I’m 44 years old and have trained on and off for years. I think 2018 was the last time I was in good shape and I haven’t lifted a barbell since 2021. I’ve trained sporadically with kettlebells doing presses, rows, goblet squats and swings.
Recently, I set up a home gym because my wife wanted to lift weights. Surprisingly, when I tested my strength I was able to easily bench 100kg, squat 120kg and do 8 dead hang neutral grip chin ups. It’s fired me up a bit to lift some weights.
My main goal is fat loss, because I’m fat, and I’m not happy about it. My second goal is to reach a level where I feel comfortable competing at my local athletics club in the masters division.
Over 6 months ago I damaged a ligament in my foot / ankle doing sprints and that has held me back from training but because it only aches on occasion now, I’m hoping I can consistently train again, while it continues to fully repair.
So yeah, I want to look better, move better and be injury free. I’ve looked through some training logs and see there are some real beasts here. Don’t expect any strength records on this log, but I’ll do some lifting and see where it takes me.
I’ll add some weight to the bench press and front squat then start again from 3x5. I’d add weight to the chin ups too but the last set on the 5x5 day were real grinders, so I’ll keep it at bodyweight. I looked at some different lifting routines, but I couldn’t find anything I liked.
I’ve been trying to hit my step goal, but no cardio training sessions yet. Diet has been paleo-esque combined with intermittent fasting, with some bad diet days here and there slowing things down.
A few people have already asked if I’ve lost weight which is motivating although there’s still plenty of work to do. This is progress so far, after 3-4 weeks.
