Sven's SS Training Log

[Gene61]

Hi Sven. Glad to see your are still at it. The leaning forward coming out of the hole problem on the squat is a hard one. Eventually I had to deload and work back up focusing on keeping my knees still and my butt WAY back.

[Sven]

I'M BACK! My how time flies when you're having fun. It appears the last post was three plus years ago. So now I'm 65 soon to be 66, 195 lbs and just getting back into lifting. I'm pretty well detrained and starting over with low weights. Today was my fourth workout I start with 5 minute bike warmup and I managed 125 on the Squat, 85 on the Press and 155 on the Deadlift. I'm working out twice a week, my work sets are three sets of five except for the Deadlift which is one set of five. I picked up a copy of BBRx and am interested on the conditioning stuff. This go around I belong to an honest to God black iron gym with multiple squat racks and chalk. My 86 year old dad is still lifting and is now competing, he only competes on the Bench but he's having fun and setting records.

[Sven]

11 August workout #5

Warmup 6 minutes on bike

Squats, 5 x Stretches, 5 x Body-weight, 5 x Bar, 5x95, 5x115, 5x125, 3x5x135
This went fine, I think I'll be able to maintain 10lb jumps.

Press 5 x Bar, 5x65, 3x75, 3x80, 3x5x85
Last rep on the firs workset was sketchy but the rest went fine. I should be able to maintain a 5lb jump.

Deadlift, 5x135, 5x175
The first pull on the workset was a bit challenging, in the future I will do a warm-up set of 2 reps 20lbs short of the Workset, I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to grab 20 lb jumps but I don't want to quit yet.

Lat Pulldown, 12x70, 12x80, 8x90
I've switched to a close "chin up" style grip on this.

My goals are worksets of 365 on the squat, 175 on the press, 405 on the Deadlift and have the ability to do 20 reps of chins. I doubt I'll get anywhere near this on the linear progression but we'll see.

[Gene61]

Hey, Sven. Thanks for stopping by my log and saying you are back. Yep it's been a long and winding road. One thing I FINALLY learned, was to switch to an Intermediate program. I was just doing LP, stall, reset; LP, go on business trip, reset; LP for a good stretch, over-train, reset. I never got off of LP. I grabbed one of the Texas Methods for Old Guys programs in the back of BBRX and had a string of LPs and nery a hint of over-training. My advice: once your LP peters out, get right onto an Intermediate program.

Great to see you back, Sven. Good lifting!

Gene

[Gene61]

Hey Sven, You might get a lot out of Niki Simms article on training the Chinup. I have!

Training the Chin-Up | Niki Sims

Good lifting!

Gene

[Sven]

Hey Gene, Thanks for the heads up on the article. Yeah, you're right on the LP thing, I think I tried to push it too long. This time I'm only working out twice a week and focusing on recovery, hopefully the LP will last a bit longer.

[Sven]

15 August Workout #6

Warm-up Bike 5 min.

Squat 5x Stretch, 5xBW, 5xBar, 5x95, 3x115, 2x135,
3x5x145

Press 5xBar, 5x65, 3x75, 2x85
4x4x90, 3x90 Uggh,

Deadlift 5x95, 5x135,
5x185

Chin-ups Today I did the Lat Pulldown with a chin up grip, going with four sets of 6. Next Tuesday I'll use my bands.
6x90, 3x6x100

Ish, today felt really weak, even the bar felt heavier than normal. the Squats went OK but the Press was rather disappointing. I lost the 5th rep on the first set and thought well I'll see if I can go for four sets of four reps, but that didn't happen either. So, Friday I'll give it another go at 90 lbs and see if I can get three sets of five, if I can't I'll go back to 85 and start making my jumps at 2.5 lbs instead of 5 lbs on the Press, if I can I'll maintain 5 lb jumps until I can't. The Deadlift got screwed up in that I didn't think through the warmup sets, my goal for today's DL was 195 not 185 but the 185 was a 50 lb jump over the previous 135 warmup and 10lbs over the last workout so it was tough enough as it was. I think I'll be better served by keeping my Deadlift jumps at 10 lbs in that I do them both days I work out but I will have to think through the warm up sets in advance.

[Sven]

18 August Workout #7

Warm up Bike 5 minutes

Squat 5 x Stretch, 5 x BW, 5 x Bar, 5x95, 5x115, 3x135, 2x145,
3x5x155

Press 5 x Bar, 5x65, 3x75, 2x80, 1x85
4x85, 5x85, 4x85 ?!

Deadlift 5x135, 5x155, 3x175, 2x185,
5x195

Rather disappointing on the Press today, I'll come back to 85 again on the next work out and do 2.5 lb increases on the Press for now. The Squat was OK, as was the Dead Lift, 10 lb increases seem to be working for now. For the time being I will just stay with the three lifts and forego any of the auxiliary stuff and chinning efforts. I've been getting enough sleep, my diet may not have enough protein though.

[Sven]

24 August Workout #8

Warm up Bike 3 minutes

Squat 5 x stretch, 5 x BW, 5 x Bar, 5x95, 3x135, 2x155,
3x5x165

Press 5 x Bar, 5x65, 3x75, 2x80,
3x5x85

Deadlift 5x135, 3x155, 2x175, 1x195,
5x205

It's been six days since my last workout and I wasn't sure what the effect of that would be. Apparently it didn't hurt. I am concerned about my technique on the Squat, seemed a little high. Finally bought some Whey protein and made sure I had a good meal today before working out and a protein shake before and after the workout. Meal planning is going to require more effort. Still reading BBRx and learning new stuff every day. This workout I gave myself more time between sets on the Press and that helped quite a bit. I plan the next workout for the 29th, I'll add 2.5 lbs to the press and 10 lbs to the Squat and Deadlift.

[Sven]

29 August Workout #9

Weight 192.6 lbs,

Warm up Bike 3 minutes

Squat 5 x Stretch, 5 x BW, 5 x Bar, 5x95, 5x135, 2x155, 1x165
3x5x175

Press 5 x Bar, 5x65, 2x75, 1x85,
3x5x87.5

Deadlift 5x135, 3x155, 2x175, 1x195, 1x205
5x215

Squats and Deadlifts continue to move along with 10 lb increases, the Press will have to stay at 2.5 lb increases. I'm going to track my body weight on these posts. My weight last Friday was 194.4, I've lost about 10 lbs in the last six weeks, probably not so good for increasing strength. Working on consuming more protein. Still reading BBRx. I began this current series on July 24th then waited a week to have my second workout. My initial worksets on July 24th were, Squat 95, Press 65, on August 1st I added the Deadlift with a workset of 95.