Reclamation - A GoldenTongue Respawn Journey

[GoldenTongue]

Posted this elsewhere, but this feels like a better section in which to post and share...

 

Inspired by a friend who is starting her own journey towards a transformation, I decided to post my own goals (long- and short-term) here, and to provide periodic updates.

 

But first, a little history to explain how I find myself where I am currently at...

 

It was almost ten years ago that I participated in my first Tough Mudder, after having spent close to a year getting back into shape after seeing myself hit 250 lbs.  Over the span of that year, I started with some different (mostly inefficient) programming, before being convinced by a friend to try out P90X.  First time through that, was absolutely brutal, but I made some substantial progress, as any novice would.   I went through it a second time, and by the time I'd finished, I was feeling better than ever, having dropped about 20-25 lbs over the course of about six months.  After signing up for the Tough Mudder, I decided I had to make sure I wasn't the weak link of the team, so I went through a couple rounds of Insanity, and in the month prior to the event, was running a fairly aggressive P90X/Insanity hybrid program.

 

Yeah, I was still pretty ignorant on a lot of points, so my progress wasn't as efficient as it could have been, but I passed my own test with the Tough Mudder with flying colors.  I moved on with/through some other Beachbody programs, before getting referred to a more focused and basic approach to getting stronger - Starting Strength.

 

I followed that, and after progressing beyond the LP novice stage, moved on to 531, and later, a modified 531/Juggernaut program, and for about 2-3 years, made some solid progress.  But, when my (then, future) wife came into my life, training started becoming more sporadic, before it tapered off entirely sometime in 2018.  Fast forward to January 2020, with the wife and I both deciding that we weren't living terribly healthy lives, and we decided to join a kickboxing training gym to work out together.  Which lasted about six weeks before COVID.

 

We both contracted COVID, and even after that passed, suffered from the "Long Hauler" symptoms for a good 12-15 months afterward, which (at the risk of making excuses), made the idea of training seem laughable to us...it's hard to entertain the idea of any sort of exercise program when you have a couple days a week where, surprise surprise!, walking downstairs to take the dogs out leaves you feeling completely fatigued.

 

Anywho, on to 2022, when I start to really get a feeling that some problems sleeping and doing other things are the result of years of poor diet and a largely sedentary lifestyle.  Something clicked, and a little over a month ago, I started my own journey to take back control of my health.

 

In late May, I did some workouts using the basic SS compound movements to get a baseline on where I was at.  On May 30th, I started with Day One of my lifting program, resorting back to my modified 531/Juggernaut template, using a Google Sheet to log my totals and derive a 1RM for the As Many Reps As Possible (AMRAP) sets, to use to track how I was progressing.

 

Over the past month, I've enjoyed huge improvements in those 1RM figures, owing to the foundation I laid a few years ago and the fact that I still have a decent amount of muscle, even if it's hidden below far more adipose tissue than I'd like.  Through the month of June, I've lost about 9 lbs, and plan on continue to track my weight (among numerous other metrics) to better understand my progress.

 

So, with July 1st around the corner, it seems like as good a time as any to post some goals; any constructive feedback is certainly welcome -

 

1) Increase calculated 1RM's for my five main lifts (all units in lbs): 

     - Squat - From 413 (current), to 450 minimum, but not higher than 475

     - Deadlift - From 435 (current), to 480 minimum, but not higher than 525

     - Bench Press - From 274 (current), to 290 minimum, but not higher than 310

     - Overhead Press - From 201 (current), to 215 minimum, but not higher than 225

     - Barbell Row - From 321 (current), to 340 minimum, but not higher than 375

2) To drop 8 lbs bodyweight at minimum (which would put me at 282), but not more than 12 lbs.

3) To complete 12,500 KB swings at minimum, but not more than 16,000.

4) To prioritize proper warm-ups before every workout, which is something I have always struggled with.  I need to have more patience, and to focus on an appropriate and thorough whole body warm-up, before starting any warm-up lifts.

5) To make the time for at least two sessions of quality Yoga recovery work each week, and to spend at least 15 minutes each night on targeted self-care for recovery: foam-rolling, or myofascial release.

 

I have some general thoughts on longer-term goals, but I still want to spend some time on planning out how I expect to evolve my training over the next year, since I have registered for a Tough Mudder in Philadelphia the weeked of 5/23/23 next year.  I'm not part of any team (yet), but regardless of whether I run it alone or with others, I am determined, once again, to not allow myself to feel like the weak link of the team, even if it's only a team of one.

 

I'm looking forward to continuing this journey, especially since now I am feeling better and better, and ready to challenge myself in new ways.

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 6/29/2022 -

 

Squat: 265x3, 300x3, 335x7, 300x3, 265x7

Bench Press: 185x3, 210x3, 235x5, 210x3, 185x11

Incline Dumbell Fly (1-0-5 Eccentric focus): 5 sets x 5 x 35lbs.

15 minute KB Intervals: 30 seconds high/30 seconds rest x 15 with 49 lb KB

 

And I'll plan on doing a second 15 minute KB Interval this evening, same sets and weight.

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 07/01/2022 -

 

OHP: 130x3, 145x3, 160x7, 145x3, 130x8

Barbell Bent-Over Row: 200x3, 230x3, 260x8, 230x3, 200x12

Deadlift: 315 x 20 singles w/30 second test between

KB Swings: 2 rounds of 15 minute intervals 30 seconds on, 30 seconds rest. 52# KB used. 
 

Total KB Swings for the day: 525

Total KB Swings for the month: 525

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 07/02/2022 -

 

1 Round of KB Intervals: 59 lb x 15 rounds x 17 swings/round with 30 second rest intervals

 

1 Round of KB Intervals: 50 lb x 15 rounds x 18 swings/round with 30 second rest intervals

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 525

Total KB Swings for the month: 1050

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 07/03/2022:

 

Deload Week for main lifts, so…

 

Squat: 145x5, 185x5, 225x5, 185x5, 145x5

Bench: 115x5, 125x5, 150x5, 125x5, 115x5

Lying Tricep Extension: 4x12x75

 

KB Swings: 52 lbs x 15 Intervals x 18 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 270

Total KB Swings for the month: 1320

 

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 07/04/2022:

 

Cable Seated Low Row: 130 x 5 x 12

Lat Pulldown: 130 x 5 x 12

 

KB Swings Rd 1: 59 lbs x 15 Intervals x 17 swings/interval

KB Swings Rd 2: 50 lbs x 15 Intervals x 18 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 525

Total KB Swings for the month: 1845

[GoldenTongue]

Ugh.  I was getting a lot of errors when loading the forums last week; here's to hoping that they don't continue to be an issue for me.  Anywho, lots to catch up on...

 

Log for 07/05/2022:

 

Deadlift (Deload): 235 x 5 x 5

OHP (Deload): 110 x 5 x 5

Weight-assisted Chin-Ups: 3 x 8 reps

Weight-Assisted Parallel Bar Dips: 3 x 8 reps

 

KB Swings Rd 1: 52 lbs x 15 Intervals x 18 swings/interval

KB Swings Rd 2: 50 lbs x 15 Intervals x 18 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 540

Total for the month: 2385

 

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 07/06/2022:

 

Cable Seated Low Row: 140 x 5 x 10

Face Pulls (On a Tricep Pulldown Machine): 25 x 5 x 12

HS Machine Shrugs: 260 x 5 x 10

 

KB Swings Rd 1: 52 lbs x 15 Intervals x 18 swings/interval

KB Swings Rd 2: 50 lbs x 15 Intervals x 18 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 540

Total for the month: 2925

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 07/07/2022:

 

Squat (Deload): 225 x 5 x 5

Bench Press (Deload): 155 x 5 x 5

Incline Dumbbell Fly (1-0-5 count focus on eccentric): 40 x 5 x 5

 

KB Swings Rd 1: 52 lbs x 15 Intervals x 18 swings/interval

KB Swings Rd 2: 50 lbs x 15 Intervals x 18 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 540

Total for the month: 3465

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 07/08/2022:

 

Bodyweight (weekly check): 286.3 (down 4.2 lbs from 7/1)

 

OHP (Deload): 115 x 5 x 5

Barbell Bent-Over Row (Deload): 185 x 5 x 5

Deadlift: 315 x 42 singles with 30 second rest between reps).  More than double the total from last week (I'm working toward completing 60 reps in 30 minutes as a challenge), although I need to adjust timing since I finished the 42 singles in approx 35 minutes: setup time for each rep is adding to overall total.  Will likely swap to doubles next week, going EMOM (every minute on the minute), which will most likely drop overall total, but will help me better align with completing the overall challenge.  Regardless, felt very encouraging.

 

KB Swings Rd 1: 52 lbs x 15 Intervals x 18 swings/interval

KB Swings Rd 2: 50 lbs x 15 Intervals x 18 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 540

Total for the month: 4005

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 07/09/2022: 

 

KB Swings Rd 1: 50 lbs x 15 Intervals x 19 swings/interval

KB Swings Rd 2: 50 lbs x 15 Intervals x 19 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 570

Total for the month: 4575

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 07/10/2022:

 

Squat: 225 x5, 255x5, 290x14 (AMRAP), 255x5, 225x10

Bench Press: 155x5, 175x5, 200x12, 175x5, 155x12

 

KB Swings Rd 1: 52 lbs x 15 Intervals x 18 swings/interval

KB Swings Rd 2: 50 lbs x 15 Intervals x 19 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 555

Total for the month: 5130

[GoldenTongue]

Thoughts so far:

 

I think I've been training with excessive volume in previous weeks before the deload, with too much assistance work following the heavier main lifts that are the core of the (modified) 531/Juggernaut programming I am using, particularly given the fact that I am maintaining a caloric deficit while working to lose weight.  Having ended the deload week and resumed the 531/JM training, I plan to significantly limit any assistance work.

 

I've been contending with cranky knees and elbows over the past few weeks as well: adjusting my hand position on the barbell when doing OHP's seems to have resolved the elbow pain (although that will be tested when lifting heavy tomorrow), squat sleeves along with a more thorough warm-up session + more thorough stretching post-workout seems to be helping with my knees.

 

Overall, feeling great though.  I'm down ~15 lbs from 6/1 when I started actively tracking, and have regained quite a bit of lost strength.  Will continue to focus heavily on heavy lifting for the next few months.  I'll likely swap the KB swings with some other form of MetCon after this month (some form of loaded carries maybe), since any sort of jumping or jogging/running still leads to some considerable pain in my ankles and knees.  I'm hoping that once I'm down to 250 or below, that will be less of an issue and I'll be able to slowly work up to doing HIIT sprints for MetCon.

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 07/11/2022:

 

Note: checking the scale this morning, surprised to see that I dropped 2 lbs from this past Friday, so now at 284.3 (down 6.2 lbs from 7/1).  At the risk of tempting fate, I think I may end up overshooting my goal for the month in terms of weight loss, but as my diet seems to be sound, I won't worry too much unless I see other indications that I'm not eating enough, ie, reduced performance in the gym.

 

But, for yesterday's training:

 

Face Pulls (on a proper cable machine with pulley set at correct height): 110 x 5 x12

Cable Seated Low Row: 150 x 2 x 12, 150 x 3 x 11

 

KB Swings Rd 1: 70 lbs x 15 Intervals x 17 swings/interval: Absolutely brutal.  Pretty sure my form suffered in a few later intervals, despite my best efforts to the contrary.  Really wish the gym had some intermediate weight KB between 52 and 70 lbs.

KB Swings Rd 2: 50 lbs x 15 Intervals x 19 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 540

Total for the month: 5670

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 07/12/2022:

 

OHP: 115x5, 125x5, 140x12, 125x5, 115x10

Deadlift: 245x5, 275x5, 310x14, 275x5, 245x10

 

KB Swings Rd 1: 52 lbs x 15 Intervals x 19 swings/interval

KB Swings Rd 2: 60 lbs x 15 Intervals x 18 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 555

Total for the month: 6225

 

Will be interesting to see how the month unfolds.  Making good progress on some goals, and less than ideal on others.

[ParylPanda]

you found a smaller KB!!

 

Bear in mind that you didn't plan on restarting month 2 when you  planned your July, so probably need to adjust your 1RM goals for that ?

[GoldenTongue]

Heh - the 60# was from my adjustable set at home.  Round 1 is done earlier in the day in the gym, after my workout.  Round 2 is done in the evening, using my Powerblocks adjustables with the Kettlebell handle.

 

And yep - point noted with regard to the 1RM goals.  I'm not giving up on them, but I do think it's possible that I may fall short on a couple, despite (and potentially because) I may overshoot the mark on weight loss and total KB swings for the month.

 

Log for 07/13/2022:

 

Face Pulls (1-3-1 tempo with isometric hold): 100 x 5 x 10

Cable Seated Low Row (2-3-2 tempo with isometric hold): 150 x 5 x10

Those ten sets really taxed my grip strength, which made the first round of KB swings particularly painful; for the last few intervals, my forearms were on fire and I was really wondering about being able to maintain a hold on the KB.

 

KB Swings Rd 1: 52 lbs x 15 Intervals x 20 swings/interval (added some force on the downswing for additional speed, which definitely played a role in bringing on the pain in my hands and forearms).

KB Swings Rd 2: 60 lbs x 15 Intervals x 18 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 570

Total for the month: 6795

 

The calluses that are hardening on my fingers will need some tending to; they're also becoming a real source of pain at times, as they seem to continue to grow.

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 07/14/2022:

 

Squat: 245 x 5, 275 x 5, 310 x 13, 275 x 5, 245 x 10

Bench Press: 165 x 5, 190 x 5, 210 x 9, 190 x 5, 165 x 12

 

KB Swings Rd 1: 52 lbs x 15 Intervals x 20 swings/interval (added some force on the downswing for additional speed, which definitely played a role in bringing on the pain in my hands and forearms).

KB Swings Rd 2: 50 lbs x 15 Intervals x 21 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 615

Total for the month: 7410

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 07/15/2022:

 

07/15/2022 Mid-Month Weigh-In: 283.1 (down 7.4 lbs from 7/1)

 

Barbell Bent-Over Row: 185 x 5, 205 x 5, 235 x 15, 205 x 5, 185 x 12

OHP: 115 x 5, 135 x 5, 150 x 9, 135 x 5, 115 x 10

 

Deadlift Challenge Effort: 315 x 30 singles, with reps down every 30 seconds (so my rest period depended on how quickly I set and completed the rep)

 

KB Swings Rd 1: 52 lbs x 15 Intervals x 21 swings/interval

KB Swings Rd 2: 50 lbs x 15 Intervals x 21 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 630

Total for the month: 8040

[GoldenTongue]

07/18/2022 Update:

 

I managed to do something to my lower back, so no KB Swings over the weekend, and no workout yesterday, which really left me feeling down.  Back is feeling better today, so I'm going to go to the gym and go through some warm-up sets on squats.  If feeling okay, I may try doing yesterday's workout today to get back on track, but if there's any residual stiffness (which is about what I'm expecting), I may just do some very light sets of squats and bench press, and maybe a round of KB swings, and simply skip the Day One workout for this week, with an attempt to do my usual Tuesday Day Two workout tomorrow.

[GoldenTongue]

07/19/22 Update:

 

Continuing to feel frustrated by the back stiffness, although it's getting better.  I was able to do light KB swings last night without any real discomfort, although I'm feeling some occasional twitches at times today.  Going to the gym a little later to do some warm-up sets (I cancelled yesterday after a couple of noticeably distinct twinges convinced me that working with live loads was tempting fate).

 

Really hoping to be back up to speed within the next couple days.

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 07/19/22:

 

Squat: 255 x 3, 285 x 3, 325 x 3, 285 x 3, 255 x 3 - I didn't try an AMRAP set given my back.  Was more of a test to see how it felt taking a load.

OHP: 120 x 3, 140 x 3, 155 x 10, 140 x 3, 120 x 3

Deadlift: 275 x 3, 315 x 3, 350 x 0, 315 x 3, 275 x 3 - definitely got proprioceptive feedback of the "f no" variety when trying the 350# set.  Couldn't budge it from the floor.

 

KB Swings Rd 1: 52 lbs x 15 Intervals x 21 swings/interval

KB Swings Rd 2: 50 lbs x 15 Intervals x 22 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 645

Total for the month: 8685

[GoldenTongue]

Log for 07/20/22:

 

Trap Bar Farmer's Carries: First time trying these, so I decided to use my KB swing interval timer (30 seconds on, 30 seconds rest, repeated x 15).  Started with 285, did three intervals and failed to complete the third.  Reduced weight to 235, did another four intervals, and realized I couldn't keep going with that weight.  Reduced load to 150 lbs, and was able to complete the final 8 intervals with that.  Lots of room for improvement, although following this with KB swings was painful for my hands and forearms.

 

KB Swings Rd 1: 52 lbs x 15 Intervals x 21 swings/interval

KB Swings Rd 2: 50 lbs x 15 Intervals x 22 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 645

Total for the month: 9330

[ParylPanda]

Looking forward to seeing your progress with the carries

[GoldenTongue]

Weekly Weigh-In: 281.6 (down 8.9 lbs from 7/1): Monthly weight loss goal hit, yay.

 

Log for 07/21/2022:

 

Squat: 275 x 3, 305 x 3, 340 x 9, 305 x 3, 275 x 5.  Stopped a bit short on the AMRAP set when I felt a bit of a twinge in my knee.  I think I had another 1-2 reps in the tank, but as my knees seem to be sensitive to injury, I'm erring on the side of caution.

Bench Press: 185 x 3, 210 x 3, 235 x 6, 210 x 3, 185 x 10

 

KB Swings Rd 1: 52 lbs x 15 Intervals x 22 swings/interval

KB Swings Rd 2: 50 lbs x 15 Intervals x 22 swings/interval

 

Total KB Swings for the day: 660

Total for the month: 9990

 

So, in entering the final week of the months, here's how things are looking wrt my goals:

 

1) Strength Training Goals -

Squat 1RM: 442.  Goal of 450 feels achievable.

Deadlift 1RM: 455.  I think the goal of 480 may be doable, since 455 was based upon last week, and I wasn't able to do anything on my top end AMRAP set this week.

Bench Press 1RM: 282.  I may get relative close, but I'm not counting on hitting the goal of 290.

OHP 1RM: 207.  As with the BP, I may get close, but an 8lb increase in the final week feels unlikely.  For both, I think I'll need to temper my goals for August, recognizing that progress for the BP and OHP tails off much, much more quickly than for Squats and Deadlifts.

Barbell Row 1RM: 352.  Goal achieved, but I think I may be removing the barbell row from my programming, and swapping to dumbbell/Kroc rows.  Better stability, and easier to maintain solidly rigid form and avoid potential back issues from form slop.

 

2) Goal of 8lb drop in bodyweight achieved, and I feel comfortable that I won't butt up against the high end limit.

 

3) 12,500 KB Swings: 2500 or so to go, should easily be completed.

 

4) Warm-Ups: I've definitely made progress, but there is more work to be done.

 

5) Yoga Recovery Work: I have not done this.  I think that it may not have been a realistic goal, in conjunction with the KB swings.  Just not enough time in the day.

 

Feeling pretty good on the whole.  Hoping for some good progress to close out the month.