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Thread: Help me get stronger

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
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    Default Help me get stronger

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    24y/o male. 6'0". 235lbs.

    First day of "SS" programming. Novice 5x3 work sets.

    Squat 135x5x3
    Press 65x5x3
    DL 185x5x1

    In my second set of squatting I may have only done 4 reps. Not sure. I have a lot of trouble counting reps because I am trying to focus on technique. Squat and press technique are very hard for me to grasp. I need more coaching.

    Sets of 5 feel like they are pushing me to the brink of death. Can't imagine doing anymore reps.

    Any encouragement is appreciated. Usually I am in a poor mental state at the gym because I am so unsure of what I'm doing. Today I wanted to just leave after the second squat set because I wasn't sure if I even hit all 5 reps. My coach has told me to keep going even when I feel like this, so that's what I'm trying to do. Hopefully I will get strong this time (have known about SS and tried it off and on for 5 years).

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
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    Welcome. Is your coach a certified Starting Strength Coach?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
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    the Island of Misfit Toys
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    Welcome. This all sounds perfectly normal. You do a set of squats. It feels horrible, you realise you have to do it twice more. That bit in the book where Rip talks about the low bar back squat using the most amount of muscle mass to move the maximum amount of weight, that's what he meant. Not too long from now, you will lift 135 for a squat warm up and think nothing of it.

    Luckily reps don't have a compound interest effect. You may have missed a rep, you don't have to make it up later. Getting the count wrong happens. On my first squat session, I couldn't have told you the day of the week after a set, much less kept count.

    The feeling of not knowing what you are doing is all part of the process. It passes.

    Do your fives, log them here. As the pages increase, so do the numbers.

  4. #4
    Brodie Butland is offline Starting Strength Coach
    Consigliere
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    May 2011
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    Cleveland
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    Quote Originally Posted by carson View Post
    Welcome. Is your coach a certified Starting Strength Coach?
    He is. I hear tell he's a bit of a miscreant as well.


    Good job starting a log, Ben. Now you're being watched.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
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    carson- great question, as you can see he's made an appearance.

    chrisd- thanks for your post, I really appreciate it.

    Today's workout:

    Squat 140x5x3
    Bench 95x5x3
    DL 190x5x1

    Felt pretty hard but not as hard as my first workout. In trying to sit back and lean forward on my squats I find that the bar gets pushed up a bit on my back and I'll round over a bit. That's what it feels like anyway, who knows how it actually looks. All is well, I will develop good technique over time.

    I am giving recovery and diet their needed attention this time around. It's hard to get enough protein! (for me) About half of my protein is coming from whey protein isolate supplementation.. Hopefully no problems there. Diet is going to need some planning, especially if I want to spend money efficiently.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
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    Brisbane, Australia
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    Quote Originally Posted by ben b View Post
    I am giving recovery and diet their needed attention this time around. It's hard to get enough protein! (for me) About half of my protein is coming from whey protein isolate supplementation.. Hopefully no problems there. Diet is going to need some planning, especially if I want to spend money efficiently.
    You've got a coach on board & you've started a log - great start! Are the protein difficulties due to vegetarianism?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    west side
    Posts
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    Stick with it dude. I'm just a half a step ahead of you and I know how tough those squats can be.

    One rep at a time. And make sure you're getting enough rest between sets obviously.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
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    Quote Originally Posted by Toasterleavings View Post
    You've got a coach on board & you've started a log - great start! Are the protein difficulties due to vegetarianism?
    No I just have a very poor diet. Left to my own devices I will eat ~1-2 meals a day and junk food for my remaining calories. ATROCIOUS. No wonder I'm so weak. Without an effort to get more protein I will naturally consume ~60g protein a day (300+ carbs).

  9. #9
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    Jun 2016
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    Quote Originally Posted by Captain_Corduroy View Post
    Stick with it dude. I'm just a half a step ahead of you and I know how tough those squats can be.

    One rep at a time. And make sure you're getting enough rest between sets obviously.
    Thanks for your post!

    Tonight:

    Squat 145x5x3
    Press 70x5x3
    DL 195x5x1

    Throughout my workout tonight my lower back was feeling really tight or exhausted or something. Like after a set I would be struggling just to support my own big fat torso and be forced to sit down to rest my low back. Hopefully that means it's just weak as hell?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2016
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    starting strength coach development program
    Squat 150x5x3
    Bench 100x5x3
    DL 200x5x1

    Less low back fatigue today.

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