[quote]jjackkrash wrote:
“Old-man powers.” Wow, did that change how I read your handle. I used to have a diving coach who used to joke about his “old-man strength.” He said just by being alive a long time, gravity will force you to get stronger. It gives you old-man strength. I use that bit all the time now in the gym when I am lifting next to the youngsters.
It sucks to lose a job–I know from personal experience–but it can also open up doors that were always there that you never found the need to open because you were comfortable. Good luck with the tech venture, that sounds exciting. [/quote]
Thanks Jack - I have no fear and I’m looking forward to the next gig.
Have some good leads to work on and my company hired me back as a consultant which takes some of the financial burden off.
I kinda like setting the bar for the skinny-fat twenty somethings that my son hangs around with. They are about my height and weight but they know where they stand strength-wise. Hopefully it gives them food for thought.
Decided what the hell, I’m shaving my head bald.
A whole new world has opened up.
I get mistaken for Bruce Willis a lot. I mean damn near every fricken day.
One lady ran up to me last week, total stranger, gave me a hug, asked for an autograph and wanted her picture taken with me.
I kid not.[/quote]
Some lady asked me if I was Chuck Norris the other day in Burger King. I look nothing like CN, don’t walk like him and am half a foot taller than that stumpy little gi-toter.
I don’t get it.
I get mistaken for some other guy named “Asshole” quite a bit too.
I get light headed on the presses too occasionally. I found that if I don’t take such a deep breath and let it hiss out past 2/3 of the way to lockout I don’t get the head-bobbles or have to take a knee as often.
Chuck Norris is way tuffer than Bruce but it sounds like we could stunt double in a “When I Choose to Die, I’ll Die Hard”. Yeah, I’m also mistaken for some guy named Jack Ass so we have somethin in common.
Deadlifts:
BW 191 (WTF?)
Warmups - Chins and pull downs, foam roll and stretching.
135 x 10
205 x 5
225 x 5
Working Sets:
255 x 5
295 x 3
325 x 5 (PR) conventional
315 x 1 just racking the weight to set up for Rack Pulls
Rack Pulls: (At the knee)
315 x 5
365 x 5
405 x 4 (PR)
Krocs:
75 x 10
95 x 10
95 x 8
Done - Hungry, shakey and almost ready to burp to the 9th power.
Had a BBQ half chicken for lunch and some taters. Ready to rock.
As a side note - I’m thrilled my back is finally able to handle some loading. Its been a long time since I’ve felt ready to stress it.
Tonight I charted my progress since January and everything is moving north except Bench. I’m flatlined there.
I tried to tweak my program to move AWAY from 5/3/1 but the force is too strong.
The best I could do was move deadlifts earlier in the week before I’m too trashed to do them.
In 6 months I’ve added an average of 50lbs to the Squat, 20lbs to MP’s, 100lbs to Deads and a measly 10+lbs to Bench. I also have to keep in mind I started the year with a tweaked back but all of the recent lifts are lifetime PR’s.
I log my lifts in Excel. Weeks since Jan (excluding deload weeks) this year and lifts are money sets calculated for 1RM. I wouldn’t invest in the Bench stock right now. All raw dog of course. Turn 51 next week so I’ve got to turn up the heat.
[quote]Oldman Powers wrote:
I log my lifts in Excel. Weeks since Jan (excluding deload weeks) this year and lifts are money sets calculated for 1RM. I wouldn’t invest in the Bench stock right now. All raw dog of course. Turn 51 next week so I’ve got to turn up the heat.[/quote]
THAT is a cool idea! I think I will have to take a few minutes, at work, and make a spreadsheet.
Also, after reading the post directly above this, I was wondering when the log title would change Good choice.
[quote]Colin Wilson wrote:
Nice progress! Whats the probelm with your bench? Where are you having the break down? [/quote]
thats what I was wondering where is the sticking point and what his accessory lifts look like over the last 6 months…
Thanks y’all
I am pretty surprised at the graphs and trend lines. Would’nt have guessed those. Debated about sharing it, but it might be helpful to other old farts my age. I need to figure out what causes the peaks and valleys.
I think the stalled bench issue is between my ears. I’ve been too focused on getting my back healed, form in check and lower body strengthened. Been overly satisfied with my Bench and haven’t been pushing it like I have in the past. In the back of my mind, at 50 and a tad over 190lbs my Bench ranks pretty high for raw dog lifters, so I’ve focused more on my squat and deads.
Wrong thinking on my part.
Going to add some board presses into my routine and start using the shirt for overloading once a month or so. Going to use a spotter more frequently to push out an extra rep or two.
And gain some fricken weight.
Catching up here, Bruce. Good workouts, and graphs. You got all the techies excited, Skip will be posting lines on everything now. Agree that stalls can be mental.
Wow, graphs, all I have is a mirror. Maybe I do need computer skills after all. I actually some boards in my 24hr taped together for a board press, I was shocked. Then 3 weeks later I get a letter saying they are going to shut that location down. Figures.
Yeah - I got sum geek skillz.
Been paint’in my kitchen cabinets most of last week - so that was my deload - kinda.
Bench night
I read an article on Elite about bench’in form and associated little injuries. Took the warmup suggestion in the article to heart. The idea is to do a total of 40 reps in the 5ish range at 50% or less to warm up and get blood into the main muscle groups which I read as slightly pumped.
Bench Press
Warmup - Bar x 25, 135 x 10, 135 x 10, 185 x 5, 185 x 5, 135 x 10, 225 x 5
Working sets:
240 x 5
275 x 3
295 x 3
Incline Bench:
This one really irritates the front of my right shoulder. I set the bench about #3 level and it might be too steep. Its 3/4 way between a bench and seated MP
warmup - bar x 20, 90 x 10, 90 x 10
Working Sets:
135 x 10
165 x 8
185 x 5
Dips:
BW x 10
BW x 10
+45 x 10
+90 x 8
+115 x 5
Face Pulls:
3 sets of 90 x 10
Not sure if the warm up helped, but it I’m sure it didn’t hurt.
Decided to start swimming to help loosen things up a bit.
Turn 51 tomorrow - I’m still purtier than Bruce though.
[quote]hel320 wrote:
Good benching. Inclines seem to bother a lot of people in the shoulders. It’s tomorrow so Happy Birthday, enjoy.[/quote]
I consider myself lucky in that regard. Ever since I started doing dislocates and wall/floor slides (stand against a wall with hands over head and slide arms down wall keeping entire body in contact with wall) my shoulders don’t bother me. As long as I don’t do upright rows, I’m good.
[quote]Oldman Powers wrote:
I log my lifts in Excel. Weeks since Jan (excluding deload weeks) this year and lifts are money sets calculated for 1RM. I wouldn’t invest in the Bench stock right now. All raw dog of course. Turn 51 next week so I’ve got to turn up the heat.[/quote]
Youngman,
How are you graphing this? Weight over time? Are you just looking at your calculated 1RM, or somehow accounting for reps in there too?
Good choice.