CK's Journal - Mixing it up to confuse my muscles and shock them into growth

Haha no worries pal. I'll defo keep an eye out for your journal, and yes I did appreciate that meme! It wasn't totally irrelevant though, I presumed it was a reference to my POF antics of late!

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

Haha yeah, it was relevant to you in general - just not to the rest of my post

Journal
Squat: 200kg
Deadlift: 250kg
Bench: 150kg 
 

Haha, well I LOL'ed anyway so cheers!

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

Cracking session mate... wish my back sesh this morning had some of that, I struggled today.
 
LOL at your bro..... if he knows teh basics surrounding AAS then he must me sus. Is he pro, anti or laisez faire

Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion: MJ 12/9/09
My journal

Cheers pal. The only things my bro knows about AAS are what I've told him, and I recall telling him that back acne was often a telltale sign, so perhaps shot myself in the foot a bit there haha. Ah I don't really care if he finds out tbh, just hope he doesn't decide to jump on himself because although he would be laisez faire about AAS, he is also fairly laisez faire about his training too, he trains about twice a week and although he does focus a lot on things like squatting and deadlifting, he just does not pay any heed to diet at all. He just has one protein shake a day and then eats the usual sh1te that most people eat. So without trying to sound preachy, he definitely isn't ready to use them!

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

Amen brother LOL

Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion: MJ 12/9/09
My journal

Haha. It's true though, I'd hate him to think it was ok to jump on just because I am, his diet is truly awful. Prob eats about 70g protein a day, and then keeps asking me why he's stopped gaining on all his lifts!

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

Tonight's session nearly killed me. Was out last night until very late, had a few too many drinks, and had a lot of sex throughout the day today (with a female human...), and so I was absolutely exhausted before I even got to the gym. For that reason combined with the fact that I didn't squat last week, I didn't even try to add weight this week. First few sets felt hard but they got easier as the session went on, presumably because technique was just clicking better.
 
Also I decided to omit leg press this week because my lower back was quite sore from going too deep on the leg press the last few weeks (I am a f.ucking walking encyclopaedia of sports injuries). So did Hack Squat instead, but legs were jelly by that stage!
 
Squat
20kg x 6
60kg x 5
100kg x 3
170kg x 5
170kg x 5
170kg x 5
170kg x 5
170kg x 5
 
Hack Squat
80kg x 8
80kg x 8
80kg x 8
 
RDL
130kg x 6 (+10kg)
130kg x 6
130kg x 6
130kg x 6
 
Leg Extensions
100kg x 14
100kg x 14
100kg x 10
 
Tried some Leg Curls but my knees instantly told me to stop! Horrible exercise!
 
I will most likely be going to the gym again tomorrow to do Chest, because I have to go out on Tuesday for bloody valentines day!

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

Oh and it's worth noting that I saw the most impressive feat of strength I've ever seen in person in my gym tonight. This absolute unit of a Polish lad who I often see there, squatted 280kg x 3 in just wraps (no belt).
 
Funnily enough this guy is actually the only person in my gym who I have ever seen squatting more than I can squat (it is a commercial gym)...
 
The other incredibly impressive thing about it is that the guy is incredibly lean. He is a BBer as far as I know, and doesn't have a pick of fat on him. Incredible stuff.

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

Updates on training and your sex life! You get more than what you pay for in this thread! lol

Fazc


Updates on training and your sex life! You get more than what you pay for in this thread! lol

 
You get the whole package with me mate, haha.
 
I get the feeling that you probably missed the whole PlentyOfFish saga, with the famous thread on FingerPistol and all that... probably for the best

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

Lol aye 

I generally enjoy the finer things in life
 

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

Sorry bud.... not trying to be a cnut.... just not on MT.
 
I'm still scarred for life, and my son has just learned something
 
DV

Journal
Squat: 200kg
Deadlift: 250kg
Bench: 150kg 
 

Well I never!

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

Good view from the closet.

Journal
Squat: 200kg
Deadlift: 250kg
Bench: 150kg 
 

Hmm, well after giving my elbows a rest from pressing for 2 weeks and from low bar squatting for a week, they are now sore AGAIN after yesterday's squatting. Well it's actually just my left one.

It's unfortunate that I have to press tonight. I think I will rearrange my routine so that I do the chest/shoulders session (such as it is) on Thursday and do the back session on Tuesday. This seems to be the only way to get my squatting and pressing sessions as far away from each other as possible, because now what seems to be happening is the squatting makes the elbow flare up a bit but pressing two days later completely compounds it. Doing it this way would mean my elbow would have 3/3 and a half days to recover before any pressing, and then another 3 days (nearly) before squatting again. It will mean deadlifting 2 days after squatting which isn't ideal, but probably should be fine.

I had also been toying with the idea of incorporating a separate arms day, to some degree from speaking to Aaron about it in his journal, but I don't think it would be feasible unless my elbows improve a bit because it would have me doing two sessions involving elbow extension which is the very thing that seems to aggravate my elbows most.

I'll see how they feel after tonight's session anyway.

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

I find low bar squatting really kills my wrists but I think that's because my shoulders are about as flexible as an iron rod.
 
Elbow issues are so bad, it has a massive effect and there's nothing more disheartening than resting it and then finding you're back to square one when you try and work it again.

Journal
Squat: 200kg
Deadlift: 250kg
Bench: 150kg 
 

It's fine on my wrists, but then I do wear wrist wraps when squatting now, I recommend this if you don't. I'm quite inflexible too mate, I think that's the main cause of the elbow trouble.

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

Just started taking clen this week and combined with my usual am coffee in work I'm currently shaking like a mad man! I'm definitely going to stop drinking coffee while taking this sh1t. So I'm now taking t3 and clen, if I'm not in decent condition by the end of this cycle I swear I'm jumping straight on the tren for the next cycle...

I am definitely leaning out, as said I have more definition around my obliques/ribs and I'm starting to notice a bit of separation in my shoulders for pretty much the first time ever. Will be a good while before I'm at a level of leanness that I'm happy with though.

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

How long you planning on running the T3 for and at what dosage? Done a fair bit of reading on it lately and thinking about it for next cut.

Journal
Squat: 200kg
Deadlift: 250kg
Bench: 150kg 
 

Been on it for 4 weeks already and planning on running it for another 4, at 50mcg per day. I may run it for longer tbh, kinda depends what kinda condition I'm in by then and how long I plan on running the entire cycle etc.

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

Bitch about the elbows, dragging on now.
 
Good leg session considering your sexploits. Mrs once gave it up before the gym and I had the worst session ever, let alone a whole day of it... hope you stopped to eat

Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion: MJ 12/9/09
My journal

dirtyvest


Bitch about the elbows, dragging on now.

Good leg session considering your sexploits. Mrs once gave it up before the gym and I had the worst session ever, let alone a whole day of it... hope you stopped to eat

Yeah it's getting a bit frustrating mate (see the update from tonight's session below). But then again it could be worse. It seems to just be painful a day after squatting and then immediately after pressing, and then it quickly subsides, so if this remains the case then I really don't mind too much. My concern is that it will get worse, take longer to subside between sessions and start to prevent me from lifting. But if I rearrange my routine as I outlined I think it hopefully will help.

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

My elbows were good tonight while benching, maybe my massive stack of joint supps is actually doing something. I could kind of feel that they weren't 100% but no noticeable pain at all!

Journal
Squat: 200kg
Deadlift: 250kg
Bench: 150kg 
 

Big jumps in strength tonight in the Decline but unfortunately my elbow stopped me from really doing much else.
 
Decline Bench Press
20kg x 8
60kg x 5
80kg x 4
100kg x 14 (+4)
100kg x 12 (+2)
100kg x 8
 
Incline Bench Press
60kg x 20
60kg x 17
60kg x 8 LOL
 
Cable Crossovers
3 x 15
 
Lateral Raises
3 x 14
 
Front Raises
3 x 14
 
I think from now on I am going to completely leave my ego at the door for this session and go very very light, I am thinking about pre-exhausting my pecs with some flyes or crossovers at the start of the session, and therefore I will be able to use less weight for pressing afterward and still stimulate the chest (placing less stress on the elbows). As I said earlier I will also move this session to Thursday and do my Back session on Tuesday, to maximise the length of time between squatting and pressing.
 
The strange thing about tonight's session though was that, while my elbows were in agony after pressing, they actually felt much better after I did lateral raises. Perhaps this ties in with my theory about the tendon getting 'trapped' in the shoulder/upper back region and becoming inflamed, and perhaps doing lateral raises tonight loosened the joints/muscles in the upper back and shoulder and therefore relieved the tendon pain somewhat. Curiouser and curiouser...

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

EnfantTerrible


My elbows were good tonight while benching, maybe my massive stack of joint supps is actually doing something. I could kind of feel that they weren't 100% but no noticeable pain at all!

 
Intardasting. What are you using again? Cissus and Glucosamine?
 
Can I ask, when your elbow pain is bad, is it at its worst when you flex your arm, as in at the top of a bicep curl for example? I don't mean does doing bicep curls hurt your elbow, I just mean say if you did a heavy benching session and your elbow was sore after, then if you went and did the movement of a bicep curl and squeezed at the top, would your elbow hurt at that position?

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

CitizenKane

EnfantTerrible


My elbows were good tonight while benching, maybe my massive stack of joint supps is actually doing something. I could kind of feel that they weren't 100% but no noticeable pain at all!

Intardasting. What are you using again? Cissus and Glucosamine?

Can I ask, when your elbow pain is bad, is it at its worst when you flex your arm, as in at the top of a bicep curl for example? I don't mean does doing bicep curls hurt your elbow, I just mean say if you did a heavy benching session and your elbow was sore after, then if you went and did the movement of a bicep curl and squeezed at the top, would your elbow hurt at that position?

Using Cissus, Glucosamine, a lot of omega 3 fish oil (20 capsules a day works out at 3.6g of EPA and 2.3g of DHA daily) and I use NTBM Skeletal balm when things feel sore to ease it. I don't think it's coincidental that when I ran out of fish oil and took a few days to get around to ordering some more the pain started flaring up. Been back on it for a week or so now and it seems to have eased massively. Perhaps give it a go, it's cheap as hell and can't hurt. I got something like 1000 normal strength capsules for £22. Worked out cheaper than getting the high strength ones, just means I have to gobble down more each day.
 
As for your second question, due to the fact that they were hurting most (excrutiatingly so) at the bottom of the bench press, my arm would be in a similar position when at the top of a bicep curl so I'd say yes, that would hurt if I did that when sore. Doing chin ups after benching hurt most when towards the top of the chin up so I guess that's similar.

Journal
Squat: 200kg
Deadlift: 250kg
Bench: 150kg 
 

Cheers pal. I used to take fish oil all the time, I actually have loads of it still so I'll start taking it again. Never even thought about that.

On that note, elbows killing me again today! This is getting rather annoying. I am going to have to change something. Part of me is telling me to just ditch squatting for a while, because realistically it will make little difference to my physique goals (can be replaced by any number of movements that won't hurt my elbows). I absolutely love squatting and I had big plans to increase it on this cycle. But at the end of the day I got into lifting first and foremost to look better, so if it gets to a point where I have to choose between aesthetics and having a big squat, I will probably have to choose the former, if it gets to the point that continuing with the latter continued to prevent me from pressing heavy.

I will rearrange my routine first and foremost, and if that doesn't work then I will consider the horrifying prospect of dropping squats.

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

Does high bar squatting hurt your elbows?

Journal
Squat: 200kg
Deadlift: 250kg
Bench: 150kg 
 

No but I absolutely hate it! Kinda hurts my knees too

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

Haha you big Irish baby. Get some knee sleeves (I love them!), learn to love the high bar and you can squat and have working elbows!
 
I do prefer a low bar but I just don't have the flexibility to do it anymore properly without putting tremendous pressure on my wrists. I tried using wrist wraps but then with my wrists locked straight I can't even get the bar low enough on my back. High bar ain't so bad...

Journal
Squat: 200kg
Deadlift: 250kg
Bench: 150kg 
 

I absolutely hate it mate. That's the thing though, I will never have a big squat if I do high bar, so for me that really eliminates a lot of the point, I just never got on with high bar it always felt so unnatural to me!

Also if I'm going to drop squatting to spare my elbows then high bar still does place some stress on my elbows, just not quite as much as low bar.

I think I'm just going to focus on hack squatting and leg pressing for a while. But it might not even come to that if rearranging my routine does the trick.

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

Holy fook, I was just doing a bit of reading about tendinitis and apparently heat treatment actually increases inflammation and makes it worse! I've been deep heating my elbows pre-wo for the last few weeks, for every session. Has this been making it worse? Should I be icing pre-wo as well as post-wo? Hmm...

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

You usually apply heat after 48hrs IIRC, predominantly you should be icing and stretching, or alternating cryo/thermo. I wouldn't ice pre-WO tho, no.

Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion: MJ 12/9/09
My journal

Cheers DV. Was out with the missus last night so had no access to ice. My elbows are in agony quite simply, and they have been for the last two days. I can't think of anything else to do except maybe just taking a week off altogether. Clearly far from ideal in the middle of a cycle but I've no other option at this stage.

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

That sounds **** mate. I had a problem with burning in my shoulder which lasted for ages, hope you get it sorted soon.

My Journal

It's relatively common CK, I'd try a few things:
 
1) Play around with bar placement. Higher will generally be easier, important to note is that it does not have to be high bar but most people will do well with a slightly higher position if they have elbows issues. 
 
That will be the most important long-term fix. The following are some short term solutions...
 
2) Limit your Squat volume. You could work up to a single top set, and fill in the volume with something else elbow friendly. GMs, Front Squats, Hip Belt Squats, Overhead Squats.
 
3) Ibuleve applied pre-workout is your friend. If you're as old as me, then it's your best friend.
 
4) Deepheat and then an elbow sleeve applied pre-workout also helps. 
 
5) Post workout ice helps, as does ibuprofen anything to relieve the inflammation.
 
6) Start to stretch post workout, specifically chest/shoulders. I don't know a great deal about the steds but from what I do know is that flexibility seems to be an issue for whatever reason unless specific flexibility work is done to counter it.
 
7) On that note. Behind the Neck Push Presses are ****ing AWESOME for shoulder/elbow flexibility for Squats. Do them at least once a week, heavy.

James - cheers mate. I had the same problem about a year ago and got over it by just resting for a few weeks and taking lots of anti inflams. The only problem now is that I'm on cycle so resting really isn't ideal!

Faz - cheers mate that's very useful. The only thing I'd be concerned about is the behind the neck pressing. I starting doing those last year and a few weeks later all this elbow trouble started, I'm fairly sure heavy BTN pressing/jerking is what caused the problem in the first place! I just have nowhere near the flexibility required to do it safely.

JOURNAL
 
I'm tougher than leather, I'm smoother than suede,
Always never broke 'cos I'm usually paid.

I'd look at other rotator flexibility work rather a heavy BNP

Limits, like fear, are often just an illusion: MJ 12/9/09
My journal