Training for 140-180-230

[Toni Kallio]

I trained on and off for years before I found SS last spring. Been doing SS since about May and am trying to decide what my next step should be. I've already re-setted my squat last week and going to re-set the becnh and press from now on.

At the moment I'm studying the benefits of 5x5 by Starr and 5-3-1 by Wendler. Please feel free to give your insight on these excellent programs or if you have some other program that could fit my situation that I could use.

After one more basic strength cycle I'm probably going to do a hypertrophy cycle (because I'm vain) before incorporating the olympic lifts in the program.

I'm 37 years, 180cm, BW is 90-92kg depending on the day.

PR:s (squat&deadlift with belt)
Power clean 90kg
Bench 110kg
Squat 155kg
Deadlift 180kg

Longtime goals
Press 90kg (BW)
Snatch 90kg (BW)
Clean & Jerk 120kg
Bench 135kg (1,5xBW)
Squat 180kg (2xBW)
Deadlift 230kg (2,5xBW)

So if my bw changes I'll probalby have to alter my goals as well. Hopefully I'm able to continue getting stronger without gaining much more BW.

Until I have decided on what program to do next I'm continuing with the advanced novice program like this:

Monday
Squat
Press/Bench
Pull-ups

Wednesday
Front squat
Press/Bench
Deadlift/Power clean

Friday
Squat
Press/Bench
Chin-ups

[Toni Kallio]

Nice monday, day off from work and the possibility to train without having to rush it.

Warm-up with a 10kg plate, different mobility movements and sit-ups 5kgx38 (elbows to knees).

Squat
20x5x3
50x5
80x3
100x2
127,5x5x3

Re-set the squat two weeks ago from 132,5 to 120. 127,5 felt ok today, good form on every rep.

Bench press
20x5x2
40x5
50x3
65x2
85x5x3

Re-set the bench today from 95kg where I stalled last wednesday with only five reps.

Back extensions
BWx10x5

Chins
10,6,2

I've always felt that chins/pull-ups are tough. Which makes me like them in a weird kind of way.

[Toni Kallio]

First day of front squats, haven't done them in abt three years so I'm going to be easy with them.

This went down today:

Warm-up with 10kg plate 5' and situps 5kgx40.

Front squat
20x5x3
40x5
50x3
60x3
80x3x5

80 felt like the right weight to start with, tough but doable.

Press
20x5x3
25x5
35x3
40x2
52,5x5x3

First presses after re-set, felt light. Short rests between sets.

Power clean
20x5x3
40x5
50x3
60x2
75x3x5

I've increased the PC with 5kg so far and kept it in linear progression. Today it felt pretty heavy, 2,5kg increase next time.

All in all a good training session with Rammstein on the speakers.

[Toni Kallio]

Warm-up with 10kg plate 5', 10x 50 cm box jumps and situps 5kgx41.

Squat
20x5x2
50x5
80x3
100x2
130x5x3

Felt really good, better posture, tighter feeling all over. Next time 132,5 my stalling point from a few weeks back.

Bench
20x5x2
40x5
50x3
70x2
87,5x5x3

Felt quite light. 90kg next time and then 1kg increases if 90 feels heavy.

Back extensions
BWx10x5

Chin-ups
6,3,2

Next training monday. Have a nice weekend.

[Toni Kallio]

Had to train first thing in the morning today.

Routine warm-up with 10kg plate 5', 10x 50 cm box jumps and situps 5kgx41.

Squat
20x5x3
50x5
85x3
105x2
132,5x5x3

Felt pretty heavy, mentally great to lift all reps and sets of my last stalling weight.

Press
20x5x2
30x5
35x3
45x2
55x5x3

This was heavy, only 1kg increase next time.

Didn't have time for back extensions and pull-ups, I'll do them tomorrow.

The rests were quite long this time, I suppose it's because I lifted in the morning before work. I wish I'll get used to it because it seems that I'm going to have to do it quite a lot from now on. Any tips on how to get the body turned on in the morning?

[Toni Kallio]

Didn't have time for a proper warm-up, but rode my bicycle to the gym.

Front squat
20x5x3
40x5
50x3
65x2
82,5x3x5

Still taking the front squats easy. Felt like I could have put on more weight.

Bench
20x5x2
45x5
60x3
80x2
90x5x3

Pretty light, used the belt for the first time in the bench, but only for the working sets. It actually felt pretty good.

Power clean (as warm up for the deadlift)
40x3x2
60x3

Deadlift
110x3
140x2
170x5

Really happy with the 170x5, it was heavy and made my day!

[Toni Kallio]

Squat
20x5x3
50x5
85x3
105x2
135x5

Too heavy to do all three sets, didn't have a power rack with safety bars or a spotter.

Press
20x5x2
30x5
35x3
45x2
56x5x3

Felt ok. Busy times at home so no back extensions or pull-ups.

[Toni Kallio]

Allright, after some excellent consulting I've got a new program and I'm going to start it on monday. Goals are still the same as before. Re-setting everything but the power clean and deadlift which are making good progress.

New routine
Monday
Squat 2x5, 1xrepmax
Press 2x5, 1xrepmax +chins/Bench 2x5, 1xrepmax+back extension

Wednesday
Power Clean 5x3
Deadlift 1x5
Press 2x5, 1xrepmax+chins/Bench 2x5, 1xrepmax+back extension

Friday
Squat 2x5, 1xrepmax
Press 2x5, 1xrepmax+chins/Bench 2x5, 1xrepmax+back extension

Got a belt, have been using the ones at the gym until now.

[Toni Kallio]

Allright, this was my first training with the new routine.

Warm, lifting moves with 10kg plate for a couple of minutes. 40 situps with board (1xbwmax).

Squat
20x5x3
50x5
70x3
100x2
120x5x2
120x10

120 felt of course a bit light, which it's suppose to do. It was fun to do a repmax, something that I really haven't done before.

Bench
20x5x2
30x5
50x3
65x2
80x5x2
80x15

I was really surprised to get 15 on the repmax. Did the reps quite fast in the beginning up until abt the 10th, then they slowed down a little bit towards the last rep. Fun!

Back extensions
10kgx5x3

Going to ad a rep and a set for the next time.


I have a really good feeling about the new routine working back to the stalled weights. Going to a 2-2,5 kg on the squat, 1-1,5kg on the bench and press.

New belt felt good, although it's going to take some time to break it in.

[Toni Kallio]

No more squatting on wednesdays anymore, heavy pulling instead.

Warm-up: 5' with 10kg plate, situps with board bwx45

Powerclean
20x5x3
50x5
65x3
80x3x3

These were quite heavy, going for a more moderate jump for next PCs, maybe 1-1,5kg. Don't want to reset them yet.

Deadlift
110x5
140x2
175x5

Even more heavy than the PCs. Still, going to decide next wednesday if it's going to be 2,5kg jump or more depending on how I feel.

Press
20x5x2
30x5
40x3
50x5x3

Easy and light, short breaks. Edit: Shit, should have done the last set as a repmax.

Chins
10,4,2

Heavy as hell. As always. The heavy PCs and DLs clearly had an effect on the chins.

Session took 55 minutes. The new belt doesn't work that well on the deadlift yet. It's still too firm. Wonder how long it will take to break it in.

All in all a good session. The deadlifts, again, made my day. Last rep was the toughest so far ever.