30 September 2009 - Good News and Bad News

The Good News: I was able to get a gripper workout in yesterday. My first real gripper workout since I hurt my left hand, 13 September. I've been doing TNS work with my CoC #2.5 and I hit some choker work with my CoC #3, Eaton's CoC #3.5, and my BBEs. Getting the damn grippers into the choker was no easy task - I tried to no-set them as much as possible and then crush the gripper the rest of the way against my thigh. Once fully crushed, I'd try to get the washer over the spring.

I got really warmed up with a stress ball, wrist stretches, and some light forearm massage. Once I felt like I had the blood flowing, I set and closed my CoC #2 with ease. No pain to speak of in my LH, so here's how the rest went down:

RH
CoC #2.5 X 1
CoC #3 X 1
Eaton's 170lb. CoC #3.5 X 1 (not a great set, but I got it shut)
Eaton's 170lb. CoC #3.5 X Miss (~1/16" out)
Eaton's 170lb. CoC #3.5 X Miss (~1/16" out)
Eaton's 170lb. CoC #3.5 X Miss (~1/16" out)
Older BBE X Miss (~1/8" out)

LH
CoC #2 X 1
CoC #2.5 X 1
CoC #3 X Miss (by a lot)
CoC #2.5 X 1
CoC #2 X 1

I didn't push my LH - honestly, I could have had a better attempt on my CoC #3, but I just pussed out on it. I guess I didn't want to be deflated by another problem or re-injure myself. My hands and forearms felt OK after the workout, no major pains, no major soreness. I have to keep reminding myself to take it easy with the grippers, now that I have a workout under my belt, I woke up this morning and wanted to crush the grippers like no body's business again. I just want to gain back what I lost, but it will come in due time, I guess.

The Bad News: I tweaked my should last week squatting. First workout in 3-4 months and I woke up with some soreness in my right shoulder. I pushed through it in my bench workout too. Ehh...I figured it just didn't want to be pulled way back under the bar in a low-back squat. I'm sure that's what it is, just a minor strain, but it stopped me in my tracks for last night's bench workout. I got warmed up, hit one set with just the bar, hit my next set with 135lbs and it hurt like a mo-fo. WTF? My set-up was good, my elbow correction was good, my shoulder just hurt. I tried different hand positioning, I tried coming out of the arch and laying flat to take some rotational strain off the shoulders, nothing worked. I did two meek sets with 135lbs and threw in the towel. At this point, disappointing as it is, I figured it best not to push my luck. Here are the details:

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

Flat Bench
-Bar X 15
-135 X 5 (Arched)
-135 X 5 (No arch)

1-Arm RT Cable Medial and Lateral Pulls (L/R)
-30 X 10
-30 X 10
-30 X 10

1-Arm RT Triceps Push-Downs (L/R)
-80 X 10
-80 X 8
-80 X 8
-80 X 8

1-Arm RT Biceps Cable Curls (L/R)
-100 X 5
-80 X 10
-80 X 10
-80 X 10

1-Arm RT Posterior Flies (L/R)
-40 X 10
-40 X 10
-40 X 10
-40 X 10

Thick-Bar Front Lever Work [(L/R) 47" - 13lbs]
-Bar X 5
-Bar X 5
-Bar X 5

Thick-Bar Weaver Style Lever Work [(L/R) 47" - 13lbs]
-Bar X 10
-Bar X 10
-Bar X 10

Thick-Bar Wrist Curls/Reverse Wrist Curls Super-Sets
-63 X 12/8
-63 X 10/5
-63 X 10/5
-63 X 10/5

Shoulder tweakage aside, this ended up being a pretty good lower-arm workout day. I hit the grippers about an hour before I went to the gym. Grippers were a success today, lots or RT and wrist work...not too shabby. My forearms, hands, and wrists are sore, but they feel great today.

On a separate note, I got 30+ minutes of solid stretching in yesterday morning. Lots of dynamic stretches and lots of traditional static stretches for my hips, groin, and lower back. I've noticed some minor soreness as a result of the stretching, but I'm hoping this too will pass and my increased mobility in the future will be worth the minor soreness. I'm considering an inversion table...any recommendations?

BW - 233lbs.

Goody