ExRx.net

my back was really hurting last night, whatever I did in the gym that tweaked it tweaked it real bad. Feels ok today though.

I think the problem was ramping up in such big jumps on the hip thrusts, going to be more conservative next time and see if that helps.

Back feels ok today, going to do my circuit as usual.

upper body day, back feels fine. Didn't tighten up on walk home or anything. All good.

Few rounds of the circuit later, no sweat.

Going to take a week off pressing next week so may so the heavy/light/medium legs thing, I've not decided yet.

low back rehabbing...

BSS

5k x 10
7.5 x 10
10 x 10
12.5 x 10

good steady progress still, quads burn like a million suns after. I am going to try for sets of 12 on Monday but I don't think I'll get 12 on the 2 heavier sets. Will probably manage it on the first 2 though. My quads actually look a little bigger which is motivating.

GHR/Pallof Hold superset

BW x 6/4 x 20 count
BW x 5/5 x 20 count
BW x 5/4 x 20 count

supersetting these from now on, cuts workout time down a bit. On Monday I'll try and hold the 4s for 25. I don't seem to be getting any better at the GHRs but it's difficult to tell really. I am still trying my best to keep perfect posture.

Hip Thrusts

60 x 5
80 x 5
90 x 5
100 x 5
110 x 5

hurt my back doing these again. fv(k $h1t bollocks. I've decided I've clearly been putting too much weight on the bar and just heaving it up with no thought for form. Naively I thought it would be impossible to hurt my back doing these but obviously I was wrong. So, next time I am cutting the weight right back (I'll probably only go up to 80k) but I am going to use a 3 second contraction at the top, and a 3 second negative. After all, the reason I'm doing this exercise is just to get my glutes up to snuff so my lower back can relax a bit. Heaving the weight up using my lower back is completely counter productive. Heavy weight will come in time, I just have to get my ego in check. As always.

Was a good workout up until I tweaked by back doing the hip thrusts, but live and learn. I'l train legs again on Monday and be much more careful with my form. I think I'll also do some KPj planks between sets of hip thrusts. Why not eh?

Not going to drink at all this weekend, when I do it usually makes my back worse, I think possibly because I sleep in a funny position, can't think what else it would be. So I should be good and recovered (including my back) by Monday.

back was hurting last night but feels ok today, a little stiff but some foam rolling and core stuff's made it feel a bit better. Who would've thought hip thrusts could be so dangerous? I could kick myself.

Anyway few rounds of the circuit today, holding reps of KPj planks for 6 seconds from now on.

another off day today, have eaten a horrific amount of carbohydrate on account of my girlfriend dropping the bombshell that she'd never had macaroni cheese before! Being the awesome boyfriend I am I cooked her some, I just wish there'd been a load more protein in it...

anyway back is still feeling a little achey today but definitely better. It's not quite forgiven me for me hurting it twice last week being an idiot on those hip thrusts. Really annoys me every time I think about it! I am only going to have time for 3 workouts this week so I am going to work lower body tomorrow and thursday, and only one upper day on tuesday. My back'll probably be fine tomorrow, even if it is still a little sore after I've done my warm up, foam rolling etc. it usually relaxes.

haven't done very much of my circuit this weekend either. Been pretty slack all round. Oh well start afresh tomorrow.

change to my schedule this week, so I can get all 4 workouts (only expected to have time for three). Today was an upper day and my back was aching all the way through. I think that's more from not having recovered from friday than anything I did today.

Lower body tomorrow. I think I'll be alright once I've foam rolled and warmed up.

Few round of my circuit tonight as per usual.

lower body day

BSS

5k x 12
7.5k x 12
10k x 10
12.5k x 10

just didn't have 12 in me on the last 2 sets. This is the hardest exercise I've ever done and very humbling indeed. I will only consider myself good at these when I start using above the 20k dumbells. It's a long way off. I think next time I will go up to 15k, starting with the 7.5s and shoot for sets of 8 across.

GHRs/Pallof holds superset

BW x 5 x 3 for GHRs
Pallofs were 4x15 and 5x15

I've decided not to try and increase the reps on the GHRs, but just strive for better and better posture. Towards the ends of the sits my hips start to sag a bit to make it easier. I'm trying to consciously re-set that with each rep but it's not easy.

only did 2 sets of Pallofs. Really couldn't do them today, I think it's because I did loads of core stuff last night and actually had a little bit of DOMS in my abs today! I'm not going to do any core stuff tonight or tomorrow and let myself recover.

Hip Thrusts

60k x 6
65k x 6
70k x 6
60k x 6

well well well, my new nemesis. Today I decided to scale the weight right back, and lift in a smooth, controlled manner with a two second pause at the top, making sure I drive through my heels and squeezing my glutes the whole way through. Did it work? Hell yeah it did! Got more of a burn in my glutes doing the first set at 60 than I did last week doing 5 at 110! Looks like I'm finally doing this right. Didn't tweak my back at all!

after these I did 3 sets of 5 reps of leg lowering. Just for a bit more core stuff seeing as how I folded so badly on the pallofs.

Back was a tiny bit stiff walking home but I still think that's just residual tightness from hurting it last week. I don't expect much pain from it now I've cracked my hip thrust technique.

all in all, pretty damn happy with today's workout.

oh yeah something I forgot to add, if I stretch my hips at the end of the workout my back feels great!

something anyone else with back pain should try

off day, all about the recovery.

Back feels fine, I'll probably do some gentle abs stuff: KPj planks and leg lowering

upper body day, back feels a little tender still. Foam rolling alleviates it

off day today, few rounds of my circuit. Would have normally been a lower body day today but schedule didn't permit it.

won't get a chance to get back into the gym til Monday

upper body day, not a bad workout despite being brutally hungover.

Only going to get a chance to do 2 workouts this week, so it'll count as a deload methinks.

One thing relevant to back rehab: foam rolling my legs used to be agony, now it's just uncomfortable. Something must be improving.

right, lower body back rehabbing action:

Bulgarians

7.5k x 8
10k x 8
12.5k x 8
15k x 8

still making good linear progress on these. Sets of 10 at the same weight next week. Slowly creeping up in weight which makes me happy. I was thinking about starting squatting again next month but if I'm still making gains on these I might as well just keep doing them till I stagnate.

GHR/Pallof hold superset

BWx5/4 x 20 count
BWx5/5 x 20 count
BWx5/6 x 10 count

GHRs are difficult to tell if I'm getting better on. Just doing my best to keep hips up and really control the negative. I feel like I need less of a push up at the bottom as well so I suppose that's progress.

Pallofs are hard as hell but going up to 6 wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. I'll try for a 15 count next time.

Hip Thrusts/Leg lowering superset

60k x 6/ 6 reps leg lowering
65k x 6/ 6 reps leg lowering
70k x 6/ "
60k x 6 "

same weight as last time but I'm concentrating on form. Didn't tweak my back at all. Threw in the leg lowering for a bit more core work, can never have too much of that!

A pretty good workout, back feels fine too which is the most important thing.

Annoyingly this is the last workout I'll get til tuesday next week but i'll do loads of core stuff at home.

change of plan, I can get a cheeky workout in today. Just going to do upper body. If there's any back tweaks to report I'll log them here, otherwise just assume I'm feelin' fine

have been away all weekend and done nothing regarding stretching or core stuff. Very slack indeed. Back feels pretty good despite this and the fact I've been doing loads os partying.

Next workout is on Tuesday, going to definitely do some core stuff today. Getting the bus back to Glasgow with a sore back is always a nightmare but I think it'll just be a tiny bit achey if that.