21 Feb

Voodoo band Hip Opener

Glute Bridges
10kg x 20 x 3, 2s hold at top

Bird Dogs
3 sets of 4 reps, 8s hold

Planks
4 sets of 4 reps, 12s hold

Side Planks
4 sets of 4 reps, 15s hold

3 mo Position Pullover
15kg x 20 x 3

Wall Press Abs
3 sets of 5 reps, 3s lowering

Band Leg Lowering
Just been figuring out the form in this one. It's harder to execute than it looks

3 mo Position PNF
3 sets of 8 reps

Rumble Roller foam rolling of Glutes, hammies, calves and a bit of the obliques


Body composition update:
Have gained 2kg in the last month. Is this a good rate during a bulk for a novice? Waist measures an inch more than it was 2 months ago but a lot has to do with water retention from the surplus. All my lifts are on the upswong and mirror seems to be showing results.

Lower Back update:
Back seems to be doing very well. There is some tightness if I sleep more than 8 hours but vanishes as soon as I wake up. If I sit in a car for over 2 hours, I feel a bit of tightness when I get up and walk out, again this also vanishes.
That's about it. No spasms or prolonged tightness or pain. Every once in a while my left lower oblique/upper glute feels a bit sore but again it feels like acute tightness if anything.

Sometimes when I FS, the back of my left knee (almost feels like the end of my hamstrings) feels a bit of pain in the first couple of warm up sets but then it vanishes

23 Feb

(kg)

Air Squats x 10

Front Squats
32.5 x 10
52.5 x 8
67.5 x 5
72.5 x 5
74.5 x 5 x 3

After that final set, I felt a bit weird like some muscle was tight. Walked around a bit and then realized I could see a Lateral (Right) Pelvic Tilt in me. I noticed my left hip was a bit elevated and my core seemed tilted as well. Upper torso seemed completely fine.

I don't have any spasm or pain but when I try to bend laterally to the left I can feel a sharp pain and my muscles in the lower left back and upper glute seem tight. Abduction of the left hip through clam shells also hurts just a bit.

It seemed a bit odd to suddenly get a Lateral Pelvic tilt like this so I decided to continue with my Bench Press and call it quits after it.

Bench Press
32.5 x 10
52.5 x 8
62.5 x 3
74.5 x 5 x 3


Will be doing some stretches in a bit. I seemed to have recovered somewhat but there is still a slight tilt and slight discomfort that teeters between tightness & mild pain

Focus more on your core stuff than this. Since the back is limiting you, the core is the weak point you need to focus on. After that's no longer a limiting factor, then you can push yourself harder on the chins.

That's mostly good news on the low back. I think the sleeping more than 8 hours issue might be because your discs get engorged with fluids while you sleep, and they're probably full enough at that point.

Sitting in the car for long periods of time tightens up your hip flexors. That's almost certainly where that issue is coming from.

FS behind the knee issue - try putting the voodoo band tight on the problem area and doing some deep air or goblet squats.

Sometimes that's a muscle imbalance. Sometimes its adhesions somewhere you might not expect. Sometimes your spine is out of adjustment.

Thanks for the input Cha

I tried all kinds of SMR in that area and tried to hit my obliques and glutes hard with a rumble roller but the tilt still persisted. It happened in the bottom of the squat, if that's of any significance regarding what the issue might be. I am currently trying to find some chiro for re-adjustments. As of now it seems like it will be fully fine by tomorrow anyways, but I wouldn't mind finding one.

26th Feb

Voodoo band Hip Opener

Glute Bridges
10kg x 20 x 3, 2s hold at top

Bird Dogs
4 sets of 4 reps, 8s hold

Planks
bw + 2kg, 4 sets of 4 reps, 12s hold

Side Planks
4 sets of 4 reps, 15s hold

3 mo Position Pullover
15kg x 20 x 3

Wall Press Abs
3 sets of 5 reps, 3s lowering

3 mo Position PNF
3 sets of 8 reps






27th Feb

Back doing 100% standard! Didn't do any leg work. Will wait till sunday for that.

Chin Ups
9, 5, 5, 5

OHP
22.5 x 10
37.5 x 8 x 5

Chin Ups
3, 3, 1

CGBP
42.5 x 10
62.5 x 5 x 3

Standing Rows
110lb x 8 x 5

Chin Ups
3,1,f

Lat Pull Down
90lb x 8 x 3

DB Press
35 x 10 x 3

Single Arm DB Row
17.5 x 8 x 3


Planks
bw + 2kg, 4 sets of 4 reps, 12s hold

Side Planks
4 sets of 4 reps, 15s hold

Glute Bridges
10kg x 20 x 3, 2s hold at top

Chriopractor Visit

I went to this place called Toshi Ortho Center in Delhi. The place, like all such physio therapy centers in Delhi, only looked semi-legit. The doctor realized immediately that I knew a lot more about my lower back / body than his average patient.

I was happy with his assessment and prescription of posture correcting therapy and Spinal Decompression Therapy. I will be going Monday for my first visit. The postural misalignment he calculated from several tests on a visual machine with grid-like lines and through feet impressions. He also said we'd work on hamstring mobility.

Does he do any manual therapy (graston/ART/deep tissue massage)? Does he know what any of these things are and could he refer you?

Nah man. I'll give you cliffs on the realm of PT within the health care system here:

Literally every place just buys fancy machines that are doing well in the West and there is always a doctor who builds a narrative that culminates to why those machines will be helpful to you and why you must have at least 10 sessions of it.

If you ask them about the fundamental principals or bio-mechanics related questions, they seem to default to certain pre-fabricated answers.

The only reason I will go to this center again is because they have traction therapy for spinal decompression and some of the stuff he said seemed to make sense and wasn't the usual bs. My hopes of manual adjustment etc. are still a dream.

This is just my experience so far, will let you know what I find when I actually go for a session or if I find another place.

imo, decompression works, but big, fancy machines arent necessary to do it. I don't think there's anything wrong with the machines - they might actually have positive effects, but I think I probably achieved similar effects from using an inversion table daily and once-a-week visits to my chiropractor for manual traction (and he did ART as well, which also helped).

Maybe you can just hire several unskilled laborers to just Salk all over your back several times a day?

J/k but it seems there has to be some forma of manual therapists that could be helpful even if it's something like deep tissue massage

I went to the above 'Ortho Center' because of my pelvic tilt and when I realized he had stuff for decompression I signed up for it anyways.
I ordered an inversion table on Amazon India only to get an email that they actually didn't have any in stock with the supplier.

I will be in Michigan in late summer/early fall. My aim is to at least get a few ART sessions! I also want to take home some equipment if it will be possible to do so somewhat cheaply. Will figure out what should be top of my priority list when time comes.

You know what, that is very much a possibility in India. I could hire some unskilled people and teach them what to do and it would cost 4-5$ a day. I actually did that with a massage therapist at a hospital's PT center and paid her shy of 10$ per visit to my house but then I got my rumble roller.
I should actually find better youtube videos I could show these guys and have them copy it

Yeah, I mean, it's hard to know what is possible in India #????. It does seem like you are doing a great job in terms of prehab/rehab considering things.

--

28 Feb

Glute Bridges
10kg x 20 x 3, 2s hold at top

Bird Dogs
4 sets of 4 reps, 8s hold

Planks
bw + 2kg, 4 sets of 4 reps, 12s hold

Side Planks
4 sets of 4 reps, 15s hold


Wall Press Abs
3 sets of 5 reps, 3s lowering

3 mo Position PNF
3 sets of 8 reps

Really liking Wall Press Abs. They hit the anterior core pretty hard. Core feeling pumped right now from doing these exercises twice in 2 days

What part of MI will you be in?

Mainly around Detroit. Hamtramck is where I will be staying mostly

It looks like there are some Biomechanics certified providers sort of around there. Dont settle for anyone who isnt Biomechanics certified imo.

thanks Cha

Looks like there are a few around that area. I am checking on activerelease.com. I can see some in the cities I will be visiting anyways. I could just call and ask them if they are Bio-mechanics certified right?

Yeah. You can also ask other questions such as how long they have been practicing ART, their different levels of certification, their general philosophy for the type of issue you have. Hearing those types of things from a few could help you go to a better one than a worse one since it will be hard to know otherwise.

02 Mar
(kg)

Bench Press
32.5 x 10
52.5 x 8 x 2
62.5 x 5
74.5 x 5 x 3
52.5 x 8 x 3

I went ahead and did 3 sets of 8 with a lower weight after the main workset.

Chin Ups
9,5,5,3

Standing Row
[120lb x 5 x 8

[B]DB Press
35 x 8 x 3

BB Pullover
27.5 x 8 x 3

Trap Bar DL
75 x 8 x 3

Planks
bw + 5kg, 4 sets of 3

Side Planks
4 sets of 4, 12s hold

03 Mar

Toshi Ortho Center visit:

Firstly, they should change that ridiculous name they have.

I got a very mild spinal decompression using this machine + bed combo. It was too gentle imo but I will let them handle the peak pressure for now but hopefully they ramp it up soon.

The therapy was ok. I felt relaxed afterwards. Too soon to experience any massive difference. They will tell me about manual therapy in the next session

04 Mar

(kg)

Chin Ups
10, 6, 5, 4

OHP
22.5 x 10
37.5 x 8 x 5

CGBP
42.5 x 10
67.5 x 5 x 4

Chin Ups
5, 5, 2

Standing Cable Row
120lb x 8 x 5

Lat Pull Down
80lb x 8 x 3

Chest Flys
120lb x 8 x 3

Single Arm DB Rows
17.5 x 8 x 3

Planks
bw + 5kg x 4 sets of 4, 15s hold


will have to take a couple of 2 day breaks from the gym because of my therapy therefore I am basically combing two days worth of exercises in each session.

06 Mar

gym was closed for maintenance

Jogging - 20 mins w/ two 100m sprints

Goblet Squats
15 x 15 x 5

Bent Leg Donkey Kicks
bw + 2kg x 10 x 3

Glute Bridges
bw + 5kg x 15 x 3, 2s hold

tried to single leg glute bridges and my ROM was extremely short. Tight hamstrings imo. Really have to work on them, still can't figure out a program for them where I don't stress my back.

Planks
bw + 5kg, 4 sets of 4, 12s hold

Side Planks
bw + 2kg, 2 sets of 4, 15s hold

Wall Press Abs
3 sets of 5, 3s lowering





07 Mar

Bench Press
22.5 x 10
42.5 x 10
52.5 x 8
62.5 x 5
74.5 x 5 x 3

Chin Ups
9, 5, 5

Standing Cable Row
120lb x 8 x 5

DB Press
40 x 12, 10, 8

BB Pullover
30 x 10 x 3

Machine Chest Flys
120lb x 8 x 3

Tricep Push Downs
70lb x 10 x 3

Bicep Curls
ez curl bar* + 25kg x 10 x 3

*don't know the weight of this new bar

10 Mar

(kg)

Air Squats x 10

Front Squats
22.5 x 10
42.5 x 8
62.5 x 5 x 2
67.5 x 5 x 2
72.5 x 5

Chin Ups
11, 6, 5

OHP
22.5 x 10
27.5 x 5
37.5 x 8 - felt way too hard.
32.5 x 8 x 3 - felt really hard

I don't know what happened in OHP today. The last 2 weeks, the weight had stayed 37.5kg but it was getting easy. Today I just couldn't get into it. All weights felt too hard.

Chin Ups
5, 5, 5


Lat Pull Down
90lb x 10 x 5

Single Arm DB Rows
20 x 8 x 3

Planks
bw + 5kg, 4 sets of 4, 15s hold

Side Planks
bw + 2kg, 4 sets of 4, 15s hold

I highly doubt tight hamstings are limiting your glute bridge ROM. It might seem like it, but that's almost never the case. Its usually something in the hips.

even in single leg glute bridge?

I thought they hit the hamstrings more and my ROM is just **** in them. My hinge forward ROM is also pretty bad and if I need to safely hinge further I feel a tightness/pull in the hammys.

But you think its a hip mobility issue?

Secondly, at the start of every rep in Squats, before I re-brace the core, I find that when I squeeze the glutes there is a visible shift in my pelvis (basically it comes out of a slight anterior tilt and into a more neutral looking position). I am always a bit confused whether my spine is neutral with the glutes squeezed or relaxed?
FWIW I always squeeze the glutes before I brace my core and start a squat rep.