Alan H's training log

[Alan H]

Bad, bad development. I've got some loss of strength and that telltale ache in my left quad. This means that the narrowing of the foramen in L4 is squeezing on the spinal nerve that innervates the quads. It's almost certainly aggravated by my current lifting regime. Looks like 10 - 14 days off from the squats, for me. That puts my goal of 300 pound squat by the end of Feb in doubt, which is too bad. Then again, I got this far, which is a big improvement. It just means I'll be working on core and upper body for a couple of weeks.

[nh_maclean]

Bad, bad development. I've got some loss of strength and that telltale ache in my left quad. This means that the narrowing of the foramen in L4 is squeezing on the spinal nerve that innervates the quads. It's almost certainly aggravated by my current lifting regime. Looks like 10 - 14 days off from the squats, for me. That puts my goal of 300 pound squat by the end of Feb in doubt, which is too bad. Then again, I got this far, which is a big improvement. It just means I'll be working on core and upper body for a couple of weeks.

Oh that sucks! Can you do the Leg Curl and Leg Extension machines? or just go really light on squats? Or one of those sleds? I find split squats are great (well really they suck in a good way) and engages the core and you need to do them pretty light.

Heal up!

[Alan H]

Well, it's the next morning. After taking it easy yesterday, Advil, a WHOLE lot of rolling around on a foam roller, and nine hours of sack time, I've got 100% strength back in the quads and no ache. However, the cramping muscle in my left, upper glutes still aches, and I have intermittent "funny sensations" in my toes. I need to take care of this.

I've been in similar situations before, and I'll heal up fine if I just use my head. So the next couple of weeks workouts will be light weights, maybe only twice a week, and upper body, moving the weights fast.

[Detroitpete]

Go steady young man. I want to see you in top shape with no training injury set backs at the Masters World Championships in Denver this year!

[Alan H]

Todays "save the back/butt" workout....10/15/2010


bosu lunges: lung forward onto a bosu...go low, stretch, then push off hard, back off the bosu. 50 pounds, 5 each leg

hanging leg raises: 15 x, rest...10x

dumbell curls: (I NEVER do these, too much muscle isolation) 40 x 8 each arm...

incline dumbell press: 65 x 8, 75 x 5, 80 x 1...just *barely* got that last one.

Hypers: go super slow and easy, no weight... 15

bench dips: 55 pound dumbell in my lap...15x, 10x

triceps cable pull downs: 52 pounds, 8x, 8x

lat pulls on the Roman Chair: light weight, go easy 25 pounds 13 pulls each side

upright rows: move the weight as fast as I can...80 x 8, 90 x 6

Seated Flys on the machine: "175 pound"...x8, x7

[Alan H]

Deleted....possibly not family-friendly enough for the forum....

[Alan H]

Well I've had four days completely off from the gym. I'm short on sleep and I've been eating like a moron the last two days, but I made myself go in, today, despite the weather. My lower back is improved, though yesterday wasn't so great. It feels fine, now, let's see how it goes in 3-4-5 hours.

Box jumps....from seated position, 8 jumps up to 30-inch box.

Bosu Lunges: do a forward lunge onto the bosu, stretch, go deep, then push off HARD, backwards... 6 each leg with 50 pounds

Back Squats: 2 sets, 6 x 150

situps: 15 with a ten pound plate on my chest, incline board on steepest setting

barbell curls: 100 pounds x 8, 100 pounds x 6...

Hypers on the Roman Chair: go super slow and easy, no weight... 15

incline dumbell press: 60 x 8, 70 x 6, and I gave up, as I barely could jerk the 70's into position.

push-ups, hands on wobble boards, feet on 20 inch box x 15


lat pulls on the Roman Chair: 40 pounds, 13 pulls each side

bar dips: 8x, rest, 6x with a 50 pounds "helper"

...and that was all I could handle, today.

[Alan H]

Felt better today, but there's a bit of compression in my lower back. It had gotten better, now it's back, again. I squatted today, but I won't, next week.

Bosu Lunges and push-back: 5 x 60 pounds each leg

Back Squats: 2 x 6 x 170

dumbell snatch:5 x 80, each arm

incline bench situps: 10 pound weight 15 situps

incline dumbell press: 8 x 60, 6 x 70, 1 x 80...time to move up from the 60's

hypers: 15, slow and easy, no weight

Windmills (finally): 10 x 20 pounds, 8 x 25 pounds

seated/upright flys: 8 x 175, 7 x 175

bench dips: 2 x 15 with a 50 pound dumbell

[Alan H]

I had a little talk with Wendy the Amazon Goddess Trainer and she suggests that maybe part of my issue with the lower back might be remedied by working on hip flexibility and strength. So for the next couple of weeks I'm going to just do leg presses and hip adductor/abductor work on a machine that provides resistance much like this video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvnR8CDb4BU

and hold off on the squats...I'll get back to the squats, first week in February.

OK, todays work....

Box Jumps...8 x 30 inch box

bosu lunges and push-back...6x each leg, 60 lbs

hanging leg lifts....2 x 15

Russian twists on incline board....8lb ball, x8, x6 WIMP!

curls...8 x 100, 6 x 100

incline dumbell press: moved up today, 8 x 70, 6 x 70

lateral pulls on the roman hair.... 15 x 40 pounds, each side

core crushers.... ten each side with 8 lb medicine ball

hip flexors on the machine, adduct and abduct with 120 pounds x 8 each side..WOW, really feel 'em~

leg press on the machine.... 245 x 15, need to go up on this if I'm not squatting

**long rest, had a high heart rate that didn't want to calm down***

upright rows... 8 x 70, 8 x 80

[Alan H]

Took the day off, yesterday. I've been short on sleep and was really hurting yesterday. Much better, today...

1-28-2010

Box jumps: 8, up to 30-inch box

bosu lunges and push back: 40 pounds each hand (moved up, today) x 6 each leg

lat pullson roman Chair: moved up today...15 each side, 50 pounds

hanging leg lifts: 15

"Supermans": lie on a mat, stomach down, arms out in front. Now raise arms and legs off the mat so that you balance on your stomach...hold position for a slow five-count....did ten of 'em.

hip adductor/abductor/rotation machine: 2 x 10 adduct and abduct each leg x 135 pounds printed on the stack

leg press: 2 x 10 x 290 (as printed on the stack)

Russian twists on the incline board 2 x 10 (5 each way) with 10 ll ball

push ups: 20 with feet on 20 inch box, hands on wobble boards

dumbell snatch: 6 x 80 right arm, 4 x 80 left arm

seated flys: moved up to "195" printed on the stack... 2 x 6