Codger's Quest

[codgerus maximus]

Week 6, day 3. Missed a GPP workout yesterday because I had to do a short work-related trip. I'll try to make it up on Sunday.

Today:

2-count paused squat, no belt: 315x1x1@8; 305x3x1@9. Four minutes rest. I think the RPEs are about right.

Floor press: [email protected]; 227.5x3@8. Four minutes rest. The RPEs on these were supposed to be 8 and 9 but I think I could have done 240 for the rest set and 230 for the second.

Press, no belt: 110x8x1@7; [email protected]; [email protected]. Three minutes rest. RPEs were supposed be be 7, 8, &9. I probably should have added 5 pounds to each set.

DB curls: 32.5x12x4@8. Three to four minutes rest.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 6, day 4:

2-count paused deadlift, one inch off floor, no belt: [email protected]; 435x3x1@9. Four minutes rest.

Touch and go bench: 250x1x1@8; 240x3x1@9. Four minutes rest.

SLDL with straps: 250x8x1@6; 275x8x1@7; 290x8x1@8. Three minutes rest. The rpes were supposed to be 7, 8, 9 so I'll add a bit more weight next week.

Triceps press-downs: 72.5x12x4@8. Three minutes rest.

I might repeat the same weight with the paused deadlift next week. The single was supposed to be an 8 but felt like an 8.5. The triple felt like a solid 9. Bench also felt good, with the right rpes.

[codgerus maximus]

GPP today:

Single-arm DB rows with 60 pounds: 50 (each arm)/9 minutes; ab-wheel roll-outs: 58/9 minutes; 30 minutes LISS on airdyne.

A small milestone today: I managed to do 3 ab-wheel roll-outs from a standing position for the first time. I positioned my feet wider than shoulder-width, which made the movement a bit easier. I'll slowly try to increase the number of reps and narrow the stance. A very tough movement for me. I felt it everywhere, most surprisingly on my inner thighs as I came back up into a pike position.

[Dale]

Great log and very interesting to read your comments on adapting to the volume without getting wrecked. It appears you are progressing well too. Is you progress entirely new, or a level of strength you had in the past? Trying to determine if I should up my volume... most of my success early on was via 80's and 90's style LP work lifting 3 times a week with each day dedicated to a lift. (i.e. Squat day ... cycle weight up and reps down and round it out with front squats and RDLs..). You indicated you are older.. .if you don't mind my asking, how old are you?

[codgerus maximus]

Great log and very interesting to read your comments on adapting to the volume without getting wrecked. It appears you are progressing well too. Is you progress entirely new, or a level of strength you had in the past? Trying to determine if I should up my volume... most of my success early on was via 80's and 90's style LP work lifting 3 times a week with each day dedicated to a lift. (i.e. Squat day ... cycle weight up and reps down and round it out with front squats and RDLs..). You indicated you are older.. .if you don't mind my asking, how old are you?

Hi Dale,

I'm glad you've found something of interest in my rambling. I'm very happy with the progress I've made since I learned about the BB Medicine approach to training. I started with the Bridge--an 8-week template--and I'm now following a 12-week strength template in preparation for a meet at the end of April. For the last several years I had been doing the Texas Method, followed by some low-volume/high intensity programming recommended for older lifters (I'm 65) in a book called The Barbell Prescription. I was fairly strong for my age but I found myself on a treadmill of burning out, de-loading, and then trying to slowly build up again, sometimes making small improvements.

Since I've adopted the approach recommended by the coaches here, which emphasizes intelligently managed volume, I've seen significant gains in all my lifts. And I feel better overall--more endurance, not burning out, not needing to de-load, and I don't dread my workouts anymore. I think the idea that older lifters can't handle high volume is highly questionable.
I learned a lot by reading the Bridge template (version 1 is a free download), and then following its 8-week programing to get a feel for RPEs, the increased volume, etc. Overall I'm constantly surprised that it's still possible to get stronger at my age!

[codgerus maximus]

Started week 7 today.

Squats with belt: 360x1x1@8; 306.25x4x4. Four minutes rest.

Press with belt: 152.5x1x1@8; 130x4x4. Four minutes rest.

2-count paused bench: 165x8x1@6; 175x8x1@7; 185x8x1@8. Three to four minutes rest.

DB curls: 27.5 (each) x 15 x 5@8. Three minutes rest.

I repeated last week's squat weight. I'm finding the RPE hard to judge with these heavy squats but I think this was an 8--definitely not a 9. I'll add 5 pounds next week and see how that feels.
I dropped the press weight 5 pounds from last week and it felt more like a solid 8. I'll try micro-loading in 1.25-pound increments with the press.
Also dropped 5 pounds from the DB curls but upped the reps from 12 to 15 just for a change of pace, and the program called for 5 sets this week instead of 4.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 7, day 2:

Deadlift with belt: 465x1x1@8; 395x4x4. Four to five minutes rest.

1-count paused bench: 250x1x1@8; 220x3x5 (weight, reps, sets). Four minutes rest.

Squat, no belt: 240x8x1@6; 255x8x1@7; 270x8x3@8. Four minutes rest.

Triceps press-down: [email protected]; 65x12x1@8. Three minutes rest.

Deadlift and bench still feeling solid. Got kind of pooped with the triceps press-downs, which were supposed to be in the 12 to 15 rep range at rpe8. But the sets were feeling heavy so I went a bit lighter on the last one.

[codgerus maximus]

GPP day today: 50 DB rows (each side) with 62.5 pounds in 9 minutes; 60 ab-wheel roll-outs in 9 minutes. I did 3 standing roll-outs but couldn't get near parallel like I did the other day--still feeling some DOMS from those! So I could only manage something like a very wide V position. The rest of the roll-outs were kneeling.
HIIT on airdyne: 20 second sprints every 2 minutes for 14 minutes, plus 5-minute warm-up and cool down.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 7, day 3:

2-count paused squat, no belt: 320x1x1@8; 305x3x1@8; 290x3x2. Four minutes rest. The second set was supposed to be RPE 9 but 305 definitely felt like an 8 so I can probably go up a bit in weight next week.

Floor press: 240x1x1@8; 230x3x1@8; 220x3x2. Four minutes rest. Here again, second set was supposed to be RPE 9 but 230 felt like an 8. Think I'll try 245 next week for the single.

Press, no belt: 110x8x1@6; 115x8x1@7; 120x8x3@8. Four minutes rest. RPEs felt about right.

DB curls: 27.5 (each) x 15 x 5. Three minutes rest.

[gymdad150]

You got yourself into position to pull 500+ there Codge…

That, along with your Bench and Squat...damn, you could go after 1150lbs no issues.

Stronk, veddy stronk...

[codgerus maximus]

You got yourself into position to pull 500+ there Codge…

That, along with your Bench and Squat...damn, you could go after 1150lbs no issues.

.

I'm hoping to, GD. I'm almost afraid to say it out loud as a possibility. All the numbers seem daunting. But I've still got a month of training before the meet so with any luck those hoped-for numbers will become real!

[codgerus maximus]

Week 7, day 4:

2-count paused deadlift one inch off floor, no belt: 450x1x1@8; 435x3x1@9 (weight, reps, sets); 415x3x2. Four to five minutes rest. I repeated last week's weight. Today the single felt like a real 8; last week it felt more like an 8.5. So I'll add 5 pounds next week.

Touch and go bench: 252.5x1x1@8; [email protected]; 230x3x2. Four minutes rest. The second set was supposed to be a 9, so I think I can add 2.5 pounds next week. Getting into PR territory! I think all the benching volume--4 days this week--is paying off.

SLDL with straps: 260x8x1@6; 275x8x1@7; 295x8x3@8. Four minutes rest.

Triceps press-downs: 65x13x5. Three minutes rest.

[codgerus maximus]

GPP today.

Single-arm DB rows with 62.5 pounds: 45 in 8 minutes; ab-wheel roll-outs: 28 in 8 minutes. i did the roll-outs from a standing position with the wheel hitting the base of a step, which made it easier to push back up. I didn't manage to get close to parallel but I thought I'd experiment with these instead of doing them kneeling all the time.
30 minutes LISS on airdyne.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 8, day 1.

Squat with belt: 365x1x1@8; 310x4x4. Four minutes rest.

Press with belt: [email protected]; 130x4x4. Four minutes rest.

2-count paused bench: 167.5x8x1@6; 177.5x8x1@7; 187.5x8x3@8. Four minutes rest.

DB curls: 27.5 (each) x15x5@8. Three minutes rest.

I'll try 370 with the squat next week since today's single felt pretty good. I'll repeat the same press weight next time since today's single was supposed to be rpe 8 but felt more like 8.5, maybe even 9. I'll probably repeat the paused bench weight as well.

[codgerus maximus]

Week 8, day 2:

Deadlift with belt: 470x1x1@8; 405x4x4. Four minutes rest.

1-count paused bench: 2[email protected]; 222.5x3x5 (weight, reps, sets). Four minutes rest.

Squat, no belt: 245x8x1@7; 260x8x1@8; [email protected]; 250x8x1@8; Four minutes rest.

Triceps press-downs: 65x13x5@8. Three minutes rest.

I was pretty tired by the end of today's session. The workout started well: the deadlift single went up fast, so I'll add 5 pounds next week. The bench felt a bit heavy. The single was supposed to be an 8 but felt like an 8.5--maybe 2 reps left. So I'll repeat this weight next week. On the plus side today's bench was about what I did for a PR at a meet last March--115kg, or 253 pounds.

The belt-less squats felt surprisingly heavy. Maybe I shouldn't have been surprised after the heavy deadlifts, but still...the rpes were supposed to be 6, 7, and 8, and I was supposed to do 5 sets instead of 4, but I was just too tired and stopped after the 4th set. I'll have to adjust the weights next week accordingly.