10Feb22
DL
265x4
280x4
295x4
Seated Press
75x8
80x8
85x8
Split Squat
120x10
130x10
140x10
Easing back into these ones. These are the lifts that got left out a little bit over the past couple of weeks while I fixed up my back. Everything felt great, though. My back felt good all week. I am cautiously optimistic. Now if I could just get this shoulder to quit hurting…
11Feb22
Band-assisted Pullups x 13,11,9,8,8
Ab rollouts
Hanging knee raises
30 minutes on the bike
Just wanted to get something in today, so forced myself to train abs and do some cardio.
13Feb22
Squat
245x4
255x4
265x4
235x4
235x4
Incline Bench
145x10
150x10
155x10
145x10
145x10
RDL
225x8
235x8
245x8
225x8
225x8
My back is still feeling good. I’m starting to gain some confidence and may start pushing the weight up a little bit.
Also shoveled snow when I woke up. I’ve had about enough of that.
Good to hear it is getting better. keep working hard mate and I am sure you will be better than ever soon.
Thanks. Hopefully I turned this into a 4-6 week setback instead of a 4-6 month setback.
15Feb22
Pullups
(BW+10) x 4,4,4,4,4
Ab Rollouts
Hanging Knee Raises
Zercher Shrugs
Land Mine Rows
HIIT on the bike
I normally don’t like these non strength training days, but I felt really good tonight and enjoyed this.
16Feb22
Bench Press
180x4
190x4
200x4
190x4
190x4
Paused Squat
195x7
205x7
215x7
195x7
195x7
Lever Rows
35x10
40x10
45x10
40x10
17Feb22
Pullups
BW x 8,7,6,6,5
Incline Curls
LTEs
Knee raises
BB Curls
Triceps extensions
Leg raises
18Feb22
Deadlift
285x4
300x4
315x4
285x4
Seated Press
85x8
90x8
95x8
85x8
Split Squat
125x10
135x10
145x10
135x10
30 minutes on the bike.
That’s two weeks in the books with no pain (other than the normal, anyway). This was the best week of training I’ve had this year, even though I’m still keeping the weights a little bit lighter and the volume a little bit lower. Felt great. Excited to get back on track. My shoulder even felt a little better this week.
19Feb22
Band-assisted pullups
Ab Rollouts
Hanging knee raises
Zercher Shrugs
Landmine Rows
HIIT on the bike
20Feb22
Squat
265x4
275x4
285x4
255x4
255x4
255x4
Incline Bench
145x10
150x10
155x10
145x10
145x10
RDL
245x8
255x8
265x8
235x8
235x8
Body weight at 205 lb this morning, for what that’s worth. Squats are feeling awesome. I’m still wearing a belt for all sets, but I might start cautiously removing it occasionally. Although, when I hurt my back I was wearing it, so it probably doesn’t matter either way.
I’m actually going to order a new belt today. I want a 4" one. I got a 3" from Best Belts years ago and it’s so awesome I never bothered getting a 4". But I need to spend money, so that’s next on the list. As tall as I am, I probably should have been using a 4" anyway. Also, I’m so lean right now I’m down to the last hole on my old belt. I think I weighed about 240 lb when I bought it.
21Feb22
Pullups
(BW+10) x 5,5,5,5,5
Crunches
Dragon Flags
Single arm BB shrugs
DB shrugs
30 minutes on the bike
I’ve been actively avoiding crunches since I hurt my back. It’s been feeling so good lately that I didn’t even think about it when laying out my work yesterday. I didn’t feel any acute pain in the moment, but later and into this morning I definitely feel pain in the same area where I hurt myself on January 11. Hopefully this is only minor. I’m obviously not 100% sure the crunches caused this, but I can’t think of anything else that would. We shall see.
22Feb22
Bench Press
190x4
200x4
205x4
195x4
195x4
Paused Squat
200x7
210x7
220x7
200x7
200x7
Lever Rows
35x10
40x10
45x10
40x10
Back felt ok. Squats felt great. I wouldn’t say I’m built for squatting, but I do think it’s my favorite lift.
I’ve lost 10 lb since the beginning of the year. I was plenty lean enough already for general living, but I wanted to add some size, so I’m leaning down a little more to give myself some room to not get fat while I’m “bulking.” I’d like to lose about one more inch off my waist. I’m still getting stronger while cutting, mostly because I’m pretty weak at the moment anyway. I want to push the calories/size for a while just so I can also really push my numbers up to a non-embarrassing level.
24Feb22
Pullups
BW x 10,8,7,5,4
Ab Rollouts
Hanging Knee Raises
Incline Curls
LTEs
BB Curls (narrow grip)
Single-arm Triceps extensions
HIIT on the bike
This is the most amount of pullups I’ve done since I was in the military 22 years ago. This is probably a combination of me getting stronger on them, me having lost some weight, and the fact that I’m getting better at the technique of pullups. I’m getting better at not swinging while I’m doing them. I’ve been having to stop and hang after every two pullups until I stopped swinging, which obviously was tuckering me out before I could reach my pullup potential. Getting better at the technique is allowing me to do more of them without having to stop and hang. Also, even in a caloric deficit I’ve seen noticeable lat size increase recently. Not huge, but noticeable. This is the most I’ve ever trained pullups, so I guess that makes sense.
25Feb22
Deadlift
315x4
330x4
345x4
310x4
310x4
310x4
Seated Press
90x8
95x8
100x8
95x8
95x8
Split Squat
130x10
140x10
150x10
140x10
My left shoulder really feels a lot better by the time I get to my last set. I need to be more diligent about longer warmups with my presses.
27Feb22
Squat
270x4
285x4
300x4
270x4
270x4
270x4
Incline Bench
150x10
155x10
160x10
150x10
140x10
RDL
255x8
265x8
275x8
245x8
245x8
28Feb22
Pullups
(BW+15) x 3,3,3,3,3
Ab Rollouts
Zercher Shrugs
Hanging Knee Raises
Landmine Rows
30 minutes on the bike
I have long arms.
01Mar22
Bench
185x4
195x4
205x4
190x4
190x4
Paused Squat
205x7
215x7
225x7
205x7
205x7
Lever Rows
40x10
45x10
50x10
45x10
Honestly, it seems like my bench press suffered the most during the Great Back Tweak of January/February. These felt awful, and have for a couple of weeks. It may be time to adjust training a little bit…
In non-lifting related logging for future reference, I’ve finally been able to start playing guitar a little bit again. I damn near cut off the entire tip of my ring finger on my left hand a few weeks ago. I superglued it shut and it actually healed pretty well, but took quite a while. It’s still sore, but I play with lighter strings and it seems to be getting on ok. Now I just have to remember how to play…
02Mar22
Pullups
BW x 8,6,6,4,4
Dragon Flags
Hanging Knee Raises
BB Curls
DB LTEs
Hammer Curls
Triceps Pushdowns
HIIT
I had made the decision that I didn’t feel like training and I was going to take a rest day. Then I cussed myself out and trained instead. A win for the good guys, I guess.
03Mar22
Deadlift
320x4
335x4
350x4
315x4
315x4
315x4
Seated Press
95x8
100x8
105x8
95x8
95x8
Split Squat
135x10
145x10
155x10
145x10