DCR - Can you believe how much I am in heaven?

[lheugh]

360,365x1

Fuck yeah, dude!

[EricK]

Excellent! Knew you had it in you!

[platypus]

You're crushing it, DCR!

[broseph]

Very strong work, my man. I caught a little second-hand PR bliss watching that.

[MikeMullany]

Nice DCR!! Congrats!!

[hector]

F yeah!!!! Congrats!!!

[Fossil]

Congrats on the PR!

[xng]

Congratulations!! So cool to see you PR in an authoritative manner after rebuilding your whole squat.

[DCR]

I really appreciate all of the kind words about the PR. Thank you all.

_______________________


3/22/24

Squats 45,135x12 225x10 275x1 295x2 315x1,1,1,1,1,1 E2MOM
Bench Press 45,145x12 195x8 235x5 265x1
Barbell Rows 145x10,10,10
Barbell Curls 45x12 65x10 85x5



Notes: It's almost like squatting two days after a PR and the day after drinking a bunch is dumb. All of this felt horrible, the low point being getting one rep with 275 and racking it. I was just shot, and had all sorts of problems - different shoes because dermatologist cut a thing off my foot yesterday and my Vans aren't the cleanest, biceps killing me (this has been building the past two or so weeks), very sore left adductor consistently causing me to drift right (I gotta order one of those massage guns, because the place that I need rubbed out is not somewhere to which I can direct a masseuse without getting arrested), and mostly forgetting the cue that got me here (pull up the floor). The only positive thing that I can say about today's squats is that I got back into my quads as I had been before the PR, and had no back pain at all despite it being shitty for the past 48 hours (the result of breaking form on both PR sets - unnecessarily I think too).

If this shit with my biceps continues, I may switch to SSB for the first time, at least for the next two weeks while I'm in NY and have easy access to one.

Did a good job continuing to work on the new bench form.

[EricK]

Drinking totally kills my strength. Hope your bicep gets better. And if you want special access massages you can always book a trip to Thailand...

[Bolder]

I really appreciate all of the kind words about the PR. Thank you all.

_______________________


3/22/24

Squats 45,135x12 225x10 275x1 295x2 315x1,1,1,1,1,1 E2MOM
Bench Press 45,145x12 195x8 235x5 265x1
Barbell Rows 145x10,10,10
Barbell Curls 45x12 65x10 85x5



Notes: It's almost like squatting two days after a PR and the day after drinking a bunch is dumb. All of this felt horrible, the low point being getting one rep with 275 and racking it. I was just shot, and had all sorts of problems - different shoes because dermatologist cut a thing off my foot yesterday and my Vans aren't the cleanest, biceps killing me (this has been building the past two or so weeks), very sore left adductor consistently causing me to drift right (I gotta order one of those massage guns, because the place that I need rubbed out is not somewhere to which I can direct a masseuse without getting arrested), and mostly forgetting the cue that got me here (pull up the floor). The only positive thing that I can say about today's squats is that I got back into my quads as I had been before the PR, and had no back pain at all despite it being shitty for the past 48 hours (the result of breaking form on both PR sets - unnecessarily I think too).

If this shit with my biceps continues, I may switch to SSB for the first time, at least for the next two weeks while I'm in NY and have easy access to one.

Did a good job continuing to work on the new bench form.

Sorry to hear about that. Not a doctor or anything, of course, but sounds a lot like elbow pain(?). Of course, there's trying to widen out your grip on the squats - which makes you lose upper-back tightness (and if it really gets or is its that bad, then SSB as you mentioned can be an option). If you're doing heavy pulldowns or chin-ups (i'd lay off from them as well).

Also, this vid was helpful for me:



I just mainly focused/did the wrist curls and tried to assess it on the days I train. There's not much evidence for this, but it's also said that elbow and shoulder pain are pretty linked together as well. Anyway, I suppose try to do the slow tempo wrist curls to unload the forearm tendon.

I just mainly focused on doing the wrist curls.

[MarkKO]

You can get a really tight upper back with super wide grip. It just takes a bit of practice, but the practical issue tends to be that most racks aren't narrow enough to let you get your hands out that wide

[broseph]

Elbow stuff sucks and seems to come and go randomly for me. Well, maybe the going is random. The coming is almost always from overuse.

I enjoy the SSB either way, and usually try to incorporate it when I'm squatting twice a week just for diversity's sake.

[DCR]

And if you want special access massages you can always book a trip to Thailand...

Flushing currently is a lot closer lol. But seriously, I was researching massage guns last night, think I'm gonna order this stupid expensive (relative to what I perhaps ignorantly expected) Etafor Pro. Haven't pulled the trigger yet (yes I see what I did there) because I'm feeling frugal and telling myself that by the time I get the delivery, I won't need it anymore. (That's a lie. Adductor has been crazy sore for weeks.)

@Bolder, you're probably right that it's an elbow (or even shoulder) thing, but I'm actually not feeling it in my joints at all. It's a dull ache right in the middle of both biceps. From some brief research, not entirely uncommon (circumstances being that I've squatted every other day for months with a full thumbs around grip). First order of business is to work on keeping a super tight back, with a wide grip and relaxed arms, per @MarkKO's advice (and that Paul Carter video that I post constantly for others; now I need it). Going to give it a shot tomorrow morning.

Elbow stuff sucks and seems to come and go randomly for me. Well, maybe the going is random. The coming is almost always from overuse.

Without question the culprit. Of course cutting back the frequency is my last option because that would be too smart.

[slowmotion]

I used to have elbow pain from squatting a couple of years ago. But that went away when I started to do a couple of sets of barbell curls with the empty bar at the end of every lifting session. I still do that, and haven't had any problems with my elbows since.

[DCR]

I used to have elbow pain from squatting a couple of years ago. But that went away when I started to do a couple of sets of barbell curls with the empty bar at the end of every lifting session. I still do that, and haven't had any problems with my elbows since.

Funny that you say that, because I curled as my last movement yesterday and, by the time that I finished up, that dull ache was mostly gone (replaced by more a good ache/pump).

[slowmotion]

It could be many reasons why something simple like that seems to work.
It's only a couple of minutes at the end of the session, so it doesn't cost anything to try.

[MarkKO]

I used to have elbow pain from squatting a couple of years ago. But that went away when I started to do a couple of sets of barbell curls with the empty bar at the end of every lifting session. I still do that, and haven't had any problems with my elbows since.

Funny that you say that, because I curled as my last movement yesterday and, by the time that I finished up, that dull ache was mostly gone (replaced by more a good ache/pump).

This too. Combine that with the wider grip and you're almost guaranteed not to have issues going forward.

[MailmanMuscle]

3/20/24 (back in NY for a spell)

Squats 45,155x12 260x6 315x2 337.5,360,365x1 320x1,1
Lying Leg Curls 60x15,15,15
Standing Calf Raises on platform +10 lbs x20,20,20,20



Notes: Please don’t judge how distended I was after a day of eating every carb in sight to prepare for this session.

I didn’t like the depth on 360, got pissed, and so hit 365 for good measure. The depth there wasn’t my usual either - the result of regressing into old bad habits (sitting back, not staying in my quads) under what I assumed were max weights - but it was legal and I’ll take the PR.

As it turned out, you gentlemen above were right - these definitely were not actually max weights - there’s at least another 20 lbs there. Funny how that became evident after coming home to an apartment lacking a girlfriend and children and getting ten hours of sleep.

I’ll probably stop here, for now. Singles aren’t building any muscle and sure as hell aren’t helping my body composition. This journey began with a high rep base and I felt much better a few weeks ago.

Thank you @lheugh, @KarlM, @cole, @alek, @Renascent, and @mouse for the encouragement over the past twenty-four hours. It mattered.

I’m catching up with people and I’m finally seeing this. Here’s a late congrats to add to the pile. Fantastic squat!

[DCR]

I’m catching up with people and I’m finally seeing this. Here’s a late congrats to add to the pile. Fantastic squat!

Thanks, man!