cmrocks journey to the 1,000 lb club

[cmrocks]

I'm just starting my third week of starting strength but I'd like to start a journal now. I'll put in my first workouts and my latest workout because I can remember those well.

My goal with Starting Strength is to join the 1,000 lb club. I will keep with the program until my 3x5 working sets for Squats, Deadlifts and Bench total around 800 lbs then I will attempt 1RM. Something like that anyways. The overall goal is just to get bigger and stronger but it's nice to have a number to work towards.

I lifted quite a bit in highschool including a brief stint with an olympic lifting coach. I was in pretty decent shape and quite strong until I went to university. I spent the next five years studying, partying and chasing girls and completely neglecting the gym. As a result, I lost 25 lbs of body weight and became quite weak.

I'm 25 years old, 5'9 tall and I have weighed as much as 175 lbs when I was younger and in better shape. In the last five years, I have been as light as 145 lbs but I usually hover around 155 lbs. When I began Starting Strength 2 weeks ago, I was 157 lbs. I'm currently 163 lbs.

My first workout weights were as follows:

Squat: 5x3x135 lbs
Bench: 5x3x95 lbs
Dead: 5x3x185 lbs
Total: 415 lbs

Press: 5x3x75 lbs
Clean: 5x3x95 lbs


EDIT:

I just wanted to add my goals short term goals

Short Term:
Squat: 225
Bench: 135
Dead: 275
Total: 635 lbs

I'm hoping to easily hit these weights by the end of the month

Longer Term:
Squat: 275
Bench: 165
Dead: 325
Total: 765 lbs

I'd like to hit this by the end of February. I will be taking two weeks off training in December because I'm going on vacation to Colombia. I know from previous trips that it will be a two week bender so I'm not even attempting to train while away.

[cmrocks]

I haven't kept a journal until this point so I will start with yesterdays workout and diet.

Workout 7:

Squat: 5x3x195 lbs
Sets felt heavy but were doable. Last rep of each set was a bit slow but they've always been that way for me; even when I was squatting 135 lbs.

Bench: 5x3x120 lbs
Sets were fairly easy but I don't want to add weight too quickly. I'm happy with +5 lbs each time I bench press.

Dead: 5x1x245 lbs
Set was heavy but felt good. Lower back felt completely toast after the set and I was worried that I had injured it. After an hour or so, it felt completely fine so I think it was just a result from the heavy weight.

Diet:

Breakfast:
2 slices toast
3 eggs
500 mL milk

Snack:
cheese
almonds
apple
coffee

Lunch:
chicken wrap
avocado
500 mL milk

Snack:
cheese
almonds
500mL milk

Snack:
6" chicken sub

Dinner:
cheeseburger
salad
2 gin and tonic

Before Bed:
3 eggs
1 slice toast
500 mL milk

[cmrocks]

Rest day:

Breakfast:
2 slices toast
3 eggs
500 mL milk

Snack:
1 cup of almonds and dried cranberries
2 homemade chocolate chip cookies

Lunch:
2 turkey wraps
2 pieces of cheese
1 avocado
500 mL milk

Snack:
1 cup of almond/cashew/cranberry mix
1 apple
500 mL milk

Snack:
6" tuna sub from Subway

Dinner:
6" tuna sub from Subway
500 mL milk

[cmrocks]

November 18th, 2011

Workout B:

Squats:
5x3x205

Sets were heavy but I was able to complete them. Lower back was just toast for about half an hour after the squats. It's been about an hour and a half since squatting as I write this and my back feels great.

Press:
3x1x100
4x1x95
5x1x85

These were terrible but I have no idea why. Last workout, I blasted 5x3x95 with no problems. I'm wondering if the squats wiped me out and I was low on energy. Very disappointed by this.

Clean:
3x5x125

I was going to attempt 135 on these but I was just rattled by how poorly my press was that I kept the weight low.

Diet:

Breakfast:
5 scrambled eggs
2 cups of spinach (mixed in with eggs)
cheddar cheese
500 mL milk

Snack:
1 cup of almonds

Lunch:
12" tuna sub from Subway
500 mL chocolate milk

Snack:
cashews
500 mL milk

Snack:
6" tuna sub

Dinner: (late)
0.3 kg of strip loin steak
asparagus with olive oil

I was exhausted after eating dinner around 830 PM so I went to bed early at 930 PM and slept solid until my alarm at 630 AM.

[slowjoe]

Press:
3x1x100
4x1x95
5x1x85

These were terrible but I have no idea why. Last workout, I blasted 5x3x95 with no problems. I'm wondering if the squats wiped me out and I was low on energy. Very disappointed by this.

Typical reasons for an unexpected miss are stress, tiredness and low blood sugar. The last can be fixed by bringing a banana to the gym. Tiredness: if you're lifting, you need more rest than "old" you did. Stress is typically harder to handle.

But try to bring a banana to the gym. I play squash for a couple of hours on a friday with a circle of friends. A couple of times a month, you can visibly see them "lose it" at various times. Their gait gets heavier, their decision-making goes to shit, and it's almost certainly down to low blood-sugar. I feel it myself, and a banana fixes it.

Use the banana-magic, at least once.

[cmrocks]

Typical reasons for an unexpected miss are stress, tiredness and low blood sugar. The last can be fixed by bringing a banana to the gym. Tiredness: if you're lifting, you need more rest than "old" you did. Stress is typically harder to handle.

But try to bring a banana to the gym. I play squash for a couple of hours on a friday with a circle of friends. A couple of times a month, you can visibly see them "lose it" at various times. Their gait gets heavier, their decision-making goes to shit, and it's almost certainly down to low blood-sugar. I feel it myself, and a banana fixes it.

Use the banana-magic, at least once.

Thank you. Will try that for sure. Makes sense too because my breakfast was low carb except for the milk.

Seeing as this was a one time failure, what weight should I use next workout? Today, I was supposed to press 100 lbs but I only got 3 reps. On the next set, I tried 95 and got 4 reps. I ended up doing 85 and just barely making 5 reps. Next workout, should I attempt 100 lbs again or reset slightly to say 95 or 90 lbs?

[whoisjohngalt85]

These sound like very reasonable goals (not that I'm an expert by any means... only been doing this for three months). My stats are pretty similar to yours, so I'm curious to see your progress. Good luck, man!

[cmrocks]

These sound like very reasonable goals (not that I'm an expert by any means... only been doing this for three months). My stats are pretty similar to yours, so I'm curious to see your progress. Good luck, man!

Thanks.

Cool username. Atlas Shrugged is my favorite book by far.

[cmrocks]

November 18th, 2011

Rest day:

I got a solid 9 hours of sleep last night which felt great. I'm pretty disappointed about yesterdays workout. The squats were fine but I just broke down on the press and had to step way back in weight.

Today, I'm upping my milk intake from 2L to 4L and trying to get at least 9 hours of sleep a night.

Breakfast:
1 turkey breakfast sausage
4 scrambled eggs
2 cups spinach
1 L milk

10AM Snack:
almonds
500 mL milk

Lunch:
Chinese food (chicken, noodles, vegetables)
500 mL milk

3PM Snack:
cashews
apple
500 mL milk

Dinner:
Ethiopian food (flat bread with meat and vegetable curries)

Snack:
two beer
ginger beef

[cmrocks]

November 19th:

Breakfast:
Steak and 4 eggs
1 L milk

Snack:
banana before workout

Workout:

Squats: 215x5, 215x4, 215x4
The gym was packed so I was pressed for time and couldn't fully rest. I feel with more time I could have got the extra rep on the last two sets. I will do 215 again on my next workout and see how it goes.

Bench: 125x5x3
I blasted through these no problem

Dead: 265x5x1
The work set was very heavy but I completed it with no problem.

Lunch:
Steak and avocado
1 L milk

Dinner:
Can't remember

Snack:
McD's hamburger