indubitable's beginner training log

[indubitable]

It's a lazy Sunday, and I've been putting this off for way too long, so it's time to finally get around to it...

I picked up Starting Strength, 2nd ed. back at the end of March and have been using the program as my training regimen since 3/28. I don't play any sports right now and I don't have goals beyond increasing the weights on my lifts. I work out at my local YMCA -- no bumper plates or platform and a grand total of one rack suitable for squatting, but otherwise not bad. Previously, I had been doing some lifting on an inconsistent basis: squats not to full depth, deadlifts, presses, pull ups, seated rows, bench presses, preacher curls but never made much progress and didn't have much instruction in the way of good form.

Judging by what I've read here, my progress is below average for this program, but it's certainly more progress than I've ever made before. I am hoping to correct this by increasing the amount of whole milk that I drink and my caloric intake in general, and avoiding missing any workout.


Stats:
Age: 25
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 185 lbs
Sex: Male

Lifts at start of program (3/28):
Squat: 160 lbs
Deadlift: 155 lbs
Bench Press: 135 lbs
Press: 75 lbs
Power Clean: 75 lbs

Lifts now (6/5):
Squat: 192.5 lbs
Deadlift: 240 lbs
Bench Press: 160 lbs
Press: 102.5 lbs
Power Clean: 105 lbs

I just got a pair of Do-Wins and a pair of 1.25 lb plates last week; previously, I had been lifting in running shoes. It's hard to tell the difference so far during squats and DLs, but when I leave the gym with my running shoes back on, they feel awfully squishy.

[indubitable]

Yesterday's workout (warmup sets in []):

SQ: [45x5x2, 105x5x1, 145x4x1, 175x2x1] 192.5x5x1, 192.5x4x2
BP: [45x5x2, 95x5x1, 135x4x1, 145x2x1] 160x5x1, 155x5x2
DL: [135x5x2, 185x5x1, 205x3x1, 225x2x1] 240x4x1

Could not make that final rep on DL due to grip failing (the bar kept rolling down). I'm currently using double overhand grip, I guess it's time to switch to over/under to keep up my progression.

[indubitable]

Ate 3 flour tortillas, some salsa and a glass of milk 1 hour before working out.

Warmup: 6:00 on a Concept2 rower, holding a ~2:25 split

Squat: [45x5x2, 105x5x1, 145x3x1, 175x2x1] 195x5x2, 195x4x1
Press: [45x5x2, 65x5x1, 85x2x1] 105x5x2, 105x4x1
Power Clean: [45x5x2, 70x4x1, 95x3x2] 115x3x5

Felt tight and comfortable under the bar doing squats, a lot more secure than in the past. Power clean form is still pretty immature due to some problems I was having with the lift earlier, but it feels like it's improving now.

Spent my entire lifting time either in or behind the power rack, as there aren't many open floor areas in my gym. During my PC sets, a girl started fiddling around with an Olympic bar in the power rack, put 20 lbs on it, and then lifted it up onto the pegs at chest level. She did back squats, then went on to do some split squats with an empty bar. That was pretty cool; it's not something that I usually see in my gym.

[MazdaMatt]

Do you have chalk? If not, get chalk before you change your grip. It makes a massive difference.

[indubitable]

Thanks, I'll look into that.

[indubitable]

Repeated pre-workout eating from last workout.

Warmup: ~6:00 on a Concept2 rower, held around a 2:25 split

Squat: [45x5x2, 115x5x1, 155x3x1, 175x2x1] 195x5x2, 200x4x1 (PR)
Bench Press: [45x5x2, 95x5x1, 135x3x1, 155x2x1] 160x5x2, 162.5x5x1
Deadlift: [135x5x2, 185x5x1, 205x3x1, 225x2x1] 250x5x1 (PR)

No chalk yet, but I switched to mixed grip for the final warmup set and the work set of deadlifts... felt great, grip security was no longer an issue. I love deadlift day, I'm almost always setting PRs and making at least 10 lb jumps. I had stalled on squats a few weeks back at 175; I did not picture myself pushing 200 just three weeks later.

I felt completely unfatigued when I left the gym tonight, and just had to trust myself (well, Rip) that one work set of deadlifts was enough. Sure enough, I'm already starting to feel gravity's pull on me grow stronger. Deadlifts really sneak up on me.

Great workout all around.

[indubitable]

Ate 1/2 lb cheeseburger ~1 hour before getting to the gym.

Warmup: Concept2 rower per usual

Press: [45x5x2, 65x5x1, 85x3x1, 95x2x1] 110x5x1 (PR), 110x4x1, 107.5x4x1
Squat: [45x5x2, 105x5x1, 165x3x1, 185x2x1] 200x3x1, 195x5x1
Power Clean: [45x5x1, 75x4x1, 95x3x1, 115x2x1] 125x3x2 (PR)

Did press first instead of squat, as this older married couple was doing split squats in the power rack with a bare curling bar. Didn't want to go there. Workout was abbreviated due to me getting to the gym too close to closing time, so I didn't get in my last work set of squats and missed 3 sets of power cleans.

Have been thinking about dedicating a day to rowing a 2K on the Concept2; I rowed for four years of high school and I'm curious to see how my times now compare to my PRs when I was conditioning for rowing. I really wish we had had something like Starting Strength back then, or just someone who knew a little about weight training. Deadlifts, squats and power cleans would have helped a lot, but the small room in which the weight equipment was stored was filled up with isolation machines that were rarely used.

[MazdaMatt]

Lots of people get sucked into this... wait till you're done with SS before you add a 2k rowing day. You need your recovery days, especially from here on out when shit gets heavy.

[indubitable]

Probably a poor choice of words on my part -- I meant just one day of just rowing a 2K, not making it a part of my regular schedule.

[MazdaMatt]

Oh, then go for it

Account for that in your rest time, though.