Beyond-Brawn-2nd-Edition

A REAL-LIFE TRAINING CYCLE FOR YOU TO LEARN FROM
But no matter what was the single or multiple cause of the problem, I was in
for a long period before I could return to regular progressive training.
17.58 I am sure that had I had my witnesses and photographer in attendance on
30 June, I could have made the full 20 reps, wrapped up that cycle without
injury, and then started the next cycle. As it was I made my goal but got an
injury in return. I had, and still have, no qualms about trading the temporary
back problems for the 400 × 20. e satisfaction of the latter was, and
remains, massive.
On hindsight
17.59 All the injuries I suffered could have been avoided. Here are the lessons I
learned / had reinforced:
a. I should have been using the seated back-supported overhead press
right from the start of the cycle.
b. I should never have risked my sensitive knees with any squatting that
had my heels raised by more than the height of the heel in my training
shoes.
c. I should not have overstretched.
d. I should have exclusively used the Trap Bar for deadlifting.
e. I should not have done the barbell bent-over row. e one arm dumbbell
row, prone row, or the pulldown would have been a better choice.
f. I should never have bench pressed without spotters or some arrangement
to catch the bar should I have gotten stuck at the bottom.
g. I should not have used grip support, but should have released my grip
between reps and stood upright in order to set myself properly for the
next rep.
h. I should never have taken liberties with exercise form, no matter what
training intensity I was using. But the greater the intensity, the even
greater is the importance of using impeccable technique.
17.60 As well as preventing injuries, following the above would have spared me the
wasted time recovering from the various injuries I sustained. at “saved”
time could have contributed to the implementation of one of the other big
lessons arising from this period—smaller poundage increases. I should have
dropped to increments of 2.5 kilos per deadlift session earlier than I did, and
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