So decided to take a week off, sortof. Going to gym but taking it easy with light weights. Try to rest up and figure out what my step is.
1 Like
Thanks, but I wasn’t intending to hit failure. The weight just started crushing me. After all these years I’ve spent busting my butt in the gym, a 115 bench (pounds, not kilos) shouldn’t bury me like this.
1 Like
You’d think when you get up around our age we’d be past the point of worrying about our poundage but we never do. probably a good thing cause it helps motivate us.
1 Like
That’s because I’ve never had poundages. I’ve fought and fought to get this body stronger, and everyone says “be patient, it takes time” and it’s been 45 yrs of training so it should be getting results by now, shouldn’t it?
1 Like
Okay, so took the week off. Just did a medley of very light stuff. Felt recovered, so decide to try some some maxes to see what the past few months accomplished.
Squat
95 x 5
115 x 3
135 x 1
155 x 1
175 x 1 heavy, couldn’t get all the way down
Bench
65 x 7
95 x 3
115 x 1
135 x 1 failure
That was it. No improvement whatsoever. Sweat and effort and eating till I burst and 10 hrs of sleep every night and no change. Was going to try deadlift but why bother, just left the gym.
2 Likes
Sounds like you’re getting frustrated. Id like to point out that whatever program your working is clearly not working for you. You’ve stuck with it and seen consistent inconsistencies; can I suggest a different program?
What does your diet look like?
1 Like
Don’t have an answer for you. At our age, think we’re the same, it’s extremely hard to make gains. Does sound like you’re not in a good place mentally for lifting and missing the lifts could be something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Now hopefully someone will jump in here with some more useful advice.
1 Like
Well, guess what. Went back through my logs and turns out I was lifting more just a few months ago. Seems I lost strength on this dippy program. A simple push pull was doing more than this fancy thing.
Oh, checked back in the book. In addition to the sample program he gives, he also gives the programs used by some of his powerlifters. Turns out they’re different from the one I was using! He was messing up the program!
And people wonder why I’m so skeptical of the “experts”.
Diet is fine. High protein, veggies, some carb. Had a brush with pre-diabetes, gotta watch carbs. But turns out the more meat I pack down the better I feel.
1 Like
To be fair Harry, it was even harder to make gains when I started training at 18. Wasn’t until my mid-50’s that had any results to speak of.
1 Like
Okay. Throw out the old program. Keep going with a powerlifting thing (because it’s simple). But start out light for a while.
Deadlift
115 x 10
135 x 9
135 x 8
135 x 8
135 x 8
Leg curl
160 x 10
160 x 9
160 x 8
140 x 9
140 x 8
Bar curl
40 x 10
40 x 10
40 x 10
Seat rows
77 x 13
99 x 10
110 x 8
110 x 8
these do seem to help a lot for deads
6 Likes
Gotta tell ya. Your leg curls are stronger than mine. As I said in another log I’ve got the leg curl strength of a 12 year old girl. Your numbers on the other lifts here aren’t bad at all.
1 Like
Bench assistance day
Dips no weight
5 x 5
Incline Bench
45 x 10
65 x 8
65 x 8
75 x 7
75 x 7
95 x 5
all done strict form
Tri pushdown
2 plates x 10
2 1/2 x 8
3 x 8
3 x 8
2 1/2 x 8
Ab crunch
x 15 x 12 x 14
hold at top
5 Likes
Squat day, still going light
95 x 8
105 x 8
105 x 9
105 x 8
105 x 8
Leg X
150 x 10
150 x 8
150 x 8
150 x 8
hold at top, pause at bottom with tension
Side planks
x 10 x 10 x 10
been ages since I’ve done these, but not hard
Ab crunch
x 10
x 10
paused for several seconds at top
3 Likes
Bench (pounds)
45 x 10
65 x 8
80 x 9
80 x 9
80 x 9
80 x 9 pause on chest
Dips
x 5 x 5 x 5
Shoulder press machine
40 x 10
40 x 9
40 x 8
40 x 7
Tri pushdown
2 plates x 10
3 x 8
3 x 8
3 x 8
3 x 8
4 Likes
Gained a pound of bodyweight, weights seemed a tad lighter
Go up a bit but still light weights
Deadlift scoliosis stance
115 lbs x 9
145 x 8
145 x 8
145 x 8
145 x 8
Ham machine
160 x 12
160 x 10
160 x 8 went up a bit, yay
Bar curl
50 x 10
50 x 8
50 x 7
Seated rows
110 x 10
110 x 9
110 x 8
3 Likes
Bench accessary day.
Incline bench
45 x 10
65 x 10
75 x 8
95 x 6
100 x 5
good form on everything
Dips
x 6 x 6 x 6 x 6
slight pause at bottom
Crunch
x 12 x 12 x 12
long pause at top
Tri pushdown
2 plates x 12
3 x 10
4 x 5
4 x 5
3 x 8
Wrist curl - I have godawful thin arms
40 x 30
60 x 12
60 x 12
talk about lactic acid burn, wow
4 Likes
Good man
1 Like
It was a good workout, thanks.
Squat
95 lbs x 8
115 x 8
115 x 8
115 x 8
115 x 8
Abduct/adduct
90 x 12
100 x 8
90 x 8
Leg X
150 x 13
160 x 8
160 x 8
160 x 8
gave it my all, could barely walk afterwards
6 Likes