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Another comeback by anotherbutters

anotherbutters

anotherbutters

New member
So here it is. Another comeback by yours truly. Earlier this year, I had lots of issues with my hamstring that turned out to be sciatica caused by one of my glutes being knotted up. A good massage finally sorted that out. I've also had a sharp pain in my lower back, which stopped any overhead pressing, but some simple core work seems to be sorting that out too. I'm finally, after what seems like forever, able to start working out again. Woohoo!

My plan is to follow something similar to the single factor 5x5 in terms of exercise selection and 3 day per week workouts, but playing the weights by ear. Sometimes I'll increase the weight and work up to a new top set of 5. Sometimes I'll take the last weight used and do more sets - 3x5 or 5x5. Either way, each workout is supposed to be harder than the last in some way.

I've been 186lb at my heaviest, but after a couple of months off, I let myself drop down to around 175lb. I started working out again 7 weeks ago and I've held myself at 172-174lb. I'm doing a lot more cardio this time, and it's not easy cardio either. I can't help but push myself to the max. However, it really seems to have helped with the weights so far. I want to hold my current weight for a while longer and get my bodyfat down, then I'll start a slow bulk.

Over the past 7 weeks, my bodycomp has changed a lot. I'm down about 3.5" at my fattest point (around the belly button, from 39.5" to just under 36"), yet I'm the same weight. Oh, and I'm a year older - I just turned 35 :)

Here's what I've done so far, up to today. I've only listed the top sets. All weights in kg. Format is weight x sets x reps (or weight x reps).

Week 0 (25 Oct)

Joined a gym near work, so I can workout in my lunch break rather than at home. This has really helped a lot.

Wed (bodyweight: 174lb)
Squats: 60x3x5
Bench: 60x3 (too heavy) 50x2x5
Deads: 80x2x5

My first workout in 2 months. I tried to do 3x5 of each, but squats killed me, benching just one plate was too heavy and I couldn't stomach a 3rd set of deads - what a total disaster. Walking became painful and slow for the following 4 days because of the squats - my knees wouldn't support me and I even had to hold the hand rail on stairs! That had to be rock bottom.

Week 1

Mon
Squats: 60x5x5 (better)
Bench: 55x5 (too heavy) 52.5x5 (too heavy) 50x5 - crap
Deads: 90x5

Tue
Cardio - some rowing. Can't remember details, but not hard.

Wed
Front squats: 55x5
Deads: 95x5
OHP: 30x3x5 (couldn't keep abs tight; some back pain)

Thu
Cardio - some running. Can't remember details, but not hard.

Fri
Squats: 70x5 (and 60x8 backoff)
Bench: 55x3 (and 50x8 backoff)
Rows: 47.5x5 (and 40x8 backoff)

Week 2

Mon
Squats: 77.5x5
Bench: 57.5x5
Rows: 47.5x5 (repeated Friday's)

Tue
Cardio - stationary bike. Can't remember details, but some constant rate work. Not too hard.

Wed
Front squats: 60x5
Deads: 100x5
OHP: 32.5x5

Thu
Cardio - stationary bike. Can't remember details. By this point, I knew I preferred the bike to running or rowing. Playtime over.

Fri
Squats: 80x5x5 (hard, but not in doubt)
Bench: 60x3 (and 50x8 backoff)
Rows: 47.5x3x5 (same weight, 2 more sets)

Week 3

Mon
Squats: 85x5
Bench: 60x5
Rows: 50x3x5

Tue
Cardio - interval training on the stationary bike's hill setting, building up to 100% of the chosen level twice within 30 mins.

30 mins @ level 14 (of 25). Heart rate peaked and pegged at 183 bpm during the hardest part (I assume 183 is my max HR). Absolute killer.

Wed
Front squats: 65x5
Deads: 105x5
OHP: 32.5x4 (couldn't keep abs tight - some back pain)

Fri
Squats: 85x5x5 (hard, just about ok)
Bench: 62.5x3 (and 55x8 backoff)
Rows: 50x3x5

Week 4

Mon
Squats: 90x5 (hard)
Bench: 60x5x5 (hard)
Rows: 52.5x3x5

Tue
Cardio - interval training on the stationary bike's hill setting.

25 mins @ level 12 (of 25). I wanted a moderate workout, but this was far too easy and ended up being a waste of time. I just couldn't get the bike to do what I wanted.

Wed
Front squats: 70x5 (or maybe 75x5, can't remember)
Deads: 112.5x5
No OHP

Thu
Cardio - interval training on the stationary bike's hill setting.

30 mins @ level 14 (of 25). Same workout as last Tues, but this time, heart rate peaked at 178 bpm (down 5). Easier.

Fri
Skipped for some reason.

Week 5

I had this crazy idea of doing the 3 peaks on the coming weekend (climbing the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales), so I thought I'd do lots of cardio on Mon-Wed and take Thu and Fri off. I basically messed up the whole week and didn't do the climbing in the end because of the weather.

Mon (bodyweight: 173lb)
Squats: 90x5x5 (hard, but not in doubt)
Bench: 62.5x5 (ok)
Rows: 52.5x5x5

In the evening: 30 min run on treadmill's hill setting (level 9 of 20). Killer.

Tue
Cardio - interval training on the stationary bike's hill setting.

30 mins @ level 15 (of 25). Up a level. Killer.

Wed
Too knackered to workout.

Fri - thought about doing cleans rather than rows
Cleans: 60x3 (not done for ages, but my form was surprisingly good)
Squats: 90x1 (failure - arse!)
Bench: 64x5 (and 60x8 backoff)

I worked out at home and squats felt a lot harder. I think it's because the safety bars are too high and they're really small compared to the gym, so I have more to think about. I was also knackered because I did cleans first.

Week 6

Mon (bodyweight: 171lb)
Cleans: 62x3x3
Squats: 80x3x5 (not too bad)
Bench: 64x5 64x5 (too heavy) 60x5

Another workout at home - squatting was hard again, compared to the gym and I had to drop a lot of weight. Bench was harder than expected too.

Tue
Cardio - interval training on the stationary bike's hill setting.

30 mins @ level 16 (of 25). Up another level. Brutal. My hardest cardio workout ever. Felt like throwing up for 2 hours after. Don't know my heart rate, but it would have been pegged at the max for at least 30 seconds at the hardest part. Legs like jelly after!

Wed
Front squats: 77.5x5 (pretty hard)
Deads: 120x5
No OHP

My legs were still tired from the cardio the day before, but I managed to match my front squat PR!

Fri
Skipped for some reason.

Week 7 (11 Dec)

Mon (bodyweight: 173lb)
Cleans: 62.5x3x3
Squats: 90x5x5 (hard, just about ok)
Bench: 65x5 (hard)

I'm starting to get my squat weight back again, even though I'm doing cleans first.

Tue
Cardio - interval training on the stationary bike's hill setting.

30 mins @ level 16 (of 25). Same workout as last Thurs. Not quite as brutal. Mere agony this time.

In the evening:
OHP: 37.5x5 (worked up in 2.5kg increments)

I'd been doing random ab work over the previous 2 weeks and this was the first time I'd managed to keep my core tight to stop my back from arching during OHP. Absolutely fantastic news, because I've not been able to do this for months. I just need to keep up the ab work (which I loathe).

Wed
Front squats: 80x5 (hard, but... PR!)
Deads: 122.5x5 (just about ok. hook / mixed grip with chalk)

Fri
Cleans: 65x2x3
Squats: 95x3x5 (was going to do 1 set, but they were easier than expected)
Bench: 67.5x5 (60x10 backoff) - both sets easier than expected

Only one week left before Christmas, so I set myself a mini goal of a 100kg x 5 squat next Friday. I thought 95kg was going to be hard today, but I felt stronger than expected and probably could've done 100!

---------
So there it is. I've not stuck as rigidly to a set plan as I have before, but I much prefer working out like this. There's the odd missed workout and my diet and sleep hasn't always been good, but it doesn't seem to have held me back so far. I'm still about 5-15kg below my PRs, but I'm really pleased with my progress so far. The cardio really seems to be helping, even though I'm pushing that really hard too.

The bodycomp changes over the past 7 weeks have been quite surprising (no pics). I just might be getting the hang of this working out lark :)

I'll probably make this my journal now. The plan for the next 6 months is to maintain bodyweight for a while to get my fat down, then slowly bulk. I want a 3 plate squat by the summer (my old 5RM was 105kg).
 
Im right now reading your previous log, linear 5x5 and im just at middle of it, page 10, good read, hope this will be good too. =) Good luck

What happened with your hamstring ?
Im also on linear and have problems with adductors when doing squats and wondering if i should stop. I also sitted out for 6 months because of knee issues and that was awful, i hope you'll get everything fine =)
 
After reading your "I started working out again" post on, um, that other site, I'd been waiting for a new journal to appear. I'm surprised (and disappointed) that it took so long. Welcome back. :)
 
Cynical Simian said:
After reading your "I started working out again" post on, um, that other site, I'd been waiting for a new journal to appear. I'm surprised (and disappointed) that it took so long. Welcome back. :)
Click to expand...

AB, I was wondering if you were still around. Where's G5? And Blut? :(

I need people to torment. Let's advertise EF.
 
Glad you're liking the old journal, czar. As I said, the hamstring problem turned out to be sciatica.

It's taken me a while to get back. I didn't want to start yet another journal of me making yet another comeback, because you've heard it all before :) I thought I'd at least wait until I'm fairly close to PRs. It's also been good figuring out stuff myself and not following a plan. I tend to think too much and plan too much when I journal.

The front squat PR was a little one. The only other time I've really pushed them, I stopped to do the Korte. Still, I weighed 183lb when I set the last PR, so I'm 10lb lighter now.

LT, are you TT?
 
anotherbutters said:
:)

How's your back these days?
Click to expand...

Awesome. My ankle, on the other hand, is sprained. :rolleyes: I dunno if you knew, 'cause the last time we spoke was ages ago, but I got myself a reverse hyper. That, alone has done wonders for my back. I love the pump my lower back gets when I use it.

Along with that, I've been able to squat and RDL heavy thrice a week with no issue. That's on top of free running (YouTube Free Running, parkour, or 3run and you'll see the kinds've stuff I've been doing) and working where I have to supervise an area 25 hours a week, walking pretty much the entire time.

Seems like I can just keep pushing my limits, and so far I recover fine. I do notice, though, that when I don't sleep enough, my back can get bothersome. But that lingers for a day or two, it's just moderately uncomfortably, and then I'm fine again.

I also haven't really kept up with the core work, but I want to start again. Just more shit to throw on top of an already crazy schedule. :)

How about your's?
 
That's brilliant. Glad to hear you finally sorted your back out.

A couple of trips to the physio really helped me. A glute massage isn't the kind of thing you ask for, but it practically cured the sciatica overnight and transformed me back into a 'normal' person after months of pain.

The physio also pointed out I have too much of an arch in my back, which I didn't realise, so when I tried to arch my back, I was just making things worse. That was the cause of the sharp back pain. So I now concentrate on rotating my pelvis forward (flat lower back) and activating the TVA during ab work (just a few leg lowers whilst lying down, and some weighted crunches).
 
anotherbutters said:
That's brilliant. Glad to hear you finally sorted your back out.

A couple of trips to the physio really helped me. A glute massage isn't the kind of thing you ask for, but it practically cured the sciatica overnight and transformed me back into a 'normal' person after months of pain.

The physio also pointed out I have too much of an arch in my back, which I didn't realise, so when I tried to arch my back, I was just making things worse. That was the cause of the sharp back pain. So I now concentrate on rotating my pelvis forward (flat lower back) and activating the TVA during ab work (just a few leg lowers whilst lying down, and some weighted crunches).
Click to expand...

Weighted crunches on the floor, or on a ball?

I noticed myself that I tried to arch to avoid rounding. After a bit, I figured that out, and started worrying about being more flat-backed than anything. Works much better.
 
On a flat bench with my feet hooked under the leg extension attachment, which is fixed in place. That seems to help me avoid the arch and keep my back flat. I don't do them often and I haven't done many, but those that I have done have definitely helped, especially with overhead pressing. I should do more.

The physio also gave me an exercise where I lie on my front, contract my glutes and TVA to rotate my pelvis forward (he stood a paper cup on my lower back such that it would fall over if my back went back to being arched), then try to lift my legs off the floor. He was trying to get me to use my glutes rather than lower back, which I seem to favour.

Simple stuff, but it helped me a lot more than curlups, bird dogs and side bridges ever did, although that may be because I wasn't using the correct muscles whilst I was doing them.
 
Week 7

Sat
OHP: 37.5kg x 5 x 5
Decline crunches: BW x 3 x 15

A quick workout at home, just because I could. OHP is up from 1x5 to 5x5, with Tuesday's weight. I haven't done these for a long while. I'll probably do them at home as I can increase the weight by 1kg increments (2.5kg at the gym).

My back was fine on the OHP.
 
I know how you feel. Starting back is a bitch. Loving the workouts, but knowing that it is going to take a long time to regain strength without injury. Going to suscribe to this so I can follow along as well.
 
anotherbutters said:
Week 7

Sat
OHP: 37.5kg x 5 x 5
Decline crunches: BW x 3 x 15

A quick workout at home, just because I could. OHP is up from 1x5 to 5x5, with Tuesday's weight. I haven't done these for a long while. I'll probably do them at home as I can increase the weight by 1kg increments (2.5kg at the gym).

My back was fine on the OHP.
Click to expand...

Are you doing these to the chin or the chest?
 
Thanks PB.

I think the cardio is helping a lot with my general level of fitness, which makes me feel more prepared and ready for the weight training workouts. I generally feel a lot more alert, active and well, alive. I woke up the other morning feeling like an athlete, as though I could take on the world. That might not translate into being stronger, but it's a great feeling and it's good to go into the gym with a positive mind. Maybe it's something to do with age - 35 isn't old, but it's not like I'm 18 any more.

It also feels better to be doing something on the off days, and I'm sure it's helping with nutrient partitioning. I'm eating enough to hold my bodyweight and the fat's melted off me so far.

Al420, I do the overhead presses from the rack position, but with my arms down, not horizontal.
 
Thanks for the support everyone!

The home gym's still here, but it only gets used occasionally. I used to work out at home in the evenings, but I'd always be tired from work and it left me little time to do anything else afterwards.

Now I can work out at lunchtimes, which means I have a lot more energy, I can get a decent number of meals in me afterwards, I'm more likely to do cardio, I have the evenings free, and I have some material for the morons at the gym thread :)
 
Speaking of which...

I've only seen two other people use the squat rack since I joined the gym. One was curling in it (with just the bar), but he moved when I stood there obviously waiting for him. I asked to work in with the other one, which was a workout in and of itself. He was doing quarter squats with the pussy pad on and the spotter bars set to waist height. After every set, I'd have to reset the spotter bars for ATF squatting, tear off the pussy pad, put my weights on, do the set, put his weights on, pussy pad back, and the spotter bars back. When he finished, he walked off muttering "I don't know why I do these anyway".

Another time, I saw one of the trainers getting a guy to do the clean and jerk. Oh my... it was straight from the bb.com videos that were knocking around a few months ago. That's why I started doing cleans again :)
 
Curls in the rack? Pussy pads? Fuck that. You need Emperor AI to stop by and teach those bitches a lesson.

I clear a path wherever I go.
 
Week 8: Mon

Top sets (all weights in kg):

Cleans: 65 x 3/3/3/3
Squat: 97.5 x 5
Bench: 67.5 x 5/5/5/4/4

2 more sets of cleans at last Friday's weight. I'm going to ditch these and go back to rows. I've had a lump on the back of my left wrist for a few months now. I can't remember the name for it, but I think it's the goo oozing out of the wrist joint into a small sack around the joint that then goes hard. Taking a couple of months off didn't completely cure it, but it was better. Cleans make it a lot worse, to the extent that it starts to hurt when I bench / front squat / clean.

Squats were good. Hard, but not in doubt. 100kgx5 for sure on Friday, especially if I don't clean first.

Bench was pretty hard. I missed the final rep on the last 2 sets. No biggie. I'll try 70x5 on Friday. I think my old 5RM is around 73-74kg.
 
I've not done much cleaning in the past and still need to hone the groove, hence the full squat cleans. They're more fun too! :)

The photo on this page shows exactly what I have on my wrist: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ganglion_cyst. It isn't painful at all, just looks a mess at certain angles. The main problem is it can limit how far back my hand can travel.

I guess a visit to the doc is in order, since I've had this 4-5 months.
 
Week 8: Tue

Cardio: stationary bike, hill route, 30 mins at level 15. Moderately easy.

I've done two level 16 sessions so far and wanted a moderate workout today. Level 15 was almost easy. My heart rate went from 163 to 180 in the hardest minute, but I felt fine 10 minutes later and even ran up the stairs on the way out of the gym.

This was easier than expected. I guess I'm getting fitter :)
 
Week 8: Wed

Top sets (all weights in kg):

Front squats: 82.5 x 5 (PR!)
Deads: 125 x 5
OHP: 40 x 3 x 5 (done later, in the evening)

Bah, my wrist was hurting on the front squats. Deads were hard and I couldn't grip well with that hand. I'll be out of town next week, so the week off will do it good. I was going to do one set of OHP, but since I was doing it at home whilst cooking dinner, I couldn't resist doing another couple. I think my old 5RM is 47kg, so I've a bit of catching up to do.

I keep forgetting to do abs. Maybe later... :)

Good news - Practical Programming has arrived! I haven't looked at it yet.
 
Week 8: Thu (cardio)

(My cardio is interval training on the stationary bike's hill setting, which builds up to 100% of the chosen level twice within 30 mins. The bike has 25 levels.)

Progress so far:

Week 3 Tue: 30 mins, level 14: absolute killer, heart rate pegged at 183 bpm
Week 4 Tue: 25 mins, level 12: pointless
Week 4 Thu: 30 mins, level 14: easier, max HR: 178 bpm
Week 5 Tue: 30 mins, level 15: killer
Week 6 Tue: 30 mins, level 16: brutal, ready to throw up for 2 hours after
Week 7 Tue: 30 mins, level 16: mere agony
Week 8 Tue: 30 mins, level 15: moderately easy, HR went from 163 - 180 in hardest minute
Week 8 Thu: 30 mins, level 16: moderately hard, HR went from 159 - 178 in hardest minute

I was surprised today's workout wasn't harder. Level 16 nearly killed me just 2 weeks ago. If I wasn't taking next week off for Christmas, I'd try a level 17. It'd be fun to get into the level 20's.
 
In the back of Practical Programming, there are some tables that give you an indication of how much people at different bodyweights ought to be able to lift at different levels of training, in various exercises. Like a red rag to a bull, I thought it'd be fun to see how I fitted in.

At my bodyweight of 173lb (all weights in pounds):

........................ Novice ...... Intermediate ............ Me (estimated / actual 1RM)
Press: ................. 106 .......... 134 ..................... 110
Bench Press: ........ 158 .......... 194 ..................... 176
Squat: ................. 212 .......... 260 ..................... 247
Dead: .................. 264 .......... 304 ..................... 315
Power Clean: ........ 152 .......... 187 ...................... 154 (full squat)

I've rarely done power cleans and haven't done much full squat cleaning, so we can ignore the bottom line. Overall, I can see what I've known for ages - upper body strength is my weakness. I didn't realise my dead was that good though (for my level of training and bodyweight), and I suppose I can't complain about the bench press either.
 
Do you think the tables in the back are based on 1 RM? If so, I'm way ahead of where I thought. It's good I don't need anything advanced in way of programming yet. :)
 
Week 8: Fri

Top sets (all weights in kg):

Squat: 105 x 5 (matches PR)
Bench: 70 x 5
Rows: 55 x 3 x 5

What a way to end the year. I was hoping to get 100x5 today on squats, but when I tried them, they felt ok, so I threw on another 5kg and matched my old PR. 105 was hard, but not in doubt. In fact, I might have been able to do a smidgin more. I was a little worried yesterday that the cardio workout would have hindered today, but evidently not. :p

Bench was hard, but not in doubt. I've started rows again, in favour of cleans. They need a lot of work.

When I come back in Jan, I just know my squats are going to rocket. I'm so chuffed (that's 'happy', to those over the pond :) ).
 
Week 8

Sat
OHP: 41kg x 3 x 5
Decline crunches: 2.5kg x 3 x 15

OHP is up 1kg from Wednesday's.

This'll be my last workout for a week or so. Have a good Christmas everyone!
 
End of Journal Summary

(Sorry to keep bumping this)

Bodyweight was 174lb throughout. Squats dropped in week 6 because I started cleaning before them, but they soon recovered. There wasn't really a plan to the workouts, other than to do more than the previous week. This was basically working back to old PRs after a layoff. All weights in kg.

Code: 
         Squat    F Squat  Dead      Bench    Row       OHP       Clean
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Week 0   60x3x5            80x2x5    60x3                         
Week 1   70x5     55x5     95x5      55x5     47.5x5    30x3x5    
Week 2   80x5x5   60x5     100x5     57.5x5   47.5x3x5  32.5x5    
Week 3   85x5x5   65x5     105x5     60x5     50x3x5    32.5x4    
Week 4   90x5     75x5     112.5x5   60x5x5   52.5x3x5  30x5x5    
Week 5   90x5x5                      64x5     52.5x5x5            60x3     
Week 6   80x3x5   77.5x5   120x5     64x2x5                       62x3x3   
Week 7   95x3x5   80x5     122.5x5   67.5x5             37.5x5x5  65x2x3   
Week 8   105x5    82.5x5   125x5     70x5     55x3x5    41x3x5    60x4x3
 
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