The results for this week:
Shoulder Press (high angle) - Finished with a target load of 40 lbs, with max reading of 45.8.
Reverse Drag Curl (medium angle) - Finished with target load of 25 lbs. with max of 27.2. I started the week attempting to hit a target load of 30lbs. but failed to reach it. Both reverse curl variations have been frustrating for me. The Isochain force sensor does not seem to respond if the angle of the bar to the chain and the line of force directed through the chain is not absolutely perfect, if the person using the Isochain is weak. Once the person has achieved a certain threshold of strength, then the exact angle does not seem to matter as much.
Deadift (high angle) - Finished with target load of 165 lbs, with max reading of 223.8.
Chest Press - Finished with target load of 20 lbs. with a max of 23.2 lbs. Perhaps I should have tried training with my hands further apart. They were almost at the very ends of the bar when I hit 47 lbs in this drill. I never came close to that number ever again in this program.
Bent Row (medium angle) - Finished with target load of 105 lbs, with max reading of 213.
Zercher Squat (high angle) - Finished with target load of 210 lbs, with max reading of 263.8.
Thus ends this 8-week Promethean Mark II program. My lack of progress in upper body pressing strength and any reverse curl variation is disappointing, but I'm still recovering from shoulder and elbow issues, so maybe the best I could have expected was just to be able to train and heal without further aggravation to those issues. I had to sacrifice Deadlift performance to protect my elbow. but it seems to have paid off with modest gain in grip strength and reduced elbow pain.
My initial 1-rep max in the Zercher Squat was 184.5. With a final max reading of 263.8, that is a 43% gain.
My initial 1-rep max in the Bent Row was 127.3. With a final max reading of 213, that is a 67% gain, which is by far my best strength gain, even accounting for errors in my technique that were fixed during the course of the program.
My elbow feels so much better after practicing the rehab exercises as advised by E3 Rehab and Steven Low. I'm not sure it's quite ready to tolerate pullups and Front Lever training yet but it's not as sensitive as it was at the start of the program.
My shoulder also feels better, though still not good enough to tolerate inversion training on the Feetup Trainer that I recently purchased. Thus I'm not quite ready to take on one of the combined Isochain-bodyweight programs from the Ultimate Isometrics Manual yet.
Some fellow trainees have reported flexibility gains from Isochain training. In the Trifecta mobility routine from Convict Conditioning 2, I've progressed significantly in the Twist Hold and Bridge. I can put my on the other side of the knee and use a shirt to pull the hands towards each other without undue strain. I can hold a full Bridge Hold for 20 seconds without much effort.
For the next training program, I plan to do 6-8 weeks of Promethean Mk. I with the following exercises:
Shoulder Press (medium angle) - This is the angle I was unable to train at when I first received my Isochain, because of the pain. Moving my arms into this angle is not entirely pain-free, but I can at least get my arms in that right-angle position with the weight of the Isochain bar, and begin applying force without pain. There's no guarantee that 6-8 weeks of training at this angle will finally eliminate my shoulder issue, but being able to even start at this angle is very promising.
Zercher Squat (low angle) - All my lower body training on the Isochain so far has been at high angles to reduce the risk of re-injury to the low back. I think the low angle for this drill should be fine because the drill prevents the low back from rounding. The low angle should put more load on the thighs. The glutes might get more work too, as well as the abs.
Bent Row (low angle) - This will be to work the start of the pull .
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