for two more days in DC, didn't do much, lot of stretching, long plane ride back, survived it ok.  Left hip and SI were not great, but I also knew that what had likely happened is my right side locked down, and the left side turned off, feeling pain on the left side but more likely the real problem was the right side.  Had 2 chiro appointments last week, those helped.  Did a bit of training, and then Saturday felt like I could go just a little bit.  On a backsquat with 185 on the 5th rep felt the left SI "grab" again.  Slept like shit on Saturday night.  Pissed off.

Today on Monday the 16th, took another long walk (those are feeling great) in the morning, push-ups, pull-ups, and some body squats practicing the SS squat position, all felt fine.  Had an amazing session with my acupuncturist / bodyworker where we we went to town on all the troubled areas.  Immediate relief.  Also had another good chiro appointment this evening.  I am back on track, but am going to keep to body weight for the rest of this week. We head to Hawaii on Sunday for a week.  There is a gym there.  I am going to dial it seriously back, I mean way back, on the loads and work on form.  I have continued to study and re-study the SS Blue Book and can see a number of things I can do better with the squats in particular.  I am hoping to get back to 225 quickly (confident I will) and then go back to adding 10 lbs to the bar each session, really focusing on hip drive, hitting the hole and driving the ass straight up.  No pausing and messing around in the hole.  I also need to work on the bar path.  Can't let it move forward like things started to do when I got to squatting 320.

12/6/19 Saturday December 7, 2019 (Variety)

8:30am - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, Original Strength resets  - 30 minutes

11:45am- Training session - variety

DB 20kgs OH PR x 5

5x:
Pull-up x 2
Push-up x 10
DB 32kgs farmer carry x 2 mins

rolling
hanging from the bar

Band wrist extensions, 10 x 2 sets per hand
6lb sledgehammer hammer rotations, 10/10
6lb sledgehammer finger walks, 1/1, x 2

12;00pm - Complete

Notes - Had to go very quick to catch a flight today to DC.  Going to see my brother Nick and walk around DC and see the monuments tomorrow, very excited.  My hip flexors are on fire on the plane, it sucks.  Hopefully walking around feels good and loosens things up.

12/6/19 Friday December 6, 2019 (BB Squat, Powercleans)

6:15am - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, Original Strength resets  - 30 minutes

6:45am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
Arm bar + Crooked Arm bar 20kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

7:00am- Training session -  BB Squat, Powercleans

24kg TGU x 1/1
20kg BU PR x 3 BU FSQ x 3
48kg DL x 5
24kg 2H SW x 10

32kg TGU x 1/1
24kg BU BU PR x 1 BU FSQ x 1
24kg GSq x 5
48kg DL x 5
32kg 2H SW x 10
40kg 2H SW x 10

BB Squat:

warm up
45 bar x 5
135 x 5
225 x 5
275 x 2
295 x 1

work sets
320 x 5 x 3 sets

Powercleans:

75 x 3 x 2 sets
125 x 3 x 3 sets
145 x 3 x 3 sets

rolling
hanging from the bar

Indian clubs 2 minutes

Band wrist extensions, 10 x 2 sets per hand
6lb sledgehammer hammer rotations, 10/10
6lb sledgehammer finger walks, 1/1, x 2

8:15am - Complete

Notes - Interesting squat observation.  Watching video, I was coming forward slightly out of the hole and the bar was moving forward, wasting a lot of energy.  I need a vertical bar path period. I have to do some thinking as to how to solve this.  It's an issue I think with the move out of the hole, I need to get my ass going straight up.  I also recently bought a belt from Dominion, and I think this will help.  i used a belt at the Squat Camp in Portland last week and liked it a lot. I will say my hip flexors still haven't really recovered from that, or said more factually, now I am squatting deep and I can really feel it:) It's way harder.  I must have been an inch or whatever high on most of my squats before going to the camp.  Powercleans were ok, had not done the movement in almost two weeks so took a little getting used to.  Would be very encouraging to get the PC up to a more reasonable weight, 145 was harder than I was hoping it would feel, but some of that was a lack of practice too. 

12/4/19 Wednesday December 4, 2019 (DB 32kgs CL+PPR)

6:00am - belly breathing, Primal Move practice, Original Strength resets  - 45 minutes

6:45am - Kettlebell warm up

1/2K halos - 12kg, 4X each side / each leg (total 16X)
Arm bar + Crooked Arm bar 20kg with 3 presses and rotations, 1/1

7:00am- Training session - DB 32kgs CL+Push Press

24kg TGU x 1/1
20kg BU FSQ x 3 BU PR x 3
48kg DL x 5
24kg 2H SW x 10

32kg TGU x 1/1
24kg BU BU FSQ x 1 BU PR x 1
48kg DL x 5
32kg 2H SW x 10
40kg 2H SW x 10

DB 24kgs CL x 5 Push Press x 5

20 minutes:
DB 32kgs CL x 5 Push Press x 5 - 4 sets

DB 32kgs CL x 4 Push Press x 4 - 2 sets

DB 32kgs CL x 3 Push Press x 3 - 3 sets

Total of 37 DL and Push Press

rolling
hanging from the bar

Indian clubs 2 minutes

Band wrist extensions, 10 x 2 sets per hand
6lb sledgehammer hammer rotations, 10/10
6lb sledgehammer finger walks, 1/1, x 2

7:45am - Complete

Notes - Was pretty challenging this morning.  Left tricep and forearm / elbow was a little "off" and I had to more or less monitor that throughout the session.  Some good body work will help.  Just need a good soft tissue session.  Been training hard lately for sure.  Legs are starting to feel normal again after the Squat Camp on Saturday.