KessG training log (novice female)

[kessg]

Stats:
126 lb 5'5
40 yo female

Long-term goal:
Prevent loss of muscle mass and bone density as I age

Short-term goal for the current program:
Be the strongest I can be at (or close to) my current weight

Objectives:
Squat my body weight
Be able to do 3 chin-ups

Starting work sets:
Squat: 65 lb
Deadlift: 85 lb

Prior weight-training experience:
New Rules of Lifting - For Women & For Life since June 2012 - mostly with dumbbells and cable machines. I completed Phase 3 of NROL4L, and was plateauing with my weights, hence the interest in barbell training.

[kessg]

11/5/2012
Squat:
3X5 @ 65 lb
5x3 @ 70 lb

Deadlift:
2X5 @ 65 lb

Push-up:
3X5 @ BW (holding 1 to 2 sec at bottom position)

Assisted chin-up:
3X5 @ 40 lb assistance

[Michele Knaub]

welcome, and happy training!

[kessg]

Thanks for the welcome, Michele!

11/7/2012

Squat:
3X5 @ 70 lb

Push-up:
3 sets @ BW: 8, 6, 7 (holding 1 to 2 sec at bottom position)

Assisted chin-up:
7 @ 40 lb assistance
6 @ 35 lb
5 @ 30

Kettlebell swing
3X10 @ 25 lb

[Michele Knaub]

So it looks like SS is not your program - I'm curious to know what your overall plan is?

[kessg]

I'm still working out the program but currently it looks like this:

Squat - 3X5 - 2.5lb increments - 3 times a week
Deadlift - 1X5 - 5 lb increments - 2 times a week
Assisted chin-up - 3X5 - 5 lb increments (when possible) - 3 times a week + negative chin-ups whenever possible
Push-ups - 3X5 - Pause at the bottom to make them harder - 3 times a week

Current numbers:
Squat - 67.5 lb
Deadlift - 95 lb
Chin-up - 20 lb assistance

I had to restart the squat progression due to not being able to control my knees on ascent when I had tried 3X5 @70 lb. The knees buckled inwards at the last set so I had knee pain for a week or so. I took a week off due to general fatigue and shoulder pain after attempting to bench press (could not lift my right arm above mid chest level for about 12 hrs). Hence I'm still doing push-ups - they've never given me shoulder pain.

I restarted at the empty bar for squats, focusing on pushing my knees out. So far so good. Knee pain is gone, along with minor but persistent back pain (yay!) (The back pain started about 6 month ago, before SS or NROL). Low bar squats (putting the back in proper extension and driving the hips) are alone worth doing SS for.

Goals for December (besides linear progression on squats and deadlifts):
- Start doing overhead presses
- Be able to do 1 chin-up

[Gwyn Brookes]

Welcome Kess!

It's great you are going to start overhead press soon. That will keep your shoulders healthier than just benching.

As far as your knee/squat incident at 70 pounds, I noticed that your warm up volume the workout prior to that one (3x5 @ 65) is pretty excessive if you are going for 70 on work sets. If you are using this kind of warm up scheme every time, it might have simply made you too tired to keep your form solid at your work weight.

I totally agree with you on the low bar squats. My knees were a real mess before I started squatting.

[Michele Knaub]

Agreed on the presses. Good progress!

[Diana]

welcome! always glad to have more women around.

are you using the pull up assistance machine? do you have access to bands?

[kessg]

Results for the week ending Dec 1:

Squat: 3X5 @ 72.5 lb (with 77.5 lb in between 70 and 72.5 due to a "plating error")
DL: 1X5 @ 110
Chin-up: 3X6 @ 20 lb assistance (could not move up to 15 lb, so worked up to 3 sets of 6 across)
Push-ups: 3X5 BW

Here are some videos of my squats in the Technique section if anyone is interested:

http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=35711

are you using the pull up assistance machine? do you have access to bands?

Yes, I use the machine. I typically work out with one or two friends -- all at different strength levels and body weights -- so it's just easier to switch out the weights. When I can't get to the machine (like today) I do jumping negative chin-ups.

As far as your knee/squat incident at 70 pounds, I noticed that your warm up volume the workout prior to that one (3x5 @ 65) is pretty excessive if you are going for 70 on work sets. If you are using this kind of warm up scheme every time, it might have simply made you too tired to keep your form solid at your work weight.

That was just messing around; I think I decided to "do more squats" so tried 5 sets of 3 at a higher weight. My normal warm-up is 2X5 @45 lb; 1X4 @ 55; 1X2 @ 65; and then the work set.

I also realized that since I'm not doing power cleans, I'm supposed to do DL every training session. So I'm more with the program now, no "bonus sets" or the kettlebell. Although I'm still doing 8-9 cycles of HIIT (30 sec sprint, 30 sec lower pace) after the strength workout and that seems okay.

I will be starting OHP next week.