Monday 30th September 2024

Warmups

SSB squats: warmups, 160x1, 100x10

BFR Leg extensions: 20x40, x30, x30

BFR sissy squats: rev band x10

BFR Leg curls: 20x50

Notes

First session.  Squats felt ok, nothing too heavy yet.  

Plan for the next few months

Well.

Its been a long period of time stuck at the same weight.

I need to push down again.  Would like to end at 110, but will adjust as time allows.  I will be suffering, but don't want to suffer too much.

Plan is to increase steps, add in some muscle building exercises.  Then a diet that reduces energy, particularly CHO and Fat.

Will push through to Christmas, and then assess.  My next nationals are in May.  Sometime.  Nothing is set yet.  

Training is largely more bbr focussed, with an emphasis on some singles/heavy work, but largely higher reps lighter loads.  Attempt on some exercise to move closer to failure.  Goal is to grow slightly into Nationals.  This focus is to provide space to gain muscle.  I need to be bigger to be better, and I need to get stronger.  

Goals are to enable recovery of my shoulders.  They are damaged and i need to strengthen all aspects and recover.  Higher reps, more muscle, stronger shoulders, ready for some great gains into 2025.  I need a 750 total.  That requires a 260 squat, 200 bench and 290 deadlift.  
I do not think that is realistically much of a gain on where I ended 2024, but I could not expose those gains because I broke myself.

So, why did I break?  I think my lower back bit the bullet because of excessive loadings.  I was squatting similar to last block.  Twice per week, one high, one low, plus split squats were added in.  Then Deadlifts, Instead of leg curls I did RDLs.  So I added more deadlifts into the mix, while the paused deadlifts were continuing and pendlay rows were there.  So, exposures for lower back went from four per week to six per week.  I dont think I allowed myself enough recovery time.    

Bench.  I did less than ever, but it still broke.  But the shoulders had gotten progressively tighter over time, and my lean from the other injury got worse, until snap.  

So, the next approach is to update my plan.  On-season is focussed towards competition lifts, and getting that.  Accessories on-season are to maintain the special strength or muscle size, and then focus the load for the problem areas to the primary lifts.  

So, RDL off-season to build posterior, GMs, highbar/SSB squats, more quad work, more hamstring work.  Reps, burns.  Take some work from the Swedish and Japanese benchers, reps upon reps, not just heavy, even though it is pretty fun.

New Zealand Powerlifting Federation National Powerlifting Championships 2024, Sir Don Rowlands Event Centre, Karapiro

Pain. An unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling that associated with, actual or potential tissue damage.

Ten weeks of work lead to a quite a bit of pain.

But. Didn't let that get in the way of lifting (but I complained about it along the way).
Competed in the 120kg open class. Against a group of seven younger lifters, most of whom have been alive for less time than I have been lifting. (35 years...old).

I was never going to fair well in this group. Last year the winning total was 755 to 715 for third. And healthy, I think I could have been in the fight for the podium with those sort of numbers. But this year was a massive step up with the top four nominations over 800.
Then there is the pain. Likely felt too good and pushed too hard, and the body didn't appretiate it, so it handed in its notice. One lower back/SI issue that started on week 7 of training, and then the right shoulder joining the left shoulder in pain on my last heavy day - leaving not a lot of time to pivot. The shoulder had me more concerned as it also impacted my ability to retract my shoulder in deadlift.

My pre-injury ranges were looking extremely good... my post injury total ending up less than 1% under my best shows it would have achieved close to my expected numbers. Will get healthier and see if I can do something silly at Masters nationals 2025.
Squat I opened light, 215, which was easy, even with a red light on the right hand side (the injury side). Likely I was nervious of pain. Jumped to 232.5, and then 245, both deep and three white lights. A small increase over last year, and a new WCPA M2 Record.

I was most nervous for bench. I did some warmup band exercises and heat rub/massage gun, failed a couple of pushups which gave a lot of pain. I warmed up on bench, and if I did a fast eccentric and accepted it would hurt, the concentric wasnt bad. But significant pain affterwards. Opening at 160 still gave me a bit of nerviousness. Wasn't warrented. I was going to do the fast eccentric on the platform but my brain didn't let me. I just focussed that it was going to hurt - like Lightning McQueen, but instead of "speed" it was "pain". The new Hansu rack felt great, absolutely flawness, the bench height and pin height was indistinquisible from home. Weight was super easy. Jumped 10kg. Easy. So jumped another 10kg. Moved like an opener. So 180 was the same as last year. But faster. Even while in pain. The live stream commentators were highlighting it - made me laugh.

Deadlifts warmup went well. My entire right shoulder was pretty angry, so I was trying to ensure I got into the best position to allow the least loading on it. 250 opener moved ok, not as fast as it should have. Jumped big to 275. Only the second time I have lifted 5 reds in competition. Moved well. I was concerned about the right lockout, as I could feel the shoulder being pulled forward with the weight, still got a white light - the commentators thought I was losing grip but no, it was the shoulder. I took 285 for a small step up on both my National M2 deadlift and total record, which was a little too ambitious. As soon as it got off the ground I could feel the shoulder being pulled out of position so stopped it early.
Thats another 8/9 day. 700 total. Pleased. Since my second return to lifting I have made 90.7% of lifts I attempted. Pleased with that.

Things do not go to plan. Especially when older. Pivot, adapt, move. There will be a bit of pivoting for the next few months. Trying to get the body back to "healthy", to gain a bit more muscle, and get stronger.

Being able to compete in the open class while being a M2 is pretty cool.

Friday 13th September 2024

Walks

Warmups

Bench: warmups, 185x1, 175x2x2

Pulldowns

Pushdowns

Side raises

Notes

Bleh... not content with the left hand side being sore as shit, my right side has joined in.   But felt strong until then.  Was going to do my last squat/deadlift on Sunday, but will do it tomorrow and see if I want to do a bench session, or lay off until Tuesday night for a last session.   Friday next week is the competition time.  

Wednesday 11th September 2024

Walk
Warmups

Bench: warmups, 175x1x3

Adductor squeeze, RDL

Deadlifts: warmups, 230x1, 250x1

Notes

Things moved well.  Bench was really sore and slow, but its 175 and it wasn't terribly hard.  Shoulder is being a dick but moved.  Need to stabilise and relax.  Three more sessions for bench.  Deadlift moved well.  Didn't record 230 so decided on a 250 as a final step, it moved ok, hard but not impossibly hard.  Certainly no harder than my backdown last year at 255.  So, considering what happened a fortnight ago, pleased.  

Post training the SI is 'hurting' but not bad, just an ache.  One more lighter deadlift/squat day and I am done.  

Monday 9th September 2024 P.M.

Pulldowns: warmups, 50x20x4

Landmine press (both): warmups, 20x20x4

Single Arm Pushdowns: warmups, 12.5x20x4

Notes

Little bit of accessory work.  Just blood flow mainly.  Lower back is 'there' but not feeling too bad.  Happy with the progress made.   Thread the needle.  

Monday 9th September 2024

Walk

Adductor squeeze, lateral squats

Squats: warmups, 190x1, 220x1, 200x1

Warmups

Bench: warmups, 160x4x3

Notes

Back was tired but not sore before this.  Worked ok, the 220 moved, not as fast as I wanted but it moved.  More room to go.  Bench was ok considering my shoulder feels on the edge, its a Monday and I squatted before.  Could have gone a bit heavier but kept to RIR target a bit better.  

Saturday 7th September 2024

Walk

Warmups

Bench: warmups, 182.5x1, 167.5x3, 170x3

Closegrip pulldowns: 50x12, 70x12x3

Rope pushdown single: 10x12, 15x8x3

Landmine press: single arm some

Notes

Went better than I was expecting.  Should still hurts as does the elbow, but will worry about that later.  Happy with the 182.5.  Didn't plan that high but it moved pretty well.  Next week will be an early morning bench session, so will see how it goes.  

Friday 6th September 2024

Walk

Adductor squeeze, Lateral squats

Squats: warmups, 190x1

Deadlifts: warmups, 190x1

Copenhagen Adductor: 20x3

Notes

Just testing out the body.  I can feel the lower back, but its not a sharp pain.  Will track recovery and see how it goes.

Wednesday 4th September 2024

Walk

Warmups
Bench: warmups, 162.5x2x6

Rev grip pulldowns: 50x12x5

Pushdowns: 10x8, 15x8, 20x8x3

Notes

Ok.  Shoulder feeling a little unstable but it was ok overall.  It doesn't feel as good as it had been feeling.  But it is Wednesday so its not the normal feeling.
I will attempt to squat/deadlift on Friday, so will see how it progresses.  

Monday 2nd September 2024

Walk

Warmups

Bench; warmups, 150x5x3

Pulldowns: 50x12, 70x8x3

Side raises: 2.5x12, 5x12x3

Notes

Forgot my pushdowns, but did bench and that.  Lower back still a bit funky so just going to give it to at least Friday before loading it.   Sometimes it feels great, others it hurts.  Still weird.   Its getting better each day though.   I also really need to get less food in my cakehole, as its going to be way too hard to hit weight at this rate.