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Thread: geezer starting up again

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
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    23

    Default geezer starting up again

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    After a 2.5 year hiatus where I was a major pussy and didn't make time for what is arguably one of the most important aspects of my life, I've put my act back in order. Since July of 2017, I did some exercising but little training. While the methodical nature of the workout was there, there was near zero consistency for longer than a month at a time. Now I'm back at it with a vengeance. Sorta...

    You see, I have the barbell and plates, but a rack and bench are still a week out. I know I need to squat, but am doing what I can now.

    So it's been floor presses, standing presses and deadlifts for two weeks.

    Starting weights:

    Floor press 115 3x5
    Deadlift 225 1x5
    Standing press 75 1x5, 70 2x5

    As of today:

    Floor press 127.5 3x5
    Deadlift 255 1x5
    Standing press 75 3x5

    I'm also doing a rowing warmup and warmdown for 1000m on a Concept2 rower. Am also doing HIIT training on the rower once or twice a week. 1:00 full intensity, 1:30 recovery. 10 cycles with 5:00 warmup and warmdown. Following a bunch of advice, from source upon source, I took the drag factor from 207 (all the way at 10) down to 135. After doing so, it appears that what the pros say is correct - the lower drag factor requires more power though less strength.

    Interestingly enough, while deadlifting today, my pulse hit 172 bpm. Best I can do on the rower is only 170. Who says strength training isn't cardio?

    Can't wait for rack to arrive.

  2. #2
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    Dec 2016
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    Rowing HIIT today.

    5 min warmup

    1 min intensity and 1:30 active rest for 10 reps

    5 min warmdown.

    I was able to beat the 2:00/500 pace boat for all but reps 8 and 9.

    HRmax hit 180 without my knowing it during the last interval.

    Got a call from the freight company. The rack arrives Friday.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Walled Lake, Michigan
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    6,681

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    Welcome. What kind of rack did you get?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
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    @Carson - I had to go cheap and fairly quick. Otherwise I'd be waiting to earn for at least another two months. So I went with the Titan T-3 short 24". I'm mostly pleased. No, as in zero, issues with fit and finish, at least at that price point. I may source a little steel plate and tubing and add some additional bracing for the top back side of the rack. As well, some heat shrink tubing for the band pins will tighten them up in the holes and turn them into useful plate holders for my small plates. I'm a bit peeved that the J-hooks aren't mirrored. They both lock in from the right side, so that's not particularly optimum. Am looking at alternatives, and will use the stock ones in front for doing standing press.






    No workout yesterday, spent that time assembling the bench and rack. Was actually a little sore from that

    Today's (3/14) workout:

    5 min rowing warmup
    Squats (hoo-effing-ray!!) 95 2x5
    Bench Press 125 1 x 2, 105 2x5
    Deadlift 265 1x5
    5 min rowing warmdown


    I wanted to really go light on the squats. With SOOOO much time since my last squat session, if I did 135 3 x 5 (which is completely do-able) all history points to the fact that on Monday I'd be almost crippled from muscle soreness. It's happened to me over and over again - start training too hard, wind up sore and unwilling to train the next 2-4 days later. Best to start slow. I know there will be a reaction to the new load. The legs felt great. Getting the bar where it's supposed to be on my back - not so much. Flexibility has been lost.

    Bench press surprised me. Now, I did foul up, and with the shallow rack, banged the weights that were stored on the rack itself. Really messed me up, but I did truly fail to get that third rep. Still, I never get stuck down low, so I thought the floor press would have transferred over pretty well. Not to be. Anyway, a bit of titration to do on the BP, and learning just how to use the rack. Things will get better. I'll jump to 110 3x5 next workout, then determine if I can jump 5 lbs or just 2.5 lbs after that.

    Deadlift - Finally got some chalk, and with that, a hook grip felt secure enough that my subconscious mind realized I could get the bar off the ground without a mixed grip. 5 reps felt goodhere was more in the tank. However I can feel that what was done, was enough to drive adaptation for the next deadlift workout. I'll continue to add 10 pounds until it's time to drop to 5 pounds per session.

    Today was a good day.
    Last edited by KuiLei; 03-14-2020 at 04:34 PM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Chicago Burbs, IL
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    Off to a good restart!

  6. #6
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    May 2010
    Location
    Murphysboro, IL
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    Quote Originally Posted by KuiLei View Post
    Interestingly enough, while deadlifting today, my pulse hit 172 bpm. Best I can do on the rower is only 170. Who says strength training isn't cardio?
    I typically average 70-85% of MHR when I lift. My Fitbit heart rate graph for a 40-60 minute session of lifting is something to behold and I am doing singles with at least 3 minutes rest between lifts.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
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    23

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark E. Hurling View Post
    I typically average 70-85% of MHR when I lift. My Fitbit heart rate graph for a 40-60 minute session of lifting is something to behold and I am doing singles with at least 3 minutes rest between lifts.
    I bet it looks like a saw blade - rapid spike upwards, then that slow ramp down.

    How do you like the fitbit? I'm using a chest band and a heart rate graphing app on my iPhone - but it's not 100% reliable. Of course, the old app that worked great has either been pulled from the App Store completely, or just hasn't been updated to work with iOS 13.

  8. #8
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    May 2010
    Location
    Murphysboro, IL
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    I like my Charge 2 quite a bit. It's not waterproof, so if you swim for some conditioning, you may want to spring for a waterproof model. It's app'd onto my phone and my laptop and shows the spiky graph you mentioned.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
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    Mark,

    I'll keep that fitbit in mind. Turns out that the reliability problems I was having were due to user error. I'd not added one of the two chest bands I have to the Heart Graph app, so it was having to pull heart rate via Apple Health. Now with the app connected directly to the band, it appears to be issue free.




    Today was cardio day. I thought I'd try a Tabata workout on the rower.

    5 min warmup
    20 second sprint/10 second rest x 8
    5 minutes warmdown


    Somehow I made it through the last interval, though don't ask me how. I don't even remember intervals 7 and 8, just stupefaction and amazement that I'd made into the warmdown... What's interesting though, is that utterly gutted as I felt, my HR only made it to 162.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
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    23

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    starting strength coach development program
    3/17: Happy St Paddy's day

    5 min rowing warmup

    Squat 105 3x5
    Press 77.5
    Chin 3 x 1 Darn close on the second chin for all sets, but just got stuck. Nothing tells me how pitiful I've become than those numbers there.

    5 min rowing warmdown.

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