Here Goes Nothing.

[Kevin Pavon]

I am re-starting Starting Strength after stalling and trying several intermediate level programs, most notably 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler. I was unable to surpass my previous numbers on SS, and so I am going to give this another shot starting with lighter weights. I started out using the program listed on p.88 of PPST, in which Rip has a 35 year old male client following Novice Progression for 18 weeks and making sweet gains. The goal is to follow this program using the weights he used until I have milked linear progression for all I can. My Week 1 below will really be starting from Week 7’s weights in the book; these weights are actually a deload from weights I was using recently on the 5/3/1 program. Here Goes Nothing.

Age: 30
Weight: 225
Height: 5’10”

Week 1 Day 1

Warm-up: 5 min. on elliptical machine

Squat: 135x5, 185x5, 225x2, 240x1, 260x5x3

Press: 30x5, 60x5, 90x2, 120x1, 140x5x3 (presses done with a thick bar that weighs 30lbs)

Deadlift: 135x5, 225x3, 275x2, 315x1, 335x5

Total Workout Time: 1 hour

Notes: All work sets felt great. Warm-ups on Deadlifts started tiring me out so I included lots of rest in between. I may decide to warm-up with only singles once I get to Deadlifts since I am already warm from Squats and Presses.

[carson]

Welcome. This should be most interesting to watch. How long did you work on the Intermediate programs after you ended the first LP? Do you have access to a coach to help you decide whether or not you stayed with Wendler? It will be interesting to see if you can make gains by going back to the beginning.

[Kevin Pavon]

Thanks for the welcome, I hope to be able to offer good contributions to this community. I peaked on the first LP around June of 2013 but can't remember when I started, it was 6-9 months prior to that. Starting weight was around 215, kind of fat, ending weight was 230, mostly muscle. I was jokingly accused of steroids around that time by several friends. When I started stalling I was doing work sets with around 335 for Squat, 165 for Press, 185 for PC, 275 for BP, and 400 for DL. I don't remember doing many resets, if any, before trying Texas Method. I screwed up TM somehow and got over trained bad. I have been program hopping ever since then, which has not helped me get much stronger although I did get a little leaner, and maintained my strength close to those levels. No coach, just me the books and the weights. I felt like 5/3/1 was a poor fit for me. I needed weekly increases after LP and you only add weight to the bar once per month on that program. Currently devouring the forums and the Mr. Gravity book for any pearls of wisdom to help me dominate this LP and get back on track for the gains.

[Kevin Pavon]

Week 1 Day 2

Warm-up: 5 min. on elliptical machine

Squat: 95x5, 135x4, 185x3, 225x2, 245x1, 265x5x3

Bench Press: 30x5, 80x4, 120x3, 170x2, 190x1, 210x5x3 (presses done with a thick bar that weighs 30lbs)

Power Clean: 135x1, 155x3x5

Total Workout Time: 1 hour

Notes: All work sets felt great. Bench Press sets felt easy. I am hitting the ground running with tons of motivation.

[Kevin Pavon]

Week 1 Day 3

Warm-up: 5 min. on elliptical machine

Squat: 95x5, 135x4, 185x3, 225x2, 250x1, 270x5x3

Press: 30x5, 60x4, 90x3, 120x1, 145x5x3

Deadlift: 135x5, 225x3, 325x1, 345x5

Total Workout Time: a little over 1 hour

Notes: Took my time today. I was supposed to use 325 on Day 1 for Deadlift, but since I got 335 went ahead and lifted 345 today. Form wasn't perfect, but I had no problems lifting the weight.

Also, I am shopping for shoes, because I have been lifting barefoot or in socks all this time.

[Kevin Pavon]

Week 2 Day 1 (posted a day late)

Spent a lot of time mentally preparing myself to dominate the weights for today. Mind game is HUGE.

Warm-up: 5 min. on elliptical machine

Squat: 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 255x1, 275x5x3
Bench Press: 45x5, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 205x1, 225x5x3
Power Clean: 135x1, 160x3x5

Total Workout Time: 1 hour

Notes: I switched back to the Olympic bar for bench press. After reading the book I realized my grip was too narrow for optimal leverage with my forearms vertical at the bottom and adjusted accordingly. Added 10lbs to the bench with ease. Power Cleans were done at night, about 13 hours after the squats and bench press due to a busy morning. Can't let this impact my deadlift on Wednesday so I will be focusing everything I have on drinking plenty of milk and eating plenty of food until then.

[Kevin Pavon]

Week 2 Day 2

Warm-up: 5 min. on elliptical machine

Squat: 95x5, 135x3, 225x2, 260x1, 280x5x3
Press: 30x5, 60x4, 90x3, 130x1, 150x5x3
Deadlift: 135x5, 185x4, 235x3, 335x1, 355x5

Total Workout Time: about 1.5 hours

Notes: I felt like an animal today, and dominated these weights. Allowed plenty of rest for that Deadlift work set. Pulled 355 for 5 with a double-overhand and it didn't even slip. I got this.

[Kevin Pavon]

Week 2 Day 3

Warm-up: 5 min. on elliptical machine

Squat: 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 265x1, 285x5x3
Bench Press: 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 245x5x3
Power Clean: 95x3, 115x2, 135x3, 175x3x5

Total Workout Time: about 1.5 hours

Notes: I felt strong today. Just got some Rehband Knee Sleeves to protect my knees and they fit well. Added 20lbs to my Bench Press and 15lbs to my Power Clean today. I'm very happy with that, but they were challenging, so I'll be more modest with my jumps next week. My first pair of weightlifting shoes arrive in a few days. We will see how they affect my lifts.

[Kevin Pavon]

Week 3 Day 1

Warm-up: 5 min. on elliptical machine

Squat: 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 275x1, 300x5x3
Press: 30x5, 80x3, 135x1, 155x5x3
Deadlift: 135x5, 225x3, 275x2, 325x1, 365x5

Total Workout Time: about 1.5 hours

Notes: Got my new shoes! The first day I used them, along with my new knee sleeves was today. I felt much more stable and added some weight to all my lifts (not sure how much it helps but five pounds extra on even one lift works for me. But I put the bar too low on my back, and it must have compressed something it wasn't supposed to because I got a huge headache a few hours later. Also, I did this workout only two days after the previous one. I will do the second workout on Wednesday as planned.

[carson]

I'm too old to experiment much and I read that you switched back from a thick bar to an Olympic bar but why did you try the thick bar for BP originally? I note that you have already advanced past your earlier weights. Congratulations.