A loooong post about me and request for transition advice.

[Dastardly]

Hello everbody,

I would like like some advice about transition programming but I cant resist throwing in some background info about my 'journey' here.

I begun lifting weights at the beginning of 2009 having never attempted any type of training or specific exercise. I had always been bad at sports because of bad lungs, being weak, poor co-ordination shoulders highly prone to painful partial dislocations. I did however enjoy sports, it was just that I was such a massive disadvantage that I was in agony just taking part with pathetic performance.

My body shape was representative of its performance. I looked weak/small and slow/bulky simultaneously. I have always had incredibly thin arms and shoulders but with big hips, torso and a good deal of fat isolated in my midsection.

I around the end of 2008 I really felt the urge to get into some sport/physical activity. I felt that challenging my body would help my many physical ailments from poor lungs/asthma, to my unstable shoulders. I also thought it would be fun. I was looking at things that focused on personal progression. The main things being; a martial art or general fitness to improve aerobic function. Things like running or swimming. Which I am unimaginably terrible at.

I had not ever even thought about lifting weights. This occurred when the local municipal gym was offerring free usage for a couple months. I attended and mainly used machines for a while doing 12-25 reps on things. I also went to a few circuit training classes which were tough. I got kind of bored with this stuff and was intrigued by the weights room. I however had no idea about any of the concepts weight training. I had a rough idea what a bench press looked like but that was it.

After thinking about it, something struck a chord. I realised this was a physical activity I could do by myself, and always be progressing as long as I stayed committed. I would theoretically get stronger & stronger which would in turn improve my all round performance as a human being.

My first couple workouts were a shameful mix of stuff I looked up on bbdotcom. But at least my focus was right. My priority was strengthening the lower back so I did really bad looking stiff leg deadlifts.

I soon found the stronglifts.com website which was a revelation. It was such simple. concise & through full body strength training. It featured all these awesome hardcore lifts like deads & presses. I especially loved the purity of the barbell as focus.

I jumped in and dedicated myself to it gleefully. The site had loads of tips for technique which all seemed to work. They heavily refrenced material/technique from starting strength/mark rippetoe. I learnt most my form watching rippetoe videos on youtube. It was months later when I realised that starting strength was actually a programme (not just a book of lifting technique) and just recently when I realised that the programming of SS was so drastically different from what I had been doing with stronglifts which features no ramping weights.

I am a hardworker so put massive amounts of focus and dedication into stronglifts. And kept patience over months of slow progress and repeated stalls.

The first couple months so the fastest progress. I gained 6kg and looked leaner at the same time. After that I put on no more weight. And eventually began to struggle a lot with progress.

My press was always the worst. I had to work myself up to a barbell with dumb bells. My progress was incredible slow and halted at 32.5kg which I find difficult to even maintain. After an entire year I have gotten no more stronger at it.

I had a setback in the squat due to knee injury in march. But was lifting again by may. I had a long stall trying to hit bodyweight (70kg) and had to deload to 60kg. I then managed to work myself slowly up to 80kg which was my best run of progress. This I got around august I think.

I was stalled again and dropped to 70kg and worked slowly up to 77kg and got stuck. I decided to go back by a lot to improve depth and workout length which had been incredibly long since approaching bodyweight.

I started again at 60kg and got back up to 80kg only to find myself in the same position. With JUST squats taking over an hour + plus the fact I was stalled. It was close to the end of the year so I decided to push forward with 3x5 but didnt even manage that for long. I ended up doing heavy doubles and trying to build reps to force progress. But I failed to hit my goal and finsihed with a best figure of 90kg 3x3 when the gym closed for christmas.

From 21dec-5-jan I was unable to train so spent it realising that there was something very wrong in my programming and I should have probably changed months ago. I had not made any of the suggested/claimed results stronglifts promote themselves with. They also state that after 2-3 stalls you should switch intermediate/advanced programme. Theirs and other I found were all so incredibly complicated that they just scared me and put me off. Also I definetely do not feel nor have the stats of someone I would consider to be intermediate/advanced. For along time I actually felt I was genetically incapable of making the normal progress that others seemed to. This is what halted me from doubting the programming for so long.

the lazy part of me kept persuading me to try and stick to it. Especially as my deads & bench were slowly improving still. Everyone on the forum could only suggest that I was not eating enough or getting enough protein. Which I blatantly was allbeit it from real food.

Well I started to look into starting strength again and realised it was an actual programme. So I came here to learn more and soak up advice.

I do not actually own hard copies of the books yet but am in the process of borrowing a credit card so I can order. PP, SS & SSS ! I have loved reading everything by Rippetoe & Starr and cant wait to immerse myself in the knowledge so I can finally fix my programming.

But until then, which will probably be at least 3 more weeks. I was wondering what to be getting on with?

I went for my first training session of the year on Jan 5 (after a few days of being ill too). I wanted to avoid starting up with stronglifts again but hadnt prepared an alternative. So I did a frankenstein 'do what feels right' workout.

My working sets for the squat were with 60kg 5x6 (instead of 90kg 3x3 which I stopped at) these were more of a form practice as I was using lifting shoes for the first time. I also made an effort to break at knees simultaneously and maximise bounce reflex with zero butt-wink. It felt different and much tougher than expected (I had done 60kg to 15 reps before during a one-off group squat months ago)

Then it was bench press where I got stuck under the bar at the 3rd rep. So I de-loaded from 60kg (which I had lifted for past 3 sessions) to 50kg and did 5x5.

I then did powercleans from the floor (usually do hang cleans) with only 40kg but it felt like the right weight for getting form right. Which after reviewing video, definetely wasnt. I did love the positioning & feel of the first pull that the shoes created.

I did a bunch of semi-high pulls to 'make up' the low weight I did on cleans. 3x10 at 70kg

Some lying triceps extensions (never done these before, usually do dips here) 3x12. Was surprisingly hard.

Some Barbell Curls (gasp!, not done these before either) 3x10 empty bar to the face.

I felt surprisingly still full of energy at end but by the following night I was shocked to have immense amounts of DOMS for the first time since this time last year!

This is not really the kind of 'workout' I wish to continue, it was just the kind of layout im used to from stronglifts.

Im hoping to find something from reading Starting strength & Practical Programming in detail.

In the meantime I wish to be doing something productive. I feel the main thing that has always limited me in squatting is my inability to create a tight back(therfore hip drive). This also limits deadlift somewhat. I think good mornings would do me a world of good but know that they are overkill when combined with deadlifts. So I am unsure of beginning the basic version of starting strength with deadlifts right now both because I think good mornings would help me a lot and because im a bit confused about what weights to use and would like to read books properly first.

if someone can help me come up with some kind of transition/temporary primer routine to do till I begin which ever novice programme I choose from SS/PP I would really appreciate it.

Things that really need work are:

power cleans, press & low back strength.

Would it be a terrible idea to focus on cleans, presses & good mornings for about 3 or so weeks?

If not, what would be a good way to programme them?

Also to anybody who doesnt know. Stronglifts programming goes like;

Workout A:
Squat 5x5
Press 5x5
Deadlift 1x5
Pull Ups 3xmax
Ab work.

Workout B:
Squat 5x5
Bench 5x5
Power Cleans or Rows 5x5 (I alternated depending on what gym I was at)
Dips 3xmax
Ab work.

3xweek.

I think I exploited months ago what this setup with same weight across 5 sets could do for my squat.

[radiator41]

Why not do the SS program?

[Mr.City]

Why not do the SS program?

Seconded.

[Dastardly]

there are different versions of the SS programme arent they?

I just thought it might be best to get the books before starting properly.

Any that I should do some programming in the meantime which focuses heavily on building low back strength. Gives me a few weeks headstart on my drastically low press, and allows me an opportunity to practice power clean.

These are all issues which I will have to deal with when starting SS/variant fully anyhow. I just thought focusing on some weaknesses/skills while waiting for books may be of some value. It should only be about 3 weeks.

[StrongIslander,NY]

dastardly-

what was ur username. i was on sl 5x5 too-then banned cause i brought it up at every chance i got w atypical etc that mehdi's programme had some inherent flaws. my username was hobel. i transferred over to ss for 4 mos and for less stress and more recovery i just started texas method.

volume day 5x5 or 6x6
back off day less weight 3x3
and a PR day with 1-3 rep maxes.

so are u stalling or are you just looking for something new?

[Dastardly]

I understand that you probably didnt want to read all of that long post. I dont know whats up with me, tried to keep it short but ended up attaching a mini life story.

I indeed stalled heavily with stronglifts.

Press stalled permanently at around 4-5 months in. No progress at all over 7 or so months.

Squat stalled about 4 times.

Deadlift stalled 2 times just recently. But not so serious.

Main issue here is the squat.

I was just reading a Bill Starr article about good mornings that has gotten me keen on doing them.

The best time to start doing good mornings in any routine is at the beginning: the beginning of the initial time you try a strength program, when you’re starting back after a layoff or perhaps switching from a bodybuilding program to a stint where you’re trying to gain a great deal of strength.

bill starr

http://ditillo2.blogspot.com/2010/01...ill-starr.html

[BryanM]

Step 1: Eat some fucking food.

Step 2: Attain a bodyweight around 33% higher than your base weight - the base is how much you weigh while unfat and unstrong, yet still above malnutrition levels.

Step 3: Increment the weight that is accordance with what reality allows. That is a max of 5 pounds (that is two 2.5 pound plates), total for the full body movements. Your arms, not being the same size as Your Entire Body, will require steps of 2.5 pounds and eventually even less.

Step 4: Stop doing redundant assistance exercises you don't need.

This will all get you toward:

Why not do the SS program?

[gzt]

Important question: are you female? If you're not, part of the problem is your low bodyweight. If you are, then things are different. Basically, the Starting Strength program uses 3x5 instead of 5x5 (this makes a big difference) and usually leaves out those auxiliary exercises (dips, pullups, and ab work). If you've truly exhausted the possibilities of simple novice linear progression (using appropriate jumps for the presses, eating enough, sleeping enough, using proper form, etc), then it's time for more advanced programming, which is discussed in PPST. Basically, that means progress on a weekly basis rather than a workout-to-workout basis.

[applescruffette]

I believe Dastardly is not male based on the posts in the thread about pregnancy and lifting, but I could be wrong...

[BryanM]

Only the talliest, oldliest, or sickliest of women will have trouble hitting body weight squats at 154.

Since, I think, what he wrote says he was eating enough, he certainly hasn't been.

I believe Dastardly is not male based on the posts in the thread about pregnancy and lifting, but I could be wrong...

What a strange theory! I must investigate.

Breaking update:

Im 5'8" and have a penis.

So not a midget, even if a bit shorter than the average bear. So the "eat some more tacos damn you" stance is the key.