Papa Bear's Starting Strength Log

[jsteffen80]

Introduction:
I’ve always loved exercise, but haven’t always found a way or want to get to the gym. I’ve also never really had a clear picture of what I wanted to get out of going to the gym. I enjoyed doing a lot of fairly intense cardio, but I had no interest in doing any of the activities that you can do with higher levels of cardiovascular or aerobic fitness. Other than football, baseball, and snowboarding, I don’t really have an interest in playing sports, and I never have the opportunity to do the ones I enjoy. Running marathons doesn’t interest me in the slightest, and ‘looks like a runner’ isn’t a way I ever want to be described. So, without a clear focus, and failing through whatever split routine I found in the monthly rag, I end up falling off the wagon sooner or later.

I’ve bounced between fat (350) and more athletic looking (225) a few times in my adult life, and I’m currently about 270 and on my way down... again. It’s really easy for me to gain weight, and I have enough drive to make losing weight pretty easy too. I found Starting Strength while looking for ways to no longer be the biggest and weakest guy in the weight room. I’m sick of doing cardio for cardio’s sake, and I want to get something out of the gym.

On top of that I have a step son who’s 5, two nephews 4 and 1, and another baby boy just a few weeks away. All four are going to be BIG boys, and living in a town of 2500, they have a really good shot to be powerhouses on their sports teams (football!!!). These boys are going to be in high school before I know it, and the more I know about strength training the better I will be at helping them prepare for any sports they want to participate in, and life in general. I really regret not figuring this stuff out while I was young, because I now feel like I could have excelled in sports had I just been given the proper information early on.

I’ve been working on strength training since the beginning of the year, but it has been a fairly disjointed 5x5 setup that included a bunch of assistance work. I consider myself lucky that I got a non-serious injury (bruised rib on the stupid leg press machine -- never again) that kept me from the gym for a week. It allowed me some time to read up and discover this book/program. I’ve been cruising through the book over the last week, and I’m very excited to build some strength and start making people nervous when I load the bar.

My Stats:
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 271
Body Fat: 30.5% measured today in a health screening
Lean Body Mass: 188 (calculated)

Current Goals (2012 - 2013):
- Break 1000 total lift
- Increase lean body mass
- Decrease fat

Nutrition:
-Current intake 2250-2500 kcal, 175-250g protein, 200-250g carbs, 75-150g fat.
- I’ve been having trouble meeting my fat goals within these calories, and I will probably need to up my fat intake (and subsequently calories) before my lifts get heavy.
- I am tracking everything I eat on myfitnesspal for the past 5 months, and it is now second nature to keep tabs on all of my food.
- I will be re-evaluating regularly based on my weight training feedback.

Current Best Lifts:
Deadlift - 315x3
Squat - 165x5
Bench Press - 165x5
Press - 95x8
Power Clean - 135x3
Chin - 85(assisted)x5
Dip - 100(assisted)x8

Programming:
A: Squat, Bench Press, Deadlift, Chin/Pull-up
B: Squat, Press, Power Clean, Dip

[jsteffen80]

Monday 2/13/2012

I’ve dialed back most of my lifts so that I can have some room to work my way up in a 3x5 opposed to my previous 5x5 or 3x8... I hope I’m starting low enough to make this work.

I won’t be tracking my warm-ups, but I do 3-4 sets of warm-ups for Squats, 2-3 sets for Press work, and 1-2 sets for Power Cleans and Deadlifts.

Workout A
Squat - 95x5x3
This felt good. Great bar speed, and it felt like good form. Having always struggled with squats, I think I’m getting the hang of them.

Bench Press - 115x5x3
Down, pause, explode straight up.

Deadlift - 225x5x1
This is fairly light work. I will probably increase by 20 next time and evaluate again. I would like to get close to 300 before I drop it down to 10 pounds per session.

Chins - 85(assisted)x5x3 (186 pounds total weight)
My upper back needs work, so I do chins. These feel difficult, but I maintain good speed and endurance through my sets, so I will pump these up 5 pounds each time.

[jsteffen80]

Wednesday 2/15/2012

Workout B
Squat - 105x5x3
This still feels great. Form feels good, but I would like to get a video to evaluate the bottom-up movement. My left ankle has some slight mobility issues due to a bad sprain this past summer, and it might be messing with my movement.

Press - 95x5x3
The first set felt good, but the last set of this was difficult. I need to rest a bit more between these.

Power Clean - 135x3x5
I love this move, but I need to work on receiving. I have trouble completely releasing my grip on the bar at the top. I need to correct this while the weight is low.

Dip - 100(assisted)x5x3 (171 pounds total weight)
Yes, I do dips. I can’t help it.

[jsteffen80]

Friday 2/17/2012

Today’s weight: 272.4

I ordered a hand-held body fat monitor just like the one they used on me yesterday for my wellness test. I’m excited to use it regularly.

Workout A
Squat - 115x5x3
Just from my sets today, I know it is going to be a very long time before I peak on squats. My form *feels* really good, but I need to get a video to give me the whole story.

Bench Press - 125x5x3
This is good, but I need to concentrate on leaving tension in my arms at the bottom... I have a bad tendency to temporarily de-load the bar on my chest while I pause. I would like to fix it before the weight gets heavy.

Deadlift - 245x5x1
I picked it up. I put it down. Repeat. Adding 20 pounds and correcting my touch and go form really made this set feel like work. It was still fairly light on the first few reps, but got very heavy on the last. I maintained bar speed throughout.

Chins - 80(assisted)x5x3 (192 pounds total weight)
I don’t know if I was hurried through my rests, or if 6 pounds really made that much difference, but the last set of these was very difficult. I got the last rep, but it wasn’t without a struggle.

[jsteffen80]

Monday, February 20, 2012

Today’s Weight: 271.2

Workout B

Squat - 125x5x3
Yeah this was okay. I blew out the crotch of my sweat pants warming up, so I had a nice cool breeze for the rest of my workout. I broke form a few reps, which set the tone for the day. I’m going to maintain 10 pounds for at least a few more.

Press - 105x5x3
This sucked. It was really heavy past rep 3. I broke form on at least one rep, surprisingly it was an early one. I’m chalking it up to bad form as I didn’t screw up and 4-5 reps.

Power Clean - 145x3x5
What can I say about this... 135 felt very light the past two times I’ve done it, even for a set of 5. Now 145 feels really heavy sometimes. I really need to record this nonsense... I’m taking my little video camera next time to get some video.

Dips - 95(assisted)x5x3 (176 pounds total weight)
By far the easiest thing I did today. These were like a slow walk in the park. It really felt like I could have done these without assistance (I know I couldn’t have, but it felt like it).

I just realized... I usually have a banana about 30-45 minutes before I hit the gym, but I forgot it today. I wonder if there is a correlation. Low blood sugar or something. I won’t forget to eat my banana before my Wednesday workout.

[jsteffen80]

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Today’s Weight: 270.4

Squat - 135x5x3
I tried to video myself today to have a form check, but I failed to get the camera angle correct on most of the sets... I will need to check the video again to make sure. They felt pretty good, but I’m not sure about my bar path, as it feels like it might be a tad forward at the bottom. I’m going to try to rig up a little stand so I don’t have so much guess-work on angle. All-in-all, it seemed good. +10 next time!

Bench Press - 135x5x3
I corrected my form mistakes from last Friday, and did these where I just touch my shirt and blast it up... No de-loading on my chest. I pushed this up 5x3 without a problem... It was so easy I might have been able to do all 15 reps in one set (okay, maybe not but I had a bunch of gas left in the tank for more reps). This is really exciting, and I can’t wait till Monday when I can add weight to it. +10 next time!

Deadlift - 255x5x1
My best friend the deadlift. After a few warm-ups, I pulled these 5 with great form. I did a reset after each rep to kick the habit of touch-and-go. The last two felt heavy, but they went up and I locked them all out. +10 next time!

Chins - 75(assisted)x5x3 (195 pounds total weight)
These felt the same as Friday, but with a bit more weight! I want to start alternating pull-ups in here. +5 next time!

Side notes:
- I ate my banana, and I think it helped.
- I really like days where the two squat racks aren’t taken up by kids doing dumb shit.

[jsteffen80]

Friday, February 24, 2012

Today’s Weight: 269.6
Body Fat: 29.8
Lean Body Mass: 189.3
(I am using these numbers as a long-term indicator of success -- I will not obsess over these daily)

Squat - 145x5x3
These felt pretty good strength-wise, but my form keeps shifting me forward. This weekend I’m building a block for my little camera or a phone to sit on so I can get some better video on Monday. I need to make sure I don’t hurt myself because my form is shit. I think I’m going to slow down my progress. +5 next time.

Press - 110x5x3
Warm-ups felt really good. First work set felt like ass. I almost didn’t lock out the last rep, but I managed somehow. After that I cranked up the fucking heavy metal and got pissed off. The next two sets were much better. +5 next time.

Power Clean 150x3x5
These were better than monday. I was markedly more pissed off coming out of my Press work, so these went up pretty easy. I still need to figure receiving on this one, but the pull and shrug are explosive. This is another one to take some video. +5 next time

Dip - 90(assisted)x5x3 (180 pounds total weight)
Easy. +5 next time

Side notes:
- I’ve increased my food intake this past week.
- I am not opposed to increasing it more.
- I’m averaging about 2600 kcal and 200 g protein daily.
- My ‘light-moderate’ TDEE calculates out to about 3050-3450 according to Katch-McArdle method.
- My carbs are generally a bit high and my fat is generally a bit low.
- Being obsessed with numbers, I bought a handheld body fat monitor to help calculate my LBM.
- I have almost completely removed my desire to see the scale go down.
- I still have an intact desire to see my body fat go down.
- I need to keep my headphones cranked the fuck up.

[jsteffen80]

Monday, Feburary 27, 2012

Today’s Weight: 271.6
Body Fat: 30.1
Lean Body Mass: 189.8

Squat - 150x5x3
I know I said I was going to make a small stand for my camera this past weekend, but I made an entertainment stand instead. I still plan to make my stand, so I can get this recorded. These sets were pretty good, but my form is still varying between reps. Some feel great, others feel strained. I think the 5 pound increments will allow me to get a lot of volume under my belt before I find a weight I can’t push up. +5 next time.

Bench Press - 145x5x3
I’m still feeling really good on the bench. One rep bounced slightly, but every other rep was touch and go. +10 one more time.

Deadlift - 265x5x1
I spent my reps focusing on form, and a solid reset for every rep. Rep 3 was a bit slow, and rep 5 made me grunt pretty loud, but they felt solid. +10 next time.

Chins - 70(assisted)x5x3 (202 total weight)
I missed the last rep of the last set. This was a 7 pound increase from last time if you count body weight. I’m going to do this weight again.


Side notes:
- I ate a lot over the weekend. Pizza twice, tacos, buffalo chicken wraps, pancakes.
- I’m going to try to continue eating big on the weekends.
- I’m still going to watch my calories during the week, so they don’t get out of control.
- I averaged 2826 kcal, 208g protein, 258g carbs, and 100g fat per day last week.
- I could eat 10,000 kcal a day if left unchecked.
- One week until I have a new baby!!!

[jsteffen80]

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Weight: 271.8
Body Fat: 29.8%
Lean Body Mass: 190.8

Squat - 165x5x3
The unpreparedness of the morning workout strikes once. I did my warm-ups up to 135 then loaded the bar with 155 like I had planned. I knew that was the weight I was supposed to work with today. I did my first set of 5. Then I checked my sheet to see what weight I was going to do for press and power cleans. It struck me that I had written down 165 for squats!!! Befuddled, and a bit discouraged, I loaded an extra 10 on the bar and did a second set. That set was honestly the first time a whole set felt REALLY good. There was no pitching forward, there was good hip drive, and there was a good rebound out of the bottom. Well shit I think I finally have a rhythm here. I did two more work sets, so I wouldn’t have to claim one set was lighter than the others. The last set was hard, but I feel confident about going back to 10 pound increments, as I think the heavier weight is actually HELPING my form. I later found out that I had written the weight down wrong, and that it should have been 155. I’m glad I double-fucked up. +10 next time!

Press - 115x5x3
The unpreparedness of the morning workout strikes twice. I missed the last two reps on the third set. I believe it was because I was rushed. My squats took a bit longer than I had hoped with the extra work set, and I was helping a friend out with his squat form a bit which took a few minutes. I was trying to make up time so I could get to work. My first two sets were strained but good. I like this move a bunch, as it makes me feel beastly to push a good bit of weight straight over my head. I’m going to chalk up my missed reps to this being a morning workout, being rushed, and improper rest between sets. +5 next time.

Power Clean - 155x3x5
I’m still in love with this move. It really makes me feel like I’m working. I had one dizzy moment today, but I believe it was caused by an improper breath at the bottom before a rep. +5 next time.

Dips - 85(assisted)x8 (187 total weight)
Like I said before, I was starting to run out of time, so I just did one set of these to fatigue. I figure a set of 8 is still good. I could have done several more, but my form may have suffered. I am considering dropping dips and chins down to just one set to high fatigue, to reduce my time in the gym.

Notes:
- Working out in the morning makes me prone to mental errors.
- The gym is much quieter in the mornings.
- While my wife (carpool buddy too) is on maternity leave, I will probably hit the gym in the morning.
- I will need to better prepare my daily programming so I don’t hit any further mental errors.
- I don’t honestly believe my LBM has gone up a pound in two days.
- I had my banana on the way to the gym.

[jsteffen80]

Friday, March 2, 2012

Weight - 270.8
Body Fat - 29.9%
Lean Body Mass - 189.8

Squat - 175x5x3
I feel like I have come a long way on the squat. I notice, when warming up, that my form feels ‘wobbly’ for lack of a better word, but once I break into the upper 100s it really comes together and everything feels like it just works. I’m hoping to get into the shop this weekend and build myself that little stand, but if I don’t I’m going to buy one of those gorilla claw tripods so I can video this stuff. Toward the end of the third set, the bar started slowing, and the reps became more difficult, but I can see a few more weeks before I need to drop the increments to 5. +10 next time!

Bench Press - 155x5x3
I’m still feeling really good with these. Touch and go every rep with good bar speed down and up. At this point I feel that any plateau I had previously was mental, and that I will take my bench well into the 200s fairly quickly. I had a bit of pain in my shoulder on the lighter warm-up sets, but it went away once the weight started getting close to my work load. I think my arm position in the squat is messing with my shoulder. +10 again next time.

Deadlift - 270x5x1
I picked it up and put it down. I think that 5 pound increments on this are fine at this point. I know I can do a single with a lot more weight, but the later reps in these sets are just brutal. I know I would rather keep the weight low now and keep up on form than jump to weight I shouldn’t be doing for reps. I referenced the book this week and I have modified my grip considerably. My calluses, and hand in general, are looking much better. It could also be from the nightly use of Eucerine cream. +5 next time.

Chins - 65(assisted)x7 (206 total weight)
I got 7 solid reps here, but I don’t think there was an 8th in the tank.


Notes:
- Having a small data set of body fat numbers is driving me a bit crazy.
- I have twice eaten at lunch buffets this week. Golden Corral (yuck) and Than Lihn (Vietnamese, YUM!)
- I’m slowly increasing my calorie intake.
- I feel like I’m making good strength gains with how I am eating currently.
- I hope to eat some good food this weekend, cause my wife is going on a diet once the baby comes.
- This is my last workout before my new buddy comes into the world!
- I was out of bananas, so I had an apple as a pre-workout snack.