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Thread: Greatness is a journey

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
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    13

    Smile Greatness is a journey

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
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    Greetings fellow lifters.

    Coming here to keep myself honest and hopefully get some feedback on progress.

    Started lifting with Starting Strengths 4 years ago almost to the day.

    Beginning stats 4 years ago were:
    Male
    39 y/o
    5'4"
    190 lbs (fatty)

    I use this format: Sets X Weight X Reps
    SQ: 3 x 95 x 5
    DL: 185 x 5
    BP: 3 x 95 x 5
    OP: 3 x 55 x 5

    Current Stats:
    43 y/o
    5'4" (no change! )
    176 lbs

    SQ: 3 x 365 x 5
    DL: 385 x 5 (short arms, and some injuries have kept my DL relatively weak)
    BP: 3 x 245 x 5
    OP: 3 x 155 x 5

    I think I've been pretty disciplined, missed maybe 2 workouts over 4 years. Started with starting strength program, the blue book, did the program pretty much to the letter (even the power cleans and the chins) for 5-6 months with resets and a light squat day and other adjustments before moving on to Texas Method. Ran Texas Method for about a year with resets and made good progress but after a year of it, stalled pretty hard. Then brought in some Feigenbaum/Baraki philosophy added volume, and assistance work, built up some work capacity, and size, and started moving the needle on the lifts again.

    Right now doing a 4 day split:

    Sunday:
    Heavy Bench Day
    - 3 sets of 5 heavy bench (when these get heavy will move down to 3 sets of 3, then when those get heavy will drop to either singles or doubles)
    - Assistance: been doing dumbbell incline bench, right now doing 5 sets of 5 Dead Bench with no belt

    Monday:
    Heavy Pull/Volume Squat Day
    - Heavy Rack Pulls: one or two sets of 5 to 15 reps move the bar one hole down every week or two. Try to keep the weight the same, so the rep range moves down as the bar goes down.
    - Volume Squat: 3 sets of 8 right now (just did 3 x 315 x 8 this week). Will move this down to 4 sets of 6 and then 5 sets of 5 as the weight gets heavier
    - Barbell or Dumbell Rows. Just did 3 sets of 8 with 137.5 lb Dumbells (I have the power blocks that go up to 175 lbs)
    - Curls (for the girls)

    Wednesday:
    Volume Bench Day
    - Overhead Press (or "The Press" to make SS folks happy ): 3 sets of 6 right now.
    - Bench Press: 3 sets of 8

    Friday:
    Volume Pull/Heavy Squat Day
    - Heavy Squat: 5 heavy singles, followed by 1 heavy set of 5. Last Friday, did 425 lbs for 5 singles, then 400 lbs for a set of 5 (PR). The heavy set of 5 will turn into two triples or three doubles. We'll see.
    - Volume Deadlift: Rest / Pause, as many reps as possible in 10 minutes. Just 365 for 13 reps in 10 minutes (PR)
    - Chins or Pull ups (alternating by week); sometimes weighted sometimes just bodyweight
    - Curls (for the girls again).

    All workouts done in my basement. I got a rack a mess of plates, a couple barbells, dumbbells, and power blocks. Will start posting workouts tomorrow. Curious about what others think of this kind of programming, and always open to critical feedback / suggestions.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
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    Default

    Wednesday, Nov 11 (Remembrance Day in Canada, honour to our vets)

    Stats: 5'4", 178.5 lbs on the scale this morning, 4h12m sleep, 820th workout, 4 minutes rest between all sets

    Volume Bench Day

    Press: 165 x1; 3 x 152 x 5
    Bench Press: 3 x 213 x 8, 8, 7; failed last rep of last set; will drop this down to 4 sets of 6 pretty soon
    Dead Bench, no belt: 3 x 210 x 5

    Workout Duration: 1h45m

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
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    Friday, November 13

    Stats: 43 y.o.; 5'4"; 178.1 lbs on the scale this morning; 5h17m sleep; 821st workout

    Heavy Squat/Volume Pull Day

    Squats: 3 x 425 x 1; 2 x 405 x 3, 2 (3 singles of 425, followed by a triple and a double with 405); 4 minutes rest between the singles, then 5 minutes before and after the triple
    Deadlift: 2 x 335 x 5 (5 min rest)
    Left hand Dumbell Rows: 5 x 175 x 3 (with PowerBlocks); 3 minute rests
    Right hand Dumbell Rows: 5 x 175 x 3 (with PowerBlocks); 3 minute rests
    Barbell Curls (in the rack of course!): 95 x 1; 3 x 85 x 10, 8, 6 (3 minute rests between sets)

    Workout Duration: 3h00m

    Sprained my right forearm a couple months ago, which has made deadlifts, barbell rows, and rack pulls weaker. It hasn't affected Dumbell Rows as much because of the different angle of the hand relative to my body (i.e., perpendicular rather than parallel to my body).

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Walled Lake, Michigan
    Posts
    6,681

    Default

    Welcome. Keep at it.

    I would guess that a "dead bench" is when you start the lift from the dead position on the chest. Am I close?

  5. #5
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    Sep 2017
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    Quote Originally Posted by carson View Post
    Welcome. Keep at it.

    I would guess that a "dead bench" is when you start the lift from the dead position on the chest. Am I close?
    Thank you very much. I'm hardly a young buck but I hope I'm as dedicated as you when I'm older.

    Yes, that's 100% correct about Dead Bench. I put the pins one hole higher than regular bench so that my inflated chest is just barely touching the bar. For me, I've found this variation more effective than the pause bench.

  6. #6
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    Sep 2017
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    Sunday, November 15th, 2020

    Stats: 43 y.o.; 177.9 lbs on the scale this morning, 8h55m sleep (crushed the sleep!); 822nd workout, 4 minutes rest between all sets

    Heavy Bench Day

    SET X WEIGHT X REPS

    Bench Press: 3 x 237 x 5 (was easy)
    Dead Bench, no belt: 4 x 213 x 5, 5, 5, 4 (didn't even go for the 5th rep on the last set, I knew I didn't have it in me, the 4th rep was a grind)

    Workout Duration: 1h00m

    Good workout.

  7. #7
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    Sep 2017
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    Monday, November 16th, 2020

    Stats: 43 y.o.; 5'4"; 176.9 lbs on the scale this morning; 4h35m sleep; 823rd workout

    Heavy Pull / Volume Squat Day

    SETS X WEIGHT X REPS

    Deadlift: 5 x 365 x 1 (3 minute rests)
    Rack Pulls Hole 8 (1" above my kneecap): 545 x 7 (with Cobra Grips)
    Squats: 3 x 320 x 8 (5 minute rests)
    Left Hand Dumbell Rows (with power blocks): 3 x 137.5 x 10 (3 minute rests)
    Right Hand Dumbell Rows (with power blocks): 3 x 137.5 x 10 (3 minute rests)
    Barbell Curls: 95 x 1; 100 x 1; 85 x 10; 2 x 75 x 11, 8 (3 minute rests between the big sets)

    Workout Duration: 3h10m

    As usual, squats went swimmingly. I'm built for squatting, short legs. Bad levers for pulling though: short arms, small hands. And, man, this right forearm sprain is taking forever to heal, can't wait til I'm able to throw 4 wheels on the bar for deadlifting again. I'm pooped, time for a cheeseburger and a drink.
    Last edited by Testluv; 11-16-2020 at 04:40 PM. Reason: forgot the rest times

  8. #8
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    Sep 2017
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    Wednesday, November 18th, 2020

    Stats: 43 y.o.; 5'4"; 176.3 lbs on the scale this morning; 7h07m sleep; 824th workout; 4 min rests between all sets

    Volume Bench Day

    SETS X WEIGHT X REPS

    Press: 165 x 1; 3 x 153 x 5
    Bench Press: 2 x 214 x 8, 7; 204 x 8 (back off set); will be moving to 4 sets of 6 across as soon as I fail 8 reps on the 1st set
    Dead Bench, no belt: 3 x 212 x 5

    Workout Duration: 1h40m

    I felt gassed today. Will try to eat and rest well for Friday's big workout. Work is a little crazy right now.
    Last edited by Testluv; 11-18-2020 at 03:37 PM. Reason: Had to correct one of the #s

  9. #9
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    Sep 2017
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    Friday, November 20th, 2020

    Stats: 43 y.o.; 5'4"; 176.4 lbs on the scale this morning; 5h56m sleep; 825th workout

    Heavy Squat / Volume Pull Day

    SETS X WEIGHT X REPS

    Squats: 425 x 1; 3 x 405 x 3 (5 minute rests)
    Deadlift: 3 x 340 x 4, 3, 3 (5 minute rests)
    Left Hand Dumbell Rows (with PowerBlocks): 4 x 175 x 4 (3 minute rests)
    Right Hand Dumbell Rows (with PowerBlocks): 4 x 175 x 4 (3 minute rests)
    Barbell Curls: 95 x 1; 100 x 1; 105 x 1; 2 x 85 x 12, 8; 75 x 8 (3 minute rests between the big sets)

    Workout Duration: 3h05m

    Squats went awesome as usual but the last rep on the last set was a major multi-second grind. Think I will try for a top single followed by 3 triples across maybe doing a backoff set for the 3rd set. Hopefully, I'll be able to make progress for a month with triples get that would be great. Deadlifts continue to be tough but my forearm was feeling a lot better today. I was trying for 2 sets of 5 on Deadlift but failed the last rep of the 1st set. I'm going to have to think about my Deadlift programming. Overall good workout. And it's Friday night, whoo hoo!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Walled Lake, Michigan
    Posts
    6,681

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    starting strength coach development program
    Of course, here you are. I am really enjoying life. I've completed the mss for my first book which is projected to be published in December. I enjoy lifting. My wife is a wonderful companion but at 73 some things are breaking down like memory (that's why I forgot that I had posted in your area), some balance, and other things not ready to mention.

    It is good to be alive.

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