Newbie Beginning Program

[wojo]

Today is 7 weeks post-op and I'm feeling increasingly better and more confident with my arm.

MMS Grippers

Tx5ea

#1x2ea

#1.5x2ea

#2x2ea

#2.5x2ea

BBGM: RHx1,1,0 - LHx0,1,0 (closing the BBGM is a new left handed PR)

#3: RHxnot really close, but no pain in my arm

Seated Grip Machine - 45x20, 90x20(4)

Reverse Bending - one white, one green, one yellow, one blue - felt good, no pain in my arm

Sand Bucket Extensors - 3x20ea

[wojo]

I hit pinch today and for the first time since my surgery I'm beginning to get my right arm involved in the events:

2HP

Warmed up with both hands together - 57x10, 77x10, 97x10 (felt very easy and no sign of pain, but figured I'd stop here just to be safe)

LH only on 2HP - 57x5, 62x2, 67x2, 72x2, 77x1, 82x1, 87xall the way up, but dropped on the way down, 87xpart of the way up and dropped, 64.5x5,5,5,5,10

IronMind Hub - RH only (first time since surgery) - (counting plates only) - 10lbsx5sec hold, 20lbsx5sec hold, 30lbsx5sec hold (felt it in my arm at the very end so I stopped here)

Pony Clamp - 5x15ea

All in all I'm very excited about my progress and I'm feeling healthier and stronger every workout. I'm already beginning to transition from all the isolateral training I've been doing back to my normal routine....close grip barbell bench, standing barbell press, etc. albeit with light weight for higher reps...feeling my way through every set to be sure I'm not pushing my right arm too hard.

My overriding goal is obviously to get back to 100% strength regardless of how long it takes....so I will take things more slowly if necessary. However, the New York Grip Throwdown is just under 9 weeks away...so I'm using that as motivation and I'd really like to make a decent showing in all the events. On the date of the competition, I'll be just over 16 weeks post-op. My only real concern is the DO Axle since that's where I'll be using the most weight....we'll see how my recovery goes.

[wojo]

Grippers tonight....worked up doing MMS doubles each hand....

Tx5ea

#1x2ea

#1.5x2ea

#2x2ea

#2.5x2ea

BBGM - RHx1,1,0 - LHx0,0,0 (all very close and forced closed)

#2 CCS closes for reps - RHx11, LHx17 - New PR by 2 reps

My right handed PR for CCS #2 reps is 20, so it's wierd that my RH could still beat my LH on max closes, but then crap out on the reps. You could see how much ground I still have to make up with my right hand before I'm back to 100%. The good news is that my left hand is the strongest it's ever been with 17 CCS reps with the #2 and having recently closed my BBGM. I remember Chez's #3 rated at 149+ didn't really feel that much harder than my BBGM....so I'm close to my first #3 LH close.

Gripper machine up to 100lbsx20(4)

Reverse Bending - one white, one green, one yellow, one blue (felt very easy), tried a Grade 5 bolt and got a nice kink but didn't have it in me to finish it. I probably shouldn't be trying to push the bending at 8 weeks post-op, so I think I'm going to back off the max attempts and stick with lighter bends for volume.

[anwnate]

Reverse Bending - one white, one green, one yellow, one blue (felt very easy), tried a Grade 5 bolt and got a nice kink but didn't have it in me to finish it. I probably shouldn't be trying to push the bending at 8 weeks post-op, so I think I'm going to back off the max attempts and stick with lighter bends for volume.

And since you're doing that, it's also a good time to master the the DO and DU.

With your back strength, I think DO is going to be your bread and butter in the future.

[wojo]

Reverse Bending - one white, one green, one yellow, one blue (felt very easy), tried a Grade 5 bolt and got a nice kink but didn't have it in me to finish it. I probably shouldn't be trying to push the bending at 8 weeks post-op, so I think I'm going to back off the max attempts and stick with lighter bends for volume.

And since you're doing that, it's also a good time to master the the DO and DU.

With your back strength, I think DO is going to be your bread and butter in the future.

It's either my flexibility or my mental understanding of the DO techinique or both....but I can't seem to keep the nail high enough and l just feel like I have no leverage on the nail whatsoever....it's very frustrating. I have to work with you and Chez on this the next time we train together...maybe there's something glaringly wrong about what I'm doing. In my mind, I get the idea of keeping the nail high and getting your elbows out in front to apply all that leverage to "fold" the nail over....but I'm just not feeling it.

Having said that, just as I was typing this a light bulb went off in my head and I realized I'm never going to get better at DO bending if I only give it a try or two every workout and then immediately retreat back to reverse bending. Realistically, I realize that I'll need to get proficient at DO bending if I ever want to bend the red nail.

For the foreseeable future, I'm going to focus every bending session solely on improving my flexibility and DO technique. No more reverse bending for a while because I'm using it as a crutch and I've been making excuses for my poor DO performance instead of actually working on improving.

Thanks for giving me a much needed kick in the arse!

[wojo]

Today:

3/5/1 Safety Squat Bar Squats

260x3

295x3

330x12

185x10(5)

These are much tougher for me than regular squats. When I started doing these instead of regular barbell squats because of my bicep injury there was a 130lb difference in my multi-rep max between the two. I'm looking to forward to barbell squatting again within the next several months or so.

[wojo]

2HP today:

My intention was to warm-up only with both hands on 2HP and then proceed with my left-hand only pinch workout, but I was feeling good today and decided to work up in singles to feel things out and ended up maxing out. Was this the smart thing to do regarding my re-hab? Probably not, but I was feeling good and sh*t happens.

Warm-up: 57x10, 77x10, 97x10, 117x10

Singles: 137x1, 157x1, 177x1 (performed very controlled and held it at the top), 197xglued to the floor (too big of a jump), 187xgot it off the ground, but then lost it

I know maxing out wasn't the smart thing to do today, but at least it gives me the confidence to start really working on my 2HP now in preparation for the New York Grip Throwdown on January 5th.

[anwnate]

Was this the smart thing to do regarding my re-hab? Probably not, but I was feeling good and sh*t happens...

...I know maxing out wasn't the smart thing to do today, but at least it gives me the confidence to start really working on my 2HP now in preparation for the New York Grip Throwdown on January 5th.

It's a given that at some point you are going to have to start pushing your boundaries.

I imagine you'll be okay, as long as you are not doing that each and every workout.

[wojo]

Absolutely killed deadlifts tonight (read with sarcasm):

95x10(5)

Technically, this is my first official deadlift workout since I injured myself 12 weeks ago. Absolutely no pain or uncomfortableness in my arm. I will go up slowly from here every week and use common sense.

[daniel reinard]

Regardless of the weight on the bar, it has to feel good.

[wojo]

Regardless of the weight on the bar, it has to feel good.

It really did...it felt awesome. I did them somewhat dynamically too...not all slow and timid...so I'm on the right track. By the time I'm back 100%, you should be pulling near 600lbs!!

[daniel reinard]

Haha I hope so but won't hold my breathe. You'll still be whooping me when you get back to full intensity.

[wojo]

Haha I hope so but won't hold my breathe. You'll still be whooping me when you get back to full intensity.

Ha! I wasn't kidding though...you've got a lot left in the tank as it stands and your technique is already there....it's just a matter of time....no doubt.

[wojo]

TSG w/20mm block set

Tx5ea

#1x2ea

#1.5x2ea

#2x2ea

#2.5x2ea

BBGM - no attemots closed either hand...my forearms are very sore from Tuesday's workout, that's the only excuse I can think of

#2 20mm block set closes for reps - RHx30, LHx25- New LH PR by 3 reps

Gripper Machine

45x20

90x20

120x20(4)

Tried working on my DO bending, but I'm still not quite able to get into position to apply any force whatsoever. I'm gonna go back and read through Jedd's e-book again to try and get some ideas for stretching/getting into position. I ended up reverse bending one green , one yellow and one blue...although the blue also gave me trouble tonight.

Sand Bucket Extensors 3x20ea

This was one of those workouts where it was just about getting the hard work in. My forearms are both still sore from Tuesday's workout where I did a lot of wrist curls, reverse wrist curls and supination/pronations after Rolling Thunder.

[daniel reinard]

I'd avoid bending until the arm is confirmed 100%. It's just too taxing on tendons no matter the style imo. Just my thoughts.

[wojo]

I'd avoid bending until the arm is confirmed 100%. It's just too taxing on tendons no matter the style imo. Just my thoughts.

Thanks for the input Daniel...you know...after reading that, I know that you're right....it's just tough to take things so slowly. I have to re-think my approach because I want to work on improving my DO technique....so maybe I'll just stick with the super easy stuff or perhaps stay away from bending entirely for a little while longer.

[Shoggoth]

I agree with Dan too. My tendons are alright for bending and tearing. Now that I'm going full bore into the arm wrestling I'm having to stop a lot if that stuff as my tendons are going through a whole new toughening process but I know I can still go reverse reds when I want. That tendon strength will still be there when your "bone hole" heals up right solid.

[daniel reinard]

That tendon strength will still be there when your "bone hole" heals up right solid.

Exactly.

I'd just avoid the bending and target some other grip goal in the mean time. It'll be more of a mental toughness than a physical one. I love bending too but every time I try to build up to PRs it just brings out the nagging issues. So I have to stay away from it during certain times when focusing on grip goals.

[wojo]

Due to the recent hurricane here in the Northeast I haven't been to rehab in a while. Obviously I've been doing my own rehab at home and I've already started barbell pressing again, etc.

Well, today I went back to rehab to "check in" and spoke with the director about what I've been up to regarding my pressing, grip work, pulldowns, curls, etc. He's a cool guy and I respect his opinion, but he basically put the kabosh on almost everything I've been doing for at least another few weeks until he's had more time to work with me and until I've been cleared by my doctor after an x-ray. He says that I'm still on the tail end of the risky period and that I should be more patient and follow the protocol.

Since I obviously don't want to risk re-injury by being the fool that pushes too hard too early, I've decided to capitulate to the PT's advice and to simply be content for now with slowly getting stronger and healthier every week. I have to remind myself that this is not a race and taking an additional 2 weeks or even 2 months is not going to make a difference in the big picture.

[wojo]

I have finally accepted that I have gotten way too fat in pursuit of my strength goals. I’m sitting at around 285 now, about 10lbs less than my absolute heaviest and most bloated I’ve ever been, which was about 4 months ago prior to my bicep injury. Sure, I’ve gotten “big and strong” and I’ve been told I hold my weight well…at least with clothes on…but the truth is I’m fat. I do not look like an athlete, I cannot move like an athlete and this means that I have failed myself. It’s familiar territory since I’ve been here before many times as my bodyweight has yo-yo’d all my life depending on my goals at the time.

I guess the bright side is that for the past several years I’ve literally eaten whatever I wanted and whenever I’ve wanted, I’ve done no cardio or fat burning whatsoever and I’m “only” as fat as I am.

The cycle looks like this….I get a bug up my ass to get bigger and stronger, so I use that as an excuse to eat whatever I want, whenever I want….pizza, hot dogs, coca cola, beer, McDonald’s….there’s no “clean bulking” going on here. It’s not that I’m ignorant to proper nutrition…but I’m lazy and prefer to take advantage of my “bulking” status to eat anything that’s not tied down. For a while it works great and I get bigger and stronger and the extra padding that comes along with it is not too bad and all the while I tell myself that it’s a small sacrifice for getting big and strong. After several years of turning a blind eye to all the fat gain, you come to the realization one day that you (bad word filter)ed up and you find yourself where I’m at right now.

Typically, once I get to the point where I’m at now where I’m just flat out disgusted with the way I look with my clothes off….hell, even with my clothes on….I tend to starve myself all the way back down in pursuit of the elusive six-pack. I follow your typical high-protein, low-carb bodybuilding diet of chicken, fish, oatmeal, etc….except in the past I’ve eaten way too little calories, abandoned my strength training in favor of less weight for higher reps along with crazy long cardio sessions…all motivated by my impatience and disgust for adipose tissue.

This time it’s going to be different because I understand that under this fat is still a fair amount of muscle…..muscle that I’ve busted my ass to gain and I’m not about to sacrifice any of it this time around by starving myself to get leaner. Also, perhaps for the first time in my life I actually believe that I can be big and strong AND lean all at the same time.

After some research, I’ve decided to commit to the Carb Back-Loading Diet by John Kiefer. I’m not going to go into great detail about it here other than to say that it makes good sense to me, fits into my lifestyle, works with my evening training schedule and the positive feedback I’ve read gives me confidence because the diet has been popularized by a number of world-class power lifters…not by some skinny fitness gurus. I believe that it will allow me to slowly lose fat while also slowly increasing my strength.

I’ll be keeping a video journal of my experiences with this diet once I start, although I haven’t decided yet on exactly when that will be. I will follow up.

[barbe705]

MA and I have been slow carb with a carb nite for quite a while. I don't really feel that it's restrictive at all.

I do know a couple of guys who tried cbl and failed. it's not supposed to work until you get into the mid teens for body fat. mark bell has addressed this in some of the power projects videos.

if you want to discuss this at all pm me.

[daniel reinard]

Good luck in your pursuit John! I know you will do great.

I would love to do the CBL. It fits the lifestyle I want. But with shift work I think it will never pan out correctly. Currently I follow a loose CBL concept, as much as I can. Not sure if it's working though. It'll take longer to see anything on my skinny butt.

[yummy]

I've heard a lot about that carb backloading diet I'd be interested to see your results. I tend to get fat when I don't really watch what I eat yet I have a friend that has a 6 pack year round and eats pretty poorly, guess thats genetics for you.

[wojo]

MA and I have been slow carb with a carb nite for quite a while. I don't really feel that it's restrictive at all.

I do know a couple of guys who tried cbl and failed. it's not supposed to work until you get into the mid teens for body fat. mark bell has addressed this in some of the power projects videos.

if you want to discuss this at all pm me.

Thanks man...I'll be PMing you in the near future...

Good luck in your pursuit John! I know you will do great.

I would love to do the CBL. It fits the lifestyle I want. But with shift work I think it will never pan out correctly. Currently I follow a loose CBL concept, as much as I can. Not sure if it's working though. It'll take longer to see anything on my skinny butt.

Thanks Daniel. You're already super lean, so I don't see you ever getting fat unless you totally let yourself go...lol...

I've heard a lot about that carb backloading diet I'd be interested to see your results. I tend to get fat when I don't really watch what I eat yet I have a friend that has a 6 pack year round and eats pretty poorly, guess thats genetics for you.

Cool man...I'll be posting about it for sure. I grew up with some guys like that who could literally eat anything they wanted...oh boy how I despised them...lol...

[wojo]

So after some more research it looks like I'll actually be following Carb Nite and not Carb Back-Loading.....basically because I'm too fat

Tomorrow is my doctor's appointment where I pray to Crom and all that is holy that he grants me revenge and allows me to return to so-called "unrestricted exercise" with my bicep since I'm approaching 12 weeks post-op.

With my new diet in place along with a return to barbell training, I'm super focused on becoming the very best version of myself as Elliot Hulse would say.