[Adam Bishop]

I use the whoop band and find it beneficial in tracking movement and sleep. The data seems to match up with how I feel which adds to its reliability IMO.

A word of caution though – it’s very easy to get sucked into a trackable dictating how you feel. Always wake up and think for yourself how you slept/how recovered you feel before you look at the device as that is ultimately more important.

I don’t think they are essential but for those like me that love to track training trends and numbers I find them useful.

[Adam Bishop]

Felt proper run down yesterday so I had to move my training to today. Ended up sleeping 10.5 hours and I’m feeling much better.

Getting a couple of meals in then I’ll be doing my assistance session.

[Adam Bishop]

Hi John

I’m assuming you’re taking your diclofenac in pill form at the moment? If so a word of caution running if for a prolonged period as it is renowned as a stomach lining killer.

I’ve used the injectable version in the past to help settle down inflammation in my back from a jammed facet joint and this was way better. It worked well to settle the injury down in a couple of days. Nothing works better for joint pain IME. It comes in a 75mg vial.

You can also get diclofenac as a suppository if you live by the phrase “finger up the bum, no harm done” haha.

If it were me I would take your approach of settle it down quickly then get off the anti inflammatory drugs as soon as possible

[Adam Bishop]

Great events session today. Zero TFL pain and everything was flying. Reintroduced atlas stone one motions without a problem and loaded the throwing bags a bit heavier.

Things are building nicely with 4 weeks to go…

Sand bag toss over bar – worked up to 3 runs of 20/20/25/27kg bags over the 4.5m wall.
Shield walk – 167x15m 177x15m 187x15m 167x30m
Atlas stones one motions – 120/130/150 to the high platform

[Adam Bishop]

Recovery work today. Got my TfL moving this morning, spend some time in the sauna and got some movement done in the pool.

Feeling good for tomorrow’s event training where I’ll reintroduce atlas stones

[Adam Bishop]

Solid press session today and I was able to clean the axle with no TFL pain which is a massive positive. Here’s how we went:

Log press out of rack – top single at 171kg
Axle clean and Press – 130x4x1 120×3
Seated banded Lockouts – up to 130kg for 3 with 70kg band tension at lockout
Pressdowns – 4×12

I’m confident now I can ramp the weight up on the axle over the next couple of weeks. Looking forward to events on Friday ??

[Adam Bishop]

Bodyweight update: 157.8kg/348.8lbs which is a lifetime high.

I must admit since getting the CPAP I’ve felt a huge difference in my training and it’s clearly been beneficial on me growing. Never underestimate the importance of sleep quality, not just quantity.

I always find when my bodyweight is up that my pressing strength is also up so I can’t wait for tomorrow’s press session. Some big numbers to come!

[Adam Bishop]

We are back in business! TFL was a pain level of 1 out of 10 today on squats and pain free on the majority of movements. Still being cautious and not taking any chances so stuck to the empty bar squats this week as I rebuild my squat to new heights.

Partial pulls were great as were the assistance work.

Axle deadlifts (15”) 330×10
Squat (bar only) 4×12
Leg press 4×12
Back Extension 4×12
Sandbag walk 100kg for 4x30m

[Adam Bishop]

Hi John

To add to these gents above I’d also ensure your form is spot on but more importantly you stop prior to technical failure.

Sometimes we go for reps on machines that we think we have and grind them out. This isn’t the best options on barbell movements. Make sure you only take the reps that you know you have. Never lift out of position of settle for sloppy reps.

Finally be sensible but don’t be scared – load the bar, lift it and enjoy the progress that these big barbell movements provide. ??

[Adam Bishop]

Sunday rest day for me.

Got my TFL working with the compex, spent some time in the hot tub and got into the bottom position of a squat with only a small amount of pain which is promising.

Looking forward to doing some partial pulls tomorrow on the axle and some rehab work.

[Adam Bishop]

Thanks Adam seen the ice bath comp one looks awesome but bit out of my price range maybe if I win the lottery this week I’ll have a look at the cheaper options The wheelie bin is the cheapest but I don’t fancy climbing out of it especially if you’re freezing cold ?

Haha it’s not too bad mate, I have it next to my hot tub so I use the hot tub steps to jump in and out. Certainly quicker getting out than in haha

[Adam Bishop]

Great assistance session in the gym this week.

I’ve finally settled on a format that will see me through the season here, pushing the volume in this session to compliment the high load and intensity sessions. This weekend session is an Upperbody session but pull bias as that’s the muscle group that needs some more volume. Let’s see where this takes us.

All exercises this week were set at a load of 55% 1rm.

CG Pulldown 12.12.10.8
SA Cable Row 12.12.12.12
High incline DB CSR 12.12.12.12
Hammer strength Chest Press 12.12.12.12
DB Curl 12.12.12.12
Bent over Pressdowns 12.12.12.12

Injury Update: my TFL survived yesterday’s events session it seems. Managed to get into a full squat position today so hopefully by Monday I’ll be able to squat with just the bar on my back and do some heavy partial pulls.

[Adam Bishop]

Hi Kris

Take this how you want as SBD is one of my sponsors but I’d always advise to buy nice or buy twice. I’ve never worn out a pair of sleeves or ever seen a pair split from anyone.

The vast majority of sleeves on the market are made to a budget in sweat shops abroad and the longevity and quality of the product reflects that. SBD’s sleeves are made in the UK completely from start to finish – I’ve been to the factory and seen the process first hand and seen the quality control. They are the market leaders for a reason.

Either which way you decide to go it sounds like you want a neoprene sleeve if warmth is what you’re after. SBD do either the standard sleeve which is 7mm or a weightlifting sleeve which is 5mm and a bit shorter which I would consider a good option for bodybuilders or general weight trainers.

[Adam Bishop]

Promising events session today from an injury point of view. Managed to get through everything with minimal pain. Just the two events again as I’ll leave stones till next week.

My warm up was probably as long as the session as I used the compex to prep the muscle and then took my time with the bag toss but all in all it was a success.

Bag toss – various singles then a couple of 5 bag runs.

Shield walk – 3 static holds focused on breathing then two walking sets of around 20m total.

[Adam Bishop]

Depends how much you want to spend.

Cheapest option (and one I’m currently using) is a 360litre wheelie bin. I put some bricks in it to make a seat and it’s good to go. It’s a tight squeeze but it suits me.

Many people also use a chest freezer (check out videos on YouTube on how to make it sealed and safe) or an agricultural water tank.

There are bespoke ice baths that chill the water all year round which are way more expensive £3000-5000ish. One such company is the Ice Bath Co. (search for them on IG)