Sami's Starting Strength Experience

[Sami]

Squat: 90kg 3x5
Bench: 60kg 3x5
Deadlift: 120kg 1x5

Squat was piss easy. Bench and deadlift involved a little more effort but no drama.

[Sami]

Still getting this funny back pain. It could be DOMS from the deadlift yesterday, but this morning was pretty stiff and pain went up to about a 4 out of 10.

I'm now approaching my previous PB lifts but this time without a belt. Except my squat is at 90kg instead of 105kg and bench is 60kg instead of 70kg, the deadlift and OHP is equal to my PB. I'll probably just use the belt for deadlift for now, and wait until squats feel heavy before using it for that.

[Sami]

Back pain is getting worse, and worryingly similar to when I had the herniated disc. I've had slight muscle injuries in lower back before, and though the muscle injury was more painful, the spinal injury can be much longer lasting and a potentially much worse prognosis.

If it doesn't improve this week, I'm going to get it checked out. But this being the UK and socialist medicine, getting an x-ray can take many weeks if not months before I get the results back. Maybe not everywhere, but the last time I got this looked at took almost 2 months from first GP visit to getting the report.

So anyway, my plan this time is to walk into A&E (ER) and tell them it's an "emergency". I'll say it just came on all of a sudden after lifting something heavy. I'll tell them about my previous injury, and also exaggerate the pain. In the A&E we get immediate digital CT scans there and then.

[Sami]

Squat: 92.5kg 3x5
OHP: 42.5kg x4; 40kg 2x5
PC: 55kg 3x5

Squat was pretty easy. Rep for 5 of set 2 was high, but that was a simple mistake. I made sure set 5 was well below parallel.

OHP was pretty much as expected. Only managed 4 reps at 42.5kg, then dropped to 40kg to finish out the session. Though in some good news, 40kg felt much easier this time than last time.

Power Clean, 55kg felt pretty damn light. Took really short 1 minute rests between sets. I still need to work a lot on form, and I will try to video myself next time. I suspect I'm pulling with my arms as my biceps were pretty sore today.

Back is still very iffy and and is definitely nerve related I suspect. I'm going to try and get it scanned tomorrow before my next session. I will be wearing a belt for my 125kg deadlifts, but not the squats. Funnily, my back feels GREAT during and after a session, but the evening, and in particular, the next day is not great. I've been limping a bit until it warms up. As long as it's not interfering with my training (which it's not), I will continue to lift through it.

[Sami]

Went to A&E (ER), they didn't give a fuck and sent me on my way. If it bothers me for too much longer I'll just make an appointment and get it imaged. Anyway, went straight from there to the gym.

Squat: 95kg 3x5 (no belt)
Bench: 62.5kg 3x5
Deadlift: 125kg 1x5 (belt)

Squat is getting tough, I'm almost sticking at about the midway point. I'm stretch-reflexing out of the hole but getting the hips forward is the sticking point. But otherwise, not too much drama. Not every rep was completely consistant, so that's something to work on. I can feel my knees wanting to cave in and I have to think about shoving them out on the way up.

Bench, easy.

I decided to use the belt today for the deadlift. It felt like my face was going to explode on the first rep! 125kg wasn't too bad, but I'd have liked it to have been easier considering I was belted up today. It felt just a tiny bit easier than 120kg did without the belt.

[Sami]

Body weight around 87kg (~192lbs). Getting close to '70s Big, but it's a little too '00s Fat. Nevermind, the wife will just have to put up with it for a while.

[Sami]

Back is fucked. Constant sciatica. Can barely do up my socks and shoes on my right foot. But I can still squat 100kg, deadlift 130kg and press 42.5kg, so that's just what I'm going to do.

I've got a doctors appointment coming up and I'm going to push for an MRI and physio. In the meantime I'm going to foam roll and do hanging spinal decompressions. I'm wary of taking NSAIDs for too long, as I heard they can inhibit fibrous connective tissue regeneration; but I'm not 100% on that yet.

[Sami]

Squat: 97.5kg 3x5
OHP: 42.5kg 3x5
PC: 57.5kg 5x3

Squat felt pretty good. Still not using belt, but with all the back troubles, I'm now going to use every session.

I was surprised OHP to get all reps of 42.5kg, considering I only managed 4 reps last time at this weight. The last rep of the last set was going up at a snail's pace, but I got up eventually. REALLY need to microload now goddammit.

A mixed bag with the power cleans. I'm certain I'm pulling with my arms still. Some sets were great and went up easily, others were very ugly. The last set I missed one and couldn't get it to rack, but repeated the rep and got it easily. Caught a few on the wrists but nothing too bad, wrists feel fine. I was foam rolling between all sets.



There's a guy in the gym that squats 220kg (485lbs) and deadlifts around 285kg (~630lbs) at a body weight of 100kg (220lbs). Oh yeah, and he just turned 20 years old. Bastard. But he's a nice bastard.

[Sami]

Squat: 100kg 3x5
Bench: 65kg 3x5
Deadlift: na (130kg attmept)

Squat felt good; this was the first set of squats with my belt. Last time I was doing 100kg it was an epic struggle and I wasn't even hitting depth. Now, I'm going well below parallel, too low actually for low bar squat. Spectators claimed my face went purple.

Bench press felt good.

Deadlift... didn't want to risk my back. I pulled it and got almost to my knee, but it was going too slow and I didn't want to risk that sort of time under tension on my back.

[Sami]

Squat: 102.5kg 3x5
OHP: 45kg x3, 42.5kg x3, 42.5kg x5
Clean: 60kg 5x3

Squat is feeling really strong. I'm going too deep for some reps, but they still feel really strong and easy. I'm taking short 3 minute rests still. Last time I was at the this weight, I was really struggling and wasn't hitting depth.

OHP was as expected really. I lost focus on the second set after dropping back to 42.5kg. Last set was better.

Still trying to get consistent at power cleans. Some reps good, others ugly.

Back feels a little better.

Body weight 87kg. It's probably why square are easier, I've gained 5kg since the last time hit 102.5kg+.