Can I Borrow Some Strength: MADub's TM Log

[MADub]

BACKGROUND:
I began Starting Strength on 14-MAR-2011. I definitely made some mistakes, substituting the incline for the flat bench chief among them, but made some good progress. It lasted until 01-JUN-2011. Here's the progress:

SQ 135 -- 290
BP 105 -- 205 (Incline)
DL 145 -- 325*
PR 60 -- 125

That asterisk indicates that I'm actually still linearly progressing on the deadlift. It's been going well and I think my levers have a lot to do with it.

With regard to weight, for some reason I didn't record it for the entire month of June. My starting weight was 248.6 @ 25.1% and on 13-JUL-11 I weighed 251.6 @ 29.1%.

I have one of those scales that lists your body fat percentage. I actually had my bodyfat hydrostatically tested in April and the scale was only off by 2 percentage points. I've beeen trying to reduce my bodyfat -- and lately I've felt some extra give in my pants -- but I'm beginning to feel as though the scale is losing accuracy as I lose fat.

CURRENT BIOMETRICS:
As of this morning I'm 28 years old, 6'-4" and 248.2# @ 28.5%. Please don't laugh at my paltry strength levels. We're all here to get stronger, aren't we? :-) I've been as high as 256. I have no problems eating.

ADDITIONAL INFO:
I started working out in 2006. I got sucked into the bodybuilding world with insane 6-day splits. I did that quite regularly up until a few months before I started Starting Strength, which is when I started CrossFit. The MetCon was killing me, and I'm not a morning person, so it was a short-lived experience. It introduced me to the correct way to perfrom the basic lifts, though, so it served its purpose. I own SS and PPST 2.

I started the TM on 4-JUN-2011. For the sake of brevity I'll only post my last workout and continue on from there. Since I hit that 290 x 3 x 5 Squat in SS I've taken a lot of weight off the bar. I've hit 300 x 1 x 5 in the TM program, but the heavy squatting took a toll on my knees and I had neverending soreness in my quads and knees throughout the entire process. I think I've got the mechanics down, so the point from here on out is to focus on good form, but expect it to deteriorate when things get heavy.

GOALS:
I'd really like to pull 500, Squat 405, Bench 315, but clearly I'm far away from that. In the meantime I'm just focusing on putting 5# on the bar every week.

Stay tuned...

[MADub]

30-AUG-2011

SQUAT
45 x 12
80 x 8
115 x 6
150 x 5
185 x 5 x 2

PRESS
45 x 5
160 x 5 PR
135 x 4
95 x 5

GHD'S
BW x 5, 2, 2

BICEP CURLS
45 x 12, 12, 6, 5

SUMMARY:
This workout was good. 160 on the press was nice! I'm closing in on the intermediate strength levels in the table, which is nice to see. Light day on the squats. Really focused on form.

[MADub]

01-SEP-11

SQUAT
45 x 12
105 x 5
155 x 5
215 x 5
275 x 3 FAIL

BENCH PRESS
45 x 12
95 x 8
135 x 6
185 x 5 x 2

DEADLIFT
395 x 5 PR

CLOSE-GRIP BENCH PRESS
135 x 12, 8, 4

SUMMARY
I'm highly disappointed in tonight's squat performance. I think I'll cut down on the warm-up volume next week, and I should be able to knock this out. The Jesse Quintara example is PPST2 doesn't have nearly this volume. A short, yoked guy saw the failing set and said "Yo man, no one can ever say you cheat on those squats." That was encouraging, but I would have been more encouraged had I nailed the reps. Sometimes on the descent I feel tightness in my quads. A few stretches can't hurt beforehand next time. I've lifted more weight for higher reps, but now that I'm focusing on hip drive I'm assuming my hamstrings haven't caught up in strength to what used to be a quad dominant, poorly executed squat. When I completed higher volume previously, the pain in my knees and quads was out of control the next day. As I type this my right hamstring is letting me know I put in work, so that's a good sign.

In good news I nailed the deadlifts! I had to take a pause after the third rep to adjust my grip, but I got it together and destroyed the last two reps. I <3 PR's. No complaints elsewhere.

[MADub]

05-SEP-2011

SQUAT
45 x 5, 8
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5 x 5

PRESS
45 x 5
145 x 5 x 3

PULL-UPS
4, 3, 2

SUMMARY
This workout should have been completed yesterday, but I elected to attend a friend's brunch and drink heavily. I'm usually very anal about missing scheduled workouts, but I figured there's only one Labor Day weekend every year. Squats today felt great. I found that leaning forward at the bottom really helps me keep the weight on my mid-foot, and keeps the stress off my quads. I usually feel some soreness in my outer quads, but not today. This was the third attempt at pressing 145 x 5 x 3 so I'm pumped that I finally killed this weight. The last rep on the last set took a lot of focus, it was wobbly, I kinda had to take a step forward, but I stuck with it and got the weight up. I was EXHAUSTED after the press. I meant to throw in some back extensions, but my body was telling me I had burned every calorie in my body and I was starving. The fuel tank was definitely on E. I came home and pounded a protein shake. I didn't eat as well I would have liked to this weekend, so I'll make it point to hit all my scheduled meals for the remainder of today.

[MADub]

07-SEP-11

SQUAT
45 x 12
85 x 5
125 x 5
155 x 5
185 x 5 x 2

BENCH PRESS
45 x 10
135 x 3
205 x 5 x 5

DEADLIFT
400 x 5 PR

LYING TRICEP EXTENSIONS
65 X 8, 6, 5, 2

SUMMARY
I used the same recovery weight as last week because my adductors were extra sore from volume day. I focused on keeping my knees out and making room for my hips, and the squats felt fantastic. I think I may have finally identified the source of my knee and quad pain and I feel great about it. Overall today was amazing. A new PR on the deadlifts, and it didn't feel all that heavy. A little slow on the last rep, but I locked it out with no problem. Bench press was great too! Excellent workout.

[MADub]

09-SEP-2011

SQUAT
45 x 12
105 x 5
165 x 5
225 x 3
280 x 2 FAIL

PRESS
45 x 5
140 x 5, 5, 2, 3, 2

PULL-UPS
6,4,3

SUMMARY
Probably the worst workout I've ever had. Completely out of gas. I've been trying to reduce my body fat, and I'm thinking recovery, i.e. improper nutrition and rest was the culprit. Was EXHAUSTED in the AM from cardio I had done the night before. But still. Workouts like this have a way of making me feel like a weak bitch :-(. I'll keep moving forward though. Things can't get too much worse. I'll be back in the gym on Tuesday to allow for some additional rest and get back on my preferred T-Th-Su schedule.

[MADub]

13-SEP-11

SQUAT
45 x 12
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 5
230 x 5 x 5

BENCH PRESS
45 x 12
135 x 5
225 x 5 PR

DEADLIFT
405 x 2, 1

PUSH-UPS
15, 15, 4

SUMMARY
Really focused on keeping my elbows up on the squats and the weight has never felt more stable on my back. I definitely see 405 happening very soon on the deads: got 2 reps, took a short break, and powered through a third. I'm happy with my performance this evening.

[MADub]

15-SEP-2011

SQUAT
45 x 12
75 x 8
125 x 6
155 x 5
185 x 5 x 2

PRESS
45 x 5
165 x 4.75 FAIL

GHD'S
6, 4, 2

CHINS
BW X 6, 4, 2

SUMMARY:
My quads were really sore going into this workout, which probably means on volume day my knees were sliding forward at the bottom. The bar also didn't feel as stable on my back as it did last workout, which is incredibly frustrating. There is a disconnect between how I perceive a workout at the end of it and what is sore the next day: I thought volume day was good but soreness in my outer quads indicates something wasn't right. Last volume day my adductors were extra sore, which is a good thing. Anyway - I was EXTREMELY close to getting 165 on the press - the first rep I got about three-quarters of the way up, lost focus, took a step forward, then reset. I muscled through the last four reps. That mis-step cost me a PR.

[MADub]

17-SEP-11

SQUAT
45 x 10
95 x 5
155 x 5
205 x 3
265 x 5

BENCH PRESS
45 x 12
95 x 10
135 x 8
185 x 5 x 3

DEADLIFT
405 x 5 PR

CURLS
70 x 5, 3, 3, 3

SUMMARY
After squat failures on the last two intensity days it was time I checked my ego and put a weight on the bar I could handle. Two sixty five definitely was the right choice. I actually got stuck in the hole on the third rep, but beasted out of the bottom and did a good job nailing the last two reps. I'm happy with my squat form today - my knees stayed out and the weight felt relatively secure on my back. The only hiccup was that third rep: my knees came forward a bit on the ascent but it took guts getting out of the bottom. I feel like I'm getting back on track to 315, my next big squat milestone. And speaking of milestones, how about 4 wheels on the deadlift! My back and chest are doing well - they are the bright spots that keep me from falling into a weak squat induced depression. I'm gonna be back in the gym tomorrow doing some calf work, stretching and cardio, but this workout concludes this TM week. Until Tuesday....

[MADub]

20-SEP-2011

SQUAT
45 x 10
95 x 8
135 x 5
185 x 3
235 x 5 x 5

PRESS
45 x 5
150 x 5, 3, 2

PULL-UPS
BW x 7, 3, 5

BACK EXTENSIONS
BW x 7, 4, 3

SUMMARY
All systems go last night. That was probably the freshest I have felt after volume day squats. Perhaps eating well the entire day provided increased endurance. My lower back didn't remain as stable as I would have liked, but I think I gained a better understanding of how the hamstrings anchor the back angle. I'll be focusing on keeping my ass out as things continue, as that helped on the last two worksets. Tweaked my elbow on that third rep of my second press workset and it was all bad after that. Didn't feel good at all. I need to focus more on bending the bar. Press progress is really slowing down.