The Training Log of Heteroerectus

Hey guys, I’m creating this log as a form of accountability, and hopefully I can get a bit of help along the way.

My background: Was heavy into weightlifting in the mid 2000s, and I lived in a country where you could buy “supplements” straight from the front desk at the gym. I did a few cycles and was well on my way to getting big. I ended up joining up with an obscure military martial art group, and the weight was actually a detriment to full contact fighting, so I gradually moved away from weight training and more toward endurance and conditioning stuff.

Long story short, that kind of lifestyle was pretty hard on the body. I’m almost 36 now, back in America, and I’ve had injuries beyond count. I had a subacromial decompression/bursectomy/cleaned up labrum tear surgery about 8 months ago, and I lost a lot of brawn during my recovery period.

This log is about getting back on the horse. My goals are strength and aesthetics in equal measure. I have a combination smith/cable machine in my garage, an olympic barbell and bench, and a set of 90lb selectable dumbbells.

I am focusing on heavy core lifts: Deadlift and squat. I started doing SS, because I feel like I was never great with heavy weights, but I cannot manage the bench, even just the bar. I can do DB bench with 25s, but for now thats it. The shoulder is pretty unstable and poppy, so I have to be really careful.

Here are the combined numbers of my last two workout (not including warmup sets). I am still at the point where the weight is going up 10lb each session.

BW: ~177lbs
BF%: ~13% (I have an electrical impedance device, usually I take averages over a week)
Squat: 155 3x5
Seated row: 120 3.5
Shrug: 145 9/10/6 (failed because of forearms)
Deadlift: 155 3x5
Bench (this ended up hurting for days) 95 3x5

I would really love to get some input especially from you guys in your mid-late 30s who have had experience with shoulder injuries. As a side note, as a Buddhist I am vegetarian, which makes pounding back calories kind of tricky (but not impossible, I’m up for anything).

My thanks to you guys for checking out my log.

Today’s workout was really good. Shoulder is sore this afternoon, really “loose” and popping quite a bit, which is weird. Since I’m focusing on back these days, it might just be muscular changes (?) weights are up 10lb over last session, which is awesome.

Squats: 165 3x5
Deadlift: 165 3x5
DB decline bench: 30lb 8/10/9

Hoping the DB decline bench will not destroy my shoulder…I switched to it over bench hoping to find SOME way to do chest.

I did better today with the shoulder, only doing partials on the db declines.

Squats: 175 3x5
Deadlift: 175 3x5
DB decline bench: 35lb 8/8/8

EDIT: Ok I lied, my shoulder hurt like a mofo a few hours after training.

Yesterday’s workout:

Squats: 185 3x5
Seated row: 130 3x5
Shrug: 155 3x5
Lateral raise: 15 3x8
Bicep curl: 60BB 3x8
Tricep pull-down: 40 3x10

I’ve got a horrible tightness in the muscles of my back today, I hope that means they are adapting to the new workload. Been doing Myofascial Release, which seems to help temporarily.