Krump's SS Training Log

[Krump]

I had a 20 rep log I tended to up until April of this year. I worked up to squating 225x20 but manifested a sore back that put me day-to-day. Under normal conditions this would have been a minor set back, but at the time I was a senior in college, set to graduate in May. I ultimately had to give up my training to make damn sure I did graduate. So I did. Once I graduated I joined AmeriCorps for a 3 month term of service. I spent the summer working in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and portaged my fair share of heavy-ass packs and canoes and bucked a hell of a lot of trees. It was the hardest job I have ever done, but alas, there are no barbells or squat racks in the BWCAW so I lost some weight and strength.

After my summer stint, I interned at an organizing firm for a couple months before taking the leap to follow my heart and pursue practicing sustainable agriculture. I found a year-long AmeriCorps program that would make this possible. I moved from Minnesota to the Silicon Valley (previously called the Valley of Hearts' Delight during it's agricultural boom period) in late October to work on an 11-acre, educational, organic produce farm. It is a unique place. Normally there would be no way for a farm to exist in the middle of Silicon Vally, but the property was excess land owned by the school district and the community didn't want to see it turned into condominiums. So it became a community farm. It is literally a little farm surrounded by tech companies.

Anyways, for the first time since April, I have stability and a lifestyle that permits me to strength train again! Granted, farming is physical work, but after my summer stint in the BWCAW, I'm not gunna let a little farm work get in the way of my training.

[Krump]

I started SS up again sometime in October while still in MN, but didn't record my progress. I remember what I did but not the exact dates.

Oct workout #1
Squat 155x5x3
Bench 120x5x3
DL 185x5

Oct workout #2
Squat 165x5x3
Press 70x5x3
Pullup 5x2

Oct workout #3
Squat 175x5x3
Bench 125x5x3
DL 205x5

Oct workout #4
Squat 185x5x3
Press 75x5x3
Pullup 5x3

Oct workout #5
Squat 195x5x3
Bench 130x5x3
DL 225x5

Oct workout #6
Squat 200x5x3
Press 80x5x3
Pullup 5x3

Oct workout #7
Squat 205x5x3
Bench 135x5x3
DL 235x5

Oct workout #8
Squat 210x5x3
Press 85x5x3
Pullup (BW+2.5)x5x3

Oct workout #9
Squat 215x5x3
Bench 140x5x3
DL 245x5

Oct workout #10
Squat 220x5x3
Press 90x5x3
Pullup (BW+5)x5x3

11-5
Height: 6'0''
Weight: 169
Age: 23

Squat 205x5x3
Press 85x5x3
DL 235x5

11-7
Squat 210x5x3
Bench 135x5x3
Pull-up bodyweightx5x3

11-10
Squat 215x5x3
Press 90x5x3
DL 245x5

11-12
Squat 220x5x3
Bench 140x5x3
Pull-up bodyweight+5x5x3

11-14
Squat 225x5x3
Press 95x5x3
DL 255x5

11-17
Squat 230x5x3
Bench 145x5x3
Pull-up bodyweight+7.5x5x3

[Krump]

Fri 11-19
Squat 235x5x3
Press 100x5x2,100x4
DL 265x5

Squat was very hard. Will go for 240 next workout and I'm really hoping to hit it but would not be surprised if I miss reps. Failed on the last rep of press. Will proceed with 102.5 next press workout. DL was pretty easy. Used overhand grip first three reps and the mixed grip for last two reps. The mixed grip makes the weight feel 25% lighter.

Last spring, before I stopped training, my lifts peaked at squat 260x5x3, DL 320x5, Bench 175x5x3, Press 125x5x3 at about 190 BW. I'd really like to hit this level again by Christmas and maybe even squat more by then. If I continue to progress and don't hit major stalls or regression this should be feasible, but realistically, missed reps and stalls are likely in the near future (I stalled several times leading up to my peak numbers in the spring and squat started to regress after failing at 265). Since restarting training in October (not logged here), I missed reps for the first time today in the press and think squat will be next, likely between the 240-250 range. Bench is getting harder and will likely miss sometime in next few bench workouts. DL feels good, especially when pulling with a mixed grip and baring any hiccups, should continue to go up for a while.

It is a little bit disappointing having to work back up to my previous levels from several months ago, but upon reflecting on where I was a year ago, I am doing very well. At this level last year I was on advanced novice progression after a few stalls and right now I am still increasing weights every workout so that is comparatively good (although my ability to increase the weight every workout will likely stop soon). I remember 13 months ago I was still doing the StrongLifts5x5 program and I was really struggling. I remember stalling and not being able to get past squatting 185x5x5 on Stronglifts. At that time I was also stalled on the press at 85x5x5. I think I only weighted ~165 at that time too. I remember how fed up and frustrated I was with with my lifts when I transitioned to SS in November of last year and how intense my focus was on training at that time. My progress was stagnant at 185x5x5 for a couple months so I got my shit together and issued myself a November challenge. I worked up to consuming GOMAD and remember getting my squat over 225 which was really big for me at the time. I really would like to be able to look back at my records and reflect on that time in my life but unfortunately I lost my old training journal when I moved out of my college house in the spring. I've got a new training journal that I keep more detailed notes in now so hopefully a year from now I can look back on that and reflect on how far I've come since then!

Anyways, onward and upward.

[Tiburon]

Nice work. How's body weight? Eating?

[Krump]

Thanks for the reply Tiburon. I have been meaning to weigh myself each week. I meant to weigh myself on Friday but forgot. I will weigh myself on Sunday. I am 6 foot tall and last Friday I weighed 173. On 11/5 I was down to 169, probably the lightest I have been in a year after a bout with stomach flu prevented me from keeping any food down for two days. I'm probably around 176 right now.

Eating is going well. I don't calculate calories but make sure to stay full. On lifting days I drink a little more than a half gallon of milk per day and on rest days just a little less than half gallon on top of meals. Most of my calories come from eggs, ground beef, bacon, avocado, almond butter, sweet potato, squash, olive oil, butter, and whole milk. I like vegetables but try to limit them because they are not calorie dense (kind of strange I have to limit my vegetable intake).

I take 400mg of magnesium glycinate and 25mg of zinc gluconate once a day 3-5 for muscle and nerve function (these are pretty low doses). I'll be buying high quality fish oil again after a pay check or two.

[Tiburon]

How tall?

Don't skimp on the milk on rest days - protein synthesis still going on. . .

[Krump]

6 foot zero inches. I try not to skimp milk or food on rest days but the appetite is not the same like is after a workout.

[Krump]

11-21

Weighed 176 today.

Squat
45x5
95x4
135x3
165x1
190x1
215x1
240x5x3

Bench
45x5
95x3
115x1
135x1
150x5x3

Chins
BW+10x5x3

Squat felt better than Friday but still hard. 245 seems very feasible. Bench went well too. Felt similar to 145. Last rep on second set and last two reps on last set of chins was a struggle. Will see how +12.5 goes.

So I am having a minor problem in the gym. When I bench I like to ask for a spotter just for safety reasons. Of course I don't want them to touch the bar when I'm repping, but that is what most gym goers think "spotting" means - for them to place their palms on the underside of the bar during reps. This has always been an issue for me. At first I thought I wasn't making my intentions clear so I rephrased and reworked my script when asking for a spot, to make clear what I am asking of them. It developed to something like this:

Me pointing at the bench: "Hi, could you please spot me?"
Them: "Yeah, sure"
Me: "...Just as a safety precaution. In fact, you don't even need to touch the bar at all unless I fail a rep completely. If I do, just help me rack the bar."
Them: "OK"

I am at the point that I don't ask for help with the lift-off anymore because I am really trying to detach them from thinking that they should in someway be involved in the lift. I just want them there in case I get pinned. But 4 times out of 5, once I get under the bar, their hands immediately touch the bar. At this point I tell them "you don't need to touch the bar," or "please don't touch the bar". And usually they still don't get it or they remove their hands for a rep or two before touching the bar when my reps start to slow.

So I'm at the point that I'm thinking, no matter how I ask, they are just going to revert to doing their own preconceived notion of a spot or whatever they always did when spotting the bench press before. I don't have a training partner; any advice on dealing with this problem? I'm sure it is fairly common.

[Krump]

11-23

Squat
45x5
95x4
135x3
175x1
195x1
225x1
245x5x3

Press
45x5
65x3
85x1
102.5x5x3

DL
135x3
185x1
235x1
275x5

Squats felt heavy but good. My mind wandered on the second rep of the third set and I almost fell over sideways in the hole. DL didn't feel all that great. I think I lost full extension in my back during most reps of the set. I don't know if that is a result of just accumulating fatigue from the workout and the work day or what. Will see how 285 goes and how my back feels the next few days.

[Krump]

11-26

weight: 177lbs

Squat
45x5
95x4
135x3
175x1
200x1
225x1
250x5x3

Bench
45x5
95x3
125x1
140x1
155x5x3

Chins
(BW+12.5)x5x3

Back felt good the past few days after I thought I may have tweaked it while dead-lifting last work-out. Was not an issue.

Squats felt very good overall. On the last rep of the first set I got lackadaisical, lost tightness, and ultimately lost hip drive. For a brief moment I thought I was going to fail but I ground the rep out. After that I kept my focus for the last two sets and really utilized my hamstrings and glutes, maintaining good hip drive. Last week after squatting 235 I thought I might stall soon, but things have felt relatively good. I am feeling positive about hitting 255 next work-out.

First bench set was very hard and I thought I might fail the last two reps. I think fear of getting pinned got me through the set. I grabbed a spotter for my next two sets. The spotter on the second set touched the bar on the last two reps but the spotter on my last set didn't and that set felt the strongest so I will attempt 160 next time.

The last two reps of weighted chins were grinders. Will go for 15 next time but I wouldn't be surprised if a stall happens. I remember working my way up to about 25lb weighted chins last spring and by the time I got past 20lbs, many work reps took several seconds to complete. With all of those grinders I developed minor elbow pain in my left elbow. Once I started doing finger and wrist extensions for my left hand and wrist the issue eventually went away so I am doing finger and wrist extensions to prevent developing any elbow problems from chins.