Dan Mans Training Log- Back to Starting Strength

[DanO_123]

Hello all. I'm currently on post 2 so nobody knows me here. I've been a member since early last year but I usually just read and don't really have a whole lot of questions.

I recently have come back to linear programming. I realized while doing Wendler's 5/3/1 that I wasn't optimized for it. It worked very well but progress was coming slower than I thought I could get and my reps were getting higher each month which basically meant my strength was out pacing the weight increases. I will go back to this program after playing with the TM first and tapping linear progress. It truly is a fantastic program.


So here I am back on starting strength and doing it right this time. I decided to do a log. Maybe it'll help some of you guys stay motivated and help me as well. I was looking to see what some of the guys my size were getting out of the program and came across Mr City's log. It helped me realize I could push this fairly far. So maybe I'll have some decent success as Mr. City. I'd like to push this till I have a 405lb 1RM or more

My previous best on 5/3/1 were

Squat 300x10- 1 rep max should be around 365-385

Bench 245x7

Press 190x1- Very freaking hard!

Dead 355x7 - Barefoot vs squat shoes... I think I prefer barefoot.

I decided to switch back to 3x5 and reduce my weights so I could ramp through my PR's without much headache. I laid out the advanced novice program with emphasis on the Power clean. I never really did them much before so they are fairly weak compared to my other lifts. I've decided to remove one of the back extension days in place I will do power cleans until they get proportionally stronger.

I will lay out my first month back here and then additional posts for each workout. I hope this in enjoyable to read. Thanks again. Any help or comments are appreciated.

Im 6'2 and 30yrs old for anyone interested with longer legs so squats are tough! All you guys hitting 400lb squats for reps make me envious.

June 27
BW 228lbs
Squat 305x5x1, then 285x5x2.
Bench 215x5x3
Chins 25x5x3
Back Ext. 15x3

Weight was doable but I wanted to start light and ramp through. I decided to drop down to 265 on squats and also work on good form. I was getting a weird pain in my left knee on my last set of 300x10 and I realized my stance was wide and it was very difficult to keep my knees out with such a wide stance. It was getting a weird tq on the joint.

June 29
Squat 225x5x2
Press 135x5x3
Deadlift 315x5x1
Curl 95x10x2 (I just add them in occasionally or they don't grow as well)

Everything felt real nice and easy as it should. Feels good to be doing this again. My whole body is feeling good.

July 1
BW 229.4

Squat 265x5x3
Bench 215x5x3
Back Ext 20x12x3
Pull-Up 12, 8 ,8

Bodyweight is finally climbing. I've been eating what can only be described as obscene. My mother in law bought be 17lbs of Rib eye, I go through 1-2 steaks a day, eggs, lots of pasta and rice, GOMAD, sometimes cookies, chicken, burgers, protein powder and just about anything I can get my hands on. I am tired of cooking all the time.

I've also made a conscious effort to eat more fruit and at least some vegetables when I can stuff them in. I'm used to eating a fairly healthy diet so this is a little opposite for me. Usually it's whole grain rice etc.. but who can eat like that and still get enough cals? I think i'm eating around 500g carbs a day. 300 grams prot and 200g fat. I like to have 10,000 calorie weekends to really kick off the week right.

July 4th
Squat 275x5x3
Press 137.5x5x3
PowerClean 135x3x5 (working on form not familiar with these at all)
Chins - 1 rep max set to see where I was and got 12 reps. Getting hard at 230lbs


I got loaded on scotch and white wine at my parents house and passed out drunk... that sucked all night with heartburn and insomnia. Won't be doing that again anytime soon. But I did cook some amazing seared ahi tuna, Ribeye and potatoes for everyone and it was a big hit.

July 6th 2010

Squat 225x5x2
Bench 220x5x3
RDL 135x13x3 - started working out at home. No back extension.
Chins- 10,8,7

Stamina was hurting probably from drinking a couple days prior

July 8
Squat- 280x5x3
Press -140x5x3
Deads- 335x5x1
Dips BW -17,14, 9 Not much rest between sets

Last day of workout cycle so I added in some dips. Felt great for my shoulders, chest, and arms. Hoping it will help with pressing as it's always been hard for me. Won't be doing it to often.

July 12
Squat- 285x5x3
Bench -225x5x3
Power Clean- 145x3x5
Chins- 11,9,8

Everything felt great. I think I'm getting the power cleans alright. Racking them good but having trouble judging the best time for the jump and stomp.
I took an extra day off. My wife is preggers and having a baby soon so sometimes her appointments get in the way.


July 14

Squat 225x5x2
Press 142.5x5x3
RDL 150x12x2, 155x12x1

Easy day... not a whole lot going on. I think I messed up and should have done deadlifts on this day but oh well. I'll work them in next workout. My computer has my program laid out and I didn't look at it and made a mistake.

July 16

Squat 290x5x3
Bench 230x5x3
Deads 345x5x1
Chins 12,9,9

I've been working out at home. My garage is bout 90 degrees and I sweat like a pig. It really wears me out but I like that it keeps me loose and squats feel better. MY hands are slipping pretty good from the sweat so I'm ordering chalk. The bar feels like it is going to slip out of my hands on bench and that is not a good. I went back and did chins about an hr later when I could catch my stamina. Switching to this program is taxing in a much different way than 5/3/1 and I am still adapting.

I also didn't eat enough and I notice right off the bat the difficulty of this workout was more than I had expected. So i'm going for GOMAD and shooting between 4500 and 5000 cals a day.

July19
Squat 295x5x3
Press 145x5x3
Power Clean 155x3x5

All pretty easy. Much easier than last workout. I made sure I got all my calories in and it makes a huge difference. I'm also packing in lots of fish oil, liv 52 tabs, 8,000-10,000 IU vit D a day and 1g vit C a day. It seems to help with energy and recovery. I also take creatine but I hate it so I usually end up not taking it everyday.

July 21

Squat 230x5x3
Bench 235x5x3
Chins 9,10,6
RDL 165x12x3

Real beat up today. It's amazing how heavy 230 felt. My knees are sore. Feels like tendons getting used to the frequency. It always goes away after some heavy squats and when they are warmed up.

July 24
Squat 300x5x3
Press 147.5x5x3
Deads 345x5x1

Everything felt pretty good. In the past few months I added a belt to my workouts and it is fantastic. Ive been using the INZER belt I bought from ELITE FTS. Turns out it is some Bodybuilding belt, but it really works well for deads and lets me keep the belt tight without interfering with my ribs. I have a small torso so maybe this is just right for me. Seems to work for squats too.

July 27
Squat 305x5x3
Bench 240x5x3
Power Clean 165x3x5
Chins BW+10lbs 3x5

240.6lbs on the scale. Chins felt hard for only 10lbs added! My current weight in the monring is 236-237lb but since this was an evening workout I think all the food in me really added up

This is my first month back to Starting Strength. Everything seems to be going well.

I'll post updates as I progress

I also have a powerclean video that I will post up if someone could comment and help me out.

Thanks for reading so far!

[DanO_123]

Video of my power clean set 3.. not too hard. I'd say 185-200 is my 1rm at this point.

[DanO_123]

I also just found the COC grippers. Those things are fun!

I ordered a Heavery Grip 100- That was a total joke I did 100reps per hand with that one


Then I got the Number 2 COC. That was not a joke. I only got 2 clean reps with my right hand and I came about a mm from closing it with my left hand

I finally ordered the number 1 COC- It's a little too weak too. I'm repping out the number 1 around 4 sets of 10 per hand.

I've given everyone i've run into the number 2 and no one has closed it yet. Goes to show doing your deads and chins makes you have a strong grip!

[DanO_123]

Late night workout today. Was at the hospital all day with my wife with baby stuff... I missed my workout but better late than never.


July 30 2010

Light Squat 240x5x2
Press 150x5x3
Deads 355x5x1


Fairly easy today... Belt was a tad tight on deads and was pushing in on my stomach fairly hard making it difficult to concentrate. I didn't want to stop in the middle of my set and readjust so I just pulled through it. Next time I'll go a little less tight on the belt.

Squats next workout are 310x5x3..... I've never done 3 wheels for reps so that will be coming up soon.

I didn't eat enough and I can feel it. I'm going to get some really good calories in this weekend and hopefully come Saturday I'll have a great workout.

I think my bar at home is beginning to bend and I might have to pick up a new bar soon. It's thicker than I prefer anyway and need an excuse to get a new bar.

[DanO_123]

Got a great nights sleep and decent nutrition and was feeling pretty good.

Aug 1. 2010

Squat 310x5x3 w/u- 45x5, 135x5x2, 185x5, 225x3, 275x1
Bench 242.5x5x3 w/u - 45x5, 95x5, 135x5, 185x5, 225x1
Pull-Up BWx 9,8,5
RDL 175x12x3 45x12,135x8

It was about 87 degrees today and it felt good to get some heat into my joints and body. I think the heat makes the workouts a little more taxing due to constant water loss but I stay well hydrated with Gatorade and water. The difference between surge workout fuel and Gatorade isn't really noticeable for me so I think I'll stick with the cheapest I can find.

Bench workout was slowing down so I started moving in 2.5lb increments. With the addition of chalk I can put a wicked grip on the bar and by the end of my sets my forearms are burning. Rep speed was good and I had strength through all 3 sets. My left hand has some serious pain on the outside of it. I think I landed a clean wrong or possibly had a bad grip on presses. Either way my left hand feels really weak so I have to make sure the bar isn't moving and my left arm shakes because of it. It's getting better but its a little hairy moving more than my body weight over my throat.

Squats are moving nicely and this wasn't too awful tough. I am starting to notice the weight more but I am in PR territory for sets of 5 so that is to be expected.

BW 239.6lb


The recovery workout last time really helped. My knees feel good with no soreness. 3 plates for reps next workout. I just wish I had 3 45s to put on the bar. I'd like to go to my gym every once in a while but I'm afraid the weights will vary to much causing problems with linear progress so I guess I will stick it out at home until Im finished with linear progress.

My forearms are still burning so I'm done typing and off to eat my dinner that my wife just cooked for me... being married isn't so bad afterall!

[DanO_123]

My son was born Tuesday Aug 3rd at 8:18am. What a day! I'll never forget that. I spent the last couple of days in the hospital. There is no sleeping when you get woke up every 30 min by a nurse or tech or some one needing to do something.

I woke up early today at 3:30 and came home and got in an early workout.

I was a little tired today but managed to crank it out anyway.

Thursday Aug 5, 2010
Squat 315x5x3
Press 152.5x5x3
P Clean 175x3, 170x3x4
BB Curl 115x8x2



So far so good. I was up for quite a while from Tuesday morning through Thursday night with the birth and all the family visits. I got about 5hrs sleep last night and decided to get a workout in. All I could think about was getting my squats done and it was beginning to keep we awake thinking about it.

During my last set of squats I could feel Gatorade or water getting squished up my throat and almost causing projectile vomit in my garage luckily it stopped short of my mouth. It made a real odd squishy sound as I descended to the bottom of the squat. I think my belt is too tight.


Everything felt heavy but I will withhold judgement until the next workout and hopefully be a little more rested and see how it goes. I somehow doubt a newborn baby is gonna help my numbers increase though.

Next workout should be a PR tie on Deads at 365 and presses coming close in the next week or so.

I'm off to clean up and then head back to the hospital to look at my new son. I swear i never thought you could love anything seeing it for the first time but I am wrong.

[DanO_123]

LightSquat Day Nothing much going on

Squat 245x5x2
Bench 245x5x3
RDL 175x13x3
Chins BW+10lbs 6,6,6 Dead Hang


Everything felt good. I felt like the tin man who needed some oil today and used a lot of warm up sets and jump rope. The sets felt light but I was very tight everywhere. I took the sets nice and slow with around 5 min. per set. Bench is now moving with 2.5lb increments and feels good at this level.

Previous best bench set was 245x7 for 1 set on 5/3/1 so I think i'm pretty much there at this point or possibly a little stronger. I should be in PR territory next bench workout. My left hand is healing nicely with much less pain than before. I'm also working in the COC grippers occasionally and it seemed to help.

My newborn son is laying here next to me and it's amazing to be a dad.

[DanO_123]

I had Dr's appointments and errands up the ass yesterday. I started feeling real sick around 4pm and fell asleep around 6:30pm and woke up at 6am this morning so I missed my workout, but I just finished it today so I am back on track.

Aug 10, 2010
Squat 320x5x3
Press 155x5x3
Deads 365x5x1
Dip BW x 18, 10

Was really tired today working out. I got gassed after my last set of squats and presses were tough and so were the deads. I did a few dips to help stretch out my shoulders and tendons and it makes them feel good.

Weight on squats felt light but just took their toll on me. I worked out at my local gym which was a change of pace. I think I prefer my garage though, at least for the SS workouts. I should be approaching PR territory based on 1rm calculators. I think my 300x10 on 5/3/1 was more stamina than pure strength.

I won't predict where this 3x5 will take me so as not to put a limit in my mind but I think I should be able to take this fairly far. Possibly longer than the 2 months I had predicted.

[DanO_123]

I just noticed I have some pretty large stretch marks appearing on the inside of my groin... I wasn't expecting that. It was a little alarming at first. At least the are not in plain sight



I've been experimenting with the COC grippers.

I can finally close the number 2 with my left hand and getting multiple reps with my right hand. I'm doing static holds and negatives with my left and straight reps with the right. I just make sure I don't to it before a deadlift or clean day.

[DanO_123]

Today sucked! I was totally out of energy and barely walked out of the gym. I think I hit a wall and was out of carbs cause I feel like a bag of hammers. I ate for shit today and last night which is probably the reason.

After squats I felt like I had been through an entire workout already.

I took the past couple of days off due to moving my house and painting the new place and I think it really messed me up big time.


Aug 16 2010 Monday

Squat 325x5x3
Bench 247.5x 5,4,3
Power Clean 175x3, 155x3x2 just stopped cause I was totally out of gas
Pullups - Skipped


So today was a really bad workout day and I think it's due to not eating enough and working a long weekend on my new place. I'm going to repeat the bench workout on Friday and hopefully Wednesdays workout will go better.

It's just one training day out of many so I'm still pretty positive about all this and think things will continue progression I just need to get back on track!