Yeah, it's been gradual.. :)

Especially with bench press..

But it's going forward..

Consider that a year ago I was doing 3 chin-ups, 70 lbs single arm rows, 70 lbs bench, 50 lbs press, 20 pushups, no squats.....

It DOES take me about 3 weeks to up my weights on the excersizes, but it DOES happen..

Gotta get back into regular squats and deadlifts..

Hopefully the split and Bulgarian squats have been strengthening my knee tendons, etc..

Deadlifts I'm just going to start from square 1 again and work on form.. AGAIN.. LOL

I tell ya, I feel alot more burn from the split squats and Bulgarian squats than I did from either the squat or the deadlift...

You should try a planned progression. It works wonders. Your progressive overload would be a little more...progressive.

I agree. You may not think you have it but you probably do. When I first started I went from 135lb 3x5 bench to 200lb 3x5 in 4 months. Just keep moving up once a week so long as you don't miss.

IW

Yeah, I can try..

But like I say, I dunno what's going on, but since I quit the Creatine I haven't felt very strong.. :(

That's probably psychological. Creatine won't affect maximum strength. It will affect endurance.

Damn..

Shouldn't have told me..

I would have had a psychological boost from taking it again.. LOL

What's a progressive overload, and how's it differ from what I've been doing?

Just upping it every single workout, even if it means bad form and missed reps?

The single free weights only go up to 120..

What do I do for single arm rows after that? :(

Probably have to go to barbell rows, but like I say, they were hard on my lower back..

Jan 23/09

Weight: 224

5 min. w/u run

SPLIT SQUATS

nwx5x3
80x5x3

BENCH PRESS

70x5x3
160x5x3

CHIN UPS

10, 5, 5

FACE PULLS

"9"x10x3

FRONT AND SIDE PLANKS

55 sec, 35, 35

Jan 24/09

3 mile walk with 40lbs pack.

You bring up an interesting point when you mention "bad form and missed reps". This is something that I discussed with my training partners the other day. I think that as a novice lifter, this might be true. But eventually you're going to find your grove and you'll have practiced good form for a long enough time. For me, bad form puts me at a mechanical disadvantage. I can't have bad form and finish a heavy squat, deadlift, or press. The same will hold true for you.

If barbell rows were hard on your lower back, it's probably because you have or had a weak lower back. Increasing reps is a way to progress. You don't absolutely have to increase weight.

Periodization & progressive overload. They're the whole theme behind your training method and it's something that you apparently know nothing about. Increase your the weights you're lifting every workout or every week by 5 pounds. If you lose form or are unable to finish, then set your weight back for that particular exercise about 20lbs and start your progression over again. If you had done this from the start, you would be a lot stronger than you are right now.

You still haven't posted any videos.

Yeah, I've had a bad back for a few years.. Hurt it at work.. But increasing the reps is a good idea..

I'll start up again with barbell rows, thanks..

No, I knew I was supposed to be increasing it by 5 lbs every week, and I did, until I started hitting the wall..

What I DIDN'T know was that I was supposed to set the weight back 20lbs at that point..

I thought I should just keep at it till I can do that weight with good form (or at least make my 5), THEN bump it up..

How does backing off that much help, over continuing with the amount of weight you're having problems with??

I'll put deadlifts, rows, and squats back in the rotation (well, I'll see about squats.. If my knees rebel, they're off.. Like I say, it ain't worth bum knees), and I'll video myself once I've shaken the rust off..