a_welch503 WORKOUT JOURNAL - Page 13

Klinger · 08-Oct-04, 02:53 PM

I'm anti-strap, too.

Start off with your shrug weight and work up until you find a weight you can't grip for more than a rep, whatever you decide that is. I was suggesting 15-30 seconds, but you can make a rep as long or as short as you want.

**.V.** · 08-Oct-04, 03:10 PM

Thanks Klinger - I think I will give it a try on arm day - if not, I will hit at the end of leg day - that is my shortest day because it is my heaviest.

I'm not really anti strap for someone who is trying to build big traps - I can see how they would be helpful - but for me, grip is important. If I am lifting a 200 pound patient on some steps or up an embankment, and my grip won't hold, I'm hurt, they are hurt, and I am sued. That would suck.

**Firehawk** · 08-Oct-04, 03:44 PM

I suggest chalk man. I thought for a long time it was my grip that was the problem, but I think it's friction that's the problem.

**.V.** · 08-Oct-04, 03:59 PM

Yeah, chalk - I'll try that too when I try the grip exercise. I didn't even think of that. But the problem is my grip is not as strong as my shoulders - by #7 the bar is on the 2nd knuckle and on #8 it is barely on the 1st one. It is plenty strong enough for the first six. Thanks

**Firehawk** · 08-Oct-04, 04:07 PM

That's what happened to me, but I think it's because of friction rather than you being able to hang on. Just like if you try to hold something slippery in your hand, no matter how hard you hold onto it, it's still going to slide outof your hand. I think sorta the same principle applies here. Sweat is the enemy

.

SurfinAmy · 11-Oct-04, 07:09 AM

Gloves are cool too! hehehehe....

Oh, and why do men absolute REFUSE to put that pad over the bar when they're squatting, they would prefer to have a big bruise across the back of their necks instead hehehe, well, this one guy did anyway, maybe some guys use it, but I've never seen them.

Yes, the next day part sucks but in a good way. My week off is over, I hit the weights again on Saturday. I love working out down there on the weekends, there's only a few people down there and you have almost everything to yourself, no waiting around or anything.

Felt so good to get back at it. I was sore Sunday and still today, so its great....

-Amy

**Firehawk** · 11-Oct-04, 09:17 AM

Only SISSIES put the pad on the bar when squatting

.

No, if you never squatted before, the bar will hurt you at first, but your body quickly adjusts to it. I used to put a towel there because it really hurt, but then I just sucked it up for a few weeks and it stopped hurting. Your body will adapt to it.

**.V.** · 11-Oct-04, 12:58 PM

They make a pad for them? I whish I had known that a year ago. I dont need one now.

**Firehawk** · 11-Oct-04, 02:23 PM

Yeah they actually even make these plastic comfort seats that snap onto the bar and sit very nicely on your shoulders. I used one at a gym one time years ago. VERY comfortable.

But like i said, after a few weeks, your body will adjust and the bar won't hurt anymore.

Klinger · 11-Oct-04, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SurfinAmy

Gloves are cool too! hehehehe....

Oh, and why do men absolute REFUSE to put that pad over the bar when they're squatting, they would prefer to have a big bruise across the back of their necks instead hehehe...

-Amy

If you see that bar-shaped bruise on their necks, they're squatting wrong - put that baby on the traps!

**Firehawk** · 11-Oct-04, 07:15 PM

lol, some people don't have traps man lol.

**.V.** · 12-Oct-04, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firehawk

lol, some people don't have traps man lol.

Yeah, I'm one of them. But that doesn't stop me from putting the bar in the right place. I still wish I knew about the pads when I first started. I don't need them now, but they would have been nice back then. I saw a pad at walmart for the bar a couple of weeks ago but I had no idea what it was for. Now I do - sissies.

**Firehawk** · 12-Oct-04, 01:46 PM

Worst case scenario, you could always take a towel or even your shirt, and wrap it around the bar. I did that at first.

**.V.** · 12-Oct-04, 01:52 PM

Well, once again this damn MS messes me up. I missed arm day - both arms were numb, stinging, tingling, weak - pretty much useless. I worked on my "off from lifting day" - with my arms still not right but functional. Yesterday they were better, but I rested and gave the CNS a little more time to heal. Sometimes I can workout through the symptoms, sometimes I get the feeling that it will prolong the exacerbation...the doc said it always will. Told me to workout if I am sick from the neck up, but not from the neck down. My reply was, "since MS usually attacks the brain, it is always from the neck up". She correctly reminded me that it is also in the spinal cord. Anyway - back at it today - everything felt good. I was strong enough to get a good workout.

Oh, and the mystery is finally solved about the arm strength increasing more than it should. Sadly - it had potential for causing a serious problem so I will eliminate the cause of it. I was accidentally doing a one rep heavy reverse grip negative curl. What the heck is that? I move directly from squats to deadlifts. To get the bar from the rack to the floor, I was taking it off of the rack to my chest then lowering it to my thighs (slow so I wouldn't hurt my back) and setting it on the floor. That was causing the popeye thing in the forearm that was starting to happen. It was also increasing bicep strength. The problem with that is that with the MS I have muscle spasms. Usually in all the muscles in one dermatome - and always unpredictable which dermatome it will hit. I was warned that with the uneven muscle strength between the bicep / tricep and the radial / ulnar muscles (not the accurate names) that if I have a bad spasm in the arm, it could potentially dislocate the elbow. This is because the muscle can get too strong for the ligaments and tendons if the strength increases too quickly. So, now instead of taking 185 or like today 190 off of the rack, I will take all the weight except for 110 off of the bar and set it down that way.

**.V.** · 12-Oct-04, 01:59 PM

10-12-2004

Legs / Back

Pull Ups............25x4x6
Squats.............190x4x6
Deadlifts..........190x4x6
Calf raises........190x4x6
Bent Over Row......140x4x6

Increased weight on squats, deadlifts, calf raises. Will repeat same on these next time.
Will increase reps on bent over row next time.

Found the right weight for good quality pull ups. Will repeat same next time.

Tried the suggestion about just holding a bar to improve my grip. Did 190 for 1 min after deadlifts. Tomorrow is shrug day - I will try the grip thing again after shrugs too.