Less talky, more lifty.

[Rach]

Sending healing & recovery vibes your way, hope it gets better soon and you can get back at it.

very sorry to hear about the injury but you rock for

a) getting to a physio straight away
b) being patient getting back to big lifting

so is all upper body stuff out then?

Thanks for the kind wishes Lordmuppet & Talyn. Indeed all upper body stuff out for time being.Benching hurts ( have discovered how important obliques are in benching!).Have been pondering bicep curls as if I can't do much else would be nice to grow bigger ceps!Shall ask the physio on Friday if I can indulge in some disco!On the plus side have used not being able to powerlift as a chance to tackle some serious decluttering at home!Normally the lure of the gym means I neglect mundane housey stuff

[Rach]

Thursday 26th January 2012

5 sets 10 bodyweight squats
3 sets 10 each leg split squats (bodyweight only)
5 sets front planks 10 second hold
2 sets 10 wall slides
several sets 10 bodyweight side extensions and turns
2 sets 10 ankle mobility on bench

[Rach]

Saturday 28th January 2012

5 sets 10 bodyweight squats
3 sets 10 each leg split squats (bodyweight only)
3 sets 10 dumbbell lunges (approx 2kg each arm to see how it goes)
5 sets front planks 10 second hold
10 sets 10 second hold of lower abdomen (prone)
several sets 10 bodyweight side extensions and turns to each side

Have a new found love for 70% Hemp protein. Ran out of my regular flavoured stuff and only had hemp in. Love it and it helps to fill me up.

[Talyn]

How is the recovery going?

Still on track for 60kg?

[Frostfire]

Whoa, I was counting all it up, and you do 11 sets of squat-type exercises! That must be killer, and hardcore

[Rach]

How is the recovery going?

Still on track for 60kg?

Am doing a little routine agreed with Physio every other day, incorporating bodyweight and light dumbbell lower body work and core work. The area is much much less painful but there's still some soreness and physio reckons it will be another 4 weeks before it's completely healed. Then if its ok I can commence squats/bench/deads with 50% of what I was doing the week I injured myself, so deads will be circa 40kg, bench and squat 20kg something.

My right side is overall weaker than my left so am going to ask my pt trainer what he thinks about working some unilateral stuff in to address the strength imbalance, one legged squats, maybe do dumbbell bench pressing etc.


On track for 60kg, morning weight today was 64.6kg so pleased with that. Been eating less, more protein, very little bread, lower carbs and very little booze. If I recover ok next comp will be the GBPF North West Divisional in May so hope to be sub 63kg then. I see you're on track also, that's great

[Rach]

Whoa, I was counting all it up, and you do 11 sets of squat-type exercises! That must be killer, and hardcore

Thanks, it's only bodyweight or very light dumbbell at the mo, so don't feel too tired from it and don't get the buzz I got from doing heavier deads but the idea is to keep the lower body moving, albeit at a much lower load so I don't lose the small amount of flexibility I had just started to build up before getting the injury. Lunges are a new thing for me so taking it steady and will gradually increase dumbbell weight, but hope they will help in getting both sides stronger. As the fat comes off I wanna see some muscle!

[Rach]

Tuesday 31st January 2012

5 sets 10 bodyweight squats
3 sets 10 each leg split squats (bodyweight only)
1 set 10 dumbbell lunges 2.5kg each arm
2 sets 10 dumbbell lunges 4kg each arm
5 sets front planks 10 second hold
several sets 10 bodyweight side extensions and turns to each side
2 sets 10 each side side extensions 2kg each arm


Thursday 2nd February 2012
5 sets 10 bodyweight squats
3 sets 10 each leg split squats (bodyweight only)
3 sets 10 dumbbell lunges 4kg each arm
5 sets front planks 10 second hold
several sets 10 bodyweight side extensions and turns to each side (turns standing and seated).
on swiss ball: seated, with left leg extended, arms at side:3 sets 5 sec hold and then repeat 3 sets 5 sec holds with right leg extended.
also on swiss ball, arms up in air, extending alternate legs for 3 sets 5 sec holds each leg.
2 sets 10 each side side extensions 2kg each arm.

Saturday 4th February 2012
5 sets 10 bodyweight squats
3 sets 10 each leg split squats (bodyweight only)
5 sets front planks 10 second hold
several sets 10 bodyweight side extensions and turns to each side (turns standing and seated).
on swiss ball: seated, with left leg extended, arms at side:3 sets 5 sec hold and then repeat 3 sets 5 sec holds with right leg extended.
also on swiss ball, arms up in air, extending alternate legs for 3 sets 5 sec holds each leg.
2 sets 10 each side side extensions 2kg each arm

[Rach]

well haven't been maintaining my log very well but have been doing the exercises as listed 4th Feb every other day. Seeing physio every two weeks, site of tenderness much less diffuse,advice is keep up with current core exercises and begin working with pt soon to begin building more unilateral stuff in. The injury feels a lot better but not 100% yet. Bonus is this injury has highlighted the real need for me to address the strength imbalance.

Sat 11th Feb 2012

did hour sess with pt. In today's sess he showed me a couple of variations for lower body warm up since inchworms and mountain climbers still out and checked my form on split squats and gave me helpful feedback which helped me to improve the form.

He looked at my movement and agreed the right side is less strong so for the next few weeks we are going to focus on unilateral stuff working up to farmer's walks in a few weeks. Dumbbell split squats today with 5kg, followed by some dumbbell stiff legged deadlifts. Did my core exercises on ball,front planks 5x10 sec hold, side extensions and turns before heading off. Instead of 1 hour a week will now work with him twice a week for half hour focusing on unilateral stuff.

Monday 13th Feb 2012
pt sess arrived early to warm up; up and overs with dowel, side to side squats and other one can't remember name of. Wall slides with back against wall and core tilted.

in sess did few sets of:
split squats with dumbbells
stiff legged deadlift with dumbbell in alternate hands
exercise where you lie on back, one leg straight out, other leg on floor with knee bent and move bum up and down trying not to rotate hips then swap legs.

Then stayed and did my core exercises on ball,front planks 5x10 sec hold, side extensions.

[Rach]

Haven't been keeping exact record but twice a week doing half hour with pt on exercises including squats with kettlebell in alternate arms, sl deads with two different sized dumbbells, single arm sumo deads with kettlebell, split squats with kettlebell. Morning weight 23/2/12 was 64.2kg.

[Rach]

Wednesday 29th February 2012


Split squats: 2 sets 6 reps each leg with 8kg kettlebell in each arm. Then 2 sets 6 reps each leg with 6kg kettlebell in one arm and 8kg kettlebell in other arm.

Glute- ham raises: 1 set 6 reps each leg with 4kg kettlebell then 1 set 6 reps each leg with 6kg kettlebell.

single arm stiff legged deadlift 2 sets 8 reps with 6 kg in one arm. Then 1 set 8 reps with 8kg in one arm and 12kg in other (too heavy torso started leaning forward).


Single arm Farmer's walks: 1 set at 8kg each side then 3 sets 16kg each arm.

core exercises on ball,front planks 5x10 sec hold, side extensions and turns

[Rach]

Friday 2nd March 2012

Split squats with kettlebell in one arm:
2 sets 6 reps each side with 6kg kettlebell
1 set 6 reps each side with 8kg kettlebell
1 set 6 reps each side with 12kg kettlebell

Single arm stiff legged deadlift
3 sets 6 reps with 6kg dumbbell in one arm and 10kg dumbbell in other

Glute ham raises
1arm Sumo deadlifts with 12kg kettlebell 2 sets 6 reps each arm
set split squats with one arm overhead holding kettlebell

[Rach]

Tuesday 6th March 2012

morning weight 63.3kg what a nice suprise

Split squats
1 set 6 reps with 6kg in each arm then
1 set 6 reps with 6kg kettlebell overhead in arm opposite leg that is in front
2 sets 6 reps with 8kg kettlebell overhead in arm opposite leg in front

glute ham raises
3 sets 8 reps with 6kg kettlebell

stiff legged deadlift supersetted with dumbbell shoulder presses
1 set of 8 using 20kg barbell with 2.5kg on the right side barbell, then another set of 8 with 2.5kg on left side barbell, then 1 set 10 dumbbell shoulder presses 5kg in each arm.

1 set 8 stiff legged deadlift using 20kg barbell with 5kg on the right side barbell, then another set of 8 with 5kg on left side barbell, then 1 set 10 dumbbell shoulder presses 5kg in each arm.


1 set 8 stiff legged deadlift using 20kg barbell with 5kg on the right side barbell, then another set of 8 with 5kg on left side barbell, then 1 set 7 dumbbell shoulder presses 5kg in each arm.

core exercises on ball,front planks 5x10 sec hold, side extensions and turns.

[Rach]

9th March 2012

Single arm squats: 2 sets 6 each arm with 6kg; then 3 sets 6 each arm with 8kg.

1st part of Turkish get ups: 3 sets 6 each side with 6kg kettlebell.
Stiff legged deadlift: 1 set 6 reps each side with 5kg and 10kg dumbbells:2 sets 6 reps each side with 5kg and 12kg dumbbells.

[Rach]

12th March 2012

Squats 5@20kg,5@25 kg, 2 x5@30 kg.
Bench press 2x5@20.
incline db bench press 2x10@10each arm.
1 armed farmers walks 1@8kg,1@12kg then 2sets at 16kg
Core exercises on ball, front planks 5x10sec hold, seated turns and side extensions