Lifting Weights and Ruminations

First full cycle down after I restarted weight training in March. There are some strength losses across the board, but nothing dramatic.

I also took some time to assess my training goals going forward. Not ready to give up working toward PRs yet, but it's no longer the focal point. For me, a personal record is the maximum weight I have ever lifted for a single complete rep. I.e. not adjusted my lifts for age, bodyweight, speed, or number of repetitions (e.g. "three-rep max"), as I don't see the point in that. However, I also no longer see a point in basing my workouts around glacially slow 1RM increases. Progressive resistance is the name of the game, but max singles are not the only progression in town.

"Getting older" is often blamed for slowing/ceasing gains, but that's never made much sense to me. A seventy-year-old who takes up lifting weights for the first time ever will build considerable muscle size and strength. It seems to boil down to reaching one's "genetic potential". After 10-12 years of correct, hard training and decent nutrition, you'll have built all the strength and size your body has the ability to build. From there, you have two options: anabolic steroids, or getting sloppy-fat to keep lifting heavier weights (and deluding yourself the lard gain is really muscle). Neither of those options seem particularly attractive to me.

Without formulating any kind of bullshit theory or philosophy about working out (BTW anyone who uses the term "weight training philosophy" ought to be slapped upside the head), here are some general guidelines I have settled on. None of these are new or different - I've been working out like this for the past 5-6 years at least.

• Base the workout around compound barbell lifts with a strength focus.
• Assistance exercises are done for high reps - I use a modified version of DoggCrapp sets, i.e. try to hit 20 reps with two rest-pauses. When I can do more than 20 reps, I increase the weight by 5 lbs., but am not slavish about the weight progression.
• Add some pump work at the very end, as applicable.
• Pullups get their own day, and are paired with biceps.
• Isometrics are done as a warmup, for assistance work, and sometimes as stand-alone sets.
• Focus on low-intensity cardio - daily walking, jogging once, and sprinting/jumping once per week.

PRs are welcome when they happen, but no longer the focus.

The cycle itself went well. My shoulders seem to have magically healed, or maybe it's just that the pain has migrated into my right knee. I've brought in my grip for close-grip bench presses, and now lift considerably less weight, but feel like I'm hitting the triceps more.

Squat: 405 lbs. x 5, 425 lbs. x 5, 475 lbs. x 3, 500 lbs. x 1.

Front squat: 275 lbs. x 3, 320 lbs. x 1

Overhead press: 165 lbs. x 10, 185 lbs. x 4, 205-215-225 lbs x 1

Deadlift: 405 lbs. x 5, 470 lbs. x 2, 505 lbs. x 1, 525 lbs. x 1

Bench press: 320 lbs. x 9, 340 lbs. x 4, 355 lbs. x 1, failed with 365 and 375 lbs.

Close-grip bench press: 315 lbs. x 1

Incline bench press: 275 lbs. x 1, 295 lbs. x 1

At least now I know that I can fail heavy bench press attempts safely in the rack?

Bodyweight dipped slightly to 218 lbs. this week, and stayed fairly consistent.