Member
Starting 5RM too heavy?
Hey Rip,
Started going to the gym in April 2010, 24 years old, 171cm, 60kg, wasted my time doing a 5day BB split, ate like a teenage girl, drank beer nightly and usually ran for about 12kms a day. Somehow still gained about 7kg, come December I caused myself a shoulder impingement from too much pressing done incorrectly so I couldn’t lift for three months from a small tear in my infraspinatus. After that I dropped the running to twice a week, started a 4day BB split, limited beer to 2 or 3 on the weekend and started to eat a lot more. Started to slowly see some strength and size gains and added in squats and deadlifts once a week and put on another 7kg. Read your book in June but wrongly thinking BBing was still the way to go it took me another month and a half to come to my senses.
Ive been on your program for 4 weeks now however I think I might have started my 5RM too heavy. When squatting ive only been able to go up 2.5kg each session, deadlifting 5kg each session and bench and pressing 2.5kg. For all these lifts the last two reps of the 2nd and 3rd set are real slow going and I just about come to the point of failure, especially with the bench. My form doesn’t really suffer except for the last rep of benching where I lift one of my shoulders slightly off the bench to get the bar to lockout. Is this normal this early on in the program, should I drop the weights or should I just keep on going til I actually stall and then drop the weight?
Im doing rows in place of cleans which are progressing fine and I do 3 sets of decline reverse sit ups once a week (if I do regular sit ups I get a pain in my lower back) and 3 sets of BW chins, first week 6,6,6, present 10,10,10 I also did weighted dips at 15kg x 8 reps x 2 sets for the first two weeks but have dropped it. My stats from starting the program to present:
SQUAT : 80-100kg
DEAD : 95-120kg
BENCH: 60-77.5kg
PRESS: 37.5-50kg
Body-weight: 74-77kg
TMPHBITEU
It is always necessary to assess your calorie/protein intake, incremental increases, and time between sets. It is possible that your weights were too heavy, in which case your form would be less then perfect. I'd have to convert 171 cm into our units, and I don't have time right now, but a bodyweight of 165 doesn't sound conducive to steady strength gains. And you're not doing "my" program.
Member
(OP is about 5' 6")
Because I'm new, I have a few follow-up questions just to see if my understanding of the program and the lifts are correct:
1. Shouldn't a 5RM be completely unknown at the novice level? It's possible that OP means just the starting weights for 3 sets across, but my question stands.
2. Is there any logical reason that Rows could 'Replace' cleans in any way?
3. Wouldn't including power cleans in alternating training sessions help keep the dead progressing (among other things)?
- Gavin
Member
Kermit,
I don't think you started too heavy. You're NDFTP. You've gained 3 kg in 4 weeks. You should have gained 4 to 5 kg in the first week. Are you not drinking your milk? What's your daily intake look like? I have a feeling if you doubled the amount of food you're eating and drank your milk, all would be well.
By the way 171cm is about 5'7".
TMPHBITEU
Your understanding is much better than that of the OP.Originally Posted by BrewinBombers
Member
I'd be 5'6 and around 169 pounds, Ive been getting in about 5000cal a day for the last 3 or 4 months and close to 1.5grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. I take about 2 minute rests between squat sets and about 90 seconds for the other lifts. 165 doesnt sound like much but coming from 132 a year ago its not too bad
Member
No i dont drink milk as im lactose intolerant
TMPHBITEU
You're not doing the program. http://startingstrength.com/articles...n_rippetoe.pdf
Member
2 minutes rest between work sets??? I have 2 min rests between warm up sets over 45 and ~8 min between work sets depending on how I'm feeling.
Member
Ok. This is what i was after. I see ive got some changes to make. Thanks everyone.
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