Medically Diagnosed with a Well Developed Appearance

[Allentown]

Bench Oct 7
240x1
255x0f
225x3x3
205x6x7
205x5x2
PU
Dunno, 5x10?

Shared the cage with Root, who did some very nice looking squats. Kid cried from set 5 until I was done, that was fun. Need to get my sessions back down under an hour, because that's about as long as he can last.

[vanslix]

Thanks for the back up, everyone. The root cause of the problem is supposedly some depression, which I am trying to be sympathetic to while also not actually understanding much about. I was raised to just pray about that stuff, not talk about it, so my family isn't great at handling mental health issues.

Not sure if this helps or not but here's what I tell family members of a patient who has a serious mental illness. The brain is no different than any other organ. The heart can break (heart attack), the kidneys can break (renal failure), the immune system can break (infection). So why would the brain and psyche not be able to break as well?

And at this point, I'd posit that you don't need to understand the depression. Just accept it. Just like a patient doesn't have to know the actual mechanisms of insulin resistance by the liver and kidneys to effectively treat diabetes. Acceptance is going to drive healing a lot more than intellectual understanding. And depression and alcoholism are rough beasts. And deadly. I had to put my own brother into inpatient rehab. Driven there slobbering drunk by my sister in law. It was that or we was going to eventually end up deep throating a pistol. He's been clean and sober going on two years now so change is possible with interventions by the family. I hope your brother is able to find his way.

[Allentown]

Squats Oct 8
315x4x2
235x8x5
EZ bar curls, strict
60x8x5

Chain curls
B&Sx18,12

Video:Instagram
Hold on, I think I figured out how to valsalva and use my and on a squat.

[broseph]

Congratulations on squatting again!

Please explain your notation with the chain curls. You did 12 sets of 18?!?!? And what's "B&S"?

[Root]

Squats?!? Did I inspire you?

[simonrest]

squats looked good.

[Allentown]

Not sure if this helps or not but here's what I tell family members of a patient who has a serious mental illness. The brain is no different than any other organ. The heart can break (heart attack), the kidneys can break (renal failure), the immune system can break (infection). So why would the brain and psyche not be able to break as well?

And at this point, I'd posit that you don't need to understand the depression. Just accept it. Just like a patient doesn't have to know the actual mechanisms of insulin resistance by the liver and kidneys to effectively treat diabetes. Acceptance is going to drive healing a lot more than intellectual understanding. And depression and alcoholism are rough beasts. And deadly. I had to put my own brother into inpatient rehab. Driven there slobbering drunk by my sister in law. It was that or we was going to eventually end up deep throating a pistol. He's been clean and sober going on two years now so change is possible with interventions by the family. I hope your brother is able to find his way.

This, and my wife sort of explained things the same way- if he was in kidney failure, my family would be doing a lot more, and talking a lot more about it. And if you ignore it, probably the same result. Thanks, van, and for everyone else who has chimed in, this has been super helpful to me, and hopefully anyone else who might be dealing with something even tangentially related and stumbles across these last 5 pages or so.

Congratulations on squatting again!

Please explain your notation with the chain curls. You did 12 sets of 18?!?!? And what's "B&S"?

I has a derp. I did a set of 18, then a set of 12. Big & small chain- I have a pair of 3/4" chains (~20lbs) and a pair of 1/8" chains (~10lbs) so all chain use will refer to either big or small chains. I could use another pair of big chains.

Squats?!? Did I inspire you?

That, and I was kind of nervous to front squat 285. And I'd prefer to be able to squat and DL again at some point, which means I need to quit avoiding it.

squats looked good.

Thanks! I'm still pretty gun-shy about them. I had another rep in me for sure on the first set of 315, no doubt, but the whole time all I could think about was my back. So I did another set, figuring I did 4 reps in two sets last time, I should at least do more reps than that. 4 more reps felt pretty good.

[Allentown]

CoC Oct 9
1.5x4,4,3,4,4

After work
1 mile
8:58.3

Heavy bag carry
Around the block x2

I did it. I won running.

[Shane]

Just catching up on your log dude. Squats again - awesome.
Your brother's problems - less awesome. A shitty part of mental health/substance abuse issues is the stigma (like it's a choice, or weakness), and likely direct effects on those around the sufferer. It can be a horrible thing, and people in its grip may do horrible things that people don't do when they have purely physical ailments. Things that alienate the very people who could help. Seek help to provide help. I bet, like here, there are a bunch of advice services you can contact to give you the tools for that. Best of luck man.

[Allentown]

Just catching up on your log dude. Squats again - awesome.
Your brother's problems - less awesome. A shitty part of mental health/substance abuse issues is the stigma (like it's a choice, or weakness), and likely direct effects on those around the sufferer. It can be a horrible thing, and people in its grip may do horrible things that people don't do when they have purely physical ailments. Things that alienate the very people who could help. Seek help to provide help. I bet, like here, there are a bunch of advice services you can contact to give you the tools for that. Best of luck man.

My wife and I are trying to find a time we can go to a group substance abuse session. Not with my brother, just on our own, because we don't know what to do, and we hope taking some action will help spur my brother and parents into something more than just hoping it goes away on it's own.

[Shane]

My wife and I are trying to find a time we can go to a group substance abuse session. Not with my brother, just on our own, because we don't know what to do, and we hope taking some action will help spur my brother and parents into something more than just hoping it goes away on it's own.

Good stuff, can't be easy with the kidlet. Best wishes mate.

[Allentown]

CoC and EyH Oct 10
8-11AM
#1.0x11x10

Expand Your Hand
Yellow x12x5

Taped my left hand after set 6 before it started hurting. So not only do my coworkers have to deal with the squeaking CoC, but I'm walking around with masking tape all over my left hand... Kid's cold is back again, and he's been a little more fussy that normal, and wife works until 6 at the earliest, so hopefully he can handle being in the garage for a bit tonight?

After work:
DB press
60x5x4
Wide grip BB row
175x5x4

DB bench
60x10x3,9,5
Chin
S Chain x4x4

BB curl
45x75

Video:WuTanGram
Wife got home early.

[tersh]

CoC and EyH Oct 10
8-11AM
#1.0x11x10

Expand Your Hand
Yellow x12x5

Taped my left hand after set 6 before it started hurting. So not only do my coworkers have to deal with the squeaking CoC, but I'm walking around with masking tape all over my left hand... Kid's cold is back again, and he's been a little more fussy that normal, and wife works until 6 at the earliest, so hopefully he can handle being in the garage for a bit tonight?

Epic workplace workout.

Do you find using the bands is a good counterpoint to the CoC?
They seem like pretty much the only way to work those muscles, short of engaging in a lot of open-handed balancing work (handstands, etc, on the floor).

[Allentown]

Do you find using the bands is a good counterpoint to the CoC?
They seem like pretty much the only way to work those muscles, short of engaging in a lot of open-handed balancing work (handstands, etc, on the floor).

In the climbing world I used to pretend I was a part of, extensor work was pretty common. The Expand Your Hand bands were something like $15 with Prime shipping, so I figured even if it isn't the silver bullet for gripper tendonitis, it wouldn't hurt to get my lobster on a few times a week. My only "complaint" is that I can do 10 reps with the blue bands, and only have the reds left that I can't do. I could always combine, say, red and white (the smallest) if I wanted to keep progressing it, for whatever reason. I can say I haven't had any forearm/elbow problems despite jumping into some pretty high volume grip work, between 300+ reps of grippers, farmers carries, heavy DB rows, grenade curls, fat gripz stuff, etc. Yet.

[Jay870]

A drop of oil on the coil of the spring will stop the squeeking/creeking.

[Allentown]

A drop of oil on the coil of the spring will stop the squeeking/creeking.

You assume I DON'T want to drive my coworkers insane. t(ಠ益ಠt)

[SpinyNorman]

Do you find using the bands is a good counterpoint to the CoC?
They seem like pretty much the only way to work those muscles, short of engaging in a lot of open-handed balancing work (handstands, etc, on the floor).

In the climbing world I used to pretend I was a part of, extensor work was pretty common. The Expand Your Hand bands were something like $15 with Prime shipping, so I figured even if it isn't the silver bullet for gripper tendonitis, it wouldn't hurt to get my lobster on a few times a week. My only "complaint" is that I can do 10 reps with the blue bands, and only have the reds left that I can't do. I could always combine, say, red and white (the smallest) if I wanted to keep progressing it, for whatever reason. I can say I haven't had any forearm/elbow problems despite jumping into some pretty high volume grip work, between 300+ reps of grippers, farmers carries, heavy DB rows, grenade curls, fat gripz stuff, etc. Yet.

Wow, how far do you stretch the bands? I start running into trouble getting more than a few reps with the yellow. My range of motion seems to get shorter quick.

[tersh]

In the climbing world I used to pretend I was a part of, extensor work was pretty common. The Expand Your Hand bands were something like $15 with Prime shipping, so I figured even if it isn't the silver bullet for gripper tendonitis, it wouldn't hurt to get my lobster on a few times a week. My only "complaint" is that I can do 10 reps with the blue bands, and only have the reds left that I can't do. I could always combine, say, red and white (the smallest) if I wanted to keep progressing it, for whatever reason. I can say I haven't had any forearm/elbow problems despite jumping into some pretty high volume grip work, between 300+ reps of grippers, farmers carries, heavy DB rows, grenade curls, fat gripz stuff, etc. Yet.

Avoiding tendinitis seems like an important deal. My hands/wrists are already prone to it from all the typing I do for my work, so I reckon I'll probably pick the set up. Like you say, they're cheap.

[Root]

Do you find using the bands is a good counterpoint to the CoC?
They seem like pretty much the only way to work those muscles, short of engaging in a lot of open-handed balancing work (handstands, etc, on the floor).

In the climbing world I used to pretend I was a part of, extensor work was pretty common. The Expand Your Hand bands were something like $15 with Prime shipping, so I figured even if it isn't the silver bullet for gripper tendonitis, it wouldn't hurt to get my lobster on a few times a week. My only "complaint" is that I can do 10 reps with the blue bands, and only have the reds left that I can't do. I could always combine, say, red and white (the smallest) if I wanted to keep progressing it, for whatever reason. I can say I haven't had any forearm/elbow problems despite jumping into some pretty high volume grip work, between 300+ reps of grippers, farmers carries, heavy DB rows, grenade curls, fat gripz stuff, etc. Yet.

Wow, how far do you stretch the bands? I start running into trouble getting more than a few reps with the yellow. My range of motion seems to get shorter quick.

I've got them too, and my problem with the ROM is that, on my left hand only, my pinky is pretty much stuck next to my ring finger and I can't expand it out. Even with easier bands. Yet, with my right, I get a nice even spread out with all fingers. I guess it's not a terrible problem, but I find it strange and wonder if I'm getting the same effect with both hands.

[TimK]

I got the bands and I find them awkward to use. They want to slide/flip down my fingers (toward my hand) if I fully extend my fingers. If I put them right up against my middle knuckles they stay put but that makes it pretty easy. Maybe I'm doing it RONG.