Mutterings of a GrumpasaurusBex

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Day 19 - Fri 23 Aug
Post workout, feeling ok & the knee isn't too painful. I'm going to try move from my desk at least once every couple of hours (once an hour if I can) to stop it from seizing up on me.

Warm-Up
• 7 min treadmill warm-up | incline = 0 | Speed = 5
• Stretching, lots of stretching.

Lifts
• Goblet Squats | 1 x 6 @ 10kg
— My knee wasn't feeling great, so instead of doing the 3 sets I intended I went straight onto the rack.
• Squats | 1 x 6 @ 20kg | 1 x 6 @ 30kg | 1 x 6 @ 35kg | 2 x 6 @ 40kg | 2 x 6 @ 45kg | 1 x 4 @ 50kg |
— I think I could have managed the full set @ 50kg but I didn't want to risk aggravating the knee further.
— I'm also wondering if I should only have done the 1 set @ 40kg & 45kg.
— — Maybe next Fri I'll try a set at 20kg → 30kg → 40kg → 45kg and then see how that feels.
• Lunges | 30m @ bodyweight only
 
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Ideally, warm up and then do a 'x' number of sets at the same weight :)

I know Steedie on these boards occasionally warms up his legs on the leg extension machine (if you have one) and that's helped warm his knee up.
 
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Urgh, woke up having slept funny on my arm again /w my shoulder hurting to move it ... clearly rotting away :p. The gym was kinda busy, and the bench was being used and so were the 10kg weights I wanted to use for my warm up d-bell chest presses so I moved to do Wed's deadlifts instead.

In other news though, although my knee was a little sore Friday it was completely fine over the weekend so I didn't over do it /w the squats. The doms however ... well they were as evil as always. :rolleyes:

Day 20 - Mon 26 Aug

Warm-Up
• 6 min treadmill warm-up | incline = 0 →1 → 0 | Speed = 5
• Stretching

Lifts
• Chest press /w d-bell | 1 x 10 @ 5kg weights each hand | 3 x 8 @ 9kg |
• Deadlifts | 2 x 6 @ 32.5kg | 3 x 3 @ 42.5kg | 3 x 3 @ 52.5kg
— Improvement from last week where I maxed out at 1 set of 6 @ 42.5kg.
• BOR | 1 x 8 @ 15kg | 3 x 8 @ 20kg
• Narrow grip pull-down (palms towards me) | 1 x 8 @ 27kg | 1 x 8 @ 34kg | 2 x 6 @ 43kg
• Lat pulldown | 3 x 8 @ 34kg
 
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Went to the gym in the evening as I had a busy morning ahead of me at work. The gym wasn't too busy at 22:30 thankfully :D.

Day 21 - Wed 28 Aug

Warm-Up
• 5 min treadmill warm-up | incline = 0 | Speed = 5
• Stretching

Lifts
• Shoulder press /w d-bells | 2 x 10 @ 6kg | 3 x 6 @ 7kg
• Chest press /w d-bell | 2 x 8 @ 7kg weights each hand
• Chest press /w bar | 1 x 10 @ 20kg | 2 x 6 @ 25kg | 3 x 6 @ 30kg | 2 x 6 @ 35kg
• Bicep curls | 3 x 8 (alternating) @ 7kg
• Skull crushers | 3 x 8 @ 7kg
• Deadlifts | 1 x 6 @ 32.5kg | 2 x 3 @ 42.5kg | 3 x 3 @ 52.5kg

Day 22 - Fri 30 Aug
Super busy day - didn't make it to the gym.

I should be heading the gym this evening & then tomorrow I've signed up for a beginners Olympic lifting class. Kinda nervous as it'll be at a different gym but I'm sure the folks will be lovely enough. I just thought I'd try something new, I'm not expecting to be competing at any point :p.
 
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Hell yes! To Olympic lifting classes! Prepare to scrub the rest of your routine chasing perfect snatch technique.

As such. :D

:D

The beginner classes are for 5 weeks & I'll see how I get on. I think this gym then do 2 nights a week for intermediate classes.

I really enjoy lifting but I miss having the kind of structure having a coach has .. I think this comes from being a gymnast and a dancer when I was much younger. I'm hoping I enjoy the classes at this other gym & then I can use my normal gym for general training as it's much closer to home and easier for me to get to.
 
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Having been a gymnast and a dancer I'm sure you'll pick it up reasonably quickly, which means I'm confident you'll love it because oly lifting is cool.
 
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I really thought Ice was going to say... 'having been a gymnast and dancer myself...' :D

Haha!

Well just back from class 1 & loved it.

Just learning the clean technique today with low weights. The only flaw in my technique is I need to draw the bar up closer into my body but other than that it all went well. I was pleased to hear 'you back is as straight as an ironing board' as I know that generally speaking back rounding is a very common issue with most lifting.

Next week 30mins recap & then moving on to the clean & jerk.
 
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Haha!

Well just back from class 1 & loved it.

Just learning the clean technique today with low weights. The only flaw in my technique is I need to draw the bar up closer into my body but other than that it all went well. I was pleased to hear 'you back is as straight as an ironing board' as I know that generally speaking back rounding is a very common issue with most lifting.

Next week 30mins recap & then moving on to the clean & jerk.

**** YEAH!

*Fistpumping...*

Olympic lifting is a drug: beware. ;) :D
 
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Thought I'd get a quick squats session in tonight.

Day 24 - Wed 04 Sep

Warm-Up
• 5 min treadmill warm-up | incline = 0 | Speed = 5
• Stretching

Lifts
• Squats | 1 x 6 @ 20kg | 2 x 6 @ 30kg | 2 x 6 @ 40kg | 2 x 6 @ 50kg | 1 x 5 @ 55kg
— I should have likely gone for another set of 5 but my left shoulder started to get aggravated :(. I think I'll mention this when I go for my next round of torture :p.
— Last time I did 1 rep of 4 at 50kg, so 2 x 6 was a good improvement & then the 55kg is a new PB :)
 
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My muscles are being a royal pain at the moment, if it's not my left knee it's my left shoulder playing up :(.

Class 2 of the Olympic lifting went well & we were learning how to put the clean & jerk together. The clean for me is the strongest part of the lift by far, the jerk needs a fair amount of work in relation to positioning & explosiveness. Hoping to practice it over the week.
 
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Thought I'd get a quick squats session in tonight.

Day 24 - Wed 04 Sep

Warm-Up
• 5 min treadmill warm-up | incline = 0 | Speed = 5
• Stretching

Lifts
• Squats | 1 x 6 @ 20kg | 2 x 6 @ 30kg | 2 x 6 @ 40kg | 2 x 6 @ 50kg | 1 x 5 @ 55kg
— I should have likely gone for another set of 5 but my left shoulder started to get aggravated :(. I think I'll mention this when I go for my next round of torture :p.
— Last time I did 1 rep of 4 at 50kg, so 2 x 6 was a good improvement & then the 55kg is a new PB :)

Nice work. :)

If you're Olympic lifting, too, be mindful of funny stuff in your shoulder as it will set you up for all kinds of novel unpleasantness.

What appears to be the problem?

My muscles are being a royal pain at the moment, if it's not my left knee it's my left shoulder playing up :(.

Class 2 of the Olympic lifting went well & we were learning how to put the clean & jerk together. The clean for me is the strongest part of the lift by far, the jerk needs a fair amount of work in relation to positioning & explosiveness. Hoping to practice it over the week.

2rpw6xw.gif


Gooooooooooood. :cool:
 
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It's odd, I have good mobility in my shoulders but sometimes my left shoulder just tightens up. So when I was doing the squats when I went to move away from the bar my shoulder was just like 'nope, not moving'. Then after that any rotation of it would be unpleasant.

I try to warm my shoulders up, arm rotations, pole or band from stomach to ass & back etc but it doesn't want to play ball :(.
 
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Play ball, you say? Now there's an idea! :cool:

This is probably going to hurt, but if you can, use a tennis/hockey ball to have a feel for what is tight/spasming in your anterior/posterior shoulder/pec, as it sounds something is getting tight because it's not used to being beasted.

The ball will probably make your shoulder hurt all over the place, but I'm guessing it's something like either you pec major/minor or teres major/minor...
 
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