life

Back in the gym (July '26 update)

Returned to lifting in mid-May after half a year off. Was ~20% weaker than my peak shape in November in all my lifts. Took me a few months to surpass my past peak.

Pretty happy with my progress so far. I'm in a slight cut/body recomp to get my body fat back to level, but still making a surprisingly amount of strength gains. Currently sitting at 160lb, down from ~165lb at the end of school year. It's convenient to have a gym in my office compound.

Here's the split I'm running at the moment and all my working set weights:

Push

  • 2x incline dumbell chest press (65lb dumbells)
  • 2x chest fly (the machine we have is a bit tweaked so i can only do 90 on these)
  • 2x cable lateral raises (23lb each side)
  • 2x frontal shoulder press (45lb dumbells)
  • 2x overhead tricep extensions (40lb cable)
  • 2x single arm tricep extensions (30lb cable each side)

Pull

  • 2x lat pulldowns (165lb)
  • 2x kelso shrugs (140lb - i don't have a machine so i just use barbells and a bench to support chest)
  • 2x seated cable rows (120lb)
  • 2x preacher curls (50lb free weights)
  • 2x hammer curls (30lb dumbells)
  • 2x cable rear delt fly (20lb each side)
  • 2x cable ab crunches (85lb)

Legs

  • 3x leg press (260lb)
  • 3x rdls (like 185lb but my form is awful since i recently added it to my leg day)
  • 2x leg extensions (we dont have a machine so i'm doing a weird makeshift cable version)
  • 2x leg curls (we dont have a machine so i'm doing a weird makeshift cable version)
  • 3x calf raises (230lb on leg press machine)

I haven't maxed out my compound lifts since November, but I would guess that I've returned to all my previous maxes at this point. I was sitting at ~190lb bench max. Hoping to get to 200lb by the time school starts again.