September 24, 2012 Lower Body

• Deadlift: 315*3 365*2 405*1 415*1 425*1!
• Hanging Power Clean: 135*3 165*3 185*2
• DB Split Squats: 10*10 10*10
• Wide-Stance Anti-Rotional Chops
• High Box Plyo box jumps: 20

So the last few days I've been doing a ton of the first exercise you see in the video below.  It hurts, feels like a pulling all the way down from my lower back to my foot, and I get the electrical shock feeling all the way down.  

I've also been doing  a lot of stretching for my hamstrings (sitting on the floor, reaching out my hands in front of me and putting them on the floor as far out as I can, etc. I've also been foam rolling my IT band, and piriformis, especially on the left side.  The results?  The tingling in my left foot has dissipated; when it comes it's lighter, and not as pervasive over my entire foot.  The stabbing pain has also lessened in my calf and become less frequent. Oddly enough they both rarely occur at the same time now.   I actually noticed it the morning after I started doing all this; usually when I get up in the morning the pain is unbearable in my calf and my foot tingles so much it goes numb.  Both of those were reduced by about 50% the first morning after starting this regimen. So I'm keeping it up.  

Was feeling good enough to try for some more progress on deadlifting; stretched a ton between sets.   I'm noticing as I build weight back up my hamstrings are getting absolutely battered. I NEVER felt them this much when deadlifting before; I think maybe I wasn't getting very low before and my ass & back had to carry a majority of the lift.  Now though, I'm being more careful through the lift, getting my hips low..and holy shit are my hamstrings getting annihilated.  Good thing I'm stretching them more.  So I got 405 pretty easily today; not as easy as I would've pre-Piriformisgate 2k12. I'll get back there though.  So anyway, tried 415, felt about the same as 405, so I went for 425. Almost missed it, stepped back and then just pulled the hell out of the bar and locked that sucker out.  

Was pretty pumped after the 425 pull, jumped to hanging power cleans, hips were done after a few sets there.  Did some bulgarian split squats. I'm keeping the weight low as when I go high on them my form goes to shit and my knee is usually way out to the side, which can't be good for it.  Going to stay low on the weight until I'm 100% sure I can keep good form on them.  Plus it's fun to beat the hell out of my legs with higher reps which I never do.  Also using these to open up my hips some more too.  After this my legs were done so I tried some core work.  Anti-Rotational chops really make the piriformis portion of the injury hurt, I can feel it tugging pretty bad.  I'll keep doing them anyway. Finished with some box jumps! Haven't done jumping since the injury, felt good to get back into it, was sweating after, even if it was only onto the high box (about 24.5").  Was easily clearing it, could've done small + high, but wanted to ease back in .   

What a rambling post!

Also, this: