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Thread: The SWOLE Life of a not-so-average Student-Athlete

  1. #1
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    Default The SWOLE Life of a not-so-average Student-Athlete

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    This is my second journal here, and third for those of you who go back to the days of the strengthmill forums. Some of you may remember me from my last journal, "K.Diesel's powerlifting and other training - 2009 and beyond ", which if you're interested and/or really bored, can be found here: http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=10141

    I decided to start over with a fresh journal. I like the exchange of ideas on the forums, and I hope this new start will help get me going on them again. For a little background: I have been lifting for 8+ years, and competing in the sport of powerlifting (USAPL, raw and single-ply) since August 2008. I have also been a full-time college student since summer 2011. Since returning to school, I completed my associates' degree at Baltimore City Community College in May 2012, and am currently pursuing a bachelors' degree in accounting with a minor in business administration at University of Maryland University College. These 2 things occupy a huge portion of my life in terms of time, energy, finance and more. Since I'm not half-assing it with either, I consider myself a student-athlete.

    I don't think I'm a special case or anything. I haven't met a lot of people in the same situation, but that doesn't mean they don't exist. Here's what I mean by "not-so-average":

    1. I'm 36 years old.
    2. I work 45-55 hours per week delivering mail for the U.S. Postal Service (this is what I refer to as "urban hiking" or "mailman GPP")
    3. I'm married (my wife of 11 years also started powerlifting about 2 years ago).
    4. I have 3 children (ages 7, 2 1/2, and 5 weeks).
    5. Powerlifting would have to be considered a non-traditional sport, but it is a legitimate sport nonetheless.

    One day, I was goofing around with someone on this shirt I got from the Arnold this year that reads "GET SWOLE. LIVE SWOLE" That's where the SWOLE in the title came from. As an acronym, SWOLE = School, Working Overtime, Lifting, Eating. Outside of and including my family, that's pretty much my life these days. So that's the background for my journal.

    Now for training, etc...

    I'm 5'8". For the last 3 weeks, I've averaged a wake-up weight of 218 lbs. Waist is 36", so I'm still pretty lean, plus I tend to store more fat in my ass than my stomach, so that may be misleading. I have 2 major competitive goals for 2013:

    1. Compete at Raw Nationals in July, and qualify for the Raw Challenge at the 2014 Arnold Sports Festival. I haven't done that meet since 2011.
    2. Compete in single-ply gear at the American Open in December, and earn a total that would make me feel comfortable entering my first Open Nationals in 2014.

    There are 1 or 2 other meets that I may do this year. If so, I won't be "peaking" for them. I'll just use them as training meets to get more platform experience and get a feel for where my lifts are.

    Speaking of which, here's the most recent video footage I have. I tested my geared squat, bench, and deadlift in the gym about 4 weeks ago. I hadn't tested those in quite some time, so now I have some data to work off of. Not a bad day, but I still need lots of practice in it before December.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHNaotm7y6Q

    If you've made it this far, thank you for your time and for checking me out. I hope you'll stop back and I'll try to keep the log up to date. As 2013 starts, I have bronchitis (YES!) and I'm on antibiotics for 4 more days. And I have next to no voice. Still, I hope to get my first 2 sessions of the year in tomorrow and Thursday, starting with deadlifts and squats tomorrow.

  2. #2
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    My man! The Diesel is back, y'all!

  3. #3
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    Good to see you here again Kaisheem. I'm following with great interest.

  4. #4
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    Default Wed. 1/2/13 - Deadlifts

    Quote Originally Posted by hbriem View Post
    Good to see you here again Kaisheem. I'm following with great interest.
    Thank you sir! I'm glad to have you on board, and I'll definitely be catching back up with your progress.

    I was feeling better from the meds, so I went ahead with session #1 of 2013. I probably would have trained anyway since I hadn't been in the gym for a week for various reasons. Other than sweating more than normal and extra effort to breathe a few times, no real problems.

    1. Deadlift - raw, conventional
    135/3, 3, 3
    225/3
    275/2
    325/1, 1
    365/1
    405/1
    445/1 - if not a beltless PR on conventional DL, it was my heaviest beltless pull in a long time
    475/1 x 10 - 83.6% of raw PR. Used Versa Gripps on last 4 singles.

    2. Front Squat
    135/6
    185/3
    225/3
    255/3
    285/3
    add belt
    315/3
    345/1, 1 - 30 seconds or so between these singles

    3. Leg Extension - plate loaded
    90/10
    135/10
    rest-pause: 180/10 + 7 + 5 - 30 sec. timed between rounds

    The rest of this stuff is usually done as a circuit, but ended up more as straight sets today due to New Year's crowding.

    4a. Barbell Shrug: 225/10; 315/10, 10, 10

    4b. Calf Press - on plate loaded leg press: 180/30; 270/24 + 6, 17 + 13; 180/20 + 10

    4c. Ab Wheel: BW/15, 10, 10

    4d. Adductor machine: 50/20; 60/20; 70/20

    On a side note, I was in a slightly down mood. Those of you who are football fans have surely heard that Ray Lewis of my beloved, hometown Baltimore Ravens announced his retirement today, effective at the end of the season. I got to meet him at the Arnold last year, and he was one of the coolest celebrities/pro athletes I've ever met.

    I usually get the 1st locker in the locker room because, of course, it's closer to the door. The New Year's crowd once again shuffled things around, and I had to use a locker I don't think I'd ever used. Before I left, I happened to look up and notice the number. It was #52. Go figure.

  5. #5
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    You and I are about the same age and strength level - I wasn't around when you had your first log, but this one should be a fun log to follow.

    Sucks about Ray Lewis, he was the GOAT at his position, IMHO. And I hate most miami hurricanes. But you have to respect the man for recognizing when his time has come.

  6. #6
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    Default Thu. 1/3/13 - Overhead Press

    Quote Originally Posted by DRice311 View Post
    You and I are about the same age and strength level - I wasn't around when you had your first log, but this one should be a fun log to follow.

    Sucks about Ray Lewis, he was the GOAT at his position, IMHO. And I hate most miami hurricanes. But you have to respect the man for recognizing when his time has come.
    Glad to have you on for the ride! Checked your log and you have impressive numbers. I'm glad to see Ray going out with some dignity. It's sad to see great athletes hang on too long. Old football players aren't as bad as old boxers, but they're still pretty bad. Needless to say, anybody who planned to scalp tickets to what is probably his last home game this Sunday is going to be glad if they didn't sell before his press conferences. Prices just went up.

    Remembered my neck harness and dip/chin belt today. Forgot my camera and regular belts. So much for having priorities in order.

    1. Overhead Press - no leg drive on these
    95/5
    135/5
    160/4
    180/3, 3, 3, 4, 4 - 83.7% of PR. Every set but the last 2 were taken straight off of safety pins set about chest high. Then I started sharing the rack with some squatters and walked out the last 2. I felt stronger on those. That seems backwards.
    150/10

    2. Chins
    Max Assisted/10
    Half Assisted/6
    BW/6, 6 - overhand, underhand
    +50/6, 6, 6, 6, 6 - overhand, underhand, neutral, wider overhand, underhand. Used a step at the bottom of each rep to keep from swinging.
    BW/12

    3. DB Incline Press - I do these so my hands are neutral at the bottom, pronated at the top.
    50s/10
    70s/10
    rest-pause: 90s/8 + 2

    Today's bonus circuit:

    4a. Face pull - cable w/rope attachment: 75/20, 20, 25

    4b. Neck harness: 25/20 front + 20 back, 30 front + 20, 15 back (strap came loose in during the last set)

    4c. DB Hammer curl: 25s/10 each, drop set: 50s/8 each + 40s/4 each

    Probably won't lift again until Sunday or Monday. I return to work tomorrow. I haven't been to work since my daughter was born 5 weeks ago. Add that to the 2 months I spent working in an acting supervisor's position, and I haven't delivered mail in 3 months. That was also 12-15 pounds ago. This could suck in an epic way tomorrow. I had to get these sessions in, because I was not going to plan to go to the gym after my return mailman GPP session.

  7. #7
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    Nice work with the press man. How do you like the rest pause sets?

    Do you deliver mail on foot?

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by DRice311 View Post
    Nice work with the press man. How do you like the rest pause sets?

    Do you deliver mail on foot?
    Thank you sir! I tinkered around with DoggCrapp several years ago and have used rest-pause sets in some way or another ever since. I rarely, if ever use them on the core lifts though. I save them for assistance exercises.

    Yes, I deliver mail on foot. I'm a full-time carrier, but I cover a circuit of routes rather than working the same route every day. I prefer it this way for now. I call it urban hiking because counting stairs, etc, it averages 5-6 miles a day for me if I deliver one route. If I work overtime - meaning deliver part of another route in addition to mine - that usually means an additional 1-2 miles. Every route in my station is a walking route.

    Speaking of which, work has been tough to adjust to since going back. The first day back wasn't bad, but after delivering 3 of the last 4 days, I feel beat. Planned on squatting today, but got sent back out after finishing my route. Apparently, one of our carriers' vehicles was hit by a few bullets today while he was somewhere else on the block. He had to do all kinds of police stuff, so the rest of his route was split up. By the time I got home, I was as disgusted as I was tired, with very little time left before the gym closed. Instead of rushing to the gym to rush through squats, I'll try for a Tue-Wed-Fri split this week and start tomorrow.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by K.Diesel View Post
    Thank you sir! I tinkered around with DoggCrapp several years ago and have used rest-pause sets in some way or another ever since. I rarely, if ever use them on the core lifts though. I save them for assistance exercises.

    Yes, I deliver mail on foot. I'm a full-time carrier, but I cover a circuit of routes rather than working the same route every day. I prefer it this way for now. I call it urban hiking because counting stairs, etc, it averages 5-6 miles a day for me if I deliver one route. If I work overtime - meaning deliver part of another route in addition to mine - that usually means an additional 1-2 miles. Every route in my station is a walking route.

    Speaking of which, work has been tough to adjust to since going back. The first day back wasn't bad, but after delivering 3 of the last 4 days, I feel beat. Planned on squatting today, but got sent back out after finishing my route. Apparently, one of our carriers' vehicles was hit by a few bullets today while he was somewhere else on the block. He had to do all kinds of police stuff, so the rest of his route was split up. By the time I got home, I was as disgusted as I was tired, with very little time left before the gym closed. Instead of rushing to the gym to rush through squats, I'll try for a Tue-Wed-Fri split this week and start tomorrow.
    Holy shit man. Do they give you guys bullet proof vests? lol. In Baltimore, it sounds like it might be a good idea.

    Being on your feet all day will absolutely kill your motivation. I honestly dont know how guys like you can train after days like that. On of my training buddies works in the warehouse of the company I'm at (I'm in the office). He is a selector, and picks up to 2,000lbs in cases every night he works. I don't know how he does it.

  10. #10
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    Default Tue. 1/8/13 - Squat

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    Quote Originally Posted by DRice311 View Post
    Holy shit man. Do they give you guys bullet proof vests? lol. In Baltimore, it sounds like it might be a good idea.

    Being on your feet all day will absolutely kill your motivation. I honestly dont know how guys like you can train after days like that. On of my training buddies works in the warehouse of the company I'm at (I'm in the office). He is a selector, and picks up to 2,000lbs in cases every night he works. I don't know how he does it.
    They give us nothing and it would be a good idea. I only went out there because they told me postal inspectors (postal cops) and BPD was out there. When I arrived, I didn't see anything remotely resembling law enforcement. I work a circuit of 5 routes, covering for the weekly off-days of 5 other regular carriers. My day off is the day when they all come to work. 3 of my routes are in rough areas, including the route where the truck was shot. Another route is in a decent area near a mall, and the last one made me ask "How the hell am I still in Baltimore?" my first time doing it. I guess every city is like that: some good, some bad, a few pockets of paradise, and a few hellholes.

    I completely empathize with your buddy. I don't know how I do it either. I think part of it is competing and wanting to do well, and part of it is not wanting to let this job beat me. I don't hate my job, but I have no desire to retire from it. I'm grateful for it because I fell into it at a good time. But I'd hate it and myself if I felt like my job kept me from doing something I actually love to do.

    Speaking of which, after last night's aborted mission, I made it to the gym and was blessed to make it out without breaking anything. I'm getting worried that one of the pins in the shoulder press rack that gets used for squats is about to give out. I'm sure it has never been replaced, and I've been squatting and pressing on it myself for 5 years or so. I'm going to have to insist that they put some of my membership dollars to good use and get a new pin. Or better yet, a new rack.

    1. Squat - raw w/Rehbands
    135/7
    225/4
    275/3
    325/2
    added wrist wraps
    365/2
    395/2
    425/2
    added belt
    425/4 x 4

    2. Stiff-legged DL - w/trap bar, low handle
    135/10
    185/10
    added soft belt
    235/10
    275/10
    315/10

    3a. Leg extension - plate loaded
    90/10
    180/8-10 - lost count
    rest-pause: 225/9 + 5 + 3

    3b. Kneeling unilateral leg curl - plate loaded
    60/10 L & R
    90/10 L & R
    rest-pause: 120/10 + 6 + 3

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