Str8Shutr's Log

[Str8shutr]

Howdy. I'm 36, 6'2", 257lbs BW, and male. I have been doing SS for about three months. My start squat was 85x2x5, and I was wiped. I have not done any serious exercise since my early 20's, when I was an avid mountain biker, who also did a lot of road riding and gym work to be in better shape for tackling teh Appalachians. Here we go...

9/20 BW: 238
Squat: 10x5x2, 45x5x3, 65x5, 85x5x2
Press: 10x5x2, 45x5x3, 65x5
DeadL: 45x5x3, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5x3
Situps: 14, 12, 12

9/22
SQ: 45x5x2, 65x5, 85x5, 95x5x3
BP: 45x5x2, 65x5, 85x5, 95x5x3
DL: 95x5x2, 115x5, 135x5, 155x5x3
Situps: 18, 14, 8

9/24
SQ: 45x5x2, 85x5, 95x5, 105x5x3
P: 45x5x2, 65x5, 75x4x2, 75x5
DL: 95x5x2, 125x5, 155x5, 170x5x3
Situps: 26, 16, 7

After this WO I decided that I was going to be supplementing. I loaded creatine and started drinking protein shakes. I also take 1500mg of Fish oil, a multi-vitamin, glucosamine chondritin, and L-Glutamine daily.

9/27
SQ: 45x5x2, 85x5, 105x5, 115x5x3
BP: 45x5x2, 65x5, 85x5, 95x5, 115x5x3
DL: 95x5x2, 125x5, 155x5, 170x5, 190x5x3
Situps: 22, 9, 6

9/29 BW 240
SQ: 45x5x2, 85x5, 105x5, 115x5, 135x5x3
P: 45x5x2, 65x5, 85x5x2, 85x3
DL: 95x5x2, 135x5, 170x5, 190x5, 205x5x3
Situps: 20, 14, 10

10/1 BW 245
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 115x5, 125x5, 145x5x2, 145x4
BP: 45x5x2, 75x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5x3
DL: 95x5x2, 135x5, 185x5, 200x5, 215x5x3
Situps: 24, 16, 11

10/4 BW 248
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 115x5, 135x5, 150x5x3
P: 65x5, 85x5, 90x3, 90x5, 90x2
DL: 95x5x2, 135x5, 185x5, 215x5, 225x5x2, 225x4
Situps: 26, 14, 12

I hate situps. At this point I had gone back and reread SS, and saw the part where it says that situps can actually be detrimental to your strength, and that using the Valsalva with a tightened midriff correctly will strengthen the abz through regular WOs. So no more situps!!!

[Str8shutr]

10/6 BW 250
SQ: 45x5x2, 105x5, 125x5, 135x5, 160x5x3
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 115x5, 145x5x3
DL: 95x5, 135x5, 185x5, 205x5, 225x5x3
Curls: 45x5, 55x5, 65x4

At this time, I had reread SS:3 several times, and stuff was finally starting to sink in. Things like, Don't do DLs for 3x worksets, use plenty of warmups to get your worksets comfy, and don't wear yourself out with your warmups by doing 5 reps per weight. I started addressing these issues and it really changed how I felt during and post-WO. Also, I began making sure that I was fully recovered between worksets, which made a big difference in finishing reps with good form.

10/8
SQ: 45x5x2, 115x5, 135x5, 170x5x3
P: 45x5x2, 75x5, 90x5x3
DL: 115x5, 135x5, 205x5, 235x5
Curls: 45x5x2, 55x5, 65x5x3

10/11
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 160x2, 180x5x3 +10 (weight I plan to add/subtract at next WO)
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 115x5, 135x2, 155x5x2, 155x2 +5
DL: 115x5, 155x5, 205x5, 245x5
Curls: 45x5x2, 55x5, 65x5, 75x3

On my final BP workset I dropped the bar on my chest since I couldn't get to lockout. Since I WO by myself this meant a self-recovery. Basically I tip the bar to one side until the plates slide off, and then the bar whips VIOLENTLY to the other side. Made a godawful racket. But I find that if I don't push myself to complete every rep possible I will give up too early. I have had plenty of reps where I thought "that was the last one," and then I go on to do two more grinding them out. SO...YMMV

10/13
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 165x2, 190x5x3 +10
P: 45x5x2, 65x5, 75x5, 100x5x3 +10
DL: 115x5, 155x5, 205x5, 255x5 +10

10/15
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 165x2, 195x5x3 +10
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 115x5, 135x2, 160x5x3
DL: 135x5, 185x5, 225x2, 265x5
Curls: 45x5x2, 65x5, 75x4, 75x2 -5

10/18
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 165x2, 205x5x3
P: 45x5x2, 65x5, 75x5, 110x3, 105x3, 105x4
DL: 135x5, 205x5, 245x5, 270x4

I had to take a vacation here. One week off, pre-planned, with the family in DC. Good timing. I felt much fresher when I returned to my WOs, and the intense pain that had been building in my shoulders went away. I think the reasons for the shoulder pain was twofold. One, not enough flexibility, and getting tight enough to support the bar was a chore. Two, up to this point I have been squatting and OHP off the back of a bench press rack. What can I say, squat racks do not grow on trees. Anyhow, once I returned from making my injection of cash into the DC economy (like they needed my 2 cents), I made it a priority to find a squat rack. I found one cheap, with another bar and two more 45lb plates for $300. What a difference. I think that being able to get fully under the bar made a big difference to my shoulders, and they are thanking me to this day.

10/25 BW 252
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 165x2, 205x5x3 +10
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 165x5x2, 165x3
DL: 135x5, 185x5, 225x2, 270x5

10/27
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 165x2, 215x5, 215x4, 205x5 +5
P: 45x5x2, 65x5, 75x5, 105x5x2, 105x4 +5
DL: 135x5, 185x5, 225x2, 275x5
Curls: 20x5x2, 45x5, 70x5x3 +5

The WO above, I dropped a squat. On the second set, I locked up about 6" above parallel, and could not push through. I had to go A2G, and let the bar roll off the backs of my arms. Not something that I want to repeat. The day after I dropped this set, I bought the squat rack that I had decided to buy after returning from vacation.

[Str8shutr]

10/29 BW 254
SQ: 45x5x2, 135x5, 165x5, 210x5x3 +5
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x5, 170x5, 170x4, 165x5
DL: 135x5, 185x5, 225x2, 280x5

Dropped BP during second set

11/1
SQ: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x2, 215x4, 215x5x2
P: 45x5x2, 65x5, 75x3, 110x4, 105x5x2 +5
Curls: 20x5x2, 45x5, 75x5x3 +5

11/3
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 155x5, 195x2, 215x5x3 +5
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 155x2, 170x5x3 +5
DL: 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 255x2, 285x5

11/5 BW 256
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 145x3, 185x2, 220x5x3 +5
P: 45x5x2, 65x5, 85x3, 105x5x3 +5
Curls: 20x5x2, 45x5, 65x2, 80x5x3
Dips: 5x1 w/legs on box

11/8
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 150x3, 190x2, 225x5x3 +5
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 155x2, 175x5x3 +5
DL: 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 255x2, 290x5 +0

11/10 BW 258
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 155x3, 190x2, 230x5x3 +5
P: 45x5x2, 65x3, 85x2, 110x5x3 +0

My form on P was so bad on this set that I didn't want to increase even though I pushed the reps. I decided to get more info on the form, because I felt that I was doing it incorrectly. I watched this video http://startingstrength.com/index.ph...g_to_press_2.0 and over the next few WOs it had a huge impact on my form and weights I could press.

11/12
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 155x3, 195x2, 235x5x3 +5
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 155x2, 180x5x3 +5
Curls: 20x5x2, 45x5, 65x3, 85x5x2, 85x4 +0

11/15 BW 260
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 160x3, 200x2, 240x5x3 +5
P: 45x5x2, 70x3, 90x2, 115x3 (old form), 115x2 (new form), 112x2 (old form) +0
DL: 135x5x2, 185x4, 225x3, 255x2, 290x5

I could feel the potential for the new form on the P. I just didn't have the hip movement nailed down yet. I'm glad that I stuck with the new movement.

11/17
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 160x3, 200x2, 245x5x3 +5
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 160x2, 185x5 +5

[Str8shutr]

11/19
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 160x3, 205x2, 250x5x3 +5
P: 20x5x2, 45x5, 65x2, 90x1, 115x5x3 +5
Curls: 20x5x2, 45x3, 65x2, 85x5x3 +5

Post WO here, I was getting the sniffles. Started eating more. Daily protein intake around 250g. Daily calorie intake around 4500.

11/22 BW 260
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 165x3, 205x2, 255x5x3 +5
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 160x2, 190x5, 190x3

Post WO still had sniffles, DOMS lasted until next WO. Reading Practical Programming, I decided to incorporate a light squat day into my WO to prolong LP.

11/24: BW 261
LSQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 165x2, 205x5x3
P: 20x5x2, 45x5, 65x2, 90x2, 120x4x2, 120x3 +0
DL: 95x5, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 255x1, 295x5 +5

11/26
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 175x2, 225x2, 260x5x3 +5
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 160x2, 190x5x3 +5
Curls: 20x5x2, 45x3, 70x2, 90x5x3 +5

11/29 BW 260
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 225x1, 265x5x3 +5
P: 20x5x2, 45x5, 65x3, 90x2, 120x5x3 +5
PS: 45x3x2, 65x2, 85x1, 75x2, 75x3, 75x2 +5

I decided to bring in the power snatch. My forearms are too long to get the bar on the front of my shoulders as illustrated in SS3, so power cleans do not work for me. The long forearms also make breathing at the bottom of the press a bitch, but oh well...

12/1 BW 260
LSQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 170x2, 210x5x3
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 165x2, 195x5x3 +5
Curls: 20x5x2, 50x3, 70x2, 95x5x3 +5

12/3 BW 260
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 225x1, 270x5x3 +5
P: 20x5x2, 45x5, 65x3, 90x2, 125x5x3 +5

12/6 BW 257
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 145x3, 190x2, 235x1, 275x5x3 +5
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 170x2, 200x2 +0

Last 2 WOs a bitch. Currently working 4 10's and 2 8's at the job that pays, so have been doing WOs in the evening rather than afternoon. Messes up sleep. Also trying to rush through WOs. Going too quick after warmup on BP, I couldn't complete third rep. Self-recovery. Disgusted. Next week should be better...no OT.

Also, a note about my weight. This time last year, I was tipping the scales at 308. I changed my diet to a Paleo type thing and lost until I started this program at 238. After I decided to supplement with creatine, I shot up to 250. I believe this resulted from water absorption. Since then it has slowly crept up to a high of 261. Now I am actively trying to manage my diet to decrease my weight again, while increasing my lifts. We will see what happens, I'm currently down to 257.

[Str8shutr]

So, trying to cut weight at this phase of the program seems to be detrimental to making gains on lifts...

12/8 BW: 257
LSQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 225x5x3
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 170x2, 200x4x2, 200x3 +0
DL: 135x5x2, 185x5, 225x2, 265x1, 300x4, +0

12/10 BW: 257
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 155x3, 225x2, x255x1, 280x5, 280x4x2, 280x2 +0
P: 20x5x2, 45x5, 65x3, 95x2, 130x5x2, 130x4 +0
Curls: 20x5x2, 50x3, 75x2, 100x2, 95x5, 95x4 -5

So I started eating again. I got severe DOMS after these WOs, and obviously was not making progress. I didn't change my diet much, just began to restrict my starchy carbs and reduced protein intake by about 75g per day. Now I'm back to 250-300g of protein per day and around 4000-5000 cal.

12/13 BW:261
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 155x3, 225x2, 255x1, 280x5x3 +5
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 170x2, 200x4x3, 200x3 +0
PS: 45x3x2, 65x2, 80x2x3 +5

I felt better after this WO, but still not hitting my goal on BP. I just couldn't squeeze the last rep, so I did an extra set for volume. I will hit my sets next BP WO.

[Str8shutr]

12/15: Competition, no WO today! This is the reason I'm doing all this!

12/17 BW: 263
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 155x3, 225x2, 255x1, 285x5x3
P: 20x5x2, 45x5, 75x3, 105x2, 130x5x2, 130x4
Curlz:20x5x2, 45x5, 75x2, 95x5x2, 95x4

Prior to WO on 12/20, I was still sore from WO on 12/17. I think I am overtraining, and need to do another deload. I am eating and sleeping fine. Will deload 10% on next WO and try to maintain LP.

12/20 BW: 263
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 225x1, 260x5x3 +5
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 160x2, 180x5x3 +5
DL: 95x5x2, 135x3, 225x2, 265x1, 300x5 +5

12/22 BW: 265
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 225x1, 265x5x3 +5
P: 20x5x2, 45x5, 75x3, 95x2, 115x5x3 +5
PSnatch: 45x3x2, 65x2, 85x2, 85x3x3, 85x2 +5

Back to full recovery between WOs. Hope I can keep LP.

[Str8shutr]

12/24
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 230x1, 270x5x3 +5
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 160x2, 185x5x3 +5

1/1/2013 BW: 266
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 235x1, 275x5x3 +5
P: 20x5x2, 45x5, 75x3, 95x2, 120x5x3 +5
Used new Rogue Do-Wins for first time. Fronts of quads very sore, post WO

1/3 BW: 263
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 195x2, 234x1, 280x3, 280x2 +0
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 160x1, 190x5x3 +5
I developed an upper respiratory infection here. I had no energy to complete squats - may have been sore from new shoes??? Plenty of power for BP.

1/7 BW: 266
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 195x2, 235x1, 280x5x3 +5
P: 20x5x2, 45x5, 75x3, 95x2, 125x5x3 +5
Still sick

1/9
LSQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 235x5x3
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 160x1, 195x5x3 +5
DL: 95x5x2, 135x3, 185x2, 235x1, 275x1, 305x5 +5
Still sick

1/12 BW: 264
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 240x1, 285x4, 285x3x2, 285x2 +0
P: 20x5x2, 45x5, 85x3, 105x1, 130x5x3 +5
Still sick. Getting better.

1/14 BW: 262
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 195x2, 240x1, 284x4x2, 285x3x2 +0
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 165x1, 200x4, 200x3, 200x2 +0
Severe left elbow pain after SQ work sets. Hurt to unload bar. No gas on either exercise. Read in the forum that I may not be gripping bar right, and that the loosenes at my wrists was contributing to bar movement, which I was trying to stop by pushing on the bar with my wrists. My grip up until now has basically been resting the underside of my wrists on the bar. When I started SS, I had no flexibility in my shoulders. I could not get my fingers around the bar and have a narrow grip. So next WO I am going to try using the reccommended grip in the SS book.

1/17 BW: 265
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 195x2, 240x1, 285x5x2, 285x4 +0
P: 20x5x2, 45x5, 95x3, 105x1, 135x4x2, 135x3 +0
Used reccommended SS grip. Was able to keep the bar much tighter on my back, definitely less movement. Left elbow was sore after P WO, but nowhere near as bad as last time.

[Str8shutr]

1/19 BW: 267
LSQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 205x1, 235x5x3
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 165x1, 200x4
DL: 95x5x2, 135x3, 185x2, 225x1, 275x1, 310x4, 310x1
Left elbow was aggravated by competition this morning. Left elbow sore as hell after squats. Using Icy Hot and ice to control pain. Elbow bothered me so much I didn't want to finish BP. On DL, I couldn't maintain my grip, and after 4th rep had to quit. Reset grip and did one more rep. Will try Hook or alternating supine grip instead of DOH next time.

1/21 BW: 269
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 195x2, 240x1, 285x5x3 +5
P: 20x5x2, 45x5, 95x3, 115x1, 135x3, 135x4x2, 135x3 +0
L Elbow still sore, felt much better after 2nd WS of Presses

1/24 BW: 268
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 215x1, 245x1, 275x1, 290x5x3 +5 NEW PR!!
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 165x2, 185x1, 200x5x3 +5 NEW PR!!
L Elbow just slightly sore. Adding in a warm up set that was closer in weight to the WS seemed to help.

[Str8shutr]

1/26 BW: 270
LSQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 205x1, 225x1, 235x5x3
P: 20x5x2, 45x5, 75x3, 105x2, 125x1, 135x4, 135x5x2 +0
DL: 95x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 225x2, 275x1, 300x1, 310x5 +5
Adding extra warmup reps closer to weight of working sets seems to help with heavier weights and general well-being.

1/28 BW: 272
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 215x1, 245x1, 275x1, 295x5x3 +5
BP: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 165x2, 185x1, 205x5x3 +5

1/31 BW: 270
SQ: 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 225x1, 255x1, 285x1, 300x5x2, 300x4 +0
P: 20x5x2, 45x5, 75x3, 110x2, 135x1, 135x5x3, +5

[hammock23]

Congrats on breaking 300 in squats! That's a great accomplishment. Especially considering you started with 85lbs!