Aging Chimp: Be Hard to Kill

Training Logs
41

3/6

It’s official: sinusitis. 21 year history of chronic sinus infections, had surgery 18 years ago. Blah. I don’t usually catch what is going around but between fighting allergies AND fighting off all the other stuff…bam.

Time for Prednisone. I refuse antibiotics. They don’t work anymore for this problem.

It’s funny watching the reaction of providers when I insist on prednisone and refuse antibiotics. Uh, antibiotic resistant bacteria anyone? Bueller? Bueller?

Guess I have some rest days coming. Hard to lift when your entire head feels like exploding when you bend over.

1 Like
42

3/6: Pull

*Got Prednisone onboard so now I’m Invincible. And jittery. And bored. Two part session coming up.

Noonish: bicep only done. Will finish back work when my lady is off work. Otherwise she won’t train :grin:

1 Like
43

3/6: Pull (cont.)
*Courtesy of steroids! And not the anabolic kind.

Seated J row: 85x8
Face pull: 40xmany
Below knee clean pull w/ 2 second hold shrug/rep:275x3x2, 245x3

Good enough. Kept the pulls light and smooth. Power. No double knee bend or hip extension per se.

Now I’m drenched in cold sweat. The Prednisone sweats.

1 Like
44

3/7: A New Challenger has entered the ring.

I was telling my wife I’m getting that meathead itch i.e. need some more power movements in my training.
*It could also be the full force of Prednisone hitting me.

I will never go back to pushing the standard Big 3 or the Olympic lifts. Too much mileage in those areas=lots of cumulative damage in thise areas.

So why not go back in time? I’ve always enjoyed reading about the OG’s of strength training (more modern times). Saxon and Sig Klein always impressed me.

An what better metric of brute strength and technique than Sig’s dumbell clean and press challenge? Clean and press a pair of 75 lb dumbells for 12 reps without rest. Then you can start to call yourself a man.

He could manage it at 64 inches, 150 lbs.

I came downstairs, dialed the Nuobells to 75 lbs, cleaned and pressed them smoothly. For 1 rep. But it was rock solid. Felt great. I haven’t cleaned a dumbell in over 20 years but it was good.

Came back in 30 minutes and that reattempt sucked.

I’m 67 inches, 180 lbs, and nearing </=15% bodyfat. Sig was ripped, probably 10%.

I got me some catching up to do😈

1 Like
45

3/7: Clean and Pressing while sick. Grease the Groove addition.

Note to self: sub-maximal weights, high frequency training is magic money for pressing. For me. First strict Olympic press (without the excessive layback) of 200-lbs at 165-lbs bodyweight was accomplished with Escalating Density Training.

Just getting a feel for the movement today. Working on several firearm projects downstairs so every 30+ minutes, I do a single clean and press with dual 65-lbers. I figure this is around 4 RIR.

I’m at 75x1, 65 x7 singles today.

I’ll likely do this speckled throughout the week but more in a density/cluster set fashion.

Upper body Push will continue to emphasize shoulder strength, size, and healthy. This has been lots of lateral raises, cable upright rows, T-bar landmibe presses.

Only “chest” work will continue to be low incline presses and dips unless I’m feeling froggy to train my chesticles more.

1 Like
46

3/10: Push…and sick as a dog.

Kneeling cable lateral: 20x10, 15x10+3

Muscle snatch: sets using 65-85 lbs.
*coughing like I have the tuberculosis.

PJR: 70x11, 60x10

Leg extension: 60xmyo-many

Done. Very done.

1 Like
47

3/12: Pull. And STILL sick

Cable curl: 45x6, 35x8

Neutral grip cable row: 120x11-5-2

Incline hammer curl: 30xreps, 25xreps

Hamstring curl: 25xreps

All “meh” but cable curls and rows felt good. Goddamn sinusitis. And Prednisone withdrawal.

1 Like
48

3/15: Performance Day

Dual DB clean and press: 65x1x10
*Rest pause style for 10 singles. Focus on explosion.

Chin up: +25x3, +35x3, +45x3, +53 (24 kg KB)x3
*full stretch, explosive concentric, controlled eccentric.

Dip (forward lean): 25x3, 35x3, 50x3, 70x3

Clean pull from below knee with 2 second shrug hold/rep: worked up to 275x3

Zercher squat: 95x3xnope
*knees not ready

DB curl: 25->20->15 dropset while thevwife wraps up.

Notes:

I’ve decided on full deviation from my beloved mainstay of Push/Pull.

It will satisfy both my newfound love for bodybuilder-ish training with strength/power work.

It will now be: A: Limbs (arms, legs), B: Torso (shoulders, chest, back), C: Performance

The “C” session will advance my never achieved lifetime desire of dual clean and pressing two 75 lbers for 12 reps in one set. It will be focused on power, not bodybuilding style reps/sets. Eccentric will be quicker, concentric more explosive.

A/B sessions will continue my higher intensity bodybuilding stuff.

And I only feel 1/4 dead. Sinuses and bronchials still pissed.

1 Like
49

3/17: Torso

45 degree incline press: 155x6, 135x8
*2 sec pause at the clavicle/rep.

Seated cable row: 140x8, 110x11

Cable upright row: 45x10, 35x10

Slight decline dumbbell pullover: work up sets of 5 starting at 30, ending at 80 fir a buncha reps. Deep stretch.

Standing cuff lateral: 20x0 RIR

This was a good start to the new split. Strength down a bit on presses but understood considering Saturday’s session.

1 Like