Back in the Lifting Game, anyone else coming back? What are your goals?

Any workout is better then nothing, even flailing about on the floor
Take the win and build... only day 2 of 2016!

 

I have never showered at the gym. I always shower when I get home.

For me I'd have to go home and shower again because I'd still feel dirty from the gym shower.

 

How do you feel about getting back in your car the next day?

 

The same as any other day. It's a car.

I don't know anyone that showers at the gym unless they have a prior engagement.

 

The car doesn't smell like sweat after a short time? I'm dripping after a workout. Seats, armrests, stealing wheel, shifter.

 

But forgetting those issues,

Who's lifting today?

 

Lift day today!
Need to stay positive... I do enjoy it, actually look forward to it, till about the halfway point and I'm ready to either tapout or get bored. Lets see this is week 16.. at this point my routine is getting looooooooong, right around 1.5~2hrs depending on the split. Why? the weight lifted is now past my own body weight.

Since I prefer to have goals and markers, or say an objective that can be mapped out to utilize the time spent most effectively I track every lift including the warm up sets. Over the last century much has been written about optimum lift routines and intensity, volume etc.. Those not familiar can read up on Bill Starr,
Bill Starr?s 5 x 5 Training | old school trainer
Mark Rippetoe,
Starting Strength

Now onto a bit more in depth look at ones routine and lifts, This article is worth a read and very insightful to getting a good look at ones lifts and if they are over/under training. While everyone is different and has different recovery rates etc.. this approach is based on your specific ability regardless of tonnage lifted.
http://ambesc.com/lifting/prelipins.pdf

I sat down and using the data I've been collecting wrote a quick spreed sheet and calc'd out my routines. First thing noticed is that I need to alter a couple lifts, some less some more. I could feel that this was the case but having the numbers so to speak and looking at the data I can now do that effectively, cut back on one and push harder on another, vs just cutting back and then trying to step up again across the board.

Yes it's all dynamic and changes each time, but by tracking and having a set goal in place it makes it easier to get there and see how to do it without wasting time or risking injury.

So for me at the moment, and once you read the above PDF this will make some sense. My single INOL per lift is:
Squat: 1.88
Bench Press: 1.95
Overhead Press: 1.73
Deadlift: 0.55
Bent over rows: 1.26

Based on those numbers, the bench press is approach max and needs to either be tapered or adjusted. Deadlift is unique, it's a brutal lift that INOL is for a single set+warm ups, vs the others are for all sets. Given that DL is only a single set the breakdown between all lifts actually is nearly the same. Bent over rows is just about ideal and the lift actually feels that way too. Greed or ego had me pushing the BP harder has I really wanted to get back to my old numbers as quickly as I could, I've been making good progress but could feel the fatigue more on this lift, now I can cut it back and still make progress without sacrificing other lifts or gains.

The numbers are a guide, not hard fast rules. I go by how I feel during and post and then use the data to see where MY ideal or optimum target should be. Given what I've been tracking and how I feel I'd say that for me my optimum loading phase numbers would be from 1.25~1.75, volume setback would be 20% less.

Now in terms of simple raw data that is more commonly tossed around the net and bragged about, tonnage. How many tons lifted in for example a wk. I'm hitting ~34 tons per wk @ an avg of 72% intensity. But it's meaningless really, those gross numbers don't tell much and would be terrible for trying to utilize in some manner. If one wants to get nuts and yes I've done this you could measure out the kinematics of a lift and calc' the total wattage in terms of moving weight, but once again that doesn't really correlate to energy expended just the energy required to move that weight for that scalar. Last time I measured that it was ~130kW over 40mins of movement, hence why it takes nearly 2hrs to get through it.

And so ends today's lecture....

 

I clean all that a few times a year, and I just don't sweat like some people. Even 30 minutes on a stairclimber I'm sweating more than normal but still not dripping.

And all the times people ride in my car and go on and on about the smell of leather, specifically women.

Decided to take the week of from weights, so it's all cardio this week.

My shoulder feels weird at odd movements so I figured since part of my new routine is to incorporate more cardio, it's a good way to really get into it.

 

Why cardio?
When strength training and even for high volume bodybuilding your cardio vascular system gets quite the workout, probably more so as the peak demand for blood flow and pressure is greater under the stress of lifting heavy weight.

Either I've got exceptionally excellent genetics (I don't) or all those yrs of strength training (more likely) resulted in an excellent cardio stress test, the Doc actually noted that the flow and efficiency of my heart was that of elite athlete that trains for triathlons. He was a bit shocked when I told him that I don't do cardio...

You can always drop your intensity to 60% and go with volume sets/reps

 

Whew! ...
Wiped out... 1.5 hrs & 12 Tons

 

Oh yea, I totally am aware of that. The main reason is because of my shoulder. It just felt a little sore so I figured I'd do all cardio to give my upper body a rest, which I haven't done in a while.

Also though, I'm wanting to implement more cardio and improve my endurance this year. My schedule is a little different this week too so I'd have to really adjust my routine which I'm still trying to plan out.

 

Was able to get 3 days in this week, all cardio. HIIT on stairclimber for 25 minutes and 20 minutes on the treadmill. My stamina is awful.

I started my weight training today, I'll slowly be implementing 30 seconds-1 minute of some sort of cardio between sets. I did that for only 2 weighted sets, step ups while doing flat bench and dumbbell swings while doing incline dumbbell bench. I plan on working my way up to do it through my entire workout.

 

I'm a big fan of intense cardio.

Don't get me wrong I love lifting heavy weights but to me being strong is pointless if you can't run without getting tired. Right now I'm doing 5-3-1 program four days a week with cardio mixed in every day.

When I can I'll lift in the morning and then do cardio in the evening. On the days I don't lift I like to do hard core cardio.

We have a couple of monsters in my gym who are lifting insane numbers but they can't run a mile without puking a lung. I think it's important to decide you long term goals. For me it's staying fit till I'm dead and gone. If that means I lift a bit lighter but can run circles around the big guys then I'm happy.

Our litmus test for endurance/strength is "Murph". Run one mile, 100 pull-ups, 200 pushups, 300 air squats, then run another mile. It's supposed to be done with a 20 pound vest but must do it without. One of my favorites.

 

What is the 5-3-1 program? Don't think I've heard of it.

I actually can't run really. My hips are out of line, and it really bothers me to run so I walk fast. I'm really trying to lean out.

 

Does anyone have a recommendation for a scale? Never bought one before and I'd imagine there are some that are just junk and some that are good. Not looking to spend a ton of money.

For most of my life (on and off) when I'm active or get to anxious and moving too quickly I get nauseous, and experience a dry heaving type moment. But once I have that moment it goes away and doesn't happen again. This past week I discovered that if I have a slice of bread 45 minutes before my workout I do not experience it. I guess it settles my stomach somehow. I'm going to start trying to decrease my carbs this week. Currently I stay around 150-175 carbs, I'm going to look to lower that to 115-125.

 

I have 2 scales: 1 is analog and the other is digital.
The digital one supposedly gives fat and water percentages, which is fun to see but I doubt are highly accurate, but the analog seems to be more in tune with the doctors scale. As long as you're using the same scale for weeks or months at a time, then you will have a better idea of your personal progress, which is ultimately what matters most.

 

Thanks Anetta I appreciate your input!

 

Jim Wendler's program. It's good and will make you really strong really fast.

 

Cool, thanks!

 

I had my first ever squat fail last week.

I haven't been squatting consistently in a very long time, I do legs consistently, just not squats. I don't even remember the weight, but it's something I've done before but I think I went to deep. I got to the bottom of the squat, and couldn't go up. Oh well, on to the next.

I ended up buying a scale because my friend told me I needed to weigh myself, because he could tell I've put on some size. Once I hit 155 in 2007 I have never ever surpassed it. I could go through an entire day and step on a scale and still be 155. Now I'm at 160 just about every morning.

 

Squat racks are your friend - It can be scary to have to unload, that's why I'm not really squatting heavy anymore as I always work out by myself. Glad to hear (from what it sounds) that nothing happened though!!

 

They were that day for sure. I actually let it fall back pretty slowly somehow so it didn't make much noise. Probably because i was just stuck in the squat and the side bars were right there and probably because I was still holding it on my back for 5 seconds or so.

It's been so tough to stay consistent on squats because of having to change gyms for a couple months and it being super crowded. Now I'm at my normal gym, but it seems it's only crowded on leg days! As long as I hit my legs somehow though I'm okay with it. I tend to do the fixed squat machine thing (not the smith machine).

 

Bumping this for a little advice.

Please don't be "that guy" and yell/grunt at the top of your lungs. It's very annoying. When guys lifting twice as much weight as you don't need to, neither do you.

Also, don't you hate when you have those days you feel like you smell really bad even though you showered earlier.

 

Help an old guy out.

I'm 54. I go to the gym 3-4 days a week and lift using machines because it makes more sense to me since I'm always alone and frequently have the gym to myself. I read the 5x5 site with interest and considered starting just to see how it goes, but it's very clear that the most important exercise is squats. I can't do squats. I lack the flexibility to get both hands on the bar while it rests on my upper back. I tried again today and contorted myself until it hurt. Not gonna happen.

Any suggestions on stretches I can do to get some flexibility back?

 

Yoga ...and or try with a broom/pvc pipe and slowly practice proper form