Disco Scum

[xJimx]

About time I got bag to logging my feeble efforts in the gym. To cut a long story short my back is still knackered & I'm still waiting for my NHS physio to begin (4 month waiting list - WTF!); I don't want to keep shelling out for expensive private treatment so I'm being sensible & ingesting substantial quanities of ibuprofen. Day to day the pain generally isn't too bad, though some days for no apparent reason it's much worse than others.

Food intake is moderate; around 2500-3000 cals per day with about 150g protein. Weight currently 94kg.

Training is still based on bodyweight exercises, though I haven't done pistols since my last major relapse in August so leg work has been restricted to crappy machine work. Core work is also rather infrequent & only attempted on days when I'm completely pain-free.

Monday:

Warm-ups

Weighted Pull-Ups: 4x4x17.5

5 mins BROOTAL HIIT on bike + stretches

Weighted Chins: 4x4x12.5

Machine leg crap

Reverse Rows: 4x8 (2 sets overhand, 2 sets under)

5 mins more HIIT + stretches


Today:

Warm-ups

Weighted Dips: 4x4x35

5 mins HIIT + stretches

Weighted Dips again: 4x4x30

Some DB shrugs, shite weight so done slowly for the pump

KB Push-Ups: 2x8
Elevated Knuckle Push-Ups: 2x8

5 mins HIIT + stretches


Upper body strength seems to be reasonable, although still not completely recovered from the 6 week lay-off in Aug/Sept.

[xJimx]

Today's effort:

Warm-up

Weighted Chins: 3x5x20 - saw an interview with Andy Murray where he was boasting he could do this - if it's good enough for some skinny arsed tennis player it's good enough for me

5 min HIIT + stretches

'Sliding Pull-Ups': 2x4 i.e. pull up leaning over to one side, at apex of movement slide shoulders across bar, then lower leaning to other side = 1 rep - just tried this 'cos I saw some dude doing it on Youtube, harder than you'd think.

Reverse Rows: 2x8, 2x6

Planks: 2x60 secs - keep my arse a little high just to keep pressure off back

5 mins HIIT + stretches

Then tried a few pistols to see how back reacted; quite sore afterwards

***************

12 hours later & after some icing back seems OK; still a little tender but nothing worse than usual.

Please with today's chinning efforts. Done whilst wearing my Go Vegan shirt!

[SpugFab]

Good to see you back logging Jim, solid work on the chinnies

[emm7]

excellent sorry to hear about your back hurting
hope you get in to see physio soon
take it carefully

[xJimx]

Cheers guys

[Tourterelle]

Good luck with you training efforts. Hope you will feel better before long, and just go easy on things in the meanwhile.

[xJimx]

Thanks Touterelle

Today:

Warm-up

Weighted Dips: 4x4x40

5 mins HIIT + stretches

Weighted Dips: 4x4x30

Machine Leg Press: 3x12x100, then each leg 3x6x100 - meh

Planks: 2x60 secs

5 mins HIIT + stretches

KB Push-Ups: 2x8
Elevated Knuckle Push-Ups: 2x8


Pleased with today's dips. Might be heaviest I've ever gone.

[XkillerX]

could you improvise a setting for performing straight arm lat machine pulldowns? it'd be a very useful addittion to your arsenal.

[xJimx]

Hey Killer,

What would I get from pulldowns that I can't get from pull-ups & inverse rows etc? Surely performing such an exercise would just make me disco scum?

[XkillerX]

straight arm lat pulldowns are an excellent addition to any workout. many swimming coaches include it as the base for developing a strong crawl movement. it works your back muscles and loads your abdomen muscles a whole bunch depending how you set yourself up. if you keep your arms dead straight it puts immense pressure on your triceps and forearms as well. definetely not disco.

[xJimx]

OK cool but pulldowns (& indeed any exercise that would involve me bracing/arching my lower back in such a fashion) are too risky for now. Maybe something to try in the future, although to be honest I much prefer bodyweight exercises.

[XkillerX]

FFS!!!

you need:

1. an empty bottle you can fill with water to make it heavy, or a sandbag, or whatever that is heavy enough
2. rope
3. a rolling pin
4. a pullup bar

run the rope around the bar. tie weight on one end, rolling pin on other end. overhead grasp the rolling pin. stand completely straight. your arms should be slightly bent. breathe in, stiffen your abdomen and lower back muscles, and pull the bar down. exhale as you're letting it return to initial position. repeat.

absolutely no danger for the back!!!

[xJimx]

I appreciate the thought Killer, but I think I'll just stick to the bodyweight stuff anyway

Can;t get to gym tomorrow so went today; not ideal as still caned from yesterday but anyway.........

Warm-up

Weighted Pull-Ups: 2x8x10kg

5 mins HIIT + stretches

Rev Rows OH: 2x8

Planks: 2x60 secs

Some DB shrugs

Chins: 2x8

5 mins HIIT

Rev Rows OH: 2x8

Slow Chins: 10 sec dead hang - 10 sec hold at top - 10 sec dead hang - 10 sec hold at top, then repeat pattern using 5 sec intervals

[xJimx]

Back quite the sore the few couple of days; kept me awake for most of Wednesday night

Felt like crap Thursday morning but only time I could get to the gym was 7am so off I went anyway:

Warm-ups

Weighted Dips: 3x8 +20kg

Elevated Knuckle Push-Ups: 3x8

5 mins HIIT + stretches

Disco DB Shrugs

Bodyweight Dips: 3x8

KB Push-Ups: 3x8

Planks: 2x60 secs

10 mins on bike - medium intensity

Too sore to do any leg work

[xJimx]

This morning:

Weighted Pull-Ups: 3x3x25

Weighted Chins: 3x3x25

5 mins HIIT + stretches

Rev Rows - alternating OH & UH grip between sets: 4x8

Planks: 3x60 secs

Pistols: 4x2 each leg - meh, back sore at this point

Pull-Ups: 1x8
Chins: 1x8

5 mins HIIT + stretches