Deadkong's Latest Journal

Training Over 35 Lifter
41

Just thinking about it, I am taking some time off. It has been about 8 or so weeks on this program and it might be beneficial anyway to recover, but also I still have the slightest glimmer of a sore throat that I notice when I swallow.

I don’t know how long I want off, and I am thinking of continuing with the same routine, I like doing it. I otherwise would hit 5/3/1 again, but I get bummed out about missing weekly targets. Also, as my recent routine is a minimalist 3 day split, I don’t want to reach an overtrained state.

The other good thing is the time off should yield some improvement.

42

I remember reading an article way back that said if the illness is above the neck, blocked nose, sore throat, headache etc, it’s OK to lift. If it’s below the neck, cough, chest infection etc, it’s not.

Sounds like you’ve got a bit of burnout though, so maybe a short break is the right call.

43

[quote]FarmerBrett wrote:
I remember reading an article way back that said if the illness is above the neck, blocked nose, sore throat, headache etc, it’s OK to lift. If it’s below the neck, cough, chest infection etc, it’s not.

Sounds like you’ve got a bit of burnout though, so maybe a short break is the right call.
[/quote]

I don’t know how anyone could get an idea like that. As to burnout, no, I am recovering from a low grade virus of some type.

44

Today.

So, it is Sunday, and I haven’t trained in a full week. I did a very reduced deadlift thing then before I realized I am still a bit sick. Since then I have done a fair bit of walking and did 2 dip strength assessments. I am just getting over the last little bit of soreness in my throat when I swallow. I was thinking of starting with the same program again on Wednesday (with a switch up back to flat barbell bench press) and go from there, but wonder if I could do my usual Sunday thing tomorrow. Might I just drive myself back sick?

45

Wednesday, September 21, 2011 Week 10, day 1

squats 265lbs X 3 X 3 X 2 X 2 stopped
situps body + 40lbs X 5 X 5 X 5 X 4 X 4

db chest press 2 X 85lbs X3 X 3 x 3
Bb bent rows 165lbs X 3 X 3 X 3 stopped

First real day back after being sick. I took my time so there should be some recovery benefit there. With squats, my new heavier weight, but overall one more rep than that Friday when I was first trying to come back.

With chest press (I am not already going to return to longbar) I didn’t push for a 4th set, next week.

46

Friday, September 23, 2011 Week 10, Day 2

dips body (198lbs) + 70lbs X 3 X 3 X 2
upright rows 125lbs X 3 X 3 X 3 X 3 x 2

situps body + 25lbs X 10 X 10 X 10 x 11 fail

DB hammer curls 2 X 35lbs X L8,R8 X L8,R8 X L4,R4

Not really a terrible day. I didn’t lighten weight for dips hoping to do well anyway. I felt very unstable and slightly tweaked a pectoral strain from last winter.

Rows I went a bit lighter and am not unsatisfied with.

Situps are strangely going great, up the weight for next time.

Curls I again lightened, I will have to see how I feel next time.

47

Sunday, September 25, 2011 Week 10, day 3

deadlift 285lbs X 6 X 6 X 6 X 5

Bb shoulder press 115.bs X 3 X 3 x 3 x 3 x 3
chinups body X 3 X 3 X 3 x 3 x l2

My first real day 3 back from sick, so I took it easy. Deads I knew I wasn’t going to hit much at 315lbs, so I got my volume largely at 285lbs and called it fine. 315lbs for next week and see if I can ace through it.

Everything else lower weights too, but same plan for next time.

I have 3 nights sleep before I hit squats at 265lbs for hopefully my full quorum, I now set my sights on it.

48

Wednesday, September 28, 2011 Week 11, day 1

squats 265lbs X 3 X 3 x 3 x 2 x 1 fail
situps body + 40lbs X 5 X 5 x 5 x 5

Db chest press 2 X 85lbs X 3 x 3 x 3 x 2 X 1 fail
BB bent rows 165lbs x 3 X 3 X 2 x 2 X 2

good day. This is my real first day back from being sick, last time was a little attenuated. I almost failed unracking the squat weight twice but am left happy I got 2 reps overall more than last time. Better hope for next week. Situps I stopped after the fourth set because i had a bar failed in my way and by the time I would have cleared it the set would have been ruined anyway. i still note one rep better on the 4th set.

Chest press is better than just past sick, but I am chagrined with the stagnation. Same with rows, but I still did them.

Edit: Here I sit a few hours later and my back is a off a bit. I must admit I had too much forward lean on my last squat rep. I still did it, but you know.

49

Today

Cancelled, I felt maybe a return of my recent gummy throat type virus. Or maybe it is something else going around, anyway, I took an acetaminophen before bed and feel unready to do today’s work. I did 2 working sets of dips and rows, then cancelled.

Also, I feel a slight tweak in my abodomen, I should rest that ahead of hopefully deadlifting Sunday.

50

Just thinking, I might take enough time off to really get rid of this bug. My fucking mouldy mattress gets tossed hopefully tomorrow, and I saw an ad for a good priced replacement.

As to when I return to lifting, I am seriously looking at Wendler’s 5/3/1 again. But here I suggest, instead of doing back squats, switch to front squats. I have had deads and squats in my routine for it must be a few years now, and I need some programming variation. I will of course have to start off light with the fronts, but then I can go all out and attempt a beastly routine with deadlifts and be happy to blow my load on it.

I am thinking 3 minutes between sets legs, 2 minutes upper. As to assistance moves, I will finally get back to doing Dumbbell incline press somewhere and maybe DB one arm rows. Likely 90 seconds between sets for those.

Any thoughts?

51

It is creepy, I was already signed in when I hit this page. I thought i had been out at least a day or so. Maybe change my password?

Yes, it will be Wendler, and i will do front squats, unless the limitations of my home setup preclude it. I was at the doctor today and I don’t have streptococcus, and I want to get kicking with this starting Saturday. The plan is Sat/Sun off Tue/Wed off off. that way I still have Sunday as my deadlift day, my tradition.

last time around I adjusted weight targets mid cycle, and maybe demanded too much of myself. this time it will stay closer to Wendler’s idea of 5lbs increases in working weights upper body each new cycle, 10lbs legs. I suppose I will have to figure out with the spreadsheet I have what maximums I need to input to come up with them.

Assistance moves, I am already thinking this:

Day 1 shoulder press

dips 4 sets of up to 10

chinups 4 sets of 6, raise rep goals when possible (I was always weaker with this, that is just where I am at). this will be pull opposite pressing, just not in supersets. I am thinking even of making it just 90 seconds between sets.

Day 2 Deads

DB one arm rows 4 sets of 8-10

Situps 4 sets of 8-10, with some amount of weight. I am doing these after leg moves because doing them the day before doesn’t allow enough recovery.

Day 3 bench press, back to long bar for this

DB incline press 4 sets of 8-10

Day 4 front squats 4 sets of 12, until I learn them.

BB bicep curls. same setup.

situps 4 sets of 4-6, mire weight than earlier.

BB bent rows? same setup

52

KONG DOES WENDLER UNTIL DEAD

Saturday, October 8, 2011 Week 1, day 1

BB shoulder press 65lbs X 5 80 X 5 95 X 3 120 X 5 125 X 5 135 X 5

chinups Body (199lbs) X 6 X 6 x 4 x 2

dips body X 10 X 10 X 4 X 3 fail

Starting a new week 1. Shoulders I thought I was conservative in target, but I barely avoided failure with this. I didn’t sleep all that well, I didn’t pull a blanket over myself last night. Really, getting back to this put my mindset in an old way of feeling I had escaped from with my last higher intensity program.

Anyway, I did 2 minutes between sets shoulders, 90 seconds assistance.

My reasoning goes as such: Shoulders push, chins pull opposite the same joints. Then the dips are push again, same joints, but this time my triceps get a bit of a rest.

53

Sunday, October 9, 2011 week 1, day 2

deadlift 165lbs X 5 195 X 5 235 X 3 295 X 5 315 X 5 335 X 5

DB one arm rows 45lbs X Left 10, right 10 X L10,R10 X L10,R10 X L10,R8

aitups body + 25lbs X 10 X 10 X 10 X 4 fail

Great day today, if only for deads. I actually forgot to take the last set to the absolute limit, and know I could have got a 6th. Next time I will surge like a beast.

Assistance not bad. Situps I am behind from my old program because my dead weights before are higher.

3 minutes between sets for deadlift, 90 seconds otherwise.

54

Tuesday, October 11, 2011 week 1, day 3

Bb bench press 95lbs X 5 120 x 5 145 X 3 180 X 5 190 X 5 200 X 4 fail

DB incline press 2 X 60lbs X 9 2 X 50lbs x 7 fail

Again, not the greatest sleep or I don’t know. this is the first time back with flat barbell bench press in a while, so I grant I have some readjustment to do. Inclines I haven’t done in even longer, so I am still scoping out weight loading. Fine, I will see how it goes in future.

55

Today

I tried earlier to learn to do front squats. I viewed videos on both exrx.net and bodybuilding .com and felt I should know how to do them. Fuck it, the bar was utterly killing my deltoids. If I had the bar in a bit closer I felt choked. I only did sets of 7 and 9 at 115lbs. Even without a full day’s passage my right deltoid is visibly badly bruised.

I was going to give them another try later today once I figured out padding, but even then I said fuck it.

A real day 4 with back squats first thing tomorrow. I know I haven’t had fuck all in leg move variation in donkey’s years, but at least I can feel keen on hitting targets sort of like where I left off with my last program. My last hamstring physiotherapist said not to do a lot of ham related moves for fear of aggravating the old injury, so I am not throwing Romanians or anything like that in,

56

Front squats are like that. What hand placement did you have? (Crossed or uncrossed?) I always feel like I am choking when I am crossed. If I go pinky on the ring and keep my chest up I feel a little better.

57

Thursday, October 13, 2011 Week 1, day 4

squats 120lbs X 5 150 X 5 180 X 3 225lbs X 5 240 X 5 255 X 6 fail

situps body + 40lbs X 5 X 5 X 5 x 5 x 4 fail

chinups body X 6 X 6 X 3 x 2 fail

Good day today. I still think I gave up too early with squats and I really could have got a 7th. When I reach week 3 I will calculate for all the main lifts I am doing a new max based on last set work for the new week 1 next cycle. Back to squats, I am pleased the way my hamstring held out. 3 nights sleep until deads on Sunday.

Situps I strangely enough gave up on one short of quorum, I wonder if the difference is in my head.

I realized that doing chins on a day 1 doesn’t make sense when I do deads and rows the next calendar day, so here they are.

Overall, I am pleased with deads and squats, upper body is underperforming it seems.

58

[quote]Colin Wilson wrote:
Front squats are like that. What hand placement did you have? (Crossed or uncrossed?) I always feel like I am choking when I am crossed. If I go pinky on the ring and keep my chest up I feel a little better. [/quote]

I do them crossed as per directions on bodybuilding.com’s video. I think maybe exrx.net has the same advice, it just seemed a good way to better control the bar, so I thought. With my improvised setup for starting standards (I improvised my pressing bench standards) I have to slightly squat to get the bar unracked, partly bending forward because the end of the bench sticks out a bit. It isn’t a real problem with shoulder press, but I feel awkward doing it for fronts.

Anyway, the bruising on my right deltoid is obscenely black and brown, my left hurts too. This is counterproductive.

59

Saturday, October 15, 2011 week 2, day 1

BB shoulder press 65lbs X 5 80 X 5 95 X 3 125lbs 3 135 X 3 140 x 5

dips body (206lbs) X 10 X 10 X 5

Bb bicep curls 70lbs x 8 x 8 x 4 fail

Better kick off to week 2. Higher weights achieved with shoulder press and hopefully I am on track to getting my shoulder strength up into some sort of respectable territory.

Dips I did second, instead of letting my triceps rest before hand. I decided assistance moves would be 3 sets, except for situps on other days. A slight drop off isn’t bad because my main move was progress.

Biceps, I suppose fine.

I have ballooned in weight the last few weeks. I used to be heaviest of the day around 197lbs, now early in the day I am 206lbs. More weight to dip, but I realize the time off and maybe a lower intensity of training are maybe doing it. So, yesterday I did a rope skipping for aerobic purposes session. The goal was the first 12 minutes non stop, then what I can do for the balance of 20 minutes. I stopped at 5:54 and did do finally 20 minutes, but I am reminded that I need to do this more for intensity. Other times I just walk a lot for fat burning and aerobics, but it isn’t the same of course.

60

Sunday, October 16, 2011, week 2, day 2

deadlift 165 X 5 195 X 5 235 X 3 315 X 3 335 X 3 355 X 5

DB one arm rows 45lbs X Left 10, right 10 X L10,R10 X L10,R10

Situps body + 25lbs X 10 X 10 x 10 x 5 fail

Great day today. I felt on waking I was ready to just give up, but I said fuck it I will vent my life’s frustrations into this. When with deads I got into 315lbs I was once again beset with self doubts, but I persevered, even fearing for my hamstring health. 355lbs is absolutely the heaviest I have gone since ages ago when I first did the strain, so I am pleased. the ham is in good shape as I type. It calculates, depending on what formula you want to believe somewhere between 400lbs and 410lbs as a one rep max.

Rows I will up weight, situps are a drop off, but no surprise my abs were partially expensed.