Midway point in the strength quarter

Quick update, 3 weeks into the 3x10 sets and I am LOVING it.

It must have been the extra calories, or the fact that it is really about breaking a number this time, and that I have time (1 to 6 sets) to work my way up to it, but the feelings are fantastic.

Fear, right before the target set. fear of injury, mostly, but also fear of failure. Then the cues, slowly wiring themselves into the brain, finding ways to activate patters. Then when the bar starts moving and I know "I have this!" it is really pure elation.

Quick cues summary (there are many that pop in and out of existence like unpredictable quantum particles)

Dead-lift - GENERATE TENSION.

This cue neutralizes the curve of my spine, puts my chest out and well open, and starts pulling slack off the bar.

Chest press - SQUEEZE BAR + DRIVE BACK INTO BENCH

This is a slow one. I am not nearly explosive enough at the bottom part of the movement, but it is getting better. Slightly more angled elbows also helped.

Squat - DRIVE LEGS INTO GROUND

Mostly low-bar squats, I am trying to stay at least close to parallel. Also a slow grower, but I am getting more confident.

Overhead press - various DRAGONBALL images and mental shouts

This is my black sheep. Stuck at the 33-36 kg plateau since forever, and that is not even a good number to begin with. Technique sucks, strength is lacking. Too much fear. This will be my Mt. Everest! I am, however, getting much better at straight pull ups, all grips. Under hand grip with 28 kg kettle bell for 3 reps x 5 sets!


Now a quick break until Tuesday, so 5 days, with maybe a jog and some body weight in between, because I feel BEAT tendon-muscle-joints-ligaments wise. 

Phase 1 done, from 4*8 to 5*5. Pain ahead!

The first phase is supposed to last just 4 weeks, out of 12 total. It is the phase when all your 4 prime movers get a 4x8 volume. You are supposed to build some muscle mass here, and some muscular endurance before the actual strength work begins. I made it in 7 weeks, with a few interruptions, a few "just conditioning" workouts, and definitely one extra week of "let me try again that overhead press top set....one last time" to see with what numbers I would have to enter phase 2.

Too much, and I set myself up for failure and injury. Too little, and I am wasting time and not growing. A fine balance!

Anyway, phase 1 was tough but rewarding, although there is nothing like strongman training for a beginner to make you feel worthless, from time to time. You just cannot help but think, on the tough days when the barbell does not want to move, about all the years spent doing body-building type of work, without a real target or goal in mind, just "stay in shape". Sure you do look better, and you get a bit stronger, but the day of reckoning is only postponed, until you pick up some real barbell training. Then all your weaknesses are brutally exposed, and your brain spontaneously withdraws to the crocodile area and fires up thought like

"if this was a beam trapping a family member, could I lift it just ONCE?"

"if I was pinned down by a tiger, could I press her away?"

"if I was to carry a mate to safety, could I bear that weight on my shoulders?"

"if I had to throw something heavy as far as I can, how good would I be?"

and then you realize that you are just a weak city slicker, who runs out of gas way sooner than your body was designed for.

and then you power through, crappy workout after crappy workout, until things do get better.

Now I am a bit worried, because the 4x8 volume was intense, and now it is time to go 5x5. The progression is that if I hit "100" in my last and best top set for week 4 (week 7 for me) x 8, then I SHOULD be able to hit 115 x 5 in the second phase. That, for me, is scary. The last top sets were at the very cusp of what I could reasonably move without a spotter or a coach or ...anything really. We will see how it goes, I am looking forward to epic pain and hopefully some gains.

What I am sure I will take home is a ton of humility (never hurts) and a ton of mental fortitude (also not too bad) for which I have to thank both Brian Alsrhue and Alan Thrall! 

First set-back, back to bro-splits before I could even begin strongman work

Today begins with a set-back. The come back to the gym was a few days too soon, that is, I could not wait until the end of this heat wave that will last until next Friday. It is late September, and to work-out in 30-32 degrees in a BERLIN gym is just not acceptable. I should have stuck with running for a few more days, conditioning, pull-ups/pushups.

The intention was to follow Brian Alsrhue EXCELLENT and free (wow, just wow) strength program. It is featured here, as a guest-vlog on Alan Thrall's untamed strength channel

Incorporating strongman work

Do watch it, and then subscribe to Brian's channel. he is both very strong and very knowledgeable, athletic, and practices what he preaches. A rare combo.

Well, in that insane heat, even with the warm up, and a gradual increase in weight, I simply could not do more than 1-2 dead-lifts with 60kg (total. a laughable load). To top it off my lower back is now contracted into a tight knot. Hopefully it will go away soon, but bending forward is painful.

I also pin it on a long hiatus, poor rest, and lack of concentration and focus (which led to improper form), but the heat in the gym still takes the biscuit for the main factor. My bad for still trying it out of guilt, rather than out of single-minded determination.

With a bit of luck I can still do exercise until I am healed. Sadly, I have to wait for the proper strength work, and be content with the bro-splits that should really be assistance work at this point (like curls of all kind, isolation work etc...)

Then some movement, gentle, very gentle, in the hurt area. Like Brian says: blood heals. Gotta get the blood to go to the damaged area, and fix it quick.

More on that later.

M.

Brian Alsruhe's channel

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