Mcrow's 40 around the Corner Log

[mcrow]

I'm consider myself a rank beginner. There was a time when I was an athlete , in my teens and early twenties I wrestled (played football and baseball as well). I live on the mat and in the weight room. I can tell by reading SS that I had no idea what I was doing in the weight room back then.

Anyway, almost 20 years later (40 years old) I've fat and out of shape. Over the years I've made a few attempts to get in shape where I watch what I eat for a few months and start lifting but then after a few months I'm back where I started. So, I consider myself a beginner give I've spent a total of 9 months training over the last twenty years, giver or take. The last time I tried getting back in the weight room I had a 1RM of 225 on bench, not sure what I could do on squat or DL. However, that was 8 years ago and , man, I'm feeling old. I can just feel that I'm know where near as strong as I used to be, and it's been noticeable the last two years. Used to be able to pick up a 16 foot canoe and carry it overhead, now I have to put portage wheels on it. There wasn't a jar I couldn't open easily, now I'm struggling a bit at times but still get them open. Carrying rock around for landscaping was easy, two 50lb bags at a time. Now 1 50lb bag seems heavy.

I read SS and have been listening to Rip's podcast and it has occurred to me that this decline in strength is a direct threat to my health. Sure, there will be some reduced strength as we age but not like what I have had. Time to lift heavy crap and get strong again.

Stats:
Height- 5'5
Weight- 235
BF%- 35% per podpod

Goals-
Get under 185lbs
Get under 20% BF
Bench 225+
Squat 300+
DL 400+

01/31/2017:
Squat: 45x5x5
Press: 45x5x5
DL: 95x5x1

[peez]

I'm consider myself a rank beginner. There was a time when I was an athlete , in my teens and early twenties I wrestled (played football and baseball as well). I live on the mat and in the weight room. I can tell by reading SS that I had no idea what I was doing in the weight room back then.

Anyway, almost 20 years later (40 years old) I've fat and out of shape. Over the years I've made a few attempts to get in shape where I watch what I eat for a few months and start lifting but then after a few months I'm back where I started. So, I consider myself a beginner give I've spent a total of 9 months training over the last twenty years, giver or take. The last time I tried getting back in the weight room I had a 1RM of 225 on bench, not sure what I could do on squat or DL. However, that was 8 years ago and , man, I'm feeling old. I can just feel that I'm know where near as strong as I used to be, and it's been noticeable the last two years. Used to be able to pick up a 16 foot canoe and carry it overhead, now I have to put portage wheels on it. There wasn't a jar I couldn't open easily, now I'm struggling a bit at times but still get them open. Carrying rock around for landscaping was easy, two 50lb bags at a time. Now 1 50lb bag seems heavy.

I read SS and have been listening to Rip's podcast and it has occurred to me that this decline in strength is a direct threat to my health. Sure, there will be some reduced strength as we age but not like what I have had. Time to lift heavy crap and get strong again.

Stats:
Height- 5'5
Weight- 235
BF%- 35% per podpod

Goals-
Get under 185lbs
Get under 20% BF
Bench 225+
Squat 300+
DL 400+

01/31/2017:
Squat: 45x5x5
Press: 45x5x5
DL: 95x5x1

Welcome to the forum - you've found the right place to achieve your goals. BTW I started lifting at 41.

As you may have read elsewhere, you'll have to make up your mind about how to combine weight loss and strength increases. The easier path is probably to ignore the weight for a few months, eat at caloric surplus or at least maintenance; check the "to be a beast article" around here, get a coach, optimize nutrition and recovery, and work out like your life depended on it, because it really does. Add some HIIT/cardio on non-workout days. Lock away the scale if you have to. Then, when you have gained a good bunch of muscle, it'll be easier to cut. Cut for a month or two, you'll lose a bit of your strength, and keep lifting all the while.

The slower and harder path is to lift, hard, on a caloric deficit, with HIIT. It can be successful, but strength gains and weight loss will be much slower.

Either way, get out there and crush it!

It's gonna be mean, hard, and so worth it. You body will remember your workouts in your youth, much of it will come back.

[mcrow]

Thanks!

Yeah, well I'm having health issues related to weight so that's gotta be primary but my Dr. says lifting weights will help with my sciatica and lower back pain. He thinks the pain I'm having is due to weak abs/lower back muscles. Doesn't appear to be any serious low back issues. I did break my back in the thoracic region 20 years ago but I have little pain and no restrictions on that anymore.

I know that the strength gains will be much slower but I think after I get down closer to my goal weight I can reevaluate.

Log for today:
Squat: 55 ( 3 sets of 5+ warmup)
Bench: 95 ( 3 sets of 5+ warmup)
DL: 115 ( 3 sets of 5+ warmup)

Feels good to lift again. These weights seem too light, may take bigger jumps the first couple weeks.

Just typical gym crap today. Dude sitting on the bench rack doing DB curls for an hour, bunch of young "dude bros" talking about what they're gonna do to this girl and that girl and dildos and right in front of some of the ladies in the room. I guess I was probably one of them back when I was young, but FFS.