Gym Time - Successful Return to Deadlifts!
Was up past midnight yesterday so the 6am alarm for the gym was extra painful, but there are only so many hours in the day and sleep is often the victim. It would be nice to live in a world where I didn't have to wake up early for the gym but it's the only way to make sure I get there since life tends to happen in the evening.
One of the nice things about NYSC is that I can go to any gym, and there are a ton of them in the city. I mainly switch between three around my job, and today was surprised to head into one that I hadn't been to since before xmas break and found it totally remodeled. It was like walking into a new gym! Unfortunately, it was also like walking into a new gym. When you have a routine it's really disruptive to have to find the equipment you're looking for, and some of what they had before is not there (RIP hack squat machine). However they finally have a glute-ham bench, a standing calf machine, and much nicer power racks, so I'm open to the changes!
I'll get to the glute-ham raises in a second, but the most exciting part of my workout was I felt good enough to do deadlifts again!!! And probably for the first time attempting them since I injured myself, they felt totally fine. I kept it light, the heaviest set was 235, but it feels good to be able to do them again and also to know that my back isn't just permanently fucked. I'll try to keep it light to start but should be able to ramp up quick once I feel really solid.
The Glute-Ham Raise
If you've ever wondered what that weird pommel horse looking bench was at the gym, its the glute-ham bench! As the name implies, it's an exercise intended to really work your hamstrings and to a much lower extent, your glutes and lower back. Basically what you want to do is start with your feet on the pads as above and your body almost perfectly straight. Then you are going to drive your knees down into the pad and bend at the knee to pull yourself up. As you bend, make sure you are only bending at the knee, using your hip flexors and lower back to keep your core perfectly straight. As I found out when I tried to teach my girlfriend how to do it, if you are a beginner at the gym you may not have the core strength or the hamstring strength to do it with proper form. If that's the case, do some back extensions, deadlifts, and leg curls to build the necessary muscle groups and try it again in 6-8 weeks. You can check the video below for and example of how to do it with proper form.
Today's reps:
Back Squat (Ass to Ground) 135x10, 155x8, 185x8, 205x8
Rotary Twist Machine - 10 reps each side, 3 sets.
Glute-Ham Raise 8, 8, 10
Deadlift - 5x135, 5x185, 5x235 with a static hold on the last rep (need to rebuilt my grip strength)
Pictures:
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Video I pulled from this article. Good additional info there.
Great workout! Deadlifts are one of my favorite workouts and I can absolutely destroy my back without even realizing it haha. I’ll be following to keep up with your progress. I see you have joined the 100 rep community, I welcome you and will be encouraging you to do your best!!
Thanks, glad you're on the challenge too! Deadlifts are amazing but you have to really be careful. If you work with a partner, go over the correct form with them and have them watch you. It's really easy to get your back in a bad place, especially when you start going heavy. Your lower back is really important in so many of the big lifts, rows, squats, deadlifts, core work, that fucking it up will impede your progress for months.
Of course. If anyone ever trains with me, I go over the importance of good form. That’s actually one of the first things I go over. I’d rather people do light weight and good form instead of heavy weight and bad form. I’m just able to work the crap out of my back and not feel it till 2 days after lol.
Yeah, I just get worried when I hear that. If you are doing deadlifts right your lower back shouldn't get it too bad. If you have trouble putting your socks on the next day, you may need to re-evalute your form.
Na it’s not that kinda pain. I just get too sore haha. I know what an injury type of pain and sore type of pain feels like.
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As Arnold said, just sleep fastahh! If you don't mind tagging fitnesschallenge as one of yours, it'll help everyone's posts get sorted in the same channel for the long run. Up to you of course.
Done!
This post has received a 3.44 % upvote from @aksdwi thanks to: @cygon.