Welcome to Dullsville: Sarah's Post-Injury Log

[sak]

I promised @KoolaidMannn that I'd start a log when I started training regularly again, alas, here I am.

I'm Sarah. 23 y/o, female, 5'8.5 and 155lbs. Found SS in 2015 after CrossFitting for a few years, ran a solid LP under the wing of Alex K at Atlanta Barbell, competed in a few PL meets, hamstring injury slowed me down but Dr. Rori fixed me up, dabbled in and excelled at Strongman, qualified for a few different Nationals competitions, hurt my back and got sidelined for the better part of 2016, tried to rehab myself, two steps forward, one step back, yadda yadda, dabbled in Highland Games, back repeatedly flared up, got frustrated with training, gave up on it for awhile, moved to Reno, started a new job, hired Austin Baraki to coach me through my comeback, and here I am.

Not that I need to qualify myself but lifetime PRs:
BP: 177lbs
OHP: 130lbs
Squat: 265lbs
DL: 365lbs

Currently trying to desensitize my brain/nociceptors to movements that previously have triggered back pain. I've jumped through the hoops and tried everything for my chronic back pain, and landed on pain science methods as the most effective solution. I've been nocebo'd for long enough. Thus, why I finally bit the bullet and hired Austin.

Current goals:
Train without pain or flare-ups.
Deadlift 300+ (no timeframe, I'll take as long as I need to to get back up there).
100lb weighted pull up by end of 2018.


Today was my first day of programming from Austin, but I don't want to clutter this post any further, so I'll post it separately below.

Happy to be here with all you misfits. Feel free to introduce yourself. Or I'll just ask Colin who you are.

[sak]

12/5 a.k.a. Day 1 of The Comeback

Wagon Wheel DL
145x5x3
(running an LP of sorts as we slowly increase weight & ROM)

Comp Bench
130x6@6.5
125x6x2@6

BW Pull Ups
4 sets @8
10/8/8/6

[mgil]

Thanks for joining @sak! Austin is a good coach and dude in general. A few of us around these parts have been working through pain issues and Austin’s thoughts on this subject are very helpful.

@KoolaidMannn is very handsome.

[Cody]

Welcome to the party! Austin is an excellent coach and he has a particular interest in pain management and mitigation - he'll have you sorted out.

[cole]

Great to have you. I follow your man's training by pretty regularly. Hes a strong young buck. I'm sure you will make loads of progress with Austin, he seems extremely qualified and capable. Get to it!

[sak]

@mgil @Cody @cole Thanks gentleman. I'm feeling pretty hopeful!

12/7

Front Pin Squats (just above parallel)
97.5x5x3

Press 1.0
82.5x4@6.5
85x4x2@7

Close Grip Feet Up BP
95x8x3@7
(supposed to be feet down but experiencing some weird pain in my lower trap under my right shoulder blade when I retract my scaps & get set for normal bench, so for the time being, we're opting for flat back bench.)

[KOTJ]

Great, another troll post. Can the mods clean this up?

[simonrest]

Great, another troll post. Can the mods clean this up?

exactly, who the fuck does front pin squats? Can't be real

[KoolaidMannn]

You should post videos of your lifts, we care

[sak]

Great, another troll post. Can the mods clean this up?

exactly, who the fuck does front pin squats? Can't be real

someone who has chronic back pain, is more confident under the bar with front squats, and is working their way back to full depth squats.

[simonrest]

someone who has chronic back pain, is more confident under the bar with front squats, and is working their way back to full depth squats.

I subsequently saw this lift on Instagram. I don't know that I could do it without tipping over. Do they help the back pain, or is it just a way to get some sort of squat in?

[sak]

someone who has chronic back pain, is more confident under the bar with front squats, and is working their way back to full depth squats.

I subsequently saw this lift on Instagram. I don't know that I could do it without tipping over. Do they help the back pain, or is it just a way to get some sort of squat in?

The latter. I don't care for squatting, and Austin is programming for me with a focus on push/pull, but still wants me to get some sort of squat in. Fortunately, I'm joining a gym next week that has a leg press machine so that'll take over as my primary squat movement.

But also, I've experienced a good number of flare ups during back squats, but none during front squats. Another reason we are opting for fronties at this time

[sak]

Ooooops didn't post Saturday's workout.

12/9

Wagon Wheel DL
150x5x3

Feet Up TnG Bench
115x5@6.5
120x5x2@7

BW Pull Ups
4 sets @8
10/8/7/7

And then today's workout...

12/12

Wagon Wheel DL
155x5x3

Feet Up Paused Bench
107.5x6x4@6

BW Pull Ups
4 sets @8
11/9/7/7


Things will be pretty monotonous for awhile. At least next week we add leg press! Woooooo! I definitely don't mind the quicker workouts though-- I can get through these in about an hour. I used to spend 2-3 hours in the gym... the thought of that now makes me gag.

[asd]

Looks great! Good luck next time you are in the gym training with the weights.

[tdood]

Welcome, primal bites!

Curious to see what your push/pull programming looks like going forward. I hate squatting too.

[sak]

Hi @tdood !

I've already made quite the habit of forgetting to post. Here are the past 3 training days.

12/14

Front Pin Squats
100x5x3

Press 1.0
85x4x4@7

Close Grip Feet Up BP
100x8x3@7

___________________

12/16

Wagon Wheel DL
160x5x3

Feet Up TnG Bench
120x5@6.5
125x5x3@7

BW Pull Ups
4 sets @8
12/10/7/6

___________________

12/19

Wagon Wheel DL
165x5x3

Comp Paused Bench (scap pain is virtually gone so back to feet down! hip hip hooray)
120x6@6
125x6@7
130x6x2@8

Leg Press
225x10@6.5
275x10x2@7

Pull Ups
10lbsx8@8
BWx10
BWx9

[sak]

Ugh. Sorry guys. Been without internet at home for the past week and also been lacking much care for being on my computer/phone, thus the lack of posting. I've decided to just commit to posting on my log once per week at the end of the week with a recap of all my training sessions. Hopefully I can hold myself to that. So for my first end of week recap, here's what Week 1 of my second block with Austin looked like:

1/2

Block Pulls (~3-4 inches)
185x5x3

Comp Bench
130x5@6
140x5@7
145x5x2@8

Leg Press
315x8x4@7

___________________

1/4

Belt Squat
135x6x3@6

Strict Press
80x4@6
87.5x4@7
92.5x4x3@8
Working on widening my stance here for a more stable base. Seems to be helping.

Slingshot Bench
155x6x4@7

___________________

1/6

Block Pulls
190x5x3

TnG Bench
145x4@6.5
150x4@7
150x4x2@8

Leg Press
315x8@6
335x8@7
365x8@8


This week was refreshing since I've got a few new movements. Bench is a little frustrating at the moment though, I'm dealing with some technique issues. Frankly my technique has never felt less consistent from rep to rep. Ever since my weird trap pains and most recent flare up of shoulder pain (both on the right side) it's been really hard for me to bench evenly and I can't quite pinpoint what's going on. Block pulls on the other hand are going swimmingly. They still feel super easy weight-wise, but I'm enjoying the slow process.

Here are a few videos from this week.

[sak]

Nothing too notable happened this week. Just chugging along.

1/9

Block Pulls
195x5x3

Comp Bench
132.5x5@6
140x5@7
145x5@8.5
140x5@8

Leg Press
315x8x4@7

___________________

1/11

Belt Squat
135x6x4@6

Strict Press
85x4@6
90x4@7
95x4x3@8

Slingshot Bench
160x6x2@7
155x6x2@7

___________________

1/13

Block Pulls
200x5x3

TnG Bench
140x4@6
145x4@7
150x4x2@8

Leg Press
315x8@6
345x8@7
370x8@8

[sak]

Pretty good week of training. Still working out what the fuck my elbows are doing on bench (got a little too much flare going on, and my right elbow is perpetually more tucked than my left) but things moved way better, and more evenly, this week.

Getting into the 200s on block pulls which is cool. I've had some lingering low back discomfort on some days, but it magically dissipates after I do my block pulls Stupid brain. Trying to make me think I'm injured when I'm not Good thing I know by now that my back isn't a fragile flower.

Here's this past week's training.


1/16

Block Pulls
205x5x3

Comp Bench
130x5@6
135x5@7
140x5@x2@7.5


Leg Press
335x8x4@7

___________________

1/18

Belt Squat
155x6x4@6.5

Strict Press
92.5x4@7
97.5x4@8
102.5x4@8
(-10%) 92.5x4x2@7

Slingshot Bench
170x5@8 (failed rep 6 bc I'm dumb. not bc I'm weak.)
165x6x2@8
160x6@7.5

___________________

1/20
Dropped in at Untamed Strength with @KoolaidMannn and met the infamous @KOTJ. He's aight. @chromoly was cool too! @KoolaidMannn not so much.

Block Pulls
210x5x3

TnG Bench
140x4@5.5
147.5x4@6.5
155x4@8
155x4@7.5
157.5x4@8

Leg Press
345x8@7
370x8@8
405x8@9

[KOTJ]

Seems like a terrible gym with horrible people.