Repair and prepare - my journal on the road back to 5x5

[Jim Ouini]

To be honest, I don't think the belt's going to be that practical when it arrives anyway. At least there's a CoC#1 in the order too. I want to start back squatting already. I don't know how long to carry on without them, but I guess 2-3 weeks minimum.

Well the IM hip squat belt looks kind of awkward to set up, unless you're acccustomed to having a lot of weight swinging between your legs

I think you could do the same with a dip belt and standing on some blocks, like this pic.

 

[blut wump]

I stand by my CEE and milk concoction. Give it a go - there really is no need to cap, so long as you don't mind guessing whether what you have on the end of a teaspoon is 1g or not.

No need to guess with my new digital scale.

 

[anotherbutters]

Well the IM hip squat belt looks kind of awkward to set up, unless you're acccustomed to having a lot of weight swinging between your legs

Nah, I usually just rest it on the floor

I'm hoping that I can use it as a dip belt too (the squat belt, that is), if I can extend it with a chain.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Nah, I usually just rest it on the floor

I have the same problem with my nuts when I squat. It's a sad, sad world.

 

[blut wump]

Bent rows get me.

 

[Introspective]

I stand by my CEE and milk concoction. Give it a go - there really is no need to cap, so long as you don't mind guessing whether what you have on the end of a teaspoon is 1g or not.

1 level teaspoon yields about 2.5 grams.
I usually just use 1 heaped teapsoon plus a 1/4 of a teaspoon extra maybe a little over 3 grams sometimes but not by much. I put it in a half pint glass then add water stir till the water appears clear and drink, i dont mind the taste

If you feel you had strength gains with monohydrate yet not as much strength gains with cee hcl, maybe that's because your lifting more weight now than you was when you was taking mono. Even though i havn't seen as muchin increase in weight added to the bar as i did with mono i would still say my strength gains are better using cee hcl.
Cee hcl maybe more expensive but lasts a lot longer than mono.

 

[anotherbutters]

This is the first time I've taken creatine regularly. I've noticed an improvement in strength in bench and chins recently, but I've changed a lot of other variables too: I work out in the evenings now, I don't squat before bench, I don't do deadlifts or OHP before chins, etc. I might stop taking it once my routine settles down, to see if I have a drop in performance.

Right, chiro time...

I've just got back from seeing him and he said my hips are still not settling in the correct position. I blame my hamstring: I think it's pulling the hips out of alignment. I thought my hamstrings were quite flexible, but he stretched both of them and said they were tight. I think I must be rotating my hip when I stretch them myself. He suggested going to my doctor and trying to get a lumbo-pelvic x-ray to see if that can shed any light on what's going on in there.

Now that he's reset my hips, he suggested that I keep a record of how the hamstring feels over the next few days. If it's better tomorrow, then gets worse, then we know resetting my hips helps it and I'll go back and see him again next week (rather than 2 weeks from now). If it doesn't help, well, see what the x-ray shows.

I don't like doctors. The one in my home town turned out to be one of the world's biggest serial killers .

I'll do tonight's workout tomorrow and push the others back a day. It's 9:40pm and I've only just got home!

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

I'm not fond of doctors either.

 

[anotherbutters]

Week 4, Thursday (Wednesday's workout)

Bodyweight: 83kg (183lb)


1. Hip Squats (kg)
- still waiting for hip belt -

2. Incline bench (kg) (3x8)
warmup: bar x 9, 40 x 5, 45 x 3
51 x 3 x 8 ....... up 1
52.5 x 8 ......... up 2.5........ (116lb) ... bonus set

3. Supported rows (kg) (5x3) ... threw these in again since I'm not squatting
warmup: 40 x 5, 50 x 3
56 x 3
56 x 3
56 x 3 ........... too easy, increased to 57.5
57.5 x 3
57.5 x 3 .......... (up from 55 x 3 x 5 on Monday) ........ (127lb)

4. Ivanko Gripper (lb)
warmup: 87 x 8, 113 x 3, 119 x 3
130 x 5 x 6 ...... up 2 reps

5. Core work
Curlups, planks & side-bridges, bird-dogs: 6 x 12 secs each


Comments

A good workout. Only my second time incline benching, so I'm getting used to it quickly and really enjoying the 8 reps. I struggled with 50kg last week, but it was pretty easy today and I couldn't resist adding another set at a higher weight.

Rows are much easier with underhand grip, so I increased these twice today, from Monday's weight. I'm scheduled to ramp up to one triple at 58.5kg on Friday, but I'll just do 60kg (1 paltry plate) and have done with it.

Grip work was hard, but I'm liking the approach of adding more reps rather than going up to the next setting.

I remembered to contract my abs during the bird-dogs but it didn't make them any harder, it just made me more out of breath and sweat more!

A nice little workout.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Odd that the birddogs don't seem to be doing much of anything for you. Eh, I guess it doesn't matter much, the core work is helping you and that was the goal! Hopefully you'll be back to squatting in a month or so.

I've skimped out on my core work these last couple of days. Been getting home, showering, and passing out. A bit lazy.