Today I started something new.
I’ve been training in my garage on and off for the past 5 or 6 years and don’t have a whole lot to show for it. When I was working building and installing cabinets, I got on the 100 push-up challenge with a few guys at work and it got me interested in getting stronger. I picked up an old Marcy cable machine with a bench press plate stack for next to nothing and went through some basic programs bouncing around not really doing much that made any sense. I spent a couple years in throughout that period focused on boxing and kickboxing and in that time didn’t lift much at all.
At the beginning of 2020 I buckled down and got refocused on lifting and ran through Stronglifts 5x5 for about 3 months. I jumped back into 531 Boring But Big, a program I had previously run with little dedication and even less success, and ran with it for most of the year save at least once going back to Stronglifts after messing up a training max percentage and losing about 75# on my squat. Over the last year I’ve brought my numbers up to where they are now, which is the highest they’ve ever been, and I decided it was time to seek guidance in continuing to get stronger.
This morning I went in for my first session with a powerlifting coach. He had me max out on squat, bench and deadlift to find out what my actual maxes are instead of using the estimates that I’ve gotten from 531. My 1RM on squat and dead were both above my estimate and my bench was right on. This is what I hit today:
SQUAT 455
BENCH 305
DEAD 365
My estimated squat 1RM (actual, not TM) was 375 so hitting 455 slow but not a total grinder was very gratifying. This is the most satisfying PR I’ve experienced to date. Using a monolift for the first time took some getting used to but it is a world apart from walking out of a rack. Dead was estimated at 350 and bench at 305 so those weren’t as far off. That said those were estimates based off of a 5RM so actually hitting these lifts was awesome.
I’m excited to see where this new course will lead and looking forward to new training methods reigniting the fire in my belly that yearns for unbridled strength. The machines and various barbells and strongman implements available at this gym have me starry-eyed and giddy with what the future may bring. I have never been this excited about training which is just what I needed to maintain and increase forward momentum.
I’ve been training in my garage on and off for the past 5 or 6 years and don’t have a whole lot to show for it. When I was working building and installing cabinets, I got on the 100 push-up challenge with a few guys at work and it got me interested in getting stronger. I picked up an old Marcy cable machine with a bench press plate stack for next to nothing and went through some basic programs bouncing around not really doing much that made any sense. I spent a couple years in throughout that period focused on boxing and kickboxing and in that time didn’t lift much at all.
At the beginning of 2020 I buckled down and got refocused on lifting and ran through Stronglifts 5x5 for about 3 months. I jumped back into 531 Boring But Big, a program I had previously run with little dedication and even less success, and ran with it for most of the year save at least once going back to Stronglifts after messing up a training max percentage and losing about 75# on my squat. Over the last year I’ve brought my numbers up to where they are now, which is the highest they’ve ever been, and I decided it was time to seek guidance in continuing to get stronger.
This morning I went in for my first session with a powerlifting coach. He had me max out on squat, bench and deadlift to find out what my actual maxes are instead of using the estimates that I’ve gotten from 531. My 1RM on squat and dead were both above my estimate and my bench was right on. This is what I hit today:
SQUAT 455
BENCH 305
DEAD 365
My estimated squat 1RM (actual, not TM) was 375 so hitting 455 slow but not a total grinder was very gratifying. This is the most satisfying PR I’ve experienced to date. Using a monolift for the first time took some getting used to but it is a world apart from walking out of a rack. Dead was estimated at 350 and bench at 305 so those weren’t as far off. That said those were estimates based off of a 5RM so actually hitting these lifts was awesome.
I’m excited to see where this new course will lead and looking forward to new training methods reigniting the fire in my belly that yearns for unbridled strength. The machines and various barbells and strongman implements available at this gym have me starry-eyed and giddy with what the future may bring. I have never been this excited about training which is just what I needed to maintain and increase forward momentum.