starting strength gym
Page 1 of 34 12311 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 337

Thread: 91BlckGT "Midlife Crisis" Training Log

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    499

    Default 91BlckGT Training Log

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
    • starting strength seminar jume 2024
    • starting strength seminar august 2024
    Hello all,

    Just an introductory post to share my background and goals, before I get into the weekly routine of posting my logs. I very recently started publicly posting my training logs on T-nation, but I'm shutting down the logs there to post here. This seems appropriate as I am trying to follow the novice "starting strength" program as close as possible.

    A little history and bio:
    38 yo, and I've been "weight training" since i was 15. I've of course been doing it all wrong for nearly entire my life, having done machines and isolation exercises, with little to show for it except wear and tear, and muscle imbalance.

    In May this year I stumbled upon the Stronglifts 5x5, and immediately started following that up until now. So I've been doing that now, but that program lacked instruction in terms of the detailed mechanics, so after reading many articles on t-nation I found some articles by Rip, liked what he had to say and how he said it, and I went and bought his book. I immediately found errors in my technique which I'm working to fix, and hope to further improve as I read through the chapters (just finished squat, and am on to the press).

    So I consider myself there, a "novice", since I was doing things wrong for so long, that I had gained very little practical strength. The shift to pure barbell training has brought an immediate positive transformation, to the point where I recognize "right" training, and plan on following philosophy and technique outlined on this site moving forward. To do that I need to furhter modify my normal 3x a week technique to drop the pendly row, and pick up chipups/pullups /cleans. I'm not going to start cleans until i read that chapter, since I've never done them before.

    To recap I did Stronglifts 5x5 from May 2012 to July 2012, and then switched to Starting Strength in July. The lack of proper technique caused me to develop tendonitis in my hip flexor, which has not gone away. I'm slowly escalating my treatment options with advil dosing, some cold compress, and will eventually seek ACT options. The pain is distracting me on the squat, hence the lack of progression.

    Goal:
    I'm not a bodybuilder, not a powerlifter. No plans to compete. I simply want functional strength. Picking up my kids, moving heavy things during lawn work, just everyday stuff I want to be strong on. I'm competing with myself, with a goal of setting personal bests using correct technique.

    I'd also like to drop bodyfat, but that's secondary to the strength building goal. Finally I want to fix some shoulder mobility issues that came from years of doing too many bench presses and not enough of anything else. All numbers are imperial.

    Current Numbers:
    Weight: 155.0 (-22.0lbs since April 2013)
    Waist (flexed): 32.0" (-4.0" since May 2012)
    Waist (unflexed): 33.5" (-4.5" since May 2012)
    Caliper Pinch: 14mm (-10mm since May 2012)
    Est. BF% 16.8% (-10% since May 2012)
    Height: 5 5.5" (yes, I'm short, and damn it .5" matter).
    Thigh: 24.75" (+1.75" since May 2012)


    Personal Records (in lbs) and gains since starting Starting Strength
    Squat: 255 5RM (+170lb since May 2012, 85lb 5RM)
    Squat: 265 1RM
    Deadlift: 305 5RM (bouncing) (+120lb since May 2012, 185lb 5RM )
    Deadlift: 310 2RM (paused)
    Deadlift: 325 1RM
    Press: 140 3RM (+55lb since May 2012, 85lb 5RM)
    Press: 145 1RM
    Bench Press: 205 5RM (+70lb since May 2012, 135lb 5RM)
    Bench Press: 212.5 2RM
    Bench Press: 215 1RM
    Bench Press: 210 4RM
    Power Clean: 140 3RM (+95lb since July 2012)
    Weighted Chin/Pull up: +35lb total @ 156 BW (+35lb since July 2012)
    Pull/Chin Up: 50 total @ 175.5 BW (+37 since May 2012)
    Barbell Row 145 5 5RM (+20 since May 2012 )
    Barbell Row 160 1RM (on 1/1/13)
    Barbell Curl 75 10RM
    Lying Tricep Extension 75 8RM

    Linear Programming (5/5/2012 -> 10/16/12)
    Advanced Novice/ Texas Method( 10/20/12 -> 4/13/2013)
    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...UTnZRUkE#gid=4
    Lift, Run, Bang! 365 for Cutting ( 4/13/13 -> 7/3/13)
    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...PTHJDWGc#gid=2
    5/3/1 ( 7/6/13 -> ???)

    165 Strength Categories
    (#)Relative strength standards: http://startingstrength.com/files/standards.pdf
    Powerlifting Calculator
    These are Wendler 1RM estimations based on my weekly PRs. Since the strength categories are artificial, so are these, but I've found my 1RM attempts (seen above) correspond fairly closely to the Wendler formula when I bother to test (which is about once every 3 months or so).

    Press: 156 Category III
    Bench: 236 Category III
    Squat: 293 Category III
    Deadlift: 349 Category III


    Goals
    2012 Goals: Squat 225, DL 275.
    2013 Goals: Squat 300, Press 155, Bench 225, Deadlift 375

    148/165/181 Cat IV Strength Goals
    I'm using these as strength goals to hit Cat IV strength levels in all lifts.
    Cat IV Press: 140/153/164
    Cat IV Bench: 234/255/275
    Cat IV Deadlift: 380/411/438
    Cat IV Squat: 313/342/367
    Cat IV Clean: 225/246/264
    Last edited by 91blckgt; 07-25-2013 at 04:05 PM. Reason: new squat PR

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Desoto, MO
    Posts
    300

    Default

    I found this site also when doing strong lifts. I was maybe 2 weeks into it and I'm glad I came here. 5x5 for us novices seemed to destroy my hips for heavy squats. If you follow this program and eat enough you will be squatting 300 and dead lifting 300+ in very little time. I'm 5'7. Sure wish I had another .5 haha. Good luck and I'll watch you logs. Mine are under MikeD'S logs in this section also if you want to check em out http://startingstrength.com/resource...ad.php?t=31667

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    499

    Default

    Thanks Mike! I saw a lot of the same pattern in people when I read through the forums to decide if I wanted to participate here. Seemed like a good group of people. I've subscribed to your log, looks like you are well on your way.

    As for my training update today, I decided to go ahead and do a deloaded day, where I did all my usual lifts at 80% of my 5RM so I could focus on technique. Here we go...

    Squat
    45x5, 45x5, 65x2, 95x1, 115x1, 135x5, 135x5, 135x5

    Press
    45x5, 65x3, 90x5, 90x5, 90x5

    Deadlift
    135x5, 165x5

    Chin-ups:
    11*, 4,3

    *I did 12 reps, but the last one didn't get my chin over, so I don't count it. I also bounced off the floor, so probably none count. The other two sets I avoided bouncing off the floor and kept my feet up.
    ** I think i pulled my bicep muscle, as I have pain now in my elbow. Lovely. The whole point of a deload day was to fix things... Oh well.

    Update: Added a technique check here:
    http://startingstrength.com/resource...566#post490566
    In addition to keeping a log, I started video taping all my lifts. They will likely all be the same crappy 45degree angle, I only have the cell phone to use.
    Last edited by 91blckgt; 07-23-2012 at 06:52 PM.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Flyover Country
    Posts
    2,305

    Default

    I used to do Stronglifts. Back when the board was free, but the community was MONSTROUS, so you could get form checks quickly and easily. Then I went to college and got lazy. And then...Medhi got greedy. Oh well. Good job getting over a bodyweight squat! Soon you'll be at the 1.5bw number, and you won't even realize it.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    499

    Default Pain Points

    Well, I'm in the middle of my 2 day training break (although the last set didn't count) so I'll fill the time by analyzing all the repetitive stress injuries I have, catalog how I plan to go about fixing them (and of course listen critically to any solicited advice), and finally ruminate about my goals.

    Pain Point: Hip
    The number one reason to pause right now is hip flexor pain. I'm starting to study anatomy so I can state precisely which muscle / tendon it is. The symptoms I'm presenting are consistent with Bursitis/Tendinitis, as it's the very top of the muscle sitting on the bone. I don't feel pain sitting, it's not Delayed Muscle Soreness. It doesn't hurt today when I do dynamic leg swings (front to back), but I'm aware of the area after I sit back down. Where I do feel it is when I hunker down into a squat position. The "down", and even "in" the squat (doing a static stretch) do not hurt, but getting back up does, even when I focus on the "butt on a chain" technique from SS.

    I'm fairly certain this was caused directly by poor squat technique. In fact I'm certain of it. Lack of instruction from Strong Lifts lead to two months of bad form. now I'm trying to reprogram myself with correct form, but it hurts to even squat with bodyweight, so any form fixes must wait until the pain goes away. I have to do this because the pain causes me to have less than perfect form, which I need to relearn the squat. So the rehab is pretty simple. Don't squat until it stops hurting. Then learn to squat correctly.

    Pain Point: Shoulder
    I can not lift my left shoulder over my head without pain. Been like that since I started SL. The root cause is more complicated, so let's go through the symptoms:
    • Shoulder "pops" on the eccentric portion of a shoulder press (no weight)
    • On the lifting portion, I feel mild pain dead center where the bone is (the divot betwen the three deltoid heads)


    Mobility Issue: Shoulders
    Not as much a pain point, but 20 years of bench with no balancing exercise left me with my shoulders pulled forward and shortened pectorial muscles / front deltoids. I've been focusing on deadlifts / pulls / chinups trying to reduce scapular winging (I think that's what it's called). I'm also foam rolling, and most importantly doing 10 reps x3 of "shoulder dislocations" using a straight bar. It seems to help, but it also hurts. I'm not sure if this is the correct solution to my problem.

    Why this is an issue is I'm incapable of getting the proper low-bar position, and holding it without wrist pain. I simply can't pull my elbows that far back. I think this is correctable with shoulder mobility work. I'm hoping to use my "no squat" time to fix this, but I have no idea if the mobility will return in days, weeks or months.

    Minor Issue: Knees
    Bad knees run in my family. I used to run track & Cross country. My knees sound like rice Krispies when I go up the stairs, and I occasionally feel mild pain in them on one side of the other of the knee cap. The pain is not felt when warmed up during lifting. I'm sure this is again caused by high impact cardio, (which I haven't done for 2 months). It's also exasperated by, you guessed it, bad squat form. See above for fixing it. I'm also going to try the wood trick to check my form.

    Minor Issue: wrist
    I have wrist pain sometimes in the right wrist. I work with computers and a mouse ALL day and ALL night, so yeah, occupational hazard. But the squat form hurts my wrist. It shouldn't, since no load should be on it, but it hurts to remove the thumb. When I grasp the bar and bend my wrist back, it doesn't hurt. However I have mildly incorrect wrist positions in both presses, so I'm certain this pain will go away once I retrain my body with correct form.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    499

    Default

    So while I take a few more days off from recovering, I have to reassess my goals. I'm not a bodybuilder, although I would like to look like one. I simply don't want to return to split routines and isolation, as I love the elegant simplicity of barbell training.

    I'm not a powerlift, and never intend to compete.

    So what, and why, am I doing this? I want to lose bodyfat. My target is 15%. (I'm at 23%). I want to fit into size 30" to 32" pants again. While I'd like a 6pack at relaxation, I'd like to at least be able to flex to a 6 pack.

    I want to get strong. How strong? I want to tap into and come close to achieving my full genetic potential. This is a goal in and of itself. Lifting weight because it's there. And the weight won't lift itself.

    Because I'm quickly approaching 40 and I refuse to accept a mortal life where I spent my entire productive years fat and weak. I'll always be short, I'll never be a movie star or a model, but I can at least control and achieve my potential.

    Because i have kids, and they are growing, and picking them up is difficult. I want common, everyday tasks to be easy. Picking up mulch 2-4 bags at a time, etc.

    Because I care about my health, and strength training provides benefits to my cardiovascular system and bone health.

    What i'm having trouble justifying is the damage I'm doing to my ligaments, tendons, cartlidge, and fluid sacks. I'm hoping correct form fixes it. But I'm not willing to go 100% if the consequence is a life of pain.

    I gave StrongLifts 2 months and while I grew very nicely, Pain has come from it. I want to give Starting Strength 3-6 months, and follow the program exactly as prescribed, but I'm over 35, and need to be safe and aware that I have limitations.

    Because I want to inspire my kids and be a role model for them. Life is easier for strong and fit people. It builds confidence. I want my children to live an active and full life, and ingraining strength training as a way of life is an excellent way to do that. And really that's why I'm still here, and I exist now to teach the next generation.
    Last edited by 91blckgt; 07-25-2012 at 05:08 PM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    Desoto, MO
    Posts
    300

    Default

    Trust me when I say the 2 less sets of five per heavy exercise will be much easier on you joints then stronglifts. I know personally for sure. Your right about technique, do it wrong at your own peril, do it right and there really shouldn't be any joint discomfort. At least that's my assessment as of today, having started in May. I've emphasized form myself, and if I felt like a joint was handling a load I would stop and reset a moment and regroup. Happened with my powerclean and press. Maybe see if micro loading would make since and progress slower if you think recovery may be a problem. Then again take my advice with a grain of salt also as I'm definately only talking from my experience thus far and not as a knowledgable strength coach. Ancedotely I've went from needing to use the steering wheel to get my fat ass in and out of my Sebring to practically jumping in and out. Look Ma no hands!! Strength is life!!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    499

    Default

    lol, truth.

    I should also say I don't intend to go on my one. I'm going to locate a good sports therapist specialist who understands these type of injuries and can verify what is wrong. A steroid shot may be in order. Ideally I'd find one who is also certified in the SS program, who could do a few 1:1 coaching sessions to ensure I've got the lifts down right. I'd rather do that sooner than later, and have to undo muscle memory all over again.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    499

    Default 7/26/12

    Well, after resting two days I decided to get back into the gym and do something useful and productive. Since my hip flexors are still inflammed, I decided to eliminate Squats (YNDTP) and focus on pull exercises instead. As it's been nearly a week since I've benched, I picked that back up.

    Warmups; 5min walking
    <interruption> Wife left instructions to cook dinner at specific times. This is not conducive to focus.
    Bench:
    45x10x2
    65x3, 85x2, 110x2, 135x2
    150x3 (easy). Although my form still needs work, I've applied some of what I've read in the book. Doing the valsalva, upper back tight, lower back mild arch, eyes on bar. The bar still has a bit of horizontal movement. Probably because it's fairly light still. Good news is I'm able to maintain strick form with a pause at the chest and at lockout.

    Deadlifts
    Again, been nearly a week since I did a real working set, as a few days ago I did 80% reps. So this one is going to tax me as every new increase is a personal best.
    Warmup: 135x5, 160x2, 185x1
    Working set: 210x5. Or was that 210x1, done 5 times?



    New 5RM. Maybe. The community will decide. My legs wobbled on the second rep. Kinda scary. I need to read and re-read the deadlift session. I'm also going to create a "cue checklist" so I can make sure I do the right things each time. Hard to re-read paragraphs.

    Chin up
    This secondary exercise is now a staple of my routine. I decided instead of going all out, I would try and get the same number of reps for each set, and increase the reps gradually (progression). Unfortunately I'm rather fat, so chinups are a bit of a struggle.
    4,4,3



    I'm pretty sure doing this right after deadlifts didn't help. I had hoped to get 5 reps each time. Looks like I have a goal at least.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Ohio
    Posts
    499

    Default

    starting strength coach development program
    Equipment
    Last night after my workout was fully recovered I started practicing Cleans as taught in the SS book. Today I contacted Rogue Fitness (who are 15 min from me) and I'm going to go pick up a pair of 10lb bumper plates and 45lb bumper plates:

    http://www.roguefitness.com/new-hg-rogue-bumpers.php

    I need to take my bar with me to make sure the good plates fit my crappy weider bar. If not, i'll have to get a new bar.

    I also need a belt, a better rack, and probably a better bench seat. With my short legs a 16" bench would be sooo much more comfortable than my 17" bench. I can't quite get a good grip with my bare feet.
    As far as bars go, Rogue carries a *lot* of them. If I can scratch the money together, I'll go for the Ripptoe bar. It's just hard to justify $275 for a bar when I have one. If I was starting lifting I'd buy it hands-down. Maybe I can sell my old bar...

    Diet Before
    My diet needs improving. I need more protein calories. The goal is 165-300g of protein a day. Here's my current diet:
    Breakast: 2 cups Cold cereal (10g protein)
    Lunch: Vegetable Salad 5x a week (baslasmic vinegar dressing), kirkland "chicken bake" on the weekends or leftovers
    Dinner: Chicken Leg + Breast meat, Salmon, the occasional burger or pizza.
    Post-dinner snack: protein bar
    Post-post dinner snack: fuckload of cheddar cheese and pretzels
    Sitting on my fat ass watching TV post-post-post dinner snack: corn chips or cheddar popcorn.
    Right before bed snack: Another chunk o' cheese.

    So yeah, not all that bad, except from 6-11PM where I fuck things up. So here's my new diet.
    New Diet
    Breakfast: Cereal 10g protein+ 16g Muscle Milk dry mixed with whole or skim milk + 8g milk in cereal: 34g
    Lunch: Same as above: 20g protein from red bean / pinto bean / goat cheese mix: 20g
    Pre workout snack: GoLean Crunchy bar: 150 calories: 8g
    Post workout snack: 20g protein shake (pre-mixed muscle milk) : 20g
    Dinner: Same as above: ~ 40g protein Chicken, ~37g salmon: 40g
    8:00 PM Snack: Pure protein bar: 20g protein
    10:00 PM Snack: Cheddar Cheese: ~8-16g

    New Daily Total: 158g. Hmm. So if you look at all this extra food I'm eating and I'm *still* not hitting the protein total, it tells me I ought to supplement lunch too. But I'm going to ease into it. I've already added the day and night shakes, but I don't really want to go over 3500 calories a day as I'm already at 23% body fat and have plenty of stored energy

    Update: It's 0.8g FDA recommended for "lean" bodyweight, so I we consider my goal bodyfat % is 15%, I need to lose 8% bodyfat. Assuming static weight that's 13lbs down to a weight of 150lb target. Although i want to replace that with muscle so my goal is to stay around the 165 lb area, up to 170 is fine but my age and frame don't really need Olympic quality muscle. Using some industry guides as a model, it looks like I should be shooting for 180g of protein a day. That can be met by an additional supplement at lunch or simply eating a piece of grilled chicken. I'd rather get my protein from real sources anyway, but I'll have to pack it. They charge $2.80 for a piece of grilled chicken here (seriously?!?). This additional intake of protein should bring me close to the "program" as Coach dictates.

    Update 2: I'm going to follow this formula tonight: http://www.livestrong.com/article/79...cle-body-mass/

    I measured my waist & wrists & forearm, only to discover the mens calculator doesn't even use wrist and forearm. Odd. Anyway, it calculates my lean mass at 127lb. Which is surprisingly close to the bodyfat percentage my calipers gave me. The BF% if we take lean/bw is 23.4%. My calipers record me at 23.2%. But I'm down to just a 19-20mm pinch now. I was pinching 23mm a few weeks ago, so I've lost 3mm of subcutaneous fat. Definite progress. I've also lost another 1/4" around the waist.
    Last edited by 91blckgt; 07-30-2012 at 06:54 AM.

Page 1 of 34 12311 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •