Making myself accountable to myself - just another training log

[l4t11]

Dear Me (others for information),

This is my try to make myself more accountable for achieving my goals.

Background data:
Male, 38 yo, 180 cm (5'11) 96 kg (211 lbs) @ 21 %bf

Bench 110 kg (242 lbs)
Press 72,5 kg (160 lbs)
Squat 180 kg (396 lbs)
Deadlift 162,5 kg (357 lbs) (all 1RM's)

My goals are somewhat conflicting; I want to decrease body fat in order to "look good without a shirt" (yes, that's quite relative) and to increase my strength. I would be happy to be part of the 300/400/500 club (140/180/220 in kg).

I have been "serious" about training since 3 yrs back, but I didn't know about Starting Strength until about one year ago. I made serious gains back then using the scheme laid out in SS. I changed over to TM last spring. Volume days were exhausting, recovery days boring and I had a hard time find motivation doing them. I loved intensity days. Last summer I didn't lift but last autumn I started again with linear progression and hit my personal records. After a short period off for a vacation, I am back since a few weeks.

Although I have (admittedly half-heartedly) tried to lose weight by counting calories, I am serious this time about my goals. My weight has been steady for 3 weeks @ 96 kg. My macros are 258/297/81 g (p/c/f), which I hit with not-so-good accuracy. Total calories are usually quite close to 2700 kcal. I have read and reread Jordan Feigenbaum's "To be a beast" and I try to follow his ideas.

I try to hit the gym 3 times a week, quite often succeeding. However, I am accountable to my three children every other week, which makes an obstacle for my training. Also business trips interfere with my program. I have decided to do a last try on SS, however with the tweak that I am not able to hit fives anymore. I am down on threes on most lifts, except the press, where I at the moment do singles. When I can't do singles on squat, I will change over to TM... Although I am not sure how compliant I will be...

Yesterday, my lifts were as follows:
Squat 3 sets of 3 @ 162,5 kg
Press 3x1 @ 72,5 kg (*) (missed on the 3rd set)
Deadlift 1x3 @ 157,5 kg

Squats were quite OK, I widened my grip so that the bar didn't rest on my hands. With a wider stance, I felt I got deeper than normal. Usually I sauat to just parallel, not "convincingly" parallel...
I made a new PR on the press, although I missed the last set...
I have been struggling with my deadlift (as seen from my PR's), but the last few times they have been OK! Thanks to Rip's educational videos. Last week, I have performed deadlifts every day and I will continue that for a while... Let's see if that is too much..?

Thanks for taking your time to read about my struggles...

[paterfamilias]

Welcome, l4t11!

Unsolicited feedback follows ... please disregard it if you don't want any.
First impression: It seems like you shouldn't be down to triples on a SS linear progression. Practical Programming 3 lays out strategies for transitioning from the linear progression into TM, with TM initially being a break from the grind of the novice or advanced novice progression.
It seems like a reset back to weights that allow you to get your 5's is worth considering. OR ... if you must do triples, at least get the reps in: instead of 3x3 (which is less than 2 sets of 5), do 5 sets of 3 (same volume as 3 sets of 5). My vote is for a reset and 5's. Also: get PP3.

[l4t11]

Thank you, paterfamilias

And thanks for your feedback. It is appreciated. Everything you say is probably right, more volume would probably help progression. And transition to TM is something I should do. I dread the TM, I should just find a tweak that suits me.

However, I do triples because I want to put more weight to the bar and I find it more fun.

I will have a look at my PPST, there are just too many variants to choose from in it...

I am quite slow in changing programs, so you will find me doing the same program tomorrow...

You had posted a nice deadlift video in your log by the way. I hope I vancope with those weights one day.

[paterfamilias]

Thank you, paterfamilias

And thanks for your feedback. It is appreciated. Everything you say is probably right, more volume would probably help progression. And transition to TM is something I should do. I dread the TM, I should just find a tweak that suits me.

You're very welcome. Note that if you are hammering a linear progression, transitioning to TM feels like a huge break, at least for a while.

However, I do triples because I want to put more weight to the bar and I find it more fun.

I will have a look at my PPST, there are just too many variants to choose from in it...

Do you have the third edition? It is an entirely new book. In addition to a huge TM section, there's a large section on advanced novice programming as a kind of pre-TM transition phase, which seems like it would be useful to you right now.

I am quite slow in changing programs...

This is a very good thing!

You had posted a nice deadlift video in your log by the way. I hope I vancope with those weights one day.

Thanks. I'm sure you will.

[l4t11]

You're very welcome. Note that if you are hammering a linear progression, transitioning to TM feels like a huge break, at least for a while.

Do you have the third edition? It is an entirely new book. In addition to a huge TM section, there's a large section on advanced novice programming as a kind of pre-TM transition phase, which seems like it would be useful to you right now.

What I remember from last time is that the volume days were killing me from the beginning. However, I should transition to TM.

Yes, I have indeed the third edition of PPST. I will reread the advanced novice part...

[l4t11]

Today it was time to do some lifting again. I was somewhat tired this day until my preworkout shake with 50 g of carbs... The 300 mg caffeine at 15:30 did not do any help. (My workout started at 18:30.)

Squat 165 kg 3x3
Bench 107,5 kg 2x3 + 2 (3rd rep failed)
Deadlift 157,5 kg 1x2 (2nd rep failed but I hit the "3rd")

The third reps were slow on the squat of which the very last one was really slow... I'm not too happy with my squats, since I have squatted that weight for fives last autumn...
On the bench, the third reps were also really slow, missing my last rep. I'll do doubles next time.
On the deadlift, I was angry with my second attempt, which failed. I just had to try again!

In the near future, I am not able to work out at the interval I would prefer. Sunday is a workout day and then next Wednesday. That's great - 3 workouts in a week. But then, I am not able to work out until next Sunday. I will follow paterfamilias' suggestion to transition to the TM. I will do it by the book (as far as it is applicable, since my "SS" is not textbook... Then, I will see how I can cope with it... Next week I'll have an unwanted break which may help me...

I have to do something more about my recovery. I have been logging my sleep and, thus, slept more (WYMIWYG - what you measure is what you get). Anyways, I am always tired the day following a workout even if I sleep well for 7.5 - 8 h. I work out in the evenings, except on the weekends when I do it mostly early pm.

[l4t11]

Squat 3x5 125 kg
Press 3x3 65 kg
Deadlift 1x5 150 kg

Started at 18:30, workout lasted for 1 h. I couldn't make it earlier today... Rests were 2 min for squats (normally 7 min) and 5 min for the presses.

Well, I reread the PPST3 chapter on advanced novice training. For squats, the book suggests that 3 sets of 5 with a light squat on day 2 @ 80 % of weights used on day 1 and for press and bench press, 3x3 works better. That is, for many people. So I decided to do just that... Since I felt that i had't fully recovered from Friday's squats, I decided that today I do light squats @ 80 % of what I am going to do next Wednesday. Well, next Wednesday I'll do 3x5 @ 157,5 kg, which should be very doable...

Presses were just fine, the last rep felt heavy, but I don't remember when they felt that easy last time?

I did a deload on the deadlifts because I wanted to do fives. The three first ones were easy, but the last two were really hard. Well, I did light squats in order to give my legs a break and then I do deadlifts... Let's see if it is too counterproductive. In that case I have to change.

In my last post, I planned to move forward to TM. However, I'll try for a while the following:
Day 1:
Squat 3x5
Bench press alternating with Press 3x3
Deadlift 1x5

Day 2:
Squat 3x5 @ 80 % of day 1 weight
Bench press alt. with Press 3x3
Deadlift 1x5

Day 3:
Squat 3x5
Bench press alt. with Press 3x3
Deadlift 1x5

If the deadlifts get too taxing, I have to change the third exercise. Maybe Power cleans would be a good alternative on Day 2. My technique just isn't too good, but then I get to practice it. And I'll work out 3 days a week with at least one day rest in between. Well, I know I can't make it with such a schedule, but that's life...

So, next Wed would be Day 3 and next Sun day 1.

This program is not far from TM...

[l4t11]

It seems that my weight has increased. From being "steady" at 96 kg, it was 96,7 kg this morning.

Current "goal" macros:

Protein 244 g
Carbs 265 g
Fats 74 g

In my introductory log post, I had my macros wrong...

I have to be honest with myself, I haven't hit my macros with that good accuracy. Five day's mean (not accounting for last Sunday) which I missed to keep food log was
P 237 C 263 F 82

I'll wait one week before I change anything...

[l4t11]

Wednesday 2016-02-17

Squat 3x5 157,5 kg
Bench press 3x3 107,5 kg (PR)
Deadlift 1x5 152,5 kg

Squats were easy today! Two days rest helped and I have been sleeping well.
The bench press was hard, but a PR should be! My right shoulder had an ache before this workout and it is of course still there. I have to be more careful with my form... Is it enough to assure that you pull together your shoulders during your lift?
The deadlifts were just fine. Last time they felt heavy, but today they were almost easy. Last time I pondered whether doing deadlifts on a light squat day would be counterproductive. Well, since I had two days rest I can't say anything for sure...

Next workout will be on Sunday and then on Wednesday. Due to the sparse schedule, next workout will be just as this one, a "Day 1", or, actuallly a Day 3...

[l4t11]

Sunday 2016-02-21

Squat 3x5 160 kg 5,5,5
Press 3x3 67.5 kg 3,2,2 (PR)
Deadlift 1x5 155 kg 5

Squats were heavyish, I would have wanted to quit on the third reps, but I did fives anyways.
Presses were also heavy. On the second set, the third didn't come even halfways and I tried to redo it in vain. On the third set, I didn't even have willpower to try on the third...
Why are deadlifts so heavy? Today, the two last ones came up very slow.

Next workout is on Wed. That'll be a normal set. (Day 1). The following workout will be on Sat. A light squat will be quite OK, since I may get drunk in the evening? Thus, Fri and Sun might not be a good alternative?

Well, tomorrow, I'll try a HIIT session on the rowing machine. If I'm not too tired after today.