Sync and Spouse Training Log(s)

[synchronicity]

Wife's deadlift last night: 32x5, 50x3, 68x2, 85x1, 102x3x2

We'll do +2 next time.

[Bill Anders]

Last thing - MY WIFE IS FINALLY LIFTING!!!
It's at home, and she should really get at least some good coaching (I am NOT knowledgeable enough to be a good coach), but she's committed to regular lifting and is doing well!

Literally as I was typing this, she squatted 81.5 pounds for 5 sets of 3. She's also doing 5x3 on Press (32), Bench (42) and 2x3 on Deads (98).

She's 5'3" and has dropped over 20 pounds in the last 9 months (other health reasons not weight related, but it happened anyway) and now weighs about 125, which is slightly LESS than when I first met her almost 29 years ago. She looks fantastic. She knows she needs to take in sufficient protein and other macros to gain strength.

So, it's all good. I'm financially secure with a hot wife with whom I can fly anywhere in the world for free and live anywhere in the EU. That's a LOT of motivation to stay healthy!

And...daughter seems to be doing well off at college and is much happier than she was at any time during high school, so staying around a long time for her is also part of the plan.

Now this thread is a great one to read. First off, great job getting back on the wagon!!! Us older guys need to consistently get under the bar for so many reasons, most of which you already know. Sticking around for your bride, your daughter, and any potential grandkids is key.

I'm just a touch younger than you (56M) and only got started around the time that you stopped updating this log. I've tried getting my bride on the lifting train, which she does on occasion, but is not consistent with it for reasons. Over the past few years, she wouldn't even let me coach her unless she specifically asked for it. Now, having been an apprentice at SS OKC for the past several months, she's leaning more on-board and has offered to let me use her as a "model" during my online course video submissions.

Get her in for a intro session at SS Plano sooner rather than later. She doesn't have to go consistently like you do (although that's ideal), but at least getting form checks early and every few months will be very beneficial for her. We have quite a few married couples as clients here in the gym and some days that work out together, other days they don't, all depending on their schedules. It truly is a great thing to see.

Keep at it!

[synchronicity]

Thank you, Bill. My wife's work schedule gets in the way of 2-3 days/week at an SS gym, but she could do one day/week and then do the other two sessions at home (Also possibly online coaching as an option, but my wife is something of a technophobe).

I keep discussing having her do the 30 minute freebie and then paying for the full intro coaching session; should probably just set it up for her and coordinate so it fits into her workweek. I've been very excited to see her prioritizing lifting, but I know REAL coaching (not what I can give her) would help her a lot. Maybe I'll do it as a birthday present (two weeks from now)

We have some married couples at the gym here, and other VERY strong women who put in a lot of work. Overall, I can't say enough good things about SS Plano in general and specifically Morgan (my coach). They deserve tons of credit for my progress - I just show up and do what they tell me. I'm sure you and SS OKC have done great things for your clients as well.

[synchronicity]

Wife's lifting. Again, she's ~5'3". Weight this morning was 129.

Squat 33x5x2, 46x5, 59x3, 72x2, 84.5x3x5
25 pounders on each side of the 15kg bar! Went up nicely overall We'll try +2 next time

Press 11x5x2, 17x5, 23x3, 29x2, 35x3x5
smooth except for last two reps on final set. Her form gets better on final warmup and worksets, as there's more weight on the bar. We'll try +1.5 next time.

Deads 32x5, 50x3, 68x2, 86x1, 104x3x2
Went up fast. I can tell her form is off, but have limited ability to correct it. +2 next time.

I'm going to sign her up for the 30 minute freebie at SS Plano ASAP.

(ETA - got it, Friday, which is her next lifting day, so there we are)

[Bill Anders]

You just might be creating a monster!!!

And that's a great thing. We also have a few of the incredibly strong women in our gym. It's always a pleasure to just be in the room when they start squatting and pulling close to three times their body weight.

Good luck to the both of you!

[synchronicity]

Due to scheduling issues at the gym, wife's coaching session will be next Saturday (a week out) rather than this Friday. It's her birthday, as it happens. Coach gave me flack about this until I said that she was the one who set that up, not me!

Sleep 6:40, 7 day average 4:41. Last two days have been decent for sleep (over 6 hours per fitbit)
Today 254.2/38.5%, 7 day average 253.9/39.7
Belt still at 46.5". Feels looser but maybe it's just the leather getting stretched out.

Squat (intensity day) 45x5x2, 135x5, 225x3, 255x1, 285x5
New PR. Went up surprisingly well, and didn't feel like I'd been hit by a train afterwards. Mild inner elbow pain

Press (volume day) 45x5, 65x3, 95x1, 115x1, 127.5x4x4
Repeat of last weeks. Failed last rep on second set - just messed up on form and genuinely thought I had it until I didn't. Focused on layback and staying under the bar longer and the last two sets went up fine. It's not just the physical, it's the mental as well. Elbow pain got slightly worse early in press but largely vanished by the end.

Rack pulls 135x5, 205x3, 245x1, 275x5x2
Used straps only on workset. Getting used to them. My form sucks on these and my hips tend to go up too soon.

Debating whether to do my Thursday workout at home (light squat, volume bench, and deadlifts). I would except I'd like feedback from my coach on deads. We'll see.

Wife will lift tomorrow.

[synchronicity]

Wife's lifts:
Squat in the AM: 33x5x2, 46.5x5, 60x3, 73.5x2, 86.5x3x5.
Pretty tough worksets. +1 next time.

Bench: 11x5x2, 19.5x5, 28x3, 36.5x2, 44.5x3x5
last reps of all sets were tough, getting tougher as it went on, until failure on the last rep of the last set.
We'll repeat at this weight next time

Deadlifts: 32x5, 45x3, 66x2, 86x1, 106x3x2
Didn't fully lock out most reps. had to pause between reps frequently. We'll repeat next time.

I'm looking forward to the 13th when she'll get the 30 minutes of coaching on deadlift. Form is off and I don't know enough cues to fix it. I think with proper coaching and form correction that 106 will come off the floor quickly.

I'm not going to do my full lifts today, as I really want input on my deadlift form. (and it's a +10 jump to 285). I may do light squats, but then I'll be doing volume squat AND deadlifts on Saturday. Hmmm....

[synchronicity]

Didn't lift at all Thursday, and didn't stretch out my shoulders at all. Ugh.
That said, today went fairly well.

Weight: 251.6/38.3%, trailing 7 day avg.: 252.7/39.7%
Sleep 4:36, 7 day avg 5:26. Wife had to work at 4AM and I drove her there, so it interrupted normal sleep patterns (not that I have anything "normal" with my sleep)
Belt still at 46.5". Feels maybe a little looser. Again, this may also be the leather getting stretched a bit as well as me shrinking. The scale doesn't indicate any reductions in weight or body fat recently.

Squat: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 255x5x3
Did volume instead of "light squat", since Thursday was an off day. Surprisingly went up fairly well. Not gonna say "easy", but not awful.
Very mild inner elbow pain afterwards.

Bench: 45x5, 95x3, 135x1, 165x1, 185x4x4
Last reps on sets were a bit grindy but not hideously bad. +2.5 next week

Deads: 135x5, 225x3, 255x1, 285x5
10 pound jump from last. Need to get straps tighter when I use them (so far only on workset), as the bar was still falling out of my hands on my second rep (I tightened them up and it was better but still not great). Bar speed going up is fine, it's form and really getting the grip issue down and using straps properly. Yes, I can do mixed grip, but for now we're using straps on the workset.
We'll focus on strap use during Rack Pulls on Tuesday
+5 next week

Wife didn't lift yesterday but plans to do so today, although she's exhausted from a 14+ hour workday so we will see. It sucks to miss a session but the world won't end. She's been very diligent for the last month or so.

I continue to hope that I can make regular weekly increases for the foreseeable future. Attention to recovery, diet, and stretching probably would help!

[synchronicity]

Wife effectively "missed" a workout, but was back at it today.

Squat 33x5x2, 46.5x5, 60x3, 73.5x2, 87x3x5. Good bar speed throughout
Press 11x5x2, 17.5x5, 24x3, 30.5x2, 36.5x3x5. Missed the last rep on the second set because she didn't rest enough between first and second sets. All the rest went up smoothly.
Deadlift 54x5, 67x3, 80x2, 93x1, 106x3x2. Speed going up was OK, but grip issues starting to set in.

Wife may have to reschedule the Saturday coaching (sad). We'll see.

Also, had further proof that my waist is, in fact, shrinking. I tried on my Rogue lifting belt and it went on easily at 47". Couldn't quite get it to 46". As I haven't worn it in a few months, I know it's not an issue of "stretching out/breaking in" the belt. Also, I couldn't come CLOSE to getting it on 6 months ago. So yes, I've lost at least 2" if not 3" off my midsection. Still a long ways to go to get to where I should be.

Now to do some shoulder stretches myself in preparation for tomorrow's intensity squat.

[synchronicity]

Another day, another session.
Weight: 253.8/39.3%, trailing 7 day avg.: 252.5/39.4%
Sleep 5:25, 7 day avg 5:05.
Belt 46.5". As noted yesterday, this seems to be real shrinkage around the middle. Also feels a little looser than a few weeks ago. Maybe will get down to 46" soon. (Of course, if I got as good on my diet as I am on my lifting, I might make some REAL progress there. But that takes effort)

Squat: 45x5x2, 135x5, 225x3, 260x1, 290x3x2
Intensity day. Coach shifted me from 1x5 to 2x3. We'll run it out, eventually going to doubles and singles.
They went up, fairly well. Always feels heavy because they are. I made sure to stretch my shoulders the last two days and need to keep at it. Some day I will be able to hold the bar with thumbs over and neutral wrists.
+5 next week, god help me.
Moderate elbow pain in right elbow only afterwards. Maybe should've put Voltaren on there instead of only the left side. Never said I was smart.

Press: 45x5, 65x3, 95x1, 115x1, 130x4x4, but really 4, 3, 3, 2 (and a 127.5x4)
So...I kinda realized it was gonna be A Day when the last rep on the first set was a grind. OK, improve my form and stay under it longer. Last rep on second set just couldn't go. OK, longer rest. On third set, last rep was obviously a nope. On 4th set, it happened on the third rep.
We were thinking about causes. I'm tired, but I'm ALWAYS tired. Right elbow hurt but I've had both elbows hurt worse. Oh, wait, the gym was closed on the 4th so last week no Intensity Press, so it's been a week since my last press (also volume)!
So that was likely it. I did one final set backed off to 127.5, and the last rep was humorously slow going up. I almost started laughing as I was shrugging it out, but just BARELY got it done.
We'll repeat next week at 130, after a FULL regular week of programming.

Rack pulls: 135x5, 225x3, 250x1, 280x5x2
Went fine. Did hook grip on the single and straps on the worksets - getting used to the straps. My form kinda sucks on these and we're still trying to find cues to correct it. I have a hard time feeling it "right", if that makes sense.
Not sure if +5 or +10 next week; probably depends on Thursday's deadlifts.

Wife is committed to Saturday's coaching session! She'll lift tomorrow and then Saturday. I need to finish transcribing her workouts from sheets of paper into her composition book. Hope she continues beyond the first 30 minutes for more coaching.