Hi Nikki - Trying to time my deload for then. First time I’ve tracked my cycle so will see how regularly predictable it is. Noticed that I was giving myself a hard time for fatigue / aching thinking that I was being lazy / wasn’t doing my mobility work properly. Now I simply ease up on myself over that time. Some cycles it hits me hard, other cycles there isn’t much of a difference. Have noticed that I like to heavy deadlift (for me) when I’m PMSing, so that could have something to do with the lumbar fatigue…
Thanks veggie. And thanks so much for your words over on the injury board. I know I need to check with a doc to be sure, but what you said about hips is the only thing yet that I’ve found that seems to fit with what I’ve been experiencing. Hip dysplasia, basically. I thought only dogs got that… At least I can look into some appropriate rehab, and yeah, squat breakthrough will come soon! It better!
Hi Masch. I could be wrong, but I think the low bar back squat is meant to get better posterior chain involvement than the high bar (oly style) back squat. By having the bar so low down the back one can sit back into the squat a lot more while keeping the bar over ones centre of gravity by leaning forwards. I started out doing that type of squat sitting back on a box then had to relearn squatting for Oly Lifting. Definately still working on hitting a tight rather than relaxed bottom position. Having some problems with glute / hip drive out of the hole, too.
This is probably a really stupid question (so I’ll hide it in the middle of a bunch of text lol). Um… When you ‘squeeze your glutes’ to get out the hole are you supposed to clench them together or flex them apart? Not going to ask anyone that in person, heh. It is just that I’ve been clenching but was thinking today that flexing would probably help with the knees out push on the way up (and would also help me actually get good glute activation with my dodgey hip, I think).
Have a similar thing in bodybalance. They do weird things (that they call squats) and say ‘tuck your tail under’. Do they mean maintain your lumbar arch (so push your butt back) or tuck your (imaginary) tail between your legs? I thought they were going for the latter, but the former would make more sense. I’m a bit dyslexic about the strangest things…
TODAY:
Overhead Squat: 20kg 5x1 warmup. 25kg 5x5. Wobbly. Balance was a bit forwards. Not driving out the hole properly.
Snatch Pulls / Snatch: Up to 30kg. Actually did a decent triple powersnatch. Chickened out on the pull 3x. Since I failed to try rather than trying and failing I had another go and managed to snatch it for a single. Thanks Masch (my imaginary workout buddy for telling me to stop pissing around and just do it!!!)
Clean Pulls / Squat Clean / Jerk: Some stuffing around. Some front squatting with just the bar trying to get good drive out the hole and a solid bottom position. Feeling weak and allowed to deload so:
STUFFING AROUND:
Dips: 3 of them. First time I’ve tried these properly. Did maybe 9 all up. Are you allowed to lean forwards or is that cheating?
Leg raises: Tried this from the dip bars. I guess the idea is to try and move your legs independently from your lumbar spine. Some trouble with this… My right leg / hip is dodgey, basically. Major cramps in my right quad. Got a little easier with practice. Will keep working these. Need some motivation to do ab work lol.
Pull up: 1 of them. Starting from tippy-toes rather than a dead-hang. OMG I actually got my chin (not very far) over the bar!!! Didn’t feel so different from chin-ups (though definitely weaker). Reassures me that I’m on the right track with my chin-up form.
Some inverted rowing on the smith machine and playing with chin-ups / pull-ups. 3x10 push-ups. I’m cheating a bit on these with not being strict about keeping my elbows in. When I can smoothly do 3x10 with good form my reward is that I’ll get someone to show me how to bench press.
20 minutes AMT.
Gym was a bit crazy… We don’t get new year’s resolutioners but the new semester is about to start so we get new semester’s resolutioners. I think I managed to scare a few of the first year noobs. Oh well, They’ll get used to me.
I don’t grunt exactly… It is more of a gggrrraaaaah. And a ‘yes, I will kill you or at least die trying’ facial expression is compulsory. Or maybe I’ll feel better once my deload is done…