Let's Try This One More Time From The Bottom

[George Christiansen]

I am getting back to it after not lifting for about 6 months. I hurt my shoulder and thought I was going to need surgery, but to make a long story short, it turns out that I will not need it and have the ok to hit the weights again.

I decided to buy some equipment instead of joining another gym and arguing with them about what constitutes slamming the weights. I am waiting for the equipment to show up.

I am going to build a platform in my backyard tomorrow. My house doesn't have enough headroom for me to press and I plan on getting a place to train people this summer, so I think six or seven month of being in the back yard, covered with a tarp during any weather, should be ok.

I'll take some photos when it all arrives, but here's what I'll have:

Rack: http://www.titandistributorsinc.com/...ower-rack.html
Starter Bar: http://www.wayfair.com/Cap-Barbell-S...B-CBB1047.html
Rogue Weights: 6@45, 2@25, 2@10, 2@5, 2@2.5 http://www.roguefitness.com/rogue-olympic-plates
A set of Dan Miller's microplates: http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=46139
A weighted vest for chins, pull ups, and push ups (no benching for me for now).
Pull Up/Chin Bands: http://www.ragefitness.com/inventoryD.asp?item_no=CF-10020&CatId={892622A0-DE10-4AA9-AF73-CEEF49075105}

We will see how things actually feel, but I have some goals to reach by summer that, barring another injury are pretty feasible, so in an effort to take things really slow I am starting here:

Press:105
Squat: 185
Deadlift: 275

I'll be alternating weighted pushups with presses, squats with deadlifts, and chins, with pull ups. Might get a neck harness for light neck work and do some direct arm work as well.

Longer term I will probably do the every third day thing, but I might go every other day until things actually feel heavy. I am sure that I have lost some strength, but I have been doing some bodyweight (which only dropped about 5 pounds or so) stuff while waiting to see if I was going under the knife, so I hope that fought off some atrophy.

I am hoping for my work sets to be over Press:170, Squat: 315, and Deadlift: 405 by summer. I'd be a bit embarrassed to charge people for training with anything less.

I am still 6' 7" and around 230 right now. Hope to get the weight up to 250lb by summer too.

[George Christiansen]

Got the platform and rack put together on Christmas eve. It's a bit ghetto, but it'll work. I am just going to deadlift off the pins rather than take up any more yard with the platform.



The bar is here too, but the weights don't come until Monday.

[George Christiansen]

Got everything set up, but realized that the pins are too high, even on the bottom hole for deadlifts. I just lifted off the ground standing on two patio blocks so as to be level. They turned into deficit deadlifts as they sunk a bit each rep until the 45's were in deep enough that the 25's were touching the ground. I'll fix that tomorrow with some gravel or something.

Just did one work set each and will repeat the same weight on Monday, but do sets across. Going to do every other day for as long as I can handle the weight increases and recover.

Press 105
Chin BW
Squat 185
Pull Up BW
Push Up +20
Deadlift 275

All for 5 reps.

My left shoulder/pec was feeling tight during squats and I caught myself relaxing a bit at the bottom of the pull ups. My shins hate the new bar. Need good socks.

[vanslix]

That sounds like a crossfit type of deadlift. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[George Christiansen]

There was no bounce and I kept my shirt on, so......................

[George Christiansen]

Yesterday:

Press 105 x5x2
Chin BWx5x2
Squat 185x5x2

Ghetto tricep extensions 25x15 Have to rebuild the rig to be smoother.

[George Christiansen]

Today:

Push Up +20 x5x2
Pull Up BW x5x2
Deadlift 275 x3x2
Curl 45 x15x1

[vanslix]

There was no bounce and I kept my shirt on, so......................

That would've been awesome, bouncing it off mud. I think you just created a WOD. But you'd need neon shoes with matching neon laces and neon KT tape. But as you mentioned, no shirt.

But seriously, what kind of program are you using? I'm always on the look out for other people's ideas.

[Kyle Schuant]

Sounds like you should build an actual platform!

[George Christiansen]

Those first sessions were just glorified form checks, but.....

M-W-F Fullbody
Alternating weighted push ups with presses each session. (No bench & no spotter)
Squatting M & F
Deadlifting W
Alternating chin ups with pull ups each session.
End with alternating curls with tricep extensions each session.

3 Sets of 5 on Presses & Squats
3 Sets of 3 on Deadlifts
5 Sets of chins or pull ups done as ladders
The push ups will be done like presses until I run out of weight to add. then I'll do ladders like the chins and pull ups.
2 Sets of aaaahhhmmms hovering between 8 & 12 reps
I do pushing movements first partially to get my shoulders ready for squats and partially because doing squats and deads makes you want to go home afterwards and so I want to be fresher for them.