Phase 3 Day 25

Squat
275x3; 275x3; 275x3

Overhead Squat
98x1; 98x2; 98x1; 65x3; 65x3

RDL
225x8; 225x8; 225x8

Ab Wheel
3
2...+5 deadbugs
1...+5 deadbugs
+5 more deadbugs

Notes
Excellent session.  I was barely posting last week because it was a terrible mobility week.  I cut some of my warmups short (ie, 20 mins instead of the normal 35+).  My hip and knees were killing me after sumo and squats last Thursday.  I was very close to permanently dropping squats.  Its just not worth it to leave myself in pain.  And at this point I'm completely positive I have joint degeneration in my left hip.  In all honesty, its fucking retarded for me to keep squatting.  But, I've kept telling myself I would give go for "one run" of trying to fix my postural issues before throwing in the towel on squats.

This is the way I look at it.

If I have joint degeneration (almost certainly do), it may still be possible to squat once I am actually neutral.  My hip problem was caused by years of poor form and bone rubbing on bone. This isn't a tissue issue.  Rather, if I have a femoral hip impingement, it means that my hip more closely resembles a mushroom rather than a ball.  But maybe if I can actually squat neutral it won't matter that my hip looks like a mushroom.  I'll have enough space in the joint capsule to actually move around.

Thats my neckbeard analysis, anyways.

With that said, I had an excellent session tonight. What did I do different?  A few things.  First, I extensively warmed up.  I mean like 40 minutes of soft tissue work, mobility, stretching, etc.  I've gotten to know my body very well and I basically need a shitload of SMR in the feet, calves, glutes/hip flexors to even think about squatting.  After that I stretch, work on thoracic spine, specific upper body points, and then do dynamic shit.

This is one of the reasons I switched to two lower body days per week.  I don't have the willpower to do that 3x a week.  I just don't want to do it. But a huge warmup is worth if it means I can load the big movements in a neutral position.

Also, over the weekend, for 3 days straight I essentially ripped open the fascia in my calves.  I've developed a 3 prong'd technique with the rumble roller, lacrosse balls, and regular rollers.  A LOT of ankle mobility is restricted by tight calves and all of the little tibialis muscles.

For the first time tonight I felt like the neutral squat position was locked in.  I moved my feet in bit and stopped pointing my toes out so much.  I need to actually think about what the fuck I am doing.  At some point, pointing your toes out requires MORE external rotation of the hips if you want your knees to track normally.  Think about it.

Overhead squatting is doing wonders for my shoulder and thoracic spine mobility.  I did a mirror check today and was pleased to see myself in a non-lumbar extended position at the bottom.  Woot.  After I was doing the the OH squats, I tested a scap wall side.  Everything was in contact with the wall and I was just sliding my arms up and down.  I was doing them right.  It was tight, but 5 months ago I couldn't even dream of getting into that position without extending lumbar off the wall, etc.

All is well.