Project: Squat Dodger/no More Curling Like A Bro/get Ankle Better

[No Crust Racing]

A few of you are across where I'm at already, but for those of you who don't know me here's some basic stats.

30yrs old, Approx 6ft, 86kg in the morning, cheap digital scale shows BF % ranging from 13.7-14% (this has come up a solid 1-2% since breaking my leg).

Back in October I dislocated my right ankle quite badly, 90 degrees clockwise, which spiral fractured my Fib. I've got a plate and 7 screws in there and have had the diastases screw out since Jan 7 when I was allowed to start walking/driving etc. I am seeing a Physio and a Myo for this plus a small twinge in my back that has been caused by walking around on one leg for months.

I'll say straight up I am not out to get into power lifting, nor am I out to look like a beef cake, have people "mirin", wear tight shirts etc, I did all that years ago when I was younger, stronger, and drove faster cars. My goal is to be fitter/healthier and stronger than your average non-gym going guy who works in IT/Sits all day like I do.

I've always been too upper body focused and a few terms were used that made me laugh hard but also made me stop and think that I had a very unbalanced routine going on this time around (after taking time off from secondary muscle and tendon injuries from over user/poor form back in my tight shirt days) Those terms were, curling like a bro and squat dodger which I'd like to rectify.

I've started working on the basic strength routine bandied about on here, with a few small variations, about 2-3weeks ago. 2min breaks between sets except the dips at the end, only 1 min there, really need to get a belt or something to add some weight and cut out some reps.

Started at:

Squat 3x10 25kg - laugh all you want

Bench 3x8 87kg

Swiss Ball Crunches

SLDL 3x8 25kg - if you've stopped laughing go again.

Military Press/Shoulder Press 3x8 30kg - laughing may continue here.

Alternating Leg Raises
Bent Over Row (about 45 degrees) 3x8 30kg
Ezi Bar Curl 3x8 39kg

Bench Dips 3x50

Currently at:

Squat 3x10 46kg - Ankle is feeling not too bad, especially if I have 45 degrees on my feet position. The harder part is putting it on my shoulders as I do not have a squat rack/cage at the moment so I just pick it up and put it on my shoulders, will have to get a cage later.

Bench 3x8 88kg

Swiss Ball Crunches

DL 3x8 46kg - Changed to DL from SLDL/RDL

Military Press/Shoulder Press 3x8 43.5kg - getting a little harder at this weight already so I'm assuming my back and legs are not strong enough to support a good weight here.

Alternating Leg Raises
Bent Over Row (about 45 degrees) 3x8 43.5kg
Ezi Bar Curl 3x8 43.5kg

Bench Dips 3x50

I'm going to bust out the scales soon I think because I want to make sure these numbers are right as my weight set has some odd plates in it. I may update these numbers shortly.

I'm off to the Myo today for another session on my back and she will also take a look at my ankle as well as they Physio doesn't really do much hands on (but the sessions are free where as the Myo costs).

As for Cardio, before my injury I was just doing a daily 3k jog with the dog, nothing fast, about 14-16mins. And some walking also, covering a total of about 100 or so K's a month. At the moment I am walking that 3k route every week day at least and on Monday had a go at jogging some of it and probably did about 75% of it in sections so that's a solid improvement. For what it's worth, I use Endomondo for to track all my workouts, gym also just to see how much time is going in.

So that's the whole enchilada and I'll use this thread to keep track of progress and ask stupid questions when I inevitably get shit wrong.

Edited March 13, 2013 by ActionDan

[No Crust Racing]

Saw the Myo yesterday arvo, she worked on my back, ankle, and also my left shoulder as it's a bit tender. I giggled like an idiot when she got into the really sore parts as I always do (apparently a lot of guys laugh like that she said.. weird).

I've got some more stretches to do for the shoulder and the ankle. She thinks the ankle in particular will need a lot of work as it was like concrete. She was surprised I've been walking as freely as I do and have been dabbling with running again already.

Grabbed the scales out and weighed everything properly as my plates a bit random. Turns out I was out by 1kg on everything so I'd listed it all as lighter than it was. It won't let me edit the above post so I'll just copy/paste here.

Squat 3x10 47kg

Bench 3x8 89kg

Swiss Ball Crunches

DL 3x8 47kg

Military Press/Shoulder Press 3x8 44.5kg

Alternating Leg Raises
Bent Over Row (about 45 degrees) 3x8 44.5kg
Ezi Bar Curl 3x8 44.5kg

Bench Dips 3x50

Edited March 14, 2013 by ActionDan

[No Crust Racing]

Bit of a mixed workout.

Squat 3x10 49.5kg

Bench 3x8 89kg

Swiss Ball Crunches

DL 3x8 49.5kg

Military Press/Shoulder Press 3x8 44.5kg - Left shoulder still giving me grief.

Alternating Leg Raises

Bent Over Row (about 45 degrees) 3x8 47kg

Ezi Bar Curl 3x8 44.5kg Failed on last rep of third set.

Bench Dips 3x50

Might have to leave MP and BB curls as is for a bit. Will consolidate on these numbers for a few sessions.

Off to mow lawns.

[No Crust Racing]

Ankle was a bit tender this morning but I decided to have a go at jogging my old 3k loop.

Managed to jog the whole thing with a bit of discomfort, 17mins which is a solid 3min slower than normal but I'm still pretty happy.

The run includes a solid 20 or so meters ascent in the middle and running up hill is the hardest thing for my ankle but I managed to squeeze it out.

Endomondo says there's about 100m of climbing in the jog as there's a lot of up and down.

Good times.

[No Crust Racing]

Went and saw the Physio today (not the Myo) and she's given me some one legged exercises to do to improve my push off strength on the bad leg.

She said I'm doing very well in terms of what activity I am doing given the time frame and thinks that most of the discomfort I'm now feeling is actually swelling so wants me to spend a good 2 weeks focusing on reducing that.

I've started dabbling with Lectric Soda Crystals to reduce swelling and will start using ice after walks/runs and trying to spend some time in the evenings elevating the leg.

She said we can look at my back also after that.

[No Crust Racing]

Back isn't feeling too bad today, iced my shoulder last night but it was still protesting during and after exercise.

Sleeping with my foot on a pillow again to elevate it overnight and used some soda crystals yesterday, swelling is coming down.

Back into going for at least a short walk in the morning.

Squat 3x10 49.5kg
Bench 3x8 89kg
Swiss Ball Crunches
DL 3x8 49.5kg
Military Press/Shoulder Press 3x8 44.5kg - Left shoulder still giving me grief.
Alternating Leg Raises
Bent Over Row (about 45 degrees) 3x8 49kg
Ezi Bar Curl 3x8 44.5kg Still failing on the last or last 2 reps, what gives here, even bumped up the break from 2-3 mins on the last set. Simply too much weight for me? I'd have thought I'd be betting stronger but I'm wondering if adding weight to other things is using up what strength I have to do curls by the time I get there.
Bench Dips 3x50 (now carrying 3.5kg in my pockets while doing this lol).

I'm also considering getting some creatine as there's a lot of good literature on it helping recovery.

Thoughts?

[rev210]

Back isn't feeling too bad today, iced my shoulder last night but it was still protesting during and after exercise.

Sleeping with my foot on a pillow again to elevate it overnight and used some soda crystals yesterday, swelling is coming down.

Back into going for at least a short walk in the morning.

Squat 3x10 49.5kg

Bench 3x8 89kg

Swiss Ball Crunches

DL 3x8 49.5kg

Military Press/Shoulder Press 3x8 44.5kg - Left shoulder still giving me grief

Weak external rotation muscles are your issue on that left shoulder. You have nothing in your routine for developing your shoulder girdle and scapular strength. As a result you are developing a strength imbalance. You will continue to get injured and also remain stuck strength wise , with your program. Your bench and pressing movements are just going to stagnate.

Alternating Leg Raises

Bent Over Row (about 45 degrees) 3x8 49kg

Ezi Bar Curl 3x8 44.5kg Still failing on the last or last 2 reps, what gives here, even bumped up the break from 2-3 mins on the last set. Simply too much weight for me? I'd have thought I'd be betting stronger but I'm wondering if adding weight to other things is using up what strength I have to do curls by the time I get there

If you are failing it doesn't matter, it's totally ok. The numbers mean nothing. In the gym you are doing controlled damage to the muscles, you aren't there to count reps. The real 'growth' occurs when you rest and eat.

Also , if you really must do bro-cep curls.Try doing them with less weight, and at the top of the contraction squeeze the hell out of the muscles like your life depends on it. Slowly lower the weight. If you do them right , with correct form , you will not be doing 44.5kg it will be much less. This is for hypertrophy, which is why I assume you are doing these. If it's about how much you can lift for how many reps then just quit isolation bicep curls all together and do some compound movements that involve the biceps.

Bench Dips 3x50 (now carrying 3.5kg in my pockets while doing this lol).

I'm also considering getting some creatine as there's a lot of good literature on it helping recovery.

Thoughts?

[No Crust Racing]

I'm doing that routine as it was recommended, on here, in another thread started specifically about balancing out my routine as I knew there were holes in it.

Suggest something better then? Keeping in mine my equipment level is similar to yours.

As for bro-cep curls, I like many other guys who lift weights just want decent sized arms and they generally dont grow without more weight. Happy to try the max squeeze method with lower weight, my elbow will be delighted to carry less weight on it.

You quoted that last section but said nothing of it?

[TTT]

google Milos Sarcev giant sets.

go do those for arms if your that way inclined.

Rev is suggesting the you need to focus on your shoulder and scapula and rotator cuffs and doing work to stabilise and strengthen them.

again, google rotator cuff exercises and there are plenty.

don't need to list them as lifts you've done.

do them as part of your warm up or on your days off.

[No Crust Racing]

I just re-read what I wrote, it comes off as harsher than I'd intended, sorry.

That's the sort of info I'm after.

Rev you had/have shoulder issues don't you, what rotator cuff stuff has worked best for you?

I'll have a search around also.

As for bro-ceps, I don't think I'm that unusual in wanting some decent arms, not massive, but half decent for my frame at least.

Happy to try different things, in the end I'm still doing something.

[No Crust Racing]

Any of these look like winners?

Those pictures do simulate the types of motion that I notice discomfort.

I have one of those red bands too.

The killer is when lifting the bar up from the ground to put it on my shoulders, the first part where my arms have to flick around to get under the bar, that's the bit that causes issues I think.

a cage would help.

[TTT]

Rev has mentioned these before:

Cuban Press

L-Lateral raises

And I've mentioned this before:

Buy a cage.

At worst, get a pair of Squat stands..

Look on ebay.. they are quite cheap

[No Crust Racing]

OK I'll give those a go as part of the warm up tonight, then will move them to off days, if I'm having a lot of discomfort tonight I'll stop and rest over the weekend (Myo is Tuesday so she can loosen me up a bit too).

Yeah I know, I'm looking around, trying not to spend heaps of money, baby is almost here. Don't wanna get crap squat racks just to end up buying a cage anyway as I'd love a dip station and chin up bar also.

Just looked at both of those exercises, cuban press in particular looks exactly like the problem motion.

Will start with that one.

Edited March 22, 2013 by ActionDan

[No Crust Racing]

Last minute decision, going to skip tonights routine and do some of those rotator exercises, some exercises I was given for my elbow, some stretches for my back etc and then go for a walk later and have a semi easy weekend and see how I feel on Monday.

No point training on stuff that isn't right. What I would like to know is how much of my upper glute/lower back pinch is from the bias from my leg and associated issues and how much is from say squatting/DL wrong etc. I'm paranoid about form on those things and have had the missus at least spot me for a stright back but I know there's more to it.

I

[TTT]

your physio/myo is in a better position to answer that.

I'd be doing stretches for those areas anyway.

foam roll, deep massage, stretch.

[No Crust Racing]

Well the stretching session was good.

Those cuban press things are murder. the actual sore spot wasn't sore but the whole shoulders (both) felt that motion)

I literally had empty dumbell bars in my hands and did 2 sets of 8 and then some of the L-Lateral Raises. also.

Also did some shoulder blade pinching together as read elsewhere.

Will try and go easy on it this weekend while I'm working on the other house and the car and see how it pulls up come Monday.

[rev210]

I just re-read what I wrote, it comes off as harsher than I'd intended, sorry.

That's the sort of info I'm after.

Rev you had/have shoulder issues don't you, what rotator cuff stuff has worked best for you?

I'll have a search around also.

Yes I've hurt my shoulders a few times back in younger years. Then I learnt to build shoulder strength and got real strong.

You must understand that pressing movements are stabilised by the upper back. If you are weak in the stabilisers then your press movements will have a limit.

My longer term arm injury is accident related.

Cubans / Scarecrows / external rotations and a few upper back movements. Lots to pick from.

As for bro-ceps, I don't think I'm that unusual in wanting some decent arms, not massive, but half decent for my frame at least.

Happy to try different things, in the end I'm still doing something.

Decent arms come with mass and proportion in your shoulders and torso. Based on your size overall the arms will be limited in growth. I have 18 inch cold arms (measured by my little daughter the other day, she says I have oranges in my arms). I didn't get them by bro-cep curls. Don't focus on them focus on the overall , they will be forced to grow to cope with heavy rows etc.

[No Crust Racing]

Interesting, do you think I can have decent arms without bro curling (isolation)?

I'd that the norm? Still decent shape etc?

If i was to do rotator work on the off days and drop curls what would you put in place instead?

[rev210]

The Biceps get thier turn. They will be working on a few movements.

Side note is the peak of your bicep and it's shape is totally genetically determined.

Rows of various kinds and pullups /chinsups .

One arm rows (correctly done). For tips I found this article for you on how to do them right/wrong.

http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/deconstructing_the_dumbbell_row

[TTT]

Keep in mind that your arms are 2/3 tricep and 1/3 bicep.