Adarq.org

i feel like you might be doing many different squats, sacrificing quality on one type to do such a high volume and variety. idk, just a thought.

also, maybe consider adding jumps before your power cleans? could just be SVJ in the driveway. i always felt like mixing max effort jumping -which is the goal, after all - and heavy work was the best approach for vert.

I like doing front and back squats together as it promotes better technique.
Most of the sets are way sub-maximal anyway, and I treat the back to back sets as 1 big cluster set.

I would do some jump variants if my heels/achilles and left quad tendon weren't achey - too much reactive stuff impedes their recovery.
Things are improving since I removed the second BBall session, and added in the ISO stuff.
Plus it's winter now, so jumping doesn't feel as inviting before doing squats.

Also thinking of dropping some of the cleans as well, they sure extend the training session time

So the last time I was at my strongest on the squat and when it actually felt easy was when I did 105kg, 231lbs x 10.
As seen here. e1RM at 140kg, 305lbs

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJtXP5ztXms" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJtXP5ztXms</a>

This was on the first session after a deload.... since then my squat has regressed!
Every other exercise has improved session to session since then, but my squat....
I tried increasing the volume and it only made things worse

So that tells me I'm doing too much volume on it - so time to go the opposite way.
Or I need to alternate in a light session

Don't think this 5x5 is gonna do me favours
So time to change things up!

I've always felt I made the best gains when I did low volume and low frequency.
I guess I'm one of those people that can blow myself up pretty fast if I go hard, and my age doesn't help either

https://weightology.net/the-members-area/evidence-based-guides/training-frequency-for-hypertrophy-the-evidence-based-bible/

I train every 5 days so I'm good there

    Myofibrillar protein synthesis recovery:  Once every 2-4 days or 2-3 days per week
    Muscle damage recovery:  Once every 4-5 days or 1.5 to 2 days per week when unaccustomed to the protocol, but likely more frequent when accustomed
    Strength recovery:  Once every 3-5 days or 1.5 to 2 days per week, but likely more frequent when accustomed
    Total work recovery:  Once every 2-3 days for low session volumes, and once every 4-5 days for moderate to high session volumes, or 1.5 to 2 days per week, but likely more frequent when accustomed
    Meta-analyses on training frequency:  Statistically no difference between various training frequencies, although there is evidence that 2+ may be slightly better than 1, and may be significantly better when training volume is high

Overall, the recovery data likely favors a frequency of 2-4 days per week once you are accustomed to a training protocol.  However, looking at the meta-analytic data, frequency likely plays a very minor role in hypertrophy, and it is likely best to choose a frequency that works best for you and your recovery abilities, and which allows you to train with sufficient quality volume.

There are a number of points to consider regarding this conclusion:

    These conclusions are based on average responses.  Individual needs for frequency may vary widely, and will depend upon factors such as individual recovery ability and tolerance, session volume, nutritional status, joint integrity/injury history, etc.
    These conclusions assume you train to failure or near failure for most of your sets.  If a lot of your training is submaximal and is well short of failure, training frequency may need to be higher (although impacts on things like joints still need to be considered even when training short of failure).
    This assumes you are training in moderate to high rep ranges, and your primary goal is hypertrophy.  If you train regularly in powerlifting rep ranges (<6) and are training for strength, then appropriate frequency may be different.
    These conclusions mainly apply to young subjects, as most of the research has been done on this age group.  Research indicates that recovery ability is impaired in older individuals (particularly 50+), and ideal frequencies may be slightly lower in this population.

Thursday 16th July 2020

Woke up with my traps, posterior shoulder, glutes and erectors on fire, but felt much better after a few hours.
Calves pretty sore as well.

Best my heels have felt upon waking so far.

And not feeling tired at all, but I didn't jump yesterday
Legs starting to freshen up a bit, that swollen feeling gone.
So it's taken 4 days so far, so hopefully tomorrow I will squat strong.

----
Waking mobility work

Mobility work pre walk - thoracic, ankle tib/calf rocking, side of ankle rocking and walks

Split Squat, on balls of feet ISO - 4x 40secs each side


---
55 min walk/hike

stretches

-----
13 hour fast
2600 calorie burn according to Fitbit Charge 3 - with heart rate monitor off
eating around 1800-1900

Wednesday 15th July 2020

Whole body still sore, especially my glutes/adductors and calves

Soft tissue work - whole body

bodyweight at home without shoes = 84+kg  in winter clothing             

BBall practice session at WLC outdoor courts -  57 mins

1) 20 mins dribble and ball control drills
2) 15 mins shooting drills
3) low to medium  intensity moves, shots, layups, threes

Cold and sore, so kept it fairly easy today.
Didn't do any jumps apart from some small jumps on shooting and moves - was not in the mood, and it will allow my heels and left quad tendon to recover better.

---
cooldown

Sit in bottom of narrow stance squat for 1min
Sissy squat  50% ROM ISO x 50
Wall tibialis raise BW x30
Single leg calf raise BW x30
Knee over toes soleus calf raise, single leg x30

backwards walking up 30-35 degree sloped path 2 mins x2

stretched lower body


Resistance at the Home

externally rotated band pull apart - to forehead, shoulder, sternum + star drill combo - light rogue band  - dual strands x 10 each, 20 secs rest between each axis
band curls x12 to warmup forearm tendons
Light jump stretch band, curl grip  rows x12

Dip shrugs - BW x20 @RPE 8
Vertical wall ab wheel roll outs - pulling handles apart with hold at top x20

Rotating sets between each exercise 2-3 mins
A1) inverted rows - undergrip - explosive - legs bent BW x6, BW x6
+10kg x 6 @ RPE 7 (+5kg)
feet elevated 18 inches - explosive - BW 2x6 @ RPE 7

A2) Pushups to upper abs - Close grip triangle - explosive - BW x6, feet elevated 18 inches x3
Feet elevated 18 inches - explosive - BW x16 @ RPE 7 (+1 rep)

Single arm pushup - both side back to back
bar at 14th hole, 32 inches - x 3 @ RPE 6
bar at 8th hole, 26 inches - 2x6 @ RPE 8 (+1 rep, +1 set)

Had some right elbow pain during the close grip warmup stuff - will try this

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kTNk3qEuLM" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kTNk3qEuLM</a>


B1) High angle rows to ribcage  - slight pause at bottom, explosive - barbell 20kg x12, 40kg x7,  50kg x5
explosive
60kg 2x10 @RPE 7 +2.5kg -5 reps

B2) Prone trap front raise 45 degree incline, hold at top, controlled eccentric, with 3 count hold at top -   1.25kg x6, 2.5kg plate x6
Single arm, 3 count hold at top - 7kg x7 @ RPE 8 (+2kg, -9 reps)

Much more stable and less straining doing one arm at a time.

Barbell curl explosive - 20kg x7, 27.5kg x5,
32.5kg 2x7 @ RPE 9  +1 rep

Elbow on knee external rotation alternating arms/sets without rest - 2.5kg x5, 5kg x5
8.25kg x16 @ RPE 9  (+ 1 rep)

Seated on floor, elbow on bench, single arm cuban external rotation - 2.5kg x20


Stretched ISO holds
Pullover stretched ISO hold across bench - straight armed - 5kg x15 regular reps, 5kg plate x 1+min

A few band and broom shoulder dislocate and stretches

stretch

---
13 hour fast - broke fast before BBall - a bit of raw carrot/beetroot and a slice of cheese, and nuts

3300 calorie burn - according to Fitbit Charge 3, with HR monitor off,  not including weights
plan to eat 2600-3000

Monday 13th July 2020

Mild drained warm feeling, much less than previous session.
Achey all over, but no major DOMs
Best my heels have felt upon waking, those slow tempo calf raises help a lot.

----
Waking mobility work

Mobility work pre walk - thoracic, ankle tib/calf rocking, side of ankle rocking and walks

1.5 min ISOs
single leg standing calf raise in neutral position
single leg knee over toes calf raise, just above stretched range

Sissy squat single leg 50% ROM x 1 min ISO

externally rotated high to low band pull apart - Light rogue band 2x15 with a hold, and 20 sec hold on last rep
externally rotated snatch grip and single arm overhead, horizontally band resisted, raises with hold - 1x10 each with 20 sec hold on last rep

shallow band dislocate type stretch - shoulder level and then up higher

---
65 min walk/hike
middle of the walk - backward walking up a 20-30 degree sloped path x 30secs, 2.5+ mins

stretches

-----
16 hour fast
2700 calorie burn according to Fitbit Charge 3 - with heart rate monitor off
eating around 2300

Sunday 12th July 2020

A bit achey all over, especially my feet/calves
Woke up early as well since I forgot to pull my curtains across :/

bodyweight without shoes = 83+kg in winter clothing

Soft tissue work - lower body

at home - Winter squats - Week 1 - Session 1 Heavy/Volume

5 min Walk, and some backwards walking to warmup.

Peterson setups 5 inch x12, Patrick step up 6inch x12
supported ATG split squat BW x12 + 30 sec hold at bottom on last rep
Goblet squat 10kg x12


alternating sets 2 mins rest
in flat, minimal trail running shoes (Merrell Vapour trail 4)
Power cleans + front squats -

clean complex 20kg x8
power clean + 3 high hang power clean + 3 front squats x 40kg
power clean + 2 high hang power clean + 3 front squats x 50kg, 55kg
power clean + high hang power clean (MISS) + power clean + 3 front squats x 65kg
power clean x 75kg - MISS

Dang I was too scared to get under the misses, they were high enough...
In any case it means I haven't gotten much stronger in a while


Squats

Did these before the back squat of the same load
Front Squat 70kg x3, 80kg x2, 90kg x1

High bar squat -  flat shoe - 60kg x6. oly shoes - 70kg x5, 80kg x5, 90kg x3, 100kg x3, 110kg x1

3-4 mins rest
100kg, 220lbs 5x5 @RPE 8

Supposed to be around 70% of e1RM, and while it looked easy, it felt anything but.... not sure if 115-120kg 5x5 will be a go in 5 weeks time at this rate....
I feel like my squat strength is regressing these past few workouts, so a good idea to switch back to the "heavy-light" setup again
Next session in 5 days time will be front squats, which are light even when pushed hard, and hypertrophy cluster/speed squats, maybe paused to make em even lighter

rest 4 mins
Front Squat 80kg, 176lbs x8 @ RPE 8

Front squats starting to feel solid and easier, but wrists were exploding on this 8 rep effort... highest reps I have ever done on front squats...
I wasn't planning on doing this set, just chucked it on there randomly...



This group in Oly shoes - alternating sets 2 mins rest

B1) SSB Good Morning onto toes - down to near parallel, explode onto toes
slow eccentric down to safeties, 1 sec unload, explode onto toes - 30kg x5, 50kg x5
65kg x8 @ RPE 8

B2) Wall tib raise - body at 40 degree angle - in oly shoes BW x5, x20, x16 @ RPE 9 (+2 reps)
Finally at 20 reps! I started these at 7 and I'm finally strong enough on em. These are 2-3x harder than the flat shoe version against the wall.
Not sure where to progress from here or if I need to get any stronger on em...

B3) SSB single leg calf raise - arm supported - both sides back to back 1 inch elevation - 3 sec up and down -  80kg x10 @ RPE 9 (+2.5kg)
B4) single leg SSB Knee over toes soleus calf raise 1 inch elevation - 3 sec up and down -  52.5kg x10 @ RPE 9  (+2.5kg)


C1) Nordic curl - natural GHR - 8 inch aerobic step + rolled yoga mat on hip - controlled eccentrics BW x 7 unassisted + 1 assisted  (+1 rep)
C2) AB wheel rollouts - on feet, straight legs - 5 feet from wall - BW x15 @ RPE 9.5  (+1 rep)
Goal reached, time to progess to a harder version

C3) SSB Single Leg kneeling Deadlift - 1 hand supported - BW x5, 30kg x5, 40kg x15 @ RPE 8

Sissy squat single leg 50% ROM x 1 min ISO --> brutal!
Jefferson curl 20kg x5, 30kg x9 with a hold, and 30 sec hold on last rep

Random lifts
Single leg RDL - 10kg plate x 8
Cossack squat BW x 5 each side


stretch

===
12 hour fast - Broke fast before weights with a raw carrot, beetroot and a slice of cheese, handful of nuts
2700+ calorie burn for today, according to Fitbit Charge 3, with heart rate off. Not including weights
Ate around 4000...

Have We Looked in the Wrong Direction for More Than 100 Years? Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness Is, in Fact, Neural Microdamage Rather Than Muscle Damage

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7139782/

Abstract

According to our hypothesis, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is an acute compression axonopathy of the nerve endings in the muscle spindle. It is caused by the superposition of compression when repetitive eccentric contractions are executed under cognitive demand. The acute compression axonopathy could coincide with microinjury of the surrounding tissues and is enhanced by immune-mediated inflammation. DOMS is masked by sympathetic nervous system activity at initiation, but once it subsides, a safety mode comes into play to prevent further injury. DOMS becomes manifest when the microinjured non-nociceptive sensory fibers of the muscle spindle stop inhibiting the effects of the microinjured, hyperexcited nociceptive sensory fibers, therefore providing the ‘open gate’ in the dorsal horn to hyperalgesia. Reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide play a cross-talking role in the parallel, interlinked degeneration–regeneration mechanisms of these injured tissues. We propose that the mitochondrial electron transport chain generated free radical involvement in the acute compression axonopathy. ‘Closed gate exercises’ could be of nonpharmacological therapeutic importance, because they reduce neuropathic pain in addition to having an anti-inflammatory effect. Finally, DOMS could have an important ontogenetical role by not just enhancing ability to escape danger to survive in the wild, but also triggering muscle growth.

6. Conclusions

According to our hypothesis, DOMS is an acute compression axonopathy of the nerve terminals in the muscle spindle caused by the repetitive superposition of compression with a coinciding cognitive demand, coupled with possible microinjury to the surrounding tissues and enhanced by immune-mediated inflammation. Our theory states that DOMS happens only if the superposition of compression reaches the muscle spindle and microinjures the nerve terminals under cognitive demand. The cornerstones of our hypothesis are as follows:

    DOMS could be an acute compression axonopathy of the nerve endings in the muscle spindle,

    The cause of DOMS could be the repetitive superposition of compression under cognitive demand and a resultant metabolic insult,

    DOMS could be initiated from the muscle spindle,

    The fluid cavity in the muscle spindle could play an important functional role in DOMS,

    Mitochondrial electron transport chain generated free radical involvement is suspected with a TAD-like lesion in the acute axonopathy of the sensory nerve endings in DOMS,

    Unaccustomed or strenuous eccentric exercise-induced SNS activity could be an essential underlying factor in DOMS initiation,

    DOMS could be initiated earlier than it is experienced, but at the beginning, it is suppressed by SNS activity,

    Delayed onset of soreness could be a result of the hypoalgesic state of the ‘closed gate’ caused by the enhanced firing of the microinjured Type Ia sensory fibers in addition to the initial SNS suppression,

    There could be a cross-talk on the PGE2 level between the pain pathways,

    Hyperexcited microinjured Type II sensory fibers in the muscle spindle could override, with the possible help of SNS, the conduction velocity reducing microinjured Type Ia sensory fibers’ inhibition with a delayed onset. The result will be an ‘open gate’ in the dorsal horn and the pathway to hyperalgesia in DOMS,

    Keeping a ‘closed gate’ with concentric exercise could have importance in non-pharmacological disease and neuropathic pain management by simultaneously alleviating pain and enjoying the positive anti-inflammatory characteristics of exercise; therefore, we call it a ‘closed gate exercise’,

    DOMS could cause a transient increase of the blood–spinal cord barrier and selective muscle spindle barrier permeability,

    DOMS could be a safety function in repetitive eccentric contractions as it resolves when the microinjury of the muscle spindle afferent sensory and motoneuron nerve endings are regenerated,

    Finally, we suspect that DOMS could play an important role in ontogenesis by triggering muscle growth and adapting the nervous system in the growth process.

The variability of timelines and symptoms of DOMS, after initiation, will depend on how pervasive the injury is to the surrounding tissues and what tissues are affected. The individual differences could be explained by the complexity of pathways and cross-talking of the microinjured tissues and immune systems. The type and duration of eccentric exercise, trained status, age, genetics, and underlying allergies and low-grade inflammation or diseases could also affect the timelines and the extent of symptoms in DOMS.