Xavier's Log

[Xavier]

I Began a SS routine around March (4 months now, except I missed 3 weeks in May, and 2 weeks in July), I still am not following the program perfectly but I hope that keeping a log might make me want to stick to it better. Here's my current lifts;

Squat 395x5x3
Deadlift 380x5x1 (not working it like I should)
Bench 290x5x3
Press 170x5x3 (just started doing these regularly)
Clean 195x3x8 (not doing these much either, I am going to start doing them more)

I didn't keep records at first, but I think I started at or around;

Squat 185x5x3
Deadlift ?
Bench 255x5x3
Press 135x5x3
Clean ?

So as you can see my bench was already pretty good because I had been doing a pretty common form of working out like most people do at the gym when they don't know any better. I had only squatted a few time before I got SS, mostly on a smith machine. I made myself do them at first, they really brought me down for a while. Eventually I got somewhat used to them and now I only dread them a little compared to when I started them.

I am still on linear progression. I have kept waiting to completely stall out but when I do my part, the lifts keep going up. My elbow killed me for a long time, I hurt it mostly trying to get my arms back for the squat. And I was getting a pain on the outside of my left lower leg, I think it was the peroneus, but I saw in Rip's Q&A a guy was having the same problem and I think I was sliding to far forward. Today I really tried pushing my rear backwards and knees out and I think that fixed it. It didn't hurt at all.

Here is a video of my 3 squat sessions today;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRkZ4D9Y-ns

Next week will be big for me because I will get over 400 on my squat and 300 on my bench. I may even be able to break 400 on my deadlift also.

Also of interest I gained approximately 40 pounds so far. A lot of fat, but I know there's also a lot of muscle. I do GOMAD often, not everyday but I recover better when I do it. I am 5'9", 225 right now, I am going to try to keep gaining although I was always really skinny and to be honest it is very hard for me to gain weight (you may think that since I gained 40 pounds so quick it's easy, but if you think that you underestimate how much I have ate to get here). 8 egg omelets are very common in the morning, and a dozen I have done a few times. I eat any critter I can lay my hands on. And when I think I am full I slug back a glass or two of some whole milk. I take protein powder, creatine monohydrate, Jack3d, fish oil, and a multivitamin.

My age is 30, I feel like I may have missed a lot of good years but starting a little late has allowed me to gain a little much needed wisdom. I work for the Forest Service, so I do a lot of outdoor work, some days I am tired and have a hard time in the gym but we are not all blessed enough to be able to lay around home and do whatever the hell we want. That's also the reason for the two breaks in my training, I was on wildfire details. I also really want to start learning the Olympic lifts, but seeing how I am teaching myself from books and videos I think it may be a little tough. I know my power clean is probably FUBAR, but it's either stand around bitching that I don't have a trainer, or just do the damn thing, and I choose the latter.

[Xavier]

Monday, August 1;
I had not ate good over the weekend or rested like I should have, so I wasn't feeling to great.
*Squat 400x5, 400x3, 400x2
I did the first set pretty good, then the second my knee popped on the third rep, didn't hurt but I guess I was being a little cautious and racked the barbell. My motivation was shot and did two on the next set and attempted a third, didn't go down all the way and got pissed off and quit.
*Bench 300x5x3
PR for bench, I felt pretty good, but not as good as I did on 295. I did the first set easy, second was still pretty easy, third I was grinding out the 4th and 5th rep.
*Deadlift 385x3
I need to work this more...
*Chins BWx12x3
Mostly just keeping up with body weight gains now.

Wednesday, 3rd
I am dealing with a few aches and pains, I just am trying to heal a little today. If it doesn't get better I may start doing the ibuprofen thing. I have done 800 mg three times a day before with very good results, but may just need a little extra recovery.
*Squat 360x5x3
I am using a 15% back off period for my middle of the week workout, PPST recommended 20%, but I didn't want to drop that low just yet because I don't think I need to, yet...
*Press 170x3 165x5 165x4
I really need to get some fractional plates on these, I know, but I keep trying to make 5 pound jumps. I did 170 a few weeks ago, but backed off and now am going to have to get 170 again before I move on.
*DB flat bench 100lb dumbells 10 reps
Just trying to do something while I let my elbows rest.
*Dips BWx20
Again just letting elbows rest while doing something a little different.
*Pullups BWx10
After the workout I did something pretty drastic. I ate 4 double cheeseburgers from McD's and drank 1/2 gallon of whole milk. Approximately 2960 calories, 164 g protein, and 156 g total fat. I though I was going to die, and still might from a clogged artery.

Saturday, 6th
Took an extra day off, I really want to hit 400 on the squat, so I ate a lot and rested the best I could.
*Squat 400x5x3
Finally did it, and it was actually not to hard. The first set was almost easy, believe it or not. I did struggle a little with the second and third set. Some people might say I took to long of a break between second and third set. I took about 15 minutes of rest. I did this because I did not want to miss on it. It was a pretty big mental barrier I think, even though its only 400 pounds it seems like a lot to me right now.
*Bench 305x4 305x2 275x5
Didn't really get into this, I didn't even have a spotter so I was very cautious. I might have done it, but it would have been a grind on the last two sets at the very least. I was a little exhausted from the squats anyway, it's really hot in the gym I go to and it just saps my strength quick it seems. But I shouldn't be making excuses because people have done more with a lot worse than I have got, I just need to work on keeping my motivation up.
*Chinups BWx12x3
Just chins.
I did a short workout because I was supposed to grill out at the house and was already late.

Tuesday, 9th, TODAY
So I am just catching up on this log. I have been very busy and just didn't feel like spending time on the computer. I wasn't real motivated today, I walked my ass off today at work, and sweated so much it was hard to keep hydrated. Usually I can still pump myself up pretty good but I didn't do to good today.
*Squat 405x3
It just wasn't happening today, I am still disgusted. I am getting a pain in my right hip, in the front. I used to get one in the exact spot on the left, and worked through it with ibuprofen and dropping back and putting my feet closer. Gonna have to do try to work this one out now. I think it is probably a technique thing, these are hard to work out when you always workout alone, but I will figure it out.
*Press 170x5x3
Easy as pie. Don't know why I couldn't do it last week. Now I gotta make the 5 pound jump. I am going to try to find something to make a smaller jump, I just am reluctant to spend much money on whatever I get. I guess I should just pony up the money for the plates. Probably going to end up doing it eventually.
*Deadlift 385x2
Dropped down a rep since the last time. Mostly a mental thing, but I do need to get some chalk. My hands were real sweaty and I was about to drop the bar on both reps. Disgusted again...
*Chins BWx10 Pullups BWx10 Neutral grip BWx10
Just mixing it up a little, probably could have did more. Not pushing myself because I am mad at myself.
*Dips BWx20
Adding a little volume.

So other than the 400 pound squats I am overall disappointed in myself. Lifting is more in the mind than in the body, I know I can do more but it is just so hard to keep up that intensity. This is where a real good coach makes all the difference in the world.
I am wondering if maybe start doing deadlifts 2 days a week and back off a little on the squats for now. The deadlift should be a little higher than the squat, according to most stuff I have read. What I am thinking of doing is trying to hit 405 on the squat Saturday but then back it off about 10-15% and hitting deadlift on Tuesday and Saturday of next week. Also doing the deadlift before I do squat because every time I do squat first I have an extra hard time with the DL. Then continue something similar to this for a couple weeks or so until I am passed 405 on DL, then try to get back to doing PR's on both. I will ponder this some more through the week.
Didn't do any power cleans, that sucks. I have to start doing them. I am also saving up to get some bumpers and a bar at the house, so I can start doing some Olympic stuff at the house.

[Xavier]

Thursday, 11th

*Squat 315x5x3
*Bench 305x5 305x4 305x3
Couldn't make it happen today, I almost did it but looks like its gonna be next week. If I had tried 302.5 I think I would have made it, looking online for fractional plates today.
*Deadlift 355x5x2
Did this somewhat easily, didn't have chalk and grip was slipping. I reset my grip each time and did pretty good though.
*Chins BWx13 BWx12 BWx10
I'm going to start trying to do 13 all the way across, and when I get to 15 across, start adding weight.
*Power Clean 190x3x5
Starting just below my PR, and now I am going to try to make linear progress on this.

Today, 13th of August

*Press 175x5x3 PR
These felt really good. My elbows starting hurting a little, these did not start because of the press though, I was moving stuff at the house and the both elbows starting hurting.
*Squat 405x5 295x10
Elbows hurting pretty bad, so I backed off. Squats are the number one pain for my elbows, with bench coming in second. I think it's because I am letting to much weight push my arms back, I still have not figured out exactly how to position my hands and wrists on the bar, I think I've got it one day and then it hurts the next day like that.
*Chins BWx13x2
This also was hurting my elbows so I decided not to push it anymore.

I have decided to drop back on the squat poundage next week and concentrate harder on the deadlift and power clean. My 5RM on the squat is now 405, I doubt I could do 3 sets worth but I did one set decent, I was grinding out the last two reps but it went. I will alternate PC and DL and will do my best to keep the linear progression going until DL passes squat at least, maybe a little longer. PC will be whatever I can get it to in that time, then I will go back to trying linear progression on the squat. I have a hard time doing records on all three of these exercises at once because it is so much stress on the lower back. I think with some smaller plates I can move up pretty steady on the PC.
Its been 16 days since I started this log, and my squat has improved 10lbs, bench 10lbs, and press 5lbs. I have gained 6 pounds as I am now at 231. Not that great of progress, but decent I guess. I am just now working my way back to some personal records I had set before I got set back a little. In the next two weeks I will not be gaining in the squat, but I hope to get my DL to 405, gain 10lbs in the bench and Olympic press, and maybe 10 or 15 on the PC. I will also keep on with the weight gaining for now, I am not really fat, but none of my clothes fit anymore. It is the reason I have been able continue progress this long.