The Return of the jedi-This is not Sparta. This. Is. Madness.(now incl. Race to 100kg OHP)

I've tried to edit the sig. to include the caveat (not training related) but it wont let me. Your eyes will heal in time

Do you not feature in any of the videos then? I was looking out for you

Or is cottaging not your thing?

Seated Dumbbell Press
Wasn't looking forward to these flying solo but the prospect of no safety net proved good adrenaline rush
34kg x 10-7-6
easily the best I've managed recently.

Seated Lateral Raise
14kg 12-12-10

Rear Delt Standing Cable
peg3? x 12-12-12

Arnold Press/V-Press Superset
24kg/16kg
12/12
10/10
8/8


Abs
Dragon Flag
8-4-3

Lifted Bench Tucks
12-10-8
getting better at these

Pain update:
Still in agony of the constant aching, burning type in my hips/butt/lower back/groin. Rationalise it and it cannot be a disk as the pain would be even more severe and no way would I be able to train. It can't really be a muscle tear as the symptoms are too diverse and similarly wouldn't be able to work/train. I think there is some muscle tightness spasm but think this is a response to some kind of functional failure. Diagnosis: I am pointing the finger once more at my sacro-iliac joint.
This would also go some way to explaining the tendency to 'Elvis Palsy' of the legs. Will try and find
1. a miracle cure of the click it back into place
2. a more long term strengthening/stretching strategy

I am also very tempted to try for 210 on the deadlift tonight....kill or cure style.

That's some good weight on the seated press mate!  Very well done!

Not sure why I thought it was a great idea to go to powerlifting night with a bad back. Even less sure why I got disappointed with the result and sulked. No, scratch that, I do know why. It is because I am stalling a little bit; the mind is willing but the body is proving a bit fragile.

Squat
Kerrrrrrr-ist everything feels heavy
50-90-130-150-
170 -possibly my best rep on that, nice for depth and smooth on the way up
180x -I took it down really nice......and errr left it there. Got my legs in a muddle on the walkout ended up with one heel behind the other and just couldn't shift it with the 180 on board. Decided to go for it anyway with errr predictable result.

Bench
Shoulder not too bad just felt tired and had a couple of dizzy spells under the bar. I think it was twinge-ing from my back weirdly enough. It did not inspire great confidence.
I more or less managed a paused rep at 130 although couldn't battle to full lockout due to back/butt spasm.

Deadlift.
Tw@t.


I need to get my act together pretty quickly with the power stuff as it is deffo on the slide. I should make better plans and stick to them. I should've decided beforehand to try for 2 x 170 squatting; 3 x 140 partial spotting on the bench and 3 x 180 on the dead.
Think I am onto something with identifying S.I. joint as the cause of my back problems now I just need to do something about sorting it out.

Sounds like you might need a bit of rest and then swap things about a bit mate, your body could be ready for a change, a rest or both?

Agreed Rack, when was the last time you took a week off Jedi?

Would probably do you the world of good, especially the intensity you guys work at!

Cheers chaps, I think you are both probably right.
I just can't justify taking a week off now though when I know full well that the December lull is soon upon us. I should think there will be perrrrllenty of time off enforced then with shut gyms and family visits and nights on the tiles etc. So I just can. not. do it.
I will have to muddle along for a few more weeks or, better yet, come off the stool punching as hard as I can until the bell rings.
Might as well start with tonight's leg marathon

Well good luck mate, just don't do anything that could take you out of the game for longer.

Oh and cheers for the tip on the 21's by the way

crying freeman

Oh and cheers for the tip on the 21's by the way

No worries mate, hope it is working out for you.

So, went into last night's leg battle making a conscious attempt to have a bit more vim.
This started on the leg ext. machine which is another area I've been struggling recently. We worked down the stack to 4 working sets and I have to say I think I was doing a bit better than normal, a bit less burn and a bit more leg power. Self and Jackman are joined by Jackman's mate Jim; between them they manage to conjure up genius new plan for six-pack abs....don't do isolation work of any kind just squat so heavy that you pop 6 symmetrical hernias. Might look a bit odd on the posing front but if you could keep the coughing and sneezing to a minimum it might be worth thinking about. Anyway, warmed up on the leg ext. the time is right for

Front Squat. -no plates under heels
40-60-80
110
120
125PB
130-high
100 x 6
Very pleased with those. I used the small neoprene pads I was talking about last week and they protected the end of my collarbone a treat so unracking the bar and walkouts were much improved. I'd say it is much harder to make depth without the plates purely because it is easier to keep your back upright with them. Without, there is a tendency to tip forward a tad when reaching for the extra depth in the hole. It was that which cost me on the 130. Think the strength is there in the legs but didn't make the depth due to tipping forward. Should get it in the next few weeks. Was pleased with the 125 as that shot up. Jackman had similar problems with 140 although to be fair he was making the depth with his but then losing it forward at the push. At this point we also lost Jim who had found the pre-exhaust more of an exhaust and couldn't face back squats. However, we picked up two Lithuanian/Latvian lads (most likely Polish). One of whom looked remarkably like Viktor Krum of Harry Potter fame. Disappointingly he did not jump astride the bar and quidditch himself round the room just did some 'good morning'-ey squats.

Back Squat
60-80-110
130 x 12
130 x 10
130 x 8
(all above inc. spotted last rep)

I think it is fair to say that neither of us were keen on the idea but both felt that having done 3 x 12 on 120 a move up was necessary. The question was 125 or 130 and there could only really be one answer to that. Unfortunately. Excellent spotting from Jackman, encouraging but not stepping in until actual failure was occurring. Viktor Krum and mate seemed suitably impressed and judged my first set on the 130 as
"MA-CHIIIIIIIIIIINE"

They might've revised that and awarded the machine title to Jackman on the subsequent sets as he gave everything he had to make 3 x 12 whilst I
1. didn't
2. spotted him from the upright 'watching' position

Brilliant stuff. I really enjoyed myself. Leg day madness is fast becoming my favourite it has a kind of purity to the insanity that the other days haven't reproduced, apart from maybe the Arnold/V-press superset on shoulder day. It kind of makes you wonder...

MA-CHIIIIIIINE

Bench
110kg x 7 +3spotted
110kg x 6 +2spotted
110kg x 4 +2 spotted


Incline Bench -Oly Bar Squat Rack
90kg x 4 -shoulder pain
90kg x 8 lowering to just below chin
80kg x 10

Pin Press
60-90-120
140x
130
140x

Decline Flying
20kg x 12-12-12

Skulls
40kg x 10 +2
40kg x 8 +2
40kg x 7 +3

Some 1 Arm Cable Press and D-Ring Pulldowns

Bit disappointed on the 110 again. Going to stick with it though, would really like to get past 10 reps on that before Xmas. Been about a year since I've done any free bar incline and thought it was good. First set hurt my shoulder but restricting the range seemed to solve that. I think it actually might do it some good if we stick with it.
The pin presses were hilarious
...like the push version of deadlifting.
Definitely shows up any weaknesses in technique. Jackman murdered the 140 which attracted female audience to the smell of power. She then got to witness jedi comedy act of straining to bursting point whilst not moving bar 1mm. It is quite comical in that you can kind of convince yourself that the bar is moving. I think this is probably due to compressing the foam in the bench as revealed by on surrender of effort a distinct feeling of yourself coming up rather than a bar coming down. Meanwhile the audience are standing there looking like 'have you started?'
I could definitely feel that my dicky shoulder is only at about 70% power, it had a kind of 'empty space' feeling on the heavier attempts.

Forgot to add we started on calves and these feel so much better now I can actually get some kind of pump in them. First thing Ding mentioned when he walked in was;
"Calves are looking better."

Just a quick post on the restricted ROM on pressing mate.  Try only coming up about 2/3's of full rep.  I find that my shoulder hurts the most when I'm involving tri's at the top of the bench movement.  If I keep it just below this point, or sometimes even lower then the delts are fine.

Interesting theory that mate.
Makes some kind of sense in that the shoulder felt better avoiding full lockout on chins and the lockout position on bench isn't too dissimilar. Might be worth trying for a week or two.

This is why I keep very small ROM of on bench, also I'm pretty sure this is why my elbow hurts after shoulder pressing due to being nearly locked out.  Give it a whirl mate and see how it goes.

Hard to guage at first though as it keeps constant pressure on the chest so you burn out a bit quicker due to the other muslces not giving as much help.

Still impressive benching Jed(ward)... Even if you are unhappy with it!

Calf training feels terrible lol. Nice work Jedi

Was dreading the prospect of the rack pulls all day. When we finally get in the rack after a curling marathon It turns out the available pins are too high. Hoooooray!!! I mean shame. But no, Ding wants to do rack pulls and is not to be denied. He finds himself a 'platform'. This looks suspisciously like a flimsy plastic aerobics step that doesn't quite fit but 'clomp' it is stampd into place and the fun is to begin.
60-110
140 x 8
170 x 3
190
210 x .75
210
220 x .45
200x

Full Deadlifts
140 x 8
140 x 8

Some fatman pullups and close grip pulldows then match abandonded due to no-one really being able to stand upright. Ding and Jackman both pulled 250 which really is a testament to the makers of flimsy plastic aerobic steps. Jackman wanted to go on but had to be saved from himself as there was a mad gleam and talk of 270
I was pleased with the 210 especially as it felt fairly comfortable second effort plus the fail on 220 revealed my technique flaw.
Shooting the legs too quick.
It's that which separates the bar from my shins not a fault in the setup, just not pulling in unified manner. Shooting the legs up on that rack pull very nearly reversed my polarity or something not a nice feeling

Full deads after rack pulls is comical. Firstly you are like "Oooo I is a giant, look at the teeny tiny bar way down there". Then then you have to bend down to grip it and it seems less comical. It is like the 20plates now have the circumference of 2.5plates.

Now just need to work out how to get that 210 from floor to just above my knee.
Speaking of my knee, it turns out that measured to the kneecap I am barely an inch shorter than the big beasts. I must have the stumpiest femurs in medical history.

My back is blown.

Flimsy plastic aerobic steps are not to be underestimated in  their role play value....

I think the above is sheer looniness to the point of errr...being three loons....and indeed I bet activity went down well in the Leee-shure centre....

and you now have jen-whine reason for the PAIN!!!

I was quite frankly amazed that the flimsy plastic aeorbic step looked quite happy to have A Ding, A bar and 230kilos of weight crushing down on it. It tends to make you wonder just exactly how big an aerobic-er they had in mind when they designed it

"rack pulls all day" I'm not that popular mate
 
On a seriousl note, your DL's put me to shame, very well done.  How's the shoulder holding up today?