Coalminecanary's Intermediate Log

[Peter Dempster]

Hey everyone. Here we go.

My Novice Log can be found here: http://http://startingstrength.com/r...rys-log-4.html

All weights in pounds. I use the format of weight, sets x reps (eg 255 3x5 is 3 sets of 5 reps at 255 pounds). Programming is put together by Craig Bearss, an SSC up here in Vancouver. I'm in the middle of a consult with Jordan on nutrition.

Background details:

37 year old male
6'2, 222.4 lbs, 19% bf by callipers a month ago.

Novice progression:

Squat 115 -> 280 (4rm)
Press 65 -> 122 (3rm)
Bench 105 -> 180 (4rm)
Deadlift 115 -> 195* (5rm)

I don't power clean due to past wrist surgeries. My deadlift is poverty because I herniated a disk doing one in August and I just started doing them again recently. My RM on deadlift is likely much higher, I'm just taking it up slow.

Programming: four day split. My biggest problem for consistency is travel (2x per month) and I need to train at lunch, hence the split. Here it is:

Day 1
Bench 5x5
Press 3x8
LTE 3x10
Eccentric chins

Day 2
Squat 5x5
RDL 3x10
Ab wheel 3x10

Day 3
Bench 5rm
Press 3x5
Chins 3x max
Cable facepull 3x20

Day 4
Squat 5rm
Pause squat 3x5 - 3 second pause in hole
Deadlift 1x5

Goals:

Last time I set a weight goal by lift I ended up herniating a disk. So how about, get stronger?

[Peter Dempster]

BW 221.4

Day 1
Bench 155 5x5
Press 95 3x8
LTE - nil
Chins 3x2

Yay day 1, it begins. And I forgot to do LTE. Awesome.

The volume didn't seem that bad but it's only the start. I started with lower intensity to make sure I didn't get stuck. Tomorrow should be interesting as I've never done that much single day volume for squats. Upwards and onwards.

[Peter Dempster]

BW 221.6

Day 2

Squat 235 5x5
RDL (Beltless) 135 3x10
Roman Chair Sit-ups 25 lb loaded 3x10

Squats were surprisingly tough, which caught me a bit off guard since they were @ 84% of my last set of 5s. RDLs were easy but I decided that I need to do at least one beltless pull so I backed off a bit (10 lbs) to keep form perfect. Hands were the biggest problem, I'll need to switch to a hook grip to keep up. Roman Chair because I couldn't find the ab wheel.

[Peter Dempster]

Day 3

BW 221.0

Bench 170 1x5
Press 115 3x5
Chins 4x2
Standing facepulls 27.5 3x20

Not exactly a tough day at all. But, that was planned, being my first week. That being said I have some moderate DOMS in my legs (particularly inner thighs); I think the volume on squats got me good. I think that the RDLs are also generally brutal given the eccentric portion, especially for high reps. Intensity day tomorrow for lower body, hopefully it will be gone by then...

[Peter Dempster]

Day 4

BW 221.4

Squat 265 1x5
DL 185 1x5
HIIT spin bike, 20s @ 18, 140s @ 10, 5 inter.

Meeeeeeh. Squat was a touch grindy but DL was a breeze. I think I'll plan for 10 lb jumps on DL to like 235 or so.

[Peter Dempster]

Week 2

Macros: 280/107/220 (c/f/p)

Day 1

BW: 224.0 (wtf)

Bench 160 5x5 (4 min rest)
Press 98 3x8 (3 min rest)
Chins 4x2* (90 second rest)
LTE 55 3x10 (2 min rest)

Pretty good session. Bench was fine, a bit grindy at the end, but nothing all that stressful. Press was actually a bit easy. I noticed that I wasn't locking out my knees, which was causing a big power leak.

Chins were fine but I stupidly supersetted the last set with LTE which generally ruined me. So I had to do two singles at the end to finish them. And it made the LTEs super grindy.

I'd like to see progress on chins but since I somehow gained 3 lbs last week I can call this session progress I guess.

[Peter Dempster]

Day 2

BW 221.1 (wtf???)

Squat 230 5x5
RDL 140 3x10
Roman Chair Sit-ups 25 3x10

So, my starting points were off last week for squat. I should have done 225 or even 220 for volume and gone with 260 for intensity. As a result I had a tough time with recovery. So, I stepped back volume slightly to 230 and I'll try 270 on Day 4, and again next week I'll do 230 and then 275. That gets me to volume day being 83% of intensity day, at which point I'll move hopefully to 232.5 and 280, then 232.5 and 285. That gets me to about 80%. So I hope.

RDLs were fine, only issue was grip. I hooked all three sets but still.

[Peter Dempster]

BW 221.6

No soreness today except hamstrings - for which I blame the RDLs. A bit of low energy though, but feels recoverable in the ordinary course. I think I have the right number for Day 2 squats.

[Peter Dempster]

Day 3

BW 221.6

Bench 175 1x5
Press 117 3x5
Chins 4x2
Face pulls 22.5 3x20

A bit tougher than I expected. My triceps were sore, likely from the LTEs on Tuesday, which added some agony to the lifts. Chins were slightly easier and I tried for a triple but could not quite get it. Maybe next week. Went down 5 lbs on face pulls because I was doing them wrong and needed to reset.

[Peter Dempster]

Day 4

BW 222.0 (was 220.1 yesterday)

Squat 270 1x5
Front Squat 115 2x5
DL 195 1x5

Squats were a griiiiind. Was training with my coach and he rated them at 9.5 RPE.

Since I was shot from the top set, we decided to learn front squats, for fun. Also, I'm having some trouble controlling my back angle, so some front squats (to force me to not round my mid back) were an idea as sort of a training tool. They were pretty easy but uber hard to keep on my deltoids.

DL = meh. Still light. Still 10 lb jumps.