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[StartingStrength88]

Recently moved closer to work and joined a gym close by. Planning to start training on Monday. I just turned 30, I’m 6’ 1” and this morning weighed 183 lbs.

I’m excited to start my Starting Strength LP again. This time around strength and progressing on my lifts will be my main focus. As opposed to before, where eating the perfect amount of calories and tracking everything I ate took up most of my focus. I will eat to build strength and use the weight on the barbell, the scale, and the mirror as my guide.

This site has helped so many and I’m thankful I found it. I’m excited to be making Starting Strength part of my life again.

[StartingStrength88]

First training session complete. Felt good to get under a barbell again, the joints and muscles are waking up.

Looking at the video of my last work set on the squat it looks like I’m going a tad deeper than I should.

YouTube

[carson]

Welcome back. How did your other lifts go? Your squats look about right.

You should look to gain some weight. You seem rather slender. Check the nutrition section if you need advice.

[hondotbt]

I second the welcome back.

[StartingStrength88]

Thanks @carson and @hondotbt it feels great to be back.

Squats seem pretty good, bench seems like it could use some work, deadlifts actually looked better on the video then I thought when I was pulling.

Sorry about the camera angles, videotaping lifts in a public gym is always a challenge.

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I agree it would benefit me to gain some weight. Whole milk is my new best friend.

[StartingStrength88]

Power cleaned for the first time:

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Other lifts are going alright. Squat form is breaking down slightly at 135 lbs, seems like this always happens around this weight. I’m going to try and eat more this weekend.

[StartingStrength88]

Haven’t been able to post very much in my training log. Work and life have been good but crazy busy. It’s Sunday and I’m making my lunches for the week.

I’ve done 3 weeks of SSLP and the following are my lifts from start to now:

Squat: 65 to 135 lbs
Press: 55 to 75 lbs
Bench: 65 to 80 lbs
Deadlift: 135 to 195 lbs
Power Clean: 75 lbs (just started)

I’m 6’1” and my weight started at 180 lbs and I’m now up to 186 lbs. I need to eat more. My squat and deadlift are starting to feel heavy.

I hate that at 135 lbs my squat is stalling but it’s happened before and I think at this weight it really shows where my weaknesses in form are. You really can’t tell if you have good form or not until you have some weight on the bar. I think I’m going to try TUBOW for tomorrow’s training session. I repeated 135 lbs on the squat because I feel my form just isn’t good so I shouldn’t progress in weight.

On Friday I stalled on deadlifts, got 2 good ones at 205 lbs and then the bar didn’t really move off the floor. I’m glad I didn’t cheat it and compromise form. I’m looking forward to conquering 205 lbs on the deadlift tomorrow.

[Adam Gottstein]

Great job, ss88. You are right about the camera angles sucking. For squat, if you can move the camera to 45 degrees to either side, or even full side, that would be better than behind. If any chance of off the floor, that would be even better.

Power cleans looked decent, but see if you can get your elbows up better for the rack. If you need to let go of your grip some (fingers around, just not gripped), that will probably help.

What are the issues you are having at 135? Can you provide a video not from directly behind? Same for deads, though the angle you have above should be ok.

[Adam Gottstein]

Also, for squats, move the pins up one hole from where they are in the video. If you ever need to get out of a failed lift, that will be closer to your bottom position. I am amazed at the spacing on that rack. It looks like 4 inches, but is probably 3.

For bench, is there a height you can put the pins so that you can still bench, but the bar won't crush your face or neck if you lose it while moving the bar out from (or back to) the rack?

[StartingStrength88]

Thanks @abg for the feedback about the pins. I’ll be sure to adjust them.

I used a TUBOW today for the squats and it worked great. Form felt much better and I got all 5 x 140 lbs.

Bench felt good.

I did chin-ups instead of deadlifting. Kind of on the fence about this decision. I’m thinking of dropping power cleans and subbing in chin-ups instead. And alternate between chin-ups and deadlifts. So workout B will include chin-ups, no deadlifts and workout A will include deadlifts, no chin-ups.

I’ll deadlift again on Wednesday.