Thoughts, Training Log Up to Nov 14, 2009 (with video)

Thoughts:

1) I sometimes find that some people want to hear confirmatory answers, nothing contradictory. I you don't think that you can like the answer, don't ask me the questions.

2) I find that many girls also don't like it when I answer their questions the way I do, ie by asking them back leading questions, so that the initial person inquiring can use their thinking to derive the answer by themselves. I can teach many things, whatever I do know, but I won't cure laziness to think.

It's the way I've programmed myself. I don't want to know whether an MCQ is true or false. I want to know "what does the question want me to know?" If you don't like it, just suck it up.

3) Coaches have always stated that most people should just follow what is written and stop asking questions. Just follow the fucking manual. Probably applicable to more than egoistical, damn-rich, pampered-to-the-max, many-of-whom-are-pretty-clueless athletes.

3) On another note, Coax has joined Abe, John and me in training. And not to forget, he does have rotator cuff impingement, very symptomatic.

The goals I've set for him as follows: to get his lower body stronger in general, which will actually help strengthen his upper body as well. And for his upper body, it is very simple: I have 6 months to rehab his shoulder. I will make sure that by the time we graduate, he will not need surgery. I'll make his shoulder so good he'll default further follow-ups. There are 3 components to this.

1 - Improve his posture and ROM - pec minor stiffness/shortness is probably the most important thing to fix.

2 - Improve his trap/s. anterior strength, and promote proper movement mechanics to prevent pain (i.e. proper scapulothoraicic mobility + stability).

3 - Restore strength to his supraspinatus, infraspinatus and teres minor. Subscapularis is optional.

And through 2 sessions, so far so good. Better ROM, and better pain free ROM. We'll be slow and steady; 6 months is a long time.

Training Log:

Nothing much, a lot was just a repeat of 2 weeks before.

Monday

Deadlifts - Up to 104 kg x 9. Did all in hook grip instead of mixed grip, which made it much harder than it was 2 weeks ago. Remember than my mixed grip adds probably 20 kg's to my deadlift.

Tuesday

Bench Press - Up to 63 kg x 11. 2 kg's more than 2 weeks before. I'm still on track to reach 1RM of 100 kg; hopefully BP progress will not slow down a single bit.

Thursday

Front Squat - Up to 74 kg x 11. Was a bit unstable in the middle of the set, but I got all the reps eventually.

Friday

Military Press - Up to 40 kg x 10. I was feeling good, so I did an extra rep, with at least 2 more in the tank. Here's the video for this session.

Youtube and the comments by coach Harry Selkow.

Training progress continues as usual, Abe is progressing well, Coax is relatively pain-free doing upper body exercises, and John has the confidence to train by himself (due to training on different days). And I got the distinction for Surgery. Life is good and to be savored while it lasts.