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Thread: Powerlifting Past 40: Doing the Best I Can with What I Have

  1. #41
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    • starting strength seminar april 2024
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    • starting strength seminar august 2024
    Hope you're back to normal soon. Or in your case, super-normal.

  2. #42
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    Default Back On Track, with a Milestone

    Quote Originally Posted by codger View Post
    Hope you're back to normal soon. Or in your case, super-normal.
    Fingers crossed, but I think I'm there.

    Sunday weigh-in: 219.4 lbs. That's down for the second straight week, which I find odd, because I made a conscious effort to eat more last week. Nothing to worry about yet. My knee has felt much better, and I'm guessing that the steroid pack did it's job. Perhaps further examination and treatment isn't needed right now, because the difference between where I am and where I was a week ago is like night and day. I only trained twice this week, in part to give myself a chance to recover. Here's how it went...

    Wed. 4/18/18, Bench & Upper Body, Total Time - 1 hour, 20 minutes

    1. Bench Press

    95/7; 155/5; 205/4
    245/2 - started wearing mouth guard
    270/1 @5 - started wearing wrist wraps
    290/1 @6.5
    305/1 @8 - started getting handoffs here
    315/1 @9.5
    275/2 @8; 2 @9; 3 @8; 3 @9; 2 @9; 2 @9; 1 @8.5 - 15 total reps, 13:30 from the end of set 1 to the end of set 7

    The milestone that I mentioned in the post heading is the 315 bench. Even though I've benched more than that in competition, this was the first time I've ever benched 3 wheels/side as part of a training session. It has been a long time coming. I can't say enough how satisfying it is to know that I can approach that number like just another single. Still a heavy ass, possibly ugly single that I can't go to sleep on, but one for which I can be confident that if I take it off the rack, I'm going to lock it out.

    2. Pulldown - overhand grip, not very wide

    150/10 - mouth guard out of the gate
    195/7 - started using Versa Gripps
    rest-pause set: 225/7 + 4 + 3

    3. Torso Rotation Machine

    100/10 right + 10 left x 2 sets each

    4. Abdominal Machine - sit-up/crunch movement

    110/20

    Fri. 4/20/18, Deadlift & Lower Body, Total Time - 1 hour, 8 minutes

    1. Snatch Grip Deadlift - wearing squat shoes w/elevated heel

    155/5; 265/4 - wore hip circle while doing these
    355/3 - started using Versa Gripps
    425/1 @7 - started wearing mouth guard
    475/1 @9 - started wearing belt. Sort of disappointed that this felt so difficult, since I pulled 500 last time I did these, and that was after squat presses.
    425/1 x 5 sets, took 5:30 from the end of #1 to the end of #5


    2. Sumo Deadlift - kept the same weight on the bar, changed to slippers

    425/3 x 5 sets. I rated them all @8, except for set 4 which I called @8.5. I haven't pulled sumo in about a year, since I switched back to conventional (again) in an effort to stop the decline in my deadlift. Felt very natural. I guess it's like riding a bicycle.

    3. Calf Press Machine

    150 lbs/some number of reps over 2-3 sets. I didn't write it down, and I don't remember.

    The plan for this week is to train on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Heading to my first Orioles game of the year on Thursday. Hopefully they won't suck like they have been for the first month of this season.

  3. #43
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    the first time I've ever benched 3 wheels/side as part of a training session. It has been a long time coming. I can't say enough how satisfying it is to know that I can approach that number like just another single.
    Great job! Hope I can get there one of these days--but it's gonna be a long, long time. And good to see you back in action.

  4. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by codger View Post
    Great job! Hope I can get there one of these days--but it's gonna be a long, long time. And good to see you back in action.
    I don't know if this is encouragement or discouragement, but it took me a total of 14 years. Along the way, I've had a labral tear in my left shoulder, plus tendinitis in both, and 3 stints in physical therapy. Fortunately, I've been blessed to avoid surgery, but I've had setbacks on each lift, especially the bench. Just stay at it my friend!

    Meanwhile, I have nothing to report, other than that working late yesterday and today has kept me out of the gym. But I was wrong about the date of the Orioles loss I get to see in person - it's Saturday, not tomorrow. So I'm going to strive to make it to the gym tomorrow. Depending on how much time I have and how much I get done, I'll make a plan for Friday and Sunday after that. But we have tickets for Infinity War on Sunday afternoon, and since this is going to be a 6-day work week for me, I'm sure I'll want to sleep in on Sunday, so.... yeah, we'll see.

  5. #45
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    Along the way, I've had a labral tear in my left shoulder, plus tendinitis in both, and 3 stints in physical therapy.
    And despite all that you've made such incredible progress. I'll try to stay at it as long as the old body hangs in there.

  6. #46
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    Default Last Week

    Quote Originally Posted by codger View Post
    I'll try to stay at it as long as the old body hangs in there.
    That's all any of us can do my man. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light!

    FYI - As I'm catching up on logging my last few sessions, I haven't been on YouTube anywhere nearly as often as I'd like. I do better on Instagram though. If you'd like to keep up with me there, you can find me @planet_swole. This link might help: K. Muhammad (@planet_swole) • Instagram photos and videos


    To keep this post from getting unbearably long, I'll keep it to the 2 sessions I need to log from last week. I'll do another post for the 2 that I've done this week.

    Thu. 4/26/18, Squat & Lower Body, total time - 1 hour, 27 minutes (NOTE: I don't even remember why I didn't train until Thursday)

    1. Squat

    135/5; 205/4; 275/3 - I wore the Hip Circle for these.
    335/2 - I ditched the HC and started wearing the mouth guard.
    385/1 - added wrist wraps
    425/1 @5
    455/1 @6 - started wearing belt here
    480/1 @7
    500/1 @8.5
    450/3 @8; 2 @9; 3 @9; 2 @9 - 10 total reps in 12:30.

    This sequence has me thinking that by August 5, a 227.5 kg (501.5 lbs) opener in the squat might actually be the right call. Is 230 kg realistic? We'll see...

    2. Single Leg Curl

    50/8 left + 8 right; 75/8 left + 8 right
    rest-pause-by-switching-sides set: 100/7 left + 7 right + 4 left + 4 right + 3 left + 3 right - wore mouth guard for this

    3. Squat Press ("floating leg press")

    270/10; 450/6
    630/10 @8 - wore mouth guard from here to the end of the session

    4. Abdominal Machine (crunch/sit-up)

    100/10; 150/10 @7; 175/10 @8.5

    NO KNEE PAIN!

    Fri. 4/27/18, Bench & Upper Body, total time - 57 minutes

    1. Bench Press

    95/6; 155/5; 205/4; 245/3
    265/2 @5 - start wearing mouth guard
    285/2 @7 - started wearing wrist wraps
    295/2 @8 - started getting handoffs
    305/2 @9.5
    290/2 @9
    275/4 @9
    260/5 @9

    2a. Pullups (alternated sets with 2b)

    BW x 15, 2 sets. set 1 - wide/overhand, set 2 - wide/neutral

    2b. Torso Rotation Machine

    110/15 left; 15 right
    Last edited by K.Diesel; 05-02-2018 at 11:18 PM.

  7. #47
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    Default This Week (so far)

    Mon. 4/30/18, Deadlift & Lower Body, total time - 1 hour, 38 minutes

    1. Squat

    135/5; 225/5 - wore Hip Circle for these
    315/5 - ditched HC, added mouth guard
    365/5 @5 - added wrist wraps
    405/5 @5 - added belt here

    This was essentially a warm-up for deadlifts, and a way to start to increase my squat frequency again.

    2. Snatch-Grip Deadlifts - in shoes w/elevated heel

    245/3, 3
    355/3 - started using Versa Gripps
    425/1 @5; 1 @5 - added mouth guard, kept it for the rest of the session
    475/1 @7 - added belt
    505/1 @8.5 - +5 lbs PR!!
    455/1 @9 (?!?!?)I was going to do all of my back-off singles with this weight, but inexplicably, it was heavy as all hell. Dropped another 20 lbs.
    435/1 x 5 sets All of them were either @8 or @8.5. The 6 back-off singles took 9 minutes.

    3. Sumo Deadlift - put slippers on for these

    435/3 x 5 sets. RPE's were all @8-@8.5. Lost track of the time on these.

    4a. Snatch-Grip Romanian Deadlift - alternated sets with 4b & 4c (giant set)

    245/10; 15 @8 - Felt a slight twinge in my left knee on set 1. Nothing really came of it.

    4b. Torso Rotation Machine

    115/15 left; 15 right

    4c. Calf Machine

    150/15 slow reps
    150/11 + 4 DC-style reps

    Wed. 5/2/18, Bench & Upper Body, total time - 50 minutes

    NOTE: If I hadn't seen one of my son's soccer coaches in there, I could have done it in 45 minutes, or done an extra set of dips at the end.

    1. Bench Press

    95/6; 155/5; 205/4; 245/3
    270/2 - added mouth guard
    290/1 @7 - started wearing wrist wraps
    305/1 @8 - started getting handoffs
    315/1 @9 - SPOTTER INTERFERENCE! But there was a silver lining: he came in for the "save" while the bar was still moving. I called him off, and upon reviewing the video, I saw that I actually stopped the rep until he moved his hands, then locked it out from a dead stop around mid-range. That's pretty significant for me. In hindsight, it was probably a blessing in disguise.
    295/2 @9
    275/4 @8.5

    2. Seated Cable Row

    135/12
    180/12 - started wearing Versa Gripps and mouth guard
    225/10 @9

    3. Dips

    bodyweight x 20
    Last edited by K.Diesel; 05-06-2018 at 11:43 PM. Reason: forgot to add bench press backoffs

  8. #48
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    NO KNEE PAIN!
    Excellent! And cool instagram page. I liked the food photos!
    (And congrats on the snatch-grip deadlift PR. Those must be tough.)

  9. #49
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    Default May the 4th Be With You

    Quote Originally Posted by codger View Post
    Excellent! And cool instagram page. I liked the food photos!
    (And congrats on the snatch-grip deadlift PR. Those must be tough.)
    Thanks for checking out the IG page! And yes, SG DL's are miserable. The reps feel sooooooooooo long. But I think they carry over to competition style deadlifts well. Especially in the elevated heels, they become the safest way I know to do deficit deadlifts.

    Fri. 5/4/18, Squat & Abs

    1. Squat

    135/5; 225/4; 315/3 - wore hip circle for these
    385/2 - ditched hip circle, added mouth guard
    430/1 - started wearing wrist wraps
    465/1 - started wearing belt
    495/2 @9 - this either sets or matches my 2-rep PR! Considering that this was a day on which I didn't feel like training at all, I'll definitely take it.
    455/4 @9
    425/6 @8.5

    2. Ab Machine (crunch/sit-up)

    12 reps each with 110, 130, 150, 170. Probably an @8-@9 on the last set.

    I have to start getting some sleep. It's catching up to me. Also, I was reminded the day after this session that squats really are a full-body exercise. My shoulders and back - lower and upper - were more sore than my glutes and thighs (which felt like they were in shock on Friday night). God willing, back at it on Monday, aka National Bench Day in America.

  10. #50
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    starting strength coach development program
    465/1 - started wearing belt
    495/2 @9
    Wow, more awesome work. Will you be entering the raw nationals in Spokane in October?2018 USA Powerlifting Raw Nationals - Ribic Productions

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