Fiftyfit - One Day At a Time

[vanslix]

Welcome back. It seems you are exactly on the path you need to be on, though it's not an easy one.

[fiftyfit]

Thanks for the encouragement and support guys, it helps me keep coming back. My low back has been really touchy the past couple weeks, and more often than not, I'm dealing with some considerable pain...but as long as I use solid technique, the workouts seem to help. I still have to see my chiro regularly, though, and I'll probably try to get back to massages at least once a month also, they seem to help a lot.
The past couple of months, I've done quite a bit of reading on Wendler's 5-3-1, and while I've been tempted to give it a shot, I've felt pretty good about the general setup I've been using. I know 5-3-1 has been pretty popular with some guys, and I'd like to try it, if only for the better conditioning it might provide. Soon...maybe!
Bwt. - 193
OHP: 45x5, 65x5, 85x3, 100x3, 120x3, 100x6 bo
Chin-up: bwt + 20 lbs. x 5, 5, 3
CGBP: 120x6, 145x4, 168x5* (current PR for this style)
Rev. curl: 65x6, 87 1/2 x 6
RDL: 135x5, 165x5, 195x5, 215x5, 235x5

[fiftyfit]

I finally decided to give 5-3-1 a go. To Mark and LA, not sure whether to thank you for the insight or curse you! My problem whenever trying something different has always been not wanting to take it easy on myself, and I paid for it today with the squats. I didn't want anyone accusing me of being a wimp, so I pushed that last work set harder than I should have, just starting out with the routine. I spent the next five minutes on my back, trying to get my lungs back in my chest! Never did like doing high reps! I'm just going to list the work sets.
Bwt. - 191
SQ: 161 x 5, 186 x 5, 211 x 11
BP: 117 x 5, 135 x 5, 152 x 10
Chin-up: bwt x 9, bwt x 8
Rev. hyper: 65 x 15 x 2 sets

[Old LA]

I find myself doing the same. I'm still feeling Friday's squats, in a bad way. Glad its a deload week. I'm wondering if I set my training max's too low and therefore getting too much volume with that all out last set. They say older guys respond better with intensity rather than volume. Maybe Mark or others could chime in. I'm also trying to wrangle my finances for a consultation or two with Andy Baker. That would be my first programming question to him, then have him analyze my squat and get some guidance on increasing it. I think it would be money well spent. Did you see that I responded to your question in my log?

[fiftyfit]

I find myself doing the same. I'm still feeling Friday's squats, in a bad way. Glad its a deload week. I'm wondering if I set my training max's too low and therefore getting too much volume with that all out last set. They say older guys respond better with intensity rather than volume. Maybe Mark or others could chime in. Did you see that I responded to your question in my log?

I did read your response to my question, thanks for that. I believe that I tend to feel better and respond better when I concentrate on intensity over volume, as long as I don't try to rush it. I've always pushed my training hard, but I know I shouldn't push to the point of nausea anymore. I believe I can keep my strength without that foolishness!

[Dave Klopp]

Never did like doing high reps!

I'm still sorting out where I go next in my programming but I will probably try sets of 8 reps. I did a set of 8 in squats last Saturday and was breathing pretty heavy the last few reps. 11 reps must be torture.

[fiftyfit]

I'm still sorting out where I go next in my programming but I will probably try sets of 8 reps. I did a set of 8 in squats last Saturday and was breathing pretty heavy the last few reps. 11 reps must be torture.

I'll tell ya', the first eight reps went smoothly, but those last three hit me hard. It's that oxygen debt that gets you, especially when you're used to 3's and 5's. And my legs are fairly sore tonight, though they've been much worse before. I hope to stick it out for at least two, 3-week cycles so I can judge my own progress honestly.

[Mark E. Hurling]

One of the things Wendler talks about is leaving a rep or 2 in the tank on the 3rd AMRAP set. Which I recognize is something of a contradiction in terms, but it resonated with me because of my prior following of Stuart McRobert's hardgainer routines which said the same thing about hard sets. Leave a little more for growth and recovery. Both Wendler and McRobert talked about programming and progression for the long haul. We may not have as much time as the kids, but then they can recover better. Slow and steady will get us to the best we can be.

[vanslix]

more often than not, I'm dealing with some considerable pain...but as long as I use solid technique, the workouts seem to help. I still have to see my chiro regularly, though, and I'll probably try to get back to massages at least once a month also

FWIW....During grieving a loss of my own, I figured out after the fact that I was very likely lifting to the point of causing physical pain as that was easier to deal with than the emotional pain. In hindsight, it was better than turning to the bottle or other methods. Alchemy of a sorts.

[fiftyfit]

FWIW....During grieving a loss of my own, I figured out after the fact that I was very likely lifting to the point of causing physical pain as that was easier to deal with than the emotional pain. In hindsight, it was better than turning to the bottle or other methods. Alchemy of a sorts.

That makes a lot of sense, vanslix, substituting one form of pain for another. I do feel driven to push my limits more than I can easily justify. I did get a massage last week which helped greatly, after not getting one for weeks. And, on the emotional front, I explored the metaphysical angle, and received a couple of readings that have given me considerable comfort and hope.

I'm glad to see your weight loss efforts and lifting going well, and hope your recent procedure has helped to make your own pain more tolerable.