What training are you doing/have done today?

[balders118]

Lost_BMW said:

balders118 said:

didelydoo said:

I'd be carefull with stiff leg deads as I've noticed that they are much more likely to 'tweak' something than normal deads, particularly when the weight goes up or you're just getting back into it. (my knee for instance...)

Yeah I agree with you. A lot more pressure through your lower back when doing stiff legs. I was right on the limit of what I could do with 140kg, and 12 reps stiff legged so I think in the future i'm going to ease of slightly when doing SLDL and keep to pushing myself really hard with standtard DLs, especially when doing high reps too.

Don't want to preach but as someone who has had half a lifetime buggered up through a back injury (you should see my X Rays) are stiff leg deadlifts actually necessary?

If you did standard deadlifts, leg curls, glute-ham machine/bench etc. your hamstrings surely wouldn't lose much, back, glutes and 'core' definitely wouldn't, and chances are you'd be a lot safer. Have you tried hyperextensions - just starting prone on the floor as a remedial?

They've been a god send for me over the years and I know they are regularly used with patients with back injuries even sometimes at the time of injury/hospitalisation.

You're right, I wouldn't say they are neccesary but I do like to have them in my workouts, generally not all of the time, but from time to time. They have got their benefits, but like you said thes negative may well out weight the positives with SLDL, especially as there are plenty of other exercises that hit the same muscles groups. i.e. its not like not doing squats.

TBH I don't think i'll completely cut them out, it's not a bad injury just a "tweak" and like I said, went through a leg workout today with no issues. But I doubt I will do them to failure on every set like I have done in the past, and treat them more as an added extra to a workout rather than putting a lot of emphesis onto them.

[balders118]

didelydoo said:

Today:
250kg Yoke runs & 110kg (per hand)Farmers walks. Best session for ages. Love it!

There is a gym I train at when I visit my parents called Muscle Inc, and they have a strongman area outide. Atlas balls, Logs, axels etc. I love workouts like that, but don't have the facilities near me that I know of.

Today: Bike intevals. 2 mins to do 0.5 miles and rest before the next sprint. Did 30 minutes, and 9.2 miles. Rounded it up to 10 with a few minutes steady at the end.

[balders118]

Upper Body today: 6 - 10 reps on most stuff. Super setted Tri's and Bi's

Bench Press x 4
Incline Flyes x 4
Bent over row x 4
Lat pull down x 4
Shouder Press x 4
Bicep curl x 4
Tricep Skull crushers x 4

[balders118]

bales said:

MacGee said:

8X500metre sprints on the rower...killer.

Out of interest what time were you doing them in and off what recovery?

Due to being injured with my running i have been trying to cross train but have no experience in rowing at all. I managed 5 in about 1.42 off 2 mins rest and then died spectacularly! I just wondered whether there is any cross over with lactic tolerance between running and rowing?

Lactic tolerance, or anerobic thershold won't be specific to a particular movement. So if you improve it by running, it will improve when rowing also.

If you were to have soley rowed, rather than ran for the same duration/volume/intensity you may see better results on a rower but that would be more down to practice than anything else.

One or the other may also be a better way of training to increase anerobic threshold but I couldn't tell you which. IMO both are good for sprint training.

[balders118]

MacGee said:

I just do it to keep stress off the knees, lose weight, and get fitter. Training for english indoor champs in Manchester this sunday...so winding down now.

Ahh I know a bunch of lads doing this I think. A group from a Leeds Crossfit gym.

[balders118]

DownUnder. said:

What would you guys suggest as best for fat stripping. So far i've been doing high intensity weights followed by 20 mins HIIT rower, diets pretty good as well. Anything I could improve on?

Seems pretty good. Really for fat stripping you want long, slow 60% max HR cardio sessions so your burning fat not sugars. Trouble is if you want to be defined and ripped this can also cause proteins to be metabolised - not what you want! Also they are boring, dull workouts. Higher intensity stuff won't burn fat so effectively but it will stop the risk of metablosing proteins. Plus it is much better for fitness, and more fun.

Really as long as you're burning more than you're eating you will lose fat. Keep the intensity high, and the weights plentiful and you won't lose muscle mass. Simples.

[balders118]

Power workout today. Woop woop.

Cleans, and clean and jerks. Plenty of these.
Probably some front squats.
Also some jump squats I expect
Kettlebells swings too i'd imagine.

Lots of probabables there I generally see how it goes with power workouts.

[balders118]

Very comfty 500m row today. On a thursday I have a 30 minute window to workout between two 8 hour shifts. Started the day today at 4.50am, so pretty tired! Usually jump in the pool, or have an easy cardio session just to wake me up more than anything. Anyway, did 5000m in 20.30 ish. I'm very capabale of getting under 20 minutes so a nice easy one.

Yesterdays power workout was great fun.

10 x 60kg cleans. 2 sets.
5 x 60kg clean an jerks.

10 x 70kg cleans. 2 sets.
5 x 70kg clean and jerks.

1 x 90 clean and jerk
1 x 95 clean and jerk. Should be capable of more I think, need to work on my technique.


Tuck jumps. 10 in 30 seconds, then another 10 in the next 30 seconds. 30 seconds rest. Repeat x 3. (This is much harder than it sounds!)

30 seconds or so double arm kettlebell swings with the largest bell I could find (wasn't labelled), followed directly by 10 hard and fast burpees. did two sets like this, and on my thrid set did a minute of squat thrusts instead on burpees as the power had all gone from my legs!

Finished on some light hanging cleans. My shoulders were really tired so kept it easy with 3 x 10 at 40 kg.

This is definately mu favourite type of training.

[balders118]

didelydoo said:

Great Jerks, what kind of tech do you use- split or power?

Awesome, nesting quotes sorted!

I've been playing around with my technique, not ever really focused on olympic lifts before so not sure what works for me, or what the official techniques are called. Hence, not sure what split and power is? Making a guess, I think i've been using the split more succesfully. So with the split, i've been squatting down (maybe a thrid of the way) and splitting my stance back/front as I jump and push up. Power I assume you just keep a wide parrellel stance?

This is the bit that I struggle with most, the timing isn't there. When it is, even the big weights just go straight up, but when it's not they don't go anywhere. I also tire myself out with a lot of lifts before as i'm not 1RM training, just doing 'em to see what I can do after the higher rep stuff.

I need to do a bit of research into proper olympic lifts, it's pretty embarrasing I don't know enough about these. I can do the lifts but wouldn't want to teach them, and seeing as i've been training for 5-6 years, working as a personal trainer for 3, and doing a MSc in Strength and Conditioning with the intention of being an S&C coach when I graduate I should be able to reel off coaching points no trouble.

[balders118]

Back and hams today...

Deads (still taking relatively it easy) 140kg x 10, 150kg x 8, 160kg x 6, 170kg x 4.
Bent over row 90-100kg, 8 reps, 4 sets.
Chins x 3
Close grip, supinated lat pull down x 3 (hit the bi's as I didn't have time to fit in any bicep focused stuff.
Low row x 3
Reverse flyes x 4
Dumbell Leg curl x 4

Happy with that, decent lifts and my back is feeling okay.

[balders118]

Well, I did a 1.5 mile run today to get my car from where I left it last night before a night out in town (which turned out to be one of my worst nights out ever, but that's another story). I thought it might help clear the hangover. It didn't. I hate running.

[balders118]

didelydoo said:

Pulled a 240kg deadlift PR this evening. Supposed to be a deload week....
Happy

Decent weight there fella

[balders118]

Power workout today. Awesome.

Hanging snatches 5 sets - up to 70 kg for 4 reps. Getting the technique naled before I go too heavy with these. Lets just say it was lucky I was training in a power rack today!

Squats. Didn't push too hard due to back still feeling a twinge. 4 sets/6reps 140kg.

Push jerk. 5 sets - up to 80kg for 5 reps. Again pratcising the technique on this to help with the clean and jerks. My last set felt much better than first, just because I sorted my timing out.

Tuck jumps same as before (10 in 30 seconds, 10 in the next 30 seconds, 30 seconds rest - x 3)

Chins, 4 x 8.

Had the S&C room to my self. Metallica, load, at full volume. Fantastic.

[balders118]

Back, bi's and a few [killer] sprints.

Back
Bent over row. 4 sets. 90kg 10 reps x 3. 100kg 8 reps for last set.
Chins. 3 x 8.
Pull downs (supinated). 3 x 8 up to 95kg.
Low row. 3 x 6-8. 102.5 kg.
Reverse flyes. 4 x 8. 20 kg Dumbells.
Shrugs. 3 sets. Don't often do them as I don't rate them highly, so played around with the weight. Went up to 130kg. Was still pretty easy at that weight. 10 reps each set.

Bi's
Preacher curls. 4 sets. 12,8,8,6 with increasing weight.
Hammer curls. 2 sets of 10.

Sprints
These are a bh. Sprint at 100% up and down a length for 30 seconds. 30 seconds rest. Repeat x 4. Doesn't sound hard, but I was fkED by the end of it!

[balders118]

Lost_BMW said:

Why so?

Well, IMO, the traps are big muscles that go a long way down your back. Doing the small movment that is a shrug only trains a small part of it. To get a good weight, you need A LOT of weight, but then it is very easy to just go through a smaller range of motion (which is a small range anyway). The move, for me, doesn't feel comfortable (always catch the little fellas) Plus exercises like upright rows, bent over rows and reverse flyes hit more of the trap, and train it well.

Some people love 'em, just not me. I'm not trying to say they're a useless exercise, and people shouldn't do them, I'm just not a fan.

[balders118]

So does anyone remember me saying I put my back out slightly a few weeks back? I thought it was getting better. Well I was doing some work at a computer yesterday, got up and I was in agony. Saw a Physio today, "sliped" disc. FFS! I could really do without this.In a lot of pain ATM, hopefully it won't take too long to heal, but no training for at least a week or so I would imagine. Thing is, i've had this pain a lot before just never so bad, which the physio just says means it slipped further this time - which makes sense. Before it's never taken very long to be okay to train again. Fingers crossed.

[balders118]

Lost_BMW said:

Just laying face down and stretching carefully up until I can look up the wall/ceiling using body only. They have been the single biggest thing in getting me back to training and in reducing pain or stiffness when it flares up.

This is what the physio has told me to do, along with not flexing my back with any movement (surprising difficult to do!)

Thanks for the advice, very appreciated. The physio is very good, and particularly so with sports related stuff. Unfortunatly I'm sure it is a disc, as you can poke prod rub the area with no pain what so ever - if it was muscular or soft tissue this would definatley be uncomfortable. It isn't slipped in the sense that disc have slipped out, just a "squashed" (forgotten the proper term) disc where a bit squeezes out to the side. Pretty painful none the less. Pain in lower back and top of gluete, but it doesn't go down my leg - which I understand is what can happen in worse situations.

If I went to hospital/GP I don't know what else they would do apart from refer me to a physio. Maybe a back specialist I guess but I'm not sure if it's bad enough to be going that far yet.

[balders118]

Lost_BMW said:

With luck it might be a small fissure in the outer surface of the disc that lets the shock absorbing 'liquid' inside impinge on nerves, from what my consultant has described. This will cause the pain and spreading but if it's still mostly intact (unlike mine!) could ease quicker and be less of a problem long term.

As long as you look after it and don't do more damage! Hence my earlier posts questioning the wisdom of stiff legged deadlifts.

See here:

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Prolapsed-Disc-(Sl...

Thats helpful, thanks. :thumbsup:. I have a long (4 hour) drive on wednesday, i'm hoping I will be comfortable enough to do the journey by then, but i'm not sure. The Mrs could drive, but being in the passanger seat won't be much better than driving, I just wont have to have my legs extended.

Although I am alreday itching to get under a bar again and lift some weights I'm pretty sensible, and know enough about injury etc not to be stupid.

[balders118]

didelydoo said:

As suggested, definitely take it easy for at least 2 weeks, not worth it in the long run. It can be frustrating though- I was out of action for a considerable time when I fracture my spine.

How did you do that?

[balders118]

My back is feeling much better. I reckon i'll be going through the motions next week. Proper but taking it easy week after I hope.