Wooden Platform, Iron Men!

[dlocas7]

Friday April 5th

This will be my first session since March 20th. I need to start with a gentle session now that I'm better. The good news is my joints feel fresh.

Muscle Snatch (no body contact) --- A great lift to reactivate all muscles

Snatch pulls as warm-up, 128 lbs 3 sets x 2 reps

Muscle Snatch no contact... 128 lbs x 5 x 3 reps

Deadlift, conventional
310 lbs 3 x 3 reps (no straps, no belt)

Two-hand Pinch Lift --- a pair of 45's "York Standard" plates... 1 x 5 reps --- A good stimulation that doesn't take much time since it's done while putting my "toys" away before hitting the shower.

Freya. She turned 17 a few months ago!

[DCR]

Freya. She turned 17 a few months ago!

I hereby demand more Freya content!

[dlocas7]

Thanks, DCR! I'm blessed to have such a wonderful pet bird! She is a ring-neck parakeet, one of the oldest pet birds humans have been keeping.

[dlocas7]

Tuesday, April 9th

I badly srained the tendon of my left pinky last Friday by doing my deadlifts at 310 lbs without straps. The grip on a regular bar isn't the same at all as a thicker Axle; the bar was easy to hold, but my finger tendons have gone deconditioned to the tension in that particular position. There's still some swelling and pain, but it's getting a lot better now. At least, nothing is broken and I'll heal just fine.

Snatch Pulls, off the floor with straps
128 lbs x 3 x 3 reps
158 x 2
178 x 2
200 x 2

Muscle Snatch -- using straps because of left hand injury
128 x 2 x 3 reps
138 x 2 x 3 reps -- easy!

Floor Press, close grip, starting from bottom (blocks)
128 x 6
158 x 6 --- the injured tendon on left hand makes it impossible to properly squeeze the bar.
200 x 3 x 5 reps (far from failure) --- Done with wrist wraps; I don't normally wear those at 200 lbs, but I'm injured and it helps me getting a better grip on that bar.

Deadlift, conventional
220 x 5 --- All sets done with straps. Support equipment helps to train around an injury!
270 x 5
310 x 5 -- wearing belt on last two sets
330 x 5 (far, far away from failure)

One-handed Pinch lift -- right hand (the un-injured one)
three 10-lb plates x 2 sets x 5 reps & squeeze as hard as I can! (far from failure)

[dlocas7]

Thursday April 11th

This was a long 2-hour session involving a lot more different lifts than usually for me.

Muscle Snatch
35 lbs (my shorter barbell) x 2 x 5 reps
85 lbs x 3 x 3
128 x 2 x 3 reps
138 x 3 x 3 reps --- Pinkie finger tendon on left hand is improving; I still need the strap on that hand.

Dumbbell One-hand Press
54 lbs x 3 x 3
74 x 1
84 x 1

DB One-hand negatives (both hands are used to raise the weight, then it is lowered using one arm)
94 lbs x 3 x 3

Snatch Pulls
148 x 2 x 3 reps
178 x 3
200 x 2 x 3 reps

Snatch-grip Deadlift --- 290 lbs x 6 (only one light set since I'm also deadlifting two days later)

Floor Press, close grip, starting off blocks
128 lbs x 6
158 x 6
200 x 3 x 5 reps

One-leg Squats (step on chair)
BWT x 3 x 10 reps

One-hand Pinch Lift (right) 3x10's x 2 x 5 reps

[dlocas7]

Saturday April 13th

Muscle Snatch
85 lbs x 4 x 3 reps
128 x 5 x 3 reps

Floor Press, close grip off blocks
128 x 6
158 x 5
200 x 3
219 x 5 x 3 reps --- solid (well off failure)

One-leg Squat (rising on chair)
BWT x 3 x 8 reps

One-Hand Pinch Lift (right hand only)
3x10-lb plates (regular York) x 3 x 3 overcrush (very tiring)

Overhead push against door frame
Big leg push (300+ lbs of tension) x 3 x 1 hold in lockout position

Heavy Grips hand grippers
HG 100 x 15 (right hand) / x 5 (left hand*) * The injury is now much better and it's time to start doing light work for those tendons.

[dlocas7]

Tuesday April 16th

Floor Press, close grip starting off blocks
128 lbs x 2 x 6 reps
158 x 5
200 x 2 x 3 reps
225 x 5 x 3 reps

Deadlift, conventional
220 x 5
270 x 5
310 x 3
330 x 2 x 3 reps

One-Leg Squat (step on chair)
BWT x 3 x 10 reps

Pinch Lift, one-handed (right hand only)
2x25's x 2 x 1 rep
3x10's x 22

And some light gripper work with HG100.

[dlocas7]

Thursday April 18th

Clean Pulls
128 lbs x 2 x 3 reps
178 lbs x 2 x 3 reps --- I need to do Snatch Pulls or Muscle Cleans with such light weights; the bar goes too high and this strains my left wrist.
219 lbs x 3 x 1 rep
249 lbs x 4 x 3 reps

Floor Press, close grip starting off blocks
128 x 6
158 x 2 x 5
219 x 5 x 5 reps --- It was harder than it used to, but it was manageable (1-3 reps in tank on all sets)

One-Leg Squat (on chair)
BWT x 3 x 10 reps

One-hand Pinch Lift (right h.)
3x10-lb plates x 23

Hand grippers
HG 100 (left) x 2 x 10 reps
HG 100 (right h.) x 10
HG 150 (right h.) x 10
HG 200 (right h.) x 10 --- I'm surprised I'm still able to hit 10 reps after so long without touching grippers. HG 200 is roughly equivalent to CoC #1. That strain on my left pinky (healing now) taught me I have let some tendons go too weak and developed an imbalance vs. my thumb & larger fingers. Grippers are amazing to strengthen the pinky and ring fingers. But they can easily damage tendons when done in excess; most of the training has to be done for higher reps with easier grippers.

Why not set myself an insane goal for grippers? HG 300 x 10 reps! Then I would have a shot at closing the all-mighty HG 350, which is roughly similar in difficulty to my Gillingham Level 8 or maybe harder. But HG 300 for reps is a monster's goal!