CMG's Log (6', 190lbs, HLM, HPS, Montana, Climbing)

[DCR]

Why do local anesthetics hurt so damn much going in?

This is the sole reason that I have yet to schedule a vasectomy.

[broseph]

Why do local anesthetics hurt so damn much going in?

This is the sole reason that I have yet to schedule a vasectomy.

I believe it’s the acidity of the drug. They make buffered lidocaine, which has a much milder bite. I’m guessing the stuff is really expensive or something though, since it is not widely used/available.

@cgeorg, that super sucks about the butt stuff. I took myself to a specialist after my primary care NP was little help with my own butt stuff.

[alek]

Damn, dude, you’re going through a lot. I hope things start to turn around for you.

[cgeorg]

This is the sole reason that I have yet to schedule a vasectomy.

That reminds me, need to get this on the schedule. From what I hear it's probably a year from first call to snip.

Thanks alek and broseph. I'm lucky in that my actual PCP and other NPs I've seen seemed to know the limits of their general knowledge and sent me to specialists quickly. I think this NP did what he could virtually but it seems he should have questioned my self diagnosis based on pain and pushed me to do something more drastic sooner.

Shower musings as I squatted at parallel for a while wanding my butthole off. My shoulder PT kept having me do shoulder stuff while squatting at parallel and it was annoying but plenty doable. I'm paying you to fix my shoulder, not "functionally" train my legs. My unweighted squats are plenty strong for anything I would reasonably be called upon for. Rip always talked about strength and usefulness. If I had 3 friends, one of whom had done SS for 6 months, one who crossfitted for 6, and a guy that started bricklaying 6 months ago, I'd be asking the bricklayer to help me move first, and SS guy last. Crossfitter might eventually overtake the bricklayer, but the dude following Rip's programming is always going to be below the other 2. Someone who does a decent LP and then switches to some Hanley bullshit 50-70 rep/day program climbs pretty high on the list pretty quickly, as does a strongman (hey can you lift that awkward heavy thing?) That bricklayer is always going to be useful though.

Also I still love the gonads and strife video after all these years.

[DCR]

Rip always talked about strength and usefulness. If I had 3 friends, one of whom had done SS for 6 months, one who crossfitted for 6, and a guy that started bricklaying 6 months ago, I'd be asking the bricklayer to help me move first, and SS guy last. Crossfitter might eventually overtake the bricklayer, but the dude following Rip's programming is always going to be below the other 2. Someone who does a decent LP and then switches to some Hanley bullshit 50-70 rep/day program climbs pretty high on the list pretty quickly, as does a strongman (hey can you lift that awkward heavy thing?) That bricklayer is always going to be useful though.

In my opinion (I spent a summer laying bricks, I’m an expert!), the bricklayer always will come in first here, followed by strongman, followed by SS. What I think you get from heavy lifting, for this purpose, is a lot of practice bracing for a load. You won’t get the work capacity that you would from Crossfit, but that can be fought through for a one day move. (I do it nearly once a year.) You can’t “push through” lifting shit that you flat can’t lift.

Also I still love the gonads and strife video after all these years.

Wut dis?

[cgeorg]

Also I still love the gonads and strife video after all these years.

Wut dis?

I don't know if it holds up as a first-time watch, but I first saw it in like 2000 or 2001 as a college freshman, and the internet was a different place.

[DCR]

Also I still love the gonads and strife video after all these years.

Wut dis?

I don't know if it holds up as a first-time watch, but I first saw it in like 2000 or 2001 as a college freshman, and the internet was a different place.

My girl from the other room: “The fuck are you watching?”

[cgeorg]

Life dump...
Dealt with some OT/Insurance bullshit that kept me out of OT for a few weeks end of last month. Kept working things at home and got a decent fist and pretty good extension. Had a surgeon visit last Tuesday and he cleared me to act like a normal person (who just can't feel half of his hand and is relatively weak and doesn't have full ROM). Climbing is on, bowling without a stupid splint is on, driving is on (had started about a week before that visit, and switched from wife's auto back to my manual after about a week, I love my car). I still can't bend my thumb, and the muscle that does that doesn't seem strong enough to fight the scar tissue. Working on it but I think I'll probably need another surgery in ~3 months to release it. There's also not as much independent finger ROM as we'd like, either tendons are adhered to each other (i think less likely) or stuck to the same scar tissue (i think more likely), and doing independent flexion stuff fucking hurts. This is an actual case of no pain no gain though.

Climbing was... surprising. I actually have decent crimp strength in the left hand, got up to the 5.10a/b range on my first session, some V3 stuff my second, and sent a big 5.10c on Tuesday. Cool. I've also been doing no-hangs as part of my rehab, got up to 27.5lbs and that's where my left hand is currently saying it is maxed strength-wise. I was doing those at 40lbs pre-injury. Also golfed very poorly 3 or 4 weekends ago, when I had less of a fist, and would like to see how close I am to a full swing very soon.

Put together a 2x/wk lifting plan to complement 2x/week climbs. Have to go back a ways to remember what my logging actually looks like.

2023-07-19

Scarecrows
5sx10x3

Wish I had a 25lb bar to do proper cuban rotations, seems like it would help me lock things in better. For now, DBs.

Bench
95x8x3

Pistol Squats
BW w/support x5x3

Fuck was I thinking

Pullups
BWx3x4

Yay I can hang from the bar.

Rough plan is:
Day 1
Bench - LP then Weekly plan
Pistol Squats - Work up to 3 sets of 10 unassisted
Pullups - Work up to 4 sets of 6
Cubans - Slow work up to 3 sets of 12

Day 2
Press - LP then Weekly plan
SGDL - LP then Weekly plan
Bench - 65%x7 EMOMx10
Supine Rows - 3 sets of 8-10@8-10
Cubans - Slow work up to 3 sets of 12

Week 1: 60/10, 70/8, 75/6, 80/4, 70/8+
Week 2: 60/10, 70/8, 75/6, 80/4, 85/2, 75/6+
Week 3: 60/10, 70/8, 75/6, 80/4, 85/2, 90/1, 80/4+
Week 4: Deload or add a little bit and go.

I think I stole the week progressions from Zak. Like I said, fuck was I thinking about the pistols.

Oh, too many house projects too, indoors and out. We have floorplans for a kitchen remodel and we've had 2 contractors come by to check out the project and then just ghost without an estimate. One bigger firm that wants to provide more services than we want did actually give an estimate and a pretty cordial call discussing us not being a good fit after. The other one we've had come out wanted structural plans (??) before estimating? How the hell is this supposed to work?

[DCR]

Recovery stuff

Good. Sounds like overall right direction.

Week 1: 60/10, 70/8, 75/6, 80/4, 70/8+
Week 2: 60/10, 70/8, 75/6, 80/4, 85/2, 75/6+
Week 3: 60/10, 70/8, 75/6, 80/4, 85/2, 90/1, 80/4+
Week 4: Deload or add a little bit and go.

I think I stole the week progressions from Zak.

Yup, that’s his. When I blew my back out I of course had to move off it for squats, but I still am using it for flat bench, which I do every eight days, with incline bench in between (not on the progression, yet, hadn’t done it in years so still just pushing it). It’s been great. The stupid me who had been benching every time I walked in the gym is happily amazed.

[broseph]

Yeah, sounds like recovery is going well.

I'm sure your attitude has been an important component.

[cgeorg]

Last post mixed - and / in the date, thank god it was editable

2023-07-24

Bench
105x7x4

The bar pushing my hand into supination bugs my injured wrist, but it's manageable and I pretend it's good for it. I might even be right.

SGDL
135x3x4

Grip was fine

Press
75x5x3
65x5

Sad that 75 was an overshoot, oh well. Need to take it slow with my right shoulder. Was planning 5 sets but the weights will still be there, ready to lift, on Wednesday.

BB Row
65x[14, 12, 10]

DB Cubans
5x12x3

These numbers mostly feel sad, everything but SGDL slowed down a good bit in later reps of later sets. Was lifting with my wife and rest times were basically she does a set, change weight, I do a set, change weight, repeat. Cardio, baby

[cgeorg]

2023-07-25

Top Rope
5.10a
5.10a
5.10b
5.10c

Bouldering
Some comp boulders, sent a few failed a few
Failed some v4s, maybe sent a v3 or 2?

First time back to belaying, that went fine. I brake with the right and have a Juul2 which is an assisted braking device, so wasn't worried about catching falls. Couldn't really feed rope with the left pulling straight down, but if I turned my hand horizontal instead of vertical the friction got it done.

The first 5.10a had a lot of shitty hands and feet, felt more like a .10b or c. Left hand strength wasn't an issue on any of the sport stuff, but it held me back on most of the boulders. Not sure if it would have been better earlier in the sesh, but there's just a lot more overhang and bigger moves on smaller holds, and it just doesn't seem to be there on anything non-slab right now.

[cgeorg]

2023-07-26

Bench
110x7x5

Step Back Lunge
BWx12x3

Will DB weight these up to 2x25 then go back to pistols

Pullups
BWx4x4

Cubans
7.5sx12x3

Hard, gonna stay here for a sesh. I guess I called them scarecrows in the first one, whatevs. It's that motion from horizontal to vertical.

[cgeorg]

Climbed yesterday, a few top ropes (5.9 that was actually probably 5.10b, 5.10a and 5.10b) and then partner had to bail so I tried to do some power endurance circuits but it was tough to find stuff at the right level (v3 target).

2023-07-31

Kept things lighter this sesh. Flexed a bit in the mirror last night and my left side is really quite behind on muscle size. Trying to stay in the easy but productive zone.

Bench
95x7x7

Left wrist took this very well. This is the 65%x7x10EMOM slot, and this would not have gone for x7x10EMOM, although with the slightly longer rests it was all good. We'll see if capacity comes back or maybe this is more than 65% or maybe it should be E1.5MOM. If we keep co-lifting E1MOM isn't really very doable anyways.

SGDL
145x4x5
135x4

Forgot to put the 5s back on for the second set. Grip was tough on the left, pulling was easy.

Press
65x7x5

Good, last rep of the last 2 sets was a little tough.

Supine BB Row
65x[14, 12, 10]

Good.

Cuban Rotations
7.5sx10x3

Did these holding a 5 and a 2.5 plate bc wife was using the DBs for curls, and just trying to hold them, plus the difference in lever length made the first 2 sets much harder. Switched to the DBs for the last one, but was fairly wiped from the first 2. Will need to jigger things when co-lifting to make sure I can do these with DBs.

[cgeorg]

2023-08-01

Top Rope
Warmup stuff

5.11axF
Fun climb, got about 85%. There was a tough move to the side with bad feet onto some not-very-good edges that I couldn't get the first time through. Got that section after hanging for a bit but the belay was really tight and may have helped me out a bit.

5.10b with some big moves and high feet

5.11cxF
This was possibly the funnest sport climb I've tried. Made it about 80 of the way, got my feet too high and couldn't recover. After hanging on the rope for a bit and re-thinking beta I finished it up, I think it will go next time. The holds are fairly rock-like, and I think it climbs more like an outdoor route than many. Lots of balancy, try-not-to-barn-door stuff. Can't wait to get back on it next week.

5.11axF
This one had a section with some big pinches that my left hand just couldn't do anything with. Ah well.

[cgeorg]

2023-08-04

Bench
115x6x6

Good

Step Back Lunge
15sx12x3

Good

Pullups
BWx5x4

Barely got the last rep

Cuban Rotations
7.5sx12x3

Takes a couple sets of these to get my shoulder opened up. I did use a band to do some external rotation warmup before the workout, I don't know if maybe just letting these hang in the down position for 20 seconds a couple times before the sets might be good? Shoulder is being generally kind of crunchy, though it's been good while climbing.

---

Supposed to lift tonight, but I haven't had a night where I'm done with stuff by 8:45 in a while, and I'm taking it. Will lift before climbing tomorrow. Also the world climbing championships are happening right now and if you want to see an athlete who is head, shoulders, and torso above her competition, Janja Garnbret is your woman.

[cgeorg]

2023-08-08

Bench
100x6x10

First 4 sets EMOM, then wifey got there and the rest were just ASAP. I might have made it through 10 on the minute though.

SGDL
155x3x5

First few sets DOH, added straps due to left hand.

Press
65x6x4

Don't remember why this was only 4 sets, crunchy shoulder maybe?

Supine BB Row
65x10x3

Cuban Rotations
10sx8x3

---

Golfed in a family scramble outing. Short irons were mostly on point. Long irons are still headed right. Figured out driver around the turn, any bad golf at this point is on me and not the injury. I made mostly good puts but none of them went in.

---

2023-08-12

Bench
125x0

Even with band work, my shoulder was crunching on all the warmups, no need to be stupid.

Step Back Lunge
25sx12x3

Hard but doable. That's all I have dumbbell-wise, so it's either time to do some real squats (which I do have my wife doing again) or take another crack at gently assisted pistols.

Pullups
BWx[6,5,5,5]

Crunchy shoulder on the first set, widened grip which took care of that and made them harder.

Cuban Rotations
10sx12x3

---

Bouldered, nothing too special. My left hand did get a weird pain through the middle of it after trying a harder start, so I kept it easy after that, and the pain went away a little while later. Hopefully just some adhesions clearing up. Right ring finger is a bit pissed lately, should probably tape it up next time.

---

2023-08-14

Bench
113x8x2

Started my wife on Zak's protocol for bench and I think I got a good training max dialed in for her, the 80%x4 was solid and she got 10@7-8 on the 8+ set. I played around with a wider grip on her weights, was still crunching. Kept exploring, and really focusing on keeping my elbows in (like to the point that I think it was not good form) kept it from happening, so I did a couple of very slow sets there.

SGDL
165x3x6

Straps the whole time since climbing yesterday and tomorrow. Curious if I could have held it. Did a regular DOH deadlift to put it back on the safeties for unloading and it was nothing.

Press
70x6x5

EZ

Cuban Rotations
10sx[12,12,9]

I think I went a little lower at the bottom of the ROM, plus I think these are harder on press day.

Supine BB Row
70x[12,12,12]

EZ

[Hardartery]

Cuban Rotations
10sx12x3

---


Cuban Rotations
10sx[12,12,9]

I have been wondering what this is called. Now I know. Thank you, I knew it had to be a thing out there with a name already attached.

My wife's father is from East McKeesport, I had to go up there to clean out a house when his uncle died. Three weeks of working with no breaks except occasional food and sleep. It was the family house, they'd had it snice 1910 and it was REALLY full of stuff. I say this because I noticed your location is Pittsburgh

[cgeorg]

Cuban Rotations
10sx12x3

---


Cuban Rotations
10sx[12,12,9]

I have been wondering what this is called. Now I know. Thank you, I knew it had to be a thing out there with a name already attached.

My wife's father is from East McKeesport, I had to go up there to clean out a house when his uncle died. Three weeks of working with no breaks except occasional food and sleep. It was the family house, they'd had it snice 1910 and it was REALLY full of stuff. I say this because I noticed your location is Pittsburgh

Picked them up from a climbing training video, seems they're the middle movement in a Cuban Press. I think they're sometimes called scarecrows as well, though that may be with the shoulder joint at a 45 degree downwards angle.

McKeesport has (had?) the only real darts shop in the area, I think it's the only reason I've been down there. Pretty classic older Pittsburgh neighborhood, I am sure your great uncle-in-law was not the only person with a house like that.

And, we used to have a pretty popular music venue called Nick's Fat City. I think it shut down around 2000.

[cgeorg]

Climbed yesterday, felt pretty weak warming up, did a little bit of stuff, finished trying some V5 stuff. Got all the moves worked out in 2 parts on a more burly/slopey/heel-hooky one but my endurance sucks. And there's a slab that I've been working but it's so delicate and stretched, I think I worked out some better beta this time but my foot kept slipping about halfway up, and there's nothing easy nearby to skip past it to work out the rest. Also I have shit crimp strength even on my right hand.

---

2023-08-16

Bench
90x10
105x8
112x6
120x4
127x2
112x12

It's a start. Some occasional crunch but nothing too bad, really worked on good arch and cueing lats. Got 6 extra on the 6+ set and that was the only one that might have hit an actual RPE, although 127 did feel heavy on my left wrist. LMAO1PL8 for a single next time baby!

Pistol Squats
BWx5x3

Better than the first time around. I should probably just back squat, but gently holding a bar for balance on these is actually pretty dang functional as far as their usefulness in climbing is concerned. Eyes on the prize.

Pullups
BWx6x4

I guess I could start weighting these but it feels like I should get to more reps. My notes from the climbing training video I was pulling from include preferring 4-6 rep range, and weighted pulls. Once I get to +50% BW I should switch to assisted 1 armers. That's a ways off. 4-6 is preferred for rows as well, I should bump those up a good bit, did 3x12 last time.

Cuban Rotations
10sx12x3

Less desperate this time. Will bump to 12.5 in 2 sessions.