Greetings friends. Next month I will be 81, and statistics show that aging sarcopenia should see me at 2% less power and muscle over the last year. Of course I am always determined to avoid this fate, and here is a run down of the doings in 2021.
I was doing a 12 month cycle of hi bar back squats. It had started 80k, 85k, 90k – 5 reps a set, and adding one rep each workout towards a total of 3 sets of 12. In Jan I was at 80k/12, 85/10, 90/8. In March I made 12/ 12/ 12. Then upped the weights to 90k, 95k, 100k. Starting at sets of 5 and adding one rep per workout. Have now made the target of 12/12/12. Time for a new exercise – repetition clean and press.
This works more of the body's muscles than any other exercise, and improves coordination and athletic power.
The Olympic Deadlift cycle I was on started at 115 k for 5 in 2020, and I fancied doing 20 reps with this weight. In Jan I was doing 102 k for 20, and by adding 1 k per workout, I made the 115 for 20 on 30/8/2021. Then a workout change to a combination of front squats and Romanian deadlifts.
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Front squats started with 5's at 40k/45k/50k. Romanian deadlifts sets of 10 with 65k/70k/75k.
Currently Front squats are 5's with 45k,50k,70k. Romanian deadlifts 10's with 70k/75k/92.5k.
Lat machine in Jan was 42.5k for 14,13. End of year was 59.9k for 10 and 53.3k for 15.
In Jan my clean and presses was 35k for 4, and 40k for 1. In December it was 40k for 4, 46.25 for 1. 47.5 keeps stopping me.
Leverage calf machine started at 75k for 11,10. Ended at 95k for 14,14.
I did a slew of other exercises in my workouts cycles – triceps various, curls, power snatches, cleans, hi pulls, hise shrug, jerk behind neck, jerk press, snatches , C+J – with these I gradually increased the loads over the year.
If I eat all I want, my bodyweight tends to increase steadily, and I don't want it to, as a lot of it is fat, and while it makes me stronger, I can't afford to stretch my skin and wrinkle up.
So I keep my weight down to 85k with the 5/2 diet, which I do hardcore with 36 hour water/coffee fasts.
In the coming year I am going to trial a strategy outlined by Marty Gallagher – one hard, heavy workout a week, followed by 6 days rest. In my case I will do a second WO with calves, abs, and a bit of bi's, tri's, delts.