Meshka7, Weakest man in the universe Log

[meshka7]

Ok, so yes maybe I'm not the weakest man in the universe, but I'm pretty close.

Age: 36
Wt: 200 lb

Squat: 50lb
BP: 30lb
DL: 20lb
Press: 15lb

I do not look that weak. I am kind of skinny fat. These numbers are not my maxes, but they are pretty much the max without feeling something clicking/snapping/going into really bad form etc. I have so many weak links in my body, have never done anything athletic in my life, have a desk job that keeps me sitting for hours, never paid attention to good posture, have extreme left side/right side body imbalance, and have a great number of injuries.

I came upon SS and it helped me feel better, but I am now starting to feel pain in some areas of my body due to lifting and despite the very low weights. I am borderline depressed but I will keep working on it.

Also I don't like to eat properly, just random feeding which doesn't help.

Goals:

Lift 2x to 3x my body weight some time before I die, preferably in the next 2 years.

[Brodie Butland]

When I first started lifting, I was under 130 lbs and could only bench the bar with 5's on both sides. I'm now 220 lbs and just put up a 320x5x3 squat, 345x5 deadlift, and 215x5x3 bench press--and that's with crappy genetics and little athletic ability (I do, however, play a mean game of chess).

You can do it, with a little determination, grit, and the understanding that sometimes you'll take a step back once in a while. The iron will teach you a lot about yourself, including things you never knew before...enjoy the ride!

[meshka7]

Brodie, thanks for the encouragement. It's inspiring what you said in light of you being a SS coach. I can identify with a lot of what you said. I already learned a lot about myself and how my body operated. I have gone through a number of frustrating halts and injuries that's why Im taking it slow. But I know the journey is long.

I hope I keep going and don't back down as I feel like every once in a while.

[Gene61]

Meshka, Good for you starting SS and having the guts to start a log here. I also started at a very low level of strength. It was intimidating to see the other logs start out with 135lb squats on the 1st workout! I'm now 2 months into SS and now can squat 135lbs. I'm very very happy about that. I think that us weak guys get more out of going from air squats to 135lb squats, than the athletic guys do going from 135 to 270lb squats. It makes a bigger difference in our lives! Don't give up. Put in your 3 workouts a week, eat lots and lots of meat and sleep as much as you can. In 2 or 3 months you will be a new man!

[ChessGuy]

You took the first step. Awesome!

You may want to get some 'fractional' weights to permit you to add less than 2.5 lbs to your lifts.

Good luck!!

[meshka7]

Thanks Gene. I know it took some guts to start a log with my non-existent lifts. When I first joined this forum some people asked me if I'm a female. I needed some motivation since I'm easily dissuaded. About 10 years ago I squatted 135, that's my PR. But I was younger lighter and not injured.

I totally agree with you. It means a lot to me getting stronger than most people here. First and foremost for health reasons, and second because I have never done anything athletic and always felt weak and disadvantaged. When I was a kid I used to internalize that stuff and blame it on me. I came last on every single sports trial that I've been part of among my class peers. But now I know better. I was just weak and didn't eat and no one told me I needed to. The problem was not who I was but what i did. But I didn't know then and internalized stuff and thought I'm just not born with it.

Anyway. Thanks for the encouragement I am having recovery issues lately and I suspect it's food and rest as you mentioned. I will keep fighting. If I am ever to Squat body weight I think I'll start a new log.

[meshka7]

Chessguy, thanks! I got some 1.25 plates off ebay. They were useful especially with the press since my shoulders like to bitch and complain a lot.

[ChessGuy]

Chessguy, thanks! I got some 1.25 plates off ebay. They were useful especially with the press since my shoulders like to bitch and complain a lot.

1.5lb plate may be too heavy. get some 0.5lb plates so you can increase by only 1lb. Heck, get the whole set of them. 2x1lb, 2x0.75lb, 2x0.5lb, 2x0.25lb. You won't regret it. I'm just going up 1lb at a time with my military presses.

Or get some big washers from Grainger.

[Gene61]

Meshka7, I read your diet advice post elsewhere on this site. Asking diet advice on this site is like throwing meat to the wolves. A fight will certainly ensue. Ha! Anyway you mentioned knee pain. This is a serious issue and indicates form problems. You were brave enough to start this log, now go to the next level, and post a form video of your squat in the technique section. You may get beat up, but it's best to get your form right early and you definitely don't want to get injured again.

My two cents on diet? Read the stuff on Robb Wolf's site.

[synchronicity]

FWIW, I'm 45 and fat, and started with a 5 kilo training bar (hell, my first "squats" were in my apartment with a 5' long, 2.5 lb conduit bar bought from a home improvement store, and I almost fell on my face on my first attempts). My log is on here and my starting weights weren't much different than yours. That was in mid July, and I didn't start in earnest until the last day of August.

But, I competed in the Rippetoe meet last Saturday, and although my lifts were awfully low, they were MUCH better than what they'd been just a few months earlier. I'm learning a lot and getting stronger by the day, and people were cheering me (and everyone else) just as much as they were cheering Matt Reynolds when he was squatting/pressing/deadlifting massive amounts.

Nobody cares where you start at, it's all about putting in the effort and being both disciplined AND smart in your training. Spend the time learning what to do and improving form as much or more than just increasing the weight. It's a marathon not a sprint, and it's just as much mental as physical. You've got the rest of your life to get it right, and if you apply yourself to it and put in the work, you'll be surprised how quick it happens.