I went into the gym today without a plan and walked out with a plan that takes me up until Sept 2nd (Bench Only Meet Day) - shout out to Casey Williams for always having my back and putting up with me. Today involved pushing myself more than I have been able to in about a year, and I admit I was scared. Decided to take a max set of 4, I worked up to 205 and cut it there, probably putting my current squat max at maybe 225? Which is probably right around where my squat max was when I first started lifting 5 years ago, how cool right?
I put a belt on for the last set, because...scared. More or less scared of the possibility of messing up my back again, because as I stated in a previous log...I'm usually fine while squatting, but pain sets in the day after. For those of you who aren't aware, I did injure my back almost a year to the day, but still have no idea exactly what the issue is or what the remedy would look like. I've been to numerous doctors, chiropractors, physical therapists, etc. and yet, here I am. I would say the toughest part about everything is learning what works and what doesn't - I've definitely learned to keep my reps to 5 and under and sets to 5 and under to avoid irritation. Learning myself and my ablities all over again is challenging, but fun. There's something about starting over and doing things on my terms that has me so excited. Anyway, training looked a little like this today:
Squat: 205x4 (max set)
Bench: 135 5x5 (60 sec rest)
Back Extension: 5x10
Wall Abs: 5x10
T Bar Row: 3x20
I'll have max bench days and then squat days with lighter bench mixed in - this makes training practical and something I can manage with my current situation. I am actually planning a move for the end of September that will put me closer to the city for both work and the gym, which I'm SO excited for 🙂