Jonathan's Log

An excellent session today. The foot has been largely pain-free today, despite being an array of stupid colours. No pain at all whilst training.

I've decided to just start my routine from the beginning again, with a slight progression on what I did last week.

Squat:

2x12x20kg
8x40kg
5x60kg
3x70kg
3x80kg
3x90kg
10x3x95kg - all beltless, but with the Rehband for all but one set. Quite a few reps paused too. I did the same weight last week, but not paused and also with a belt.

What I struggle with a bit (on account of my back) is unracking and the first rep. Getting into the set can sometimes be uncomfortable, or at worst, will cause a back twinge. So to address that, lots and lots of sets means lots of practice getting the bar off the rack and getting that first rep in. Once I'm in the set, I can pump them out if I need to.

Bench:

15x20kg
8x40kg
8x60kg
5x75kg
4x8x85kg - it was 82.5kg last week for 5 sets, but this was much easier. It won't be too long before all working sets are over 100kg again.

Lat pulldown:

12x40kg
2x8x75kg
2x12x65kg

Straight arm lat pulldown:

3x12x30kg

Patella tendons are still a bit sore so I'm going to see the osteopath tomorrow. They are completely fine by the middle of the working sets, but tender through the warmups. It's annoying.

Top session!

Are you bracing before you unrack the squats?

Thanks Millsy

Yes. I make a conscious effort with the valsalva manoeuvre, bracing my core tightly. I'm only just starting to get to the stage where I can squat pain-free without a belt. Previously, I've had the strength in my legs to squat way past what my back will allow, but now I'm starting to be able to play catch up. Rather than dropping the weight on the working sets, I'm trying to do more and more without the main belt, or without the Rehband. I'll always use a belt for the heaviest sets on squats or deads, but it feels good to be able to do a lot without it.

I almost never use a belt for overhead, except for on the heaviest doubles and singles. I get a lot of core DOMS from that.

I wouldn’t worry about using the Rehband. That provides more warmth than it does support.

It’s good that you are making a concerted effort to strengthen your core though through not relying on the belt too much. I’d always play it careful though - better to be safe than sorry.

Do you use a low bar position for squats or a high bar?

Low bar. I have quite a long back (with modest length legs) so I have to take quite a low position to counter that. I had proper elbow tendon pain when I started out 4 months ago, but that quickly abated. I used a safety squat bar initially, but now I just take a really wide grip with my hands against the collars on a normal bar.

I'm planning to incorporate deadlifts in regularly on my next program. For this program, I'm working on building on the lower body hypertrophy from the last routine (where I took my 20 rep squat from 55kg to 100kg) and build some low rep strength. Hoping to get to around 160kg by the end of the routine, but that's over 7 odd weeks, with 3 sessions a week squatting. I love squats

I'd love to get bodyweight overhead, but the issue is that my bodyweight is going up almost as quickly as my overhead and my bodyweight has a 20kg lead at the moment!

It sounds like you are doing everything right then. Bracing over arching has helped my back health loads in squats and the low bar position for taller guys too.

Keep up the graft. Consistency is king.

I spend quite a lot of time watching Youtube videos on correct form, especially on squatting. I can't really arch with my back, so a neutral spine position works best. It's worked well to help both my brother and wife, who both struggle with depth a bit when they arch.

How do you find the lifting works with rowing regularly? Do they complement each other or is there a trade-off?

I don't think cardio has as much of a negative effect on strength as people think. Obviously if it coincides with a lower bodyweight, it will have a greater impact, as will dieting.
So as long as you keep your BW where you want it, you can get strong whilst doing cardio.
I think the strength training helps the rowing nicely.

I've never in my life dieted, so it'll be an interesting experience when it comes around!

Anyway, day 2 of the first week of my new routine (take two, on account of my foot).

Push jerk:

(warmed up shoulders with stretching and rear delt band stuff)

8x20kg
5x40kg
3x50kg
2x60kg
2x70kg
10x2x77.5kg - added 2.5kg onto it from last week. All super easy. Played around with grip width but also tried a couple of sets as proper push presses (losing the double dip). That felt bloody weird, in that they felt slow. Never going to fail them, nor were they difficult, but they felt slow. I'll stick to jerks.

Seated dumbbell shoulder press:

2x10x25kg
1x8x25kg

Rear delt band flyes 3x12 each arm

Rotator cuff banded something or others (I can't remember the name of the exercise)

Face pulls with tricep rope on cable: 3x12x20kg

Tricep extension 3x15x20kg

Banded tricep extension 3x12x green band

Day off tomorrow and then back to puased squatting Thursday.

I was supposed to be off today, but my masochistic brother wanted to train.

I had proper DOMS in my legs from squatting two days ago and a tired back from 11 hours in the forwarder and car today, but went fine.

Squats:

2x8x20kg
5x40kg
5x50kg
3x60kg - all paused, and all paused from now on
3x70kg
10x3x80kg - all paused. All beltless until the 8th set. On the set up for the first rep on the 7th set, my back twinged a bit, so belted up after that. No progression on this from last week's session, but I'm fine with that as I was knackered today.

T-bar row:

I weighted the actual weight in the hands of the bar and handle, which is 15kg, so I'll adjust the weights listed to include that now.

12x30kg
12x50kg
4x12x55kg

Bicep curls with 12s, 15s and 20s (dumbbells)

Forearms curls - 3x12x40kg with the barbell

Definitely a day off tomorrow.

A bit of a so-so session today. Patella tendons are a fecking pain in the arse. They take loads of warming up and are a bit destabilising when sore on overhead.

Also, I decided to take the new 15kg UKSF Cronos barbell for a spin. I bought it yesterday (used, but only used once) for Kathryn but I wanted to try it out. It's a bit odd, being 25mm in diameter, plus it's really whippy. If you misjudge the whip, it's a bit offputting. The collars have got an amazing spin though. If you pop a 10kg plate on and spin it, it keeps going for minutes.

Anyway, push press/jerk:

10x15kg
6x35kg
3x55kg
2x75kg
2x85kg
1x95kg plus fx95kg - first rep was misgrooved but made, the second rep was horribly misgrooved and barely cleared my head.
2x95kg - that's better. This is my max double for today
3x8x72.5kg - that's about 75% of my max double

Incline bench press with dumbbells:

12x12kg
12x20kg
2x8x30kg - uncomfortable on my left shoulder so left it at that. I will avoid incline everything from now on as it just aggravates my shoulder

Hang cleans:

Various mucking about up to 75kg, plus a total fail at 80kg (it psyched me out and I didn't even try to get under it). I need professional instruction with this.

Shrugs:

3x15x80kg

I have another appointment with the osteopath next week and I'll ask them to check the knees over again. When prodding in the area of my patella tendon, I have specific discomfort on the insertion of the tendon onto the patella.

Good session this evening, missing out on squatting to rest the patella tendons.

I did some rehab earlier in the day. Hip, quad and calf stretching, along with isometric wall squats, glute bridges and something called terminal knee extensions (band around the back of the knee with the other end anchored on the cage. Contract quad to straighten leg against band tension).

Did more stretching before training this evening, and consequently had no pain at all.

Deadlifts (convo, straight bar):

5x40kg
5x60kg
5x90kg
5x110kg
3x3x130kg
1x150kg - comfortable enough, form OK
2x3x130kg

Pendley rows:

8x60kg
4x8x80kg

Football bar bench:

15x15kg
8x35kg
8x55kg
3x8x70kg

Bicep work


Nice to have a pain free session. I'm dropping the squats to once a week, and only to a high box. I'll maintain some leg volume with lunges, but will be making more time for working the hamstrings and glutes, as I feel that the root of the issue is that I'm a very quad dominant squatter, and that imbalance is causing the patella issues.

Good session. Lots of walking today. 7500 steps or something like that. The dog was pleased.

So into the gym in the evening.

All the usual leg rehab stuff. Stretches, isometric wall squats, TKEs, glute bridges. A nice warmup.

Hang power snatch:

5x15kg
3x25kg
3x35kg
2x45kg - lack of hip drive involvement meant this was harder than it should have been.

Push press:

5x55kg
3x65kg
2x75kg
10x2x80kg - all easy, no knee discomfort.

Rear delt banded flyes.

I've deviated from the program, but the reduction in squatting makes it hard to stick to it.

Last nights training:

All the usual knee rehab stuff, minus wall sits and glute bridges as they conflicted with later exercises.

High box squat (about 2 inch above parallel, I'd guess).

Went for a high box to avoid really stretching the tendons. Largely pain free.

8x20kg
8x40kg
8x60kg
2x8x80kg

T-bar row:

12x40kg
5x12x55kg

Hip thrusters:

2x20x40kg across lap - surprisingly hard!

Straight arm lat pulldown thing, which I'll call standing lat pullover now, as the motion is the same as a dumbbell pullover on a bench.

3x15x30kg

Bicep curls

Then went for a brisk 2.25km walk with the dog.

Pleasant training session today. Tendons were a bit sore today after squatting, but fine really.

Usual leg rehab, including some long isometric wall squats. They aren't nice.

Bench:

15x20kg
8x40kg
8x60kg
2x80kg (felt very light. Programmed to do 4x6x87.5kg, but upped it to 90kg)
3x6x90kg - very easy
12x90kg - not too bad at all. Probably would be 14-15 in there on a first set. Felt really strong.

The fact that my (2 rep) max is 110kg is daft. I taper off very quickly on bench strength at the moment. According to the 1rm formula (reps x weight x 0.033 + weight), I ought to have a 125kg 1rm.

The other reason I think they felt strong was a conscious effort to retract my scapula, tighten the upper back and get a bit of an arch. Seemed to help the weight launch off the chest.

Tricep extensions, 4 sets with 20kg

Grip work

Bodyweight up to 121.2kg in gym clothes and oly shoes.