[44 Flattop]

I figured I ought to post my lifting log. I've been lifting since 1990, Jan 1, already in my 30's. I'm fairly active and would like to stay that way as long as possible. My wife and I live off the grid and I enjoy hunting and packing out what I kill on my back, like a few days ago when I killed a nice buck.

I have a massive squat rack, weighing over 400lbs, 4'x4'x8' made of 4" tubular iron. I have a texas squat bar, which I bench and do all of my lifts with, even though its a 'dead' bar, making everything harder. Its' larger in diameter and is a foot longer than a standard bar.

I'll just start out by just posting my lifting log, starting with this week. I have every workout I've ever done since Jan 1, 1990 recorded.

Monday Oct. 20
17" close grip bench press
145x12
235x7
285x5
325x3
350x2
360x1
Military press
105x5
155x5
185x5
Bent row
105x5
155x5
215x5
Ab wheel
15 kneeling
8 standing

Tuesday, Oct.21
3 miles of hiking/hunting in the steep mountains behind my cabin.

Wednesday Oct. 22
Front squat
145x3
235x3
305x3
Chins
BWx1-1-2-2-2
Towel curls
25#x10
50#x10
75#x10

I'm starting over with chins after hurting something in my elbow when helping a friend move. Starting with almost nothing and adding a rep per week as long as there isn't any pain. Towel curls are something I do because in my home gym, I don't have a curl bar and my elbow won't let me twist enough to hold a straight bar.

Deadlifts are something I do every 14 days and this was my week off. Usually I do trapbar deads but right now I don't have my bar at home, its at a friends home who I usually lift with.

edited to mention: I didn't even think about things like size and fitness. I'm 5'11"(ish) and 235lbs. BF is about 15%, I try not to go above 18% or below 12%. 18% and I start feeling pudgy and it doesn't help my strength any, 12% and I feel too weak and can't handle the poundage's I like.

For the fellers who are interested, I don't imagine women are, physical size is a 51" chest, 36" waist, 28" thighs and an 18 1/2" upper arm. Nothing about me physically has varied much over the past 10 years or so. I'm pretty much the same weight and size, the only difference has been that I'm stronger in some things now. In fact, I hit my first 400lb close grip bench on the day of my 50th birthday!

 

[44 Flattop]

Friday 10/24

17" Close grip bench press
145x12
235x7
245x6 sets of 2 (speed bench)
260x13
Military Press
105x8
185x8
Bent Row
105x8
155x8
195x8
Ab wheel
15 kneeling
5 standing

No energy, too many miles hunting! No spotter either, the wife was up babysitting grandkids so I stopped a couple reps short of failure in the CG, I don't need to get stuck with no one to rescue me!

Military press was fine as were the bent rows. Friday ab wheel work is just that, a little work. I need to start pushing my Monday ab wheel work hard again, it is my day to knock out more standing reps, my personal best being 15standing.

Tomorrow is going to be another easy close grip day, my wife won't be home for a couple more days and without a spotter, like last Monday I won't go really heavy.

 

[44 Flattop]

Man, my right shoulder and neck are back hurting me again. I have an chiro appointment tomorrow, hope he can get it fixed. Its first and 2nd ribs on the right side. Today CG's were PAINFUL! Each rep was slow and paused, it hurt too bad to move the bar with any sort of speed.

17" Close grip bench
145x12
235x7
285x6
325x3
355x1
Military presses
105x5
145x5
190x5
Bent Row
105x5
155x5
220x5
Ab wheel
15 standing
5 kneeling

Funny thing is, pressing over head or any pulling causes no pain at all.

 

[jojo64155]

Nice lifts, but it's hard for me to imagine your Military's not being any higher, with your close grips being so high, it doesn't seem to fit. Maybe it's just me, my close grips haven't been that high in a while, of course I don't do them much either, but my Military's are higher.

I'm going to have to get myself one of those Ab Wheels!

 

[44 Flattop]

I don't push the military very hard, I have damage to a shoulder that doesn't allow me to even throw a ball or rock and have only really been able to do them pain free for 'about' 5 years. I've push pressed 300 in the past without any problems, so I just put off working on the military.

Yes to the Ab Wheel! I have always have strong abs, doing 315x5 in decline situp in the past, but was humbled by the ab wheel when my lifting partner talked me into getting one for our home weight room! It took me almost two years of hard work from my knees before I was able to do just one standing rep.

The side effect of the ab wheel, which I do to the exclusion of all other ab work now, is my chronic low back pain, caused from an injury when I was in high school, has reduced my low back pain by 98%. I couldn't be happier with this low tech and inexpensive little gadget. :thumb:

 

[jojo64155]

The side effect of the ab wheel, which I do to the exclusion of all other ab work now, is my chronic low back pain, caused from an injury when I was in high school, has reduced my low back pain by 98%. I couldn't be happier with this low tech and inexpensive little gadget. :thumb:

That alone would make it worth it's weight in gold to me..now I KNOW I'm getting one! :thumb:

 

[44 Flattop]

You won't be sorry! But as I have everyone else, be careful about going overboard with it. I suggest starting twice per week, no more than 2 sets of 5 from the knees. Give that a month of two before adding to it. Add slowly!

I found doing them from the knees very easy from the start. I went wild! Pretty soon I was doing them 4X per week and all the sudden I realized something was about to tear loose from my pubic bone! So I dropped it back to 3X per week and felt better, dropped that back to twice per week and have had such good results, I've stayed with that since.

 

[44 Flattop]

After debating how to manage my light FS week, I decided to go with a tried and true system (for me) of just a single, no more than about 80% of max.

Front squat
145x1
235x1
300x1
BLDL
145x3
235x3
335x3
435x3
Chins
BWx1-2-2-2-3
Towel curls
35#x10
60#x10
85#x10

Shouldn't have done the set of 3 on my last set of chins. Now my forearm is hurting again, but a little. Maybe a little massage will have it feeling better.

 

[jojo64155]

Towel curls? What's that? I've been looking for some new stuff to throw in, maybe that's a good one.

 

[44 Flattop]

I don't have DB's at my home gym, they are at my buddies. So I started rolling up a towel, slide it through some 25's and then I curl them. You have to be careful, they'll thump against your chest so go slow and control them. I like to twist my hands outward at the top, it seems to stop them from bouncing off my chest. I kind of like them so far.

 

[jojo64155]

I like that improvisation, it would work well for me when working nights and it;s quiet.. I could grab a few flanges and put a towel thru them....I like that idea, thank you.

Also I like to make like I'm trying to touch my shoulder with my pinkie at the top of the curl for a full flex.

 

[44 Flattop]

I've been out chasing the wily wapiti for the past week or so, deer before that, so I'm running tired. For the first time in I don't know how many years, I didn't perform my Friday lift and on Monday, I did just a quick 'get something in' session. This is going to go on for about 2 more weeks with another season directly after this one!

Monday
17" Close grip bench
145x12
235x7
285x5
325x2
350x1
Military press
105x5
145x5
175x5
Bent row
105x5
155x5
220x5
Ab wheel
15 kneeling
6 standing

No complaints (other than being tired), could have went up quite a bit more on both the bench and military, but I need a bit of downtime. Now off to kill an elk!

 

[44 Flattop]

Front squat
145x3
235x3
310x3
Chins
BWx1-2-2-3-3
Towel curls
35#x10
60#x10
85#x10

Can't complain about anything!

 

[Braveone]

That's some good numbers brother! I am ranked number 10 in the country (powerlifting watch. com) in the 55-60 division with a 355lb bench at 177 bw.(I'm 56 btw) I'm not bragging here (well maybe a little lol) but it's important to know that our bodies will follow our minds no matter the age. It's always good to see us older cats thriving in the gym. Keep up the good work and I personally feel that physical strength and durability are vitally important "preps".

 

[44 Flattop]

Wow Braveone! 355 at 177 is, obviously, fantastic! Is that raw or with a shirt?

Nice work man! :thumb:

Physical strength may be the most underrated prep, period. Too many couch potatoes remember the good old days 'when they were in good shape', and forget they can't respond like they used to.

Weight training is overlooked just because to most out there, it's hard.

Right now I'm nursing an injury, my neck has been giving me fits. My best close grip is 350x5 sets of 5 and 410 for a single. But that's at a BW of 235'ish, quite a lot heavier than you!

 

[jojo64155]

Well done Braveone, that's impressive lifting, especially if raw. :thumb:

 

[Alligatorgars]

edited.................

 

[jojo64155]

Advice from a old weight lifter. Don't wear out your joints, there is no point to taxing your joints (unless its your job and you are making pro football money). I stay fit now light weights (Im talking lite with high reps), and hiking with pack (wrapped knees). Wish I wouldn't have pushed my body so hard when I was young.
Follow chris rocks advice.

I hear you about the wearing out the joints, and I'm no doctor so take it for what it's worth, but I'm a firm believer that nutrition has a lot to do with that. That and the way you lift the heavy weights. Over tight wraps, quarter/half reps and some other "great training methods" I've seen over the years are no more than a recipe to get yourself hurt.
I've been fortunate I guess never having sustained a major injury, but I take my vitamins religiously and do not use steroids (another major factor). Granted some will say "he uses DHEA" *gasp* and yes I do. I buy it over the counter at wally world, real bad stuff huh.
Anyway, thank you.

 

[01]

Advice from a old weight lifter. Don't wear out your joints, there is no point to taxing your joints (unless its your job and you are making pro football money). I stay fit now light weights (Im talking lite with high reps), and hiking with pack (wrapped knees). Wish I wouldn't have pushed my body so hard when I was young.

Reason why I gave up running and replaced it with a stationary bike, all the pounding. Been wearing compression tights at work (landscaping), and this really helped my knees. Too bad I won't live long enough to see a bionic back replacement.: Could really use that!

 

[jojo64155]

Too bad I won't live long enough to see a bionic back replacement.: Could really use that!

Sign me up for that! Man could I use a new back