No Crust Racing

WUT?! Turn failure into success Leesh. I can't do pretty much any leg work at the moment due to hammy to just using the extra time and energy to get more done on upper body = winning. So in your case, can't bench/use shoulders, time to smash squats and DLs etc, boom dat ass etc.

Good news man

Question for you Markos, how have you gone about helping any of your guys that have ever had any sort of hammy strains. I've been doing some reading as this strain of mine just will not go away, tried to get back into stretching it and using it but the next day it's just angry. A few resources have said single led romanian deadlifts to specifically target the most common hammy weaknesses. What are your thoughts?

Hammy was quite tender last night after gym, where all I did leg wise was 10 free standing (empty bar only) squats, 2 sets of DL 88 and 101.5kg, and the 3 sets of bent rows. In between sets while I had the weight belt on I also did sets of 10 half squats (before the weight hits the floor) so probs another 25 or so reps that way, hammy doesn't like it so I'll have to focus more on getting it right. Plus all the regular stuff, but I moved final set weights to the second set in all cases and failed to make 8 reps in all cases. Usually 7. Tough workout in many ways, was knackered after it.

It's interesting/weird. using bench as an example, I've been going 93, 109, 116 for 8, 8, and then about 4 reps. Tonight, I did a bit over 90 for 8 reps then moved straight onto 116. Got 7 reps, on the first go, then failed out after 4 next set (3rd set) then did another 3 after that just to get th volume up. So despite doing more in the second set (weight but less volume as I didn't make the 8) I managed the same 4 reps in that 3rd set :\ Dunno if that's good or bad?

Rest between sets is one thing I'd considered, is it better to take a longer break before that last set so you can do more continuous reps or take the same break, do less continuous reps then have to do more sets.

I can see benefit in a training partner sometimes, especially when wanting to go to failure. Here's something I've found and I'd say is either not enough sleep/food or not good enough mental conditioning. Just say I've been struggling to get more than 4-5 reps at a given weight on the final set, I'll move that set to the second set and get all reps, not a big deal right as you have more in the tank than you would normally as you've moved that set forward. Then I'll add more weight for the final set and get say 5-6 reps. From that point forward, almost everytime I lift, I will never again make 5-6 reps at that final weight, it'll be more like 4 and fail 5. Yet I've done it before, straight up. To me that says the mental block is a powerful one. I've gone in saying I know I can do 7 this time I will do 7 this time, but come that 5th rep attempt there's nothing there. Frustrating. So then I'll move that set to the second set, get the full rep range and the cycle starts again lol. I gave up a while back on the idea that I had to get the full amount of reps on the highest weight before I could add more.

Makes sense Marko.

Conversation is too deep for this thread or forum.

I had a little time tonight to do some quick testing. Checked the tailshaft and the marks were all aligned according to the paint marks. Backed the clutch pedal right off to ensure there was no preload. Removed the rubber grommet from the pivot fork hole and had a listen while it idled and took this video. How does this sound to you guys? I also had Kate rev the car for me in and around the rev point where the noise comes in and I could here "something" but it didn't sound as bad as it did the other day when I drove it. I'll take it off the stands and take it for a drive and see if it was the clutch being too loaded up or if it needs to be actually driving to make the noise. I used a screw driver to my ear and I can hear various noises from the bell housing but hard to tell if they are normal, there's definitely some thrust bearing noise but I thought all thrust bearings made "some" noise.

Ok... Well I'm going to regular people failure on every set at the highest weight I do I do as many sets as needed to ensure I've done at least 8 reps at that weight, for every exercise. But I see that I'm better off doing one warmup set and doing all my sets at that weight.

What does positive failure mean? I am going til failure on the 3rd and any subsequent sets. That is, I know I won't make another rep but I go for it and fail out on the way back up (using bench as example)

Too many reps, take too long as I do a full body routine 3x a week so 3 sets is about all I have time for on each thing. Squat, Bench, DL, Bent Row, Weighted Chins, Weighted Dips. 3x8 with 2min breaks takes about an hour. Would there be much benefit in going 3x5 and going heavier? I'm happy to get stronger, but not looking to get any bigger or heavier (I have a race suit and seat that I need to fit in). I realise calorie intake is part of that.

Hmm. Is the definition of "working set" considered to be the max weight you are currently doing on the exercise and anything else is considered warm up?

Hmm fair enough, I only consider the first set to be a warm up and the next 2 to be "work". Likewise though, If I was using the same weight on all 3 sets, and going 8, 8, 5 (or 5 5 3 in your example) would you then do a few more reps at the same weight to get the full 8 (5) reps up or would you add weight to push through that plateau? The question is what to do when the endurance isn't there, that it,s you have the power to move the weight, but would like to move it more times in one go rather than stopping/starting. What I've done in the past is move the final set weight to the second set and added weight for the last set above what I was doing before.

Crossfit dude might have been working on rehab/recovery? Weird otherwise. Regarding the more's.... If I can get 8 reps out on sets 1 and 2 but say only 4-5 on set 3 (each set heavier than the one before it) and I see this trend for a good few sessions, am I "better" off (I know that's a loose term) doing more reps of the final set weight? The second set weight? A higher weight? etc. At the moment, if I fail out at 4-5 on the final set I take a short break, then grab a few more reps at that weight, until I've done 8 total at that weight. Good approach to mores or would more weight be better? I ask because for 3 sessions I've done the more sets at the same weight thing, to make sure I get 8 at that weight, but I'm not seeing a correspodning improvement in how many I can get out in one go on that final set, still topping out at 4-5, and I'm not racking it assuming failure on the 5th or 6th rep, I'm going for it and trying, getting half way or so, not making it, putting it on the safeties, crawling out, re-racking, going again. I know effort is key, so im going to failure, when I take a 60sec break and can get out a few more reps, how should I go about them? Same weight, more, less etc.

Ahh yeah, I had bad SIJ issues and deadlifts was the thing that fixed it no doubt in my mind.

For me? I stopped them for the moment as my lower back and hammy were linked in discomfort. I started them lightly again last night.

+1 for physio or myo as opposed to Chrio. (For me the Myo I have is head and shoulders above the physio's I've seen, they have the same anatomical understanding but also are fantastic at deep tissue massage and myofascial release techniques that the Physio doesn't go near. I think a good SPORTS physio/Myo is better again, and there are people around my area who identify distinctly as such. The (free) physio I see at the hospital for my ankle is always saying how great it's going but she's only thinking from a basic functionality point of view, can I walk and jog pain free for a bit? Yes then you're doing great compared to the last guy I saw who can't walk unassisted. A decent sports centric therapist realises that you want hih level function, not just basic movement, and works towards that. I'm about to leave my free physio I think and head towards one of the sports specialists for higher level assessment and to work out how to help stop my bad foot rotating outwards and rolling inwards when load is placed on it, which f**ks squatting up badly for me, and also strains my god side as it carries much more of the load.

Yeah I'm reading its normal, I still think the TO might be preloaded from clutch pedal adjustment but I don't think I'll get time to play with that tonight.

Was annoyed so after a decent stretch did some light squatting anyway, only 50odd kgs for 10 reps but that was harder than it should have been, did one set of 88kg DL and all the rows so we'll see how the leg pulls up tomorrow. For some reason I am stuck on the bench, 93, 109 then only 4 reps at 116 every time, i go back and do more sets of 116 until i get 8 reps, but still it's annoying, though I don't know what I want from bench. What I don't like seeing is no progress and I'm eating more now than I was before, and more protein specifically. Chins I went 10 22.5 (for 8 aww yeah) then 25 and got 5-6 out before failure and did the rest next set, Dips I did 15 35 (for 8) then 37.5 for 6 and did 3-4 more next set. In between sets where I had the weight belt on I was doing half squats lol

Well I think I've found the first problem, when jacked up at the rear and started, while in neutral, the rear wheels start turning ever so slowly so I'm assuming I've got t too much preload on the clutch pedal and the TO bearing is dragging, sound about right? I'm assuming the rear wheels should not move at all if everything is set correctly.

It just "exists" at that point in the revs, if I drive through those revs quickly it goes away (If I recall) and if I approach those revs slowly you hear it gradually come in and stay if you sit on those revs.

This is a good example of the sound also. nd this one shows what it can also be, which makes sense. spoke with Xtreme and they said bed it in for 1000ks before getting too worried, my concern being if there's a problem I don't want to make it worse by driving on it, especially when I want my next drive of the car to be a track day... I didn't specifically test if any if the springs rattled but I don't recall hearing the clutch rattle when moving it around while fitting it. I'll jack the rear up and try and mimic the sound and do some more isolation work and make sure it's not something lose somewhere.

Bummer, seems a few of us are fighting injuries at the moment. Chin up, you'll get it sorted.