WEEK 5 OF 7 - AM I STUPID STRONG OR JUST STUPID?

Considering I was clearly having some kind of mental breakdown and the meet is two weeks away I passed on the usual shoulder saver press. Assistance was some light pushdowns and strict inverted rows. Meanwhile, Karsten hit his first 400 lb bench. In the words of Harry Selkow “That’s glorious.” He’s worked hard and deserved it. I know how hard it is to get over that mental hurdle of a hundred number. Now he can get past that mental block and hit the bigger lifts he’s capable of.

Squats and deadlifts were done very lightly. I just wanted to get some work in. Neither lift is going to help my bench at this point. However, just taking the day off is not an option. I end up getting too lazy when I skip days heading into a meet.

Well f*%k, I woke up with terrible tendonitis in my left arm Sunday morning. Where the hell did that come from? I can only think it was from deadlifts. Perhaps I did not have my triceps flexed and pulled with my biceps. Damn, I probably would have been better lifting heavier because I would have treated those weights more seriously I guess. So I did some pushdowns to force some blood in the area.

So yeah, I guess I had to throw that whole not take a day off thing. The tendonitis in my arm is no bueno. I could not do inclines. So I decided to just get my general warm up in, some pushdowns, bird dogs, and hit the treadmill. I still need to keep my weight within striking distance of 242 and the activity is needed.

The one really good thing is that my hip and back are making really good progress. I have gotten to the point where I am being very instinctive. If I feel like it needs a little work I do some bird dogs and a few light stretches. Otherwise I am backing off. I know I over stretched it a bit a week or so ago. It’s a delicate balance, like I am a delicate flower.

Two other things I cannot say enough about in regards to my back and hip recovery is getting weekly deep tissue and finally finding the proper sleeping position for myself. You could not imagine the amount of sleep accoutrement I have. There are special body pillows, various wedges, and memory foams. Presently I keep a triangle wedge under my legs and then I have a body wedge for my back that puts me in a semi recliner position. I am waking up in the exact same position as I go to sleep. For the first time in a long time I am not waking up with the usual pain from sleeping. I’ll quote Harry again, “it’s glorious!”