Still on the Right Side of the Grass

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gymdad150
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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#501

Post by gymdad150 » Mon Feb 07, 2022 4:40 pm

2/7/22

9th Cycle / Week Two - reps/sets

Low Bar Squats - 137.5kg *1, 112,5kg 2*2
Tempo Pause Squats - 90kg 5*2
Cable Mid Row - 170lbs 10*3
Cable Hi Row - 224 / 28 / 32kg *15
Single Leg Ext - 160kg 20*3
Single Leg Banded Hamstring Curl - orange band 15*3

Made up for Saturday's shit show. Felt strong, acted strong, was strong...funny how that works.

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#502

Post by KarlM » Mon Feb 07, 2022 4:53 pm

gymdad150 wrote: Mon Feb 07, 2022 4:40 pm Made up for Saturday's shit show. Felt strong, acted strong, was strong...funny how that works.
I can so relate to that.

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#503

Post by gymdad150 » Sat Feb 12, 2022 3:16 pm

2/12/22

I'm going to a weekly recap, as opposed to per session #because

9th Cycle - Week Two

Bench work was nothing special. Building towards a solid paused single, 92.5kg in week four. Shoulder is no better / no worse, but still not 100%. Fortunately, signs of green shoots do exist, the dumbbell work was done as Tempo, at 60lbs...that's a dumbbell PR.

Deadlift is shaping up for a nice run at 205 / 210 come week four. I feel like I've found a cue that can help me avoid my hips shooting up before the bar breaks the floor. We're not doing as many "hinge" movements this cycle. It doesn't seem to be hurting my pulls.

SBD Saturdays don't feature any Pulls or RDLs; doing Safety Bar Squats for reps, which is a change from past Saturday sessions at this time in a cycle; Bench is shoulder friendly with 2 Board sets for reps. Belt Squats are in the program again, as are Reverse Hypers (it's been years); and as always, lot's of single leg extensions and banded hamstring curls.

If you're so inclined, you can see all this play out on my Instagram feed: @gymdad150 the gory details are posted there

#honkhonk

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#504

Post by MarkKO » Sat Feb 12, 2022 11:41 pm

I tried weekly digests. I'm far too talkative to maintain that. I missed a bunch, what happened to your shoulder?

gymdad150
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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#505

Post by gymdad150 » Sat Feb 19, 2022 10:46 am

2/19/22

9th Cycle / Week Three

Squats: Wasn't feeling my best for these, tight hips and cranky knees. Still 147.5kg moved nicely for the top single.

Bench - Starting to actually feel good, even if the top single at 87.5kg moved slowly...there were no hot spots anywhere in the movement.

Deads - Coach is being very conservative with the numbers he's calling here. Top single at 195kg moved nicely, I'm gaining my confidence back. I've noticed that I'm taking a little too much time to "get ready" to pull. The point was driven home after watching Austin just walk up to the bar and pull 705lbs...no break in the action: just walk up, grab the bar, pull. Go over to his Instagram and take a look. I'm working on being more cognizant of not getting stuck over the bar...#confidence

Saturday - I'm getting the feeling that Saturdays are more about conditioning at the moment. Lot's of sets, goodly amount of reps for this time in the training process.

Week Four is shaping up nicely, I think all the lifts are there for the taking...just have to keep negative thoughts out of the equation. Squat will be around 157.5kg...this will be as heavy as I've Squatted since Chicago 2019. Bench will be 90, maybe 92.5kg, not that it should be hard, but it's as heavy a paused single I'll have done since tweaking my shoulder. Deads should be 202.5/205kg, again it's conservative, but it's all about confidence right now.

When I hit all these lifts, I'll be in a great place for the last training cycle before my meet on April 2. Conceivably I could be close to some PRs...but let's not get too far ahead of ourselves.

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#506

Post by gymdad150 » Sat Feb 26, 2022 11:21 am

2/26/22

9th Cycle / Week Four

Squat - ended this cycle with a conservative single at 155kg...a little high. The good thing is, the weight wasn't soul crushing, and I could have gone for a couple more reps. With the upcoming cycle and then the meet, coach seems to feel that 165 / 167.5kg is in the cards for a third attempt. I'm trying desperately not to get to far ahead of myself...

Bench - a nice paused single at 92.5kg. A little slow in the last third of the movement...but it felt great in my hands and on my chest. I think this next cycle will see me take a paused single at 97.5kg. The shoulder feels really good at the moment, even with all the low bar Squats. I'm working on my visualization skills...100kg will fall this coming meet. If it doesn't, it won't be for lack of preparation.

Deadlift - an easy single at 202.5kg. Felt a little tightness in my right hammy half way up, but it wasn't a "problem" as such. I just slowed down through that part of the pull so as not to risk anything happening. Had I been allowed to pull what I felt I could, I would have put 207.5kg on the bar, but coach is being extremely conservative at the moment...I'm an old man don't you know. We'll probably end this next cycle around 210 / 212.5kg. I think 220 will be a third attempt come meet day. I don't see a way that 227.5kg is in the cards...but, you never know.

Saturday - Decided to push today's session a little, I'm feeling as good as I have on many a moon, and I want to take advantage of the open window. SSB was strong at 115kg for 7, Larsen Bench at 80kg for 7 was strong as well. There are no Hinge movements on Saturday. Belt Squats were crazy strong, 75kg for 15...with no pain to speak of in my left knee.

We've had 9 uninterrupted cycles of training since Raw Natls of last year. Considering where we started, and now where we are, I'm really happy about my prospects...it's been a really long slog to get back to being mentally in the game. This past training block has allowed me to relax a bit, and feel like my "best days" are not behind me.

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#507

Post by gymdad150 » Sat Mar 05, 2022 11:06 am

3/5/22

10th Cycle - Week One

Squat - Opened up this cycle at 145kg. To my surprise, coach has me ending the cycle at 167.5kg...which would be my first "real" PR since 2019. I need to up my mental game...

Bench - Opened up this cycle at 88.5kg. Yes, we're micro-loading...and we're looking to end the cycle at 97.5kg PAUSED.

Deadlift - Opened up this cycle at 185kg. Again, coach has surprised me with an attempt at 215kg to end the cycle. That would be as much as I've pulled in a gym setting...ever.

I will admit to be taken by surprise with where coach has us ending up. I had figured we'd be 162.5/165 - 95 - 210/212.5.
I had to talk with him and confirm that what he has laid out is indeed "reasonable", as he's been so conservative up till now. He believes, based on what he's seen, that all these numbers are indeed doable, and set us up for a meet that could feature as many as 3 PRs. As I mentioned earlier, I need to up my mental game.

My mental game has been strong up through 2019. My first meet back from Cancer/Covid in Feb 2021 went reasonably well, all things considered. Raw Natls was a shit show, and I'm still trying to work my way past that disappointment.

I've had 10 unbroken cycles since Daytona, with some solid cycles recently, and I'm willing to give myself credit for the work I've put in. So this is where the visualization work, affirmations of worth, and general resetting of my belief systems comes in.

This first week was right where it needed to be. Week Two will feature S: 152.5; B: 91.5; D: 195

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#508

Post by gymdad150 » Sat Mar 12, 2022 11:11 am

3/12/22

10th Cycle - Week Two

Squat - 152.5 for a solid top Single, confident under the bar, nice descent and rebound. Had an opportunity to practice "mind control", as the warm ups felt deathly heavy at 120kg. I reminded myself that being uncomfortable doesn't mean shit, attack the bar and the rest will follow.

Bench - Micro loading our way up the ladder with a top Single (with commands) of 91.5kg. I'm pleased with how the bar moved. I wasn't expecting coach to hit me with commands this early, but since I hate them, I need to get used to them again. Lot's pf practice doing singles this cycle...I'm not looking forward to what's in store for me after the meet 10s / 8s...oye.

Deadlift - We're nowhere close to a heavy single yet, even though the top Single was 195kg. No belt...no problem. I'm in a good place right now with Deadlifts. I can get into the position I want to start the pull. I've learned some new, and effective cues that have made me more confident at the beginning of the pull.

Saturday - Strong session, even with having played a hard Doubles Squash match last night, and then gone out on the town with the boys. Many beers were had...carb loading! And speaking of carb loading...my weight, as of Wednesday was 210.5lbs....WOOO FUCKIN' HOOOO. That's a new lifetime PR for me. Lord knows coach and I have been trying for 4 years to break through the 200lbs barrier...very excited. Might be a little fluffy, but we can address that after the meet.

Next weeks lifts will be: S 160kg; B 94kg; D 205kg looking forward to moving weights I haven't seen in two years.

Three Weeks Out...

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#509

Post by gymdad150 » Sat Mar 19, 2022 11:22 am

3/19/22

10th Cycle - Week Three

Squat - Went through a competition progression: 140 / 150 / 160kg. I haven't touched 160kg in two years, it moved pretty well all things considered. I was not on my game getting to the gym, had to go home to get my sleeves, ran into brutal traffic coming back to the gym, I'm surprised I did as well as I did.

Bench - Again, I went through a competition progression: 88.5 / 91.5 / 94.5kg. Handled the top single (with commands) nicely. I'm feeling more comfortable under the unracked bar. Normally I'm in "fight or flight" mode, with the emphasis being on "flight" after I unrack the bar. Now I'm ready to fight...

Deadlift - More competition progressions: 185 / 195 /205kg. Starting to get butterflies in the stomach now that we're moving towards bigger pulls. I'm needing all my mental game to calm myself down and be in the moment. Pulls weren't hard, I' was just to amped to remember my cues at 205kg. I was good for at least another pull, if not two more...

Saturday - Strong, beltless, paused SSBs at 120kg 2*4, Sneaky Tempo Paused Bench singles up through 87kg, my Bench is feeling really good at the moment, and my mind is in a good place. I'll be damned, I repped out Dumbbell Presses with 45lbs Dumbbells 12*2...I might have to try my hand at Barbell Pressing in the coming cycles.

So we're done with week three, and week four is looming large in my mind. Tentatively we're on schedule for: S - 167.5kg (PR); B - 97.5kg (ties PR); D - 215kg (haven't touched 215 in two years). Not gonna lie, I'm nervous...performance anxiety and all that. I know I've put in the work, I just need to get out of my way mentally, and let the training do the talking.

....oh, and we're two weeks out!
Last edited by gymdad150 on Sat Mar 19, 2022 11:29 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#510

Post by slowmotion » Sat Mar 19, 2022 11:25 am

That's some big weights you're lifting now! You'll get it tho. Nice work!

gymdad150
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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#511

Post by gymdad150 » Sat Mar 26, 2022 10:58 am

slowmotion wrote: Sat Mar 19, 2022 11:25 am That's some big weights you're lifting now! You'll get it tho. Nice work!
Thanks. It's nice to be moving proper weights again...

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#512

Post by gymdad150 » Sat Apr 02, 2022 10:35 am

4/2/22

Peak Week

Very odd not having the meet on a Saturday...

Anyway, an interesting week of extremely light lifts. This is a change from past Peaking templates, where we'd normally work up to Openers...#trusttheprocess

I feel pretty good, though I have had moments where I had to remind myself that I'm not losing any strength with this reduced work load. I maintained the no caffeine, no Aleve all week long. I'm looking forward to that extra boost tomorrow, as my ass has been dragging this week.

The official attempts are:
S: 145 / 157.5 / 165-170
B: 87.5 / 92.5 / 95-97.5
D: 185 / 200 / 210-215

So pretty much in line with what I anticipated. As always, it's important to nail that Squat opener, it sets the tone for the day.

For those who have an interest, in addition to the Lifting Cast page, the possibility exists that there will be a live stream on YouTube. Check on Mustache Fitness's site around 9:00am tomorrow. One session, 42 lifters, and from what I gather there will be some fairly strong athletes taking part (yours truly not included in that august assembly).

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#513

Post by gymdad150 » Sat Apr 09, 2022 10:53 am

4/9/22

Recovery Week

Three working days of really light movement, with a recovery massage thrown in on Tuesday. Amazingly enough, I felt pretty good post meet. Normally I feel like a bag of smashed assholes. I attribute this state of being to the superlative programming these past 10 months #goldilocks

The gym picked up an Assault Runner...what a fun machine that is! I haven't been able to really run for a few years now (I don't consider the start/step of Squash, running) due to my ongoing knee issue. I've put in a few sessions on this new A/R, and my knees are no worse the wear. I think I've found a solution to my conditioning issues...finally. Plus, I will admit I was getting a bit depressed that I couldn't run anymore (not that I do a lot of it). I used to be a fairly fast fellow in my youth, and being somewhat "crippled" left me feeling less than athletic.

And now we're onto a new training cycle, consisting of three, three week blocks. These will lead us into Powerlifting America's Masters Nations in Orlando, in June. Why not...

Let's go!!!

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#514

Post by gymdad150 » Sat Apr 30, 2022 1:34 pm

...and we're back I see. Not gonna post the first two weeks of this cycle, nothing much to talk about, just putting in the work.

4/30/22

1st Cycle / Week Three - reps / sets

Squat -
Singles at 140/150kg...slow, not tired, just slow. Two back off sets of 7 @ 107.5kg, and then my favorite single leg work: Tempo to Tempo Bulgarians.

Bench -
A bit of a listless session. Singles at 85 / 90kg. Two Touch and Go sets, and then of 7 @ 77.5kg, along with three Spoto sets of five @75kg. Dumbbell Bench and Incline work was strong, and then we blew up the arms with LTEs / Tri Pushdowns and EZ Bar Curls.

Deadlift -
Singles at 175 / 185kg. Two back of sets of 7 @ 165kg. RDLs, three sets of 8 @ 130kg. Regular single leg extensions / banded hamstring curls and Copenhagen Planks to round out the day.

Conditioning Friday -
More interval work. A little faster, a little farther... My heart rate recovery is good, especially for being a little faster in the work intervals. I'm hoping to be able to cut it loose in a few more sessions. I'd like to see how fast my turnover is at my advanced years.
But, having said that, I'll probably wait until after the June meet.

SBD Saturday -
Paused SSBs: three sets of 8 @ 100 (1) / 105kg (2); three count paused Bench: three sets of three @ 80kg; Big Wheel Pulls: three sets of three @ 203kg (1) / 193kg (2). Assistance work for the shoulders, and single leg work. I'm happy with the ability to work hard on Saturdays, after the hard conditioning work on Friday #jellylegs. I'm working on toughing a little higher on my chest on the Bench. I handled today's work with more ease than last weeks sets @ 77.5kg...progress! Overshot the BWPs @203kg, so I dropped the other two sets to 193kg...didn't want to push the lower back too hard.

And it appears that there will be one more week to this cycle, then a cycle of three weeks, and then a two week Peak/Taper into the June meet.

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#515

Post by gymdad150 » Sat May 07, 2022 11:42 am

5/7/22

1st Cycle - Week Four reps/sets

Squat - Singles at 150 /157.5kg...a little grindy at 157.5kg. No issues with the lightheadedness, or the flippy heart beat. We're not out of the woods yet, but the issue is "better".

Bench - Singles at 85 / 90kg...a little grindy at 90kg for no real reason. My right shoulder is not contributing like it should. Put in some 5 Board work to hit the movement at my sticking point, and work on keeping my shoulder in "the pocket", worked up to triples at 92.5 / 95 / 97.5kg. Something has to make this Bench move...right?

Deadlift - Singles at 185 / 195kg...very fast, felt great. Two down sets of 7 @ 170kg, plus RDLs: 3 sets of 8 @ 135kg.

Conditioning Friday - regular interval work, a little tired. Threw in one 20 second sprint to see what I could "handle", topped out at 12.5mph, and it didn't hurt. That works out to roughly, a 70 second quarter mile. My goal is to see if I can hit 15mph...with a stretch goal of 17.5mph (that's roughly a 51 second 440...)

SBD Saturday - officially tired. Squats were work: Paused SSB 105kg *8, 110kg 8*2. 3 Count Paused Bench was actually pretty solid: 82.5kg 3*3; 5 Board Bench singles 85/90/2.5/5/7.5/100...missed 102.5kg. Big Wheel Pulls - Tired and my knee has finally started to show a little wear and tear (nothing horrible, but definitely carrying some fluid), set of 3 at 183kg, and two @ 193kg. Rows: 3 sets of 10 @ 93kg.

And that was that...pooped.

Maybe some golf tomorrow, I need some range time.

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#516

Post by gymdad150 » Sat May 14, 2022 12:48 pm

5/14/22

2nd Cycle / Week One reps/sets

Squat - Singles at 132.5 / 142.5kg, down sets: 2 sets of four @120kg I see we added some extra Bench work in addition to what I've dreamed up. heavy single leg work.

Bench - Paused Singles at 85 / 90kg; down sets: 2 sets of 4 @80; Spoto: 3 sets of 8 @ 70kg. 4 Board Bench: 70/80/90/95/100...101kg just to work on getting comfortable with heavier weights in my hands and on my chest. We'll bring the bar down as the weeks wear on. Lots of arm work, blowing up the Bi's and Tri's.

Deadlift - Singles at 175 / 185kg; down sets: 2 sets of 4 @155kg. More Bench work: Spoto and 4 Board. Heavier single leg work, and Revs Hyper sets. I'm having a bit of bother with the middle finger on my left hand. Tendonitis / Tendonosis...who can tell. All I know is that it's making pulling extremely uncomfortable.

Conditioning Friday - Same drill, intervals 20 seconds on / 10 seconds off for 4 minutes sets. Finished with a short sprint and got up to 13.1mph...the knee was a little balky today so I couldn't "air it out" the way I wanted to.

SBD Saturday - Singles for all the big three, 3 sets @ rpe 7. I was glad to see these programmed as I'm a little tired. I may move the conditioning to Tuesdays. I need a day off after Deads. Moved down to a 3 Board Bench today...it worked, until it didn't at 102.5kg.

And we passed the two year anniversary of the end of Cancer treatments with another "clean" check-up. That took place Monday...big weight off my shoulders I must say. If I can get past this fluttery heart issue and the tendon issues in my left hand, I'd be fit as a fiddle. As is, I endeavor to persevere...

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#517

Post by gymdad150 » Sat May 28, 2022 11:17 am

5/28/22

2nd Cycle / Week Three sets/reps

Squat - Hit a Single at 150kg, and got a little grab in my left Quad, just enough for me to call it a day. Down sets @ 120/130kg *4, quad was able to handle this load without an issue; Bench work and Kroc Rows; and as always - lots of single leg work, with Copenhagen Planks.

Bench - Singles at 87.5 / 95kg; Down sets 85kg 4*2; Spoto 75kg 8*3; 3 Board 85/90/95.97.5 *1, 95*1, 90*2, 85*3, 80*5*2; Dumbbell Bench 60lbs 8*4, Tri's and Bi's work. Good single at 95, coach thought it was a slow single, but I really liked it's momentum all through the concentric phase.

Deadlift - Singles at 195 / 205kg; down sets 160kg 4*3; Spoto 85kg 3*3; 3 Board 85/90/95/97.5kg *1, 95*1, 90*2, 85*4. And that was that. I got an abdominal cramp that would not let go and couldn't do much of anything but flail about, trying to get my shoes and socks off. The single at 205 was slow, but never in doubt.

Conditioning Friday - didn't happen, extremely fatigued.

SBD Saturday - Tempo Down Squat 145kg 1*3; Tempo Pause Bench 87.5kg 1*3; 3 Board 85/90/95/100kg *1, 102.5kg; Big Wheel Pulls 198kg 1*3; Dumbbell Bench 60lbs 8*3, Straight Bar Curlz eb 30*3; Single Leg Ext 50kg 30*3; Single Leg Banded Hamstring Curlz Orange Band 30*3. Still a bit tired, but I got all the work done as written.

So fatigue finally reared it's ugly head. We saw it with the Quad issue on Monday, had some shoulder fatigue on Wednesday, Abdominal cramps on Thursday, and then being too tired to get in the conditioning work on Friday. It happens...

The breathlessness and heart flutter issue has persisted long enough for me to schedule an appointment with my intown PCP. I've had this issue before (many years ago with no lasting effects), we'll see how they address it now considering COVID (facepalm). It's definitely a viral issue, but in my eyes, non COVID related...we'll see.

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#518

Post by gymdad150 » Sat Jun 04, 2022 1:46 pm

6/4/22

2nd Cycle / Week Four - reps/sets

Squat -
Dead legs, I spent to much time on the golf range the day previous. Singles at 140/150kg; down sets @120kg 4*3. Rows and single leg work for assistance. I suppose it's nice I can move 150kg when heavily fatigued.

Bench -
Picked up a niggle in my left shoulder (come join the fun) warming up. Singles @ 92.5/95k; down sets @ 82.5kg 4*4; Spoto @ 70kg 8*4. Had to cut the assistance work short as LTEs and Curls really made my shoulder unhappy.

Deadlift -
Singles @ 185/195kg; down sets @ 165kg 4*3; Spoto 87.5kg 3*3. Rows didn't feel good so I cut them short. Seeing the Acupuncturist Friday. Single leg work as always to finish the day.

Accupuncturist Appt -
My guy is a wizard with the needles. He was able to palpate the problem spots that I had ID'd on Wednesday. Many needles w/ electrostim later, the shoulder felt much better. I had him look at my left hand / middle finger as well. He buried a couple of needles up to the hilt in each side of the finger, at the base of the palm...think Wolverine and Adamantium blades. I'm not terribly good with needles to begin with. Watching him work, took me to a whole other level of queasiness. Never the less, I persevered...

SBD Saturday -
I had quite a good day today, totally unexpected. Though I was fired up prior to hitting the gym. I had received an email from a grade school classmate that was very thoughtful, and totally on point with my life under the bar. So, yeah...I was pumped up. You just never know who's following your journey in life and has an appreciation for what your doing. I have a reunion in a few weeks with these guys, and this fellow is gonna get a big hug from me.

Anyway: Squats felt as good as they ever have when walking them out and setting up. 3 Singles @ 150kg, they moved slowly but I'm built for torque not horsepower. Bench felt great as well, 3 singles at 90kg, tempo paused. I haven't felt as comfortable and confident under the bar at this weight EVER. Big Wheel Pulls moved nicely, 3 singles @ 203kg. The work the Acupuncturist did paid off, as my hand felt much improved over the past few weeks.

My gym has a goodly number of folks taking part in Mega Natls this coming week. It's a strange feeling to have your teammates go off to this competition, and not be going with them...both to compete and cheer them on. This will be the first one I've missed since 2017. Everyone has had great training blocks, I can't wait to see what numbers they put up.

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#519

Post by gymdad150 » Sat Jun 11, 2022 9:39 am

6/11/22

3rd Cycle / Week One reps/sets

Squat -
Came in 15% lighter...sort of a mini de-load. Single @ 132.5; down sets @ 115kg 3*2. Some Bench, Bulgarians, and Belt Squats for accessory work.

Bench -
Again, coming in lighter. Single @86kg; down sets @ 75kg 3*3; Spoto @ 65kg 3*5. Goblet Squats, single arm LTEs, Tri Pushdowns, Overhead Tri Extensions for accessories.

Deadlift - Same, same...Single @ 175kg; downs sets @ 155kg 3*2; Paused Deads @ 145kg 1*2. Paused Bench and Rows, along with regular leg work. Got this done in the morning so I could go tot he doctors appointment and just relax.

Conditioning Friday -
Same interval work I've been doing. Only difference is that I was all alone in the gym, as everyone's at Mega Nationals.

Saturday -
Paused Safety Bar Squats @100kg 4*3 (rpe7); Spoto @67.5kg 4*4 (rep6); Cable Mid Row / Cable Flys, and leg work for accessories. Early session as the gym closes early...still under Mega Natls staffing issues.

I will admit to being a little tired this week, so it's nice to have been able to dial things back a tad. My knee was a little cranky on Squat day. Bench is feeling great, and Deadlifts could use the back down as my hand is still not quite 100%.

I did have some soft tissue work done on Tuesday: shoulders to finger tips. Holy shit did that session hurt. The shoulders not so much, but damn...the work on my triceps and forearms was almost unbearable. It's now four day later and the musculature is just now pain free. My finger is feeling much better for the work.

As to the doctors appointment, the TL:DR is that I'm scheduled for a stress test / echocardiogram this coming Friday. The doc doesn't seem terribly concerned, but wants the test just to rule out anything really shitty.
As I feared, he pushed the Clot Shot...HARD. In the end we agreed to disagree, but he didn't appreciate my push back. He's also pushing for me to go on Statins, but we'll wait for the blood work to come back, and then go round and round about the benefits for someone my age.
He also, with a straight face, asked me if I was on any performance enhancing drugs due to my participation in Powerlifting at a competitive level. My response was to say: "look at me, do I like like I'm on anabolics?" I mean for the love of all that's holy, I still look like a stick insect...
I may have to find a new in town PCP.

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Re: Still on the Right Side of the Grass

#520

Post by gymdad150 » Sat Jun 18, 2022 11:09 am

6/18/22

3rd Cycle / Week Two - reps/sets

Squat -
Singles at 135 / 142.5kg; down sets at 120kg 3*3. 2 Count Paused Bench at 85kg 1*4. Regular assistance leg work.
Squats are what they are at the moment.

Bench -
Singles at 85 / 90kg; down sets at 82.5kg 3*3; Spoto 72.5kg 5*3; 3 Board 72.5/82.5/92.5/97.5/102.5kg *1. Lots of arm work #gunshow, and Goblet Squats for accessories.
Bench continues to be a bright spot...at least I feel good about it when I'm under the bar.

Deadlift -
Singles at 175 / 185kg; down sets at 165kg 2*3, Paused Deads at 155kg 1*4. 3 Count Paused Bench at 90kg 1*4. Chest supported Rows for accessory work.
Deads felt pretty good for it being an extremely hot, and humid day in the gym.

Friday Conditioning consisted of an Echo Cardiogram / Stress Test. Haven't had a Stress Test on about 20 years, and certainly not coupled with and Echo Cardiogram.
Damn...that was no fun getting the last images while in severe oxygen debt.

Saturday -
Tempo Paused SSB at 90kg 4*4. Spoto at 70kg 4*5. Mid Rows and shoulder work for accessories. Regular single leg work as well.
Just a really poor Squat session: Dead legs and light headed...just damn...

So here's the 411 on the medical front (in reverse order):
Stress Test / Echo - appears to be nothing out of the ordinary going on. A couple of extra beats in the lower chambers (PVC)...had this before, no biggie. The Echo Tech didn't say anything, but I assume they would not have let me leave if there was anything amiss. I get the Cardiologist's version Monday or Tuesday. I lasted a good long while on the treadmill, about 15 minutes. I paid for it on the table, getting the last few images under severe oxygen debt.

Had blood work drawn on Monday, and the results were in my hand Wednesday, along with the PCP's notes. Long story short, my Thyroid is out of whack, by a goodly amount it seems, which explains absolutely everything that I've been complaining about the LAST TWO YEARS.
If there are 10 hallmarks of a poorly functioning thyroid, I've got 11 of them!

We'll start to address this issue next week. I assume it can be handled with medication alone. Though my PCP might want imaging done...sigh.

I just want to feel better...

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