Training Log of Sink

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Sinkroenissity
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Training Log of Sink

#1

Post by Sinkroenissity » Sat Jan 13, 2018 5:22 pm

I've got a log Over There, but will put it Here as well, because why not?

Brief background - I'm 51, 5'7", 230lbs. Those 3 numbers together are not a good combo. About 6 years ago a friend discovered Stronglifts 5x5 and told me about it, a little research led me from there to SS and the book, and 5.5 years ago I started the Novice Program. I even went to WFAC a few times and got some coaching, for which I was and remain grateful.

Looking back, it's obvious I tried to do too much too soon, but still made decent progress. In two months my squat went (all numbers 3x5 worksets save Deads which are 1x5) from 85-170, my press from 65 to 115, my bench from 75 to 165, and my deadlifts from 132 to 230. I then stopped working regularly, and a few weeks later the gym near my apartment closed, and then a few months later we bought a house across town, and then life got in the way blahblahblah.

In 2016 my wife got a Major Health Issue. That has since been resolved, but it woke both of us up to the fact that we're not getting any younger. We've been seeing our doctors a lot more the last 18 months or so, and among other things we decided to start weight training. I have a 13 year old daughter doing Parkour and she was also interested in lifting. So, on Black Friday I ordered a power rack/barbells/weights (the nice thing about being older is the ability to afford Stuff), and now I'm Back At It.

My goals are not just "get stronger" but also weight loss and general fitness and all that good stuff. When it comes to strength training I'm well aware that I know very little, so it's all about taking in information, including conflicting items, and figuring various things out.

Anyway, long intro aside, I'm in my 4th week of NLP. I deliberately started Very Low - 5kg training bar with 5 lbs on each side for Squat and Bench worksets, same but with 2.5 lbs each side for Press, and bar with 25lbs each side for deadlift. So 21 squat and Bench, 16 press, 61 deadlift. I've been adding 5 pounds a session to everything save deads, where I've been adding ten pounds. My progress has been as follows on worksets:

12/22/17: Squat 21, Press 16, Deads 61
12/25/17: Squat 27*, Bench 21, Deads 71
*- added collars on my squat workset, which are an extra pound total
12/27/17: Squat 32, Press 21, Deads 81 End Week 1
12/29/17: Squat 37, Bench 26, Deads 91
1/1/18: Squat 42, Press 26, Deads 101
1/3/18: Squat 47, Bench 32, Deads 111 End Week 2
1/5/18: Squat 52, Press 32, Deads 121
1/8/18: Squat 57, Bench 37, Deads 131
1/10/18: Squat 62, Press 37, Deads 141 End Week 3
1/12/18: Squat 67, Bench 42, Deads 151

I'm probably going to start alternating Deads with bodyweight rows, and...well, I can't do a fucking chin up, because I'm fat and weak. I'm tempted to get a lat pulldown bar and inexpensive pulley system to set up on my rack for lat pulls. Whatever, I want to alternate Deads with Something Else.

I've read through SS 3rd, PP3rd and BBRx more than once. I've spent time on the forums Over There as well as a bit here, and have started poking around to a few other places based on references made both here and there. For now, it seems my best bet is to be on LP, but probably stop with the heavy pulls every session (although they're not THAT heavy, so another thought was to slow down to 5 lb jumps on deads).

Advice/criticisms/random comments/deprecating remarks accepted. I know that I'm short, fat, old, and weak. I'm also balding, but I drive a small, cheap car that was made last millennium, with a nicely dented rear bumper and an unpainted hood. So I've got that going for me.

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Wilhelm
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Re: Training Log of Sink

#2

Post by Wilhelm » Sat Jan 13, 2018 5:29 pm

Thank you for adding your log to the site, @Sinkroenissity.
I started lifting for health while i was losing weight too.

Lean mass is one of the best defenses against many age related illnesses.
Healthy and more densely populated mitochondria are beautiful things.

Much success to you and your family.

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#3

Post by Sinkroenissity » Mon Jan 15, 2018 8:56 pm

Thanks Wilhelm. Another day today. Weight 236, BF% was 43.2. Oh dear god. Better add in some conditioning and watching my diet. No reason I can't get stronger from my current weak state and still drop some flab.

I track sleep as well, and in general I rarely get 8 hours. Last 3 days per my fitbit were 9:06, 7:18, 6:29. That last was probably closer to 7 as I was dozing on/off last night from midnight to 2AM before finally falling into a deep sleep, and the fitbit missed all of that. Getting enough sleep is important for dozens of reasons.

5 minute warmup on the elliptical, as always. Then lifts. Yes, the weights below are in pounds. Squats start with a 15kg bar, Press with a 5kg bar, and Deads with a 20Kg bar and a pair of 10's. All my weights are bumpers.

Squats: 33x5x2, 44x5, 54x3, 64x2, 72x5x3

We videoed a couple of my sets, and it looks like on a few lifts I may not be getting below parallel. It's tough to tell and it's not way off, but my hip may be a tiny bit above my knee rather than at/below sometimes. An item to concentrate on.

Press: 11x5x2, 22x5, 32x3, 37x2, 42x5x3

Deads: 65x5, 95x5, 125x3, 145x2, 161x5

I may be overextending my back on lockout. BAD habit to get in to. Other than that, they went up, and it felt pretty good to put a pair of 55's (my BIG wheels) on the bar.

Next session Wednesday. Planning for worksets of 77 squat, 47 bench, and bodyweight rows rather than deadlifts (this is my 4th week in, and I think it's about time to stop pulling heavy every session). I've discussed it elsewhere but will reiterate here that I am thinking about options for this. I could get a lat pulldown bar and pulley system from Rogue (or elsewhere, probably for less) for my power rack. I am too weak and fat to do a single chin up, although that's another goal I'm aiming for. A suggestion that was tossed out was doing deads at some lower weight (RPE or % of prior max. I'd likely go with a variant of the latter than the former as I'm too inexperienced to judge RPE with any accuracy). Any additional suggestions on this are welcome.

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#4

Post by Sinkroenissity » Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:04 pm

Another day, some more lifts. Because I have a work trip next week, I'm rearranging my sessions to be Monday-Wednesday-Friday-Sunday this week, so I'll effectively only miss one session next week. For that reason as well as others already noted, I'm only doing deadlifts every other session for now.

Weight 236 (ugh), bodyfat 39.2%. All numbers on my old Tanita impedance scale. I take 3 measures every AM and pull the median values. So far they're just bopping around in a narrow range. Sleep 6:09, 6:40. Because it's the workweek and family and I'm an idiot. 5 minute warmup on the elliptical.

Squats: 33x5x2, 49x5, 59x3, 69x5, 77x5x3

Five pound jump from last time. I almost misloaded the bar for the workset with an extra 5 pounds, AND I did 5 reps instead of 2 at 69. At least I caught the misload before lifting.

Bench 11x5x2, 22x5, 32x3, 37x2, 47x5x3

I started the bench at ludicrously low weight and am only going up 5 a session, which is kinda bullshit. If I'm going to do deads on alternate days, I should do them on Bench day, because the bench weights won't be challenging for awhile.

I ordered some strength bands to start doing assisted chin ups, but they're not here yet, so today I followed the BBRx suggestion and did:

Bodyweight rows, 3x10.

Meh. I'll do the assisted chin ups instead first chance I get on non-Dead days going forward, and gradually reduce the amount of assistance. First I have to find out just how much "assistance" I need to do just one goddamn chin up.

Next session Friday will be 82 squat, 47 press, and 171 deads. At least that's the plan. Actually,I think I'll Bench again Friday at 52 and Deadlift, thereby getting that part in line (as well as getting the Bench a little ahead of the Press, as it should be. I'll do the 47 press with assisted chins Sunday.

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#5

Post by Sinkroenissity » Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:18 pm

Another session. Wife is still recuperating from her sinus infection. She had some tests done and hopefully that's all it is; long story that I hope not to have to get into here.

Weight 234, fat 40.2%. Same old same old. Sleep 5:41, 6:31. Same old same old and NOT in a good way. 5 minutes (quarter mile) on the elliptical.

Squats: 33x5x2, 49x5, 64x3, 74x2, 82x5x3

My wife is checking to make sure I hit depth. Apparently I am. After I return from my trip it may be time for some coaching again.

Then, I changed things up. A) I think it's better that I do the bench on my deadlift days rather than the press (I realize that this contradicts "the books", and I may switch back quickly depending on how everything goes), and 2) my bench, as I've noted, is at a weight well below what I probably "could" lift if I'd started my training the normal way (find the starting weight by doing a set of 5 with a bar bare and then do sets of 5 at increasing weight until form gets compromised, and use that as the first "workset weight"). So, I decided to bench today rather than press, and will alternate press/bench from here on out until...well, until it appears to be better to do otherwise, and maybe I switch back to press on deadlift day, dunno. I also decided to do a 10 lb jump on the bench rather than 5. So:

Bench: 11x5x2, 27x5, 37x3, 47x2, 57x5x3

Finally, deadlifts. On the workset I'm starting to get blisters on my palms. Need to refine my hook grip.

Deads: 65x5,95x5, 125x3, 150x2, 171x5

I actually did one extra rep at 171 a few minutes later to make sure I'm locking out properly.

Last - as noted, I ordered some resistance bands and they arrived today. I decided to try (after a bit of a break and putting away all the weights) an assisted chin up. My rack is pretty tall, and the band doesn't hang down very far, so stepping up from the bench won't work - I look REALLY stupid trying to do so. It's entertaining, really. I need something higher up to step from to do it. I'll figure this out tomorrow so I don't look like a TOTAL dork.

Sunday AM will be my next session, and last until a week from today (travel to a tax conference for the week). Plan is for worksets of squat 87, press 47, and assisted chinups if I can figure out how to do step on to the band. Wish me luck.

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#6

Post by PatrickDB » Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:30 pm

Good stuff. I'm looking forward to seeing where this log goes.

If you find assisted chin-ups unmanageable (I never really liked them while I was getting my first few chins) you could try some sort of row, like a barbell row or a dumbbell row. I realize they're a little different (horizontal pulling versus vertical) but they're easier to incrementally load and see progress on.

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#7

Post by Sinkroenissity » Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:50 pm

PatrickDB wrote: Fri Jan 19, 2018 9:30 pm Good stuff. I'm looking forward to seeing where this log goes.

If you find assisted chin-ups unmanageable (I never really liked them while I was getting my first few chins) you could try some sort of row, like a barbell row or a dumbbell row. I realize they're a little different (horizontal pulling versus vertical) but they're easier to incrementally load and see progress on.
Thanks. Unlike 5 years ago, I have no excuses to not train (other than sudden illness or something, so maybe I shouldn't tempt fate, FFS).

Also, figured out the assisted chins, with the help of a handy stepladder we had in the next room. I'm REALLY weak. And fat. But I'll get them done, somehow, sort of, and hopefully not injure myself. Many people have recommended rows and I might do them, but I'd really like to get to one goddamn unassisted chin up.

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#8

Post by Sinkroenissity » Sun Jan 21, 2018 8:24 pm

Sunday. When I change up my schedule because of travel, and I try to do assisted chins for my first time.
Weight 236.2. Bodyfat 39.5. Ugh.
Sleep 7:42 (yay!) and 6:05 (double ugh).
Five minute elliptical warm up, as always.

Squats: 33x5x2, 49x5, 59x3, 79x2, 87x5x3

Meant to do a 64 warm up rather than 59. Anyway, they seemed OK. I need to video and get a coaching session again soon.

Press: 11x5x2, 22x5, 32x3, 42x2, 47x5x3

They went up. Form seems OK. Weight is finally getting to the point where it's actually a little stressful, but on the "RPE" scale it likely remains pretty low.

Then, assisted chins. So, I bought a set of 4 bands: https://www.xtrainingequipment.com/Stre ... _1496.html I tried just using the blue and had no luck. So I set up both the blue AND the green, one for each foot. And...I did 6 (heavily) assisted chins.

However, extricating myself from them after doing 6 chins and getting really tired was not easy. AND, I was running out of time. So I didn't do two more sets.

The good news is I've figured this out, the bad news is I look like a total dork doing these and it's very awkward. But I'll figure it out and increase my chins, and eventually reduce the amount of assistance, and some day, some bright, glorious day, I will do ONE unassisted chin up.

Sadly for now, unless my hotel fitness center is different from Every Other One I've Ever Seen (they claim it has "free weights", we'll see, usually that just means some dumbbells), no more training until Friday evening at the earliest. Bleh.

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#9

Post by Sinkroenissity » Tue Jan 23, 2018 5:13 pm

Well, sure enough, the hotel fitness center had "free weights" consisting of dumbbells. Oh,and they had a Smith Machine, which I'm sure they would've told me was a "squat rack" had I asked.

But they did have an assisted chin up machine, which is better than nothing, so I set the thing to 130 lbs of assistance and did 10, 10 and 7 chins.

Since I weight over 230, I'm a long ways from being where I want to be

(Oh, yeah, I did one set of ten at 150 assistance and it was easy peasy. Still don't really like that machine, but whatever. I guess this was better than absolutely nothing. And the walk to the "fitness center" was long enough to be a decent warm up.)

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#10

Post by Wilhelm » Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:01 am

I'm not 100% sure, but one arm dumbbell rows might have some carryover for pullup strength.
Upper back/lats

Hope your trip is a good one. : )

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#11

Post by Sinkroenissity » Wed Jan 24, 2018 1:29 pm

Wilhelm wrote: Wed Jan 24, 2018 9:01 am I'm not 100% sure, but one arm dumbbell rows might have some carryover for pullup strength.
Upper back/lats

Hope your trip is a good one. : )
Thanks. It might be worth a shot.

Trip is a Great Big Tax Conference, so it's good (and very timely) but not exactly "fun". Lots of vendors with scads of little freebies I'm taking home to family.

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#12

Post by Sinkroenissity » Sat Jan 27, 2018 7:09 pm

Back from the Big Tax Conference. Probably the best year to go in decades, given the new legislation. Lots to think about.

Should've lifted last night but there was unpacking both physical and mental. But back to it today:

Squats: 33x5x3, 49x5, 59x3, 69x2, 79x5x3

I did three initial sets because damn were my shoulders tight. I dropped a tiny bit from my 82 last session given that it was the first time lifting in almost a week. I'll probably do 85 next time (starting by warm-ups with the 20kg bar), and then keep on increasing in 5 lb increments until it becomes unsustainable.

Bench: 33x5x2, 44x5, 54x3,64x2, 69x5x3

I know, a 12 lb jump UP from the 19th. As noted, I've been WAY below capability on the bench. I may do 10 lb jumps for a session or two, we'll see. I don't want to get greedy, but benching too far below my ability is just wasting time. Also, I'll probably do a switch in another 2 weeks or so to press on dead day and bench on chin day.

Deads: 65x5, 95x5, 125x3, 150x2, 165x5

My wife thought I was keeping my back straight. Again, a slight deload from last time (which was the 19th for Deads) given the gap in training sessions. I'll alternate chins with deads for a bit now and increase the deadlift weight by ten each time, again, until that becomes Not Wise.

I think I'll settle into a Saturday-Monday-Wednesday pattern for now, alternating deads and chins. So next session will be on Monday, projected worksets will be squat 85, Press 52, assisted chins with the two strongest bands (I'll call it "-7", because there are 4 bands, and I'm using the "4" band (most resistance) and the "3" band (second most resistance). I will gradually reduce the band assistance any time I can complete one set of three chins at less assistance.

I should also set up a coaching session in a week to make sure I'm not having bad form issues creep in.

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#13

Post by laikabear » Sun Jan 28, 2018 5:26 am

Hi and welcome!

I'm pretty new to strength training and am at the tail end of my NLP and kinda just messing around ("exercising" vs "training"?) here.

@iamsmu linked this video for me when I was asking around about how to start a chinup progression. I had been looking at ordering bands but I liked this method since it's free! :)



I tweaked my elbow a bit (not from chins) and so I'm going to wait another few days before I start it, but anyway thought it was another idea for you if you decide the bands are too fiddly.

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#14

Post by Sinkroenissity » Sun Jan 28, 2018 12:05 pm

Thank you! I'm definitely going to consider this as an option, given that the bands are a bit..."tricky".

I'm a little concerned about my left shoulder - I may have damaged the rotator cuff prior to starting to lift. It's been hurting for a while and, although it doesn't prevent me from doing anything, I should at least get it checked out to see if I need to get anything fixed and/or be sure not to do any additional harm.

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#15

Post by Sinkroenissity » Mon Jan 29, 2018 9:37 pm

One more time. Because why the hell not?

Oh, yeah, my sleep last night...sucked. Went to bed at 1AM, woke up around 3:40, couldn't fall back asleep until 5:30. Alarm woke me up at 7:15, wife drove kid to school thank god, so I sorta slept until 8. Still, fitbit says 4:17 of sleep. Dear god.
Weight today was 236.2 (ugh), bodyfat was 37.7% (better).
I didn't do an elliptical warm up as I'd been pretty active

Squats: 44x5x2, 55x5, 65x3, 75x2, 85x5x3

I'm sure my form was godawful. My knees are either coming too far in or sliding too far forward. Bar position was probably too low a few times. It was likely a mess. But at least the bar went up, although I started to stall on one rep. At these weights that's inexcusable. 85 is what I STARTED 5.5 years ago. On the plus side, I am now starting with the big boy bar (20kg). Yay for me (yeah whatever).

Press: 11x5x2, 22x5, 32x3, 42x2, 52x5x3

I'm going to get my left shoulder checked out shortly, like maybe within the week. Hell, gotta burn through that HRA and FSA money, right? That said, everything went up easy. In another two weeks or so,I'm going to switch back to pressing on deadlift day and benching on chin day.

Chins: so, I tried using the bands, and it just sucked. I did two reps but it was a godawful mess that was Not Helpful. So, I decided to try some of the stuff from that link Maureen (laikabear) posted (Thank you again!). I tried some "walk the planks" but decided to see how long I could "hang" from the bar, and did OK. I'll need someone to time me rather than counting, but I managed a nice 11 seconds on the second "hang". So I'll rewatch the video and start putting things together from there. Once I get to a point where I can do something closer to a partial chin,I 'll revisit the band for assisted chins.

And that's it for now. Without deads it felt like a partial training session, but better than nothing.

Wednesday I'll aim for worksets of 90 squats, 77 bench, and 175 deads. That will mark the end of my 6th week of LP. (yes, 6 weeks. Remember that I started most lifts with a 5kg bar and minimal weight on it.)

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#16

Post by slowmotion » Tue Jan 30, 2018 1:08 am

You're doing well. Just keep lifting, and you will go far!

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#17

Post by Sinkroenissity » Thu Feb 01, 2018 9:27 pm

I worked out today instead of yesterday. I think I'll switch to a Thursday/Saturday/Monday schedule. In general I get more sleep on weekends (uh, I *KNOW* I need to work on that!) so making Thursday the "72 hour rest" day makes sense. Also, if I get coaching it will likely be on a Saturday morning, so it can work into my routine.
Weight: 236.2, Body fat 38.6%. If those numbers seem familiar, it's because that's been my range for awhile now. MAYBE body fat is trending a TINY bit lower, but not much. Again, change eating habits. yeah...
Sleep: 6:13 and 6:15 last two days. At least I'm consistent. Consistently BAD! Yeah, that's another thing I need to change...
OK, the lifting.
Squats: 44x5x2, 60x5, 70x3, 80x2, 90x5x3

I need to video these and get feedback. But hey, they went up.

Bench Press: 33x5x2, 49x5, 59x3, 69x2, 79x5x3

Ten pound jump. I'm still well within my limits on the bench, but may slow back down to 5 lb jumps, although I'll work in an extra session (more on that later)

Deads: 65x5,95x5, 125x3, 150x2, 175x5

My hook grip seems OK. I was dreading that workset, but they went up fine. I mean, they're deadlifts, they're always a beech.

Going forward for the next week or so, I'll do squat/press/chin-up work (thank you laikabear again) Saturday, then squat/bench/deads Monday. Then squat/press/chins Thursday, then (assuming it works out) have a coaching session and review squat/press/bench/deads next Saturday. Then I'll do squat/bench/chins next Monday, and Thursday be back to pressing on deadlift day.

At least, that's the plan, and we all know what happens to the best-laid plans.

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Re: Training Log of Sink

#18

Post by Sinkroenissity » Sun Aug 26, 2018 1:46 pm

Back to it after six months. Just over three weeks/nine sessions in. Last time I was slow walking everything up. The idea was to start slow because eventually I’d reach challenging amounts, but it became absurd. My bench in particular was WELL below what it should have been, and I realized that any interruption, even a short one, would keep me at weights far below what I should have been doing. It was an overreaction to rushing things my first time through back in…er, late 2012…

This time I tried to Goldilocks it. Not too hot, not too cold, just right. Three weeks into it, I may have overshot a little, but think I’m pretty close to “sticking the landing” on the weights.

So, here’s what I’ve been doing

8/2/18
Squats: 11x5, 33x5, 44x5, 55x5, 65x5, 75x5
Press: 11x5, 33x5, 44x5, 50x5, 55x5, 60x5
Deads: 32x5, 54x5, 65x5, 95x5

On day 1 getting back to it, for each exercise, I decided to start with the 5kg empty bar (plus tens on each side for deads) for my first 5 reps, then use the 15kg bar for 5, then the 20kg bar for 5. At that point it was time to add weight to the 20kg bar for 3 “work sets” (for all but deads). Instead of sets across, I decided to do 3 sets of 5 but bumping up the weight, 5 to 10 pounds depending on how it felt. On the squats I added 10 on each, although I was debating 5 or 10 on the final set. For the press I went for 5 each set because I don’t REALLY need to rush it. I still did 60 for 5 reps, which was higher than the work sets I ended at six months ago.

Because I didn’t want to overdo it on the first day back, for deads I just did 10 pounds each side on the 5, 15, and 20KG bars, then went to 25 each side on the 20kg bar.

Last, for these sessions I decided to go every 3 days instead of 2-2-3 as I worked back into the routine.

8/5/18 (day 4, session 2)
Squats: 33x5x2, 44x5, 55x3, 65x2, 75x5, 80x5, 85x5
Bench: 11x5, 33x5, 44x5, 55x5, 64x5, 74x5
Deads: 65x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5

Back to it. For squats, I did the “normal” warm up routine (although the first 2 were with the 15kg bar, everything else was with the 20kg bar), then started my worksets at my finish weight last time. After the first set at 75, I went up only 5 lbs per workset because 10 felt like too much of a rush. Hence 80 and 85. It was probably a good idea not to try 10, as 85 had some effort.

My first time back at the Bench was the same start as squats and press – 5 reps with the 5kg, 15kg, and 20kg bars. I then went up ten pounds for each of the worksets, figuring it would likely be easy, and it was. I will likely bench more than I squat for a while. Note that the “55” was because I collared the bar on that set, then remembered NOT to do that. I treat the 20kg bar as 44lbs, but add a pound for the collars (technically I think they’re 15 oz total, but close enough. I’m not so anal as to care about an ounce).

Deads started at 5 reps with the 20kg bar and 10 on each side, then increased to 25, 35, and 45 on each side. I decided to look at ordering a deadlift jack because changing the weights is annoying and time consuming, and one of the advantages of being an adult with a real job is having disposable income to put towards that.

8/8/18 (day 7, session 3)
Squats: 44x5x2, 55x5, 65x5*, 75x2, 85x5, 90x5, 95x5
Press: 33x5x2, 44x5, 50x3, 55x2, 60x5, 65x5, 70x5
Deads: 65x5, 95x5, 115x3, 135x2, 155x5

This session was almost exclusively using the 20kg bar (save for the very first press warm ups). After the obligatory “quarter mile in 5 minutes on the elliptical” warm up, it was time to do everything. My shoulders were VERY stiff on my first squat warm ups, although my grip was still narrower than in prior times I’ve lifted. I did 5 reps instead of 3 at 65 (duh!), because on autopilot.

Deadlift jack didn’t show up until the day after this session, sadly.

Weights began to get challenging, which was the goal, setting the stage for the segue to a normal linear progression routine.

8/11/18 (day 10, session 4)
Squats: 44x5x2, 60x5, 75x3, 85x2, 100x5x3
Bench: 44x5x2, 54x5, 64x3, 74x2, 84x5, 94x5, 104x5
Deads: 65x5, 95x5, 125x3, 145x2, 165x5

My shoulders continued to be EXTREMELY tight when I started squats. The first few sets were always difficult because of that. For that reason, I thought I might have pushed too far, but the worksets, although challenging, went up.

Bench press continued to go up (relatively) easily, even at 104, as I expected.

As noted earlier, deadlift jack had arrived and it was a godsend. $39 from Titan fitness, and worth every penny. Barely takes up any space as well, and I strongly recommend it to anyone who is sick and tired of getting a second workout from changing weights on deadlift warm ups.

This session started both deads and squats in “regular” linear progression (+5 squats, +10 deads).

8/14/18 (day 13, session 5)
Squats: 44x5x3, 65x5, 80x3, 95x2, 105x5x3
Press: 33x5x2, 44x5, 55x3, 65x2, 75x5x3
Deads: 65x5, 95x5, 125x3, 155x2, 175x5

This was my first outright “linear progression” day. I did 3 set with the empty bar for the tight shoulders (which interfered with focusing on other aspects of form. The last rep on the last squat set was a little tough, so this seems to be just about the “correct” weight to be working from.

I was tempted to…well, “press” my luck on the press and try going higher than 75, but the first set at that weight was heavy enough. Second was easier but third was harder.

The workset for deads was pretty bad, as I likely rounded my back on a couple of reps.

8/17/18 (day 16, session 6)
Squats: 44x5x2, 65x5, 85x3, 100x2, 110x5x3
Bench: 44x5x2, 64x5, 84x3, 104x2, 114x5, 124x5, 134x5
Deads: 65x5, 95x5, 125x3, 155x2, 185x5

This was a tale of three exercises with different “difficulty” points. On squats, I “stuck the landing” on hitting workset weight. Both 105 last time and 110 this time were tough, but doable, so steady +5 as per linear progression seemed right. Bench was still well under my capabilities and thus I continued to fly up by 10 per workset, although 134 seemed to be close to a good workset weight. Deads…185 went up, sort of, but with questionable form, so it looked like I “overshot” a little on workset weight here.

8/20/18 (day 19, session 7)
Squats: 44x5x2, 65x5, 85x3, 105x2, 115x5x3
Press: 33x5x2, 50x5, 60x3, 70x2, 80x5x3
Chin up protocol

My original plan was to do deads for all eight sessions the first three weeks, but given the results of the last two sessions, I decided it was time to start my chin up protocol. Notice I say “protocol”, as I’m way too fat and weak to do a single actual chin up.

After my first set of squats I wasn’t sure I could do all 3, and I’m still not sure I was hitting depth every time, so I decided to have my wife check my next session. I reassessed mentally and completed the sets, but made the mental note that if I couldn’t do it with proper form and depth, then the weight would have to stay set or maybe even come down. I also decided to start taking squat position with an empty bar on off days (maybe even a lighter bar) to help stretch my shoulders.

The press was somewhat challenging but definitely easier than the squat. For chin-ups, I started by doing 8 “hangs” for as long as I could hold them, with a minute rest in between each. Sadly, I can only hang for 6-7 seconds at a time. I may also try assisted chins with the bands that I bought several months ago, as long as I can do that without killing myself.

8/23/18 (day 22, session 8)
Squats: 44x5x3, 65x5, 85x5, 105x2, 120x5x3
Bench: 44x5x2, 69x5, 94x3, 119x2, 139x5x3
Deads: 95x5, 1205x3, 145x2, 170x1, 195x5

This was the last session of my planned “phase-in”, just completed. If anyone has read this entire thing, congratulations, I guess.

I originally thought I wouldn’t be able to do 120 on the squats, but it happened. I had my wife checking to make sure I hit depth every time, and I did. That was a great feeling. I think I have enough gas to keep going up by 5 each session for a bit, but it’ll be tough. I REALLY need to get enough sleep and otherwise pay attention to recovery.

I’ve been feeling kinda cocky about my bench, and it almost caught me today. 139 is a challenge. I did it, but I can’t take this for granted. Proper rest, proper form, concentration, etc. Also would be a good idea to get my shoulder checked out.

On deads, I’ll keep alternating with chins and for now I’ll increase by 10 every deadlift session. Not sure how much longer I can keep that going, but that’s the case on everything. I’ve also cut back on warmups, because although form is important, not exhausting myself is also an issue.

So, 3 weeks in, my workset weights have hit squat: 120, Press: 80, Bench: 139, and Deads: 195. All the weights (save maybe press) are challenging enough that I keep doubting that I’ll make the next session goals, but not overly so. We’ll see how this progresses. I’m also going to shoot for a tradition 2-2-3 day off schedule, although I’ll schedule one session earlier in the day so it’ll be more like 2-2.5-2.5.

My weight and body fat are essentially unchanged over these 3 weeks. I do need to “clean up” my diet. I am walking about 1.5 miles on my off days to get some general activity in. Nothing major, just walking at a somewhat brisk (3.5 MPH) pace.

Let’s see if I can stick to it this time.

8/26/18

Sunday earlyish afternoon. Next session after this will be Tuesday evening, followed by Thursday evening, as I see if I can get into a 3x/week schedule. There are a ton of other little fitness, nutrition, personal, and professional items I’m trying to work into some semblance of order as well. This is just one piece of the puzzle.

Squats: 44x5x3, 65x5, 85x3, 105x2, 125x5x3
Press: 33x5x2, 50x5, 65x3, 75x2, 85x5x3
Chin up protocol: 8 “hangs” for 10, 10, 7, 7, 7, 8, 8 seconds. (1 minute rests in between)

Once again, my shoulders were very stiff so I did an extra empty bar set, and yet again, I wasn’t sure if I could complete the workset weight, but it went up.I’ll attempt 130 next time.

The press was “easier”, but I am mentally forcing myself not to get too cocky about any of these. Whenever that happens I screw up. So I bore down for each set, warm up through worksets, concentrated on proper form each rep. The workset went up relatively easily. +5 pounds for next time.

Chin ups – I figured a way to jury rig one of our analog clocks (with a second hand) on the rack where I can watch it. I’m not going for super accuracy but rather just trying to extend my “hang” time to 20-30 seconds each, and eventually get to the point where I can actually do a chin (I’ll work in some “walk the planks” where I lower myself under control as well). This time I was very strict on only having one minute rests between sets. My first few hands were surprisingly longer than last time, and even the last few were encouraging.

Next session will be Squat, Bench, and Deads, aiming at workset weights of S 130, B 144, D 205. Because it’ll be just over 48 hours rest instead of almost 72, I’ll need to pay extra attention to proper recovery.

Sinkroenissity
Registered User
Posts: 87
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 5:38 pm
Location: NE Texas
Age: 58

Re: Training Log of Sink

#19

Post by Sinkroenissity » Thu Aug 30, 2018 7:55 pm

8/30/18

I effectively missed a session. Tuesday and Wednesday schedules got messed up, so I wasn’t able to lift either day. So today I decided it would be best to repeat my previous Squat/Bench/Deadlift weights rather than increase. Probably not the world’s worst idea anyway.

Squats: 44x5x3, 65x5, 85x3, 105x2, 125x5x3
Bench: 44x5x2, 69x5, 94x3, 119x2, 139x5x3
Deads: 95x5, 120x3, 145x2, 170x1, 195x5

No surprise my shoulders were very stiff after 100+ hours away from the bar, so 3 sets with the empty bar to loosen them up. Squats went up easier than last time. Deads…went up a little easier than last time. Bench, if anything, may have been slightly more difficult than last time.

Sunday afternoon should be next session if I don’t fuck up. Planning for 130 squat, 90 press, and chin protocol.

Sinkroenissity
Registered User
Posts: 87
Joined: Tue Jan 02, 2018 5:38 pm
Location: NE Texas
Age: 58

Re: Training Log of Sink

#20

Post by Sinkroenissity » Sun Sep 02, 2018 4:30 pm

back again:

Squats: 44x5x3, 70x5, 90x3, 110x2, 130x5x3
Press: 33x5x2, 50x5, 65x3, 80x2, 90x5x3

Again with very tight shoulders because I'm doing nothing in between training sessions. Also, I NEED to make an appointment with an orthopedist to check out my left shoulder. Other than that, squats went up and down fairly well.

Press: I need to be careful not to mess up my back on the initial "push hips forward" bit. Too much layback is a bad idea on multiple levels.

I did a couple of the hang things for chin protocol, but did NOT like the way it made my left shoulder feel. I am seriously tempted to get a pulley system for my rack and do lat pulldowns to build up to doing chins. I'd also want a lat bar for that, but NOT the $165 special from Rogue (I mean, REALLY Rogue?) I can justify $35 for a deadlift jack, but c'mon.
Any suggestions from anyone reading this (is there anyone out there?) are much appreciated. Yes, I'm doing other chin up things - the scooby stuff, mainly, and I also have those assistance bands, but a lat pulldown would be easily scalable and work fine for now.

Next session is planned for Tuesday evening: 135 squat, 144 bench, 205 deadlift, if all goes well.

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