Wax and Wane

We've all had our ups and downs. We've all been on top of the world and beneath it. A few months ago I was killing it in the gym and crushing the grippers like it was my job. BANG! Wifey is preg-o, job gets nuts, job stays nuts, and before I realize what's happening, it's been 3 months of no gym. Ehh...I chalked it up to the great "Wax and Wane". I figured, I'd keep on the grippers at work and/or whenever else I could fit them in and the rest I would get back when I got around to getting it back. Bad idea.

I hurt my left hand, 13 September. I was setting a CoC #3.5...WHOA...PAIN! No snap, crackle, or pop...just pain. All the pain was concentrated on the top of my left hand between the index and middle knuckles. Within minutes it was swollen and throbbing. It looked like half an egg under the skin. Not what you want to see...especially when Grip Nationals are six days away. I freaked and started a strict regimen of ice and Ibuprofen. Nothing touched the pain, but the swelling went down in a day or two. I couldn't make a tight fist with my left hand until yesterday. Needless to say, I had to pull out of the comp. I'm frustrated and upset, far beyond what you would imagine. Once I came to grips with the fact I was pulling out of the contest the first thing that popped into my head was, "Oh NO...the MM2 is right around the corner!"

I've been massaging my hand and forearm, hitting the contrast baths, sleeping with ointment and socks on my hands, and trying to stretch it out at least twice a day. No more swelling and the pain has gone down considerably, but I haven't tried to set a gripper yet. I don't intend to try that until the end of the week, maybe later.

Fearful my right hand strength is really going down, I've been doing TNS work like crazy. I can't TNS my CoC #3 yet; so I'm working with my CoC #2.5. #2, and HG300N. I've also been doing TNS penny holds with my CoC #2 and HG 300N. I'm going to hit some choker work this week on my CoC #3, Eaton's 170lb #3.5, and the BBEs (both in the 170's). I'll let you know how it works out.

If anybody has any thoughts/recommendations/advice/anything on the hand issue, please let me know!

Last night's workout was quick and easy. I didn't want to kill myself in there and ruin the rest of my week. A few sets of squats, a few sets of stiff-leg deads (with pulling straps), some core work, and I was out of there. Here's how it went:

Shoulder Pre-Hab (L/R)
-Rotator Cuff Work - 5lbs
-Front/Mid/Rear Delt Work - 5lbs

Triceps/Wrist Warm-Up (L/R)
-Overhead Triceps Extensions - 45lbs
-Wrist Flexion/Extension/Adduction/Abduction - 20lbs

Neck Stretches
-All Directions

Squat Warm-Up
-BW Good-Mornings X 20
-BW Squats X 20
-Bar Good-Mornings X 20
-Bar Squats X 20

Squats
-135 X 10
-225 X 5
-275 X 5
-315 X 5 easy
-315 X 5 easy

Stiff-Leg Deadlifts
-135 X 10
-225 X 8
-225 X 8
-225 X 8

Hypers/Lateral Bends/Crunches
-20/20/20
-20/20/20
-20/20/20

I hit the 315 squat sets with my belt - again, these were super easy, but I didn't want to be crazy sore. I used pulling straps for the stiff-leg deads because my hand is still in the crapper. The core work was nice: super sets really got my core burning and my heart rate way up. I did the lateral bends over the hyper bench, they're great - no circus contortionist crap; just smooth, fully range of motion bends. My traps were tight from the squats so I hit about 2 minutes of foam roller to work out the kinks after the core work. Quick and easy. I need to get healthy(er) and stay healthy(er). Day one in the books.

BW - 231lbs.

Goody