1" Deficit DL:
12 singles w/ ~30 seconds of rest at 407
Some leg curls
Was supposed to do romanians but back was fried.
Week 2, Day 8
Skipped 2nd bench day again. Things have been rough.
Week 3, Day 9
Squat:
3 sets of 5 @ 583
Pause Squat:
1 set of 5 @ 517 (was supposed to be 2 sets)
Had to skip the 2nd planned set on paused squats. Ended up on the ground because right side of my back was so locked up.
Life has been fun lately. Just kidding. Going to make it to BOB3, compete...and then take the month of September off from any heavy work/all squats & deadlifts together. Looking forward to that downtime. My main goal(s) right now are to avoid mental burnout and injury. Lots of crappy stuff going on outside the gym as well and it all builds up.
Same here my man. Nobody sees our personal lives and they can definitely get the best of us like Pete said. Stay motivated- lifting is the best distraction from life.
Training has been all over the place lately. I took an unplanned deload last week and into this week. Having some issues flare up with the back. I think some nerves have been irritated back there and my legs (last year it was just my left leg, my right leg is now having issues as well) are in some pain and are feeling weak in everyday life. My left foot is also getting tingly as well. In addition to all of that, I am having a knee issue which I think is flaring up from postural issues from standing/walking a certain way to compensate for the back/leg problem. I am not crippled/confined to my bed like last year, but the goal is to not reach that point again. Unfortunately there is a chance I am going to be doing bench only at BOB3. I am going to keep taking it day by day. I really want to do the full meet for a variety of reasons.
Basically- this stings. I've been looking forward to this since I had to withdraw from the meet altogether last year so this is a pretty tough pill to swallow. Pretty depressing stuff right now
Keep your head up man. I'm not going through the same stuff as you, but you are not alone. And you've come back from this before and put up a huge total, you can do it again.
Keep your head up man. I'm not going through the same stuff as you, but you are not alone. And you've come back from this before and put up a huge total, you can do it again.
Thanks man, looking forward to seeing you next month! Big things coming from you.
Look into a chiropractor that has decompression equipment and invest in an Inversion Table. These two things have kept my spine and back 110% healthy. A reverse hyper will help strengthen those muscles that cannot be hit with a barbell or a machine, if you can find a gym with one of those.
Hope everything works out, J. It definitely takes a toll, both mentally and physically when shit like this happens. I know you used to be with 10/20/Life. Do you still use his training style/program? Or are you doing your own shit now?
Jersey Animals
"In the end, we're all just chalk lines on the concrete, drawn, only to be washed away. For the time that I've been given, I am what I am."
Hey man, if you're not doing full power frikken BRING IT on the bench. Let's see some numbers!! And we could all use your support cheering... Your presence raises the test levels in the room
Alright, so bench only it is. I am glad I made this decision as I ended up taking 10 days off from the gym altogether and my issues are starting to get better. Back pain is sporadic and not too bad, but I know the nerve(s) are still compressed because of the spurts of pain in my shins/legs. I know that for now on I should probably only train for a full meet 2-3 times a year and take about 6 weeks off from loading my spine (which I knew, but tried to push through for this meet) after a competition. ANYWAYS:
Week 1 bench only prep:
Day 1: did 4 sets of 4 in the 374-407 range, 2 sets of 4 @ 352/363 wide grip, and finished up with some BBing work
Day 2: All BBing work
Day 3: Worked up to a really easy 440 lb single, 507 lbs in the slingshot, and 3 sets of 3 @ 374 lbs.
Very happy with how week 1 went. The break from squatting/benching for those 10 days really relieved the pain in my shoulders/arms and everything was pain during these workouts.
I am really looking forward to heading out to BBBC and seeing all of the Animal team compete together.
Curious but do you do other variations in the meantime like Leg press or 45 degree back raises, while letting the spine recover?
No- would be counter productive. Leg press will still load the spine and the back raises were advised against by McGill for spine health so I stay away.
Day 1
Pause Bench: 374x5/385x5/396x5/374x5
CG Bench: 330x5/308x5/308x5 <<fatigue set in here on the triceps
Accessory Work (Upper back/shoulders/triceps)
Day 2
Lat Pulldown: 3x15
MAchine Rows: 3x15
DB Lateral Raises: 3x15
Skullcrushers: 3x15
Pushdowns: 3x15
Day 3
Pause Bench: 405x4/415x4 for a small PR but called it there. Had to more sets of 4 in the 390-420 weight range but I strained my pec slightly
Accessory Work (Back/Shoulders/Arms)
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Originally Posted by Pete Rubish
