6/11 -- 253 lbs

HBB Squat 3x5x235
Bench Press 3x5x185
Deadlift 5x225
Rows 5x135

Say what you will about DOMS, but they certainly illustrate you're alive! Other than that just reactivating those sweet, sweet neural pathways, i.e. "How the **** do you deadlift, again?"

6/13

HBB Squat 3x5x245
Overhead Press 3x5x135


6/19

HBB Squat 265, 3x5x250
Bench Press 210, 3x5x200
Pullups (51X3) 4x4
Deadlift 2x5x255


No pain; no pain.

6/21

HBB Squat 270, 3x5x255
Overhead Press 150, 160 @8, 5x150, 2x5x145
Pendlay Rows 3x8x145


Another rush job, which is fine when you're basically just doing Starting Strength.

6/24

HBB Squat 275, 3x5x260
Bench Press 3x5x210
Pullups (51X3) 3x5

6/26 -- 248 lbs

Deadlift SSPT 10x1x275
Overhead Press 165 @8, 2x5x150, 4x150
Pendlay Rows 12x165, 4x5x165, 4x165



Couple of yoga classes and treadmill walks in there, too. Monday had to run out of the gym before deadlift work sets due to lightning power outage at the apartment with the wife on portable oxygen for pneumonia. Another rush today, hence the SSPT and myo-reps-like-thing without squats. Another couple of weeks of just showing up then probably going to try the Bridge.

6/29 -- 251 lbs.

Bench Press 5x185, 235, 2x5x210, amrap 7x210
Pullups ladder 1->6, 6->1 (42 total)
Dips ladder 1->5

rehap Deadlift 4x8x150
rehab Squats 3x12x125


Had some low back pain for a couple days, so just working light pain-free weights yesterday on the lower body lifts. May just work that upward for a bit. Misloaded Bench Press and didn't realize until after the second set so just went grey's gull on it. Pullups feel embarrassing but if I were at my old bw and doing this with a 25 I'd probably feel fine. Dips are just going to be light work for a while--I find heavy dips are something I need to warn my body about weeks in advance.

Haven't really been counting calories or targeting the last couple weeks other than ensuring adequate protein. While my weight hasn't gone down, my belly has shrunk from 45.5" to 44" and my belt is now only appropriately difficult to get on using the last loop, woot woot!

------------------

On an unrelated note, wife is home and recovering from the pneumonia pretty well so far. She's on oxygen but already stays over the "dangerous" threshold when we take it off and they tell me her lungs sound quite good. We've brought in a palliative care company (which is not the same thing as hospice) and that basically gets us a scheduled housecall every two weeks, another couple housecalls each month as needed, and makes it much easier and faster to get new equipment when we need it, but we continue "curative" treatment and active rehab. Physically, it's an enormous setback although we hope once the pneumonia fully clears in a month or so she'll snap into better shape. No real sign yet that the chemo is working. I've been trying to get out more and more; gym, yoga, library, museums, coffee shops, restaurants, strip clubs, crack houses, etc. Still trying to make it to see 'Dark Phoenix' (one of my all-time favorite comix stories when I was a kid) but of course this is Spider-man (my favorite character) week so we'll see. I know everyone is sick of comic book movies well, screw you guys, to me they are just things that happen to me and I just need to know, OK?

On another completely unrelated note; I believe I've finally completed my lifelong endeavor to understand women! Yesterday when reading a book ('the Happiness Project'--humble brag, look at me indulging in "me time") by a female author I came across the following passage (there's no missing context or explanation of meaning and I'm pretty sure she means it):

Yep--that was exactly what I was missing. I feel so fulfilled.

Holliday! How you doin'?

How many days do you plan to go to the gym this week? That mofo number better be 4 or greater. (4 is for wimps but you have to start somewhere.)

Also, please post a photo so we can see where you're starting from and then be amazed 2 months from now. Plus, hubba hubba. tyia

Also, also, glad to see you posting here. Keep it up buckeroo!

Hi Josie, how you doin’?

Probably gym 3, yoga 2 or 3, treadmill walking at least on the day or days off. I may do some extra gym just for the light rehab work, but Starting Strength is just 3/wk. I guess I could do a humiliating picture (although it’s already improved a good deal) but I’m way behind on the manscaping.

Ok, sounds like a good schedule. No one gives a puck about your hair and um, leave your shorts on.

Humiliating picture!

Working on it...

7/1

Overhead Press 5x135, 170f, 3x5x145
Dumbell Rows 8x55, 3x8x70

rehab Squats 3x12x145
light deadlift, ghr, sleds


7/3

Single Leg Press 3x8x+180
Bench Press 6x185, 240 @8, 3x5x220

rehap Rack Pulls [31X1] 3x8x185


Back is feeling much better (if not quite normal), although 7/2 in yoga my lats were really cramping up so I just decided to skip pullups Wednesday (plus I had to run). Single leg press was nice because it finally felt like my legs were straining.

Heroically did yoga yesterday through upset stomach after a family hotdog eating contest ('Murica!) via facetime. I didn't even push it just waited for everyone else to quit after 10. In hindsight adding chili, while hilarious, may not have been the best idea.

7/5

Overhead Press 5x125, 2x1x157.5 @8s, 3x5x150 @9, 9, 9.5, 8x135
rehab Deadlift (barefoot) 4x6x215
Dumbell Rows 3x8x75s
rehab Squats 3x12x155
Chinups ladder 1->6
Dips ladder 1->5

Decided to take the plunge and book a couple coaching sessions for form checks since I seem to keep injuring myself and still never figured out exactly why my OHP kept going sideways around 200 pounds. I also just don't seem to have the mental energy or "care" to video and review right now. It'll be in a couple of weeks and I hope to be nearing my actual work weights by then.

7/8

Bench Press 6x185, 245 @8, 3x5x225, 8x185 (reverse-grip AMRAP)
rehab Deadlift 4x6x235
Pullups 3x6


Short and sweet--wanted to end with squats but ran out of time as the ol' heart rate just ain't going down as quickly as it used to between sets. Lately been good about making it to yoga but treadmill walking, not so much.

7/12

Overhead Press 5x135, 160 @8, 3x5x152.5 @9, 9.5, 10
rehab Squats 3x12x170
Dumbell Rows Myo 85s 8, 5, 5, 4


7/15

Bench Press 5x185, 3x230, 250 @8, 3x5x230, 8x190 (reverse-grip AMRAP)
rehab Deadlift 3x6x245
Pullups Myo 8, 3, 3, 2
rehab Squats 12x185


More hurrying. Back feeling better.

7/17 Coaching Session

HBB Squats 5x185, 5x205, 2x5x220
Deadlift 3x5x225
Overhead Press 5x95, 2x5x125, 3x5x145, 7x145 @9.5

Dumbell Rows Myorepish: 90sx8, 5, 4


Helpful, I think. Squats had become too front-squatty and leading with my shoulders out of the hole was having a snake effect. DL narrowed stance and grip a bunch and I had been getting on my toes instead of leaning back and staying on the midfoot. OHP way narrower and pointing elbows forward for a bit of a backwards lean in the forearms plus clamp down on too much "head poke" movement. All beltless. All feel better though OHP probably will be harder for a while. Dumbell rows not a coached activity.

7/19

HBB Squats 3x5x230, 10x230
Bench Press 3x235, 255, 3x5x235
Pullups 3x8


7/22

Overhead Press 5x135, 157.5, 2x5x150, 7x150 @10
Deadlift 8x185, 6x235, 3x5x255
Dumbell Rows 3x8x95s
HBB Squats 8x240
Dips 2x8


Boy the spine is really feeling great. Starting to show off a bit in yoga again.

8/7

HBB Squats 5x185, 5x225, 3x5x245
Bench Press 5x175, 3x5x225
Pullups myoreps 9, 5, 4


Been busy working on a few projects and the usual medical fever dreams. Wife had a "good" MRI (the first one considered "better" in nearly 4 years) and immediately started weirdly crashing. Adapting to architectural changes or something; essentially the current treatment will help her, eventually, unless it kills her first. This is a possibility we'd discussed with her doctors, but had hoped to fade.

8-9

HBB Squats 5x205, 3x5x255
OHP 5x135, 2x5x155, 5x150

35 minutes, like a new record.

10-21-2019

Again

HBB Squats 5x225, 3x5x245
Bench Press 5x185, 3x5x210
Paused Pullups 4x4 @8-9


In reality it's been 3 weeks since my last workout; had been doing some sporadic appearances and missing schedule a lot. Also sleep problems interfered where I was waking up after an hour unable to get back to sleep. Traveled around the Northeast on a "reconnect with friends and family (and art museums)" tour. Though we've not had particularly good dynamics, family has clearly been trying their best to reach out and I've...let them. Did not hit the gym over that stretch, although there must be a lot of yoga studios around where I was hanging out. Now a full week of ample, normal, sleep in the books so it's time to get ripped again.

I've found I'm not up for dating at all yet. I'm getting triggered a lot even in unlikely situations, I'm tearing up, it's hard to get out of bed, I'm mostly unable to make decisions, and the world seems diminished and cold without her. I also appear to start falling in love with every woman I talk with for more than five minutes, which is not what I want.

I'm glad you reconnected with your family even if things hadn't been the best in the past. It's all too easy while grieving to tuck yourself away from the world. I think it's probably not a bad idea to hold off on dating for a little while. It takes time to grieve and recover. You've got the double whammy due to being a carer for so long. It's hard to find your place in the world. The only thing I can say for sure is that time does help. Are you going to counselling or getting help in anyway?