Ben's Training Log

[BenE]

----Update 12/19/12----
I wanted to give some historical context to my log. After I got tired of using steady state cardio to lose weight (from 280 lbs. to 220 lbs.) I started lifting weights in October of 2010. I started with the bar on all the lifts and did Strong Lifts 5x5. I followed that until May 2011, took some time off, reset everything, and then did it again until February 2012. My lifts did not increase over that 9 month period by any signficant amount. In February I found Starting Strength and realized I was doing it wrong. At that same time, my wife (Diana) and I came into contact with Mac and Gillian Ward. From that time until last week, Mac was my coach. Here are my lifts from February and where I am today.

Feb 2012 – BW 197 lbs.
Dead 5x285
Bench 5x5x195
Press 5x5x120
Squat 3x5x285

Dec 2012 – BW 225 lbs? (I don’t weigh myself very often)
Dead 1x465
Bench 1x275
Press 1x170
Squat 1x405

During this same time we built a gym in our basement and that has changed our training quite a bit. We can now train any time we want but we also have two beautiful little girls that like to hang out with us when we do. Due to these changes, I have shifted my focus and I have backed off my aggressive goals. Mac is no longer my coach but the significant gains I made are a credit to his coaching. Not only was his programming right for me, but his support and motivation are unbelievable. One of my biggest challenges with training is that I get in my head and overthink everything. Mac pulled me out of my head (or pulled my head out) on a regular basis and I was able to hit one PR after another.
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Age: 33
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 197

I've been lifting for about a year and a half. I'm starting a new lifting program and need a place online to keep my log.

Monday, February 27

Squat: 2x5x45, 5x135, 3x185, 3x250, 3x235, 2x3x265 (video)

RDL: 3x135, 3x8x165

Hill sprints: 10x60 yards

Hill sprints seem so easy on paper. They kicked my butt today.

[BenE]

Tuesday, February 28

Bench:2x5x45, 5x95, 3x125, 3x145, 3x165, 3x5x185

Tricep Extensions: 3x15x45

Pushups: 5x15

Rower: 10x100yds

[BenE]

Thusday, March 1

Squat: 2x5x45, 5x135, 3x185, 2x5x215
Felt pretty good doing lighter work, gave me the chance to work on my form, specifically keeping my knees out and descending quickly.

Deadlifts: 2x5x135, 5x175, 3x200, 3x230, 2x5x260, 12x185
Where do I start? No video, my workout partner was out today and the other squat rack was occupied so I couldn't set up the camera, hopefully next week. My gym has decahedronal plates so I try to do as many touch and gos as I can so as not to let the plates roll on to a different side. All the warm-ups (and back downs) were touch and go. My first work set I did 3 reps before the plates rolled and I had to get everything back into place and then followed with the last 2 reps. My second work set was 2, 2, 1 due to the rolling. Without video it is hard to tell how it went but I think I was shrugging the weight a bit at the top on the work sets. With the backdown set, the volume worked me pretty hard. 3 minute rest between work sets.

Barbell Rows: 3x6x135
I've been doing barbell rows from the floor so the change in technique took me a little bit to get used to. The weight was about right considering it was my first time doing it this way but could have done maybe 5-10 lbs more.

Run 4x400 @75% (1 min rest):
I was probably at more like 85% for the first two but I think I got it right for the last two. I really enjoy the conditioning part of the program, especially on a beautiful day like today, I ran outside on the track at the closest high school.

[BenE]

Friday, March 2

Press: 2x5x45, 5x75, 3x90, 3x100, 9(AMAP)x115
I need to get video of my press next time to get some help on my form. The start position always feels strange to me when I try to get my elbows slightly out in front. I also want to see where my bar path is.

Barbell Curl: Supposed to do 3x10x65, actually did 10, 9, 7, 4
I can't remember the last time I did curls, maybe 4-5 years ago. This was harder for me than I expected. Not a big fan of the bicep pump.

Chins: Supposed to do 4x5, actually did 4, 4, 4, 4, 3, 1
The curls did my arms in, usually I can at least get 2 sets of 5 in a row.

No conditioning today because I'll play soccer for a couple hours tomorrow.

Not a bad week. The new program has been fun, learning new things and I really like the conditioning.

[BenE]

Monday, March 5

Squat: 2x5x45, 5x135, 5x195, 5x220, 5x5x250
Squats felt really good today. Concentrated on keeping my knees out. (Video)

RDL: 3x135, 3x10x170
My grip failed on the 2nd set at the 8th rep so I had to reset my grip and do the last 2. On the 3rd set my grip gave out at the 6th rep and then the 8th rep so I reset twice. I really felt the second and third set in my forearms as my grip was giving out.

Hill Sprints: 10x60 yards
Still kicked my butt, but my recovery was much quicker today. Also, I really felt the sprints in my butt, not sure if that was the 5x5 squats or the 3x10 RDLs.

[BenE]

Tuesday, March 6

Bench: 2x5x45, 5x95, 3x135, 5x155, 13(AMAP)x175
I only thought I would get 10 at 175 so I was happy with 13.

Tricep Extensions: 4x10x55
The EZ curl bar disappeared from the gym and the staff didn't know where it was. So I used the only similar bar around, a super EZ bar that looks like this.
Still felt the triceps burn but the grip was awkward. Have to find the EZ bar.

Pushups: 4x20
I took about a 3 minute break between sets to make sure I got them all. Last set was still a little shaky.

Rower: 2x500
Did the first in 1:57, rested for 1:57, did the second in 1:54. Much harder than last week's 10x100, but still a lot of fun.

[BenE]

Thursday, March 8

Squat: 2x5x45, 5x135, 3x185, 2x5x215

Deadlift: 2x5x135, 5x185, 5x215, 8x245 (Video)
Worked hard on getting DEAD STOPS on each rep even with the decahedronal plates. It didn't turn out to be too bad, only one or two rolls on my warmups where I had to shuffle my feet. On my workset I only had to shuffle my feet a couple times, but it was a bit of a distraction from getting the form on my lift right. I'm sure as I get used to the dead stops I'll be able to focus more on the lift. I can definitely feel the extra work from a deadstop in my hamstrings and lowerback.

Barbell Row: 3x8x145

Run 2x400: Sprint the Straight-aways

[BenE]

Friday, March 9

Press: 2x5x45, 5x80, 5x95, 3x5x105
I had Diana watch my bar path and she said it looked pretty good. Still need to get some video to look at it myself.

Barbell Curl: 5x6x45
The lower weight and less reps per set made this much easier than last week. My left arm was sore for about 4-5 days after last week, we'll see how I do this time.

Chins: 4x5
Took 3 minute rests between sets and I was able to get them all in.

[BenE]

Monday, March 12

Squat: 2x5x45, 5x135, 5x195, 5x225, 3x255, 2x275, 2x295, 2x2x305 (Video)
305 is a PR for me. I've never squatted more than 295 so I was a little worried going in but it wasn't awful.

RDL: 3x135, 3x5x185
I have a hard time remembering this isn't a traditional deadlift so when I lower the weight I bend my knees too much. Diana helps me

Sprint: 10 40yd sprint, 90% 30 secs rest
No hill sprints, but after the big squat my legs were still spent.

[BenE]

Some technical issues with the video. Here is the squat video for March 12: VIDEO