Tip Toeing in my Vibrams

[SnakePlissken]

(11.22.2022)
Bench Press
135 x 10
225 x 11
255 x 7
285 x 4
295 x 3
305 x 2
315 x 1 x 2
320 x 1 x 2*
295 x 2 x 2
275 x 3 x 2
255 x 4 x 2
235 x 5 x 5

Jesus Christ that is a Bench session if I've ever seen one. Able to pump out 225x11, pyramid up and just knock out some 3 plate benches and just casually come back down and do a 5x5 at 235 after all of that.

Good shit man!

[Renascent]

(11.22.2022)
Bench Press
135 x 10
225 x 11
255 x 7
285 x 4
295 x 3
305 x 2
315 x 1 x 2
320 x 1 x 2*
295 x 2 x 2
275 x 3 x 2
255 x 4 x 2
235 x 5 x 5

Jesus Christ that is a Bench session if I've ever seen one. Able to pump out 225x11, pyramid up and just knock out some 3 plate benches and just casually come back down and do a 5x5 at 235 after all of that.

Good shit man!

Yeah, that set scheme probably wasn't very productive in hindsight.

It was fun, but I had to be careful with folding my arms across my chest afterwards (pecs were cramping up while I watched the boy at his martial arts class).

As far as bench milestones are concerned, 10 reps at 225 is still one of my favorites because it seemed so far out of reach, at one time. A set of 10+ reps is probably going to remain in my warmup routine until the day I can no longer do it.

[hector]

(11.22.2022)
Bench Press
135 x 10
225 x 11
255 x 7
285 x 4
295 x 3
305 x 2
315 x 1 x 2
320 x 1 x 2*
295 x 2 x 2
275 x 3 x 2
255 x 4 x 2
235 x 5 x 5

Jesus Christ that is a Bench session if I've ever seen one. Able to pump out 225x11, pyramid up and just knock out some 3 plate benches and just casually come back down and do a 5x5 at 235 after all of that.

Good shit man!

GD!!!!!!

[Renascent]

(11.22.2022)
Bench Press
135 x 10
225 x 11
255 x 7
285 x 4
295 x 3
305 x 2
315 x 1 x 2
320 x 1 x 2*
295 x 2 x 2
275 x 3 x 2
255 x 4 x 2
235 x 5 x 5

Jesus Christ that is a Bench session if I've ever seen one. Able to pump out 225x11, pyramid up and just knock out some 3 plate benches and just casually come back down and do a 5x5 at 235 after all of that.

Good shit man!

GD!!!!!!

'Twas a slight miscalculation. I probably won't go that far again.

[Hardartery]

(7.13.2020)

Last week, I noticed some friction burns under my armpits. Over the weekend, I realized it was from my baby batwings rubbing against sweaty shirt sleeves. Don't want to lay off the lat work, and I refuse to go up a shirt size.

Didn't occur to me to do accessory lifts shirtless until today, but it did not help with the humidity. If armpit friction burns were as fashionable as squat bar marks, I wouldn't care so much.

I try to wear only tank tops wherer I am now, it's always at least 35 celsius with high humidity and the regular shirts are just suffocating to me when lifting in that heat. In the US I don't worry about that because I'm usually there in a cooler part of the year or lifting in air conditioning. Plus, you get to show off that sick shoulder pump, lol.

[Renascent]

(7.13.2020)

Last week, I noticed some friction burns under my armpits. Over the weekend, I realized it was from my baby batwings rubbing against sweaty shirt sleeves. Don't want to lay off the lat work, and I refuse to go up a shirt size.

Didn't occur to me to do accessory lifts shirtless until today, but it did not help with the humidity. If armpit friction burns were as fashionable as squat bar marks, I wouldn't care so much.

I try to wear only tank tops wherer I am now, it's always at least 35 celsius with high humidity and the regular shirts are just suffocating to me when lifting in that heat. In the US I don't worry about that because I'm usually there in a cooler part of the year or lifting in air conditioning. Plus, you get to show off that sick shoulder pump, lol.

It'll be a while before I go shirtless again (ain't built for cold weather), but it's a viable alternative.

[Renascent]

(11.30.2022 -- Morning)
Bench Press
135 x 10
225 x 11
255 x 7
285 x 4 x 2, 3 x 3
255 x 5 x 2
225 x 7 x 2



(Evening)
Barbell Hang Rows
245 x 12 x 2 (Pronated)
245 x 12 x 2 (Supinated)
265 x 5 x 2 (Pronated)
265 x 5 x 2 (Supinated)

Landmine T-Bar Rows
200 x 10 x 8

Straight-Arm Pulldowns
95 x 9 x 6

Had to cut this short, because I forgot to oil the bushing in one of the pulleys beforehand, and the cable wouldn't move smoothly.

Spent way too much time trying to reassemble the damn thing, since there's some burring on the inside that I can't flatten or shave.

Even tried to frankenstein the motherfucker back together with parts from a previously-discarded pulley, but ... same problem.

[Renascent]

(12.1.2022)
Overhead Press
155 x 10
175 x 7 x 3
185 x 4 x 4
195 x 2 x 2
205 x 1 x 2



Yazmin Press
185 x 7 x 4
195 x 5 x 4

Had a job interview. It went well. Feeling a little overwhelmed with variables, though.

[MarkKO]

(12.1.2022)
Overhead Press
155 x 10
175 x 7 x 3
185 x 4 x 4
195 x 2 x 2
205 x 1 x 2



Yazmin Press
185 x 7 x 4
195 x 5 x 4

Had a job interview. It went well. Feeling a little overwhelmed with variables, though.

Good to hear! Hope it works out.

New shit is always nerve-wracking.

[SnakePlissken]

Good to hear! Hope it works out.

New shit is always nerve-wracking.

I wish you the same. I heavily questioned leaving my last job because I liked my friends there, but knew it was the right thing to do and don't regret anything in the end.

[Hardartery]

(12.1.2022)
Overhead Press
155 x 10
175 x 7 x 3
185 x 4 x 4
195 x 2 x 2
205 x 1 x 2


Yazmin Press
185 x 7 x 4
195 x 5 x 4

Had a job interview. It went well. Feeling a little overwhelmed with variables, though.

Jitters are normal, uncertainty does that. I'm sure you'll be great and hopefully a less annoying workplace environment.

[Renascent]

@MarkKO, @SnakePlissken, @Hardartery: Thanks for the well-wishing. I'm just trying to stay grounded so I make a move I won't second-guess later.

[Renascent]

(12.3.2022)
High-Bar Squat
185 x 10
225 x 10
275 x 7 x 3
295 x 4 x 3
315 x 1 x 1*, 2 x 4
225 x 4 x 2

*Bar wasn't properly centered, or some shit. Threw me off a little.



Snatch-Grip Deadlift
225 x 10
275 x 10
315 x 9
335 x 6
355 x 4
375 x 2
405 x 1



Romanian Deadlifts
315 x 6 x 3
275 x 8 x 3

Seated Cable Leg Curls
45 x 16
50 x 13 x 4
55 x 9 x 3

Standing Cable Leg Extension
50 x 10 x 6

Seated Reverse Calf Raise
60 x 35 x 7

Kneeling Cable Chop
25 x 15 x 2
30 x 12 x 3

Standing Barbell Calf Raise
225 x 25 x 4
135 x 25 x 2

Incline Side Lying Hip Raise
12 x 3 (Elbows up)

Wanted to type out some thoughts and observations from the past week, but no time tonight. Had a very interesting Friday, and am still processing a lot of it. Doors seem to be opening; trying to keep my bearings and my Capricorn composure.

Got another interview on Tuesday. Not sure if I'll get to squat that day.

[MarkKO]

@MarkKO, @SnakePlissken, @Hardartery: Thanks for the well-wishing. I'm just trying to stay grounded so I make a move I won't second-guess later.
[/@MarkKO

Throughout our interactions you have given me the impression of someone grounded enough they could be used to earth wiring@MarkKO

I have no idea why this is making me tag myself@MarkKO

Have you ever checked out Andrew Lock? He does a ton of content about imbalances and issues like that and he's about as reputable an expert as you're going to ever find

[Hardartery]

*Bar wasn't properly centered, or some shit. Threw me off a little.







Wanted to type out some thoughts and observations from the past week, but no time tonight. Had a very interesting Friday, and am still processing a lot of it. Doors seem to be opening; trying to keep my bearings and my Capricorn composure.

Got another interview on Tuesday. Not sure if I'll get to squat that day.

I will go back and review the video and see what I can see....but what is your gut telling you? Is this an activation issue, or is it a strength issue? If it's activation, doing some Airplanes or something will help, if strength then you'll want to program some stuff specifically for that imbalance. As far as affecting the pressing, it's not unusual (At least it didn't used to be) to see guys pressing with one leg a little forward or one leg a little back of the other. It is a balance thing, it makes them feel more stable for the same reason that in O-Lifting it is still most common to see a Split Jerk than a Squat Jerk. On the imbalance thing, I'm going to link a video here of Hooper (Who is an actual practicing PT and partner in PT business with multiple locations in two countries). Skip ahead to just after the 7 minute mark for him handling a glute imbalance, but the whole video is pretty good.

[Renascent]

Have you ever checked out Andrew Lock? He does a ton of content about imbalances and issues like that and he's about as reputable an expert as you're going to ever find.

I've seen his name before, but I'll have to check him out. I'm at the point now where I go through spurts of voraciously reading about imbalances and whatnot, followed by periods where I get overwhelmed and take a break from it altogether.

[Renascent]

I will go back and review the video and see what I can see....but what is your gut telling you? Is this an activation issue, or is it a strength issue? If it's activation, doing some Airplanes or something will help, if strength then you'll want to program some stuff specifically for that imbalance. As far as affecting the pressing, it's not unusual (At least it didn't used to be) to see guys pressing with one leg a little forward or one leg a little back of the other. It is a balance thing, it makes them feel more stable for the same reason that in O-Lifting it is still most common to see a Split Jerk than a Squat Jerk. On the imbalance thing, I'm going to link a video here of Hooper (Who is an actual practicing PT and partner in PT business with multiple locations in two countries). Skip ahead to just after the 7 minute mark for him handling a glute imbalance, but the whole video is pretty good.

Thanks for the video. I'm gonna check it out later tonight when I get settled in.

Whatever it is, it's some kind of trunk torsion issue that I think relates to a weakness somewhere at or around the glutes. I suspect it was present long before I started lifting, and wasn't noticeable before because I wasn't using my body on a regular basis for anything gym-related.

One of my hips/glutes sits lower than the other at the bottom of a squat (unless I push one knee out further than the other). On the "high" side, the knee is usually higher at the bottom of the squat, too. Lat's tighter on one side because it's being stretched in a spiral, sorta. Seems to affect the shoulder (omohyoid, levator scapulae, pec minor, etc.) as well. One foot is more pronated than the other (I've heard this is the brain's way of re-centering the eyes when there's torsion along the spine that creates a "functional" leg length discrepancy).

Even my pull-ups seem to indicate some kind of twisting -- same goes for a dead hang. One of the obliques kinda "clicks" during hanging side bend motions.

The angle at which I record my squats allows me to see what both legs are doing (mostly), but also to ensure depth on the side with the "longer leg."

I've seen the twisting motion before when viewing other people's standing presses. I suppose the extremity of the situation dictates whether or not it should be addressed.

In my own case, it's funny how the imbalances seem to track really closely with Janda's syndromes. I've had some fleeting success with stuff like glute or psoas strengthening here and there, and it usually precedes breaking through some kind of plateau; the problem is trying to overcome the neurological aspects of muscle tone outside of a gym setting.

[Renascent]

(12.4.2022)
Bench Press
135 x 10
225 x 11
255 x 7
285 x 4 x 3
305 x 2 x 3
315 x 1 x 2
295 x 2 x 2
275 x 2 x 2
255 x 3 x 2
225 x 5



Barbell Hang Rows
245 x 12 x 2 (Pronated)
245 x 12 x 2 (Supinated)
265 x 5 x 2 (Pronated)
265 x 5 x 2 (Supinated)

Ab Wheel Rollouts
10 x 4

• Probably could've carried on as usual with some isolated lat work, but I would've skipped T-bar rows regardless, and I'm waiting to get some more pulleys later this week. Didn't feel like bothering with the longer cable, even if I could've made do with it. Also want some time to meditate before tomorrow (or play some Star Ocean).

• Not sure if I noted this elsewhere before, but I realized that adductor magnus attaches to the sit bones, like the hamstrings. I've had bouts in the past where I wondered if I was experiencing some kind of high hamstring tendinopathy, but it never occurred to me that my adductors might be "tight" (as in taut, since my pelvis is usually dumped forward). I'll continue doing auxiliary cable work for the adductors when and where I can, but I might try to make Cossack squats a regular thing for preventative care. Looking for that nice, long eccentric-with-a-maximal-stretch kind of love.

• Haven't weighed myself in months, but did so today for no particular reason. Down to 190, which could explain some things. I'd prefer to be closer to 195, but we'll see what happens. Winter's for bulking, but I'm just trying to keep my mental state in check.

• One of the upper-level management figures resigned last week, partly out of protest. Lots of pieces are moving now. I was told to give him a call, and did so. It feels great to talk to someone who apparently saw the same toxic things I've been seeing within the culture of that place. Also seems that he put my name in a few ears on his way out, so I'm going to try to meet with some of them tomorrow to look into some vacancies that he recommended me for.

Admittedly, I am enjoying the new buzz around the hive, and it feels strange -- in a good way -- to be reminded by others that you're probably worth more than what you're getting. A supervisor from another department invited me to a clandestine one-on-one discussion, and offered me a position in her group. Had a chat with a former boss and got some good intel.

One of my bosses seems genuinely upset that I wasn't bullshitting about trying to get out of their department; lots of passive-aggressive questions about why I was wearing a tie one day last week. The other boss is ... unpredictably trying to appear stoic and unconcerned, but he's never been one to convincingly wear a mask of gravitas. In his mind, I'm supposed to be some scruffy, intimidating (his word(s), not mine), uncouth, mean and scary Black dude (at 5'7") who owes him for his graciousness in giving me an opportunity to (over)work for him.

It's petty and inconsequential, but I cannot wait to tell that overpaid, mealy-mouthed, barfly-looking motherfucker that I won't be joining them for Christmas lunch because Thursdays are for overhead pressing. In the trappings of another time he probably wouldn't even care, but I think it'll piss him off this time because I'm supposed to ask for his blessing to step off the plantation grounds before I make a move to do better.

Life's about the small joys too. I've been smiling all week.

Anyway, some Nuke Ass for that ass:

[MarkKO]

(12.4.2022)
Bench Press
135 x 10
225 x 11
255 x 7
285 x 4 x 3
305 x 2 x 3
315 x 1 x 2
295 x 2 x 2
275 x 2 x 2
255 x 3 x 2
225 x 5



Barbell Hang Rows
245 x 12 x 2 (Pronated)
245 x 12 x 2 (Supinated)
265 x 5 x 2 (Pronated)
265 x 5 x 2 (Supinated)

Ab Wheel Rollouts
10 x 4

• Probably could've carried on as usual with some isolated lat work, but I would've skipped T-bar rows regardless, and I'm waiting to get some more pulleys later this week. Didn't feel like bothering with the longer cable, even if I could've made do with it. Also want some time to meditate before tomorrow (or play some Star Ocean).

• Not sure if I noted this elsewhere before, but I realized that adductor magnus attaches to the sit bones, like the hamstrings. I've had bouts in the past where I wondered if I was experiencing some kind of high hamstring tendinopathy, but it never occurred to me that my adductors might be "tight" (as in taut, since my pelvis is usually dumped forward). I'll continue doing auxiliary cable work for the adductors when and where I can, but I might try to make Cossack squats a regular thing for preventative care. Looking for that nice, long eccentric-with-a-maximal-stretch kind of love.

• Haven't weighed myself in months, but did so today for no particular reason. Down to 190, which could explain some things. I'd prefer to be closer to 195, but we'll see what happens. Winter's for bulking, but I'm just trying to keep my mental state in check.

• One of the upper-level management figures resigned last week, partly out of protest. Lots of pieces are moving now. I was told to give him a call, and did so. It feels great to talk to someone who apparently saw the same toxic things I've been seeing within the culture of that place. Also seems that he put my name in a few ears on his way out, so I'm going to try to meet with some of them tomorrow to look into some vacancies that he recommended me for.

Admittedly, I am enjoying the new buzz around the hive, and it feels strange -- in a good way -- to be reminded by others that you're probably worth more than what you're getting. A supervisor from another department invited me to a clandestine one-on-one discussion, and offered me a position in her group. Had a chat with a former boss and got some good intel.

One of my bosses seems genuinely upset that I wasn't bullshitting about trying to get out of their department; lots of passive-aggressive questions about why I was wearing a tie one day last week. The other boss is ... unpredictably trying to appear stoic and unconcerned, but he's never been one to convincingly wear a mask of gravitas. In his mind, I'm supposed to be some scruffy, intimidating (his word(s), not mine), uncouth, mean and scary Black dude (at 5'7") who owes him for his graciousness in giving me an opportunity to (over)work for him.

It's petty and inconsequential, but I cannot wait to tell that overpaid, mealy-mouthed, barfly-looking motherfucker that I won't be joining them for Christmas lunch because Thursdays are for overhead pressing. In the trappings of another time he probably wouldn't even care, but I think it'll piss him off this time because I'm supposed to ask for his blessing to step off the plantation grounds before I make a move to do better.

Life's about the small joys too. I've been smiling all week.

Anyway, some Nuke Ass for that ass:

Well, Thursdays *are* for overhead pressing.

It sounds like things are moving well for you, which is excellent.

[cgeorg]

• One of the upper-level management figures resigned last week, partly out of protest. Lots of pieces are moving now. I was told to give him a call, and did so. It feels great to talk to someone who apparently saw the same toxic things I've been seeing within the culture of that place. Also seems that he put my name in a few ears on his way out, so I'm going to try to meet with some of them tomorrow to look into some vacancies that he recommended me for.

Admittedly, I am enjoying the new buzz around the hive, and it feels strange -- in a good way -- to be reminded by others that you're probably worth more than what you're getting. A supervisor from another department invited me to a clandestine one-on-one discussion, and offered me a position in her group. Had a chat with a former boss and got some good intel.

This kind of validation after the stuff you've been through sounds *really* nice