Broba Fett plans The Way

[Broba Fett]

Greetings friends.  Long time no see to most of you.

 

I think things have aligned in life to the point where I can attempt a challenge again.

 

I stepped in front of a barbell and deadlifted for the first time in a very long time.  It's been a couple years since I've lifted any kind of meaningful weight due to a couple herniated discs and subsequent steroid injections and rehab and my body reflects that.  I am far from the person who was pulling trucks and throwing atlas stones around a few years ago. 

 

But an inversion table has set me on the right track and I'm ready to ease back into it.  Stronglifts 5x5 starting at the bar for everything but deads and rows, which are 95lbs and 65lbs respectively.  Pacing myself is going to be one of my biggest challenges. 

 

This mini challenge is perfect for setting some goals for next year.  So my goal is to set goals. 

 

Shooting for goals in the following areas:

 

• Strength
• Cardio
• Spiritual and/or mental growth

 

Going to try to set one specific attainable goal per week so I can have a good gameplan going into 2020. 

 

I'll also be tracking workouts here to try to keep myself honest. 

 

Thanks for reading, glad to have you along for the ride. 

[Broba Fett]

So preliminary thoughts on possible 2020 goals for each category, from which I would extrapolate individual challenge goals:

 

• Mental: 
  • Forget about my weight somehow.  I've obsessed over the scale for over 7 years now.  It is a great motivator for me until I have a bad couple days and gain 10+lbs in water weight.  Then I want to jump off a cliff.  I want to try to really move away from it and focus on just being able to do the things I want to be able to do physically.  Perhaps I will either allow very seldom weight checks or just have the wife hide the scale altogether.   
  • Probably something with writing as well.  I've not been able to write really at all since starting my new job in September of 2018.  I'd really like to finish my second story and publish it.  
• Strength: 
  • Purely hitting milestones via Stronglifts.  I was getting a bit down about starting at the bar then I mapped out how much progress I'd make this year if I stick to at least 2 workouts per week.  Turns out I'd be repping well over my old PRs by the middle of summer.  Setbacks happen so I realize that may not happen but it was encouraging.  I'll likely just pick a number for each. Maybe goal will just be to get back to PR level by end of year?  
• Cardio: 
  • When I started my weight loss journey in 2012 it was with the old NF beginners workout guide and Couch 2 5K and even ran a 5k in 2013.  I really enjoyed running for awhile there but I got away from it.  I'm going to do my best to get the wife to try C25K with me and try to run a race or two this year.   She is adamantly against running.  I've only seen her do it when it was included in WODs while we were in our crossfit/strongman days. 
• Spiritual: 
  • This one I pretty much have figured.  I'm in the middle of joining the Catholic Church and decided a couple weeks ago to read the bible a chapter per day.  If I can keep that up and finish the conversion process I will be pretty happy with my spiritual progress. 

[Stronkey Kong]

Good goals for getting back on the wagon. Welcome back!

[Harriet]

I'm here for the deadlifts and the writing. I also have a (battered and second-hand) stick if you need to fend off repetitive, negative thoughts about your weight. 

[h3r0]

Good challenge all mapped out. I went through RCIA as a adult as well. Good luck! 

[Scaly Freak]

I've been thinking about returning to Stronglifts to try and get back to lifting after a far too long and largely unintentional break. 

 

So I'm stalking following you for inspiration.

[Broba Fett]

On 12/5/2019 at 4:34 PM, Chris Tarly said:

Good goals for getting back on the wagon. Welcome back!

Thanks bud. Good to have you along.

 

On 12/5/2019 at 7:05 PM, Harriet said:

I'm here for the deadlifts and the writing. I also have a (battered and second-hand) stick if you need to fend off repetitive, negative thoughts about your weight. 

 

Yes please.  Already feeling the urge to jump on the scale and second guess everything I'm doing if that number didn't go down.

 

On 12/5/2019 at 7:06 PM, h3r0 said:

Good challenge all mapped out. I went through RCIA as a adult as well. Good luck! 

 

Oh awesome!  I started it solely because my wife and kid are Catholic but as I've learned more I am finding it really isn't that far off from my Baptist upbringing.  I'm excited to be fully part of the church.

 

On 12/5/2019 at 8:09 PM, scalyfreak said:

I've been thinking about returning to Stronglifts to try and get back to lifting after a far too long and largely unintentional break. 

Do iiiiit. Good to have you along.

 

 

Hit the gym last night:

 

Squat: 55x5x5

Bench: 50x5x5

Row: 70x5x5

 

Man those squats are humbling.  I've apparently just been stilt walking on fully straight legs for the past couple years since my back injury because my leg muscles have disappeared.  To take a positive away, I should be able to enjoy some newbie gains again, so that's exciting.

 

Then we went up and did week 1 day 1 of couch to 5k.  It was much easier to convince the wife to try it than I thought it would be.  She made a big show of hating it but I know she was proud of herself for completing it.  I felt great as well.  It's much easier for me to run with some intensity when I know it'll be for a limited time that I can handle.  Here's hoping we really build some momentum going into the year.

 

Got two birthday parties for my two goddaughters in two days this weekend. 10hrs of driving or so from Bloomington to McHenry to Bloomington to Dixon to Bloomington.  BUT, it'll be great to spend the weekend with the family.

 

Hope y'all have a good weekend as well.

 

[Stronkey Kong]

 

You'll limber back up. I'm always surprised at how much it feels like I've lost after some time off from working out. Then after a couple workouts, I'm back to normal.

[Broba Fett]

On 12/7/2019 at 1:49 PM, Chris Tarly said:

 

You'll limber back up. I'm always surprised at how much it feels like I've lost after some time off from working out. Then after a couple workouts, I'm back to normal.

 

 

You're right, of course.  It just always surprises me how it can feel like you've completely lost all progress.  Here's to hoping I'm also surprised at how quickly it comes back.

 

No gym so far this week, and outlook is bleak for tonight and tomorrow, due to holiday-related activities. So I thought I'd take the opportunity to set a goal or two:

 

Mental - Check my weight only quarterly. 

 

I will measure progress intuitively via how my clothes fit, the progress I'm making in the gym, and how my body and mind are feeling on a daily basis.  The scale is a great motivator for me when the number is going down but it sends me into a mental spiral the first time I had an off day or weekend and that weight spikes up.  This often leads to "well, you already effed up Saturday, might as well eat 6k calories on Sunday and get back on the wagon Monday."

 

No longer.  This year will be focused on getting my body to where it can do what I want it to be able to do, if that makes sense. The number on the scale will fall into line.

 

Cardio - Run 3 races in 2020.

 

Probably all 5ks, but I'm open to a possible 10k depending on back and knee health.  (And the ability to practice running 5+ miles a few times per week at my slow-ass pace to be properly prepared.)  Speaking of my back:

 

Health - Use inversion table at least once per day for the entire year.

 

I spent over $3k out of pocket and too many hours on chiros, PT, steroid injections, and medications to fix my two herniated discs and pinched nerves in my lower back.  Then spent $200 on an inversion table, used it 5 mins per day and immediately started getting better.  Half my left foot/leg is still numb but the pain is non-existent.  It's so much better that I neglect the table for a week or two and then get sore and tweak something.  need to be using it every day.

 

Thoughts?

[Sloth the Enduring]

It looks like a good outline. I had the same history with my back, the inversion table was a lifesaver.

[Defining]

On 12/13/2019 at 10:00 AM, Broba Fett said:

I spent over $3k out of pocket and too many hours on chiros, PT, steroid injections, and medications to fix my two herniated discs and pinched nerves in my lower back.  Then spent $200 on an inversion table, used it 5 mins per day and immediately started getting better.  Half my left foot/leg is still numb but the pain is non-existent.  It's so much better that I neglect the table for a week or two and then get sore and tweak something.  need to be using it every day.

Inversion therapy is da bomb! If I can also make a suggestion from my own experiences (which may/may not apply in your case because I don't have herniated discs): check out what posterior chain movements you can add to your workouts. Stuff like hip thrusts, banded face pulls, inverted rows, and diaphragmatic breathing are all key for my own back pain management.

[Broba Fett]

On 12/13/2019 at 9:14 PM, Sloth the Enduring said:

It looks like a good outline. I had the same history with my back, the inversion table was a lifesaver.

 

It always surprises me how both much a simple 5 minutes decompresses me and how much I didn't realize I needed to be decompressed.

 

On 12/15/2019 at 4:16 PM, Defining said:

Inversion therapy is da bomb! If I can also make a suggestion from my own experiences (which may/may not apply in your case because I don't have herniated discs): check out what posterior chain movements you can add to your workouts. Stuff like hip thrusts, banded face pulls, inverted rows, and diaphragmatic breathing are all key for my own back pain management.

 

That's some awesome advice, thank you!  I think I'm going to limit to Stronglifts for the first few months until I feel my strength base has returned, then I'll probably transition to 5/3/1 and look at including those kinds of movements in as accessory work. 

 

Walked an hour on lunch the last two days and then the whole family made it to the gym together. (Last week didn't work due to holiday madness.)

 

Tonight's lifts:

Squats: 60x5x5

OHP: 50x5x5

Deads: 105x5x1

 

Our daughter wanted to lift with us so I had her do bodyweight squats and OHPs with 5lb dumbbells.  She was super proud to be doing the same thing as her momma.

 

Focusing a lot on popping my hips through at the top on deads.  (I believe Tank once described it as "fornicating with the bar"). My hips have always been a weak point so I'm trying get it right while I'm still at low, safe weight.

 

Then went up and did C25K.  And I RAN.  Really ran for the first time in a couple years.  And it felt great.  We shall see how my back and knees feel the rest of the week. 

 

[Salinger]

Amazing that you are back running, do you do it on the treadmill or outside? 

 

I will rejoin the gym in the new year and TRY AGAIN with running! x

[Wild Wolf]

On 12/13/2019 at 11:00 AM, Broba Fett said:

Then spent $200 on an inversion table, used it 5 mins per day and immediately started getting better.

 

We have one we're selling at Costco that I'm eyeing.....I've used them before so I know they work! 

 

Good to see you, brother!

 

Wolf

 

[Defining]

14 hours ago, Broba Fett said:

I think I'm going to limit to Stronglifts for the first few months until I feel my strength base has returned, then I'll probably transition to 5/3/1 and look at including those kinds of movements in as accessory work. 

I love that you have a plan. I'm going to add one more thing (again, feel free to ignore), in that it's fairly common to have poor glute activation, which can in turn actually act as a limiting factor for your DL; you could maybe add some activation exercises to your warm-up to help with that, until you decide that you're ready to add in the load-bearing work.  Oh, I lied, a second thing: BB rows are AWESOME, but if you start to feel it in your lower back then inverted rows may be a spine-friendlier alternative. Also, banded face pulls are loads of fun to do between sets of presses (OH or bench ). Dangit, ok, one more thing: if the OH press makes anything twinge, you could try a landmine press (which keeps some of the weight off your spine). Done now.

[Broba Fett]

On 12/18/2019 at 2:02 AM, Salinger said:

Amazing that you are back running, do you do it on the treadmill or outside? 

 

I will rejoin the gym in the new year and TRY AGAIN with running! x

 

The health club we joined has an inside track.  It's really nice this time of year as it gets cold and gross in my part of the country.

 

Also the track is made of some kind of slightly springy material so I like to think that it is easier on the joints than running on concrete. 

 

I'll do treadmill in a pinch but it bores me to no end and I can't stop staring at the timer the whole time, which makes it drag on forever. 

 

On 12/18/2019 at 9:20 AM, SheriffWolfpool said:

 

We have one we're selling at Costco that I'm eyeing.....I've used them before so I know they work! 

 

Good to see you, brother!

 

Wolf

 

 

Always a pleasure Wolfie. 

 

On 12/18/2019 at 10:14 AM, Defining said:

I love that you have a plan. I'm going to add one more thing (again, feel free to ignore), in that it's fairly common to have poor glute activation, which can in turn actually act as a limiting factor for your DL; you could maybe add some activation exercises to your warm-up to help with that, until you decide that you're ready to add in the load-bearing work.  Oh, I lied, a second thing: BB rows are AWESOME, but if you start to feel it in your lower back then inverted rows may be a spine-friendlier alternative. Also, banded face pulls are loads of fun to do between sets of presses (OH or bench ). Dangit, ok, one more thing: if the OH press makes anything twinge, you could try a landmine press (which keeps some of the weight off your spine). Done now.

 

It's all feeling pretty good as of right now (knock on wood) but I will definitely keep those in mind.  Will google some glute activation movements too.  I already have a 5 min routine I do before each workout to loosen up my lower back so wouldn't be a big deal to add in a bit more.  Thanks!

 

Hit the gym again yesterday, even though we didn't really feel like it.  Credit goes to the wifey on that one.  I think she's caught the running bug after just 3 runs.  Here's what we did:

 

Squats: 65x5x5

Bench: 55x5x5

Row: 75x5x5

 

Then ran the next workout in C25k.  Ran hard again and legs were pretty well fried by the end of it.  Instead of a cooldown played some volleyball with our kid. 

 

Looking ahead to next lifting session I noticed DLs are only increasing by 10lbs per session. 

 

Immediate reaction was to jump it to 20lbs per week so I can get back to meaningful weight faster.  After thinking about it for a second, decided not to.

 

Even at 10lbs per week I'll be well past my PR 5RM by year's end.  (385ish?  Might have done 405x5 once.  I know my 1RM was 455.)  That's if I progress perfectly, which I know will not happen, but still. 

 

So I'm going to play it safe and keep it at 10lbs per week and let my back have plenty of time to get good and strong along the way.  

 

That brings me to my strength goals for the year:

 

• DL: rep 315x5 by June 1st.  Pull 405x1 by end of year.
  • Pretty sure I could grind out 1 or 2 reps at 315 now.  I think these are pretty reasonable while still giving myself time to build up properly as mentioned above.
• Squat: 225x5x5 by end of year with good form.
  • Bad squat form started my issues originally.  I'm going to do my best to cut myself off if form slips.  
• Rows: 250x5x5 by end of year. 
  • Really don't know what is realistic here as my experience with rows is limited.  We will see what happens. 
• BP:  Beat PR of 205x1 by end of year.  
  • Hopefully hitting 225 as that's long been a goal of mine due to the fact that the NFL uses total reps at 225 to measure player strength in the combine.
• OHP:  Press 180x1
  • The average man in North America weighs 177.5.  I want to say I can press the average man in North America overhead.  Don't worry about why.  My reasons are my own.

 

 

 

[h3r0]

7 hours ago, Broba Fett said:

 

Looking ahead to next lifting session I noticed DLs are only increasing by 10lbs per session. 

 

 

You're kidding right? 10# bump per session is killing it. I'm happy to add 10# per month to my deadlift. Keep it up good sir!

[Scaly Freak]

2 hours ago, h3r0 said:

 

You're kidding right? 10# bump per session is killing it. I'm happy to add 10# per month to my deadlift. Keep it up good sir!

 

I was just about to post this. Yikes.

[Broba Fett]

12 hours ago, h3r0 said:

 

You're kidding right? 10# bump per session is killing it. I'm happy to add 10# per month to my deadlift. Keep it up good sir!

 

10 hours ago, scalyfreak said:

 

I was just about to post this. Yikes.

 

 

I don't mean to seem ungrateful for the jumps.  I remember the weeks when 5lb jumps didn't happen every week. 

 

Just eager to get back up where I was and thought it was 20lb jumps.  So the thought of it taking twice as long was disheartening for a moment.
 

Not sure where I got the idea of 20lb jumps for DL.  Starting Strength maybe?  Or maybe one of those programs suggest you do sets in increases of 20lbs until you find your starting point?  Not sure. 

 

If I just keep up with it I'll be struggling to grind out 5lb jumps soon enough, I'm sure.  And I'll have done it in a safe way that better ensures I don't rush and blow out my back pulling what my muscles can handle but my discs can't. 

[Broba Fett]

Last night:

 

SQ: 70x5x5

OHP: 55x5x5

DL: 115x1x5

 

Realized we jumped too far on DL last time (after all the big deal I made about doing so/not doing so) so we just repeated 115.

Wife had to have me spot last set of OHP.  She has been rushing a bit so I suggested she listen to the stronglifts app and rest the full 90 seconds between sets going forward now that it's a little heavier.

 

Then went up and did week 2 day 1 of C25k.  Ran hard again.  Felt really good breaking in the new New Balances my in-laws got me for christmas. 

 

Wife has been bit by the running bug HARD.  She's run 4 times over the past week, including once without me.  She's been so anti-running since we've been together and now she's addicted.  I find it very amusing. 

 

Clothes feel a bit looser, even in spite of lbs of fudge, seven layer surprises, and candy that I've ingested due to the holidays.  Getting that no-scale momentum going strong!

[Scaly Freak]

2 hours ago, Broba Fett said:

Clothes feel a bit looser, even in spite of lbs of fudge, seven layer surprises, and candy that I've ingested due to the holidays.  Getting that no-scale momentum going strong!

 

Yes! Liberation from the tyrranny of the scale!