Go with the flow!

[Espi]

Wednesday Jan 24
TRAINING cycle 6 – day 28
Aiming for 15 reps

chins
(BW+3 kg) x 2
BW x 2

step ups
(BW+4kg) x 15

1-leg press
14,5 kg x 18

goblet squat
24kg x15

Smith squat
30kg x10
55kg x 8
50kg x 15-5

In slow SS with
DL
40kg x 15
52,5 kg x 10
65kg x 10
60kg x 15-10

supine (overhand) row
BW x 8

incline db press
(12kg x2) x 17

bb press
25kg x 10
35kg x 10
30kg x15 - 12

Yates supine bb row
37,5kgx13
35kg x 17-15

triceps rope pushdown
11,25kg x20

Cardio
Skipped it.


Comment
General: nothing noteworthy to mention, except for the general ‘blah’ feeling. One of the rare times I even thought about staying at home. Felt weak , skipped sets and all of the cardio. Even got a headache near the end. A sure sign TOM is approaching and reminding me why I pick light weights for the last workouts pre-TOM. Strength and endurance totally sucked today. Spent way too much time chatting with people too. Anything to avoid working out

Training statistics
Rep index: 230 reps/hr (75min)
Volume: 11002kg
Total gym time: 75 mins.
# of sets: 24 - # of reps 287 - avg reps/set : 12,0 - kg/rep 38,3 kg

[UConnJulie]

How's the tingling? I'd second Galya's opinion about seeing someone under the assumption that it is musculoskeletal in origin and not chemical ...

[Espi]

Tsk.. I thought it was going to be easy to see a therapist.
I've called one and e-mailed another .. both have a waiting list of 1 month!!!
The 2nd one suggested seeing a doctor and get medication until I would be able to see him , so that it doesn't bother me as much

It used to be that I could go to a physicla therapist immediately upon seeing my home physician and asking for a reference. Nowadays people can go there without that reference and apparently demand has exploded since then!

I've got an appointment for 10 min with the physiotherapist that comes in for free to see people of my gym once every month. That will happen even faster, but still has to wait till Feb 6!

[galya]

Bummer, sorry to hear that. We have two types of doctors here, and one type you can see right away (for a fee). At least you have a friend in Bulgria now, if it ever gets really bad you can fly over and get things checked out here
You don't go to failure on chins anymore

[Espi]

It's almost shocking to find out how long the waiting lists are to see any specialist.
Tonight I slept really badly, possibly also because carbs were a tad too low, so I woke at 4am (4hrs after going to bed) and ate 10 fresh dates , (not fresh fresh, but still very soft: yum!!) and took 2 tryptophan caps.

This morning I called the physician and made an appointment for this afternoon. Hopefully something will happen sooner than getting to see a physical therapist after a month and perhaps it's not even what I suspect it is.

The confusing part is really that the tingling has been going on for several months now but typically only at night after a low-carb day (not even keto-level low, just 50-ish grams) and would disappear after a higher-carb day (150-250g of carbs).
But now it seems to be a pinched nerve too. At the right side: painful shoulderblade/scapula, upper front deltoid, but also a bit of a weird feeling around elbow, numb middle fingers.

If I just knew what exactly was going on, then it wouldn't worry me so much. I'm imagining lots of worst-case scenarios now..

Re to working out.. I'll not lift weights until Feb 1 and just do 2 cardio sessions next week.
I'm still working on the new schedule and considering the symptoms think of doing less pullup-work and more bent-over-rows , completely the opposite of what I'd planned to do. Or.. if I do, no (heavy) weighted pullups.

[UConnJulie]

Bummer you had to wait so long for the physio ... hopefully your doctor will be able to do something to make you feel better ... ugh ... you are now having numbness? Definitely good that you are getting in to see the doc ...

[Espi]

Just back. She gave me the number of the dept. of the hospital where they diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome as this seems to be what it is.
Made phone call: first possible appointment date = Feb 6 , another 11 days.

She also said I might want to see a physio for my neck, and just keep calling until I find one that doesn't have a waiting list for 1 month.

[Espi]

[size=11pt]Saturday Jan 26[/size]
Cardio
Treadmill SS cardio
4 min WU 4,6 to 5km/hr @ 15%,
4 min 3 sprints @ 13km/hr every 2 mins
28 mins @ 5-6-5 km/hr @ 15-10-15%
2 min cooldown
428kcal – 642 kcal/hr (+21)
3,52km – 5,28 km/hr (-0,29)

Comment: decided to forego a more HILLs like approach because of joint problems (hip, knee, ankle and the stupid shoulder/wrists). HR was in the 120-140 range most of the time, and even sprinting barely got it over 150bpm. It even dropped down to 105 bpm for a while until I got that ‘second wind’ after approx. 25 mins and upped intensity again. Got those interesting ‘electricity’ feeling again at the end when I stopped, that’s supposedly the result of increased blood flow. Good stuff.

Considering the major joint/nerve problems I'm experiencing right now, it seems a good idea to put a bit less emphasis on pullups in the next routine and perhaps move RDL from being part of the 'leg' routine to the 'back' routine and then add heavier leg presses to the 'leg' routine because of the 'freed up space'. This new routine seems to take forever to develop.

[gregl515]

I am learning a lot from this log! Thanks!

[Espi]

Tuesday Jan 30
Cardio
Treadmill SS cardio
4 min WU 4,6 to 5km/hr @ 15%,
4 min 2 sprints @ 13km/hr every 2 mins
30 mins @ 5-6-5 km/hr @ 15-10-15%
2 min cooldown
431kcal – 647 kcal/hr (+5)
3,61km – 5,42 km/hr (+0,14)

Comment: it was a bit boring, only highlight was that I borrowed the HRM from the gym and saw that I’d equalled my previous highest observed HR on the first sprint: 167 bpm! Makes it very likely that my actual highest HR is not 170bpm but higher yet. On the bicycle, I've never seen anything beyond 164, but running seems to be different.

Sigh.. still not ready with my new routine. Never thought the waveloading would give me such a 'headache'. I think I'll try once again now I've read Ian King's Manifesto and let it finish after 8 workouts at 3RM-2RM-1RM and then work my way up by adding either 2kg for the dumbbells and 2,5 kg for the barbell routine.
I had been working on something like: 16-17-18 for the first series and then 17-18-19 for the second series, while it should be more like 15-18-21 and 16-19-22 = bigger steps in between the 3 consecutive sets and small steps between the 1st set of the first series and then the 1st set of the 2nd series.

[Espi]

Heh... made an important decision.. cut out the front squats for the wave loading and replace them by 1-legged leg presses. There's no way I can do heavy front squats, as it's still a matter of learning the technique. I'd wanted to do both waveloading for front squat and leg press but that would take too much time. So... ditch the front squat for the LEG dominant day and replace it to the pyramid down days!
That was a major stumbling block! Have to have the schedule ready by tomorrow when I'll be freewheeling a bit with a friend in another gym.

[Espi]

Finally finished planning for 3 out of 4 workouts.
The 4th one is solely devoted to longer cardio PLUS odd exercises and will change every (2nd) workout.

The working title is: Triple Anti-KISS - 2 (version 2 of an earlier similar workout schedule)

Tuesday
back: pull up ladder w added wt = 4-5 s heavy
hams: RDL = 1 WU set + 2x3s waveloading heavy
chest: incline db press 3s down moderate
biceps: EZ curl 3s down moderate
shoulders: face pull 3 s down moderate
abs: wood chop : 2s down moderate
quads: goblet squat 2s easy

Thursday
chest : db press = 1 WU set + 2x3s waveloading heavy
quads: goblet squat = 3s speed moderate
quads: bb front squat = 3s pyramid down moderate
triceps : EZ triceps extension = 3s pyramid down moderate
shoulders: BB Military Press = 3 s pyramid down moderate
abs: cable crunch 2s down moderate
hams: leg curl = 2s easy

Saturday
quads: leg press = 1 WU set + 2x3s waveloading heavy
hams: pull through = 3s speed moderate
back: pull up = 3s speed moderate
erector: good morning = 3s down moderate
back: bent-over-row = 3s down moderate
balance: step ups or lunges 2s down moderate
chest: pec deck 2s easy

Cardio on Tues-Thurs-Sat: 10 min interval cardio and if I feel like it another 10 min SS .
Cardio on Mon: 10 min rowing or step mill + 30 min HELLS
I might skip TM cardio for a while though, since my hip has been bothering me ever since I PR-ed on DL-ing and treadmill work seems to aggravate it. Perhaps replace with some rowing?

[galya]

Nice plan and I like the title! I would not do rowing, since the hips are involved, too, but see it it aggravates it any further.
Good luck, girl

[Espi]

I had to ditch a few things. I now only do one instead of 2 biceps and triceps exercies. Also Id thought to do 2 wave loading series : one for leg press and one for front squat because I still can't do heavy weights here. But then decided to switch the front squats to the medium workout.

It's nice to have a full body routine that at the same time can be seen as a 3-split.

I'm not sure exactly what makes the pain worse. It's not debilitating pain, just annoying. I think I'll try once again to find a physiotherapist who doesn't have a waiting list for 1 month. And.. of course, the tingling is still there, but it now just is barely noticeable.

[Espi]

Thursday Feb 1
TAK cycle 1 – day 28


db press – wave loading
(2x15kg) x 6
Wave 1 – 2
(2x17kg) x 6 – (2x18kg) x 6
(2x19kg) x 4 – (2x20kg) x 4
(2x21 kg)x 2 – (2x22 kg) x1

goblet squat for speed
16kg x 11-12

bb front squat
25kgx9
22,5 kg x 7 (toppled backwards)
20kg x 10

standing Military press
20kg x 7
20kg x 5

+ some lame attempts to do a push press w 20kg.

pull up, using gymnasts’ rings
BW x 2 -2

EZ-bar French press
27,5kg x1
20kg x 7
17,5 kg x10

cable crunch
12,5 kg x 32
15kg x 25

leg curl
20kg x 12
15 kg x 18

Cardio
None. Will be skipping it for a week.

Comment: geez, it’s way harder to work out in a different gym. I’m mostly trying to cram in a many sets as I can within 1 hr and feel bad when I can’t. Anyways.. got ‘r done. Most of it at least. Most of the chosen weights were a bit to much too heavy.
Next time I hope to not get lost for nearly 1 hour before I get to the gym.. aarrrrghh so frustrating! Also, next time I won’t try to do a fixed routine, but just have fun trying out new things.
Chest: next time I’ll start 1 kg lighter as I was already down to just 1 rep using 22 kg. Not good if I want to keep adding 1kg every other workout.
Quads: speed goblet squats were fun. The front bb squatting on the other hand nearly knocked me unconscious. First set I almost choked but managed OK. The 2nd set I pushed against my throat so hard that I fell over backwards. Made me think of wearing a helmet while doing dangerous stuff like this. Nothing really hurt except pride.
Shoulders: um… I don’t see myself military pressing 40kg by the end of this routine.. scratch that. I’d planned to start with 32,5 kg.. no way! Even 20kg was hard, what was I thinking.
Triceps: so, do you want to do extensions or French press? Apparently French presses are easier, so make up your mind.. probably I’ll try for extensions and lower the weight accordingly. Oh.. and redo the formula so I don’t make that mistake anymore to take 27,5 kg instead of 22,5kg.
Abs: only exercise that I started too light on.
Hams: just like with triceps, lying leg curl are a different animal than seated leg curl. 40 kg is easy on the seated, even 20 kg is hard on the lying one. Just like back then I’m ending with cramps in my calves trying too hard to hold onto the pads.


Training statistics
Rep index: 133 reps/hr
Volume: 4162kg
Total gym time: 90 mins.
# of sets: 23 - # of reps 201 - avg reps/set : 8,7 - kg/rep 20,7 kg

[galya]

Тhe first thing I see is anytime I see DB press and military press in the same workout I know one is gong to suffer. How did the push presses go? They've always been easier to me than the military presses, I just love squatting under weight and driving it back up