Weak Link

I had a delayed start to the training year. Just wrapped up my first cycle of 2025 with a few new PRs at a lower bodyweight than my last cycle.

Been messing around with standing presses, which I haven't trained in years, I was disappointed to discover I'm pretty weak. My overall pressing strength has gone up since I last trained standing presses seriously. But I've lost the standing press "groove", and my midsection feels too weak to support appreciable weights overhead. So I've started using standing presses as a warmup on my shoulder day to build up to a respectable poundage again. If I'm pressing 300 lbs. seated, I should be doing 240-250 lbs. standing, which would be close to my all-time best.

Squats went smoothly, and the front squat with 420 lbs. was downright explosive. Bench and incline bench presses moved great. I aimed for 425 lbs. on the flat bench press, but that went up so easily I took another shot at 440 lbs. and nailed it.

On deadlifts, I failed 600 lbs. for the second time in a row. Should probably revise my current one-rep max down to a more realistic 575 lbs. and take it from there.

Squat 505-545-585 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Front squat 420 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Standing overhead press 205 lbs. x 1

Seated overhead press 275-300 lbs. x 1 (matched PR)

Bench press 405-425-440 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Incline bench press 380 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Deadlift 505-550-575 lbs. x 1

Bodyweight has stayed below 210 lbs. this week. So I've dropped 5-6 lbs. but still hit several new 1RMs, which is encouraging.

Nice Cycle to End 2024 On

After a slew of personal records in 2024, this training cycle was more modest. I hit small but respectable squat and bench press PRs, but otherwise kept my attempts well within reason. Overall I'm lifting significantly heavier weights than I did at the end of 2023. Which is what it's all about, after all.

Two new (small) PRs on the squat and bench press. My pressing has progressed well over the past couple of years. I pressed 445 lbs. for a SlingShot single, which would also be a PR if it counted. It's been a great year for pressing of all sorts. Focusing on incline presses seems to bring everything else up, and limiting the sets and reps allows me to use very heavy weights.

I'm a little less clear on how isometrics help me with the various barbell presses. There's definitely a synergistic effect, but tough to put a finger on (or attribute e.g. a weight or percentage increase). For other muscle groups and for isolation exercises, it's more obvious. Isometrics and bands are now probably 75% of my "bodybuilding" work.

My back twinged a little on deadlift day. I set out to match last cycle's PR with 600 lbs., but couldn't break it off the floor. Didn't really give it 100% as I'm pretty cautious with my lower back. In the end I settled for 575 lbs., which I pulled confidently.

Squat 505-540-580 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Front squat 405 lbs. x 1

Seated overhead press 260-280-300 lbs. x 1 (tied PR)

Bench press 365x2-405-435 lbs. x 1 (PR), SlingShot 445 lbs. x 1 (also PR)

Incline bench press 345 lbs. x 1, 320 lbs. x 7

Deadlift 515-560-575 lbs. x 1

Bodyweight was below 215 lbs. this week.

Across the Board

My training was the same as usual. Heavy main lifts, a few assistance lifts, and a whole lot of isometric sets mimicking bodybuilding exercises. I can't overstate the importance of isometrics, both as a muscle and as a strength builder. I've dabbled with this type of training in the past, but have never been this consistent with it, or reaped such results.

Squats were tough but doable. I missed my first with 575 lbs. and rode a crushing negative rep down to the pins. Moved the bar lower on my back for the second attempt and nailed it. Improved shoulder mobility FTW. I never went over 530x3 in training, which is the same weight I've ben using forever. Proving once again that you don't need to break your back lifting huge numbers in training. Just stay focused, cut out the garbage volume, and keep the intensity at a decent level.

I barely made the front squat PR, because my legs were fried. But I'd been hitting 375 lbs. for sets of 5 fairly regularly, so was confident. My front squat is still behind my bench press, but it's probably my most improved lift since I started lifting at home.

Another tiny PR on the bench press. I knew I wasn't going to massively exceed expectations like last time I maxed out. But I'd been hitting some nice lifts in training (405x3 and 410x2), and I figured I could move the needle ever so slightly with a bit of luck. Didn't think 435 was in the offing, so I threw on my 1.25-lb. microplates and nailed a slow-grind single with 432.5 lbs. Another PR and another double-bodyweight press.

On seated shoulder presses, I moved my grip out wider (by one finger) and the weight was so easy it felt like cheating. 300 lbs. is a weight I never expected to move overhead. But same as with squats and bench presses, the training poundages have been moving nicely, so I knew something good was in the offing.

Deadlifts likewise went well. I probably had 600 lbs. last time I maxed out, so this was no surprise. As with squats, I think proper rest and letting the muscles recover fully is now more important for progress than trying to rep out heavy weights. Alternating heavy squats and heavy pulls week to week seems to be the right ticket.

The question now is the same one I've been asking myself the last few cycles. Do I keep pushing the weights up, or do I focus on maintenance and steer clear of snap city? Mentally, I'm not built for the latter option. Even when I'm beating my head against a wall - and I've done plenty of that in the past - it has to be with the goal (hope) of moving forward. Middle-aged lifetime natural lifters also don't exactly have decades of progress ahead, so make hay while the sun shines? Maybe?

Bench press 365x2-405-432.5 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Incline bench press 375 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Seated military press 255x2-275x2-300 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Squat 505-530-575 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Front squat 415 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Deadlift 505-550-600 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Bodyweight was in the 215-lb. range all week.

COVID Lifting Boost(er), Huge Bench Press PR

My left shoulder has been acting up, so I skipped partials and only did straight sets for overhead and bench presses this cycle. Last two weeks I bench pressed from the next-to-last pin (above chest) because it felt easier on my shoulder. Hit some good numbers from that level - 405 lbs. x 3 and 425 lbs. x 2. What I've noticed in the past is that I'm usually good for the same weight (give or take 5 lbs.) full range.

Squats felt great while I was doing fives and triples, then terrible on my singles day. I almost lost 405 lbs. forward (this hasn't happened to me in probably 20 years, at any weight), 455 lbs. felt like 555, and I failed with 565 lbs. I hit 545 lbs. x 1 and that was all she wrote.

The next day I tested positive for COVID-19. So I was probably weak due to my body trying to fight the disease, or something.

COVID was nothing like the first time I had it. It felt like a minor cold, and I was symptom-free after 3 days. Which makes sense since I'm juiced to the gills, but was still a relief. More surprisingly, I matched two PRs and set two new ones while keeping my bodyweight down and technically being sick. Maybe viruses give you a minor boost when lifting?

Seated overhead pressed felt strong. I pressed 295 lbs. fairly easily to match my all-time best. Then tried a single with 300 and of course that went about as well as one might expect.

I felt pretty confident about bench presses, but the results came as a huge surprise. Took 405 lbs. for my last warmup and it felt tough, but fast. 420 lbs. flew up like nothing. Being a greedy ijit, I next loaded up 430 lbs. - and nailed that with gas to spare.

Seated overhead press: 260 lbs. x 6, 295 lbs. x 1 (tied PR)

Pullups/chinups in a single set: 18 (I changed grips w/or rest, but I did let go of the bar, so call it 13+5 if you're nitpicky)

Bench press 405-420-430 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Deadlift: 525 lbs. x 3, 505-530-590 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Squat: 525 lbs. x 3, 505-530-545 lbs. x 1, 565 lbs. x fail

Front squat 410 lbs. x 1 (tied PR)

Bodyweight: below 215 lbs. all week. On bench press day, I actually weighed in at 211, so I pressed more than twice my bodyweight, which is pretty wild.

Less Bulk, Less Power

Summer is here, so I'm dedicating more time to swimming and hiking. Also spent around 6 weeks traveling and not lifting weights. I dropped around 8 lbs. of bodyweight from my last partials cycle and lost a little bit of strength on some lifts, but nothing dramatic. Kind of enjoying being lighter. At this age, the only numbers I'm really concerned about are my bloodwork results, and I'm hoping those have improved with the weight loss.

Pressing was good, with singles just a bit under my all-time bests at a higher bodyweight. I hit a PR on the incline press, and am getting much more comfortable with this lift overall. Inclines do not seem to bother my shoulder as much as flat bench presses, which is weird.

Squats went well, with small PRs on both back and front squat and not much shoulder/knee pain.

My deadlift seems to be suffering the most. I've added a few extra upper back and hamstring sets throughout the week, and it seems to be holding back my pulling. The best I've deadlifted in regular training was 510 lbs. x 3. But I was able to match my all-time best for a single. Not terribly alarmed over this because I really don't care how much I pull for reps, but it's an interesting data point.

Seated overhead press 265 lbs. x 1, 285 lbs. x 1, 230 lbs. x 8 (went for a PR with 300 lbs. and failed)

Bench press 400 lbs. x 2 (410 lbs. failed)

Incline bench press 315 lbs. x 8, 370 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Squat 525 lbs. x 4, 530 lbs. x 3, 565 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Deadlift 510 lbs. x 3, 585 lbs. x 1 (tied PR)

Front squat 410 lbs. x 1 (PR)

New Cycle, New Personal Records

The biggest piece of news this cycle is that I'm back to doing regular back squats. My left shoulder still bothers me under the bar, but it's not locking up or in agony, and I'm working on rehabbing it. Squats and deadlifts both went well, which is a rarity, and I've now officially pulled 6 plates, something I never imagined myself being capable of. Can I hit 600? Maybe that mythical "old man strength" is finally kicking in (about time, too).

After squats, I hit a four-plate front squat PR with very little strain.

Pressing went very well. This might be the first cycle in which I've met or exceeded all my partial lift goals. Usually I start missing rep goals as the weight gets closer to full range. But this time I hit them all confidently - including a stellar 380 lbs. x 6 on the bench press at the penultimate (next-to-full-range) setting.

I missed 420 lbs. on the bench press for the second time, but I think I'll get it this year. Went back and rage-pressed 405 lbs. for two reps immediately after my failure. "Ramping up" with 390 lbs. might have been a mistake - it went up smoothly, but I'm wondering if it's too much weight for what is essentially a warmup effort. I rested up a bit and set an easy new incline bench PR with 365 lbs.

Overall, this was possibly my most successful partials cycle so far. I haven't been feeling beat up or stressed out either - just smooth, solid lifts all round. Bodyweight has been steady and muscular definition is as good as it's ever been. The isometrics seem to be helping - both with strength, and to fill in small gaps in training, mostly for isolation exercises.

I've eliminated junk volume and these days just focus on a couple exercises per muscle group, a couple of really hard working sets, and call it a day. As you get stronger (and older), volume becomes extremely tough on the body. 2x10 with 225 lbs. might improve your bench press a little, but 2x10 with 325 lbs. are apt to cripple you for days. Maybe figuring out what you need is what strength is really all about. Gainz without a specific program - or on any program. Getting into "a state of mind, being persistent with being consistent", as Lamar Gant (reputedly) said.

Seated military press 295 lbs. x 1 (PR), 230 lbs. x 10 (also might be a PR)

Bench press 390 lbs. x 1, 420 lbs. x fail, 405 lbs. x 2 (new 2RM)

Incline bench press 365 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Squat 530 lbs. x 3, 560 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Front squat 405 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Deadlift 585 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Overhead Press and Deadlift PRs, Other Miscellany

Another partials cycle down, with variable results. I set a confident personal best in the seated military press with 290 lbs. x 1. Managed some excellent repetition work in the lead-up to the cycle on the overhead and incline bench press. My lats and upper back are stronger than before, so I have a better base, and I've gotten stronger and more explosive in the lockout phase. Feeling pretty good overall.

My deadlift training has felt fairly slow and grindy for the past several months. I had not maxed out since 2022 and had no idea what a heavy single would feel like. So I was extremely pleased to set a new PR this cycle. I pulled 575 lbs. with strength to spare - almost six plates.

I crapped out on my bench press attempt with 420 lbs. Then I lowered the weight to 410 lbs., but was too tired after straining against the 420. So no bench press PR this cycle. Based on how the partials were going, I wasn't really expecting one, but it's always nice to be hopeful. I might recalibrate to 410 for the next cycle and build up from there.

No PR on squats either. I hit a relatively solid single with 530 lbs., but 550 lbs. stapled me to the bars. Back squatting with straps is a good replacement for regular back squats, but I'm starting to wonder if a cambered squat bar wouldn't be a better solution for my shoulder issues. Or maybe I just need to forget about max singles in the squat. Or maybe I just need to stop being an idiot and get my shoulder looked at.

Seated military press 265 lbs. x 5, 290 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Squat with straps 530 lbs. x 3, 550 lbs. x fail

Front squat 390 lbs. x 1 (tied PR)

Bench press 340 lbs. x 5, 390 lbs. x 1, 420 lbs. x fail

Incline bench press 310 lbs. x 10, 335 lbs. x 1 

Deadlift 545 lbs. x 1, 575 lbs. x 1 (PR)

Bodyweight was a solid 220 lbs.