Congrats on the bench PR. Be careful with the pec. I had one before my last meet I had to nurse for several weeks. Every time I thought it was back to 100% and pushed it I found out quickly it wasn’t 100%.
Hope your pec gets better soon. You have been on quite a roll.
Another good Military Day…almost great, but I was a dumbass. I knew I was too tired for that attempt at 300#. If you have kept up with me at all, though, you know that I ain’t the sharpest tool in the shed.
Pec felt fine. If I do anything that focuses on it, I can still feel a slight twinge. Was worried the MP might aggravate it, as I tuck my elbows hard at the bottom. No issues though.
Military Press
Barx20
95x10
135x10
175x5
205x5
235x3
265x3
280x3 - 3rd week in a row for a triple. But I had planned to do 2. The second went up so strong I opted for a third, but already relaxed my form and that made it a grinder from hell. But it went.
295x2 - Lifetime PR +1 rep In fairness, probably could have doubled it 2 years ago, when at my peak and did 290x3…but never tried.
300x0 - This was my dumbassery, After grinding the last rep at 280# and getting a PR at 295#, I was spent. But I figured, “Hell, I just doubled 295#. Surely I can get at least one at 300#.” Nope.
250x5
Reverse Flyes
55x10x2
45x10x3
DB Laterals
25x15x2
No problems with the hoodie after this workout. I didn’t wear it.
Still peeved that I tried 300#, knowing better. But I am very happy with the PR.
We definitely should send you some kind of prize for most PRs in one week! You’ll get the 300 next time. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Glad the pec is feeling better.
No doubt you can get that 300 if you cut back on all those reps leading up to it. Not to mention the 2 x 295 right before!
Keep up the good work.
That 300’s coming. I’m impressed.
Thanks all.
CL - The PRs are good for my psyche. So far I have been able to claim them for weight or reps at weight. In the absence of that, though, don’t be surprised if you see some for number of breaths taken during the set…lol
Karen - You are absolutely right. Too many heavy reps leading up to it. And that grinder on rep 3, at 280#, really burnt down the house. I think that is what is keeping me where I am as far as max. If I make too big of a jump in weight, near max, it screws with my head. So, I end up with more sets. But getting a 2nd rep at heavier weight seems to prime me better for max attempts, while burning me down quicker. I need to come up with a better plan of attack.
I’ve already hit 300# since being back at it…several weeks ago. I haven’t gotten beyond it.
After getting the 295x2, though, I had delusions of getting 300x2. I mean, it is only 5#, right!? I should have known better. It’ll happen. Patience just isn’t my forte.
Maybe not patience, but strength for sure.
A good day to say the least. Very strong.
Thanks gents! I just wish I could get my bench up to a proportional number. With my MP what it is, my bench should be north of 450#, if I was like most other people. I think it is around 375#, though…on a good day. And that is a guess, as I have only tried 365# in the past 2.5 years.
Got some interesting news today while at my wife’s orthopedic appointment (she is likely going to have back surgery).
As some know, I have spondy…L5/S1, with an anterior shift. It was grade 1 seven years ago and is not stable. It is the reason that I stopped doing squats and deadlift. After some initial success with both, I reached a point where I was in constant pain. The pain would not subside before my next workout. Eventually the inflammation began impacting my nerves enough that my maxes actually started to drop. It had a negative impact on my bench press and MP as well. So, I dropped the squats and deads. My back still hurts, just not as bad and the neural impact is minimal.
Knowing that my disc is degenerating, I asked her Dr. about the possibility of me getting surgery and what it would mean for my lifting.
To my surprise, he said I would be able to lift like normal. Obviously, I would have to take a year or so to get fully healed and recovered. After that, though, he said it should be as strong as a fully functional, normal back.
It made me want to go ahead and do it! But he said I should wait until I have to because the technology is progressing quickly and in the future it might be even less involved.
At least I know, though, that taking care of the issue won’t be the end. That is always good to hear.
Awesome possibilities ! For both you and Mrs. S !! Best to both of you
Thanks Paul. The only down side is that it means no deads or squats for now.
Hoping all goes well for your wife. A friend( the recluse) has spondo and had those electrodes put in his back. Now he has to plug himself in. Thank goodness he is a church going man, because the jokes would be endless! Anyways, he said it definitely made the pain manageable.
Wow. That is some major news, Strick.
Best of luck to your wife.
I recovered well from L4/5 disc surgery years ago when surgery wasn’t as advanced as now. About 7 months or so to resume lifting.
Thanks all.
CL - In my case, it isn’t so much the pain as just the neural impact. Once inflammation hits a certain point, pain aside, my legs just don’t seem to fire right or with the same intensity.
That said, there has been talk of a similar sounding device for my wife’s migraines. Talk about getting a buzz!
Karen - she has to go in for a discograph, next week. It sounds unpleasant, in that they will be infalting her discs. Not sure that sounds safe…lol.
Biker - That is VERY heartening to hear. I had been told, forever, that the surgery would end any serious lifting. Sounds like it isn’t so. I am not nearly as stressed about it now.
After recovery you should regain, and increase, your lifting poundages but for heavy bent over rows w/o chest support. Just don’t do something dumb. I understand back surgeries don’t stop NFL linebackers from resuming playing.
I just want to be able to deadlift again. Maybe light squats. hell, to do anything that loads the back and doesn’t result in issues with my legs missing firing or feeling weak.
I will likely try to get an appointment with him at the beginning of October. What leave I have left before then will be used when/if my wife has surgery.
I am functional now, but have a persistent, never ending ache in my lower back. Split two pieces of wood, and my back is fried. Same with heavy cable rows.
I don’t get much shooting pain in my glutes and leg, since I stopped squats and deads. It is localized to the L5/S1 and just to the right of it. But, if I sit on the floor, legs out, the top outer portion of my right thigh goes numb.
I dread another year off, though. It has taken a year to get back to where I was before…just on MP.
Your back problems sound similar to my presurgery ones. I finally couldn’t stand the leg pain enough to sleep at night so I had the surgery. Surgery only prevents me doing heavy bent over barbell rows without a chest support, but I do Kroc rows with no support.