I AM a motherf**ker

[kopp]

So I have been lifting in various capacities pretty regularly for the past year, doing a lot of crossfit, and then recently doing a more strength biased program. I am 23, 6 foot, 175 pounds, I kept a blog since last summer of food, sleep, and exercise at koppcfzonediet.blogspot.com after i went to a crossfit cert, then started reading all of rip's stuff. Nobody has ever read my other blog, which isn't a big deal, but it would be nice to get some feedback and be a part of a community.

current lifts
Deadlift 405x3
Press 140x5
Front Squat 170x5
Bench 235x1
Clean 195x1
Deadhang Pullups 18
ring dips 13

Back squatting always leaves me with horrible pain in my left elbow. I have read a few things on here about other people that have this, but the few times I have tried to correct it, it always comes back. Front squats are better than no squats, and considering I am a recreational athlete that just wants to be generally awesome, I don't think it is that big of a deal. Don't care about getting bigger as long as the lifts are getting higher and the sprint times are getting lower.

Goals by May 16
Deadlift 3x425
Clean 210
Deadhang Pullups 20
Ring Dips 20
Front Squat 5x190

Goals by August 1
Deadlift 475x1
Clean 225
Press 170
Mile Run <5:20
800m Run <2:10
400m Run <1:00

Current Lifting Program--am going to continue with this until sometime in May, then I am going to add middle distance sprints 2x per week. Don't have a bench. Steadily progressed on Presses for 4 months, then plateau'd, will start pressing again after this ends in May. Figure if I can drastically improve my pullups and ring dips, there should be some positive transference towards pressing---Maybe...Maybe not, regardless, it is an experiment, and getting better at ring dips and pullups are good goals in and of themselves.

M-W-F
A-Clean Variant
Front Squat
Deadhang Pullup/Ring Dips

B-Deadlift variant
Front Squat
Weighted pullup/ring dips

[kopp]

Good night of sleep--9 hours uninterrupted, don't have to work today.
breakfast-5 eggs, tomato, cucumber, milk, coffee
Lunch---Red 4 way from Hard Times, 2 glasses of milk
post workout-milk, chicken breast, apple, asparagus

workout-warmup with jumprope and kettlebell snatches

Speed Deadlifts-5x135
10x2x190, approx 1 min rest between sets, goal of bar acceleration as fast as possible---form never broke down, quality bar speed the whole way through. really want to hit 3x415 on monday.

Front Squats-3x5x170--having form trouble with leaning forward toward the end of the workout,

W.P.U-#49x 3 3 3 3 3---glad i got all these reps, ready to go up to 3x5 on monday
Ring Dips 13.5 11 5

today's workout was one of the better i have had lately. Adam, our neighbor, may be working out with me from here on out, it will be nice to have a lifting partner instead of just being alone in the garage. Glad i got all my reps on the weighted pullups, and the ring dips were quality. I guess this means friday will be a bad workout since i got my good workout for the week and monday was average.

[kopp]

7-8 hours of sleep
breakfast-5 eggs, cucumber, coffee
red 4way +sc and tomato.
Chicken/eggs/broccoli, apple, milk

warmup---jumprope and kettlebell snatches

Power Clean--3x135 155 2x170
1x190 200pr 205miss
Hang cleans 1x185 195 195 195 195 (i do these a lot more than power cleans, i know pc should be relatively higher)

Ring Dips-15pr 10 9
deadhang pullups 12 9 6/2 ---these were legit, rest at the bottom fully extended deadhangs.

Today was a decent day, actually this week was pretty solid as a whole. PR'd the power and hang versions of the clean, as well as the ring dips (wednesday failed to lock out 14th rep) Now that i have gotten 15 ring dips, am going to start doing them weighted every other day. Did not do front squats, legs felt like lead today, which makes me that much happier about the clean numbers.

[kopp]

this weekend didn't get enough sleep. Friday night only got about 5 hours, worked all day from 8 AM until about 11 pm. Woke up early to go back to middletown for Easter, then worked tonight. Did get a few good meals in, but the sleep was sub-par. Nonetheless, am going to pull 3x415 tomorrow. I have no food at the house, but i do sense an IHOP steak omelette in my near future...

[Bloodninja666]

Do you get your inspiration from this man?

[kopp]

yes, i am glad somebody out there got that reference. If you haven't seen the documentary made about him, it is priceless, especially where he talks about getting tasered. The main video with him beating on that dude is my pre-workout motivation.

[kopp]

7 hours of sleep
breakfast-1/4 pound of turkey, apple
lunch-steak omellette
dinner-chipotle

workout-DL 5x135 185 3x225 275
1x315 365
2x415 1x415---this was fucking heavy, only doing a 5 pound jump next time, third rep was a fail, took a 2-3 minute break and then got the last rep, it is always surprising to me that a 10 pnd jump can make such a different, even at such high weight.

Front Squat 3x135
back squat 5x170 185---these were high bar, not too difficult. Have decided I HATE front squats. Am going to do high bar, though i don't much like those either. I understand i need to squat and keep some version of this movement in the plan, but these are my least favorite part of the program. Am glad i am putting this on starting strength, if it was on crossfit.com, i would probably just not do squats. But of course i would probably receive hate mail if i was posting here and not squatting in some way-i mean that in a good way.

W.P.U-3x5x#49--these were solid, very happy with them
ring dips-14 5 7--first set was surprisingly good, but the next two were death
deadhang pullup-12

am getting sick, which makes the 415 that much better in my opinion. Not working out wednesday because i am going to nyc tuesday-thursday.

[gzt]

High bar squats, do them. They are a lot easier on the elbows. Safety bar squats, too, though that's yet another different groove, it's a little higher than even high bar squats. It takes some getting used to, and, yes, you'll hate them, but they're good for you.

[kopp]

schedule a little screwy since i was in nyc tuesday and wednesday. this week will be a day behind...no big deal. NYC was not too bad for my health, ate pretty well, didn't get enough sleep though, lots of walking too.

Warmup-jump rope and kettlebell snatches
Power Clean-3x135 135 155
175x 2 2 2 1---originally was going to do a high volume day with 175...unfortunately a 4 hour car ride home from nyc and a monster subway 2xmeat sub 45 minutes before lifting left me not at peak levels, though i was glad to do something.

High Bar Back squats-5x135 155 185 3x205 10x135---still trying to figure these out, good depth, tight core, saturday's workout may skip the opening total body lift and really focus on doing a lot of squat's properly...hated them a lot less than on monday
My body was just generally sore and exhausted after this, decided to err on the side of caution and call it a day.


Right now the form the next few workouts is taking in my mind will be to focus on squats on saturday at the exclusion of the deadlift, to do speed deadlifts on wednesday, then to walk in on the 19th and pull 3x420. Am going to try and power clean 5x1x200 on monday, do a higher volume day on friday, then walk in on the 21st and power clean 205 and hang clean 200. If i can reach those short term goals, i should be able to set myself up for success to meet my goals by May 16.
I desperately need a good night of sleep tonight

[kopp]

early lift this morning, have to be at work by 11, am working all day.
Breakfast 3 eggs, cheese, 1/2 grapefruit, coffee


Workout-warmup 2x20 kettlebell swings
Olympic Squat-5x45 135 3x155
5x5x195---these were all quality, both in terms of speed of bar and integrity of form. Glad that after having such a tumultuous history with the squat i could put together a decent day.

weighted pullups 3xBW
51.5x5 2 1----first set was sooo good, and the others were sooo bad. I have to be at work in an hour so this was it. A very average day in the gym, though i am pleased about the squats.

Workout plan adjustment---unless i am going for a max effort clean or deadlift, the squats will be performed first. I actually enjoyed doing them today, and the higher position has placed very minimal tension on my elbow.