This brings back memories of when my knee problems were at their worst. My physical therapist told me to squat with a ball between my knees.

http://charlieweingroff.com/2011/12/adduct-for-the-acl/

That was a little over two years ago - before I knew anything about SMR, ART or read good stuff on the knees by Mike Robertson.

12/16

smr & mobility

safety bar box squat
80x10, 180x5, 230x3, 270x2, 270 + 2 chains x 2 2 2
this was a lot harder than 230 + 4 chains that I did last time. Even though its similar weight at the top, getting the extra weight moving from a dead stop off the box makes it harder. This was the first time I've used a challenging weight since I hurt my back. I cant add much to this until I get some leg strength back.

RDL
145x5, 235x5, 285x5, 325x5 5
This felt pretty good. It was the heaviest RDLs I've done since hurting my back, and they didnt feel heavy. My back & posterior chain strength is not too bad compared to my quad strength.

trap bar farmer walks (same as 12/3)
270 x 25' x 4 (one set)
360 x 25' x 4
360 x 25' x 6 - not as hard as last time. I was wearing a heart monitor and it was at 159 when I finished that set. It was 165 last time.

single leg reverse hypers
90x10x2

standing PNF D2 flexion
30x10x2

Thoughts - Using the safety bar for squats and then doing RDLs instead of GMs seems to make sense. The safety bar squats somewhat mimic the GM, so doing those after is a bit redundant, plus I can hammer my back, glutes & hammies with a lot more weight safely when I do RDLs. This whole workout seems good.

That whole workout looks good on paper too. Nice job on the squats!

12/17

smr & mobility

close grip bench press week 6 (last day of program)
55x10x2, 145x10, 200x3 3 3 3 11
ez

1 arm cable rows
105x10, 125x10, 140x10, 155x10 10

I watched Yugo do some OHPs and got the itch to do some too.

overhead barbell press
44x5, 55x5, 75x5, 105x5, 125x5, 145x5 5 5
left shoulder feels good

face pulls
105x15, 125x12

blast strap pushups
25
swole

chins
9

The OHPs looked pretty damn good considering you haven't done them in forever and never really tried training them much.

I think with all the SMR & ART done on you, it's likely you can progress carefully and move up. As I'm sure G4S would say, it likely could help your women's press which I know you're looking to raise.

And yeah, the close grip bench press looked really easy. Btw I forgot to mention it, not sure it's a big deal bit your right foot was a little further out than your left when on all bench sets that I watched. Not a ton, but like 2-3 inches further forward. You were super stable tho so meh.

I'm glad you mentioned that. I was kind of wondering about that actually. A lot of times I notice when I'm getting up from sitting down my right foot is out farther than my left. I wouldnt be surprised if I squat that way sometimes too.

12/19

bowling

225 194 174 = 593

avg now 212.5, probably 3rd in the league

I kept leaving the 10 pin all night - I couldn't find a spot where I could carry strikes consistently after the 1st game. I tried one of my old balls for a few frames in the last game and that didn't work. I need a new ball for when conditions are like this.

Always good to have 2 good balls imo.

Nice average! How much longer does the league go? Chances of #1 spot?

we're ~ half way done

#1 is within reach, but I should probably spend some time practicing if I'm going to be able to do it. The top guy as of last night is 215.21 (he didnt bowl last night). 2nd is probably very close or slightly behind 1st. 4th had a rough night last night - I think I gained ~50 pins on him.

You should practice with Brian instead of lifting with me obv, . Although he will talk your head off ldo.

lolz

I should be able to do both, but going to T'Wolves games will probably take time away from something....

12/20

bench press
55x10x2, 95x8x2, 145x5, 195x3, 237x2, 257x1, 277x1, 297x1 (ez), 307x1 (post shoulder surgery PR), 317xfail/

barbell rows
145x5, 195x5, 235x5x3

dips
10 10

face pulls
105x15x2

prone jacknifes w/band
12 12

blast strap fallouts
12 11

I was hopeful to bench over 300, so I'm happy with this. I maybe could have hit 310 or 312, but 317 was definitely not going to get locked out tonight and once I attempted that I was probably not getting another rep over 300. This 307 was better form than my 305 several months ago, so I'm happy with that too. I'm pretty sure I would not have got anything over 305 that time.

My left shoulder did not give me any trouble at all while benching. I did feel something going on during the dips, but I'm pretty sure no harm was done. I still have some minimal, lingering adhesions in my left pec, but it is so much better than at any time in the past 15 - 20 years right now - I'm really happy with how the left shoulder feels. The right one - the one that had major surgery ~14 or 15 years ago, feels 100% now. It has not felt this good since the surgery.

I need to figure out some programming going forward now. After the holidays, my training partner wants to work out Tues, Thurs & Sat. Barring any Wolves games I will be going to, I will be working out those days plus either Wed or Fri.

I want to work my bench the hardest because I still cant push the DL or squat as hard as I want because of the low back issue. I think my shoulder is in great shape so I can push myself with a difficult bench program. I intend to gradually increase weight and/or volume on my DL & squat, but gradually is the key - I cant push those lifts to hard yet.

bench - 307x1

Congrats on benching over 300 again!

Thanks guys!

12/22

smr & mobility

sumo DL off 3" blocks
145x10, 235x5, 285x3, 325x3, 375x2, 415x2, 2, 1, 3
All the warmup sets and the first two sets at 415 were mixed grip, left hand supinated. I am doing that to try to compensate for muscle imbalances caused by doing DLs with a mixed grip and the right hand supinated for a long time when I did them in the past. Right now, when I do them left hand supinated, the barbell starts to get away from my body on the left. Part of that is probably due to weak or inactive left lats and part is probably due to immobility in my left shoulder. I need to work on fixing that.

The 3rd set @415 was double overhand. The 4th set was left hand supinated using straps. It felt like I could have done at least 2 or 3 more reps that way, and the barbell didnt seem to get away as bad. Maybe that's what I should try next time. If anyone has other suggestions, please let me know.

btw, 415 is the most I've pulled using a straight bar since May. It didnt feel like a lot of weight, but my form needs work when I use a mixed grip.

trap bar DL
270x3, 360x3, 410x2, 450x2, 450 + 4 chains x 2, 2

chins
bw x 5, + 2 chains x 6, 6 - PRs for using 45 lbs of chains


superset
reverse hypers
90x10x2

offset DB step ups
60x10x2

12/22 after lifting

practice bowling
206 203 228

This was a good thing - the conditions were similar to what I've been experiencing during my 2nd & 3rd games on some of the recent weeks when I've struggled to strike - I leave lots of 10 pins because my ball is rolling out (I figured out that was the reason last night). I messed around trying some different lines and found some stuff I can try during league when the conditions change like this. The area where I can strike wont be quite as wide as I like, but I will still be able to find somewhere to throw it & not leave so many 10 pins.

Grats on the PRs, nice to see the weight creeping back up and you still feeling good.

415 lightweight!

Nj on the chin PRs - bros gonna bro .

ty ty

This looks interesting: http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_..._not_halfassed

I think it might be good for me to do something like that prior to pulling off the floor (I already am pulling from blocks anyways). The reverse band DLs look like fun.

Nice bench! I assume that's Yugo giving you a liftoff? I'd consider moving the pins down a spot, definitely looks like you lose tightness in your upper back because of the bar being too high on the liftoff. And Yugo, apply less force, sneak the bar out with a minimum of vertical movement.

Thanks!

nope - that's Brian - a guy I bowl with. He's been working out with me regularly lately. Yugo lives ~45 minutes away, so he doesn't come over nearly as often.

I'll think about lowering the pins and maybe mess around with it. That may or may not work better. I did mess around with pin height right after I got the rack and #12 is where I've kept it for benching since.

That's not me or how I give a lift-off, .

I do rack fairly forcefully if I'm helping with that though.

Good on you

Forceful racking is a-ok imo.

12/27

Got my new ball drilled: http://www.bowling.com/products/stor...nano-pearl.htm

I shot 200 224 244 = 668 in the afternoon. It was hard to get my ring finger in the hole because the grip the guy put in it was too tight though. It had the proper size marked on it, but it was smaller than the right size. He changed it out after I was done and said he never saw that happen with a grip before.

later

smr & mobility

safety bar box squat
80x10, 180x5, 230x3, 230 + 4 chains x 2 2 2 2

RDL
145x5, 235x5, 285x5, 325x5 5

trap bar farmers walks
270x25'x4, 320x25'x4, 360x25'x4

later

bowled 3 more games
192 236 205 = 633
Halfway through the first game they turned the lights out and turned on the moonlight bowling lights. wtf. I couldnt see where I was throwing the ball or read what it was doing. I felt like I was going to shoot 700+ before they did that.

My new ball seems to do what I expected, but I really only shot half a game with it under normal conditions (the first three games had the wrong size grip and the last 2.5 games had the moonlight bowling lights on). It gets down the lane farther than my other ball when the lanes start to dry out, so it doesnt roll out and leave as many 10 pins. I'm anxious to try it during league play.

Moonlight bowling party imo! Were there big spinny disco balls and techno music?

If so, that's my kind of bowling, lol, .