Aspiring to Viking strength

[DV]

This is my third time on SS. Real life issues including some pretty serious injuries (non-lifting related) has set me back completely to square one. So here goes. Since I am living in an altitude of 11.000 feet, I am taking it extremely light in the beginning, as overexertion can lead to illness up here.

PR's:

Bodyweight: 100 kg. (220 lbs)

Height: 6'1

Lifts (5RM):

Squat: 155 kg. (342 lbs.)
Bench: 100 kg. (220 lbs.)
Press: 80 kg. (176 lbs.)
Power Clean: 70 kg. (154 lbs.)
Deadlift: 165 kg. (364 lbs.)


Current stats:


Bodyweight: 78 kg. (172 lbs.) [Wife: 41 kgs]


Height: 6'1 [Wife: 5'5]


Lifts remain to be seen...

Programme:

I will be doing the basic A/B template:

A: Squat, Bench, Powerclean
B: Squat, Press, Deadlift

The wife will sub the Powercleans for assisted chins+back extensions, as she literally has 0 degrees flexibility in her left wrist following a botched operation after an accident.

[DV]

Day 1

Weight: 79 kgs.

Squats: 65 lbs
Bench: 65 lbs
Power Cleans: 45 lbs.

Wife: Squat/bench 20 lbs, assisted chins (3x5) and three sets of hypers. Will up the volume on chins/hypers next time.

Comment: Everything quite light, given to previous injuries, and the height-issue.

[TartanEagle]

Good luck to you and your wife. Sorry to hear about all of your injuries (and your wife's as well).

Your wife could sub power snatches for power cleans, as she would get all the benefits in that movement without the wrist strain.

Great forum name, by the way!

[DV]

Good luck to you and your wife. Sorry to hear about all of your injuries (and your wife's as well).

Your wife could sub power snatches for power cleans, as she would get all the benefits in that movement without the wrist strain.

Great forum name, by the way!

Thanks for the wishes and compliments. It's actually a very good shout about the power snatches, Ihadnt thought of that. Once she gets back into the groove on the basic movements we'll try it out.

[DV]

Day 2

Weight: 80 kg.

Warmup:
5 mins skiing-machine device
3x10 decline situps

Squats:
2x5xbar
2x5x55
1x2x65
3x5x75

Easy enough. My imbalance seems to clear up when I focus on keeping it "tight". Weirdly tough still though, even though it is a pussy weight.

Press:
2x5x20
1x5x30
1x5x45
3x5x55

Easy enough, but as I am taking it slow, I left it light.

Deadlift:
Some warmup stuff
1x5x135

Felt somewhat "heavy" though obviously it isnt.

Wife:

Squats 25 lbs, Press 15 lbs, Deadlift 40 lbs.

[DV]

Day 3

Weight: 80.5 kg.

Warmup:
5 mins skiing-machine device
2x10 decline situps

Squats:
2x5xbar
2x5x55
1x3x65
1x2x75
3x5x85

Easy enough. Imbalance was there abit on warmups but gone for worksets.

Bench:
2x5x45
1x5x55
1x2x65
3x5x75

Easy enough.

Power Clean:
2x3x45
5x3x55
Was quite good at getting under the bar today. If only my technique was always this good...

Wife:

Squats 30 lbs, Bench 22.5 lbs, 3x8 assisted chins, 5x10 hypers.

She needs to watch her knees on squats, especially the left one. But she is progressing quite aggressively all things considered, and we're only starting out, so I'm not too worried.

[DV]

Day 4

Weight: 81 kg.

Workout time: 50 minutes

Warmup:
5 mins skiing-machine device
Forgot situps...

Squats:
2x5xbar
2x5x65
1x2x85
3x5x95

Still weird to lift this little and still be making an effort. Otherwise uneventful.

Press:
2x5x45
1x3x55
3x5x65

10 lb increment and didnt feel too heavy.

Deadlift:
Some warmup stuff
1x1x135
1x5x150

Felt quite heavy, and I could feel a tweak that I made in my back messing around in the Pacific for New Years.

Wife:

Squats 40 lbs, Press 20 lbs, Deadlift 50lbs.

Squats and deads were heavy for her, but now she can use the barbell for squats next time. Might have her re-do 40 though - we'll see.

[DV]

Day 5

Weight: 81 kg.
Workout time: 50 minutes or so.

Warmup:
5 mins skiing-machine device
Forgot situps.

Squats:
2x5xbar
1x3x65
1x2x85
3x5x105

Starting to feel a tad "heavy". Good rebound on the second set, weird pain in the right knee though.

Bench:
2x5x45
1x5x55
1x3x65
1x2x75
3x5x85

Easy enough.

Power Clean:
2x3x45
1x1x55
5x3x65

Still going well. I get quite winded though.

Wife:

Squats 45 lbs, Bench 25 lbs, 3x7 assisted chins, 5x10 hypers.

I need to watch her technique on squats and bench. I dunno whats going on with the bench, but her arm angles are asymmetrical, in spite of her holding the bar symmetrically. Squats its mostly the left leg, that she positions weird.

[DV]

Day 6

Weight: 81 kg. <--- Will start GOMAD on Monday.

Workout time: 35 minutes <-- In a hurry today. Pulse was racing like crazy, since the thin air up here will do that. So combined strength/cardio today!

Warmup:
5 mins skiing-machine device
Decline situps: BWx15

Squats:
2x5xbar
1x5x65
1x3x85
1x1x105
3x5x115

Quite explosive today and very short breaks, went fine.

Press:
2x5x45
1x3x55
1x1x65
3x5x75

Also very short breaks, so these are approaching the point of being challenging. I'll drop down to 5 lb increases from here on.

Deadlift:
Some warmup stuff
1x5x135
1x1x165
1x5x165

Felt good. Miscalculated the single (was supposed to be 150) but it was no biggie.

Wife:

She has a pinched tendon/nerve in her arm/shoulder, so didnt go today. I'm thinking that it is the weird bench that is doing this, will have to look out from here on.

[DV]

Day 7

Weight: 81.5 kg.
Workout time: 1h

Warmup:
5 mins skiing-machine device
Situps: BWx16

Squats:
2x5xbar
1x5x65
1x3x85
1x2x105
3x5x125

Weird feeling in the left side of the pelvis/lower back as usual. Wondering if it is scar tissue as technique and balance looks ok.

Bench:
2x5x45
1x5x55
1x3x65
1x2x85
3x5x95

Easy enough.

Power Clean:
2x3x45
1x2x55
1x1x65
5x3x75

I slept like crap last night, so I'll attribute my lack of speed under the bar/getting elbows up to that.

Wife:

Squats 45 lbs, Press 20 lbs, 3x9 assisted chins, 5x10 hypers.

Her arms still look crazy weird on bench, so had her press. Cant find anything in SS that explains that type of imbalance, when the rest of the components (bar position, hand position etc.) are equal.