starting strength gym
Page 3 of 6 FirstFirst 12345 ... LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 59

Thread: Spinoza's log

  1. #21
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Posts
    129

    Default

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
    • starting strength seminar jume 2024
    • starting strength seminar august 2024
    I think you make an excellent point about nursing the momentum. In fact, I'm persuaded by it; as long as I'm making progress, motivation is high. The longer I can ride that high, I figure the better off I am. Moreover, I also may be subjecting myself to increased risk of injury if I make large jumps in weight, e.g., my connective tissue ideally only needs to adjust to small incrementally increasing loads.

    And, as far as hustling backwards. Yeah, but it's eventually necessary no matter how much weight (or how little) one starts off with. You're deloading and making adjustments so you can eventually overshoot your previous sticking point. Yeah, yeah, easy to say, harder to accept while it's happening.

    We're PR/level junkies, but strength training -- like with most things -- is a game of patience and perseverance. One must be at peace with the diminishing returns, because even if one slows down to on average 10 pounds per month in the squat, that's still an incredible 120 pounds per year. That would take us up to a nearly a 600 pound squat. In that light, even a 5 pound per month improvement would be impressive accumulated over a year.

    And you're right -- I said AMRAPx275 because I didn't thing there was anyway I'd be able to do more than 5 -- I was thinking I'd only be able to manage 4, tops.

  2. #22
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    118

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by spinoza View Post

    And you're right -- I said AMRAPx275 because I didn't thing there was anyway I'd be able to do more than 5 -- I was thinking I'd only be able to manage 4, tops.
    Oh right, I got ya. Knee jerk reaction to the acronym, which I took out of context. The only thing I rep out is weighted chins.

    You're right about patience, but you never get cheaper tickets to strength than novice/intermediate progression and it doesn't make sense to stop the train while it is on pace.

    Hope ya hit your (sensible!) numbers today (or tomorrow).

  3. #23
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Posts
    129

    Default

    TM Intensity day -- but I wasn't feeling that intense.

    Squat: 4x410. I failed on the 5th rep -- went into the hole and stayed there. The failure wasn't a problem though -- I just went down a bit more and laid the bar on the side racks. My back basically good-mornining'd on the 5th, and since it's still a little tender from the brokenspine roundback DL PR, I wasn't able to muscle through it (like I think I've done in the past). I don't like missing, but I think I was due for one in the squat. Still, 4 reps at 410 ain't bad considering a month ago I was only doing 5x365-ish.

    BP: I only did 4x265. I was like, wtf? So much for my aspirations for a 4x275! However, my first rep was so out of the groove it took all I could muster just to get it back up. I wasn't sure what was going on, but at that point I was doubting my ability to get a second rep in. However, by the next rep I had regained my form and it went up a lot easier. The 4th rep was really hard, though, so I didn't attempt a 5th rep. Afterwards, I went ahead and added 20 more pounds and did 1x285. I could at least have done another rep at that weight because it didn't feel that heavy -- it certainly felt a lot easier than the first rep at 265. Since I may be participating in a deadlift + BP local powerlifting competition (my first) in a few of weeks, next week I'm going to test my BP out. Singles: 285, 295, 305, 315. I'm pretty sure I can do up to 295, and probably 305, but I'm pretty sure I can't do 315. I'll skip OHP next week and do bench again.

    Skipped power cleans due to tender back issue.

    All in all, not what I was hoping for, but I'm not worried about it.

  4. #24
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    118

    Default

    I haven't done exactly 4x410 yet, but I know that weight and that is a set to be proud of. I'm hoping to ACTUALLY do a 5RM this intensity day, but I keep overestimating myself.

    Fuck benching. But 4x265 is 4 more 265lb benches than I can do. When I blow the first rep that badly, sometimes I rack it, take 5 and try again, but nice job pushing through. 285 would crush me right now.

    Looking forward to see if you make those 3xx singles. You are making fast bench progress. Hopefully I can eat my way up to a 300 single in a few months.

  5. #25
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Posts
    129

    Default

    Finished volume day. I took my time getting around to doing this to give my back extra time to recuperate, and I think it worked.

    Deadlifts: 4x490. I think I could have gotten a fifth rep, but since I felt my form degrade somewhat on the 4th rep and I tweaked my back last time I deadlifted going for a PR, I stopped it there. Next time I DL, I'll go for 5x495 -- only a 5 lbs jump instead of 10 lbs.

    Squats: 5x5x345. This felt a lot easier than 5x5x340 last VD. I should've done 5x5x350, oh well.

    BP: My bench felt good. The first set was the hardest, but then I found my groove. First 4 sets, I did 5 reps. Last set, I did 6 reps fairly easy.

    Last ID wasn't a shining moment for me, especially in the BP, so I'm hoping I can redeem myself with some big lifts next ID day -- actually I'm pretty eager for ID day.

  6. #26
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Posts
    129

    Default

    Oh, yeah, ID day goals:

    Squat: 1x5x420 -- but I'll be very happy if I get 4 reps, and 3 reps ain't so bad either. I'm just going to keep pushing ID squats up by 10 pounds until I can only manage a single. Then, deload a bit and come back for more.

    BP: Singles. 285, 295, 305, 315. Since 285 was pretty easy last week, I think I can at least get 295, and maybe 305. If I get 315, I'll be stoked.

    Power cleans: Since my back feels pretty good again, I'll be doing these. 5x3x265.

    NOTE: Structure is {number of sets}x{number of reps}x{pounds}, e.g., 5x3x265 is 5 sets of 3 reps each at 265 pounds.
    Last edited by spinoza; 10-29-2013 at 05:28 PM.

  7. #27
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    118

    Default

    Nice big goals there.

    5x420 is my plan too. If you do 345x5x5 and lift 420x5 on ID and I do 385x5x5 and can't, I think I will drop a set from my volume day.

    It is nice to have someone to compare squats with. Just gotta catch my DL up to yours now.

  8. #28
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Posts
    129

    Default

    Recovery day was a bust. My shoulders are feeling janky as hell, my upper arms (notably the left arm) are sore as hell, and I was overall feeling like a piece of shit.

    I did paused squats, low as I can go, 2x5x275. After that, I attempted to do some overhead pressing, but I knew I was in trouble by how the warm-ups felt. I only manged one set, 4x170. Then, I tried some chins (after warming up on some pull down thingies). I only managed one set, 4xBW. I called it day at this point; obviously my body is telling me to sit down and eat some candy.

    I felt good the whole VD day, and I didn't think I felt that bad today until I started trying to lift shit. I've been eating and getting enough sleep, and I'm certainly not overtrained. I am 38, though, and tend to have issues with recovery. So... I don't know. Gonna pretend like this day didn't happen -- by how I felt, though, I may have to give myself an extra day of rest before I silently rage for ID day.

  9. #29
    Join Date
    Jul 2013
    Posts
    129

    Default

    Intensity day... bleh. I'm coming down with something -- both kids have strep -- and in general wasn't feeling up for it.

    First, I did squats 2x420. Maybe I could have gotten a third rep in, but why push my luck.

    Second, I did some BP. Unfortunately, all I did was warm ups to 225. My left bicep/elbow was flaring up, and it still hurts now, nearly a half hour later. I noticed that on recovery day, when I changed my form a bit in the squat by bringing my grip in and my elbows back more, I aggravated my biceps/elbow. I had this problem a few months ago before I found a squat form that didn't cause this problem. I have janky, inflexible shoulders, so a relatively narrow grip just doesn't seem to work for me very well. Since I still plan on competing in a PL competition in a couple weeks, I don't want to push my luck on the, I assume, elbow tendonitis, so I stopped there. I forget what's recommended when nursing an injury like this, but I'm going to read up on it and follow what's prescribed.

    I skipped power cleans. I feel like a total pussy now, oh well.

  10. #30
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Posts
    118

    Default

    starting strength coach development program
    Don't sweat a bad week here and there. 2x420 still qualifies as an ID for squats, even if it is just a placeholder.

    My experience with wrist/elbow tendonitis has shown me the cure is perfect form + time with strategic doses of ibuprofen. In my opinion, do NOT use ibuprofen to get through the workouts that caused the inflammation! You need the pain to know when you're fucking up or you will have a useless arm for a month.

    Good luck and feel better. Volume day's a' comin'

Page 3 of 6 FirstFirst 12345 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •