AB's Happy Smiley Thoughts journal

[blut wump]

It looks like we're suffering together on deads AB.

I have high hopes that I found my setup yesterday. Good luck with yours. I've also found it preferable to straighten my legs more than starting down near parallel somewhere. The largest factor is keeping my head up.

You mention pulling back. I've decided to work with just pulling up for now and have move myself in closer to the bar.

Anyway, the real technique that occured to me was to take careful note of my position on lowering the bar and to check where all my angles were as the bar returned to the floor and where the bar came down with respect to my feet. I reasoned that if my drop is the reverse of the lift then that should be my setup position or close to it.

With regard to lifting clues, I just concentrate on extending at the knees and keeping my head up.

 

[s8nlilhlpr]

Opening my shoulders out? 'Out' is about the only direction they don't move in

I tried 'stretching the bar', but the angle of my wrists feels awkward. I've started to develop a hard lump on the outside of my left wrist again. It doesn't feel painful at all, but that's what stopped me benching about 3 weeks ago, when it was worse. I don't think my wrists are inflexible, but it's a bit of a concern.

I'll have to get a cheap camera from somewhere.

Ok, easiest way for me to describe it is basically a stretch. Stand up and stretch your arms up as hard as possible, palms facing in towards each other. Now, slowly rotate your palms until they are facing forward, or a little past that. Your armpits will rotate to face forward instead of towards your body, and your shoulders should feel a good stretch. I still get pains in my wrists also, though I believe its from white knuckle gripping the bar. I've noticed if my grip is even slightly off for some of these movements, I'll get a shooting pain from gripping incorrectly.

 

[anotherbutters]

My library has just arrived: Bompa, Dreschler, Siff, Medvedyev and Zatsiorsky. Woohoo! I saw a pic in one of them recommending a stretch with a pole held in a wide grip behind the head, as far back as possible. The notes by the side were suggesting moving the grip in closer on each rep. This was as a specific stretching exercise for the snatch. I'll be damned if I can remember which book though!

BW, I noticed in my downward movement in the dead, I was running my forearms down my thighs to slow the descent. I must be conscious of making loads of noise, since I work out at home. It's something I need to stop.

 

[nelmsjer]

Sweet on the library!

Keep working on the overhead squats, bud. Even if it is just the bar for a while, get your arms out wide and work on that flexibility.

 

[iceprincess]

In terms of conditioning, I felt much better in this workout, even compared with Monday (sorry IP, you're not needed ). Last week was absolutely knackering, but I was ok today, taking everything in my stride. Cool!

I see how it is! Just throw me out like last nights trash!!

 

[anotherbutters]

SF 5x5 Week 2, Friday

I'm starting to enjoy myself again...

1. Squats (kg)
(warmup: bar x 5)
40 x 5
50 x 5
60 x 5
68 x 5
74 x 3 ... up 4kg from Monday
70 x 8 ... backoff (a little too close to the triple, but easy anyway)

These were easy because I reset squats.

2. Full squat cleans (kg)
(warmup: bar x 5)
30 x 5
35 x 5
40 x 5
45 x 5
50 x 5 .... 2 more reps than Monday, same weight

I really enjoyed these today. On Monday, I reverted to powercleans without meaning to, but the full squat cleans felt good today. Every rep felt good, with no oddballs in there and they weren't as knackering as Monday. I'm really pleased with these. Just got to add some decent weight to the bar.

3. Bench (kg)
(warmup: bar x 5)
40 x 5
45 x 5
50 x 5
58 x 5
64 x 3 ..... up 1kg From Monday
60 x 7 ..... backoff

I accidentally benched too close to the rack on the backoff set and kept hitting the underside of the hooks, but whatever, it was hard anyway.

Comments

All my lifts suck, but at least they're going up. I think it's going to take a fair few weeks just to get back to where I was before I hurt myself in December.

I have a little bit of DOMS today from deads on Wednesday, which I didn't expect. The initial DOMS from 2 weeks ago were quite bad, but only lasted a week.

 

[anotherbutters]

I see how it is! Just throw me out like last nights trash!!

What was I thinking? Well I did bash the bar against my head on Wednesday

You're free to come and read my first copy of MILO, which arrived today. Man, I'm such a smooth operator

 

[Introspective]

Good stuff with the squat cleans, this a PR ? Lets see some squat pr's in the next month



:Edit: I squated 170 for a single today and benched 115 for a single

 

[anotherbutters]

Well the first time I ever did squat cleans was Monday and I did more reps yesterday, so if you're allowed to call anything with less than one plate a PR, it's a PR

Before I tried the SF 5x5 last year, my 5RM smith machine squat was 90kg, then I switched to freeweights, ramped up the weight and got to 105kg quite easily, which is where my 5RM stands. After not squatting for about 4 months, I failed on a paltry 83kgx5 last week, so I think it's going to take more than a month to get back to where I was. I've reset to 70kg and I'm going to increase by 4kg per week and see how it goes. It's frustrating, but what can you do?

I'm doing this on a maintenance diet for now.

 

[Introspective]

Anything is a PR in my eyes. even if it's 1kg. when i first started squating, 60kg felt heavey. A few months later i have to look behind me just to make sure i actually have the bar on my back, and that i didn't accidently use the broomstick.
Your going about adding weight the right way, i would probably get annoyed and try rushing towards the old pr's and hurt myself.

Maintenance diets make me hungry