New 38 year old novice, press, warmup, and recovery questions

[nated1]

Hi all,

Thank-you coach Rip for your books and knowledge, and also to your coaches. I have SS and PPST. I'm reading and learning, your material is packed with knowledge. I'm currently 60% done SS and only read the Special Populations chapter in PPST.

I am a novice, and have never felt strong in my life - but I decided to do something about this. I am not big boned, or naturally prone to strength - I.e. I'm not genetically gifted for strength. I first hired a personal trainer who was focusing on general exercise more than I wanted. I happened on Stronglifts.com 5x5 which I started. I then found SS, and have moved to SS. I started most exercises with bar only and have been working up - some exercises (bench press) I'm still quite easily able to do and not yet pushing myself.

From my journal:
174lbs/5'9" - unknown body far but probably 20-30%
Squat 135 lbs
Deadlift 155 lbs
Bench press 85 lbs
Press 75 lbs
Power Clean - n/a - I started SS as a 'rank novice', will start once I've read the chapter (aka in the next couple weeks)
Chins when attempting 3 sets of 5, currently able to do 3,3,2 (first attempted my prior workout)

Eating good. Track my calories and protein. About 3100ish cals, 175g protein or more (roughly 60g from whey protein powder). Good sleep, no kids, so a easy 8 hours a day.

My questions are about my press progress / warmup sets, and recovery times.

Press progress has been very slow. On 2 occasions now, I've had go 3 workouts to get my full set or 3x5 in. As it says in page 304, it's easier to not get stuck than it is to get unstuck. So looking for advice on how to do that.

Yesterday, I completed this set (finally)
Warmup: 2 sets of 5, 45 lbs. 1 set of 5, 55 lbs. 1 set of 3, 55 lbs. 1 set of 2, 55 lbs
Work: 3 sets of 5, 75 lbs

I am trying to follow the programming at page 299 in SS.

I've bought 1 lbs washers to start micro loading.

- being 38, should I be adding an extra day to my rest period? Besides trial and error, is there a way to make an educated guess if I've recovered well enough from prior workout?

- am I overdoing it with the warmup sets? They definitely tire me since the warm up sets are near to my working weight. I know page 299 also says don't have warmup sets interfere with working set. I'm considering 2x45, then do work sets.. Looking for clarification on this.


I'm sure over time I'll have more questions or video for technique review. Thank you again.

[Kyle Schuant]

Post a technique video for us.

3-6 warmup sets is normal, with the reps dropping off as you approach the work weight. Some people need the higher end of warmups, some less. Basically, as you get older and/or injured you need more warmups. Without someone competent to watch you, you have to discover by experiment what works for you. Try less a couple of times, try more a couple of times.

You're 38, not 68. The normal mon/wed/fri or similar gives you a day off for 2 of 3 workouts, and two days off for the 3rd. That's plenty.

The press is a dirty bastard and will go up slowly, unless someone stupidly started too high in a lift, the press is always the first lift to stall. If you've taken 3 workouts to get to a lift on 2 occasions, then it's time for a deload though. I wouldn't have expected things to get hard just yet though, most men under 50 get to about a 100lb press before missing reps, but maybe you were really sedentary in the past and haven't started with much muscle mass, I dunno, would have to see you. Possibly just technique, too. Post a technique vid.

[nated1]

Thanks Kyle,

I'll post video when I get recording sorted. I was very sedentary and started with little muscle mass to begin with, so a fair description. I too was hoping I'd hit a higher number before missing reps! Will look at deloading.

Thanks,
Devin

[Kyle Schuant]

If you can post a technique vid in the next week or so, don't deload. If you're going to take months to show us, then deload.

[nated1]

Hi Kyle,

I plan to video tomorrow, which is the next scheduled session for me to do the press. While I'm at it, I'll post some video technique checks of squats on the appropriate forum group too, and maybe deadlift (I think struggling with lower back control and/or tightening my abs enough, so practicing that skill based on Rip's cues from SS). I'm grateful for the knowledge of the people here, and to tap into the experience is wonderful (even if a little intimidating). Assuming I can get my iPhone or iPad to behave, video will be posted.

Thanks,
Devin

[Kyle Schuant]

It's intimidating for all of us, Nate. I have a scoliosis, bent back. At the seminar last year we were put in groups with an SS coach supervising, we'd coach each-other up to our work weights, then repeat the work weight with the whole room (25-30 people watching) while Rip coached. Come to deadlifts. Rip and the host gym's coach whacked a rubber mat as a shim under one leg to try to balance me up. Rip stood about 15 feet away, arms crossed resting his chin on one fist, saying to the other coach, "Could it be that simple? - do another rep, Kyle - no, look, his nipples are still uneven."

I flew 24 hours and 18,000km to stand in front a world-renowned coach and several very good coaches and a room full of other students and had them comment on my nipples being uneven. This is not real good for the ego, but does ultimately make you a better lifter - and in my case, a better coach. If nothing else it gave me a reminder of what a person feels like when you're picking over tiny details of their movement.

[nated1]

Thank Kyle, great words of encouragement to overcome any intimidation!

Video is done, and has already proven valuable to me. I'm editing it (videoed entire session) to pull out 1 or 2 sets of each. It'll be a bit more before I've got myself a youtube account and cut the video down to respectable lengths (vs an entire 50 mins)

On the bright side, I got to use my 1.5 lbs plates the first time.. Made my 77.5 lbs lifts first try.
On less bright side, back lower back is sore and getting more sore, and video shows rounding on deadlift and squat perhaps.

Anyhow, I'll have video up soon and totally looking forward to how I can improve!

Thanks,
Devin

[dotyl9h]

and, par for the course, no video