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Weightlifting/Strength Training

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Posts

  • GorkGork Registered User regular
    edited March 2021
    Nogs wrote: »
    Any suggestions for wrist support for things like bench, dips, etc?

    Equipment/special straps? Technique tips?

    Wrist wraps are pretty common. They come in a few different lengths/levels of stiffness, depending on your needs. Tons of different companies make them and a lot of them are generic products just rebranded (you can find a lot on Amazon).

    I use wraps from SBD. They’re a powerlifting apparel manufacturer, so they’re geared for powerlifting. I definitely recommend them, but they’re on the expensive end of the spectrum.


    Gork on
  • JuggernutJuggernut Registered User regular
    Worked out for the first time since I fucked my leg up last Monday. It wasn't comfortable but I got through it. Moved out of heavy weight training and back into a higher intensity lower volume mix and just cut out whatever made my glute pissed off.

    I'm gonna mix in a 3 day a week chest hypertrophy set up with this program since that doesn't really involve my lower body beyond getting into my bench position. I made some small gains on my chest and bench press and I don't want to lose them because I can't lift for however long this takes to heal.

    The good news is it's not a muscle tear as far as the doctor could tell. The push/pull was even enough that she reiterated what I initially thought it was: that a tendon basically popped across the hip bone or whatever is back there and set off a chain reaction of inflammation that's pinching the fuck out of my sciatic nerve. Why it went off I still don't know. There wasn't any real warning signs or discomfort during the lift that would indicate that was coming. The whole thing is bizarre. My range of motion isn't really limited. Hell, I can even (gingerly) drop down into a squat position, the thing that did it, without any real pain or discomfort. But standing around or putting to much load on the hips makes me feel like somebody is grabbing the tendon and pulling it back like a bow string.

  • GorkGork Registered User regular
    Started my taper week, which means testing what would be openers at a meet.

    Unfortunately, taper week corresponded with wrecking myself trying to collapse a big screen tv box by jumping on it after it had been raining outside for eight hours. I bounced off the damn thing like it was a trampoline and landed on the ground. Those boxes are strong as hell. Probably pretty entertaining for the neighbors, though. Woke up with some minor ankle sprains and very unhappy right knee tendons.

    Suffice to say, a day later, my 390lbs squat did not move like an opener. Oh well. 280lbs bench moved well.

  • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    well my week has been nonsense so far. I lost my keys on my way to the gym yesterday (took my jacket off cause it was nice and they must have fallen out). Thankfully the path to the gym is through a college campus so i just talked to their security who found them and have them in their office.

    So idk, hopefully nothing goes weird tomorrow as well or i'm gonna be not lifting a lot this week

  • PeenPeen Registered User regular
    You guys might know about this already but I just learned about it: some folks put on a Garage Gym Competition, which is basically a virtual powerlifting meet where you record your top lifts, put them on Instagram, and get entered into a raffle to win some powerlifting equipment. They've got legit sponsors and they're very inclusive with their equipment rules unless you're trying to win (and if you win all you get is three entries and bragging rights), so if you want/need to use squat stuff or a slingshot or straps on your deadlift, it's cool! I like the idea and I'm going to do a mini peak for it, just to see what I can get my 1RMs to in 6 weeks.

  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    edited March 2021
    I did a proper home workout set for the first time in ages and as I suspected I haven't really moved on the weighted pull-ups, I was able to do four reps of 18kgs (40lbs basically, for the yanks) added for one set and then four reps of 15kgs (33lbs) added for three more sets. And then the four sets of six wide grip lateral pull-ups. Probably my one rep max is still 140% of my bodyweight although I won't try that for a while. Also I am seemingly basically exactly where I was with the weighted push-ups too? (about 130% bodyweight for the eight reps) Just like... having to try hard.

    Which is weird I felt I'd be worse but I guess all the other exercise has maintained me vaguely well for the last month. It does feel like getting stronger from this point is going to take actual effort which urhghghghgghghghhh

    Solar on
  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    edited March 2021
    Like realistically I want to increase my pull-up strength from 140% bodyweight to 200% bodyweight which is kind of a big increase, that will take me a loooong time

    Would also be nice to drop to 70kgs in weight tbh (which... like right now I am at about 75kgs and doing pulls at 105 total, so if I dropped 5kgs then I only need to... more than double the added weight waahhh)

    Solar on
  • GorkGork Registered User regular
    Peen wrote: »
    You guys might know about this already but I just learned about it: some folks put on a Garage Gym Competition, which is basically a virtual powerlifting meet where you record your top lifts, put them on Instagram, and get entered into a raffle to win some powerlifting equipment. They've got legit sponsors and they're very inclusive with their equipment rules unless you're trying to win (and if you win all you get is three entries and bragging rights), so if you want/need to use squat stuff or a slingshot or straps on your deadlift, it's cool! I like the idea and I'm going to do a mini peak for it, just to see what I can get my 1RMs to in 6 weeks.
    They give away some pretty good prizes. I’ve never entered, though.

  • Dead LegendDead Legend Registered User regular
    The last two days of training have been positively meaty like a ribeye in a blender, looking forward to taking tomorrow off.

    My wife got the photos back we had done of our daughter and us and I have to say that they are all fucking awesome the neck work I’ve done has paid off tremendously. Like a fucking stump.

    diablo III - beardsnbeer#1508 Mechwarrior Online - Rusty Bock
  • PeenPeen Registered User regular
    Criminal to say that and not post one, even just cropped of you (and the kid gimme da baby)

  • Dead LegendDead Legend Registered User regular
    Downright criminal

    diablo III - beardsnbeer#1508 Mechwarrior Online - Rusty Bock
  • JuggernutJuggernut Registered User regular
    edited March 2021
    Just got out of my musculoskeletal appointment and the physician seems convinced whatever fucked up was related to my lower lumbar spine again.

    So good news is he expects me to recover faster than I did last time but the bad news is he was heavily implying my days of working towards a heavy squat/deadlift are done. He thinks I hit a max load squat at 315 pounds and my body basically broke, despite my having gotten to like, 375 pre pandemic when I was shooting for 400.

    I mean, he's the expert but I just cannot accept that 315 is the heaviest I'm ever gonna get anymore. Like, if my fucking spine is so fragile 315 is gonna kill me I might as well pack it in and call it a day. It's embarrassing.

    It's very hard to explain to somebody why you need to get stronger and lift bigger when they are not a strength trainer, and why telling someone they're going to have to think about "modifying their expectations" is absolutely heart breaking. Maybe he's right and I'm pretty much done but goddammit I don't wanna admit it.

    Anyway, sorry for venting in the thread but I don't really have a community around me that understands why "move big weight" is important and just how frustrating this all is. Especially when you've worked so hard to get where you are and all you've got to show for it is "modify your expectations."

    Juggernut on
  • GorkGork Registered User regular
    Was this a regular physician or a specialist? Because sometimes doctors speak from a point of authority in areas that may be outside their area of expertise. If he/she wasn’t an orthopedist or a sports specialist, I would take the advice with a grain of salt.

  • JuggernutJuggernut Registered User regular
    edited March 2021
    Intra Musculoskeletal Care whatever that's worth. They're attached to the health center through work since we're manufacturing and various strains and injuries are common in that field. So the dude's whole job is muscles and joints and such. But, I don't really know if he does PT outside of that.

    And calling it PT may be a bit of a stretch. He mostly just tries to figure out the problem and then offer a few at home stretches or whatever to try and correct it. Like, I more or less identified my piriformis syndrome and fixed it myself independent of what he had me doing at the time. He was just being really timid about how he went about various issues. So I dunno. I'm not smarter than him by any stretch of the imagination, but I can't help but feel he's not the guy to be fixing me. That said, he knows how things work and when he says this is basically a life time issue that I'm going to have to constantly manage he's probably seen it before and has the, you know, actual medical knowledge to back it up.

    Juggernut on
  • NaphtaliNaphtali Hazy + Flow SeaRegistered User regular
    I don't think "I should just give up because I can only do 315" is a healthy mind set either though man. I'm not saying the doctor is 100% on the money or you should just adjust your expectations, maybe somewhere in between? Like, 315 or 375, that's worlds past where my best deadlift is (150) and I also just recently pulled my back in the last month. Just doing 120 last Friday was a challenge after a few weeks of no deadlifts. I'm still gonna keep at it though, my goal is to at least eventually crack 170 (basically lifting my body weight), and even if I don't, at least I'm trying.

    A second opinion on the back isn't out of the question here of course, and probably what I'd recommend if you can swing it.

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  • CelloCello Registered User regular
    Naphtali wrote: »
    I don't think "I should just give up because I can only do 315" is a healthy mind set either though man. I'm not saying the doctor is 100% on the money or you should just adjust your expectations, maybe somewhere in between? Like, 315 or 375, that's worlds past where my best deadlift is (150) and I also just recently pulled my back in the last month. Just doing 120 last Friday was a challenge after a few weeks of no deadlifts. I'm still gonna keep at it though, my goal is to at least eventually crack 170 (basically lifting my body weight), and even if I don't, at least I'm trying.

    A second opinion on the back isn't out of the question here of course, and probably what I'd recommend if you can swing it.

    Yeah, check with a reputable sports doctor/physiotherapist and get their take just to be sure, since they might have better understanding of the particular dynamics involved in that kind of lift

    But worst case, it might be another nudge to aim for some other fitness goals? You're not banned from working out, just being asked to restrict one particular exercise. You'd mentioned martial arts before, and the thing I particularly like about them is even when you hit fitness plateaus there's a lot of ways to progress in your form and mental approach, and also throwing punches feels awesome

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  • JuggernutJuggernut Registered User regular
    edited March 2021
    It is 100% a pride thing. I set a goal of a 400 pound squat and deadlift and I've been working my ass off to get it and now I feel like I'm being told "nope you failed, your body won't do it, give up." And I'm stubborn and I can't really accept that. The number is kinda arbitrary, it's the principal. I don't care what anybody else can do it's what I can do.

    I know eventually I'll get to the top of what I can do naturally and that's fine, everybody does, but I didn't anticipate somebody telling me, at 27 years old, that's the best I'm ever going to get and my body can't handle anymore than that.

    I'm going to look around and see if I can find somebody who specializes more in strength training injuries and maybe get a second opinion, I guess. Lifting is one of my few passions and I'm not giving it up. I just need to figure out why I'm suddenly hitting these walls with injuries and how/if I can work around them safely.

    Juggernut on
  • Ashaman42Ashaman42 Registered User regular
    I could well be being completely unfair, and call me a cynic (Omnes: "You're a cynic") but he works for your work health centre right? Maybe he's saying lift less to keep you uninjured so you can work more/not risk time off.

    It may well be you can keep working up, albeit maybe with some modifications, but it's easier to just say "Don't do that no more!"

    And even if not, just cos he's a Dr* doesn't mean he's right.

    I'd definitely go for a second opinion if you can swing it.

    *Echoes of the discussion in the Fitness thread - I know someone on another forum who is overweight. Her Dr very helpfully suggested she should exercise more, she pointed out that she'd cycled ~2000km in the past month - when did he suggest she exercise more??

  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    Juggernut wrote: »
    It is 100% a pride thing. I set a goal of a 400 pound squat and deadlift and I've been working my ass off to get it and now I feel like I'm being told "nope you failed, your body won't do it, give up." And I'm stubborn and I can't really accept that. The number is kinda arbitrary, it's the principal. I don't care what anybody else can do it's what I can do.

    I know eventually I'll get to the top of what I can do naturally and that's fine, everybody does, but I didn't anticipate somebody telling me, at 27 years old, that's the best I'm ever going to get and my body can't handle anymore than that.

    I'm going to look around and see if I can find somebody who specializes more in strength training injuries and maybe get a second opinion, I guess. Lifting is one of my few passions and I'm not giving it up. I just need to figure out why I'm suddenly hitting these walls with injuries and how/if I can work around them safely.

    I get that 100%

    I would get that second opinion and see what they can do

  • eddizhereeddizhere Scrubber Than A Sponge Scrubtown, USARegistered User regular
    Got vaccinated a few weeks ago and I’m hype about precisely three things: seeing Godzilla vs Kong in theaters, catching a Picasso exhibit at the local art museum, and clangin and bangin

    I’ve been going on walks, taking bike rides, and more regularly firing up ring fit to get my body more prepared to be back in the gym. I got the J&J so I’ll be sticking to off hours and one visit a week til I hit 30 days out (I’m waiting til 16 days)

    The prospect of getting to do some strength work and make numbers for up is really helping me out of my quarantine funk

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  • GorkGork Registered User regular
    Way better taper session.

    Deads: 445lbs x 1; 385lbs x 2 x 2. 445lbs felt like a good opener.

    Pause bench: 250lbs x 4 x 1.

    Legs felt a lot fresher.

  • JuggernutJuggernut Registered User regular
    I'm trying to stay somewhat positive and come up with a long term game plan.

    I'm thinking about detraining to some degree throughout the whole month of April. Focus on healing up, but stay active with HIIT and agility stuff and maybe a few targeted chest or shoulder days or something so I'm not starting from scratch. Then come May I'm gonna start back but I'm going to cut down to a strict 3 day a week split.

    I'm wondering if these injuries aren't a result of over training? Trying to get 5 days of heavy lifting in on top of 12 hour swings may be too much and I'm getting to the point where my body just can't keep up.

    I've got some resources I can cobble together a good split program with but if anybody has any recommendations on body building/strength training focused splits I'll take em.

  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    Think I am going to join a gym and get some general strength training in

    I'm not in great shape, I'm in okay shape but I really do feel like I lack generic physical strength and I struggle to focus on home workouts and climbing has got me to a point but beyond that point it's not really going to give me broad strength improvements which will help with it, but not be developed by doing it, I feel.

    Like realistically I need to be doing weight sessions at the gym twice a week, and fitting that in with 2-3 climbing sessions. But I honestly haven't a fucking clue what a generic strength building gym routine looks like. So basically I need to join a gym and get a personal trainer to actually put together a routine with me. Which I have literally never done before! ever! cool

  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    Basically I need someone who knows what they are doing to make me do bench presses

    What is even a benchmark for like, a decent bench-press strength?

  • JuggernutJuggernut Registered User regular
    Yo check out Jeff Nippard on YouTube and go through his technique teusday playlist. He has some of the best breakdowns on how to properly do almost all of the quintessential lifts. Great place to start.

  • PeenPeen Registered User regular
    A general "ok now you're strong for a normal person" benchmark is benching two big plates per side (so 100kg, assuming you're using metric), squatting three, and deadlifting 4.

    It's also worth asking, why do you want to bench press? It's a classic, it's a competition exercise for powerlifting, but if you just want to get stronger overall then things like weighted dips and standing overhead press might do you as well or better than just benching

    Also also, there's at least one person in this thread with significant education in strength training (DL) and a few others of us who've been doing it for a pretty long time, If you just want a generic strength building program we could probably put something together/point you in some directions. Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program is quite good, if you just want to buy a book and see if you can work from it.

  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    I think that I have two problems, the first is lack of home space and kit, the second is that I struggle to get motivated to workout at home. If I joined a gym though then I could get that motivation from going to the gym, and also get the kit. I guess I just haven't any idea how to really start... doing weights in a gym? And ideally it'd probably be good to have someone to show me.

  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    As for why I want to bench press, I feel like my strength is very focused and in other areas I don't have the generic strength you get from compound exercises like that.

    I mean yes I can do 15 pullups and a 20 second L-hand and so on like my core, shoulders, back and such aren't bad but I feel like I'd just like to generally improve my strength across the board. Both because it would be useful but also because it would prevent injury!

  • CelloCello Registered User regular
    edited April 2021
    The nice thing about a good trainer is they can also help you build a program that will work around your other fitness goals e.g. your climbing, and potentially even enhance your training towards improving that

    It's even more important if you have injuries that need to be worked around as well; conveniently during quarantine I've just been checking in regularly with my physio friend and he's offered alterations to be able to lift without triggering any pain in my still recovering tennis elbows

    I'm mostly planning to work within my current program until quarantine ends, and then I'm going to seek out a trainer near wherever I'm working to sort out a proper individualized program

    Cello on
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  • JuggernutJuggernut Registered User regular
    edited April 2021
    I woke up yesterday and its like somebody flipped a switch. Most of the pain is gone just out of the blue. I can still feel it if I stretch in certain ways but before it was just a constant ache that hit me no matter what.

    So that's nice. I'm not going push my luck but it feels good to feel good finally. I did body weight squats yesterday and never felt anything bite or hang up so also a good sign.

    I've been doing those cobra poses to flex my lower lumbar forward to counteract any derangement that's been going and that seems to be helping. Plus some of the Jane Fonda's with a slight backwards flexion just incase any IT band shenanigans were happening. Just one or two sets of those over the last day or two seems to have already strengthened my glute adductors.

    So in short: I still don't know what the fuck happened and it's made me gun shy. Like, maybe it hits me out of nowhere again and this time I can't get the bar up? Shit could be ugly.

    Juggernut on
  • Dead LegendDead Legend Registered User regular
    Set the safety’s at the appropriate height? Squat outside the rack and dump it?

    Or my favorite:

    Spend your time strengthening it in other ways so that you can gradually reintroduce squatting?

    diablo III - beardsnbeer#1508 Mechwarrior Online - Rusty Bock
  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    Next week I am scheduled to go to the fuckin gym and get taught how to bench-press

    The psyche is real!

  • NaphtaliNaphtali Hazy + Flow SeaRegistered User regular
    Juggernut wrote: »
    So in short: I still don't know what the fuck happened and it's made me gun shy. Like, maybe it hits me out of nowhere again and this time I can't get the bar up? Shit could be ugly.

    I feel ya there. I pulled my back (again, now the 3rd time in oh so many weeks) slightly Wednesday during deadlifts and even my trainer wasn't sure what happened, she didn't see anything off in how I was lifting the entire set. I decided to back way off and just take the last five days really easy and rest as much as I could. I hope that helps as I'm getting tired of this happening.

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  • JuggernutJuggernut Registered User regular
    Set the safety’s at the appropriate height? Squat outside the rack and dump it?
    O
    Or my favorite:

    Spend your time strengthening it in other ways so that you can gradually reintroduce squatting?

    Crazy talk.

    I'm currently working up a complex and convoluted series of pulleys and cables that, based on my shoddy math, shou

  • Dead LegendDead Legend Registered User regular
    If my answer seemed flippant, it wasn’t meant to be so.

    I know you have set goals to attain a specific weight lifted in certain movements. I’m all for that.

    An example: If you were to start box squatting, and gradually lower the height that you were squatting over time, that could be a good way to not stress your back / glute / whatever seems to be aggravated.

    Or if you’re deadlifting, use a trap bar with high handles or pull from 2-4” blocks on the ground, and lower it there.

    I really do like to see you fuckers have success at this.

    diablo III - beardsnbeer#1508 Mechwarrior Online - Rusty Bock
  • PeenPeen Registered User regular
    edited April 2021
    Hidden cam footage of Jugg in the gym (potentially NSFW)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21U0k1_fEFk

    Peen on
  • JuggernutJuggernut Registered User regular
    My techniques! Now people will learn my secret arts!

  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    Hit four clean, good form pull-up reps in a set with 22kgs (just about 48lbs) added, which is basically four reps at 130% bodyweight. A new PB! Yay!

  • NaphtaliNaphtali Hazy + Flow SeaRegistered User regular
    If my answer seemed flippant, it wasn’t meant to be so.

    I know you have set goals to attain a specific weight lifted in certain movements. I’m all for that.

    An example: If you were to start box squatting, and gradually lower the height that you were squatting over time, that could be a good way to not stress your back / glute / whatever seems to be aggravated.

    Or if you’re deadlifting, use a trap bar with high handles or pull from 2-4” blocks on the ground, and lower it there.

    I really do like to see you fuckers have success at this.

    I actually talked with my trainer and suggested going back to ye olde trap bar for deadlifts on Wednesday. I'm hopeful!

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  • initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    Has anyone gotten a vaccine and had it impact you in the gym? I'm getting a first dose today so definitely playing it by ear for lifting tomorrow

This discussion has been closed.