ExRx.net

upper body, significantly I can now do dumbell rows without them hurting my back. Depending on how my back feels on friday I might add power snatches back in. God I miss power snatches. So. Much.

Also, tonight I'm doing to do KPj planks til my eyes bleed. It's been weeks since I did any, I'm so ashamed.

I've decided that my other goal for the end of the summer is to hold a 2 minute plank. Planks are my most hated exercise.

no back pain this morning so dumbell rows are definitely back in my upper body program. Happy about that. Lower body day today, so barring any tweaks then I'll get to do some power snatching on friday.

annoyingly I'm only getting 3 workouts this week and next. I'm going to do two upper this week and one lower, with two lower next week and one upper.

Back is definitely improving, I'll report back in a few hours after my workout.

something a little bit different for today's workout. Read on...

Hip Thrusts

60k x 6
70 x 6
75 x 6
70 x 6

not much to report, definitely getting much better regarding form and getting a MMC with the ole glutes. Still being careful regarding form and trying to be conservative with the loading.

GHRs

BW x 5 x 3

definitely getting better at keeping my posture. Makes for a slower and much more painful eccentric. Not letting myself come right down either to keep constant tension on the hams. I do these facing a mirror and some of the facial expressions I pull would make me laugh if I wasn't in agony. Speaking of agony...

Sled Drags

wait, what? Sled drags? Yup, some mates of mine have started using one of the halls for strongman/conditioning stuff. They flip tyres, do all manner of jumps and drag sleds. I couldn't care less about the jumps, and tyre flipping's just asking to hurt my back, but I got ball deep into the sled drags.

I have no idea what the sled weighs but we did:

sled + 13k (a 7k and 6k medicine ball)
sled + 21k (added another 9k ball)
sled + Kayla (my mate Steve's missus)

the first drag was ok, just a warm up really.
2nd drag bit harder, bit of a burn in the hamstrings after.
the 3rd drag was murder! I have no idea what Kayla weighs because, frankly, it's not polite to ask, but christ on a bendy bus it was hard! It was as much a mental feat as a physical feat to get over the line. Afterwards I've never had such a burn in my legs. It was so sore I literally couldn't talk! (and I'm not one of those idiots who misuses the word literally. I genuinely couldn't speak)

I was a bit worried that my quads wouldn't get enough of a workout as I heard sled dragging was all glutes/hams. Turns out it fries every muscle in your lower body from the calves up. Good times.

Pallof Holds

5 x 15
6 x 15
5 x 15

an unexpected PR on these. Going to go for a 20 count next time.

The eagle-eyed among you will notice there were no Bulgarian Split Squats today. Well, why don't YOU do some sled dragging and see if you have the energy after? Hmm? Tough guy?

All in all, really quite an awesome workout. I'll come back in on friday and do another less intense lower body workout. This means I'll be training upper body again tomorrow (although if my posterior chain is hurting I may have to drop the power snatches which will make me sad). 4 workouts in 4 days flies in the face of what I've always believed was necessary for recovery, but I'm starting to think that my body responds best to uber high frequency, so that's what I'm going to give it.

Oh yeah and back feels good, no pain/tightness or anything. I think I have the sled to thank for that.

upper body day, nowt to report really except I've added dumbell snatches back in. Didn't seem to bother my back at all.

Squatting is sooooooo close

lower body day today

hip thrusts

60k x 6
70k x 6
80k x 6
70k x 6

still keeping good form on these. Actually they all felt really easy, I should've gone up to 90k, or at least 85k. I don't know why I didn't. Next week I will.

GHRs

BW x 5 x 3

these weren't very good today, my hamstrings were still smoked from wednesday. I think 4 workouts in 4 days is pushing my luck a bit.

Sled Drags (all weights not including sled)

20k
29k
40k

if you're wondering why the 9, it's because I used a medicine ball instead of a plate. Still sussing out what is a good working weight. 29 was easy but 40 was hard. I think next time I'll go 20, 40, 50.

Backwards sled drag

20k

only one round of this because the muay thai guys were coming in to use the hall (i have to sneak in and use the hall on the sly or else they'll make me pay to use it. I'm like a ripped Robin Hood). This was ridiculously hard! Going to go 10, 20, 10 next time. Really really hard work. I'm thinking as well that the sled dragging probably counts as conditioning too, which is something I very rarely do.

Pallof Holds

5 x 15
6 x 20
5 x 15

happy about the 6 for a 20 count. Going to hold all three sets for a 20 count next time. I think I'll be sticking with these weights for a while and just trying to increase the time because the jump between plates on the stack means the 7 is really hard to get into position. It'll come in time. Pretty happy about the consistent (albeit slow) progress I'm making on these. Just wish the planks were a similar story...

no split squats again today, I was just dying to get on the sled again so I didn't bother. I'll do some next week.

Not too sure how to program the sled dragging yet. I think if I'm going to do it twice a week I'll maybe have a hip emphasis day and a quad emphasis day. Or I might just do both each day. Have to stop neglecting the split squats because, after all, I'm trying to get squatting again and they'll help with the necessary flexibility.

Back doesn't hurt at all. I think in a couple of weeks time if I haven't tweaked it at all then I'm going to start working on the toe-touch progression from Athletic Body in Balance.

off day today, tomorrow and Monday. Stupid bank holiday weekend, the only places that ever close on bank holidays are banks and my gym. Going to have a ridiculous cheat day today and eat my bodyweight in pizza. After that and 3 days off I should hit the gym on tuesday feeling like the strongest mo fo on earth.

Going to do some planks, mobility work and soft tissue stuff over the course of the day. The evolution of my soft tissue work is quite interesting. When I started this log at the start of last month I could handle maybe ten, 15 seconds rolling my quads/hip flexors on a foam roller, now I can roll all day on a PVC pipe without it hurting that much.

As of Monday I'm going to start doing wall slides every day. I've been avoiding them because they force my back into a pretty serious extension which hurt a bit in the past. I think with my new improved core strength (it has improved ever so slightly) and lack of back pain (it hardly ever hurts now) I should be ok. If I can get good at those with a full ROM and no back pain it'll mean not only that I can safely overhead press, but that most of the symptoms of my bad back have gone.

another rest day, a pointless day when I accomplish nothing. I hate being unemployed, I hate being broke and I hate it when my gym is closed on bank holidays!

did some foam rolling and hip stretches this morning, then moved on to a leg lowering/hip thrust superset. Tonight I'll do some planks and wall slides.

Regarding planks: I am no longer doing KPj planks, as my back doesn't hurt when I plank anymore so I'm going for 3 planks, held for 45 seconds each. The sad thing is I find that hard as hell. I can't wait to get good at planks so I don't have to do them anymore...

Regarding wall slides: Well, it's possible that I could actually suck at these more than I suck at planks! I did 4 sets of 10 last night spread over the course of the evening, and now I have DOMS in my traps! So embarrassing. Still, this is the "Summer of Mobility" (yes, that's what I've been calling it) so by the 27th of September (when uni starts again) all these issues and nagging injuries'll be fixed.

My back hasn't hurt for over a week now, so something's definitely working. I think I may get front squatting next month!

upper body today, have replaced flyes with prone Ys to help improve performance on wall slides. Now doing LOADS more pulling than pushing

Back feels great! Resisting the urge to load a barbell on it though. It's not easy but must... resist...

lower body/back rehab workout

Bulgarians

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

I still hate these, but I can't argue with the results. Going to go start with the 10s and go up to the 17.5k's for sets of 8 on friday.

GHRs

BW x 5 x 3

definitely getting better at keeping my hips up. What a difference it makes! Feel your hamstrings like nothing else on these if you keep your hips in proper position. Hurts like a bitch but very satisfying.

Hip Thrusts

60k x 6
70k x 6
80k x 6

only 3 sets of these today because I was against the clock; we had to finish in the hall before 4 so I needed to cut the set short so I'd have time to drag the sled. 80k isn't technically a weight PR but it's a PR in the sense that I lifted it with good form without hyperextending and hurting my back.

Sled Drags

20k
James (weighs 66k)
20k

dragging James was hard as hell. He's a tiny little fv(k but still a lot harder than expected. I love dragging that sled though, what a pump it gives you in your legs. The 20k was a good warm up/back off. I'll be dragging the sled again on friday by myself so I'm not sure exactly what weight I'll use, I'll decide that on friday.

Pallof holds

5 x 20
6 x 20
5 x 20

happy with this, wasn't easy but I did it. It's funny because I know getting stronger on these is doing me a lot of good but there's no way to measure it, it's not like they make you any bigger. I just have to trust all the coaches that say doing them is a good idea...

all in all a pretty decent workout. I'm going to have to get to the gym a bit earlier so I have time to do all my exercises and drag the sled. Back feels fine and dandy which is the most important thing.

upper body day today, my hamstrings and glutes are ruined from yesterday's workout and I've got to do it all over again tomorrow, stupid bank holiday monday. Although as I said previously I am not going to record my upper body days (this is a back rehab thread after all...) here's my upper body routine for anyone who's interested. Exercises separated by a "/" are a superset.

Low incline bench/pull ups
dumbell rows/lateral raises
tricep pushdowns/face pulls
concentration curls/Y raises

not a bad wee workout if I do say so myself. This is the basic format my upper body workouts usually take. Usually the second day in the week I would do shoulder presses instead of bench, and I would usually pair another chest or pressing accessory exercise with the rows but I've taken them out for now as I'm focusing on restoring mobility to my shoulders. So for now I am doing this twice a week with heavy, low reps the first day, and lighter, higher reps the second.

tonight I'll do some wall slides, not going to do any ab work as my core feels fried from yesterday's workout. Just going to let it recover so it's on top form for tomorrow.

oh yeah forgot to mention that my back feels fine. It's funny but I noticed today that I brace my abs really tight when doing dumbell rows which isn't something I used to do. I wasn't even thinking about it. Seems like I'm getting better at the whole core thing.

well my legs are still brutally sore from wednesday so I tried something different today. I almost didn't go to the gym today my legs were hurting so much but I figured if Arnie were here he'd be disappointed in me and the last thing I'd want to do is disappoint Arnie.

Sled Drags

20k
40
50
60
50
40
20

not a bad wee workout, I think I could go up to 70 next time but it'll be murder. Not much to report on these really except I love them.

Backwards Sled Drags

10k
20k
30k

hard as hell these, the burn in your quads is unreal. Feel it in a totally different part of my quads to the BDSS's I've been doing. Can only be a good thing I suppose. I would've gone back down in weight but the Muay Thai guys were coming in. Stupid Muay Thai guys spoiling my fun.

Swiss Ball Leg Curls/Leg Lowering superset

3x8 of each

a good little superset this, finished off my hams after the sled and a bit of core work thrown in.

Pallof Holds

4x30 - 3 sets of this

decided to take the weight down a little and go for a longer time. Not really sure why but I did. The last set was a real struggle.

Single Leg Hip Thrusts

5x5

did these just as a way of finishing off the workout.

So a different workout, but a very good one. My legs were agony at first but after the first couple of sled drags they'd warmed up and were feeling fine. I still didn't have the flexibility to do my split squats but the backward sled hammered my quads, and all the sled drags more than made up for the lack of hip thrusts. I'm going to go up to 90k on hip thrusts next week, and use the 17.ks on my top set of split squats next week. I'll have an extra rest day next week I didn't have this week so I think I'll be able to do 2 of my normal workout. I have the weekend now to eat, sleep and recover.

Back feels good, was actually a tiny bit sore (DOMS rather than injury pain I think) this morning but the sled sorted that out.

All in all, very happy with today.

rest day yesterday and today. Didn't do any core/mobility stuff yesterday and went drinking, back was a bit stiff today but some light core stuff fixed that. I'll do some planks and wall slides tonight.

My legs are still sore from wednesday's workout, I'm not sure what I did that brutalised them so badly but they were the sorest they've been in a long time.

Left shoulder actually hurts a bit which is new, I'll train lower body tomorrow and give it another day's rest.

shoulder felt ok so I trained upper body. Tonight I'm going to do some planks and wall slides as per usual.

Back actually felt a little stiff today, not sure why. I think the DOMS I had all weekend may have meant that my back was taking up more of the slack than it usually does, resulting in a bit of tightness and very mild pain. That's just a theory of course, and after some foam rolling and core activation stuff it felt ok anyway.

I'm not counting it as a tweak because it was so minor, so I still consider myself to have been tweak free for a couple of weeks.

I held a plank tonight for 1 minute. That's a personal best. I'm kinda happy about that because I'd planned that once I'd hit the minute mark I was going to start doing roll outs. Think I'll do those from now on instead of the Pallofs. Had a good run with those Pallofs, I'll come back to them in September I think depending on how well I progress with the roll outs. There's an exercise called "Stirring the pot" which Stuart McGill ranks as being one of the best for back treatment but it's hard as hell so I'm not sure when I'll be capable of doing good reps of that.