Starting online log

[Weaver]

I am Five ten, weigh 212 and am on my 4th week of SS. I am 42 years old. I actually started back lifting after a 13 year lay off in June, but I found my self aimless, and not doing many of the lifts in the SS program (I was squatting, but no Bench, Press, Clean, or Deadlift). The 3 months did give me a nice reconditioning period with my squat though and better prepare me for three days a week of squats. As an explanation though I have started deloading Squat mid week workout to better ensure my progress and recovery. I will start with Monday's workout.

Monday Oct 13. Squat 355x5x3. - This felt good, last week I deloaded the week to take care of a nagging quad pull (I think I did something funky a few weeks ago while experimenting with the SS preferred grip on the squat, I always break wrists back for years before, and the new method was very taxing on my shoulder flexibility and aggravated an old pec injury as well. Yay for getting old) but the weight was light and I am moving to 360 on Friday.

Press 170x5x3 - Press is intriguing to me. Mental focus on form and timing seems to make a big difference. The third set actually felt easier than the first. Moving up to 175 on Friday.

Deadlift 475x5x1 - This one I was concerned about, last week I pulled 455, and felt like I had 3 more in the tank. I was going to go 465 but I was feeling great and wanted to challenge myself. I did. The last rep was not easy and I will be moving up only 5 pounds on Friday. Might be the last week I deadlift 3 times in 2 week periods and I rotate chins and glute raises into my pulling rotation.

So far I love this program. I was pretty strong when I stopped lifting 13 years ago, but I was burnt out and overtrained (had a challenging "hobby" combined with a physical job and lifting on top of it. I also of course did not eat properly or sleep enough.....youth is wasted on the young). But I feel I am at a point I can allow for good recovery and nutrition and this program allows me to make return progress to a former level without overtraining, and with a plan in mind.

[carson]

Welcome. Giving your numbers you should present quite a challenge to other Masters' lifters should you choose to compete.

[Weaver]

Wednesday October 15.

Due load day on the squat, focused on bar speed (I almost pause every rep under load, trying to get the down and go to be more polished) and heel drive. 295x5x3

Bench press 205x5x2 stopped short of a third set due to a pulled pec that is healing nicely, two sets were easy and no strain, but last two reps I could feel my injury site pulling just a little, so I stopped to err on the side of caution.

Power cleans 175x3x5. Practicing my racking as much as I can. I learned to rack these as if I am doing a press, so it's a process to stretch shoulders, elbows and wrists to accommodate a full rack (I also have the long forearms thing, handy for landing a jab, but a pain with racking a power clean). Felt the work in my upper back, felt good.

Chin ups 10,7,7. Have not done these in years. Look forward to building these.

[Weaver]

Squat - 360x5x3 - seem 100 percent recovered from quad pull. Had lots left in the tank on the 3rd set.

Press - 175x5x3 - this lift intrigues me. I think the third set was easier than the first, and I am still refining the hip motion to doing it. Years back when I lifted consistently, I always did this seated, standing has been interesting.

Deadlift - 480x5 - it was all I had, thrilled to only deadlift once next week. I think after next week I may start alternating pulling days with chins for a bit more recovery. I could definitely feel Monday's efforts, and the 5th rep was all I could manage.

[Weaver]

Took a beating today. I could feel the high effort from dead lifting twice last week still and I think it hit me pretty good at the end with my chins.

Squats - 365x5x3. These were actually not bad. Felt a little stiff warming up on the bike and warm up sets, but the weight went up nicely once I got to work sets.

Bench press - stopped after warm up set with 185 ( I was on paper to do 210) due to pulling sensation in right pulled pectoral (week 3 of healing this thing, it's much better, but I am on eggshells with it, so I baby it a lot) and repped a few sets with 135 that had my pull area burning a bit, but in a good way. Hopefully discretion today will equal ability to push better on Friday.

Power clean - 185x3x5 still working on the racking, but the weight went up pretty easily, last couple sets I could really feel last weeks deadlift and today's new weight.

Chins - 9,5,3. First set I felt fatigued and the second and third I really had the right lat tight and whole back was tired. This Is the last week of doing chins after cleans (start alternating them with pulls next week) so I hope I will perform better when they are a bit "fresher".

[peez]

Welcome to the forum, Weaver - it's very true that youth is wasted on the young! I'm 42 as well but never lifted before 2014.

These are amazing numbers. I'm curious (and I am sure many other folks here are as well) - what type of lifting did you do before your long break?

[Weaver]

Welcome to the forum, Weaver - it's very true that youth is wasted on the young! I'm 42 as well but never lifted before 2014.

These are amazing numbers. I'm curious (and I am sure many other folks here are as well) - what type of lifting did you do before your long break?

I was fairly strong. I could deadlift 510x5, I squatted 425x5, bench pressed 295x6( no idea on 5 RM, just remember trying for 5 and I got 6), seated behind the neck press 225x5 (which is of course horrible for your shoulder health), and I have power cleaned 300 before (at the time I did a set of 8 with 245, with horrible racking technique.

So when you see what I do now, it would be a lot if I was a "true" novice, and I am happy about rebuilding my strength, but I am not a genetic freak or anything, just returning to a former higher level. This program I like as it challenges me, and keeps me from hurting myself at the same time. If I were to go about rebuilding on my own I am sure I would be wrecked and injured in no time.

[peez]

Amazing how the body remembers, isn't it? Strength truly is a long term adaptation - with is encouraging for the long term benefits of barbell training!

[Weaver]

Last week dead lifting under the sort of load I was training with twice in the week was a mistake. Not a huge one, but a mistake. I could still feel the effect on my whole body on Monday, and I still felt it today, big time. Caused me some problems squatting, but nothing I think is too late to pull up from.

Squat- deload day. Warmed up with no incident, and on the last rep of first set, left hamstring felt very odd, and very tight. I bailed on any more sets as just going into the position with no load caused a mild ache and felt less sturdy than I like. I have a feeling the effort they (hamstrings) put forth last week dead lifting had a residual effect, and it's possible I caused it to worsen with the amount of static stretching I did yesterday (I am fairly flexible, and can do a straddle split when warmed up) on those hamstrings. Anyway 300x5 and I ran away to live to fight another day.

Press-my form and coordination of the hips still needs work, but I gutted out 180x5x3. Third set was a mutherf***er. May repeat weight if I can't find some. 1.25 lb weights locally before next week. But I will take the improvement.

Deadlift - NO. My nervous system still feels the effects of last week, so I went nada, and will alternate chins with pulls rom here on out. Cleans are Friday, chins are Monday, then we can go back at the monster attempt (485x5) next Wed.

Hopefully I didn't over reach too much. I feel I am getting enough sleep, and my body gets no other stresses right now (no grappling for me while my eyes recover from LASIK). I could be deficient on calories though, as my schedule makes eating a chore. I am getting enough protein, but may lack calories.

[Weaver]

Another rough day, but I made the best I could of it

Squat- made it to warm up with 225, that made that hamstring feel very sketchy, so I resigned the rest. I will see how it feels on Monday, and I am considering a squat mon and Friday and pull on Wednesday schedule.

Bench press - week 4 of pectoral muscle pull recovery. Did 215x5x2. Weight was easy, but, as seems to be protocol these days last rep of second set felt strong pulling, almost a pop sensation in right pec with mild discomfort. I think it's the scar tissue from old injury pulling around under load. I am going to try Starr's muscle belly rehab for a month I think, to get off this merry go round of slight increase and re pulling this thing.

Power cleans - 195x3x5. Knocked them out. Racking still a work in progress, but pull was strong.