Steve H's Starting Strength Log

[Steve Howard]

Me: 25, M, 175lbs (current)

Started lifting at the end of February to look for a productive coping mechanism for some mental health issues. Started with StrongLifts because I'd tried it once (whiny ex didn't like me being sore so I stopped) and didn't have to buy some crazy book. Dropped down to 150lbs the first week, then crept up very slowly. Switched to SS because something I read convinced me that Rip was the real deal and I was stalling trying to squat 5x5 around my body weight.

First workouts after switching to SS:

May 11: Squat [175x4, 165x3, 165x3]*, Bench 110x5x3, Power Clean 75x3x5

Last workout trying to do 5x5 I got 5/5/5/4/3 at 170lbs, so 175lbs felt appropriate. It was a mistake.

May 13: Squat 170x5x3, OHP 85x5x3, Deadlift 195x5.

Recent workouts:

6/22: Squat 230x[4,4,3], Bench 145x5x3, Power Clean 125x3x5.

6/24: Squat 230x5x3, OHP 110x[4,5,4], Deadlift 275x5.

6/26: Squat 240x5x3, Bench 150x[5,5,4], Power Clean 130x3x5.
Accidentally went up too fast on the squat but somehow got the reps

7/29: Squat 245x[4,1,0], OHP 110x5x3, Deadlift 285

Squat was VERY heavy and I hurt my back a little bit. Decided to go back to 225lbs, stop using a belt for a bit, and try to work on my form again.

7/1: Squat 225x5x3, Bench 152.5x[5,5,4], Power Clean 135x3x5

7/3: Squat 230x5x3, OHP 112.5x5x3, Deadlift 295x5

On the deadlift a guy offered to film me (just finished the work set though) and when pressed said it wasn't his business, but my back was rounding and I was hyperextending at the top. The second sounds more fixable than the first, and is probably the consequence of another "helpful" gym goer telling me to think of pulling to the corner of the room above and behind me.

7/6: 235x[5,5,1], Bench 150x[5,5,5], Clean 140x[3]

The last set of squats I started coming up from the hole and though I 100% didn't have another 4 reps in me, I felt like I was going to fuck up my back trying to pull that one out so I set it down.

I also screwed up with the cleans, there's not a ton of space when the gym gets busy and I clipped the leg press machine with the bar while warming up and dumped a 25lb bumper on my chalk tupperware. Helped the staff clean it up and they were cool with it but I felt reeeeeally dumb. Went for the work set without warming up enough and everything was off, even the 3 "reps" I counted I was pulling the bar with my arms even though I've never done that before. Better than that time I tried to learn how to split jerk (cause it looked fun) and I tried with too much weight, missed the bar behind, and wrenched my elbows. Still taking Ibuprofen and trying to do chins for that one.

Reading the forums I think I'm probably stalling too much. I'm having a lot of trouble with the squats, I think "nipples to floor" helped today but it's really hard to keep my back tight. Wish I'd have learned from the book first instead of spending a few months with... lesser instructions. I'm also feeling horribly demotivated because I haven't had a "normal" workout where I was challenged but not intimidated/disheartened in a few weeks. It's getting hard to force myself to get under the bar and squat.

I am trying to eat and sleep more but it's not an easy task. I have chronic fatigue, and the medication I take that puts a tiny dent in that fatigue makes it harder to sleep at night or eat for much of the day. Still trying to find a good way around that. I usually shove down a quarter pounder meal after I lift, but other than that it's hard to get extra calories.

[carson]

Ah, yes, grasshopper, you must read the book. Rip has given us a rather excellent way to progress appropriately and how to know when to deload and by how much. Without the book as the basis for our work we can well get lost and discouraged. I started at age 66 and have been at this for 2 1/2 years. I was able to stretch out Linear Progression for several months and have been at an intermediate stage for most of the rest of that time. Unless you follow the instructions you will get discouraged.

It is very helpful to have a SS certificed coach. He/she can help you with excellent cues, grip placements, etc. and will be able to detect need correctives along the way. Check the registry to see what coaches are near you. If none are near you within 30 miles or so, then go to one that is nearest you on occasion just to get the needed correctives.

BTW what is your height? 175 at 5'5" makes sense. 175 at 6' is too skinny.

[Steve Howard]

Thanks for your thoughtful reply!

Ah, yes, grasshopper, you must read the book. Rip has given us a rather excellent way to progress appropriately and how to know when to deload and by how much. Without the book as the basis for our work we can well get lost and discouraged. I started at age 66 and have been at this for 2 1/2 years. I was able to stretch out Linear Progression for several months and have been at an intermediate stage for most of the rest of that time. Unless you follow the instructions you will get discouraged.

I failed to mention that I bought SS and PPST; I've read SS cover to cover and keep going back to visit sections, still working on PPST. I'll look into the info on programming and deloading again; I just seem to have hit a wall that most likely means my recovery sucks. I'm discouraged but I don't believe that means it's time to throw in the towel. Whole reason I got started is to build mental toughness.

It is very helpful to have a SS certificed coach. He/she can help you with excellent cues, grip placements, etc. and will be able to detect need correctives along the way. Check the registry to see what coaches are near you. If none are near you within 30 miles or so, then go to one that is nearest you on occasion just to get the needed correctives.

BTW what is your height? 175 at 5'5" makes sense. 175 at 6' is too skinny.

I'm just about 6' even, so apparently I need to be gaining weight faster. I think the only SS coach around me is in a Crossfit establishment which makes me a little shy, but I'm sure I'll want to get over that in the near future. I've never had a 6 pack, so that's not really a priority, so I think it comes down to working around the meds I take that keep me awake but also suppress my appetite.

[carson]

A Crossfit coach does not a certified SS coach make. Check the Resource Section on the website to find a certified SS Coach. Don't mess up your training by jumping around from one system to another.

Eat, Train, and get strong.

[Steve Howard]

Workout 7/8

Squat: 235x4
Press: 115x[3,1], 95x5
Deadlift: 305x2

Squat felt brutally heavy, at the bottom of the last rep I'm not sure what happened but I just kinda collapsed and my elbows hurt like hell (seriously 7/10, after I turned off the camera I spent about 3 minutes on the ground trying not to scream before I went and stuffed some Ibuprofen). This exacerbates the previous injury I mentioned in the first post wherein I missed a jerk that I wasn't qualified to attempt behind my head; that was 4 weeks ago.

My right elbow has almost entirely healed from that injury and only hurt for a little bit, but the left was in pain through the presses and it radiated up to the shoulder. In the past few weeks I've noticed that when the squat aggravates the injury my ability to do pressing exercises is greatly reduced; but since the right elbow is getting better, I don't think it's dangerous to stick to the work weight and miss what I miss. In the second set, though, I started feeling the almost-fainting feeling I get a lot and the bar went straight down to the hang position after the first rep.

I filmed the deadlift because somebody warned me my back was rounded in the last workout. I never wear a belt for it, but I looked around and found what appeared to be a serviceable 2" belt just in case. I've been getting small but growing back pain for the last week and now I know why; I'm doing it really really wrong.

I feel that pre-fainting feeling every time I let out my breath on a heavy deadlift (starting halfway through the warmups) and on power cleans and occasionally the press. In the video you can see me raising my left hand; I've noticed that I seem to do that reflexively (I'm too confused to do it voluntarily, the whole world feels like my head is a gong that's just been hit with a hammer). I'm aware that the experience is the result of a sudden drop in blood pressure and isn't in itself harmful, but it's getting more prominent. That was far from the worst episode, on occasion I stand in one place and my hands twitch for what I estimate is upwards of ten seconds waiting for motor control to return.

I'm also noticing that all of my muscles are prone to cramping (in and out of the gym). If I tense my quads there's a sharp pain when I let it go and it doesn't go loose right away. If I tense my hand I can't open it easily. This has also caused problems on the bench.

I don't really expect lifting to be easy or fun most of the time, but I've been doing this for about 4 months and I've never been more tempted to quit. I don't want to, but I'm also scared every time I get under the bar and it sucks.

[Agilic]

Well, in my non-expert opinion, I believe you would be told that at 6' and 175, you need to make sure you are getting a ton of protein and eating enough calories to be gaining at least 1-2lb/week in order to support some growth and strength gains.

You correctly self diagnosed that your deadlift is dangerous. It's going to need a major deload to iron out form. Do not perform 1 more pull like that. Check out the technique forum and SS coach Q&A for some great cues on how to fix it.

From what I can see from that angle on the squat, they look solid technique wise other than maybe nose-bombing into the whole a little bit. Just heavy for a skinny dude. I suspect over time your squat would skyrocket over the course of putting 25+ lb onto your frame. Also, I haven't read up on this in a while, but iirc from back in the day I was taught to always fail my squats by falling forward and letting the pins stop the bar. I have no idea if that's what could have set off your elbow injury.

[Steve Howard]

Hey, thanks for taking the time to reply.

Will practice failing squats the right way, thank you for pointing that out. I'm thinking I want to drop the weight again as that's probably the closest I've gotten to correct form after weeks of rereading that part of the book.

Will deload the deadlift for sure, I only put up the video to be honest with myself about how crappy it really is.

Time to up the calories, drinking about a half gallon of whole milk a day and a few cups of 2% (I get the 2% free at work). Was ignoring the diet for a while because I wanted to work on one habit at a time.

I'm going on vacation in 2 weeks, and I'll miss a total of 4 workouts, so my plan is to rebuild confidence and stop missing reps/getting hurt before the break, then get back at it afterward. I think I can accomplish this by dropping the weight on the squats again, and filming it to make sure my form is rock solid; leaving the pressing exercises as is; and replacing the pulls with chins/back extensions for the remaining 5 workouts to strengthen the back muscles and give the injured area some time to recover.

Oh, and eating more.

[carson]

Your back is rounded and you bend your head. Look at a point 2-3 feet on the floor in front of you. You do not squoze enough. You must squeeze your body harder than you think possible.

[Steve Howard]

Went easy today because my back still hurts on and off, it's not too intense nor is it limiting my range of motion but I'm very scared of making it worse.

Squats: lots of warm ups, max set was 185x5. Felt fairly heavy but this is probably because I'm still getting used to the corrections to form I just took, i.e. knees out better and nipples to the floor.
Bench: 152.5x[4,4,3]. I thought I had taken Ibuprofen before my workout, turns out I forgot. Elbows started to hurt warming up and continued to hurt throughout the workout.
Chins: 3, 3, 4 (guess I got the hang of it on that last one, eh?). Since chins are part of the active recovery procedure for elbow injuries I then did 5 "negatives" by jumping off a box while pulling as hard as I could, then lowering myself slowly and with great pain.
Back extensions: 3x10 bodyweight.

I anticipate returning to pulls when my back starts to hurt a little less, and at much lower weights. I think I might get one or two pulls in before I start vacation and get some real rest.

[carson]

I keep looking for the videos you put up esp. on Dead lift. Sometimes I can't find things that are right in front of me. Could you tell me where to find them.