BigDad79's Return To Power

[BigDad79]

Hey all - new to this forum, but I've been around the bodybuilding/powerlifting forums for many years. The main one I post at seems to be closing down so I'll be posting my lastest workouts here for my reference and historical purposes.

Age: 38
Height: 6'2"
Weight: ~250lbs
BF: There's enough...not really concerned with it right now.
Major Injury History:

• Both knees have been scoped 3x each for injuries such as mensicus tears and the like. No major damage to ligaments
• Currently recovering from right shoulder labrum surgery and a bicep tenodesis (reattached my upper bicep tendon through my upper humerus). Currently 6.5wks out from surgery

Lifting History
I grew up playing football (O/D lineman) and that meant I spent a lot of time in the weight room. I couldn't gain weight - graduated HS at a whopping 185lbs - but had an introduction to proper (or better) nutrition in college through self-education on forums like this one.

I was very serious with lifting - mostly a bodybuilding approach - between 2001 and 2006/7 or so. I gained a lot of size and strength - got up to about 260lbs (at the peak of bulks) and could DL about 405lbs for singles. At that point, I really loved surfing and decided that being built like a WWE wrestler (a chubby one) wasn't conducive to surfing and snowboarding. I went on a more total fitness approach and introduced running and more body weight work into my workouts.

My twin girls showed up in mid-2009 and my fitness pursuits went on hiatus for about five years. At that point, I decided I didn't like being the fat dad and started getting back into shape. I was doing more of a long-distance athlete approach to my training. I even ran a sprint triathlon. Over that time, my knees (which have undergone multiple surgeries each) decided they hated me and I stopped running as much. I also broke my tailbone (I'll tell you all the story one day...) and couldn't sit on a bike for a while.

A new job presented itself with a new boss. This boss was into lifting and reignited my love for the gym. He turned me on to the Stronglifts app and I was hooked. I'm no longer concerned with size as much as strength. And, that leads me to my current situation - tore my labrum benching and am recovering from surgery. Itching to get back in the gym.

General Interests Outside The Gym:

• Surfing
• Snowboarding
• Running
• Swimming
• Mountain Biking
• Hiking/Backpacking (would love to do the AT someday)

So, that's me in a nutshell. Feel free to ask questions. Looking forward to my time here.

[BigDad79]

The first part of this journal will be a historical posting of my workouts dating back to when I starting Stronglifts:

July 2017 Workouts

04-Jul-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 5 sets x 5 reps

Bench Press
45lbs - 5x5

Bent Over Row (BOR)
65lbs - 5x5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

06-Jul-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
115lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
135lbs - 5x5

Overhead (OH) Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
65lbs - 5x5

Deadlift (DL)
145lbs - 1x5

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

08-Jul-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
115lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
140lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
115lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
135lbs - 5x5

BOR
70lbs - 5x5

Skullcrushers
50lbs - 2x8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10-Jul-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
115lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
145lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
70lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
155lbs - 1x5

Barbell (BB) Curls
55lbs - 2x8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

12-Jul-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
125lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
150lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
115lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
140lbs - 5x5

BOR
75lbs - 5x5

Skullcrushers
55lbs - 2x8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

14-Jul-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
125lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
160lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
75lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
165lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x5

BB Curls
60lbs - 2x8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

17-Jul-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
165lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
125lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
155lbs - 5x5

BOR
80lbs - 5x5

Skullcrushers
55lbs - 2x8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

19-Jul-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
175lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
80lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
165lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
195lbs - 1x5

BB Curls
65lbs - 2x8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

21-Jul-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
165lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
185lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
165lbs - 5x5

BOR
85lbs - 5x5

Skullcrushers
60lbs - 2x8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

31-Jul-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
165lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
195lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
85lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
175lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
205lbs - 1x5

BB Curls
70lbs - 2x8

[BigDad79]

August 2017 Workouts

02-Aug-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
175lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
205lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
175lbs - 5x5

BOR
95lbs - 5x5

Skullcrushers
70lbs - 2x8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

04-Aug-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
175lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
210lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
65lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
95lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
175lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
205lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x5

BB Curls
70lbs - 2x8

NOTES: Finally pulled 225lbs for the first time in years! Felt pumped until I looked over and the kid on the Princeton track team (must be a sprinter) who's about 185lbs soaking wet was pulling 565lbs! Damn!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

07-Aug-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
175lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
215lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
165lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
185lbs - 5x5

BOR
100lbs - 5x5

Skullcrushers
70lbs - 2x8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

09-Aug-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
220lbs - 5x5
** Two plates next workout!!!

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
65lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
100lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
205lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
230lbs - 1x5

BB Curls
70lbs - 2x8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

11-Aug-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
205lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
225lbs - 5x5 <-- finally back under some semi-big-boy weights!

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
165lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
190lbs - 5x5

BOR
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
105lbs - 5x5

Skullcrushers
80lbs - 2x8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

14-Aug-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
205lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
230lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
75lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
105lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
205lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
235lbs - 1x5

BB Curls
70lbs - 2x8

Grip died on DL's - basically did 5 1-rep sets with no rest in between. Tried a hook grip and couldn't get it dialed in. Gonna go with an alternating grip next time.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

16-Aug-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
205lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
235lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
165lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
195lbs - 5x5

BOR
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
110lbs - 5x5

Skullcrushers
80lbs - 2x8

Realized that I'll be squatting my body weight (~250lbs) by this time next week for 5x5. I think I'm entering PR areas at that point. Not so much for 1RM, but how many times I've been able to squat a weight. I'll hold off claiming the PR's until I get to 5x5 of 265lbs though

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

18-Aug-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
215lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
240lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
75lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
110lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
215lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
245lbs - 1x5

BB Curls
7lbs - 2x8

Seemed to master the Hook Grip today. Not sure if I was just doing it wrong before or it was the chalk I used, but I got it solid.

DL was probably close to a non-strap max for me (I've DL'd 405x1 before, but I think I started strapping after 225).

I'm not sure if the gains I'm seeing at this point are muscle memory or new gains. If it's muscle memory then they have one hell of a memory; I haven't been in this territory in a while! Happy either way!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

21-Aug-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
215lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
245lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
175lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
200lbs - 5x5

BOR
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
115lbs - 5x5

Skullcrushers
80lbs - 2x8

Miserable workout...just had to get through it. I think I might need to have some kind of caloric intake prior to these workouts now that I'm pushing some heavier wet. Let the experimentation begin...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

23-Aug-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u) <-- when your previous working sets are now your warm-up sets!
250lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
75lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
115lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
255lbs - 1x5

Chin Ups
BW - 1x4, 2x5 (all to failure)

I've worked my way back up to squatting my bodyweight. On Friday, it will be the first time in probably more than 10yrs that I put more than my bodyweight on my shoulders. Looking forward to it.

OH Press is definitely nearing failure. Not sure what the issue is, but I'm horrible at pressing (as shown on my bench days). Just going to keep working it.

DL felt good. I've really got the hook grip down and feel like I can start bumping the weight a little bit.

Decided to toss the BB Curls and throw in chinups to help build up the back a little. It's also something I want to get better at. I'm eventually going to change these to pull-ups when I get a little stronger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

25-Aug-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
255lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
175lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
205lbs - 5x5

BOR
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
125lbs - 5x5

Dips
BW - 3x10

Hit everything I wanted to hit. Squats felt good with the exception of some tightness in my right hip/groin (kind of going from my hip to the inner leg where your leg inserts into the pelvis). I also felt a twinge in my left hammy on the 3rd set, but it worked out. I'm really looking forward to getting to three plates (only 12 workouts - or 4wks - away!).

Bench was good. Been watching a lot of videos on bench since my strength sucks and I really concentrated on the arch today. Also concentrated on putting the bar back to the same position relative to the ceiling on every rep. Seemed to get my mind off the weight. I think I'll be ready for 5x5 225lbs when it rolls around.

Rows were really dialed in. Double overhand grip (no hook) and 10 shrugs after ever set (I shrug after DLs too). Trying to get extra trap work.

Traded skullcrushers for dips and hit 3x10 for BW. Next week we'll start adding weight.

Had a headache the entire workout - not sure what that was. Might be related to waking up in the middle of the night with a cold sweat. A couple days off should help.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

28-Aug-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
260lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
75lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
115lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
265lbs - 1x5

Chin Ups
BW - 2x6, 1x5 (all to failure)

Squats felt good. Been wearing thin/light knee sleeves. I'm not sure if it's a mental thing or what but, after three surgeries on each knee, I feel like it gives me just that little extra support and warmth I need. That being said, these things suck and keep rolling up on themselves. Might be time to go with "real" powerlifting sleeves made out of neoprene. Not sure if I want to wear them before I at least put three plates on the bar. I figured I'd be over what people think of me as I neared in on 40 years old...

OH Press felt strong today. I know I said I was honing in on failure the last time but I think it's a mental game for me. Having never done them before, it's a little intimidating to hold that much weight over my head. I think I'll get to 135 and beyond before failure sets in.

DL felt good. I've really got the hook grip down and feel like I can start bumping the weight a little bit. Might go up 20lbs on Friday. Felt strong today.

Chinups grew in reps. That's growth.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

30-Aug-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
265lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
175lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
215lbs - 5x5

BOR
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 5x5

Dips
5lbs - 3x5

Squats are feeling heavy - I also feel like my form is failing a bit. But, I'm going to keep pushing. I'm hoping to get up to 315lbs and then take a deload week.

Bench felt good actually. I'm very anxious to get to 225lbs, but I need to hold firm. I'll hit it next Friday with 5lbs increments next week.

Row bumped up a bit as well. Felt strong (and my back is smoked). Definitely feeling a little lack of "squeeze" at the top which is indicative of the weight getting to my fail point.

Dips were great. Good form.

Overall, I feel like I'm getting close to a deload week. I'm on Week 8 right now. The goal is to get through Week 12 and then deload roughly 10-25% for each lift for a week or two. Not sure which one. Definitely excited about the gains I'm seeing. I'm moving into PR territory for squat and bench - at least for reps. I know I've put up 225lbs on bench and 315lbs on squat, but no idea for how many reps.

[BigDad79]

September 2017 Workouts - Part 1

01-Sep-2017

I've been thinking a lot about goals lately - what do I want to do with this new found strength training and what I want the future to be. I'm also realizing that, at 38, the fact that I'm turning 40 pretty soon is bearing pretty strong on me. Bottom line is that I'm developing some strength goals at this point. These goals will be built off BW.

So, by my 40th birthday (roughly 15mo), I want to be doing the following:

OH Press: 1x BW
Bench Press: 1.5x BW
Squat: 2x BW
Deadlift: 2.5x BW

Right now, I'm tipping the scales at an even 250lbs, so that puts my goals at:

OH Press: 250lbs
Bench Press: 375lbs
Squat: 500lbs
Deadlift: 625lbs

Lofty numbers indeed. I have every intention of hitting them and understand that it's a high undertaking given where I'm at with 1RM (most of these are calculated):

OH Press: 140lbs (-110lbs)
Bench Press: 245lbs (-135lbs)
Squat: 305lbs (-195lbs)
Deadlift: 305lbs (-320lbs)

There's a definite realization that a lot of growth is required to meet these goals and, while I'll be disappointed, this is one of those "aim for the moon and hit the stars" situations.

Time to start eating and pushing the iron!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

02-Sep-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
245lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
270lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
85lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
125lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
245lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
285lbs - 1x5

Chin Ups
BW - 3x6 (all to failure)

I usually lift at 5am before work. I had to move this workout to midday Saturday this week and cannot believe how much stronger I felt on squats when I did this (the hot girl in yoga pants in the squat rack next to me might have been some additional motivation).
They honestly felt great though! I'm feeling like 300 is easily within reach at this point.

OH Press felt strong as well. My right shoulder is giving me a little trouble but seems to be more problematic on Bench than OH Press. 135 is definitely in my sights.

DL felt great! I knew I had to grow there a lot if I wanted to make big gains like I outlined previously. I think 305 is doable next sessions for sure. I also lifted the 285lbs w/o straps. I think that's a record for me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

02-Sep-2017

Been doing a lot of thinking about these goals over the last 24hrs.

First, let's take a look at this from a purely mathematical sense.

My workout program is an A/B program where Week 1 I do Workout A Mon and Fri and Workout B on Wed. Week 2 is Workout B on Mon and Fri and Workout A on Wed.

That basically means I go through a cycle every 14 days.

My workout increases are as follows:

Squats: +5lbs per workout
Bench: +5lbs per workout
OH Press: +5lbs per workout
DL: +10lbs per workout

That means, per cycle, my Squat increases by 30lbs (5lbs x 6 workouts), my Bench and OH Press increase 15lbs (5lbs x 3 workouts) and my DL increases 30lbs (10lbs x 3 workouts).

Currently, I'm at the following calculated 1RM based on 5x5 sets (after my workout on 02-Sep):

Squat: 310lbs
Bench: 245lbs
OH Press: 145lbs
DL: 330lbs

Assuming no deload and continual growth based on the above increases and 1RMs, I'd be at the following by mid-March 2019:

Squat: 1,510lbs
Bench: 845lbs
OH Press: 745lbs
DL: 1530lbs

Obviously, those numbers are unrealistic. If they were, I'd be competing at a professional powerlifting level. So, let's cut that growth rate to 25% of what I calculated. That puts me at the following:

Squat: 610lbs
Bench: 395lbs
OH Press: 295lbs
DL: 630lbs

Those numbers are pretty close to what I was looking for, but it makes me realize just how much growth I'll need. I'm seeing lots of gains right now, but that is going to slow at a certain point. And, to @Ozz's point, my current weight is definitely working against me.

With ALL of that (over)analysis in mind, I've decided to go with a two-tier goal system that's much more reasonable and will still make me a Strong SOB by 40. Here we go:

Goal 1 - 1, 2, 3, 4
OH Press: 135lbs (1 plate) x 5 reps Achieved 30-Oct-2017
Bench Press: 225lbs (2 plates) x 5 reps Achieved 09-Sep-2017
Squat: 315lbs (3 plates) x 5 reps
DL: 405lbs (4 plates) x 5 reps

I'm pretty close on all of these with DL being my biggest differential.

Goal 2 - 2, 3, 4, 5
OH Press: 225lbs (2 plates) x 1 rep
Bench Press: 315lbs (3 plates) x 1 rep
Squat: 405lbs (4 plates) x 1 rep
DL: 495lbs (5 plates) x 1 rep

I think that's a more reasonable approach. As much as I'd love to squat 500lbs, I think it's going to take much more work than 15mon to get there. I'm all about setting tough goals and working towards them, but it's not worth setting goals that are unrealistic.

Time to move forward!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

04-Sep-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
255lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
275lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
220lbs - 5x5

BOR
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
140lbs - 5x5

Dips
5lbs - 3x10

Squats felt a little heavy today. I think the bar I was using had a bit of a bend in it and I just couldn't get it to sit right on my shoulders. That being said, I powered through. Putting 275lbs on the bar for reps is a bit step up though. I'm really impressed with how strong I'm getting.

Bench was quarky. Felt a little heavy but, at the same time, I've been working on my arch and that seemed to really help. Big milestone on Friday - 5x5 with 225lbs. Pretty sure that's a PR for me.

Rows felt great. Seem to have dialed those in.

Overall felt good - getting strong!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

06-Sep-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
255lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
280lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
85lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
130lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
255lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
305lbs - 1x5

Chin Ups
BW - 1x7, 2x6 (all to failure)

Got in today and the MF'ing bar felt heavy during warm-ups. I started working through the warm-ups and, at about 185lbs I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself. I got the pity party out of the way and went to work. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't fun but I got stronger today.

OH Press was weird. I'm finding sticking problems about mid-way up the lift. That being said, I should be able to knock out 135lbs next Monday.

With Squats and OH Press out of the way, I was able to get down to what I came to the gym for - re-entering the 300lbs world of DLs.
Warm-ups felt good. I was able to use a regular OH grip through the 225lbs set. Used a hook grip for 255lbs and an alternating grip for 305lbs. The 305lbs took effort but there wasn't that much struggle. 315lbs is definitely conquerable next session!

Chin-ups felt strong today as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

09-Sep-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
255lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
285lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
205lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
225lbs - 5x5 <-- Goal #1 Achieved!

BOR
115lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
145lbs - 5x5

Dips
BW+12.5lbs - 3x5

Felt pretty good with squats. My speed on the way up is a little slow, but I'm still keeping good form and moving the weight.

Hit Goal #1 on the Bench with 225lbs at 5 for 5! That's the good news. The bad news is that I worked through some shoulder pain during the workout and now it's really bugging me. Gonna nurse it for a day or two and see what's up.

Rows felt really good. I'm really feeling these in my back and love it!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

11-Sep-2017

Two days later and my shoulder is not feeling any better. I feel like the pain is "inside" the shoulder and I am very weak (picking up a 15lbs weight off a shelf at the sporting goods store on Sunday was damn near impossible). My fear is that I've got a tear in my rotator cuff. I've had a minor one on my left shoulder years ago and the symptoms were eerily similar.

I've also been dragging ass a lot lately. I've been diagnosed with Epstein Barr in the past few years. Not a big deal, but I do have to pay attention and lay off if I'm feeling tired. If I don't, I have a high susceptibility for things like mono which is no fun.

For those two reasons, I'm going to take this week off. It should allow all the nagging things to feel better and allow me to recoup some energy. Hopefully the shoulder gets better in that time as well. If not, I'll go the doctor route and see if I've done any serious damage. One step at a time though. During my off week, I won't be going to the gym, but I will be doing some light cardio (mostly walking or hiking) just to keep moving. I probably won't record that stuff here.

To say this turn of events is disappointing would be an understatement. I was looking forward to hitting Goal #1 on OH Press today and getting into the 300's on squats this Friday. I was also going to hit 315lbs on DL today. The good news is that I typically come back much stronger from a week off so I'm looking forward to that!

[BigDad79]

September 2017 Workouts - Part 2

18-Sep-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
255lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
75lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
115lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
265lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
285lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
315lbs - 1x5 <-- finally back to 3 plates!

Chin Ups
BW - 0 <-- sharp shoulder pain

Face Pulls
30lbs - 3x10

Back after a week off. Felt good to get under the iron today. The Stronglifts app suggested a 10% de-load after being away from training for a week so I obliged, with the exception of DLs.

Squats felt good. Weight actually felt light (it should at 30lbs less than I was working with a week ago) and form felt good.

OH Press felt surprisingly good. I was scared that my shoulder would give me issues here, but it didn't. I did feel a little weaker/less solid in the movement in that shoulder, but I didn't have any problems (if that makes sense).

DL was great. I initially felt like going with a 10% de-load across the board. I was following the warm-up in the app and got to 225lbs which felt SOOO light. I decided I could keep going to 315lbs. I felt great. It took a little to pull it, but it felt great! Definitely nice to get three plates on that bar! My shoulder wasn't affected either. Quite happy. I even brought my straps today to try and take some pressure off the shoulder but didn't need it.

Chin-ups were a no-go. Jumped up on the bar and had a shooting pain in my shoulder. Did Face Pulls instead to help work/balance the back of my shoulders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

20-Sep-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
265lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
175lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
No working sets

BOR
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 5x5

Dips
BW - 3x10

Squats felt good. Weight is still on the rebound after the de-load but I'll be back at it in no time.

Was nervous going into the bench and, apparently, for good reason. I worked up to 175lbs warm-up set and just didn't feel the stability I wanted to move any further. Gonna suck it up and get it checked out. I really don't want to go down this road, but I'm spinning my wheels otherwise.

Figured out a better way to breathe and brace during these and, I think, I've really dialed them in. I'm also breaking at the waist before I break at the knees to make sure my butt is sticking out and back stays flat. As with the other exercises, I've de-loaded, but I feel the strength on these will grow exponentially now that I've got my breathing down. My goal here is to be rowing pretty much the same amount that I'm benching (once the shoulder heels). Surprisingly no shoulder pain while rowing.

Dips went back to just BW. Again, had concern over some shoulder pain but I found the perfect groove and it was non-existent. Looks like benching is the major culprit with the shoulder.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

20-Sep-2017

Video of me squatting - wish I'd gotten the whole shot, but I learned a lot from this angle. Looks like my knees come in a little on the push up and I'm moving my feet more than I should. I'll have to keep trying to do this on a regular basis.

INSERT VIDEO HERE AT 50 posts

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

23-Sep-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
245lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
270lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
75lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
120lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
265lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
295lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
320lbs - 1x5

Chin Ups
BW - 5, 5, 4

It's so funny to me how squats can go from heavy to light in one workout. Today's weight felt like warm-up weight. I'm not in a rush to jump up though as my lower back is sore and tender. I got bent over on a rep during my last workout and haven't felt right since. Still pushing through though since I still feel strong.

No shoulder issues on the OH Press. I felt a little lightheaded on the first set but I think I just need to figure out what works for me in terms of breathing and bracing.

Felt funny going into the DL since I had three plates and a dinky 2.5lbs plate on each side. But, the program is all about progression and pride needs to be put to the side. Pulled it pretty easy. I'm always amazed at how much harder the first rep is than any other one. Been working on grip too. Using an overhand grip on all my warmups weights and then switching to a mixed grip on my working set. On the latter warmup reps, I might utilize a hook grip, but it's still overhand. It's building my grip strength while also not limiting my working weight due to grip strength.

Chin-ups were surprisingly easy on the shoulder. I was very happy about that. I'm not happy about my strength (or lack their of), but that will come. I was using a neutral grip last week and that killed my shoulder. Moved to a supinated grip this week and was pleasantly surprised. Starting to really figure out how to use my back and not just my bi's. That should help.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

25-Sep-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
255lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
275lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
165lbs - 5x10

BOR
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
140lbs - 5x5

Dips
BW+2.5lbs - 3x5

On Saturday, I had a great workout despite my back being hosed up from a crappy squat last week (lost my brace mid-squat last week and muscled it out instead of dropping the rep). Today, I just couldn't loosen up. Got through the workout but wasn't getting as deep as I liked and just didn't feel "strong." Better luck next time. It probably also has something to do with working out at 5am as opposed to 8am like I do on the weekend.

Shoulder is still problematic for bench. I made an appt with an orthopedic but can't get in until next week. So, rather than give up entirely, I'm working volume instead of weight. Got in 10-rep sets and am hoping that helps develop some strength while I'm figuring it all out. As I type this a few hours later, it's already bugging me. But, that's all part of the game. Gotta figure out how to work around it and not just give up.

Rows are feeling great! goal is to be rowing close to what I'm benching so maybe this benching issue is a blessing in disguise. I'll be able to build these up while I'm limited on the BP. It's all about finding that silver lining.

Doing dips out over my chest (almost like a decline row) is what's good for my shoulder. Gonna keep building up the workload.

[BigDad79]

October 2017 Workouts - Part 1

03-Oct-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
215lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
245lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
75lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
105lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
285lbs - 1x5

Chin Ups
BW - 0

Back to the gym this week and still feeling like shiat. Tired, unmotivated and weak. But, I'm putting the time in. Took another slight deload as the body just isn't feeling strong. Been working on stretches and I think I'm honing in on how to loosen up my back (squats actually help) and hip flexor.

Couldn't get to parallel except for the last two sets of squats. It was really pissing me off. That and the fact that my gym only has bars that are slightly bent! It was also one of those days where the bar felt heavy.

OH Press continue to NOT hurt my shoulder. I'm actually feeling really strong on these even though I took the weight hit. I'm really working on form now that I'm at a lower weight.

DL felt good. Nothing major to report here. Felt it in the lower back during the working set, but it wasn't that bad. Concentrating on activating the lats prior to pull is definitely taking some tension off the lower back.

Was beat and didn't even attempt chin-ups (stop being a p***y!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
05-Oct-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
250lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
165lbs - 5x10

BOR
115lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
145lbs - 5x5

Dips
BW - 3x10

My mobility work has been paying dividends. The hip flexor and lower back issues I was having have reduced greatly. They are still there, but not nearly as bad as they were just a week or so ago. Strength is slowly coming back after so much downtime as well. Been working on not having my knees buckle in during the upward portion of the movement.

Shoulder still hurts during the bench. I stayed at the same weight I did last time and really struggled on the last set. At least I'm getting some volume in, but it's pretty low weight. Visited the ortho today. She thinks it's a rotator cuff injury and wants an MRI. I'm waiting on the authorization. Hoping the insurance company doesn't want me to try rehab first. I just want to see if it's torn or not and, if so whether it requires surgery.

Didn't take the de-load on rows and felt great. Continue to improve here and should be rowing my bench pretty soon. Silver linings...

Dips keep frying the tris and I love it.

Overall good workout. Am I coming out of my funk?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

07-Oct-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
255lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
75lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
110lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
265lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
290lbs - 1x5

Chin Ups
BW - 0

Good workout overall. I'm finding that the flexibiliy and energy/strength between 5AM and 8AM is amazing! I have so much more energy and lack of flexibility issues with the extra few hours of sleep.

Squats felt good. Working on "pulling" the bar into my shoulders on the way down and "pushing" the bar up on my way up (per Brian Alsruhe's recommendation). It seems to help but I'm not sure how much is mental and how much is real. Doesn't matter if it helps, right?

OH Press felt really good. Strength felt great and the movement was awesome. No pain in the shoulder. Continue moving forward here.

DL was great. Worked up through the warm-ups to 265lbs with no effort. 265lbs was a little work, but it felt good...and I was able to use a regular grip to this point. At the working weight, I really made a point to lock in my lats and was amazed at the lack of pressure I felt on my lower back. Have I been DL'ing wrong all these years?

Wife texted me halfway through DLs - kiddo had to go to the dentist for a chipped tooth. Skipped out on pullups. I think I'll throw a bar up in the house so I don't keep skipping these.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10-Oct-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
260lbs - 5x5

Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
165lbs - 1x5
135lbs - 4x10

BOR
115lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
150lbs - 5x5

Dips
BW - 0

Kind of a mixed bag this morning.

Squats felt great. I was able to get down to parallel and really keep a strong core. These are feeling good. I have to continue to do my mobility work. I forgot yesterday and did feel a little tighter this morning. I don't think one day is going to make a huge difference, but it will cause my symptoms to come back if I stop completely.

Benches were occupied so I went to rows next. Felt really good - still feeling a little light but the form is spot on (as best I can tell from mirrors) and I'm feeling the contractions in my back.

Finally got setup on the bench and this is where the workout went a little south. I did my warm-up and my shoulder felt a little weak. I moved into my working set and felt like I was going to drop 165lbs after 5 reps so I stopped. Dropped down to 135lbs and belted out 4 sets of 10 reps. Very unhappy about that. I'm still waiting on authorization for my MRI and am getting very frustrated in the process.

Skipped dips due to time.

Overall a good workout but not one I feel like I "conquered." It was definitely an "At least I showed up" kind of day.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

12-Oct-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
265lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
75lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
115lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
265lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
295lbs - 1x5

Chin Ups
BW - 0

Squats felt good. Starting to see my knees buckle in a little bit. Not a strength issue at all but I'm curious how this will affect me at higher weights. Mental note to push my knees out when I come up. Overall happy with the effort this morning.

OH Press was good. Had balance issues today for some reason. I was losing my balance on the descent for the last few reps on each set. shoulder felt good though. That's all that matters.

DL was once again great. Worked up through 265lbs without too much effort. 295lbs went well after the first rep. Still struggling to get going a little but once I'm in motion, I'm fine. Very happy with the overall effort. Oh, got my first bloody shin in a l-o-n-g time! Gotta love brand new bars with rough knurling!

I can only do chin-ups with a supinated grip. Neutral and pronated grips really aggravate it. And I can only do it with a straight bar. Unfortunately, the only straight bar in the whole gym is on the one power rack. And it was occupied, so no chin-ups today. I'm seeing a trend here...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

14-Oct-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
245lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
270lbs - 5x5

Incline Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
170lbs - 5x5

BOR
115lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
155lbs - 5x5

Dips
BW+2.5lbs - 3x5

Squats are feeling good. Still got a tight back and right hip flexor. Experimenting with a wider stance and it's definitely helping. Getting back to my pre-deload numbers.

Been frustrated with flat bench and my shoulder. OH Presses are OK, so I decided to input Incline Bench instead. Considerably less pain and I'll be working on my chest and shoulders. Should continue some chest development while also helping my OH Press. Interested to see if this is a good tweak.

BB Rows felt good and tight. Keeping up there.

Dips were a breeze as long as I kept my angle good. More of a decline press type position than a straight dip.

Still waiting on authorization for MRI. Getting frustrated.

[BigDad79]

October 2017 Workouts - Part 2

16-Oct-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
255lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
275lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
75lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
120lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
265lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
300lbs - 1x5

Chin Ups
BW - 3, 3, 4

Squats felt good. Got deeper and deeper with each set. Did feel a little bent over at one point, but got it squared away pretty quick. A wider stance has definitely helped out. Conscious effort to push knees out is helping too.

OH Press was great today. I felt really strong and pain-free (shoulder still bugging the F out of me). Looking forward to getting to 135lbs soon. Getting to the big boy plates will be nice...

Back up to 300lbs in the DL. Feel like I'm back to slinging some somewhat respectable weights (squats and DL's are almost back to where I let off before the deloads). Felt really strong on the DLs. Just felt bad for the guy working near me - bracing your breath makes it kind of hard to hold in farts on the way up. Had a few sneak out on the last few sets

Finally got to chin-ups today. Felt weak, but good to get back at it.

Overall good workout. Finally got my authorization for my MRI today as well! Finally, I'll get some info on the shoulder!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

18-Oct-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
255lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
280lbs - 2x5, 1x3

Incline Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
175lbs - 5x5

BOR
-

V-Handle Rows
130lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
160lbs - 5x5

Dips
BW+5lbs - 3x5

Felt a little tight going in today, but was pumped to get under some heavy weight. First two working sets felt OK. On the third rep of the third set, I got deep in the hole and felt a pop in my left hamstring where it inserts into the glute. Then it felt like a hot knife in there. There was a bit of a "Fight or Flight" moment and I ended up pushing the weight up and racking it. Walked around a bit and tried to do an air squat. No go. I knew right then my heavy session was over to I unloaded the bar. At that point, I really wanted to get my last two sets in so I tried bar squats. I got about a quarter of the way down on the rep and pain returned. Scrapped squats all together. I think the injury occurred because I realized I was not balancing my weight evenly and was putting more strain on my right side (I have a history of left leg/knee injuries). This offset was causing my hip flexor/lower back issues. So, I tried to move the weight back over and might have overcompensated. I think I need to just get out of my head sometimes. The engineer in me over-analyzes **** too much.

Incline Press went very well. It doesn't feel strained and I felt pretty strong. My mind was still in pissed off mode from the squats, so there was no mental boost. I'm happy to move forward with these.

Couldn't BB Row due to the hammy so I used the V-Handle Row. Felt good. Wish I could have lifted free weights, but that's good enough.

Dips were all about the form to make sure the shoulder pain didn't show up.

Overall, a mixed bag. Pissed that I got hurt, but happy I didn't bag the workout and found a way to get through it. I was a complete mind-f**k during the Incline Press. I have to find a way to work around this issue (as well as the shoulder). Been icing and using Ibuprofen. Will continue ice for the rest of the day and probably tomorrow. Heat after that. I'll also start going on walks again and stretching. Getting everything tight is the worst thing that can happen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

19-Oct-2017

Hammy is definitely on the mend, but I'm still feeling it. My problem is that, if I stop the repetitive nature of going to the gym, I have a hard time starting again. It's lose/lose at times I'm going to take it wicked easy and not push it. Just enough to keep moving and that kind of thing.

On a side note, got my MRI results online. Still waiting for the doctor's appt on Monday but here's the overall impression in the report:

Type II SLAP tear

Mild degeneration of the anterior inferior labrum

Supraspinatus, infraspinatus and subscapularis tendinosis with fraying along the inferior surfaces of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons without a full-thickness rotator cuff tear

Everything I've read about a Type II SLAP tear is that it requires arthroscopic surgery to repair. Not thrilled, but I'm all about just getting to the solution so if that's what it takes. We'll see what the boss lady says on Monday.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

20-Oct-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
65lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
85lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
125lbs - 5x5

DL
135lbs - 1x5

Chin Ups
BW - 0

Brought the weights way down on squat and DL today to accommodate the hamstring. It actually felt good to be moving and stretching. I could still feel the injury, but it felt more like a stretch than an injury. Plan is to build up slowly over the next two weeks - squat will go up to 135lbs and DL to 185lbs. I'll progress to the next 25lb or 45lbs plate for each one until I'm back to my original numbers...adjusting accordingly if the hamstring acts up.

OH Press was good again. I'm feeling really strong there. Looking forward to getting to 135lbs.

The only straight bar at the gym was in-use so no chin-ups. I have to figure out an alternative to this problem so I'm not just skipping these every time I have to do them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

23-Oct-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
115lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
135lbs - 5x5

Incline Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
180lbs - 5x5

BOR
135lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
165lbs - 5x5

Dips
BW+7.5lbs - 3x5

Building back up from the hamstring injury and it feels good. Went nice and deep without too much issue. I think I'll be fine if I just follow this recovery plan. Obviously, the weight is quite light right now, but it's a good build back up.

Incline Bench felt really good. Going to 185lbs next workout will be awesome. I think that might be a PR for me, but I'm not sure. I know for a fact that I've never inclined 225lbs, so we'll call that a PR when I get there (more on that later).

Rows felt awesome today! I had it really dialed in and the hamstring didn't have any effect on it at all! Super pumped about that.

Dips were dips - felt good.

So, met with the doctor today and got the results. Bottom line is that she thinks I need to be cut on. There are two options:

1) A labrum clean-up
2) A labrum clean-up with a bicep tendon reattachment

Apparently, Option 2 is more common and has a slightly shorter recovery time. The corresponding recovery times are:

1) 6-8 weeks in a sling. 3-4 months of PT/reduced activity
2) 3-4 weeks in a sling. 6-8wks of PT/reduced activity

Not looking forward to it, but at least there's a plan of attack. Surgery scheduled for next Friday (03-Nov).

Link to surgery description for those interested: insert link to doctor's office at 50 posts

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

26-Oct-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
165lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
185lbs - 5x5

Weight is coming back up nicely on squat. No real issues with the hamstring. Taking this time to zone in on form and breathing/bracing. Looks like I'll be back to my pre-injury numbers prior to my surgery next week.

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
85lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
130lbs - 1x4, 4x5

Not sure what the hell happened here on the first set. I think I was trying to go overly strict (no leg push whatsoever) but I'm not sure. I did struggle on the last few sets, but I got it done. Goal is to hit my 135lbs 5x5 goal prior to my surgery.

DL
135lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
205lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x5

Much like squats, form and breathing/bracing were the keys today. Pretty happy with how easy this workout felt. Should be back up to 300+lbs plus for reps again before I go under the knife.

Chin Ups
BW - 3, 5, 3

Finally back to the chin-ups today! Surprised myself with that second set. I think I've dialed in the back more than the biceps and that definitely helps.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

28-Oct-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout A

Best workout I've had in months! Finally found the zone today! Been out of it for at least 4-6wks!

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
205lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
225lbs - 5x5

Squats felt really good today. No signs of the hamstring injury but I'm still forcing myself to slowly build back up. I'll attack 275lbs on Monday, 280lbs on Wednesday and, if I can get a workout in Friday morning before the surgery, hit up 285lbs. I might try to do back-to-back days Wednesday and Thursday. That approach might be a little optimistic though. We'll see. Overall, I'm very, very happy with how I've built my strength back up since this happened.

Incline Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
165lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
185lbs - 5x5

I hit the zone today in Incline Bench. 185lbs went up without much effort. I was feeling strong and confident. I've started to incorporate a more advanced shoulder warm-up during my squats and I think that's helping the Incline Bench and OH Press portions of my workout. 185lbs 5x5 is probably a PR for me, but I'm not going to claim anything until I hit 225lbs 5x5 on it since I know for sure I've never been that high on this movement. That being said, hopefully, I'll be back to Flat Bench after the recovery from my surgery and won't need to supplement with Incline.

BOR
135lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
170lbs - 5x5

I've been very hesitant to use straps on BB Rows solely because I want to improve my grip strength. That being said, I've been reading a lot of articles and watching a lot of YouTube videos on this particular movement and even the most ardent "No Straps" folks mention that they use straps for BB Rows because it really lets them dial in their back. I tried it on my second set and have to admit it worked so I continued on the last three sets. I think I'll continue this process going forward.

Dips
BW+10lbs - 3x5

Dialed in as usual. Felt really strong today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

30-Oct-2017

5x5 StrongLift - Workout B

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
255lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
275lbs - 5x5

OH Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
115lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
135lbs - 5x5 <-- Goal #1 Achieved! PR!

Deadlifts
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
225lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
275lbs - 1x5

Chinups
BW - 4, 4, 5

This rebuild has worked. I felt great this morning. Used a new pair of knee sleeves and felt great. I'll get 285lbs 5x5 on Wednesday as my last probable workout before surgery.

Set a PR and hit Goal #1 on OH Press today. Not bad for a guy going in for shoulder surgery!

DL felt easy. 275lbs is not a big deal. Biggest problem was trying not to fart on each rep

Chin-ups are feeling good! I'm starting to like these - even if I am weak at them.

[BigDad79]

November 2017 Workouts

01-Nov-2017

Squats
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
185lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
205lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
255lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
285lbs - 5x5

Incline Bench Press
45lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
95lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
135lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
165lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
190lbs - 5x5

BOR
135lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
175lbs - 5x5

Dips
BW+12.5lbs - 3x5

I'm kind of impressed with how this most recent deload worked. I really dipped low (going back to 95lbs) and built back up slowly. Today, I hit 285lbs 5-for-5 which was my biggest lift since I started this program. And it felt relatively light! I'd see no problem with getting into the 300's now if I wasn't on the shelf for a while.

Incline felt good as well. Started to feel it a little more in my shoulder, but nothing too extreme. I do like how the incline has gone hand-in-hand with my OH Press. I might add this in as a support exercise going forward.

BB Rows were dialed in using straps today. When I get back to full workout status, there's no reason these shouldn't grow at the same rate as my bench press.

Dips were dips. I used to love these. Not so much anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

07-Nov-2017

Surgery went well. Already frustrated with this damn sling. Got about 3.5wks longer in it. My wife says doc found some RC damage too. I guess ill find out more when i get to see her next week. Shoulder doesn't hurt but bicep can be annoying in the wrong orientation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

12-Nov-2017

My callouses are packing up and leaving.
My chalk is giving me that longing look.
My straps and knee sleeves are pouting like little kids.

I JUST WANT TO LIFT!

It's gonna be a long few months...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

13-Nov-2017

Had my first post-op doctors appointment today. Went well overall. Here's the highlights:

• No bicep (curling) motion for 8wks. Tendon and hole in my upper arm needs time to heal.
• Stay in sling for next 3wks or so (weekend after Thanksgiving OK to take it off)
• Start PT the week after Thanksgiving -can do arm raises as much as possible between now and then, just no curling - Rx for 6wks (2-3x / wk) PT
• RC has little/no damage. Potential for long-term damage/tear present. Doctor said we can discuss lifting "crazy weights" (her words) in the future but that heavy is a relative term and she thinks I should be back to normal once I rehab
• Labrum is in good shape now
• I shouldn't see any strength decrease with minimal lower arm rotation issues
• Cleared to go back to leg work (mostly machines - can't squat) as soon as I feel well enough <-- the wife loved hearing that

Overall, very happy with this news. Looking into workout programs now. Very excited to be back under some weight again, even if it is cable work.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

20-Nov-2017

Leg Press
100lbs - 2x10
190lbs - 1x15
280lbs - 1x12
370lbs - 1x10
460lbs - 1x8
550lbs - 1x6

Leg Extension (Single Leg)
40lbs - 2x10
35lbs - 2x12
30lbs - 2x15

Leg Curls (Single Leg)
60lbs - 2x10
50lbs - 2x12
40lbs - 2x15

Seated Calf Raise SS Standing Calf Raise
90lbs - 3x10 SS BW - 3x20

Hyperextensions
25lbs - 3x15

Decline Crunches
BW - 3x10

Legs felt great! Two weeks off for the surgery and I'm back at it. Felt good to get some work in. Still in the sling, but it's not too bad (other than sweating in the damn thing). Was very, very happy with the leg press numbers. That 550lbs might be a PR for me but I've not done a lot of leg press work in the past. We'll call PRs if/when I get into the 700s.

Now the question for you guys - stick with a leg workout 2-3x/wk or create a workout routine that I only do with my left side. I'm thinking DB OH Press, Bench, Curls, Tris, and Rows. Thoughts?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

22-Nov-2017

Leg Press
100lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
150lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
190lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
240lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
280lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
330lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
370lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
420lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
460lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
510lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
550lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
600lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
640lbs - 5x5

Bench Press Machine (Single Arm)
10lbs - 2x5 (w/u)
25lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
45lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
60lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
70lbs - 5x5

Seated Cable Row (Single Arm)
40lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
60lbs - 5x5

DB Tricep Extensions (Single Arm)
35lbs - 3x5

Felt great to be moving the upper body again. Still debating on whether this approach is the right one, but I think I'll play with it for a while. I need it for my sanity as much as anything else.

[BigDad79]

04-Dec-2017

Kind of pissed - last week was the first week of PT and it just screwed with my schedule. I think I'm back on track for three sessions of PT and two to three sessions at the gym this week.

Good news is that I'm out of the sling and got about 85-90% mobility back. There's still a lot of strength and stability to work through. I'm still not allowed to curl anything more than a cup of coffee. Got another 3.5wks of that...

[BigDad79]

05-Dec-2017

It amazes me how much isometric movements in PT are kicking my ass. My entire shoulder area (shoulders, upper back, traps) is screaming today from PT yesterday. Slept like crap too. Without exageration, I feel like I did a 1RM DL workout yesterday with major shrug add-ons after. I know I sound like I'm whining - and I probably am - I just didn't expect this rehab to be so brutal (and slow). Getting there though.

I'm kind of shelving the gym for the time being. If I get there, great. If not, I'm not beating myself up over it. I'll get in walks and that kind of stuff just to keep in some kind of shape (round is a shape, right?).

I figured another 4wks or so and I should be back at it.

[StinnerOzz]

Good to see ya Dan!

[BigDad79]

31-Dec-2017

The last 8wks post surgery have given me a lot of time to reflect. First, I realized how difficult 2017 was for me. I started the year with a broken tailbone (that's a story for another time) and had to slowly work back from that. I had some minor setbacks after that with diet-related issues and finally found my groove a little after the halfway point of the year. Then, I hurt my shoulder and hamstring. The hamstring was an easy recovery but the shoulder recovery is still in full effect.

With all those ups and downs in mind, I have come to the following conclusions:

• I love lifting heavy weights
• I am more motivated than ever to meet my strength goals
• I need to always have a plan and a goal to meet
• I am not built for long-endurance athletics (I am more of a fight, not flight, person)

The revelations have evolved into two main goals for 2018:

• As soon as I'm strong enough and get the OK from PT/Ortho, I'll be back in the gym following a Stronglifts program. For the time being, I'll be doing some modified lifting which doesn't cause a detriment to my shoulder recovery.
• I will move for at least 20min every day.

The first goal is pretty straightforward. Lifting - more precisely, lifting for strength goals - works well for me and I enjoy it. Being able to push my self, set PRs and see constant progression is not only motivating but something I greatly enjoy.

The second goal is a bit more nebulous. As I mentioned, in 2014, I took on the challenge of running every day. No time requirements, no distance requirements. Just run. EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. I probably missed about 20-25 days for numerous reasons but the overall effect was increased health, a drop in weight (and BF %), and an overall better feeling for me.

In 2018, I will move every day for 20 minutes. "Moving" will be defined as consecutive motion with an intent towards better health. That means walking, hiking, swimming, lifting, biking, snowboarding, chopping wood and running all meet those requirements. Culminations during the day don't count - for instance, I will not consider the time I spend walking around work (which I'm sure accumulates to 20+ minutes) as "moving" time. This time has to be a concerted effort to improve my health.

I will be logging this movement in other locations. Being that this forum is weightlifting related, I will not be logging non-lifting workouts here (unless they are specifically relevant to my lifting work). I may provide weekly updates on miles and time accumulated, but nothing more than that.

Overall, 2018 is looking to be the year I make a comeback and get over the hurdles of 2017!

Looking forward to seeing what I accomplish this year!

[StinnerOzz]

31-Dec-2017

The last 8wks post surgery have given me a lot of time to reflect. First, I realized how difficult 2017 was for me. I started the year with a broken tailbone (that's a story for another time) and had to slowly work back from that. I had some minor setbacks after that with diet-related issues and finally found my groove a little after the halfway point of the year. Then, I hurt my shoulder and hamstring. The hamstring was an easy recovery but the shoulder recovery is still in full effect.

With all those ups and downs in mind, I have come to the following conclusions:

• I love lifting heavy weights
• I am more motivated than ever to meet my strength goals
• I need to always have a plan and a goal to meet
• I am not built for long-endurance athletics (I am more of a fight, not flight, person)

The revelations have evolved into two main goals for 2018:

• As soon as I'm strong enough and get the OK from PT/Ortho, I'll be back in the gym following a Stronglifts program. For the time being, I'll be doing some modified lifting which doesn't cause a detriment to my shoulder recovery.
• I will move for at least 20min every day.

The first goal is pretty straightforward. Lifting - more precisely, lifting for strength goals - works well for me and I enjoy it. Being able to push my self, set PRs and see constant progression is not only motivating but something I greatly enjoy.

The second goal is a bit more nebulous. As I mentioned, in 2014, I took on the challenge of running every day. No time requirements, no distance requirements. Just run. EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. I probably missed about 20-25 days for numerous reasons but the overall effect was increased health, a drop in weight (and BF %), and an overall better feeling for me.

In 2018, I will move every day for 20 minutes. "Moving" will be defined as consecutive motion with an intent towards better health. That means walking, hiking, swimming, lifting, biking, snowboarding, chopping wood and running all meet those requirements. Culminations during the day don't count - for instance, I will not consider the time I spend walking around work (which I'm sure accumulates to 20+ minutes) as "moving" time. This time has to be a concerted effort to improve my health.

I will be logging this movement in other locations. Being that this forum is weightlifting related, I will not be logging non-lifting workouts here (unless they are specifically relevant to my lifting work). I may provide weekly updates on miles and time accumulated, but nothing more than that.

Overall, 2018 is looking to be the year I make a comeback and get over the hurdles of 2017!

Looking forward to seeing what I accomplish this year!

Was fearing you were going to say "I don't want to lift anymore" or something like that! Yikes! Good luck to you w/your plans. I have my own as well, just not officially chosen. I made plans last year and annihilated them, so I'll do the same this year.

[BigDad79]

Was fearing you were going to say "I don't want to lift anymore" or something like that! Yikes! Good luck to you w/your plans. I have my own as well, just not officially chosen. I made plans last year and annihilated them, so I'll do the same this year.

No way man! If anything, this shoulder injury has shown me how much I love lifting. I can't wait to get back to full effect.

[BigDad79]

01-Jan-2018

5x5 Modified Strength Training - Workout A

Leg Press
100lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
190lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
280lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
370lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
460lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
550lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
640lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
730lbs - 5x5 <-- PR!

Bench Press Machine (Single Arm)
10lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
30lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
50lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
70lbs - 5x5

Hammer Strength Rows (Single Arm)
45lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
90lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
100lbs - 5x5

DB Tricep Extensions (Single Arm)
25lbs - 3x10

Felt good to be back at the gym. Kind of surprised with how strong my legs still are considering I haven't done anything in at least a month. Good start to the new year and new goals!

[StinnerOzz]

No way man! If anything, this shoulder injury has shown me how much I love lifting. I can't wait to get back to full effect.

Hell yeah, that's my guy.

My forearm break got me off of powerlifting for a while, and when I got big into hockey a few years ago I was in a rut lifting-wise. I'm kickstarted again now though, so like you I'm back into it big!

[BigDad79]

03-Jan-2017

5x5 Modified Strength Training - Workout B

Leg Press
100lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
190lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
280lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
370lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
460lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
550lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
640lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
740lbs - 5x5

DB Shoulder Press (Single Arm)
10lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
20lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
30lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
45lbs - 5x5

Hyper Extensions
BW - 2x10 (w/u)
10lbs - 1x10 (w/u)
25lbs - 5x10

DB Row (Single Arm)
50lbs - 3x10

Good workout. Legs felt pretty good on the leg press. I continue to be amazed at the strength I maintained despite not doing much for a month or two. Shoulders and back seem to be doing OK as well.

I had my first PT sessions where I could do some strength exercises (shoulder raises, DB preacher curls, rear flies, wall pushups, etc.). It went well - no pain and, even with the lightweight, felt a little pump. But damn am I sore this morning!

Would love to hear your thoughts on whether doing only left side upper body exercises makes sense while I'm rehabbing my right shoulder.

[BigDad79]

06-Jan-2018

5x5 Modified Strength Training - Workout A

Leg Press
100lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
190lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
280lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
370lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
460lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
550lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
640lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
750lbs - 5x5

Bench Press Machine (Single Arm)
10lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
30lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
50lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
75lbs - 5x5

Hammer Strength Rows (Single Arm)
45lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
90lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
105lbs - 5x5

DB Tricep Extensions (Single Arm)
30lbs - 3x10

Leg Press felt good even though I felt a pretty good twinge in my groin. I think walking around in the snow the last few days caused me a little bit of a pull. Worked through it though.

Sick of working only one side of the upper body. Gonna talk to my PT about that next session.

[StinnerOzz]

Kickin' ass however you can! Are you doing a traditional 45* leg press? 5x5 must be a bitch on that! It feels like all I can do to survive 3x10 to failure.

[BigDad79]

08-Jan-2017

5x5 Modified Strength Training - Workout B

Leg Press
100lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
190lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
280lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
370lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
460lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
550lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
640lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
730lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
760lbs - 5x5

DB Shoulder Press (Single Arm)
10lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
20lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
30lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
47.5lbs - 5x5

Hyper Extensions
BW - 1x10 (w/u)
10lbs - 1x10 (w/u)
30lbs - 5x10

DB Row (Single Arm)
50lbs - 3x10

Groin was hurting this morning but got through the leg workout. I really wanted to bust through without dropping the weight because I know I won't be able to lift again until Saturday (wife's on the road this week).

Rest of the exercises went well. Feeling stronger than I have in a while. Just can't wait until the PT gives me the green light to go balls out in the gym.

The shoulder is still feeling a little squirrelly so I'm in no rush to push too hard. I want to make sure A) I don't regress and B) that I'm good to go for my snowboard trip in March.

[BigDad79]

Kickin' ass however you can! Are you doing a traditional 45* leg press? 5x5 must be a bitch on that! It feels like all I can do to survive 3x10 to failure.

Yeah, it's one of those where you're back is 45* one way and legs 45* the other. 5x5 is pretty easy on it - the load/unload is a pain on it, but I'm dealing. I'm soooo close to getting my arm to the point where I can hold the bar while squatting. Hopefully I'll be back there soon and then be able to get back to "regular" activities in the gym. The looks I get doing just one side on the upper body is hysterical.

[StinnerOzz]

Yeah, it's one of those where you're back is 45* one way and legs 45* the other. 5x5 is pretty easy on it - the load/unload is a pain on it, but I'm dealing. I'm soooo close to getting my arm to the point where I can hold the bar while squatting. Hopefully I'll be back there soon and then be able to get back to "regular" activities in the gym. The looks I get doing just one side on the upper body is hysterical.

Don't feel bad, when I broke my wrist I was in the gym with my cast working out upper body! Doctor approved it as long as I didn't overdo it, so I disregarded pulling movements and did some chest machines. I think I also did some stuff for my other arm too directly, too.

The heaviest I really get on leg press machine is 8-10 reps and it's all I can do to stay planted in the seat. I do push hard to the point where whatever my reps are, I have to take a breather throughout them to get enough oxygen in me so my head doesn't blow up. I miss an upward sled or plate loaded machine, but that's ok because it makes me focus on BB squats which I'd eluded for years after the wrist break (couldn't even hold the bar, so you're in luck once you get to that point!)

[BigDad79]

15-Jan-2018

5x5 Modified Strength Training - Workout A

Leg Press
100lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
190lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
280lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
370lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
460lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
550lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
640lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
730lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
770lbs - 5x5

Bench Press Machine (Single Arm)
10lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
30lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
50lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
80lbs - 5x5

Hammer Strength Rows (Single Arm)
45lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
90lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
110lbs - 5x5

DB Tricep Extensions (Single Arm)
32.5lbs - 3x10

[B]Bosu Ball Planks (5s per arm on each arm = 1 rep)
BW - 10 reps

The week off I took because my wife was traveling actually helped me heal up a little. Felt pretty strong in the leg press.

Everything else felt strong as well.

The downside was that I just into the squat rack (without any weight on the bar) and the pain of getting my shoulder into position was unbearable. I guess I still have some ways to go there...

[BigDad79]

16-Jan-2017

5x5 Modified Strength Training - Workout B

Leg Press
100lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
190lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
280lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
370lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
460lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
550lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
640lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
730lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
780lbs - 5x5

DB Shoulder Press (Single Arm)
10lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
20lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
30lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
50lbs - 5x5

Hyper Extensions
10lbs - 2x10 (w/u)
30lbs - 1x10 (w/u)
35lbs - 5x10

7pt Shoulder Rehab
2.5lbs - 3x70

DB Row (Single Arm) SS Bench Push Up
52.5lbs - 3x10 SS BW - 3x10

Legs felt great today! I was feeling strong...until I looked over and the guy next to me was doing 1,360 for full ROM and reps in the 7-10 range. WTF?!?!

Overall, felt good. Getting stronger.

PT wanted me to incorporate some movements into my regular training. The 7pt DB Shoulder Rehab work includes 10 reps each of the following in one set:

1. Neutral Grip Front Raises
2. Neutral Grip Front Raises (arms out at 45*)
3. Neutral Grip Side Raises
4. Rear Flys
5. Straight Arm Kickbacks
6. X Front Raises (start with arms crossed at waist and end in a bicep pose position)
7. External Rotations

That smokes you, but it feels good.

Bench Press Pushups are just what you'd think. My PT doesn't want me in full pushups yet, but wall pushups are too easy. Basically doing a pushup with my hands on the bench and my feet on the ground.

[BigDad79]

19-Jan-2018

5x5 Modified Strength Training - Workout A

Hack Squat Machine
110lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
200lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
250lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
290lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
340lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
380lbs - 5x5

Bench Press Machine (Single Arm)
10lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
30lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
50lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
70lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
85lbs - 5x5

Hammer Strength Rows (Single Arm)
45lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
90lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
115lbs - 5x5

DB Tricep Extensions (Single Arm)
35lbs - 3x10

The Leg Press machines were both taken so I jumped on the Hack Squat machines. And I was quickly reminded why I don't use this thing. The stress this thing places on my knees is ridiculous. I have no intention of ever doing this again. I'd rather use the Smith Machine for squatting.

Rest of the workout went OK. I made gains on all my exercises but didn't feel like being there. Definitely a "lunch pail" workout.

I might change up my workout since my PT wants me to work in a bunch of movements in my daily "off-site" PT work. I'm not sure I have time to hit the gym in the AM and do this work in the PM. Might have to involve some of the lifts into my daily gym visits until I get the OK to return to "normal duty."

[StinnerOzz]

Sucks about the hack squat machine, those are usually great!

Were you at least bigger than the 1300+ leg press guy? If so, that's all that matters - LOL

I know just what you mean about positioning on squats, I stayed away from them for a long time and everything about the lift disappeared for me. Took me YEARS to bother getting back to them since I just put everything I had into other movements and didn't want to stray.

[BigDad79]

22-Jan-2017

5x5 Modified Strength Training - Workout B

Leg Press
100lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
190lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
280lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
370lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
460lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
550lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
640lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
730lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
790lbs - 5x5

DB Shoulder Press (Single Arm)
10lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
20lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
30lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
40lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
50lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
55lbs - 5x5

Hyper Extensions
10lbs - 2x10 (w/u)
30lbs - 1x10 (w/u)
40lbs - 5x10

[B]DB Row (Single Arm)
55lbs - 3x10

Getting stronger with the legs. Feeling good. Cut down on the shoulder stuff since I'm feeling like I went through a meat grinder. Time to talk to the PT about this problem.

[BigDad79]

Sucks about the hack squat machine, those are usually great!

Were you at least bigger than the 1300+ leg press guy? If so, that's all that matters - LOL

Yeah, I was bigger than him, but that made it a little worse

[BigDad79]

24-Jan-2018

5x5 Modified Strength Training - Workout A

Leg Press
100lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
190lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
280lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
370lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
460lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
550lbs - 1x2 (w/u)
640lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
730lbs - 1x1 (w/u)
800lbs - 5x5 <--PR!

Bench Press Machine (Single Arm)
10lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
30lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
50lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
70lbs - 1x3 (w/u)
90lbs - 5x5

Hammer Strength Rows (Single Arm)
45lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
90lbs - 1x5 (w/u)
120lbs - 5x5

DB Tricep Extensions (Single Arm)
37.5lbs - 3x10

Set a PR on the leg press, so that's good news! The rest felt good.

Spent a lot of time with the PT yesterday. The consensus is that I overdid it on my last few visits. They've cut down the amount of strengthening exercises and we're concentrating on stretching for now while slowly building in the strength.

[StinnerOzz]

Yeah, I was bigger than him, but that made it a little worse

I know the feeling BUT there's a point where being surprisingly strong doesn't help Just makes extra cardio during lifting sessions when you move all those plates - haha!

Your leg press isn't anything to sneeze at when doing full reps, either. If you move your feet up to make it more of a hamstring press (something I used to do and ought to work back in sometimes) you can pile on more weight easily. If you want to get over a mental hump, give it a shot.