Restarted strength training mid June 2020 after a 5 month layoff due to wrist pain and gym closing due to COVID19. My current goals are to gain strength in the four big lifts: Squat, Bench, Deadlift, Press.
I started lifting around August of 2018 (2 years ago). The programs I followed went something like this: 1. My own 3x8-12 bodybuilding bro-split which left me sore for days at a time. 4 or 5 days a week.
Useless, gained some minuscule novice strength (E.g. went from benching the bar to ~40kg, deadlift from 50kg to ~80kg). Gained almost no size.
My own 3x a week where I would, once already at the gym, pick 2 random exercises for each body part on a given day.
Slightly better than bro-split, but far too much volume and exercise variation. Intensity was not increased consistently thus progress was inconsistent. Gained some strength and size.
5/3/1 Boring But Big
Not a terrible program but I was approximately mid novice at the time and the intensity (esp on 5/3/1 sets) was far too low. Gained a moderate amount of size, didn’t gain much strength as the weight progression was slow.
Not the program’s fault since it isn’t made for novices.
My own upper lower 4 day split based around a 3x5/5x5 rep scheme on big compound movements, plus two or three assistance exercises chosen on the day.
Gained the most strength and size on this program. Looking back, the intensity was far too high (almost all working sets at RPE 8 or higher). Volume was also too high. This led to a knee injury which lasted about a month, and then a wrist injury which lasted about four months.
Previous best numbers before my layoff were:
High bar squat: 5x5@125kg e1RM = 154kg
Bench: 5x5@67.5 e1RM = 83kg
Deadlift: 3x5@142.5 e1RM = 168kg
Press: 5x5@50kg e1RM = 62kg
Bent row (NOT Pendlay): 5x10@70kg e1RM = ???
Before my layoff each set was basically RPE 9.5-10.
Started off with conservative numbers for a 3x5 LP due to my previous made-up program running me into the ground. Bent rows were switched to Pendlay rows.
(~18/06/20) Numbers for 3x5 @ 87kg/192lb BW:
High bar squat: 60kg
Bench: 45kg
Deadlift: 70kg
Press: 30kg
Row: 50kg
Last sets on my first session back were ~ RPE 7-8
(19/08/20)Numbers for 3x5 @ 90kg/198lb BW | ~36.7in waist:
Lift
3x5 weight
Last set RPE
Gain since last log
e1RM
Difference from previous e1RM
Low bar squat
105kg
8.5
+45kg
123kg
-31kg (-20%)
Bench
62.5kg
9
+17.5kg
73kg
-10kg (-12%)
Deadlift
125kg
8
+55kg
147kg
-21kg (-12.5%)
Press
45kg
10
+15kg
53kg
-9kg (-14.5%)
Pendlay Row
70kg
8.5
+20kg
82kg
??
e1RMs calculate using 1RM = (3x5 weight)/0.85. Switched from high bar squats to low bar squats on ~10/08/20. Still getting used to low bar form.
Goal 1RMs by the end of 2020 @ Hopefully less than 95kg BW:
(Low bar) Squat: 160kg
Bench: 85kg
Deadlift: 185kg
Press: 65kg
Did my first intentional cardio workout in approx 9 years today (Saturday). Alternated between brisk walk and light jog for 27 minutes and covered an asounding 2.9km (1.8 miles). This equates to 15 minutes per mile.
Average heart rate 130. RPE6 was the goal, and it felt about right. Could have gone for another 20 minutes.
After rethinking I’m going to aim for my original goal of 180/100/200/75. Almost surely not going to hit these numbers but I’d rather not get complacent.