Developing The Crushing And Healing Hand

[Cannon]

1 minute ago, Blacksmith513 said:

But for some reason I sang it in my head to the tune of Dolly Parton's "Jolene".

That's what I was going for!!

[DoctorOfCrush]

1 hour ago, Cannon said:

I like calling those JoAnn bottle caps. 

 JoAnn, JoAnn, JoAnn JOOAAANNNN
She's a bottle cap woman
Even though she can  

I think that's what he was going for haha. 

This took me way too long to look this bad 

[DoctorOfCrush]

1 hour ago, Cannon said:

I like calling those JoAnn bottle caps. 

Yeah, I like it too.  I feel like once the context is lost, it will add to the lore of the short-lived tags. 

"Wait, who was JoAnn?"  
"I think it was Matt's mom."
"No, no, no. It was what's-his-name's wife who would come to all the grip comps back in the day."
"No, y'all are both wrong. It was. . . . " 

Edited February 13 by DoctorOfCrush

[Blacksmith513]

29 minutes ago, DoctorOfCrush said:

I think that's what he was going for haha. 

This took me way too long to look this bad 

Dolly Parton with a gripper... Theres not many times i wish i was 45 years older but this is certainly one of them. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 2/13/24:
Deadlift (double overhand w/ straps): 165kg / 364lb x 3, 3, 9
A. Pause Back Squat: 80kg x6 | 90kg x 2 sets of 6 | 95kg x6
B. Rolling Thunder: 
     20kg | 40kg | 50kg | 55kg | 62.5kg x make on left, miss on right | 63.75kg x miss on both
     45kg x 8/side, 8/side, 12/side
Reverse formulator: 3.75kg x 3 burnout sets
stretching

Boom deadlift PR. I did this weight two weeks ago and got 7, but that was after 5 sets of 4 at that weight, so I figured I would be able to get more reps out since I would be considerably more fresh. The weight next week is 175kg. I have only ever done that for a double, so I plan on blowing that out of the water. 

Pause squats were way harder with just 5 more kg. I won't add weight next week. I want to focus more on positioning, which started to fall apart on the top set. 

This was only my second time attempting heavy singles with the Rolling Thunder. I just wanted to see where I stand like I did with the Flask before I start doing a few weeks of volume. 62.5kg is a PR. Got it on the left and broke ground on the right. Broke the ground with 63.75kg with the left, but I couldn't get it to lockout. I'll probably do 5x8+ for a few weeks (every other week alternating with Flask). I haven't decided yet what the endpoint looks like. Long way to go before crushed to dust. . . 

 

Edited February 14 by DoctorOfCrush

[John Knowlton]

NICE WORK

SUPER DEEP SUQATS.

[DoctorOfCrush]

1 hour ago, John Knowlton said:

NICE WORK

SUPER DEEP SUQATS.

Thanks! Gotta stay limber and strong in those positions!

[DoctorOfCrush]

45-min walk: 2.85 miles

Daughter has a dental appt this AM, so I just did what I could. 

Weight 2/15/24: 203.4lb (down 4.2 lb)

Presses tonight. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 2/15/24:
Overhead Press: 60kg / 132lb x 3, 3, 9 (pr)

A. DB 1.5 Bench Press: 55lb x 4 sets of 6
B. Fat Gripz Curls: 16kg / 35lb x 8/side, 8/side, 8/side, 10/side

A. Seated DB Overhead Press: 45lb x 6 | 50lb x 3 sets of 6
B. Face Pulls: 10kg / 22lb x 10, 10, 10, 12

A. Tricep Pushdown (cable, straight bar): 25kg / 55lb x 12, 12, 12, 10
B. Flask, 2-Hand: 57.5kg / 127lb x 8, 8, 8, 8, 10

Hub: 
     Right: 10kg | 12.5kg | 13.75kg | 15kg | 17.75kg / 39lb (pr) | 19.3kg miss
     Left: 10kg | 12.5kg | 13.75kg | 15kg miss

Reverse Formulator: 3.75kg x 23, 9, 10, 10, 7  (30 sec rest b/n sets)
stretching

When life give you lemons, you squeeze the hell out them!

Today was a perfect storm of getting home early, wife still working, kids still at the grandparents, a good night's sleep, and good nutrition throughout the day. The result: this 2 hour and 15 minute workout where my watch says I burned 1,250 active calories. 

I was stoked to get the OHP PR (a few weeks ago I hit 8 at this weight). Next week will be the heaviest pressing I've done this cycle at 65kg. We'll see how that goes. 

This is the first time I have ever done face pulls, and they felt great. I had a mean rear delt/rotator cuff pump doing those. Supersetting with the seated OHP worked well because my upper back is supported by the seat so it isn't overtaxed and wobbly. 

Since I had the time, I went ahead and did some Flask volume work. During regular weeks, tricep extensions will be supersetted with reverse wrist formulator. 

I've only messed with the IM hub a few times, but I was glad to hit a PR. 39lb actually felt really good and flew up, but then the next set at 42.5lb was absolutely glued to the ground. I would normally drop down and wave back up for real PR attempts, but this workout was already wicked long. So it seems like I'm not too far off the CTD numbers for this.  Too bad I need like 30kg on my RT....

I'll probably do some additional soft tissue work and stretching of my forearms before going to sleep to stave off any effects of overworking them this week. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Walk: 62 minutes, 4 miles

Weight 2/16/24: 203.9lb

[John Knowlton]

Killer shoulder press, nice work

[DoctorOfCrush]

2 minutes ago, John Knowlton said:

Killer shoulder press, nice work

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 2/17/24:
Squat: 117.5kg / 259lb x 3, 3, 6
SLDL: 115kg x6 | 120 x2 sets of 6 | 125kg / 276lb x6
Front Squat: 60kg x6 | 70 x6 | 80 x6 |  85kg / 187lb x6

Squats felt alright. I think I could've gotten 7 or 8, especially after watching it back.  I think it just felt a bit harder than it actually was. I never want them to get too grind-y. I looked back through my log, and I'm still about 5kg off my PRs (I did 122.5 x6 back in August). Getting there. 

I tried out some front squats for the first time in a while, and they felt pretty good. By far the hardest part was getting any air in on reps 5 and 6 of each set. I feel like I could push the weight a lot more on, say, triples. 

Grippers tomorrow. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 2/18/24:

Calf raises: 20kg x 25, 20, 15, 15, 15  (10 sec b/n sets)
Anterior tibialis raises: 10kg x 28, 16, 12, 13 (30 sec b/n sets)

A. Grippers:
      Right: 
                137 x 2 misses  |  132 x 1, miss
                BB Grand Master (150) Choked at 20mm x 1, miss, 1
                Super drop set: 117x5 > 109x4 > 101x3 > 96x3 > 84x3 > 73x7 > 60x14
      Left, MMS: 
                 126 x 1, 2 misses | 121 x 2 misses 
                 109 x 3, 4
                 Super drop set: 109x4 > 101x2 > 96x1 > 85x2 > 73x10 > 60x15
B: Behind-the-Neck Push Press

Reverse Formulator curls: 3.75kg x 26, 17, 8, 10  (30 sec b/n sets)
Wrist curls, cable straight bar: 20kg x 30, 25, 17, 15, 20 (60 sec b/n sets)

stretching

Woof, lackluster gripper workout here. Grippers may or may not have been thrown (none were harmed). I just didn't have my last 5-10% there at all. I hope that this is just the result of a failed experiment where I did both rolling handle and 2-hand pinch volume in the same week (on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively). This coming week, I will go back to only doing one or the other each Tuesday. Hopefully that will give me enough recovery time, and this is not the harbinger of some sort of backslide on grippers. Out of frustration, I put my hands through some harsh super drop sets at the end where I transitioned to each new gripper as quickly as possible. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

30 min walk before dinner: 1.86 miles

1 hour walk before bed: 3.86 miles

Gotta make up for some pizza and beer this weekend. 

[John Knowlton]

Pizza and beer , that is a food group right?

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 2/20/24:
Deadlift (double overhand w/ straps): 175kg / 386lb x 7  (PR)
Rolling Thunder: 47.5kg x 2 sets of 8/side | right x 13 | left x15
Reverse Formulator: 3.75kg x 28, 10, 8, 9, 5    (30 sec rest b/n sets)
stretching

Big deadlift PR tonight. This is still the heaviest weight I have ever picked up. I have never gone for a single beyond this weight, but tonight called for a single 3+ set. The only other time I have done this weight was at the end of July when I did it for just 2 reps, so this was a huge 5-rep increase. I'm excited to see what I pull by the end of this cycle. . . 

Rolling thunder felt pretty good. I found tonight that it I feel more powerful if I focus really hard on fingertip pressure.  That cue seems to work for me. I'll try to take that forward and see what that does for me. 

 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 2/22/24:
Overhead Press: 65kg / 143lb x7

A. DB 1.5 Bench Press: 60lb/hand x6, 6, 6, 6 (+6 more straight reps)
B. Fat Gripz DB Curls: 16kg / 35lb x 3 sets of 10/side | 1 set 11/side

A. Seated Overhead Press: 50lb/side x6, 6, 6, 9
B. Face Pull: 10kg x 12 | 12.5kg x 3 sets of 12

A. Tricep Pushdown (cable, straight bar): 25kg x 3 sets of 12 | 1 set of 16
B. Reverse Formulator: 3.75kg x 25, 19, 21, 18 

stretching

This is just a fun workout. Pushed myself on the top sets of most movements and felt pretty strong. The only downside of this workout is that setting up for seated DB overhead press is kind of awkward. 

Next week starts the wave of doubles in the strength movements. 
 

[DoctorOfCrush]

1-hour walk: 3.83 miles

Weight 2/23/24: 203.9lb

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 2/24/24:
Squat: 122.5kg / 270lb x 5
SLDL: 120kg / 265lb x 4 sets of 6
Front Squat: 60kg x 4, 70kg x 2 sets of 4

I've done this weight for 6, but I was happy to get 5.  I feel like this was one of those sets where I could've gotten more, maybe 6-7, if I hadn't been training alone and I'd had someone else pushing me. Next week is the start of doubles, which I haven't done much of, so I'm excited to give that a shot. 

I wanted to do front squats for a couple of heavier sets of 4, but my right leg started bothering me. I did a second set at 70 to see if that would help, but I just called it. 

Grippers tomorrow. 

 

[DoctorOfCrush]

 

Workout 2/25/24:

Calf raises: 25kg x 27, 21, 18  (10 sec b/n sets)
Anterior tibialis raises: 11.25kg x 26, 13, 12 (30 sec b/n sets)

A. Grippers:
      Right: 
                137 x miss, 3 singles, miss, 3 singles, miss 
                BB Grand Master (150) Choked at 20mm x 3 singles
                117 x 14 click closes
      Left, MMS: 
                 126 x 10 singles
                 112 x 3, 3, 10 click closes
B: Behind-the-Neck Push Press

Wrist curls, cable straight bar: 25kg x 35, 18, 13 (60 sec b/n sets)
Plate rim pinch hold: 10kg/hand x 44s, 58s, 50s
Reverse Formulator curls: 3.75kg x 32, 15, 13, 10, 10  (30 sec b/n sets)

stretching

Better gripper workout this week. The two earlier misses at 137 felt like bad sets, so I kept going. The last miss was from actual fatigue. The left hand felt great. Really felt the handles smack on those singles. I'll attempt my 128 IM 2.5 next week. 

I'm going to continue this style for a few more weeks, then I'll switch over to some rep style/volume work when I start my next mesocycle. 

The plate rim pinch holds were to simulate a thumb blaster like movement to work my thumb. I liked them and my try them again. 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 2/27/24:
Deadlift (double overhand w/ straps): 152.5kg / 336lb x 2, 2, 2, 2, 12
A. Pause Back Squat: 90kg / 198lb x 4 sets of 5
B. Flask, 2-hand: 60kg / 132lb x 8, 8, 8, 8, 19!

I went into tonight wanting to hit 12 on my top set, so mission accomplished there. Weight next will be 170kg. 

I've learned that Flask, for me, requires resetting between reps (just wiggling my fingers to make sure they're in a good spot), and that I REALLY get the most bang for my buck if I briefly re-chalk my fingertips as needed. Some of the sets, I didn't need to do this and others I needed to for reps 7 & 8. Each time I do this,  I come off the Flask for maybe 3-5 sec to grab the chalk next to me then get right back on it. 

That top set on the Flask was a grind. I used the re-chalking tactic every 3-4 reps after around 7, and it really helped me push my hands to what felt like their limit. I got the 20th rep on the ground for a few inches, but it ultimately slipped. My thumbs were raw after that, but thankfully they did not rip on me. 

 

 

 

[DoctorOfCrush]

Workout 3/1/24:
Overhead Press: 60kg / 132lb x 2, 2, 2, 2, 9

A. DB 1.5 Bench Press: 65lb/hand x 5, 5, 5, 5 (+5 more straight reps)
B. Standing DB Curls: 40lb x 3 sets of 8/side | 1 set 10/side

A. Kettlebell Press, 2-arm: 24kg/hand x 5, 5, 5, 8
B. Face Pull: 15kg x 4 sets of 12

A. Tricep Pushdown (cable, straight bar): 27.5kg x 3 sets of 10 | 1 set of 14
B. Reverse Formulator: 3.75kg x 25, 20, 18, 20 

stretching

I had to wake up at 4:30 to make this work this morning, so I didn't have high hopes, but it turned out ok after all. 9 reps matches my best at 60kg from a couple of weeks ago. I was still feeling a bit of thumb DOMS from my pinch work, so I gave my hands a bit of a break and did regular curls instead of Fat Gripz, but I did up the weight a little.  The last few workouts I haven't liked the awkwardness of the seated overhead dumbbell press, so I opted for kettlebell press. I forgot how much I love doing these, but I have to keep an eye on my elbows.