Buckfever's Journey

[Buckfever]

Jacked up in a car accident 2 years ago. Rear ended by a truck, distracted by his cell phone, I was stopped at a light he came in full bore. Saw him coming - braced, elbows, shoulders, thoracic spine damage. Not debilitating but couldn't lift or handle any load for a year and a half. Chiropractor worked out the adhesions on the spine got good thoracic mobility. Used to lift when I was younger, back to the gym 4 months ago, to rehab, mostly upper body GVT moving up slow but steady. Legs just a 45lb vest first on the elliptical at a 40% incline for 45 minutes, then outdoors to a Sledding hill and realized I needed more. Started following a meal plan, fighting to keep weight under 200, get enough protein and not deplete.

Upper body keeps moving up pulldowns with 200lbs 10 sets 4-6 reps. Remembered the powerlifting days. Started internet searches, research, read articles by Dan Boss Green.

I'm 54 what the F am I doing?

Bought squat shoes, adipowers, still had my belt.

Found this site.

Started squating.

95X10X10

Found the groove right away, quads sore as hell.

It'll take a year.

I love squatting. Let's see what happens.

[Buckfever]

Today was chest and back.

Dumbbell Bench Press Neutral Grip

40X10
60X10
80X10X2,9,6X2,5X4,4 (65reps for 10 working sets new PR for me)

Close Grip Pulldowns

160X10
180X10
200X6,5X2,4X6
160X12

Using the neutral grip on the dumbell bench and doing more of a fly motion to emphasize the chest. Dumbells only go to 100 at this gym and I'm just pushing out having to switch to the barbell bench and needing a spot. Hands are busted up but getting better. Gave my wedding ring to my wife to store it, it was cutting through the callous. That feels a lot better.

199.6 this morning, want to stay under 200, restricting the calories a little on the off days. Modulating the carbs around the workouts for energy. Hell of a time getting enough protein. I'm really not that hungry been forcing myself to overeat to get enough protein. My wife is getting me Whey protein powder from work I'll try adding that in the morning.

[Ed Eliason]

You're making a positive change in your life. It doesn't matter how old or young a person is as long as they give it their all.

Give it your all.

[Buckfever]

You're making a positive change in your life. It doesn't matter how old or young a person is as long as they give it their all.

Give it your all.

Thank you!!! I will.

[Buckfever]

Second Squat session

95X10

115X10X10

Deep in the hole, focused on leg drive. Might as well work on volume since the weights are tiny.

Yes I know tiny weights, it is what it is. I'm really not worried about muscular strength, focused on technique and conditioning the structure.

[Buckfever]

Last appointment cancelled so I got out early and while I wasn't programmed for a workout, I felt I should take advantage of it. Headed home inhaled a protein coffee shake and a banana and headed to the gym. Felt like schit, real stiff, but by the second working set I felt great. WTF?

Dumbbell bench(neutral position)

80X10,10,10,9,8,7,6,6,5,4 Rep PR

Wide grip pulldown

160X10

180X8,5,6,6,5,5,4,4,4


Just some additional notes, the Dumbell Bench has been an absolute blessing in that it calls into play all the accessory muscles involved and has been fantastic in terms of rehabbing the shoulder joints. The other thing is the neutral hold has really helped with flexibility issues because the wide range of motion and has really helped me work through the scar tissue. Every workout it feels like the entire shoulder complex involved in supporting that motion is being strengthened.

Also I noticed that the supporting muscles around the thoracic spine feel a little weak. I've been focusing on a variety of pulldowns but I need to add rows into the mix.

[Buckfever]

I got a workout in with my cousin last week which took me out of sequence so I hadn't done shoulder/arms/abs for almost 2 weeks. I have to say that I regret that first workout back on a body part, but it was fine.

Seated DB overhead press

20X10
30X10
40X10
50X10 rep PR
60X1 Just tested, wasn't ready for the weight, the spine didn't like it.
50X6
40X19,14,9

DB Shrugs
60X10
80X8,8,6,6,6,6,6,5

Lateral raises
Lots of them, light weight, strict form, sides and front.

Preacher curls
New movement for me light weight lots of sets

Tricep pressdown

60X10
70X10
85X10,10,10,8,8,7,7
70X10,8,7

Didn't lose anything on the shoulders, but I have to say that I definitely lost quite a bit on the arms in 2 weeks, even though my bench and my pulldowns are getting stronger. I know what they say that you work your arms on your chest and back days, but I could tell that my arms had gotten smaller, I even told my wife that I noticed it. And while my primary long term focus is working towards strength on the main lifts, I don't want weak points and I do want a little of the bodybuilding stuff. So some lateral raises for the delts, some curls and tris for the arms, some calve raises and ab work. A little bit of accessory work to round it out.

Weighted sit ups on a Decline bench on a 1 foot riser 25 lb plate on chest.
15,10,6.

[Buckfever]

And in other news,

My son had some weights in the basement just 100lbs so I set up for conventional deadlift deficits just to feel the form, it's been a long time. It's another one of those it's like riding a bike. But it got me thinking about my weight set that I had given to my brother in law when I moved and I remembered that he had stored it at my other brother in laws home when he entered the service. I had just talked to him when he was in town during Easter and he was lifting at home in Maryland so I figured he took the weights but I figured lets just ask. Turns out he bought his own set, so my weights and my Texas power bar are still in storage waiting for me to pick them up. ;-)

[Jeppeehh]

Subbed! It will be fun to follow your journey.

[Buckfever]

Third Squat session, pressed for time but I wanted to work out with my son who is in town. I NEEDED MORE VOLUME!!!

Squat

95X10

135X10X5sets

135X12

Widened the stance just a little which was better balance for me to go deep and focused on dropping straight down into the bottom of the hole and driving up strong nice and tight. Personally I think the weighted ab work is essential for the squat to help keep it tight. The other thing that used to help me was T-bar rows, from the erectors, rhomboids to the traps all the way up the spine that movement really helped to keep me tight in the Squat. There's no opportunity to do that movement at my gym, I need to set that up at home.

Added Calve presses

5X20 just starting bottom of the stack very light weight just to get them stretched out. It's not a lot of work and the calves develop quick.

[Buckfever]

Excuses are like assholes, everybody has one.

This past Saturday was my niece's wedding which I wouldn't have missed for the world and my son was in town so I adjusted my schedule so that I could get a couple of workouts in with him. Which we did. All well and good, but that meant my programming on the bench got pushed to Sunday. But when I got to the Gym on Sunday I was so blown out that after 2 sets I reracked the dumbbells and got out of there. Why? Because I was too much of a pussy to just lower the weight and grind out a light day. Which is kind of funny when you think about it because my heavy days are light days. Couple good things though. I definitely got some good recovery because I had a lot of power with the warmups. And I found out that 8 days is too much recovery, I definitely lost some strength.

DB Bench
80X10,10,10,8,7,6,5,4,4,4

68 total reps for 10 sets that's 7 reps less than last time, ouch. And there were some grinders in there LOL. At least I got it in and I'm back on.

Close Grip pulldown

160X10X5sets

Widegrip pulldown
3 sets

Seated Cable Rows
2 sets




In the morning I did conditioning work on the sledding hill, 18 times up the hill with the 40lb vest. Been doing this twice a week but I want to drop it to once a week and get more time in on the Squat.

Hopefully pick up my weights tomorrow, setup for t-bar rows and deads in the basement.

[Ed Eliason]

Don't be to hard on yourself. Shit happens. Everything we do teaches us a lesson. Looking forward to deads tomorrow.

[Buckfever]

Picked up my weights. Consisting of a 1500lb power bar, plate rack, weights(2X45,2X35,2X25 and 2X5) and the close grip handle that I use for the T-bar rows. A little oxidation but none the worse for wear, sadly they were never used. Of course my wife threw out the milk crate I used for an anchor for the T-bar rows and I need to setup the flooring, so I need to buy a sheet of 3/4" 4X8 plywood and a 3/4"X4'X6' rubber stall mat. I need more 45s and a couple of dimes but I'll figure that out later.

One step at a time. I'm not going to lie, setting this up is a lot of fun.

[Buckfever]

Well moving right along got the plywood and the milk crate from Home Depot. Ordered 2" spring clips. Off tomorrow so after the morning workout off I go to pick up a stall mat.

[Buckfever]

Volume day, want to get the size back on the arms

DB seated OP
20X10

30X10

40X20repsX2sets, 12, 10repsX3sets, 9, 8repsX3sets

Supersets with:

DB shrugs

60X20repsX2sets

70X10

60X15,20,17,15,10,10,12repsX3sets

2 minute rest between supersets


Barbell curls

40X10

50X10

60X10,10,9,8repsX3sets,6repsX4sets

Supersetted with

Triceps pressdown

50X10

60X10

70X10,9,8,9,8repsX2sets, 7repsX2sets, 6repsX2 sets

Rest on the arms was 1 minute, I lowered the weight and focused on form I think I was breaking form before.

Good pump but they didn't quite look deformed yet so I have some work there.

Weighted Abs with a 25lb plate on an incline

3sets 12,10,8


I did make it over to the Tractor Supply and picked up a stall mat. Last night I cleaned out a section of the basement. I should be setup this afternoon, I'll post up a picture later.

[Bean]

Good shit....love the excitement that I feel when I read this. Keep it up

[Buckfever]

Setup for deads and T-bar rows at home.







The gym that I have a membership at really isn't setup for either movement. There is a Powerlifting gym 45 minutes away and I'll hit that every once in a while for the heavier stuff and to steal some energy, but this will let me get some efficient work on these movements.

[Buckfever]

Squats 4th session

95X10

135X10

155X7repsX5sets

95X25

Given how light the weights are I should be doing sets of 10, but my conditioning just isn't there and the last thing I want to do is get sloppy and break form. So I decided that I'll go back to how I used to do it of working up to 4-5 working sets and then drop down for a high rep set.

Calve press

10 sets 20-12reps

So I'm almost 5 months in now although I just put in the Squats so the legs are lagging and I started from point zero on the upper body. Last 3 months I've been developing a meal plan getting the protein up to 1gram/lb and have dropped 4-5lbs. I think I'm as clean as I can be on the food without impeded progress, which is my primary goal. And while I have leaned up a good bit I have to say I really don't like being this soft. I baffles me how I managed to Fn ignore it. And it'll work out on it's own as I go forward but this is really bothering me. I think I'll add a couple miles of walking a day to speed it up.

[Buckfever]

Chest and Back

DB bench Superset with CG Pulldowns

DB Bench

60X10

80X11,9 I stopped at 9 reps on the second set because I was just grinding these out. So either I've lost a bit OR I've been grinding them out all along. In either event I felt I needed to drop the weight and really start working the movement right.

60X14,10,10,10,9,8,8,8

CG Pulldown

160X10,10,10,10,8,8,7,7,6,8,6

Interestingly I had already come to the same conclusion on the pulldowns and had dropped down for volume on the previous workout.

Been too much grinding not enough working. This felt good.

[Buckfever]

Shoulders/arms/abs

DB Overhead Press - DB shrugs 2 minute rest between supersets

DB Overhead Press

20x10

30x10

40x10

50x10

60x4 PR

40X19,12,12,9,9

DB Shrugs

60X20

70X17,12,12,8

60X15,15,15,15


Barbell Curls - Tricep pressdown 1 minute rest between supersets

Curls

60X10,10,10,10,10,8,7,7,7,6

Tri Pressdown

70X10,10,10,10,10,10,10,8,8,6

Weighted Abs, Incline, 25LB plate

16/9/5

Notes:

The Squats are actuallly helping me with the the Overhead press, as the erectors are being developed, it's helping me keep the core tight on that movement.

Was off work early didn't feel great, went home had lunch, hit the gym anyway and had a great workout.

Just go!!!