On the advice of my coach, Dr. Skillin, I'm putting up this thread to chart my progress, incur mockery, and deflect blame toward Adam for my overall hackery.
Some history:
Prior to finding Starting Strength via Andy Morgan's site, I had completed one and one-third rounds of the brand-new P90 program. I had done the original Power 90 and P90X programs, never to completion, a number of years ago. It was a pain in the ass and at the end of the day, while it gets you moving, it gives you very little guidance as to how you are supposed to progress in order to get stronger. As with CrossFit, any gains come in random fashion and are difficult to plan for. Speaking of CrossFit, I was messing around at a local CrossFit gym for about two weeks attempting to take their "Olympic lifting" class before my first coaching session with Adam. Sufficed to say, I didn't stay long.
At the outset I was around 165 lbs at 5'-10". I'm 35 years-old.
As of today, 7/10/15, I'm just at three months into the program, with my anniversary tomorrow, 7/11/15. I'll put up a current weight on Monday morning.
All posted numbers are work sets of 5x3 except deadlift which is 5x1. I haven't added in the power clean, yet, because a certain coach "sucks" at them.
This is the whole deal to date, apologies for length:
4/25 (first coaching session)
SQ: 125
PR (1.0): 45
DL: 155
4/27
SQ: 135
PR: 55
DL: 165
4/29
SQ: 145
BP: 85x3x1
DL: 180
5/1
SQ: 155
PR: 60x5,5,4
DL: 195 (losing grip at end)
5/4
SQ: 165
BP: 85
DL: 205 (back rounding)
5/6
SQ: 155x1
PR: 65
DL: 195x1
5/8
SQ: 155
BP: 90
DL: 195
5/11
SQ: 160
PR: 70x5,5,4
DL: 200
5/13
SQ: 165
BP: 95
DL: 165x3 (sore lower back, bar wouldn't go for work set)
5/15
SQ: 170
PR: 72x5,5,4
DL: 205
5/21
SQ: 175
BP: 100x5,5,4
DL: 210
5/23 (coaching session)
SQ: 175x1x1
PR: 75
DL: 215
5/26
SQ: 155
PR: 65
DL: 220
5/28
SQ: 160
BP: 105
DL: 225 (milestone 2 plates)
5/31
SQ: 165
PR: 70
DL: 230 (losing grip)
6/2
SQ: 170
BP: 110
DL: 235x1x1
6/4
SQ: 175
PR: 70x2x1
DL: 230
6/6
SQ: 180
BP: 105
DL: 235
6/9
SQ: 185
PR: 70x5,3,3
DL: 240
6/11
SQ: 190
BP: 110
DL: 245
6/13
SQ: 195
PR: 70
DL: 250
6/18
SQ: 200
BP: 115x5x2/110x5x1
DL: 255
6/20 (coaching session)
SQ: 205 (with leather belt)
PR: 72.5
DL: 260
6/23
SQ: 210 (first workout with temporary nylon belt)
BP: 115
DL: 235 (small reset to fix rounding on descent)
6/25
SQ: 215
PR: 75
DL: 240
6/27
SQ: 220
BP: 120
DL: 245
6/30
SQ: 225x4,5,5 (new leather belt, dumped bar on last rep of first set)
PR: 80
DL: 250
7/2
SQ: 225 (milestone 2 plates)
BP: 115x5x1
DL: 255
7/4
SQ: 230
PR: 82.5x5,4,4
DL: 260
7/7
SQ: 235x5,4,3
BP: 105x1x1 (had difficulty moving bar to lock position for work set, intercostal strain from jammed belt on squat)
DL: 265
7/9
SQ: 235
PR: 85
DL: 270
7/11:
SQ: 240x5x1
BP: x
DL: x
Not a good day. I won't get into it, but I found myself with no energy and my mental tank completely drained from gym bullshit. As the Gym Jones guys say, the mental part of training may actually be the most important. I barely squeaked out a stop and go set of 5 squats, immediately tore off my belt, and left the gym. Definitely something to work on.
I've been dealing with that intercostal strain and some priformis issues for the past week, which I seemed to have addressed with naproxin, ibuprofin, and a new Casper bed. Tonight, I believe I'll back off on the SQ and DL a bit and go for a repeat of 6/30 on my BP as I haven't successfully completed a workout on that movement in two weeks. I'm also going to start programming in some lat pull downs and bicep curls in preparation of adding in chins and pulls toward the end of my LP. I'm not sure how long that'll be, to be honest, although the squat feels damn heavy, while the deadlift IS heavy, but I can still move it for 5.
By the way, weight yesterday was 180.4 lbs which constitutes about a 15 lbs increase since I started three months ago.
You are approaching respectable body weight. Keep up the good work.
7/14:
SQ: 225
BP: 115
DL: 265 (grip was very weak on this for some reason; bar I was using kept feeling like it was slipping and rolling away at the same time)
Front pull down: 40x12, 55x12, 70x12
Concept C2: 10m
7/16:
Concept C2: 2 min
SQ: 230
PR: 87.5x4, 86.5x1, 85x2 (1 lb jumps next time, so 86x5x3)
DL: 270
Curls: 45x12, 50x12, 55x8 (1 lb jumps next time, so 46, 51, 56)
Concept C2: 8.5 min
For DL use chalk and reverse grip. There's no reason to miss a lift because grip hasn't caught up with the rest of your body.
I do and I do.
You did, but I gave it to my brother. I bought a pound of the stuff for myself. And I used a reverse grip on 260 at our last coaching session.
No, it was just weird this past week, where before I could pull 255 double overhand, these last two sessions the bar felt like it was falling out of my hand as if I was just starting out again. Let's see how today goes.
7/18:
Ate shit today; didn't complete anything.
C2 3 min.
SQ: 225x1
BP: 120x3, 115x1
DL: 255x1
Lat pull down: 45x12, 52.5x12, 60x8
C2 10 min.
Couldn't hold the bar up to squat, couldn't move the bar to bench, and couldn't get the bar off the floor to deadlift. I'm still sore in places and likely haven't recovered. Also, I don't think I've been eating enough. Hit Smashburger afterwards for my YNDTFP penance, although Fr. Skillin says I still have buffets to do before I can take the dunce cap off. Oh well. Onward.