Devyn's Training Log

[Devyn Stewart]

Hey, everyone! My name is Devyn. As of the writing of this post, I have just completed a mock powerlifting meet at the end of my linear progression. All my Starting Strength workouts are chronicled in my previous log: Devyn's Training Log.

For context, Starting Strength is the first program I actually recorded set by set. Before then, I had been lifting for about a year and a half. I started how just about everybody starts, doing a body part split going to the gym nearly every day. I did that for about 6 months before moving more toward training movements and caring about my strength. Then I started running a myriad of intermediate programs, having convinced myself that I was an intermediate, with no real long-term plan. That being said, I made some good progress up until I ran Starting Strength (pre-SS numbers are archived in my old log). As for right now, I plan on developing my coaching eye on myself. Throughout this log, I will be trying to pay special attention to how things are working and what I need to be doing to continue making progress. The template I will start with and run to a T for the next 9 weeks is the generalized intermediate RTS program. It's not exactly a Starting Strength program, and I believe it's even outdated for RTS, but it appeals to me and seems very exciting.

Current best lifts for posterity:
Squat: 315x3x5, 350x1
Deadlift: 335x5, 365x1
Bench: 205x3x5(TnG), 225x1
Press: 130x3x5, 142.5x1(outdated)

For anyone wanting to run the same program they see me running, you can find it here: RTS Forums - Generalized Intermediate Program. At least for the first cycle, everything will be the same. My first workout will be tomorrow, and my big motivation will be my sort of fake "meet week" on the 9th week of the cycle. I'm cautious to put goals on here before I even start the program, but I'm going to do it anyway. My goal by that 9th week is to squat 365(15 lbs PR), bench 235(10 lbs PR), and deadlift 385(20 lbs PR). Let's get it done!

[Geoff Bischoff]

Welcome to the intermediate zone, mate.

Yeah, that squat at the meet looked like you were still on the way up: However, it was dipping low over your left shoulder, which may have spooked you?

Happy training, man.

[Devyn Stewart]

Yeah, I definitely should have gotten that squat. The dipping on my left shoulder is a common thing for me that often causes me shoulder pain, but I don't think it caused the missed rep. I think I just failed to focus on my hip drive and lifted my chest a bit too early. Watching the video afterward makes me think that I was correct in my initial evaluation. But it's alright. If 360 was possible, then perhaps I'll smash my goal of 365 in 9 weeks!

[Devyn Stewart]

10/23/2018

Comp Squat: 295@7,305@8.5,310@9
Comp Bench: 185@7,195@8.5,205@10
3ct Bench: 155@7,165@7.5,175@9.5

Gosh, I am happy to be back in the gym. It appears that I have detrained some. That's not a surprise given that I haven't really been training for nearly 2 weeks. I overestimated my abilities on the two bench movements. I've had a history of not pushing myself as hard as I could on RPE systems before, so I was making sure not to do that today. I was telling myself that I was capable of more than I thought I was, and I was right, but I still got a little carried away. Other than that, I really liked the workout. Chest was really burning on 3ct bench even at the lighter weights. I assume that is the point, but it was a bit of a surprise. I like the variations, and I really like the increased pressing volume. I really felt like I got something done today! Anyway, enough rambling. I'm excited for my workout tomorrow!

[Devyn Stewart]

10/24/2018

Comp deadliftx4: 308@7, 325@8.5, 334@10
Floor pressx4: 175@7, 180@7.5, 194@8
Front squatx6: 175@6, 187@8, 195@9

Comp deadlift: I was happy with these numbers, especially considering my e1RM for deadlifts with 334x4@10 is 375-ish, but I overshot again. This was meant to be at 9, but it ended up at 10. I'm still not very practiced at this.
Floor press: I like this exercise. I just wish it was a little easier to set up. It was harder than I expected, considering it has less range of motion, but I then failed to go heavy enough (also was supposed to be at 9). I look forward to doing this some more in the future.
Front squat: Screw this exercise, man. Front squats are hard. Upside was that I almost forgot that I felt sore from comp squat the day before. Downside is that it doesn't feel very specific to the movement. I feel like the limiting factor for this movement is my ability to keep my thorax extended. I guess once I've adapted a bit better, my leg muscles will be worked a bit better. One big plus is that I think I figured out why squat has been hurting my left shoulder so much. I think I overextend my upper back, and that causes my left shoulder to hurt. It feels especially bad today after front squats. Not sure, but we'll see once I try comp squat again without the overextension.

Also, I forgot to put the rep ranges on the last workout. Whoops. Comp squat and bench were x4s, and 3ct bench was x5.

[Devyn Stewart]

10/26/2018

Pin squat(low)x5: 225@6.5, 245@8, 260@8
TnG benchx6: 190@7.5, 200@fail, 195@10
Push pressx6: 115@7, 125@7, 135@8.5

Today was a pretty bad training day. My left shoulder really, really hurts today from front squats. I think the problem is that I try to depress my shoulder blades when bracing. I tried to kind of do the opposite today while pin squatting, and I don't think it aggravated it nearly as much. If the pain persists until next Tuesday, I'll probably consider deloading and seeing if it comes back. I've already failed a set. Basically, I'm a total idiot. I must've thought 190 was easier than it was or taken too short of rest periods. Either way, I failed it like an idiot, and 195 gave me the 10 RPE I was supposed to hit. Just wish I would have hit it a little smarter. Push press was weird. I've never done it before, so learning RPE and learning all these crazy movements along the way leaves me thinking that I'm probably not choosing the right weights. Anyway, overall I kind of felt like I didn't go heavy enough today, but I've been very, very stressed these past few days. I understood going into it that some weights that should be easy will be hard (200 bench, looking at you). I'm going to get a good night's rest and crush it tomorrow.

[Devyn Stewart]

10/27/2018

2" deficit deadliftx5: 255@7, 265@8, 280@8
CG Benchx6: 165@6, 175@8, 180@9
SLDLx6: 225@7, 235@7, 250@8.5

Deadlift: I hate these with all of my being. I did the thing where I do a weight @8 and then do a significantly heavier weight also @8. I just have a hard time telling how difficult a set is at lighter weights and lower RPEs. I feel like I'm getting better, but 280@8 I feel like is very heavy for a set of 5 deficit deadlifts. I think the carryover will be great, even though I didn't hit that 9 RPE that I was supposed to.
Bench: Honestly this felt great. I did 16" grip, hands on the closest part of the knurling. The form didn't feel 100%, and I don't feel like it can be with a close grip, but it felt very difficult and fatiguing. The RPE was pretty spot on for the last two sets as well. I think I will respond well to this variation.
SLDL: This actually felt easier than I expected. The program calls from snatch grip SLDL, but I'm not even sure I can do that. I guess I'm NDTP, but these were significantly lighter than the deficit deadlifts while feeling similarly taxing on the muscles. I felt like I really had to activate my lats in order to keep the bar close to my body, since my legs aren't as close to the bar.

I woke up today feeling quite sick, with my throat swelled up and my nose a bit stuffed. Given that, I don't feel as bad about the abysmal performance I had yesterday, but I sucked it up and told myself I was feeling good even though I wasn't, and my numbers were pretty good today! I felt strong, and I felt like RPE, even though I'm still not great at it, allowed me to use a way heavier weight on deficit deadlifts and close grip bench than I otherwise would have.

[Devyn Stewart]

Since I'm going to be thinking a bit more about my volume in the future, I thought I'd start logging my weekly volume for each lift and its variations.

Squat: 45 reps
Deadlift: 33 reps
Bench: 75 reps(!)

What I'm seeing is that so far, the powerlifts are being performed at a much higher volume with the exception of the squat, which is the same as on LP. Actually, it's a bit higher because I was utilizing a light day when I finished LP. Overall, I think this week represents an increase in volume over LP for all of the lifts with a marginal decrease in intensity per set. I expect this volume to increase by somewhere between 50-100% next week. I'm going to be paying close attention to my body and any aches and pains, as this is a big increase in what I have been doing.

[Geoff Bischoff]

That's lots of volume. Think I'm at Sq: 25, Dl: 5, Bn or Prs: 60. So far still making progress with that volume.

Intensity of all those is in the 70%+ range.

[Devyn Stewart]

Yeah, I hope to take advantage of my young man-edness while I still have it (it'll be behind me before I know it!). I imagine those numbers will go up big time this next week of training, so we'll see how my body responds. I'm guessing I'll feel very beaten up. I believe you mentioned that you're a SSOC client, and I've listened to a lot of their stuff, and I'm not sure how I feel about "minimum effective dose" that they talk about a lot. I guess this is me testing those thoughts in my own training.