Below you can find my most recent training video. I wanted to show the video first so we can talk about a few things:
What you're seeing is an attempt at 96% (470) for 3.
If I REALLY wanted to, I could have gutted out that last rep... but I didn't.
I decided that if I was going to get injured (and I was well enough on that road, for sure... even after the first rep), I was going to save it for the platform next Sunday. Nobody wants to be the guy who says, "Yeah, I was going to compete, but I got injured... training."
There is a time and a place for everything, and if it isn't for a record, for a qualifying total, a medal, or a competition PR, then I don't think it's ever the time or place.
With all that being said, I've been under a lot of stress recently, and I also haven't been sleeping all that well. I've been under-eating, for sure (because that's what you need to do if you want to lose 10lbs...), and at week 11 of my training cycle, my body is finally telling me that enough is enough. Couple that with shit pulling form like you see above, and one poor decision in training could send me off the rails.
People like to poke fun at those who videotaping their training, but most of those people are either weak, stupid, insecure, or a healthy combination of all 3.
We don't film our lifts because they look cool. We film our lifts for healthy analysis. What did I do right? What did I do wrong? If you watch the clip above, I did plenty wrong. Luckily, I know how to fix it. Unfortunately, I won't be able to fix it in a week's time, so it's going to be a battle I have to fight after I take a few weeks off from the meet and get back into a program. Think about that. I'm looking at something right now that I may not have the time to fix until mid-February. But, alas, that's the discipline.
At the end of the day, though, if you don't reflect on these things pretty frequently, you're never going to get as strong as you could (should?) be.
Take Aways:
If you aren't sleeping, you aren't recovering (get off of your phone while you're in bed, people... unless you want to die young... ).
If you are putting yourself in a caloric deficit, it's going to be difficult to get strong, stay strong, and stay healthy if you are training at near-maximal loads often (Off season, you should be fine. But in-season, you can't eat like a bodybuilder and train like a powerlifter. Where bodybuilders are often at their weakest when they step on the stage for a show, a powerlifter needs to be at their strongest).
It's NEVER okay to break form. However, sometimes you've got to do what you've got to do in order to make that number. Don't be "that guy," who has more training injuries than he has competition attempts.
Film yourself and break down your attempts in an attempt to get better. Throwers (shot put/discuss/javelin/weight/hammer) do it ALL the time for good reason. You should be doing it as well. If you don't know where your shoulders should be at the point the barbell breaks from the ground in the deadlift, there's a problem. If you don't know what "below parallel" feels like, there's a problem. If you don't know whether or not your heel rocks up off the floor while you're bench-pressing (it shouldn't), there's a problem.
I know there are a few meets coming up in the tri-state area over the next few weeks, so for those who are competing, good luck! For those of you who aren't competing but would like to start and have a few questions, shoot me a message, and for those of you who have never put a barbell in your hands but are toying with the idea of starting, I'd love to be a part of your journey, so hit me up.
Maybe it was the simplicity of his list of "42 things" he learned that year; maybe it was because I was at a point in my life where I felt like I'd been let down by just about everything I'd bought into since my teenage years; but I'd felt swindled, and after reading it, I was excited to move on toward something of substance.
But what I learned from his post, at the end the day, was one simple truth: I was doing everything wrong.
I want to say that, after reading his review, I was so inspired that I was able to eliminate every hindrance that existed in my world, but that would be a lie. Things actually got worse. I went into that year thinking more was better. I told myself, well, I just needed to do things that I enjoyed doing more often, and then maybe things would work out. I thought, "Turn everything up to 11 and let's ride this thing until the wheels fall off," but by the end of 2013, I found my self worse off than the year before.
The problem was, I thought that I needed to "do more". I thought that since I liked to coach and I liked to play music and I liked to write and I liked to teach and I liked to help people and I liked to travel and I liked to train and I liked money, I should keep working towards all of those things...
But here is what happened: All I did was make myself more miserable to the point of feeling physically ill most days, and by the summer of 2014, I found myself still at a loss.
It wasn't until a family a trip to the Bahamas, the reading of a book called The Great Floodgates of the Wonderworld, an email to the author (who has since become a friend... thanks, Justin, for everything), and the writing of my first book (something that took me several years to put together), that I'd finally found myself on steadier ground.
It was a combination of those events and a third "Year in Review" by Welbourn called "Lessons Learned" that finally set me on the course that I feel I'm still on today (and much happier than I've ever been).
And all of it came together rather nicely on January 2nd, 2015, when I read the first item on Welbourn's list:
"You make your own prisons in life."
Below you can read the complete section:
If 20 bucks or 60 minutes a day is what is preventing you from reaching your goals, get a new job or set an alarm clock. You have to make time for it. No goal was ever attained by just thinking about. No amount of dreaming gets your ass in shape.
I have a good friend that runs one of the largest mortgage companies in the country with a few hundred offices with a ½ billion in revenue. He has 3 kids, a wife and works 70 hours a week. Then wakes up at 4 AM to train each day and hasn’t missed a day of training since 2005. He made the New Year’s resolution to not miss a day of training, which means 365 days a year of workouts, for a full year. Each year since 2005, he has made the same resolution and has kept it.
If it is important, you will find a way to make it happen. If $20 is the difference between success and failure, ride a bike, skip the bar one night a month, or brew your coffee at home and save the $1.45 at Starbucks.
If meeting your goals by fitting in your training into your busy schedule means you have to wake up at 4 AM to get in your training, throw away your TV and go to bed.
Because there are thousands of people meeting their goals by prioritizing what is important, waking up early and making it work. I always smile when I see a video of a guy squatting in his home garage gym at 5 AM with snow on the ground.
Whining about 20 bucks makes you sound like an unsuccessful fucking loser. And complaining you can’t find 60 minutes a few days a week to train makes you sound like a lazy incompetent fuck.
Poetic, I know, but it resonated with me. On January 2, 2015, I'd realized something: I was STILL doing everything wrong.
What I'd realized (and maybe you've already realized this ), was that I was completely responsible for building the world that I wanted to exist in. I'm sure many of you are reading this now and you're thinking, "Duh. That's obvious," but is it? Take a look at your bank account - are your finances exactly where you would like them to be? What about your job? Are you in love with it? Is it providing you with purpose? Your body? Is it complete? Your health? Is it as good as it should be?
I could go on like this for hours, and I'm not doing it to sound like I know what I'm talking about. I'm just going on-record to say that I'm just as lost as the next guy and that, for a very long time, I was not completely certain what it was that made me feel whole or happy; however, with that being said, I can confidently say that after 2015, I have a better idea of what I value and why.
In the spirit of the New Years list, I've decided to put one together. It's a gift from me to you (or more like a gift from me to me, but you get the idea) to better help you find your way: 1.) Figure out what it is that makes you feel complete: Notice that I DID NOT say "happy." I've grown to detest that word. True happiness is a byproduct of wholeness. False happiness is a byproduct of some sort of chemical interruption. For a brief moment, even the saddest heroin addict feels just dandy about most things. Because of that, I insist upon feeling complete and whole. Find out what leads you in that direction, and most of the work is already done.
2.) It's okay to be selfish so long as you're feeding the right parts of yourself:Understand that I am not, in any way, saying "do whatever you want and screw everyone else." If that's what you're hearing in your mind when you read this, then you've been reading too many 140 character blobs on the internet written by people who are worse off than you are. What I mean by selfishness is the work you're doing to complete yourself. For example, if you ditch your friends out of laziness or you cancel plans because you think more enjoyable ones are on the horizon, you're an asshole. However, if you ditch your friends because something came up, and now you have to work towards that whole "completeness" thing on their time, well then, in my mind, the sacrifice is understandable. You build your own prison, remember? If a night out could result in taking you two steps backward, then do what you need to do.
3:) Surround yourself with Warrior Poets: Stolen from the film Braveheart, I've been using this term a lot recently. Warrior Poets are people who understand you completely because they are on the same journey you are on. They, too, are searching to complete themselves, and they understand the sacrifices and decisions you make without having to ask a single thing of you. They "get it," and the more of these people you have in your life, the better.
4:) Lead by example: "Be the change you want in the world." Don't be the guy or girl who "knows people" who have done X or Y. Don't be the "second hand" expert. At worst, you sound like a pretentious asshole. At best, you can't honestly empathize or understand. People can smell inauthenticity a mile away.
5:) Eliminate distractions and white noise:I made mention that several years ago, I'd found that I'd run myself ragged in an attempt to do all the things that I enjoyed doing in an attempt to find happiness. This happened because I had a hard time finding focus, and much of that has to do with the fact that I was almost always distracted. I was distracted with parties and distracted with dreams and distracted with ideas of how I'd like the world to exist. I couldn't work toward becoming whole because I couldn't focus on what it was that made me whole. I was too busy hoping and searching and experimenting. I was chasing after that damned thing, happiness.I'm not saying "don't experiment." However, I am saying know the difference between an experiment and a waste of time.
6:) Know the difference between being negative and demanding progress: It's okay to criticize, just understand that you'd better have a solution. If you have a possible alternative with thoughtful progress in mind, well then you're well on your way, and everyone else can go to hell. However, if you're just criticizing because you feel like what you have to say is important; trust me, it isn't. You're just being an asshole, and what you're complaining about isn't anything new. If anything, you're just opening up old wounds. Want to matter? Help. Don't have the time? Then quiet down, carry on, and mind your own damn business. 7:) You can't change the past, so get over it and move on. Grudges are for losers. You can absolutely use negativity to motivate you. As a matter of fact, I insist upon it. However, don't lose your focus. When people hold grudges, they let that other thing (whether it be a person or an institution) gobble up too much of their energy. Focus on the goal and use negativity as a means to reflect. If you're driving alone at night and all you can think about is the person or thing that's hindering your progress and NOT the progress itself, you've got bigger problems on your hands, and those problems all have to do with what's going on inside your soul and the demons that reside there.
8:) Take care of yourself. I mean it:Growing up,my mother always used to remind me and my brother to take our vitamins. That habit has paid dividends. I'm rarely ever sick, and I've never suffered a major injury, despite competing in powerlifting, Crossfit, and Olympic Lifting competitions. A lot of that has to do with how much I sleep, what I eat, what I drink, and paying thoughtful attention to those things as often as I can.
9:) Admit that you have a lot to learn, even about things you think you strongly understand:"He, O men, is the wisest, who like Socrates, knows that his wisdom is, in truth, worth nothing." - I can't say it as beautifully as Plato, but it's still worth pondering. Also, buy something written by Marcus Aurelius and spend a night inside. You don't have to go crazy with the reading, but it's worth your time, I promise.
A final note:
When it all falls down, you're only left with the things inside your soul that permit you to rest easy. I still have ways to go, and maybe I have no business putting together this list in the first place, but the act of putting words to paper helps.
Moreover, do yourself a favor and make a list of your own. Think about what you did last year, both good and bad. Prioritize. Reflect. Plan.
Take a look at my lists below...
The things that needed to take a back-seat in 2015 (and carry into 2016):
Drinking alcohol
Traveling
Buying clothes
Going out to dinner
Working more than 50 hours a week
Chasing money (goodbye, third job)
My role as "A Coach"
Hanging out frequently with people I see frequently
Playing video games
Watching a television series.
Performing music out at venues/events/bars
The things that I realized needed to take priority in 2015 (and to carry into 2016):
Reading. A lot.
Writing frequently for a set amount of time (2 hours one night during the work week, 4 hours every weekend)
Writing music
Recording music
Keeping in contact with people
Following a training program to the letter
Seeing a sports chiropractor monthly
Prehab and Rehab (stretch, roll, turn, walk, pull, hinge, repeat)
Accomplished goals of 2015:
Qualify for USA Powerlifting National Championship
Compete at USA Powerlifting National Championship and total over 1150
Finish writing second book
Begin writing third book
Begin recording and writing music again.
Goals of 2016:
Place in the top 10 at USA Powerlifting National Championships
Total 1250
Bench during training 315
Squat during training 450
Deadlift during training 550
Secure a publishing agent
Sell a song
Even looking at this these lists now, I can still see that I have work to do. Maybe I have to refocus. Maybe I have to get rid of a goal for 2016. Maybe I have to add a goal. Maybe I need to reprioritize. Ultimately, though, putting words to paper is what matters. It makes me re-evaluate how I spend my money, how I spend my time, and who I spend it with.
Oh, and there is one other thing to add to this list...
Stop blogging.
You read that right. Alas, I must walk away from this beast.
Don't worry, though. I'll still use this as a training log. I'll still post videos and discuss how, exactly, I feel for the week, but no more pontificating. No more lists (haha). No more nonsense.
If I want to publish fiction, then I need to be spending my time writing fiction, yah dig? Don't get me wrong, I'd like very much to be paid doing this, but I haven't burned myself out on the former task. It's just too damn fun.
A week or so ago, a buddy of mine asked me what I would do every day if I was filthy rich. "If you could get paid handsomely to do anything at all... if you could do what you love doing every day, what would you do?"
My answer?
Write... and train. The training, believe it or not, helps me grind out the ideas. It's amazing what you think about when there's 180kg bearing down on your back most nights.
And with that... good night, good luck, and happy New Year.
All my best,
C.
Here are some new training videos. I'll see you all next week.
Pulled 460 for 4. Still a little more round than I'd like to be, but I'm working on it.
This is a huge bench PR for me. Here is 255 for 6 at a touch-and-go pace (My competition PR is only 260, so I'm looking to smash it on the 24th.)
These last two weeks have been a grind, and though I think I've made some progress, overall, it's been a little more difficult than I would have liked it to be.
The hardest thing to settle into in regards to a strength sport is that there is no single preparation test. There is no one task. They aren't like other sports. In football, you have a position and a job. In track and field, for the most part at the national level, you have a single event. But for strength sports... it gets a little hairy...
In powerlifting, in regards to the squat, the bench, and the deadlift, when an athlete starts to creep into the world of the elite, progress doesn't come as quickly as it once did. I'm finally starting to realize that. Listen, if I go to this meet on January 24, and I don't PR on all 3 lifts, I'm not going to be shocked. If I do, I'll be elated, of course, but I'm not planning on it. Two years ago, if I didn't put poundage on all 3 movements, it was because the program I was following was missing something. Now, I realize that adding 10 pounds (almost 5kg) on the bench after 3 months of training is kind of a big victory. In that regard, if I can put 10 pounds on my bench at the end of 4 three-month long strength cycles, that's 40 pounds on the bench over the course of a year. With that in mind, that puts me less than 3 years away from a state bench press record...
But that's how you have to think in this sport. At the same time, if the world was perfect, and I could put 10 pounds on each lift every 3 months, well then that puts 120 pounds onto my total each year, and it only puts me 2 years away from becoming one of the strongest guys in the country at my weight class and easily the strongest guy in state history weighing 163 pounds...
When I talk to people about what it is I actually do (whether it be lifting or writing), fairly frequently people call bullshit. I'm forced to deal with the idea, at least according to them, that it's either way too much to be doing and that I'm crazy, or that it's not that big of a deal and they don't know why I'm spending so much time doing it. Then, they scoff, as if their lives are so involved and important that they couldn't possibly have the time to dabble in what it is that I do. And then I think, well, sure. That's fine...
But, to be honest, I'd rather agree to disagree and just not have that conversation at all, you know what I mean? I'd rather have people not ask me about any of it because what that conversation does is it calls into question my philosophies on a bunch of other different issues, right? Because I think, well, if in 2 years, I'm one of the strongest SOBs on the planet, and I have a book published, and I get a song or two sold (I do those things on the side for those of you who have not been following), and at the end of those two years, I'm beat to all hell but I've progressed, but that other person is literally in the exact same place they were in two years before... well then what's it all matter anyway, you know? We're just going to have that same conversation...
So when I'm standing alone on a platform at 10PM on a Wednesday, or when I've gotten up early to write at 7AM on a Saturday morning, and because of that, I didn't go out the night before, I'm forced to have these converstaions with myself so as to not go absolutely crazy. It turns into a game of Us VS Them. It becomes a battle between the Warrior Poets (see last week's post) and the peasants. And then that's what gets me through.
And when I think about Christmas or the holiday season or birthdays or gifts in general, all I ever think about is that battle. Because the things I do on any given day are the things that I feel I owe to myself to do. When people ask me "what I want," as a gift, all I can think about is the battle. Because what I want is the freedom and the opportunity to keep on going. That's it. Everything else? The cards and the wishes and the gifts and the language and the bells and the whistles and everything else that goes along with it can burn for all that I care if I don't have the support and the understanding I need to keep going.
So as you all bring in the holidays, there is one very important thing that you all need to understand - and I'm speaking for the Warrior Poet tribe: Support us. That's all we want. Understand us. That's all we want. Not a single gift in the world can measure up to those two things. Remember that...
Peace out cub scouts...
All my best,
C
By the way, here's a great example of how not to pull from the floor. Welcome to Rounded Back City. Population, Me. Sometimes you're the hammer, sometimes you're the nail (a poorly postured stupid idiot nail.)
Here is the following week. I managed to tighten it up a bit, but I still ahve work to do. I'm playing around with where my shoulders are in relationship to the barbell.
And here's one final one. It's probably my proudest training moment. Over the summer, I called a 275 bench by December. Here's 265 for 3. We're on our way, kids:
So I'm 6 weeks out from this meet in North Jersey on January 24th, and I've never felt better. There's a lot to be said for thoughtful stretching and rehab (for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, check out my last two posts.)
As far as programming is concerned, I was able to squat 365 for 4 pretty easily yesterday, and my bench is coming along nicely. There's something to be said for benching 3 days a week AFTER you either squat or deadlift.
With all that being said, there's also something to be said for the idea of being a life-long learner. Truth be told, my squat is still pretty nasty as far as position goes. I think that's what most people don't understand when they see me lift locally (nationally, I'm not all that impressive). They look at me and say, "Man, you're tiny. That's a big squat," and all I think about is, "Well, wait until I actually learn how to move the right way."
I'm still playing around with stance width and toe angle and bar placement for my specific body type, and it's maddening (there is no universal rule for movement in the squat - everyone's body is different). In the end, though, that's the game. That's the sport.
Here are a few clips from this week:
Beltless squat session:
And some Deadlift deficits:
I'm still waiting on programming for next week, but I'm expecting the volume to pick up a bit and then drop off as we get closer to the meet on January 24. The goal is to crack into 1200, and with a 425 squat, 275 bench, and 500 deadlift, it should give me exactly what I need. I'd like to go into nationals moving closer to that 1300# mark, but we'll see. It will require a lot less time hanging out with friends and family and a lot more time in the gym and sleeping and eating. Luckily for me, I've got enough friends and family who train with me that it makes the journey a little more forgiving.
What's evermore frustrating is that I'll still need well over 1300# to crack into the top 10 at nationals (I'll need, at the least, 600kg [1320#]), and the higher that number gets, the harder it is to get there. Putting 20lbs onto a total at the novice level isn't really all too difficult to do. With the right program, you could put 20lbs onto a single lift in about a month. However, when you start creeping into the world where you're quite literally getting everything you can out of your body, things start to get a bit hairy.
I'm going to cut this one short for the week. For some reason, Blogger has trouble linking videos from youtube. I'll try to have something figured out by next week, though, and get you all some meaty content to enjoy.
You are defined by the people with whom you surround yourself.
I remember hearing that when I was younger and thinking that I completely understood what it meant. Back then, when I was young and stupid (I'm still stupid...), I just figured, well, the person telling me this information is working to make sure that I know if I surround myself with troublemakers, I may find myself in some trouble. "You are the company you keep."
... that sort of thing.
However, for some reason, it never occurred to me that this advice could work the other way. Not once did I ever think about it. I never thought about how if I wanted to be a better person I should spend time with people who had the potential to make me better...
... and how that sort of thing, that pendulum, especially with social media, swings farther today in both directions more now than it ever had.
I'm not here to preach to you about making wise choices, but I do want to remind you (the four of you reading this), that the person you want to become is only a few conversations away. The journey is right around the corner. There are people waiting... begging, even, for you to buy your ticket; you just have to make the decision.
Now, keep in mind, again, that this thing works both ways. You're going to have to cut ties with some folks. It's just the nature of the game...
... and it's NOT because they are bad people, you dig?
There's a good chance that they are GREAT people...
... but if they can't sail a ship, or if they're afraid of the water, then you need to make a decision before you pull anchor.
Listen... Brian Rose of London Real, Ryan Adams, Joe Rogan, Chad Wesley Smith of Juggernaut Training, the guys from Barbell Shrugged, Bill Burr, the folk/punk singer Frank Turner, none of them know who I am (except Frank, sort of). I get that. But they're a part of my tribe, whether they like it or not, because aside from being wickedly entertaining, they're chock full of information that is of great importance to me; because of that, I can find pieces of who I am in parts of who they are.
Conversely, though, understand that not all of it has to be that far-reaching. There are far too many to name (they know who they are because I make it a point to remind them), but there are people in my life who are friends not because they're just people I enjoy being around. They're too damn BIG for that (and when I say BIG, I don't mean that they are large humans. I mean that they are complete beings - wholesome and wonderful and everything I aspire to be). They're my friends because they light a fire inside of me... they're my friends because they are people I want to one day become. They're warrior poets... and if it wasn't for them, I would have been stranded on some beach somewhere some long time ago... drinking Captain Morgans and eating cold pizza (Time and place, folks. Time and place).
Moreover, most Friday nights, I find myself standing in the gym or sitting in front of a note pad and thinking about how insanely lucky I am. I'm lucky to have found the idols I look up to. I'm lucky to have those amazing warrior poets in my life. And I'm even luckier to have such a supportive family and local friends and the single greatest group of lifting-goons a guy could ask for (I would lay in traffic for all of them).
And when I hear about what there is "to do" on a Friday night, I think about how maybe five years ago I'd feel bad about not going out. Now, however, I feel bad for not doing what I love with people I enjoy being around. It's a crazy, uplifting feeling...
At the end of the day, you have a damn good opportunity to build the world you want to live in...
Anywho...
Onto the programming:
No video for you guys (I forgot this week).
With that being said, I'm finally feeling pain-free (and more mobile, to be honest), and I was able to squat 335 for a set of 4 without any pain and without a belt. Hopefully, as my programming opens up next week, I can hit 340 or 345 for a set of 5 without a belt, and then 365 for a set of 4 with the belt later on in the week.
My deadlifts have been feeling quite nice, and where I struggled with a pull of 445 with a belt last week, this week's 445 for 4 came pretty easily.
I'm most happy with my bench progress this week, as I managed 255 for a set of 4. If I can hit 260 next week for a set of 5 (something that I think I'm up for), that means that I'll have benched my competition PR for 5... so if I don't hit 275 at the meet in January (by the way, I signed up for a meet in North Jersey on January 24), I'll be pretty pissed.
The goal is to qualify for nationals with a 1200lb total, so if I can squat 425, bench 275, and pull 500, I'll be right where I want to be. Anything after that will just be a bonus.
And to think, there was a time when I thought I'd never total over 1000lbs. Who knew? Not bad for a high school cross country runner, huh?
This post is going to be brief. I had a bunch of stuff written already, but I lost all of it somehow (thanks Google).
Two weeks ago, I tweaked my knee. It turned out to be super-minor tendinitis in my patella (that's in the medical books somewhere, I swear). As a result, I had to dial down the programming big time.
I also had a chance to see Dr. Shane McCann at South Jersey Sports Chiropractic, and he was able to set me straight with a few things I could do to get me back on track. That, coupled with some Mobility WOD tutorials, and I seem to be right as rain.
It's been an interesting two weeks, though, as I was forced to realize something very important. As you age, if you want to train, you absolutely need to take care of yourself.
Most of us get away with a lot in our early 20's. We eat whatever we want. We move however we want. We drink however we want.
And then, as we roll over into our 30's, we say, "I'm getting too old... blah blah blah."
In reality, though, most of the reason why we can't do things the right way in our 30's is a result of the poor habits we established while in our 20's. The good new is, there is hope. The bad news is that it's going to take you longer to warm up, longer to cool down, and you're going to have to pay more attention to how you sleep, when you sleep, and what you do to recover. It's the price you have to pay.
The only way you're going to be successful is if you make success a priority. It's that simple.
Training Recovery video #1 - After two weeks of light rep-work and tons of mobility/pre-hab/re-hab, I'm back up to a comfortable and confident deadlift. Here's 445 for 4. My hand slipped on the last rep, but I'm counting it because all i was concerned with was the volume. I can settle up with my grip strength later;
Training Recovery video #2 - This is something I'm really proud of. I'm back up to squatting 365 comfortably. I'd originally injured the knee squatting to begin with (the squatting wasn't what caused the injury... I'm phrasing it that way to give you an idea of WHEN it happened, not HOW). Here's HOW the injury happened: Overloaded quads and not enough rehab/mobility work. I was a time-bomb, more or less, especially because I'm a quad dominant squatter:
All in all, though, I'm happy with my progress.
Both Jess and I were able to sign up for the Winter War powerlifting meet in north Jersey on January 24th, so I'm hoping to crack into a 1200lb total by then. That would help my placement going into nationals. The goal for January is to hit at 425 in the squat, bench 275, and pull around 515. We shall see.
Here's some Kelly Starrett goodness for you all before you go:
So... I felt like I needed to get that out into the open and use it as a driver for this week's update.
Here's what happened in a nutshell:
I was supposed to work up to a heavy set of 5 belt-less squats, and upon working up to 335 (82% of 1RM), I my knee started to feel yucky and my right quad had become insanely sore.
When I walked away from the rack, I'd found that I was having trouble walking, and any tracking at all of my knee over my toe which resulted in my shin angle to break 90 degrees sent a sharp pain into my patella.
For most of this week I nursed the knee...
Here's what I think lead to this injury...
1.) Poor sleep.
2.) Stress.
3.) Rushing of stretching / warm-ups.
4.) Attempting to fool around with low-bar while warming up and not appropriately situating back and shin angles in the squat (I think this was, ultimately, what did it...)
A few thing to talk about regarding the first 3
1.) Sleep - This is simple. I don't get enough of it. How bad can that affect your training? Check out the video below (I know it says "for Crossfit", but shut up and watch the video):
2.) Stress - Life happens, and I think I was letting all of the things that I shouldn't bother me cause me to lose sleep eat away at me bit by bit. The solution, really, is to re-evaluate my goals and prioritize accordingly. We build our own prisons, people. Here's a brief article about stress and recovery:
3.) Warming up - This shouldn't come as a shock. If you don't appropriately prepare your body for the demands you will be placing on it, then you're going to set yourself up for failure. If you don't believe that, then talk to me when you're 30. At 15 or even 25, your body has a better chance at dealing with negligence. At 30+... not so much. Here's a fun video about resolving knee pain:
At the end of the day, I'm taking ownership of my injury. I'm not blaming it on coaching or programming, and I don't think I'm going to be out too long. I worked under some pretty light loads for the rest of the week, and followed my bench and deadlifting work. Though my deadlift felt a little nasty at the beginning of the week, I managed pull 80% (385) with a 2 inch deficit pretty comfortably, and as I hit this weekend looking at 2 rest days, I'm looking forward to what Monday brings.
With that being said, on Tuesday, I'll be seeing a sports chiropractor friend of mine who has never done me wrong. I recommend, if you're an athlete, you check this guy out for routine maintenance. I've sent several friends to him, and he knows his stuff.
His name is Dr. Shane McCann, and he owns South Jersey Sports Chiropractic. You can check out the website by clicking on the link below:
http://southjerseysportschiropractic.com/
In other news...
I benched 255 for 5 for a touch and go and it felt nice. Big ups to Big Steve for the spot and the great coaching on that final rep. This puts me at something like a 285 TnG bench. Let's rock and roll, people!
My voice sounds funny... I blame it on the overall excitement from the accomplishment. At the end of the day, though, Taylor Atwood (the guy who won nationals in my weight class), can smoke 335 for 3 pretty easily, so I have a ways to go.
As promised, here are some tracks to jam out to:
Have Mercy - Howl
Trash Boat - Perspective (click link below... for some reason the viewer isn't loading)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV4mTlJ2lHM
Close Your Eyes - Digging Graves (click link below... for some reason the viewer isn't loading)...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ksUQwzA_2A
As for the podcast - be sure to give that Barbell Shrugged video up above some of your time.
