Fighting Off the Reaper - Growing Old, Not Gracefully...

[w35773]

Week 5, Day 2, Wt 197.5

Sq 200
Press 82
Dead 250

Today felt pretty good except the last two squat reps. I didn't feel in danger of missing them, just slow. Press felt good.

[w35773]

Week 5, Day 3, Wt 199

Sq 205
Bench 110
Dead 255

Good lifts all around. Squats felt better today.

[w35773]

Week 6, Day 1, Wt 201

Sq 210
Press 87
Dead 260

Last press rep, my knee popped a bit and I felt it during the dead. My knees have always been a bit tricky. I'll see what happens Friday with it. I should probably get a sleeve for it.

[inchXinch]

Do you take any video of your lifts? This can be helpful for your own edification and form review, but also for others if you ever feel you’d like some external form checks. As for the knees, I’ve had similar stuff happen with my left. Meniscus injury for me likely, I find that I just need to make sure I’m keeping the quads squeezed tight and not letting it “slip” around.

[w35773]

Thanks, I video my lifts occasionally but should probably do so again. My wife also watches my form and corrects anything that she sees. My knee feels fine today so I'm not too concerned. I guess we'll see on the first squat set tomorrow!

[w35773]

Week 6, Day 2, Wt 199

Sq 215x3x5
Bench 115x3x5
Dead 265x1x5

No knee trouble but I kept getting a spasm in the right side of my back, midway between my butt and shoulder. I've had these spasms before but not since I started lifting. I worked around it and it was fine. My knee didn't act up today so I'm grateful for that. I haven't eaten enough over the last couple of days so I'm trying to correct that today and this week. Got some bumper plates on black Friday sale so I'm glad not to be clanging around with the deadlift any more. Got a couple of TSC horse stall mats, too. Should have done that weeks ago.

[w35773]

Week 6, Day 3A, Wt 199

Sq 220x2x5 + 2.5

Today didn't go at all like I expected! I was doing my final squat work set when, BAM, something popped in the middle of my back and down I went. I was on my third rep and nearing the bottom of my squat but my spinal column had a different idea. Fortunately, I was using safety bars in my squat cage which took the weight as I went to the floor, flat on my back. I laid there for half a minute or so waiting for the pain to erupt but it didn't. I rolled over on my side and got up. My back was sore but not acute or severe. Really strange. I called it a day and plan to go back tomorrow and try again until I get back to where I was or until I feel any pain.

I did go back and do about 90 pounds a couple of times and it felt fine.

I've done some reading from past articles and I have gained a fair understanding of a recovery protocol that I'll work through. If I have to take some weight off, so be it. It's not a competition and I don't want to hurt myself. I'll report back after tomorrow's lifts.

[w35773]

Week 6, Day 3B, Wt 202

Sq 185x3x5
Press 90, 3x5
Dead 275x2, 225x4

I did triples and singles up to where it was I was just starting to feel where the "pop" occurred and did that for 3x5 on squats. Next time, I'll do a 1,3,5, probably shooting for 190 for 1, 155 for 3 and 125 for 2x5 per Dr. Sully's "tweak" video.
Press went up better than I expected. I wore a belt at working weight to support my back but it felt fine.
Inadvertently added 10 pounds to my dead and I couldn't grip it more than 2 reps at 275. I tried a different grip but I haven't practiced any other grip so that was a no-go as well. It also hurt my back a bit so I pulled off the 25s and did four more at 225. I ordered some straps and will go back to 265 on Wednesday and see how that goes.

All in all, a fractured week but I learned a lot and I'm more determined than ever to keep going.

[w35773]

Week 7, Day 1 (Session 19, Changing to sessions going forward)

Wt 203

Sq 190x1, 150x3, 135x2x5 (Sully's YouTube recommendation for rehabbing minor tweaks)
Bench 120x3x5
Dead 265x1x5

Squats felt pretty good. Did a normalish warmup up to 190. Then did a rehab 1,3,5,5 as noted above. Back feels good but I could feel the weak spot at 190. I'll do the same routine at 195 on Friday.
Bench went up pretty well.
Dead returned to 265 out of respect for my back tweak. Did two, stopped for 15 seconds and did two more, and then the last ten seconds after that. Not my best set but I wanted to keep my form in mind and think about my back after each rep. My grip slipped a bit during the fourth rep but I managed to get them all.

Seriously considering going to one on, two off schedule. My wife and I are both feeling pretty beat up, her worse than me and I think a consistent 72 hour recovery would help us both.

[inchXinch]

Those back tweaks can be pretty freaky. I’ve had that happen several times, sometimes there’s lingering pain/issues, sometimes you’re just a bit sore and wondering if you imagined the whole thing. Glad you’re fighting through and sounds like you have a decent plan of attack.

Do you have your own gym? For what it’s worth, if you do, I think training on whatever schedule works best for you is a great way of going about it. I’d have to take a peek back at BBP but that’s one of the schedules recommended, yeah?