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Thread: Taking the plunge

  1. #21
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    Oct 2014
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    • starting strength seminar april 2024
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    Fri 11/14
    Going to stop posting the warm up sets, doesn't seem to add much.
    Squats: 170x5x3
    Press: 110x3x2;105x5;105x4
    DL: 245x5

    Aaarrggghhh..... my first failed set. It's been so much a ride on the linear progression, I suspected last time that I did press that my jumps might have to get smaller...today proved to be the case. Just couldn't move beyond 3 reps in sets 1&2 so I dropped back 5lbs and got in a set of 5 and then did a 4th work set and 4 more reps to make up for the misses was a whole body experience... My belt arrived this week and it was very different feel on squats in a good way, very different feel on DL in an uncomfortable way. So different that I contemplated doing my workset without the belt, but going to stay with it. I knew that 5lb linear progression on the press would come to halt at some point, but patience, diligence and the formation of a habit is my goal, easy to get caught up in spreadsheets and project some crazy numbers, now I'm just dealing with a bit of reality. The gym I normally work out in is at work and today I was off so used a different gym. Much better assortment of equipment, but I am a creature of habit so it just felt very different to be lifting in a new place. More of a mental game with checking the ego at the door to do than in my normal environment, but such is life. Hoping to sleep > 8 hours tonight, shouldn't be an issue seeing as to how today was DL day.

  2. #22
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    Been crazy busy at work and haven't had a chance to get my log entry posted here, but the good news is that I still got in my lifts on Tuesday !

    Tu 11/18
    Squats 175x5x3
    Bench 145x5x3
    Chins: Green band 9, Green & Red 6; Green & Blue 7

    Very first warm up on squats with empty bar my shoulder hurt so damn much I considered stopping for the night....but I didn't. Just worked my way through the pain and by the time I was on work sets the pain in my shoulder was manageable. Finally have a belt and that seems to be helping quite a bit on just plain feeling safe during the squat. Bench weight felt just frigging perfect. Already looking forward to DL tomorrow night and using micro plates for the first time.

  3. #23
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    Jan 2012
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    Nice job with consistent work on the lifts, hondotbt! Your progress is terrific and, over the long haul, you'll be amazed at what you can accomplish.

  4. #24
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    Oct 2014
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    thanks for the encouragement, very much appreciated. I have to keep reminding myself that I'm building a habit and that slow and steady is the goal. Last night I wasn't enthused about lifting, but knew that missing a session and putting it off until today just wasn't acceptable. And like always, about halfway through my squat warm up the crap cleared out and I was just in the zone and glad to be lifting.
    Fri 11/21
    Squats: 180x5x3
    Press: 110xx5x2; 110x3; 110x2
    DL: 250x5x1

    First couple of squat warm ups my shoulder pain was the biggest thing to overcome, deeper into it I could just focus on the lifting. Finishing reps in the squat work sets were pretty damn slow, but I had still got the reps and didn't feel like I sacrificed form to do so. I forgot my micro plates so just re-attempted my failed weight from last week and was at least able to get all of the reps, even if I had to break up the last set. Next week I'm going up 2.5 lbs,. First time trying the reverse grip on DL, didn't notice much of a difference in how it felt. DL's with the belt is still not comfortable, but the belt on the squats is a difference maker. Even at the somewhat mature age of 51 it is interesting to me that I can feel like a weak, skinny adolescent.... While working on getting my body stronger I'm also working on mental and emotional stuff at the same time. Perhaps the way to permanently erase those feelings of being weak is to do the work of getting strong..... imagine that....

  5. #25
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    Mon 11/24
    Bench: 150x5x3
    Squats: 185x5;4;3;3
    Chins: Green Band 9; Green & Red: 9; Green & Blue: 10

    So several things to note here. First of all, I slept like crap the previous night and had to walk about 3 miles during the day yesterday. Then I went to workout and someone was occupying the squat rack, so I did bench first. All of these factors combined with the fact that last week's squats were pretty damn slow led to missing reps in last two work sets and had to add an additional set to get all of my work in. I'm going to presume that all of those factors together contributed to missing the reps and hope it's not an indication of linear progression slowing down yet...however, if it is, it is. The goal is building a lifetime habit, not rushing to results. Getting my ass under the bar and lifting not matter what is the result I'm striving for. Bench again felt like the ideal increment to be working with. Progress on the chins as well, so overall a good workout.

  6. #26
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    Mar 2014
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    Keep going man, you're doing great!
    I had shoulder soreness when I started the low bar squat, it took a while to get used to the position.
    I ended up going a little wider, with my index fingers on the 32" marks on the powerlifting bar, but still enough to keep my back tight. No issues whatsoever today, the position feels natural.

    I also started stalling on the squat around where you are now. I took it slow for a while microloading until I felt better, and surprisingly went back to 5 lb jumps for a bunch of sessions.

    Good luck!

  7. #27
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    Nov 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by hondotbt View Post
    Mon 11/24
    Bench: 150x5x3
    Squats: 185x5;4;3;3
    Chins: Green Band 9; Green & Red: 9; Green & Blue: 10

    So several things to note here. First of all, I slept like crap the previous night and had to walk about 3 miles during the day yesterday. Then I went to workout and someone was occupying the squat rack, so I did bench first. All of these factors combined with the fact that last week's squats were pretty damn slow led to missing reps in last two work sets and had to add an additional set to get all of my work in. I'm going to presume that all of those factors together contributed to missing the reps and hope it's not an indication of linear progression slowing down yet...however, if it is, it is. The goal is building a lifetime habit, not rushing to results. Getting my ass under the bar and lifting not matter what is the result I'm striving for. Bench again felt like the ideal increment to be working with. Progress on the chins as well, so overall a good workout.
    Crap days happen, for sure. If the prior week's squats were slow as well, you might have some accumulated fatigue. You've been making progress for what, 10 weeks straight now? That's great! Give 185 another go or 2. If it doesn't move, take 10 or 15 pounds of the bar and make another run - you'll blow past the prior sticking point. I'm not averse to resets - sometimes they're necessary and helpful.

    Glad to see the movements are becoming more natural. I still have to cue myself "KNEES OUT!" - hearing Beau yell at me in my head. Dude is an awesome coach.

  8. #28
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    Nov 2014
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    great to see your progress, keep it up!

  9. #29
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    Thanks much for the encouragement and help.... it's really appreciated. I'm at work and starting to feel a bit tired and just checked this out and now I'm back to looking forward to tonight's workout! I'll post in the AM and we'll see how it goes. Thanks Again.

  10. #30
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    Oct 2014
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    starting strength coach development program
    Fri 11/28
    Squat 185x5x3
    Press 112.5x5x3
    DL 255x5x1

    Bodyweight 210

    So the comments helped inspire me to work a bit harder yesterday. I don't feel enthused about hitting the gym, but I know that I'm after I'm done I'm gonna feel great so the delayed gratification and working for the payoff is where it's at. Squats weren't as slow as they've been the previous 2 outings, so we'll see if I'm getting to a fatigue point or if my recovery skills are getting better as well. I've added face pulls with resistance band into my shoulder warm up and that seems to be helping with ROM and tightness. By the time I was doing work sets on squats I was able to concentrate on pinching shoulder blades together and left shoulder was a fraction of the normal pain. I also tried to pay as much attention on how I walked out of the rack on warm up sets as on work sets too, this is something where my form can be a bit stricter to reinforce good habits. This was the first time using micro-plates and very glad that I have them. The final set of press was a grinder on 4th and 5th rep, but I got them. Dead lift continues to be my favorite part of this whole program. Something about it doing my work set on that and getting all the reps just leaves me feeling very confident that I'm in a process and getting results. Not to get too philosophical, but as I was walking to my car after the work out last night I felt like I've finally started to stand up to a bully that's taunted me for > 40 years. No shit...that really is the feeling, and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

    Will be great to see where I am at the end of this 12 week cycle and then set some realistic goals for the next cycle.

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