PL Log

[Trusylver]

I keep another journal but it won't hurt to record here as well although a rest day does not make a great opening post for a log. Although I am not from Singapore, sinful was looking for some new members here and some members may find this log of interest.

Background - participating in a lot of different sports my primary sport is powerlifting, I am a former state and national champion in my division but have not been able to compete for 3 years due to a calcified rotator cuff. After 3 years of rehab and slowly rebuilding shoulder strength I am ready to begin competing again with the goal of breaking the National RAW bench record in the Masters age group for my weight division. The calcified shoulder will never fully heal but You get nowhere if you give up, it also means that there are some movements I cannot do. It is a choice I have made to risk loosing complete shoulder ROM to attempt to claim this record.

At this point in time my bench press is sitting on the national record but has yet to be done under competition conditions, I have 10 months of hard training ahead of me. It would be a dream if I could get it back up to pre injury levels but this is unlikely.

So welcome to the old farts training log

PS. I am female.

 

[PWiD]

Is it alright for me to ask where you're from? I'm kinda interested in the powerlifting scene you have in your country

 

[clan_NEt]

You get nowhere if you give up

Yeah! But plz take care of your shoulder, don't risk another injury!

 

[DIEHVRDS]

I like how you do not give up.but giving up could be tactical too.to prevent a lifelong injury, you've got to weigh the pro and cons then

 

[Trusylver]

This is a decision that took a lot of time debating with myself, Because I work as a trainer, I am in contact with not only new injuries as they happen but injury prevention and injury rehab are part of my job. When it comes to advising athletes is is often easier than following that advice yourself. But at the same time my training in sports medicine helps me to modify my own training to take into account my own limitations.

As for the return to competition and after the war between ego and common sense the ego won with a few modifications.

My training is a little different than it used to be with some exercises I just won't or cannot do and the build up is much more gradual. It is a case of If I cannot break the record with ease minimising pressure on the shoulder than it just won't happen as soon as I would like but this Is a record I am fully capable of smashing (I lifted the record last week but not under competition conditions).

Will Log my Bench workout later as I train of an afternoon.

 

[prosu]

When it comes to advising athletes is is often easier than following that advice yourself.

true that! it is always easy to say, difficult to do. sometimes our personal ego stands in the way too.

I would be looking forward to see how you plan your workouts to train around a past shoulder injury problem!

 

[Trusylver]

Bench Press Day

Bench Press 3 X 10 @ 62.5 kg, 2 X 10 @ 60 kg + chains
Close Grip Floor Press 3 X 10 @ 62.5 kg
Flat Cable Flies 3 X 5 @ 32.5 kg (each hand) crossing over in centre with 2 second pause
Decline Bench 10 @ 62.5, 10 @ 65, 10 @ 67.5 kg (spotter assistance to unrack bar from unsafe biomechanical position to protect shoulder)
Preacher Curls 10 @ 32.5, 8 @ 35, 6 @ 37.5, 4 @ 40 kg (rest only long enough to change plates on ezy bar)

Rower 3 X 500 m intervals (2:15 per 500m), Concept 2 with Drag setting 10

Decline Vs Incline pressing as an assistance exercise.

Due to my rotator cuff problem any lift which is even slightly overhead puts too much pressure on the shoulders so I no longer do any overhead exercises.

I used to be a flat bencher and that was how I benched when I won my title but to decrease the shoulder strain I have been forced to develop my arch, with a big arch the bench movement is very similar to the decline bench position as far as biomechanics goes hence the two reason to choose decline bench over incline bench as an assistance exercise.

PWiD I am from Australia and I am aiming for the female masters I record in the RAW under 84 kg division which would also qualify me to compete at the national titles in the open division.

 

[PWiD]

Cool! Why not try benching with bands? I know a few people who do that in the mean time while their shoulder gets pegged.

 

[Trusylver]

PWiD - The bench I am using is not suited to attaching bands and I would rather use chains. My shoulder is about a healed as it can get, the calcification is a permanent injury that has undergone rehab for the past 3 years including the use of bands. I just have a few more limitations than some other lifter which is not uncommon as you get older. There is not many female lifters that continue to compete once they reach the masters age division lol.

I probably should also note that the shoulder is not the only joint that has calcified but in the case of my knee I have been able to have surgery to remove most of it because the calcification was attached to the bone and not spread throughout the tendon tissue like the shoulder.

 

[Trusylver]

Squat Day

Squat 3 X 10 @ 100 kg
Hamstring Raises 3 X 10 (vest), keeping ankle in dorsiflexion to ensure that the hamstrings are fully activated without involvement of the calf muscles.
Standing Calf Raises 3 X 8 @ 230 kg
Cable Hyper Extensions 3 X 8 @ 80 kg
Dynamic Deadlifts 10 X 2 @75 kg (this develops an explosive pull from the floor)

 

[Trusylver]

Today was only a cardio day, 1 hour on the rower, 10.3 km

 

[Trusylver]

Speed Bench / Tricep day

Dynamic Bench 8 X 3 @ 30 kg
Close Grip Bench 10 @ 65, 8 @ 70, 2 X 8 @ 75 kg
Kneeling, back to cable tricep pushdowns 4 X 8 @ 50 kg (isolation exercise, long head)
Skull Crushers 4 X 8 @ 50 kg
Bench Dips on vibro-gym, 3 X 45 seconds 40hz, High Amplitude (great exercise to finish with, Triceps fully blasted)

 

[Trusylver]

Deadlift Day

Deadlift 3 X 10 @ 100 kg
Shrugs 3 X 8 @ 130 kg
Seated Row 3 X 8 @ 75 kg
Lat Pull-down 3 X 8 @ 45 kg
Dynamic Squat 5 X 3 @ 65 kg ( easiest way to describe these would be jump squats with weight)
Jumping Split switch lunges 3 X 10 (bodyweight)

 

[clan_NEt]

I must say that you are really strong for a female...... keep up to good work!

 

[Trusylver]

Today was a cardio only day at home, starting with a 70 minute ride in the stationary bike followed up by 5 minutes high intensity using the heavy bag.

 

[Trusylver]

My training plan involves several phases, each of 4 weeks duration with some exercises now dropping in reps and increasing weight and others returning back up to the high reps ready to cycle back down throughout the phase.

At the start of next year I may have a small team of young lifters to take to their first comp, If this is the case I will need to reset my training at the beginning of the new year to start a fresh peaking program to get an early comp out of the way before attempting the record at the state championships in the middle of next year.

 

[Trusylver]

Bench Press Day

Bench Press 3 X 8 @ 65 kg - easy
Bench Press 60 kg + Chains (8 kg per side) to failure (10 reps)
Floor Press 6 @ 62.5 kg, 6 @ 65 kg, 6 @ 67.5 kg (removes leg drive from lift, done with narrow grip)
Cable Flys 3 X 10 @ 30 kg
Decline Bench 8 @ 62.5 kg, 8 @ 65 kg, 8 @ 67.5 kg
DB Curls 10 @ 12.5 kg, 8 @ 15 kg, 6 @ 17.5 kg, 4 @ 20 kg
DB lateral raises 3 X 8 @ 10 kg

1 km run

 

[Trusylver]

yesterday was supposed to be squat day, It was stinking hot when I got to the gym and after struggling through 3 sets of squats I was feeling really ill, so bailed out of the rest of the workout. Although my hydration levels were fine I think I may have had too few carbs for the day prior to lifting.

Not doing the assistance exercises should not harm my training to much as squat is not my speciality lift.

Will hit the gym today for some cardio but will do the climber so as to give my legs a little more of a workout.

 

[Trusylver]

tonights workout was a bit of fun after having measurements done I hit the
leg press machine

Leg Press

10 @ 300 kg - Warmup
10 @ 500 kg
8 @ 600 kg
4 @ 680 kg
4 @ 700 kg
2 @ 720 kg (1587 lb)

The gym I go to is having a new website built and will video my leg pressing to post on youtube just before they put up the new site.

15 Minutes on the cardio climber (equivalent to climbing a 500 rung ladder)

 

[luXy]

Wow 720kg leg press is really impressive!! Nice feat.