I think a better approach would be to decrease your volume more drastically and escalate it from there as needed. Your more timid approach might seem to work, as in you might start making progress again, but it's likely that you'd still be doing too much work for too little benefit. You should want to find that sweet spot where you're doing the minimum amount of work to make progress. It's even more important at your age when you consider that every unnecessary set you do is just another chance to injure yourself.

I'd add the rest day and reduce the number of sets as well. You'll get really fast feedback as to whether you need to incrementally increase the volume from there. Approaching it from the other side will not yield the same feedback.

Yeah, I agree about the volume. It's hard for me mentally to not associate more volume with more gains. But yeah.

I signed up for a new gym - Anytime Fitness. It used to be a Gold's Gym. It is awesome. Nice layout, 2 cages (unfortunately used for bench too) and one squat rack. Nice area to deadlift. Nice area to stretch and do core. I'll be using it when I'm home but will still hit the other gym on work days.

So, today was my first DL day in a long time where I took a days rest before. Made a world of difference. I felt so much better.

DL
5x225
5x245
4x265
2x275
1x285

DBR
8x50
8x65
8x70

Lat puldown
8x110
8x130
8x140
8x140

T-bar
8x45
8x55
8x55

core

I feel a million times better afterwards as well. Usually I'm just dead on Friday. Hopefully this translates into some gains.

Run day - HIIT

1 mile jog warmup. 8 sets of 15 sec sprints with 45 sec rest with 4 20/40 mixed in.

You're almost 60. Wtf lol. I thought you were mayybe pushing 50

If you're worried about overtraining you can adopt a newborn. I guarantee results.

Yeah, you wake up one day and it's like "wtf!?"

Back squat
8x135
7x155
4x165
5x155
8x135

bb curl
8x45
10x65
2x8x75

db curl
3x8x25

core

The "less is more" approach is already paying dividends. I feel better and stronger.

Some guy came up to me today while I was deadlifting. He seemed reasonably competent and told me I was starting with my butt too high and using too much of my lower back. This was definitely an issue when I started and I think I've slowly gotten into bad habits. And, I definitely feel it in my back today.

6/21 - Bench day. Forgot my log book but I did a few less sets than normal and felt pretty good.

6/22 - HIIT - 12 sets 15 sec spring, 45 second rest. I got a new phone and it's somewhat tilting because the off button is in a different spot and my natural grip keeps turning it off when I run.

6/24
DL
8x225
6x245
4x265
1x285
1x295

Lat pulldown
8x140
8x150
8x150

DBR
2x8x70

T-bar
8x55
8x65

core

HIIT - 1 mile jog. 12 (maybe 13) sets 15-20 sec sprint, 40-45 sec walk.

Beware. Your form might have been just fine. For some body types the deadlift is more hip centric. You just need to make a form video and get the opinion of reputable people. The deadlift is largely a back exercise so it's fine to use your back to move the bar, as long as you aren't rounding it excessively.

Yeah, I'm way overdue in posting form vids. Thanks.

7/1

DL
8x225
5x255
2x275
1x275

DBR
8x50
8x70
8x70

Lat pulldown
8x140
8x150
8x150

TBar
8x55
8x65

Core

7/2

HIIT 12 sets, 15-20 sec sprint, 45-40 sec walk.

7/4

BS

2x8x135
3x5x155

BB curl
3x8x65

db curl
3x8x25

Core

LOL. I thought you are 40 something!

Yeah, I'm an old fart.

HIIT - Pretty rough. I was already pretty tired and it seemed hotter than usual. Got through 7 sets and felt overheated. Doused myself with water and tried to finish but only got 4 more sets before I bonked.

7/8

DL

5x225
5x245
3x265
1x275
1x285

Lat pulldown
8x140
8x150
8x160

DBR
8x70
7x75

Seated rows
10x100
8x110

Core

7/9

Still feeling somewhat beat up. And damn, it's been hot/humid here lately. But, got through the HIIT ok. Standard 12 sets, 15-18sec sprint, 45-42 sec rest.

7/11

back squat
8x135
7x155
6x155
6x155
5x155

BB curls
10x65
8x75
6x85

db curls
9x25
8x30
7x30

core

7/12 Felt sort of beat up and the workout was a struggle

10x135
9x155
6x175
7x165

Incline
9x135
7x145
8x135

tri push down
8x70
8x70
8x70

7/14

HIIT day. Damn. I felt like I was trying to run in a full body cast. My legs literally wouldn't run faster than a slow jog. I just couldn't get them to do it. So, it was more like MIIT or maybe even LIIT.

Got 12 reps in, though.

7/15

DL
8x225
5x255
2x275
1x285
1x285

Lat pulldown
3x8x150

TBar
8x65
8x70

DBR
2x8x70

core

7/16 HIIT

Felt pretty good once I got loosened up. 12 sets 16-17 sec sprint, rest the remaining part of a minute. Got 10 good ones in before my hips tightened up. Struggled on the last 2 but all in all felt pretty good.

7/18

BS
7x135
8x135
5x155
5x155

BB curl
10x65
6x85
8x75

3 sets machine curls

core

7/19
Flat bench
10x135
10x155
8x175
6x175

incline
8x135
8x135
7x145

skullcrunchers
10x70
8x80
7x80

tri pushdown
8x70
7x80
7x70

7/20

HIIT -more on this later

7/22
DL
5x225
5x245
3x265
1x275
1x275

lat pulldown
8x150
6x150
8x140

DBrows
6x75
8x70

core

My HIIT continues to degrade. It's as if every muscle that I use to run is trying to do just the opposite. It's really weird. But I googled this and found that other runners experience this and it is more common with people that sit for long periods of time - which I do.

The explanation is that the muscles (mostly glutes) sort of freeze up and want to clench. The popular opinion seems to be that you just need to stretch. But I read a couple of articles that said just the opposite. It was basically that your muscles want to clench, so make them happy. Clench those glutes. They gave a couple of exercises to do during a run when you feel tight. The writers pretty much stand by the results.

I'm really intrigued and will try the next time I run.

7/23

HIIT

My hips were pretty tight. Not the worst they've been, but I was struggling.

I did the recommended exercise and it made a noticeable difference. Sample size but it seems really encouraging.

Felt good enough to do 14 sets (15-20,45-40)

Back squat
2x8x135
3x5x155

bb Curl
8x65
6x85
7x75

db curl
2x10x20

core

7/26
forgot to write it down but it was my typical bench routine

7/27

HIIT - Got 12 sets in but at a slower pace. Still having hip issues but the exercises definitely help.

7/29

Trap DL - first time I've done these in a long time. They felt good but I wasn't near the weight I was doing when I did them regularly

8x185
5x205
5x225
5x225
5x245

Lat pulldown
3x8x150

tbar
8x65
8x75

wide grip pulldown
2x8x130

core

HIIT - 10 sets. The combination of a looming thunderstorm and my uncooperative body cut things a little short.

8/1

Back squat
8x135
8x135
5x155
5x165
5x155

BB curl
8x65
8x75
8x75

2 sets of machine curls

core

8/2
Flat bench
10x135
8x155
8x175
4x195

incline
8x135
6x155
8x135

skullcruncher
8x70
8x80
88x80

Tri push down
8x70
8x80
7x80

8/3

HIIT - decent run for a wednesday. 12 sets, 90% speed

8/5

DL
5x225
5x245
3x265
1x275

Lat pulldown
8x150
8x160
8x160

DBR
8x70
8x75

wide grip pulldown
8x110
8x120

core