Marilia’s Powerlifting Blog

I’m back to work, training and going to meets. But the after-effect has been a strength deficit and loss of motor coordination in the left hand. I am not sure about the arm – triceps, biceps and certain forearm muscles seem to be less affected. I have less episodes of numbness in the last three fingers and I am already able to type. But the strength deficit beats me: I can’t figure out what’s actually going on.
I am adopting quite heterodox strategies, such as writing, playing with small rubber balls and doing other weird motor tasks with my left hand to stimulate neural re-adaptation.
I am not giving up reaching a real good mark on the deadlift this year, still…

For more than a week I have been struggling with an excruciating pain located primarily right under the rhomboids, migrating to posterior deltoids (like it were inside my armpit) and inner part of triceps. According to my physician, this injury was caused by an inadequate office arrangement, particularly a ridiculous kitchen plastic chair. Some months ago my office chair was broken. Instead of buying another one and checking for postural adequateness, I just grabbed the plastic kitchen chair and have been working on it ever since. Obviously, with the most inadequate posture, all hunched and contracted, elbows held high with permanently contracted upper back muscles and much more.
About 10 days ago, the inevitable consequences showed up and I have this weird back pain irradiating to the tips of my fingers. They seem to be related to nerve compression at the T2 region, but it comes and goes. Other symptoms show muscle involvement and muscle relaxants help more than pain killers. Electro-acupuncture is really good and cortisone local application helped a little.
I lost some control on my left hand and there is a measurable strength deficit on this side as well. It seems to be getting a little better, though.
Yes: I bought a new chair.

That was on July the 27^th – the First São Paulo Raw Bench Press Meet. I was opening with 75kg “just to make sure”, but everyone – myself included – expected something around 95kg. After all, I always lift better at meets than at the gym – I had done 92kg at the gym.
Never went beyond 75kg.
Reasons? Not sure: until 15 minutes before I was still typing the results spreadsheet; people were discussing political issues related to PL in the country while I was already wrapping my wrists; I expected myself to apply advanced “qigong” techniques which I still lack… whatever it was, it made me fail on a day where I was physically at my best.
Well… what can I say? S* happens.
The week after that I was obviously suspicious and tried my strength at the gym: 2 sets of 3X100kg + 2 sets of 2X110kg, easy. Some little veins burst open over my face – blood shot eyes, too.
No problems with my strength…