Russ from Graham TX - SS Training Log

[Russell F. Nunley]

Hello all, I'm Russ from Graham, Texas. It's October 2016, and I'm deployed to Kuwait. I'm 39 years old, 5'8" tall, 198lbs. I started SS at the end of September, so I'm two weeks in. I did SL5x5 from July 2014 to Dec 2014, then played with different programs while deployed to Jordan. I didn't lift much at all for the last 16 months or so (at least not on a program) until starting back up last month.

My best "fives" sets this year are:

Squat: 295lb
Deadlift: 315lb
Press: 110lb
Bench: 195lb
Power Clean: 95lb (threes)

I'm trying to get into a strong range on all my lifts. I just feel so much better when I'm lifting heavy, and it makes it easier to maintain a decent body composition.

I'm interested in going to a SS Seminar when I redeploy.

[Russell F. Nunley]

I'm 39 years old, 5'8" tall, 198lbs.

My best "fives" sets this year are:

Squat: 295lb
Deadlift: 315lb
Press: 110lb
Bench: 195lb
Power Clean: 95lb (threes)

Update: I weighed in at 195 today and got 2016 PRs on 5Rep working sets.
Bench: 200
Squat: 305

I kept PCs at 95lbs because I can't quite rack them properly yet.

[Russell F. Nunley]

Update: I weighed in at 197 today and got 2016 PRs on 5-rep working sets.
Squat: 315lb
Deadlift: 325lb
Press: 115lb

[Russell F. Nunley]

Update: I weighed in at 199 today and got PRs on 5-rep working sets.
Squat: 325lbx5,5,4 (legit 5-rep PR!)
Bench Press: 205x5x3 (2016 5-rep PR)

[peez]

Congrats, Russ - keep them PRs coming! Hope you have decent training facilities where you are in Kuwait.

[Russell F. Nunley]

Thanks Peez! Yes, the gyms here are holding up well over the years

[Russell F. Nunley]

Wt: 197.5
Squat: 325x3x5
Press: 120x3x5
Deadlift: 335x3 (failed 4th rep)

[Russell F. Nunley]

For all you data miners out there, here is my SS log so far:

25 SEP 2016 - BW:198, SQ:245x3x5, PR:95x3x5, DL:265x1x5
27 SEP 2016 - BW:198, SQ:255x3x5, BP:185x3x5, DL:275x1x5
29 SEP 2016 - BW:198, SQ:260x3x5, PR:100x3x5, DL:285x1x5
01 OCT 2016 - BW:198, SQ:265x3x5, BP:190x3x5, DL:295x1x5
03 OCT 2016 - BW:198, SQ:275x3x5, PR:105x3x5, DL:305x1x5, CU:10,8,6
05 OCT 2016 - BW:197.6, SQ:285x3x5, BP:195x3x5, PC:95x5x3*
07 OCT 2016 - BW:197.5, SQ:295x3x5, PR:110x3x5, DL:315x1x5, CU:10,8,7
09 OCT 2016 - BW:195, SQ:305x3x5, BP:200x3x5, PC:95x5x3*
11 OCT 2016 - BW:197.1, SQ:315x3x5, PR:115x3x5, DL:325x1x5, CU:11,7,6
14 OCT 2016 - BW:199.8, SQ:325x5,5,4, BP:205x3x5**
17 OCT 2016 - BW:197.5, SQ:325x3x5, PR:120x3x5, DL:335x1x3***

*Added Power Cleans per the app; could not properly rack the bar, elbow started hurting.
**Still could not rack the bar, so no PC work sets; moderate elbow pain (felt like tennis elbow).
***Very little elbow pain, but dropped Chin-Ups until elbow feels better.

[Russell F. Nunley]

19 OCT 2016 - BW:197, SQ:335x3x5, BP:210x1

Right elbow pain got pretty bad today. Started hurting during squats toward the end, and by the time I got through BP warm-ups it was as bad as its been. 335 is an all-time PR for me, I think, and I managed to get all 3 sets of fahves with good form. I'm going to cool it for a week, as this is not productive. I will work on brip with a broomstick and stretching my shoulders as I suspect the "golfer's elbow" (if that's what it is) is being caused by my squat grip (thumbs-up, elbows back) binding/torquing my elbow. I always squatted thumbs-down before starting SS, and have never had this problem before. Extremely frustrated.

[Russell F. Nunley]

I have been working on mobility with a broomstick since Wednesday. I am trying to increase my shoulder range of motion so my low bar squat form does not put so much pressure on my elbow. I may have been pushing my elbows up as well as back, excessively torqueing them. I did not realize this until I read Jordan’s article, The Elbow Problem. It clarifies several things for the squat form and I am thankful. I am excited to get back under the bar…I may not be able to wait a week…I will probably go lift tonight…