@augeleven, @Hardartery, @broseph, thanks, dudes. Appreciate all of this. Looks like hanging knee raises (with some twists thrown in on a few sets) are the common suggestion, gonna go with it.
broseph wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 3:55 pm
For years I walked around with what I think was a pretty decent anterior tilt. I didn’t bother to fix it because I thought it was just nonsense. My lower back was always “tight” and I’d get a low back pump with stupid things like shoveling snow, and I always felt like I wished someone could grab my lumbar spine from behind and pull it backwards which is oddly specific but that’s the only way I can illustrate the feeling/pain.
I fully understand what you mean.
broseph wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 3:55 pm
Once my wife started getting serious about lifting/fitness she had the same issue and a CF coach told her to engage the abs and cue “pull your ribs down,” and cue it all the time every day. I tried it too and it was a huge help for both of us.
It’s a little tricky because you don’t want to drop your chest and bend over, but I had to get over my posture of always kind of puffing my chest up. I always thought “chest up” was good posture? But standing more neutrally with my abs engaged just feels right. After a while it becomes habit (mostly).
Same, both in spending an awful long time thinking that chest up and standing tall were all that I needed to get my posture under control, and since learning otherwise trying to constantly cue neutral hips in daily life (I like to think of it as the top of a deadlift, with glutes flexed and everything snapped into place). What I think is the problem is that my daily life efforts aren’t sufficient to overcome to total ATP assault in which I engage three or four times a week under load in the gym. Hopefully the addition of some ab work will start to counterbalance.
Rushed, didn’t get to abs or a few other things on which I had designs. I know that this is going to be a regular excuse, and if that comes to be the case, I’m gonna have to start considering the old abs on off days routine… maybe I’ll even do some damn cardio too.
That said, and despite what initially looks like a slight loss of reps in spots, this was a great session. I had been getting into some bad habits, and fixed them without taking the opportunity to pull 50 lbs off the bar and reset myself into an endless cycle of oblivion. Everything felt solid and “right.” Particulars:
Had lost my concentration on big toes down when squatting, and letting myself get too far back into my hips. Fixed, resulting in far less of my standard hip shift issue.
Had begun turning RDLs into a half RDL / half actual DL thing, letting my knees slack and hips drop. Fixed, hams on fire today.
Had been letting the bar drift away from me whole benching, beginning reps with it forward of my shoulders and then necessarily hitting a touchpoint beneath my solar plexus. Fixed, every rep beginning with bar directly over the shoulders and the touchpoint precisely at the point juuuuust beneath the nipples. Felt much steadier, no energy leaking, and got a nasty chest and tris pump.
Feel set up for some more success if I keep all of the above in mind.
Metal rec of the day: Downfall of Gaia / Silhouettes of Disgust
The dumbest fucking thing that Rippetoe ever said (yes I know that this is a bold call to make) was that the squat isn’t a leg exercise. Of course it is, twat, but I do have to remind myself of that now and then, or, as happened today, get reminded. The reminder was my left hip being in agonizing pain since my last session, of the can’t sit still, can’t sleep sort. This happens every now and then when I get into the habit of initiating squats by opening my hips and letting myself descend, as opposed to squeezing my quads and hams and causing myself to descend. Fixed that today and feeling good.
No RDLs because back needed a minute. Was very pleased that my leg curls had gotten stronger despite not having done them for a few weeks.
No spotter for bench so kept it safe but added a set.
Squeezed the fuck out of my glutes and held neutral hips during the pullups and presses. Not quite ab work, but good to be mindful.
Metal rec of the day: In Flames / Come Clarity. I cooled on the new one; first half is good, second a snooze. This is the real post-Clayman shit right here.
DCR wrote: ↑Sat Mar 25, 2023 8:37 am
@augeleven, @Hardartery, @broseph, thanks, dudes. Appreciate all of this. Looks like hanging knee raises (with some twists thrown in on a few sets) are the common suggestion, gonna go with it.
broseph wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 3:55 pm
For years I walked around with what I think was a pretty decent anterior tilt. I didn’t bother to fix it because I thought it was just nonsense. My lower back was always “tight” and I’d get a low back pump with stupid things like shoveling snow, and I always felt like I wished someone could grab my lumbar spine from behind and pull it backwards which is oddly specific but that’s the only way I can illustrate the feeling/pain.
I fully understand what you mean.
broseph wrote: ↑Fri Mar 24, 2023 3:55 pm
Once my wife started getting serious about lifting/fitness she had the same issue and a CF coach told her to engage the abs and cue “pull your ribs down,” and cue it all the time every day. I tried it too and it was a huge help for both of us.
It’s a little tricky because you don’t want to drop your chest and bend over, but I had to get over my posture of always kind of puffing my chest up. I always thought “chest up” was good posture? But standing more neutrally with my abs engaged just feels right. After a while it becomes habit (mostly).
Same, both in spending an awful long time thinking that chest up and standing tall were all that I needed to get my posture under control, and since learning otherwise trying to constantly cue neutral hips in daily life (I like to think of it as the top of a deadlift, with glutes flexed and everything snapped into place). What I think is the problem is that my daily life efforts aren’t sufficient to overcome to total ATP assault in which I engage three or four times a week under load in the gym. Hopefully the addition of some ab work will start to counterbalance.
I got to the gym at 5 or so. Have been absolutely crushed with work, so figured I’d handle one more agreement while hanging out there (my spot up here is a private gym with few lifters at any given time). I’d then lift, and then head to dinner and handle a few more tasks. Somehow it became 7:15 and I still was working. I left. Never done that before but just wasn’t feeling it at all. Hopefully my vibe is better tomorrow, early.
This went far better than it would have had I tried ro push it last night. Happy to be back at the 275x7 squat peak where I was three or so weeks ago before I crushed myself and had to reboot. Also happy to get it up here because I remain convinced that the weights in my NY gym weigh more than those in my LA gym. Or I’m just more motivated by the spandex down there lol.
I dropped the bar on my first attempted set of RDLs because it felt like my right testicle had twisted up, scared the shit out of me. RDL reps have always hit in an uncomfortable place, so for the next two sets I did what I’d probably call 4/5s reps, stopping them just short of lockout at the top. Costing some glute action, but I’m over it.
Metal rec of the day: Iron Maiden/The X Factor. Their last truly great record. Fight me.
There was a legit study that would back up the LA Fitness spandex hypothesis. Idea was that men, when around attractive women, would have a boost in T. Doubt it was super-physiological quantity, but who knows what else goes on.
Testicular stuff is scary! Hope everything is good.
@hector, that doesn’t surprise me in the slightest. Flying down there in the morning and looking forward to diving into all that the commercial gym has to offer on Sunday.
My intention when I woke up was to tackle squatting 275x10, idea being to get in the gym around 1pm or so at peak energy time. Then my workday happened and I got there at 7:30 feeling meh. I showed up and did stuff.
Metal rec of the day: 1914/Where Fear and Weapons Meet, which I probably rec’e before and am completely comfortable doing over and over again.
That RDL set of 10 knocks off one of my three 2023 goals. I underestimated how the 10s would progress. Other than that, nothing of note other than getting back to that perfect row machine.
Metal rec of the day: Depravation / IV:LETVM. This is some vicious shit.
Squats 45,135,225x10 285,305x1 235x8
Lying Leg Curls 55x10 110x3.5 88 x2s x10r
Bench Press 45,135x10 205x6 245x5 225x7
Bent Rows 160x10 165 x2s x6r
DB Press 30s x15,10
Session notes:
Still loving the modification to my squat form in which I’ve been concentrating more on knees forward rather than outward. (Not that I had a choice; left hip has been murder.) Feels much were contained and tight.
Benching 245x5 after a minute and without a whole ton of effort surprised me. Was planning on a triple before the drop back but it was moving nicely.
First set of 15 I’ve done of anything in a long time. Did it because every time I press heavy DBs, I tweak my back swinging them up into position. Think I’d like to add in some more higher rep DB work. My view of sets over 12 reps (other than 20 rep squats) always has been that they’re effective only for folks who are (1) on gear; (2) genetically gifted af; and/or (3) already big. Interested in seeing if I can prove myself wrong.
Not a notable session at all, but things are moving.
Metal rec of the day: Depravation again because it rules that hard.
Been a lot of just showing up of late and this was no different. I was happy about the pullups, in that this was the first time using this station at this gym since a few weeks back, and I was stronger than then. Starting to think that my ideas about specificity are less than accurate.
Metal rec of the day: Lamp of Murmur / Saturnian Bloodstorm. For fans of mid period Immortal.
Had to leave gym because screwed up when girl needed the car. Trying not to be really aggravated. Back later. Squats were good, focused on knocking them out with as little a pause between reps as possible while keeping form.
Fuck me that 225x9 was probably the best set of bench presses that I’ve ever done, every rep crisp and in the groove. The ninth rep wasn’t even that horrible a grind, but I just didn’t have the tenth. Shit always goes off a cliff like that. I’m now very confident that it’s coming and soon.
Metal rec of the day: Dimmu Borgir / Spiritual Black Dimensions. Phenomenal, just before they became ridiculous.
Is this the beginning of that program, or just test day?
Spinning that Dimmu Borgir. For someone who likes metal, I’ve listened to precious little of it. I’ve tried listening to Dimmu Borgir and noped out. I’m committing to this album right now though.
I’m not sure what I’m looking for, I get cranky when metal messes with harmony. Like when Death riffs out with these cool chromatic lines, but the solos are all harmonic minor stock stuff. I like BtBaM’s the Great Misdirect, but I guess the harmonies are proggier than Dimmu. This is Symphonic Metal? I’m not sure what I would want differently, maybe less minor chords in Major thirds?
Is there any symphonic metal like this?
Leg curls fuck with my knees if I don't keep my lower legs turned such that they don't end up outside my upper legs at the top of each rep. Unsurprising, for reasons not worth typing out / experience from prior knee issues.
Latter two sets of pullups were basically seizures, whatever.
As recounted in Alek's log, this was test day before I start the Shawn Phillips bench program, well over twenty years after I first did it. Had more than 275 but it seemed a good "easy 1RM" as opposed to "actual grinding near death 1RM" off of which to base the progression, which is aggressive.
Is this the beginning of that program, or just test day?
Neither, tested today - see just above.
augeleven wrote: ↑Wed Apr 12, 2023 2:54 pm
Spinning that Dimmu Borgir. For someone who likes metal, I’ve listened to precious little of it. I’ve tried listening to Dimmu Borgir and noped out. I’m committing to this album right now though.
If you heard anything that post-dated SBD, I don't blame you. They got really awful.
I think symphonic metal mostly is a lazy label for any band that uses keyboards / synths.
augeleven wrote: ↑Wed Apr 12, 2023 2:54 pm
I’m not sure what I’m looking for, I get cranky when metal messes with harmony. Like when Death riffs out with these cool chromatic lines, but the solos are all harmonic minor stock stuff. I like BtBaM’s the Great Misdirect, but I guess the harmonies are proggier than Dimmu. This is Symphonic Metal? I’m not sure what I would want differently, maybe less minor chords in Major thirds?
Is there any symphonic metal like this?
You clearly know more of the technicalities of what you're hearing than me, and so at the risk of embarrassing myself:
- Cradle of Filth used an actual orchestra for Damnation and a Day, which is a great record in any event.
- Try Sigh / Hangman's Hymn (or probably anything later; it all comes highly recommended but I lost track after that record). Listening to it now after many years and enjoying it as much as I did then.
Now that I've pulled out all of the charts, I see that an every other day schedule is in fact officially sanctioned, so that works.
I'll continue to progress squats and RDLs as I have been. Everything else is as Phillips recommended in 1995 other than a few changes due to known injuries / tendinopathies (RDLs over SLDs, french press over tricep extensions, EZ curls over barbell curls). I'm wary of the pushdowns and will ditch them immediately if I have even a hint of elbow pain.
I’m going to do a random legs/back/bis day tomorrow, and then start the program on Sunday with Day #1.
Day #1
Squats
Bench Press (high rep day)
DB Flyes (3x8)
Press (3x6)
French Press (3x8)
Day #2
Squats
Leg Curls (3x8)
Row (3x8)
Pulldowns (3x6)
EZ Curls (3x8)
Day #3
Squats
Bench Press (low rep day)
DB Bench (3x6)
DB Press (3x8)
Lateral Raises (3x8)
Pushdowns (3x8)
Day #4
Squats
RDLs
One Arm DB Rows (3x6)
Close Grip Pulldowns (3x8)
Incline DB Curls (3x8)
Squats 45,145,240x10 295,310x1 250x6
RDLs w/ straps 185 x3s x8r
One Arm DB Rows 45x10 55x10,10
Close Grip Pulldowns 100x10 110x10,10
Incline DB Curls 25s x8,8,10
Session notes:
Did Day #4 from above as a means of skipping bench, which I’d done at every session for months, and transitioning into the program starting Sunday. I feel so incomplete lol. It was fun doing some movements that I haven’t done in years.
As I was about to begin RDLs, with the aim of continuing my prior progression, I realized that it was stressing me out and so I decided that, during the program, I’ll just do the 3x8 that Phillips recommended. That leaves squats as the only thing on which I’m deviating in terms of frequency and sets/reps.
Squats continuing to go very well as I focus on knees forward and not out.
Metal rec of the day: New Metallica out today. I know what I’ll be doing late night.
