Weekly Schedule
Monday = Squats + Bench Press
Tuesday = Deadlifts + Back/Biceps
Wednesday = OFF
Thursday = Squats + Bench Press
Friday = Deadlifts + Back/Biceps
Saturday = OFF
Sunday = OFF
Monday 8-21-17: OFF DAY (TRAVEL)
I was out of town all weekend and flew back on Monday, so I decided to take today off and plan to train Tues, Wed, Fri, and Sat this week.
Tuesday 8-22-17: Squat + Bench Press Focus
Squats 3 X 6 @ 75% + 10 lbs
375 X 6, 6, 6
Everything felt fine on squats today, but during my last set, I hit the safety racks on one of the reps, which tweaked my lower back (shifted my pelvis out of place). I didn’t realize this until the next exercise.
Goblet Squats
125lb Kettle Bell X 10, 10
I did the first set of 10 reps and my back felt “off”. When I got towards the end of the second set I realized I did indeed strain my back during squats.
Bench Press 3 X 6 @ 75% + 10 lbs
275 X 6, 6, 6
No issues here except my lower back wasn’t feeling great.
Flat DB Bench Press (Feet on Bench) 3 X 10
100 X 8, 8, 8
Same as bench press; the actual pressing movement felt good but my lower back was iffy.
So in typical Derek-Charlebois-fashion, as soon as one thing starts feeling better (knee) something else starts hurting… What’s funny is right before I hurt my lower back I was talking to one of my clients and I legit said “the good news is my lower back hasn’t bothering me in a while.” Straight up jinxed myself…
Evening update: Lower back is pretty painful right now. I used my Marc Pro on my lower back after the gym and plan to lay on a heating pad this evening. I was able to adjust my pelvis back into place, which is the first step in relieving the pain.
Wednesday 8-23-17: OFF DAY (INJURY)
I woke up feeling about 50% better compared to yesterday, which is very promising. I decided it would be best to take today off to ensure my back continued to get better. I continued to use my Marc Pro, heating pad, and roll my back throughout the day.
Thursday 8-24-17: Deadlift + Back/Biceps
I woke up feeling a bit better than yesterday, but by no means good (my lower back is still tender and sore). I am going to try training and see what I can do.
Conventional Deadlift 3 X 3
495 X 3, 3, 3
To my surprise, my back didn’t hurt AT ALL during conventional deads. I figured I would work up to 315 today, MAYBE 405, but I was able to hit my target weight for the day of 495 lbs.
Stiff Leg Deadlift 3 X 8
335 X 8, 8, 8
Hip Thrusts 3 X 8
205 X 8, 8, 8
No pain or issues with stiff leg deadlifts of hip thrusts either. I am VERY surprised at this.
Lat-Pulldown
120 X 8, 8, 8
Seated Cable Row
120 X 8, 8, 8
Barbell Curl 3 X 10
85 X 8, 8, 8
Training today might not have been the smartest thing to do, but I didn’t have any pain at all during my workout despite my lower back still feeling stiff and sore. I am optimistic that this injury will only be a minor setback.
Friday 8-25-17: Squats + Bench Press
Squats 3 X 4 @ 80% + 10 lbs
395 X 4, 4
No pain during squats, which again is very surprising. I only did two sets instead of three sets because I didn’t want to chance things with my back.
Bench Press 3 X 4 @ 80% + 10 lbs
295 X 4, 4, 4
Bench Press continues to feel good despite less leg drive today due to my back.
Close Grip Bench Press 3 X 5-8
245 X 6, 6, 6
I opted not to do military press today since I am still dealing with the lower back issue.
Saturday 8-26-17: Deadlift + Back/Biceps
Sumo Deadlift 5 X 5
405 X 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
“Block” Conventional Pulls 3 X 5
405 X 5, 5, 5, 5, 5
Bent Over Row 3 X 5-8
225 X 6, 6, 6
My lower back didn’t “hurt” today but it was feeling very fatigued. So despite the injury I had an “ok” week of training.
Sunday 8/27/17: OFF DAY
I apologize for the lack of detail in this week’s journal entry. It is hard to expand on things when working around and injury and not feeling motivated. I have decided to take next week off training to rest and let by body recover. Check out the video recap for more info.
WEEKLY RECAP VIDEO
