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Thread: Newbie Log

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    150

    Default Newbie Log

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
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    Haven't made my way through all the site yet - I know there is probably more important stuff I could be reading, but I LOVE reading the training logs. So I am starting my own. I'm hoping this will keep me accountable. Also, I'm going from a fitness community (running) where I know lots of people & have lots of people to keep me accountable to one where I know nobody (lifting). This is actually a good thing.

    About me:
    Female, 4'11", 150 pounds, 32 years old. Was 175 pounds three years ago, got down to 129 pounds last year via a combination of cardio (which turned into solely running), caloric deficit, and BodyPump class (which is actually what turned me on to lifting and wanting to lift heavy, surprisingly). I'm not entirely sure why I've gained so much weight this year - probably because I'm not counting calories so diligently & I've hit a major plateau in my running (gaining weight, getting slower). At this point, I care way more about getting strong than I do getting fast, because I am weak as shit. Also, chicks who are strong and muscly are my idols. Skinny fast runner chicks are not (no offense, I'm impressed by what they can do, but I don't aspire to be one of them). Besides, if I do decide that I want to be fast, then I am going to need to be strong to do that.

    Started SS on 10/28. Started with an empty bar on Squat & Deadlift. Press, I started with a 30 lb preweighted barbell, as I couldn't lift the bar up at all. On 10/30, bench press was done with empty bar.

    My last session was 11/6. Have consistently made 5 lb jumps on all moves (press I first had to make a 10 lb jump, as there was no 35 lb barbell); deadlifts I've made 10 lb jumps on. I am now up to (3 sets of 5 on all these, except DL):

    Squat: 65 lbs
    Bench Press: 50 lbs
    Deadlift: 85 lbs
    (this kinda sucked because I used the stupid cuff things to hold the plates on because I was worried about the weight, and everytime I set the bar down, they got in the way and forced it to roll a little. Rookie mistake.)
    Press: 45 lbs
    (now I can press the empty bar)

    I do warm-up sets too, I use the SS iphone app & just do whatever that tells me to do for warm-up.

    I am trying to eat between 2500-2800 calories a day, though most days it's closer to 2200. Being on a calorie deficit for the last 3 years, it's really hard to retrain myself to eat more, especially 1000 calories more. It's easy if I were to eat pizza everyday, but I'm not going to do that. Getting "fat" terrifies me, since I spent the last 3 years getting "unfat" but I know I need to eat & gain to get strong & gain the muscle I want. Also, I'm training for a marathon, so I'm erring on the side of eating more. I probably wouldn't normally need 2800 calories. And yes, I know the two aren't compatible, and I'm probably dumb for trying to do both, etc. etc., but I have my reasons. I'll save that for another post, if I have to. But please don't yell at me too much for that.

    General aches & pains: first week had DOMS, but that has subsided. Have a knot behind my right shoulder blade that was causing me problems yesterday, but that feels better today. My knees feel "warm", if that makes sense, and get stiff if I'm in one position for too long. No pains when I lift though (after the first warm-up set). Thinking about getting knee sleeves to maybe help this. I'm a big fan of compression socks for my various running pains - so was thinking the sleeves would offer the same benefit as the socks do (but to my knees, obviously). My runs have sucked ass since I started this, but they sucked ass before I started this, so that could be irrelevant.

    So that's my biography. Didn't plan on writing a novel here. haha. Next posts should be much shorter. So far, I am LOVING this program & am excited to see how far I can go.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Location
    Tulsa, OK
    Posts
    6,233

    Default Newbie Log

    Welcome aboard! Excellent idea keeping a log here. Keep at it. There are a lot of strong ladies on this board too, but I'm sure you are aware of that, because I can tell you've done your homework :-)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Portola Valley, CA
    Posts
    1,250

    Default

    Welcome to the SS log. I saw your comment on NYCCLaud's log about not having the bar at the right hight for DLs since you aren't using 45lb plates yet. Most gyms have either very light full diameter "plates" around just for this purpose, or if they have bumper plates, there will be some 2.5kg plates that can work. Ask around and see if these aren't around in the equipment closet or somewhere.

    Good luck with your lifting. I'm a little over two months in and really liking the results.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    150

    Default

    Thanks Gene & sking! Definitely impressed by what I've seen from the ladies so far on here. Gene - unfortunately my gym does not have a lot of equipment, so the full diameter plates only come in 45s. Tonight, I did my warm up sets with the bar resting on a couple of 45s, but didn't on my work sets, thinking the 25s would be high enough. After seeing my video from tonight, I realize they definitely were not high enough & my form was pretty off. Not sure what else to do here, in two more sessions (if I keep at this rate), I'll be using the 35s. Not quite as wide in diameter, but maybe they will be close enough.


    Tonight's session:
    Squat: 70 lbs
    Bench Press: 55 lbs (this was tough)
    Deadlift: 95 lbs (not great form because of the above)

    Everthing felt great.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    NY NY
    Posts
    85

    Default

    Awesome work!! Glad you started a log! I'm excited to see your progress =).

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    150

    Default 11/11/12

    Squat: 75 lbs
    (felt hard, but good. Felt like work.)
    Press: 50 lbs
    (definitely my hardest/ weakest lift. This was tough)
    Deadlift: 105 lbs
    (propped the bar up on two 45s. HUGE difference - the lift was so much easier today & I think I'm not as close to my max as I thought I was. Definitely think I can make a few more 10 lb jumps)

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    150

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by spudness View Post
    Squat: 75 lbs
    (felt hard, but good. Felt like work.)
    Forgot to mention... Kind of a weird pinching feeling on my right shoulder blade when doing squats, from the bar. Any ideas how to fix this? Also, my wrists were hurting pretty good after each set. Wrist pain didn't last long.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Portola Valley, CA
    Posts
    1,250

    Default

    Make sure your wrists are straight (back of the hand straight with the forearm) on the squats. That should stop the wrist pain. Don't know about the shoulder blade issue. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and see if that helps.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jul 2012
    Location
    Southlake, TX
    Posts
    848

    Default

    If you have some spare cash, a pair of 10 lb bumpers from RogueFitness or someplace similar should run you under $50 including shipping and taxes. I started with those when I was deadlifting, just carried them into the gym with me.

    Good luck, and good job so far!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Location
    Lincoln, UK
    Posts
    659

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    starting strength coach development program
    Welcome, I'm guessing you're using spud to refer to potatoes and so I love your name, the world would be a terrible place with them :-)

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