Not sure which way to go

[flatcat]

I'm an infrequent contributor but oft-times lurker here. Grateful to Coach Rippetoe for Starting Strength and Practical Programming, and now grateful to Dr Sullivan and Coach Baker for the Barbell Prescription (I'll put in a comment on Amazon - thanks for the tip on that).

I started LP for the first time in 2013 or so, and then lifted - and didn't - in fits and starts. I'm now in the longest stretch of lifting since starting this - pretty much from end of June last year until now (with one or two breaks from illness or just ... life). When I started, I realized I had a lot of trouble recovering doing 3x a week on LP, so reduced to 2x a week, and have done that since. Also, read and re-read the section on master's lifters in practical programming, so since starting last year, I've been very, very conservative, with my goals being slightly more every session, but not necessarily 5lb jumps every session. Sometimes slightly more is just a few more reps. And I've been REALLY focused on good form as I perceive it. So if I make the weights, but the form was bad, I won't add more weight until I'm sure I'm solid under the weight. So it's been not always a completely linear progression over this past 18 months or so.

I should probably find an online coach or something. I'm a Foreign Service Officer, and there aren't as many SS coaches out in the wide world as one might hope. So I've been figuring this all out from the books, and from watching videos online for tips and advice about form and everything. At the moment, I'm in Kabul, Afghanistan.

Stats as of today: 57 years old. Squat: 4x5x260, Bench: 3x5x130, DL: 4x280, OP: 3x5x105

I feel like the weights are really starting to get heavy for me, so I'm starting to try and work on volume. So far, that's been on sort-of an every third workout - so for example, I'll do 3 sets of 5 (3x5) of a squat weight, next workout I'll do 3x6, then the next workout 3x7, then I'll add 5 lbs. That 260 felt really wicked, though, so today I tried 4 sets instead of 3 of a higher number of reps (it's easier, I think). One good thing is I am really seeing how this is helping - before, it might take me several tries to get the full five on a new DL weight, but now, workout to workout, doing more squats like that is really helping a lot. Last workout, for example, I only locked out one DL at 280 and dropped three - today, I banged out four relatively easily, and I attribute that to increasing the squat.

Anyhow, I feel like I'm approaching limits - my form is acceptable but each workout is really feeling tough right now. I suspect if I continue with this strategy I'm following - this incremental approach - I can keep going for maybe a little while longer, but it's feeling like I am going to need to try a new approach pretty soon.

In some ways, reading the BBRx is a little more confusing because I can't really figure out what the right answer might be, which approach might make the most sense.

So far, kind-of doing my own thing has worked out OK for me - I've lost a couple notches in my belt, lost about 10-15 lbs too - but now I'm just unsure how to transition, what will make the most sense.

I really, really would like to be able to deadlift over 300lbs by the end of the year, just ... because. It's in sight ... but I'm not sure I can get there doing what I'm doing now.

Advice and thoughts appreciated.

[Nockian]

What is your weight/height ? Losing 10-15lbs if you are very overweight is fine, but otherwise it sounds to me as if you might well be under eating as you should be putting on heavier muscle, therefore losing inches not lbs.

Lifts seem pretty good,a little bit better than mine overall at about the same age and 1 year of lifting. If you want to DL up you need to do chins/rows. Dr Sullivan, if I remember right, suggests working in two DL sessions -one heavy, one light.

[flatcat]

Just as an idea - my last two workouts (this was Thursday and this AM)

11/8 11/11
SQ SQ
2x5x45 2x5x45
1x5x135 1x5x135
1x5x165 1x5x165
1x5x195 1x5x195
1x5x225 1x5x225
3x5x260 4x5x260

OP BP
2x10x45 2x10x45
1x10x65 2x10x65
1x7x85 1x15x85
3x5x105 1x5x105
7, 6, 4 x 130
DL
5x135 5x135
5x165 5x165
5x195 5x195
3x225 3x225
2x255 2x255
1x280 4x280
(couldn't lock out 3x280)

[flatcat]

Sorry - about 5' 11", weighed in at 238 today, about 250 when I started. And I cannot do any chinups.

[Paulbfast]

Somewhere I read when asked how to get better at squats what should they do. The brilliant answer - squat. It might be a good time to get an online coach. Clear away the fog and have a clear direction and program.

When things get hard and the bar gets heavy is a good thing. I commented to my coach yesterday that I remember the day when I would do extra work in the gym. Not anymore!

Kudos to you on your progress.

I assume you are in the military? THANKS for serving.

[flatcat]

I assume you are in the military? THANKS for serving.

No - no. I work for the State Department, in the Foreign Service.

But a special shout-out on Veteran's Day to our vets.

[Dust Devil]

I'm just a couple of years younger than you..two big issues for our age group:

1) Recovery. I'm on a 4 day split, which provides a lot of recovery time. Each exercise only once per week.
2) Protein supplements. I found that when I quit them, I started running out of energy and failing lifts.

[Froggert]

That seems like a lot of warmup. I’m about 10 years younger than you and would be toast by the time I got to the working set(s).

[Leprechaun]

That seems like a lot of warmup. I’m about 10 years younger than you and would be toast by the time I got to the working set(s).

Agree check this video from Andy Baker out:YouTube

[Nockian]

Agreed, too many warm up reps IMO

2 sets 5 empty bar ; 1 set of 5 around 15%; 1 set of 3 around 30%; 1 set of 3 around 50%; 1 set 1 around 70%; 1 set 1 around 85%.

Effectively you are doing a bit of a conditioning routine along with the heavy lifts. Too much stress to recover from as you are simultaneously losing weight and trying to lift heavier.

What's your belly measurement ?