DanCR - Can you believe how much I am in heaven?

[DanCR]

A friend recently suggested a supplement for digestive issues (specifically, not taking a half dozen dumps every morning, as increasingly became the case the older I got). I ordered the stuff, it showed up, and per the back of the bottle, it literally was from a back alley in Ghana. Gtfo, straight in the trrash.

Back alley in Ghana? There’s not a lot that gets me to literally think, let alone say “WTF?!?” But this one at least got me to think it.

Dude, there was a street address, and then it actually said “behind the laundromat” or something to that effect. Outrageous, both generally and that my friend seriously pushed it on me (and continued doing so even after I asked if he’d lost his damn mind and explained why).

[mouse]

I'm way too lazy to look but I thought 157 got brought up/discussed when I liberated my bicep and discovered I was a good candidate for rotator cuff reconstruction... didn't think it was a bannable offense back then...

I'm like DCR... but instead of being a scared cat of putting shit into my system, I'm just way way way too lazy to do the research and then I'm just way way too cheap/poor for it...

[DanCR]

5/21/24

Bench Press 45,135,185,225x5 265,275x1 285x0 240x2,2,2,2,2 EMOM
DB Bent Rows 50s x10 70s x6,6,8,8
Arnold Presses 50s x6,7,6
Standing Alternating DB Curls 40sx7,8,8
Adductor Pulses knees x20,20 ankles x10
Squats 55x5,5,5

Notes: I came in today as sore as I’ve ever been, from calves to glutes. I’d love to know what did it. The easy answer is the KB swings since they were the new variable, but also I’ve been very strict with the DB RDLs and my intuition is blaming them. Anyway, it was bad enough that I decided before walking into the gym that I wasn’t gonna superset shit, particularly since the first one was to involve DB bent rows.

I don’t know what my posterior chain has to do with benching specifically, but I knew that I was beat up and that this session would suck. That was confirmed when the warm ups felt heavy af. I guess I’m glad that I can hit 275 when I suck, but it was annoying to get stapled by the 285 that I’ve been hitting for weeks. That said, I settled a big case this afternoon and had a big ol’ beer after - the carbs didn’t help today - and also I’ve noticed that I’ve sucked generally since lowering the warm up reps. Fives just may not move enough blood around anymore, especially when I’m not supersetting.

A positive that began as a negative was that my left wrist didn’t feel so great, and so on the back off doubles I fucked around with varying grip widths. I’ll find out more next time, but I think that I may be stronger with a narrower grip. It feels like there’s more “torque.”

One rep each side of the first set of curls was with a 45 because I initially picked up a 40 and a 45 accidentally, realized it and switched hands to keep things even, then grabbed the right ones. Argh.

Graduated to doing a set of the pulses between my ankles. Adductor felt it, but not awful. Massage gun finallly arrived today; hoping to get it going tomorrow. Squats didn’t feel as good as last time but were bearable.

[slowmotion]

I've found that as I get older I need more warm up sets. And I prefer several warm up sets at each weight too. So for instance 45 x 5 x 5, 135 x 3 x 2 and so on.

.... but I think that I may be stronger with a narrower grip. It feels like there’s more “torque.”

Same here.

[TurtleBear]

5/21/24


- and also I’ve noticed that I’ve sucked generally since lowering the warm up reps. Fives just may not move enough blood around anymore, especially when I’m not supersetting.


Graduated to doing a set of the pulses between my ankles. Adductor felt it, but not awful. Massage gun finallly arrived today; hoping to get it going tomorrow. Squats didn’t feel as good as last time but were bearable.

Some days you feel invincible....
some days you feel well.....less than... you still go in and got it done.
An idea: For your days you don't decide to superset, maybe consider doing something at the beginning to get you warm and sweaty? Even just like 10 minutes on a bike might make a big difference or some kind of bodyweight circut like we've talked about in the past.
The adductor seems to be moving the right direction too, just a pain of an injury. I remember hurting mine pretty good a few years ago and I didn't want to sneeze or laugh because even that hurt. Hope the massage gun helps.

[DanCR]

The adductor seems to be moving the right direction too, just a pain of an injury. I remember hurting mine pretty good a few years ago and I didn't want to sneeze or laugh because even that hurt.

Exactly that.

[DanCR]

5/23/24

Timed, one minute rests between all sets of each movement.

Leg Extensions w/ pause at top 20,40x10 50x10,10,10
Seated Leg Curls 40x10 80x7,7,7,7
KB Swings 30x20,20,20
Seated Calf Raises w/ deep stretch 45x10,6,6,6,7
Adductor Pulses knees x20,20 ankles x12
Squats 65x3,3,3,



Notes: Squats felt like shit today but the further tinkered-with form sure looks pretty. I'm in the infuriating position of being certain that, combining the fixes that I made over the past year with this wider stance, I could squat a fuckload more weight than I ever have before, and yet here I am squatting 65 lbs with an aching adductor. I probably should have taken @MarkKO's suggestion to lay off squatting for a full month and not just for the week that I did. I'll see how it feels in a few days and make a decision then. I have been able to work legs hard without squats, and so I'm more willing to consider the month off now than I was before.

All of the grunting and grimacing squatting was the damn adductor. That awful, deep soreness that I had in my quads for months has faded. Clearly time away from constant heavy squatting was the cure.

I've lifted for the better part of 30 years, and today the KB swings gave me the first glute pump that I've ever had. Shit was intense - was walking very funnily. Really glad that @SeeMac turned me on to these.

On the seated calf machine, by "deep stretch" I mean that I actively "pushed" down into it, like how I've been "pulling" down into my DB bench presses. That sure lowered the weight, and felt great.

One minute rests are way out of character for me but I otherwise take forever in the gym, and am fat, and have no reason to take longer rests other than fear of tanking my unimpressive strength. I've considered trying this for years and years, because it was the standard practice of Jay Cutler, who was one of my favorite bodybuilders as a younger dude despite that his training style mostly didn't appeal to me at all. Obviously I don't have a single thing in common with Jay and don't expect any magical results, but this finally seemed like a good time to trot it out and see what happens.

[SaviorSelf]

These injuries are making me question whether some of these exercises are all that great tbh (like how well the exercise works vs injury risk). If you can hit your legs as hard and it doesn't bother your injury that seems like a clear win

Do you think you could replicate the KB swing with a dumbbell, or is the shape too different? Never had a glute pump either I don't think

[DanCR]

These injuries are making me question whether some of these exercises are all that great tbh (like how well the exercise works vs injury risk). If you can hit your legs as hard and it doesn't bother your injury that seems like a clear win

If I went pure bodybuilder, I might never SBD. That said, I didn't fuck up my adductor squatting. I did it on the motherfucking adductor machine, which I don't even normally use. I wanted to get some pre-squat blood flow going one day, set the thing too wide, squeezed... boom.

Do you think you could replicate the KB swing with a dumbbell, or is the shape too different? Never had a glute pump either I don't think

I don't see how you could with any remotely heavy DB. Without the KB handle, it would be impossible to control. You'd toss it through the mirror haha.

[Clearwater47]

There are other options if you don't want to get Kettlebells.
https://www.roguefitness.com/kettle-gryp
https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-loadable-kettlebell

[Fossil]

I have been able to work legs hard without squats, and so I'm more willing to consider the month off now than I was before.

Is there a machine that you could use that changes the resistance curve in such a way that might allow you to utilize the pattern but not be beholden to the absolutes of closed chain movements?
This is coming from a place of zero experience but I've seen so many videos of those pendulum squat machines and various hack squat machines that look really cool and something that if I had access to, I'd definitely use if only for a change of pace.
Also, one variation of squat that I do like but have yet to truly implement over any length of time is the partial / rack squat. As in, you set the safeties pretty high (or at least above the point of pain) and let them guide your range of motion.
At the very least to maintain the feeling of a barbell on your back. I know that on the few random times I've unracked the bar in a back squat position, it's always painful af the next day, but that's coming from someone who hasn't back squatted in a decade lol.
And for the record: by no means am I suggesting to go against more sage advice given in regards to your injury. I'm thinking out loud here.

[mouse]

.... but I think that I may be stronger with a narrower grip. It feels like there’s more “torque.”

Same here.

Just chiming in to +1

I used to have my pinkies on or even beyond the ring, since my shoulder blew up I moved them in nearly an entire inch in an effort to protect it and my bench has obviously recovered just fine...

[cole]

Obviously I don't have a single thing in common with Jay

that makes two of us....well and everyone else also

[SeeMac]

There are other options if you don't want to get Kettlebells.
https://www.roguefitness.com/kettle-gryp
https://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-loadable-kettlebell

For purely swings, I made one of these and it works well enough

It's better if you have 1 inch plates because 2 inch ones will rattle around on it, but it's good enough. I've swung close to 200 on it without issues.

[DanCR]

Is there a machine that you could use that changes the resistance curve in such a way that might allow you to utilize the pattern but not be beholden to the absolutes of closed chain movements?
This is coming from a place of zero experience but I've seen so many videos of those pendulum squat machines and various hack squat machines that look really cool and something that if I had access to, I'd definitely use if only for a change of pace.

Funny that you mention it, because my next move was to fuck around with the Smith machine and maybe the hack squat and see what might be possible. I had meant to do that previously and it’s the usual - I walk into the gym and somehow forget all of my plans. I have some idea that if I set up with my feet well out in front of me that it might work? We’ll see.

Also, one variation of squat that I do like but have yet to truly implement over any length of time is the partial / rack squat. As in, you set the safeties pretty high (or at least above the point of pain) and let them guide your range of motion.

This is a solid suggestion that unfortunately I don’t think is in the cards. Whatever I did to it, the bad adductor makes its presence felt pretty damn high.

[Bolder]

Any injury matters. Usually I refer to E3Rehab or barbell medicine (but however BM's material isn't as accessible).



(You can skip the running portion)

Not a doctor or anything, but people have used Copehagen planks to rehab their adductors. Yours seem quite severe (if you're gonna do them, best to opt for the more easier versions and build up to it)

[DanCR]

Super helpful videos

Thank you for these!

[DanCR]

.... but I think that I may be stronger with a narrower grip. It feels like there’s more “torque.”

Same here.

Just chiming in to +1

I used to have my pinkies on or even beyond the ring, since my shoulder blew up I moved them in nearly an entire inch in an effort to protect it and my bench has obviously recovered just fine...

I'm a dolt for not doing / realizing this previously... In my NY gym I bench with an Ohio Power Bar, and while they have a few of those here in my LA gym in the squat racks, the benches (located on the far opposite side in a different room) are non-descript barbells. They're good barbells - not Esporta garbage - but no particular brand that I'm aware of. Anyway today I lined one of them up with an OPB and fucking of course, the rings on it are a full finger wider than the rings on the OPB. (More accurately, the first rings, because they have another set even further out that I assume is for snatches or whatnot.) So double whammy - I'd been setting up wide, when it appears that I shouldn't have been, and also "wide" turns out to be wider than I even realized. No wonder my damn wrist was getting aggravated.

Can't wait to bench this week now.

[DanCR]

5/25/24

Soundtrack: Vredehammer / God Slayer. This band can do no wrong and just keeps getting better. This new one dropped yesterday and is phenomenal. That a band exists that's this heavy while also being this catchy makes me wonder if the 4945607 bands to whom I listen who rely on "atmosphere" are just talentless hacks.

Timed one minute rests between all sets of each movement except for prior to the top press single.

Press 45x5,5 95x5,5 125x5 145x3 160,170x1
Pullups x8,4,2,2,1
Incline DB Bench Press 55s x10 60s x6,5
Incline DB Curls 40s x5 35s x6,5 30s x6
Preset EZ Bar French Press 80x6,5
Lateral Raises 40s x10,6
Adductor Machine w/ five-count eccentric 10,15,20x10 (first setting)
Squats 65x5,5,5

170x1:


Notes: I'm beating this into the ground lately but I really have come to hate loading a barbell. That said, the top press single wasn't hard and was 10 lbs off lifetime. I can't recall for sure, but I think that I may have set my PR with a floating shelf set up, dropping to touch my chest and then using the stretch reflex to get the rep. Point is that I actually may be as strong or stronger now than I was then, given my current stricter form.

The one minute rests wrecked my pullups. Whatever, had a sick pump. I don't understand why pullups pump my tris.

To standardize how low I'm "pulling" on the incline DB bench, I touched the DBs to my upper ribs, next to my pecs. That was hard - failed an attempted last rep on the last set, from jump, as in I couldn't push it even an inch out of the bottom. Wasn't mad.

After the real work I got to the adductor rehab and started by seeing if the Smith machine might be an option for squatting, annnnnd... absolutely not lol. I intended to follow with the adductor pulses that I've been doing, but the very helpful videos that @Bolder linked got me thinking that they don't have any eccentric component, which seems essential. Incredible that that didn't occur to me on my own. Anyway, as a starting point I got back on the adductor machine that did this shit to me, very light, slow eccentrics. I was pleased that it all felt pretty good, whereas when I tried these low weights two or so weeks ago it was awful. I kept the weight the same for squats and added reps (with the same slow eccentrics that I've been using), and discovered that if I concentrate on pushing my big toes down very fucking hard, the adductor isn't as bad, presumably because doing so makes it impossible to end up in the hips. Overall they did not feel good, but given the progress on the adductor machine, I'm doing something right.

[hector]

That is exactly how I try to standardize my dumbbell bench as well.
Awesome on the press!!!!!