Bergstedt's Intermediate Log

[Bergstedt]

Hello and welcome,

I am Levi Bergstedt, I am a 23 years old and I am a lawyer from Sweden.

I did what I thought was Starting Strength for 2 years, but what I really was doing was squats, bench presses, OHP's, deads and chins (which is fair enough and it got my strength up, though it took a while).

This got my lifts to (all in kgs*reps*sets):
Squats: 120*3*3,
Deads: 150*5,
OHP: 40*8*3,
Bench: 60*5*3 (I've had some problems with my right shoulder and my thoracic spine),
Chins: 14*5*3,
Dips: 15*5*4.

Last year I thought things were moving a bit slow, so I changed things up a bit and went from the SS-setup to something similar to an intermediate system. I (or I should say me and my girlfriend, since we since last year have been hitting the gym together three times a week almost every week, and she follows my programming as well) did this:

A: squats, OHP and standing calf raises,
B: bench press, weighted dips and some triceps work (usually skull crushers or push-downs),
C: deads, chins and bicep curls.

All were done for three sets of five except deads, which were done for a single set of five.

Last fall I also realized that I didn't eat enough, since I weighed 76 kg and am 183 cm long. I started eating twice a day (I only eat lunch and dinner) until I felt like I wanted to cry, and then I drank 4 liters of milk. This took me up to almost 93 kg in 12 weeks. I've cut down to 84 kg, and I now have the same waist measurement as I did when I was 76 kg, so I'm pretty satisfied with that result.

My year of a home-cooked intermediate program and eating and cutting got my lifts to my current status, which is:
Squats: 140*5*3,
Deads: 155*3,
OHP: 57,5*5*3,
Bench: 90*4*3,
Chins: 22,5 kgs*5*3 (and 17*body weight),
Dips: 32,5*5*3 (and 21*body weight).

I move everything but that damned deadlift up, which seems to have decided to stay where it is. I have a couple of ideas (or more like questions) on how to get it moving again, but will address those in a later post, that isn't as cluttered with other information.

I bought SSBBT and PPST3 last fall, and have read them thoroughly since. I started my girlfriend on an advanced novice and myself on Texas Method phase I (as I think is described on pages 119-120 in PPST3) yesterday. I have added chins to the program, and I will be treating it as one of the big lifts (ergo doing 5*5 on VD and a single set of 5 on ID).

My first TM session yesterday was:
Squats: 125*5*5,
Bench: 70*5*5,
Power cleans: 40*3*5,
Chins: bw*5*5.

I'm really excited to see where this takes me, and I though that I should get a log to both have somewhere to log my progress and also have a place for my questions and thoughts.

My goal with my training is to get awfully strong while not fatting up. My gains (gainzzz?) this past year had me outgrow over $1000 worth of jeans, and about as much in suits, too, and I haven't really stopped grieving those losses yet (even though I feel a bit better about it every time I squat more than everyone else at the gym).

Let's do this!

[Bergstedt]

Double post.

[Bergstedt]

Questions about the deadlift:

I have posted several form check videos for my deadlifts, and I seem to be doing pretty good technique-wise. Therefore the only answer to my conundrum of why my deadlift haven't increased more than 2,5 kg this past year, even though I gained almost 17 kg myself and have increased my squat with over 20 kg, is that I'm weak.

Now: how do I solve this problem?

Should I do easier back-off sets after my heavy set of 5? Should I do rack-pulls? Should I continue what I started yesterday and get good at the power clean? Should I do something else entirely?

And as a side-note: does anyone have an idea of why I couldn't lock out my last rep in this video? I've never had this happen to me before, since I've always been able to lock out my reps if I get them past the knee. This time it was a big no-no.

[Bergstedt]

Yesterday was our second session. It was easy and quick, and, most importantly, the squat groove and the tightness and rebound-iness out of the hole was back. I was quite sore and crampy in my lower back though, from the very un-groovy squats on VD, so I did quite a bit of foamrolling during the session yesterday. I'm thinking about getting a foamroller and a hard ball, so I don't have to go the gym to do something about my quite often tight lower back and tight thoracic spine. That's the biggest downside to sitting at a desk all day: your lower back, thoracic spine and your shoulders hate you.

The numbers are:
Squats: 100*5*2,
OHP: 45*5*3,
Power snatches: 30*3*4.

Question about the OHP: I try doing the 2.0 version to up my numbers from this child's game, and my biggest problem is the time it takes to complete a set. I feel completely worn out come reps 4-5, since I have the bar in my hands for such a long time and it wears my shoulders and my mental toughness out. Is there a way around this, or is this the cost for doing the 2.0? What takes the longest is the valsalva and the re-setting of the body between each rep. See video of a failed set at 50 kg from last week to see what I mean:



My continuous failures with the OHP upsets me, since it is one of the exercises I look forward the most to doing, but get the most disappointed with, as well, since I fail them all the time. I know it's a hard exercise to increase the weights in, but damn... She's one tough bitch.

I just took up power snatches again, and I'm going to LP them together with the power cleans until I've run the weights out. I did a run of them both last winter, but rushed the weights a bit too much, so I stalled the pc's at 67,5 kg and the ps's at 52,5 kg. I'm going to raise the weights 2,5 kg per session and really work on the technique now, since it really didn't get any easier the heavier the weights got!

[Bergstedt]

Control, fluidity of movement and speed inspiration of the day:



I'm not at all into weightlifting, but damn. That's tight!

[scwot]

Hi Levi, in response to your deadlift issue I think you need to be pulling more often (and more weight). To be blunt, 40kg powercleans aren't enough to help drive your deadlift so if you want to continue with PC's I'd do them on light day and do SLDL for 3x5 on volume day. Way to grind that 4th rep BTW!

[Bergstedt]

Hi Levi, in response to your deadlift issue I think you need to be pulling more often (and more weight). To be blunt, 40kg powercleans aren't enough to help drive your deadlift so if you want to continue with PC's I'd do them on light day and do SLDL for 3x5 on volume day. Way to grind that 4th rep BTW!

Ok, more volume makes sense. I'll try adding SLDLs to volume days.

And thanks! I had busted blood vessels all over my chest and up to my ears. My girlfriend was not impressed. Haha.

[scwot]

Ok, more volume makes sense. I'll try adding SLDLs to volume days.

And thanks! I had busted blood vessels all over my chest and up to my ears. My girlfriend was not impressed. Haha.

Yeah I get them around my eyes on limit squats. Battle scars! Start off light on the SLDL's if you haven't done them before - they seem easy but you'll get major DOMS in your hamstrings until you adapt.

[Bergstedt]

Yeah I get them around my eyes on limit squats. Battle scars! Start off light on the SLDL's if you haven't done them before - they seem easy but you'll get major DOMS in your hamstrings until you adapt.

Exactly! I'll try explaining that to her.

OK. Great. Thanks for the advice!

[slowmotion]

Maybe you didn't make that last deadlift rep, but you sure gave it all you had. Well done!