Instructions unclear... got $%@& stuck in squat rack. An intermediate log.

[Oren]

Hello all.

I won't lie to you. I'm 5'9.5". At my first ever PL meet this past Saturday, I weighed in at 212.5 lbs, a good 40 lbs of which I estimate is pure, unadulterated lard.

That being said, my goals for the next 4-5 months is to get under 200 lbs and get a double body-weight squat at my next meet.

The results of my 10/25 meet:
Squat: 330 lbs.
OH Press: 165 lbs.
DL: 385 lbs.
I have never bench pressed at a meet. My previous best in the gym is 235 lbs for a triple, at some point in the past year.

I have read Starting Strength and Practical Programming for Strength v3. My understanding of these texts seems to suggest that I am somewhere in the borderlands between novice and intermediate, probably on the intermediate side of the line. I am no longer able to make progress from workout to workout in 3 sets of 5 or even 1 set of 5 (plus back-off sets) or even sets of 4/3/2.

I listen to lifting podcasts, read lifting websites and forums, and am a huge nerd in that I usually end up talking about doing things more than actually doing them. I'm trying to improve on that. I also like doom/stoner metal, and historical strategy games.

I plan to use a basic weekly cycle loosely based on TM to push my lifts up for the next meet. Accessory work will focus on building a stronger back, forearms and grip, which I feel I lack. Yep, I suck at chins.

Anyway, enough about me, here's what I hope will be a useful tool in my project to get strong and have fun picking up big things that most people can't.

[Oren]

10/27 Lifting: still beat up from Saturday's limit attempts, so I box squatted and rack pulled instead of the competition lifts.

Squat (to a box just below parallel):
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
235 x 5 x 2

Bench:
65 x 10
135 x 5
185 x 5
195 x 5 x 5

Dead Lift (Rack Pulls):
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 5 x 3

Chins:
5 x -30 lbs
5 x -30 lbs
5 x -30 lbs
5 x -30 lbs
4 x -30 lbs

[Adam Skillin]

I think we all felt the effects of Saturday on yesterday's workouts. After a meet is a great time to re-think programming and get a fresh start. I'll be following along as you get incredibly, brutally strong. Don't let me down!

[Oren]

Previous gym 1RM Squat was 300 lbs, about 3 weeks ago. This Saturday I hit 330 for a single.

My goal for my next meet (intention is March 21) is to compete at 195 lbs.
I have 20 weeks.

I just re-read PPST3. I intend to start off a new cycle of TM. I will pick up Intensity day squatting -5% from where I left off at triples before the meet (295 lbs), for a single set of 280 x 5. I figure this will give me a minor reset and allow me to recover a bit and give me a few weeks of definite +5 lbs. jumps in weight on intensity day. Eventually I will start "running it out". My guess is about 10 weeks until I reach the end of heavy singles and need to reset back to 5RM's.

I am planning to follow the textbook for Texas Method, 5x5 on Mondays, Recovery Wednesday and 5RM on Friday. Instead of Power Cleans and Power Snatch I plan to sub in partial ROM Deadlifts (rack pulls, DL to the knees), Barbell Rows, GHR, Dips, and Chin-ups (which I am horrible at). I need to build a bigger back. I will also strive to push the prowler at least 2/3 lifting days and perform other cardio one additional day per week.

Should look something like this:

Wednesday:
Squats @ 175# x5x3
Press @ 145# x5x3
Rows @ 155# x5x5
GHR with assistance
Prowler! @ TBN

Friday:
Squats @ 280 x5
Bench @ 215 x 5
Dips x5x5
DL @ 325 x 5
Chins @ -30# x5x5
Prowler! @ TBN

Monday:
Squats @ 255 x5x5
Press @ 145 x5x5
DL to knees @ 295 x5x3
Chins @ -25# x5x5

[Gerhard]

OH Press: 165 lbs.

Nice work, look really fucking good in the video too. Great comeback from the miss.

[Oren]

I think we all felt the effects of Saturday on yesterday's workouts. After a meet is a great time to re-think programming and get a fresh start. I'll be following along as you get incredibly, brutally strong. Don't let me down!

Dude, I am absolutely charged up about these next 15 weeks. Thank you for your support.

[Oren]

Nice work, look really fucking good in the video too. Great comeback from the miss.

Thanks amigo. I was pretty disappointed with my performance on the press. I had hit 175 for doubles and 185 for singles in training and thought I could at least put up 185 at the meet. I didn't feel great during my warmups, and with the mental lapse on the first attempt, I ended up psyching myself out on the 2nd attempt.

Overall I'm not too upset since the gap between my press and other lifters in my division wasn't as big as the gap between my squat and dead lift, but I could have had 900 lbs total if I had hit 185 lbs.

[ithryn]

Yeah, nice bounce back (figuratively not literally, lol) on the press, I think I would've been ready to throw in the towel. I like how you captioned your 40 lb PR deadlift an "attempt" so I expected you to fail. Nicely done!

[Oren]

Wednesday 10/29 - 'Light' Day

Squat:
65# x 10
135# x 5
155# x 5
175# x 5x3

Press
65# x 10
95# x 5
125# x 3
145# x 5x3

BB Row
155# x 5x5

GHR (fashioned a GHR setup with a barbell, floor mat rolled up and the wall, it worked not so great)
8x3 - Assisted with a bosu ball (crazy cramps in my calves)

Leg Curl Machine (got sick of messing with my GHR setup)
90# x10x2

Pushed the prowler for about 200 feet +100 lbs for about 2 minutes, the skids seemed really high resistance, almost tipped it over a few times.

Cardio - 15 minutes on 15deg incline x 3 mph (150 bpm, wow I'm a fatass)

[Oren]

Friday 10/31 - Halloween! 'Medium' Day - hammies/backs of legs extremely sore from the isolation work yesterday... kinda wondering what I was thinking.

Squat:
45# x 5
95# x 5
155# x 5
205# x 3
225# x 2
265# x 5x3 - felt solid, felt present, kept good tightness at the bottom, looking forward to 295# on Monday. Knees feel great, all the stiffness has subsided.

Bench Press:
45# x 10
95# x 5
155# x 5
185# x 3
205# x 5x3 - The weight moved, kept good tightness/arch in the abdomen, but felt like my elbows might have been flaring on the last rep on set 2 an the last 2 reps on set 3... needs more work!

SLDL
135# x 5
185# x 5
205# x 5
225# x 5
245# x 5 - these felt really easy, the weight flew up. Was aiming for ~60% of my 1rm DL but in retrospect possibly not enough work done here, next week will go heavier, and add at least 1 work set.

Chin Ups
5 x -20 lbs
5 x -20 lbs
5 x -20 lbs
5 x -30 lbs
5 x -30 lbs - last rep on 3rd set was ugly, but slowly getting better at chins.

Cardio tomorrow morning with the wife.