Good to hear from you.

Muscle imbalances. I have known for a long time that my left upper trap is bigger and my right lat is bigger from pulling over/under the same way for a long time. My left shoulder doesnt allow me to turn my hands the opposite way without getting angry. Pulling over/under the same way over time pulls on my neck. Pulling everything double overhand helps fix that.

10/27

DL
225x5x2
315x3
405x2
double overhand^

hook grip with tape around thumb pads
515x1
545x1 - hook grip pr

briefs
585xf, f
My thumbs would not cooperate. The skin was a bit torn up and they were throbbing badly. The left one is swollen. It probably has a minor sprain. ****ing hook grip.


KB swings
88x10x5
203x8x2
My team gym has a 203 lb KB. That is fun to swing.

Stupid question...if you can't pull heavy double overhand, can't you just reverse your grip and switch back and forth? Rather than hook grip?

If I can get my left shoulder to cooperate and allow me to go underhand, maybe. I will probably talk to my doc and my pt about that. I have played around with left hand under a little. Straps for training would be another option. Idk. Everything is on the table right now. My left thumb is still swollen today.

10/29

Pushup
35
+2 chains x 12
+4 chains x 12
+6 chains x 12 - this seemed easier than 7 reps was a few days ago. These chains must be lighter.

TRX rows
15, 12

face pulls

It really seems like all serious competitors should hook. I've never heard of a deadlift in competition that was dropped by someone using hook grip, yet people lose meets all the time due to mixed grip failing. And people who are serious are already going through a lot of pain for the sport anyway, so what's a little thumb pain next to that?

There were way more hook grip pullers at this years IPF worlds, especially for sumo, so I'm guessing it's just a matter of time before it becomes the standard.

If you don't wan't to go through the initial hook grip pain, which does suck, why not just train in straps and pull without them on meet day? Easy.

**** hook grip. My left thumb is still swollen today. Something is definitely wrong with it.

That is something I am considering.

The problem is, I take my breath and set my back at the top when I DL. That's impossible if I use straps. It would be extremely hard to do if I was hook gripping while wearing gear too - just getting to the bar in gear is hard enough already. I would need to basically remake my DL form in a way that would be a little less safe for my low back - taking my breath while bent over.

10/31

squat in briefs
245x5
335x3
425x1x2
475x1
515x1 (knees wrapped) - smoked this

Everything over two plates hit very good depth. There was no knee pain and the neck felt fine. I didnt plan on even trying for 5 plates, but since the knee and the neck felt good, I figured why not.

565xf
I got a bit forward on the 565.

Prior to March when my knee was giving me pain every time I got near depth, I was hitting low to mid 500s for triples and I think I hit ~605 for singles without wraps and without much trouble. I am shaking the rust off and have lost some strength, as well as about 10 lbs of body weight, but the knee feels great right now. Maybe I will put the suit on next week.

11/1

pushups
35
This was at the gym with heavier chains
+ 2 chains x 15
+ 4 chains x 12
+ 6 chains x 12 - this was way harder than Sunday was at the gym with the lighter chains. My arms and chest are starting to feel strong again.

TRX rows
12, 12

face pulls
130x15x2

Cha,
I'd probably just go with straps and add grip work. Work in alternate grip as part of last heavy week before any potential meet. Yes, it's a gamble, but less of a gamble than re-injury. It seems like a safe route that will also let you pull heavy no problem.

ETA: oh G4S said this exactly... cool. Good post by me. Good poster. K.

I agree with DT.

yup, that's something I might do. I would go double overhand up to about 5 plates before strapping up. The drawback is that I would need to change my form when I wear straps. I cannot take my breath at the top, grab the bar and pull. What I will probably do this week is use straps on heavy stuff and practice taking my breath bent over after I strap up with the bar way out in front, then rolling the bar in before I pull. If I can get good at that kind of form, it would transfer over if I ever want to use it for hook grip.

I doubt I would even need grip work. The double overhand stuff would likely be sufficient. I basically always do two rep sets double overhand with 4 plates when I warm up and that doesnt test me much. I can usually do singles with 5 plates when I chalk up well and focus on squeezing the bar hard.

11/3

DL
225x5x2
315x3
405x2
495x1
^double overhand

straps & suit
545x1
585x1 - this was the best one I did.
615x1
This was pretty hard to get into good position. I knelt down to put on the straps, then tried to get my breath & stand up in good pulling position - lol, not happening. The way I made this work was pushing the bar to the front of the platform, keeping my feet about 2/3 of the way to the back of the platform with my feet turned way out, leaning my upper body out over the bar, taking my breath, rolling the bar in to my legs with my knees way out, then as the bar got close to my legs, I would turn my feet and knees forward and time it so I would pull right as the bar got over the middle of my foot. Its complicated, but its not the worst thing in the world when I get it right. The 545 was a challenge. The 585 was perfect. The 615 was ugly - my back rounded, so I must not have gotten my core solid with my breath. That's the biggest thing I need to focus on while doing this.

6" block pulls
585x3
635x3
675x2
I'm weak. I need more of this.

I saw my prp doc yesterday. We talked about DL options. He seems to think double overhanding 700 would be no big deal, smh. He says if I hook grip 650+ much I will probably be seeing him to fix my thumbs. He says mixed grip is actually hard on the pelvis because of resisting twisting. The problem with using straps in training, then mixed grip for competing is that my form would be very different. I basically have no good options for competing. Maybe switching grip back and forth is the only feasible option. idk.

The good news is he says its fine to start benching. He wants me to put a little something under my neck for support. I'll use a gym towel and try it on Sunday.

Ditch the suit and then you can use the same setup for straps and no straps.

That's an interesting idea, but the problem with it is that using a suit requires practice, so I would probably not be able to use the suit effectively when I compete. It takes a lot of practice to not get pulled forward while wearing a suit.

I get more out of a suit than most people - maybe ~50 lbs at the top end when I am using good form with it on, so I would prefer finding a way to make use of that. Also the suit adds back and hip protection vs raw. For these reasons, I am reluctant to not make use of the suit in competition.

I'll give this more thought.

Ah gotcha, yea I meant get rid of it altogether.

The pounds I get, I suppose, the protection...meh.

I never got anything out of one, but my experience is purposefully limited.

A lot of people I know get nothing out of them, and sometimes people are able to pull more raw than in a suit. My coach, Priest, actually has training sessions sometimes where he fails a significantly lighter weight in a suit than he pulled raw the week before. I have another teammate who has competed geared, but pulled raw because she cant figure out how to make a DL suit work. I am not like those people. I set a 40 lb PR the first time I wore a suit.

The man was born to gear.

apparently so. I'm not going back now.

It's a shame you were about 15 years late to the party.

11/5

bench press
45x15
95x10
135x10
185x5
225x3
275x2
315x1

size 54 Rage X
two board press
455x2x2

I rolled up a gym towel and put it under my neck for every set. It was hard to set up tight when I did that raw. When I put the shirt on, for the first set, I had my gf put it under my neck after I set up tight. That was a bit ugly trying to stuff it under there when I was already in position. The last set, I had her hold it on my neck as I was pulling myself under the bar to get set up tight. That worked well.

Everything moved fine. It felt good to move something approaching heavy weight again.

My glutes were on fire from Fridays DLs and block pulls when I got set up tight for the shirted sets.


TRX rows

face pulls

11/7

squat
Metal briefs (tight)
245x5
335x3
425x1
475x1
475x1

knees wrapped
515x1

suit with sides loose & knees wrapped
605xf
My knees shot forward & my hamstrings were not engaged. I'm weak and rusty.

I tightened the side of the suit a little and tried again.
605x1
This time I kept the hamstrings engaged and it came right up. Depth was good.


Both piriformis's have been jacked up since Saturday after DLing and block pulls Friday. I've been doing a lot to loosen them up. They felt better after squatting last night, but the left one feels like I got kicked by a donkey this morning.

Oh by the way, no knee issues at all. The left knee has almost become an afterthought now.

11/8

bench press
45x15
95x10
135x10
185x5
225x3
275x2
My right piriformis was hurting badly. I kept hoping it would loosen up, but it got worse on every set. I had to stop. I stretched it out good before leaving the gym. That helped. Neck felt fine.

11/10

DL
225x5x2
315x3
405x2

suit
495x1
all double overhand^

straps
9" block pulls
585x3
675x3
Took it easy due to piriformis issues.