Public Mortification

[OITW]

To start, anyone trying to make sense of my inconsistent performance should read Rip's article in the old CF journal about older trainees. Not a whine, these are just facts of life I deal with. An additional consideration is that I am active duty Navy, and military height-weight silliness has been discussed thoroughly on this board. Just another fact of life.

I started SS about two years ago, after realizing in CF just how abominably weak I was. I started from zero and went through all the usual form problems until I seemed to figure it out. My PRs were 275 squat / 290 DL, but the presses stunk and I never did more than 125 on PCs. I gained a good thirty pounds, most of which has stayed but has seemingly morphed into gut. I could have done more and better, but life intervened, deployments, stuff like that, until I transfered to England. Life here is sweet, my home gym is filling up nicely (a York GHD and an Eleiko PL bar make it so, thanks to Ebay). And now I'm determined to get this train rolling again, and keep it rolling until a)there is no more novice progression available and I move this thread to intermediate, and b) compete in a master's competition. I expect squat to break 300 and DL 340 or more before the novice progression is exhausted this time out. I'm already microloading the press at 115, but the bench can get to 160 or higher before I have to microload.

Today was squat and press:

230 x5reps x3sets

Working the squats back from 200, a little pyschological letdown after passing 225 (four wheels), these felt heavy but do-able. Could push through slow, no forward lean at all (thanks, GHD).

115 x5x4x4

My previous press PR was 112.5, but this is my third go at 115. I find I need more than four days rest on the press, and I'm also not benching right now (no bench at home, need to catch it at work). However, I also realized during the second set how much elbows need to be forward of the bar, and feel had I been doing that all along, I would have nailed 115 this time out. I'll give it a week and try again.

Big concern right now is eating, since Navy PRT is coming up in a month and the waist has to be slim, and it isn't. I want to eat more in order to do hard things, but have to keep it under control. A lot more metcon, push-ups, etc. in the next few weeks.

[August West]

If you're working on waistline reduction, I'd try some of the recommendations John Sheaffer's mentioned in his Q&A: getting your protein in 6 evenly spaced meals, with a carb cutoff sometime in afternoon/evening. That combined with some walking before breakfast helped me lose a few inches in a couple weeks.

Good luck getting the most out of linear progression while you're at it.

[OITW]

The past two days--have delivered a new (well, used but new to me) car, taxes, masons showing up at my door without prior warning from landlord, idiot clerk at the DVLA saying my documents weren't right for registering said car despite instructions on documents clearly contradicting her, son using cement slab left by masons for artistic expression. Oh, yea, taxes. Lifting? What's that?

Tomorrow, squats and DLs.

[poopmonkey]

Fantastic title for an online log. Love it.

[OITW]

Coming from a guy with your moniker, that means something.

[OITW]

There are no numbers here, just a whine. Been running from project deadline to project deadline, and then a molar that I knew had to go sometime (cracked in two, endodontist had already told me it was unsavable) really kicked up the infection. There is no pain like dental pain. Haven't really eaten in two days. Had it extracted yesterday, feeling better thanks to percocet, will attempt squat/press tomorrow, DL and metcon on Friday.

But woo-hoo, I did get some Apollo bumpers (15 and 20 kg), bar locks at 2.5kg each so now my bar will be standard weight, and I get a C2 this weekend. Rack and bench are soon to follow, just need 10kg bumpers, a 10kg training bar for the wife and her friend, who are interested, and some stable mats and the home gym is complete.

[Robert Callahan]

But woo-hoo, I did get some Apollo bumpers (15 and 20 kg), bar locks at 2.5kg each so now my bar will be standard weight, and I get a C2 this weekend. Rack and bench are soon to follow, just need 10kg bumpers, a 10kg training bar for the wife and her friend, who are interested, and some stable mats and the home gym is complete.

Hey! Nice to see you started a log on here

Sounds like you are starting to accumulate all the equipment you need! For rubber mats I recommend looking up Horse tackle shops in the area as Horse stall mats are the same ones as used in gyms but way cheaper.

What does your program look like right now?

[OITW]

What does my program look like? Boy, that's a temptation to go all Rip on you.

I live in horse country, somewhere between 26-30 pounds a mat, so 45-50 bucks each, just waiting until I had a need. I don't mind used ones if I can get them from a local stable, but I don't know how often stables change them. I found a powerlifter (the one who sold me the bumpers) who will sell me one of his old racks, very heavy duty, and a very solid bench as well. I'll probably have the local vocational tech school modify the rack (shorten the depth, drill a few more holes, maybe add a higher chin bar), but otherwise it's as functional as it gets.

Just trying to get through today, feel better tomorrow and start lifting again.

[OITW]

Wussed. Teeth and jaw hurt, but I'm trying to stay off the percocet. Perhaps by tomorrow.

[OITW]

Got back under for just squats today. Having barely eaten and still being mildly under the influence, turns out that was a good idea. Workset 235lbs, actually slightly less (20kg bar, 2xWeider 45lb, 2x20kg bumpers, 2x2.5kg locks), did 5 reps, then 4, then 3. Burgers and beans tonight, pick up a used C2 tomorrow, DL and press tomorrow night. With luck will be a full round by Monday.