52 Weeks To My 1st USAPL Raw Nationals as a Masters 1 (age 40-49) Lifter

[skid]

Excellent professional videos and commentary K. Diesel! Good luck with your training!

[codger]

475/3 @9
430/5 @8
Doubles with a backoff set were the plan for the day. The decision for a triple on 475 was made as soon as I finished the second rep. I'm pretty sure that I've tripled this before, but it has been a while.

Awesome numbers, KD.

[K.Diesel]

Excellent professional videos and commentary K. Diesel! Good luck with your training!

Awesome numbers, KD.

Thank you gentlemen!

I never made it to the gym yesterday. I got up early enough, and had time before the banquet, but I had a headache that just wouldn't go away until later in the afternoon. That session should happen this evening.

Here's the Week 3 video recap. Thanks in advance for watching. As always, feedback is welcomed and appreciated.

[codger]

I really enjoyed your video recap, KD. Inspiring to watch. I've got about 22 years on you and I think you're right--old guys can still push themselves. Several years ago I avoided doing more than one squat workout in a week. Now I do two or three a week at weights that are heavy for me.

[K.Diesel]

I really enjoyed your video recap, KD. Inspiring to watch. I've got about 22 years on you and I think you're right--old guys can still push themselves. Several years ago I avoided doing more than one squat workout in a week. Now I do two or three a week at weights that are heavy for me.

I'm glad you enjoy the videos! Sounds like a good plan. 2-3 on squats works well for me. 2 if I deadlift that week, and 3 if I don't and I'm not dragging my way through the week.

Since my last entry in this log (11/9), I have fallen behind on just about everything except for working, paying bills, and driving children around. I'm 2 weeks behind on uploading videos, and prior to tonight, I've barely been training anyway. This weekend will be a little slower, so hopefully I can get caught up on some projects. Meanwhile, I was blessed to get in the gym tonight and I'm pleased with how that went. With 8 weeks to go until the meet, I just need to start stringing these together.

Note: I weighed 215.8 lbs yesterday morning.

Mon. 11/12/18
7:25 - 8:35 PM

1. Squat
135/5
225/5
315/3 -added mouth guard
385/2 - added wrist wraps
435/5 @8 - added belt
435/5 @8

2. Bench Press
135/5
185/5
225/3
255/2 - added mouth guard
275/1 @6 - added wrist wraps
290/1 @7 - started getting handoffs
300/1 @8
305/1 @8 - felt like I was tighter and had a better bar path than I did with 300
275/5 @9 - no handoff

Tue. 11/13/18
9:00 - 9:52 PM

1. Lying Triceps Extensions
60/10
90/8
100/8 @8
100/8 @9
100/8 @9

2. Pull Ups
assisted full stack/12
assidted 1/2 stack/10
BW/15 wide overhand @8
BW/14 wide underhand @8.5
BW/16 neutral @9

3. Ab Machine - sit-up/crunch device
90/5
120/5
150/10 x 3 sets

Tue. 11/20/18
8:30 - 10:00 PM

1. Squat
135/5
225/4
315/3 - added mouth guard
375/2 - added wrist wraps
415/1 @6
445/1 @6.5 - added belt
465/1 @7.5
485/1 @8
485/1 @8.5
435/4 @8
435/4 @8.5

2. Bench Press
95/5
155/5
195/5
235/3 - added mouth guard
260/5 @8.5
260/5 @9
260/5 @9.5

3. Seated Cable Row - medium, overhand grip
105/12
150/8
180/8
210/8 @8
210/8 @9
210/8 @10 - used V-handle for this set

4. Ab Machine
150/10 x 2 sets

[K.Diesel]

I've been able to get 3 training sessions in since my last log entry. There hasn't been anything especially fancy about them. I hope/think they've been effective though.

Notes: Asthma has been managed much better in the last couple of weeks, but now I have developed eczema for the first time on top of it. Apparently, there's some connection between the two. It's relevant here because some of these patches/rashes have been in the most inopportune places, like my back where a barbell goes for squats or the part that lays on a bench. The palm side of both hands have been affected too, but fortunately, its closer to the wrist, so gripping a bar hasn't been as miserable as it could be. Generally speaking though, anything that gets me warm agitates it, so work and training sucked until I went to the doctor for it. That is doing better now as well, so hopefully, I can have some relief from this stuff - and a way to manage it - moving forward.

Wed.11/21/18
8:55 - 10:00 pm

1. Deadlift
155/6
265/2, 2
355/1, 1, 1
415/1, 1 - added mouth guard
460/1 @7.5 - felt & heard something weird in my right/lower back just off the floor, like a small pop or crack. So of course I kept going.
495/1 @8 - added belt & Versa Gripps
525/1 @9 - this wasn't supposed to be this heavy
525/1 @9.5 - felt just a bit harder than the first one, but not a true max effort
475/1 x 6 sets - all felt like @8-@8.5. Completed the 6 singles in 7:35 (end of 1st to end of 6th)

I'm disappointed that deadlifts felt so heavy when they were the first thing I did in the gym. Maybe it was fatigue, or carry-over from squats the day before, or maybe pulling in the shoes are catching up to me and I need to go back to the slippers. Either way, I need those @9's to get closer to @8's sooner than later.

2. Torso Rotation Machine
110/15 left + 15 right, 2 sets each

Mon. 11/26/18
11:43 am - 12:48 pm

1. Bench Press
95/6
155/5
195/4
225/3
255/2 @5 - added mouth guard
280/1 @6 - added wrist wraps
300/1 @8
300/1 @8.5
275/4 @9
275/4 @10

300 lbs for a single isn't a big deal for me anymore, but doing it without a handoff or spotter is. I would have preferred to go heavier on that second single, but I was training at a time of day that I don't normally train. There were only a couple of people in the gym, and I wasn't too keen on asking any of them for a spot.

2. Squat
135/5
225/4
315/3 - added mouth guard
375/2 @5.5 -added wrist wraps
425/1 @5 - added belt
455/1 @6
475/1 @7
495/2 @9.5 - I've doubled 495 before, but it has been a while. Looked at the clock before the set, and saw that I really didn't have time for my planned backoff, so I needed make this my last set of the day. I figured that if the first rep didn't go too badly, I'd go for two. The bar path on the second wasn't straight, and it was a bit uneven left to right. It was never in doubt. It just wasn't pretty.

Wed. 11/28/18
8:42 - 9:55 pm

1. Squat
135/6
225/4
315/2 - added mouth guard
375/2 @5 - added wrist wraps
425/2 @5 - added belt
445/2 @6.5
460/2 @8
460/2 @8
435/5 @9

13 total reps at/over 80%

2. Bench Press
95/6
155/6
205/4
235/2 - added mouth guard
260/3 @6 - added wrist wraps
275/3 @9
280/3 @8.5 - felt easier than 275, maybe due to a slightly longer rest (went to bathroom)
270/3 @9
265/4 @9

16 total reps at/over 80%

3. Ab (sit-up/crunch) Machine
10 reps per set with 100, 120, 140, 160 and 180 lbs. Last set was really tough.

[codger]

The usual great numbers--congrats on that 495 squat! I'm surprised that the eczema dares to mess with you.

[K.Diesel]

The usual great numbers--congrats on that 495 squat! I'm surprised that the eczema dares to mess with you.

Thank you sir! I'm surprised, but not shocked. Illnesses and ailments are no respecters of persons. Far better than me have dealt with far worse.

Here's the week 4 recap video, which includes me discussing why I don't deload anymore. I'd love to hear some feedback on that. Also, I'm 2 weeks behind on these. Hopefully, I'll be caught up on all of them by Sunday. Thanks in advance for watching!

[skid]

Another interesting video! I only de-load when I break something!

[K.Diesel]

Another interesting video! I only de-load when I break something!

Thanks for watching, and I'm glad you liked it! I don't know if I expressly mentioned injuries, but they definitely count as deload time. The worst kind of deload, but a deload nonetheless.


Three sessions are logged in this entry, but two of them are so short, you may not even notice that there are 3 separate sessions. The 2nd session was because I couldn't get to the gym until 45 minutes before they closed. The 3rd was me trying to squeeze a lift in while our oldest daughter was at dance class.

Fri., 11/30/18
8:35 - 9:55 pm

1. Deadlift
155/3, 3, 3
265/3
355/2
425/1 - added mouth guard
465/1 @7 - added Versa Gripps
495/1 @7 - added belt
525/1 @8.5
525/1 @9
500/1 x 3 - completed in 3:10 from end of 1st to end of 3rd
475/1 x 4 - completed in 3:05 from end of 1st to end of 4th

I've been doing deadlifts in my Oly shoes, and I think I'm done with that experiment. I really like having that hard sole to drive off of to start the pull, but now I can tell how it affects the top of the lift. I don't like it. Back to slippers for the next session. I'll use the shoes again for a deficit effect.

2. Pulldowns
I actually started with pullups, but changed my mind after 2 assisted warm up sets.

90/10 -
135/10
180/8 - added Versa Gripps
210/8 @8.5
210/9 @9.5
210/8 @10

3. Single Leg Curl
25/8L + 8R
50/8L + 8R
75/8L + 8R
90/8L + 8R x 3 sets

4. Torso Rotation Machine
120/10L + 10R
120/15L + 15R

The pulldowns, leg curls and rotations were done in a non-linear alternating fashion. It would be too complicated to detail it here. Suffice it to say that I hopped around in the most time efficient manner possible. I feel like I got as much as I could out of 80 minutes.

Tue. 12/4/18
9:14 - 9:57 pm

1. Squat
135/5.
225/4
315/3
365/2 - added mouth guard
405/1 @5 - added wrist wraps
435/1 @5.5 - added belt
460/1 @6.5
480/1 @7.5
500/1 @9
475/2 @9 - I think the short rest periods caught up to me. I should have been good for 3 @9.
445/5 @9 - Before this set, they started playing the Rocky theme on the gym's stereo. It was just before the gym closed too. They should do this every night.

Wed. 12/5/18
8:30 - 9:04 pm

1. Bench Press
95/6
155/5
205/4
235/3
260/2 @5 - added mouth guard
280/1 @6.5 - added wrist wrap
300/1 @8
310/1 @9.5 - started getting handoffs. With even 2 minutes more rest, I think I could have done this @9.
290/3 @10 - either a 3-rep PR, or very close. I need to keep better track of these.
275/4 @10