Some of you might remember the 3 part Holiday Trimmings series I did last year at this time about cutting the holiday fat from your waistline. In that series (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) I mentioned that one of my new year’s goals was to benchpress 300 pounds. Since it is now 2011 I wanted to post an update on the progress of that goal from last year.
For most of 2010, except when I was traveling, I worked out an average of 3 times a week. Sometimes it would be less, sometimes more, but overall I was fairly consistent. My weekly routine would look something like this.
1. Upper body workout of back and biceps.
2. A complete lower body workout including legpress and squats.
3. Another upper body workout of chest, shoulders, and triceps.
4. I would work my abs every time I was in the gym, usually about 200 reps per workout of various stomach exercises.
5. In addition I usually run for about 10 minutes with Mulder after each workout, and walk with him for about 30 minutes every day.
The result of all this showed in January. I was able to get someone to spot me in the gym and I benched 255 on the free-weight bar two times. I also benched 90 pound dumbbells 4 times in the same workout. I didn’t quite reach my goal but it was a good accomplishment from the beginning of the year when I struggled to put up 205. As for my legs, I’m back to working out with 600 pounds on the freeweight legpress and squatting in the 200-300 range.
I’ve found that this year despite all my efforts it’s taken me a long time to get back up to strength compared to even just 3-4 years ago when after just a few months I could bench 250+ with no problem. I’m still not as strong as I’ve been in the past, but with just 45 more pounds to go on the benchpress to reach 300 I should surpass my old mark of 295 by the end of the year.
I believe that my age (nearing 40) has a lot to do with my declining strength. Also my joints are flaky due to the years of lifting. Some days I get strange pains in my shoulders or knees and just can’t lift anything beyond my warm up weight without risking injury. Because of these aches I’ve considered giving up on my goal and changing my workout routine to a more lightweight aerobic style. I would certainly get ripped that way instead of bulking up, which Charlotte would like better. She very much prefers me to stay lean and trim so I can fit into these modern tight fitting emo type clothes she keeps trying to get me to wear. I admit I feel strong now, but after a tough workout it’s hard to get going for the next day or two because it really takes a toll on your body and time to rebuild your muscles. Like Hank Williams JR says “the hangovers hurt more than they used to”, or in this case the workout recoveries.
After some contemplation and reconsideration I’ve decided that I will go ahead and try for the 300 pound benchpress, barring any major injury. If I don’t make it, then no big deal, working out is certainly not a bad thing and I can only get stronger. If I do make it then I will be one strong 40 year old dude.
Speaking of fit, it’s important to note that I have gained about 10 pounds in the last year and weigh around 185, which is the most I’ve ever weighed. I’ve gained both muscle and fat, but that is not unusual since I eat a lot more when I’m on a heavy workout routine. I expect my weight to peak out about 190 and then drop 10-15 pounds once I decrease the heavy weightlifting. Once my goal is obtained I will likely start lifting lighter weights with higher reps, and compliment those workouts with karate or some other form of exercise that will improve my flexibility and cardiovascular.
In conclusion I just want to mention that I’m not writing about this to just talk about myself and how good my workout routine is. I want to document that hard work and dedication in the gym can pay off no matter what your goal is, and hopefully inspire others to make their own fitness goals. Some people want to lose 300 pounds; I want to bench 300 pounds. Both goals take similar determination and require abiding by the same principles; eat right and exercise. It’s not always exciting or glamorous, but the results speak for themselves. If you have a physical fitness goal or want to ask me anything about working out etc, feel free to comment or send me an email. Good luck and happy treadmilling.
Mulder and I walking in the snow
