I backed wayyy off on the bench and OH press, then just started the progression over again - I did three bench days of low weight high rep 10-12, and I ordered a sling shot and wore it for 2 workouts.  My shoulders feel much better.

I'm back up to 160 on the bench, 110 OH press, 155 rows, 210 squat and 255 DL as of Jan 5.  Which is 2 mos in.  Nothing to write home about but working this fat ass 45yr old man's ass back into shape slowly but surely.

Shooting for a 1200 total by YE 2019.

My biggest frustration is that I cant lift everyday.  I fucking love it.  And got a new Ohio Power Bar for myself for Christmas, cerakote red.  My sleep does and has always sucked, and I know this is limiting my recovery.  Took Ambien for many, many years and I might get back on that particular ride for a while.

Lol I'll delete some stuff from my phone and take some soon.   I keep saying that I'm going to try to recover this sd card, but forgetting.

Yeah, there have been little intricacies that I haven't mentioned, too.  I started doing more sets and reps with squats when I got to around 125, then decided to just raise to 175.  Then I missed a couple weeks .

Doing Bench right after squats makes bench feel pretty hard, I think? I used to usually do bench first when I worked out.   Doing something like what you described with bench is something to think about.

Thanks! I am definitely using yall to stay motivated

Yes, I agree.  Moreso than doing squats before the DL.

The only real change (other than to my bench) I've made is doing 10r x 4s of bicep curls on my DL day.  My biceps are too tired to work them on row days, even with a relatively wide grip.

I'll also add some grip/forearm work soon.  I always enjoyed forearm work, so I'll grab some PVC pipe, rope and a carabiner and make a wrist roller and also do Ed Coan's grip routine.

Even now though, I've noticed a HUGE improvement in my grip strength.  I used to be able to hang on a pullup bar for all of 5 seconds before the pain of hanging my fat ass would hurt my fingers so bad I'd let go.  Now I can hang for a full minute with very little discomfort.

I was always a relatively weak bencher.  When I fucked my shoulder up, and rotating it made a loud painful click, and it would wake me up in the middle of the night in pain, I was sure I'd torn my RC.  I was enraged, to be honest.  Not angry I'd need ortho surgery, but was rather thinking "go fucking figure, after all these years I finally decide to get back in shape and I fucking do something that will likely make me stop lifting".

Then, after the next workout doing the OH press, I felt a pain in my left shoulder.  Sheesh.  That turned out to be a bit of bursitis, probably from a light impingement upon it, which also happened to me back in my 20s a few times.

I'll go slow and tread lightly on my shoulders, and every now and then I will deload and do a week or two of high rep work and wear that Slingshot.  I was skeptical of Mark Bell's little invention until I tried it.

My biggest regret with all of this is waiting so long to get back into it.  I'm having so much fun with I that I just can't believe why I waited this long.  Even after only 60 days, and through a layer of fat, I am seeing physique improvements that I can't believe - in my mid 40s and lifting pussy weight! I wish I could lift every day, and after SL5x5 runs its course I'll switch to a split routine just so I can get into my basement every day.

Some people criticize 5x5 in favor of SS 3x5 or some permutation of 5/3/1 etc.  But to me, the biggest advantage of 5x5 is the app.  Sounds silly, we can all write this shit in a notebook I know, but the app is somehow keeping me motivated and enforces just enough addtional discipline that I push through on days where I *know* there's no way I'm going to get all 5 sets.  And then I get all 5.

Having the app is critical.  There's no way I'd be doing all this with notebooks

Keep going!

I use a spiral notebook for my workouts, especially for some accessory lifts because I may hit them once a week and knowing where I need to be at.

Check out Alan Thrall on YouTube. He is a SSC and does videos on forms (probably late now, but for any new person reading this).

Yeah Alan Thrall's and Mark Bell's channel (particularly anything with Ed Coan) is good shit and motivating to boot.

Alan has tons of great content, but lately it's a little click baity.

Can't blame him I guess since he needs to keep up with everyone else for views to get paid.

I watched a bunch of his squats vids at the beginning of SL5x5

Workout A:
-bench 5 sets
-BB rows 5 sets
-one leg squats 5 sets
-abs 5 sets

Workout B:
-OHP 5 sets
-chins 5 sets
-arms 5 sets
-DL/SLDL 4 work up sets 1 work set

I do this 6 days a week. Feels great. Reps usually in between 5-25. All sets to failure. Progressing pretty fast.

Be careful you don't overreach doing that.

Rest days are important.

You do every exercise 6 days a week?

How long have you been at that?

Workout A three times and workout B three times.

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Progress update - i have only lifted 5x since thanksgiving, traveling and holidays got me.  

After coming back, i did not de-load, i actually increased sq/dl/row as if i hadn't missed any days, and now I'm not really getting sore from the squats anymore.   For the first month, i was frog walking everywhere.  That is kinda important for my winter activities.

I increased my DL to more than my squat in the last exercise and didn't hurt myself, so I'll probably keep that there.

I've been squatting more than 5 sets, usually, so i am tempted to raise that again.  I mainly need to not miss so many days, though.

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