welcome, thank you and yes, I think you're right.

I went and saw an exercise physiologist who said the same thing and he actually thinks my squat related injuries are caused more by a leg strength imbalance post my last ACL reconstruction (I still have one quads more than 2 inches bigger than the other one) causing a slight twisting in the pelvis than by the disc itself. So when I do get back into the habit of doing more lower body work again outside of the rowing, i'll focus on a lot more individual leg work for a few months to attempt to minimise the imbalance and then cautiouslly re-introduce the squatting again

your post caused me to search out your thread. all the best with your recovery and the competition goals

training

Bench Press 5x5 @90kg. 3rd successive time through the entire rep scheme, so I move up to 92.5 next time I do 5x5
3x10/8 DB Flye/DB Press 22.5kg DB
3x10/10 40kd Barbell Curl/12.5kg Hammer Curl

Sounds like a good plan to me.

Thanks!

4x1k row 5min rest

3.32.2 (1.46.2/500)
3.31.6 (1.45.8/500)
3.31.5 (1.45.7/500)
3.30.6 (1.45.3/500)

3.31.5 (1.45.7/500)

1.9 secs per 1k faster than previously.

tbh, I'm a little surprised I went that much faster as I wasn't feeling it this morning at the start of the session. Had to train before work so...no food and no coffee. This is fine with lifting but it's hard for me to mentally warm up to a high intensity cardio session

I do like doing my interval session the day after a rest day as I think it gives me bigger reserves for what is IMO, my most important fitness building session of the week.

my right knee is still swollen. I'm not overly worried about it but it's a little annoying and I really hope it isn't going to impact my training.

Plan is lifting plus a slow row on Friday, lifting on Saturday and then a 1k row time trial on Sunday

That is incredible improvement - awesome work! Negative splitting the whole way takes discipline that I just don't have.

I do find negative splitting the more enjoyable way to row. too many bad experiences in the past from blowing up near the end of things the marathon I ran, I lost 3mins/km in the last 5 k after totally blowing up and I can still remember the mental pain

having said the above...if I feel up to rowing a 1k time trial on the weekend, I'm going to attack it harder than I have previously, so I'm going to give myself the chance to blow up! Probably won't got as fast as you did last time but I'm going to try to go sub 1.38 for the first 500 and then try to hold on.

Great session, terrible maths.

??? 333.4 to 3.31.5?

I still must be terrible...or are we being a nit with the .05?

Lol whoops. I thought you were talking about average speed. The terrible maths was all mine.

I mean...you made me doubt myself!! I started at the numbers for about 5 mins!

Training

5x3 Strict Press @ 62.5kg
3x7 seated DB Press 26kg DB
3x8/8 super set 42.5kg Preacher Curls, 14kg DB

20 mins slow row 2.07.4/500m

happy to get through the entire rep scheme on my first go through at the higher Press weight. (actually didn't realise it was my first time and I was thinking how heavy it felt and how I must be off a little)

very tired today so happy to train pretty well. Fitbit gave me 4hrs 38 mins of sleep last night - played poker til 11.30, bed by 1, up at 2 with the cat and then awake at 6

thank God it's Friday and I can have a decent sleep tonight. Might treat myself to an edible

8 hours 43 mins sleep

5x3 Bench @95kg
3x7 DB Bench 32kg DB
3x15 Dips
3x8/20 super set Skillcrushers/close grip bench with 30kg EZY Bar

Decent session - not sure if this is normal but I find my fifth set of the 5x3 at the same weight is often my strongest? I warm up very thoroughly so...not sure why this would be?

1k row time trial tomorrow. I’m gonna make the attempt at a slightly higher drag - maybe like 116 instead of 108 and I’m gonna go out faster than last time. Plan is to go through 500 in just under 1.38 and see if I can hold on

Good to see you younger guys training hard.

Gotta make the most of all these youthful gains

Groove is amply greased by that point and your technique likely gets better with each set subtle as it may be. Also some potentiation effect.

Yeah, also maybe psychologically I get a boost from knowing it’s my last set

Also...please for not using 5 syllable words in my thread. I’m Australian

New 1k row PR! 3.15.9 - 1-37.9/500, an improvement of 1.5 seconds on previous PR

then waited 6 minutes and did a slow 5k in 2.06.5/500

so, I increased the drag factor to 114 for this attempt, as opposed to the 108 I usually row at and I also decided to go out harder in the first half of the race and then see what I had left at the end

10 strokes to start with at an ave of 1.34/500 and I got into a rhythm and was 1.37.5/500 at 500m.

then it really was a matter of holding on. really didn't have much zip or energy at all and I felt the extra drag factor in my legs. my last 200m split was 1.39/500m

so..as much as it's possible to feel like this after a 1.5 second PR, I feel a little 'meh' about this.

I didn't feel great this morning - had a broken sleep and my resting heart rate was 68, when it's usually 64.

Psychologically, I think coming home faster than you went out makes you feel better/stronger...even if it possibly it isn't the best way to get to the fastest time. IDK.

I also think I learned that a drag this high/higher is fine for a 500m, but was a little too high for the 1k and I'll adjust downwards next time.

still...a PR is a PR

Awesome work! Looks like you went out a bit hotter than you planned?

Yep, a little bit - the idea was to be just under 1.38/500 so 1.37.5 was probably the fastest that was within the range I was planning. I did think I might get sub 3.15 though and on another day/maybe with the lower drag or slightly different pacing I might have held it together

It certainly looks like you eeked out every bit of what you had on the day. Nicely done! You might feel a bit meh about the not so strong finish, but you know you gave it everything.

so I finally got myself onto the C2 website and it's fired me up a little from a goal perspective.

my 1k time from the weekend ranks 22nd in Australia in the 40-49 age group and 66th in total

Goal 1 is to get myself above the 90th percentile in Australia in the 40-49 age group for my core 3 distances before my birthday

These are...
1k 3.13.8
2k 6.55.7
5k 18.26

Goal 2 is to be in the 95th percentile for the 50-59 age group in Australia by the time i hit my birthday

1k 3.10
2k 6.50.4
5k 18.11

Stretch Goal for the end of the year is to be in the 95th percentile for any age in Australia which currently would mean

1k 3.08.8
2k 6.41.3
5k 17.58.1

the 5k looks the gnarliest to me...looking at all the other times on there it makes me realise that 1. the shorter distances are where I'm relatively stronger and/or 2. I'm not training with longer distances in mind

the 1k and 2k times above look within reach but tough...doing a sub 18min 5k seems impossible. but...we'll see


either way...I've decided to put in a 2 week period of more intense training - so no time trial this week, but I'm going to do 2 interval sessions (at longer distances than previous) and probably at least 1 and probably two 10k + longer row as well.

I think it'll help me with my next 2k time trial and the 5k PR attempt in a few weeks time and I'm beginning to think I might attempt a fast 10k at some point before Easter too

Way to go man. I just ranked 11th on the leaderboard in this snake game.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

I think you have top 5 potential

Well...that was unexpected - lifetime Strict Press PR - 72.5kg. Previous PR was 70kg

I had a 5x5 session planned today but felt a little fatigued and thought I’d cut down on the. volume and then do a row.

Went 2x8 with the bar
2x5 40kg
1x3 50
1x2 55
1-60
1-65
1-67.5
1-70
1-72.5
1-73.75f

70 felt really heavy but 72.5 went up easier.
Actually felt I could get an extra 1.25kg as well but it got really heavy. Maybe I’ll have it another day if I’m fresher - this was 5th day in a row and I’ve been doing a lot of pressing volume

Also did 5k row - fastish....19.57