How'd your training go?

[janoycresva]

I'm assuming that this suggestion would anger powerlifters, but why not simply make flat back close grip bench the comp lift ? It would solve a bunch of problems.

PL would go from mostly manlets to entirely manlets

[CheekiBreekiFitness]

I'm assuming that this suggestion would anger powerlifters, but why not simply make flat back close grip bench the comp lift ? It would solve a bunch of problems.

PL would go from mostly manlets to entirely manlets

Yeah that's another problem.

Man this bench press thing is more complicated than it seems.

[OverheadDeadlifts]

I'm assuming that this suggestion would anger powerlifters, but why not simply make flat back close grip bench the comp lift ? It would solve a bunch of problems.

PL would go from mostly manlets to entirely manlets

Yeah that's another problem.

Man this bench press thing is more complicated than it seems.

Very complicated. The bench is already the lowest part of the total so they need a rule change that eliminates insane arches without reducing bench numbers across the board.

[janoycresva]

I'm assuming that this suggestion would anger powerlifters, but why not simply make flat back close grip bench the comp lift ? It would solve a bunch of problems.

PL would go from mostly manlets to entirely manlets

Yeah that's another problem.

Man this bench press thing is more complicated than it seems.

Very complicated. The bench is already the lowest part of the total so they need a rule change that eliminates insane arches without reducing bench numbers across the board.

replace squats with strict curls tbh, a much more functional and less gay lift

that way lower body and upper body will be at least approximately balanced

[Hardartery]

I'm checking in to say everything is sore today. So, in case anyone was wondering, if you go 2.5 years without being able to back squat or do a full ROM bench, yes you will absolutely feel it for a few days after the first time back. I felt like I was being too cautious at the time, but I am seizing up all over the place today.

Separately, the bench press has always had an element of clow show to it in PL. Does anyone else remember the platform shoe/boots that the short lifters were using for a while? I mean some guys were coming out in full on Saturday Night Fever reject footwear. They managed to ban that effectively. As much as I'm not anti-geared lifting, let's be serious about how some of those bench shirts look. It's Night of the Living Dead on the way to the bench. I get what the IPF is trying to accomplish, it makes sense to try and institute a "Go to parallel" rule for bench like there is in the squat. I don't think it will eliminate the arches, but it seems lke an earnest try, and I seriously doubt anyone else is going to follow that lead.

[ChasingCurls69]

I think making the max grip pinkie inside the ring or making elbows break the top surface of the bench would be way better rule changes, although I think a lot of the gigachad arch complaints are just for the sake of complaining.

They don't really shape the metagame of powerlifting super heavily in the weight classes of dudes complaining; it's mostly smaller weight classes and women. Most of the biggest benches in absolute terms are done with normal-moderate arches anyway, and they would still bench more than the complainers with a flat back.

[janoycresva]

did SSB squats for the first time in a few months, lost a hilarious amount of strength even though i've been doing belt squats and shit 2x a week

disappointing tbh

[augeleven]

Probably lost more skill than strength. It will come back quickly

[xuerebx]

Terrible. I got hemorrhoids again (I've been getting the same one since 2018, twice a year) and I saw blood for the first time on Monday. Went to the doctor again and he's referred me to have surgery. Not sure what type of surgery it will be (probably banding), but I dread that it will keep me out of the gym for a few weeks. I've already stopped working out for a week now due to the hemorrhoids and will probably be another week until I can work out again.

[BenM]

@xuerebx - hopefully banding, because honestly it is not that bad. I had some banded quite a few years ago now. It wasn't very painful, just uncomfortable, although going to the toilet wasn't fun for a few days.

I wasn't lifting then I don't think but I'd definitely have been able to do light upper body stuff within a week or so.

I'm told surgical removal (hemorroidectomy) is much, much worse.

That said, banding isn't foolproof and I have been having issues myself for a while now so I totally understand the frustration and embarrassment.

[xuerebx]

So you get new piles I am assuming? For me it's the same one over and over. I hope I don't get new ones!!

[BenM]

So you get new piles I am assuming? For me it's the same one over and over. I hope I don't get new ones!!

Yes, I think so. Or they just kinda... grow back.

My understanding is that while banding is less invasive and uncomfortable, it's also more prone to recurrence, surgery is more efficacious long term but also an absolute pain in the arse (literally) to recover from.

LIfestyle factors can play a role (eating the right amount of fibre and drinking enough water, being a healthy weight, not spending too long on the toilet (GET OFF YOUR PHONE), not straining, etc etc). But honestly, I am pretty mindful of those things and they are still a problem for me, so I think there is a huge genetic component too. After mine were banded I had a good run for a few years, but I also lost a lot of weight. Now that I'm heavier again (although not obese like I was) it's been steadily getting worse for the last couple of years, and a referral for a colonoscopy and hopefully more banding has been on my to-do list for a while.

It could be a lot worse. I had one thrombosed once. I'll spare you the gory details (unless you want them) but it was not fun.

[xuerebx]

I see, didn't know they can grow back. I understand that lifestyle factors have an impact but in my case I think I'm doing those well - I guess like you said it's a generic thing unfortunately (+ the lifestyle factors of course). Don't mind the gory details if you don't mind sharing - it sounds...messy!

[BenM]

It's probably not very interesting but yeah. Was playing golf and the pain from my backside was really quite bad, like it literally felt like I had a golf ball there. Went to the GP next day, had a thrombosed haemorrhoid, he had to cut it open and drain it which hurt even worse and the following days were extremely unpleasant. The banding was far easier in comparison, put it that way.

I do think lifting can make them worse in those of us predisposed, but not sure what else can be done. Trying to avoid heavy lifting right after a bowel movement to give them time to settle can be helpful but we don't always get to choose the schedule for these things.

[xuerebx]

It's probably not very interesting but yeah. Was playing golf and the pain from my backside was really quite bad, like it literally felt like I had a golf ball there. Went to the GP next day, had a thrombosed haemorrhoid, he had to cut it open and drain it which hurt even worse and the following days were extremely unpleasant. The banding was far easier in comparison, put it that way.

I do think lifting can make them worse in those of us predisposed, but not sure what else can be done. Trying to avoid heavy lifting right after a bowel movement to give them time to settle can be helpful but we don't always get to choose the schedule for these things.

Ouch! Glad you got it sorted right away, even though it hurt.

I'd like to avoid getting them as much as possible, and although they seem to occur in the evening after a morning workout I can't always pin point a reason as to why. Like this time that it happened I did not really have a particularly strenuous workout. Really fucking shitty. But anyway, no use crying over spilled milk. After 1 week it's slowly shrinking now....hopefully will be gone in 3-4 days.

Apologies to the rest of the forum for TMI.

[dw]

No smart phones on the toilet?

Why even bother going to the bathroom anymore...

[James]

Where can you ponder existence but the bathroom post shit?

[BenM]

I have some of my best ideas in there. Perfect place to clear out the marketing emails that come through overnight, too.

Changing the subject though - sort of training related, sort of not. Training, for the last few months has been, quite frankly, pretty unsatisfying due to a couple of injuries. But then I'm in the supermarket yesterday at the self serve checkout and there's an attractive young woman wearing lycra (and not much of it) in front of me putting her shopping through, and it turns out she's buying some of the same foods as me - specifically the same plain Chobani and protein ice creams, but the other stuff looked like stuff I'd buy too. And I'm like, this girl obviously spends time in the gym, so I tell her it's good to see she's getting her protein in and gesture at the ice creams.

We geek out over the best flavours and she teases me about my poor taste. I get tongue tied and make a completely stupid point about how it goes well with my evening (decaf) coffee. The conversation dies, but after she's done packing her groceries she does say goodbye and give me a happy smile.

I'm probably 20 years older than her (and also; married) but I felt like a nervous teenager and keep asking myself why I didn't actually ask her some more questions about herself (like what she does training wise was my big question) instead of making a meal of it.

I took a few lessons from this. One, not all beautiful women are snobs and/or I'm looking ok (or at least, non threatening) for a middle aged bloke. Two, I really should start doing at least some training in a commercial gym just so I can be around like minded people IRL. I don't just mean attractive women; but it wouldn't hurt my training.

OK, I've got that off my chest now. Maybe next year.

[CheekiBreekiFitness]

I have some of my best ideas in there. Perfect place to clear out the marketing emails that come through overnight, too.

Changing the subject though - sort of training related, sort of not. Training, for the last few months has been, quite frankly, pretty unsatisfying due to a couple of injuries. But then I'm in the supermarket yesterday at the self serve checkout and there's an attractive young woman wearing lycra (and not much of it) in front of me putting her shopping through, and it turns out she's buying some of the same foods as me - specifically the same plain Chobani and protein ice creams, but the other stuff looked like stuff I'd buy too. And I'm like, this girl obviously spends time in the gym, so I tell her it's good to see she's getting her protein in and gesture at the ice creams.

We geek out over the best flavours and she teases me about my poor taste. I get tongue tied and make a completely stupid point about how it goes well with my evening (decaf) coffee. The conversation dies, but after she's done packing her groceries she does say goodbye and give me a happy smile.

I'm probably 20 years older than her (and also; married) but I felt like a nervous teenager and keep asking myself why I didn't actually ask her some more questions about herself (like what she does training wise was my big question) instead of making a meal of it.

I took a few lessons from this. One, not all beautiful women are snobs and/or I'm looking ok (or at least, non threatening) for a middle aged bloke. Two, I really should start doing at least some training in a commercial gym just so I can be around like minded people IRL. I don't just mean attractive women; but it wouldn't hurt my training.

OK, I've got that off my chest now. Maybe next year.

The commercial gym thing is a double edged sword.

[BenM]

The commercial gym thing is a double edged sword.

Oh totally. I've only used commercial gyms a handful of times, mostly when travelling; and I've mostly hated it. The only one I actually enjoyed was... not a commercial gym at all.

What I need is access to a gym with a good community and a good selection of equipment at a very low price because id only train there occasionally (like once a month or so) and it's not worth my while paying a full membership.

Maybe I need to pull my finger out and see if any of the places I'm thinking of do visit passes....