The Monkey's Training Journal

[Scott Markowitz]

You see Nik, that's why I just don't train. It's dangerous. :T:

Since you don't have a sled, you could always hook up a chain or a tow rope and just drag your car around. Last summer when you weren't around (which was most of the time) we put a chain on that small tire and used a pipe for a handle and dragged it up and down the driveway.

[Nikhil Rao]

Weight: 186

V handle Lat Pull
5x140x8

Seated Row
5x150x6

Supposed to be 5x150x8. Three ribs out of place all on the left side. 1st, 3rd, and 5th I think. Made it hard to pull since the force was transmitted exactly through those ribs.

Good Morning
135x15
155x8
165x8
2x175x8
185x0

Psyched myself out. Taking it easy coming off a low back strain. Chiro had to use acupuncture and electrostim to loosen it up a couple weeks ago. Still nowhere near my limit on these but just taking it slow. The eccentric just freaks my head out given my host of back problems. But I'm really starting to love this exercise. If I'm not able to get into my strength range in the next couple of weeks I'll probably move to a high rep format just to build confidence in the lift.

Tricep Pressdown
110x20,20,14

Underhand Tricep Pressdown
70x20,20,12

Lever Squat Machine Shrugs
135x25
335x20
335x20
425x20
425x20
515x12
515x12
425x20

Love the isolation effect of these.

Not a great workout but it's something. Hopefully the back work will help get ribs back into place so I can start hitting things hard. Will try overhead tommorrow but not too hopeful about it given the state of my upper back. Deadlift again when Chiro/PT clears me.

[Nikhil Rao]

Weight: 184 in shoes. Bah.

OHP

Fail. No pop. No nothing. I think I'm taking it back out of my routine for a month or so.

Smith CG Decline Bench
3x205x8

Weaksauce. But good triceps work.

Smith Wide Grip Upright Row
6x115x6

A shoulder exercise that isn't painful. Yay.

Dips
BWx15,15,10

Bah. Can't believe I couldn't make 15 on the last set. Whatever. Need to buy a dip belt.

Lateral Raises
3x15x10

Don't laugh. I'm crying.

Sucky workout, but it hit what needed to be hit. Instead of wasting energy on OHP I'm gonna throw some seated DB presses in there.

[Nikhil Rao]

Weight: 183 in shorts. Bah

Leg Sled
225x15
4x275x8
4x295x8

Alternated wide toe out foot placement with narrow toe in placement. Weight'll be easy to add.

Shoulder rehab work

Face Pulls
4x60x20

Turned out I'd been doing these all wrong for a good 6 months. Lol. Had my hands internally rotated instead of externally rotated. Doh!

Flexibility work incl. windmills and weight-assisted stretching.

Slow Negatives on Tricep Pressdown (single arm)

Didn't count reps. Aimed for 15 secs and paced myself on the second hand of the clock. Just did about 30 minutes with 110 lbs per arm. Tried doing it on dip bars because I heard it was better. But BW doesn't provide enough tension.

Week weak (got that backwards I think) all in all. But I did every exercise I've been cleared to do at least once this week. Maybe not with the intensity or the weight I should be. But I was in the friggin gym. Not pleased with the events of the past three weeks, but I'm not going to beat myself up over it either.

Importantly, most of the mobility, stability, and pain gains I'd made before getting sick are back, even if the strength and mass isn't it. That being the primary goal, hard to be too pissed.

[Matt Brouse]

Looks like you're getting there...wherever that is. What's a Kaz Press?

[Nikhil Rao]

Like a neck crusher or a JM press but in a smith machine. I dig it.

[Nikhil Rao]

Weight: forgot to check. Doh!

Arnold Press
40x15
25x15
30x12
35x10
40x8
45x6
55x6
60x6

Wow, way undershot on this exercise. Start with 35 next time.

Wide Grip Smith Upright Row
6x115x8
2x125x6

Lateral Raise
5x10

Dips
BWx15,15,15,12,10

Rope Tricep Pressdown
70x20,12,12,12,12

Underhand Pressdown
70x20,16,12,12,12

Blah.

[Nikhil Rao]

Tuesday

Good Mornings
5x175x8

My form was spotty. But I hit the depth I wanted every time. Didn't really feel it until today. Low back is whining. This is taking a lot of strain off my intercostals compared to DL. The torn intercostal hardly bothered me.

Leg Sled
5x295x8

Half with narrow foot spacing, half with wide and toes pointed out. Quads were still sore from a week ago. Today they're fine though.

Seated Row
5x150x8

Wasn't happy with form. Stick with same weight.

V-Handle Lat Pull
5x130x8

These just aren't doing it for me anymore. Gonna throw in some cable pullovers and go back to pullups.

Clean Pulls
6x265x6
2x285x6

These are fun. Start from a low enough height, and my upper erectors still get the workout a DL will give you.

Was gonna finish up with some OH shrugs at home, but got lazy and tired.

[Nikhil Rao]

Wednesday

Arnold Press
35x15
40x12
45x10
50x8
55x5
55x5
60x3

I started flagging on the 40s, but had new energy when I hit the 45s. Didn't give my gimp nerves enough time to recover in between.

Dips
3xbwx15
bwx12
bwx10

Just had nothing left by fourth and fifth set

Wide Grip Smith Upright Row
6x115x8

Might've been 125 can't remember

DB Skullcrushers
25x15
30x12
35x10
40x8
40x8

Wow, triceps tendonitis back with a vengeance

Lateral Raises
3x15x12
20x10

20s hurt my shoulder capsule. Didn't feel a thing with 15s.

Was supposed to do slow neg pushdowns but didn't have the focus to do em.

[chrisklavette]

our workouts today look eerily similar

[Nikhil Rao]

Thursday

Yeah umm I felt like garbage yesterday. Every muscle in my body was sore. No way in hell I was gonna get a good back/leg day in. So I worked out the least sore parts of my legs and back. I'm getting my strength back now, but not the recovery ability.

Leg Sled
6x315x8

Pull Ups
bwx8,8,8,6,5,5

Not as good as I wanted. But not bad. Alternated through pronated, supinated, and neutral grips in that order.

I also did a good 30-45 minutes of form work on squats with 95-135 lbs on the bar. Really uncomfortable to do just abt any kind of squat, let alone do one with anything resembling real weight on the bar.

Tommorrow is another shoulder tri day. Monday I get to GM again. I'm excited. Right now I'm on call chasing down vomiting, coughing, and pooping kids. Yay me.

[Bob Wanamaker]

Nik,

I assume your nutrition is in order...how's your sleep?

Could the low dose pred(?) be impacting recovery?

RE: pulldowns. I found that, with my particular bio-mechanics, I can't sit on the seat as normal and get good lat activation. So, instead of feet flat on floor in front of me, knees bent - a typical chair position - I place my feet behind me, hip flexors in an extended position, soles of feet pointing backwards - close to a kneeling position. Major improvement in lat activation.

[Nikhil Rao]

Bob, i meant to say pullups last workout.

I've missed my last three weekly doses of pred actually. My recovery was better than ever on the pred. I'm still down a couple lbs of bodyweight and still fatigued day in and day out. I think it was just getting sick.

We'll see though.

[Bob Wanamaker]

Bob, i meant to say pullups last workout.

I've missed my last three weekly doses of pred actually. My recovery was better than ever on the pred. I'm still down a couple lbs of bodyweight and still fatigued day in and day out. I think it was just getting sick.

We'll see though.

I'd think that's the variable - you're probably at the point where the pred is nearly out of your system.

easy enough to test...

[Nikhil Rao]

Yeah I just got back on the pred today. I didn't want it in my system while I was sick as it is somewhat immunosuppressing and I needed all the T-cell function I could get for a while there.

Arm workout

Arnold Press
40x15
45x12
50x9
55x7
60x4

After the first set I knew today wasn't going to be good. My crappy right side nerves were being extra crappy. Stuck it out and got what I could out of today. I was down a rep from target on the last three sets. So I'll keep this weight for Wednesday

Dips
BWx15
BWx15
BWx15
BWx12
BWx14

Its so weird feeling when the nerves just stop functioning. I'm able to descend under control...but just barely. And when I go to contract for the concentric, nothing happens in my right triceps. Literally no change in muscle tone or effort whatsoever. It's a weird feeling.

Smith Wide Upright Row
125x8
125x8
125x8
135x8
135x6
135x7

Faltered at the end.

Lateral Raises
3x20x10

20s didn't hurt! Wow. This was an awesome feeling.

Supinated Pressdowns
90x15
90x15
90x15

Went home.

CG Pushups
bwx25
bwx25
bwx12

Not a terribly good workout. It's hard to deal with putting a weight up so easily with your left but your right just not able to cope...and knowing that this is how it's always going to be, one arm dragging along the other. But I was limited by the nerves in my right arm. Not my head. Not my muscles. The arm is almost hanging dead by my side right now. Took it as far as it would go.

[Nikhil Rao]

Monday

Good Mornings
5x175x8

Form was good. Depth was not. Right SI joint being out for at least the next week means it'll have to stay that way.

Leg Sled
5x315x8

I really think this is more a question of my quads getting used to working rather than the weight itself. Can't remember the last time I worked my quads really. High school and junior high swimming maybe?

Seated Row
5x150x8

Still not pleased with form and feel. Better but not as good as it could be

Cable Pullover (on lat pull machine)
5x70x8

OW. Teres major is screaming bloody hell at me. Keep the weight.

Clean Pulls
6x275x8

These felt GOOD

Overhead Shrug
5x135x15

Did these seated. Helped me get into position a lot easier.

Reverse Cable Crossover
4x25x12

Did some triceps rehab work as well.

[Bob Wanamaker]

Just checkin' in, Nik.

How's everything going?

[Nikhil Rao]

Things are going pretty good. My chiro and gf have both been AWOL. It's been a trial by fire so to speak. Amazingly, I've done pretty well without either of them.

And, as long as I'm honest with myself and stop with the unrealistic expectations, it's easy to see how much progress I'm making.

Tuesday

Arnold Press
40x15
45x12
50x10
55x7
60x4

Blah.

Dips
BWx15
BWx15
BWx15
BWx14
BWx15

Need a dang dip belt.

Wide Smith Upright Row
6x135x8

DB skullcrushers
3x30x10

Hammer Curls
3x65x8

Reverse Cable Crossover
3x25x12

slow negatives on triceps pushdowns.

[Bob Wanamaker]

And, as long as I'm honest with myself and stop with the unrealistic expectations, it's easy to see how much progress I'm making.


Heh. I should learn to listen to you.

[Russell Selcho]

Your training has been looking good Nik.

[Nikhil Rao]

Thanks Russ.

Bob, it's pretty hard for me to do myself. Sometimes I think I'm happier feeling like I'm pissing all this work away for nothing, even though I know I'll keep doing it, results or not. Pretty much my family, gf, and chiro are half the reason I ever look back with satisfaction instead of simple grim bloody-mindedness.

Thursday
Good Mornings
4x175x5
4x185x5

Decent depth. Happy with it. My tight hams are really hurting my ability to stay neutral on the descent. I've been working on them every day. Hopefully soon I'll be doing something. Unfortunately or fortunately, I was not as sore from this workout as I have been in recent times.

Leg Sled
5x335x8

This didn't leave me sore the next day either. I think my quads are finally getting the idea of hard work. Possibly?

Seated Row
5x150x8

Still not extremely happy with form, but it's decent.

Cable Pullover
5x70x8

My teres major really really hates me. I just hope I don't tear it again

Stand Straighs
3x135x10

New exercise I invented to hopefully hit the midback and neck erectors a little more directly. The trap work is a bit too heavy duty to do twice a week in my current state. Basically i grab the bar, slouch over (neutral lower back), and round my shoulders forward. And then I stand up pull my shoulders and head as far back as they can. Not enough weight, but I liked the effect.

The tricky part comes from that hinged vertebral joint, which is actually T8/T9. Because it's so hypermobile, I have a tendency to just hinge back and forth over it while staying rounded over. This obviously isn't good or healthy and destroys the purpose of the exercise. Which is to stop my back from defaulting to doing that from the days when that was the only place I articulated. The mental focus and muscle control it takes for me makes this exercise very mentally draining.

Reverse Crossover (for rear delts)

3x25x10

Looking forward to getting back into the gym on wednesday. I needed the time off but I still hated every minute of it.

[Nikhil Rao]

Last Thursday

Arnold Press
40x15
45x12
50x10
55x8
60x4
60x3

Bah!

Dips
BWx15
BWx15
BWx15
BWx12
BWx15

Not happy with missing three reps.

Wide Grip Smith Upright Row
6x135x8

Underhand Cable Pressdowns
4x110x15

High Pulley Cable Curls
4x50x15

Cross Body Hammer Curls
55x8
60x8
65x8

Bad form with 65. Stick with 60s next time.

Lateral Raises
3x25x10

Overall decent workout. Shoulders are starting to feel decently strong.

[Nikhil Rao]

Monday

Good Mornings
8x205x5

These felt great. Nice and explosive. I'm finally getting comfortable with decent and doing a lot better job of holding my spine neutral, which has been my biggest handicap in starting to pile the weight on. My buddy was nice enough to remind me that GMs with exactly this weight is how Bruce Lee screwed up his back for the rest of his unfortunately short life. Funny that I'm doing this for the exact opposite reason.

Leg Sled
5x355x8

These felt nice and easy. There was a near shart incident that I narrowly avoided. Wasn't hardly sore at all the next day.

Seated Row
5x150x8

Finally decent form. Stay with this next workout.

Straight Arm Lat Pull
5x70x8

Go up in weight next week. Teres grumbled but didn't cry.

Clean Pulls
6x275x8

Had to start with the pins a spot higher. Still plenty of trap work, less erector work. Bah.

Turns out my quad issues wrt the leg sled may have been due to myelopathy (impingement of the spinal cord) causing spasticity in my lower body. Not a good sign. But the fact that I've improved so much symptomatically is. Oh well. Just gotta keep going until I no longer can.

[Nikhil Rao]

Wednesday

So I decided to get really sick again, for the third time in 6 weeks. I had a decent amount of energy for the workout but the severe body aches and pleuritis aggravated my arthritis. Did not do a full workout by any means.

Arnold Press
45x15
50x12
55x8
60x3

Bad idea to move up in weight when I was hurting. Back down to 40 next time.

Dips
5xbwx15

Finally. Dip belt time. Yay!. Will be dropping reps to 8. Still 5 sets though.

Underhand Pressdown
4x120x15

[Bob Wanamaker]

Pretty much my family, gf, and chiro are half the reason I ever look back with satisfaction instead of simple grim bloody-mindedness.


Hmmm. Maybe that's the problem: I should get a gf.

Stop getting sick, man.

Keep training!

[Nikhil Rao]

Monday

Leg Press
365x8
365x8
365x8
365x8
365x8

Wooh! weights going up like nothing. Gonna finish this GM cycle. 2 week deload. then time to see if it translates into better off the floor drive in the DL. Yay.

GM
4x205x5
2x215x5
2x225x5 PR

Actually I'm basically hitting PRs every other workout and have been since I started. But 225 was the goal for this GM cycle. Hit it nice and easy with plenty in the tank. I'm gonna do 4 workouts at 8x225x5 to consolidate, deload, then switch gears to the DL.

Seated Row
No.

I'm taking these out. They just are taking a lot out of me without giving anything in return. My rhomboids are fine. And they'll get plenty of work when I switch over to BOR on thursday.

Cable Straight Arm Pullovers
5x70x8

Teres says ouch.

Clean Pull
2x275x6
2x295x6
2x315x6 PR

Started doing these cluster style with a 3 sec or less reset. Makes a huge difference in repeatability and form. Definitely necessary. Very happy with this. But not going to be really happy until that's a 6x6 with 405.

Overhead Shrug
3x95x15

Reverse Crossover
3x20x10

Hit two PRs this week including a cycle target. Can't complain. Still feel like butt, and I picked up a lovely postinfectious cough that's going to last at least 3 weeks. Basically halfway through a set I want to start coughing. After I set the weight down, I begin coughing, and don't stop for 3 minutes. Yay me.

[Nikhil Rao]

Tuesday

Arnold Press
45x15
50x8
55x3

Try to raise your hand but instead scream painfully if you're impinged. OOH! I am! I am! I really thought all my back work would help out in this area. And it did, but I'm once again impinged. Time to bust out the external rotations.

Dips
BWx15
BWx15
BWx15
BWx15
BWx15

If anyone is in town, they have permission to shoot me for not getting a dip belt yet.

Wide Grip Smith Upright Row
6x135x6

Underhand Pressdowns
3x130x15

Side Raises
20xno

Ouch.

Got pissed off and went home.

[Nikhil Rao]

Wednesday

Light work today

Leg Sled
2x135x50

Just keeping things fresh.

Power Clean off pins
5x135x5

External rotator work and other assorted rehab/prehab.

[Nikhil Rao]

Good Mornings
8x225x5

Form started to go in the 6th set. I got stubborn and kept hitting the target depth but definitely rounded over a bit. It felt good to hit it twice in one week the way I've wanted to. Not feeling overtrained at all, but the little muscles in my back are groaning a bit without let down. This may be something to watch and may not be. But three more workouts with this weight, then a week doing high reps. Then some deadlifting. Finally.

Bent Over Row
5x135x5

Definitely feeling it, but not very much. May be too little weight. We'll see next time.

Pullups
BWx8
BWx7
BWx6
BWx6
BWx6

Face Pulls
4x70x12

Did these standing on a high pulley with a rope. Felt good.

Reverse Crossover into Lateral Extensions.
4x25x8+8

These felt goood.

Clean pulls just did not happen today. I did some light DB shrugging instead. My erectors were too fatigued and I couldn't hold neutral spine. If I don't do that, the exercise loses all its PT benefits and ends up hurting me some instead. Didn't like not doing them, but better than hurting myself. I finally got this exercise form dialed in the way I want it and I"ll just have to stick to it that way.

[Nikhil Rao]

Friday 3/7/08

Arnold Press
40x15
45x12
50x8
55x4

What the hell I hate my life.

Dips
5xbwx15

Dip belt on order no need to shoot me now.

Wide Grip Smith Upright Row
6x145x6

Underhand Triceps Extensions

Nothing to write home about.

Cable Lateral Extensions
3x20x10

OUCH.

[Nikhil Rao]

Monday

Was rushed, did the workout out of order. Very very bad idea.

Leg Sled
5x385x8 PR

Was very very sore and trembling after this. Shaking like a baby. Which is when I learned my next lesson

Good Mornings
8x225x5

Did you know that quads are very important to stability despite this being a posterior chain lift? I discovered that today. Trembling like a virgin on prom night the entire time. Form was terrible. But I hit depth and more every time. Back rounded over like crazy but I didn't hurt anything. So whatever. This was number 2 at 225. 3 more workouts till deload.

Cable Pullovers
5x80x8

My teres and posterior delt really really hate me right now. Which is why I'll continue doing it.

Ran out of time and had to head to a dinner with the residency director. Took off.

[Nikhil Rao]

Tuesday

Arnold Press
40x15
45x12
50x10
55x8

Tweaked something in lower back. Up to 45 on the first set this time. Rest of the weights remain the same.

Wide Grip Upright Row
3x85x12

I realized that the smith is stupid and it lets you cheat. Did these with a short straight 35lb bar (weighed it on the scale looking like a jackass carrying it back to the locker room lol).

Dips
5xbwx15

Dip belt should be here Monday.

Cross Body Underhand Extensions

4x70x12

Much much better feel for the exercise. Yay.

Hammer curls
3x50x8

Lateral extensions did not happen today. Oh well.

[Nikhil Rao]

Wednesday

Short workout today Just getting things fired up.

Cleans

OUCH OUCH OUCH. No go.

Shrugs behind the back

3x185x10

Kept things light.

Woodchoppers
3x70x12

Rear Delt Cable Row
3x60x8

Reverse Crossover into rear delt extensions
3x20x8+8

Cable Lateral Raises
3x25x8

[Nikhil Rao]

Good Mornings
8x225x5

Smoked these like nothing. Neutral spine, best depth yet. Felt like a million bucks and not tired at all. This was workout 3. 2 more before deload. WOOOOH!.

Bent Over Row
3x135x5

OUCH, I jacked my gimp side from wrist to shoulder. No fun.

Clean Pull
6x315x8

Upped the reps. Good decision. Will up weight next workout.

Cable Pullover
5x80x8

Teres and posterior delt still hate me. Still doing it.

Overhead Shrugs
2x135x10

Nothing left.

Went home. Great workout today. Loved the GMs. And dont' want to jinx myself but this may be the first time I finish a cycle and have a planned deload instead of one forced by a tear.

[Nikhil Rao]

Monday 3/17

Good Mornings
8x225x6

Hit a new depth today. Pretty much as deep as I want to ever go with these. Not quite parallel but about 2-4" off. And as you can see I was feeling a bit silly/stoked and was so full of energy I added a rep to every set. Felt great. Wasn't very sore the next day either. Except for the little multifidus and rotator muscles in my lower lumbar area. Damn SI joints!

Clean Pulls
6x315x8
Felt decent but not as much as in times past. Need to really concentrate on neutral spine. I'm gonna leave weight alone as I'm probably damn near overtraining my traps too.

Vogelpohl Rows
5x150x10

Use a V handle, pulley in top position, pull to waist. I really like these.

BTB Shrugs with supinated grip
3x185x12

Rear delt work felt funky. Probably a couple dislocated ribs.

[Nikhil Rao]

Tuesday 3/18

Arnold Press
5x55x5

Meh. See how many sets at 60 I can crank out next week.

Dips
5xbw+70x8

Finally got the dip belt. Wooh. Felt real good to hit my triceps a little harder. May drop to a 6x6 next time. We'll see.

Wide Grip Upright Row
3x85x12

Up to 95 next time.

Wide Grip Barbell Front Raise
3x55x12

Leave alone.

DB Curls
3x40x8

Oh my crippled brachioradialis.

DB Hammer Curls
3x40x8

Up weight to 45.

One Arm Supinated Pressdown
3x60x10

Cable Lateral Raise
3x20x8

Pronated Pressdown
3x120x15

Cable Front Raise Pronated Grip
3x30x8

[Nikhil Rao]

Wednesday

Head/Neck Extensions
4x30x25

Wow. I should've bought a head harness a lot earlier. These were awesome. Did them with a cable. I'll move up to 30. My neck feels sooooo much better. This weird clickiness I had between C7/T1 is gone for the first time in I can't remember. At least 5 years.

Woodchoppers
4x70x8

Golfers
3x50x8

Cable Crunches
3x80x12 - Lat pull station

External Rotations
4x20x15

These felt great. I'm probably gonna see PT about my neck/rotator issues due to the lack of progress I've made. And an ortho for elbow/wrist arthritis. Yay for good health insurance.

[Nikhil Rao]

Good Mornings
8x225x5

Same or better depth as last time. Felt great and easy. And so concludes my strength cycle.

Clean Pulls
6x315x8

Did half of these with a supinated (under/under) grip. Felt much better. Will switch to a supinated grip. Hopefull it'll help the rotator problem as well.

Vogelpohl Rows
5x150x10

Rear Delt Row
4x50x12

Up weight to 60 next time.

Looked at my back in the mirror post workout. It looked freaky. Just ripped to shreds and more symmetrical than ever. My erectors are now preventing me from hyperextending at T8/T9 to the point of myelopathic symptoms simply from their bulk and tone. Great freaking progress. I'm so happy right now I could crap myself.

Will be doing a two week deload due to the fatigue of my lower back musculature. I can stand, I can recline, but I can't sit straight without feeling sore there. High rep GMs, hack deads, and continued upper back work in the interim.

And then I'll start a cycle anew. Probably an 8x3 with rack pulls starting above the knee. I'll move the pegs down every time I hit 495. 6-8 weeks before next deload will be the plan.

Probably some hams parallel front squats for supplemental work. Would prefer to go deeper. My back wouldn't.

[Kevin Cronin]

Looked at my back in the mirror post workout. It looked freaky. Just ripped to shreds and more symmetrical than ever. My erectors are now preventing me from hyperextending at T8/T9 to the point of myelopathic symptoms simply from their bulk and tone. Great freaking progress. I'm so happy right now I could crap myself.

How do you manage to sound like a ghey bodybuilder AND an overeducated, pencil-neck, medical geek at the same time?

Any specific reason for a two-week long deload? I likes my rest, but that's a little long even for me.

[Nikhil Rao]

Just because of how sore my low back is (VERY) and my penchant for injury. I'm pretty much a walking bag of cortisol right now.

I will likely get bored and hyper and only take a week off. We'll see.

[Nikhil Rao]

Friday

Arnold Press
5x60x5

We only had one 60, so I had to add two platemates to a 55 lol.

Dips
5xBW+70x6

Just failed miserably on the sixth. Tempo was way too fast for my gimp arm to keep up.

Wide Grip Upright Row
3x95x12

DB Curl
3x40x8

Wide Grip Barbell Front Raise
3x55x12

Up the weight next workout

Hammer Curl
3x45x8

These are just embarrassing considering how strong my biceps used to be.

One Hand Underhand Pressdown
3x70x10

Cable Lateral Raise
3x25x10

Pinched two or three nerves in my left neck/upper back on that lest set. Started to move onto my last two exercises, then I called myself a doofus and went home.

I'm going to be adding some heavy smith partials to finish off my triceps next workout if I can get my neck back where it belongs.

Was gonna pop in today (Saturday) for a workout but I didn't traction well enough on Friday and those nerves are still pinched.

What's pretty cool is that it's been a long long long time since I pinched nerves like this. Months I think.

Back to the gym Monday...

[Nikhil Rao]

Monday

Straight Arm Pull Down
4x120x12

Pullups
BWx6
BWx7
BWx4
BWx6
BWx6
BWx3

These were done overhand, parallel, underhand in order.

Rear Delt Row
4x60x12

Reverse Crossover
3x20x8

Rear delts were pretty fried after this.

Good Mornings
4x135x15

Got a nice lower back pump on these. Fun.

Hack DL
2x185x8

Just felt weird

Neck Extensions (on cable machine)
3x30x25

Neck Extensions with head flexed (on cables)
3x25x15


These require a LOT of good muscle control to get benefit from. Tough. But they feel great.

Shrugs on Lever Squat Machine
6x380x20

I felt like TOTAL butt coming into this workout. As bad as my back has felt since I was last sick. I'm already feeling better though. I tried some cleans too but they just weren't popping. Wow I hurt right now. One rib totally out of socket. A couple subluxated. And the area around my bad vertebrae and lower, the ribs are VERY tight. Gonna foam roll to loosen this up tonight. More traction. Neck's feeling a lot better than it did coming in to this workout.

[Nikhil Rao]

Tuesday 3/22

Arnold Press
65x3 blah
5x60x5

Dips
6xBW+70x6

Wide Grip Upright Row
3x105x12

Wide Grip Front Raise
3x65x12

DB Curl
3x40x8

Hammer Curl
3x45x8

OUCH says the right bicep

Underhand One Arm Pressdown
3x60x10

Pressdowns
3x140x15

Cable Lateral Raise
3x25x8

Definitely didn't take into account just how much more affected my right biceps is now compared to when I used to lift. I'll probably pay for it.

[Nikhil Rao]

Wednesday

Woodchoppers
4x80x12

Golfers
3x60x8

Back was twinging so I went light on these.

Cable Abdominal Curl (lat pull station)
3x60x15

Head Flexed Neck Extensions
3x35x15

Neck Extensions
3x30x15

Did some head flexed neck extension holds with 80 for a minute a piece. Three I think.

Knocked my SI joint so far out of whack it's not even funny. Usually no matter how bad it is I only notice it when I'm actually doing a hip-dominant exercise like dL or GM. Or standing or walking way too much. I was limping all day and had spasms of pain throughout my right lower back.

[Lesley Gardiner]

Probably a dumb question but the Golfers...is that like woodchops but starting down low? If it can help get me in shape for golf, I can use it. Or is it just like swinging a club?

[Nikhil Rao]

Friday

Arnold Press
60x5
3x65x5 PR
65x4
65x3

I think if I went for 65s first I would've been fine for 5x5. Either way I struggle a bit more on these so I'll be staying with 65 for at least a few workouts. When I hit 75 I'll be taking a week off then switching to standing strict barbell presses.

Dips

Went down for my first rep...didn't come back up. The proximal right biceps muscles and tendons are screaming, as well as my right anterior delt.

I tried a few more exercises and nothing went right.

The last time my shoulder felt this way was when I ripped myself to hell back in 2004 and stopped lifting for almost three years. I'm going to take it easy. Presses don't bug it so I'll keep doing those. Front raises might work but I was pretty annoyed at this point and just went home.

Feels like a proximal biceps strain (both heads). Nothing worse. Well, hopefully not anyway. I just biofreezed the crap out of myself and am going to go for 8x25 foot elevated pushups (18") alternating a close and a wide grip.

Figures that after I finish a strength cycle I go to crap. The chiro took a picture of my feet when he readjusted me on thursday following whatever the hell I totally randomly did to my right SI joint. It was subluxated so badly that my 'leg lengths' were 3/4 of an inch off. I'll have to get a copy of the picture from him. It started hurting again today though and I was limping around again. Hopefully I'll be ok monday because a two week deload is not going to happen.

I really really hope my biceps issues don't interfere with pulling and shrugging. I've got the hook straps just in case although ideally I wouldn't need them this early into a rack pull cycle.

At times like this I don't wonder why I bother doing it. I just wonder how insane that makes me.

Kind of ties into some work I'm doing on people that are missed by the standard post traumatic stress disorder criteria. People who numb themselves to current issues but freak out over past and future events. Currently we group numbing and avoidance together. But I think that means we miss a lot of very functional people who are still incredibly unbalanced. Walking wounded so to speak.

[Bob Wanamaker]

Nik, hang in there.

On the bright side: you got to complete the strength cycle before things caved.

[Nikhil Rao]

Probably a dumb question but the Golfers...is that like woodchops but starting down low? If it can help get me in shape for golf, I can use it. Or is it just like swinging a club?

yup just woodchoppers starting down low. Not a stupid question at all since I just made up the name.

[Bob Wanamaker]

How Doctors Think (http://www.amazon.com/How-Doctors-Think-Jerome-Groopman/dp/0618610030)

Decent read.

There're good chiros, there're bad chiros.

There're good MD's/DO's, there're bad ones - like the DO who told me that there was nothing wrong with my back, that I was "overweight and overexerting", and he even performed a manual osteopath exam on my back and didn't pick up the problems. He made up his mind about my problems before he even examined me (middle-aged male, starting an exercise routine, overweight), and then couldn't drop his "expert" mindset to admit any other observational data.

I later confronted him about it - went to see him, said that I thought he missed something about my back. He vehemently said "No way - I absolutely did not miss anything, you have no reason to say that" I said that my chiropractor felt differently, he interrupted to tell me that I shouldn't listen to a chiro, at which point I said "Let me show you the radiologist report from the xrays the chiro ordered, you might want to read that before you say anything else."

I could see his little mind go on overload at that point.

[Nikhil Rao]

18" deadlift
4x365x3
2x385x3
2x405x3

My SI joint was still wayyy displaced and I hurt like crazy. Probably wasn't bright to lift but if I was bright I wouldn't be this functional. I paid attention to the pain (hard when you've spent ten years learning to ignore it) and made sure I wasn't damaging anything worse. Just hurting from being malaligned. Body totally shut down at the start of the 8th set. I said bugger that, pulled a 10 off each side and lifted it like it was nothing. Then I put the 10s back on and finished my sets of 405. That'll teach my body from going into 'protective' mode. Or you know, maybe not.

Clean Pulls
4x315x8

These were ugly. Going back to a 6x6. I'll leave my volume work for volume exercises. Was silly to go to 8 reps a set in the first place.

Pullups

Umm yeah no, biceps, shoulder, and pec screamed. They feel a lot better than they have, but you can see the knotting of my proximal biceps up near the shoulder from me beating the crap out of it. Almost looks like a small tear. Obscene. It's not hurting at rest though so I guess I'm healing.

Straight Arm Pulldown
100x8
2x120x8
2x140x8

Stick to 140x8 from here on out.

Rear Delt Row
4x60x12

Reverse Crossover
3x20x8

Pretty meh workout overall. If my SI joint can stay in I should have no problem reaching my goal of 8x500x3 on the rack pull. Will have to rework my routine some as two heavy on the hands exercises are destroying my right hand (which was already overtrained and still was going into this cycle). I may not be able to rack pull on my second pulling day either. If not it'll be speed work and SLDLs.

[Nikhil Rao]

Forgot about neck work

3x40x15 head flexed neck extensions

3x40x15 head turned neck extensions

3x80x1 minute neck extension holds

[Nikhil Rao]

Tuesday 4/1/08

Arnold Press
5x65x5

Easy peasy. Felt my left humerus almost going out of joint a couple times. Not good. Stay with this weight for at least a week maybe more.

Wide Grip Upright Row and Front Barbell Raises supersetted
25x12+12
45x12+12
55x12+12
65x12+12
65x12+12

Shoulder didn't whine very much.

Underhand Pressdown
3x70x8

I'm going to move the pins up to just above knee instead of just below. Silly perhaps but I'm much more likely to hit my target of 3x505x8 if I do it that way.

[Nikhil Rao]

Thursday 4/3/08

I did my first ever play therapy session on Wednesday. Was one of the most fatiguing and yet mind-numbing thing I've ever done. A four hour session with a single family is tough. Was kinda cool to get this kid to admit things to me he wouldn't tell his parents or the three therapists he'd seen before me. His step mom was kinda pissed that I'd connected with him so much better than she did. Oh well.

Rack Deadlift (top of knee)
3x315x3
2x365x3
2x405x3
2x425x3
2x455x3
2x475X3 +20 PR
2x495x3 +40 PR

I've never pulled 455 for more than one rep due to my hand. This was pretty awesome. Apparently progress in grip strength has been made, albeit slowly. I lost my last couple of 495s after lockout. I'll start with 475 next time and set a conservative cycle target of 545. 585 is easily doable if I can adjust to hook straps. If I have to pull out the hook straps I do, otherwise, avoid it as long as possible.

Clean Pulls
6x315x6

Made the mistake of setting up for these like I would a DL instead of a clean on the first couple of sets. Stupid stupid. Add ten pounds.

Straight Arm Lat Pulldown
5x140x8

Up to 150 next workout. Will probably move to the lat pulldown station shortly.

Overhead Shrugs
3x95x20

Cable Shrugs
4x300x15

AC joint says ouch if I get even the least bit out of position.

Rear Delt Row
4x60x12

Up to 70 next workout.

Reverse Crossover
4x20x8

Leave the same even though these were easy. Let myself adjust to rear delt row first.

Gonna do more pulling on Mondays and more shrugging on Thursdays. Speed pulls and Up The Rack on Mondays. Shrugging routine from today will be the same.

[Bob Wanamaker]

All right! PR Time! That just rocks, Nik. I'm happy for you.


:mag:

[Nikhil Rao]

Friday 4/4/08

Arnold Press

Did not happen today. Was very weird. Got 4 total reps. Not any better with 60s. I think my shoulder is more aggravated than I thought.

Wide Grip Upright Row supersetted with Wide Grip Front Barbell Raise
4x65x12+12

Cable Underhand Pressdowns (single arm)
4x70x8

Cable Pressdowns Overhand (two arm)
4x140x12

Cable Lateral Raises
4x35x8

OW OW OW OW OW OW OW.

Arm was very tender today and all weekend. Limited ROM. Maybe I need to cut out the arnold presses for a while even though it really doesn't hurt while I do them. We'll find out if I suck it up on Tuesday.

I love being a cripple.

On call tonight. May get done early enough to DL may not. Luckily I can cut out Wednesday workout if necessary and not really lose much. I've decided to do 18" deads on DL day 1 and above knee rack pulls on DL day 2. DL day 1 will be more DL oriented. While DL day 2 will have more trap work.

[Nikhil Rao]

No I haven't been dead. Been training every day. Just been struggling through a lot of road blocks and that massive shoulder injury late March.

My proximal biceps are still kinda knotted, but not tender so much anymore, and I can pullup and do a full range press without too much pain right now.

Deadlifting was bitter sweet. I started to progress. I had a cycle goal of 5x455x5 on the 18" deadlift. I am more than strong enough to do that, but I have significant first floating rib issues. By the 3rd set I'm screaming in pain as literally all the tension seems to go right to those ribs. Fighting the neural reflex muscular shut down of my body is harder than the actual lift itself. It looks like the rib issues were so significant that I stress-fractured them bilaterally. I hit 445 with no strength issuePR which is a 40lb PR for a single, let alone 25. But at this point the rib pain does not let up. They are bent so far inward you can't feel the tips of them.

Sat down with my chiro and we tracked the issue down to serratus anterior and lat weakness. i can barely make my lat contract at all on my right side. Part of the nerve damage story that I've never addressed. This isn't much of a surprise and kinda something i had in the back of my mind and shouldn't have ignored. Pretty obvious since my lats are practically nonexistent but every other muscle in my back pops like i'm a freaking bodybuilder.

I kinda ignored the lat issue because i'm such a pullup monster and because the teres is sooo atrophied it tends to tear rather than get stronger. The solution will be lots of rowing with neutral and underhand grips to address the right lower lat, teach it how to fire again (basically force a rewiring of the denervated muscle), and TENS unit (electrostimulation) for the teres to teach it to rewire more gently since it won't stand up to the abuse of the gym if I use overhand grips or do vertical lat exercises.

I did GMs today since without the weight in my hands the lats arne't an issue. New PRs. Big time.

I hit 225 back in early march or late february. Can't remember. Was stoked because when I started in January 135 seemed like a lot. WOrked up to 225 today and it popped like nothing. Down to just above where the barbell wanted to roll into the back of my head and back up. Great. Threw 2 10s on and this was a joke. Went to 265 and it was kinda hard. I think it was a bit of a mental thing. Over the course of 7 reps I worked down to my proper height and then did 3 good ones (over two 5-rep sets). Then I threw on 275. Took me 9 reps before I got one good depth one. Decided to do another set and got a couple more good reps in.

GM 275 +50lb PR.

I guess I'll keep GMing until I feel my lats are up to snuff. Probably a good long while.

Wednesday will become a 'leg day' as well with front squats and oly squats added to the mix to develop my still rather pitiful leg drive. In a month or so, I plan to have developed my right lat's ability to actually function so that I can begin training the DL again relatively light. Speed and rep work. I'll be doing Sumo-style to make the transition as easy as possible.

This story ain't over and lord willin' won't ever be.

My girlfriend has been so amazing through this entire decision to transform my body into something resembling health again. As has Dr. Bugg, my chiropractor. Without them I couldn't have done it this fast or this easily (i can't believe I'm using that word).

[Nikhil Rao]

gym was closed monday. I decided the best way to stay on schedule was to pull a two-a-day. 'Monday' workout was done at 5:30AM today. Tuesday workout was done this afternoon. Went better than expected and I don't feel overly shortchanged.

'Monday'

Good Mornings
8x225x5

Took these nice and deep, to the level of my shoulder when I DL. Did these bent leg as I cannot stiff-leg that low due to the damaged thoracic discs and impingement issues. I grabbed some video which I'll put up later tonight. Feel free to critique. Will up weight next time.

Dumbbell Row
4x50x12

Cable Lawnmower Row
4x50x12

Up to 60 next week. The rowing is definitely re-educating my right lat. No telling how long it'll take all the same. But I'm happy it's effective

Rear Delt Row
4x90x12

Reverse Crossover
4x25x10

Had to skip out on Yates Row and Shrugs as I thought I was going to be late for class. Turns out I had enough time for shrugs. Doh!

Tuesday

Push Press
Worked up to 195. 185 was smooth as silk. Probably the prettiest PP I've ever done at bodyweight or higher. 195 was slow as a dog. I grabbed 205, sat with it but didn't even attempt. 205 is a huge mental block for me. I believe I'm going to do the Bakke program starting at 185 from here on out. Videos later tonight.

DB Overhead Press
40x15
45x12
50x10
55x8
60x6

Stay with this until I can add a 65x4 on top.

Cable Lateral Raises
Changed my grip to target my lateral delt more effectively. Definitely working. Worked up to 30x12 on this exercise. May have had more in me but it wasn't happening today.

30's
3x20

This is a triceps extension exercise you do on the cable machine. 10 overhand, 10 underhand, 10 neutral. One hand at a time.

Was out of gas so I didn't do any partial pressing work.

I'll do shrugs and yates row tonight. So really considering the workload of today I'm not too upset that the only thing I didn't manage was partial presses. Given my triceps dominance, this is not something to lose sleep over.

Oh. And. I hit a 50lb PR in the GM on Thursday (275)!!!!!!

[Kevin Cronin]

my lats are practically nonexistent but every other muscle in my back pops like i'm a freaking bodybuilder.
a small, skinny, indian bodybuilder?


GM 275 +50lb PR.
Nice job dude. Really, really nice

[Nikhil Rao]

Monday

Good Mornings
135x5
185x5
225x5
2x245x5
2x255x5
2x265x5

Was supposed to go up to 275 for 2 more sets but my SI joint subluxated even further sending sharp pains through my butt and hamstring. That side went all weak. Decided it wasn't the safest thing to lift on it.

DB Row
4x50x12

Right lat is improving although still not great. I've got a lot of work to do in teaching this muscle to fire again.

Lawnmower Row
4x70x12

Felt this in my right lat better. Still not firing great.

Reverse Crossover
4x30x10

Pain in shoulder. Likely from subscapularis.

Shrugs
4x225x10

BTB Shrugs
4x185x10

BTB Raises
4x45x10

Like it says. Palms facing backwards. Standing fully erect and not allowing upper back to round. ROM on this is horrible.

My right subscapularis does not work. At all. The lift off test was so completely positive it was ridiculous. I cried a little. Not really. I have no idea how fixable this is. I've started from NO function before in muscle groups, but that was 10 years ago. On the strength scale, I've rehabbed 2/5 and 3/5 injuries before. Many times. This is a 1/5. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. More doctors appointments! Yay.

I don't htink it's a tear, as I've been dealing with rotator cuff dysfunction since the nerve damage. Although it might be. Since I didn't have much pain when I PPed as seen in Member's Media. I could barely rack the barbell when I PPed on Thursday. So maybe it is. I can't believe I'm saying this but I HOPE it is a total tear. Much more treatable.

[Nikhil Rao]

DB Overhead Press
40x15
45x12
50x10
55x8
60x6

Felt just fine. Up the 40 to 45 next workout. Leave everything else alone.

Narrow Skullcrushers

Worked up to 3x95x8 Far cry from the old 155x6. But to triceps tendonitis at all. Woohoo. Wide I'm sure I could've piled on more weight. Narrow's a different movement than I've ever really trained before.

Cable Lateral Raises
25x12
2x30x12
2x35x12

Right shoulder is not happy about these but is cooperating.

Underhand Cable Triceps Extensions
4x150x10

These are done primarily for the slow negatives to help with tendonitis and joint strength. The weight itself is nussink to me. Nussink! On concentric anyway.

Front-Overhead Raise
4x45x8

Barbell front raise, except you keep going until it's in a jerk. This is pretty much a pure 'mindfulness' exercise. I pay attention to my right shoulder and make sure my scapula is moving approximately appropriately. The massive number of bone spurs helps me there, as if i don't move my scapula, *click-click-click-click-click* Like a secretary on a typewriter. And of course a corresponding 'ow ow ow ow ow'.

I have to teach myself the proper movement pattern, and of course relearn how to move my scapula properly. I'd been lifting with a more or less 'frozen' scapula since college. Lot of damage resulted. i compensated very well, obviously as I continued to lift and do overhead movements, but it's time to fix this little problem.

It's kind of crazy to me that a lot of my work is to decompensate how I compensated, as that was actually accelerating the joint destruction.

Before I lifted today, Doctor Bugg had to fight my SI joint worse than he's ever fought it before to get it back in. And this was one of the rare instances that I was having trouble staying loose and was gasping while he set it back in.

I showed him my nonmotile scapula. So he sat me on the table and proceeded to palm strike me in the back. Repeatedly. Without warningIt did work, though. I know have a LITTLE rom in my scapula where I had none. The only reason I was able to do front-overhead raises without going overly clickety-clack.

Finally figured out how to get some traction on that subscap. Really awkward and takes a LOT of muscle control to ensure that the tension that starts in my forward facing palm behind my back is transferred through my elbow and my GH joint acting as a pure lever.

It's hard to train the pressing muscles when you can't OHP or bench properly. I feel really disorganized and aimless. But my shoulders are getting stronger and my elbow is getting healthier. So something is happening. I wonder if I'll ever be able to train the OHP again. Who knows. But I' m not quitting yet.

[Scott Markowitz]

Try not to hurt yourself this afternoon. :D I don't want Bugg mad at me.

[Bob Wanamaker]

Good to see you're training, Nik.

[Nikhil Rao]

Sort of trained with Scott. I say sort of because it was pitiful.

Shouldered the 165 log (we think). Body said no. I'll probably tell it to go to hell next time and lift on it anyway.

Flipped the 450ish pound tire for 100 feet. I'm definitely stronger now. The tire is very tall and I can one motion it no problem. Which I stood no chance in heck of doing last year. But one-motioning on a tire that tall is not very fast (at least at my current level of strength). Using the knee is faster. I can also see how one motioning leads to bicepital tendonitis. No issues with it whatsoever, but I could feel my biceps working plenty.

Did the 'Tire Farmers' Scott's calling it about 500 (250 farmers I guess you'd call it). I'll believe it when I do a KNOWN 250 farmers that easily. Given that my best deadlift from the floor (which I haven't done since sometime in 2007) was 385, and my best deadlift from below knee is 455. And I don't squat... 2 inch handles did not agree with my right hand. It went numb and semi-paralyzed for a good couple minutes after I went probably 80ft with it. On the other hand with normal-sized handles I think my grip will not be as much of an issue as I feared it would be. Pretty happy with this all in all.

Tire Drag. This just sucked. I started out with way too long of a stride length and couldn't build momentum. When I finally pulled my stride length down, i could keep the tire moving...until I lost traction on the gravel and my foot slipped. Over and over and over and over again. I wonder if I can find my old climbing shoes. even one misstep with a quick recovery would bring me to a grinding halt.

We need a couple pieces more hardware to get the 'Tire Yoke' working and I'm eager to try that out sometime next week.

Hoping to break the 235 stone off the ground next week, and do some more tire farmers and yoke. Those are pretty fun. Although I think I'll end up liking yoke a whole heck of a lot more than farmers due to grip issues.

I really need to get a yoke and farmers. If I can ever get this scapula sorted out I'll bother to get a log.

[Nikhil Rao]

Went to Duncan with Scott and trained with a guy named Dustin. Huge dude, very nice. The gym was owned by a 63 year old dude who at 57 squatted a record at 900 lbs I believe? Very cool dungeon of a gym. Back of an old storefront. Garage door entrance. Dank. No HVAC. Old school rusty equipment. Although he did have a monolift. I loved it.

Started with the stones. Believe it or not I managed to easily lift the 150lb to a 48" platform. Wooh go me. Then I tried a 200 stone. With my back to the platform because I didn't think I could even lap it. I did. And then I went up with it. And then performed an abdominal twist to be able to put it on the platform. 200 lbs may seem like nothing to you guys, but for a guy as broken down as I am, I was thrilled, especially given that my form was less than stellar (trying to curl it up). I broke the ground with 265, nothing more. Happy about that as well. I think with some technique refinement there's no reason I wouldn't be able to get it at my current strength levels. Scott loaded a 335 and broke ground with 375. Dustin loaded the 375.

Log work. Log was 128. We had chains on it as well. Call it 188 with chains. Got two singles and a 2 repper with the chains. 5 or 6 reps without. Not pleased with this performance. It can all be attributed to technique though. I really need a log to train with. I'm not comfortable in the catch position. I'm not transferring well. At 185lbs on a barbell, I transfer energy extremely well. It's pretty. Not so much on a log. And when I catch on the downswing, I knock the breath out of myself.

Chain Drag. 675lb chain. 5 links. 135 a piece. Dustin motored with it. Scott moved a pathetic 3 feet with it. I proceeded to demolish him by moving it at least 5 times that distance at a relatively decent pace. I then proceeded to beat him two more times. Dustin made us both look like idiots though, so whatever.

Considering my pathetic performance with the tire sled, i was pretty pleased with this. Very pleased in fact.

Fun training day all in all, if a bit limited. I then proceeded to see my lady for the first time in two weeks (damn boards!).

Did make an interesting discovery, log cleans and stones are VERY good for my upper back. Upper back felt amazing at the conclusion of the training day. I think it's because you go from rounded back to FULLY arched (as opposed to say a clean, deadlift, or GM where the upper back is still somewhat rounded. More incentive to get a log.

[Nikhil Rao]

Monday

Good Mornings
4x275x5
2x285x5
2x295x5 +20lb PR

Very happy with these. Although I hit depth at least once with 285 and 295, I'm not too happy with the totality of the working sets. I'll start with 285 on Thursday rather than 295.

DB Row
55x12
60x12
2x65x12

Apparently lat re-nervation is working. 50x12 KILLED me when I started on these a few weeks ago. I'm very happy to get such a quick response in this aspect of my rehab. Still a lot of work to get where I need to be with lats and traps.

Lawnmower Row
4x80x12

Reverse Crossover
4x30x10

Death Traps
180x1..7
180x1..5
180x1..6
180x1..6

These are a weird exercise. Using a trap bar, I do an upper back good morning (Dave Tate uses them and they're also found in rehabilitation medicine textbooks). Basically you hunch over and then straighten up. Then I did a shrug. Then I did another upper back good morning. Then I did two shrugs... Goal is to get to 10 shrugs. Then up weight. This should also prove to be a great grip developer for my gimpy right hand as half the time that was what failed.

Incline Bench Shrugs

50x12
55x12
60x12
75x12

Got this from a Thibadeau article on T-nation. Lying face down on an incline bench, shrug upwards. Builds "thickness" of the upper traps. For me this is important in reducing my cervical lordosis.

Need to use 90s next time, I'd guess.

Trap Bar Shrugs
3x270x8

I saw a massage therapist Tuesday at the recommendation of Dr. Bugg to start working on my frozen scapula and the rest of the scar tissue and fascial adhesions throughout my back. There was so much of it I'm disgusted. Right trap, levator, teres major, teres minor, subscap and rhomboid bigtime, and in the upper part of my erectors as well. There was less on my left side, but some in the rhomboid, subscapularis, and erectors. It's going to take a few sessions to get it all worked out. But my forty bucks immediately resulted in greatly increase ROM and decreased tension on my scapula when elevating it. My trap seems to fire better, for one thing. Very happy with the results.

Dr. Bugg's assistant yelled at me today for doing strongman. He yelled at her for yelling at me and told her that I'm not doing any more damage to my body, rather decreasing it, and that he was very proud of me for overcoming everything that's stood in my way. It was pretty funny and very touching. I owe him and the others who've helped me so much. I'm not one for contentment and happiness with my successes, much preferring bloody-minded pessimistic determination and desire for spectacular failure (what can I say? I'm a romantic), but I realize I owe it to him, my family, my best friends, and my girlfriend to be proud of myself, to be happy with what I've managed to accomplish, the way they are of me. Anything less would be to spit in the face of the love and support they've given me.

[Russell Selcho]

I read through some of your more recent posts and looks like you have been making steady progress. I hate to say it but you kind of inspire me to keep training, all I have is one bad shoulder so compared to you I am in perfect condition.

[Nikhil Rao]

thanks russ, love you too.

DB Shoulder Press
45x15
50x12
55x10
60x8
65x6

My scapula was screaming at the end of this. Weight wasn't a problem. THere would've been three mroe sets of 65 but I'm trying to get my money's worth from massage therapy and not shoot myself in the foot with the shoulder issue. The phrase "give it time to heal" appears nowhere in my vocabulary that I'm aware of, but I'm trying. Even so, by the end of the workout, I knew I'd overdone it.

Skullcrushers
75x15
85x12
95x10
105x8
115x5

Not very happy with these. About 40lb behind what work sets used to be for me. Maybe less reps'll do it. I'll try a 5x8 next week. With 95.

Triceps Pressdowns - emphasizing the negative
4x85x8

On the lat pull station. One less pulley. Much less weight on the stack. But clearing the entire stack 15 times and getting little out of it on the regular crossover pulleys makes no sense.

Underhand Triceps Pressdowns
4x60x12

Blech

Cable Lateral Raises
5x40x8

Probably went too heavy with these. My right scapula doesn't move well against that much resistance although loads better than before. Back down to 35 and increase reps. It's weird how this motion seems to recruit completely different muscles on my left than on my right. ON my left it feels like it should. On my right, my side delts, but also my posterior delts and traps get worked. Simply due to scapular dysfunction.

Front-Over Raises
4x45x8

Reciprocal Shrugs
4x45x12

Exercise I stole from Paul Chek who stole it from the rehab books. Supposed to increase ROM in the upper T-spine, which I sorely need. I think I can sort of feel it working.

Concentration Shrugs
3x75x8

One side only.

Last night I felt amazing. Sore as hell, but I felt as aligned and normal as I ever have. Only a couple little 'catches' in my back. Places that didn't articulate like they're supposed to. Compared to my usual dysfunctional self where it feels like someone inserted hinges in some places and replaced muscle with taut cables in others. I don't feel as good today. Probably because I overdid it and wasn't applying mindfulness techniques. I need to not be a bad monkey.

[Nikhil Rao]

Wednesday

Seated Row
4x160x8

Poor form. Very poor form. Might have to go back Saturday for a makeup workout for this shoddy performance.

Yates Cable Row
4x150x8

Did these on the seated row station.

Face Pulls
120x20
130x15
140x12
150x10

Cable External Rotations
20x15
20x12
20x10
20x8

EZ Bar Curls
4x95x8

Cross Body Hammer Curls
4x50x10

Thoracic Extensions off a free bench

Wow these suck. I hate these and I hate my life

Scap Pushups
8xbwx25

I'll need to incorporate scap raises into my routine as this is not good enough. Didn't do any stretching pullovers either. Last week it didn't go as planned and instead of forcing further extension of my upper T-spine, I ended up compensating at T8/T9 (my superbad vertebra). Had radicular pain and kidney pain (the ribs at T8/T9 cross over the fascia surrounding the kidney, when they displace, they irritate the kidneys...feels like you've got a kidney infection or stone) for another two days. Not a big fan of that kind of thing. GMs tommorrow. Looking for 305. If I can hit 315 on Monday, that'll mean 4 more workouts at 315 concentrating on depth and sustainability. Then a week of lighter lifting (no erector work) while I figure out a movement to train while my right lower ribs heal and I bring up my lats to scratch. It might be squats, which I finally feel I'm healthy enough to do. Also toying with the idea of hack squats and zerchers.

[Nikhil Rao]

Thursday

Good Mornings
2x275x5
2x285x5
2x295x5

Felt like garbage. Couldn't set up right. Couldn't push my butt back. Nothing about this went right. Kind of annoyed. Hopefully I'll come back and hit what I need to hit on Monday. The right scapula is starting to become an issue in supporting this much weight. I don't think I'm aggravating the extant injuries that much, just having trouble as when my setup is even the least bit off, bad things happen. And I think my chest is caving in due to it. The low bar position I've recently adopted is helping though.

DB Row
4x60x12

Move up to 65. Really excited about how well my lat's coming along.

Lawnmower Row
4x90x12

Reverse Crossover
4x30x10

Death Traps
185x1..7
185x1..5
185x1..5

Not pretty

Prone Incline Shrugs
4x80x12

Heard a pop. Moved my neck around. Did I just gain some ROM and did my lower cervical lordosis reduce? I think it just did. Sweet! Ouch!! WOOH!!!

90s next time.

Shrug Holds - 185
30 sec, 25, 20

I'm going to have to start doing explosive work for my traps again. Power Shrugs and Hang Power Cleans. Really emphasizing holding my neck posteriorly while I shrug. Progress with the subscapularis is going slow. massage therapy is helping, but it's slowww. We're going to order that TENS unit in the next couple of weeks. Really encouraged by my lat's response. I can actually flex it. I need to really focus on technique and spinal positioning though. Arched spine is really important and I slack on that a bit. Making progress, just slow and (really) painful.

I may move up the x-ray for my ribs. The ribs finally are starting to move out and i can actually feel the ends again. Which is good. But still exquisitely tender. I have no idea why doctors use the phrase exquisite to describe something so painful, but they do. Sadists. I'm not helping anything with lifting. May take a break after I hit 315 on the good morning (stubborn ain't I?). May not. I dunno. Lifting keeps a lot of the pain at bay but makes some of it worse, or at best keeps it from getting better. I can accomodate for some of my issues some of the time. But never all of them. Two steps forward one step backward.

[Nikhil Rao]

Friday

DB Shoulder Press
45x15
50x12
55x10
60x8
65x4
65x3

Blah. Back down to 60 for my top sets.

Skull Crushers
4x95x10

Up to 105, down to 8 reps.

Triceps Extensions - Lat Pull Station
4x75x10

Underhand Triceps Extensions - Lat Pull Station
4x60x12

DB Front Raises
4x35x12

Up to 40

Thumb Down Front Raises
4x15x12

This would be the second thing an MD has ever suggested that has helped me with my issues in 10 years. Subscapularis exercise.

Cable Lateral Raises
4x45x8

Reciprocal Shrugs
4x60x12

Was very happy with these. Felt even more movement in my upper thoracics. Hurt a lot, but that's good. Paul Check may be seen as a loony, and he is a bit of one, but the guy certainly knows his stuff.

[Matt Brouse]

Trucking right along man, good work.

Scott's tire set-up is more of a frame-carry than anything...which will definetely be easier than FW. It's probably pretty accurate.

[Nikhil Rao]

I figured. I was happy just picking up that much weight with 2" handles. I never would've guessed my right hand could hold on.

Monday

Good Mornings
275x5
285x5
295x5
295x5
305x5 +10lb PR
305x5
315x5 +10lb PR
315x5

Wooh!. Man I felt like garbage today. My SI joint was out and my pyriformis was screaming at me (numb and tingly all down my leg). L spine was sore in ways it hasn't been since I initially pulled all that excessive lordosis out of it a year ago and more. I probably shouldn't have lifted on it. I did. Nothing got hurt. I aspercremed AND icy hotted my back. Then I got on the Precor Stretch Trainer (looks gimmicky so I avoided it for two years. Actually works darned well). Did a stretch that Tony Gentilcore mentioned in a T-nation article for my pyriformis. Grinded the hell out of my right hip with my knuckles. Radiating pain was gone. SI joint felt mostly in. But my right hip was aching from this treatment. It worked. Did the Gentilcore stretch between every set for 45 secs. That helped.

I got my PR. And at least two or three had good depth and form. Will work with this weight for three more workouts. And then I have the fun task of figuring out how to train my deadlift without holding the bar in front of me. Yay?

DB Row
4x65x12

Just gets easier and easier. Will stick with this weight.

Lawnmower Row
4x90x12

Reverse Crossover
5x30x10

Will probably start doing these on 'arm day' too, as I feel my rear delts could use it.

Prone Incline Shrugs
4x90x12

100s next time. Will probably have to start using a barbell soon.

Death Traps
135x1..7
135x1..6
135x1..5
135x1..5

Did these with a mid-width grip (between snatch and clean) with hands supinated and behind the back as we did not have a trap bar at the Edmond Gym.

Hang Power Clean
135xouch

No problem with the weight of course but my elbows whined like crazy. I'll have to figure that out. Guess that's what you get for not doing them for months.

I forgot how much I hate the Edmond Y. Seriously. If there's a guy in the rack with 315 on his back you probably don't want to get in the bar path. Which they did repeatedly. 4 people. Couple hundred feet of floor space. Why did one ALWAYS have to line up as close to the rack as possible. As I was psyching myself up for the last few sets, I think I solved the problem though, as a chest beating, grunting, growling monkey seemed to have scared them away to a safe distance.

[Nikhil Rao]

Tuesday

Just. Plain. Sucked. Couldn't do anything. And made the realization that no I still cannot train overhead in any sort of fashion. Bad monkey. As I've improved in posture, alignment, and pain a bit, it's definitely more obvious (always suspected it) that I'm far worse after overhead of any kind with any weight than I am before. Back to front and lateral raises. Yay for me. I'll probably start doing at least a little CG work and see if my shoulder can tolerate that.

My gimp arm is getting that old achy overtrained feeling. I need to back off a bit anyway. So I guess it's serendipitous that I can't overhead yet. Or something.

Wednesday

Seated Row
150x8
3x160x8

Adhesions in lower rhomboid still bugging. Definitely better though.

Seated Yates Row
4x150x8

Need to work on form and keeping spine neutral instead of hunched over

Reverse Crossover
4x35x8

Moving from the angled crossover to the straight one was very beneficial. No grinding now.

Face Pulls
120x15
130x15
140x12
150x12

A little popping if I don't pull low or high enough. Either forehead or neck. Not midface. I'll alternate for now.

External Rotations
20x15
20x12
20x10
20x8

Blah. Went to gimp hand failure. Every set.

Saw Dr. Bugg. He fixed me up. I was guarding in my neck like crazy. First he had to loosen the muscles, and then the bilateral radiculopathy came back (hence the guarding). And then he re-aligned my neck.

He did NOT have to put my SI joint back in. Raping it Monday definitely did the trick. I couldn't sleep last night though it was so sore, and it still hurts sitting on it. I need to get more diligent with my pyriformis stretching. And strengthening of my hips. Sumo and PLing squats.

[Ashley Christopher Moore]

Your one tough monkey for training through all this.

Keep it up.

[Nikhil Rao]

Thursday

Good Mornings
6x315x5

I need to go 4 holes down for my depth target. That puts my shoulders right where they'd be at the beginning of a DL. I'm consistently hitting 3 holes with at least 1 rep every set hitting proper depth. Wanted to go 8 sets but my L-spine was super tight and it was just getting dangerous. Sharp pain at L5/S1 and my hips felt even more trashed than they did Monday. Extensive stretching helped, but not enough to chance hurting myself this close to the end of a cycle.

Two more workouts. I'll live if I can only manage 4 sets hitting consistently 4 hole depth.

DB Row
4x65x12

Very very happy with how my lats are progressing but I'll stick with this weight on Monday. My biceps are getting sore from this, which is partly a technique issue but mostly the fact I never train them.

Lawnmower Row
4x100x12

These are great for isolation and 'feeling the squeeze'. I feel like a BBer, but needs must when you're a gimp.

Prone Incline Shrug
4x100x12

These felt GREAT. I love this exercise.

Explosive Shrugs
6x275x6

Wow. Bad idea. My lats still can't handle the weight. T8/T9 flared symptomatically for a brief bit. Sharp pains across ribs and renal colic symptoms from referred pain. Subsided pretty fast but my ribs and lower T-spine have been tight ever since.

Reverse Crossover
4x35x10

Wooh.

I am definitely overtrained right now. I'm stupid and hungry though so I'm gonna finish out next week and end the cycle. Hopefully it won't bite me in the butt. I'm achy. I'm tired. The muscles are tight. CNS is broke down. Oh well.

And boy I thought lightweight explosive shrugs would be fine because my lats have come so far along and the weight is nothing. I was kinda wrong. Gonna see Bugg monday and see if he's got any input. Hopefully the massage therapist will work some kinks out today. Gonna grab some tennis balls and tape them together to hit the erectors in that lower T-spine area. I'll probably have my doctor get another MRI to re-evaluate the disc disease and facet syndrome like the spine surgeon suggested. And while he's at it take some shoulder X-rays as well.

The physical medicine consult never freaking happened. The specialist saw who it was, saw the chart, and then referred me straight to pain medicine. God that is so incredibly frustrating. I don't want a pain consult. I don't need drugs, and while I will probably need an injection or 90, not until I've exhausted all current progress. The shoulder has gotten better but there are still so many issues.

It's hard to believe that that's how mainstream medicine is, but I guess I should've gotten used to it by now. Patient comes in motivated to stay off drugs and get healthy. Surpasses all expectations but is still dealing with a lot of crap. Asks for help. And they are completely unable to. I got into medicine to help people be everything they can be. Musculoskeletal medicine doesn't seem to understand this. If you're functional, they can't offer you much, no matter what ails you. And if you're nonfunctional, they drop back to palliative surgery and meds. I could understand if no one else had been able to help me along the way. If no one understood what to do. But the info is out there. Exercise physiology, chiropracty, osteopathy, all of these fields have a long rich history. If medical science could harness this knowledge and apply their techniques and philosophy to an understanding of physical health, they could do a lot more for people than they currently do

[Kevin Cronin]

It's hard to believe that that's how mainstream medicine is, but I guess I should've gotten used to it by now. Patient comes in motivated to stay off drugs and get healthy. Surpasses all expectations but is still dealing with a lot of crap. Asks for help. And they are completely unable to. I got into medicine to help people be everything they can be. Musculoskeletal medicine doesn't seem to understand this. If you're functional, they can't offer you much, no matter what ails you. And if you're nonfunctional, they drop back to palliative surgery and meds. I could understand if no one else had been able to help me along the way. If no one understood what to do. But the info is out there. Exercise physiology, chiropracty, osteopathy, all of these fields have a long rich history. If medical science could harness this knowledge and apply their techniques and philosophy to an understanding of physical health, they could do a lot more for people than they currently do
Yet somehow people are surprised when i tell them that i have only bothered to go to the doc once in the last 5 years. Or that i was unconcerned when i didnt have medical insurance because, in my mind, even if i needed to use it I was going to get screwed anyway

[Nikhil Rao]

Monday

Good Mornings
4x315x5

Blah. SI joint went out on the last set. Couldn't do any more. 275 was my original target for this cycle. I hit 315. And no I never managed 8 sets (4, 6, and 4), but that's ok. My progress is deteriorating and the weight is feeling heavier and heavier. Overtraining much? Time to accept how close I got to the goal and be happy that I hit the weight multiple times.

DB Row
4x65x12

Lawnmower Row
4x100x12

Reverse Crossover
4x35x10

Prone Incline Shrugs
4x100x12

Shrugs to failure
185x17
185x15
185x12
185x10

I think I'm going to move on to squats for a while. If I can handle 315 on my back for GMs, surely I can handle less weight in a squat. I'm going to play around with technique and see which I think'll be better for an initial cycle. PLing or Oly squats. Probably oly as I want quad drive for my DL, and I've been getting consistent posterior chain work for years now. Tuesday I'll also experiment with bench to see if that'll work for a while until/if I'm ever healthy enough for overhead again.

[CHANTZWILSON]

Can you do incline instead of flat bench? That is what I do to help my embarassing overhead.

[Nikhil Rao]

Incline aggravates it almost as much as overhead. From today's workout, flat bench seems like it doesn't hurt nearly as bad.

Tuesday

Bench Press
5x175x5

Took these to the point of pain. Was getting tight in my right anterior delt and getting right thumb pain. Not sure if it's some kind of referred pain or not. I figured out later that my right anterior delt is REALLY tight which is no doubt the source of the pain. Will stick with this weight another workout or two and try to determine if flat bench is going to aggravate issues before I really start getting into anything I can hit. Just to prove I was still a man I went into the smith machine (no spot) and hit 275 for a double. Pain will be my guide as to whether I can do this or not. And will be my guide on how much weight to put on the bar. I'm obviously a lot stronger than that, but that's not really the point now is it.

DB Flyes
4x40x8

Up to 45 next week. Yeah I know, flyes are questionable as a power activity. But given the fact that poundages on bench are going to remain low for a while, and that I don't ever work my pecs routinely, I figure it can't hurt.

DB Front Raises (thumbs up)
4x35x10

This was as much about pulling against my rhomboid and lower trap as it was raising the weight. I can feel the dysfunctionality in my right shoulder movement pattern as if I don't pay attention, I tuck my head and my entire T-spine rotates upward to initiate the weight movement. The left side moves mostly ok. will keep weight low as I teach myself this movement pattern.

Supersetted With

DB Front Raises (thumbs down)
4x12x10

These are pretty humbling but they feel great. Like I said, for once a doc gave me something useful.

Dips
4xbwx10

Will pull out the belt and do +25 next workout.

Cable Extensions
50x12
50x10
50x10
50x7

Did these to 'pseudofailure'. You know how the long head of the triceps is supposed to be the hardest to engage, especially when in a position where the humeri are against the ribcage? Well, due to the nerve damage and either the overall atrophy placing increased demands on the muscle, or selective relative sparing of this head, this head of my right triceps is the MOST active belly. In order to improve its leverage I've been twisting at the shoulder and elbow, which hasn't helped the joint deterioration inherent in my form of nerve damage (complex regional pain syndrome). It hasn't helped my wrist either. So I'm doing these until the long head starts to dominate the movement. Hopefully it'll sort out some of my joint issues as well as improve the speed of my pressing. I'm already saddled by slow conductivity of the nerve, and the reduced recruitment of the more important heads (for bench anyway) slows speed even more.

Cable lateral raises
4x45x8

I know I know, lateral raises are a BBer exercise. But they have helped my shoulder stability and added pounds to my overhead. I have to train what's weak, and with this amount of atrophy, that's everything.

Reverse Crossover
4x30x8

I moved the cables down to spot 14, and that made a huge difference in the intensity and anatomic focus. A change for the better but required dropping some weight.

Reverse Crossover - palms supinated
4x20x8

I like these.

Reciprocal Shrugs
3x60x12

The fourth set has seemed worthless the last few workouts. So I dropped it.

DB Upper Back Good Mornings.
3x50x12

Holding a DB up between my clavicle and nipple line, I curl my upper back and extend upwards until i'm in a full arch, bringing my elbows until they're pointed forwards. As I commented after my last "events day" (when i do it it needs quotes), I found that stones and log cleans improved my T-spine flexibility enormously. Unloaded mobility work does not do the trick as any kind of scapular loading sends that out the window, even shaving or holding a retractor for a few minutes or holding a phone for a few minutes causes my periscapular muscles to ball up, forcing my right upper t-spine into kyphosis. Loaded mobility work seems to force it to stay properly arched for longer. These'll have to do until I get a log for log cleans.

[Nikhil Rao]

Bad (good?) things happened with back on Tuesday/Wednesday. Will write about it later.

Thursday

Olympic Squats

WOOHOO cramps. Like crazy. Went down with 135 and T8/T9 went nuts. Sharp pains going laterally. That old radiculopathy again. Darn. Probably had something to do with my quads getting cramped as well. Spinal stenosis is your friend. Got rid of the quad spasticity with a lot of quad work a few months ago. It's still much better than it was before, but not as good as it was when I worked quads. Back to it I guess.

DB Rows
4x65x12

Lawnmower Rows
4x100x12

Prone Incline Shrugs
4x100x12

Rolled up a towel into a donut and put my face in the middle of it. Made the exercise much more anatomically correct. Also meant I was breathing a faceful of chlorine-impregnated terry cloth with my chest compressed by 200lbs while doing minute long sets. Last time I was that breathless was when I was a swimmer.

Reverse Crossover
4x30x10

Up to 35 next time.

Reverse Crossover - supinated
4x20x10

Squat rack curlers abounded today. This is a problem when there's only one squat rack.

[Nikhil Rao]

Monday

Dumbbell Row
4x75x12

These are starting to get easy. I had plateaued here for a while now, but I'll likely be moving up to 80lbs in a week or two.

Prone Incline Dumbbell Shrug
4x100x12

The change in the shape of upper T-spine is readily apparent. My face no longer touches the bench. Pretty freaking sweet. These felt kinda easy. will have to figure something out so I can get a barbell under the bench to load up more weight. For now I'll just have to start adding reps.

Lat Pull V-Handle
4x170x8

Seated Row
160x8
170x7
170x7
170x6

Move up to 170 all sets on Thursday.

Rack Pull (top of knee)
225x8
3x315x3
2x365x3
2x405x3
2x425x3
2x445x3
2x455x3
3x475x1

PR on this is 495. Did not work to max, just kind of took it easy. Solid work today. Most importantly...NO ANTERIOR RIB PAIN! The lat and rhomboid work has really paid off. There was a little posterior rib pain in my lowest rib on my left side, but this could easily be due to the fact that my SI joint was subluxated (as usual). I am going to go back to the 18" deadlift next Monday. Since the bar will be further from my waist (horizontally) at the start, it may hurt, but I'm hopeful it won't. All I know is that pulling from that height won't improve my strength off the floor.

Dumbbell Shrug
2x75x12
2x80x12

I have to work very very hard on these to maintain neutral spine and keep my AC joints from popping. Kind of disheartening.

High Pulley Reverse Crossover
4x30x12

Low Pulley Reverse Crossover
4x30x8

Decent work today. I've been lifting, just not logging, since I wasn't really in a strength phase. I don't know that you could say I'm in one now, but I'm moving toward initiating one.

[Matt Brouse]

Good.

6, 7, 8, 9, 10

[Nikhil Rao]

Tuesday

Skullcrushers - Narrow Grip
10x75x10

Bradford Press
4x95x10

This was also supposed to be a 10x10. Need to drop the weight to 85.

Cable Pressdowns - Supinated Grip. One Arm.
4x50x15

Cable Pressdowns - Pronated Grip. Two Arms.
4x100x15

Dumbbell Front Raises
4x45x10

Easy peasy. Up to 50 on Friday.

Dumbbell Lateral Raises
3x25x12

Thumbs Down Front Raises
3x15x10

Feeling very good today.

[Nikhil Rao]

Tuesday

Skullcrushers
10x75x10

Add 10 next time

Bradford Press - EZ Curl Bar
2x75x10
2x85x10
2x95x10
2x105x10
105x8
105x7

Cross Body Supinated Triceps Press Down - One Arm
5x40x10

50 next time

Triceps Pressdown - Bar
4x110x12

120 next time

Dumbbell Front Raise
4x50x10

Dumbbell Lateral Raise
4x25x12

Thumbs Down Front Raise
4x15x8

[Nikhil Rao]

Wednesday

Biceps Curl - EZ Bar
2x75x12
2x85x12

Reverse Grip Biceps Curl - EZ Bar
4x75x8

This was really bugging my wrist for some reason.

Cross Body Hammer Curl
4x60x10

Overhead Shrug
4x95x20

Could really feel this in my thoracic erectors. Good idea to move from the Smith to the free weights on this exercise. Half the gym looked at me like I was crazy.

Gironda Shrug
4x95x12

Good stretch in lower traps. Not sure if it did anything else.

Prone Incline Straight Arm Rows

2x20x20

Should have been 4 sets of 25. Will try 15lbs next time. Another Thibideau exercise.

[Nikhil Rao]

Thursday

Dumbbell Row
4x80x10

Easy. Didn't feel it in my lats at all though. Will leave weight alone and see what happens next time. I was so jacked up and in so much pain today that it may very well have worked my lats and I just couldn't tell I was hurting so bad.

Prone Incline Shrug
4x90x12

Felt awkward, but helped the back pain. So obviously I was getting some benefit.

V-Handle Lat Pull
4x170x8

Wow. This felt great. Really really good. Pulled two ribs that were KILLING me back into alignment.

Seated Row
2x170x8
170x7
170x6

Leave weight alone. Considerably harder than 160 was. Although as mentioned above, was in so much pain, hard to say what this really meant.

Dumbbell Shrug
4x80x10

Straight Arm Lat Pullover
4x70x10

Felt really good as long as I remembered to hold neutral spine (actually was pressing my low back flat against the upright support at the lat pull station), and to raise my right shoulder so my shoulders were at my ears the entire time.

High Pulley Reverse Crossover
4x30x12

Low Pulley Reverse Crossover
4x25x10

Set at 15th hole.

Cable Yates Row
4x150x15

Way too easy. Dunno what to do for more resistance though.

Prone Incline Straight Arm Row
4x15x20

[Kevin Cronin]

This was really bugging my wrist for some reason.


I'm guessing weakness. Pathetic weakness, I'm guessing that's the reason.
.
.
.
40 sets for back?!?! are you insane, or planning on stepping onstage at the Olympia later this month?

[Nikhil Rao]

Kevin, you know how Dave Tate says you can't flex bone? Well it's kinda like that. Except 'you can't flex a muscle with poor vasculature and diminished peripheral neural activation' doesn't quite have the same ring...

Friday

Skullcrushers
10x75x10

Bradford Press
10x95x10

Cross Body Supinated Triceps Pressdown
2x40x12
45x12
50x12

Dumbbell Lateral Raises
4x30x12

Thumbs Down Front Raises
4x15x8

Didn't do front raises today. Gym closed early.

[Nikhil Rao]

Monday

This workout is proof that a. I hate myself. b. I tend to go overboard. and c. I hate training like a bodybuilder, but sometimes it has its benefits.

Various weight assisted stretches for lats, thoracic erectors, traps, and rhomboids.

Yates Row
10x135x10

Move up to 145 next week. This was pretty sexy. I knocked some of the ribs that had subluxated today back into place by the 8th rep of the first set. That's pretty unprecedented to achieve some degree of re-alignment that early into a workout.

Supersetted With

18" Deadlift
10x225x10

Start with 245 and progress to 275 by end next week.

At this point I was cramping in the stomach like I'd run a few miles. Took 45 minutes. Not terrible. Slugged some BCAAs/Creatine, prayed that god would kill me before I was done because I wasn't going to quit and kept going.

Seated Row
6x140x10
2x130x10
2x120x10

Dropped weight when I had to cheat on 9th or 10th rep. When I started with 140 I was like 'doh! too light!' Stupid Indian.

Supersetted With

Explosive Shrugs
2x135x10
2x155x10
2x175x10
4x185x10

Start with 185 next week.

I was feeling pretty good at this point but my lower right ribs were still tight and moving as a single hinged unit rather than articulating properly. Pretty typical for me and I've never been able to 100% overcome that even for a minute.

High Pulley Reverse Crossover
15x25

Felt gooood.

Prone Incline Shrug
50x25

Felt even better. Will try 55 next time.

Straight Arm Dumbbell Row
15x25

Deceptively hard.

Low Pulley Reverse Crossover
15x25

Did some pullup bar hangs and a little more lat stretching. Throughout this workout I was cracking ribs back into place and feeling more and more upper T-spine mobility.

I feel tired as a dog. Actually that's a lie. My dog's been sitting on her butt all day. She's hyper and trying to wrestle my foot right now. I am much more tired than she is. I feel tired as a really really tired person.

But, I have never felt this well aligned and joint-pain free immediately after a workout. My upper T-spine feels wonderful and if I had some good music I would literally go out on my deck and dance in the rain, until the cramps from today's workout started to hit. Actually I think I will. Usually I feel about like this the morning after. It's always possible that I did too much and instead of getting a nice 2-3 day pain relief and alignment effect with a slower wax and wane, I'll get a much briefer one with a faster onset and reduction of relief. We'll see.

Either way, the experiment will be worth it.

[Nikhil Rao]

Still not dead yet. Lifting, just not logging. I frustratingly remain unable to rack a barbell in the clean position. Which is why I frustratingly still can't get back to working OHP.

This was my Monday workout. I couldn't sleep Sunday night (back pain) and after work Monday just went right to sleep. A 2 hr nap turned into a 6 hr one and the gym was closed.

Tuesday

Yates Row
8x155x10

Should have been 10 sets but my right wrist was tweaking really badly.

18" Deadlift
8x275x8

Grip was more of an issue than the weight unsurprisingly. I hate my gimp hand. I really concentrated on not defaulting into the excessive lordosis my back still sometimes defaults to. These two were supersetted.

Seated Row
8x140x10

Again, supposed to be 10 sets. Good day on these

Explosive Shrugs
8x225x10

I need to remember to keep my weight on the balls of my feet like this is a clean and not on the heels like I'm deadlifting.

Also supersetted.

High Pulley Reverse Crossover
3x15x25

Prone Incline Shrugs
3x55x25

Off to get adjusted.

Amazingly, I did not feel worse this morning. I usually do when I miss a back workout. Perhaps I'm turning a corner? Either way I realized that since in the past couple of months I've become even less kyphotic than I used to be, I will have to concentrate more and more on making sure the formerly compensatory lordosis is worked on. The last time I did that sucked. But my upper back curvature looks almost normal now, so hopefully this'll be the last lower back alignment transition I make, or at least the last big one.

Figured out the rib problem. Stupid simple when I thought for a second about it. Will post on it in a bit. Now I need to chow down.

[Nikhil Rao]

Thursday

Skullcrushers
75x15
85x12
95x10
105x8

Bradford Press
75x15
85x12
95x10
105x8
5x115x6

My shoulders just would not stay tired after a set. Do not know what the deal was

Single Arm Underhand Pressdowns
40x15
50x12
60x10
70x8

Single Arm Overhead Pressdowns
40x15
50x12
60x10
70x8

Dumbbell Front Raises
55x8
55x8
55x6
55x5
55x5
55x5
55x5
55x5

SHOULDERS WOULD NOT TIRE OUT. I guess this is a good thing. 55 is a new PR. These were clean reps too

Dumbbell Lateral Raises
20x15
25x12
30x10
35x8
35x6
35x6
35x6

35 is a new PR. No pain.

Thumbs Down Front Raises
5x25
8x20
10x15
15x12
15x12
15x12

[Nikhil Rao]

Been training 3-4x a week. Have really been attacking my upper back issues. And I'm thrilled with where I'm at now. My good days are so good. And my bad days aren't as bad. Take a few weeks off (like I did during interview season) though, and things go back to hell. Still, pleased at where I'm at in terms of health. Not so pleased at where I"m at in terms of strength.

I've just started rack pulling again. It doesn't hurt like it used to. No sharp rib pains. And finally figured out how to counter the dull rib pain. Have gotten 455x5 at 18", which is down a bit from my PR. I can squat to parallel without pinching my spinal cord.

My left shoulder's been aggravated the last month or so, but it's getting better. My right wrist continues to be trashed, so I finally got some x-rays taken and have scheduled an appt with a hand surgeon. There is definitely a ganglion cyst that needs to be removed. And there may be further surgery to stabilize the wrist.

Took a look at the x-rays and my right wrist has HALF the joint space of my left wrist. I'm not totally surprised by that and it actually looks a bit better than I expected. The bone density isn't terrible and although it's starting to look a little moth eaten, there aren't any osteophytes.

I'll be working in heavier training. Deadlifts to knees to build my start, 18" pulls for reps. And building my pathetic strength in the squat.

I've also changed my pressing training a bit. More very high rep stuff. Only thing that's ever helped with the nerve damage associated weakness and fatiguability. I haven't done near enough in the past year. Doing 95 on incline for 20 reps is just as hard as doing 135. I need to work on that if I expect my pressing numbers to go up. I've also felt healthier and stronger by targeting my middle deltoids more effectively.

Hopefully once I get my wrist sorted out, I'll be able to press with a vengeance. There is no reason I shouldn't be hitting 275 in the push press.

Blah.

[chrisklavette]

Welcome back Dr.

[Ashley Christopher Moore]

sup doc

nice to have you back

[Nikhil Rao]

Back to training...Can't afford not to.

Internship has been exactly as hellish on my back as I expected. I spent Sept-Nov symptomatic at T8-T9 almost every single freaking day. By the end of Nov, I was stumbling around, barely able to bend my legs at the knee. Did you know that pain can actually make you see double? I had serious issues with that.

Having issues with left arm weakness for the past 6 months or so. Not good. That was my one good limb. Not surprising considering my neck disease was much worse on my left side than on my right. Still not good. Currently getting that worked up. wooh!

In the meantime, been able to get back in the gym, doing a sort of WSSB modified to rehab the nerve damage. Wrist isn't sorted yet, so I'm doing incline as my main pressing lift.

Lost a TON of erector strength, which isn't good since i needed that to keep from pinching my spinal cord. Oh well.

[Nikhil Rao]

Tuesday 12/22/2009

Incline Press
2x95x8
2x105x8
2x115x8
125x8
135x8

Suckage. But I'm ok with it given that I wiped out miserably on 135 for a single a couple of weeks ago. It's going to be a loooong road back to a 300+ bench press.

Start with 115 next time.

DB Curls
35x15
40x12
45x8
50x5

Start with 40 next time.

Skull Crushers+Scap Press
3x65x12+12

75 next time

Bradford Press
worked up to 80x12

Start at 80 next time.

Lateral Raise
worked up to 17.5x12

LEFT arm was the problem here. Given the nerve damage in my right, that should not be happening.

Start at 17.5 next time.

Cable Crossover with Scap Focus
3x40x12

Start with 50 next time.

Stretching after every set. Focused mainly on abs and obliques using the pullup bar. Did some work on my TLF as well. TLF tightens up fast. abs and obliques have backslid a bit. Need to get them looser.

Tommorrow is back day with focus on DL form since I'm so far from my previous working PR I might as well. Back too jacked to squat...again. Unfortunate.

[Patrick McGuffin]

Glad to have you back

[Nikhil Rao]

argh I need to get back to posting my training logs regularly. It always did a good job of clearing my head. This has been one heck of a bad week training wise. Sunday, the deadlift went...nowhere. Monday, i dropped 30lb off my rep weight on the bench. And still struggled. Today wasn't bad, but wasn't great.

I've realized i've never done a significant amount of rep work on the deadlift. I also realized my back isn't ready to squat (took 275 to parallel for three reps taht were easy on the legs...was in agony until my date with the massage therapist). So Sunday, I started rep work on the dead. Simple 3x8 275lbs to the knee. No need to hit the top end with my relative strengths. Not to mention that my scapulae can't take it. I've improved my mobility a lot, but at the expense of some of the stability I had when I was a hunchback (an upshot to my cripplidity?). Will just keep advancing the weights. I have no intention of trying low rep deads for a while. We'll see if I can stick to that.

Will be doing the hack dead for my strength lift and tried that today. To varying degrees of success.

Also, realized that part of my current scapular issues is that I do nowhere near the volume of trap work I used to. They're about as maximally strong but have nowhere near the work capacity and nowhere near the tone they had a year ago. Will be increasing volume considerably on these. Snatches on press day, a variety of shrugs on pull day. Some before the main lifts.

Anyway...

Warmed up with some band punches, bench shrugs, serratus crunches, and subscapularis raises. Will be adding light explosive shrugs to this basic warmup next time.

Seated Row
195x8
195x8
195x5
195x4

Stick with this weight. Reps are hurt by the fact that I also use this as a stretching and traction exercise. I pretty much need all that weight to get some of the periscapular muscles loose.

Neutral Grip Chinups
Rep target of 20
bwx6
bwx4
bwx4
bwx5

Will add weight when doing 2 sets of 10.

Prone Incline Dumbbell Shrugs
75x10
75x10
75x8
75x8
75x8

Will go up to 80 next time. Not sure if reps were limited by strength or by the fact that I was breathing vinyl

Hack Deadlift

Spent some time farting around getting used to form. I need a wider stance on these than I do on deadlift. Did about 6 sets total up to 315 for a double. Easy but I could tell form was off.

225x5
235x5
245x5

I was just beat by this point. Weight wasn't hard though. Dunno.

Supersetted with
DB Lateral Raises
6x15x12

Easy stuff, just working on training the scapular muscles...and feeder workout for bench tommorrow.

Explosive Shrugs
6x225x6

Supersetted with
Triceps Pulldown with Rope
6x20x6

Just to flush blood into the area. Feeder workout stuff. Tendinitis prehab/rehab as well.

Face Pulls
3x40x20

I do these with internally rotated grip. Have tried with external rotation and didn't get as much benefit from this.

Subscapularis Raise
3x15x20

I hate these. Keys are to keep shoulders elevatedand externally rotate at the shoulder.

Supersetted with
Overhead Shrug
45x20
65x20
65x20
85x20
45x20
45x20

This is obviously not a lot of weight, but my periscapular muscles were not behaving properly even at 65 compared to 45. Bah! Just held the contracted position longer to compensate.

Reverse Flyes
4x30x12

100 rep shrug/lateral raise combo
5x31

I will make it to 100 someday!!!

[Nikhil Rao]

2/5/2010 Press Day

Warmed up with Shrugs, 3x100x20. Not enough weight. Bench shrugs with barx12 into serratus crunchx12 into bench shrugsx12. Will increase reps on this to 15. Subscapularis Raises 3x20lbx15. Will increase reps to 18

Incline Bench Press
155x5
165x5
175x5
185x3
185x3

Will stick with 165 for a straight 5x5. Still down a bit from a week ago but whatever.

DB Curls
45x8
50x8
55x8
55x4

Will move up to 50 to start next time and just stick with that.

Pin press
185x8
185x8
205x6
205x4

DB Front Raise
20x8
25x8
25x8

Lost serratus. Stopped

DB Bench Shrug+Triceps extension
4x35x8+8

DB Lateral Raise
3x20x8

Periscapular muscles not behaving. Will stick with this

Cable Triceps Extensions - Overhand Narrow+Underhand Wide
40x20+15
40x15+12

Cable Flyes (for serratus)
40x20

Supinated Shrugs
100x37

Lateral Raise
5x31