Determined to make a comeback!

[indecision]

Today April 2, 2007 will be my first day back at lifting. I have had 2 problems hit at once. Needless to say I have had a substantial recovery period along with therapy. Knee trouble for one. Maybe just because I'm getting older or maybe from my job. I am a crane operator and jumping off machines alot is a bad habit that I am hopefully broken of now. The second was a shoulder injury. It was bad enough that it was hard to sleep.
The doctor recommended total rest for 8 weeks followed by 4 weeks of therapy. Now that it is all over with (hopefully) I started Rippetoe's starting strength program. I just think it will be best to start light and progress in increments such as this program outlines. That way I can ease back into lifting and regain any strength I have lost in a slow and controlled manner where I can also keep a close watch on my knee and shoulder. So here goes!



Day 1: 4/2/07
Weight: 217lbs.

Squat----5/5/5 @ 150lbs.
Bench----5/5/5 @ 135lbs.
Dead lift--5 reps @ 185lbs.

*Everything felt really light. I had to remind myself that I was going light for a purpose and that the weight will get heavier soon enough. I really want to get back into this. It was killing me while I was injured to walk past my weights and not use them. I feel like a kid before Christmas now and can't wait for my next workout.

[indecision]

Day 3 - 4-4-07

Squat---5/5/5 @ 165

Standing o/h press---5/5/5 @ 105

Pendlay rows---5/5/5 @ 115



WOW! For only being off 3 months even these light squats are makin me feel like a total noob all over again. I persevered anyways and added the measly 15 lbs. I feel fine now that I did them. Tomorrow may be a different story. I will have to wait and see. I guess that it doesn't help sitting in a crane not being able to move or stretch my legs for hours on end though.
The presses were feeling good on my shoulder as did the bench on Monday. Hopefully it stays that way as I add more weight. I'm not to worried at these light weights I am working with now. The real test is yet to come.
The Pendlay rows were kind of weird. I usually do the 45 degree variation and use more weight. The form is tough but the weight feels relatively easy for my back. I guess it will be the same as everything else and I will just have to wait and see how things progress as I add more weight.
I guess the one good thing about my job is that it makes it easy to eat every 2-3 hours being as I'm sitting on my arse anyways. Hell, the turbo on the engine even makes a great oven to heat things up if I wrap it in aluminum foil

[indecision]

4-6-07 Kind of long day at work standing on concrete. Not the usual day for me. Knees are sore from walking and standing on it alot. Still I move ahead.

Day 5: 4/6/07
Weight: 220lbs.

Squat----5/5/5 @ 175lbs.
Bench----5/5/5 @ 145lbs.
Dead lift--5 reps @ 205lbs.

Man my legs are week after the short time off. Squats had slow bar speed on the last 2 reps of the last 2 sets. Sigh** I'll add 10 lbs. again like today next time and keep pushin.
Bench was still light and easy. Nice and smooth. I will add 10lbs. more next time. NO shoulder pain or popping at all. I am excited thinking that this is a sign that it has healed well. Mainly because when it was sore before, right before I went to the doctor, I did a few sets with just 135 to see how it was feeling and it was fairly painful. So I am very happy that I feel nothing now
Deadlifts are like the bench easy and smooth. I will add the full 20 on these next time. I always did more than 1 set before when I did them but I want to stay in the plan best I can.

Oh ya. I have been doing some ab work as well just never think to post it. Nothing major. I do a set of leg raises(legs together) (20 of em) with a hang at the bottom and hold n squeeze at the top. Followed by side bends (15)with 25 lbs. plate in opposite hand. Then leg raises again (20 of em)but with the legs spread at about 45 degrees. Then more side bends (15 of em) and then one last set of leg raises (20 of em) with legs together again. I might alternate from week to week or maybe workout to workout with gorilla crunches. We will see.

[indecision]

Day 8 - 4-9-07

Squat---5/5/5 @ 185

Standing o/h press---5/5/5 @ 115

Pendlay rows---5/5/5 @ 125

Abs (crunches)---20/20/20


Not a bad workout today. I had great energy levels.
Squats were hard today even though my energy was good. My left knee kept tightening up causing a slight balance issue. Hopefully next time it won't be a problem. Maybe my knees are in slightly worse shape then I thought . Hopefully I will keep making gains with no further troubles. I guess I will just have to wait and see.
Over head press felt great. I will definitely add wait again next time. They felt so good I wanted to do more reps.
Pendlays were fine also. I think I am finally used to the form versus the 45 degree style I use to do. I caught my knee cap on the way up on one of the reps. No pain but it did catch my attention. Luckily it wasn't the knee that was tight during squats.
Had a cup of oats and a double serving of whey afterwards.

[indecision]

Day 10 4-11-07


Day 5: 4/6/07


Squat----5/5/4 @ 195lbs.
Bench----5/5/5 @ 155lbs.
Dead lift--5 reps @ 225lbs.


Felt pretty good today besides some aching in my knees. That was probably just from alot of walking on large stones around the shop.

I never actually tried to see what my max squatting was. Mainly for lack of a squat rack at home. I'm either gonna join a gym soon or maybe I will use a friends guest membership every once in a while just for maxing. As for today's squats this was a personal best as far as repping goes. I know weak as hell. I am a tall skinny guy though. I will keep working on it and hopefully I can do much better. As long as my knees can handle it. My will power seems to out weigh my joint power more often however. For my last squat day this week I will keep the weight the same. I wanna get all 5 reps on that last set before I move up again. I feel good about making it happen next time.

Bench at least felt like i was lifting something today. Still can do more for sure. Especially since my shoulder hasn't even shown a hint of pain. Looking to add more again next time.

Deadlift's are somewhat of the same as squats. By that I mean I never really tried to max out on them. I usually did them for 5 sets of 5. Today was again a personal best. A weak one but considering I do not know my full potential in this lift I'll just say it is the most I ever used to rep with.

Overall I would say today was a feel good workout. I definitely see room for improvement on everything. Even though my squats are far weaker then I think they should be. I'll just have to be careful, as I try to advance in them, so I don't end up with damage to my knee yet again.

*EDIT* Why won't my paragraph indentions stay when I post? Not that it really matters it just bugs me.

[indecision]

Day 12 - 4-13-07

Squat---5/5/5 @ 195

Standing o/h press---5/5/5 @ 120

Pendlay rows---5/5/5 @ 130

Abs (crunches)---20/20/20

. Today was a busy day. Felt VERY tired. When I got off work I had to run across town and pick up our new family dog. It was basically another day walking on our stone lot at work. I don't know which is worse the stone lot or the concrete inside the shop. Kills my knees either way.

. Squats went good even with being tired. I got all the reps in. Last 1 was slow in the second set and the last two were slow in the third set. Still got them all though

. Overhead presses were smooth. Only the last one in the third set was slow. I am trying to work out a pinched nerve (or something that feels like one) in my upper right back. It's close to my spine between the shoulder blade and the spine. My wife rubs it at night before bed and it feels better every day. More of a nagging pain now than a problem really.

. Even though I am used to doing rows in the 45 degree bent row position these are feeling really good now that I am getting used to them. No trouble with them today. Completed all reps.

. This is the end of my second week on this program. I am dying to add chins and dips. There's a tree in my front yard that I needed to cut down this weekend but I think I am gonna put it off until next week so I can build my parallel bars. For now I will rest, play with the new dog, and sip at my true mass shake

[indecision]

Day 15 4-16-07



Squat----5/5/4 @ 205lbs.
Bench----5/5/5 @ 165lbs.
Dead lift--5 reps @ 245lbs.

Abs---20 LLT
15 side bends w/ 25
20 LLS
15 side bends w/ 25
20 LLT

All lifts felt good today. Last couple reps of squats were slow but they have been last couple times too. I'll add 10lbs. more next time since all reps were completed.

Bench was good as well. No slowing bar speed at all. Nice and clean. Adding 10lbs. more next time.

Dead lift was great. I did notice this time the fact that I had done squats earlier was effecting the leg power. Went a little slower on purpose to ensure good form and to allow my weakened legs to keep up. I will add 20lbs. next time.

Abs were business as usual. I am going to drop a few reps off and try adding static holds on the lowering part. Probably about 3-5 seconds.

[indecision]

Day 17 - 4-18-07

Squat---4/4/2 @ 215

Standing o/h press---5/5/5 @ 125

Pendlay rows---5/5/5 @ 135

Abs (crunches)---20/20/20

Today was not a good day.
I was moved to a bigger crane. My very first job was a long commute. Long story short I had 5 hours sleep and missed 2 meals. It really hampered my squats but I somehow WILLED myself through the presses and rows. I got home so late all I had time for was my workout (no pre WO meal), dinner, and a shower. Then it was time for bed. That's the reason I am entering this into my journal a day late. Hopefully this particular job will be over and I can get some normal sleep.

Squats were pitiful today. I felt good the first rep or two then it was like I just ran into a wall. I stalled so long a few times I thought I wasn't going to get the bar up again. With no rack in my basement it was kind of scary (note to self get a gym membership soon). Needless to say I will keep the weight the same next time and get enough sleep/food. Hopefully that will prove to be what was lacking.

Standing overhead presses were rough. I refused to repeat my performance from the squats though and managed to get all the reps in. Adding more weight next time.

Pendlay rows were fair considering the day I had. Squeezed all reps in. Adding weight next time.

Food and sleep will hopefully be the proven culprit of my trouble this time with a good clean workout next time with no missed reps/sets. We will see.

[indecision]

Day 19 - 4-20-07

Squat---5/5/4 @ 215

Bench---5/5/5 @ 175

Dead Lift--- 1 X 5 @ 265

Abs 15 LLT w/ static hold (SH)
15 side bends with 25 lbs. plate
15 LLS w/ SH
15 side bends with 25 lbs. plate
15 LLT w/ SH

Another long day. Work SUCKS!!! I was tired when I started. I even pondered skipping today but then figured one of these days work will keep me so late I would probably end up missing some days I didn't want to. So I decided I would be better off just struggling through the fatigue now.

That being said, even though I was tired to begin with I made progress on the squats. I only missed one rep out of my 3rd set. Maybe if I had a rack I would have squeezed it out. It was too sketchy in my basement with no rack so I let it slide. Still I felt good with getting as much as I did.

Bench was good. I am not sure if I am actually starting to feel the weight for a change or it was just my overall energy level. I'll go ahead and add 10 next time and we shall see

Dead Lift's were great. Nice and slow and steady. Even though my legs were spent and I had no energy I just tore right through them. It may have had something to do with a few new cd's I brought down gettin me all pumped who knows. Either way I have done deads in 7-8 months and I'm really starting to like the feel of em again. I will add 20 lbs. next week and keep pickin it up.

[indecision]

Day 24 - 4-25-07 (yes I missed my lifts on the 23rd-I got home very late from work)

Squat---4/3/- @225

Bench---5/5/5 @ 185

Dead Lift--- 1 X 5 @ 285

Abs 15 LLT w/ static hold (SH)
15 side bends with 25 lbs. plate
15 LLS w/ SH
15 side bends with 25 lbs. plate
15 LLT w/ SH

Squats. This is the first time since coming back from my knee injury that I have had even the slightest sign of any trouble. My knee popped LOUD. So I just racked it and stopped there for the day as far as squats go. I'll knock the weight back to 215 next time or two to see how it goes.

Bench felt good. Last two reps on last set slowed a bit so I will only add 5lbs. next time. On a good note I still have had NO shoulder pain I am gonna conclude that my shoulder is all healed up and ready to go.

Dead lift. Smooth and steady as usual. I did go just a tad bit slower to see how the knee was reacting but it seemed ok for the deads. Maybe it was just a one time thing. Adding 20 more pounds next time.

Just as a precaution I am dropping back to 215 on squats. I don't THINK anything serious is wrong but just incase. I mean the knee did well with the deads so why wouldn't it be ok right? Either way better safe than sorry. The last thing I want is more time away from lifting or possibly surgery