Stronger's training log and assorted meanderings

[stronger]

Ok, I decided to keep a training log online as well as in my journal. My goal is to inspire some people and to be encouraged along the way. Can we make that happen?

Vital Stats

Age: 21
Height: 5'9
Weight: 205
BF % estimate: 23%

Strength stats (Some 1rms are predicted, some tested)

Squat: 465
Deadlift: 450
Bench: 250
Press: 160
Powerclean: 205 (best so far)
Powersnatch: still working on form
*** all weight in this log is in LBS unless otherwise noted ***

As you can see, I'm a lower body dominant guy. I squat to depth, but my squat is a tad higher than my pull. Nature's miracle. I would love to have an awesome press.

My lifetime goals are somewhere on the lines of: 650(squat)/350(bench)/650(deadlift)/250 (press)

I'd like to compete in powerlifting, weightlifting and perhaps throwing events for track and field.


Basic training history: I first started lifting weights at age 16 in my house like most guys, got a gym membership and then did essentially bodybuilding workouts until I was 18 or so. I graduated HS at 5'8 - 160lbs or so. I wasn't terribly small but I wasn't big either. Sophmore year of college I found this forum and also discovered the Madcow2/Starr 5x5, which I ran with some success. Fast forward to last fall, I begin the Texas Method (after having never done linear progression because I assumed I was an intermediate, probably erroneously). My lifts progressed as follows: squat275x5x5 -> 375x5x5, 305x5 -> 415x4; bench 185x5x5 -> 220x4x6; press 115x5x5 ->139x4x6; deadlift 405x4.

For my pressing lifts I dont have 5rm numbers, as I began to do dynamic effort work. These TM gains were over a span of November 09 to early April 10. I was very consistent and missed at most 3 training days.

My bodyweight went from 180bs to about 205 during that time frame.

This summer I worked out only occasionally, lost most of my weight and strength. Took me about 2 months to regain it, and I made new PRs. For example, I progressed my squat from 275x5x3 to 405x5x3 making 10lb jumps every 5-7 days. Sometimes you really do come back stronger!

My immediate goal is to squat 500 by the year's end. This will happen.

Hope this gives a good idea of my training history and goals, and please let me know if you have any questions

[stronger]

Oh and here is my general TM workout template:

Monday:
Squat 5x5 (lighter than last time, I'm starting with 315x5x5. I've read some posts on this board that a lighter volume day has been useful.)
Press 5x3/Bench 5x3 (I'm going to try the lighter volume for a while)
Powercleans x2x7 /Shrugs (for my yoke)

Wednesday:

Squat light 5x2
Press 5x3/Bench light 5x3
Snatch

Friday:

Squat 3rm (Will start with 430 this friday)
DE Press/DE Bench 3x10 (1 min clock)
Deadlift x3 (will start with 405x3 this friday)

[stronger]

tuesday 10/5

Press:
45x5x2
95x5
115x3,1
140x5x3

This should have been part of my monday volume work, but after getting a tremendous lifter's headache that made me dry heave (squatting 315x5x5, which wasnt hard at all and is curious that it made me almost die), I decided to shut it down.

Press went well, I'm going to do DE work on friday

[stronger]

wednesday 10/6

light squat
275x5x2

light bench
185x5x3

Snatch

115 for a few singles.

Since I'm having issues with form on the snatch, the next few weeks I'm going to be working with the bar and just hammering the JUMP in my mind and body. Most of my snatches turn out to be muscle snatches, because I barely jump. Very annoying when I know I can do ~145 or so with a good powerful jump.

[stronger]

Friday 10/8

squat
45x5x2
135x5
185x5
225x3
275x2
315x1
365x1x2
430x3

DE press
105x3x10 (1 min clock)

Deadlift
135x5
225x3
275x2
315x1
365x1
405x3

Squat felt really good. 430 really didn't feel that heavy on my back, and the eccentric was deceptively easy, so much so that I forgot to bounce the first rep. The 2nd rep was excellent and the 3rd was good and heavy. I'm going to work with 3 rep sets for intensity day until it stops working. As the reps get lower and the weight gets heavier, it becomes more and more important to have your form dead on each time. Less margin for error.

Also, I'm not sure if I was entirely warmed up. Usually on my first set when I'm not warm enough I get a feeling in my hip flexors after the set. I got this feeling after I squatted so I might have to do a better job warming up.

DE press was good.

Deadlift was good. I will also be doing 3 rep sets for this, 5 rep sets were a bit more stressful than I would like. I will try to progress 5lbs/week on this exercise before I drop it for rack pulls and haltings.

questions or comments welcome

[stronger]

No residual fatigue from anything I did yesterday, which feels awesome

Onward and upward

[stronger]

Monday 10/11

Squat
45x5x2
135x5
185x5
225x3
275x2
325x5x5

quick, easy, felt fine. Not really putting too much thought into my volume squats right now; last week I did 315 and I went up 10lbs today. I don't want to stress myself to the point that I can't recover in time for intensity day, so for now I'll probably just go up 5lbs/week. However I'll have to be wary of volume day becoming too easy...

Bench

45x5x2
135x5
155x3
185x2
220x5x2

Last rep on both sets was helped ever so slightly. I'm going to try this weight next week for the full 3 sets, but it's probably about time to microload. My upper body strength needs to improve

Shrugs
135x5
225x3
315x2
405x2x2
315x5

this was pretty interesting. First time I've ever used straps, and I tried to pick 315 up double overhand to shrug it. It wouldn't budge. Now I don't really have grip problems traditionally, and I've rack pulled 425 for 4 with a chalked mixed grip, and pulled 405x3 with no grip problems friday. I was really surprised with this, and had to mix grip to even get 315 off the pins. I did 405x2 for 2 sets, but the grip was slipping really bad, even with straps on.

I have hands just under 7" long palm to middle finger, so they are fairly small, which isn't an advantage. However the added circumference the straps provide might be especially hard to overcome with my hand measurements. Either way, this needs to be improved. Traps need to get stronger, grip needs to stop being weird (might be tired from friday though, another possiblity)

weighed 205 this morning

[stronger]

a big yoke is key.

[stronger]

squat
275x5x2

press
135x5x3

a few chins

normal light day. Chin ups hurt my biceps. The supination in the grip feels awful

[stronger]

Squat
45x5x2
135x5
185x5
225x3
275x3
315x2
365x1x2
435x3

DE Bench
145x10x3

Deadlift

135x5
225x3
275x1
315x1
365x1
410x3

Squats felt great. I'm still accustoming myself to heavy triples, but by next friday I should have it down pat. These were not really incredibly heavy, and went fast. Make sure to bounce and get depth!

DE bench. good.

Deadlift

this was the highlight of the workout. I had a crappy warmup for this, which I've read sometimes indicates a great workout to follow. I'm not sure this is true, because it might just be more noticeable since it is unexpected, but I'll take it. On the 3rd rep I decided to hold at the top to see how long I could hold it. I did it easily for 20 seconds and put it down because I was bored. My grip was just like titanium which really helps my confidence, especially after my grip fiasco on monday. I used a mixed grip and very light chalk (gym policy of no chalk must be furtively circumvented).

A great workout