Squat check and @#$%ing back pain

[DukeJosie]

My PC is pathetic. 150-160lbs max depending on how strong I'm feeling that day. Admittedly I haven't put a lot of time into programming it though. I'll start giving it more attention and add it in per your recommendations. My reasoning for dropping it were based on some things I've read from Rip about older lifters and the PC not being effective... and the fact that my lower back is shitty and I was afraid that the PC was aggravating it further.

Sorry... what's SGDL?

Intensity day deads: Will do. I was under the impression that would be too much warm up(since I'm already warm from squats) and therefor it would hurt the DL PR attempt. Should I still do the 2 sets of 3 for a PR after all that?

I'll post up a few weeks of log book data tonight although the last few weeks have been a little modified/out-of-the-norm since I was deloading and nursing a sore lower back.

[Randy Scheingold]

Gilchrest and Lou are far far more experienced than me, so take this with a grain of salt. But I am 40 and weigh near the same (although shorter and fatter I'm guessing). My lifts are fairly similar to yours and TM chewed me up and spit me out whole.... I tried for 5 months with a few resets and my Squat\DL stalled out completely. Still doing it for upper body which is working great. But I recently switched to something less grueling for Squats. Only going into week 3, so too early to tell. But I physically feel far less beat up. Am sleeping better. And am hitting depth far more consistently. My current programming is:

1) Squats – TM & 5/3/1 Love Child (borrowed from a post John Hanley made to someone else) – Day 1: 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5 Day 3: 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+
2) DL – Karl’s Method (Similar to above, but spread over 2 weeks to allow better recovery) - Week 1: 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5 Week 3: 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+
3) Bench – TM (Day 1: 5x5 at 85%, Day 2: 1x5 or 2x3 or 3x2 or 5x1)
4) Press – TM (Day 2: 5x5 at 75%, Day 1: 1x5 or 2x3 or 3x2 or 5x1)
5) Curls - 3 sets of 8 to 10 every upper body day
6) Chins 3 sets every lower body day (once I hit 3x10, I’ll start adding weight one day for a 3x5)

[StrengthisneveraWeekness]

Duke I would like to know what you are doing on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, And Saturday.

You my friend are getting older and stressing your back then not providing amble recovery may not be allowing your back to be ready for the next workout before you stress it more. Adaptation comes after recovery.

So what does your diet look like, how much sleep do you get, and how much time do you spend sitting? How long have you been using the belt? Belts help us get a better contraction by pushing against something, but not having one forces us to tighten and thereby strengthen the muscles that provide stability.

[DukeJosie]

Gilchrest and Lou are far far more experienced than me, so take this with a grain of salt. But I am 40 and weigh near the same (although shorter and fatter I'm guessing). My lifts are fairly similar to yours and TM chewed me up and spit me out whole.... I tried for 5 months with a few resets and my Squat\DL stalled out completely. Still doing it for upper body which is working great. But I recently switched to something less grueling for Squats. Only going into week 3, so too early to tell. But I physically feel far less beat up. Am sleeping better. And am hitting depth far more consistently. My current programming is:

1) Squats – TM & 5/3/1 Love Child (borrowed from a post John Hanley made to someone else) – Day 1: 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5 Day 3: 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+
2) DL – Karl’s Method (Similar to above, but spread over 2 weeks to allow better recovery) - Week 1: 65%x5, 75%x5, 85%x5 Week 3: 75%x5, 85%x3, 95%x1+
3) Bench – TM (Day 1: 5x5 at 85%, Day 2: 1x5 or 2x3 or 3x2 or 5x1)
4) Press – TM (Day 2: 5x5 at 75%, Day 1: 1x5 or 2x3 or 3x2 or 5x1)
5) Curls - 3 sets of 8 to 10 every upper body day
6) Chins 3 sets every lower body day (once I hit 3x10, I’ll start adding weight one day for a 3x5)

thanks. i don't know the 5/3/1 program. I've been meaning to read up on it. I'm not uderstanding your scedule as you laid it out. Are you squatting 2 times a week? Deadlifting every other week?

Duke I would like to know what you are doing on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, And Saturday.

You my friend are getting older and stressing your back then not providing amble recovery may not be allowing your back to be ready for the next workout before you stress it more. Adaptation comes after recovery.

So what does your diet look like, how much sleep do you get, and how much time do you spend sitting? How long have you been using the belt? Belts help us get a better contraction by pushing against something, but not having one forces us to tighten and thereby strengthen the muscles that provide stability.

Mon, Tues, Thurs I am at work. I have a sedentary desk job so a lot of sitting and a lot of long 12-14 hour work days. Saturdays and Sundays I'm usually doing some kind of baseball/softball practice with my kids.

Yes, Definitely feeling my age the last year or two. Recovery is an issue. Working so many hours a week and being busy with kids in my downtime... i have a hard time squeezing in my training. I chose this schedule because these are days that I can fit it in.. but I agree in that recovery is not always complete when I go to my next workout.

My diet is pretty good. I eat a calorie surplus. I spent about 3-4 months tracking my food with Myfitnesspal. I haven;t been doing that much lately because I just have a hard time finding the time but I feel that I now have a good idea of when i'm getting enough protein and calories. I strive for 170-190 grams of protein a day. I eat all clean foods and start the day off with a good breakfast. I eat a lot, all day long. I usually end up binge eating some kind of junk food late night though, but I'm not concerned with that at this time. Lots of milk, eggs, turkey, chicken, veggies, protein powder, cottage cheese, apples, bananas.... the 11pm ice cream is what gets me but whatever. Dirty BULK!!

During the week I sleep about 7-8 hours a night and I take a 20-30 minute lunchtime snooze in my car just about every day at lunch... except for days I train. On those days, I might take a nap in my car when I get to my night job. I get it when I can. Weekends I get a little more sleep in.

I got the belt sometime last summer. I use the belt when the weight gets above 185-225 during warm ups.

I have been thinking about changing up the routine. I just haven't sussed out what I want to do next. I actually really like TM for bench and press, but like you mentioned... I'm going into each workout with my hips/back/legs a little fatigued from that last one. For my upper body this is not much of an issue though. One issue is the length of my workouts. Wed and Fri take a long time. I do them at lunch so that means I have to stay at work longer or go in earlier to make up the time. I've thought of trying to spread things out over a few extra days so my workouts are a little shorter. Even rest day leaves me in the gym for 90 minutes minimum and that's before I hit the shower.

Thanks again everyone. I really appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.

[StrengthisneveraWeekness]

I would check out page 148 of practical programming, the basic Texas 4-day split. It will allow for more recovery time and should shorten overall workout length, and still provide the stimulus needed for gainz.

Then if you are not familiar with K star (Kelley Starret) you need to be. All the time you spend squatting is being erased by all the time you sit at a desk, then in a car, the couch, back to the car, only to return to the desk. Im not saying go buy Supple Leopard, (go buy it) but at least watch the videos about posture when standing and sitting, stand up a few minutes every fifteen.
sleep and diet looks fine. I'm a dad too so i understand the struggle my friend.

[DukeJosie]

I would check out page 148 of practical programming, the basic Texas 4-day split. It will allow for more recovery time and should shorten overall workout length, and still provide the stimulus needed for gainz.

Then if you are not familiar with K star (Kelley Starret) you need to be. All the time you spend squatting is being erased by all the time you sit at a desk, then in a car, the couch, back to the car, only to return to the desk. Im not saying go buy Supple Leopard, (go buy it) but at least watch the videos about posture when standing and sitting, stand up a few minutes every fifteen.
sleep and diet looks fine. I'm a dad too so i understand the struggle my friend.

I'll read the Texas split this weekend and see if it's a good fit. Good idea!
yeah I've heard the buzz around sitting/desk jobs. Maybe it's not quite as bad as I make it sound, but I DO sit a lot. I am a network admin and help desk support so I do move around a little, but not nearly enough. I'll check out these other books mentioned as well. Much appreciated!