Hitting Gym After 10+ Years

Training Beginners
1


I won’t bore people with too much back story but after more than 10 years I have decided to stop making excuses, hit the gym and start playing sport again. A couple of questions are below, but mainly I welcome comments and ad-hoc advice.

In high school, I used to do a lot of track (mainly 100m,200m) and enjoyed playing BBall and soccer. Any weight training I used to do then consisted almost entirely of squats and deadlifts: the aim was always to build / maintain strength levels. From (hazy) memory, I used to squat 390 at 150 lbs bodyweight(5 ft 7 height). Deadlift was marginally higher- that’s all I recall.

Current pics attached will show I’m naturally aligned to being under-weight - most of the muscle mass I had has wasted away.

My goal is to to recapture some of my speed/strength/power so that I can be effective when I play BBall and soccer. I don’t care about aethetics, never have.

Unfortunately, I don’t know a whole lot about how to go about it. In the past, my coach used to tell me what to do and I just did as I was told. My concern is that on my own I’d be lost - which is why I’m thankful for finding forums like this one!

I’ve spent the past month working on my technique and form in the squat and deadlift. I also bench press while waiting for the one squat rack to be freed up. Goal this past month has been to establish my 3 to 4 rep max for squats and deadlifts. This is it so far @ 130 lbs bodyweight:

Squat ATG 225 lbs
Stiff-leg Deadlift 255 lbs
Box Squat (parallel) 185 lbs (for 5 reps, while I establish form)

Plan is simply to work squats and deadlifts twice a week, Monday and Friday. Wednesday and Thursday are for pickup games and pull-ups/skipping rope.

What I have noticed is that I have lots of muscular imbalances. In the legs I feel I have poor quad strength which makes the above parallel bit of the squat a bit of a sticking point. Upper core strength is a bit of a problem too and I have to work so much harder in the normal squat to keep the bar balanced than in the box squat.

With deadlifts, my quads and short arms seems to give me problems with the initial pull off the ground; once off the ground my weak grip strength is a problem, so I must work fast to straighten completely; fortunately once the bar is about knee level, it is relatively easy for me to lock out. Seems that glutes and hamstring strength levels are not too bad.

I’m a bit concerned that I’m unbalanced, but I plan on just working to up the weight slowly while keeping around 2-5 reps range for 5 sets (excludes warm up). Hopefully, the lagging parts catch up. Would this work?

Also, I plan to do plyometrics at some point, mainly depth jumps. I did a few the other day as a test off about 15 inches and it wasn’t great. Had little rebound off the ground - it was as if I think jump, wait a split second and then the body reacts.

My standing jump is better albeit only slightly. I read somewhere that I should wait until I can squat twice my bodyweight before doing plyos - is this right? If so, I would need to bring my squat up to at least 260 lbs.

Would appreciate comments and advice from people who have gone through the same journey towards being stronger and faster. Many thanks!!

2

Why just focus on deads and squats? If you want to do them twice a week and not spend too much time in the gym try something like this:
any rep/set scheme your heart desires.

Monday:
Squats
deads
powercleans

Tuesday:
Flat bench press
Standing militaries
Chins/rows

Thursday:
Squats
deads
powercleans

Friday:
Flat bench press
Standing militaries
Chins/rows

3

Thanks!

I’m trying out Wednesday for bench press, rows and some dynamic work. A compromise. I play a few hours BBall on Thursday so maximal effort on squats and deadlifts would not be possible for me.

I like the idea though so I’ll see if I can plan my way to a 4 day a week workout routine.

4

Just switch around the upper/lower days to whatever suits you best. I’m thinking I’m gonna go lighter on my Monday lower body days because I’m often still sore a little bit by Thursday. And I like heavy deads.

I like them a lot.

5

Me too - I like deadlifts as well.

BBall was cancelled today so I hit the gym and did lower body exercises. Held back on squats then moved to box squats. Built up box squat to 205 lbs for 4 reps. I definitely find box squats easier than the regular ones. Definitely need to work at squats.

Finished off with heavy deadlifts. Plan was to try for a 2 rep max. Hard to start with - felt at first that my CNS was not firing properly and I didn’t really pull 225 lbs with convincing speed. But then got focused and got up to 295 lbs just before my grip started to go. Could probably do just over 300 lbs with better grip so i’m quite please with that at this stage.

But my squat suck by comparison, so will focus more on that next time.

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I just started on some shoulder and back exercises as recommended. Worked up to weights I could push/pull comfortably for 3 sets of 5. For some of these, I’m using the names given by the gym instructors.

Dumbbell shoulder press
50 lbs x2 = 100 lbs

Military press (barbell)
110 lbs

Dumbbell bent-over rows (one dumbbell)
60lbs

Not sure if the rows are worth it as they seem to be relatively easy. Pull-ups especially with wide grips: now that is hard and requires much more concentration. Do rows work different back muscles?

The shoulder press is easier for me than the military press. Feels more natural in terms of movement. Also, with heavier weights, I find it challenging to hold my breath and keep the torso braced while doing the military press (more so than the shoulder press). Strange, because my midsection copes fine even when I squat more than 200 lbs.

Does this indicate some muscle imbalance in my midsection? Or do you guys think it’s because the movement is new to me?

7

try bent over BARBELL rows with PERFECT form

Row are generally associated with middle and upper back strength where chins have been associated with in my limited experience mostly with upper back.

Do each once a week. or both twice a week. If you like DB shoulder presses do them that way but don’t forget don’t just go the whole way with you’re arm push your shoulders as high as they can go too.

By the way no bench presses? By the way dumbell rows are really easy to cheat in and withcheating a 60 pound dumbell won’t feel like very much at all. Try cable rows if you can’t help it.

8

Thanks!

Will have ago wih barbell rows next time. Only problem is limited supply of barbells in the gym - I have to wait for others to finish their bicep curl routines. Lots of dumbbells though. Anyway, I use an instructor as a spotter for my form - 60lbs is as far as I can go with 5 reps for strict form. Not saying that they are easy, but compared to pullups they are easier.

I was wondering if they work they work the same muscles. If so, I would probably drop the rows and do just pull-ups. What do you think? Cable rows - thanks for the suggestion; need to look this up / ask what they are in the gym.

Oh, forgot my bench press! I did do this as well for a few sets of 165 lbs (5reps again). But then stopped and moved onto shoulder press and military press. With the DB shoulder press I bring the DB/my fist down beside my ears and push as far up as possible, eventually touching the two DB sides together over my head. Is this the ROM that you had in mind?

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basically when you push your arms up you might lock out your elbows but you should also lock out your shoulders it will make the move more effective but without much extra work.(some people do this without thinking about it.) With the rows try a wide grip on the barbell it will add a little more tension to the back. Rows will work your middle back more then chins will if that answers the question.

10

Thanks! Yes, it answers my question. I’ll keep rows then so I get more balanced back work. Not entirely sure if I lock out th shoulders, but will consciously think about lock out when I do shoulder presses next.