Grip it and Rip it Cav. Sounds like you are in the right place for sure, mind , body , and spirit. Awsome work Cav.
Thanks very much, Dude. It’s doesn’t often happen that someone tells me I’m strong to my face - not will get strong someday, but strong now. I know I’m no Dave Tate, but I’m so starved for confidence I’ll grab it.
Bench day today.
45 x 15
95 x 8
115 x 7
135 x 4 . x 4
155 x 1 . I REALLY shouldn’t had tried this, it was a grinder, damn close to yelling for help
95 x 10 . x 10 . x 10 . x 10
I shouldn’t push those weights, but I keep thinking they should be light, just doesn’t look like much. At least form was good, body felt good. Gotta remember to tense back and lats, helps so much.
FreeMotion Hi Row
7 x 10
8 x 10
9 x 10
DB flies
20 x 10 . x 10
25 x 8 . x 8
finally figured out if I tense back during this, the weights just bounce right up.
Tri Rope Extension
50 x 12
60 x 10 . x 10 . x 10
Face pulls
50 x 10
70 x 10 . x 10
80 x 8
definitely getting stronger on these.
My pecs are KILLING me today, didn’t expect such bad DOMS. Really stretched on the DB flies. And to think I actually considered adding in dips . . .
Hey Cav: have a question for you. With any of your major lifts (say BP, DL, Squat, the Press), have you made progress in strength over the past year? I know you have been doing this for a while and I am wondering if you are still making strength gains. Just thought I compare myself to another metric.
Srpres, that’s a good question. Gains, at least for me, come really slowly, I’m lucky to see much change over a year. Let me grab my handy dandy notebook from a year ago (or I could look at my old log) . . .
Deadlift: in Apr, I lifted 275 at the meet. That was my max. Later in the year, lifted 310. Improvement. My DL training has kicked up weights about 30 lbs.
Squat: took vids of my squat in Mar and posted on my log. They were sky high, had to redo from scratch. Went to box squats with broomstick. Kept at it. By end of year did 200 x 5 good and low. Very happy. Now trying to repeat that . . . did 155 x 5 last week. Think it was noobie gains for muscles I haven’t been working.
Bench: zilch. Max about 155 or 165 a year ago. Two days ago, did 155 for a grinder. %*#&@!, just doesn’t grow. Only consolation, recently bench doesn’t hurt or cause any problems, last year, needed tons of massage & recovery stuff.
OH Press: barely, BARELY any gains. Maybe 1 extra rep in the same weight.
Bear in mind I’ve been lifting weights for some 30 years now. Serious barbell stuff within the past 10 yrs.
You know, this would make a great subject for a new thread.
Miscellaneous stuff before the big DL session tomorrow:
DB side raise
10 x 12 . x 12
15 x 7
20 x 4 . x 3
15 x 6
20 x 3
form broke down at 20, got them done, not too pretty
Smith machine chins (feet on floor)
x 10 . x 10 . x 10 . x 10
Standing calf
135 x 12
175 x 10
195 x 10
DB curl
10 x 10
20 x 8 . x 8
OH Press
45 x 15
55 x 10
§5 x 10
75 x 8
85 x 6
95 x 3
85 x 5
75 x 6
guess I should be happy, considering I had hit shoulders with raises
Side planks
several per side
Thanks for the response. That pretty much sounds like me–plateaued on chest and shoulders, but keep going up (albeit very slowly) of DL and Sq. What Ive noticed is even if I eat a lot I dont seem to gain strenth. If I eat a lot on a good lifting day I dont gain weight (or strength), but if I eat a lot on a non weight day I just get heavier. Because there is no gain in strength, I assume its fat.
This weight lifting stuff aint easy for me, but I do feel better.
Second workout with Randy. Deadlifts today. We chatted a bit about what I had done in the past (310 a few months ago, 275 at the meet), then he watched my form.
DL
45 x 8
135 x 8 . x 5
He then put me on sumo and we went from there:
185 x 5 . he said that was too heavy for me, took weight down
155 x 5 . x 5 . x 5 . x 5 . x 5
by the end, I was gasping, panting, wheezing and sprawled out over whatever equipment was nearby. He was VERY fussy on form - head back, shoulders back (that was the hardest to remember), butt down, act like it’s a squat. Still, he didn’t have too many complaints.
Then he showed me simple kettlebell swings - both hands, start under crotch, swing up to head level.
20 x 10
20 x 30
that last one just killed me, it felt like 5 guys pounding me with baseball bats. It took about 5 min to catch my breath.
I asked about programs - how fast can I gain, etc? He mentioned 4 days/week of DL, assistance, bench, and squat, very basic. Then he said “But you’re over 50 . . .”
Another training session next week - I assume bench.
Ya know, I think I met those same five guys with bats…
Solid work man, keep it up.
It sounds like you are really enjoying the lifting, and thats pretty much what it’s all about.
Tyrfryer, you have my sympathies. Here’s wishing your body toughens up quickly and it don’t feel so bad.
Joe, umm . . . exactly where in “5 guys pounding me with baseball bats” are you reading enjoyment? Is that your idea of enjoyment? Then again, anyone who thinks Smolov is fun should have a high level of pain tolerance.
OK. After the brutal session, I ate like crazy and got a good night’s sleep. Next day felt like a million bucks. Today my pecs stopped hurting. Whole upper body felt hard and strong. Couldn’t wait to do some benching.
Bench
45 x 15
95 x 8
105 x 8
115 x 8 . x 8 . x 8 . x 8
yeah, felt just a tiny bit easier
Seat row - s-t-r-e-t-c-h the lats like crazy
90 x 10
100 x 10
110 x 10
120 x 10
Dips
x 5 . x 5 . x 5 . x 5
yeah, these were the real deal, no assistance. Didn’t get all the way down, but pretty far, and damn if they didn’t feel almost easy.
DB side raise
10 x 10
15 x 8 . x 6 . x 7
left shoulder started hurting, but then got form locked in and felt OK.
DB flies
20 x 10
25 x 10 . x 10 . x 10
Tri Extension
50 x 12
70 x 8 . x 8
Thats a shit ton of volume, nice work!
thanks, Matty. Hmm . . . didn’t seem like a lot of volume, I just wanted to do a good, complete workout for upper body.
Cav, your latest lift read like you are getting your mojo back…sweet! Keep up the good work!
Well hello my fellow scoliosiser (ha, new word I just made up). I’ve actually never tried the kettlebell thing yet, but sounds like they are great for releasing some fine endorphins. One of my Olifting friends, who is a trainer got this idea in her head to create a program that combines Zumba and Kettlebells, er not sure how that works but…
Kairiki, thanks very much. I seem to be stumbling on things that are working, definitely want to push them.
Techno, it’s strange how many people on T-Nation have some kind of scoliosis, I was under the impression it was pretty rare, especially for guys. I saw a statistic that only 1 in 6000 boys get it or something like that. I count my blessings that I don’t have the problems you’re having, you really have to fight for your workouts.
The trainer seems kettlebell happy, he’s got most of his clients doing it. Fine with me - I’ve never done kettlebells before, and it’s fun to do something different.
Cav, my meeting with the baseball bat guys was a while back; I’ve been lazy lately, so no pain. Nice upper lifting, very well rounded. Were you able to outrun the bats this time?
Tyrfryer, thanks, was able to outrun the batsmen. First, it was upper body instead of squats or deads which definitely overload your cardio system. Second, paced myself instead of cramming everything into a half hour - the training sessions are only 30 minutes and guess I should be grateful the trainer is getting everything in, but it’s a real rush. Third, there seems to be a little stress when someone’s watching me and that probably adds to the problem.
Try to do a session like that every now and then, it’s painful, but if you eat good afterwards and rest up, should feel like a million bucks.
So you’ve moved, started your teaching gig and found a better gym and cheaper place to stay - all sounds good to me!
Thanks, Soldog. Things are going well except for one thing . . . the school doesn’t pay much. I redid my finances and discovered I need to get a job - no way can make it on this.
OK, this is weird. Still losing weight. I dropped down under 200, first time in several years. I’m eating like crazy, although erratic eating on school days - can’t take much with me. That’s 2 days a week.
Observation: I’m nowhere near the levels of most other folks. Still, considering where I started, have made a lot of progress. I’m way stronger than my father, he was a terribly frail man, even though he worked outside a lot. I’m stronger than my brother, stronger than my nephew. I come from very mediocre stock, so it’s been an uphill battle for me, but definitely made progress.
Squat day:
Squats
95 x 8
135 x 6
155 x 5
165 x 5 . x 5 . x 5 . x 5
form started getting shaky on 165 - didn’t seem to be getting hips out of the way, but seemed to get low anyway.
Leg Press
180 x 12
230 x 10
270 x 10
felt good
Standing calf
175 x 12
195 x 10 . x 10
getting a little better on these
Extreme sumo dl
95 x 12
145 x 10
195 x 8 . x 5