Efforts of an Aging Ectomorph (lifting)

[Stonebreaker]

October 30, 2011:
Re-Starting Strength: Week 12, Day 4
Warm-up: Cross-trainer: 8 minutes at resistance 4: .96mi

Back Extension: BWx10x3
-superset with-
10

 

[Stonebreaker]

November 3, 2011:
Re-Starting Strength: Week 13, Day 1
Warm-up: Rowing machine: 8 minutes at resistance 10: 1710m

Squat: Warm-up, 255x5 (very hard), 255x4x2 (hard 4, no attempt 5)

OHP: Warm-up, 125x5x3

DL: 345x5 (RO, went fine)

Total lift time: 64 minutes
Stretch: 17 minutes
Body weight: 237lbs
Missed lifting: 11 day(s) in the last 12 weeks.

Notes:
Again reaching the upper limit of my current squatting ability. Surprised that the deadlifts went OK after struggling on the squat, but I’m not complaining.

 

[Stonebreaker]

November 6, 2011:
Re-Starting Strength: Week 13, Day 4
Warm-up: Rowing machine: 8 minutes at resistance 10: 1650m

Squat: Warm-up, 255x3 (hard 3, fail 4), 255x2x6 (all hard 2, no attempt 3)

BB BP: Warm-up, 205x5x3 (starting to get difficult)

Chin-ups: BWx7, x6, x4, x5

Total lift time: 108 minutes
Stretch: 19 minutes
Body weight: 237lbs
Missed lifting: 13 day(s) in the last 12 weeks.

Later:
Grip work: Green egg/red bands x12x2, CoC Trainer: Right: x7x4, Left: x6, x5x3 (mostly clean)

Notes:
My legs imploded today. I knew that 255x5x3 was a difficult goal after falling short earlier this week, but the first set was miserably hard and culminated in a stall and having to set the bar down on the pins. After the second set sucked as well, I decided that I’d gut out my planned volume even if my legs had betrayed me; hence the six sets of doubles and the stupidly long workout time.

The rest of the workout, of course, went fine. My left hand is still lagging on the grip work, but getting better. I’m probably taking it too easy on my right; will probably be getting the #1 in the relatively near future.

Looks like it’s time to reset the squat weight and work back up.

Missed two days of lifting this week due to a weekend roadtrip, and will be missing another two this week for the same reason. Not good.

 

[JauntyAngle]

My legs imploded today.

That'll teach you to create spontaneous vacuums inside them.

Okay, but seriously... I'm impressed how long you've stayed with "Re-Starting Strength". 3x5 sets across with linear progression gets really tough after a while, and I think you passed 'a while' a while ago.

 

[Stonebreaker]

Okay, but seriously... I'm impressed how long you've stayed with "Re-Starting Strength". 3x5 sets across with linear progression gets really tough after a while, and I think you passed 'a while' a while ago.

I'm not entirely displeased, though I would have prefered the beginning of the end here to have begun with a little less of a bang. I hit a new 1 rep PR by putting myself through this, and while I don't keep track of 5-rep PRs, my current 3-rep is 260lbs... probably no longer the case in light of last week's 255x5.

I think I can squeeze a bit more out of Re-SS after the reset and the move to the heavy/light scheme for lifting on back to back days. The upcoming holidays will throw my training some, but I think I can add at least a little bit to the Squat & Press competition's total.

 

[Stonebreaker]

November 10, 2011:
Re-Starting Strength: Week 14, Day 1
Warm-up: TB X-Ramp: 8 minutes at resistance 8, ramp 6: 0.7mi

10

 

[Stonebreaker]

November 16, 2011:
Re-Starting Strength: Week 15, Day 1
Warm-up: Rowing machine: c.8 minutes at resistance 10: c.1600m (gauge broken)

Squat: Warm-up, 225x5x3

OHP: Warm-up, 127x5x3

DL: 355x5 (LO, hard 4 and 5, set-up felt off)

Total lift time: 52 minutes
Stretch: 19 minutes
Body weight: 241lbs
Missed lifting: 15 day(s) in the last 12 weeks.

Notes:
Training schedule has been shot to hell, and it

 

[Stonebreaker]

November 17, 2011:
Re-Starting Strength: Week 15, Day 2
Warm-up: TB X-Ramp: 8 minutes at resistance 8, ramp 6: 0.71mi

Back Extensions: BWx12x3
-superset with-
10

 

[Stonebreaker]

November 20, 2011:
Re-Starting Strength: Week 15, Day 3
Warm-up: Rowing machine: c. 8 minutes at resistance 10: c. 1600m (gauge broken)

Squat: Warm-up, 230x5x3

OHP: Warm-up, 130x5x3

DL: 365x2 (RO, fail 3)

Total lift time: 65 minutes
Stretch: 14 minutes
Body weight: 236lbs
Missed lifting: 16 day(s) in the last 12 weeks.

Later:
Grip work: Forgotten. Again.

Notes:
Another day of training this weeks was inexcusably missed. Grip work, again, inexcusably missed.

DL at 365, three reps missed with a bit more reason. Still, missing rep 3 at 365 four days after hitting 355x5 was a bit disappointing.

With my training schedule looking increasingly rocky as the holidays approach, I’m thinking that I’m in for even more disappointing days in the gym. Can’t wait.

 

[Stonebreaker]

November 22, 2011:
Re-Starting Strength: Week 16, Day 1
Warm-up: Rowing machine: 8 minutes at resistance 10: 1670m

Squat: Warm-up, 235x5x3

BB BP: Warm-up, 220x5x3

Chin-ups: BWx6x2, x5x2

Total lift time: 73 minutes
Stretch: 18 minutes
Body weight: 240lbs
Missed lifting: 15 day(s) in the last 12 weeks.

Notes:
It would have been nice not to have missed the sixth chin-up on the last two sets, and I’m never very happy when the working weight for my bench and my squat are this close together, but otherwise, this went just fine.

 

[Stonebreaker]

November 23, 2011:
Re-Starting Strength: Week 16, Day 2
Warm-up: Rowing machine: 8 minutes at resistance 10: 1690m

DL: Warm-up, 365x4 (left over, no attempt 5, possible rounding)

PC into OHP: Warm-up, 135x5x3

10

 

[JauntyAngle]

I’m going to have to go back to the 5/3/1 or find some other program that will work with my f’ed up Wednesday/Thursday/Saturday/Sunday lifting schedule soon.

I've been trying to think up a nice 4-day programme, but I can't seem to make my basic template (Squat/DL/Squat, plus bench & row or OHP & chin) work over four days without being too heavy on the legs and back. I'd really like one, because I am really motivated to do four days and I think I could handle it- but I don't want to do the main lifts just once a week each. Pretty much the best I can come up with is to do my normal three day split, and then do my assistance exercises on a fourth day, and I usually plan to do them twice a week but I often miss one time per week because of work and things exploding (/slight exaggeration). I guess there is Westside, but I don't have the kit and don't feel confident maxing out twice a week when I work out on my own.

Which is to say... let me know if you come up with something other than 5/3/1 that works over 4 days.

 

[Stonebreaker]

Which is to say... let me know if you come up with something other than 5/3/1 that works over 4 days.

The only thing that I've come up with so far is the consecutive days variant on the Starting Strength wiki: basic SS routine with "light" BW exercises on the second consecutive days. Not at all the squat 3x/week that I'd like, but unless there's a major shift in my life schedule or I suddenly become willing and able to get up at 4AM to lift before going in to work, it's the best that I have.

I'll let you know if I discover anything better.

 

[Stonebreaker]

December 3, 2011:
Re-Starting Strength: Week 17, Day 1
Warm-up: Rowing machine: 8 minutes at resistance 10: 1640m

Squat: Warm-up, 240x5x3

OHP: Warm-up, 137x5x3

DL: 330x5 (RO)

Total lift time: 72 minutes
Stretch: 16 minutes
Body weight: 237lbs
Missed lifting: 19 day(s) in the last 12 weeks.

Notes:
Lifting schedule is all over the place, and none of those places are good. Nothing to be done about it for now, I’m afraid. Things will level off after Christmas… just in time for the 2012 wave of New Year’s Resolutionists to invade the weight room. Bah.

DL weight reset from failures at 365. Nothing else to see here.

 

[Stonebreaker]

December 4, 2011:
Re-Starting Strength: Week 17, Day 2
Warm-up: Rowing machine: 8 minutes at resistance 10: 1660m

Back Extensions: BWx12x3
-superset with-
10

 

[Old Man]

I wasn't that impressed with your last workout, until I realized the body weight we are dealing with here. Maybe it is time to retire the "Ectomorph" from your log title.

 

[Stonebreaker]

I wasn't that impressed with your last workout, until I realized the body weight we are dealing with here. Maybe it is time to retire the "Ectomorph" from your log title.

1. That BW workout came 24 hours after the regular SS workout. Cut me some slack.

2. "Ectomorph" is staying, I think. At last check, my "bigger at all costs" diet has pushed me up to 24-25% body fat. I am not a 240lb man, I'm a 200lb man with a 40lb gut. For now.

 

[Stonebreaker]

December 8, 2011:
Re-Starting Strength: Week 18, Day 1
Warm-up: Rowing machine: 8 minutes at resistance 10: 1600m

Squat: Warm-up, 245x5x3 (slow, reps 4 and 5 weren’t pretty on all sets)

BB BP: Warm-up, 225x5 (hard 4 and 5), 225x4 (hard 4, no attempt 5), 225x5 (hard 4 and 5, had a spotter this time)

Pull-ups: BWx3x5

Total lift time: 70 minutes
Stretch: skipped
Body weight: 240lbs
Missed lifting: 19 day(s) in the last 12 weeks.

Notes:
My FUBAR’d schedule has left me with Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday as the available days to lift this week. Not good. Will probably do some very light work (possibly cardio) tonight as a bit of active rest between heavy lifting on Thursday and Saturday, if only so that I don’t have to add yet another day to my missed lifting count.

 

[Stonebreaker]

December 9, 2011:
Re-Starting Strength: Week 18, Day 2
Rowing machine: 16 minutes at resistance 10: 3320m
Stretch: 22 minutes

Notes:
I put in a light cardio day because it looked like all my lifting for the week was going to be compressed into one four day block. Turns out that I missed a day of lifting anyway, so I could have done a BW “light” day here after all.

It also turns out that my cardio has become truly deplorable. That’ll be something to work on this coming year.

 

[Stonebreaker]

December 11, 2011:
Re-Starting Strength: Week 18, Day 3
Warm-up: Rowing machine: 8 minutes at resistance 10: 1680m

Squat: Warm-up, 250x5x3 (hard 4 and 5 all sets, very hard 5 set 3)

OHP: Warm-up, 140x5x3 (hard 4, very hard 5 all sets)

DL: 345x5 (LO, hard 5)

Total lift time: 67 minutes
Stretch: skipped
Body weight: 239lbs
Missed lifting: 19 day(s) in the last 12 weeks.

Notes:
Last day of heavy lifting; BW and deload work this week leading up to 1RM attempts on the squat and OHP this weekend to end the team competition. As FUBAR’d as my schedule has been lately, I’ll be reasonably happy if I can match the PRs I set in September.

All of today’s sets could probably have been labeled “ugly,” but I figured it’d be easier to write that here than on each lift.

Last rep on the OHP was especially bad. Didn’t get my head back quickly enough and hit myself in the chin with the bar. Luckily, I was tired enough that there wasn’t any snap on the press and no damage done. Then, like an idiot, I kept the motion going despite the loss of momentum, pulled my head under the bar, and stalled for what felt like forever with the bar