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Thread: Dastardly Advanced Novice Log.

  1. #1
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    Default Dastardly Advanced Novice Log.

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    Ive been meaning to put up a log for a long time but kept being put off because I have a back-log of stuff from when I started SS at the beginning of this year. I have just started advanced novice and now decided "fuck it". Ill just start sharing my logs from now.

    Intro:

    2009
    I have always been a totally unathletic weakling. I have many annoying "ailments" like shoulder instability, dyspraxia & poor lungs too. At the end of 08/beginning of 09. I realised I am in my mid-20's and technically in the best physical condition I will ever be. This thought troubled me, so I decided to improve things in what ways I could.

    One of these things was deciding to do strength training, it was a total epiphany. I have always been into cycling too, and the idea of becoming a powerful behemoth made me think Id be able to do track sprint cycling (something which might not be so greatly limited by my crappy lungs).

    In march 2009 I tore a ligament in my knee. It was severely swollen and immobile for weeks. I rehabbed it with light squats and later a lot of single leg squat variations. I gradually phased myself back into the full stronglifts 5x5 programme which I did dilligently till the end of the year in attempt to hit a measly target of a 1.5xBW squat, which I failed.

    By the end of the year I had a severe case of hamstring tendinitis which was aggrevated by a therapists stretching advice. I was also spending a lot of time doing rotator cuff exercises for my bad shoulders.

    2010
    I bought myself starting strength, deloaded heavily and learned new technique. I started to get severe instability and patella chrondomalacia pain in my knees. It was so bad that I thought I would have to stop squatting.

    I then got weighlifting shoes and a belt, deloaded heavily again. And miraculously found my knee pain started to disappear. I followed the SS programme carefully and slowly progressed my squat to the point where I made new PR's near to 100kg.

    By now, my hamstring tendonitis was again getting out of hand. I posted a squat video to Rip and with his advice drastically changed my squat stance to what some may consider sumo, to a very narrow stance with very outwardly rotated feet. It is harder to get deep now, harder to drive hips up, plus I get a lot of strain in the hip joint. I have not managed to match my previous squat numbers for sets across. But have been able to get some new 1RM's due to increased tension/rebound with narrower stance.

    All my other lifts have been fairly stuck. My bench has been hovering just below 60kg since last year. I also get shoulder pains & instability when benching. Ive made endless deloads but its keeps getting stuck.

    I have problems with my deadlifts as my knees need to be super wide to stop my back rounding. So I just switched to sumo after being stuck at around 115kg for a long time due to technique problems.

    The same problem prevents my doing cleans as I need a very narrow grip to be able to rack. So progress has been stagnant.

    I am have been unable to add weight to my squat 3x a week for a fairly long time now. Plus I cannot handle deadlifts every other session. So I have made the overdue decision to begin Advanced Novice with a "light squat" day.
    Last edited by Dastardly; 04-22-2010 at 06:00 PM.

  2. #2
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    My Squat form from last year:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NOxEQr0j4M



    My form 2010 using SS advice but with wider stance to allow me to get depth without back rounding.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu7pLSN5QZA

    Very recent change to much narrower stance upon recommendation of Rip. The first few sessions felt like my hips sockets were being broken open by twisting. this has resolved but I am still finding it very hard to "drive hips up" with this method.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MArnH_wSREM



    Current stats:

    Height: 5'8"
    BW: Between 76kg & 80kg dependent on scales used.
    Bicept Size: Only Joking!

    Squat PR with old wide stance: 97.5kg 3x5
    Current Squat work weight: only 90kg

    Squat 1RM: 105kg

    Deadlift: 120kg 2, 1, 1, 1, 1 No Round backing.
    (my main efforts over months of deadlifting has been achieving the ability to set back into extension at the start. Only just achieved this finally) I also always find it difficult to do deadlifts without pausing between reps as my need to hold such a strong valsava it makes me dizzy.

    Best OHP: 37.5kg 3, 2, 2
    Currently deloaded and widened grip: 35kg 3x5

    Bench: PR'ed yesterday 60kg 3x5


    I know my lifts are pretty low overall. But I have been doing the lifts for over a year consistently and havent made significant progress in a long time. I followed basic SS dillingently for all of 2010 and feel it is now definitely time to change things a bit. I do not want to make the same mistake as last year: Sticking to something for so long just because my lifts hadnt hit an arbitrary target.
    Last edited by Dastardly; 04-22-2010 at 06:25 PM.

  3. #3
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    Could you provide us with the status for all your ilfts. You list some, but not all. And maybe I've read it all too quickly, I'm not sure what your height/weight is

  4. #4
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    Wednesday 21 April:

    1st day of advanced novice/incorporating light squat:

    Light Squat: no belt.
    20kg 5, 5, 5
    50kg 5
    60kg 3
    70kg 5, 5
    75kg 5

    (I know it should be same weight for 3 sets, had problems calculating what 80% of 90kg was)

    Bench: (new PR, first time I got 60kg 3x5)

    20kg 10
    40kg 5
    50kg 2
    60kg 5, 5, 5!

    Good Mornings: (substitute for back extension)

    20kg 10
    30kg 10

    Front Squat: (was interrupted by guys wanting to front squat, I had to demonstrate for them too)
    60kg 2

    Chins: 6, 6, 6

    GM’s: (Finished up GM's at the end when rack was again free)
    30kg 10, 10

  5. #5
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    How come you are front squatting and light back squatting in one session?

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr.City View Post
    How come you are front squatting and light back squatting in one session?
    I was not intending to front squat, some guys were struggling to do them in front of me in the rack, so I thought I would demonstrate with the weight they had on the bar (60kg)

    I only did 2 reps.

  7. #7
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    Friday 23rd April

    Squat:
    20kg 5 5
    60kg 5
    80kg 3
    90kg 2 (accidental misloading, no belt)
    90kg 5, 5, 5 (Workset with belt, tough & slightly sloppy)

    Press:
    20kg 5
    30kg 3
    37.5kg FAIL
    35kg FAIL
    Very dissapointed at my erratic press, I have lifted 35kg 5x5 before but suddenly cannot do it for one rep
    35kg 3x3 (pushing to start 1st reps)
    25kg 12 (guessed I should stick a back off set here)

    Dynamic Pull: I use these for my deadlift warm up.

    60kg 5 (snatch grip)

    Sumo Deadlift: still cannot do 5 without pauses.
    120kg 2, 1, 1, 1 (hook grip)

    Deadlift: Narrow stance , slightly round backed & hook grip.
    Felt I should try & push my non-progressing deads a little.
    120kg 1
    120kg 3 (with straps)
    140kg Fail with straps.

    100kg 6x1 (double overhand for gripwork)


    Indeed I stuck some extra shit in there, but I was so annoyed with be regressing press that I thought I should push harder for progress on the deadlift at least. With the extra sets I also learned that a feet-together, upper back rounded setup is very strong for me so I may use it in the future. In terms of the squat, I am glad I finally got the 3x5 with 90kg but regret not deloading more so I could really develop the ability to produce hip drive using my new squat stance.

  8. #8
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    Monday 25 April
    Squat:
    20kg 5 5 5
    60kg 5
    80kg 3
    90kg 1
    92.5kg 5, 5, 3
    First workest pretty solid. Gone really sloppy by the 3rd. Forward drift, bar forward of toes, Gming etc.

    Bench Press: Experiencing left shoulder impingement pain/soreness today.
    20kg 10
    40kg 5
    50kg 3
    55kg 2
    62.5kg 5, 5, 4
    First two sets fast & fairly easy. (Down to just good feet position?)
    Good Mornings:
    20kg 10
    30kg 10, 10
    Felt straining, exhausting & inneffective for targeting back muscles.
    35kg 12
    Faster, easier to breathe/less exhausting, plus working lumbars.
    Pull Ups: 5, 5, 5, 1


    Workout was fast & efficient but I felt a bit annoyed because with the confidence of a spot, I wouldve probably got the last bench rep. And the only reasons I failed squat was because I was being rushed & bar was sliding of back.

    I was very tempted to do assistance exercises as I had lots of time & energy. But I refrained as I didnt want to fatigue myself for presses next session.

    Will have to lift these same weights again.
    Last edited by Dastardly; 04-30-2010 at 05:35 AM.

  9. #9
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    I had strange tenderness/aching in my rhomboids over the past few days from the pull ups. Very strange considering I was doing pull ups 3 times a week last year. I was worried that it would interfere with todays deadlifts, but thankfully it had mostly gone.

    Wednesday 28th April 2010


    Squat.
    20kg 5, 5, 5
    60kg 5
    70kg 3 Hard
    75kg 5, 5, 5 Max Effort without belt. But 80% of current belted work weight.

    Press
    20kg 5
    25kg 3
    30kg 2
    35kg 5, 5, 4 Started from top.
    These felt surprisingly good, but nowhere near the 37.5kg strength I was at a few sessions ago. Dont understand how my press can be so temperamental. I was expecting to be at a nice round 40kg a long time ago

    Deadlift: Not doing usual sumo.
    60kg 5 Dynamic
    100kg 2
    120kg 5 Workset PR, as they were done as single tight set.
    130kg 1 Had enough in the tank for a couple more.
    All of the prior with hook grip, conventional stance, unavoidable but controlled back rounding, mainly in upper back.
    100kg 5, 4.5
    Double Overhand on slippy bar for grip strength. Chest lockout/top poor due to grip giving out.
    Dips: Was doing these with 10kg added a few months ago.
    10kg Fail
    5kg Fail
    BW 10, 10, 6

    Decision to add dips was surprising and disappointing. Abiity has massively dropped despite lifts going up

    The deadlift back off / gripwork set gave me vivid flashbacks to being a kid with severe dyspraxia being unable to grip things.
    Last edited by Dastardly; 04-30-2010 at 05:39 AM.

  10. #10
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    starting strength coach development program
    Quote Originally Posted by Dastardly View Post
    Dont understand how my press can be so temperamental.
    The press is a bitch. You're wearing a belt for it, right?

    And maybe do some weighted ab work if you're not already.

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