cph's complete novice log

[cph]

100% novice here. I have no previous experience with the barbell except whatever BS I did to get through weight room week in HS gym class.

Male, 31, started May 5, 2013.

Starting stats:
Bodyweight: 195, mid 20s BF%
Sq: 105
BP: 105
Pr: 65
DL: 185
PC: 70 (started June 8)
(All lifts follow the SS novice program: 5x3 Sq, BP, Pr; 5x1 DL; 3x5 PC)

I hit a few snags along the way including a wipeout on a squat rep (weight got forward), a bad spotter on the bench stealing reps (lesson learned there), and an early DL stall at 245 possibly due to overtraining and/or bad recovery. I also had to take one full week off plus another half week due to travel. Life likes to interfere.

Current stats (July 29, workout number 31):
Body weight: 204.2
Sq: 215 (on deload from 240 for form)
BP: 155 (2 misses @ 160)
Pr: 110
DL: 285 (miss @ 295)
PC: 120

[cph]

5/5/2013 WO#1
BW: 195
Sq: 105
BP: 105
DL: 185

5/9/2013 WO#2
Sq: 115
Pr: 65
DL: 195

5/11/2013 WO#3
Sq: 125
BP: 110x5,4 MISS 105x1x5 (dropped back to 105 because I had to literally kick and scream like an idiot to get the last rep of set 2 in the rack - a total form breakdown I counted as a miss)
DL: 205

5/15/2013 WO#4
Sq: 135
Pr: 70
DL: 215

5/17/2013 WO#5
Sq: 145
BP: 110
DL: 225

5/20/2013 WO#6
Sq: 155
Pr: 75
DL: 235

5/22/2013 WO#7
Sq: 165
BP: 115
DL: 245 MISS (tried twice)

5/24/2013 WO#8
Sq: 170
Pr: 80
DL: 245 MISS (got 1 rep)

Went out of the country for a week and was not able to workout.

6/4/2013 WO#9 (repeat of WO#8)
Sq: 170
Pr: 80
DL: 245 MISS (3 reps)

6/6/2013 WO#10
Sq: 175
BP: 120
DL: Warmup only to 225x3

6/8/2013 WO#11
Sq: 180 MISS, deloaded to 155 to work on form. Weight got ahead of me in the hole and I fell forward.
Pr: 85
PC: mostly learning, decided on 70 as a start weight

Went out of town for a week for a seminar and only managed one workout due to an unscheduled nighttime event.

6/11/2013 WO#12
Sq: 155
BP: 125 MISS (5,5,3 spotter touched 4th rep)
DL: 225 MISS (tried to deload to 225 and it went very badly. I blame being out of town, sleeping and eating poorly. Decided to deload to 195 next time.)

6/16/2013 WO#13
Body weight: 199.4 (I attribute this to eating BBQ 7 times in 5 days when I was in KC!)
Sq: 160
Pr: 87.5 (I decided to microload for some reason. Weak willed? I don't think I need to yet.)
PC: 70

6/18/2013 WO#14
Sq: 165
BP: 125
DL: 195 (felt like a warmup, decided to take 15 lb. jumps back to 225)

6/20/2013 WO#15
Sq: 170
Pr: 90
PC: 75 (felt really light, decided to take 1 or 2 10 lb. jumps)

6/23/2013 WO#16
Sq: 175 (this is the first time I've really felt good squatting: knees out, sit back, stay tight, and drive the hips all came together)
BP: 130
DL: 210

[cph]

Sq: 180
Pr: 95
PC: 85

Squat technique was not as good today. I have a problem with side-to-side instability and rolling my feet out when I shove my knees out. It came back today.

Press: I will just have to accept the fact that rep 5 is going to be brutal, especially on the 3rd set. I am going to try to ride out 5s as long as I can. I haven't missed a rep on the press yet.

Power clean still feels new and I think on a few reps I am still throwing the bar up with my arms instead of letting the legs do the work. The weight still felt light, but at least I could tell that it was more than just the bar unlike 75 lbs.

[cph]

A little aside/vent here... Getting a little frustrated with all the unsolicited advice I am getting from both strangers in the gym and friends. "If you want to get in shape just do cardio!" ... "You should do Crossfit!" ... "You should go to my trainer... we do cool stuff like flip tires!" ... "You're sore because you're not stretching, you need to stretch before and after every workout!" ... "You need to get under the bar in a front squat when you power clean!" ... "You're supposed to squat with the bar up higher on your back!"

It's just an annoyance since I'm committed to SS, but hopefully as I add plates to my lifts this will quiet down.

[cph]

Sq: 185
BP: 135
DL: 225

I'm out of town, my schedule got screwed up, and I had to call a few YMCAs to find one that would let me in on a day pass in the evening. The manager turned out to be really nice and cut me a break on the fee. I asked where the weight room was and wound up in a general fitness room with a few benches and 2 Smith machines. I got worried at this point, but found my way to the boxing room downstairs with actual squat racks and an Oly platform with bumper plates and chalk. Onto the lifts...

Squat: I expected this to be rough because my quads have been sore since the last workout, but it felt the same as usual: tough but not brutal. I haven't failed a squat rep because of weight yet, just balance issues, so I shouldn't be surprised. Technique overall felt better today. Bad reps are really obvious now. I'm having some luck with turning my right toe out a little more.

Bench: 4th and 5th reps of the last set were slow, but I never felt like I was going to lose them. This was the same situation I was in went my spotter stole my last 2 reps a couple of weeks ago. I am starting to understand the value of the Valsalva, squeezing abs hard, and pushing through the floor. The rep is so much easier when I have a stable platform for my arms and chest to do the work. Still having issues with a few reps touching too close to my stomach.

Deadlift: Easy, but not as light as the last few weeks. I'll go by 10s from here.

All in all I feel like less of a schmuck now that I have a plate on my bench, and it's good to be back at 2 plates on the DL. I know this is basically meaningless and I'm still a weakling but I will take the small victories at this point.

[Simon Rest]

good stuff CPH. I had a similar experience with travelling - my job takes me to weird little towns in coastal Australia. Time was I would find a local bar to pass time alone, now I look for a gym!

keep it up, and very soon you'll have more plates on the bar than anyone else in the gym

[cph]

I unintentionally gained another ~5 pounds. Weighed in at 203.8 this morning (first time I've been over 200 in my life). I told myself I wouldn't worry about my weight/body fat until the end of September, but I probably need to tighten up my diet soon so I don't put on too much excess fat. I don't think I overate, but I definitely overdrank. Hard to stay away from a keg of Dogfish Head 60.

[cph]

Sq: 190
Pr: 100 x 5,4,4 MISS
PC: 90

Squats felt really solid & easier than 185. My knees still shake a little on the ascent (they want to cave) but I only remember 1 rep that felt off balance and 1 rep that felt shallow.

Press... so pissed that I failed here. I am having major unevenness, and it's my dominant (R) side that is lagging behind! 2nd set 4th rep was a grind, and I just couldn't get the 5th rep past my face. I rested at least 5 minutes before the 3rd set. The 4th rep actually went up well and I thought I had the 5th, but got stuck at the same point. Have to try this weight again. On the plus side I think my layback/hip pop is getting better.

PC: Jumping extension felt better today. I overshot the jump point on a few reps, and I still want to pull before I jump. Rack position was better today (elbows up and bar back to my neck), but my elbows are still slow.

Did I mention I'm pissed about the press? I really don't want to have to microload this early.

[danradin]

Great work, Colin. Nobody will be telling you "what you should do" when you're squatting 405 in a few months!

[cph]

Thanks Dan & RSA!