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!

[DanCR]

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!

[dlocas7]

Saturday April 20th

Clean & Press (strict)
85 lbs x 2 x 5 reps
128 x 4
148 x 5 x 4 reps --- First time doing that lift in a very long while. This is why I'm working light (less than 65% of PR).

Muscle Clean
178 lbs x 5 x 2 reps -- Quickest way to regain cleaning power is to directly train the lift itself; the muscles aren't worked the exact same during clean pulls.

One-hand Pinch Lift
3 x 10-lb plates x 24 reps (both hands)

[dlocas7]

Monday April 22nd

Clean & Press (strict)
85 lbs x 2 x 5 reps
128 x 5
148 x 5 x 5

Muscle Clean
178 x 3 x 2 reps --- My lower back is still strained from earlier work this month.

Floor Press
128 x 5
178 x 5
205 x 3 x 5 reps

One-leg Squat (chair)
BWT x 3 x 10 reps

One-hand Pinch Lift
3 x 10-lb plates x 2 x 20 reps (both hands)

[dlocas7]

Wednesday April 24th

Clean & Press (strict)
85 lbs x 2 x 5 reps
128 x 5
148 x 5 x 5

Floor Press (always close grip = shoulder width for carryover to Press)
128 x 5
178 x 3 x 5 reps

[dlocas7]

Saturday April 27th

Floor Press (close grip as usual)
128 lbs x 2 x 6 reps
158 x 2 x 5 reps
219 x 5 x 5

Deadlift (conv.)
219 x 2 x 5 reps
290 x 5
330 x 2 x 5 --- My lower back absolutely needs more healing time. I started training again with too much work on April 6th and following sessions.

One-leg Squat
BWT x 6
With 25-lb plate x 3 x 5 reps

Axle One-hand Lift (2-inch bar)
110 x 3 // Left hand 110 x 10 reps
130 x 3 (right hand only...)
160 x 2 --- Max effort

[dlocas7]

Monday April 29th

Floor Press (close grip)
128 lbs x 2 x 6 reps
158 x 2 x 3 reps
200 x 1
219 x 6 x 3 reps

Dumbbell Stiff-legged Deadlift
Pair of 54's x 3 x 10 reps --- Just to flush lower back with blood

Dumbbell "see-saw" Alternate Press
Pair of 54's x 3 x 10 reps

Hand grippers
Heavy Grips 100 x 10 both hands
HG 150 x 10 both hands
Left hand, HG 150 x 3 x 6 reps /// Right hand... HG 200 x 10, then x 3 x 6 reps --- This is excellent for fingers tendons. Very important not to use grippers that are too hard, as it takes a LOT of time to recover when tendons get inflammed or strained. Better to go easier with longer sets or overcrush.

[dlocas7]

Wednesday May 1st

Floor Press (close grip -- always off blocks)
128 lbs x 2 x 5 reps
158 x 2 x 3 reps
200 x 1
219 x 1
239 x 5 x 2 reps --- First time in a while working with that much iron. Went well. No need for more sets.

Deadlift to knee
219 x 6
290 x 6
330 x 6 --- Lower back is still too sore and right knee has inflammation from one-leg squat. This is an excellent lift to work strength off the floor directly in the exact same start position. Stopping at the knee reduces the range of motion and should make the lift easier to recover from.

Dumbbell Alternate "See-Saw" Press
54's x 3 x 10 reps

Axle One-hand Lift
110 x 3 (both hands)
130 x 7 x 1 rep (left)
130 x 1
150 x 6 x 1 rep

[dlocas7]

Saturday May 4th

Floor Press
128 lbs x 2 x 6 reps
158 x 2 x 3 reps
200 x 1
219 x 1
239 x 5 x 2 reps --- This week, I'm letting my lower back and knees heal. All my lifts will be upper body. This is my last week working the floor press as I'm accumulating fatigue in my elbows. Next week will be no pressing and my triceps tendons will be able to recover and get stronger while I'll be back to some deadlifting using farmer handles (the easiest on lower back).

Axle One-Hand Lift
110 x 3
130 x 5* x 3 reps (both hands * only 4 sets with left hand) Both hands had an easy time with this weight; I've slightly reduced the workload on the left tendons because they are still healing although almost back to 100% now.

Dumbbell hammer curls (simultaneous)
54 pounders x 5 x 3 reps

[dlocas7]

Monday May 6th

Floor Press
128 lbs x 2 x 6 reps
158 x 2 x 3 reps
178 x 5 x 6 reps --- Time to reduce intensity and crank up the volume. Sets of 6 do a nice job for fibre recruiting as I give all I have in each and every repetition! This is a fun lift.

Axle One-Hand Lift
110 x 3
130 x 5 x 3 reps (both hands) I'm accumulating stress in my hands. Very happy with the job I did in healing that injury in my left hand fingers (pinky and ring).

Dumbbell hammer curls (simultaneous)
54 pounders x 5 x 3 reps --- This is enough weight for me to improve. A great fun lift to top off a good session. My lower body is recovering and I'm certain I'll be able to handle heavy work with my farmer handles next week; Farmer Deadlift is the easiest on lower back.

***

Picture of an actress I saw recently in a 1955 movie (The Last Command)

Anna Maria Alberghetti (1936- ...) She was a child prodigy; she sang at the Carnegie Hall when she was 13!



Anna Maria got that sway!

This isn't her dancing, but I love to be reminded what real dancing looks like...