nativetroutbum
Member
And those are MikeyNov chins too... perfect form, pause at the top, pause at the bottom. BW+40x12 "mikeynov" style is crazy strong!
Mike's Log - The Road to Recovery
- Thread starter mikeynov
- Start date
Appreciate the encouragement, guys 
They are, indeed, "mikeynov" chins.
Lower Body - Day 2, Week 4
Leg Press Rapers
Warmup (a lot)
2 plates + 20 lbs per side x 15,10
45 Degree Back Extensions
Me + 45 x 15,10
Hip Abduction
80 x 15,10
Hip Adduction
20 x 30
30 x 30
Calf Raise Stack
Me + 135 x 15,10
Notes:
I warmed up way more in leg presses, and as a result my adductor felt better. However, in testing the actual adduction machine later, it's clear to me I have a mild adductor strain on the left side. Add that to the list of problems (shoulder, sciatic/hamstring), I guess. My plan here is just to do some high rep, light adduction on lower body days to hopefully get it worked out. Nothing else really irritates it, and it's not an "injury" I notice in anything other than (strongly) resisted adduction, so I should be fine.
They are, indeed, "mikeynov" chins.Lower Body - Day 2, Week 4
Leg Press Rapers
Warmup (a lot)
2 plates + 20 lbs per side x 15,10
45 Degree Back Extensions
Me + 45 x 15,10
Hip Abduction
80 x 15,10
Hip Adduction
20 x 30
30 x 30
Calf Raise Stack
Me + 135 x 15,10
Notes:
I warmed up way more in leg presses, and as a result my adductor felt better. However, in testing the actual adduction machine later, it's clear to me I have a mild adductor strain on the left side. Add that to the list of problems (shoulder, sciatic/hamstring), I guess. My plan here is just to do some high rep, light adduction on lower body days to hopefully get it worked out. Nothing else really irritates it, and it's not an "injury" I notice in anything other than (strongly) resisted adduction, so I should be fine.
Well, you're thinking of "tear" in a very severe sense, like a muscle tearing badly or something. Any "tweak" of any muscle is technically a low-grade strain, which yes, means micro-tears have occurred to some combination of the muscle and/or its connective tissue and the subsequent inflammatory response. It's self-diagnosed, but it's certainly what it is.
It actually hurts a bit now some hours later as I'm sitting in front of the computer. If this continues I may have to cut out even leg presses for the time being. Lul.
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Unknown. I am 33 now and have been lifting a long number of years, so it could simply be wear and tear. The only true injury I have that concerns me, however, is the shoulder. I am hoping that eventually becomes more normal, as everything else I've had wrong (e.g. sciatic weirdness) invariably goes away with some time off/rest.
Lower Body - Day 1, Week 5
Leg Press Rapers
Warmup
2 plates + 25 lbs per side x 15,10
45 Degree Back Extensions
Warmup
Me + 50 x 15,7
Hip Adduction
30 x 30,30
Hip Abduction
80 x 15,10
Calf Raise Stack
Me + 142.5 x 15,10
Notes:
Trying to stick with the leg press rapers for now. Adjusting the seat position a little seemed to help the adductor comfort somewhat. I'll still ditch this if needed but for now it seems to be holding up okay. However, I may ditch the actual adduction exercise, as it almost seems to be irritating the area.
Leg Press Rapers
Warmup
2 plates + 25 lbs per side x 15,10
45 Degree Back Extensions
Warmup
Me + 50 x 15,7
Hip Adduction
30 x 30,30
Hip Abduction
80 x 15,10
Calf Raise Stack
Me + 142.5 x 15,10
Notes:
Trying to stick with the leg press rapers for now. Adjusting the seat position a little seemed to help the adductor comfort somewhat. I'll still ditch this if needed but for now it seems to be holding up okay. However, I may ditch the actual adduction exercise, as it almost seems to be irritating the area.
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Upper Body - Day 2, Week 5
DB Pause Bench
Warmup
~72's (~144) x 12
Chins
Warmup
Me + 50 x 12
1-Arm Cable Rows
55 x 12/side
DB External Rotations
12 x 12/side
Notes:
Nearing RM's in my lifts, so dropped to a single set. Also dropping pushups for the time being. I'm having some possibly leftover mild sternum irritation from dips that pushups bring out a little (yah, I know, one of many soft tissue irritations), plus I figure the DB bench might peak slightly higher without the added fatigue.
Overall though, I feel pretty good. I have to be honest, since dropping squats/deadlifts I feel like I have an additional spring in my step. I feel zero sciatic irritation and my back doesn't feel as tight in general.
DB Pause Bench
Warmup
~72's (~144) x 12
Chins
Warmup
Me + 50 x 12
1-Arm Cable Rows
55 x 12/side
DB External Rotations
12 x 12/side
Notes:
Nearing RM's in my lifts, so dropped to a single set. Also dropping pushups for the time being. I'm having some possibly leftover mild sternum irritation from dips that pushups bring out a little (yah, I know, one of many soft tissue irritations), plus I figure the DB bench might peak slightly higher without the added fatigue.
Overall though, I feel pretty good. I have to be honest, since dropping squats/deadlifts I feel like I have an additional spring in my step. I feel zero sciatic irritation and my back doesn't feel as tight in general.
Lower Body - Day 2, Week 5
Leg Press Rapers
Warmup
2 plates + 35 lbs per side x 15
45 Degree Back Extensions
Warmup
Me + 50 x 15
Calf Raise Stack
Me + 155 x 15
Hip Abduction Machine
87.5 x 12
Ab Machine
50 x 15
Notes:
Adductor still a bit tweaked, tried avoiding the direct adductor work today to see if it'd either help or hurt. I am near RM's in everything at this point, and while I finished "week 5," it's really week 6 (since I had a full, half week "week 0"). This means I may consider transitioning to something else shortly as I've more or less finished another 6 week HST cycle. A bro split was one option, as it'd allow a little more recovery and pump/isolation work to help aid the beach body look.
Leg Press Rapers
Warmup
2 plates + 35 lbs per side x 15
45 Degree Back Extensions
Warmup
Me + 50 x 15
Calf Raise Stack
Me + 155 x 15
Hip Abduction Machine
87.5 x 12
Ab Machine
50 x 15
Notes:
Adductor still a bit tweaked, tried avoiding the direct adductor work today to see if it'd either help or hurt. I am near RM's in everything at this point, and while I finished "week 5," it's really week 6 (since I had a full, half week "week 0"). This means I may consider transitioning to something else shortly as I've more or less finished another 6 week HST cycle. A bro split was one option, as it'd allow a little more recovery and pump/isolation work to help aid the beach body look.
Well, it's looking like I MIGHT get a summer vacation the 2nd week of July, which would coincide perfectly with one more, 3 week HST block. So what the hell, I'll finish this block up this week and then do one more. HST 4 Life.
Upper Body - Day 1, Week 6
DB Pause Bench
Warmup
72's (~144) x 12
Chins
Warmup
Me + 55 x 12
Seated DB Press (pauses at top, touch and go at bottom)
Warmup
30's (60) x 13
1-Arm Cable Row
57.5 x 12/side
DB External Rotations
8 x 13/side
Notes:
Dumbbell pause benches and chins are pretty much at my limits, so I won't be attempting anything heavier on these. In fact, I may just do a set of 5 as warmup or something and try pushing the overhead press and rows slightly for the last day of this block.
Speaking of which, I decided to cautiously try out seated, dumbbell overhead presses. It's been a good 10 months since my original injury, and a couple of months since those PRP injections, so if I can't do light overhead pressing at this point, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do it. This actually felt pretty good. I actually do full pauses at the top of each rep, which make these far burnier in my actual shoulders (versus brief pauses at the bottom, i.e. I'm never relaxing, sort of a constant-tension style). I just started super conservative here, and will transition to a "real" block of them starting next week. Of course, I'm also willing to drop these if they don't pan out, but I'm thinking it will be fine.
Upper Body - Day 1, Week 6
DB Pause Bench
Warmup
72's (~144) x 12
Chins
Warmup
Me + 55 x 12
Seated DB Press (pauses at top, touch and go at bottom)
Warmup
30's (60) x 13
1-Arm Cable Row
57.5 x 12/side
DB External Rotations
8 x 13/side
Notes:
Dumbbell pause benches and chins are pretty much at my limits, so I won't be attempting anything heavier on these. In fact, I may just do a set of 5 as warmup or something and try pushing the overhead press and rows slightly for the last day of this block.
Speaking of which, I decided to cautiously try out seated, dumbbell overhead presses. It's been a good 10 months since my original injury, and a couple of months since those PRP injections, so if I can't do light overhead pressing at this point, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do it. This actually felt pretty good. I actually do full pauses at the top of each rep, which make these far burnier in my actual shoulders (versus brief pauses at the bottom, i.e. I'm never relaxing, sort of a constant-tension style). I just started super conservative here, and will transition to a "real" block of them starting next week. Of course, I'm also willing to drop these if they don't pan out, but I'm thinking it will be fine.
Lower Body - Day 1, Week 6
Leg Extensions
Warmup
105 x 15
Back Extensions
Warmup
Me + 55 x 15 (tied PR?)
Calf Raise Stack
162.5 x 15
Seated Hip Abduction
85 x 13
Notes:
I tried some light warmups on a different (selectorized machine) leg press, but my adductor still feels a little iffy. So screw it, I'll just ditch leg presses, too. Leg Extensions + back extensions for the next few weeks.
I did some light (empty bar and 95) squats to see how those felt. No discomfort in the adductor, and no discomfort in the sciatic region. I won't chance luck here, though, I'll wait until mid/late July to start up regular squatting/pulling again, at the earliest.
Leg Extensions
Warmup
105 x 15
Back Extensions
Warmup
Me + 55 x 15 (tied PR?)
Calf Raise Stack
162.5 x 15
Seated Hip Abduction
85 x 13
Notes:
I tried some light warmups on a different (selectorized machine) leg press, but my adductor still feels a little iffy. So screw it, I'll just ditch leg presses, too. Leg Extensions + back extensions for the next few weeks.
I did some light (empty bar and 95) squats to see how those felt. No discomfort in the adductor, and no discomfort in the sciatic region. I won't chance luck here, though, I'll wait until mid/late July to start up regular squatting/pulling again, at the earliest.
Upper Body - Day 2, Week 6 (end of 12's)
DB Pause Bench
Warmup
~75's (~150) x 10
Chins
Warmup
Me + 60 x 11
Seated DB Press
Warmup
32.5's x 14
1-Arm Cable Rows
60 x 12/side
DB External Rotations
8 x 14/side
Notes:
I decided to be ambitious and bump the weights up a little. The result was that I couldn't quite make 12 reps for the bench and chins, but I was overall satisfied with the performance.
DB Pause Bench
Warmup
~75's (~150) x 10
Chins
Warmup
Me + 60 x 11
Seated DB Press
Warmup
32.5's x 14
1-Arm Cable Rows
60 x 12/side
DB External Rotations
8 x 14/side
Notes:
I decided to be ambitious and bump the weights up a little. The result was that I couldn't quite make 12 reps for the bench and chins, but I was overall satisfied with the performance.
Lower Body - Day 2, Week 6 (end of 15's)
Back Extensions (flat)
Warmup
Me + 60 x 18
Leg Extensions
Warmup
115 x 15
Leg Curls
70 x 15
1-Leg Calf Raises
Me + 25 x 15/side
Notes:
My gym is in the process of moving down the block, so they're closed for the time being. As such, I had to improvise with some stuff at home.
Back Extensions (flat)
Warmup
Me + 60 x 18
Leg Extensions
Warmup
115 x 15
Leg Curls
70 x 15
1-Leg Calf Raises
Me + 25 x 15/side
Notes:
My gym is in the process of moving down the block, so they're closed for the time being. As such, I had to improvise with some stuff at home.
Upper Body - Day 1, Week 7
DB Pause Bench
Warmup
75's (150) x 8,6
Chins
Warmup
Me + 65 x 8,5
Seated DB Press
Warmup
35's (70) x 8,6
Seated Cable Rows
147.5 x 8,6
Lateral Raises (slow)
10's x 20
DB External Rotations
10 x 11/side
Notes:
The Good:
My gym re-opened in a new location. The best news? A second squat rack. This is pretty awesome, it means I can squat at my gym a lot more easily now.
The Bad
I probably started chins a little too heavy. I've noticed this before, coming off of 10+ reps done a couple times a week, I'm deconditioned for heavier affairs. In this case, 65 actually felt a bit heavy. I'll probably repeat the weight on Saturday and go from there.
The Ugly
The setup I had at home is more like a super duper incline bench, whereas the chair at the gym leaves me more upright. As such, I actually got a slight pinchy sensation a time or two. While I might be able to modify my form to prevent this from happening, I'm still holding a zero tolerance policy with my shoulder, anything which causes noticeable discomfort is out. As such, I'll just finish this cycle with external rotations and lateral raises.
On the plus side, lateral raises felt pain-free and productive. I'll keep these light (10 lbs) but perhaps it can help improve my supraspinatus (the most injured of my rotator cuff muscles)? We shall see.
DB Pause Bench
Warmup
75's (150) x 8,6
Chins
Warmup
Me + 65 x 8,5
Seated DB Press
Warmup
35's (70) x 8,6
Seated Cable Rows
147.5 x 8,6
Lateral Raises (slow)
10's x 20
DB External Rotations
10 x 11/side
Notes:
The Good:
My gym re-opened in a new location. The best news? A second squat rack. This is pretty awesome, it means I can squat at my gym a lot more easily now.
The Bad
I probably started chins a little too heavy. I've noticed this before, coming off of 10+ reps done a couple times a week, I'm deconditioned for heavier affairs. In this case, 65 actually felt a bit heavy. I'll probably repeat the weight on Saturday and go from there.
The Ugly
The setup I had at home is more like a super duper incline bench, whereas the chair at the gym leaves me more upright. As such, I actually got a slight pinchy sensation a time or two. While I might be able to modify my form to prevent this from happening, I'm still holding a zero tolerance policy with my shoulder, anything which causes noticeable discomfort is out. As such, I'll just finish this cycle with external rotations and lateral raises.
On the plus side, lateral raises felt pain-free and productive. I'll keep these light (10 lbs) but perhaps it can help improve my supraspinatus (the most injured of my rotator cuff muscles)? We shall see.
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nativetroutbum
Member
I'm always checking in here for my daily dose of MikeyNov chinup motivation! BW+65x8, MikeyNov-style is simply awesome and motivating as I'm nearing the start of my next cycle!! Sorry to hear that your shoulder is still giving you issues. The "no tolerance" policy is a good one, very wise.
Thursday - June 20th
Lower Body - Day 1, Week 7
Back Extensions (slightest incline)
Warmup
Me + 80 x 10,7
Leg Extensions
Warmup
115 x 10,7
Leg Curls
75 x 10,7
1-Leg Calf Raises
Me + 30 x 10,7
Saturday, June 22nd
Upper Body - Day 2, Week 7
DB Pause Bench
Warmup
77.5's (155) x 8,5
Chins
Warmup
Me + 70 x 8,5
Lateral Raises (standing, thumbs up)
10's x 20
Seated Cable Row
155 x 8,5
DB External Rotations
10 x 15/side
Notes:
The lower body workout was completed at home, I'm kind of just dicking around here the last few weeks while I avoid heavy squats/deadlifts.
Upper body stuff I've been doing at the gym. I actually warmed up in bench initially with the barbell, going up to 135 to see how it felt. Still feels a little unstable/something on my left shoulder. This lift is still a question mark in my mind as I haven't tried really pursuing it since last year.
I appear to be hitting a roadblock in upper body pushes, as the 77.5's for 8 were more or less a limit set. I may just sit on this weight for a couple of weeks, or even just drop down to 5's? Calories will get bumped back up starting mid-July, so I'm quite confident I'll regain my strength here. For the time being, it's just about losing as little strength as possible, as it were. Chins felt better, which was a plus.
Lower Body - Day 1, Week 7
Back Extensions (slightest incline)
Warmup
Me + 80 x 10,7
Leg Extensions
Warmup
115 x 10,7
Leg Curls
75 x 10,7
1-Leg Calf Raises
Me + 30 x 10,7
Saturday, June 22nd
Upper Body - Day 2, Week 7
DB Pause Bench
Warmup
77.5's (155) x 8,5
Chins
Warmup
Me + 70 x 8,5
Lateral Raises (standing, thumbs up)
10's x 20
Seated Cable Row
155 x 8,5
DB External Rotations
10 x 15/side
Notes:
The lower body workout was completed at home, I'm kind of just dicking around here the last few weeks while I avoid heavy squats/deadlifts.
Upper body stuff I've been doing at the gym. I actually warmed up in bench initially with the barbell, going up to 135 to see how it felt. Still feels a little unstable/something on my left shoulder. This lift is still a question mark in my mind as I haven't tried really pursuing it since last year.
I appear to be hitting a roadblock in upper body pushes, as the 77.5's for 8 were more or less a limit set. I may just sit on this weight for a couple of weeks, or even just drop down to 5's? Calories will get bumped back up starting mid-July, so I'm quite confident I'll regain my strength here. For the time being, it's just about losing as little strength as possible, as it were. Chins felt better, which was a plus.
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Lower Body - Day 2, Week 7
45 Degree Back Extensions
Warmup
Me + 65 x 10,7
Hip Abduction
100 x 10
110 x 10
Leg Curls
80 x 10,7
Calf Raise Stack
175 x 10,7
Notes:
Back to the gym for this workout, primarily because I think I prefer 45 degree back extensions.
I ditched leg extensions as they feel a little something on my knees in the ~10 RM range. I experimented with some shoulder rehab exercises today, but anything which involves my arm in an abducted + externally rotated position (e.g. facepulls) still appears problematic. Now, it's possible I'd have to train through light discomfort/pain, but I'm obviously hesitant to do so. The flip side is that it's been the better part of a year - if I can't even do certain basic rehab exercises to fix my shoulders, it makes me wonder if surgery won't be necessary. Kind of bummed to think along those lines, but I guess I'll keep trying different combinations for the time being.
45 Degree Back Extensions
Warmup
Me + 65 x 10,7
Hip Abduction
100 x 10
110 x 10
Leg Curls
80 x 10,7
Calf Raise Stack
175 x 10,7
Notes:
Back to the gym for this workout, primarily because I think I prefer 45 degree back extensions.
I ditched leg extensions as they feel a little something on my knees in the ~10 RM range. I experimented with some shoulder rehab exercises today, but anything which involves my arm in an abducted + externally rotated position (e.g. facepulls) still appears problematic. Now, it's possible I'd have to train through light discomfort/pain, but I'm obviously hesitant to do so. The flip side is that it's been the better part of a year - if I can't even do certain basic rehab exercises to fix my shoulders, it makes me wonder if surgery won't be necessary. Kind of bummed to think along those lines, but I guess I'll keep trying different combinations for the time being.
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