Don't call it a comeback: Vancouver lifter's return to PL.

[btlifter]

Hey ya'll. I used to be strong (had gym total to about 850/1870[with wraps]) but was also fat (about 360 at my heaviest). I decided to get pretty (lost 120lbs), but got weak in the process. Now i'm trying to regain as much of my old strength as possible, while keeping my bodyweight down to around 250 or so (currently just over 240)...ps. i'm 6'5.

Currently my best lifts are around 480/330/530. I'd like to do my first return competition once my total is around 1500; I expect this to take <6 months, if i'm able to not be too injured (which seems unlikely). Currently, I bench twice every 6 days (in a pretty standard Westside manner) try to squat or deadlift everyday I don't bench(which may soon revert back to less frequency if my injuries keep bothering me more), and train upper back/arms/calves/abs whenever I get a chance/the desire (a few times a week).

Sunday 5th

Paused front squat doubles
315
335
350
355

(ugh...strength feels pretty good, but my right adductor strain, and left hip impingement felt very aggravated)

barbell bends
95x8
135x8
155x8
175x8

toe-to-bar
x11
x11

3 sets of leg extensions, and a stoopid amount of calf raises (I still want to be pretty, and my calves are silly small)

[btlifter]

Monday

ME bench
285x2
300x2
315x2
325x2

Slingshot
260x10
280x10
295x10

incline "jm presses" (not really, those are too weird, just extensions to the chin)
85x10
100x10
100x10

superset db tricep extensions w/pushups
x20/x20
x20/x20
x20/x20

Comments: Training in a crappy commercial gym, I struggled with the second rep of 315 with a self-handoff. Luckily, I stumbled upon an older former national level powerlifter from Australia who gave me a handoff for the 325, and it was a fairly easy double. I also misloaded my 280x10 set of slingshot presses, accidentally having just a quarter on the end of one side, and a quarter+5 on the other side (ironically, there was supposed to be 2 2.5s, so I lifted the same total weight, just with a bit of uneven loading-oops)

[btlifter]

Assistance work

cable rows
3x8 @ the stack

pullups
2 sets of "14" (each set is actually 7 mini sets of 2....There are 7 handles, I do 2, drop, switch handles, do 2 more)

double dumbell bent over high row (row to shoulders; more of a rear delt movement)
50lbs
x10
x10
x10

cuban presses
45x10
60x8
60x8

vogelpohl pulldowns
stack
x10
x10
x10

gh raises
x10
x10
x10

[btlifter]

Wednesday

speed pulls
315
x2
x2
335
x2
x2
(add belt)
365
x2
x2

paused front squats
315
345
365
380 (pr)
390.... nice, I think i'll be able to get 405 next time I test this... which will HOPEFULLY put me at my goal of a 200kg/440lb front squat (which would allow me to quit front squatting!)

assistance work done in "wod" fashion:
8 gh raises
8 toe-2-ring
8 bb "side raises" (@135)
4 rounds (took 8 minutes.... had to jog across gym each round to get to pieces of equipment)

[btlifter]

SPEED bench

225x3

245x5
245x3
245x3
245x3
245x3
245x3

ohp
185x2
195x3
200x3

foam presses
225x12

245x12
245x12

[btlifter]

07-10
assistance
3x8 gh raise (w/20lb chain)
3x10 pullups
a bunch of light tri. extensions
reverse wrist curls
heel walks
face pulls

[btlifter]

07-11
3' block pulls
455
485
505
515 x3

front squats
315
365
395
420x MISS (DAMN!.... was very close... will try again in a few days)

leg extensions
stack-1 plate x8/ leg (3 sets)

about 10 sets of biceps

[btlifter]

07-12
ME Bench

285x1
315x1
335x1 (5lb pr)
350x1...nice, felt smooth and [relatively] easy... in 3-4 weeks will try 365
*note, in all instances when I write "pr" i'm referring to recently...of course i've gone heavier in just about everything years ago)

close grip bench
225x6
250x6
265x6 (rpe of about 7.5.... but was bothering my bicep)

double pause bench (pause an inch off my chest, and pause about halfway to lockout, both for a 3 count)
185x4
225x4
225x4

moderate weight tri extension
(about 3x15) reps

3 set of flies supersetted with pushups

then 100 reps (took 3 sets) tricep pump/flush to finish.

[btlifter]

Assistance

Every minute ascending pullup ladder
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9 (first broken set)
10
11
12 NOPE.... got 10 on this set though, will revisit this workout with a goal of 13 at some point

then did 2 sets of 25 face pulls
then 2 sets of 25 reverse wrist curls

then did 24 pullups (9-8-5-2) to make it an even 100.

Will try a 420lb front squat again tomorrow if my injuries don't stop me en route.

[btlifter]

07-14 (lower)

front squats
335
385
405
425.... yay me, 5lb heavier than I missed a few days ago, and a 10lb pr in total. HOWEVER, I don't think this represents a true increase in strength (or efficiency) as much as it is simply me taking advantage of lifting with CF-type plates, making the bar really whippy, and the lift a little easier....oh-well, i'll take it!

paused rock-bottom hb back squat
225x3
255x3
280x3
300x3

good mornings
185x5
225x5
260x5
275x5

bb side bends
95x8
138x8
165x8
185x8
185x8

gh raise
bw x5
add 20lb chain x5
chain x11
bodyweight x14

[btlifter]

DE Bench

195+chains (20@ bottom, 40@top)
x3
x3
x3
205
x3
x3
x3
x3
x3
x3
x3
x3
x3

strict ohp
135x6
165x4
185x3
205x2
215x2

hspu
1
7
3
1

tri ext. on rings
x20
x20
x20
x20

[btlifter]

THURSDAY

assistance
Did a 30 minute EMOM (every minute on the minute) of 5 pullups/chinups (varied grip)
...on final minute attempted one bar muscle up... and got it...then 4 more pullups
150 pull/chinups in total

then did 3x30 face pulls
4x25 curls
2x30 wrist curls
2x30 reverse wrist curls

[btlifter]

FRIDAY: OFF (booh, first off day in a long time...don' like taking days off, but I had clients straight from 9-6, then worked @ a bar from 8-3:30....so thought it was in my own best interest to not try to squeeze training in their too.

SATURDAY
heavy pulls
everything+a heavy band wrapped around the bar 3x and hooked under either foot...added roughly a ****-tonne of tension at the top (way too much... maybe 350lbs???) did this due to knowing that the bar could only fit 405lbs of "CrossFit" plates
275x1
315x1
365x1...F<K! I pulled something in my upper back.
375x1... go figure, it hurt my back more


moved on to squats.
did high bar paused squats, worked up to 425x1 (the most I could fit onto the bar...this wasn't a max, but it was heavy, RPE of 8.5ish?)
then 425x2 (no pause)
425x3
425x4...pretty exhausted at this point, could have probably done 5 reps, but not much more)

then, because i'm very smart tried a pullup and hurt my back some more.

Then GHRaises
bwx5
+10x5
+18x5
+25x5
+35x5 (plates held under chin)

then:
bwx16

bye

[btlifter]

Sunday:
hiked the chief (first peak)...for any fellow Vancouverites.

ME bench
triples
275
295
310
325 (all w/slight pause)

narrow grip dbl pause presses
135x5
185x5
205x5
225x5 (then regular reps until exhaustion[3])

this was superset with 5x20 db lat. raise

and 100 pushups+60 seated kb power cleans (working back-and-forth until completion)

[btlifter]

Monday
Arms.....yep, I trained arms a bunch

[izzygrant]

welcome back to the dark side.

[btlifter]

welcome back to the dark side.

Thanks, it's nice to be here (though i'm not entirely invested, as my goals are as much aesthetic as they are s/b/d).

Tuesday
more high bar/narrow squats as my adductor is healing.... unfortunately I left my gear (knee bandages+compression shorts) at home...so it felt very poopy today.
405x1
425x1
425x2
425x3
425x5 (wanted to do x4, then x5.... but I was in so much discomfort that I figured I wouldn't be able to get back under the bar again)

good mornings
5x5, top set=315

gh raise
+10lbs
x13
x13

calf raise, 4x25

[btlifter]

RE Upper
bench 225
x1
x3
x7
x10
x21

btn strict press
105x10
124x10
135x10
135x10 (+5push presses to end)

3 sets of flies superset with lat raises

incline bench 95lbs x 2 minutes

[btlifter]

Thursday

Arms+calves....because, aesthetics

[btlifter]

Friday

Con. deadlifts

455
490
520
545 (<-RPE of 9.5...little harder than i'd like)

20 rep squats, 225 (want to work on getting these somewhere over 300, at least)

strict, bent over bb rows, supinated
185x10
225x10
225x10
135x20

back extension/back raise
15/15
15/15

[btlifter]

SATURDAY
bench
285x5
305x5
315x5

Spoto press
225x10

Incline db "power flies"
80
x10
x10
x10

machine flies

[btlifter]

Sunday
arms+ light pump work for delts (mostly lateral and rear)

[btlifter]

Monday
High bar squats, top set of 365x10 (who the F<uK does high reps, this is nonsense)... followed immediately by a drop set, stopping at 315, 275, 225, 185, 135.

bw gh raises
x20
x20

calves

[btlifter]

Tuesday
"speed" bench
225x3
225+ chainsx3
245+ chains
x3
x3
x3
x3
x3
...this was a little heavy, I still managed OKAY speed, but I had to rest more than i'd like between sets

strict press, 5x5, top set of 200lbs

a few handstands

bb front raises
35x15
55x15
55x15

[btlifter]

WEDNESDAY

Upper back...all sorts of stuff for this.

[btlifter]

Thursday
GM triples
305
325
340

Deficit speed pulls
315
x2
x2

back raise
x drop set
x drop set

hamstring curls
3x10 (top set=200)

kb swings
24kgx50

[btlifter]

Friday
Heavy bench
310x2
330x2
345x2

slingshot press
275x10
300x10
300x10

spoto press
185x8
230x8
230x8

flies to finish

[btlifter]

Saturday AM
rear delts, biceps, forearms


PM
high bar squats
315x1
330x8
330x15

walking lunges
4 setsx25 metres each...2 sets bw, 2 sets+60lbs

calves

[btlifter]

Sunday
back

t-bar rows
3 platesx15 reps
6 sets

lat pulldowns
stackx6 (2 set)

2x11 wide/neutral grip pullups

3x10 fatman pullups

1x30 machine row @ 2.5 plates/side

then a 1k row

[btlifter]

Monday
DE bench
185x3
(15 sets.... exhausting)

strict press singles
220
230
235 (15lb total pr)

seated db shoulder press
50x20
80x15
80x15-drop st to 50x15

2 sets of (terrible, at this point) handstand holds

3 supersets of db front raises + high pulls