TunnelRat2
New Member
I've been back in the gym for two or three weeks now, after a four and a half month layoff. I had my last MRI today. They examined my head but didn't find anything. I suppose that's encouraging, though the headaches and stiff neck continue.
My doctor (who knows me all too well) advised me to take it slow and easy. So I planned to start with a couple of 10-rep sets of very light squats, benches, chins, and deads. I made it through the squats and benches okay, but I ran out of gas on the chins and never got around to my deadlifts. Then I spent the next five days with the worst DOMS I have ever experienced. Maybe I should have stared a little slower and easier...
So last week I did Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of:
Squats 2x10x95
Bench 10x45, 10x55, 10x65
Deads 2x10x135
Chins 4x5xBW-45 (the chin-assist machine is poorly calibrated)
This week I increased the workout a bit:
Squats 3x10x95
Bench 10x55, 10x65, 10x75
Deads 3x10x135
Chins 4x5xBW-45
(all weight in pounds)
I intend to repeat the same workout on Friday. Next week I plan to increase from three sets of squats and deads to four sets. I may increase the weight slightly as well. However, slow and sure wins the day.
It will be probably a month or so before I am in any condition to consider a regular program. There is no point in testing for 1RMs yet, as both my strength and endurance seem to be recovering slowly week to week.
My three primary goals are strength, weight loss, and flexibility. For strength I may well go with 5-3-1 (or my modification thereof) rather than HST. It's hard to produce hypertrophy while attempting to lose weight.
For weight loss I hope to be back on a more reasonable diet (my wife is back to teaching school again, starting today. So I may be able to take better control of my eating).
For flexibility I don't have much of an idea as yet. Most of what I read has to do with stretching, so I may give that a try. It just seems that the hardest part of my workout ought not to be putting my shoes on...!
Best to all!
My doctor (who knows me all too well) advised me to take it slow and easy. So I planned to start with a couple of 10-rep sets of very light squats, benches, chins, and deads. I made it through the squats and benches okay, but I ran out of gas on the chins and never got around to my deadlifts. Then I spent the next five days with the worst DOMS I have ever experienced. Maybe I should have stared a little slower and easier...
So last week I did Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of:
Squats 2x10x95
Bench 10x45, 10x55, 10x65
Deads 2x10x135
Chins 4x5xBW-45 (the chin-assist machine is poorly calibrated)
This week I increased the workout a bit:
Squats 3x10x95
Bench 10x55, 10x65, 10x75
Deads 3x10x135
Chins 4x5xBW-45
(all weight in pounds)
I intend to repeat the same workout on Friday. Next week I plan to increase from three sets of squats and deads to four sets. I may increase the weight slightly as well. However, slow and sure wins the day.
It will be probably a month or so before I am in any condition to consider a regular program. There is no point in testing for 1RMs yet, as both my strength and endurance seem to be recovering slowly week to week.
My three primary goals are strength, weight loss, and flexibility. For strength I may well go with 5-3-1 (or my modification thereof) rather than HST. It's hard to produce hypertrophy while attempting to lose weight.
For weight loss I hope to be back on a more reasonable diet (my wife is back to teaching school again, starting today. So I may be able to take better control of my eating).
For flexibility I don't have much of an idea as yet. Most of what I read has to do with stretching, so I may give that a try. It just seems that the hardest part of my workout ought not to be putting my shoes on...!
Best to all!
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