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Yes, there may be cheaper ones out there. I haven't really checked extensively. You can go to ancestry.com as well and a few other sites, I believe. The main thing is that you want to make sure they will give you access to download your raw data so you can use it for other things.
 
I had 30 minutes today so I went in and did some rack pulls. 225 x 5, 315 x 5, 405 x 10, 315 x 5, 225 x 5. Felt pretty good. I pretty clearly need to build my grip back up. Mixed was fine on 405 but the right hand which was the over grip wanted to give out.
 
Totentanz said:
I had 30 minutes today so I went in and did some rack pulls. 225 x 5, 315 x 5, 405 x 10, 315 x 5, 225 x 5. Felt pretty good. I pretty clearly need to build my grip back up. Mixed was fine on 405 but the right hand which was the over grip wanted to give out.
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I'm using Versa's for rack pulls now, doing double overhand. I'm finding it's helping tremendously, and didn't even have a grip issue.
 
Maybe the strong man stuff is more your bag? That's cool if it is. If you focus on strength, maybe you need to graduate over to another type of routine? Before HST, I was doing Max OT (AST Sports Science). Jeff Willet was the guy I communicated with and followed the most. Man did I lift heavy stuff on Max OT. It was all about lifting the max amount of weight with the understanding that you were always trying to add that extra pound or so. I could not go back to that program after being on HST and seeing all the latest research on hypertrophy. One thing that I felt over extended periods of lifting heavy is that it just takes its toll on you. I used to feel pain right down in the bones of my forearms. Hard to explain, but I don't miss that at all. I am all about hypertrophy and keeping my joints in check (ha, ha). I am at about at my goals anyway now and being close to 40, I think I have done pretty well all in all... Recently though, the competitive and persistent side in me wanted to see if I have reached my genetic potential yet and if a natural can truly push past it. Jeff Willet seemed to do pretty well on the heavy weights and he told me he still lifts heavy even though he is just maintaining now - post competition. Maybe you need to jump ship Totentanz?
 
Nah, I still think the HST principles are best for training. I've built all my strength on HST principles and while I'm not the strongest person in the world, I'm definitely doing better than most. I'm not too worried about the training taking a toll on me. It seems like higher volume, lower loads is harder on my joints/etc than lifting heavy. Anyone training with any sense, even if they are focused on strength, does not work at maximal capacity at all times.
 
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I moved back to the West side of Michigan, my company had me take over a unit over here. So my workload is cut down slightly and my commute is now about 20 minutes each way instead of 1-2 hours each way. Hopefully I should have a lot more free tim now. I'm looking at gyms, haven't had a lot of luck though I did find one that I got a free trial to, so I'm going to see how I like working out there and make a decision on it after that.

Moving is one of the times where I appreciate all the work I've put into the gym. I had no help so I had to load up all the furniture and everything on my own. Since there are seven of us, that's quite a lot of stuff to move but I did it all in one day. That was two weeks ago, so I'm "on SD" since then. When I get back in there, I think I'll do a basic HST routine (5s only) and work on cutting back the fat a bit before I do anything else. Thinking about getting into sprinting and stuff again for a while in order to get my conditioning back to where it used to be so if I do that, it would be a perfect time to work on cutting down.

I need to try to drop 20 lbs or so before my insurance has me get another physical. Last year when I got mine, they said I was 50 lbs overweight and so I ended up having to pay an extra $40 a month for my insurance. After getting some blood tests done this year to prove that my glucose and cholesterol were in the healthy levels, I'm now only paying $20 extra a month but if I can my BMI down low enough, I'll actually get $20 a month discounted off my insurance. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not planning to sacrifice oodles of muscle mass just for a bit of money, but I do plan to see how lean I can get before I get my physical.

I will be doing day 1 of my trial at this gym tomorrow so we shall see how it goes.
 
It really sucks that supposedly knowledgeable people ( insurance company's ) go on BMI to determine a persons health status with no regard whatsoever to body composition.
 
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Totentanz said:
Thinking about getting into sprinting and stuff again for a while in order to get my conditioning back to where it used to be so if I do that, it would be a perfect time to work on cutting down.

I need to try to drop 20 lbs or so before my insurance has me get another physical. Last year when I got mine, they said I was 50 lbs overweight and so I ended up having to pay an extra $40 a month for my insurance. After getting some blood tests done this year to prove that my glucose and cholesterol were in the healthy levels, I'm now only paying $20 extra a month but if I can my BMI down low enough, I'll actually get $20 a month discounted off my insurance. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not planning to sacrifice oodles of muscle mass just for a bit of money, but I do plan to see how lean I can get before I get my physical.

I will be doing day 1 of my trial at this gym tomorrow so we shall see how it goes.
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I found that Tabata Protocol based exercises are excellent to lose fat and enhance conditioning. It's also fun and fast to do.
 
If SD allows people to use previous loads to achieve growth, then how come there are no weak yet well developed naturals around? ;)
 
Actually, I've encountered quite a few people my size but significantly below my strength levels. However, these are people probably not doing SDs whereas I have taken SDs on a regular basis during my training career.
 
So I haven't been training regularly for a while now. It's hard to fit it in around my work schedule, attending college full time online and everything else I have going on. Been seeing a doctor lately about my mental issues. Not sure if I ever mentioned this here but I have a pretty bad case of ADHD that I've managed without medication for most of my life. It has had a lot of impacts on my professional and educational goals though and now, with everything going on, it's just been something I can no longer manage. Anyway, he pointed out that people with ADHD like me, as opposed to simple ADD, need to be more active due to the hyperactivity part of it. Since I am at my least physically active I've probably been my entire life, despite my hectic schedule that would suggest otherwise, the lack of activity is making it harder for me to cope with my ADHD. Basically, he's telling me I need to get back into the gym because that was part of why I was able to deal with this before and now I can't. They are talking about getting me on some meds for it but not sure how I feel about that yet. If I can't make time in my schedule for lifting regularly, I might have to resort to medication.

I'm trying to make a serious effort to rearrange my work schedule to allow three times a week training. Really wish I had a place where I could have a home gym setup right now, would make it so much easier. But there is a YMCA right by where I work and it seems pretty good, some serious lifters that I see on a day to day basis go there and say it's a solid place to live. The gym I'm using now is 20 minutes out of my way, so going there is a serious hindrance on my days off. The Y is on my way home from work so going there would be very easy. Ergo, I need to come up with a routine that will be doable for me three times a week.

Obviously I want to get my deadlift strength back. Last time I was lifting, I wasn't able to do much over 5 plates a side, and I'd really like to get back to my previous PR of 635 again some day. I don't really give a shit about bench and I'm honestly considering not doing it anymore. Squats... I don't really feel like doing them either. So I'm probably going to do a routine based around deadlift or rack pulls, or both. And I'll do either military press instead of bench, or maybe I'll include incline bench, not sure yet. I don't really like incline though. I think dips and military press are plenty for the front of my torso. Oh, and obviously I don't care a whole lot about doing legs as my thighs and calves are still disproportionately large compared to my upper body.

I'm going to have to likely do a Mon/Weds/Sat setup, though Weds are hard for me since I usually work a long day that day. We'll see how it goes. Weds will have to be an easier day at the gym. Monday should be a fresher day, so that will probably be a higher volume day, then Saturday can be a higher load day. Something along those lines. If I have to stay at the gym I go to now, they only have one power rack which is beyond irritating because some jerk off is always monopolizing it to hold the bar while he hangs out at the drinking fountain. Can't do a lot of elaborate lifts at this gym either, and there really isn't any way to do deficit deads or block pulls, so mainly limited to deads and rack pulls.

Thinking:

Monday @ something around 8 RM loads, clustering reps to target because sets are for wienies
Deadlift x 24
Military Press x 20
Pulldown x 20

Wednesday @ ~5 RM
Rack Pull x 15
Military Press x 15
Pulldown x 15

Saturday
Deadlift x 15 w/ 3 RM load
Military Press x 25 w/10-12 RM load
Pulldown x 25 w/10-12 RM load

Obviously loads progressing each week. Not really convinced I need more than three lifts each day. I guess I could add in shrugs as well. Don't really feel like doing any arm work, because I enjoy having elbows that don't hurt. Guess I could do CGBP on days that I feel like it. Key is, the routine needs to be short and sweet each day so I'm more likely to be able to fit it in and the focus needs to be on getting my deadlift back. I might go in tomorrow morning and try out the Monday routine to see how it works. Hopefully I don't crush my finger in the rack doing military presses again like last time. Maybe I'll do seated overhead press instead.
 
If posisble logistically, I would swap Mon and Wed workouts, given Sat is your load day and Mon is currently your volume day.

Other than that, looks good to me.

Throw in something minor for quads like a close stance leg press/hack press machine. Just to ensure there isn't any fluid build up in the knee from focus on PC movement.
 
Hope you can find a way to mitigate that ADHD. I used to know someone with severe ADD and any attention disorder is no fun.

Good luck on building those deads back up.
 
The most frustrating thing about any attention deficit disorders is that society as a whole seems to discount them. It doesn't help that a good chunk of the people trying to get on meds for ADD or ADHD are just trying to get legal access to amphetamines.

Looking back on my childhood, a lot of things would have been easier for me if I had, at the very least, gotten some kind of help from the school. Turns out I had ODD as a kid too which explains why I used to get into fist fights all time. Anyway, whatever, at least I'm trying to do something about it now.

I originally wanted to have Monday and Weds swapped and I'll probably try it that way, just not sure how well it will work for me since Weds is usually a really shitty day at work.
 
I didn't understood well why the other lifts follow a different periodization scheme than DL, being around 10-12RM at Saturdays. Which is the focus for these lifts? Size? Endurance? Strength?
 
Totentanz said:
The most frustrating thing about any attention deficit disorders is that society as a whole seems to discount them. It doesn't help that a good chunk of the people trying to get on meds for ADD or ADHD are just trying to get legal access to amphetamines.

Looking back on my childhood, a lot of things would have been easier for me if I had, at the very least, gotten some kind of help from the school. Turns out I had ODD as a kid too which explains why I used to get into fist fights all time. Anyway, whatever, at least I'm trying to do something about it now.

I originally wanted to have Monday and Weds swapped and I'll probably try it that way, just not sure how well it will work for me since Weds is usually a really shitty day at work.
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I wonder if that's a sympton of national culture. ADD and ADHD get a great deal of coverage here, or at least they certainly did when I was growing up.
 
leonardopm said:
I didn't understood well why the other lifts follow a different periodization scheme than DL, being around 10-12RM at Saturdays. Which is the focus for these lifts? Size? Endurance? Strength?
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My routine is solely for the purpose of increasing my deadlift 1 RM back to my previous PR. So there is no reason to do the 3 RM work for pulldowns and military press, I'm treating them more like metabolic work that day. I'm not really looking to put on significant size or anything right now. I'm actually at the same bodyweight right now as when I last did a dead in the 600 lb range, with roughly the same composition, so it's mostly just about building the strength back up.
 
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