7 weeks in to the program and some questions

[Yadhuna]

Greetings Coach,

My name is Yadhu and I live in the Netherlands (pardon my bad English). I have been following your program religiously for the past 7 weeks and I have been seeing visible strength gains. Here are my weights:

Deadlift: 1x5x 200 lbs
Squats: 3x5x149 lbs
Bench Press: 3x5x94 lbs
Power Clean: 3x5x78 lbs
Press: 3x5x72 lbs

I have a few question for which I could not find clear answers. So thought of asking you.
1. After 7 weeks of my training, am I on the right weights?
2. I am a vegetarian by religion (not vegan, which means I drink milk). I am grossly overweight. Not in terms of the weight itself but the fat percentage. Hence I consume only 1 liter of milk every day. Eat a lot of vegetables and lentils. Also a hell a lot of fruits. Is this enough? Or should I eat something else to supplement? Should I increase the amount of milk intake although I am a “fat boy”?
3. Can I use converse chucks as weight shoes? That’s what I am using now.
4. While doing squats and increasing weights, I find that during the last set, I find it difficult to rise any further once I am half way up although the bounce off the bottom is good. I often complete the rep with quite some difficulty. Is this common when the weight increases? or am I doing something wrong.
5. My progress on press is very slow. I am not able to increase weight every time. I only increase it once in a week (my Gym does not have anything less than a 5 lbs plate.). Is this ok?
6. Can the eccentric motion of the squat be fast? I often end up doing it fast. I find that the bounce of the bottom is very useful then. Am I doing the right thing or am I cheating?
7. Squats: I keep my feet a little wider than prescribed width in your book. I find it a little easier this way. Is this a criminal mistake?
8. Deadlift: There is just one gym in my locality and the damn gym does not allow chalk to be used. I find it a little hard with deadlifting 200 lbs with double overhand grip. The bar slips when I reach the end of the movement. Can I use straps? Or should I go for alternate grip. In page 107 of the starting strength edition 1 you have stated that double overhand grip IS the preferred grip. What can I do other than using the chalk to maintain the double overhand grip with heavier weights (I am a weakass person. I find 200 lbs quite heavy on deadlift)?


Thanks a lot Coach. Your program rocks!!!

Cheers,
Yadhu

[Mark Rippetoe]

You have done no homework on this board. Fat weak vegetarians are the norm for this particular eating/religious disorder.

http://startingstrength.com/articles...n_rippetoe.pdf

[donahrouch]

Greetings Coach,

My name is Yadhu and I live in the Netherlands (pardon my bad English). I have been following your program religiously for the past 7 weeks and I have been seeing visible strength gains. Here are my weights:

Deadlift: 1x5x 200 lbs
Squats: 3x5x149 lbs
Bench Press: 3x5x94 lbs
Power Clean: 3x5x78 lbs
Press: 3x5x72 lbs

I have a few question for which I could not find clear answers. So thought of asking you.
1. After 7 weeks of my training, am I on the right weights?
2. I am a vegetarian by religion (not vegan, which means I drink milk). I am grossly overweight. Not in terms of the weight itself but the fat percentage. Hence I consume only 1 liter of milk every day. Eat a lot of vegetables and lentils. Also a hell a lot of fruits. Is this enough? Or should I eat something else to supplement? Should I increase the amount of milk intake although I am a “fat boy”?
3. Can I use converse chucks as weight shoes? That’s what I am using now.
4. While doing squats and increasing weights, I find that during the last set, I find it difficult to rise any further once I am half way up although the bounce off the bottom is good. I often complete the rep with quite some difficulty. Is this common when the weight increases? or am I doing something wrong.
5. My progress on press is very slow. I am not able to increase weight every time. I only increase it once in a week (my Gym does not have anything less than a 5 lbs plate.). Is this ok?
6. Can the eccentric motion of the squat be fast? I often end up doing it fast. I find that the bounce of the bottom is very useful then. Am I doing the right thing or am I cheating?
7. Squats: I keep my feet a little wider than prescribed width in your book. I find it a little easier this way. Is this a criminal mistake?
8. Deadlift: There is just one gym in my locality and the damn gym does not allow chalk to be used. I find it a little hard with deadlifting 200 lbs with double overhand grip. The bar slips when I reach the end of the movement. Can I use straps? Or should I go for alternate grip. In page 107 of the starting strength edition 1 you have stated that double overhand grip IS the preferred grip. What can I do other than using the chalk to maintain the double overhand grip with heavier weights (I am a weakass person. I find 200 lbs quite heavy on deadlift)?


Thanks a lot Coach. Your program rocks!!!

Cheers,
Yadhu

Greetings dutchman,

Here are some answers to your questions:

1. Licht eraan, wat zijn je begin gewichten?
2. Je weet zelf hoe Rip is, GOMAD=4 pakken volle melk per dag en zowiezo als je geen vlees en vis eet. Kom niet zeuren dat je bang ben om vet aan te komen-> lees hiervoor zijn ''Clarifcation'' Artikel
3. dat kan ja
4. Licht mischien aan je techniek?
5. Licht aan je dieet, knal minimaal die 4 liter melk per dag dan gaan je stats vanzelf ook omhoog
6. video?
7. ...
8. Dat probleem heb ik ook gehad, je moet je warming-up sets opdelen in zwakste schakels en deze dan met elke training opvoeren. dwz eerste zwake schakel is dubbele overhand, tweede alternate, en ten slotte vol uit met straps aan

Ten slotte moet je de hele visie achter dit programma(dieet&training!) begrijpen,lees hiervoor de pdf die hij gepost heeft.

Succes met trainen!

De hele visie achter dit programma is

[Alexandros Brod]

je dieet, knal minimaal die 4 liter melk per dag

well I understood this part of it at least

[IDRISCKY]

Greetings Coach,

My name is Yadhu and I live in the Netherlands (pardon my bad English). I have been following your program religiously for the past 7 weeks and I have been seeing visible strength gains. Here are my weights:

Deadlift: 1x5x 200 lbs
Squats: 3x5x149 lbs
Bench Press: 3x5x94 lbs
Power Clean: 3x5x78 lbs
Press: 3x5x72 lbs

I have a few question for which I could not find clear answers. So thought of asking you.
1. After 7 weeks of my training, am I on the right weights?
2. I am a vegetarian by religion (not vegan, which means I drink milk). I am grossly overweight. Not in terms of the weight itself but the fat percentage. Hence I consume only 1 liter of milk every day. Eat a lot of vegetables and lentils. Also a hell a lot of fruits. Is this enough? Or should I eat something else to supplement? Should I increase the amount of milk intake although I am a “fat boy”?
3. Can I use converse chucks as weight shoes? That’s what I am using now.
4. While doing squats and increasing weights, I find that during the last set, I find it difficult to rise any further once I am half way up although the bounce off the bottom is good. I often complete the rep with quite some difficulty. Is this common when the weight increases? or am I doing something wrong.
5. My progress on press is very slow. I am not able to increase weight every time. I only increase it once in a week (my Gym does not have anything less than a 5 lbs plate.). Is this ok?
6. Can the eccentric motion of the squat be fast? I often end up doing it fast. I find that the bounce of the bottom is very useful then. Am I doing the right thing or am I cheating?
7. Squats: I keep my feet a little wider than prescribed width in your book. I find it a little easier this way. Is this a criminal mistake?
8. Deadlift: There is just one gym in my locality and the damn gym does not allow chalk to be used. I find it a little hard with deadlifting 200 lbs with double overhand grip. The bar slips when I reach the end of the movement. Can I use straps? Or should I go for alternate grip. In page 107 of the starting strength edition 1 you have stated that double overhand grip IS the preferred grip. What can I do other than using the chalk to maintain the double overhand grip with heavier weights (I am a weakass person. I find 200 lbs quite heavy on deadlift)?


Thanks a lot Coach. Your program rocks!!!

Cheers,
Yadhu

1. No. You're terribly weak. Even without your height and weight, you're terribly weak.

2. No. It is not enough. If you have a high body fat percentage, and are worried about it, the lentils and fruit aren't doing you any favors. Especially if you are truly consuming a large quantity as you believe. Yes, you should supplement with other foods. Preferably cute, cuddly, dead animals. Depending on what cult you're following, if you're a "pescetarian". Load up on yogurt, milk, eggs, fish, nuts, and seeds. If you are a true vegetarian. Stop it. Go eat 12lb of steak.

3. Sure you can. However I think your real question is are they a good weight lifting shoe; will they have the same benefits. The answer to that is yes and no. They don't have the heel height nor the support of a weight lifting shoe. But they are a cheaper (though that is dependent) more readily available alternative to weight lifting shoes, and provide a hard sole that will not compress under pressure.

4. You're a vegetarian. You're not eating enough. You're doing something wrong.

5. As a novice? No, it's not ok. This is more than likely due to your diet. At the very least buy a set of 2.5lb plates and look into fractionals.

6. As far as I know you want to control the descent in a squat. If you're just allowing the weight to pull you down as fast as gravity will allow. You're cheating and not doing a proper squat.

7. You should probably reread the book (pick up the second edition too) and buy the DvD.

8. Straps at 200lb are probably not going to help you and are just going to prolong the underlying problem. That problem being, you're weak. You need to increase your overall strength, this includes your grip strength. If your gym does not allow chalk you have several options. Sneak it in and use it anyway and clean up after yourself. Use a liquid chalk, there are several brands and even some talks about homemade on these forums. Increase your grip strength. Grip strength is essential in weight lifting. If you can't hold onto it you can lift it.

Most, if not all, of your problems are due to the fact that you are not doing the program. That includes being a vegetarian.

I leave you with these words of wisdom.

"And if you think that the planet doesn't want you to kill an animal, um... I don't know. You've got, you've got problem outside the scope of my limited psychological education." - Mark Rippetoe, Iron Radio

[The Emancipated Freak]

You have severe problems if you think God doesn't want you to eat the flesh of your foes.

[Kregna]

What's with the silly replies about him being a vegetarian?

[Mark Rippetoe]

Please clarify.

[Jamie J. Skibicki]

Kregna is right, they have been a bit silly. THe best reply is "Stop being a vegetarian".

[IDRISCKY]

What's with the silly replies about him being a vegetarian?

What's with the silliness of him being a vegetarian?

If you think being a vegetarian is fine, is better for your health, gives you some superior morality to stand on, etc. That's fine, that's your opinion. But the program is specific, and it is hard to follow while being a vegetarian as evident by this and other threads. I've personally not followed the program to the t at times. But I don't come to Rippetoe and ask what's wrong, why am I not recovering, why am I not progressing, etc. because I recognize the program and I recognize when I choose to not follow it. The program works. But only when you do it. Theory is just theory, until it is put into practice.