I had planned to put up a post last night. I was
going to call it something like "4 Plates".
It was going to be a happy little post. I had been
writing it in my head for over a week. My new weight training program
had been coming along nicely. As you may recall I had switched over
to the 5 X
5 plan. As part of my change over I cut back the amount of
weight I was lifting and was focusing on form and getting the exercises
right.
In the program I'm doing a complete evolution consists of a
two week period. The first week is set up so that you lift on 3 days
with a day of rest between each day you lift. It looks like
this:
| Monday "A" Day | Wednesday "B" Day | Friday "A" Day |
|---|---|---|
| 5 X 5 Squat | 5 X 5 Squat | 5 X 5 Squat |
| 5 X 5 Bench Press | 5 X 5 Overhead Press | 5 X 5 Bench Press |
| 5 X 5 Barbell Row | 1 X 5 Dead Lift | 5 X 5 Barbell Row |
| Monday "B" Day | Wednesday "A" Day | Friday "B" Day |
|---|---|---|
| 5 X 5 Squat | 5 X 5 Squat | 5 X 5 Squat |
| 5 X 5 Overhead Press | 5 X 5 Bench Press | 5 X 5 Overhead Press |
| 1 X 5 Dead Lift | 5 X 5 Barbell Row | 1 X 5 Dead Lift |
The cool, and challenging thing about this program is that
every day you add 5lbs to the weight you lifted the last time you did the
exercise. During every two week evolution you add 30 lbs to your
squat and 15lbs to every other exercise. Sunday is the start of my
workweek so for me that is my first "A" day in the
evolution. Then I take Monday as a rest day and so on.
Last night should have been my night to use 4, 45lb plates
on Squats with this coming Sunday being the day for me to hit 4 plates on the
bench press. Sunday night I decided to injure my right
forearm so badly that I could hardly carry my gym bag out to the truck after I
finished. My injury is my own fault, after hitting it hard on the
bench I broke form and did not one but every single set of my Barbell Rows
incorrectly, even though I was in serious pain when I started the 4th set. I wasn't paying attention to what I was doing and now I'm paying the
price.
I know that 4 plates at 45 lbs plus 45lbs for the bar, each
doesn't sound like much, but hitting 225 lbs for my squat and bench press is a
far cry from where I was when I unexpectedly plateaued this
spring. It's also a ways to go on my mid term strength
goals. Those goals are 400 + lbs on the Squat and 275 lbs on the
Bench Press. I should hit those goals sometime in the first part of
next year, if I can keep on track and progressing in a linier mode. Which means I have to avoid hurting myself. I haven't set strength
goals for the Overhead Press, the Barbell Row or the Dead Lift. I
suppose I should, but I hadn't been doing those exercises before I started the
program and just picked a weight to start from. I don't have any idea
what a man "should" be able to lift doing those exercises. Any thoughts on what a goal for those should be would be appreciated.
Long term, I want to get to 325 on the bench and
500 lbs on the squat. I don't know how long term that goal time frame
is. Maybe 500 lbs squat by age 50. It could be a
chant "500 by 50", "500 by 50". As long
as my body weight is under 190 lbs, making my goal should make me one
buff old fart. We'll celebrate with pie and ice cream.
Not bad for an old fart.
ReplyDeleteWhen I got done playing football in college, one of my teamates was thankful that he would never have to squat more than 225 again. I hate squats. I don't remember squatting even 225 since. Becuase I hate squats.
I have never done deadlift. I'd say a good number for overhead press is 50% of bench, but I haven't lifted in 20 years and we didn't emphasize that either.
Now if you can bench 325 and squat 500 when you are 50, then I will be impressed. I couldn't do that at 23.
I'd say a couple years will tell you where you can get to.
Right now I feel like 400lb is a possibility. My squats are one of my better exercises. Then again I always did well on the leg press and was up to 540lbs before I switched programs. I don't have my log book with me at the moment, but my Overhead is over 100lbs and my deadlifts are too.
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