Not Bad for an Old Man

Bigger Stronger Leaner Over 35 Lifter
41

That is a lot of heavy deadlifting for not being dialed in. Nice work.

42

[quote]DBasler wrote:
That is a lot of heavy deadlifting for not being dialed in. Nice work. [/quote]

haha! Thank you.

THU. 11/5/15 - BENCH SESSION

  1. Bench Press
    95/8. 145/5. 185/4. 215/3.
    235/2. Added wrist wraps here.
    254/5 @7 RPE
    254/5 @8 RPE
    254/5 @9 RPE
    254/5 @10 RPE

  2. Pulldowns with EZ-bar shaped handle, wearing Versa Gripps
    120/12. 165/8. 195/6.
    225/10 @9 RPE, all these sets were overhand
    180/12 @9 RPE, underhand

3a. Barbell OHP
125/6. 145/6.
165/7 @10 RPE
140/11 @9 RPE Both work sets were one rep better than last time w/same weights.

3b. Seated Cable Row
105/10. 165/10.
210/13 @9 RPE

  1. Cable Shrug
    100 (whole stack) x 30 - too easy. Got bored. Just trying to save time.

  2. DB IBP - low incline
    95’s/9 @10 RPE

SAT. 11/7/15 - SQUAT SESSION

  1. Squat
    135/5. 185/4. 235/3. 275/2. 315/2.
    355/2 @8 RPE. Right hip and left groin are still a problem.
    395/1 @9 RPE. Added wrist wraps here.
    435/1 @9 RPE. Added belt here. Wish I could have rated this an 8.
    405/4 @9 RPE. Disappointing. I was hoping for 6+.

2a. Leg Extension - plate loaded
135/10
205/11 @9 RPE

2b. Single Leg Curl - plate loaded
65/10 L + 10 R
100/10 L + 10 R @10 RPE each

Note - I was wearing SBD knee sleeves during these. It’s hard to bend your leg with no resistance in them. I’ll probably go back to Rehbands for these in the future.

2 sets on calf machine with 150.

43

[quote]TheSwoleLife wrote:
I was wearing SBD knee sleeves during these. It’s hard to bend your leg with no resistance in them. I’ll probably go back to Rehbands for these in the future.
[/quote]
Interesting. I have Rehbands but might have a pair of SBDs by the end of next week.

I hope your hip and groin heal soon.

44

[quote]kpsnap wrote:
Interesting. I have Rehbands but might have a pair of SBDs by the end of next week.

I hope your hip and groin heal soon. [/quote]

Thank you on your well wishes. I started PT for it on Wednesday. I’m only going to be going once per week, and I need to stay up on the stuff at home. Right now, it’s mostly stretching. My therapist and another PT were making fun of me, saying I was a candidate for the worst hamstring flexibility they’d ever seen in the practice. They claimed that the only other contender was a 90 year old client. That can’t be good.

As for the sleeves, I love SBD’s. I don’t use them all the time, and when I do, it’s for some of my heavier squat sessions. They are very snug, and getting them on without some calf length socks or tights is not easy. I still squat in my Rehbands, and use them for almost every other lower body lift.

TUE. 11/10/15 - BENCH SESSION

  1. Bench Press
    95/6. 145/4. 185/4. 225/4.
    255/4 @7 RPE. Started using wrist wraps and getting handoffs here.
    277.5/4 @9.5 RPE.
    265/4 @8 RPE.
    265/4 @9 RPE.

Used our micro-weights to go up 1% from the last “heaviest set of 4” bench session (275 lbs).

  1. Barbell Row
    135/10. 185/5.
    235/6. Started using Versa Gripps here.
    280/11 @9 RPE. Wore light belt for this one.

  2. Incline Bench Press
    135/8. 185/8.
    205/8 @10 RPE.
    190/9 @10 RPE.

I meant to do a rest-pause at 205 on these, but the rest ended up being longer than I planned. So I just did a back-off set.

  1. Pressdowns
    Drop/Rest-pause: 100/12 + 85/6

  2. DB Curls
    Drop/Rest-pause: 45’s/9 + 30’s/6

THU. 11/12/15 - SQUAT SESSION

  1. Squat
    135/5. 225/4. 275/3. 325/2. 365/1.
    385/1. Started using wrist wraps here.
    405/4 @9 RPE.
    405/3 @9 RPE.
    405/3 @9 RPE.

I’m still learning just how easy or hard a squat is for me. These RPE’s are from my notes. Looking at the vids for these lifts, I overestimated the RPE’s by 1-2.

After squat, I planned to do some conventional DL. But I did a double, then 2 singles with 135, and realized something was off. I was dragging in a BAD way, and felt nauseous and light headed. So I aborted the mission, did 2 sets each of leg extensions and leg curls, then went home. Nothing serious at all. I felt better within a couple of hours.

45

You always produce a lot of work. It’s very impressive.

46

[quote]Crippler56 wrote:
You always produce a lot of work. It’s very impressive. [/quote]

Thank you sir. In the gym, I often feel like I’m not doing enough. Then I get home and sit for a while, or go to work the next day and realize I did plenty. :slight_smile:

Speaking of a lot of work, I just realized that my phone has an activity tracker, and it has been recording my walking each day. I haven’t kept track of this in years, but since my phone is going to do it anyway, it’s good to know. For those who wonder why I say I refuse to do “cardio” off the clock, here’s my tally for today:

Mon. 11/16 - 8.67 miles, 18,134 steps.

Also, my daughter showed me how I can use my phone to piece video clips together and upload them to YouTube. Geez, that makes me sound old! Anyway, here’s the clip of yesterday’s bench session, followed by the recap of yesterday and today.

SUN. 11/15/15 - BENCH SESSION

  1. Bench Press
    95/10. 145/6. 185/4. 205/3. 225/2.
    245/10. New 10-rep PR! Wore wrist wraps. Touch & go.
    255/3 @7 RPE. All paused.
    265/3 @8 RPE. All paused. Started getting handoffs here.
    275/3 @9 RPE. All paused.
    285/2 @10 RPE. All paused.

This was a fun experiment. Instead of a backoff set, I did a higher rep, AMRAP set as my first work set, then progressively heavier triples until I couldn’t get the triple. I’ll try this again.

  1. Pulldowns - medium width, neutral grip bar this time
    90/15. 150/10. 180/10.
    210/10 @8 RPE.
    225/8 @10 RPE.

  2. OHP
    95/8. 115/6. 135/5.
    150/3. Started using wrist wraps here.
    165/8. Wore light belt on this. Up 1 rep each of the last two times at this weight.

  3. Ab Wheel - Did these at home, after the gym.
    15, 15, 10, 10

MON. 11/16/15 - DEADLIFT SESSION

  1. Deadlift - modified sumo stance
    135/5. 225/3. 275/3. 325/2. 375/2. 425/1. 425/1.
    465/1 x 12. Used VersaGripps here. Started wearing a belt on #8.
    From start of 1st pull to end of 12th pull took 14:11.

2a. RDL
225/10. Sumo stance
275/12. Conventional stance

2b. Shrugs
225/10.
275/10.

47

Nice work on the bench! Heck the rest of it is great too.

48

Wow, just catching up in here. Congrats on your meet performance, you’re bound to lift even more soon. That is a ton of intense bench work and a load of volume(makes me think I need to up my game).

1 Like
49

[quote]scoots2 wrote:
Nice work on the bench! Heck the rest of it is great too.[/quote]

Thank you Scoots!

[quote]gorillavanilla wrote:
Wow, just catching up in here. Congrats on your meet performance, you’re bound to lift even more soon. That is a ton of intense bench work and a load of volume(makes me think I need to up my game).[/quote]

Thank you GV! I rarely, if ever, think I’m doing enough to get better at the competition lifts. But I’ve seen a few comments about my volume lately, so I’ll take you guys’ word for it.

Before the recap of Tuesday’s session, here are the highlights from Monday’s deadlift session.

After that, I went on to train again on Tuesday. This was the first time in a while that I’ve trained 3 days in a row. I felt great each day, in spite of the hip/groin trouble, so I went ahead and lifted.

TUE. 11/17/15 - BENCH SESSION

  1. Bench Press
    95/6. 145/6. 185/6.
    225/6. Added wrist wraps here. Much slower than I expected.
    255/6 @9 RPE. Much better than the 225. I guess the cumulative workload caught up to me, or the jump from 185 to 225 was too much on that day.

  2. Pin Press - Took these off the rack, lowered to pins, then pressed.
    255/4 @8 RPE
    265/4 @9 RPE
    275/4 @10 RPE

  3. Seated Cable Row - used the bar looking like a curl bar
    120/15. 180/10.
    240/13 @9.5 RPE. This was one plate short of the whole stack, so I figured what the hell, and did…

255/12 @9.5 RPE. First time rowing the whole stack of plates. Switched to the triangle handle for this set. I don’t usually get pumped about lifts on machines, but I was very happy about this.

  1. DB Incline Press
    95’s/10 @ 10 RPE

  2. Side Laterals
    15’s/20. Deliberate and tough to finish.

  3. Face Pulls - cable with rope attachment
    55/20. Deliberate and tough to finish.

Oh, my step totals…
Tuesday: 18,293 steps, 9.29 miles
Wednesday: 20,064 steps, 10.55 miles

Off work today. Physical therapy session done. Squats up later.

50

[quote]TheSwoleLife wrote:

(from Thu. 11/19/15)
Off work today. Physical therapy session done. Squats up later.
[/quote]

That physical therapy session was brutal. My hip felt like I’d walked up 15 flights of stairs, sideways. I’m supposed to be doing all this stuff at home, but I haven’t been doing everything. I just need to stay on it, and make no excuses. Either way, I’ll be back in there Wednesday.

Here’s how things have been going. I lost my training journal, so Thu. & Sat. have no RPE’s. I just can’t remember what I recorded, but it was easy enough to remember the sets & reps.

THU. 11/19/15 - SQUATS ONLY

135/5. 185/4. 235/3. 285/3. 335/2.
375/1. Added wrist wraps here.
405/4. Added belt here.
405/4.
405/4.
405/2. Switched from Rehbands to knee wraps. Not very tight.
425/1. Figured I’d start using some equipment here and there. I have a while before I’ll really need to be used to it again.

SAT. 11/21/15 - EXTRA STUFF

  1. OHP
    90/8. 110/6. 130/5.
    150/4. Added wrist wraps here.
    166.5/8 @10 RPE. Didn’t need the journal to remember this was all-out.
    140/11 + 6 + 6. Rest-pause set.

  2. Preacher curls - 1st time in 10 years (or ever?) doing these.
    80/a lot. 80/a lot.

MON. 11/23/15 - BENCH AND DEADLIFT SESSION

  1. Bench Press
    95/6. 145/6. 185/4. 210/3.
    230/2. Added lever belt here, and left it unlocked.
    250/9 @10 RPE. Added wrist wraps and started getting handoffs. Locked the belt.
    260/3 @7 RPE.
    270/3 @9 RPE.
    280/3 @10 RPE.
    290/2 @9.5 RPE.

I got a Strength Shop lever 13 mm lever belt before Raw Nationals, expecting to need a new belt because of the recent changes to the IPF approved list. Turns out I didn’t need it, which is good because I didn’t like it too much. It’s not nearly as rigid as the single prong belt I’ve been using. I figured I’d give it a shot on the bench. I’ll keep using it for a while and see if it makes any difference.

  1. Deadlift - modified sumo stance
    135/5. 225/4. 275/3. 325/2. 375/1. 425/1.
    450/1. Added VersaGripps here.
    470/1 x 12. Added belt for these. Took 13:00 from the start of the 1st to the end of the 12th.

Excited about the deadlifts! Last time I did them, I completed 465/1 x 12 in 14:11. Also, I did those DL’s first. So I did the same volume with 5 lbs more each rep, and cut more than a minute off of the time. I knew it would be a good session when I walked in the gym on a Monday night, and saw the only flat bench empty.

51

TSL- lots of good work going on in here!

52

Just caught up in here. I love the videos! You are doing some awesome work. I used to pull in that modified sumo form at one point. Do you use mixed grip on the platform?

53

[quote]OldGoat wrote:
TSL- lots of good work going on in here! [/quote]

Thank you! I hope I can keep it up at least through April (likely to be my next meet).

[quote]kpsnap wrote:
Just caught up in here. I love the videos! You are doing some awesome work. I used to pull in that modified sumo form at one point. Do you use mixed grip on the platform?[/quote]

Thanks! Yes, I used mixed grip on the platform, right under/left over. In training, I’ll switch it up. When I use VersaGripps in training, I wait until I’ve reached my working weight, and I don’t always start with rep #1.

Also, I’m glad you like the vids. Speaking of which, here’s the clip from the last squat session.

TUE. 11/24/15 - UPPER BODY ASSISTANCE

1a. Incline Bench Press
95/8. 145/6. 185/5. 200/2.
215/6 @9.5. Started getting handoffs and using wrist wraps here.
175/13 @9.

1b. Barbell Row
135/10. 185/6. 225/5.
255/5. Started using VG’s here.
285/12 @9. Used lever belt. Probably should have made it tighter.
285/12 @9.5. Switched to my Scheik velcro belt. Still works great for stuff like this.

  1. Lateral Raises
    15’s/20. Easier than expected.
    20’s/20 @10. Cheated on the last 4-5.

  2. Pressdowns - rope attachment
    Drop set: 100/4 + 85/4 + 70/8. These are a lot harder with the rope.

Since the gym closed at noon yesterday, Plan A was to get up early and get to the gym in time to squat. Plan B was to go after work today. Both plans failed, so plan C is to hope I can get off work no later than 5 tomorrow, go straight to the gym and squat before they close at 6:45. Fingers crossed.

54

Nice work on both the training and the videos.

55

Housekeeping time! After training last Tuesday, I was only able to get in the gym on Saturday with 40 minutes to do before closing. I don’t know what I was hoping to accomplish. I squatted. It sucked. 405 lbs for 2 reps felt extremely hard. 425 for 1 felt like I should have turned to dust under the bar. #worstsquatsever

BODYWEIGHT down to 211.6 lbs on Sunday morning. 93kg, I’ll see you again. Serious question - would losing 6 lbs in a month make squats seem really hard? That doesn’t seem like a whole lot of weight, but stuff just feels so much heavier lately. I realize it could be due to other reasons - I’m just asking.

[quote]DBasler wrote:
Nice work on both the training and the videos. [/quote]

Thank you, kind sir. Speaking of the videos, here are the last 2 I put up.

Bench & Upper Body Assistance Video

Deadlift Video

On to this week’s training…

TUE. 12/1/15 - BENCH (light) & UPPER BODY

  1. Bench Press
    125/10. 157/5. 188/5. 220/5. 235.5/5

2a. Incline Bench Press
135/5. 180/4. 200/3.
215/6 @9. Wrist wraps and handoffs here. Spotter touched the bar on last rep. My fault - I should have given him the briefing before the set.
185/12 @9.

2b. Pulldowns - Overhand, almost wide
90/15. 150/10. 195/6.
225/10 @10. Straps from here on.
185/12 @9 1/2.

  1. DB OHP
    50’s/10.
    Drop set: 70’s/9 + 55’s/5. Both parts @10. Used soft belt here.

  2. DB Curls
    40’s/10

THU. 12/3/15 - SQUAT ONLY

135/6. 225/4. 275/3. 315/2. 355/1.
385/1. Added wrist wraps here.
405/3 @9. Started with belt here.
405/3 @9 1/2.
405/2 @9.
405/3 @9.5. Rep 1 on this set felt like one of the best squats I’ve done since the meet. Everything felt right on that one.

These squats were much better than the ones from Saturday. I think the next time I do a heavy session, I’ll go up 5 or 10 lbs.

1 Like
56

There’s nothing like December in the post office! Nice, longer-than-normal work days with an obscene amount of parcels. I feel like I’ve been missing training sessions, but as it turns out, I’ve been keeping up with the pace I want (every other day). Today was my 5th training session in the first 11 days of the month. I haven’t felt like doing much else, including eating. On Sunday morning (12/6), my weight was down to 94.8 kg (208.6 lbs). I want to go back to 93 kg for my next meet, but I didn’t think I’d be this close so soon after Raw Nats.

Here’s a brief recap:

FRI. 12/4 - BENCH AND DEADLIFT

1a. Bench Press
95/8. 145/6. 185/4. 215/3.
235/2. Started using the lever belt here. Experimenting with it for bench.
252/8 @9.5 Started using wrist wraps here. This is +2 lbs and -1 rep from last time.
262/3 @8
272/3 @9
282/3 @9.5
292/2 @10
300/0 - missed it about 1/3-1/2 way up. Just being greedy. No worries.

1b. Deadlift - Started alternating sets with the BP after the 262 set.
135/4 conv. + 4 sumo
225/3 conv. + 3 sumo
315/1 conv. + 2 conv. + 2 sumo. Had to reset after that first one.
405/1 conv. + 1 sumo
495/1 conv. + 1 sumo @9.

I did this whole session in about 50 minutes. On the DL, the 90 lbs jumps were a bad idea, but I was trying to squeeze stuff in.

TUE. 12/8 - SQUAT & LOWER BODY

If you’d rather watch than read, here’s a video recap for this one.

  1. Squat
    135/4. 200/4. 225/4. 250/4. 275/4. 300/4.

These all had a short pause. I was counting “1-1,000, 2-1,000” in my head when I dropped in the hole for each one, but apparently, it was only one second. Pause squats are terrible.

2a. RDL
135/10. 225/7. 275/6.
325/12 @9. Used belt for these.

2b. Leg Extensions - the plate loaded machine.
90/13. 135/8.
180/12 @10 - the ROM got shorter by the rep on 9-12.
150/15 @9

FRI. 12/11 - BENCH & UPPER BODY

  1. Bench Press
    125/10. 157/5. 188/5. 220/5. 235.5/5. All reps paused.
    Same weights as the last “light” bench day. I’m lighter too, so I figured I’d repeat the weights. Still felt easy. Used lever belt on last set.

2a. BB Row
135/12. 185/7.
235/7. Added VersaGripps here.
285/5.
305/10 @9.5. Added lever belt here.
275/12 @10.

2b. Incline BP
95/6. 145/6. 185/5. 200/3.
215/6 @10. Ugly 6th & final rep, but I got it without spotter interference this time.
190/10 @9.

3a. DB Curls
30’s/11. 45’s/10 @10.

3b. Lateral Raises
15’s/12. 20’s/15 @9.

3c. Hanging Leg Raises
20, knees bent. 15, legs straight + 5, knees bent.

3d. Pressdowns - cable with “W” shaped handle
75/12. Drop set: 105/8 + 90/7.

  1. Push-Ups
    “drop” set: feet on bench/25 + standard on floor/12 + hands on bench/10.
57

Can you expand on this?

58

[quote]Kieldro wrote:

Can you expand on this?[/quote]

Yes indeed Kieldro. I’m a mailman. On most of my training days, I’m lifting after work, so I’m rarely “fresh” going into the gym. I burn an awful lot of calories, and it has taken me years of trial and error to figure out how to gain or hold weight on this job. I don’t sleep as much as I should either, so I’m always dealing with a sleep deficit at work and in the gym. As for joints, nearly all of my co-workers who have been doing this for a long time have some kind of joint/bone ailments: usually shoulders, knees, elbows, ankles or wrists. Foot ailments are common as well. I’ve had trouble with all of them at one point or another.

Speaking of my job, I’m finally coming out of the woods of the 2015 holiday season. I’ve honestly been coming home and doing as little as possible, other than the 3 training sessions per week I’ve been able to fit in. Hopefully, I can get back to more consistent posting here. Rather than try to recap the last 2 weeks, I’ll just post this vid of last week’s main squat session, and start logging with today’s session.

MON. 12/28/15

  1. Front Squat - using straps wrapped around the bar
    5 reps each at 95, 145, 185, 225, 255
    added belt
    275/6 @8

  2. Deadlift - modified sumo stance
    135/4. 225/3. 275/2. 325/2. 375/1. 415/1.
    455/1. Started using chalk here.
    485/1. Started wearing belt here.
    505/1 @8.5
    475/1 x 5. Wore Versa Gripps for these. 7:55 from end of #1 to end of #5.

3a. DB OHP
8 reps each at 25’s, 40’s, 50’s, 55’s.
60’s/13 @9

3b. Pullups
8 reps each w/full assisted stack, 1/2 stack, BW, BW. 1st 3 sets OH, 4th UH.
BW/15 @9, neutral grip

  1. Farmer’s Walk - used Versa Gripps for these.
    95’s/30 seconds. 95’s/30 seconds. 95’s/1 minute.
59

TUE. 12/29/15

1.Pause Squat - 2-count in the bottom
95/4. 145/3. 185/2. 225/2.
255/2 x 8. Time was 15:10 from end of 1st set to end of 8th set. Left wrist started hurting around set 2-3, so I used wrist wraps on sets 4-8.

2a. Barbell Row
135/10. 185/8. 235/6.
285/6 @7. Added Versa Gripps here.
325/7 @9. Added belt here.
275/10 @9

2b. Incline BP
95/10. 135/6. 165/6. 185/5.
205/6 @9.
215/4 @9.
185/10 @9.

I wanted to do pin presses or pause presses on the flat bench tonight, but both the rack and bench were being used. I’ll get to one of them next time.

2c. RDL
135/10. 185/8. 235/6.
285/6. Started using Versa Gripps here.
325/10 @9.5. Added belt here. This set was hard enough that I decided I didn’t need a backoff set.

  1. Overhead DB Carries
    45’s/30 seconds x 4 sets. Basically a farmer’s walk, but holding DB’s at arm’s length overhead. Hands were in neutral position, for what it’s worth.

Due to my work schedule and early gym closures over the next 2 days, this was my last training session of 2015. God willing, I’ll be in the gym for a strong start to 2016 on Friday, January 1.

60

[quote]TheSwoleLife wrote:
Due to my work schedule and early gym closures over the next 2 days, this was my last training session of 2015. God willing, I’ll be in the gym for a strong start to 2016 on Friday, January 1.[/quote]

Well, that didn’t happen. Woke up around noon, and since I don’t drink alcohol, I can’t even blame it on that. Just chronic sleep deprivation combined with a day off of work and nothing to do. But I feel pretty good, and hopefully I’ll get in the gym on Sunday, unless I get off work early enough to go tomorrow.

I’m eligible for the Masters’ Division now! Watch out old guys! :slight_smile:

Weighed 208.6 lbs when I woke up.