38 M, 5’8, and 174bs.
Trying to maintain a basic level of strength and conditioning and make some gains.
As of 9/30/24 I’m running 531 on a 4 day split done 3 times a week, one main lift a day, and for assistance I’m trying out training each muscle group in the 5-10RM load range, one or two sets, 3 times a week.
I ran 800+1600 a couple years in high school, I used to go to BJJ and kickboxing 4+ days a week roughly between the ages of 22 and 29 (with ~1 year off to reconstruct and rehab a torn ACL), and generally felt like I was in much better condition. I lifted in highschool because I took weightroom for gym a bunch of times, but didn’t keep up with it consistently. I started lifting more consistently for BJJ and kickboxing, first Starting Strength, then 531. I never progressed very far, I was always training and keeping my weight around 150 - 160 lbs for tournaments. Then I moved and stopped working out almost entirely for about 5 years. My goal is to regain and exceed my old levels of strength and string together some years of solid consistent lifting.
Old bests: Bench 210x2, Squat 265x1, Deadlift 365x1, SOHP 155x1, chin ups with 90lbs added, at a BW around 160lbs.
Goals: reps with 1,2,3,4 plates on press, bench, squat, deadlift, chin ups w/90lbs, 1/2-BW DB squat for 20 reps, 1/2-BW DB row for 35 reps, sub-12min 2-mile run, standing ab wheel rollout. These are abilities I’d like to achieve, but the training is about growth and consistency.
I’m eating at maintenance or above, mostly above, every day. Tracking calories and macros to make sure I’m eating enough. I plan to eat at-least a small surplus and train consistently for the first 2 years. Once I actually have gained some muscle and strength, I’ll think about cutting and body composition. I’m probably at 20% bodyfat. I used to compete in BJJ at 145-150lbs with same-day weigh ins, but I don’t feel strong at 150lbs. I’m not taking any test or anabolics and never have, I believe I need to demonstrate much better consistency and adherence to diet and lifting than I have in the past before even considering it.
Routine: 5/3/1
Beginner Prep School
I did 3 weeks of 531 for beginners starting 12/4/22 then skipped the deload and started doing BPS. I’m already getting tendonitis in my shoulder and knees which has never happened to me before, so yeah let’s see what happens next. Every workout is an exercise in my ego eating shit using such light weights, but I’m going to stick to the principles of starting too light, progressing slowly, and keeping up good technique.
Here’s my entry from yesterday to get started:
1/23
C3W1D1 Beginner prep school
Squat & Bench 70/80/90% DB squat 60x10, push ups x15, Chins x6, decline sit up x10, DB row 65x10. Ab wheel 4x10.
It was packed in the gym today. I had to wait around for the squat rack so I did a bunch of push ups, chin ups, face pulls, and shoulder external rotations. Then I got my squats in. Then the benches were taken, so I did all my warm ups and first set of bench on DBs, still waiting so I did the FSL sets with dumbbells. I did pull ups between the dumbbell bench sets so that was 55 pull ups right there not counting the earlier and later ones. The bench never opened up so finally I dragged a bench into the power rack and did the two top sets of bench. They went up pretty nicely. My shoulder tendon and knee tendons still hurt and my abs are still sore so I was considering deloading this week, but maybe I’ll do a partial deload and just cut the assistance way down. Maybe I’ll shuffle assistance lifts around a little for the next 6-8 weeks.