More Questions than Answers

Leg Day some Back squats, powertec squats, leg extension and curls. Nothing too fancy today. Wasn’t feeling it. I was tired as hell. Hopefully this weekend I’ll rest up.

Gained some weight this weekend. 203 whoa. Weekends I usually gain an extra pound or 2 but not 6 or 7. Anyway, smashed SHM chest day week 3 or 4 I cant remember. Then I threw in a quick arm session that evening. Feeling stronger for sure but having issues with my left shoulder when pressing. Even the lever machine seems to mess with it. It doesnt hurt too bad just that it feels like my left shoulder is just unstable. Like something bad could happen with it at any moment. Not sure how else to explain it. I used to have troubles with my right shoulder and now when pressing it is way stronger than my left. Which has almost never been the case since I messed my right arm up over a decade ago. When doing dumbbell ohp I couldnt go above 40s and the db was all over the place on the left side. Had me worried a bit. Volume is way down from my usual so I wouldn’t think I’m overdoing it. Need to prehab it with some stuff.

Thinking on the shoulder stuff more…looking back at the log. I don’t see hardly any Rear Delt work…I’m dumb. Probably will start Chest/Shoulder day out with some rear delt work. Maybe do prone trap raises and pull aparts pretty much every day I lift.

Did back day SHM. Threw in some single arm supinated lat pull downs and I obliterated my favorite d handles…damn it. Spud makes a decent soft grip one that looks way more solid and they aren’t crazy expensive. I’ll probably grab those. Worked up to 345 for 6 on trap bar deads. I used to do a lot more weight…but repping six 2 times isnt terrible. People knock 5/3/1 but as far as strength programming goes it’s simple and works. I feel stronger now than I did when I ran that but numbers aren’t quite lining up. Anyway did some drag curls ss with straight curls ss with band shoulder flexion type curls looks like an uppercut. Then I did the plate raises and the behind the back paused shrug/mini row. Also did some uh BORs. Weight this morning was 199.

Leg Day. I used to like doing legs…now I’m kind of getting bored with it. Garage gyms…what do you do… Anyway, started with leg curls. Then worked up to 2 top sets on the powertec lever squat with the big elite fts bands and 275 lbs worth of weights…miserable last 2 sets on that. Then leg extensions and glute bridges to round it off. I have that disease…noassatall. Its a terrible disease. I need to start doing more glute work for sure. I always think my quads suck but really probably my hams are what really need work. Weight is consistent at least now at 198 2 weddings though tonight…so the booze will flow. No children or mother to watch so the wife and I will probably get tore up.

Did SHM Push day. Worked up to banded incline presses top sets, then ng flat presses banded, did banded lateral raises triple drops (dropped bands, then dropped weights and only band), did pendlay rows (not a push I know but working rear delts about every session now), y raises, and french press ss with band push downs. Seems like a lot but it went pretty quick. I’m going to try and work rear delts as much as I possibly can. My left shoulder is struggling. Can’t even lay on it now. Regular push ups seems to even piss it off. NG presses were the only completely painless pressing. Doing banded dislocates all the time now. If anyone has any other ideas about the shoulder pain, let me know what they’ve done in the past. Want to get ahead of it if at all possible. Really only pressing 1x a week.

Did 2 tired sessions. Pull and Legs. Hoping tomorrow I can get a good push session maybe a bit extra. Work is nuts. My boss went to Costa Rica and now has to possibly quarantine for 2 more weeks. He also allowed another guy at work to go to Cabo last week. So looks like he will too. My mother’s alzheimers took a crazy turn this week but luckily its calming down for now…

Still plugging away on SHM. Getting ready to switch it up though.

Had a good push session. I did do a bunch of rear delt triple drops and swings too. I did the same with laterals. My shoulders are shot. Also I have been fatiguing my tris and bis before I work them, and it seems to be working. At least they feel sore for a couple days after. I also did some kind of seated viking press for the shoulders with the powertec machine. My left shoulder is still feeling weird even when doing pushups. I just don’t go as deep on any press any more. Hoping that it will go away.

Trying Powerbuilder 5/3/1 Alsruhe take on 5/3/1. Butchered the first day. After I saw someone else layout how you are supposed to run it i believe i get it. Having not done a conventional dl in a minute first dl day was pretty tough. I’ll get it down before too long. Not sure this fits what I’m going for but I really really need to up my work capacity and this seems to for sure work on that. Also ab work…I never do ab work. So there’s at least that.

OHP day. Pull Ups, seated OHP, decline situps, and jump rope. Assistance banded pullups, powertec seated viking press, (change up) rear delt drop set, lateral drop set and banded iso hold.

Did Squat day…yikes…i did the primary movement and 1 set of the assistance and I was dragging ass. I wussed out. Should have taken a day off between ohp and squat. I did for Bench day and felt like I was able to do a couple of extras. Real bench felt good. Close grip bench in the assistance caused my shoulder to feel weird again. Just went a little wider and didn’t touch the bar to my chest and it was okay.

Powerbuilder 5/3/1 DL Round 2. Felt zapped on last assistance set. I’m using the big blue bands for banded good mornings before heavy sumos. Probably won’t do that again. On the conventional DL I did some rear delt laterals and swings before the DL. That was fine. I need to work more of the rear delts and lower/upper traps to keep the shoulders happy.

Powerbuilder 5/3/1 Squat Round 2. Really good workout. Really liking this setup. Leg curls, squats, ab roller, step ups. Leg Extension, old school Hack Squats, decline situps and DB BSS aka RFESS. Then did some complexes for conditioning. Overall really feeling more tightening up. Gaining a good amount of weight hopefully the right way. Going to measure tonight to double check. I was at 203 this morning. In the last 4 months I’ve gained 8 lbs. Which I have a hard time wanting to gain weight being a former fatty, but believe I have a handle on it.

Didn’t post my 2nd round OHP workout before the last squat. Nothing spectacular but good workout.

2nd Round Bench Alsruhe’s take on 5/3/1. Light bench day. Felt good. Nothing too crazy was off work today so got in some more shoulder work when I was done. Feeling really good. Weight is coming up a little but after the wife measured me the other night it confirmed its at least not gathering around my waist. Abs are sore from this work not used to all the core work. Also going to try and get dips in when I can. Trying for 100 but starting at 50. I do 5 sets of 10 superset with curls because I don’t do much arm work any more.
Pendlay Rows/Deadstop rows whatever you call them are really getting to my rear delts. Haven’t really ever felt my rear delts before now doing that movement which probably means I wasn’t doing it right or loading properly.

3rd round deadlift Alsruhe’s 5/3/1 riff. Felt good today. Stopped doing banded good mornings before the deadlift which seemed helped the main lift for me. I did dips instead…I mean it’s not a true antagonistic movement, but its pushing away from the ground vertically. Anyway did 2 min of skipping for cardio during the main lift and on the assistance I did Sumos then for the cardio here did a medley of trap rows, db shrugs and pull ups. Feeling good. Weight is starting to come back down…going to try and eat a bit more. I want to get to 205 and see where I am. I’ll probably cut going into June for the challenge. So i need my weight going up not down right now.

Back up to 203. Wife who never ever compliments me the other day does the most slight compliment of all time and says, “your calves look good.” I never ever work the fuckers, but I’ll take her compliment as meaning damn big sexy you are looking good.

My calves…come on…

OHP round 3 Alruhe’s 5/3/1 spin. I suck at OHP. Bad. However Trap Bar OHP is decent. I’m sure the neutral grip does something but that much of a difference? I did heavier assistance trap bar ohp. All in all good. Some fat grip farmers walks for conditioning. That lit my forearms and traps up. Definitely feeling better all in all.

Pretty pedestrian last couple of workouts. Round 3 squat and bench. Squat day i didn’t want to be there…so there’s that. But I did it anyway…bench round 3 was better just didn’t feel worked up for heavy bench day. I was supposed to get 4 on the last set wound up with 12. Luckily next wave is starting I’ll leave the TM for now heavy in wave 1 is medium in wave 2. But I did do JM presses for assistance. I really really like those for my triceps. I think I’ll keep those as the assistance work going forward. Today I’m going to do some emom conditioning work dips and pull-ups as a little extra when I’m out playing out in the yard with the kids. Weight is 205+ which not going to lie kind of spooked me but had to talk myself down. I’d like to keep it here for a while no more gaining or cutting. So I’ll eat appropriately to make it happen.

Round 4 Light Deads Alsruhe’s Powerbuilder 5/3/1 take. Tired…just tired. Didn’t workout this weekend just rested and worked in the yard sun up to sun down Sunday. Could not quiet the brain last night and wasn’t that tired so got maybe 3 hrs total of sleep. Today I’m dragging butt. But put in some deadlift work all the same. It wasn’t my greatest effort but for the antagonist I did dips again. I like that with the deads. Weights felt light as they should but the garage is getting warm and the last assistance set did me in. Kiddos cheered me along and did some exercises with me. My little girl had to show me how any push ups she can do. My boy was all about the gun show had to take his shirt off and flex. 2 really smart and tough little kids. Both more so than I was at their age.