Kolibri´s path to size and strength after 4 year break

[Kolibri]

Hello everyone!

A somewhat unusual story:
I am now 38 and started lifting weights at 21. In the first year, I began with an untrained weight of 76 kg / 15-17% body fat at 1.79 m. Within less than 12 months, I was able to shoulder press 80 kg, bench press 109 kg, front squat 130 kg, etc… It sounded good, but unfortunately, I built very little muscle.
Additionally, within the following 2-3 years, I had constant shoulder and knee issues despite spending a lot on personal coaching (and my technique was actually pretty good). So, until I was 30-32, I stagnated at the same weights and muscle mass, fluctuating between 74-87 kg, depending on body fat percentage.

A highlight was my form in 2014, where I was at 10% (or less) body fat.
Before my first strength training at 21, I weighed 76 kg with a similar body fat percentage as in the left photo, so after the break, I was about 3 kg heavier in muscle.

When was the last time I really trained before the break… Let me think…

2017: Trained intensively, had multiple injuries, got extremely frustrated, and quit the sport.

2018: No training at all.

2019: No training at all until autumn, then trained regularly in the gym for 3 months.

2020: Trained sporadically in January and February, trained half-heartedly at home for a month during March due to Corona, then stopped again in April 2020.

April 2020 - March 2024: Absolutely no training.

Aside from some martial arts from ages 16-17, I have never done any other sport and am pretty untalented in that area.

On March 26th, I signed up at a very pleasant and performance-oriented gym in Berlin, with the main goal of getting back to my 2014 form.

I wish you all lots of strength and a great pump, may you all achieve your goals!

Cheers from Berlin

First update pic - first 8 weeks of training after the break.
Today is the first deload week.

Left pic: 26.03., 79 kg, 1.79 m, practically untrained, first day training after 2020
Right pic: yesterday, 19.05., 83 kg.

[Kolibri]

What exactly did I do for the first 8 weeks?

My first routine was an upper / lower split with 4 workout days per week.
I went from 20-25 RM to 6-8 RM over the course of the 8 weeks, using myoreps for every single exercise.

I included the starting weights (end of March) and the final weights for 8 weeks with that routine (May 18 and 19), in kg.

Upper:
Smith 10* Decline Bench Press: 60x9 → 92x5x6
Smith 60* Incline Bench Press: 42,5x13 → 72x5x7
CG Pulldown: 40x12 → 89x7
Dual Row: 50x17 → 110x6
Butterfly: 33x12 → 75x8
Reverse Butterfly: 15x16 → 47x12
Cable Curls: 13,75x10 → 31,25x8
Cable Overhead Extensions: 16,25x12 → 33x75x14

Lower:
Leg Extensions: 19x16 → 77x5x16
Belt Squats: 70x16 → 152,5x6
Lying Leg Curls: 20x18 → 74x8
Seated Leg Curls, cable, single leg: 11,25x12/12 → 25x10/10
Smith Standing Calf Raises: 60x11 → 122,5x10
Smith Seated Calf Raises: 60x20 → 125x11
Cable Crunches: 28,75x15 → 50x13

[taylortooswift]

That’s awesome! Looking great.

[Kolibri]

Thx mate! Looking forward to the next training cycle starting tomorrow.

I wonder if I should continue with the upper / lower split, I feel I can definitely add another workout per week.

So maybe sth like upper / lower / push / pull / legs or a smart body part split over 5 days would be a good idea.

[Kolibri]

Since tomorrow is the first deload workout of this week I’m gonna check out a bunch of new exercises suitable for the next training cycle.

Not decided on the split yet… considering a compromise: upper / lower / push / pull / legs, that would probably be the best idea for 5 workouts per week.

It‘s also relatively flexible since I sometimes have to swap my days off depending on my teaching schedule (I‘m a German teacher in integration courses for adults).

[simo74]

Tagging @Koestrizer as he is also from Germany.

Looking great from 8 weeks mate. Will be interesting to see what 8 months of consistent effort does for you.

[Kolibri]

21.05.24, Myoreps Cycle 2, Lower Body 1, 70 min, BW: 84,3 kg

Leg Extensions: 68x20 +4,4,4,4,3

Belt Squats: 130x13 +3,3,3,3,3

Lying Leg Curls: 60x14 +3,3,3,3,1

Seated Single Leg Curls, cable, l/r:
13/14 +4/4, 4/4, 4/4, 4/4, 3/3

Cable Crunches, 3-count squeeze:
43,75x13 +4,4,4,3,2

Bent Leg Raises, hanging, 3-count squeeze: BW+0x10 +3,3,3,3,3

Calf Raises @ Horizontal Leg Press, 3-count squeeze: 105x12 +4,4,4,4,3

Comments:

BW was surprisingly high, I was actually planning to increase my kcal from 3100 to 3200 cause the weight has stagnated for two weeks… now I need to monitor it closely.
I don’t worry to much about gaining a bit of bodyfat anyways, it’s absolutely crucial to actually GAIN muscle this year and at 38 I don’t need a sixpack to impress girls at the pool…

First workout of the new cycle that is actually part of my first deload, so I chose weights much lighter than last week.

The workout was as easy as expected, hence I could get away with taking short breaks between the myo sets.
The myo reps are all the reps after the +.

The only annoying part of the workout was a girl who took the one and only smith machine for pretty much a whole hour and was still there when I left the gym…

We don’t have a single calf machine, so I bought a calf block to use when doing standing and seated calf raises at our only smith machine… well, no seated calf raises today. Didn’t bother arguing with the girl, time was precious and I’m always in a hurry to get to work after my morning workouts.

All in all: Refreshing workout, looking forward to the gains of the new workout cycle. Myo reps = love!

[Kolibri]

Hey Simo, thx for the tag! Yeah, I can’t wait to see what I can actually do with proper rest and nutrition and improved sleep.
Even though I’m 38 now I feel I can not only regain my old strength and size but grow beyond my old limits… might be just a feeling but considering the terrible lifestyle in my 20s it’s no wonder I was, metaphorically speaking, driving a car with 3 wheels back then.

[simo74]

You have a great base already and you’re starting this 4 years younger than I was 8 years ago. I am still getting stronger now so have no doubt you can make excellent progress. I totally know what you mean about driving a car with 3 wheel when we were younger. Now all the really matters is consistency and effort, both things you can absolutely control.

[Kolibri]

How great is that, I hope you can continue making even more gains for a long time!

Yeah, I have a different kind of determination these days… maybe exactly because I didn’t achieve my goals when I was younger, there is a powerful fire inside me. And it lights up every time I step inside the locker room of our gym, put on my compression shirt and pants. Tight clothes give me the feeling of putting on armor for the battle against the weights, might sound dramatic, but that’s what it feels like.

[Kolibri]

I’m not sure how many readers here are familiar with the meaning of my nickname, but the German word “Kolibri” means hummingbird in English. I picked this nickname because some time ago, I watched a documentary about hummingbirds and their incredible feats. They are very impressive creatures for their small size.

I imagine myself as a hummingbird in the fitness world of giant birds (genetic supermen and enhanced athletes), extracting every ounce of gain I can before my body finally breaks down and succumbs to time.

Being an avid AI user these days (very helpful for preparing my lessons…), I uploaded a picture that represents what lifting feels like to me.

It shows Kolibri-me up against the demons of fear, doubt, laziness, and many more.

[Kolibri]

Here’s what my back looks like at the moment, the pic is from last week:

The goal is to gain about 2 pounds (1 kg) per month. If it’s less than that, I’ll adjust my calorie intake.

Over the last 8 weeks, I consumed between 3000-3100 kcal per day with 4 workouts per week. Now, I’ve decided to go up to 3200 kcal because my weight was stagnating for two weeks. Sudden weight changes can be due to varying water intake levels, as I don’t monitor it as closely as my calorie and food intake.

Currently, I weigh around 84 kg.

[Kolibri]

23.05.24, Myoreps Cycle 2, Upper Body 1, 75 min, BW: 83,8 kg

10* Smith Decline Bench Press: 75x16+3,3,3,3,2

60* Smith Decline Bench Press: 60x14x3,3,3,3,2

Underhand Grip Pulldown 70,5x13+3,3,3,3,3

Hammer Strength Dual Row: 90x13+3,3,3,3,2

Butterfly 61x14+3,3,3,3,2

Reverse Butterfly: 38x14+4,4,4,4,3

Seated Cable Curls: 16,25x15+5,5,5,5,4

Overhead Cable Triceps Extensions: 30x17, 30x10, 30x8 (no myo reps. 90 sec rest)

Smith Reverse Curls: 40x10+3,3,3,3,3

Comments:
The starting weights for the upper body were set at around 80% of the old personal bests at the beginning of the cycle to start in the higher rep range and allow room for progression.

As expected, the workout was pretty easy! There’s no need to rush during a deload, right?

The smith reverse curls are the only new exercise in the new cycle, as I want to challenge my forearms a bit more. An interesting variation, perfect for Myoreps. The alternative would be to set up the whole thing with a barbell in the power rack or on a regular bench press bench, but that would probably just take more time without any real added value. But I’ll test it on Sunday.

[Kolibri]

25.05.24, Myoreps Cycle 2, Lower Body 2, 90 min, BW: 83,8 kg

Leg Extensions: 70,5x22+5,5,4,4,4

Belt Squats: 135x14+3,3,3,3,3

Lying Leg Curls: 62,5x14+3,3,3,3,3

Standing Calf Raises @ Smith Machine, 3-count squeeze: 110x10+3,3,3,3,4

Seated Calf Raises @ Smith Machine, 3-count squeeze: 13+4,4,4,4,4

Seated Single Leg Curls, cable, l/r: 17,5x14+4,4,4,4,4 / 17,5x14+4,4,4,4,4

Cable Crunches, 3-count squeeze: 12+4,4,2,2

Bent Leg Raises, hanging, 3-count squeeze: 10+3,3,3,3,3

Comments:

Today everything went smoothly, no pain whatsoever.

Calves and abs are now being worked on with even stronger squeezes, I wrote 3-count, it’s actually 2 breaths in the peak contraction position, 3-4 sec. That way, cheating / using momentum impossible and I can work on my goal to hit 20 squeeze-reps with the full stack for cable crunches (51.25 kg) - don’t wanna have to replace this exercise just yet.

For calf raises, I used the deadlift slippers today, an excellent purchase, as I really felt the calves working. The execution of the calf raises was definitely better due to the increased ROM in the stretched position. I I work out in my Adidas Powerlift shoes and I feel those are suboptimal for calf raises.

[Kolibri]

26.05.24, Myoreps Cycle 2, Upper Body 2, 90 min, BW: 83,8 kg

Smith 10* Decline Bench Press: 80x15+3,3,3,3,3

Smith 60* Incline Bench Press: 65x13+3,3,3,2 → Hit the back of my head on the bar, almost blacked out, but kept going, and got +2 more.

Underhand Grip Pulldown: 75x13+3,3,3,2,2

Dual Row: 100x13+3,3,3,3,2

Butterfly: 66x13+3,3,3,2,2

Reverse Butterfly: 40x15+4,4,4,4,3

Seated Cable Curls: 17,5x15+4,4,4,4,4

Smith Reverse Curls: 50x10+3,3,3,3,3

Overhead Cable Triceps Extensions: 32,5x15, 32,5x12, 32,5x8

Comments:
Except for the little fail during the incline bench press, everything went as planned. I’m looking forward to gradually working my way back up to my old weights in about 3-4 sessions.

[Kolibri]

28.05.24, Myoreps Cycle 2, Lower Body 3, 65 min, BW: 83,5 kg

Leg Extensions 73x19+4,3,3,3,3
Belt Squats: 145x10+3,3,3,3,3
Lying Leg Curls: 65x10+3,3,3,2,2
Smith Standing Calf Raises: 112,5x10+3,3,3,3,2
Smith Seated Calf Raises: 115x12 + a lot of myoreps

Comments:
I had an extremely tense lower back yesterday, so I was worried I wouldn’t be able to train at all today. Fortunately, a massage, Voltaren, and unexpectedly deep sleep helped reduce this tension to a manageable level.
To be on the safe side, I skipped the seated leg curls and abdominal exercises, and I suspect that the leg raises as a new exercise were responsible for the problem.

Overall, the training was great, especially the belt squats, which were unexpectedly easy. There’s still room for improvement in the coming weeks

[Kolibri]

29.05.24, Myoreps Cycle 2, Upper Body 3, 63 min, BW: 83,8 kg

Smith 10*Decline Bench Press: 85x11+3,3,3,2,2

Smith 60*Incline Bench Press: 67,5x12+3,3,3,2,2

Butterfly: 68x11+3,2,2,2,2

Dual Row: 110x10+3,3,3,2,2

Underhand Grip Pulldown: 82x13+3,3,3,2,2

Reverse Butterfly: 47x12+3,3,3,2,2

Seated Cable Curls: 18,75x15+4,4,4,4,4

Overhead Cable Triceps Extensions: 33,75x17+6+3 (rest pause) + 21,25x6 (drop set)

Comments:
Despite being pressed for time (pretty much on all training days during the week, ), I managed to complete everything except for the reverse curls, as the Smith machine was unfortunately occupied at the end of my workout. I also had to improvise a bit with the tricep extensions due to time constraints.

The exercise sequence had to be changed today because of the occupied equipment. I usually don’t like to do lat pulldowns as the second exercise, as I get so much weaker there, but it couldn’t be helped.

Overall: Made good progress and am only a few kilos away from my personal bests from the last cycle, but with almost twice as many reps in some cases.

[Kolibri]

01.06.24, Myoreps Cycle 2, Lower Body 4, 90 min, BW: 83,7 kg

Lying Leg Curls: 74x9 +2,2,2,2,2 myo
Leg Extensions: 77,5x14 +4,4,3,3,3 myo
Belt Squats: 155x6, 155x6, 155x6
Smith Standing Calf Raises: 115x10 +3,3,3,3,3 myo
Smith Seated Calf Raises: 120x13, 122,5x11, 125x10
Cable Single Leg Curls, standing: 21,25x11/11, 21,25x9/9, 21,25x7/7
Cable Crunches: 50x14 + 4,4,3,2 myo

Comments:

Great session, the first heavy one after the deload.

The belt squats were done with normal / straight sets, which made me feel safer. The same goes for seated calf raises; getting into position on the Smith machine is anything but easy and costs time and energy, which is not optimal for Myopes given the high working weights.

I didn’t like the standing leg curls, but unfortunately, all benches were occupied, so the seated version had to be replaced – I’ll switch back to the seated variant next time.

Today, I mostly matched or exceeded the personal bests from the first cycle, for example:

Cycle 1, End: Leg Extensions 77.5x16, Belt Squats 152.5x6, Leg Curls 74x8

Cycle 2, Start: Leg Extensions 77.5x14, Belt Squats 155x7/6/6, Leg Curls 74x9

[Kolibri]

Two pics before the workout today, no pump: