Starting Strength (Round Two)

[OzDamo]

Hi Schmerly

Stop the rows. You should be doing deadlifts every workout till you feel like throwing Powercleans into the mix, then they alternate.

Also, if you can do chins I would definitely be doing those on power clean day. They ARE part of the program. I'll be doing my first set of embarrassing negatives on Monday.

cheers
Damo

[Schmerly]

Hi Schmerly

Stop the rows. You should be doing deadlifts every workout till you feel like throwing Powercleans into the mix, then they alternate.

Also, if you can do chins I would definitely be doing those on power clean day. They ARE part of the program. I'll be doing my first set of embarrassing negatives on Monday.

cheers
Damo

Cheers for the fix. I only just got my replacement copy of the book yesterday so haven't had a chance to go through it again yet. Apparently my memory failed me as to the programming. I will drop the increments to 2.5kg and deadlift 3 x week until that fries my back and I change it up.

As for chins, I can proabably do maybe 5 unassisted nowadays if I'm lucky. I guess I'll work on the negatives like yourself and build from there. I kinda interpreted the dips and chins to be additional exercies if desired and my goals currently are to lift 500kg over the 3 main lifts as soon as possible. I'll go back through the book this weekend and adjust my plan with assistance exercises as required.

Cheers again mate, much appreciated.

[Schmerly]

7th Session
Monday 14/07/2014

Squats

2 x 5 @ 20kg
1 x 5 @ 50kg
1 x 3 @ 85kg
3 x 5 @ 105kg (7 minute rest)

Slight mishap on the first set. First time I've had a partner doing Starting Strength workouts with me (was originally doing a 3-5 day/week split routine) and apparently the gym has two different 'blue' plates at 2.5kg and 15kg. I said I was doing 105kg and asked for 2 blacks and a blue. I didn't check the weight and immediately felt it leaning heavily to the right. Tried to orientate it back to position thinking I had unracked it poorly but couldn't get it. Re-racked it and discovered the problem. Completed the set but felt pretty distracted. The other two were fine. Lowered the position of the bar down a peg to suit training partner and actually found it worked easier for me as well. Found getting it lower on the bar easier where I just felt like I couldn't stretch back that far previously.

Squats in front of a mirror suck. I wish there wasn't a mirror literally 1 metre from my face when I squat. The only alternative is to use a squats rack with no safeties which is probably fine with a spotter and the weights I'm lifting. These sets felt hard though and I think 2.5kg jumps are going to become unsustainable next week. I think from there I'll do 1kg increases for 3kg increase a week and (hopefully) continue on to 170kgs.

Bench Press

1 x 5 @ 20kg
1 x 3 @ 50kg
3 x 5 @ 70kg (6 minute rests)

These felt easy. Surprisingly. So much easier than 67.5kg felt that I had to double check the weight. I think I can easily hit 75kg next Wednesday before looking at maybe increasing slower. Honestly, I think having a spotter made the bar feel easier. The 4th and 5th reps I didn't have to worry about being trapped under the bar. +1 for no overzealous bar touching or unneeded assistance.

Deadlift

1 x 5 @ 50kg
1 x 5 @ 85kg
1 x 5 @ 105kg

Dropped the increase due to deadlifting 3 times/week and not subbing something else on one of the Workout days. These felt piss easy so might have been too quick to drop the increase. Still DOH grip though the last two slipped a bit. Wanting to prolong needing to do an alternate grip for as long as possible.

Total: 280kg / 500kg goal

[Schmerly]

8th Session
Wednesday 16/07/2014

Squats

2 x 5 @ 20kg
1 x 5 @ 50kg
1 x 3 @ 90kg
3 x 5 @ 107.5kg (8 minute rests)
5,5,5,

These were heavy. The first set was the hardest oddly. Maybe I didn't leave enough room between warm-ups and work set. The third set felt easy. I think from 'feeling' it that I am hitting depth. I will try and get another video Friday to keep confirming I'm improving these.

Press

1 x 5 @ 20kg
3 x 5 @ 42.5kg (4 minute rests)
5,5,5

Easy. Short rests and still felt like I had a fair bit more in the tank. Will keep increasing by 2.5kg for now. 500kg is the goal as stated on Squat+Bench+Deadlift but a 100kg Press would easily be the second goal. Long way off but in the back of my mind.

Deadlift

1 x 5 @ 60kg
1 x 5 @ 110kg
5

These felt piss easy. Far easier than even 105kg felt last session. Double overhand grip still but grip was slipping badly on the 4th and 5th rep. Might need to go alternate grip for the last rep at 115kg on Friday. 5kg increases should hopefully be sustainable till probably 130kg.

Drinking 2L of milk regularly. Gaining weight regularly. Sleep is shit and need to work on this. It's been shit for years but hoping to try and get it to about 7 hours and call it a success. Also buying 4 0.5kg ankle weights and 2 1kg ankle weights to allows loading of 1 and 2kg intervals between the 2.5kg minimal intervals possible using the gyms plates.

[Schmerly]

9th Session
Friday 18/07/2014

Squats

1 x 5 @ 20kg
1 x 3 @ 90kg
3 x 5 @ 110kg (6 minute rests)
5,5,5

Narrower stance a bit. Still having to fight with my mind to keep my eyes down rather than watching my depth in the mirror. The positive being I am happy with the depth. Was told that I look "really gay sticking your ass out like that" by my spotter for the bench. Guess I'll take that as a compliment of my form.

Bench Press

1 x 5 @ 20kg
3 x 5 @ 72.5kg (7 minute rests)
5,5,5

Weren't easy but have another 2.5kg jump in me definitely.

Deadlift

1 x 5 @ 60kg
1 x 5 @ 115kg

These felt ugly. My grip was failing after 2. Probably could have done a third but bitched it on the side of safety and switched to alternate grip. Another week of 3 5kg jumps might be pushing it.

Warm-up sets and rests were shortened somewhat due to time constraints. Didn't feel it too much. Seemed to be leg day for the chicks at the gym today. While I wasn't a huge overall fan of the squat-jumps they were doing, the bouncing and stretching was entertaining during the rest periods. Seems to be a regular occurence at this time Friday. Friday mornings definitely seems like the best time to train.

Total: 297.5kg (500kg goal)
Weight: 98(ish)kg
Scale said 98.7kg. Hard to say for certain since I weighed after the gym when I'd eaten and whatnot

[Schmerly]

Missed yesterdays workout. Had food poisoning from the weekend that is now starting to come good. Am able to eat food again. I was incredibly sore from Friday up until as late as Monday morning. I've never been that sore for that long. It just made me realise how crucially important sleep and eating enough actually is. Milk was intolerable for the time so my caloric intake was next to a flat 0. Am back on the wagon today and just downed my first 1/5 gallon.

Planning on returning to the gym tomorrow. I'm going to start back a bit lower on the squats and have a light day there. Probably 100kg as opposed to the 112.5 I was planning on doing. I will see how the warm-ups feel. I'll bench as planned and then also press since I missed these Monday and they;ve been feeling light anyway. I'll see how energy levels are for deadlifts.

tl;dr fuck food poisoning.

[Schmerly]

10th Session
Wednesday 23/07/2014

Squats

2 x 5 @ 20kg
1 x 5 @ 55kg
1 x 5 @ 90kg
2 x 5 @ 100kg (3 minute rests)

I intended to do 3 sets at 90kg and then jump up in 5kg intervals back to 110kg over the next few workouts. However, 90kg felt too light so went up to 100kg. Got them without too much effort. 105kg on Friday.

Bench Press

1 x 5 @ 20kg
3 x 5 @ 75kg
5,5,4

These flat sucked. My form felt off. All the reps felt like a struggle whereas 72.5kg last week felt fine. Going to hope this is partly shitty form and partly shitty recovery and try 75kg again on Monday. Will go with 2kg and eventually 1kg weight increases from there. Will revisit the book and watch videos again. Pretty fucking mad at these.

Deadlift

1 x 5 @ 60kg
1 x 5 @ 120kg
5

2 double overhand, 3 alternate grip. These felt easy. 110kg felt easy, 115kg felt hard and 120kg felt easier than all of them.

Press (threw these in since I missed Monday)

3 x 5 @ 45kg
5,5,5

Not much to say. Felt fine. 47.5kg on Friday will go up without incident.

[Schmerly]

11th Session (late post, got sidetracked)
Friday 25/07/2014

Squats

2 x 5 @ 20kg
1 x 5 @ 60kg
1 x 3 @ 90kg
3 x 5 @ 105kg (7 minute rests, video below)

Set One Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA3rUQNbM0g

Press

1 x 5 @ 20kg
1 x 5 @ 35kg
3 x 5 @ 47.5kg
5,5,5

These felt heavy. Rests were still shorter than other lifts so probably still a bit of room. Will hit 50kg on Wednesday and probably microload from there. Keep putting off getting the 0.5kg and 1kg ankle weights to strap on to the bar but will do that this week as Bench is getting close to stalling (if it hasn't already).

Deadlift

1 x 5 @ 60kg
1 x 5 @ 125kg

All alternate grip. Tried double overhand but the bar literally felt too heavy to move. I'm not really sure whether I should just keep doing alternate grip or try and focus on something grip specific to bring that up. The lift itself felt fine otherwise.

[Schmerly]

12th Session
Monday 28/07/2014

Squats

2 x 5 @ 20kg
1 x 5 @ 60kg
1 x 3 @ 90kg
3 x 5 @ 110kg (8 minute rests)
(5,5,5)

Felt fine. Felt easier than last time I was at 110kg. Getting a bit of pain in my lower back during the sets the last couple workouts. Been pushing through it and it's fine afterwards with a stretch. If anyone checks my form video (s), am I doing anything wrong? Gonna keep working through as is for now as it's not causing any long term pain or soreness.

Bench Press

1 x 5 @ 20kg
1 x 5 @ 50kg
3 x 5 @ 75kg (9 minute rests)
5,5,5

Fuck yes! Hit it. 1kg baby increases from here.

Deadlift

1 x 5 @ 60kg
1 x 5 @ 130kg
5

Lift itself felt easy as piss. Grip is the only problematic thing. Tried double overhand and failed about 3 inches up. 5 done with alternate grip no problems. Going to 2.5kg increases from here.

[Schmerly]

Form check over at coaches Q & A revealed the following:

Keep chin down.
Shove knees out more.
Bar lower on back to stop it riding up on me slightly during the set.
Need lifting shoes.

Going to have to focus heavily on the form cues tonight. Can't wait for the day when the movement just feels natural. Fighting with my shoulders/elbows to get them into a low bar position, focusing on knees and depth and everything else takes my focus off other aspects such as driving my hips the fuck up out of the hole.

Actually found a store in Australia that sells weighlifting shoes so picked up some Nike Romaleos after reading pretty positive reviews. Hopefully these and better form will fix some of the lower back pain that has been creeping in.

Currently 315kg / 500kg goal. The learning journey continues.