Atlas Shrugged; I Pressed

Military Press Day

This used to be my favorite day. Now it is a grind. Maybe I should rename the log “Atlas shrugged; I dreamt of pressing” lol

Doing a proper workout is difficult because we are down to one bar and one rack. It was easier when it was just me…just not as fulfilling.

Bounced around repping 135 (for 10) to 205 (for a double). I tried 225 and failed…twice! Got it to the top of my head and it dead stopped. What a difference sitting on your backside for 5 years makes.

My goal is to double 225 by the end of October and get back to sets of 5 by the end of the year. There was a time that that would not be ambitious. Right now it feels like a mountain.

I followed it with…
Straight arm rear DB raises 3x10x25
DB Rows 3x12x65

Joshua got his 5x5 with 80# on MP. This is 15# below his starting max.
He followed up with 3 sets of bench. I mixed it up on him again. It was supposed to be 3x6-8x90.
1st set - 6x95
2nd Set - 3x110 (I made him stop at 3)
last set - 3x120 (5# below his starting max and was about all he had in him)

Then he had to head off to some sort of homecoming thingy. Never did that stuff myself, even though I played football.

His MP form is very unstable. The other exercises are tightening up. MP is the hardest, though, in my opinion. No other exercise stretches you out as much, relies on core as much, and requires so much coordination.

He seems to be pleased with his progress. So am I…because he is still lifting! Not to mention, it is something we can do together.

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You got this! It won’t take long and you’ll be back in the game…

Thanks CL. I will get there…wherever “there” is.
I think I am going to change my bench hand placement to mimic my MP placement. Hopefully it will help push me along. Also need to through in some tricep heavy work…maybe CGB or Tate presses.

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Deadlift day

I wasn’t feeling it and just added 50# to whatever Joshua had on the bar. All sets for 5 reps.

Joshua was supposed to do 5x5 @ 160#…by the program. He is getting impatient and, honestly, he is progressing faster than the increases. So…

4x5@170#
1x8@180#

Starting max was 200#

Then he broke out the new sled and stacked 135# on it. Ran to the end of the yard, turned it 90 degrees, ran to the other end. Laid down and sucked wind for a minute or two. Returned the same way. That was enough for him. Took him a while to recover. He pushed it a bit too hard, for a real first time. Learning moderation can be painful.

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He’s looking good! So the scholarship covered a master’s as well?

Cav, assuming he sticks with the program. There is a sharp learning curve. The bug is catching, though.

Actually, I was referring to Bulldog’s pup. But sounds like Josh is doing well also.

Ah…sorry.

Week 5 of the 5x5 cycle…Bench Day

Joshua continues to hit his reps. I can see the required effort increasing, though. He is scheduled to test his maxes next week. I am trying to convince him to hold off a little longer. I do understand his want to test them, though. So, if he is still jonesing to max next week, I will let him.

Bench
bar x10
75x5
105x5x4
110x6 - let him rep out on this

Military Press
75x5x3

BB Shrugs (this is his first time doing these)
135x10
185x8 (a bit too much)
135x10

My day was a bit better, even though I felt like crap. The antibiotics I am on are screwing up my blood sugar. It is coming back. Slowly, but still heading in the right direction. As I don’t have all of my weights here, and don’t feel like changing all of the weights from his set to mine, I just slid on whatever weights I could, over the collars. 230# was max without adding two 45’s. Not ready for that yet…lol.

Bench
barx20
135x10
185x5
230x5x4

DB Rows
65x12x3

BB Shrugs (double overhand) - 1 sec hold at top
135x10
225x10
275x10

Called it there. I still feel like crap, but it was nice to get a “normal” workout in.

Tomorrow is squat day. I might do a couple of sets but am mainly going to use this day for arms.

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So cool you and your son are still working out together. He’s going to get strong so quickly. You on the other hand………:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Steve, you hit the nail on the head. Today showed it! He is supposed to max next week…Bench on Monday, Squat on Tuesday, Military on Thursday, and Deads on Friday. He really wanted to try another Rack Pull max. Since it is the same day as squats, I let him do it today, instead of next week, since squat maxing would beat him down. He hit a 50# PR!! From 230#, 4 weeks ago, to 280# today! Man…youth! Well…and going from the mouse and keyboard to pushing iron. I knew there would be an initial surge.

Joshua’s workout…

Squat
barx10
95x5
145x5x5 (He worked for these reps, but got them all clean.)

Rack Pulls (bottom pin)
135x3
185x2
215x1
235x1 (PR +5#)
245x1 (PR +15#)
255x1 (PR +25#)
265x1 (PR +35#)
275x1 (PR +45#)
280x1 (PR +50#)

Conned me into letting him try to just get all the weight we had, 320#, off the pins. I told him as long as I didn’t see his back round. It didn’t and the bar didn’t budge…lol.

Sleds pulls with 135#…4 pulls and he was gassed.

I don’t expect to see 50# PRs on the other lifts, but I suspect they will all go up. If nothing else, the load of rack puling that much will push everything forward.

My workout was kind of all over the place.

Squats intermixed with Hammer Curls and DB Curls

Squats (my knees hurt at depth)
barx10
95x5
145x5x3

Hammer Curls
30x10x3

DB Curls
30x10x3 (only had 30# DBs in the shed, in case you were wondering)

RackPulls (bottom pin)
135x5
185x5
305x5
315x5
320x5x2 (That’s all the plates we have in the shed. Need to get more from my brother’s basement.)
275x5

Tate Presses mixed with Concentration Curls

Tate Presses
30x12x3

Conc. Curls
30x10x2

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What a PR party!

It’s always fun when things move fast. Hope he doesn’t get discouraged when they slow down.

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I am doing my best to rein in expectations. That is a difficult task, though. These first bumps forward will go a long way towards getting him hooked. And, fortunately, he is not a small kid. His lack of resistance activity, prior to starting, will work to his advantage with initial jumps in maxes.

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Is this your boy that is on the spectrum?

No. That is Christopher. He is the middle kid. Of course, he will be 18 in 11 days. So, I can’t really call him a kid.
He doesn’t have any interest in lifting and used to have an aversion to sweat…lol.

He is a creature of routine. Tell him the grass needs to be mowed tomorrow and he jumps on it and gets it done. It’s the same with his chores. It’s the “neuro-typical” kids that you have to wrangle.

If he ever got into it and it became part of his routine, he would likely never stop lifting.

The one lifting with me is Joshua, the youngest. He is Mr. Anxiety. I am not completely sure why he has developed the sudden interest, but I suspect it is somehow related to self-esteem. He was talking about wanting to play football again (stopped when we moved here, 7 years ago). But it isn’t because he loves football. I think he wants whatever status comes with being a football player. Wrong motivation… But I am dad. I will talk through it with him and see where we land. Unfortunately, he doesn’t appreciate how far some have gotten ahead of him, over the past 7 years. He was good, then. But this is another level, with older kids, who have been working out and practicing.
Sometimes I think I spend most of my time holding people together and convincing them that their worth is not dependent on the world.

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Or there could be a cheerleader involved :grin:

At least Christopher will mow the grass, Jed says the lawnmower is not safe :rofl:

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Could be! I don’t think it is a cheerleader, though. I think, he thinks, it is just impressive and manly.

He seems to have an eye for a senior who works at the Subway near our house. Yes, that means that Subway is often the post workout meal…lol. She is a sweetheart. She is in choir and show choir, though. So, I am not sure that football is going to impress her. And that would be a dumb reason to go through the pain and suffering of football…especially on a team that, right now, is 1-5.

I had the privilege of playing for a really good team. I can’t imagine going through all of that to lose 80% of my games.

Jed is correct! Of course, life isn’t safe. It is guaranteed to be terminal…eventually :slight_smile:

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Military Press Day

This has, traditionally, been my favorite workout session. It s Joshua’s least favorite…lol. The coordination and stability required make it a struggle for any lifter, let alone a new one. To his credit, with struggling, iffy form, he pushed through and got his 5x5.

Joshua’s Workout

Military Press
barx10
65x5
85x5x5 (10# below his starting max)

I am hopeful that his max will have gone up. He needs tighter form at the unracking, though. The first rep is too much work as he finds his groove.

Bench Press
100x8x3

Seated Sled Pulls (Rows)
90x4 sets
135x2 sets

Standing DB Rear Delt Raises
10x10x3 (1st time doing these…made him go light)

On my side, things are progressing as I had hoped, with the exception of upper bicep tendon pain, on the left side. That tendon has given me problems many times. Might be time for another cortisone shot.
I had hoped that a little load would help push me forward and muscle memory would kick in. Last week I failed twice at 225# on Military Press. This week I hit a double at 225#, with one in the tank. 2nd set I had a bad unrack and the bar was way out in front but still managed a slow rep.

Military Press

65x10
135x5
180x5x2
225x2
225x1
180x5

CGB

180x8
190x8
210x5 (tendon was really tweaking)

Seated Sled Pulls
90x4
135x2

Standing DB Rear Delt Raises
30x10x4

That finished it. Not sure if I can lift with him, tomorrow. I have to go cook BBQ for the Fall Festival at church. Several fellow southern infiltrators go to our church. They love our BBQ.

Hopefully , I will get done soon enough that I can make it back in time to lift with him.

Then it will be recovery for max week. Which will be maxes for him and a regular week for me.

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Deadlift Day

As I mentioned, I had to go cook. So, I didn’t make it home before he started working out. Therefore, I have no idea how his form was. AND he cheated and added 5# to his working weight for the day.

Joshua

Deadlift
135x5
185x5x5 (starting max was 200#…that should go down next week)

Squats
145x8x3

Sled Pulls x4 - 180#

As I said, I arrived late. I had a couple of things that I had to address before I could lift. Did very little, but it was something. And top bicep tendon, left arm, is really peeved!

BB Bent Over Rows
barx10
95x10
140x10x5

Plate Carries…45# plate gripped in each hand…2 x 55 yards

That’s all! On the max week! Everyone have a good weekend!

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Max Week for Joshua…Pain Week for me…

Joshua opened up the week with maxing on Bench Press. He walked away with a 25# PR.
He had a good session, with two misses, but hit the retries. Form/technique is everything!

I, on the other hand, had to bail on my bench at 225#. My upper left bicep tendon was causing me so much pain, I just couldn’t do it. Felt like I was getting an ice pick in the front delt whenever the bar started coming down.

Joshua’s Workout

Bench
barx10
75x5
105x3
130x1 (+5# PR)
135x1 (+10# PR)
140x1 (+15# PR)
145x0 (missed…bar touched way too high)
145x1 (+20# PR)
150x0 (missed…bar touched too low)
150x1 (+25# PR…he ground it out)

DB Rows
65x5x3

My paltry effort

Bench
barx20x2
95x10
135x10
185x5
225x1
Stopped right there. Not worth the discomfort…

DB Rows
65x15x3

BB Shruggs
135x10
225x10
320x10x2 (Paused at top)

Tried Incline Reverse Flyes, but they hurt too. I have a Dr. appt. next Monday, because I have a swath on the outside edge of the front of my right thigh that is numb and has been for months. Gonna see if I can get them to look at my bicep tendon at the same time. It sucks that after just 6 weeks I am hurting enough to not be able to do certain exercises.

Joshua was more than pleased. Tomorrow is squats. He is expecting a big day. I am hopeful that he will come through.

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