[quote]brotardscience wrote:
Strick Welcome back!
glad to hear you and the family are well, good news on the house.
[/quote]
Hey…I know you! Thanks for the warm return, all. Unfortunately, my numbers did not…read on.
First day back. 18 months since I last handled a barbell. 6-7 months since I last touched a dumbbell. You would think, by now, I would know to expect the worst after such a long layoff, filled with sedentary office work. Reality is definitely a Bitch!
Bench
First let me say that I DO NOT like the benches at the Y. They are narrow. I never felt stable on it…teetering back and forth. My bench must be 1-2 inches wider. The pegs are at the wrong height. My arms are about 1 1/2 inches too short for the top pegs. Which means I have about a 4 1/2 inch press, starting at the top of my head, to unrack the bar. It is not adjustable. Without a spotter to help unrack it, forget holding any form.
barx20
95x10
135x10
185x10
225x10
255x5
275x1 - This was supposed to be two. The first rep was good for another 15 or 20#, but I hit empty hard on the way back down.
225x5 - with narrower MP grip.
That was very disheartening. Going from 315x12 to 275x1…well, I am sure you can imagine.
Narrow Row type thingies
They do not have a seated row machine…at least not cable, where you can change the bar. They did have some sort of rowing-like machine where the handles were directly in front of you and about 8-10 inches apart. Sorry, I am wider than that. It still blasted something in my upper back, though.
130x10
170x10
210x7
190x8
Pec Deck…using my hands instead of forearms. I guess it is a mechanical flye.
90x10
130x10
170x10
DB Rows
50x10
65x10
70x10
Sadly, I was absolutely wiped out after this. It is really a testament to how unforgiving the body is to laziness…or at least putting other things first. Maybe this time I will remember that!?
On the good side…
- I actually got a workout in. I would question whether or not this qualified, but given how I felt, it has to qualify as something.
- I actually felt my muscles do something, even if reluctantly. I would have better luck asking my youngest to mow the yard.
- I will be sore for days. It’ll suck…but in that oh so awesome way.
- With these numbers, it can only go up
Now its official…Welcome Back to the Iron !
[quote]OldGoat wrote:
Now its official…Welcome Back to the Iron ! [/quote]
Thanks OG. It was a very rude welcome back party. Soreness is really set in today.
Tomorrow is MP day. We will see how that goes. After my awful return to bench, I am thinking that 185# might be a stretch. Anything less than 200#+, though, is gonna really piss me off.
Not that I don’t deserve it.
Muscle memory is a great thing. With regular work you should be back close to where you were before in relatively short order.
[quote]DBasler wrote:
Muscle memory is a great thing. With regular work you should be back close to where you were before in relatively short order. [/quote]
Thanks DB. I am holding out hope for that. After tomorrow I will have a better feel for things.
My birthday is the end of the month. So, I hope to be beyond the soreness and seeing some sort of return by then.
Now the 1st MP workout is in the books. I can’t say that I was elated with it. That would have required a set of 275x5. But, considering the circumstances, I am pleased. The MP weights did not feel heavy to unrack, which is a plus. It was actually pressing it where the layoff became obvious…
Also, My brother worked out with me. We haven’t done that in…probably 25 years. Good to be up here and have him to do things with…
MP
barx15
95x10
135x10 - (not as fast as they used to be…or will be again)
165x10
185x5
205x3x2 - Was pleased with this. Felt heavier than I would like. Fatigued way too quickly. But, dammit, it is over 200#.
Also, I thought about a set at 225#. With no belt, though, which normally goes on at 185#, I figured why risk it.
Lat Pulls
110x10
150x10
170x8
170x5
130x10
Incline Reverse Flyes
30x10
35x10x2
DB Laterals
20x10
25x10x2
1-arm db Side Raise
25x10
Doesn’t look like much, but it, again, wore me out. Not the workouts I hope to have, but after Wednesday’s awful showing, I’ll take it.
My brother then drug me directly onto the racquetball court. Bad idea. If I had to move more than 10 feet, I just gave him the point…lol.
BW is down 6.4# from last weekend.
Leg press and arms tomorrow. Should be a fun day. Hoping my brother can go with me.
Legs and Arms
As many of you know, I quit squats and deads because of my spondy and perpetual back pain. But the Y has leg press! It doesn’t work my core, like the other two, (which sucks, since that would so help the MP) but at least it works the legs and doesn’t overly bother my back.
Also, my brother worked out with me again, today. He brought along his middle son (14). He’s the oldest still at home.
Leg Press - 103# sled
283x10
373x10
463x10
553x10
733x10
913x10
283x10
Tricep Pushdowns
90x20
120x15
150x10
180x10
210x8
Drop set
210x7
170x5
130x5
90x6
50x7
Preacher Curls
45 x10
65x10
75x10
DB Curls
35x8
Drop set
30x7
20x6
10x5
My arms haven’t burned like that in years. It was painful as hell. Not a lot of work. But enough to get the soreness started and over with soon.
Somehow, I forgot, except for the pwo shake, to eat anything between 8:00 this morning and 7:00 tonight. If I don’t sleep well tonight, there is no hope for it.
Burnt arms …I love it…Must be nice to workout with your brother…
Paul, it is really good to be able to workout with him. I just don’t want him going too much or he will embarrass me.
Back in his prime, he could bench 465, incline press 495 and squat 700+. Talk about built like a fire plug. He is 5’7" and, at his lightest (during boot camp in the Navy) was about 225+#. They worked his poor ass off, because of his weight…but it was mainly muscle.
He actually has competed in powerlifting…back in his late teens.
He and I lift very differently, though. He is slow, controlled and methodical. I am mainly controlled, but I try to be more explosive in my lifts. Like on rear delt raises…he is the same speed, top to bottom. I don’t jerk, but do try for rapid acceleration off the bottom.
I think my lifting revolves more around explosiveness and load. Once my body accepts the load, I use explosiveness to power through the sticking points. As that top weight goes up, the sticking points will naturally get stronger, due to the increased load.
At least that is what seems to have work for my MPs.
Anyway…week 2 starts today, with bench, assuming we get this damned VPN problem fixed.
I am going to drag a wider bench over from the DB area and use the power rack. Just like home …
Ohhh, I think we need Brother Strick to start a log !!!
Nice work. Got your arms all swoll. Great you’re working out with your bro and nephew. Make for some healthy competition.
Paul, my brother doesn’t have time to sleep, let alone blog. He is go, go, go.
Steve, it is awesome! I have him on every lift, right now, except legs…where we are pretty even. Given where he was, though, he will likely catch and pass me. Except in MP
For now, I am enjoying being a little stronger, since he kicks my ass every time we play racquetball.
Honestly, though, I don’t feel much competition with him. We much prefer being on the same team.
Bench Day!
Well, I didn’t set any PRs, but it was a damned sight better than last Wednesday. Also, Bro (Will) got in his first bench workout in a couple of years. And, it gave me someone to help unrack the weight! I did find a slightly better bench, but still prefer my setup.
Bench Press
barx15
95x10
135x10
185x10
225x5
255x5
285x3
305x1
315x1 - Good rep. Not 12 reps, unfortunately, but it had another 15 or 20# in it. 40# better than last week.
225x14
DB Rows
70x10
80x10
90x10
Mechanical Flyes
130x10
170x10
210x10
Seated Row Machine Thingy
130x10
170x10
190x10
Again, not a lot of volume. Just working the weight up on my primary movement and working the rest enough to get rid of soreness and try to get some muscular endurance.
Finished with two games of racquetball.
Even though you are sore, I’m sure it feels pretty damn good to get back after it.
No PR??? You’ve been back at it for like two weeks right? Come on man.
Paul, it definitely feels good to be back at it! The soreness has already started to abate. Of course, today is MP workout #2. So, I am sure some will come back. Since tomorrow is Leg Press day #2, I KNOW it will come back.
My brother is on days this week, which means twelve hours shifts during the day. So, no lifting partner. These are the best two days not to have him around. But, I am kind of getting used to him being there.
Steve, no real life PRs. Maybe I should start a new category…CBPR (come back personal record)? In which case, Wednesday’s 315# is a 40# PR from the week before…lol.
No PRs will be set today either. I would like to improve on the 205x3x2. If the stars align, I might even try for 225x1. I get wary trying a 225# MP without a belt, though.
I think I have figured out a couple of short term goals, though. I am setting the start of summer as the window…
Bench - back above 350#
MP - back above 250#
Leg Press - load the machine to its stated max (1363#, with the sled) and get at least 7 reps
Weight Loss - drop 20#
We shall see…
MP Day…
2nd MP workout since starting back. Again, nothing earth shattering. But, I think my 250# by summer goal might be in danger before May gets out.
No racquetball today, since my brother was working. So, I upped the volume a little.
Military Press
barx20
95x10
135x10
165x5
195x3
215x3
225x2 - A long way from 12! Tried a 3rd rep but was out of gas.
235x1 - was kind of cumbersome without a belt. Core was stable, but I was concentrated on it and not the press.
185x8 - gassed
Face Pulls - oh how I love these…really
80x15
110x12
130x10
150x10x2
DB Laterals
30x10
35x8
drop set - 40x7, 30x5, 20x4, 10x5
30x10
Cable Rear Delt Pulls
30x8
drop set - 30x8, 20x5 , 15x6
Lat Pulls
110x12
150x10x2
drop set - 150x8, 110x6, 70x8, 30x20
Forward Raises
45# platex10x2
Tired… Looking forward to leg press tomorrow.
I have discovered another negative to public gyms…cardio bunnies. While I don’t see most of them, the ones that come over and do squats afterwards (props to them) can be distracting. Sometimes I think the only differences between 16 and 46 is that I make more money, recover slower, and have learned to keep my thoughts and gawking to myself.
Back to 235 OHP and 315 Bench in two weeks! You are well on the way to shattering your goals.
nice way to be back