Developing The Crushing And Healing Hand

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 1/6/24:
Squat: 102.5kg/226lb x 5, 5, 5, 5, 9
SLDL: 90kg x 10, 10, 10, 10

Not my finest effort as I really wanted 10 on my AMRAP squat set. Not to make excuses, but I'm disappointed in my belt. It's a velcro one that I bought only months ago, and despite good reviews, the velcro has already frayed to the point that it will occasionally rip open during sets.  This is not ideal when you're coming out of the hole and all of the sudden you lose your bracing as the belt rips open. Well, this happened during not one but two of my sets today (sets 2 and 4). On the last set, I was kind of in my head about whether it would happen again, and I also wondered if the sudden loss of bracing during multiple sets fatigued me a bit more than I otherwise would have been. No way to know.  Either way, I'm over it, and I'll be looking for a standard buckling leather weight belt tonight. 

Since I'm on call this week, Saturday is a normal workday for me, so the wife needed to run some errands after being with the kids all day.  That meant a shorter workout for me: no accessory stuff today. 

Edited January 7 by DoctorOfCrush

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 1/7/24:
Calf raises: +15kg x 35, 15, 15 (10 sec b/n sets)
Anterior tibialis raises: 8.75kg x 30, 15, 15 (30 sec b/n sets)

A1. Grippers, right hand: 132 x 1 make | 141 x 2 misses  |  139 x 1  | 137 x 1 miss | 135 x 1 | 117 x 4, 3, 4 | 117 x 10 click closes to overcrush
A2. Grippers, left hand:  121 x 1 make | 126 x 1 miss  | 121 x 3 singles | 109 x 4, 3, 4 | 109 x 16 click closes to overcrush
   B1. Janda Situps: 5 sets of 5
   B4. Weighted decline situps: +15kg x 4 sets of 10; 1 set of 15

Dumbbell Reverse Wrist Curls: 15lb - right x 27, 10, 7, 7, 6 (+3 partials) | left x 23, 10, 7, 6, 6 (+3 partials)  (20 sec rest b/n sets)
EZ Bar Wrist Curl: 43lb x 30, 18, 12  (60 sec b/n sets)
Thumb Strap Weighted Pronation: 7.8kg - left x 36, 26, 13, 8; drop set 5kgx10 | right x 40, 20, 14, 8; drop set 5kgx10 (10 sec b/n sets)
Stretching

Sobering but informative workout. I was hoping against hope that the 139 closes from last week might mean I was about broach back into the 140s, but I've said here before that I suspect my old 139 Super Master has lost a few lbs over the years; today was the first time I've done a direct, mid-workout A-B comparison.  After missing the 141 by quite a bit (a good 3-4 mm), I decided I needed to quit fooling myself and see where I stand, especially as this is the first gripper workout of the year. I could still hit the 139, but then I missed the 137. Based on how the 135 and 137 felt, I would suspect my Super Master is in the 134-136 range. It's kind of a bummer, but it's better to know where I currently stand: 135. 

Going forward, I'm going to focus on quality singles followed by volume, similar to what I have been doing recently. I'll follow the advice from a @bencrush / @Mashmonster268 blog post from a while ago where you do as many quality singles with your top gripper as possible. I've followed this in the past and liked it. It also suggests a second gripper day with choked closes from increasing distances, but I'll just stick to one day for now unless a plateau. I may try to fit some heavy setting in somewhere just to get more touches. Pressing day? I'm just at a stage where I prefer slow progress to aggravating injuries. I"m not sure when I'll retest, but it may be when I'm hitting 5+ quality singles with a particular gripper. I'll go longer if I have to, but the workouts start to get really long if I'm doing 8-10 singles with adequate rest followed by volume reps followed by wrist work. Based on where I stand and my gripper collection, I have 2 pound jumps for the foreseeable future (i.e. all the way to 150+).  

[Mashmonster268]

@DoctorOfCrushThanks for the mention! I like your focus. And I think you will reap great returns with your patience and persistence. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

7 minutes ago, Mashmonster268 said:

@DoctorOfCrushThanks for the mention! I like your focus. And I think you will reap great returns with your patience and persistence. 

Thanks. The handles of my 150 have just gone too long without being closed. This is the year. I feel like putting 15 lbs on current crush (on 6 lbs in my PR from last year) is doable. Just have to keep the elbows happy and stay after it. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Accountability time, like I mentioned in @Douglas Carney’s log. 

I feel like my diet is pretty well dialed in as I meal prep for 3 of 4 meals per day and make sure I’m getting 150-200g protein/day. Doing what I’ve been doing has allowed me to continue to get stronger with body comp shifts and a pretty much stagnate weight for about a year with mild fluctuations in the 200-210lb range. Given those static factors, I figure just adding a little bit of cardio will move the needle. I love me some kettlebell swings/work, and that would certainly get the job done quicker, but I need something that I can do somewhat mindlessly while also getting other things done (i. e. Working all the time), and I also wanted something that would have minimal impact on my strength goals. 

Enter the under desk treadmill. 

I plan on putting in some walks throughout the week to see what happens. I’m able to do it in the morning while working at my standing desk before I go to work (welcome to the life of a fledgling attending). I’ll also try to weigh myself on those mornings  

This AM: 1 hr, 3.3 miles. 

Weight 1/8/24: 207.6 lb. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

New rep PR on deadlift. I’ll post the rest of the workout later, probably tomorrow. 
 

 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 1/9/24:
Deadlift (double overhand, with straps): 150kg / 331lb x 5, 5, 5, 5, 10
Belt squat: 20kg x 10, 30kg x 10, 35kg x 10, 10, 10
Flask: 'transfers' - 21.5kg x 5/side | 29.1kg x 5/side | 30.4kg x 5/side | 31.9kg x 6/side | 34.7kg x 3/side
            One-handed reps - 34.7kg x single on right, assisted single on left | three singles on right, three assisted singles on left

I was supposed to do more, but the deadlift volume slowed me down. 150kg x10 is a rep PR. Got a little hitch-y at the end when the bar was getting stuck to the skin of my thigh. I know that the 1RM calculators lose a lot of value as the reps increase, but the estimate from that set is 200kg!  

I'm getting used to the awkwardness of the belt squats, so I'll probably start pushing them a bit. I get a nice burn with them in this rep range, even at pretty low weight. 

I'm not sure what else to call what I did with the flask. Basically, I pick it up like a normal 2-hand lift then alternating taking each hand off for 1-2 secs. Gives me a lot of time under tension, and even when I'm pausing/resting briefly between reps, I'm still having to hold the weight, albeit with two hands. The assisted singles that I did on the left are just using my right hand to help get it lock out and then holding it there briefly and slowly guiding the weight down with only the left. 

 

Weight 1/10/24: 206.1 lb (-1.5 lb)

[John Knowlton]

KILLER DEADLIFTS

[DoctorOfCrush]

7 hours ago, John Knowlton said:

KILLER DEADLIFTS

Thanks, John! I came into the workout wanting 10 on the AMRAP set. I was feeling good on my warmup sets, and I was maintaining bar speed. 120 felt lighter than it ever has. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 1/11/2024:
Overhead press: 55kg / 121lb x 5, 5, 5, 5, 9
Pause DB Bench Press: 55lb x 4 sets of 10, 1 set of 9. 
A. Triceps pushdown (cable-straight bar): 20kg x 5 sets of 15
B. Standing alternating DB curls: 14kg x 5 sets of 12/side
C. Reverse DB fly: 20lb x 5 sets of 15

I'm liking this as a early morning workout the past couple of weeks (6-7:20 this AM). A lot of volume today as this particular wave peaks. Really focused on the bottom stretch on the DB bench, and I couldn't quite lock out the final rep of the last set. Had to keep the pace up during this workout to make sure I could get to work on time, and that made for a mean pump and a mean sweat. 

[John Knowlton]

Nice workout, I agree with you on the early-morning workouts.

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 1/13/24:
Squat: 107.5kg / 237 lb x 5, 5, 5, 5, 9
SLDL: 90kg x 5 sets of 10

Not a squat PR (I've done 110x10), but definite progress from last week with 5 more kilos for the same reppage. The new belt (see below) started pinching me a bit during my top set, which was distracting. Might've squeaked out another rep if it weren't for that, but who knows. 

I'm done feeling bad about not doing the prescribed accessory work from this program. It's mostly for hypertrophy, which I'm generally less interested in. Regardless, I'm making progress and staying injury-free, which matters most. I'll just do them when I can and won't when I can't. If the training stimulus without them is no longer enough, I'll re-assess. 

New stuff arrived!

My annoyance with my velcro weight belt hit critical mass, so I ordered a new buckle-style leather belt from Rogue. Today was spent getting used to it.  I used it on every warmup set to get used to it, and it will take some practice to get the positioning just right.  It pinched me during a few sets, but minor adjustments fixed it. 

This month's GB challenge finally pushed me to get something I've always wanted (let's get real: NEEDED) : the Silver Bullet!  I'll try it out for my submission tomorrow when I'm training grippers. 

Lastly, I picked another thing I've always wanted: the Rolling Thunder! I picked this one up from @Cannon in great condition. I'll take it for a little ride on Tuesday. I'm considering easing back into rolling handle stuff by alternating weeks with the Flask. Just gotta keep the elbows happy. . . 

[John Knowlton]

it always fun to get new stuff

Edited January 14 by John Knowlton

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 1/14/24:
A. Grippers:
   R: 135 x 3 singles, 2 misses | 121 x Silver Bullet x 32 seconds |  117 x 3 | 115 x Silver Bullet x 36 seconds
   L: 121 x 3 singles, 2 misses | 109 x 6, 5, 5 | ~110 x 10 clicks to OC/Neg
B1. Janda situps: 5 x 5
B2. Decline situps: 15kg x 5 sets of 15

First day doing my singles workout.  I felt pretty strong, and I thought I would get quite a few more reps, but this leaves room for improvement. On the fourth attempt, I had some bad sets so I thought I could keep going, but I missed the next set despite a good set (still very close, like 1-2mm), so I called it.  Goal next week will be 4+ with both hands.

This was my first time ever attempting a Silver Bullet. I was hoping to get more with my 121, but oh well.  I'll take another crack at my 115 next week to see how much closer I can get to 55 sec (for the January challenge) when I'm fresh. Boring videos below. I took a crack at reps after the SB, but as expected, I was spent. Reps felt good on the 109 on my left though. I'll probably start using my SG adjustable Iron spring set to ~110 next week to see how that goes. 

For the Janda situps, I added another 5kg to my counter weight for the sets 3-5, and I really started to feel it more. Same for the adding 5 reps to every set of the weighted decline situps. Might feel all that later. 

I had a meeting this afternoon, so I couldn't do some of my other work. I'll either do it later tonight or tomorrow (off for MLK!). 

 

 

Edited January 14 by DoctorOfCrush

[John Knowlton]

Way cool

[DoctorOfCrush]

Decided to squeeze the rest of my workout in so that I could have an off-day tomorrow to play in the snow with the girls and not think about it. 

Workout #2, 1/14/24:
Calf raises: 15kg x 40, 20, 18, 15, 12; BW drop set 15 (10 sec b/n sets)
Anterior tibialis raises: 8.75kg x 40, 20, 15, 10 (20 sec b/n sets)
DB Reverse wrist curls: 15lb x right - 25, 11, 8, 7, 6 | left - 25, 9, 7, 7, 6 (20 sec b/n sets)
Wrist curls: 50.6lb x 28, 14, 12, 11, 9 (60 sec b/n sets) 
Thumb strap weighted pronation: 10kg x left - 30, 10, 25*; 30 sec hold | right - 30, 12, 7; 32 sec hold (10 sec b/n sets) 

I had to stop with my left thumb because I started to feel painful tension in my wrist, so I broke the sets up and moved over to my right. When I returned to my left, it didn't hurt so I could knock out one more set. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

1 hour walk this AM: 3.6 miles

Weight 1/15/24: 204.9 (-2.7 lb) 

[John Knowlton]

Nice, a little family time in the snow 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Terrible roads = histotechnologists can't get in on time = delayed stains/slides = no need to go in early = MORNING WORKOUT! It was -2F with a wind chill of -12F this AM, so I had to go out early and setup a little heater in the gym. I also had to put my shoes back on in between barefoot deadlifting sets. 

Workout 1/17/24:
Deadlift (double overhand w/ straps): 135kg / 298lb x 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 15
Belt Squat: 40kg x 8, 45kg x 8, 8
Rolling thunder: 59.1kg, 50kg x 2 sets of 5
Lat Pulldown, Single Arm: 20kg x10/side, 30kg x 3 sets of 10/side

Well that's another deadlift PR in the books. With how all my non-calibrated plates have been weighing heavy plus my clips, this was likely above 300, but I just go off nominal weight for these. This also demonstrates even better than last week how silly the 1RM calculators are at higher reps. This set results in an estimated 1RM of 221kg / 487lb, which would essentially be a 100lb PR . Next week the working weight will be 155kg, and I'm shooting for 10. 

I'm getting more used to the belt squat setup.  I show it below. I would like to be able to go a bit deeper without bottoming out the loading pin, so I may stack even more weight going forward, but I think now I can push the weight a bit more now. 

This was the very first time working with the Rolling Thunder. It's been a few months since I have done any rolling handle work, but I thought my top set was at least OK.  Certainly way off of getting the CTD cert, but I think I can get there. I got the 59.1kg / 130lb to lockout on the left but only broke ground on the right. I think going forward I may alternate weeks of pinch and rolling handle. I'm not sure if once every 14 days will be enough stimulus for progress, but we'll see. 

 

[John Knowlton]

nice work

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 1/18/24:
Overhead press: 52.5kg / 116lb x 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 12
Pause DB bench press: 60lb/side x 3 sets of 8
A. Triceps pushdown (cable-straight bar): 25kg x 10, 10, 10, 15
B. Standing alternating DB curls w/ Fat Gripz: 13.3kg x 8, 10, 10, 12 (/side)
C. Reverse DB fly: 25lb x 10, 10, 10, 15

Finally felt like I made a little bit of progress on press. It's been feeling a bit stagnant. This wave of the program calls for lower reps on accessories, so I upped the weights on a few movements. Instead of upping the weight on the curls, I just switched to Fat Gripz for added challenge.  For next week, I'll add a set to everything (except the main OHP movement), but I think I'll need to up the weights on pushdown and reverse flies to keep them in the 8-10 range. 

Forearms are a little sore from rolling handle work but thankfully no pain. 

[John Knowlton]

It’s always good to change things around from time to time 

[DoctorOfCrush]

 

9 hours ago, John Knowlton said:

It’s always good to change things around from time to time 

Agreed!

[DoctorOfCrush]

1 hour walk this AM: 3.5 miles

Weight 1/19/24: 206.2 (-1.5 lb)

[Blacksmith513]

46 minutes ago, DoctorOfCrush said:

 

1 hour walk this AM: 3.5 miles

Weight 1/19/24: 206.2 (-1.5 lb)

Good job, nice pace for an early morning walk.