Elrond Hubbard, Third Time's a Charm

[bamazav]

Great work going on in here. How are you feeling? How do you feel the recovery is going?

[ElrondHubbard]

Great work going on in here. How are you feeling? How do you feel the recovery is going?

Hi, Zav! Doing my Sunday night workout as we speak (between Row sets), and I'm feeling as good as I ever had. The strength is still coming, my week to week increases in total volume are surprising me. Funny, though, it took me eight weeks to lose what will probably take six months to get back.

I feel the abdominal scar when I arch for the bench press and when I reach upward during overhead press and pullups. I'm definitely less flexible than before due to the scar tissue, it feels tight, but not so much so that I can't do the movement. Other than that, there seem to be no lingering effects.

I see no reason not to eventually move beyond anything I've done in the past -- the interruptions seem to keep me at a perpetual novice state!

[HomeGymChains]

I’m glad to hear things are looking positive!

[ElrondHubbard]

I’m glad to hear things are looking positive!

Thanks, HGC! They really are.

[ElrondHubbard]

A good start to week 7. I added 5 pounds to at least the top set of most of my lifts, and expected a corresponding decrease in reps. The rest-pause reps did go down a little on a couple of lifts, but it was less of a drop than I expected. So I ended up adding a bit more than a thousand pounds to my volume total compared to the previous Sunday. That was helped by a bonehead set on my squat, where in my enthusiasm to add weight, I ended up forgetting to replace the 35 pound plates with the 45 pound ones, and so did a couple of sets at 20 pounds less than I thought I was doing. I was so impressed with how strong I felt! I ended up counting one of them, since it was above my threshhold for working sets, so that added quite a bit to my totals.

I also added to the accessories -- up to 11 on pullups and 12 on chinups now, added weight to the stiff-legged deadlifts and reps to the pushups and lateral raises. So a nice bump in intensity overall, and I felt plenty fatigued by the time it was over!

Morning weight: 161.0 lbs.


Bench Press:
95x5
115x5
145x7
165x6
145x20 -- 8+4+4+4, Rest-Pause

Squat:
95x5
120x5
130x7 --Bonehead squat -- not counted as working set
150x7 --Bonehead squat -- counted it.
150x7
170x7
150x20 -- 8+4+4+4 Rest-Pause

BB Row:
95x5
120x5
150x7
170x7
150x20 -- 8+4+4+4, Rest-Pause

Overhead Press:
50x5
65x5
75x7
90x7
77x22 -- 9+5+4+4, Rest-Pause


Accessories:
Pullups, bodyweight: 11+11+11
Chinups, bodyweight: 12+12

Stiff-legged Deadlift, 155 lbs, Myo-reps: 13+5+5+5+5
DB Side Lateral Raise, 15 lbs, Myo-reps: 14+5+5+5+5+5+5

Pushups w/Grip handles, toes elevated 3.5" on platform, Rest-Pause: 42 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 10.

Bottom line: I like the direction things are going. I think I'll follow this method for about a 14-week cycle, then switch to a more strength-oriented 5x5 for another 12 weeks or so, then come back to this one. Hopefully that will provide some periodization.

Next two weeks, 8 and 9, will be partial, as I'll be out of state for the wedding of my final hold-out daughter. I'll need all my strength to survive that one!

[ElrondHubbard]

Pushed a little on Tuesday, midpoint of week 7. Not quite the energy level I'd had earlier, but still made progress. I felt a slight twinge in my shoulder during my pullups sets, which was strange since I don't think I'm working them during that movement, but out of an abundance of caution (and an abundance of fatigue) I omitted the pushups this time around. I may be in a bit of a sleep deficit over the last few days as well, which could have an effect. I've also noticed that getting started late doesn't help any either, and I got out to the gym area a lot later than I planned.

But overall a good workout, feeling good the day after, and looking forward to Thursday now!


Incline Bench
90x5
110x7
135x7
110x23 -- 9+5+5+4, Rest-Pause

Squat:
95x5
120x5
150x7
150x7

Overhead Press:
50x5
65x5
77x7
90x7
77x20 -- 8+4+4+4, Rest-Pause

Deadlift:
150x5
165x7
195x7
220x7

Accessories:
Pullups, bodyweight: 11+11+11 -- felt a twinge in my left shoulder during each set. Still felt a little sore afterwards.
Chinups, bodyweight: 12+12 -- These felt fine.

We'll see how Thursday feels, but so far so good.

[ElrondHubbard]

Got busy, almost forgot to post Thursday, end of week 7. I made progress, ended with 2200 more pounds moved for the week. That's less than prior increases, but it's a sign that things are starting to settle in. I'm happy with it overall. I did feel a bit fatigued going into it, ended up taking more time than I planned, and so didn't get the accessory pushups and lateral raises. I did make up for the pushups the next day.

Upcoming weeks 8 and 9 are partials, I'm going to bring some dumbbells with me so I can do some basic stuff in the motel at night, but that's certainly not going to be the focus of my trip!

Bench Press:
95x5
115x5
145x7
165x7
165x7
145x25 -- 9+4+4+4+4, Rest-Pause

Squat:
95x5
120x5
150x7
170x7
170x7
150x25 -- 10+5+5+5, Rest-Pause

BB Row:
95x5
115x5
145x7
165x7
165x7
145x25 -- 10+5+5+5, Rest-Pause

Overhead Press:
50x5
65x5
77x7
90x7
90x7
77x25 -- 10+5+5+5, Rest-Pause


Accessories:
Pullups, bodyweight: 11+11+11
Chinups, bodyweight: 12+12

Stiff-legged Deadlifts, 155 lbs, Myo-reps: 14+5+5+5+5+5


Week 8 will be Sunday only, Week 9 will be Tuesday and Thursday. Lots of driving...

[bamazav]

Be safe in your travels. I hope you can find time and a place to get some work in.

[ElrondHubbard]

Be safe in your travels. I hope you can find time and a place to get some work in.

I'm bringing the dumbbells with me! All packed now.

But, I did get a Sunday workout in, I can call it the entirety of week 8. Progressed a little compared to the previous Sunday, so it will send me off on a good note. Added reps to just about everything.

Morning Weight: 160.8 pounds. I like this weight.


Bench Press:
95x5
115x5
145x8
165x7
145x21 -- 9+4+4+4, Rest-Pause

Squat:
95x5
120x5
150x8
170x8
150x22 -- 9+5+4+4, Rest-Pause

BB Row:
95x5
120x5
150x8
170x8
150x24 -- 9+5+5+5, Rest-Pause

Overhead Press:
50x5
65x5
77x8
90x8
77x23 -- 9+5+5+4, Rest-Pause


Accessories:
Pullups, bodyweight: 12+12+12
Chinups, bodyweight: 13+13

Stiff-legged Deadlifts, 160 lbs, Myo-reps: 13+5x5

DB Lateral raises, 15 lb dumbbels, Myo-reps: 14+6x5

Pushups w/grip handles, toes elevated 3.5", Rest-Pause: 42+5x10

[Jdizzlean]

you're killing it in here. i don't make excuses anymore, but if i did, all i'd have to do is look here for them to go away. if you can do this at 60+, there's no reason the rest of us can't also at 40+

respect.

[ElrondHubbard]

you're killing it in here. i don't make excuses anymore, but if i did, all i'd have to do is look here for them to go away. if you can do this at 60+, there's no reason the rest of us can't also at 40+

respect.

Thanks, JD, much appreciated. I know all about excuses, I spent about 25 years making them. I got really good at it. It was always a version of "I don't have time, I'm too busy, there's no way to conform it to my work schedule."

Meanwhile, I got older, fatter, tireder, and my joints got more painful. Three weeks after my 59th birthday, I got laid off from my job. Those "busy" excuses had evaporated. Now that it's a priority, my current job doesn't come with excuses. I just come home and lift. And I'm a lot younger now than I was when I started.

My wife is a great motivator too -- she's all in!

[bamazav]

I just come home and lift. And I'm a lot younger now than I was when I started.

Love this line. You are an inspiration and you, and your wife indirectly, motivate me and countless others on here.

[Payton1221]

And I'm a lot younger now than I was when I started.

Signature worthy!!!

My wife is a great motivator too -- she's all in!

That's great for you. My wife doesn't encourage me to workout, but she doesn't discourage me either, and she's VERY tolerant of my time in the gym (done more often than not TOGETHER for the last ~20 months or so) or riding my bike. Every now and then you see someone on bb.com lamenting how their spouse is opposed to their goals. That's just sad.

[TM79]

You are beyond lucky to have a wife that supports you in your training. My wife just doesn't see the value in it (and coincidentally her body is also starting to fall apart from a lack of physical training, etc.). Of course, the way I go at it, I would probably think I was crazy too... Nah, I think she would be more supportive if we weren't in such a hard and demanding time in our lives. Either way, you are very lucky. Good looking progress going on in here too. Each time I check in the increase in weight/volume is noticeable. Great work!

[ElrondHubbard]

Love this line. You are an inspiration and you, and your wife indirectly, motivate me and countless others on here.

That in itself is inspiring to hear, Zav. I would think that there are a lot of examples a lot more worthy of taking inspiration from. All I can say is that this journey has done me a world of good. I don't know where I'd be if I hadn't made the decision to start at age 59. After the health challenges I've encountered, maybe I'd be "in a better place", but I'm sure not ready for that!

[ElrondHubbard]

Signature worthy!!!


That's great for you. My wife doesn't encourage me to workout, but she doesn't discourage me either, and she's VERY tolerant of my time in the gym (done more often than not TOGETHER for the last ~20 months or so) or riding my bike. Every now and then you see someone on bb.com lamenting how their spouse is opposed to their goals. That's just sad.

I've read those stories too, and it really is sad. Having an enthusiastic spouse makes a huge difference, both in my attitude and my outcome. Her health isn't good enough for her to do more than a minimal amount of exercising, and low intensity at that, so in a sense she's lifting vicariously through me. She would love to be able to lift weights, and our hope is that someday she will.

[ElrondHubbard]

You are beyond lucky to have a wife that supports you in your training. My wife just doesn't see the value in it (and coincidentally her body is also starting to fall apart from a lack of physical training, etc.). Of course, the way I go at it, I would probably think I was crazy too... Nah, I think she would be more supportive if we weren't in such a hard and demanding time in our lives. Either way, you are very lucky. Good looking progress going on in here too. Each time I check in the increase in weight/volume is noticeable. Great work!

Thanks, Trent. My wife knows well that whatever benefits I've received from lifting are benefits to her as well. It's not just my health, but the practical benefits that being active, capable and functional brings. We have a lot of projects planned, and once I retire I'm going to be extremely busy. Being healthy and strong will make that possible.

[Payton1221]

. . . and our hope is that someday she will.

My wife and I have a goal to workout together 10X per month, and I keep track too with a post-it note on the microwave. Now a "workout" is defined as either walking on our country road OR going to Planet Fitness together. She only walks on the treadmill at PF but sometimes she will start with a back massage in the chairs they have for the Black card members (I am but a lowly "classic" card holder). We went together on Sunday, and when I don't see her anywhere after my workout is over (it only takes me about 30 minutes or so to do three sets of a pushing/pulling superset followed by leg extensions done Rest/Pause) so I call her phone. She tells me that she's in the bathroom with an upset stomach.

The next day I notice that I didn't add a mark to the post-it note and say to her oh, I forgot to record last night's workout . . . that is IF you call a massage and a $#!+ a "workout"

[ElrondHubbard]

My wife and I have a goal to workout together 10X per month, and I keep track too with a post-it note on the microwave. Now a "workout" is defined as either walking on our country road OR going to Planet Fitness together. She only walks on the treadmill at PF but sometimes she will start with a back massage in the chairs they have for the Black card members (I am but a lowly "classic" card holder). We went together on Sunday, and when I don't see her anywhere after my workout is over (it only takes me about 30 minutes or so to do three sets of a pushing/pulling superset followed by leg extensions done Rest/Pause) so I call her phone. She tells me that she's in the bathroom with an upset stomach.

The next day I notice that I didn't add a mark to the post-it note and say to her oh, I forgot to record last night's workout . . . that is IF you call a massage and a $#!+ a "workout"

Sometimes that CAN be a workout!

I hope she's recovered.

[ElrondHubbard]

We got back from our trip on Monday evening. 1500 miles each way, and another couple hundred miles driving back and forth visiting everyone. I slept very little during that week, and particularly the trip out was extremely stressful. About 200 miles of blowing snow and black ice, multiple semis jack-knifed and overturned, a number of sedans in the ditch or upside down. It was brutal. The final 150 miles was all rain -- not as bad, but still no fun. Kind of scary, actually.

But the main goal was accomplished. My daughter and her betrothed both said "I Do," and then high-tailed it to Disney World. I got to visit with my other kids and grandkids, and had a good time. The groom brought two very cute little girls of his own into the family, so I've effortlessly added two more grandchildren!

The trip home was mostly uneventful. It was still exhausting, though. I did manage to get in a dumbbell workout midweek in our motel room, and got some more exercise with a pushup and bodyweight squat contest with my 10-year old granddaughter. She's a little freight train. Strong kid!

So I did get a real workout in Monday night. Essentially it was a Sunday workout with deadlifts tacked onto the end, but no accessories. Weights and reps were identical to those done the previous Sunday, and the deadlifts were identical to my last Tuesday deadlift session. Everything seemed harder than before, but whether that was due to general deconditioning over the week or my weary state going in, I don't know. I expect I'll be back to normal for tomorrow night's Thursday workout. My task in the meantime is to catch up on sleep!

[ElrondHubbard]

Thursday night was the last scheduled workout of week 9, and a chance to get back into a regular rhythm. Tough night, though. Even though we got back Monday, I still had long drives on Tuesday and Wednesday for work. Not really settled down, and my body was feeling it. Had a bit of an upset stomach, probably related to a week of poor diet. Also I somehow got a metal splinter in my finger (one of the benefits of a cheap barbell), and I have a bruised toe from tripping over said barbell after a set of rows. Not my best night. By the time I finished my main lifts I was spent. I brought out the platform I use for reaching the pullup bar, set it in place, and then just stared at it. I couldn't actually do anything else. So, the accessories didn't happen.

In my defense, though, I will say it was the highest Thursday night volume total I've had since starting this particular comeback, so I wasn't all slug.

Looking forward to this weekend, and hopefully by Sunday evening I'll be fully ready to do everything I want to do in the gym

AND, I've decided not to delay any longer. I'm ordering a new Rogue Castro bar. It's bare steel, so I can hopefully expect no splinters from it.


Bench Press:
95x5
115x5
145x8
165x7
165x7
145x26 -- 9+5+4+4+4, Rest-Pause

Squat:
95x5
120x5
150x8
170x8
170x8
150x25 -- 10+5+5+5, Rest-Pause

BB Row:
95x5
120x5
150x8
170x8
170x8
150x25 -- 10+5+5+5, Rest-Pause

Overhead Press:
50x5
65x5
77x9
90x8
90x8
77x24 -- 10+5+5+4, Rest-Pause


No accessories!

[MoEcho]

Inspirational is an understatement. In and following! Heidi

[ElrondHubbard]

Inspirational is an understatement. In and following! Heidi

Thanks, Heidi. Looking at your journal is inspiring too. The fact that we're here and doing what we do is one of the biggest advantages we have.

[ElrondHubbard]

Now I get to start a normal schedule again, at Week 10 of this particular comeback. Sunday went better than I had expected. I increased the weight on the lifts, and assumed that would mean my reps would decrease. Surprisingly, they held steady for the most part. I ended up adding to my total volume a little as well as to the weights. So I was happy with that. I also completed all my planned accessories, and improved in some. I'm feeling the soreness tonight, but it's a good sore.

Well, except for where I got a booster shot on Friday. I need to get a few extra vaccinations to compensate my immune system for the loss of my spleen, and this particular one had a delayed reaction, giving my left deltoid some swelling and a fair amount of persistent pain. It's slowly fading, but it's staying with me longer than I'd like. Still, it doesn't seem to have interfered with Sunday's lifts much.

Morning weight: 163 lbs. More than I'd wanted, but my eating over the vacation week wasn't exactly flawless.

Bench Press:
95x5
120x5
150x8
170x7
150x21 -- 8+5+4+4, Rest-Pause

Squat:
95x5
125x5
155x8
175x8
155x22 -- 9+5+4+4, Rest-Pause

BB Row:
95x5
125x5
155x8
175x8
155x24 -- 9+5+5+5, Rest-Pause

Overhead Press:
50x5
65x5
80x8
95x7
80x25 -- 9+5+4+4+3, Rest-Pause

So I dropped one rep on my max overhead press compared to the pre-journey Sunday workout, but I actually added to the rest-pause set, so it more than evened out. I do want to get that rep back though!


Accessories:
Pullups, bodyweight: 12+12+12
Chinups, bodyweight: 13+13

Stiff-Legged Deadlift, 160 pounds, Myo-reps: 14+5+5+5+5..... Down by a mini-set compared to previous

DB Lateral Raises, 15 pounds, Myo-reps: 14 + 30 (6 sets of 5)
Pushups w/grip handles, Toes raised on 3.5" platform, Rest-Pause: 45+50 (5 sets of 10)

Tuesday is deadlift. I know that one's going up!

[MoEcho]

I love it when that happens -- Weight goes up, reps stay the same! No better feeling in the world!

[ElrondHubbard]

I love it when that happens -- Weight goes up, reps stay the same! No better feeling in the world!

I gotta take it while I can get it! It won't happen for long.

[ElrondHubbard]

Midpoint of week 10, and I think I'm noticing a pattern. Seems like when I have a really good workout on Sunday, my following Tuesday workout degrades a little. That happened on this Tuesday. It wasn't terrible, still a productive workout, but I was down on energy and didn't quite have the stamina or the work capacity that I'd planned. The accessories fell out, as they often do mid-week. I noticed the Overhead Press was really tough as well, and I didn't get as many reps from it as I wanted. The deadlifts went up fine, with five pounds additional added, but they're still well below what I'd consider heavy. It'll be a few weeks, I think, before they become truly challenging.

In spite of it all, I did get a marginally higher total volume this time, by 416 pounds, than I did on my last Tuesday session three weeks ago. Now that they're going to be regular again maybe the capacity will recover.

I do notice my grip is more problematic than it used to be, and I may have to start using my cobra grips again earlier. I suspect the middle finger on my left hand may be showing just a touch of arthritis. Part of it may be simply the need to develop some toughness in the palms again to keep the knurling from being too painful.


Incline Bench:
90x5
110x8
135x7
110x24 -- 9+5+5+5, Rest-Pause

Squat:
95x5
125x5
155x7
155x7

Overhead Press:
50x5
65x5
80x7
95x6
80x20 -- 8+4+4+4, Rest-Pause

Deadlift:
150x5
170x7
200x7
225x7


Accessories: (Not really plural)

Pullups, one set, 10 reps.



On to Thursday, expecting great things!

[MoEcho]

What do you like most about the rest-pause sets? I did a couple of cycles of these a few years back and loved the 'quickness' of my sets.
Do you ever feel like you've got more in the tank? (Maybe I was doing it wrong) LOL

[TM79]

Things are looking good and moving along well in here. I'm amazed at how analytical you are about how you feel, etc. I've noticed that I will wake up feeling tired following a big session lately too. Then again, with the stress of work and young kids, I wake up tired every day and it is always a struggle... Nah, I would think that over time, and with increased effort, that will go away for you. I know you were probably referring more to your ability to hit your training numbers, but I suppose it all comes down to the same thing. Recovery. I had a friend tell me the other day that "overtraining is a myth." I assured him that I have reached the age that it is certainly real. Your body can do two things when faced with stress. Adapt and overcome or break down. Pushing that boundry has become an obsession for me. Keep up the great work my friend!

[ElrondHubbard]

What do you like most about the rest-pause sets? I did a couple of cycles of these a few years back and loved the 'quickness' of my sets.
Do you ever feel like you've got more in the tank? (Maybe I was doing it wrong) LOL

I was introduced to rest-pause sets by another journaler here, bamazav. I thought about it for a while, did some reading, and piddled around with it. When I began my "second comeback" this past December, I decided to incorporate it more fully, and I'm glad I did.

It's based on the concept of "Effective Reps", which has recently been poo-poo'ed by Greg Nuckols, but in reading and re-reading his article, it really didn't seem to address the type of approach to it that rest-pause involves. I like it because it allows a large amount of volume in "hard sets", where you don't waste a lot of reps in the buildup prior to muscle fatigue. In other words, the muscle is fatigued with each rep, but there's just enough rest in between so that you can continue on without failing. It allows more volume close to failure, which I think is the opposite of "junk volume".

Sometimes I feel like I have a little more left in the tank, but rarely. And that's easily addressed by either making the weight slightly heavier, or by adding another mini-set at the end.

I can't say that it's led to a gain in my maximum strength, but I do think it is giving me a hypertrophy response. I don't feel as strong as I did prior to my surgery, but overall I seem to have as much if not more muscle development. My wife definitely notices, and she's the one I'm trying to impress the most!


At the end of this mesocycle I'm going to shift more to a strength-building approach. I don't know yet how much of rest-pause I'll include in that. But I think for a cutting or hypertrophy cycle it's extremely satisfying to me.