Back is a little cramped or tight. I don’t know if it’s sleeping or if I strained it last time, or something else.
Deadlift station is being hogged by 2 or 3 guys doing seemingly an entire 90 minute workout there. Probably for the best given my back uncomfortableness.
Seated row
3x3 @180
Superset: Pulldowns wide/narrow
4x10, 1x6+2+1 @100
5x10 @120
Superset: 1 arm cable rows/face pulls
2x15 @35
1x12, 1x10 @35
Incline Curls
1x12, 1x8+2 @30
1st leg day since I started the log. Mediocre but it is what it is.
Leg sled
4x4@500
Hamstring curls
5x10@95
Feet elevated hip raises
3x15@+0
Seated Calf raise
3x15@70
Update problems, not sure what’s up. This is from Saturday.
Another first: Arm Saturday
Loved it!
Close hand bench
1x20@45, 1x20@65, 1x20@85, 1x15@105, 3x12@125
Underhand seated row
1x20@55, 1x20@70, 1x15@85, 3x12@100
Incline overhead extensions
3x15@45
Barbell curl
3x15@45
Decline french press
3x15@35
Overhead cable curls
3x15@25
When I do these it’s like a face pull, but I keep my elbows basically together in front of my face and pull the cable across the top of my head as far back as I can. The cable is just above head high. My elbows never drop below parallel to the ground but rise up as my hands go further back behind my head. The flex at full contraction is intense.
This is from yesterday.
Back was still wonky, not quite right. Something at the base of the trap, maybe at the lat insertion. I decided to say “Fuckit.”
Deadlift
4x4 @275, pretty nice, time to bump it up.
Seated row
3x4, 1x3 @180, it’s really heavy. I cheat to pull it. Form on the heaviest set is pretty crap. All the workup sets are nice, but I feel like I need to push the limits on these, crush some weight despite the form.
Superset: Pulldowns wide/narrow
5x10 @100
5x10 @120 repeated because form was mediocre last time. This time it was nice. New Years will be a chance to evaluate my pull-ups.
Superset: 1 arm cable rows/face pulls
2x15, 1x12+1 @35
2x15, 1x9+2+1+1 @35
Incline Curls
2x15, 1x8 @30, these are pretty heavy, which is good!
Preacher Curls
3x15 @40, too easy! Awesome.
Reverse Curls
3x15 @30, gotta bump those numbers up! Those are rookie numbers!
Bench
2x3 @185
Smith Overhead Press
3x3 @+90
Superset: Incline DB Press/Urlachers
2x10 @45, 2x10, 1x6+1 @40
2x10 @25, 3x10@20
Bit of tightness and pain in the left shoulder. Cut it short and iced it. Dammit.
Back was STILL wonky. I’m very aggravated. It’s been a week and now my shoulder is touchy too. I haven’t done all 6 days of the routine in a single week yet and already I’m falling apart. I’m wearing my neoprene elastic back support high around the chest to support the mid-back tightness. It was a noticeable soreness the whole time. This is the sucky part of living half a century and trying to make gains. I’m not half my age anymore.
With the back tightness and pain I’m foregoing the deadlifts and doing rows for reps instead of max weight.
Seated row
4x8 @140
Superset: Pulldowns wide/narrow
2x10 @100, 3x10 @85
2x10 @120, 3x10 @100, dropped because back pain, RPE about a 7. 
Incline DB Curls
3x10 @30, rough day
Preacher Curls
3x12 @40
Putting my arms over the preacher bench irritates my shoulder. Grrr
Reverse Preacher Curls
3x12 @30
I do a wriat curl movement as I do these, roll down as I curl up, roll up as I extend down. Really adds forearm burn.
Nothing heavy today. Between back and shoulder I’m feeling a recovery day is in order, unfortunately. Just going through the motions.
Bench
2x12, 2x10, 1x8 @135
This was a surprisingly awesome routine, great pump
Superset: cable crossovers 1-step-forward/1-step-back
2x20, 1x15 @5
1x20, 1x18, 1x9 @5
Again, awesome burn, awesome pump
Superset: Cable Pressdown/Overhead Extension
1x12@25, 1x12@20, 1x12@15
1x12@25, 1x10@20, 1x10@15
This week is no lifting, hoping to heal my soreness. Just 70 minutes brisk walking followed by 20 minutes stretching and foam rolling for the back and shoulders, twice a day each. After 2 days I’m already feeling much better. Next week I’ll give it an 80% trial before going hard again the following week.
Ugh.
i hate excessive soreness. at 51 y i feel there is just no pay off for the soreness. better to train at an effort that’s just enough challenging to produce some results but not much soreness.
I wish it was excess soreness. It’s been 2 weeks I still have the hitch in my back, feels like a lingering injury, a minor pull that just won’t go away. Maybe it’s a pinch, I don’t really know. I didn’t lift at all last week, and I’ll miss this week due to schedule. I’ll have to go back when I can, but as for the split, it doesn’t fit my schedule for the rest of the year. I think I’ll have to hit full body a couple of times a week and do a hard cut for the next six weeks. The focus was supposed to be dropping body fat anyway, but I was lured by the draw of gainz, lol.
So, 3 weeks off
Been to the gym two more times, a week ago and yesterday. Been walking only a couple of times too, backing down to 3.5 miles instead of 5.5 and a 3.5 mph pace instead of 4. Finally the faciitis in my right heel is less, and the irritation/inflammation in my left shoulder is less too. Back tweak is less but has spread around the front on the 4th rib to the front like a corset, what’s up with that? I’ve also increased my warm-up routine pre-workout. Previously my pre-workout warm-up included walking from my car into the gym and finding my playlist on my phone. Now while I’m finding my playlist I also walk the treadmill at 15% and 3.0 pace for 10 minutes, burn about 110 cals and get nice and sweaty. I emphasize calf-raises while I’m walking so I can get a little calf work at the same time, and it burns a lot and I get a calf-pump so that’s good. I walk quite a bit during my work-day so my legs are mostly warm and loose already so I feel like I can get away with that. Then I do a mild stretch of my back plus whatever I’m going to work out that day. It’s not an intense stretch, just a “loosening up.”
A week ago yesterday (Monday) I went to the gym and did a feeler day for back to see how I, well, how I felt. 2 sets of 12 seated rows at 85#, 0/2/1/0 pace felt decent, but there was obviously something still wrong. Same after the super-set wide/narrow pull-downs on the same pace.So I called it.
[Am I documenting that correctly? 0/2/1/0 to me = contract as fast as possible, flex at peak for 2 seconds, eccentric drop for 1 second, no pause at extension, for a 36-ish seconds set. Maybe I should be doing 0/2/2/1? That would be 60 seconds, near the top of the TUT range.]
Yesterday went again with much better success, but made some semi-permanent changes. I’m avoiding heavy work less than 8 reps. My 50 y/o connective tissue just can’t handle it with any consistency or intensity. I’m pretty sure some T-Nation vets mentioned the same concern when I started, so props to them for knowing. I also reduced the number of exercises I am doing per day, at least temporarily. This reduced volume should help keep me healthy. You may not see those changes in the log below, but “feeler sets” or “warm-up sets” are omitted since I’m only doing volume TUT work for now.
The focus is supposed to be on dropping fat, and I’m failing at that too, eating more after getting bummed about the injury, but after the Thanksgiving weekend splurge I’m back on the straight and narrow, and have plenty of lean turkey breast meat to fuel the training.
Seated Row
3x12 @ 85#
Superset: Wide/Narrow Pulldown
3x12 @ 85#
3x12 @ 100#
Superset: Face Pulls/1-Arm Cable Rows
3x15 @ 25#
3x15 @ 25#
That’s 15 sets of 12-15 for back at about RPE 7-8, 30-40 seconds TUT at a 0/2/1/0 pace.
Now, I was going to do my 3-exercise biceps routine too but I felt an uncomfortable warming in my left bicep after the 1-arm rows so I called it off. Turns out it was a minor strain that’s already mostly better and should be good enough to work again tomorrow. I’m not saying I’ll do biceps tomorrow either, but I’ll at least be able to do my pulls.
Today is chest and shoulders, so again I’ll be omitting any heavy, low-rep work and just doing sets of 12-15 in a controlled TUT fashion. In fact, I’ll be doing nothing but 3x12-15 TUT work until at least Valentines Day (10 weeks). We’ll see how it turns out.
2 months of log, 3 weeks off, sheesh. Feeling old.
First push day since being off. Took it slow, feeling out the shoulder. It’s hard not to lift heavier but gotta leave the ego at the door and just lift something. Some have said for us “more experienced guys,” (old fuckers) to lift light but make it hard. Less weight but more flexing, more control. So that’s what I did.
Bench Press
3x12 @ 115#
Don’t ask me how I felt pressing with a quarter and a dime on each end. It sucked. But lowering the bar slowly, pausing at the bottom without touching the chest, and then bursting up held a challenge that I wasn’t really prepared for. I also have to be mindful of form, keeping my elbows at 30-45 degrees down from my shoulders and not let them creep up.
Superset: Incline DB Press/Urlachers
3x12 @35#
3x12 @15#
Decline DB Press
3x12 @30#
That’s all it took to get a pump and feel sore. I didn’t even do my cable laterals like I wanted, but given my shoulder recovery and being “new” back in the gym I decided to leave off there. Ugh.
Are the weights in kg or in lb.
And congratulations on your diligence.
Thanks,
Weights are in pounds. # used to mean pounds or numbers before it meant hashtag.
So, not impressive on the weights, but hey.
As I saw your picture above with those legs I made it could really have been in kilograms. But don’t be modest, 3x 185 kg per bench for me is a super good level for a man of your age if you are not a professional athlete.
Thanks D,
In my youth, hell just 10 years ago, those #s would have been kg. But in 2012 or 13 I overtrained to the point of injury. Back, abs, elbow, shoulder, all just wore out because I was pushing hard to “get over the plateau.”
My quads and calves have always been ahead, but with my injuries and being older I don’t push legs often anymore. I need to catch up the rest of me. I used to lift much heavier but I just can’t do it anymore. I’m really just trying to get back in shape after an extended layoff and minor injuries, less weight, more TUT.
Yesterday’s Back day was more of the same. This TUT business is no joke. Failure was not muscular failure but mental failure, it hurt/burned so bad!
Seated Row
3x12 @ 100#
Pretty heavy for this routine. I’m starting to focus more on pulling to the waist. That way it uses less biceps and more lats.
Superset: Wide/Narrow Pulldown
2x12, 1x10 @ 85#
2x12. 1x10 @ 85#
THESE are what really BURNED!!! OMG, I really need to center and focus and get these done on the regular better than before. My teres’ were leaving me in tears… 
Superset: Face Pulls/1-Arm Cable Rows
3x15 @ 25#
3x15 @ 25#
I’m switching out the 1-arm rows for straight arm cable rows next time. I’m just not feeling the 1-arms. I can only use the same machine/pulley a little easier and not take up so much of the gym.
2-4-1 logs here, didn’t miss Friday’s push day, but was sick with the explosives Monday so I think the wise choice was to sit it out (literally). So while it looks like 2 push days in a row here, the first was Friday last week and the second was yesterday, i.e. Tuesday, so plenty of recovery between.
Push day on Friday:
Bench Press
3x12 @ 115, TUT 1/2/0/1
These made me really sore and pumped, so I think I’m on the right track. Shoulder is stil sore but not getting worse so I’m rolling with it.
Superset: Include DB Flyes/Urlachers
3x12@35
3x12@15
Again, super sore after. Bench was 1/2/0/1 but urlachers were more like straight sets with a brief pause at the top. Slowing the eccentric irritated the shoulder.
Decline DB Press
2x12, 1x10 @ 35
I was worn out, maybe beginning to fight the sickness that hit me later. I just didn’t have much in the tank.
Tuesday Push day, much the same as before.
Bench press
3x12, 1x10 @ 115. Still sore but felt like I could do more, so I did. I ‘might’ have been able to get another rep on the last set, but without a spotter I don’t want to get trapped under the bar.
Superset: Incline DB bench/Urlachers
3x12 @ 35
3x12 @ 15
I could go heavier on the DB bench, but I am squeezing the DBs together at the top for an added flex and I really feel it. I’m afraid I won’t get as much of that if I move to 40s, but I might next time around anyway, which would be tomorrow.
new exercise
pec deck
Just to mix it up and not be bored I did these. Tried to keep my arms straight and even press out at the middle, extending my elbows, squeezing them together, and flexing my chest. I don’t have a good mind/muscle connection with pecs, and I know I need to if I’m going to grow them, so I’m going to do more of these more often to try to find it.
2x12, 1x8 @ 85.
In a minute I’m headed out to do pulls. The new Bang pre-workout is feeling great, but even as big a fan as I am of caffeine, 350 is pushing it for 4pm-ish. I slept but not great last night. I expect tonight to be worse.
On another note I started my hard mini cut yesterday, so energy is expected to be down. I’m doing an ECAY stack for 21 days so that helps but I’m fasting all day until my preWO at 3 (Yoh really only works fasted), fasted cardio (walking) in the early am, training after work, eating dinner, walking again after dinner, then pre-sleep casein shake and supps before bed and repeat. I should be around 3000 cals daily expenditure with 1500 intake. It’s only 3 weeks, so we’ll see how it goes. 3# a week is a lot for me, but I’m shooting for 10# down by NYE. I’ve done ECAY a few times before when I was younger and in better shape, so I could work harder and tolerate more abuse, but never had this much fat to drop. After this I’ll do a quick reset at 2500 cals and only 1 cardio/day for 2 weeks and then back on the slow and steady cut. I simply won’t hit my 200@20% goal for NYE2019, but I can keep on rolling until I do get there. I may have to accept that 2 cardio/day is going to be my life until spring, and the wife nags me for “overdoing it” or “being too extreme” when I do that. Good thing she works most evenings nowadays. 
Great training day yesterday.
seated rows
4x12@85
superset: wide/narrow pulldowns
3x12@85
3x12@85
I did these all, but man they hurt. The burn is real.
straight arm pulldowns
3x12@40
standing barbell curls
3x12@50
Aches, pains, tweaks, sprains, whatever, are all 90%, so feeling much better and I’m basically back to full strength minus the calorie restriction effects. I’m taking Beta Alanine and Betaine again so reps don’t hurt quite so much. It makes a HUGE difference in my workout quality.
Push Day was a practice of patience. The bench press campers were back. They were there when I arrived and still there when I left. Ugh.
DB bench press
3x12@40
Machine flyes
3x12@40
Superset: Incline DB Press/Urlachers
3x12@35
3x12@15
Machine flyes again!
3x8@80
Superset: rope Pressdown/rope overhead extensions
3x12@40
3x12@40
The next day, yesterday, I did pulls.
seated rows
4x12@85
superset: wide/narrow pulldowns
3x12@85
3x12@85
straight arm pulldowns
3x12@40
standing barbell curls
3x12@50