Bobu's Training Log

[bobu]

I tend to be a lurker but in deference to Mehdi and the help I've gotten from his website,I've decided to try participating.
stats: 62 yrs. old.
5' 11"
196 lbs
waist 38"
blood pressure 136/89
Goals: 185 lbs
waist 34"
blood pressure 118/75
squat 275
bench press 185
deadlift 370
In other words make it through the beginner stage!

Im a self employed veterinarian with a daily commute of 55 miles each way plus I own and operate a 36 head horse farm with just my wife and I operating it. I don't have a lot of time leftover but I need to stay healthy and strong to continue what I'm doing. Unfortunately I like to eat and not healthy foods exclusively. You young guys who want to gain weight just get married. I gained 50 pounds in a year and have been trying to lose it ever since.

In the past I've tried cardiovascular and got bored. From Oct 07 thru Apr 08 I was doing super slow weightlifting but its not very rewarding to do exercises when failure is the endpoint of each set. A local trainer had an article in the paper saying to lose weight you needed to add muscle and if you weren't squatting your were wasting your time. So I googled squatting and found Mehdi's site. The first 2 weeks I read thru beginner strength training and worked on being able to do an unassisted chin up. Since I didn't have a power cage I started with front squats. I've been following the program exactly as described. To save space I'll give my starting stats and then times of significant changes until I get caught up.

Warmups include squat stretches and shoulder dislocations.
started with empty bar on squats, bench press and overhead press and add 5lb each session. barbell row started with 65lbs and add 5 lbs per session. Deadlifts started with 90 lbs and add 10 lbs per session.

week 1 day1
frontsquat 45lb 5x5
bp 45 lb 5x5
br 65 lb 5x5
dips 3x3x3 all partial

week 1 day2
fs 50lb 5x5
op 45lb 5x5
dl 90lb 1x5
pull ups 3x1

end of week 8
wt 194
blood pressure 130/84
fs 155 5x5
bp 100 5x5
br 120 5x5
op 100 5x5
dl 200 1x5
pullups 3x2x2
chinups 3x3x3
dips 4x3x3

At the end of week 8 I took a light week of 3x3 2 times a week.

week 10
needed to deload on front squat from 170 back to 155

week 12
day2
fs 175 5x5 realized I wasnt going deep enough
day3
fs 175 5x5 good form
op 100 3x3x3x3x3 2nd failure
dl 250 1x5
chin up 5x4x4

week 13
day 1
fs 180 3x2x3x1x0 hip flexors too sore to finish
bp 135 5x5
br 155 5x5
dips 7x6x5

day 2
fs deload 140 5x5
op 100 5x3x3x3x3 3rd failure
dl 255 1x5 only incrasing by 5 lbs now gettng havy
pull up 4x3x3

week 15
after reading Mehdi said it was better to do back squats rather than continue front squats I jumped on it. Wrist and finger pain was startng to limit my progress on front squats. I also ordered Inside Out. Started at 135 lbs to work on form.

week16 current week 7/20/08
day 1
squat 145 5x5
op 95 5x5
dl 275 1x5
pull up 4x4x4

day2
squat 150 5x5 Had my wife video tape me and I wasn't going past parallel Thursday I'll drop back to 135. I don't want to fry my hip flexors again.
bp 145 5x5
br 165 5x5 possibly raising hips to high on last reps. I'll stay at 165 next time.
dips 9x7x5

[helm]

these are some nice numbers you have there, sir.

I'm sure you already feel better than before, and when you're working out you don't have that much time to eat your wife's good food
btw, did you make any changes on your diet?

respect for starting at that age, keep lifting and you'll get those goals!
looking forward to following your progress

[mjh]

welcome bobu, best of luck for your listing. Great to read of the advice from the trainer you saw... makes a change from a lot of the rubbish you see in newspapers and magazines.

Maybe you could try a variation of the Milo of Croton workout... lift a newborn foal, and lift it again every day for four years

[bobu]

Thanks for your comments helm. My downfall has always been cake, cookies, pie, danish. You get the picture. I've cut way back on them. I initially was doing the 1g of protein/lb bw but after looking at some published studies I cut back on that. The studies I read showed a protein drink immediately before and after workout was the most beneficial and the most effective drink was 16 oz skim milk. They also said there is a limit to the amount of protein your muscles can incorporate in a day and its less than 1g/lb/day. I still eat cottage cheese,chicken breast and tuna during the day but a lot less.


mjh,

I would like to try the Milo of Croton workout but there weren't any videos describing proper technique

[bobu]

Thurs July 24

squat 135 5x5
op 100 5x5
dl 280 1x5
chinups 6x6x5

Thought the squats were good til I looked at the videotape. I still wasn't going past parallel and my knees were in ront of my toes. Maybe I'll start over with empty bar to learn proper technique on back squat.

op was a strain on last rep

dl heavy but form ok
Inside/out came today! Looking forward to getting started.

[bobu]

Sunday July 27 Begin week 17 5x5

squat empty bar 5x5 start from scratch to try and get technique down
bench press 150# 5x5 last rep just barely
barbell row 165# 5x5 form good
dips 3x5 good form

I am using I/O on off days and for warmups. I think their tips on bench press helped. No shoulder soreness afterwards and it was a PR. I'll start adding weight to the dips.

Tuesday July 29

Squat 55lb 5x5 I think Ive got it!
OP 105 lb 3x3x3x2x2 What a difference 5#s makes
DL 285lb 1x5
pullups 3x3x1 got a twinge in my left shoulder so stopped. I thought I/O was supposed to prevent that.

I'm going to add 10# per session on squats to have time to get form down but still get the weight back up in a reasonable amount of time.

[bobu]

Thursday July 31

Squats 65# 5x5
Bench pres 150# 5x5 finished much better this time go up in weight next time.
Barbell row 170# 5x5 too much hips. stay at 170 next time
dips bw+5# 3x5

[bobu]

Sunday Aug 3

Squat 75# 5x5
op 105# 3x3x3x3x3
Deadlift 290# 1x5
Chin ups 6x6x6
OP a small improvement
deadlift tough but form held up

Tues Aug 5

Squat 85# 5x5
Bench press 155# 4x4x4x4x4
Barbell row 170# 5x5
Dips +2.5# 3x5
Bench press - I didn't want to go to failure so 5x4
Barbell row still too much hip
Dips- started adding weight

Thurs Aug 7

Squat 95# 5x5
OP 105# 5x4x4x4x3
Deadlift 295# 1x5
chin ups 7x6x6
OP time to deload, again!
Deadlift - seemed easier than 290. Next time 300#!
chin ups- skipped pull ups this time and did chinups instead. pull ups were too tough last time after deadlifts. I'll try again next time

Sat Aug 9
Squat 105#5x5
Bench press 155# 5x5
Barbell row 170# 5x5
Dips +5# 5x5x3

I'll be out of town Sunday so moved up my workout to Sat
Bench press was good, I'll add 5# next time
Barbell row good also so I'll add 5#
Dips last two were hurting my shoulder

[jak3dude]

I hate old people...they make me feel so imcompetent...

My granpa can out run me on any given endurance distance (he runs everyday, even if it's like 1 000 000 degrees outside, he'll come back with only a light sweat)

One of my karate instructors (although It's worth mentioning for my pride, he's won international competitions, I know he's most proud of his win in Munich because it's the one he talks about the most...he has a room just for all his trophies and medals at his house) is like 62 also, and kicks my ass in point sparring and probably on the street as well

It's like old people are so close to death they can have god give them all the secrets to being kick ass and woop us young people's butts it's so frustrating!!

[bobu]

Don't despair Keep working hard and maybe someday you'll become an old fart too.

[bobu]

Tues August 12

Squat 115# 5x5
OP 95# 5x5
Deadlift 300# 1x5
Pull ups 4x4x4

I think I finally have it for squat form. I think deadlift with bar on my back instead of floor and going deeper. I finally felt it in my posterior chain.

OP was a deload and was relatively easy

Deadlift 300# was a milestone

Pull ups no pain in shoulder. Altogether a good session.

[bobu]

Thursday Aug 14

Squats 125# 5x5
Bench Press 160# 2x4x4x3x3
Barbell row 175# 5x5
Dips +7.5# 3x5

I was too relaxed on the first set of BP It should have been 4x4x4x3x3
Barbell row- I was using too much hip. I'll stay at same weight next time.
Dips went well I'll go up in weight next time

[bobu]

Sunday August 17

Squat 135# 5x5
OP 100# 5x5
Deadlift 270# 1x5
Chin ups +2.5# 3x5

Squats are starting to feel like work finally.
OP no problems
Deadlift- Since I reached the magical 300# I decided to deload and work on form. I want to pause a couple of seconds between reps so I don't "bounce" the bar and try to increase the starting speed of the lift. It went well

Although I was skeptical of the benefits of the "Inside/Out" program I must admit I have less upper body soreness after work outs. I've been doing it religiously seven days a week.

[bobu]

Tues August 19

Squats 145# 5x5
Bench press 160# 4,4,4,4,4
Barbell row 175# 5x5
Dips +10# 4x4x4

Squats are starting to feel like exercise again. I can probably go up by 10# one more time. I got 4 more reps on bench than last time at 160#. I'm getting close to my first deload on bench. Barbell rows were terrible on first set then not to bad for the rest. I'll stay at 175# one more week. I was feeling the dips in my right shoulder.

[bobu]

Thurs Aug 21
Tried new warmup on exercises. On all exercises I used Mehdi's recommendation plus I did 1 rep at work weight and 1 rep 10# above work weight. I think it helped

Squats 155# 5x5
op 105# 5x5 PR
Deadlift 280# 1x5
pull ups 4x4x4 How do you deload on pull ups?
Over all a good workout. I'll continue the new warm up routine