ReStarting Strength: My SS log

[spiderman]

I think I need to change my warmup scheme either overall or specifically for squats and pressing, because so far my second and third sets of five are often easier than the first. I can only think this would be due to insufficient warmup.

I had the same problem with dips a couple days ago. Second set was way easier than the first. I think I'll have to warm up a bit more with feet on a box or something.

I'll also be posting this in the technique forum, but in case anyone would like to have a look and comment on my form that would be highly appreciated. The first vid is my squat work sets, all in one video, each set from a different angle:

http://www.youtube.com/user/MrTheBru.../1/EiXiJ3QdeAQ

I'm certainly not someone to listen to about technique but it it looks like you almost free fall when squatting. It doesn't seem like it would be good to drop so fast to me as that means you have to stop a fast moving weight at the bottom. I haven't seen other videos where people drop so quickly. Rip doesn't drop so fast

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVKEl4Wxoqc

I will keep trying to get all my workouts in and hopefully have better luck from here on out.

Organizing time and making sure priorities get the necessary amount of time is never luck. If your workout is important to you then figure out how to make the time you need. Life is always busy so learn how to make time for exercise now and you will be able to exercise regularly for life. I've seen many friends loose control and also loose their exercise time. Take control. Use discipline.

Great log with good reflections. Thanks for sharing it.

What's your age?

[The Brute]

Thanks for the feedback spiderman. I see what you're saying with the speed of the drop in the squat. I've seen the vid of Rip squatting before, but wasn't really paying attention to the speed of the eccentric too much, definitely something I will work on in future sessions.

As for working in the time, you're right, I shouldn't have used the term luck. Last time I did SS I never missed my workouts. My mentality has to be that I NEED to workout, not I should probably try and see if I can maybe get my session in today, last time I always decided I needed to get my workout and always did(even if injury prevented me from working out properly).

Oh and I'm 21 btw.

[spiderman]

In the long term I'd like to get a 2/3/4/5 like so many other ppl on here.

Is that shorthand for a 200 lb press, 300 lb bench press, 400 lb squat, and 500 lb deadlift? That would be pretty sweet.

I was thinking about the same combo the other day. Looking in the following pdf it seems that the 400 lb squat is the "easiest" of those goals and that a 450 lb squat is more in line with the other three. Also the 200 lb press seems like the "hardest".

http://www.crossfit.com/cf-journal/WLSTANDARDS.pdf

And one other thing would be that I'd like to get my clean #'s closer to my bench eventually, which I'm to understand should be close in strength in a balanced trainee.

Yeah it seems like the power clean is supposed to be just a bit less than the bench press according to those same tables.

[The Brute]

You are correct sir, I mean 200lb press, 300lb bench, etc etc. I read Mark's comment on that table somewhere, saying not to take it too too much to heart, it's just meant to give an idea. I only say this because while its good for context, it doesn't necessarily apply 100%. For instance, I'm currently ~168 lbs, but pressing and benching above the intermediate numbers for 165 lbs. I'm definitely not an intermediate by any stretch. I think it is definitely really helpful for seeing relationship/proportion between the lifts. For instance like you said, the clean numbers are almost equal to the bench numbers. I figure that since I, and most people who's logs I've looked at, have been benching much longer than I've been cleaning, that accounts for the large gap. That and my still-developing form on the power clean compared to my form on the bench(not that my bench form is 100% perfect, but better than my clean). So yeah, I think it is right to shoot for the clean catching up with the bench as training progresses over time.

[The Brute]

Tuesday, Oct. 5, 2010

Today's Workout:
Squat 255 x 5 x 3
Bench 195 x 5 x 3
Clean 145 x 5 x 3
BW Chins x 10, 8, 6

I think overall my form on squats was better today, although I may have been a tad high on my third set. Bench felt really good today. Cleans weren't bad, but holy crap did 145 feel a lot heavier than 135. Didn't feel like a ten pound difference lol. I've decided that I'm at the point where I'm gonna switch to 5 lb jumps from here on out. 10 lb jumps were really fun and motivating, but I think it would be greedy to keep trying those, and would likely make me stall out early. So i'll do 5lbs for squat, press, bench, clean, and 10 for deads. I'd like to get my chins up to 3 x 10 so I can start doing some workouts weighted. On that note, instead of chinning on the bar on my power rack where I usually do, today I put my barbell on the hooks as high as they can go and chinned on that. Reason being is that I have a Powertec rack where the chinning bar is higher than the normal cross-beam, and as a result I can't touch my collarbone to the bar(go all the way up) without hitting my head against the ceiling. Chinning on the barbell felt much better cuz I could get full ROM on those(although by the end of each set I wasn't touching my collarbone, just getting my chin over the bar). I will be doing them this way from here on out. Plus it sort of makes the chin up a barbell exercise ;p

[The Brute]

Btw, spiderman, do you have a log?? I didn't notice one in the SS section, are you an intermediate? I wouldn't mind checking it out if you have one.

[spiderman]

Btw, spiderman, do you have a log?? I didn't notice one in the SS section, are you an intermediate? I wouldn't mind checking it out if you have one.

My copy of Starting Strength just arrived today though I started my program a week ago based on the Starting Strength wiki information. I'm not really "doing the program". Though I've been exercising for a long time, I'm definitely a novice for strength training. I don't have a log but I'm feeling a bit guilty about that seeing as I'm getting so much value out of other people's logs. I'm going very light (embarrasingly light) so far trying to rehab some injuries and learn the moves. If squats can unfuck my knee I'll be very happy.

[The Brute]

If not SS, what type of program are you doing? Or are you starting SS now that you have the book? Also, what kind of injuries? Injuries are always a major pain in the ass, and I've never even had anything worse than tendinitis and sprains.

I keep a log on here now because I find it really motivating, I kept a pencil and paper one last time and that was fine, but I'm glad to be doing it online now. It might help you out to have one too, whether or not anyone else benefits from it(if they do great, if not, you'll still get the benefit).

[spiderman]

If not SS, what type of program are you doing? Or are you starting SS now that you have the book?

I'm not going to do SS because it is so focused on legs. Squats every day. No climber wants big legs. I don't mind some more strength in my legs and I'm hoping it fixes my right knee. So I will squat a couple times a week. Although my program is close to SS, I'm focusing more on weighted pull-ups and chin-ups than SS.

If not SS, what type of program are you doing? Or are you starting SS now that you have the book? Also, what kind of injuries?

For now it is right knee, right shoulder, and left middle finger. Injuries rotate and these three are multi-year problems.

I keep a log on here now because I find it really motivating, I kept a pencil and paper one last time and that was fine, but I'm glad to be doing it online now. It might help you out to have one too, whether or not anyone else benefits from it(if they do great, if not, you'll still get the benefit).

I'm thinking about starting a log here.

[The Brute]

Thursday, October 8, 2010

Squat 260 x 5 x 3
Press 140 x 5 x 3
Deadlift 300 x 5
BB Curl 95 x 5 x 3
BW Dips x 15, 9

Well I must be a smart guy because I picked exactly the right time to move to 5 lb jumps. For squats and presses I really doubt I could have successfully made the 10 lb jump. Today the weights started to feel legitimately heavy, which means I'm digging in my heels and ready to attack this shit!!! On the squats I'm really working on trying to get hip drive, not sure how successful I'm being, but I'm gonna keep at it. Presses felt heavy but really good. I use the technique Rip mentions in SS briefly where I pause at the top for my breath and then use the stretch reflex to help the bar off my shoulders. Hopefully that isn't cheating, but it seems to work for me. For deads I had originally planned to pull 295, but it was so close to 300 I just had to toss on the 2.5 lb plates. I'm still double overhanding, but that may be only for a short while longer. My grip held out today, but it was tough. For deads I'm now starting with my feet further forward(realize I didn't really have the bar over mid-foot before), so that should help my technique. Oh, also, I did all my lifting barefoot today(I lift at home). Last time I did the program I always squatted and deadlifted barefoot or in socks, so I may just switch back to that. Or I may go back to my chucks, haven't totally decided. Either way, lifting in barefeet does feel pretty good. There's just something about feeling the floor directly, and you can really feel where the pressure is on your foot(aka if you're really pushing through your heels or if the weight is drifting too far forward). Anyway, that is all!