The rare sighting when JSM is the straight man…
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Finally getting back into the groove, but still only going to the gym twice a week.
Got the bench back up to 255 x 3 and squat 315 x 3.
Next week it’ll be heavy back and either cleans or DLs.
Just starting my groove back, after some personal issues.
Workout A: squats, bench, and bent-over row, Bar only. Very easy workout. Gonna add 5 lbs each workout.
Not allowed to try PR’s for a while. cuz old.
This thread makes my inner meathead heart happy 
Had a new experience at the gym today. I did my routine on the bench, which involves lifting not that much (because I am not very strong).
As I finish, a woman who is on the treadmill ~20 yards away, stops her treadmill, and walks over to me. She tells me I should get plant-based protein powder at Costco. I was not prepared for the conversation and just kind of said “ok”. She then walked back to her treadmill, turned it back on, and continued her workout.
She legit paused her workout to come give me advice because she felt I needed it since I was lifting so little weight.
“Insignificant signals” thread is over there.
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The posts there are cute and funny, neither of which sounds like this ****in’ *****!! Plant-based protein - she can go fluff herself!!! 
ETA: @procrastinator has contributed to the insignificant signals thread in the past!!! 
Maybe it was significant?
I hear, “you know, i would bone you right now on this bench, if you’d buy this stuff at Costco.”
Would be banned as a spam account if she posted that here with a link.
I hate ANY type of unsolicited advice at the gym, especially from folks who weren’t even born yet when I started lifting weights.
Next time just walk up to them and start talking about the Cold War
Posted here nearly 2 years ago that I was “getting serious about lifting again”, but maybe this time I’m serious about being serious. Not planning to spam the thread with updates but might occasionally.
I have NOT discovered my 1-rep max on anything yet. I’m taking it very slowly doing sets of 5 or 10. I used to be stronger than average and now am definitely weaker than average. I’ve hurt myself trying to start back up “at a light weight” and then immediately, nope, that’s a week to recover.
Bench: 105 x 10 (following lighter sets)
Squat: 115 x 7 (failed to make 10 after lighter sets, also this was my first time squatting in years)
Pull-ups: 7 (already destroying my PR of 4 due to being ~50-60 pounds lighter)
I’m doing some other exercises, lunges with weights, curls, some other things I don’t have proper names for. I’m probably going to report just these 3 numbers rather than go through a list of 7 lifts.
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When my gym closed during COVID, I made do with the free weights that I had at home. They were no substitute for the thorough weight workout I used to get at the gym.
It took me a year to get back to my former level of strength after the gym reopened as I tried to do too much too quickly. Rotator cuff injury early on was probably caused by going too fast. Eventually I got back to my full weight regime.
I am 73 so a younger fellow like yourself may have quicker results but slow and steady worked for me.
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Pandemic hit when I was turning 30 and lost gym access. Once gyms reopened I got about 6 weeks in before I hurting my knee then shoulder trying to get back to where I was
Slowly worked my way back over the next 6 months
Maybe things would be different if I were 20…
Just wait until you are in your 70’s!
Having said that, there are guys at my gym in their late 80s and early 90s still doing weight training. One is a former professional football player who can still press more than I could in my prime.
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I was really surprised that weights I used to think were really easy were not easy at all, like I was already feeling like half of my max was pretty heavy. I wound up getting hurt lifting what I thought was easy weight.
I still haven’t gotten back to my pre-pandemic maxes for squat and deadlift. I’m still 40 pounds away from that and hoping to maybe get there sometime next year or something. I matched them for the other lifts mid last-year.
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Many moons ago, I used to play pick up hockey with an elderly guy. There was a tournament he played in every year, with the age divisions for each decade of life. He was excited when he turned 80, because he’d get to be the young guy on the team.
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Bench: 135 x 5
Squat: 135 x 10
Pull-up (palms facing out): 4
Chin-up (palms facing in): 5
Hammer grip pull-ups: 8
As before, numbers above include sets building up to the recorded weight. As above, I’m being careful about hurting myself. Could I have squatted 160? Most likely. I’m focused on good form and consistency. If I take 1 day off, I won’t take the next day off.
It occurs to me the hammer grip pull-ups I was recording as simply pull-ups are easier than what might be pictured. I Googled what it’s called to do what I’m doing and added detail.
(Edit 3/25:
Squat: 155 x 10
Pull-up (palms facing out): 4
Chin-up (palms facing in): 8
Hammer grip pull-ups: 9)
Squat: 175 x 5
Pull-up (palms facing out): 4
Chin-up (palms facing in): 8
Hammer grip pull-ups: 10
Not sure what my bench press was at when I last did 4 days ago. Need to do tomorrow.
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