Covid Strength Challenge -- Help

[scrambledbacon]

I can't seem to break the muscle up barrier...
Woe is me😩

[zion zig zag]

Starting Strength and the GOMAD diet.

[dump]

Back to the original request for wisdom - does it make sense to lift twice a day - morning and night - for three weeks to gain maximum strength in that time frame? Even more times a day? Or less? I would only do it for a little over three weeks. This is not a lifetime plan, and I recognize only so much can be done in a short timeframe, but I do want to maximize gains to show those whippersnappers some old man strength. Never been in the armed forces, but the Navy Seals, etc., appear to have intense day-after-day training. And I'm at home in lockdown, so I have the time....

[iceman]

Just make sure when it's time to do the challenge it goes youngest to oldest. Let the kids go nuts and when it's your turn just crack a beer, laugh, and say "Guess I lose."

[old goat]

Hey I managed to do 4 real pushups. My goal for this winter was 1. I doubt that will impress anyone but T2-4 spinal fusion last Feb messed up my back muscles and heart surgery in October messed up my chest muscles so I figure I'm doing ok. (Between being stuck in a chair for 6 weeks both times and now staying home I'm not exactly thin.) Next goal--one pull up.

[rideit]

Give ‘em hell, Goat!

[MiddleOfNight]

Hey I managed to do 4 real pushups. My goal for this winter was 1.

Great story, smashed the goal!! +1 give em hell! Tons of good info on how to build into pullups. dead hang flexes and reverses (lowering) come to mind - lat pulls and maybe you have a band??

Back to the original request for wisdom - does it make sense to lift twice a day - morning and night - for three weeks to gain maximum strength in that time frame? Even more times a day? Or less?

Name of the game is breakdown and recovery. I do best to fully breakdown, then try to fully recover. ymmv, but at some point I encounter the law of diminishing returns - more is less. For me, depending on the workout, and looking to build strength: at least one full rest day between muscle groups. More often 2 days rest. a true heavy leg day (or chest, or back) just doesn't recover enough overnight to afford an effective follow up heavy workout the day after. I'll do some really light set work to get the acid out and help soreness, but not looking to 'work out' the same group.
And I tend to taper into big events over the course of 4-5 days - sometimes more. I risk more by going in even a little fatigued, than I stand to gain by getting that one last heavy workout.

Of course then there other things to consider - as an example if you really kill your pullups, focusing on curls the same day has a lot of overlap, for better or worse.

Oh, I would make a point to actually do some pullups at the playground in training .. lat pulls are awesome for building supporting and requisite strength, but for maxing numbers it's good to have the form and feel of the real deal. Lots of form differences, grip differences, and lots of small supporting muscles that need to come along for the ride.

Hey, everyone is different. Military folks and sports teams with 2-a-days are .. operating on a different wavelength .. discipline, team, systems to learn, cardio, and so on .. plus .. most of those folks are what, conditioned 22 year olds and very efficiently recovering. But listen to your body - it'll tell you what works.

hoping for a before/after progress report!

I'm no dentist - so please .. take my babbling with a boulder of salt.

[rideit]

I have been doing my routine twice a day due to sheer boredom, and liking a schedule. . It’s hard to just be idle for a whole day. I guess I can break that up with decent bike rides now that the weather has broken a little bit.

[Dantheman]

I can't seem to break the muscle up barrier...
Woe is me��

-Do false-grip pullups nipples-to-rings or lower
-Do the deepest dips you can do
-Keep hands as close to your body as possible
-False-grip is critical

[neufox47]

Back to the original request for wisdom - does it make sense to lift twice a day - morning and night - for three weeks to gain maximum strength in that time frame? Even more times a day? Or less? I would only do it for a little over three weeks. This is not a lifetime plan, and I recognize only so much can be done in a short timeframe, but I do want to maximize gains to show those whippersnappers some old man strength. Never been in the armed forces, but the Navy Seals, etc., appear to have intense day-after-day training. And I'm at home in lockdown, so I have the time....

Your contest is more about muscular endurance than strength. So you need to train for that specificity. With only a month you don’t have much time to play with rep and weight schemes. I’d recommend doing each lift twice a day, not to failure, just to the point you are getting tired. I’d start with low rep sets but lots of sets and progress towards higher reps and less sets towards the EOM. I’d do that three days in a row, then on the fourth day, warm up, and go to failure on each exercise. Take the fifth day off and repeat. Do your last to failure day at least 5 days before comp, then taper down to low rep sets at your comp weights. Take the day before off. Also, avoid the eccentric phase of all the movements as much as possible throughout, but especially on your to failure days. Also, start taking creative.

[Grange]

As an Expert YouTube Weight Training Routine Idea Watcher I've heard several "experts" say say big movements with good form and heavier weights is the best way to build strength. Think bench press, shoulder press with barbell, squats, and dead lifts. Since my gym and martial arts school closed I've been focusing more on strength training than cardio. So far by using those big movement exercises my strength is getting better. I've been able to increase my 225 bench press reps to 2. I used to be able to do up to 3 reps, but since I've changed my diet last November I've lost some weight and lost a little strength as a result. I am starting to get my strength back, but my weight is staying the same.

I hadn't done dead lifts or squats in many years so my max weight is much lower than is used to be, but over the last few weeks I've gone up in reps with the weight and I'm recovering faster between sets.

[dump]

Your contest is more about muscular endurance than strength. So you need to train for that specificity. With only a month you don’t have much time to play with rep and weight schemes. I’d recommend doing each lift twice a day, not to failure, just to the point you are getting tired. I’d start with low rep sets but lots of sets and progress towards higher reps and less sets towards the EOM. I’d do that three days in a row, then on the fourth day, warm up, and go to failure on each exercise. Take the fifth day off and repeat. Do your last to failure day at least 5 days before comp, then taper down to low rep sets at your comp weights. Take the day before off. Also, avoid the eccentric phase of all the movements as much as possible throughout, but especially on your to failure days. Also, start taking creative.

I like the suggestions and routine. Will follow for next two-plus weeks before tapering for event.

[MiddleOfNight]

How'd it go?