The Fine Art Of Weight Training For Progress

[Poppy]

Putting together a few brief thoughts from the last couple of weeks of reading and training.

First thought is nothing new… “there’s really no new weight training movements”. Sure, the internet will show you how to put inches on your arms in weeks if you just do this one movement…it’ll be some contrived dumb bell curl that if you turn just so and hold your mouth just right it’ll rip your sleeves out in a few short weeks…pul-eez!

There’s a “but” that goes with my above statement. If you were to experiment with different movements, different set/rep schemes, tempos and pairings then you’ll find what works for YOU. Now that doesn’t mean over the course of weeks or even a couple of months… but, literally, years.

Recently, there’s been a new sponsor that has been posting training templates that he and one of UGM’s highly competitive bb’s. If you study what’s been written then you’ll notice that there’s a reason for the set/rep scheme and order of movements.

My second thought is new… to me anyways…after some cogitating over the last year or so. In general, as an aging lifter, I consider maintaining what I’ve got… to be progress. The premise is identical…dialing in my set/reps, movement selection and tempo without having a catastrophic injury that could very well be a lifelong ailment.

As always…thoughts and comments are welcome.

 

[herrubermensch]

I should accept that maintenance is progress, but I’m incapable of doing so. I try, but I fail. If I’m going to do this, I HAVE to progress, either in strength or stamina or aesthetics or all of the foregoing. I do take a long view, however, to measuring progress. At my age, it does not come in a week or two or three or even a month. It comes six months at a time. THAT is the interval at which I really notice a difference, and that’s just fine with me. But I gotta see it at six months or I gotta change things up.

Great example for me is incline dumbells–my very weakest exercise. Because of my shoulder maladies, I can’t balance the bell well on my left side, so I have to use VERY strict form and NOT flex my shoulders at all. And even then, getting 75s up for 5x10 is an accomplishment. But six months ago, getting 60s up for 5x10 was nearly impossible. And now, I’m pushing to go to 80s for 5x10. For most of you super-strong youngins, this would be embarrassingly low weight, but I don’t care so long as I progress at six-month intervals. And I have noticed I have much more meat on my upper chest than I ever have. THIS is enough to keep me going.

 

[Poppy]

Keep on keeping on my friend.

I’m just so indecisive lately. Putting in the work but I won’t lie. I’m a tad scared at times.

I sold my motorcycle a while back. I was taking my weekly early morning Sunday cruise up and down the highway to get a cup of coffee. I was enjoying the nice ride and looked down at the pavement rushing by at 70mph… instead of thinking the usual “this is cool”…I thought “if I eat it now, this is going to hurt real bad”. Never in the past have I had those thoughts. Just like unracking a heavy bench press or walking out a heavy squat… I’m scared brother… don’t know why. Nothing has happened to provoke these thoughts.

 

[herrubermensch]

I absolutely hear you. I go around a corner at my favorite racetrack at 110 mph and used to think “I can go a little faster.” Now, it’s “this is plenty fast enough.” Age and maturity will do that to you.

 

[herrubermensch]

And you have that little girl to think about as well.

 

[Poppy]

Yeah it’s bad enough her classmates have parents that went to school with with my kids…it’s very obvious to me. Baby girl hasn’t said one word yet. Haha

Upside is the teachers are extremely attractive. The principal and vice principal are smoking! They all know poppy!

 

[herrubermensch]

Love it. I love telling people my age. They always freak out and don’t believe me. Especially if they are younger than I am and look like shit! Think of it this way: You’re the perfect combination of wisdom, experience and physicality. Age is just a number.

 

[NeuroRN]

For most of you super-strong youngins, this would be embarrassingly low weight, but I don’t care so long as I progress at six-month intervals.

Your progress is your business and no one else’s! There’s still movements that I’m doing low weight on after messing up my elbow. FUCK EMMMM. My workout is for me, your workout is for you.

Lol you have about 1mm of anatomy holding that shoulder together if I remember correctly. That’s a for real accomplishment of progress.

 

[NeuroRN]

I thought “if I eat it now, this is going to hurt real bad”.

I had this thought snowboarding last week. The wife stayed home so I got to hit the runs I wanted… I hit about 45mph according to my app and had the EXACT same thought. Went back to the nice and easy cruising runs.

 

[Rusty]

It happens as we age we get cuatious In my twenties I was climbing towers and also
A lot of high ladder work. Never used a safety harness(dumb). Now I won’t climb them anymore for any amount of money. A day come when you look
Down and be like. Dam if I fall I would die. But until that day comes I was as reckless as can be.

 

[DarthSocrates]

In some ways I miss that feeling of invulnerability from my youth. In others I don’t. I think its natures way of telling us our reflexes and agility are not going to be able to save us forever. Lol.

 

[Rusty]

I agree. There are times it would be nice to lift heavy stuff again without jacking up your body. Never thought of injuries back then.

 

[herrubermensch]

1mm if I am lucky. They told me the shoulder would have to be replaced in 3-5 years. I’m well past that now. FUCK EM INDEED!

 

[herrubermensch]

Your progress is your business and no one else’s! There’s still movements that I’m doing low weight on after messing up my elbow. FUCK EMMMM. My workout is for me, your workout is for you.

You are awesome for saying this, given that you are one of the super-strong youngins I was referring to!

 

[herrubermensch]

Similar thought: Aging for me is primarily an exercise in becoming less and less impressed with myself and my abilities, but being just fine with that.

 

[NeuroRN]

It’s the truth sir! I don’t look at anyone’s weights and think anything other than glad their are pursuing progression.

 

[herrubermensch]

So I say all of this just as I started doing something I probably should not, but absolutely love it: 50mg of Anadrol PWO. It’s been nearly 20 years since I’ve done a strong oral, and I have never done Anadrol (always did Dbol). Dear God, I love the stuff precisely because it does make me feel invincible again as I did when I was young. And endurance! Holy moly! At the two hour mark tonight, I could have kept going! It’s going to have to be for only a limited time and accompanied by lots of liver support, including 100mg of Glutathione ED. But my doc is going to look at my AST and ALT in a week or so and start whipping me with her stethoscope. (Actually could be fun. HA!).

 

[NeuroRN]

that last line got me good.

So while I believe anadrol should be reserved for forced production (powerlifting)…. Goddamn it’s a fun pwo. Hahaha

It has an average Cmax of three house, so take it accordingly.

Good call on upping glutathione. Shits so toxic.

 

[Poppy]

How long you going to use anadrol?

 

[Poppy]

How ya been?