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Thread: Massey's Starting Strength Log - Tall, lanky student looking to get bigger

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Posts
    25

    Default Massey's Starting Strength Log - Tall, lanky student looking to get bigger

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    Hello,
    This is my first ever log and would appreciate all the help, critique and advice I can gather (harsh is better than none at all!) .

    About me
    Short version: I like a no waffle, common sense and scientific approach to training

    I am a mechanical engineering student from the UK who is currently doing an exchange year abroad in Sweden. I therefore have limited money and time ( a lot of work this quarter!) however I don't like excuses and am willing and determined to do what I need to gain strength and size. I am interested in the science (especially mechanics) of starting strength and am the type of person who spends hours and hours researching anything before I do it. I therefore choose starting strength due to the no waffle, just do it approach which is backed up with seemingly sound bio-mechanics and common sense. I purchased SSBT back in April 2014 and read it however was unable to bring it with me to Sweden but have some rough notes I made from it.

    Stats (19/09/2015):

    Age: 20
    Height: 6ft 4 (193cm)
    Weight: 83 kg (183lb)
    Build:Tall and Lanky

    Background
    I played rugby and did lots of running as a kid/teen. Have done gym training on and off for a year or two. Last year I even did starting strength for a while and was making progress but not taking it as seriously as i should have due to a lot of other time commitments. Have had a few minor issues with my lower back throughout the years, mainly due to tall thin frame.

    Goals
    Want to gain mass however I feel that the best way to go about this is to first get a solid strength foundation - hence starting strength.

    Current Training
    Gym
    After joining the uni gym at the start of September I did a week or so of light weight workouts to stretch my body out a bit. I then started the program again a few weeks ago (I stopped over summer due to a number of excuses which I should have worked around) with the following weights:

    Squat: 70kg
    Bench Press: 40kg
    Deadlift: 80kg (have been correcting form)
    Press: 25kg
    Pendlay/ Barbell Row [I am ready for the incoming abusive comments about how i am not following the program but please see below!] : 30kg

    Nutrition
    For the first week or so I was just eating a lot whenever I was calculating my nutrition. I then spent a lot of time and calculated the following estimate for my goals:

    Maintenance: 2900kcal
    To bulk (+20%): 3480kcal

    Protein: 200g, 800kcal, 23% of TEE
    Fat: 120g, 1080 kcal 31% of TEE
    Carbs : 400g, 1600kcal 46% of TEE

    I met these goals for the past couple of weeks. I didn't weigh myself the first week and started to weigh myself last week however my body weight just fluctuated very slightly. Although this was a very breif time period I am going to assume I was only eating around maintenance and therefore added a further 20% today. I understand this is probably a greater jump than to allow accurate measurement however I would rather have slightly excessive and then cut back than for my recovery to suffer.

    The new values give me a macro target of:

    Protein: 210g, 840kcal, 20% of TEE
    Fat: 125g, 1125 kcal 27% of TEE
    Carbs : 560g, 1600kcal 53% of TEE

    I will again record my weight for a week or two and then re-assess.

    Sleep
    I generally try and aim for at least 8 hours of sleep a night. However "General life" makes this difficult.

    General Life
    -extremely busy with uni work
    -when I'm not working I am busy trying to make the most of my exchange year! (travel, friends etc..)

    Questions & Things I need to sort

    -I am currently doing pendlay/(bent over barbell) rows. I know from doing a lot of research that this is one of the biggest controversies with the program. My reasoning for this (from what I have gathered) is that although slightly preferable power cleans are a technical exercise that take time to learn. As stated previously I am tall, lanky and susceptible to back injury if done incorrectly. I would therefore spend a lot of time learning the exercise before even entering the gym. I have therefore decided that it would be more beneficial for me to simply pick the rows and otherwise do the program as it should be done. And focus on increasing my lifts and therefore increasing strength. I am however willing to listen to others opinions on this issue.

    -Chin-ups (depending on the above issue). I am also starting to do 3x5 chin ups with the rows.

    -Squat: grip - currently trying to re-learn how i grip the bar in the squat
    -Deadlift- still trying to perfect my deadlift form

    Thread about improving my form: Squat and Deadlift Form Check


    Despite my massive log entry I no doubt have forgotten to mention a lot of details. Please ask if there is something I have forgot to include.

    ALSO, please give any advice/criticisms you may have. The purpose of me doing this is to test and improve what I am doing.

    Thanks to those who actually took the time to read all of this!
    Last edited by massey; 09-19-2015 at 10:35 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Posts
    25

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    19th - 21st
    Nutrition:
    Have been struggling to force the 560g of carbs down me each day. But hopefully will just take a bit of getting used to. On the other hand I'm struggling not to go over my fats excessively.

    Sleep: Mediocre at best.
    Life: Far too busy - 3 assignments due Wednesday

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Posts
    25

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    21st Sep Gym Session

    Squats - 87.5kg
    Ok but still can't manage to use the overhand grip (thumbs on top of bar).

    Press = 32.5kg
    Getting really tough. Press and bench are definitely my weakest exercises.

    Deadlift = 87.5kg
    I think I managed to improve my form and managed the weight fine. So hopefuly will get some responses on my form check videos.

    Form check: Squat, Press & Deadlift Form Check
    Last edited by massey; 09-21-2015 at 03:39 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Walled Lake, Michigan
    Posts
    6,681

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    Welcome. For DL keep the bar on your legs. More later.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Posts
    25

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    Quote Originally Posted by carson View Post
    For DL keep the bar on your legs. More later.
    Thanks - yeah, I didn't even realize at the time, I was over thinking about everything else and forgot to pull bar back to shins. I actually bought the trousers last weekend to protect my shins a bit - so hopefully next session I'll get good use out of them!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Posts
    25

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    21/09/2015
    Creatine arrived so I have started the 'loading phase' of it. After reading up about it, it appears to be a safe and useful supplement, so I thought it would be worth the investment (although it's pretty cheap).

    22/09/2015 and 23/09/2015
    Had 4 assignments due which resulted in 3 or 4 hours sleep on 22nd and about 6 on 23rd. I decided not to go to gym on 23rd (as it would of been terrible workout) and instead went yesterday (Friday 24th).

    24/09/2015 Gym Session
    Although still tired - had an ok workout.

    Squats - 90kg
    -Before starting I again spent about 15 mins trying to use overhand grip but still unable to (I think it's a flexibility issue)
    -Form wasn't awful but as previous - still a bit of lower back rounding ( and my lower back was actually a bit uncomfortable because of it - nothing major though)

    Bench Press = 50kg
    Felt ok, managed it but starting to get harder.

    Pendlay Row (bent-over row) = 42.5kg
    Felt pretty good and the weight is starting to feel a bit heavier

    Chin-ups: I have started doing chin ups on row days (as long as it doesn't interfere with other exercises). This actually helped stretch my back out a bit which is good.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Posts
    25

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    New technique thread to try and sort squat issues: Still need help with squat! (FOLLOW UP with more detailed analysis!)

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Posts
    25

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    starting strength coach development program
    26/09/2015 Gym Session
    Not a great workout..

    Squats - 92.5kg
    Ok but still can't manage to use the overhand grip (thumbs on top of bar). Starting to feel strain in wrists and elbows so really have to deal with grip issues.

    Press = 35kg
    Didn't manage to complete the last 2 reps of 3rd set so did an extra set of 32.5kg. I want to look more into the form of the press 2.0 and see how I can develop. Disappointing as this is usually my weakest lift and was hoping to progress further before stalling.

    Deadlift = 100kg
    Added more weight than normal as advised through form checks. Felt difficult and unsure about my form but have video which I will post when I get a minute.

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