Trying RPE
*I’m 41 and I’ve been having some biceps tendinitis issues so I’m easing into this using a 4-day split that only has one comp lift and one supplemental movement each day
*PR’s up to now are: 390 (squat), 320 (bench), 205 (OHP), and 430 (CDL)
*Goals: 405 Squat, 500 CDL, 225 OHP, and I’m happy with my bench but I’d like to maintain the 315 or get a 350. But my main concern is the squat and deadlift.
*I’m 6ft1, and weighed in this morning at 247.5lbs, and last time I could check I was in low 30’s bf. Sad! Yea, I’d like to lean out a bit but I also like being bigger. It is what it is.
Sat: OHP, bench variation (probably CGBP if bicep allows it, or slingshot for fun sometimes)
Sun: Squat, pull variation (probaby pendlay rows)
Tues: Bench, press variation (probably incline press)
Wed: Deadlifts, squat variation (probably beltless squats)
Week 0.5 (starting this halfway in a training week so next week will be official week 1)
Tues: 2/20/18
- Bench Press barx5, 135x5, 185x5, 225x5, 245x1, 265x1, 1@8x280, -20% 225x5x4
- felt a tad bit of bicep/shoulder ache/pain but nothing like before, maybe should have kept it to 3 sets but hours later everything seems fine. I think my grip change (thumbs under the bar) on the squat is working.
- Incline Press barx10, 10@9x135, 10@9x135
*these were light but the reps were burning at the end of each set
Wednesday
This workout felt really good, no grinders, good sweat. I was running short on time at the end. I try to workout during lunch at work. No bicep or elbow pain outside of some lingering aches. I think it’s going away.
Morning weight: 246.4 lbs
Today’s calories: 2883 (312C, 210P, 102F)
Deadlift
135x5, 225x5, 315x1, 365x1
385x1, 395x1@8
-20%
315x5x4
this felt good, I think I will go up to 400 or even 405 next time for my 1@8
Beltless Squats
I need to work on rating these better. I think today was a smidge light. I think it will improve over time. SBD wrist wraps starting at 225, I allow a bit of wrist flexion, and I wiggle my fingers a few times during some reps to ensure I am not cranking down on the bar. No pain.
Barx4
135x4
185x4
4@7 225
4@8 235
4@9 240 more like a 7.5 really, try working up to 255 on beltless squats next time (7.5% increase to go from 7.5 to 9)
Would have liked to do another set but had to get back to work
Thursday, 2/22/18
Morning weight: 245.4 lbs.
Today’s calories: 2845 (338C, 167P, 106F)
PM waist measurement: 44 inches (sad!)
I actually had some right elbow pain while sleeping last night. Wtf? Hopefully my bicep pain fix isn’t shifting pain to my elbow. Jeez. I have to pay close attention to any unnecessary load on my arms during squats next time.I didn’t notice any last time and some of the load has to be on the arms otherwise we wouldn’t need our hands on the bar at all. So, maybe this will keep fading away.
GPP
25 minutes on elliptical
7 minutes upper back
Pulldowns 150x10, 160x6, 175x4
Machine rows 120x10 130x10, 115x10
4 minutes abs work (I don’t remember the last time I worked “abs”)
2 30sec planks
15 reverse crunch
15 crunches
I’m going to try and drop some weight, I’m 41 and my waist is over 40 inches now. I weigh in the 240’s now and I’d like to slowly drop to 230 for starters. Because I am overweight, I am hoping that I can still gain strength while dropping some calories. But, frankly, even if I lose some strength, it’s worth it at my age to drop the weight. I don’t want to be skinny, but I don’t want to die of a heart attack right now either. I usually go over 3000 calories a day so I’m going to try and limit my calories to 3000 a day for now while keeping my protein up and see what I weigh in a couple weeks.
Friday, 2/23/18
Daily calories: 2803 (191C, 192P, 138F)
Morning weight: 245.3 lbs.
HIIT on elliptical during lunch hour, 2 min slow / 20 sec sprint for 14 minutes
I know some people think there should be some days where you do nothing but recover. But I have such a sedentary job/lifestyle that I do something every day. If I’m not lifting weights I’m doing some cardio (alternating 25 minute LISS and 14 minute HIIT). I figure that just gives me the amount of daily activity that most people get accidentally. Plus, I’m fat and middle aged so I feel like I need the activity.
Saturday 2/24/18
Morning weight: 245.7 lbs.
2965 calories (252C, 222P, 114F)
- OHP Barx5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x3, 155x1, 175x1, 195x1@8 (e1rm 211), -20% 155x5x5
These felt good enough to do 5 instead of 4 sets. The 195 was pretty smooth, I might have been able to do 200-205@8 but I’m still new to this RPE thing and I didn’t want to mistakenly max/grind out a rep when 195 used to be my max. The SBD wrist wraps and belt make a deadly combo on these, they really improve my lifts.
- Floor Press 135x6, 185x6, 205x4, 225x4, 245x4, these felt weird, first time doing them, so pretty hard to gauge and my right elbow/tricep bothered me a bit too. The 245x4 was probably about @6.5 or so but I’m still real new to trying to assign an RPE to a set. Not sure I’ll do these again, still concerned about my right elbow/tricep pain. Tomorrow is squats so I’ll be sure to pay close attention to my grip and bar position.
After my workout, a kid asked me how to get strong, he has seen me bench 315 before, directed him to starting strength because I think of BBM as a place for intermediates. Felt good for someone to ask me that though. I was feeling pretty old and weak because my right tricep pain and elbow aches. Arms and shoulders feeling achey.
Sunday, 2/25/18
Weight: 244.6 lbs. (down 1.8 lbs. in 4 days)
Waist: still 44 inches (sad!)
Calories: 3523 (401C, 183P, 132F) broke down and had some cupcakes today, my bad.
*Sunday will be the official weight and measurement day
- Squat 335x1@8 (363 e1rm), -20% 270x5x5
I felt a bit lame wearing a belt with 270 but that’s 20% less than 335 and this was comp squat so . . . it is what it is. I’m used to doing heavier weight for less volume. And, this actually wore me out, just the volume alone is much more than I’m used to doing. I didn’t notice any crazy arm pain, used wrist wraps and thumb under the bar, the bar spun in my hands a bit too much though. I need to find the right balance between cranking down on the bar and holding it light enough to not trigger bicep/elbow pain. But if the choice is a bit of spin or elbow/bicep pain, I’ll let it spin.
- RDL 135x6, 185x6x3
I was pretty wiped out after the squats so I just did a few light sets of these for my pull variation. I ordered some wrist straps to use on these so I can pull more without digging too much of a hole. I would not use wrist straps on main lifts, just assistance/supplemental lifts when I’m dragging ass.
Monday, 2/25/18
Weight: 245.1 lbs
Calories: 3035 (211P, 295C, 129F)
LISS Cardio on elliptical 25 minutes
Tuesday 2/27/18
Morning Weight: 247 lbs. (wrong direction!)
Calories: meh, who knows, sort of binged on crackers and peanut butter. Whatever.
Bench Press 275x1@7-8, -20% 220x5x3
taking it easy with bench presses, still tinges of shoulder and arm pain.
Incline Press
4 light sets of 10 reps 120-140lbs. This was too light to even give an RPE. Not worth wasting time on it.
I’ll be honest, this workout made me sort of not like RPE. I felt like I was drifting without a real goal and I don’t have much time to “find” my weight, I have about an hour to workout. Still hanging in there but today wasn’t a good day for my RPE experiment. Although my bad workout probably stemmed from the lingering elbow/arm/shoulder pain. It’s not BAD but it was enough today to make my day consist of 1@8x275, 220x5x3 instead of my goal of 1@8x285-290, 230x5x5. I think that threw my mood off and the inclines were useless, like lifting a feather except with just a slight shoulder/arm pain. Very annoying workout today, felt like I was wasting my time.
2/28/18
Morning Weight: 248.5 lbs. (the binge yesterday did me no favors)
Calories: 2072 (179C, 167P, 76F)
Deadlifts: 405x1@8, 325x5x5
Beltless Squats: 135x4, 185x4, 225x4, 240x4, 250x4 (just adding weight to these each week and making sure it doesn’t turn into a grind)
Good workout. Should start doing this workout after work though because time is crunched. Need to use thumb tape too. The volume with hook grip is killing my thumbs.
Morning weight: 247.2 lbs.
Calories: 2774 (273C, 107P, 142F), not a good diet day but I’m drawing a hard line with calories. I have to have good macros within my calorie limit which today was 2800. If I screw up and eat a few bagels and cheetos I can’t make up for it by eating above my calories.
GPP: 14 mins elliptical hiit, 6 mins pulldowns and cable rows, 4 minutes planks and crunches.
Friday, 3/2/18
Morning weight: 245.6 lbs.
calories: 2305 (223C, 111P, 106F)
25 mins LISS cardio on elliptical
Saturday 3/3/18
Morning Weight: 245 lbs.
Calories: 2680 (287C, 223P, 88F)
*first day using Peri-Rx (1 scoop before and after workout; only using on weight training days)
*daily supplements: fish oil caps, creatine, Vitamin D3, one-a-day vitamin
-
OHP 5@9, 5% fatigue: 95x5, 125x5,165x5@8, *170x5@9 (e1rm 203), 160x5@8.5, 160x5@8, 160x5@8.5 (the first fatigue set felt harder than the other two, felt like I might have been able to keep going but I don’t have all day and that was already 5x5)
-
Slingshot 185x5, 225x5, stopped because they felt like shit
-
Bench press 135x5, 185x5, 205x5@6.5, 225x5@ 7.5, *235x5@9 (e1rm 281)
*need strict time limits, otherwise I’ll just recover and do fatigue sets forever
*felt a bit of elbow pain during OHP and bench, took bench presses easy, just worked up to what felt like RPE 9, my elbow felt better as I progressed. My first warmup with 135 felt more painful than the last set with 235.
*Current favorite protein shake:
2 scoops whey
2 cups skim milk
1/2 cup Special K cereal (High Protein Version)
1 spoonful of peanut butter
Totals: 595 calories (48C, 75P, 11F)
Sunday, 3/4/18
Morning weight: 245.1 lbs. (244.6 lbs. last Sunday, +0.5 lbs.)
Weekly Calories: 20,389 (2912 avg daily calories)
This week’s calorie limit: 19689 total / 2812 daily (-700 calories)
Daily Calories: 3041 (306C, 207P, 129F); 16648 /2774 total weekly/daily calories left
Peri-Rx before/after workout
Sunday, 3/4/18
- SQUATS: 275x5, 290x5, 305x5@8.5-9, 290x5, 275x5 (19 mins 15 sec)
- RDL: 135x5, 225x5, 250x5, 225x5, 135x5
- I liked doing two sets of 5% drops after top main set, maybe do two sets leading up to main set and then do two sets backing off (e.g. 90%, 95%, 100% main set, -5%, -5%)
*use the first two sets to gauge RPE and determine the weight of the main set
- no bicep pain, right elbow is still clinging, made sure to load the bar on my back FIRST, then put my hands around the bar (thumbs under bar). Really trying to make sure I’m supporting the majority of the bar weight on my back, not my arms/hands.
Weight: 245 lbs.
Calories 2995 (316C, 135P, 130F)
Bad diet day, but trying to limit calories even if I miss my protein. This should be an incentive to eat better but sometimes I cave.
25 minutes liss on elliptical
Tuesday, 3/6/18
Morning Weight: 245.9 lbs.
Calories: 3207 (273C, 151P, 171F) okay so I suck at limiting my calories.
- Bench Press 220x5, 230x5, 245x5@8, 230x5, 220x5 (5@8, two down sets [load drops])
- Incline Press 135x10, 145x10@8, 155x10@10 (good burn)
*no bicep pain, very little right elbow pain
3/7/18
Morning Weight: 246 lbs.
Calories: 2860 (311C, 108P, 129F) It is clear that my diet is a weak point. I need to find better healthy options that I actually want to eat. I am tired of chicken breasts and the same ole microwave meals.
- Deadlifts 335x5@7.5, 350x5@8, *370x5@8.5, 350x5@9, 335x5@10 (8700lbs, 18:20)
- Beltless Squat 135x4, 185x3, 225x4@6.5
*may need to change second movement to just a simple light movement because I’m beat after the deadlifts and not enough time to do a full second movement during lunch. Or I could just workout after work and take longer but I’m usually pretty tired after work and the gym gets more crowded. I’ll have to experiment.
3/8/18
Morning Weight: 246.9 lbs.
Calories: 2700 (267C, 206P, 88F)
GPP: HIIT for 14 minutes, Pulldowns for 7 minutes (10, 8, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1x205), planks for 3 minutes (I hate training abs).
Morning Weight: 245.1 lbs.
Calories: 2800 (257C, 187P, 112F)
3/10/18
Morning Weight: 243.5 lbs.
Calories: 2856 (247C, 231P, 104F)
- OHP 190x1@10, 155x5@8 155x5@7, 160x5@9, 155x5@8.5, 150x5@8
- Paused Bench Press (high rep) 195x10@10, 185x10@10
- Bench Press (TNG) 185x10@7
Losing weight which is good but my OHP was weaker which sucks — I used RPE to adjust. 190 was supposed to be an @8 but it was clearly an @10 ( I could not get another rep) so I just used that as my base for getting to 5@8. Being in my 40’s with a 44 inch waist is something that has to change for health reasons so if I lose strength so be it (at least that’s what I keep telling myself). I fear that I may never reach a 405 squat (got 390) or 500 deadlift (got 430) because I’m fat now and still haven’t done it and I don’t want to be this fat again. I know my body structure isn’t optimal for this stuff (long legs, short torso and arms) but I was hoping to reach those basic strength benchmarks.
3/11/18
Morning Weight: 244.8 lbs. (lost 0.3 lbs. from last Sunday)
Calories: 2572 (255C, 181P, 85F)
- Squat 315x1@8.5?, 340x1@9-10, 250x5x5@6.5-7’s
- Pendlay Rows 135x10@7, 155x10@9, 145x10@9, 135x10@8
Sort of floundering. 315 used to be light for me, but it felt heavy today. I couldn’t believe it was my new @8 and I didn’t want to start taking it too easy so I did 340x1.That felt heavy too and I knew that another rep or two with 340 would be a total grind and probably involve some form breakdown so I stuck with 315 as my 1@8. -20% and did 250x5x5 which felt pretty light, but that’s the thing now right? 250 is 73% of 340 so that’s supposedly within the good intensity range? Whatever.
Total weekly calories: 20459 (last week was 20389)
Daily avg calories: 2922 (last week was 2912)
So I ate more this week and lost some weight? Even the results of my food tracking don’t make sense. Getting tired of this stuff. I’ve busted my ass for since 2013 and in 2018 I’m pretty much just a fat guy that is still weak for his size. That’s why I’m focused now on my calories and protein. If the choices are being kinda/sorta strong and fat OR average strength and lean, I’ll take average strength and lean.