Getting Harder to Kill (and Choke and Armbar) - Mahogany's New Log

[Adam Skillin]

Old log: http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=39366

On Mr. Mac Ward's advice, I've decided to re-evaluate my programming and attempt to eke some gains out of a closer-to-linear progression, e.g. the Advanced Novice Program (with tweaks).

First workout was last night, 6/13/13

Squats: 3 x 5 x 280
Press: 3 x 5 x 135
Good Mornings (in place of back ext): 3 x 8 x 135 (used the kotex)
BW Chin-ups (no kip, sternum to bar): 3 x 12

[Adam Skillin]

June 15, 2013

Squats (light): 3 x 5 x 225
Bench: 3 x 5 x 195
Power Cleans: 5 x 3 x 145
Dips: 22/18/18

Light squats always feel heavier than they should. I'm taking this as a sign that I'm in need of their recovery stimulus and that they're working. Hope that's not misguided.

[Adam Skillin]

June 17, 2013

Squats: 3 x 5 x 285 (this is my 5RM!)
Press: 3 x 5 x 140 (wrote 137.5, forgot I had decided to microload until I was taking off the plates after all the sets. Oops. Also my 5RM)
RDL's (4" deficit) 3 x 10 x 185
Bodyweight pull-ups: 10,10,8,6,6,5,8

[Adam Skillin]

6/20/13

Squats: 3 x 5 x 290 (Nice! Failed on 1 x 5 twice when playing with intermediate programming. New 5-rep PR!)
Bench: 3 x 5 x 200
Deadlift: 1 x 5 x 395 (Locked out all the way. No doubt this time)
Dips (BW + 25): 15/10/10

Progress resumes. I feel better pretty much all the time now than I did on my 2-day TM experiment. Mac's advice appears to have been spot on.

[Adam Skillin]

6/22/13

Light Day (Squats)

Squat: 3 x 5 x 235
Press: 2 x 4 x 142.5/1 x 3 x 142.5/2 x 3 x 135 (was supposed to be 3 x 5 x 142.5)
Furniture Slider Glute-Ham Bridges: 3 x 25
Chin-ups: BW + 60 lbs: 6/5/5

This is proving to be a brutal day. I train hard at Jiu Jitsu on Friday nights. Light squats seem every bit as heavy as heavy squats the other 2 days.

Going back after 142.5 on the presses. I know I would have had a better chance if I weren't so beat up.

GH Bridges were a compromise between skipping a RDL/Good Morning movement and doing something light. My back was smoked.

Not really upset with the chins.

Need to figure out what to do. Is it better to skip the light day or have it just suck so damn bad?

[Adam Skillin]

6/24:

Squats: 3 x 5 x 295 (new PR again. I owe Mac a drink)
Bench: 3 x 5 x 202.5
Power Clean: 5 x 3 x 150
Dips: BW + 45; 10/10/9

Set the timer for 7 minutes between squat sets, but I took my sweet ass time getting my belt on and setting up, so I was probably 8.5 minutes between sets. Going to probably set it for 8 next time and keep the 5 pound jumps.

The whole workout broke the 2 hour mark. That's not really cool, because I get off work at 5 (my commute is 10 minutes on foot, but it's 5:30-5:45 by the time I begin my squat warmup sets) and the pool in my condo complex closes at 8...

[Adam Skillin]

6/27/13

Squats: 3 x 5 x 300 (new PR! 8 minute rest between sets)
Press: 142.5 x 4/3/3/3/2 (Second failure. Bar path was forward too much. Can get this.)
Good Mornings: 3 x 20 x 95
Pull-ups: +25#; 7/6/6
Press: 2 x 10 x 95 (for practice)

[Adam Skillin]

Dear Log,

I owe you some updates. Here's 6/29

Squats: 3 x 5 x 240
Bench: 2 x 5 x 205, 1 x 4 x 205, 1 x 1 x 205.
Deadlift: 1 x 4 x 400, 1 x 1 x 400
Dips: +25#; 12/11/10

Saturdays suck because of Friday night Jiu Jitsu. Jiu Jitsu is going to win. I'm changing the program.

Mondays: Squat/Press/Power Clean/Chins
Thursdays: Squat/Bench/Deadlift/Dips

3 x 5 for squat, press, bench, 1 x 5 for deadlifts, 5 x 3 for power cleans, 3 x f for chins and dips with various weight added

[Adam Skillin]

7/1

Squats: 3 x 5 x 305 (PR again. Hard, but less so than 300 was last week. Doing something right)
Press: 3 x 5 x 142.5 (Finally! Already had 2 strikes at this weight. Finally getting the bar path/layback thing)
Chin-ups: +35#; 9/6/6
Power Cleans: Canceled. Something's going wrong. I'm stopping between the first and second pull. No real work, just light form work. Trying to clean it up. Sad face.

[Adam Skillin]

7/4

Independence Day. I was in the gym, banging legs. Well, banging full-body. Whatever, I commanded myself to grow.

Squats: 3 x 5 x 310 (new PR. In fact, only 5 lbs short of my PR single. CT's videos got me through it, along with an 8 minute stopwatch between sets)

Bench Press: 2 x 5 x 207.5, 1 x 4 x 207.5, 1 x 1 x 207.5. Just going to keep going up by 2.5 if I keep getting 5/5/4. Had to do the roll of shame. Really pushed for the last rep, and wasn't able to put it on the spotters. It was ugly and unpleasant. Not gonna lie.

Deadlift: 1 x 3 x 405, 1 x 1 x 405, 1 x 1 x 405. Could have gotten 3, then 2 if my grip wasn't giving out. Did these all right-hand supinated because my left bicep is bothering me. This stays at 405 next week. More CT might be what it takes to finish this.

Dips, dropset format (no rest other than to take off a kettlebell after failing): +40 x 11/+25 x 4/+0 x 6. Really? Only 4 with 25? I just did them this way because I wanted to get to the pool and catch some rays. Whatever. They're accessory work, and my tris and pecs had done their heavy work for the day.

Haven't weighed myself in several days. Guessing 160-ish. Had gotten as low as 155. Bought some milk. The abs have been sent back to their dark lair under my belly where they belong. Crisis averted.