Turning into a meathead- mid life crisis

[coachcalande]

Todays lift was great!

Bench 21-14-10-8-6-5
Incline 12-9-8-5-8-10
Narrow pulldown 14-13-9-8-8
Wide pulldowns 10-9-8-7-6
Rows 10-9-10-8-7
Seated press 11-9-7-5-10
Up row 13-12-8-6-6
Side lateral 14-14-13-11

[coachcalande]

Here’s the beauty of my every other day split. Yesterday I was scheduled to do legs/arms.

My son had a 6:30 am bus ride for his football game and I drove over 120 miles and we weren’t done for the day until around 2 pm.

I decided that I’d have a better workout by pushing the thing off until this am. Good food, rest and 3 cups of coffee later and today was a GREAT workout!

I set my mind to do six sets of squats but ended up doing 8.

I did a pyramid doing 20-30 pound jumps and my reps were 17-14-10-9-7-6-5-3

I then did four sets of front squats 9-6-6-4 adding 10 lbs each set

Four sets of leg extensions 14-12-11-9 with 22 pound jumps

Four sets of seated leg curls with 5 pound jumps 15-13-10-8

The total time there was 45 minutes.

Then I went to work on my arms…

Ez curls with 10 pound jumps each set 12-9-8-5-4
Pushdowns with 10 pound jumps 16-12-9-7-6
Alt db curls 9-7-6-7 (same weight)
Skull crushers 14–9-9-8

Then I had to dig a 3 foot hole to bury a family pet…

Weekend workouts are the best! Zero worries about the clock. Just work at getting quality contractions and some heavy iron moved with good form to failure.

[coachcalande]

Another great workout. Anyone who says you can’t add muscle mass in your 50s is just plain wrong.

Today’s sets and reps. Everything to failure as always.

Bench 14-11-8-5-6-5
Wide grip pulldowns 13-11-6-6-6
Incline bench 13-9-7-6-6-7
Narrow pulldowns 12-10-9-8
Seated press 15-9-6-7-5
Row 11-11-10-9-9
Upright row 11-11-9-7-4
Side laterals 16-13-13-12-11

[coachcalande]

Some reflection on my training and results:

* I am definitely enjoying the freedom and creativity of a larger rep range
* In an hour or less I routinely blast out 40 or so sets
* I’m absolutely gaining muscle mass
* I’m recovering from a pec injury but miss doing flyes
* 5 meals a day is perfect
* I like training with a higher volume and varied resistance knowing none of it makes me smaller. There was a point where I thought my age meant lost mass…
* front squats make me sore!
* when a lift falls on a Saturday or Sunday I can really smash and blast away with volume and intensity pushing the training to 75-90 min.

[coachcalande]

Not sure what’s up, right ankle is swollen, don’t care…can’t wait to train legs tomorrow am!

[coachcalande]

This am I trained legs and ran out of time because I had to bake chicken first…

Squats 16-12-9-8-7-6-5-4
Front squats 8-6-5-5
Leg ext 13-10-10-8
Leg curls 20-13-10-9

Afternoon workout
Ez curls 12-9-8-5-7-6
Alt db curls 8-7-7-7-7
Pushdowns 35-20-13-9-8-7
Skull crushers 11-11-10-10-9

[coachcalande]

Update on nutrition and injuries

6 - 4 eggs, cup of egg whites, cheddar, cup oats, coffee

8-9am chicken breast (6-8 oz), slice of cheese, two slices bread

12-1 chicken breast, (6-8 oz) , slice of cheese, two slices bread

*moved away from lunches that require microwave *

3ish- tuna ten oz , cheddar, toasted bread or potato/ or more eggs and oats, milk


6ish- whatever the bride prepares or more tuna/chicken/beef/ eggs


Left heel bursitis and or Achilles attachment injury….right ankle swollen and clicking/popping

[coachcalande]

What a great flipping workout!

Bench 20-16-11-9-6-5-4-3
Inclines 12-9-7-6-5-8

Wide pulldowns 15-10-8-6-7
Narrow pulldowns 14-8-8-8-7
Row 11-9-7-8-7
Wide rows 11-11-9

Seated press behind head 11-9-7-6-4
Upright row 13-10-7-6-5
Side laterals 16-14-13-13-12

[coachcalande]

Feeling thick n strong.
Measure of arms is about 20.5 inches.
Obvious mass added in shoulders and traps, back thickness, upper pec growth and thigh growth.

Five meals a day, 3-4 hours apart …perfect.
6-8 hours sleep and a nap if needed, perfect

Pyramid training feels most safe and logical for my age….better warmups, make sure I’m not already injured before the biggest weights…

Anything can be a set…just take it to failure.

[coachcalande]

Today’s arm blasting after legs…went fast…

Alternating sets bis/tris as always…


Ez curls 14-12-10-8-7-5
Pushdowns 17-13-13-10-7
Concentration curls 8-8-6-7-6
Skull crushers on smith 13-12-8-7-7

Squats 17-13-10-8-6-4-3-8

Front squats 10-7-6-5-4

Leg extensions 15-11-9-8-13

Leg curls…same weight all four sets

15-11-12-11

Have meal two waiting for me…eggs n toast.

[coachcalande]

Checked with myfitnesspal and I’m taking in about 3975 cals a day. 300 g pro, 400 g carbs.

I’m not a freak about tracking it so there’s fluctuations but this is about where I am…800 cals a meal. 60 g pro a meal.

[coachcalande]

Today’s lift was awesome! First time using over 300 since pec strain. Here’s all sets, reps and resistance. None of this was preplanned…all by feel.

Bench
185x22
205x14
225x12
245x 8
265x 6
285x5
305x3
235x9

Bench sets were supersetted with wide lat pulldowns
138x14
148x11
158x9
168x 8
178x6
178x6

Incline bench
185x12
195x9
205x7
215x6
225x5
235x 6
235x5
185x10

Supersetted with narrow lat pulldowns
178x6
178x6
178x6
178x6
178x5
138x11
138x9

Shoulder press behind head
135x15
145x10
155x9
165x6
175x4
185x3

Seated row
192x12
212x9
232x7
232x7
232x7
232x6

Upright row
65x15
75x11
85x9
95x7
105x6
115x4

Side laterals
5x 12-17 reps

[coachcalande]

Squats 5x 17-3 pyramid (30-50 lb jumps)
Front squats 5x 10-3 pyramid
Leg ext 5x 8-12
Leg curls 5x 8-15

Ran out of time and will hit arms hard after work!

[coachcalande]

Finished arms with 11 supersets pyramid style up and back down in weight.

Pushdowns 18-13-8-7-7-7-6-6-10-12-15
Ez curls 13-9-8-6-5-5-6-8-9-11-13

[coachcalande]

Had a fantastic lift! Big weights and big volume.

Bench
305x4
265x9
265x8
265x7
265x7
265x6

Rows
176x13
196x8
196x8
196x8
196x7
186x6

Incline bench
205x12
215x10
225x8
235x6
245x5
265x4

Narrow pulldowns
182x11
192x8
192x8
192x7
192x8
192x7

Did 3 sets flat flyes 14-11-10
3 sets incline flyes 14-11-10

Wide pulldowns
192x7,7,6,6,6,6

Press behind head
155x10
165x8
175x6
185x5
195x3
135x14

Upright row
65x15
75x12
85x10
95x8
105x7
115x5

Six sets side laterals 17.15,15,12,12,13


Awesome

[coachcalande]

Went for reps today.

Squats 5x15-8
Front squats 5x6-8
Leg ext 5x 12-15
* will do leg curls after work

Bis and tris were done between leg sets…

Curls 8x 10-15
Pushdowns 8x 10-20

[coachcalande]

What a blasting session! If it was a baseball game, I’d have hit a pair of homers.

I started with supersetted benches and rows…

Bench warmup was 135 x15

Work sets:

235x16
255x12
275x8
295x5
265x8
265x7

Rows, go big!
218x15
228x12
242x8
262x7
262x6
262x 6

That’s a win! Moved on to supersetted inclines and pulldowns…
No warmup on incline..
235x9
235x7
235x7
235x6
235x6

Wide pulldowns
195x10
205x6
205x7
205x6
205x6

Moved on to flys and narrow pulldowns…
Very cautious with flys
45x12,10,9,8

Narrow pulldowns
165x11
175x8,8,8

Moved on to seated press behind neck..
155x12
165x8
175x6
185x4
195x3

Moved on to upright rows..

These felt light and instinctively knew to start ten lbs heavier…

Upright rows

75x13
85x11
95x9
105x7
115x6

Side laters, had to hurry..
16, 15, 14, 13..

Powerful.

[coachcalande]

Posting my gains.

[coachcalande]

Smashed arms before taking my son to practice.

Ez curls
74x17
84x15
94x12
104x9
114x8
124x6
134x4

Curls are always supersetted with triceps
Pushdowns
70x29
88x19
110x13
120x10
130x7
140x6
150x6

That’s heavy!

Did dumbbell hammer curls next
45x7
45x7
45x7

Concentration curls
35x10
35x9
35x8

That stuff supersetting with skull crushers on the smith machine
135x 24! Breaks my old 22 rep record
145x10
155x10
165x9
175x6
185x5

Strong. Nice swole pump.

Now smith machine squats are up…had planned to go free weights but have some floating scar tissue in my left knee and it’s got me weary of slipping during a set.

Here we go…

[coachcalande]

Well, I went after the high rep squats and got em!

Squats today 20-13-12-9-8-6-5-4
Front squats 10-7-6-5-4
Leg ext 15-13-12-12-10
Leg curls 13-12-12-11-10

My legs are FRIED.

[coachcalande]

Too much fun this weekend and couldn’t sleep, missed morning lift time so just finished before dinner…GREaT lift anyways with some big lifts.

Bench- I knew I was going to try 315 today…
Warmup 135x15
Warmup 235x3

Work sets:
285x8
295x5
305x4
315x4( surprise!)
235x13
235x10

Narrow pulldowns
195x8
205x6
205x7
205x7
205x6

Incline bench
235x8
245x6
255x4
235x7
235x8

Wide pulldowns
205x7
205x8
215x6
220x5
195x9

Flyes
45x13
45x12
45x10

Incline flyes
45x10
45x8
45x8

Rows
262x7,7,7,6,5
212x13,12,9

Seated press behind head
185x5
155x9
165x7,7,7

Upright rows
85x10
95x8
105x7
115x5
95x8

Side laterals felt light!
23,15,15,14,13

Time for some chili n rice

[coachcalande]

I’m doing great! Feel awesome.

This am I put in 45 minutes of leg blasting and did all this:

Smith squats 6 sets pyramid 20-5 reps, jumping 20 lbs each set.

Front squats 5 set pyramid 10-5 reps, jumping 10 lbs each set.

Leg ext 5 sets 12-15 reps

Leg curls 5 sets 12-15 reps


I plan to train arms this afternoon.

[coachcalande]

Two cans of tuna, half an onion and two slices of oatmeal bread toasted, Mayo…16 oz milk

A short nap…

Started arms off with ez curls pyramid style, six sets 15-6
Super Those with pushdowns pyramid style 25-8

Then moved to three sets of hammer curls, 6-8 reps each supersetted with skull crushers for six sets 20-8. Most of those sets were around 10 reps.

Finished with 3 sets of alternating curls supination style, also 6-8 reps.


So in all, 12 sets bis, 12 tris. Short and sweet.

[coachcalande]

I knew that today was going to be awesome!

Bench
285x8
305x5!
325x3!
285x7
285x7

These were RIDICULOUS Rows
212x13
262x10
306x6!!!
306x6
306x6

Incline bench
235x11
255x7
265x5
275x3!
235x8

Wide pulldowns
180x13
205x7
215x6
225x5
205x8

Flat flys
45x13
45x11
45x10
Incline flyes
45x10
45x8
45x7

Narrow pulldowns
180x9
180x8
180x7
180x7
180x7

Shoulder press
135x18
165x10
185x5
205x3
165x8

Upright rows
75x14
95x10
105x8
115x7
125x4

Lateral raises 18, 15,14,13,13,

Punchers x 2 sets to failure

[coachcalande]

Just finished another lift. It’s going as well at 55 as it has ever gone really.

Six sets of squats, five sets fronts, five leg ext and five leg curls. Arms, probably 8-10 sets of ez curls supersetted with pushdowns.

Living the dream.

[coachcalande]

odays ironwork-

Bench
285x 8-7-7-6-6-5

Incline bench
255x7-6-6-6-5

Flyes
45x 14-11-9

Incline flyes
45x10-10-8

Narrow pulldowns
182x13
202x 7-7-7-7

Wide pulldowns
202x 7-6-6-6-6

Rows
242x10-9-8-8-7

Shoulder press behind neck
165x8-8-8-7-6

Upright row
85x15
95x11
105x8
115x6
125x5

Side laterals 18-15-14-13-12

Punchers x2 sets failure

[coachcalande]

Smith squats
155x14
175x11
195x11
215x9
235x8

Smith front squats
135x10
145x7
155x6
165x5
175x4

Leg ext 170x 12,10,10,9,9
Leg curls 135x12,11,10,10,9

Ez curls
74x15
84x11
94x10
104x8
114x6
124x5
114x6
114x6, strip set

Pushdowns
80x21
90x17
100x12
110x9
120x7
120x7
1207
120x6 ,strip set

[coachcalande]

Wow, bis, quads….well worked and sore.
I’m still dealing with some sort of ankle injury related to running. I believe that my perineal tendon slips out of the groove and clicks and pops. It gets sore. So…..no calf work. It’s enough To keep me on the smith machine for leg work.

I have been thinking about a high volume pyramid session for chest and back tomorrow. We will see. Weekend lifts are free…no real time crunch so I can really go nuts.

[coachcalande]

Pyramid style all of the way through todays lift.

Threw on some iron that would give me 15-20 reps and added 10-20 lbs per set depending on the movement.

Typically lands me
Something like this:

15-12-10-8-6-4

Bench and incline pyramids, wide pulldowns, narrow pulldowns and rows pyramids as well. Same for shoulder press and upright rows. Only things not pyramid style today were flyes and lateral raises.

I feel really good with the pump and warmup I get from pyramids and I love just piling on iron set after set until I can only get 3-4 reps, sometimes ill do a backoff set too.

In all getting the volume, the weight and staying healthy is what matters. Zero
Pec pain today.

[coachcalande]

Relaxing today….watching NFL….thinking about what I want to do tomorrow…



I’d love to hit BOTH high rep double digit squats and heavy low rep single digit squats too….and get a ton of volume in with arms too…..can’t wait! Already have my alarm set for 3:45 am.