Trying to make an injured shoulder suck less... (5x5-based log)

[Mumrik]

:icon_sad:Man this is horrible!

I lifted today (friday) instead of thursday but I was STILL too sore in my lower back, so I ended up stopping the DLs after the first two sets - I could feel I was on my way to doing something ugly to my back.

I simply haven't been able to get back into the rythm of doing both lifting and MA. It used to be fine but after the break from MA due to my injury, I can't seem to heal fast enough. Getting more (and proper) sleep would no doubt help, but that has always been a constant with me - sometimes I sleep 12 hours a night, other times it's 2.5 or just very unstable sleep.

I hope this will pass with time and that it isn't just a product of me lifting heavier now.

In the end I ended up doing this today:


SOHP: 5x5x138lbs. / 62.5kg.

Light squats

Deadlift: 2x5x309lbs. / 140kg. - I have no doubt I can do this, but my back was messed up even before I started, and I could feel that it wasn't being used right. Yet another do-over for me. I have no doubt that this has more to do with overusing my lower back during the week that any kind of plateauing.

5x6xBW neutral grip pull-ups - keeping that grip for now for the sake of my shoulder, and it's time I really started pushing myself on this one, so I think I'll be upping the reps until I hit 10, and then I'll back down to 5 and add weight. I can think of 3 reasons why I've been slacking on this one:

1) earlier my bodyweight kept increasing rather rapidly, so 5 reps every week WAS an increase in weight - not a big one, but it clearly mattered
2) it's the last exercise on my hardest lifting day. Anything that comes right after DLs is hard to get motivated for, especially when it is yet another grip intensive thing.
3) My technique sucks! I can't seem to prevent myself from swinging back and forth like a monkey in a tree, and that messes up my rythm and form.

Not sure what I'll do about todays DLs. I'm supposed to drop to 3x3 at this point, but at the same time I really want to prove to myself that I can do the 5x5x140kg..

 

[statisticool]

sucks![/b] I can't seem to prevent myself from swinging back and forth like a monkey in a tree, and that messes up my rythm and form.

Try doing some pull-ups slowly, really slow, and see if that helps with form.

 

[Standard]

Try doing some pull-ups slowly, really slow, and see if that helps with form.

Will you shut up with that crap



Most people that swing back and forth use their legs too much to create momentum, try focusing on keeping your legs neutral throughout the lift or even keeping them straight out in front to do L-sit chins. The L-sits will limit your reps but once your form improves you should see a good increase. Also try a slight pause at the bottom to remove your momentum, then accelerate up in a quick and controlled manor.

Chins also improve alot with volume, just a couple reps here or there especially when you are fresh will pay dividends later.

 

[Mumrik]

Thanks Standard. I've had to take short breaks at the bottom after rep 3 or 4 just to stop swinging. I'll try the L and see if that helps.


My back is still sore (though clearly better), so I think I'll ease back a bit and only lift two days next week (probably tuesday and friday). Tuesday will be a redo of my last workout, but with weight added to everything but the DL. I can't live with myself if I don't manage that DL
Friday will be the workout I should have had on my third day this week. That should get me back on track for the 3x3 phase the week after AND give my body some extra time to recover.


My left ear is swollen and sore from grappling so I'll probably skip that on tuesday and just do the striking and conditioning part of that training. I hurt the ear a bit almost two weeks ago, and unfortunately rehurt it last tuesday. I've been able to drain some blood from it, but I think I'll have to go get it checked out tomorrow. People who are proud of their cauliflower ears are nuts.

 

[statisticool]

Will you shut up with that crap

Nope, because all I really opined was for him to lessen momentum, which is what you also said.

 

[Mumrik]

BTW as for those slow reps. I've in the past tried to lower the speed and it does naturally lower the swinging, but it doesn't really help me control the movement when I do them explosively again as that amplifies everything. It's funny really, I usually have great balance and physical intelligence, but this just keeps being an issue.

 

[Standard]

Nope, because all I really opined was for him to lessen momentum, which is what you also said.

No you gave shit advice, doing a lift "really slow" is completely different than using a pause to make a separation between reps. It's the fact that the change from descent to ascent is too rapid or that their is too much recruitment of the legs to create upward momentum that is creating the swinging problem and not that the dynamics of the lift need to be changed completely. Once those issues are corrected the chins should be done in a quick controlled fashion while maintaining form.

 

[statisticool]

No you gave shit advice, doing a lift "really slow" is completely different than using a pause to make a separation between reps. It's the fact that the change from descent to ascent is too rapid or that their is too much recruitment of the legs to create upward momentum that is creating the swinging problem and not that the dynamics of the lift need to be changed completely. Once those issues are corrected the chins should be done in a quick controlled fashion while maintaining form.

Well you're just using more words than I. Obviously, Standard, if you lift yourself slowly, you'll lessen momentum, rapidity, recruitment of the legs, swinging, etc., by definition.

 

[Standard]

Well you're just using more words than I. Obviously, Standard, if you lift yourself slowly, you'll lessen momentum, rapidity, recruitment of the legs, swinging, etc., by definition.

I'm using more words because more words are required to make the point clear and more importantly accurate. Doing them "really slow" involves performing the entire movement slowly, which is not what i said. Momentum should be removed if it's having a negative impact on the movement, it should not be removed from the movement it's self, because the movement along with any other movement out there involves creating momentum by definition.

 

[Standard]

People who are proud of their cauliflower ears are nuts.

It's the black belt of wrestling though.



It does hurt though, had a small case of it earlier this year, it's really annoying.

 

[theNuge]

It does hurt though, had a small case of it earlier this year, it's really annoying.

You ain't kidding it's annoying. I just had some fluid in my ears which I'm guessing is the start of cauliflower ear and it's really distracting when you're rolling.

 

[Mumrik]

It's the black belt of wrestling though.



It does hurt though, had a small case of it earlier this year, it's really annoying.

Sleeping on it sucks as well... I train almost purely no Gi, so I'm proud of my eternally white belt (lying somewhere in the closet), and I'd be fine with a white in wrestling as well if it meant I could keep my normal ears

 

[Mumrik]

Alright! Back in action:



SOHP: 5x5x138lbs./62.5kg. - getting close to my old pre-injury level here.

Light squats and goodmornings

DL: 5x5x309lbs. / 140kg. - This time I did it. My back felt sort of stiff and fragile most of the day but when I got to the DLs it felt solid and finishing my sets wasn't the hardest thing I've ever done... I'm still quite sure I let my back do far too much of the lifting. I've been reading up on technique but I still have some way to go.

Neutral grip pull-ups: 4x7 and 1x5 - Sadly my arms were done when I got to the last set. Slightly better form today - a bit less monkey business.



As for my ear - I ended up going to the ER to get it cut. The doctor didn't really have any experience with this kind of injury (wrestling is almost nonexistant in Denmark), so he ended up calling a specialist for advice. He made two cuts of round 1cm. each to drain the blood. LOTS of blood in that little ear. He made me sit and apply compression to the ear until the bleeding stopped, but I had to ask a nurse to get me more of the material my ear was wrapped in, 'cause my hands were getting quite bloody. Anyway! Took the gauze off yesterday and the ear is looking a bit better now. It won't reach quite its normal size, but it's better than before the cut.


I live in something that I think slightly resembles dorms in the US, and people around here keep commenting everytime I have some sort of injury... I'm getting quite an odd reputation

 

[Mumrik]

Today was one of those days in the gym that just pisses you off



BP: 5x5x204lbs./92.5kg. - I bloody failed on my fifth set!!! I couldn't lock out of on the last rep. and that doesn't make any sense. I usually have an easy time locking out no matter the weight, but I struggled with this one for 10-15 sec. with no success. I was bloody furious! I waited 5 minutes, mobilized some anger and blasted through a sixth set without much trouble, so I did what I came to do.

Squat: Pyramid to 265lbs./120kg. Failed. - Again I failed my last set! After rep 4 I could feel that I could do the last rep, but I somehow overdid it and went down too fast, bounced without getting my back with me and had to let it go on the rack. Again I was furious and cursed at myself. I waited 5 minutes and tried again, and this time I did the same shit on my third rep! 120kg. will be on the schedule again next week.

BOR: Pyramid to 198lbs./90kg. - no problems here.




I'm pissed about the squat. The last few weeks as the weight has been going up, I've been confronted with plenty of problems with my form:
1) I forget to clench
2) My bar position is too high and I really shouldn't be using the pussy pad.
3) I let my back do too much of the work - I tend to lift my body out of the hole without moving the bar much to start with, and then I end up using my back for much of the lifting. It's a bit too much of a good morning.

Especially 2 and 3 together bring me in trouble as I now find that I tend to be fighting for balance and form instead of just firing my muscles for the win. Sometimes I'll hit good form and I suddenly feel in balance and can just forget about all that and place all my attention on getting up. It's a problem that I don't feel comfortable with low bar positions, but I'll keep working on getting that thing lower - my center of gravity is a problem at this stage and it will only get worse as the weight gets heavier.
As for the pussy pad - I tend to train in a wifebeater or a rashguard and without the pad the contact hurts, burns and leaves my skin red and blue. What do you ogres do? Use a sweater? Grow enough hair on your backs to soften the touch?
Is a towel really better?



Too many frustrating experiences in the gym lately...


Maybe it was wrong of me to switch from 2.5kg. steps to 5kg. steps on my 100kg.+ lifts? I don't know...

 

[Mumrik]

I'm switching to the 3x3 phase from this week. In the past I've always gone 5x3, but this time I'll try to follow the "rules" a bit better, even though going from 75 work reps to 27 feels like cheating. It is my plan to work some shoulder rehab exercises into my training again now, and perhaps add a second day of neutral grip pull-ups.

BP: 3x132lbs./60kg., 3x171lbs./77.5kg., 3x209lbs./95kg.

Squat: 3x3x254lbs./115kg.

BOR: 3x3x198lbs./90kg.

Very manageable workout even though I felt a bit sick today (might have been a second day hangover). Nice to be done in less than 40 minutes including warmup.

 

[Mumrik]

Oh boy! This 3x3 stuff is quite fun
Fast and easy on the mind.

SOHP: 3x3x143lbs./65kg.

Light squats and good mornings

DL: 3x3x320lbs./145kg. - the first rep felt like I hardly had any weight on the bar. I just stood up with it in my hands. I must have accidentally hit good form

Neutral grip pull-ups: 3x7

I also started a few rehab exercises for my shoulder(s).




Pretty easy workout and I feared a couple of hours of volleyball in the garden was going to make me suffer through this

 

[Mumrik]

First week of 3x3 phase, third workout.


BP: 3x3x209lbs/95kg.

Squat: 3x132lbs/60kg, 3x198lbs/90kg, 3x265lbs/120kg.

BOR: 3x132lbs/60kg, 3x165lbs/75kg, 3x204lbs/92.5kg.

Neutral grip pull-ups: 3x8BW supersetted with
Barbell external rotation: 3x10x66lbs/30kg.

Ab wheel roll-out: 3x10


Working on form and control in the BP. I'm trying to start using an arch, but I feel a bit wobbly doing it.
I used to take care of a few core/ab exercises in the evening on lifting days, but I've been slacking far too much lately, so today I brought the wheel with me to the basement. A month or so ago I was at 3x25, so I'll just be working my way back carefully. I should get off my ass and get back to doing saxon sidebends too.

 

[Mumrik]

Second week of 3x3 phase, first workout.


I lifted both today and yesterday. I'd usually never do that, but I really wanted to get back to Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and I felt okay doing it.


BP: 3x132lbs/60kg, 3x176lbs/80kg and 3x215lbs/97.5kg. - easy as hell

Squat: 3x3x265lbs/120kg. - close to losing the second rep on the last set, but I regained control before I'd have had to drop it. It was the usual problem with getting the weight too far ahead.

BOR: 3x3x204lbs/92.5kg

 

[Standard]

Low reps are always fun untill you change back into higher rep ranges, alot of the guys i talk to at my gym are BBers and they are always 8 - 12 and low reps kill them, anytime i try anything near double digits it feels like i'm doing a marathon.

 

[Mumrik]

exactly... I've gotten so used to 5 and 3 that I hate going 8+ for rehab exercises and so on. As long as I stick to variations of Starr's 5x5 I get to fool around down here with 3-5, so I hope it keeps giving me results



So far I've been lucky enough to hit very close to my last 3rep set when testing my 5RM, so it looks like I might get another two lifts past biggish (for me) milestones in this cycle. BP past 100kg. and DL past 150kg. seem possible.