Adarq.org

Got a pair of these heading my way... an impulse purchase... not sure if I will keep em yet...
Basically a less white version of the Romaleos 4 SE I returned
Although this Romaleos 4 AMP is also a limited special edition.
In a smaller size, hoping this will reduce the heel slip and make the toe box feel more responsive and less numb

Saturday 4th November 2021

Lower body still achey... glutes sore from the lateral plank ISOs I did last session
Lower back still some aches, feels like a muscle that runs down the right side of the body, maybe the iliocostalis or internal oblique
So dropped kettlebell swings today... plus I don't really enjoy doing them....

left Achilles insertion better, right still sore

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Morning mobility work and upper body stretches

pre workout - soft tissue work for lower body and upper back
TFL rectus femoris, and hip flexor stretch

----
general mobility drills
40% ROM sissy squats x 30
Walking on sides of ankle, side to side ankle rocking drills
side leg raises x 20 each leg

---

Tendon health+rehab - Day 1 Lower1
10G beef gelatin + 1g vitamin C one hour before session

Bodyweight in shoes = 88.2kg

Band pull aparts - horizontal x 20, Diagonals, thumbs up -  Rogue light band x10 each axis
broom handle behind the neck press, pushing backwards into shoulder dislocate stretch position x20 + Shoulder dislocates x few sets
split squat ISO, rear leg straight, at 90 degrees - x 1 min - 30 secs actively pulling legs inwards, 30 secs pushing legs outwards
Side plank with leg abduction - against 20 inch bench - x 30secs each side
Front plank x 30 secs
Spanish squat ISO - at 80 degree knee angle - 2x 30 secs
Single leg calf raise - BW x20
Wall tibialias raise - BW x20

Assisted Hip Airplane stretch - 6x10 secs, 2 at each hip angle

---

Alternating sets - 1 mins rest

A) SSB single leg calf raise - arm supported, 1cm elevated - 30 sec ISO at top x 30kg, 35kg, 40kg, 45kg
On floor in oly shoes, so about 40% ROM - controlled up, hold at top, 3 sec down - 30kg x12

B) Wall Tibialis raise - in oly shoes (Legacy Lifter 2) - 3 sec eccentric - BW 4x5 @RPE 8

C) Squats -

Overhead squat - slow tempo 20kg x5, 30kg x5
1 power snatch + 3 high hang power snatch, with no foot movement before each set

Front Squat - oly shoes - 5 secs down, 3 sec up  - 20kg x5, 30kg x4, 60kg, x4, 77.5kg x3  (+2.5kg)
80kg x1
1 power clean + 3 high hang power clean, with no foot movement before 20 and 30kg sets

A) High bar squat - oly shoes - 4 secs down, 2 secs up  - 30kg x5, 60kg x5, 80kg x5, 100kg x3, 110kg x2, 120kg x1
A1) 2-3 sec down, controlled up - 112.5kg x10 @ RPE 8.5  (+2.5kg)
A2) 2-3 secs down, controlled up - 112.5kg x4 @RPE 7
A3) 2-3 secs down, controlled up - 112.5kg x4 @RPE 7
A4) 2 secs down, controlled up - 100kg x10 @RPE 8

B) Low bar squat - oly shoes - 3 sec down, controlled up  - 30kg x5, 60kg x5, 80kg x5, 100kg x2
B1) 2 sec down, controlled up - 112.5kg x4 @ RPE 6
B2) 100kg x 5 @ RPE 5

right lower back muscle twinge on the last rep of 80kg low bar warmup, but no problems on other sets
Inching towards my 140kg x 10 goal

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SSB reverse lunge - oly shoes, single arm supported - 2 sec down and controlled up
alternating legs - BW x12, 30kg x10, 50kg x6
alternating legs - 62.5kg x14 @ RPE 7  (+2.5kg)

Left knee tendons still aching on first few reps of the heavier sets
Too much tendon stretch and compression, so will change things up.

Stiff legged deadlift -  20kg x10, hook-gripped 60kg x10, 80kg x10, clean deadlift + RDL 100kg x5
straps 110kg x9 @ RPE 8 (+1 rep)

Side Lying Clam - hip straight, resisting the band eccentric, hold at top - IronEdge XXHeavy band x 10 each side, XXheavy+medium band x8, x8, x9 @ RPE 7

Thursday 2nd December 2021

Posterior chain feels achey from the stuff I did yesterday....
Lower back much better

Right achilles feeling slightly worse - could be due to the knee over toes calf raise holds
doing them again today and will see how things go

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Waking mobility work

pre workout - soft tissue work for upper body and feet, brief
TFL rectus femoris, and hip flexor stretch

---

Tendon health+rehab - Upper 2, day 4

10G beef gelatin + 1g vitamin C one hour before session

Bodyweight with shoes - 88.2kg

----
general mobility drills
40% ROM sissy squats x 30
Walking on sides of ankle, side to side ankle rocking drills
side leg raises x 20 each leg

BBall ball control and dribbling drills - 10 mins
Stationary stuff - to avoid aggravating the achilles

Band pull aparts - horizontal x 20, Diagonals, thumbs up -  Rogue light band x10 each axis
split squat ISO, rear leg straight, at 90 degrees - x 1 min - 30 secs actively pulling legs inwards, 30 secs pushing legs outwards

----
rotating sets - 1 mins rest

A) SSB single leg calf raise ISO - arm supported, held at top - 45 secs x  30kg, 40kg x 3 sets

B) Side plank with leg abduction - against 20 inch bench - x 30secs each side
on 8 inch step x 30 secs
on 5 inch step x 30 secs

C1) Knee over toes calf raise ISO - single leg, at top - 3 x 45 secs
C2) Wall sit- at 80-90 degrees - 2x 45 secs

D1) Pull up/Chin up - Hang and 20 scap shrugs, feet assisted BW x 10
Pull up - Dead hang/paused,  wider - BW x3, +10kg weight vest  x3, x6 @ RPE 9
Chin up, shoulder width -  2x8 @ RPE 8/9
Pull up, wider - 3 sec eccentric-  BW x6 @ RPE 8.5

D2) Dip - dip shrugs x 20, BW x10, +37.5lbs x5
Dip belt 67.5lbs x 9 @ RPE 9 (+20lbs -3 reps)
3 sec eccentric - Weight vest 10kg x 10 @ RPE 9 (+1 rep)

---

A) Single arm dumbbell row - supported - controlled down - 45lbs x10, 36kg x3, x10 @ RPE 8  (+1 REP)
6 count down, 3 count up - 36kg x6 @ RPE 9 

B) Overhead press
B1) Military Press - barbell - 20kg x10, 30kg x3
3 inches from smooth - 35kg x15 @ RPE 9 (misload!)
45kg x8 @ RPE 9  (+2.5kg -2 reps)

thumbs on smooth - 45kg x6 @ RPE 8.5 (+2.5kg -4 reps)

Switched to bulldog grip today, felt good.

B2) Dumbbell, palms facing, overhead press, arms in line with ears - 15lbs x10, 35lbs x11 @RPE 8

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A) Sharapova band cuff/trap/serratus exercise - light Rogue mini band - 3x 3 trips up/down wall @ RPE7/8/9
B) Band pull aparts
High to low, palms up - Jump stretch light band x 30 @ RPE 7
Diagonals, alternating sides, thumbs up  - Jump stretch light band x 20 @ RPE 7

Bar hangs - pull up grip 2x30secs, Chin grip x30, x15 secs


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stretch

The new issue of MASS is here! You can see the full table of contents over at @strongerbyscience , but I just wanted to share a thought I had while writing one of my articles this month.

A recent study by Camargo and colleagues (PMID: 34567366) examined the effects of a block of hypertrophy training followed by a block of strength training, versus a block of strength training followed by a block of hypertrophy training.

Conventional thinking would suggest that the order of hypertrophy --> strength should have produced larger strength gains (you build more muscle, and then you strengthen the muscle you've recently built), but strength gains were similar between groups. That's in keeping with other similar studies (PMID: 26670986 and 19057409).

I think the most important factor is time. Most training studies are 8-16 weeks long, and an experienced lifter is unlikely to build enough muscle in 4-8 weeks to really move the needle. Rather, it's probably more productive to focus on training with sufficient volume to accumulate more muscle over time (i.e. over the time span of years). A single 1-3 month block of hypertrophy training probably isn't going to have much of an effect.

On the topic of hypertrophy, a recent study that got a lot of press (PMID: 33241958) suggested that a 3-week strength block potentiated the effects of subsequent hypertrophy training. I expressed some skepticism about that on the SBS pod (Episode 51), and the study I reviewed this month in MASS reinforces that skepticism: biceps, triceps, and quad hypertrophy were all similar between groups. That's consistent with a recent systematic review, suggesting that periodization doesn't have much of an effect on hypertrophy (DOI: 10.1016/j.scispo.2017.09.005)

Wednesday 1st December 2021

Lower back feeling better, so it appears to be muscular

Decided to rest up today in any case

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Waking mobility work and upper body stretches

Calf raise ISO - single leg at top - 4x 1min
Knee over toes calf raise ISO - single leg, at top - 3 x 50 secs
loads the patella/tendon quite a bit as well

Sissy squat ISO - at 60 degree knee angle - 3x 45secs

Monday 29th November 2021

Lower body still sore from last session, glutes especially, but I felt decent overall.
Erectors, right side especially felt hammered

----
Morning mobility work and upper body stretches

pre workout - soft tissue work for lower body
TFL rectus femoris, and hip flexor stretch

----
general mobility drills
40% ROM sissy squats x 30
side leg raises x 20 each leg
hip circles x 10 each direction
Assisted Hip Airplane stretch - 6x10 secs, 2 at each hip angle

---

Tendon health+rehab - Day 3 Lower2
10G beef gelatin + 1g vitamin C one hour before session

Bodyweight in shoes = 88.3kg

Band pull aparts - horizontal x 20, Diagonals, thumbs up -  Rogue light band x10 each axis
broom handle behind the neck press, pushing backwards into shoulder dislocate stretch position x20 + Shoulder dislocates x few sets
split squat ISO, rear leg straight, at 90 degrees - x 1 min - 30 secs actively pulling legs inwards, 30 secs pushing legs outwards
Side plank with leg abduction - against 20 inch bench - x 30secs each side
Front plank x 30 secs
Step Downs - 6 inch step - BW x15
Spanish squat ISO - at 80 degree knee angle - 2x 30 secs
Single leg calf raise - BW x20 - on floor

---

Alternating sets - 1 mins rest

A) KettleBell swing - 40lbs x10 warmup 50% effort, 40lbs 3x10

B) SSB Single leg calf raise - ISO held at top - 30secs x 30kg, 40kg, 40kg, 40kg
1cm elevated in oly shoes, so about 50% ROM - 3 sec up, 1 sec hold, 3 sec down - 30kg x15@ RPE 8

C) Wall Tibialis raise - BW x20, in oly shoes, 3 sec eccentric - BW  2x7 @RPE 8

had planned to do more sets but I keep forgetting to do them...

D) Knee over toes calf raise - top half only, controlled - BW 3x20

---

E) Squats -

Overhead squat - slow tempo 20kg x5, 30kg x5
snatch high pull x3 + 3 high hang power snatch before 20kg set
1 power snatch + 3 high hang power snatch before 30kg  set

Front Squat - oly shoes - 4 secs down, 2 sec up  - 20kg x5, 52.5kg x5, 72.5kg x5  (+2.5kg)
1 power clean + 3 high hang power clean before 20kg and 52.5kg sets


A) High bar squat - oly shoes - 4 secs down, 2 secs up  - 20kg x5, 40kg x5,  60kg x5, 82.5kg x5, 100kg x3, 110kg x1, 120kg x1
A1) 2-3 sec down, controlled up - 110kg x6 @ RPE 7
A2) 2-3 secs down, controlled up - 110kg x6 @RPE 7
A3) 2-3 secs down, controlled up - 100kg x 11 @ RPE 7

B) Low bar squat - oly shoes - 3 sec down, controlled up  - 20kg x5, 40kg x5,  60kg x5, 82.5kg x5, 100kg x3
B1) 2 sec down, controlled up - 110kg x6 @ RPE 6.5
B3) 100kg x11 @ RPE 7

Same weight, sets and reps as last session 2 days ago, but it felt a little easier this time.
See what happens next session after a few days rest

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SSB reverse lunge - oly shoes, single arm supported - 2 sec down and controlled up
alternating legs - BW x12, 30kg x6, 50kg x6
alternating legs - 60kg x16 @ RPE 8 

3/10 pain from left patella/quad tendon on the first few reps of 50kg and 60kg sets

Romanian deadlift - Stiff legged deadlift off the floor on first rep, lowered to 1 inch off floor -  20kg x10, hook-gripped 60kg x10, 80kg x10,
1) straps 100kg x11 @ RPE 8 (+1 rep)
2) 105kg x 10 @ RPE 8 (+5kg)

Monster band lateral lunge - alternating 3 reps each direction, resisting the band eccentric - IronEdge XXHeavy band x 18, XXheavy+medium band 3x18 @ RPE 7

Saturday 27th November 2021

Posterior chain still sore, but I still felt decent and with good energy so I did squats today

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Waking mobility work and upper body stretches

----
general mobility drills
40% ROM sissy squats x 30
Walking on sides of ankle, side to side ankle rocking drills
side leg raises x 20 each leg

BBall ball control and dribbling drills - 15 mins
mostly stationary stuff

---

Tendon health+rehab -  fasted -  Upper 1, day 2
10G beef gelatin + 1g vitamin C one hour before session

Bodyweight with shoes - 88.5kg

Band pull aparts - horzontal x 20, Diagonals, palms facing down -  Rogue light band x10 each axis

---

rotating sets - 2-3 mins rest

A) Bench - grip 2.5 inches from smooth area - 20kg x15, 40kg x10, 60kg x8, 70kgx5
1) 80kg x10 @ RPE 9 (-1 RPE)
2) 85kg x 5 @ RPE 8.5
3) 3 sec eccentric - 75kg x 6 @ RPE 9 (+5kg -4 reps)
4) 6 secs down, 2 secs up - 60kg x9 @ RPE 9 (+5kg -2 reps)

10 days since I last benched, and strength is still up
Only a moderate strain on 80kg x10 compared to the 2-3 sec grind at the top last week, so probably could have grinded out a 11th rep this week.
So e1RM is now at 110kg
Will go up to 85kg on first set next week.

Stretched upper traps and levator scapulae before main sets, helped get rid of the pain I feel on the left side when I unrack the bar
Switched to a bulldog grip on bench today. Takes a lot of pressure off your wrists, as they are straighter and inline with the forearms.
Will come in handy as the weights get to 100kg and above.

B) High angle rows - 20kg x12, 40kg x10, 60kg x10, 70kg x5
deadlifted off the floor -
77.5kg x10@ RPE 7 (+2.5kg, -2 reps at lower RPE )
80kg x9 @ RPE 8  (+5kg, -4 reps at lower RPE )
80kg x8 @ RPE 8

Almost at bodyweight for reps now.
Bodyweight pullups should get a lot easier once I'm there and past it.

---

A) Push ups
deficit - on dumbbell handles - feet elevated 20 inches - BW x 15 @ RPE 7 (-5 reps)
Close grip triangle pushup - BW x 15 @ RPE 7 (+1 rep)

C) Inverted row - using bench press height bar, feet on 20 inch bench, bench press grip width - BW x10 reps @ RPE 8

B) Dumbbell curl - 15lbs x12, 25lbs x8, 30lbs 2x8 @ RPE 7

---

split squat ISO, rear leg straight, at 90 degrees - x 1 min - 30 secs actively pulling legs inwards, 30 secs pushing legs outwards
Side plank with leg abduction - against 20 inch bench x 30secs each side
Spanish squat ISO - at 80 degree knee angle - 2x 30 secs

A) SSB Single leg calf raise- ISO held at top - 40secs x 30kg, 40kg, 40kg, 40kg
1cm elevated in oly shoes, so about 50% ROM - controlled up, 3 sec down - 15kg x12, 30kg 2x12@ RPE 7

B) Ivanko super gripper - 92lbs x10
left hand - 101lbs 4x8 @RPE 8
right hand- 101lbs 4x8 @ RPE 7

----
Elbows out row + external rotation + press - chest supported at 45 degrees  - 2.5lbs x20 @ RPE 7
Sharapova band cuff/trap/serratus exercise - light Rogue mind band - 2x 3 trips up/down wall
Scarecrow W external rotations - leaning forward - 7.5lbs x19, x21 @ RPE 8
LU raises - controlled - 1.25kg plate x10, 2.5kg x12, x11 @ RPE 7

Band pull aparts
High to low, palms up - Jump stretch light band x 25 @ RPE 7
Diagonals, alternating sides - Jump stretch light band x 22 @ RPE 7

D) Squats -
SSB squat - slow tempo 30kg 2x10

A) High bar squat - oly shoes - 4 secs down, 2 secs up  - 20kg x5, 40kg x5,  60kg x5, 80kg x5, 100kg x3
A1) 2-3 sec down, controlled up - 110kg x6 @ RPE 7
A2) 2-3 secs down, controlled up - wider stance - 110kg x6 @RPE 7
A3) 2-3 secs down, controlled up - 100kg x 11 @ RPE 8

B) Low bar squat - oly shoes - 3 sec down, controlled up  - 20kg x5, 40kg x5,  60kg x5, 80kg x5, 100kg x3
B1) 2 sec down, controlled up - 110kg x6 @ RPE 7
B3) 100kg x9 @ RPE 9

Felt decent, but weaker than 2 days ago I think, and still battling hip shift issues.
Tried to keep a buffer on all sets

Friday 26th November 2021

Thankfully no drained feeling after yesterday, stopping squats before the shaking, grinding reps helps.
Moderate soreness in my quads, calves, hamstrings, glute medius/major and erectors.

Achilles insertion waking pain - left 1/10, right 3/10
Some inflamed feeling on right side, but kinda hard to tell as I have some DOMs in the area.
But may need to dial load down a bit next time.

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Waking mobility work and upper body stretches

Calf raise ISOs - held between neutral and top - single leg 4x 40secs

Wall sit - at 60 degrees - 2x 40 secs
Single Leg sissy squat ISO - at 60 degrees - opposite leg, lightly on floor 2x 40secs
full bodyweight 3x 40secs