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Thread: "Welcome to China!"

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
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    Chengdu, China
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    Default "Welcome to China!"

    • starting strength seminar december 2024
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    Can Rip's commonsense magic make it in the Middle Kingdom? A poor student is trying to find out.

    Bio: 26yrs old
    Height: 5'10
    Weight (prior to SS): 74 Kg (166.5 lbs)
    Current Weight: 76kg

    Paragraphs lose me so I'll try to be brief.

    I was the guy who everybody THOUGHT had muscle ("you only weigh 74? Really?"). I was "ripped" and not in a scrawny way. Looking aint doing though. Anyone in a weight room can tell you that.

    So I decided to try to GET strong instead of LOOK strong. Not sure if it's possible here in China but I got a late birthday present of exercise books and I figured, "what the hell."

    Raise your Gallon of Milk and follow along. Cheers and jeers are welcome

    [This entry starts two days after the fifth workout so I'll post entry data for the first four workouts and a more detailed data on the last. ]

    Nov 5, 2010
    Squat: 20kg(bar)x2x5 45x1x5 50x1x5 65x1x5 80x1x5(horrible form) {70x2x5} (Rip says you can't start too low though right guys? Right? Wait what's that spell? "U-R-A-P-U-S-S-" HEY!.)
    Press: 20kg(bar)x2x5 23.75x1x5 30x1x5 35x1x5 {40x3x5}
    Pull-ups: BWx3X8
    Decline Sit-ups(DSit): 9kgx3x12 (in the book it doesn't say I CAN'T do sit-ups, but I'm kind of worried about this after reading Rip's "Clarification")
    Back extensions(BExt): 8kgx3x8 (or maybe I should be worried about these. Thoughts anyone?)

    Nov 7, 2010
    Squat: BARx2x5 32.5x1x5 57.5x1x5 62.5x1x5 {75x3x5}
    Chest: BARx2x5 30x1x5 40x1x5 50x1x5 {60x1x5 70x2x5}
    Deadl: 40x2x5 55x1x5 70x1x5
    DSit: 10x3x12
    BExt: 9x3x12

    Nov 10, 2010
    Squat: BARx1x5 35x1x5 50x1x5 65x1x5 {80x1x5}
    Press: BARx1x5 27.5x1x5 32.3x1x5 37.5x1x5 {45x3x5}
    Chins: BWx1x10 BWx1x9 BWx1x8
    DSit: 12x1x12 12x2x10
    BExt: 10x3x10

    Nov 12, 2010
    Squat: BARx1x5 36x1x5 51x1x5 66x1x5 {84x3x5}
    Bench: BARx1x5 32.5x1x5 45x1x5 57.5x1x5 {72.5x3x5}
    Deadl: 40x1x5 52.5x1x5 65x1x5 {77.5x1x5}
    DSit: 13x1x12 13x2x9
    BExt: 10.5x1x12 (had to cut the workout a little short. For um, actual work.)

    Nov 14, 2010(this entry's latest WO)
    Squat: BARx1x5 37.5x1x5 52.5x1x5 67.5x1x5 {88x2x5 85x1x5}*
    Press: Barx1x5 28x1x5 33.5x1x5 38.5.x1x5 {57x3x5}
    Pull: BWx1x11 BWx1x9 BWx1x8

    *: I got to meet the OWNER OF THE GYM! He sauntered over and watched my squat with deep concentration. Then he told me that I was cheating. Butt-winking (not what it's called in Chinese) and a near horizontal back on the way up. I knew he was right. I just didn't want to see those progress numbers drop. Here's to "80" (it's his name I shit you not) for keeping me honest.

    A note about nutrition:
    After reading Starting Strength 2nd Ed I promptly went out and bought a liter of irradiated "milk" from the shelf of my local convenience store and downed it.
    HOLY SATANSPERM.
    That was disgusting.
    I don't know what's in those lukewarm boxes, but I think whatever killed those babies http://articles.cnn.com/2008-09-16/w...up?_s=PM:WORLD WAS ADDED FOR EXTRA FLAVOR.

    Thankfully my British friend who loves whole milk pointed me in the right direction. Photo 141.jpgThis milk comes in easy-to-count quarts and has a freshness date stamped clearly on the top of the good-old-fashioned carton. It's probably still going to give me mutant powers though.

    Gallons of Fresh Mutant Milk Consumed (GoFMMC): 8

    In the words of 80's strange and dwarfish sidekick "Foreigner! Welcome to China!"
    Last edited by Dunbar; 11-16-2010 at 09:41 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Colorado Springs
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    11,297

    Default

    Welcome. I'm glad you could find fresh (is it really fresh?) milk. I tried doing 1/2 GOMAD with shelf stable crap when I was deployed overseas and it got pretty disgusting.
    Good luck with the program.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Chengdu, China
    Posts
    16

    Default 11-17-2010

    THE FORM IS BACK BITCHES!
    No 10% reduction necessary THIS time. My squat was gold!
    ..for a novice I mean...
    ...I'd show y'all but youtube's blocked by the Great Firewall of China...
    ...plus i didn't record it...
    MOVING ON.

    Squat: BARx2x5 35x1x5 50x1x5 65x1x5 85kgx3x5
    Bench: BARx2x5 32.5x1x5 45x1x5 60x1x5 75kgx3x5
    Deadl: 40x2x5 55x1x5 70x1x5 85kgx1x5
    DSit: 15x1x12 15x1x9 15x1x8
    BExt: 12x1x12 12x1x10 12x1x9

    Nutrition: Now I'm a pretty proud American, so I hate to admit when China's got us beat, but they do folks-at least on one thing...
    BALLS!
    Photo 143.jpg
    I mean EGGS! (what's that?...I'm 26...why do you ask?...anyway..)
    These things are EVERYWHERE here and they are GODDAMNED DELECTABLE (still talking about eggs).

    Need a pack of Pride Cigarettes and a little something else? Have a hard-boiled "tea-egg" for 15 cents...mmmmm...thrifty protein.

    Don't get me wrong. I've got nothing against whey powder and all that, but it's just not economical here (my gym membership costs less than a gallon of that stuff).

    Plus when I say everywhere i do mean everywhere. Tea-eggs (which taste nothing like tea, I did not name them, they are stewed in salt and spice) can be bought at at least two locations per block.
    Actually so can home-made soy milk, but that shit is FOUL (not to mention who's got room for soy after drinking all this mutant milk?).

    SPEAKING OF WHICH! GoFMMC: 9

    Ok I'm off to get dinner.
    Last edited by Dunbar; 11-17-2010 at 08:33 AM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Chengdu, China
    Posts
    16

    Default Volcanic!

    Who rocks the party that rocks the body? We rock the party that rocks the body!
    Who rocks the party that rocks the body? We rock the party that rocks the body!
    Ooo a ooo a!
    Ooo a oo-

    oh right.

    Sorry about the Savy Fav folks but I'm pretty f***in' happy.
    Linear progress continued on today to my surprise and amazement (I thought that I had run a little harder than I should have yesterday at rugby practice).

    Squat: BARx2x5 37.5x1x5 52.5x1x5 67.5x1x5 89kgx3x5
    Press: BARx2x5 29x1x5 35x1x5 40x1x5 49.5kgx3x5 (there was a mistake in weight posted for the 14th - it should read 47.5kg)
    Chins: BWx1x11 BWx1x9 BWx1x8
    DSits: 16x1x10 16x1x8 16x1x8
    BExt: 12x3x10

    Nutrition in the People's Republic(NiPR): Last time I went on and on about round things in sacks and how much people love them here, but today I'd like to point out a dish that you might actually want to try yourselves.

    If it weren't for the fact that people here are almost as lazy and ignorant about strength building as I am, I'm pretty sure Sichuan(the province I'm in) people would be stronger than us. Why? Because they're daily fare is a weightlifter's wet dream*.

    Most dishes here are protein and vegetables with bottomless buckets of rice for an extra 15 cents. "Chuancai" (Sichuan food) is internationally famous for being the best in China (watch the original Japanese Iron Chef - aside from laughing your ass off you'll also notice that half of the dishes are from Szechuan/Sichuan).

    The one complaint usually comes from the local girls here who say their food "has too much meat". Here's an example.

    Gongbaojidingdish.jpg
    Palatial Volcanic Chicken Cubes! (宫爆鸡丁)

    Also called Kung Pao or Gong Bao chicken but the direct translation IS SO MUCH BETTER. In any case feast your eyes on that. Chicken, peanuts, chili peppers, and some sort of strange green vegetable that I've been told is called "Chinese cabbage". It's a crying shame the most of the good restaurants now charge $2 per massive serving. I'd post a recipe but I've yet to find one that comes out looking this delicious (and it should).

    *: Actually the old people really are stronger than us, but more on that in another post. The youths here on the other hand consume horrible Northern food and disgustingly sweet "cake" and yogurt. They're usually beanpoles and often lose fights in soccer games.

    Recent comment from a former fitness friend of mine.
    "I dunno though. A GALLON of whole milk a day. That's a lot of fat from dairy..."
    Well suck my tea-eggs Healthnuts. I weigh 79kg and less than 14ks of that is fat.

    GoFMMC: 11
    Last edited by Dunbar; 11-19-2010 at 04:54 AM.

  5. #5
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    Oct 2010
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    This is amazing.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Birmingham
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    Best training log ever.

    Would love to see some (big) pictures of all this chinese stuff, the gyms, the chinese gym rats and stuff.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Chengdu, China
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    Holy Moses! People are actually reading this? ...I thought all those "views" were just me desperate for attention...

    Seriously Shaddix and Dastardly thank you so much for your compliments (though "thank you" hardly seems an adequate reply to "amazing" and "best training log ever" <---especially given your experience in the weight room Dastardly).

    Shaddix, I'll see what I can do about posting a recipe that's fast,easy and doesn't taste like worms.

    Dastardly, I noticed you haven't said much about your knee in the last few posts. I hope that means it's feeling better.

    Good idea about chinese gym rats (because they definitely do exist). I don't know how to post pictures in any format beside the current one (where you have to click on the thumbnail to make it bigger), but it would be nice if I could post them at their original size. I'll do my damndest.
    Last edited by Dunbar; 11-19-2010 at 09:01 AM.

  8. #8
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    Location
    Birmingham
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    I would hardly call myself that experienced, nearly two years of screwing around with weights. I learned to work around my knee & shoulder problem. Which means overhead pressing 3x week. I still have wobbly, sometimes stiff & painful knees but it really isnt an issue. I do have tendonosis in my right hamstring, which makes heavy training awkward. Doctors have not offered any solution.

    I didnt realise your pictures got bigger when you clicked them, thats perfectly adequate. Food looks great. I also think that eggs are definetely better than whey protein.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    St. Thomas, Ontario
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    Yeah, your log is pretty badass and I have clicked the picture of the Valcanic chicken three times now... i'm hungry. Unfortunately, "chinese food" around this town is mostly chicken balls and chicken fried rice, there are a few places that actually have chinese food like china has and put chopsticks on the table. They usually ask if I need a fork because I'm white. I love that.

    If you have not tried them, get your hands on some steamed bbq pork buns. Dim sum makes my dong hard.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Location
    Chengdu, China
    Posts
    16

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    starting strength coach development program
    Well hellfire, Dastardly; you sure do know a lot of exercises for only two years.

    Were I doctor I would offer you a solution. But I am not.

    I've heard even SEALs do yoga...perhaps that and the glucosamine would help?

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