Duplicate of my Excel File

Sugar Free

Dire 5 weeks. Discs flared up again and worse than the mini one in March.
Thankfully no nerve signal related atrophy. Kinda messed up training plans but that's what I have to deal with.

Don't know if it was inclines, high bar or something else new in my training that caused it, form issue (unlikely imo as little has changed) or more likely, it was just my time. As long as it's once a year I can live with that...


DB Bench: 70 x 2 x 8 (4010), 60 x 2 x 8 (4010)
Chins: 2 x 7, 1 x 6 (all 4010), 1 x 8

DB Incline Bench: 50 x 4 x 8 (4010)
DB Row: 37.5 x 4 x 10

Cable Lat. Raise: ~9 x 3 x 8 (3010)
EZ Curl: 30 x 3 x 8 (3010)

Not much but so far no pain.

Alf Veedersane

Sugar Free wrote: »

Dire 5 weeks. Discs flared up again and worse than the mini one in March.
Thankfully no nerve signal related atrophy. Kinda messed up training plans but that's what I have to deal with.

Don't know if it was inclines, high bar or something else new in my training that caused it, form issue (unlikely imo as little has changed) or more likely, it was just my time. As long as it's once a year I can live with that...


DB Bench: 70 x 2 x 8 (4010), 60 x 2 x 8 (4010)
Chins: 2 x 7, 1 x 6 (all 4010), 1 x 8

DB Incline Bench: 50 x 4 x 8 (4010)
DB Row: 37.5 x 4 x 10

Cable Lat. Raise: ~9 x 3 x 8 (3010)
EZ Curl: 30 x 3 x 8 (3010)

Not much but so far no pain.

So are you pretty much always going to have flare ups?

Sugar Free

Yep, it's the nature of degenerative discs unfortunately. Particularly cervical ones according to my consultant. Until such a point where I need to get them fused. Hoping I can make it to 50 before that is required though!

Alf Veedersane

Sugar Free wrote: »

Yep, it's the nature of degenerative discs unfortunately. Particularly cervical ones according to my consultant. Until such a point where I need to get them fused. Hoping I can make it to 50 before that is required though!

Does it mean you have to be a bit smarter about what you do training-wise or is it just gonna happen regardless?

Hopefully you get plenty of time between flare-ups at least.

Sugar Free

That's what I'm trying to work out - if I did something in terms of form or exercise selection or even just volume that pushed it over the edge or if it's just unavoidable at times. I kind of knew it was coming this time as my traps kept getting extremely tight, even within a couple of days of having dry needling done (twice!).

Yeah hopefully I get 9-12 months between them and that they only last a couple of weeks.

Alf Veedersane

Sugar Free wrote: »

That's what I'm trying to work out - if I did something in terms of form or exercise selection or even just volume that pushed it over the edge or if it's just unavoidable at times. I kind of knew it was coming this time as my traps kept getting extremely tight, even within a couple of days of having dry needling done (twice!).

Yeah hopefully I get 9-12 months between them and that they only last a couple of weeks.

Is it painful or just something where you know training just isn't going to happen?

Sugar Free

Painful as f*ck! Hurts to turn my head, sometimes even just 30-45 degrees. Sleep quality becomes very poor as it can wake you up in the night. Bending over a bit to wash your hands in the sink can send a shot of pain into your neck. No craic at all.

There really are no workarounds other than waiting for it to calm down and/or let the bone spur form.

Alf Veedersane

Sugar Free wrote: »

Painful as f*ck! Hurts to turn my head, sometimes even just 30-45 degrees. Sleep quality becomes very poor as it can wake you up in the night. Bending over a bit to wash your hands in the sink can send a shot of pain into your neck. No craic at all.

There really are no workarounds other than waiting for it to calm down and/or let the bone spur form.

Sounds like fun...


Well here's to at least another 12 months free of that and being able to train!

Sugar Free

First time squatting in 6 weeks, pretty much got DOMS at the thought of training. Just wanted to do something, get the first time back pain out of the way and get into it next week.

Squat (no belt): 120 x 3 x 8
SG DL: 100 x 3 x 5

Calf Raises: ~90 x 3 x 12
Crunch: 10 x 3 x 10 (tempo)

Squats felt heavy, moved sluggishly and seemed ugly.
Still though, happy to be be back.

Sugar Free

DB Bench: 75 x 2 x 10, 75 x 1 x 8, 70 x 2 x 8
Incl. DB Bench: 60 x 3 x 7

Chins: BW x 5 x 8
DB Row: 40 x 4 x 8

Lat Raises: 25 x 4 x 10

DB Skulls: 30 x 3 x 8 (last set more rolling extension lol)
DB Curls: 35 x 3 x 8

Everything 90-120 seconds max

Sugar Free

SG DL: 90 x 3 x 6
BOR: 60 x 5 x 15

Incline DB Bench: 65 x 3 x 10, 65 x 1 x 8
Cable Shrugs: ~80 x 3 x 12 (3010)

Rear Delt Flyes: Stack 4 x 3 x 8 (3010)
Dips: 3 x 10 (3010)

EZ Curl: 30 x 3 x 10

60-90 secs rest on all except DLs lol. Had meant to do a full lower session but training at 6am and my CNS just don't mix. Felt rotten. So did something DL-like and the rest light enough stuff.

Sugar Free

Squat: 125 x 3 x 8
High Bar: 100 x 8

DB SLDL: 40 x 4 x 8 (4010)
Standing Calf Raise: ~95 x 3 x 10 (pause at top and bottom)

Swiss Ball Tuck: 3 x 8 (3020)

Realised today that I've been in a small deficit for 4-5 months.
Weight down to 90kg now, so will finally get a surplus going again soon and actually train with something resembling volume...

Sugar Free

Bench: 80 x 8, 100 x 3 x 6, 80 x 11
Chins: 4 x 10

Incl. DB Bench: 65 x 2 x 10, 65 x 2 x 8
BOR: 70 x 5 x 12

Bent over rear dealt raise (need a shorter name): 15 x 3 x 10
ss/w
Lateral raise: 15 x 3 x 10

DB Curls: 35 x 3 x 10
ss/w
Rope pushdowns: 3 x 15


Bench all right given that I haven't done BB in 5+ weeks.Chins were super easy thanks to my lower bodyweight lol. Rest just ticking over...
My cals have been from 2300 down to 2100 over the last few months. No longer totally fat. By internet measurements I'm closing in on 8%. By real life it's probably 14-15% lol.

My new TDEE given the lower bodyweight is 2600-2700 depending on which calculator I ask. So from Monday I'll go back up to 3000-3200 and see how I fare. I've an important event at the start of Autumn so I don't want to go all bulk crazy. My diet and food choices have been consistently good so I intend to keep that going. Apart from the two Fulfil bars I ate today. Bloatsville.

Sugar Free

Standing OHP: 50 x 8, 55 x 8, 50 x 3 x 8
Chins (set every minute): 11 x 6

DB Bench: 80 x 2 x 8, 1 x 7
Lat Raise: 30 x 3 x 10

EZ Curl: 40 x 2 x 12, 40 x 1 x 10
DB Skulls/Rolling Ext: 25 x 3 x 12


Looking back, that is internal rotation heaven but plan to DL tomorrow so didn't want to completely destroy lats with rowing too. Chins are a PR of sorts, in that I don't think I've ever done 66 reps in one session. Boring though!

Would have been nice to get the 40kg bells for 3 x 8 on DB bench as I was pre-fatigued but next time maybe. Also, DB skulls will be my main tricep exercise for the next 6 weeks as I am piss weak at them. Had to turn them into rolling extensions to hit the reps.

Sugar Free

Bench: 102.5 x 5, 110 x 3, 120 x 1, 125 x 1
Chins: 3 x 12, 1 x 10

Incline DB Bench: 60 x 15, 70 x 10, 70 x 7, 60 x 10
Cable Shrugs: ~90 x 3 x 10 (3010)

Cable Row: Stack 8 x 5 x 12

DB Skulls: 25 x 3 x 10
DB Curls: 40 x 3 x 8


Life stuff. Need to squat and dl soon. Happy to hit 125 x 1 as I'm only 90kg so it's pretty much a 1.4x BW bench. Not terrible.
Also decided to keep the dieting going until I'm at a BF level I'm fully happy with.

Sugar Free

Leg press: 4 X 12
ss w/
DB SLDL: 4 X 12

Calf raise: 3 X 12
Ab wheel: 3 X 10

Lat raise: 3 X 15
ss w/
Rear Lat raise: 3 X 10

Run 1 km


Hotel so just did anything lower as very limited equipment. Not sure you can even call 1km a run but anyway...

Sugar Free

Incl. DB Bench: 75 x 3 x 8, 65 x 1 x 10
Chins: 10 x 7 (every minute)

Standing OHP: 50 x 3 x 8, 50 x 1 x 6
CSR: 80 x 4 x 12 (every minute)

DB Skulls: 30 x 2 x 10, 30 x 1 x 8
ss w/
EZ Curls: 40 x 3 x 10


First two exercises were PR of sorts. DBs because I almost never incline press and chins because volume.

Sugar Free

HB Squat: 110 x 4 x 8
Feet Together Front Sq: 60 x 4 x 8

Leg Press: 150 x4 x 12
Lying Leg Curl: Stack 11 x 2 x 8, Stack 9 x 2 x 8

Standing Calf Raise: 100 x 3 x 10
Decline Crunch: 10 x 3 x 10


Feet together front squat was something I'd seen on Candito's channel before he went into the internet wilderness. Really shows up any ankle issues and I certainly have them. Wasn't even close to parallel. Will keep these in (in addition to stretching obv) and see if it helps improve things.

Sugar Free

Bench: 100 x 6, 112.5 x 3, 115 x 3, 112.5 x 3, 100 x 6
Chins: 4 x 12

Incl. DB Bench: 65 x 12, 65 x 2 x 10, 65 x 8
DB BOR: 65 x 3 x 8
Cable Row: Stack 8 x 3 x 12

Rope PD: Stack 9 x 2 x 15, 1 x 13
ss w/
Cable Curl: 50 x 3 x 8

Lat. Raises: 20 x 2 x 10


Decent enough on bench again. Flew through everything after chins with 60 sec rests as the place was closing soon. Combined with the temperature outside today and the inexplicably ever-on radiators, I was a sweaty mess by the end, gross.

Sugar Free

SG DL: 90 x 3 x 8
SLDL: 100 x 3 x 10
Shrugs: 100 x 3 x 10 (30X0)

Standing Calf Raise: 100 x 3 x 12
Crunch: 15 x 3 x 8 (30X0)


0600. Bleh. Felt rotten but only time I could fit it in. Not much volume there either but still better than not training. Also, various factors like my height, limb length, grip etc means that at the top of the SG DL, the bar is crushing my balls. Fun.

Sugar Free

Incline DB Bench: 75 x 3 x 8, 1 x 7
Standing BB OHP: 50 x 6, 8, 6, 7

Chins: 4 x 8, 6 x 7 (every minute)
BOR: 65 x 8 x 10 (every minute in theory)

Lat. raise: 30 x 3 x 10
Preacher Curl: 30 x 3 x 8 (assumed the bar was 10 but could be less)

DB Skulls: 30 x 12, 10, 8
Facepulls: 3 x 15


Chins still going well but boooring. I had also meant to do OHP after chins but forgot so lower numbers this time.

Sugar Free

Cardio: 40 minutes.
Remembered why I don't do it. Bored out of my mind.

Alf Veedersane

Sugar Free wrote: »

Cardio: 40 minutes.
Remembered why I don't do it. Bored out of my mind.

Having a decent podcast or chew-ens to get you through is crucial

Sugar Free

I did, it's just the monotony that gets to me. Must be my awful attention span!

Sugar Free

HB Squat: 112.5 x 4 x 8
Feet Together Front Sq: 65 x 4 x 6

Leg Press: 180 x 4 x 12
Lying Leg Curl: Stack 10 x 3 x 8, Stack 9 x 1 x 8

Standing Calf Raise: ~110 x 3 x 12
ss w/
Crunches: Unknown KB x 3 x 10


Hard. And roasting. Not sure I'm digging the feet together front squats. Hard to stop flexing at the hip. May just keep hammering ankle stuff and do regular front squats.

Alf Veedersane

What ankle stuff are you doing to improve mobility?

Like training in a sauna tonight.

Sugar Free

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

What ankle stuff are you doing to improve mobility?

Like training in a sauna tonight.

Nothing I haven't done before. Tennis/Hockey ball, static stretch, band distraction and a couple of MWODs ankle drills. Only difference is I'm actually doing it regularly instead of leaving it until after I've done my hips, glutes etc and could no longer be arsed.

Sugar Free

Incline DB Bench: 50 x 4 x 15
ss w/
Chins: 4 x 12

CSR: 90 x 4 x 10

DB Front Raises: 25 x 4 x 10
ss w/
DB Skulls: 30 x 2 x 10, 30 x 2 x 8

DB Curls: 35 x 2 x 12, 35 x 1 x 10
ss w/
Lat. raises: 25 x 3 x 8


0600. Didn't have much time today and my left RC muscles have been sore so reduced the pressing volume and kept it very light.

Sugar Free

SG DL: 92.5 x 3 x 8
SLDL: 102.5 x 3 x 10
Decline Sit-ups: 15 x 3 x 10

Cable Shrugs: 90 x 3 x 10 (3020)
Facepulls: 3 x 15


Had a wedding over the weekend. Did pre-emptive stretching but drove out and back on the same night and my right hip (psoas maybe) has been mega tight since then despite rolling etc. Started into split squats but just wasn't happening with the hip.

Sugar Free

Yesterday

DB Bench: 80 x 8, 85 x 2 x 8, 80 x 7
Chins: 8 x 5 (set every 30 seconds)

Incline DB Bench: 50 x 20, 50 x something, followed by crrrrunnnnch

Curls. Pushdowns.
Attempted other things, shoulder said no.
Left.


Shoulder subluxation. Haven't had one of them since I was about 17. Scary feeling at the time but ok now, apart from the fact it hurts a lot and feels like it's about to pop out of the socket with any quick movement.

Going to try and squat tomorrow but if that isn't working it will be leg extension and leg curl day.