Mcsquared's Log: Time to Get Strong

[mcsquared]

Hey all,

I went through the motions of SS in the spring of last year. Read the book, drank my milk, and worked hard. Or so I thought. I was not hitting depth on many of my squats as I got higher in weight and was squatting high-bar all the time versus low-bar. As I was resetting to do the right shit, I got distracted by USAF training and other shit. Now that I'm settled in my new gig out in CA and got the time(6 months) of classroom training, I'm gonna get back into SS.

Where I Am

23 yr old, male. I stand at 6'1". I weigh 195lbs. My BF is not that bad, 18-20%. My PRs, if I remember right:

Deadlift: ~250lbs, approx.
Squat: 275
Bench: 175

I dont have any numbers posted for PCs. I'm planning on learning the PC and adding it to my SS program once I get rolling.

Right now I've been kinda messing around, but really mean to get down to business. Right now my squat is hovering around 200, though I'm working on getting my low-bar form down. I was thinking of resetting my squat down to the 150lb range so that I really can get my low-bar form. Thoughts on that?

Where I wanna be

I want the 500lbs DL, 400lbs squat, 300lbs Bench, and 200lbs Press that Rip mentions. I think that would be beast. I'd like to keep my BF% under control and whatnot, but strength is my main concern.

Program

I'm doing the PP Novice Program, with chinups and pullups, until I'm satisfied with my PC enough that I feel comfortable incorporating it into my routine. I'll post training here hopefully starting on Fri/Sat. if not then I'll start on Monday.

I'm GOingMAD with whole milk and planning on eating a ton. Lets get this done.

Please feel free to post thoughts and criticism. Form checks will probably be posted here and in general training discussion.

[gordonrumble]

good luck bud.

[mcsquared]

Alright, since gym was closed on Friday for Christmas Day and I couldnt find anywhere else to lift, I did my lifting day today.

Squat: 185lbs.
-Worked on getting the bar into the right position here, that is the low-bar position. My shoulders still feel really tight and I'm having trouble gripping the bar with all my fingers on my right hand. I'm instead using the heel of my hand to pin the bar against my back. I'll post a video on Wednesday, hopefully.
-On my last set, last rep, I did feel a significant "burn" in my lower-back, like it was being worked pretty hard. I believe this was caused by the bar path coming too far forward. Thoughts on that?

Bench: 140lbs.
-Felt good, no big problems.

Pullups: 4,4,2
Weak, definitely need to get these up to a greater number.

Worked on my PCs today, too, between my pullup sets. Did it right in front of the smith machine in what I hope was a service to the gym, because it would keep people away from that awful piece of equipment.

In that regard I still feel like I was using my arms a little too much. Something to work on for Friday. Expect some form checks on Wednesday. Anyway, im out, gonna go drink my milk and eat some meat.

[Tim Lofton]

Make sure you re-read the squat chapter in SS. It's real important that it is understood where the bar is supported with relation to the traps and the scapulae, and the position of the hands. There should be no gripping of the bar with the hands. It took me about a month of doing these before the shoulders and arms finally started feeling reasonably comfortable with no wrist flexion, elbows in the correct position, and not feeling like they were supporting some of the weight.
Power cleans, I think, are fun. Granted, I'm only at 90# on them, but I enjoy doing something that gets the weight moving fast. It really makes a huge difference, to me anyway, to work separately on hanging cleans from the jump position and practicing racking the bar. In between reps of warm-up sets as well as the work sets, I still "practice" the jump and flipping the elbows up without the bar in my hands. I'm also cleaning the weight from the floor on my overhead press as well, so I'm getting a little extra work in this way as well, though I'm not sure how long I will continue to do this.

tim



Squat: 185lbs.
-Worked on getting the bar into the right position here, that is the low-bar position. My shoulders still feel really tight and I'm having trouble gripping the bar with all my fingers on my right hand. I'm instead using the heel of my hand to pin the bar against my back. I'll post a video on Wednesday, hopefully.


Worked on my PCs today, too, between my pullup sets. Did it right in front of the smith machine in what I hope was a service to the gym, because it would keep people away from that awful piece of equipment.

[mcsquared]

Yeah, maybe I wasn't clear my hands/wrists arent supporting any of the weight at all. They're just pinning the weight up against my delts.

[mcsquared]

Hey all,

Squat 190lbs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kncd17JhDY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xuqw4FVeOJU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j36Z41etYAY

This is my attempt to do a low-bar squat. I'm definitely starting to get more flexible. I feel like I look pretty good, though I'm feel my knees might be questionable.

Press- 90lbs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cWr7hkmtso
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSL1eQs9RiA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_9rcaFJZWg

My elbows start off in the incorrect position and then as I progress through the sets they get better. The last couple reps of the third set sucked and the form is probably atrocious.

Deadlift

Warmups:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tybo_014hG8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jaks5xwPHVw

Working set:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3PupAlDNPo

I reset my grip a couple times throughout the set, and I feel like immediately following that the form is significantly more solid.

Any thoughts and comments are appreciated. Thanks, i'm off to drink my milk

[mcsquared]

Today was my first workout since Wednesday, because of new years plans on being on the road.

Squat: 195lbs

Worked on keeping my back tight throughout the movement. Cut a couple inches off my extreme depth, and I'm hoping I didnt over compensate.

Press: 95lbs

Worked on my grip issues for the warmups, powered through the work sets just fine.

Pullups: 3,3,2

I was working on my powercleans in my resting period for my pull-ups, so expect a video on that soon enough. I'm disappointed with my pullup numbers, though I rarely am able to find a rhythm when I'm doing them, so I end up doing them from a dead-stop. hm.

Alright, off to eat dinner and drink my milk. See you guys on Wednesday.

[jacob cloud]

You mentioned in another thread that your DL warmups weren't yet at 135.

Dude, you're plenty strong to pick up 135 at will, especially for your DL warmups. You're damn near an adult male already. You're burying your 190lb squats above (too deep) and have the potential to DL way more than 200 already. What I'm trying to say, in the nicest way possible, is man up! Also, don't let go of the bar between DL reps.

[mcsquared]

Haha, thanks jacob. I've been sucking at updating this thing so lets see if I can't hit two birds with one stone.

On Monday I decided to quit being a little bitch and do my powercleans. I'm now doing vanilla SS (MWF, Squat, Bench/Press, DL/Powercleans.)

Monday

Squat: 185
Bench: 145
Deadlift: 215

BW was 200lbs at that point if memory serves.

Wednesday:

Squat: 195
Press: 105(PR)
Powerclean: 65lbs, working on form.
BW: 204(PR)


I'll post vids in this thread in a later post and on the training discussion board. Time to go eat.

[mcsquared]

Vids are posted. So I was ordered to go PT today with my squadron. Went for a three mile run that quickly turned into a 2.0 mile run followed by a 1 mile walk. Got a pretty bad blister/somesuch on my foot, which pisses me off cause I always get a damn blister in that spot. Anyway, I'm resting up now, gonna eat soon. Just wanted to vent my frustration here.

I think, in order to remain "air force fit" i might have to start running a bit on my off days...and by a bit, I mean no more than a couple miles.