The PR at the end of the curve

[ryno72]

I figured it's about time I start a blog about my lifting.
I've been doing it long enough, and I finally have enough free time in my life to do such a thing. To start though, a little bit of my lifting history:

I began lifting when I got out of the Army in 1994 and went into college when I was 22. Just bodybuilding stuff because I didn't know any better. I thought I was doing some good, but didn't understand why I wasn't getting any bigger or much stronger. This went on for quite a while until I happened to come across an article by Bill Starr in Ironman magazine talking about one of his 5x5 programs. I started following the program he wrote in his article, and figured out I needed to eat more, and managed to increase my bodyweight from 170 lbs to 200 lbs. My squat increased to 405 lb (don't remember any of the other lifts, I didn't keep a journal back then). But, when I graduated college, I ended up putting lifting on hold to focus on my career and raise my 3 sons. A mistake, I know, but working 60 hours per week and having young sons at home doesn't leave much time for anything else. Young, green engineers have to work long hours to contribute anything of value because they don't know anything yet.

Anyway, 12 years go by and I want to start teaching my oldest son, who is 14 and in football, how to lift. I had two revelations: 1) I realized that I was way weaker than when I used to lift, and 2) that I had no idea how to teach someone how to squat who hasn't done it before. This was in the year 2011. So, I do an internet search and most of the sites I look at are all obvious BS. But then I come across Starting Strength. After reading some of the articles, I ordered the blue book and it was life changing. I think what sealed the deal for me at the time was that Bill Starr had posted articles on the website.

So, after starting the program, my stats changed from:


starting stat-> 2011 2012 2013 2021 (age 48)
bodyweight 195 235 255 260
Squat 245x5 455x5 535x5 555x3
bench 205x5 325x5 355x5 365x5
deadlift 255x5 465x5 565x5 590x1
press 115x5 190x5 215x5 235x3

I won't even show my power clean numbers because they were always pathetic (I have short arms), and don't do them anymore because of knee pain.

Note on stats:
My arms are so short that the bar smashes my balls and ends up above my nads at the standing position of deadlifts, so not much separation between my squat numbers and deadlift numbers.
I've never been quite able to figure out the press equation; I used to have periods of making honest attempts, such as doing them 6 days per week, but not much improvement. Now, I just focus on bench pressing, which I've always been good at (short arms, remember? And now a barrel chest to boot).
I used to be able to go hard all year long, but in the last couple years I only do maintenance work, and cycle up to my top weights a couple of times a year and try to set a small record. If I don't, I learned the hard way that shit starts breaking, and I'm hobbling around all day.
So, I guess I'll get started:
My first session was done after 2 weeks off due to moving into a new house and a maintenance turnaround at the refinery I work at. So, when this happens, I cut back the weights a bit, and do a total body session. Then I start jumping the weights up at ~10% a session until I'm at a good maintenance working weight. I haven't done a cycle to a PR in a while, so might as well start one.

Wednesday, 5/19/21
Squats
135x5
225x3
315x2
365x5
365x5
365x5

Bench
135x5
185x3
225x3
265x2 (stopped. Felt too heavy, avoiding too much soreness)
245x5
245x5
245x5

Deadlift
225x3
315x2
405x5 (way harder than I was thinking this would be. Haven't been eating enough.)

Thurs 5/20/21
Kind of stiff as expected, but ready to go for a lift session tomorrow, unless some crap comes up at work.

[ryno72]

Friday 5/21/21, 2nd session back after layoff:
time: 16:05-17:00
Squat
w/u's:
135x5
225x3
315x2
365x1
work sets:
405x5
405x5
405x5
Press
135x3
155x1
175x5
175x5
175x5

Planned on doing deadlifts too, but ran out of time, had to bring my son to baseball practice.
So, did them later that night after returning from practice:
Time: 20:25-20:40

Deadlifts
135x3
225x2
315x2
365x1
405x1
455x5

Felt easier than the 405x5 I did a few days earlier, as expected.
Squat:

Press:
175x5 press 5 21 21 - YouTube

no Deadlift video, in a rush to get the set in.

[ryno72]

Been real busy lately with work and my son's baseball, so lifting when I can and just focusing on the main lifts.

Wednesday, 5/16/21
21:25-21:40

bench press
135x5
185x5
225x1
245x5
245x5
245x5

bodyweight chins BW=255 lbs
9 reps
5 reps
3 reps

Thurs 5/27/21

19:05-19:35
Squat
135x3
225x3
315x3
365x1
405x1
425x5
425x5
stopped after 2 sets due to exhaustion and hunger

Sunday
5/30/21 done while smoking some pork ribs
13:05-14:00
Deadlift
135x3
225x3
315x1
405x1
455x1
465x5
thought about doing a drop set, but my traps told me "no way!"

press
135x3
165x1
180x5
180x5
180x5

Tuesday
6/1/21
20:30-20:50

Bench press
135x5
185x3
225x1
255x5x3

bench press off the pins at half range
335x2