Two Fours Log

[TwoFours]

Hi

I'm a former baseball player (pitcher) who played in college and at the independent minor league level. Unfortunately, back in my playing days I never did heavy squats or deads or anything resembling a strength routine. We generally did light squats (never more than 185lb), box jumps/plyometric crap, etc.

Fast forward a decade (long after my competitive playing career)...2 years ago I pulled a hamstring playing softball and it never fully recovered so I hit the interwebs to find out the best way to strengthen it up. BB .com told me that deadlifts were great for the hammys so I immediately searched "how to deadlift" on youtube and came across a Rippetoe video. That lead me to Starting Strength. And the rest is history.

I've been doing the program since January and am at the advanced novice stage that Rip outlines in PPST.

Age 33

Weight 212

Height 5'10

Current maxes:

Squat 325 3x5
Deadlift 405 x 5, 415 x 3
Bench 220 3x5
Press 147.5 3x3
Clean 180 5x3

I just got some microplates from a reco on this site and hopefully my bench and press will start going up a bit more. I'm contemplating switching to 3x3 bench when I get back to 220 because this will be my 3rd time there (deloaded from 220 twice now). I will use this log to start tracking my work sets tomorrow.

[TwoFours]

Had to work out in the morning today because of my playoff softball game tonight.

Light Squats - 225 x 2 x 5
OHP - 147.5 x 3 x 3 (was third and final attempt before deload!)
Deadlift 395 x 3/5. Still going for sets of 5 on DL. Been trying to only use double overhand hook grip. Got it 3 times before grip failure on the 4th rep.

Working out in the morning absolutely sucks.

[TwoFours]

Had to miss my Friday workout because I was upstate at my brother's wedding. Currently experiencing a 2 day hangover. It was a great weekend.
Mondays workout:
Squat 315 x 3 x 5. - felt pretty brutal after the day of Friday but grinded them out.
Bench 217.5 x 3 x 5 - same thing as above. Grinded out. No energy because of the 3 straight days of being a savage and drinking like one.
Back ext. 3 x 8
Chin Ups - 7, 6, 4.

[TwoFours]

Pretty nice workout last night except that I was in a different NY Sports Club only because it is close to where I needed to be for my basketball game. This gym sucked. Rubber tiles that were uneven and warped. Would stink to do a heavy squat day here. Had a dude come up to me during OHP to ask me how long I would be (I was in a squat rack, no cages at this hell hole, and he said it with a very impatient tone). I told him 5 more minutes so he waited there. Once I got done he took the bar out of the rack and set it on the floor in front of the rack and started doing deadlifts. I moved about 10 feet away to an open space for my deadlifts. Was very happy when I outlifted him by 140 pounds.

Wednesday:
Squat (light session) - 225 x 2 x 5
OHP - 150 x 3 x 3. Shockingly, felt pretty easy. Just started doing them with my a belt and they feel great. Did a backoff set of 7 at 115.
Deadlift - 395 x 6 - working on grip strength. Did these double overhand with hook grip. Did back off set of 3 at 315 with a 3 inch deficit.

[TwoFours]

Good workout today.
Squat - 320 x 3 x 5 here is set # 2 http://youtu.be/FZikyUNiKjY
Bench - 220 x 3 x 5 - was brutal but got it done. Was able to get in the one power rack at my gym. Last rep on last set was brutal. Guarantee if I was on a regular bench and getting spotted whoever it was would have grabbed the bar. Love the power rack. Wonder where my bench would be if I always got in the rack.
Cleans - 155 x 5 x 3. Deloaded from 175. Felt nice and easy.

[TwoFours]

Pretty good workout. Microplates are really helping my OHP progression.

Squat 325 x 3 x 5. Easy. http://youtu.be/ZXkCHp37FaY
OHP 152.5 x 3 x 3. Last rep was a grind. Finished up wit ha set off 8 @ 115.
back ext x 3 x 8
Chins 6, 4 , 3

[TwoFours]

Wed 9/23
Felt weak but got the new PR in bench.

Squat (light) 225 x 2 x 5
Bench 222.5 x 3 x 5
DL 405 x 4/5 - used double overhand hook grip for first 4, when grip was shot, switched to mixed grip for the last one and could only get it to the bottom of my knees.

When I was squating I actually saw someone doing bosu ball bench press on the oly platform with very light dumbells.

[TwoFours]

Fri 9/25

Squat 330 x 3 x 5 Here's a vid of third set. Some lady appreciated the squats http://youtu.be/K9AJwkFzqQ0

OHP 155 x 3 3 1 Failed on second rep of 3rd set.

Clean 160 x 5 x 3. Was pretty easy.

[TwoFours]

Monday 9/29

Squat 335 x 3 x 5. Felt ok. A little tired from the weekend. Didnt do any backoff sets.

Bench 225 x 3 x 5. I actually got 6 reps on the last set.

back ext 3 x 8, my bicep tendon and muscle hurts. I did not do chins today.

[TwoFours]

Wednesday 10/1

Rough day strengthwise. Stayed up until 130 am watching the Royals/A's playoff game on Tuesday. Very sluggish all day long. Also was out late after softball on Monday.

Squat 225 x 2 x 5 (lite work)
OHP 155 x 3 x 3 (only got 3, 2, 2)
Deadlift 405 x 5 (only got 2, double overhand hook grip)

Of note: had to work at the crappy sports club because of proximity to the basketball gym where I had a game later that night. There was a dude that was very well built, thick legs and upper body in the squat rack next to me. He starts loading up squats and puts 455 on the bar. Does a set of three and as you would predict did some half squats. Also, after I failed my deadlifts (2 of 5) he asked me why I am doing double overhand. And that he does mixed grip for every set. Couldnt think of anything to say except "I'm working on grip strength". He was actually a nice dude. He said he heard of the hook grip but never tried it but after seeing me (half his size) doing it, he will reconsider.