1/22

DL
225x5
315x3
405x2

I tried out a different suit that a teammate gave to me. Its a two ply Overkill suit.
495x1
I hate this suit. Its way too small on the top part, so I cant get it all the way on, and pulling with it felt different in a bad way compared to my own suit.

I put on my Metal suit and Inzer briefs after that.
495x1x2
My sinuses felt like they were ready to explode, so I shut everything down. I do feel pretty good today though - like I did a little something good in the gym yesterday. My sinuses are still stuffy though.

I'm to focused on numbers. If I had pulled 495 lbs, I know I'd be adding a measly 5 lbs to the bar.

495 is about 72% of what my meet goal should be in a couple months, if all goes well. I'm still rehabbing for another few weeks before I start getting close to meet attempts.

1/23

speed bench (all sets done flat footed to avoid irritating SI)
45x15
95x10
135x10
185x5
225x3
275x3x5

1 arm cable rows
150x15
180x12
200x12x2

face pulls
130x15
140x15

I started feeling my sinuses again, so I shut it down. At least I was able to get more work in than the previous day.

495 is standard because it's 5 plates.

Unless it's a PR lift or something, there's no reason to get out the 2.5's.

Agreed. However, several of my teammates do get out the 2.5s before pulling or benching 5 plates. Its silly imo. Its just warmup weight.

Most of the "neck nerve pain" posts seem to be in this log so I'll ask:

Wednesday squats warmups were feeling good. My goal was to to do a double at 320 predicted RPE 9. Heavy single last warmup at 295 I felt pain in either C1 or C2 only on the left side. It was kinda throbbing/pulsing, felt a little bit light headed. Similar to the week or so after I had a mild concussion playing rugby at a certain level of exertion. I rested a few minutes and tried another single at 295 and it was about the same. I ended up doing a few sets of triples at 225 and a set of 5 and all was ok.

Saturday deadlifting was fine. I did a few neck rolls in each direction this time before starting to squat. It was fine working up to sets of 265. The first three sets felt ok, then the last set I felt the pain on rep 4 and finished out the 5th rep.

My style is very low bar and I do squat facing into a mirror because of the way my gym is set up, but try to look a little lower than making eye contact with myself.

I had no problems benching or overhead pressing either fwiw.

Are there warmups or exercises to help prevent this? Is it safe to push through? Does that sound like it requires seeing an ART guy or someone similar?

I'm curious how you know its a C1 or C2 issue? Have you had an MRI showing issues in those vertebrae? Do you have severe pain and numbness in the neck and shoulder that does not go away?


Necks are complicated and tricky, but this could be a simple thing to fix if its what I suspect. If it isnt, I would need a lot more info. It would be helpful if you could post a video of any of the sets that caused this issue to act up.

Shooting from the hip, when I used to have bad neck and upper back problems from squatting heavy, the biggest culprit was the way I racked the bar and letting my head get a little forward while the bar was on my back.

I think the most important thing to protect your neck while back squatting (and while doing most any load bearing exercise) is to have your neck packed. This is not about looking up or down - its about having your head back so that your cervical spine is in a good, neutral position. You can look up slightly while doing this, but dont look at the ceiling. Looking down is usually not good because it tends to make the weight go forward when it gets heavy, and sometimes people crane their necks forward when this happens (I used to). The best cue I know for packing the neck is to shove your head back as far as you can and think about making a double chin. Keep it like that the whole time the bar is on your back.

In addition to packing the neck, racking the bar properly matters a lot. Keep your shoulders pulled back as far as possible and do NOT shrug up - think about doing an "anti-shrug". Pull the bar down with your lats and try to keep your elbows under the bar the whole time the bar is on your back. Staying extremely tight is super important when the weight gets heavy. When you do this right, heavy weights will not feel heavy. It also protects your back and neck.

As far as the best course of treatment, it could be ART (I highly suggest finding a provider certified at the Biomechanics level), it could just be a good chiropractor, it could be a chiropractic neck specialist or maybe if you have a bad injury, it could be PRP and/or stem cell injections. This all depends on exactly what is wrong. I need more info to point you in the right direction.

1/25

squat
65x5
155x5
245x5

briefs - I'm using my size 38 Inzer Predators again. Long story short - I wrote the Overkill guy an email about my struggles with those briefs and he said he used the wrong material on them and is going to make me a new pair with the right material and send them this week.
335x3
425x2
515x1

This all went well, so I decided to put the suit on. This was the 1st time I've had the suit on since Dec. 1.
605x1x2
The first set felt way heavier than 605 should. I have lost a little squatting strength. Being sick with the flu, then having a bad reaction to a shingles vaccine, then catching a cold while deloading after PRP injections all has caught up to me.

briefs only
425x2
I was starting to feel the sinus pain again, so I decided to shut it down.

1/27

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

I had Mrs Cha try using the "old" (tighter) SDP to try and help break it in - it was way too big for her, so I had a ~220 lb teammate try it and he was able to do a couple sets with it.

While they were doing that, I put on the new SDP for the 1st time since getting the sleeves taken in 1/2". It fits better, but its still not as tight in the arms as my Rage X.

2 board press
495x1
545x1 - not bad, but not super fast
565x1 - I absolutely smoked this. Setup was perfect and form was also very good. I was not planning to go heavier than this, but since this went so well, I figured pressing 6 plates would be ok.
585x1 - This was a grind. I set up too lose, which made pressing it hard. I did lock it out though. Its good to know I can still lock out 585 with less than good setup.

We setup up light bands hooked to a rack behind the bench and did light presses for 20 reps.
135 vs orange bands x 20
135 vs red bands x 20
135 vs orange and red bands x 20
This helps you get used to using your back when you bench.

I just did a couple sets of 1 arm cable rows and face pulls after this.

That area is just where the pain is, not sure if there's anything wrong with the vertebrae. The pain isn't severe or in my shoulders. It goes away after 1-2 minutes.

I do try to pack my back during the sets. I don't think I'm doing that with my neck though. I have noticed some inconsistency with how heavy the weight feels on my back, so maybe I'm inadvertently packing my neck during some sets but not others.

I'll see if I can get a video from 6 o clock angle next time I squat.

yeah, good. You definitely dont have a disc issue.

From what you describe, staying very tight the entire time the bar is on your back is probably the most important thing for you. I'd be watching my neck in videos of the heavy sets very carefully if I were you.

1/29

DL
225x5
315x3
405x2

suit
495x1
555x1
605x1 - this moved pretty good. I definitely felt better than last week, but its been a while since I pulled this much, and I am weak from the layoff, so I moved on to secondary work.

TBDL
450x3
540x3
630x3

GHR
20x3, raising foot plate for each set

1/30

floor press
45x15
95x10
135x10
185x5
225x3
275x3
Left shoulder/trap/neck felt kind of weird, so I decided to do something different.

1 arm cable press
75x15
85x15
95x15
105x15
115x15

face pulls
15x2

1 arm cable rows
125x15
140x15
155x15

2/1

squat
65x5
155x5
245x5

briefs
335x3
425x2
515x1

suit
605x1 - harder than it should have been.

wraps
655x1 - It was better than 605, but still was harder than it should have been.


briefs only
425x2x4

Still feel off?

It's always impressive that you can still maintain a pretty high level of training even when you're sick.

Thanks

No, I feel well now. I'm just weak because I havent lifted anything this heavy in two months. I had the meet 12/1, then PRP injections 12/7, then got the flu a couple weeks later, then had a reaction to the shingles vaccine, then had a cold. During all this, my doc told me to ease into heavy training again. Its understandable that I have lost some strength.

There is an APF meet 3/23 in Iowa that I'm thinking about lifting in. I dont think I want to if I dont think I can beat some PRs in it. I probably still have a few weeks to decide.

There is a USPA meet in town 4/13 that I am also considering.

I might do full meet in one of these two, and/or bench only or push/pull in one or both. Lots of things to think about.

I just found out last night that the 4/13 USPA meet is being moved to 4/20 and I cant be there for that meet. I'm kind of bummed because there are 12 American records (one of which I already own - full meet DL @ 242 - 655) I had a shot at breaking depending if I would have done full meet or push-pull, or lift at 242 or 275. Apparently they could not find enough nationally certified judges to do it 4/13 and it looks like they have enough 4/20. American records cannot be broken without enough nationally certified judges.

This kind of throws my whole thought process off. It looks now like if I want to lift in any meets prior to July, I'm going to have to do the one 3/23.

2/3

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

looser SDP
2 board press
495x1

tighter SDP
two boards
545x1 - not easy to touch
585x1 - smoked it
605x1 - solid, not as fast as 585, but very good. I'm happy with this.

push ups
20x3

banded floor press
bar x 3
135 x 3
185 x 3
225 x 3 - this was very difficult. My triceps got hit pretty good by these.

bar cable rows - bar was hooked to two separate cables
I think this machine is in KGs
72.5 per stack x 15 x 2
82.5 x 12

face pulls
67.5x15
72.5x15

2/5

DL
225x5
315x3
405x2

suit
495x1
555x1
615xf - weak. my chest was down and I was forward. Prior to a couple months ago, I would have powered through this and finished the lift. I felt too weak to get it to my knees, so I dropped it.
615x1 - way better form. This felt way heavier and moved way slower than it should have though.


Rudy the Overkill guy shipped me new replacement briefs. I complained about the other ones to him and he said that they used the wrong material on them and he would ship me a new pair that works way better. They are insanely tight. The legs are tighter than the last pair was. The upper part is slightly less bad. These things do have way more hip support though. It took about 45 minutes to get them most of the way on and that took more out of me than any of the lifting I did last night. I did some banded ssb squats with them on.

350 + small red bands x 3 - I maybe did 1/4 squats because I could not get any lower.

I wiggled a little farther into the briefs and added a medium green band. 3 reps of close to 1/2 squats. I can see how these will loosen up over time with use, but I dont know if I'll be able to use them for my next meet or not. Its going to take a lot of weight to hit depth in them anytime soon. I was spent after this, so I stopped.

2/6

floor press
45x15
95x10
added red mini bands pulling weight behind me
bar x 5
95x5
added black (kept red)
95x5
135x5
185x5
225x5 - this was hard

Tate band press
20x3

standing PNF D2 flexion
15x15x2

1 arm cable rows
140x15
170x15
200x15

chaos push ups
10
feet on 16" box x 10 x 2
6

2/8

squat
65x5
155x5
245x5

I put on my new Overkill briefs. This time I used leg suit slippers and it was only slightly less difficult to get on.
425x2 - depth high
515x1 - close to depth

I put on my squat suit and kept the laces loose
605x1 - very hard to get down. I probably cut it an inch high, but had to come up for air.

knee wraps
I snugged up the laces on the sides of the suit, but they were not tight.
675x1 - I probably got right about to or maybe broke parallel. Getting down sucked. Standing up wasnt hard, but this took a lot out of me.


I took off the Overkills and put on my Inzer briefs. It was nice to be able to breathe again.
We hooked up blue Rogue bands on the floor about 5' in front of where we stood to squat. this made keeping balance pretty challenging, and it forces you to stay back with the bar, otherwise you good morning it and fail.
335x3 - balancing was challenging.
425x3x2 - these were hard and I was spent after the last set.


GHRs
20 with foot plate low
20 with foot plate halfway to the top
15 with foot plate at the top - these were hard.


Right now I feel like I worked hard last night - muscles got pretty beat up.

2/10

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

looser SDP
2 boards
495x1 - ez

1 board
545x1 - very fast, good

tighter SDP
585x1 - touching was a little tough, but not too bad. I probably can get this weight to my chest in this shirt with a little more breaking in. It went up fairly fast and smooth.

625xf. I got it down well and my burst out of the bottom was good, but I shot it too straight up and I couldnt finish it. It maybe got halfway up. This was actually supposed to be a 2 board. I dont know if I screwed up and said 1 board or if my wife grabbed the wrong board. This would have been a 1 board pr.

3 board press raw
315x3
365x3
385x3
405x2 - weak.

My right piriformis / SI issue kept bugging me after every bench set that I set up tight on my toes. It doesnt bug me when I am benching. It gives me a jolt after I let my glutes and abs loose after pressing. I figured this out after my last board set. This is a bit different than the way things felt before the last PRP injections. It used to bug me when I set up too. I need to work on figuring out how to make this not happen anymore.


1 arm cable rows
2 sets

face pulls
2 sets

2/12

DL
225x5
315x3
405x2

suit
495x1
585x1 - harder than it should have been. I'm weak.
635xf. Weak. I looked at video and form was not too bad. I just couldnt pull it up to my knees. My goal weight of 685 is obviously way too high.

briefs only DL with chains - each chain weighs 22 lbs
405 + 2 chains x 3
405 + 4 chains x 3
405 + 6 chains x 3
405 + 8 chains x 3
405 + 10 chains x 3
I did this to work on speed off the floor. My lockout is not a problem at all. I just need to get faster and stronger through my sticking point, which is between mid shin and my knees.

My hips felt super tight on the outside of the point of the hips after this and my low back felt weird, not painful, just like something wasnt right. I hit the hips with my DMS before bed and that helped, but its still not 100% good. I must not be keeping tight in my core and hinging at the hips well enough. I need to work on that.