44 years old' Log

[davidM]

Squat 220 1x5 – 242 1x5

Bench 187 3x5 ‘2

Curl 100 1x10 – 1x10 – 1x6

I’ve spent the rest of my time in the gym chatting with that kind of guy we all have dealed with: the one who wants to know all in a nutshell: I’m always very polite and try to be of help, if I can, but sometimes it’s not easy. Really, this dude was never satisfied and kept on asking things… how many reps x set, how many sets, what kind of exercises…all, he wanted to know all. Seriously I can’t answer a question like :” Is better a close-grip bench or a reverse grip bench?” and before I could say something hearing: “Maybe the reverse grip works better the inner part of the triceps”.
I managed to just say: “Try to get your bench to 220x5 then you’ll know yourself” wondering if I’ve been too rude (have I?).

Luckily I’d already finished my workout.

[davidM]

Great workout today, even if I had less time then usual...

Squat 358,25 1x5 very good, better than last time.

Press 137.79 1x5 ok

Deadlift 402.34 1x5 better then last time here too

So, I can say that with less time I was more focused and my lifts were better.

[davidM]

Great workout today, even if I had less time then usual...

Squat 358,25 1x5 very good, better than last time.

Press 137.79 1x5 ok

Deadlift 402.34 1x5 better then last time here too

So, I can say that with less time I was more focused and my lifts were better.

Then bodyweight chins a couple of sets to failure (15 - 10) with '1.30 rest.

[davidM]

This week I'll skip my recovery day because of a local festivity (gym closed).
So, my volume day today:

Squat 319.67 5x5 '3
Bench 3x5 129.9
Chin +66.14 5x5 '3 (PR)
Curl 88.18 2x10 66.14 1x10 '2

I like TM very much...I'm recovering fine and I'm looking forward to each training session, especially Intensity day. I like it, period.

[davidM]

My washing machine has broken and I had to fix it myself (I'm not so good at those kind of things but necessity is the mother of invention...).
So I had to run to the gym because I couldn't skip my intensity day:
Squat 363.76 1x5
Bench Press 198.42 3x5 '2
Deadlift 407.86 1x5
Then I did 3 sets of bw chin (10-9-8).

Everything's gone fine. The only thing was that my fifth rep of Deadlift was a bit unbalanced.
Next time I think it's time for 3's, I don't want to overtrain. We'll see next Friday.

[davidM]

Just passed two days with a bad cold. My doughter is sick too so last two nights were awful.
My experience has taught me that when I’m that sick (not fever just a bad cold + bad sleep) I don’t have to skip my workout because after that I’ll be better. But it’s a hard choice when all your body wants to do is lying on the bed.
Anyway my workout is as follows:

Squat 5x5 325.17 ‘3
Press 5x5 115.74 ‘2

After that I just did some Rack Curls – couldn’t afford me chins today – 88.18 1x12 – 1x8 ‘1.30.
Then lunch.

I guess I’ll skip Wednesday squat instead, since my back is a little sore. I’ll decide better that very morning.

[davidM]

I changed my mind.
So:
squat 242.51 2x5
bench 203.93 3x5
body weight chins 1x15 - 1x11 - 1x8

That's it. I hope Friday I'll be able to push hard. I had a little problem with my lower back lately probably due to the unbalanced pull I did. nothing serious anyway.

[davidM]

Goofd workout:

squat 1x5 374.79
Press 137.79 1x5
Deadlift 407.86 1x5
Chins + 71.65 2x5 + bw 1x10

I feel great on the Squat and I think I could push a little with 5's.
On DL I repeated the same laod because last time I pulled it a little unbalanced and I didn't like it! This time was perfect. My 5th rep was the last so this is my actual 5RM. Nex time I'll do 2x3.
Great, I feel recovered and progressing fine.
Ah, the Press is a bitch.

[davidM]

Today the weather was fine and quite hot, I could have spent my breakfast time lying under the sun and relaxing. But we iron people are made this way, we go to the gym whatever it happens.
So, today’s workout.

Squat 330.68 5x5 ‘3
Chins + 68.89 5x5 ‘3
Bench 203.92 3x5 ‘3

Squat is still going great and I don’t see a stall near. I’m very happy because I couldn’t do it for so long.
My bench isn’t so good instead: my right shoulder is annoying me. Maybe I should see my chiro again. I want to hit those 220 3x5 again as my target for this year but I don’t know if I could do more than that because of this problem. I think I’ll start doing some exercises for the rotatory cuff and see what happens.
Regarding my diet: my bw is between 174 and 176, that has always been my max weight among these years of training. I eat more the day before training and less the other days. Anyway I don’t want to exaggerate even because I’m progressing fine and that’s the main thing to me.
My goal is a 440 squat and a 473-485 Deadlift as 1RM. For my Press I’ll be satisfied with 165 that it’s not my weight but it’s very near.

[davidM]

Squat 242 2X5
Press 126.7 2X5 (it should have been 110)
Rack Curl 99.2 1x10 – 88.18 2x10 (‘2)

As usual I leave the gym not so tired as on Monday’s and Friday’s and that’s why I like so much this day. It’s easy for the body and for the mind. I enter the gym and I’m out while everybody else is still at the half of their workout.

Little story today: a buddy asked me to spot him at the Close grip Bench Press. Needless to say his thumbs almost touched (or maybe they did touch). He was about to press 176. I told him to use a grip wider than that and he told me “But it’s for triceps not for the pecs!!”. How can you argue this?
I gently have him place his hands in the correct place and the magic happened: he struggled with 154 in the previous set but had little problem with 176. He said the grip now was more comfortable.
I can’t stand this ignorance. I mean, when I started training I had very few information and exercises like that were usually taught in the gym. There were not many books worth reading and magazines like Flex were everywhere. But today, we have the Internet and a lot of valuable information are at our disposal, mostly free. There are great books (all Rippetoe’s ones but even other’s) and publications about weight training. If only I could had all this experience when I was 20 or even before!!

So, I can’t stand someone who’s going to the gym everyday for years and still doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing in there. He doesn’t squat or deadlift (and that’s unfortunately so common) because he doesn’t know how to properly do them but when all you do is just bench and curls how can’t you bench that way?
Same guy the other day as I was doing 330.68 5x5 Squat stopped and asked me how could I do it. You know, he was just:”WOW!”

In that very moment I realized how experience is so important in life and in the gym. You simply don’t do it without a plan. You have to deserve it with a lot of sacrifice and sweat.
The saddest thing about this story is that the owner of the gym (an old nice man to tell the truth) is still teaching the CGBP the way that guy did it. Because “It’s for the triceps”.