2025 Training Log Part 10

On the stereo today- Ágaetis byrjun- Sigur Rós

A short update on my injury first. I’m making really good progress and I got the all clear to start some relatively normal gym work this week. I’m able to coach injury and pain free which is obviously very important to me, and normal service is resuming.

Monday

Physiotherapy- I walked in and immediately I knew he was going to clear me to train a bit. Good physios seem to watch you as you walk into the room. I’m cleared for light weights work as well as rehab to get scapular and tricep function resuming. I went straight to it that evening.

1. Bench press- Just the bar- 20kgs- 5×10
2. Band pushdown- 5×15
3. Face pulls 3×12
4. Core work 3 sets of various

And then I left it, which a lot of experienced people have issues with- stopping when they still feel fresh.

Tuesday

1. Bike 10 mins
2. Weighted Vest squats 5×15
3. Supported step ups 3×10
4. Swiss Ball Hamstring curls 5×12

Wednesday

I just did my rehab bits and then rested. The resting thing is the hardest part.

Friday

A fairly intense massage with the muscle function maestro Graham Doolan. After a nerve issue, you get a lot of spasming muscles and tight tissues. You need manual work to get you back to normality. It’s worth the investment.

Saturday

Pushed slightly harder. As you may have read here before when I used it for another function, I’ll be using Occlusion Training/Blood Flow Restriction Training to bring my upper body back to normal function.

Into the BFRs and then-

1. Bench Press 1×30@30kgs, 1×13@30kgs, 3×15@25kgs
2. Bench Row- 5×10
3. Single arm incline press 4×12
4. Pushdowns 3×10
5. Single arm pushdowns 4×12

Then rest. I’m also doing daily work with a band at home- pull-aparts and pushdowns within tolerance, as well as getting stuck in with my massage gun at home.

Training Thoughts of the Week

“You can’t build on failure” is a lesson that you learn very fast when you’re coming back from injury. Slow and progressive successes build you up over time. It takes patience, a bit of Zen practice of a sort. Accepting that it will take time for it to happen, and believing that it eventually will. Of course, this is all the polar opposite to my personality, I’m very impatient and I like to work hard.

Non-Training Thoughts of the Week

I was sick last week for the first time in ages. I got some sort of throat thing and had to cancel my seminar that I was teaching on Strength programming. We really do take being healthy for granted sometimes! I wasn’t very ill, but I had to take an evening off coaching, and then I couldn’t speak for more than a few minutes without losing my voice.

I’ll get a new date organised for it as soon as possible. Apologies to anyone who missed out!

See you on the mat,

Barry