Ant's Starting Strength

[Antz]

After 4-5 months of bodybuilding routines (3 days split, 5 days split) after summer 2010, I have seen that I didn't increase my stats in lifting much and I needed some more strength in my workout. Of all the great compound exercises, I used to bench press only, rest are isolation exercises and I barely trained my legs as well thinking that if I trained them they will become huge and they are already genetically big so I didn't want to pump them much lol.

On december 20, i read Rippetoe's book with Madcow 5x5 and after doing some readings, I found out that for my lifting stats I am considered a Novice and 2.5 % increase per week is low for a novice so I decided to go with Rippetoe's ( I didn't chose Stronglift since 5x5 is too taxing and takes lots of time when the weights become heavy specially if i wanna drop some assistance exercises).

Here is How I started from December 20 Till today:

Monday :
Squats 3x5
Bench press 3x5
Bent over rows 3x5
Chin ups 3x5
Weighted Hyperextensions 3x8
Weighted Situps 4x12

Wednesday:
Squats 3x5
Overhead Press 3x5
Deadlift 3x5 ( it should be 1x5 according to Rippetoe but since the weight im using isnt that high and not giving me soreness the next day, i'm doing it for 3 sets).
Pull ups
Weighted Situps 3x12

Thursday: 1.5 hrs of mini football

Friday:
Squats 3x5
Bench Press 3x5
Bent over rows 3x5
Dips 3 times to failure
Barbell bicep curls 3x8
Barbell Triceps extensions 3x8

Sunday : 2 hrs of mini football.

My weight is : 82 kilos 182 pounds
My height is: 6 feets 183 cms
Age:23

Since most of the compound exercises I started were new to me there was some good gains during the 1.5 months of Starting Strength program.

Weights on Dec 20-25 (first week of the program basically) :

Squats 3x5 (88 lbs ye it was new to me)
Bench press 3x5 (143 lbs)
Bent over rows 3x5 (110 lbs)
Chin ups 3 times 3 times 2 times
Weighted Hyper extensions 3x8 ( Body weight )
Weighted Situps 4x12 ( 5 lbs )
Overhead Press 3x5 (77 lbs)
Deadlift 3x5 (88 lbs ye also firs time lol )
Pull ups 4 times 3 times 2 times
Dips 8 times 7 times 5 times
Barbell bicep curls 3x8 (55 lbs)
Barbell Triceps extensions 3x8 (55 lbs)

Weights on january 31:

Squats 3x5 (211 lbs)
Bench press 3x5 (186 lbs)
Bent over rows 3x5 (143 lbs)
Chin ups 7 times 6 times 5 times
Weighted Hyper extensions 3x8 ( 20 lbs )
Weighted Situps 4x12 ( 10 lbs )
Overhead Press 3x5 (100 lbs)
Deadlift 3x5 (199 lbs )
Pull ups 8 times 7 times 5 times
Dips 19 times 15 times 13 times ( need to buy a belt for adding weights )
Barbell bicep curls 3x8 (77 lbs)
Barbell Triceps extensions 3x8 (66 lbs)

Here is it folks, ye I know nothing fancy only noob gains so far.

About the diet, I am not following the gallon of milk per day, it scares the **** out of me. I'm just eating properly throughout the day ( 6 meals 40/40/20 and you know the usual ).

Also one thing is holding me down in the exercises that has a small muscle involved, the gym only has 2.5 kilos weight, so I can't add 5 lbs to my bench press, it has to be 12 pounds which is rlly hard to do and is the main reason behind my bench press stall, overhead press, bent over row, biceps, triceps... I am looking to go and buy my own 1 kilos weights or whatever i find in that range lol. About the belt for the back, I am thinking of getting one as well, anyone of you guys know if it's crucial at this weight to get the belt.


P.S: Sorry for my ****ty English and essay skills lol. Also will be adding pictures when i get home ( at work now :P ).

Thanks,
Ant.

[Antz]

Alright, ate good today (will list my new nutrition diet below ) and watched some vids to fix my form on squats cause I'm still struggling with the form for it on heavy weights.

Came at the gym at 6:40 pm and did the following:

Squats 3x5 (211 lbs) : Kept the same weight as before just to get my form right since last time after doing squats my knees were as red as hell ( while im looking straight forward on the mirror to check my form i lift it in a good form but becomes more difficult, when i look down forward on the ground it becomes easier but my form starts screwing up). Another bad thing in the form that was happening with me when i go down and raise my hips afterward, I'm not raising my upper back at the same rate with my hips so its making some tension on the back. Will keep on trying till I master the technique.

Overhead Press 3x5(110 PR) : Went rage my veins in my neck were gonna pop on the last reps lol, increased the weight by 10 pounds since gym doesn't have 2.5 pounds weights and I couldn't find 2.5 pds weights for the Olympic barbell anywhere in my country.

Deadlift 2x5 (199) : Kept it same weight as well because still having some problems in my grip on the last rep, Weird thing No soreness as well the next day while Ripp said it should cause soreness for 1 week this is why he advised on 1x5.

Pull ups ( 9 8 7 ) : Increased one rep from last time on each set

Weighted Situps 3x12 ( 33 lbs PR ) : I don't feel they are enough for the abs anyway.

Nutrition :

7:30 am before work - 6 egg whites, 2 egg yolks, a bowl of oats, 4 olives , 2 cucumbers and 1 tomato.

10:40 am : Cottage cheese sandwich of whole wheat with a cucumber.

1 pm : a plate of brown rice, peas, corn, 200 grams of chicken, and some nuts.

4pm : same as 1pm meal.

6 pm before gym : same as 1pm meal.

8:30 pm after gym : Whey protein shake 1.5 scoops with a banana and a spoon of honey and 0% fat milk.

9:30 pm after Freezing shower ( 2 Degrees GRRRRR) for some reason i feel it helps with removing the soreness although I'm barely getting sore lol: 300 grams of fillet steak half a baked white potato with cucumber and tomato salad.

Midnight before Sleeping: A can of tuna.

Oh ye baby, time for some sleep .

[Antz]

Alright i copied my log from bodybuilding.com since i didn't receive much help there.

First, i bought 1.25 kilos olympic plates yesterday time to break the bench press plateau that i had. I will be lowering my weight on squat and I am currently reading the squat section again in details to get the proper technique so that i don't injure myself.

Not sure if i shall add power clean instead of bent rows at this stage.

[Antz]

Monday 7 feb

As i said i lowered around 30 lbs on squat to get the technique correctly, no more back or knee pain after workout, i just need to fix some small issues regarding keeping my chest all the time straight under heavy weight.

I lowered bench press around 10 lbs to reset and add my 1.25 kilos plates accordingly from now.

Bent rows went well, I will be learning clean today from the book and the dvd ( Is it a good time to start power cleans ?)

For some reason my chin ups decreased to 5 times and i did it for 2 sets only.

Regards,
Ryan

[Antz]

Monday 14 feb :

Reseted Squats so that i can grasp the technique : Squats 3x5 176 lbs
Started Power clean new : 5x3 121 lbs
Bench press : Also worked on the technique to get the bar to my chest without cheating reps 5x3 165 lbs
Chin ups 2 sets of 4 (BW)

[Antz]

You guys think starting power clean at 121 is too much ? my shoulders felt some pain after it from the first day then today it went away...

[Antz]

Alright, Friday february 25 :

Squats ( removed the belt because I read somewhere around the forum that I shouldnt wear a belt before i start lifting 300 lbs because if I wear it before that my core won't develop well): So Squats 200 lbs x5 3 Sets.
Shoulder press : Still didn't get the flexibility to hold the bar on my shoulders without hurting my wrists : So 100 lbs x5 3 sets.
deadlift: Best of my lifts going so far though on the 4th repetition of my work set had some grips problem so I hold the bar with one hand facing down and one face up on the 4th set although they say this should happen on 300 lbs it's happening now for me since i have very small fingers for my 6 feet height. So 220 x5 1 set

btw BW increased to 191 lbs from 182 lbs since I increased my caloric intake to 3.4 k per day, My thighs and ass are getting huge cause of squats lol.

Cheers.

[Antz]

Yo, March 2 :

Squats : Struggling with passing 200 lbs with good depth.
Bench press (PR) : 169 lbs
Power clean : Still getting form so 110 lbs
press: 104 lbs (PR)
Deadlift(sky high ): 231 lbs (PR)

Munching on some fewds and STAY CLASSY SS

[Antz]

Hey, its march 8 :

Squats : Same issue, still struggling to pass 200 lbs for some reason, I did as well 200 lbs last 2 times.
Deadlift: 242 lbs new PR ( Having Grip issues although I'm holding the bar one hand facing upward, the other facing downward )
Press: Tried adding 5 lbs to 110 but missed a rep and my 4 were in bad form so decreased it to where it was at 105.
Powerclean: 115 lbs PR
Bench press: 176 PR

[Antz]

wed march 9 :

Squat : 205 3x5 ( when go below parallel while warming up my ass still hurt from last time, this has been for the past 2 weeks. shall i like remove one day squat out of the 3 ?
Bench press : 181 3x4 won't call it a PR because I lifted it 4 times only on all sets shall i go back to 176 and do it 5 times or attempt a 181 3x5 next time ?
Powerclean : 121 3x5 (PR) showing video in technique section.