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

[jangles]

if you have a hard table or something, sit on it with ur legs hanging over the side, put a cricket ball or a golf ball under your hammys and basically do the same movements as the foam roller.

hurts a lot more, but helps relieve some pressure.

is there an echo in here?

[No Crust Racing]

After a weekend on the car I was pretty stiff last night so I had a good session making love to the foam roller and stretching, my right quad was so tender I couldn't put all my body weight on it without breaking out into giggles (what I do when something is uncomfortable).

Hammy is still niggling this morning but I managed to on/off jog half of the morning walk so we'll see how Gym goes tonight.

[L33SH]

Good luck at gym tonight

[No Crust Racing]

I think I underestimated how much a weekend on the car took out of me as tonight was a little bit of a struggle, still got an extra rep here and there.

Squat low bar

3x8 80.5 90.5 100 (6)

one extra

Bench

3x8 93 101.5 106.5 (7)

DL barefoot

3x8 88 97.5 104

got'em all but it was hard yakka and average form on the last rep.

Row

3x8 78 88 93

as above

Chins

3x8 7.5 12.5 15 (6)

Dips

3x8 15 20 25

[No Crust Racing]

Little bit of an update.

Wen to the physio yesterday, she didn't test me on anything but was happy that I'd started jogging again and had been stretching the bad leg calf more, she's given me another more challenging stretch to do and commented that I did not get enough ROM work during my early recovery days and that we'll have to get stuck into that now. I would say my ankle ROM has improved since doing her specific stretch.

She put me on a few balance boards and I was pretty terrible at it, not much worse than her, but she said someone with a high level of activity like me should have better balance and stabilisation and that it was indicative of poor (the word escapes me right now) but awareness of my foot/ankle position and location in space so to speak. I admit I had much better balance before destroying my ankle.

When I go back she's going to put me on the treadmill and check out my running style and see what she can do mechanically as I know my gait is not even and my legs do not drive/operate the same both sides which I can feel most notably when squatting.

She gave me a bar and had me show her my DL technique and said it was quite good, so BAM.

As for gym last night, this getting back to 3x8 is hard yakka lol but got a little further.

Squat low bar

3x8 80.5 90.5 100 (7)

One extra.

Bench

3x8 93 101.5 106.5 (7.5)

I thought I had 8 in me but as I came down for it Kate walked in with Ella to talk about something and it broke my concentration so I stopped half way and racked it, that chat took 30 seconds or so then I busted out one more rep.

Bench is always the hardest for me to go an extra rep as there's the risk of being caught under the bar, you can get out but it's annoying, the safeties on my rack are a touch too heigh at one point and a touch too low on the next point down.

DL barefoot

3x8 88 97.5 104

got'em again so will look to add some weight shortly

Row

3x8 78 88 93

As above

Chins

3x8 7.5 12.5 15 (6)

Tried for a 7th but didn't have it.

Dips

3x8 15 20 25

Will look to add here.

Also, Kate has a mirror in the gym room now as she's been using the lat pull down attachment to help with some of her physio after the birth and as I was shirtless from being hot during DLs, I took a snap for comparisons sake.

As you can see I could stand to drop a little weight/bf % in the mid section but for someone who doesn't stress too much about diet and isn't running like I was I'm not super unhappy at the moment. Given I no longer do any ab work and haven't for months and months I could be in worse shape. Forgive the facial expression, I was trying not to breath as it was already hard enough to get a non blurry photo given the average iphone camera and the lighting.

[L33SH]

Well done on the extra reps

[No Crust Racing]

Cheers.

I forgot to add, that after jogging say 70-75% of the walk this morning and having gym'd last night my ankle is a bit tender up the inside so I'll just keep taking ti slowly.

I also used shoes last night for DLs as the physio said it might be a good idea to stop my bad ankle rolling in and it seemed to help.

[L33SH]

Last night the guys doing deadlifts got told by the manager to put their shoes back on lol

[No Crust Racing]

Does the manager even lift...

[L33SH]

I know right...

[No Crust Racing]

I think I can get away with it as I'm on carpet that has a layer of carpet over it so it's quite soft and shoes do help me and the ankle a touch.

[No Crust Racing]

So I've ordered these, not for that price,m but not much cheaper either =\

Physio said it should help with squatting and running, We'll see if it helps.

http://www.2xu.com.au/mens/compression/socks/compression-sock-for-recovery-ma1955e.html

This morning I managed to jog 1.5k of the 2k run continuously, albeit at a slow pace. This was the view when I got back home, not a bad start to the day.

[No Crust Racing]

Forgot to update Friday night. Some progress.

I've figured that to get anywhere weights wise I will have to just keep adding weight for a bit so if I can get a solid 6-7 out in the final set I'll do that for a week (3 sessions) then add some more slowly.

So I added to a few things.

Squat low bar

3x8 80.5 90.5 104 (5 pause 6)

I was happy with that, my previous best was 5 reps at 105 so 6 reps at 104 wasn't bad, I had to really suck in some air after the 5th rep to get the 6th and I only just made it but I'm glad I backed myself to do it and got there.

I'll be adding a board under my heels tonight which I'm hoping will help ankle rom.

Bench

3x8 93 101.5 109 (6 pause 7)

I wasn't sure if I had the 7th in me continuously so I just racked it for 10 seconds and grabbed another rep, this is something else I'll be doing more of on some things.

DL barefoot

3x8 88 97.5 109 (7)

Was pretty happy with 7 reps after a 5kg increase, the 7th rep was a ball breaker though. Will sit on that weight this week as the body adjusts.

Row

3x8 78 93 97.5

Accidentally did 93 as the second set so went for some more on the final set, got'em but still unhappy with form so will keep playing.

Chins

3x8 7.5 12.5 15 (7)

Getting the 7th rep was real hard work, I really had to go for it and just scrapped it in.

Dips

3x8 15 20 27.5

Getting harder to get them all now but still managed it.

I'm finding that cardio is hurting me, as in when squatting I run out of breath/power and need to suck in more air. Getting back to running will help that I hope. Plus it's only been 3-4 sessions since moving back to 3x8s.

I'm regularly weighing in at 88kg in the mornings and my legs have definitely gotten bigger but I'd like to trim up my mid section a bit, again hopefully running will help that a bit.

Edited August 11, 2013 by ActionDan

[jangles]

Forgot to update Friday night. Some progress.

I've figured that to get anywhere weights wise I will have to just keep adding weight for a bit so if I can get a solid 6-7 out in the final set I'll do that for a week (3 sessions) then add some more slowly.

So I added to a few things.

Squat low bar

3x8 80.5 90.5 104 (5 pause 6)

I was happy with that, my previous best was 5 reps at 105 so 6 reps at 104 wasn't bad, I had to really suck in some air after the 5th rep to get the 6th and I only just made it but I'm glad I backed myself to do it and got there.

I'll be adding a board under my heels tonight which I'm hoping will help ankle rom.

Bench

3x8 93 101.5 109 (6 pause 7)

I wasn't sure if I had the 7th in me continuously so I just racked it for 10 seconds and grabbed another rep, this is something else I'll be doing more of on some things.

DL barefoot

3x8 88 97.5 109 (7)

Was pretty happy with 7 reps after a 5kg increase, the 7th rep was a ball breaker though. Will sit on that weight this week as the body adjusts.

Row

3x8 78 93 97.5

Accidentally did 93 as the second set so went for some more on the final set, got'em but still unhappy with form so will keep playing.

Chins

3x8 7.5 12.5 15 (7)

Getting the 7th rep was real hard work, I really had to go for it and just scrapped it in.

Dips

3x8 15 20 27.5

Getting harder to get them all now but still managed it.

I'm finding that cardio is hurting me, as in when squatting I run out of breath/power and need to suck in more air. Getting back to running will help that I hope. Plus it's only been 3-4 sessions since moving back to 3x8s.

I'm regularly weighing in at 88kg in the mornings and my legs have definitely gotten bigger but I'd like to trim up my mid section a bit, again hopefully running will help that a bit.

Eating less will help that last point as well.

[No Crust Racing]

Are you calling me fat kent? lol

Yes I know but eating less is also counter productive to strength gains, I've always been the type that prefers more exercise to less eating

[L33SH]

Hi Dan

Well done on the weight increases with the squat, bench, row and especially deadlift; an increase of 5kg, wicked

How are your injuries going? I had acupuncture on Friday, was interesting. In a lot less pain today.

[No Crust Racing]

Good news about the acupuncture.

It's an increase but it's not as I was doing more before but sets of 5 and I find 3x8s more challenging due to the added endurance.

I get more "puffed" also so I equate that with being a higher load on the respiratory system.

Injuries are so so, ankle is making slow progress and I have been really pushing the stretching on it recently which has shown gains on a test I have to do where I need to get my foot as far aware from the wall as possible while still being able to touch my knee cap to the wall.

The hammy has not seen any improvement it still just lingers. I am still foam rolling and stretching but will book in to see my preferred Myo for a decent session and see if that helps.

[L33SH]

fair enough

[No Crust Racing]

A real mixed bag last night. I thought being Monday I would crush it like a boss but not so.

Squat low bar

3x8 80.5 90.5 104 (4 failed 5)

I added the board under my heels and its completely changed the dynamics of the squat for me. 90 felt really good mechanically but at the same time I felt like I was lacking power, as I'm now relying on different muscles more to get out of the hole, I'm guessing I'm having to push from the heels more and by my own admissions was using the middle of my foot before.

I couldn't believe I was struggling at 4 and took a few big breaths and went for 5 knowing I'd likely fail, I did and I dropped the bar off my shoulders onto the safety which I said I'd be doing more of, going to failure. The only thing I forgot to do was re-rack it and then go one more rep or so, but I don't have the strength to lift it off the safeties in a clean/jerk motion and put it back on the pins with out taking weight off it so I just put it on the next pins ready for bench.

Bench

3x8 93 101.5 109 (6 failed 7)

I actually went for this and came ever so close, maybe 30mm off the pins but I just didn't have it, a spotter would have been great. So I now know the safeties are only high enough at about my abdomen, I'm not sure what to do here as the next height up is too high.

Anyway, after re-racking the failed 7th rep I jumped back on and pushed it out.

DL barefoot

3x8 88 97.5 109

Got 8 reps on this, again struggle street on the last 2 reps but got it. Will get it again a few more times before adding.

Row

3x8 78 88 97.5

Fail city on the rows, I managed to "do" the reps but they were ugly. I've been playing with bar location in terms of where I pull it up to. I may have to move these away from the DLs as the DL works so many of the same muscles that rows suffer.

Chins

3x8 7.5 12.5 15 (7 failed 8)

The 7th rep was hard again but easier than last time so I went for an 8th knowing I wouldn't make it, I would have maybe got half way back up.

Dips

3x8 15 20 30 (6 failed 7)

The increase in weight meant for the first time in ages I failed at this so now we know roughly the limits of my dip.

So yeah a mixed bag all round but I'm committed to failing more and adding more where I can and we'll see how it goes.

No walk or run this morning, such a shit sleep =\

Edited August 12, 2013 by ActionDan

[jangles]

Are you calling me fat kent? lol

Yes I know but eating less is also counter productive to strength gains, I've always been the type that prefers more exercise to less eating

Not at all, just stating the obvious.

Steady state cardio is counter productive to strength gains as well from some views.

Also, consuming less energy vs burning more energy is the same thing = less energy in the body.