Just Doing This

Meant to start this almost two weeks ago. Time goes by fast! My career path has gotten more and more sedentary and I’m getting squishy. I’m a dad with a desk job now, but came up in trades labor and frequent karate so some kind of conditioning potential is in there, somewhere.
I’ve read way too much and done too little the last couple years. Did Stronglifts briefly, like, a year ago and it was OK. My plan to get going now is to mostly squat, bench, and deadlift while gradually increasing weight and adding RPE9 sets in to get past failure points, while moving towards some capacity for pull-ups, and moving my shoulders around in some different way when they feel like it’s good or them.

5/16/2018
Turn 36

5/17/2018
Back Squat - 1x5x95lb, 1x5x135lb, 1x1x185
Flat Bench - 1x5x65lb, 1x5x95lb, 1x5x115lb, 1x0x145lb - here’s my first failure to overcome
Deadlift - 1x5x135lb, 1x5x185lb

5/18/2018
Pull-Up Variants - 2x3 didn’t really make note of what grips, just playing with the bar

5/19/2018
Pull-Up Variants - 1x3 same as above
Hiking for a few hours, riverside and then the beach. Pigged out on BBQ hotdogs and took a nap in the sand. Couldn’t be a much better day for me.

5/20/2018
Back Squat - 1x5x100lb, 1x5x140lb, 1x1x190lb
Flat Bench - 1x5x70lb; 1x6, 1x4 x100lb; 1x7x120lb
Deadlift - 1x5x140lb, 1x5x190lb

5/21/2018
Pull-Up Variants - 1x4 doing whatever grips, playing with the bar

5/22/2018
Chin-Ups - 1x4, 1x3, 1x2, 1x3 12 total reps today
Back Squats - 1x5x55lb, 1x5x105 got interrupted by parenthood

5/23/2018
Back Squat - 1x5x55lb, 1x5x105lb, 1x5x145lb, 1x1x195lb
Flat Bench - 1x5x55lb, 1x5x75lb, 1x5x105lb, 1x10x125lb estimated 1RM way over the 145 I failed at first
Deadlift - 1x5x145lb, 1x5x195lb

5/24/2018
Pull-Up Iso-hold - 1x2 as long as I could keep my sternum on the bar each time
Chin-Ups - 3x2
Overhead Shrug Iso-hold - 2x20 secondsx45lb

5/25/2018
Kipping Pull-Ups - 1x4
Chin-Ups - 2x3
Back Squat - 1x5x60lb, 1x5x110lb, 1x5x159lb, 1x1x200 getting to where I don’t think I’d hit a 2nd rep without GMing it up
Flat Bench - 1x5x60lb, 1x5x80lb, 1x12x110lb, 1x6x130lb

5/26/2018
Chin-Ups - 1x1, 1x3, 1x2, 1x3
Push-Ups - 2x10, 1x20 remember doing 20x20 during a belt test when I was 12ish
RDL - 2x5x135lb
Deadlift - 1x1x185, 1x1x225, 1x0x275, 4x1x225

5/27/2018
As little as possible.

Excited to squat today!

1 Like

5/27/2018
Back Squat - 1x5x65lb, 1x5x105lb, 1x5x155lb, 1x1x205
Flat Bench - 1x5x65lb, 1x5x95lb, 1x5x115lb, 1x1x145lb Felt like I could have done 2-3 more at 145
Deadlift - 1x5x155, 1x5x205

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Reads like you’re making up for lost time. Welcome.

Welcome.

Are you training at home?

@biker Thank you! I guess so, aren’t I.

@ouroboro_s Thank you! Yes, I have just enough room in one quarter of the garage for a cheap rack with a pull-up bar.

5/29/2018
Band No-Moneys - 2x10 felt like this worked a muscle I’ve never used in my life before
Band Pull-Aparts - 1x10
Chin-Ups - 1x1, 1x2, 1x3, 1x2, 1x1
Push-Ups - 1x10, 1x15, 1x15, 1x10, 1x10
Inverse Rows - 2x5
Full Front Plate Raise - 2x10x35lb

I would add in more volume by doing some weights in the 8 to 12 rep range.

Welcome. Doing the big three all on the same day! What style of Karate?

Jeez.

My comment meant I was impressed by his doing the Bench, squat, and deads on the same day.

@kaibee Hi! I definitely will use higher rep sets when this initial progress stalls.

@hel320 Hi! Mine are little three still :expressionless: As a teenager, Fumio Demura’s schools which I believe established the whole strip mall karate studio as a thing in the US. A kenpo karate school a younger adult. Dad grew me up on Enter the Dragon and The Octagon so I played with dad’s nunchucks a lot and did moves while jumping on the bed as a kid :smile:

Camping all weekend so today has to be good~

5/31/2018
Band pullapart stuff
Back Squat - 1x5x70, 1x5x120, 1x5x160, 1x1x210
Flat Bench - 1x5x70, 1x5x100, 1x5x120, 1x1x150
Deadlift - 1x5x160, 1x5x210
Chin-Ups/Push-Ups/Inverse Rows as a complex - 4x 3/10/5 had to kip on a chin-up and didn’t hit my chest on the bar on all the inverse rows but am alright with it

edit- wow huge emojis

Think I’ve still got most of Demura’s books somewhere. I 've pretty much settled on good ole Shotokan, with some Arnis thrown in, after years of doing lots of other forms including American Kenpo and Tae Kwon Do while in Korea(which I serious sucked at because of flexibility issues).

Doesn’t matter how much you lift if it’s as much as you can lift, it’s heavy.

2 Likes

WoW… Nice!

I’ve got to figure out a way to DL in my garage. The noise is somewhat problematic as the weight raises, but more than anything I’d hate to damage the concrete in the garage when a simply “something” would/could prevent any damage.

Tractor supply stall mat $25

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If you’re cheap some thick cardboard but chickens method is prettier.

@sellet I got a rubber doormat for under $4 and cut it in half, so each half is under the plates. It’s working for now and keeps it from rolling away.

Camping was a ton of walking in sand and some jogging in sand and some carrying a toddler in sand. My calves were cramped up. Started walking on lunch breaks again this week, so about a 30 minute walk each of the last two days.

6/5/2018
Back Squat - 1x5x75lb, 1x5x125lb, 1x5x165, 1x1x215 the bar sucked on my sunburns
Flat Bench - 1x5x75, 1x5x105, 1x5x125, 1x1x155
Deadlift - 1x5x165, 1x5x215

Push-Ups - 2x20 before bed

1 Like

Nice. I always found camping to be the most exhausting fun, but always very well worth the effort.

The rubber mats may be the fall back.

Did a quick search for tractor supply and horse supplies in South Orange County, didn’t find much. Plenty of surf shops and boat supply stores thought, lol. May have to make a trip out to the outer limits to find the type of stores that’ll carry large thick mats.

6/7/2018
Back Squat - 1x5x80, 1x5x130, 1x5x170, 1x1x220 my old best single was 225 and this went up fairly easy. I’m really pumped about the next session!
Flat Bench - 1x5x80, 1x5x130 accidentally skipped 110lb then also got waylaid by kids

I snuck inverse rows while making dinner and stuff.
Inverse Rows - 7, 6, 7, 7, 9

2 Likes

6/8/2018
Push-ups 20, 25, 25

6/9/2018
Back Squat - 1x5x95, 1x5x135, 1x5x185, 2x1x225
Flat Bench - 1x5x65, 1x5x95, 1x5x115, 1x3x145, 1x4x135
Deadlift - 3x1x185, 2x1x215, 3x1x245 I made sure to set up with the plates on a visibly distinct spot on the mats and could see very well how far forward it drifted on the descent when I didn’t squeeze in with my lats

2 year old deadlifted the 15lb EZ Bar some time in there. She didn’t have an interest in trying it again later but was more than happy to take off with my collar springs, hit me with a balloon in the face while benching, take my water, take my deadlift mats, take my wedding ring…

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6/10/2018
Pull-Ups - 3, 2, 1, 1 not getting as high as I’d like, just getting my chin to the bar, BUT my bicep is squeezing into my brachioradialis. Need to get my elbows back farther at the top to get chest up
Inverse Rows - 6, 9, 10, 6 decided, once I don’t quite contact the bar with my chest on a rep, end the set there and don’t count the last one
Back Squat - 1x5x95, 1x11x135

Tried a couple 65lb front squats. Rack was not too uncomfortable; pretty quickly into the descent my lower back would absolutely not hold position. Should I expect it to force butt wink? Will need to read up on lunch tomorrow.

Showed the two year old what the safeties are for and she declared that they are her favorite.

6/12/2018
Front Squat - 1x3x65lb felt right this time
Back Squat - 1x5x95, 1x5x135, 1x5x185, 1x2x225, 1x1x225, 1x12x135 first time doubling 225
Pull-Ups - 3, 3
Flat Bench - 1x5x65, 1x5x95, 1x5x115, 1x4x145, 1x10x115

Wife had to run out so I’m switched over to kids mode. Gently fistpumping to my progress though. Maybe get to spend some time checking other peoples’ logs tonight.