Strength Dedication Ambition

[Gazhole]

Do you feel like those static holds are improving your grip strength?

And no, no time at all!

I've definitely noticed a marked improvement during lifts, even if im not progressing with the actual grip work itself. My forearms have gotten bigger aswell, haha.

Same with the core work. During lifts like OH Squats, Bulgarians, Single Leg RDLs, 1 Arm OH Press...etc...i feel a lot more comfortable and solid. Whether its the core work or the lifts or a combo of both making that improvement i dunno, its cool though.

You are playing a lot of ball lately though i gotta say! Youve gotta be careful with the balance between that and lifting i guess, otherwise your shoulders may fall off .

OH Squats just seem like such a complex and dangerous lift - tremendous effort Gaz!

I did my first leg day on my new program today (journalled tomorrow), and incorporated Squats (ATG - of course!) and split squats as my first and second movement respectively. I had planned to do Leg Extensions later on in that same workout, but after Split Squats, i changed my mind! OUCH!

Like DD said, OH Squats are only dangerous if you try to progress with the weight too quickely - much like any other lift. They are a bit harder than most other lifts, but once you have the flexibility and core strength built up they're a lot of fun to do.

Last night i found them a little easy with the weight i was doing to be honest.

And lol, yeah. Split Squats are one of my most dreaded movements - they hurt like a mofo i have to say! I dont blame you for skipping the Leg Ext's after that!

OH squats really arent dangerous. Just be careful the weight. Besdies that they are actually more for balance and core work than anything.

True dat. My core could deflect bullets when im repping with OH Squats, lol. Still hits the Quads pretty hard at higher loads though, and the glutes feel really tight if you go ATG.

Really? Im a liability with a bar on my back - never mind holding one above my head!!

Im not sure my old knees would appreciate Kneeling Squats though!

Just be careful if you try the OH Squats, lol. Do them with an empty bar. The first time i did them it was wobbling like crazy with nothing on it. If you feel it going - let go!

Yeah, they're definitely not an ego exercise.

Hell no, in relative terms the weight im using on them is stupidly low, i can curl more than i can OH Squat! Soon sort that out on the next program though.

I defintely like the setup here Gaz, I'm gonna give the overhead squats a go myself come Monday.

Its a good call. Theyre a really fun lift to do! And thanks, dude. Im really enjoying this program. Everything seems to fit really well. I think i may repeat this in a program or two.

When doing the OHs just make sure you lock your elbows and keep looking forward. Itll help keep your back straight, if i look down i tend to feel a lot less stable, lol.

 

[Bakerboy]

Those kneeling squats are like Seiza.

 

[Gazhole]

Did BB just call me an asian girl?

 

[Double D]

Sissy!

 

[Gazhole]

 

[Bakerboy]

Did BB just call me an asian girl?

FigtingArts.com - Seiza: The Kneeling Posture

 

[Gazhole]

FigtingArts.com - Seiza: The Kneeling Posture

Thats exactly how i sit when im doing them actually, haha. Feet together in a V shape and everything.

From now on they will be known as Seiza Squats

 

[Witchblade]

http://mp4.centurymedia.com/europe/5.wmv

Thought you might like this Gaz.

 

[Gazhole]

Who the heck are they? Lol. They look like a pleasant bunch of lads..

 

[Gazhole]

My back pain has gotten the better of me. I was just doing some bodyweight squats and things last night, doing some flexibility tests and the like, and it started to play up again. It still hurts. Its right on the very bottom, right above my hips upto the lower part of the lumbar area.

It feels more like constant muscular tension rather than a spinal issue.

The bottom line is that it hurts, and its a hindrance to do basic movements. As shitty as this is im gonna have to take a week off, even though this program was going amazingly well. Still, no sweat, we roll with the punches. Ill take a week off, do 2 weeks of conditioning work, and get right on with the strength phase and get some PRs.

I dont want to start heavy 1RM lifting with a bad back, so im being smart about this. Its just a real deflating decision, yknow?

This week im gonna do lengthy flexibility sessions everyday, basically a more in depth version of what i do in my warmups. Maybe i have tight hip flexors or something, that can contribute to back pain...

Hell i dunno. Im just bummed out. At least im getting an Xbox 360 tonight.

Happy Birthday to me................................for the 22nd.

 

[SamEaston]

That sucks man. You just have to take it easy i guess. Remember, nothing is worse for a back back than absolute rest, so keep moving, keep it warm.

When i hurt my back rowing, i took a hot water bottle to bed and strapped it to my back (i know its summer!!) - woke up in the morning and felt a million times better!

Happy Fucking Birthday eh! Hope you have a good day anyway!

 

[DOMS]

My back pain has gotten the better of me. I was just doing some bodyweight squats and things last night, doing some flexibility tests and the like, and it started to play up again. It still hurts. Its right on the very bottom, right above my hips upto the lower part of the lumbar area.

It feels more like constant muscular tension rather than a spinal issue.

The bottom line is that it hurts, and its a hindrance to do basic movements. As shitty as this is im gonna have to take a week off, even though this program was going amazingly well. Still, no sweat, we roll with the punches. Ill take a week off, do 2 weeks of conditioning work, and get right on with the strength phase and get some PRs.

I dont want to start heavy 1RM lifting with a bad back, so im being smart about this. Its just a real deflating decision, yknow?

This week im gonna do lengthy flexibility sessions everyday, basically a more in depth version of what i do in my warmups. Maybe i have tight hip flexors or something, that can contribute to back pain...

Hell i dunno. Im just bummed out. At least im getting an Xbox 360 tonight.

Happy Birthday to me................................for the 22nd.

[SIZE=-1]£10 says that you come back stronger.

Happy birthday, Gazhole! So, your...22 years old?
[/SIZE]

 

[Gazhole]

No, i mean my birthday is on the 22nd .

Im 20.

Sorry if that wasnt clear, hahahaha. Thankyou anyways!

 

[Gazhole]

That sucks man. You just have to take it easy i guess. Remember, nothing is worse for a back back than absolute rest, so keep moving, keep it warm.

Aye, thats why im gonna do a lot of flexibility stuff. I could stand to work on that a bit more anyways i think. Its not terrible, but im nowhere near as limber as i was a few years ago, lol.

 

[Gazhole]

[SIZE=-1]£10 says that you come back stronger.
[/SIZE]

I hope so. Im really gonna push the PRs this time. I guarantee my bench is gonna go way up, Deadlifts and Squats are obviously a tad tougher, haha.

Thankyou for the confidence

 

[SamEaston]

Ahh - i thought you meant 'Happy Birthday to me' for the 22nd time!

Sorry, im retarded!

Good job on the XBox though! You should take this injury as an opportunity to sit on your arse and play computer games until your thumbs bleed!

 

[Witchblade]

Who the heck are they? Lol. They look like a pleasant bunch of lads..

Dream Evil - The Book of Heavy Metal. I love that song (and only that song).

Good luck with your back.

 

[Gazhole]

Dream Evil - The Book of Heavy Metal. I love that song (and only that song).

Good luck with your back.

God dammit, i knew id heard that song before! I dont really listen to that album much, but their "Evilized" one is awesome.

See if you can find the song "Made Of Metal". Its one of the coolest songs ever.

And thankyou, i hate my back .

 

[Gazhole]

Ahh - i thought you meant 'Happy Birthday to me' for the 22nd time!

Sorry, im retarded!

Good job on the XBox though! You should take this injury as an opportunity to sit on your arse and play computer games until your thumbs bleed!

No, i think im retarded for the way i put it

And yeah, Xbox is awesome. I bought it last night with an extra controller, all the premium kit like a harddrive, Oblivion, Flat Out Carnage, and Dead Rising for £300. Not too shabby.

Just need a decent TV now. Im squinting to see which coloured square is me.

 

[MCx2]

[SIZE=-1]£10 says that you come back stronger.

[/SIZE]

Another 10 here man. Sorry to hear about the back troubles, defintely nothing to mess with. You'll be back in no time though!

 

[fufu]

how did you hurt your back?

I am just getting over a back injury.

The way I fixed it was time off loading the spine and stretch stretch stretch

You can try belt squats, that is what I did. They load at the hip so it doesn't compress the spine, they really slam the legs.

 

[Gazhole]

Another 10 here man. Sorry to hear about the back troubles, defintely nothing to mess with. You'll be back in no time though!

I could make some serious cash outta this

Cheers though man, i need to hear this sorta thing from you guys! Injuries deflate me more than anything, same as being ill, its just the most frustrating thing ever because i know the rest of me is in better shape than ever!!!!

 

[Gazhole]

how did you hurt your back?

I am just getting over a back injury.

The way I fixed it was time off loading the spine and stretch stretch stretch

You can try belt squats, that is what I did. They load at the hip so it doesn't compress the spine, they really slam the legs.

Im not too sure, i think it may have been that workout a little while ago where i overreached with Bulgarian Squats. Since that workout it hasnt been right, im guessing i pulled or strained something there and it hasnt recovered.

Hows your back feeling, dude?

And yeah, im gonna do about half an hour of Activation, Dynamic Flexibility, Mobility, and Static Stretching tonight and every day. I think im gonna start doing that on my rest days aswell.

I may actually try some belt squats. What would you use? A dip belt? Dont the plates hit the floor? I guess you could do them on a box...

 

[fufu]

^ yeah, a dip belt is fine. You can stand on two - benches, two boxes, two anything that is stable.

You can really load the weight on those, and depending on how comfortable your belt is it can be painful when it digs in your hips. I was using a chain belt, so it was horrible. I learned to wrap some towels for padding.

My back is feeling way better. At college I trained through it because I would have gone insane if I couldn't train. It is in the area you are describing. I don't know if it is as much back pain as it is hip for me. I haven't felt a strong twinge in that area for a while. It was a chronic deal for months until I really started to work on healing it. Some days it would hurt to walk, it sucked. It all came about because I was just too tight, I think.

 

[Gazhole]

Yeah, it does seem pretty hip orientated. Right at the bottom there feels incredibly tight. How did you get past that? I do a lot of hip dominant work, i pride myself on balance in my programs, haha.

Was it just frequent stretching that helped or did you add in any specific exercises to help with it? It really bugs me, its the area i get most problems with

 

[fufu]

What exactly do you mean by tight? Like the belt feels tight or something else?

Stretching is what really did it to help. I didn't choose exercises to help it, I only chose exercises not to do that would bother it.

How long do you hold a stretch for?

 

[Gazhole]

What exactly do you mean by tight? Like the belt feels tight or something else?

Belt? Im talking about the back pain

Stretching is what really did it to help. I didn't choose exercises to help it, I only chose exercises not to do that would bother it.

Yeah, i thought stretching would be a good call.

How long do you hold a stretch for?

About 20-30 seconds usually. Sometimes longer if the area is being troublesome, lol.

 

[Gazhole]

This is what i did yesterday, will be doing today, and my new warmup/warmdown schedule for every workout, aswell as my rest days:

***

Warmup - Activation

Glute Bridges - 2x12
Wall Retractions - 2x12
Kneeling Squats - 2x12
Shoulder Dislocations - 1x12


Warmup - Dynamic Flexibility

Standing Knee Raise - 1x12 Per Leg
Sitting Rotations - 1x12 Per Side
Standing Side Bends - 1x12 Per Side
Butt Kickers - 1x12 Per Leg
Sitting Front Bends - 1x12
Shoulder Circles - 1x12 Per Arm Per Direction


Warmup - Mobility

A's - 2x12
Scorpians - 2x12 Per Side
Hip Circles - 2x60sec
Ankle Drill - 2x12 Per Leg


Warmdown - Static Stretching

Side Neck Stretch - 30sec per side
Down Neck Stretch - 30sec
Vertical Superman Stretch - 30sec
Overhead Tricep Stretch - 30sec per arm
Shoulder Dislocation Stretch - 30sec per arm
Somatic Hamstring Stretch - 2x30 sec per leg
Calve stretch - 30sec per leg

***

Any comments go for it.

Im off work sick. Fucking flu.

When it rains it pours!

 

[Double D]

Hope your feeling better soon. I know how it is to feel like some crap!

 

[Gazhole]

Hope your feeling better soon. I know how it is to feel like some crap!

Trust me, i hope im better soon too. I hate illness.

Its easing off today i think, plenty of sleep and R+R usually cures me of most things. Back is still playing up though .

Hows things with you, DD?