lifting feelz - part 3

[digitaldiscipline]

So, this happened:

Coach: Rafe- Jenn's expressed an interest in working with you on your programming. I think it is an AWESOME idea, given the proximity to her. Interested?

Me: what's the next level of enthusiastic assent above "hell yes"? :-)

this is absolutely no reflection of any kind of dissatisfaction with the coaching and guidance and feedback I've gotten from Alex (and, though i may not be cognizant of it, whomever else has handled my programming during my tenure with CHP) - i'm going to be a client as long as my body holds up and y'all will have me on the roster, because y'all are fucking awesome. ... this might not make the best marketing copy. *laugh*

Coach: Done and done. :) Jenn! He's all yours, make him a monster.

Jenn asked me for some thoughts on my percieved weaknesses as she takes over my programming later this week/next week (she's got a big competition this weekend, so I am going to livestream it and probably shout at my laptop).

Weaknesses I'm aware of:
- Hamstrings (and glutes (?) (pulling, squatting) : I never feel them engage

- Thoracic tightness/weakness (squatting - forward lean / bench - scapular set & arch / dead - upper back set)

- Shoulders (?)

- My wrists are weak as fuck; they want to bend back on squats (as you've seen)

Weaknesses of which I am unaware:
- probably several :-)

Less technically? I think my bench is shit, my squat is terrible, and I only really feel moderately confident deadlifting, but i've been making my pulls based on lumbar strength rather than legs and technique. (i have a *tremendous* case of impostor syndrome, which is made more acute by getting more familiar with how truly strong folks are. comparing myself to others is a fool's errand, and I'm near my own PR levels and chasing records, but i still need to work on my calibration/validation matrix to recognize my progress and not lose sight of that, while remaining goal-oriented and not getting complacent. working on getting my head right in terms of that, in addition to cues and technique - getting to know you makes me feel almost like a newbie, and i am trying to use this to rekindle that kind of open enthusiasm; i am really optimistic about this, and alex's 'monster' comment was a real encouragement there, even for as small a thing as it was)

cardio has been as noted - 30 minutes after most lifting days (or the following morning if it runs too late); this is a challenge to me because i lift after work. two days of cardio-only at the moment - friday and saturday. i am good with an additional lifting day, since the change in intensity and volume, as it's been a good while since i've done a hypertrophy/powerbuilding split or something similar (I trained under josh bryant for a while before coming to chp).

I play ice hockey on saturday nights, through about the next 14 weeks (i am taking the spring season off to focus on the orlando meet)

Injury history:
- left clavicle broken, 1994
- left shoulder, arthroscopic repair of a torn labrum, re-anchored bicep tendon, removal of bone spurs, 9/14
- left tricep, slight tear/strain, no formal rehab, 2010
- partial L2/L3 disc compression, 2/14
- umbilical hernia, dx'd 2015, repaired 1/16
- left MCL, strained/incomplete tear 5/15 & 6/16

if there is anything else you can think of, email or fb or notes here - whatever is most convenient for you. i'm excited and want to live up to the high expectations i think we both have.

meet history:
- orlando europa, 5/15 (florida records in all three lifts and totals, 198, 40-44, raw)

upcoming meets / goals:
- us (maybe int'l) records, 181 or 165 @ orlando europa, 4/17 (definitely want to take DL @ 250kg+, maybe squat; possibly total; bench is nearly 100# over my current 1rm, so I don't know if that's feasible at this meet; maybe one later in the year? we can calibrate as we gauge my progress. it may never be mine)

Comments

[that-baker-guy.livejournal.com]

You, sir, are a certifiable badass.

I wish you the best, and hope you wreck the records.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

Here's hoping. i want to kick ass.

[vatine]

I have NO idea if my wrist strengthening routine would be useful for you. If you think so, please by all means steal it. But I should preface it with that we probably have different end goals in mind, mine is/was two-fold, "powerful cuts with a long bladed implement" and "no broken wrists while punching with no wrist support". Don't know if that makes any difference.

What I have is a roughly 1.8-2.0 metre wooden round stick, probably 25 mm diameter (give or take +- 5 mm; basically a long broom handle or wooden curtain rod), which I grip in an outstretched arm, near one end (you can tune resistance by gripping closer to the end or the middle), long end on the thumb side of the hand. Extend arm out in front of you, not too far, not too close, then simply rotate the far end of the staff to point left and right alternating, slowly. It's not a speed contest, it's a "wear your muscles the hell down" grind. You can also train the non-rotational bit by angling the far end out and "curl" your wrist.

[etcet.livejournal.com]

I've done something similar in the past; my issue is less rotational and more to do with the fact that my wrists flex backwards easily.

[vatine]

Yawp. I've just found that over-all strengthening keeps shit stabler in all directions. I've had people trying to straighten my wrist (with a clenched fist, grip gives more stability, for me) by standing on it. Didn't work. Probably would've if there'd been more than 70-odd kilos, mind you.