Confused about my changing body (mac21)

[mac21]

This is my nth time starting the program. I have a gym, albeit a globo gym, next door to work, so my excuses are pretty slim. My goals are overall health, and maybe an eventual powerlifting meet. I live in SE PA, so all weights are in pounds.

Some quick stats:

6'8"
249 lbs
26 years old
Cushy office job

Did my first workout yesterday:

Squat
105x5x3

Press
60x5x3

Deadlift
175x5

[mac21]

Week 1, Day 2:

Second day of the program, so I added 10 lbs to the squat and 15 lbs to the deadlift, and found working weight for bench press.

Squat:
115x5x3

Bench press:
95x5x3

Deadlift:
190x5

[mac21]

Week 1, Day 3:

+10 on squat, +5 on press, +15 on deadlift

Squat:
125x5x3

Press:
65x5x3

Deadlift:
205x5

Week in review:
I'm going to cut down to +10 on deadlift. Also, hex plates suck for deadlifting. For me heavier sets, I've been totally resetting after every rep. My thought process is that I'd rather have 5 good reps with a slight rest, then 5 low quality reps just for the sake of keeping them unbroken.

[carson]

Welcome. Curses on the hex plates. Keep it up.

When you say that you are "totally resetting" do you mean that you let go of the bar and stand up or let go of the bar only. In either case, do not do that. Reset to be sure but don't stop the process. The longer you stall around between lifts the tougher they get. The reset shouldn't take more than 2 or 3 seconds and should contain a gulp of air, squoze, lift chest, lean back slightly to move bar directly over center of foot (not more than 1 inch), and eliminate any slack in the bar then pull. DO NOT LET GO OF THE BAR until you have finished the entire set.

[mac21]

Carson,

By totally resetting, I mean letting go of the bar and standing up. I can't do small adjustments to the bar as if I were using "normal" round plates.

The reason I'm doing this is the plates seem to rotate, or I'm not setting the bar down in an exactly vertical path, so the bar ends up resting behind or in front of the middle of my foot, and sometimes crooked.

If the bar is obviously not in position, I stand up, quickly get the bar over the middle of my feet, and get back to it. But if it seems to be in the correct position, I do not reset.

Any suggestions on what I should do differently, given the situation of hex plates?

[misspelledDino]

Start looking for a gym where you can deadlift. I'm being serious, not a smart ass. The shit with the dodecahedron plates will only get worse as your weights increase. Not to mention having to gently lower your loaded bar to the floor, so as to not disturb the Entertainment Tonight watchers riding the exercise machines. I LP'd my deadlift to mid 300's with those infernal plates (LA Fitness) before I could find a place with platforms and chalk.

Carson,

By totally resetting, I mean letting go of the bar and standing up. I can't do a small adjustments to the bar like if I were using "normal" round plates.

The reason I'm doing this is the plates seem to rotate, or I'm not setting the bar down in an exactly vertical path, so the bar ends up resting behind or in front of the middle of my foot, and sometimes crooked.

If the bar is obviously not in position, I stand up, quickly get the bar over the middle of my feet, and get back to it. But if it seems to be in the correct position, I do not reset.

Any suggestions on what I should do differently, given the situation of hex plates?

[carson]

I agree with Dino. I don't see how you can win with those plates.

[mac21]

Week 2, Day 1:

Skipped the gym because I didn't feel like getting out of bed. Disgusting.

----

Week 2, Day 2:

Squat:
135x5x3

Bench Press:
100x5x3

Deadlift:
215x5

-------

Week 2, Day 3:

Squat:
145x5x3

Press:
70x5x3

Deadlift:
225x5

[mac21]

Week 3, Day 1:

Squat:
150x5x3

Bench press:
105x5x3

Deadlift:
235x5

-----

Week 3, Day 2:

Squat:
155x5x3

Press:
75x5x3

Deadlift:
245x5

-----

Squat:
160x5x3

Bench:
110x5x3

Deadlift:
255x0

Week in review:

Nothing really to report. Wednesday, day 2, felt awesome. The weights were feeling light. I thought I was getting greedy on deadlift, but the weight moved well so I decided to add another 10 pounds for Friday, day 3.

Everything felt heavy on Friday. I was probably light on eating the previous day, had added stress in buying a house, and slept poorly the night before. Not excuses, just possible causes. Even 225x2 in my warm-up felt awfully heavy.

My course of action for deadlift is give it two more attempts with the same weight, with an 80% reset if I can't complete the sets. Then I'll start adding the cleans.