Milk and Squats: What's Best in Life

[Shaneomac]

My name is Shane. I've been lifting for about a year, but only recently discovered the Starting Strength program. I've been drinking GOMAD and eating a total of 4,500 calories a day for the past 2 weeks and I've noticeably increased in size and strength already. It's exciting. My goal is to gain as much weight and strength as possible without failing Army BF% standards. I also want to be harder to kill and more useful in general. Any and all comments on this open log are absolutely welcome.


Male
6'0'
25 years old
207 lbs
Squat: 300x5
Bench: 225x5
Deadlift: 415x1 Will do a set of 5 from now on
Press: 155x5
Power Clean: 135x3 Still Learning


Routine (from page 297 of SS:BBT 3rdEd):
* are additions

A)
Squat: 5x3
Press: 5x3
Deadlift: 5x1 / Power Clean: 3x5
*BB Row Reverse Grip: 5x3

B)
Squat: 5x3
Bench: 5x3
*Glute-Ham Raises: 10x3
*Roman Chair Sit-ups: 10x3
Chin Ups: 10x3

AxBxAxx
BxAxBxx





30OCT14:
Got the book in the mail. Starting with B Day because I just did Deadlifts the other day. Super crowded in the gym. Had to wait for a squat rack.

Bench:
45x5x2
95x3x2
135x1x2

225x5x2
225x5F at 5

235x1
255x1F

Glute/Ham Raises:
10x1
10x1F at 10
10x1F at 9

Chin Ups:
10x3

Squat:
45x5x2
135x3x2
225x1x2

275x5x3

305x1
315x1F
315x1
325x1F

Roman Chair Sit-Ups
10x3


02NOV14:
A Day. Had it written down on a napkin or something. I tried to find it but I might have thrown it away by accident.


04NOV14:
B Day. My hamstrings were extremely tight, but for some reason my squat still felt very strong this day. I tried widening my Bench grip so that my forearms were vertical when the bar touched my chest. The result was that my bench sucked. I'll stick with this technique if that's the way I'm suppose to do it to maximize strength and ROM.

Squat:

45x5x2
135x3x2
225x2x2

285x5x3

305x1
325x1
335x1


Bench:
45x5
135x5x2
185x2x2

225x5
225x5F at 4
225x5F at 3


Glute/Hamstring Raise:
Attempted 10x1 and stopped. My hamstrings were way too tight. Did stretching instead.


Roman Chair Sit-Ups:
10x3


Chin Ups:
10x2
10x1F at 8



06NOV14:
A day. Went a little too heavy on Squats and ended up not hitting 5x3. Lesson learned and i will stick with 5 lb increases no matter how I'm feeling when I walk in the gym. Still learning the power clean. Dedicated this day to learning it's technique at 135 with SS:BBT and youtube videos.

Squat:
45x5x2
135x3x2
225x1x2

295x5
295x5F at 5
295x5F at 5

315x1
325x1
335x1F


Press:
45x5x2
95x3x2
135x1
145x1

155x5x2
155x5F at 1 (I don't know what happened. I felt like a retard and I couldn't get the bar up)
145x5 (looking back i should have just push pressed. Will do that next time)

155x1
165x1


Reverse Grip BB Row:
45x5
135x3
225x1

245x5x3


Power Clean:
45x5x2
95x5x2
115x3

135x5x3


08NOV14:
B Day. Most recent training. Next training will be later today. Got at the gym about an hour before closing so I had to hurry.

Squat:
45x5x2
135x3x2
225x1x2
275x1

300x5
300x5F at 5 (I was so pissed that I quit on the last one I probably could have lifted much heavier on my next set)
300x5

315x1
325x1
335x1


Bench:
45x5x2
95x3x2
135x1x2

225x5x3

235x1
240x1 (got it surprisingly easy, probably could have done 250)


Chin-Ups:
10x2
10x1F at 6

[carson]

Welcome. What is a Roman Chair? I note that you have done DLs but don't see a record of your sets. Are you still doing Deads?

[Shaneomac]

Welcome. What is a Roman Chair? I note that you have done DLs but don't see a record of your sets. Are you still doing Deads?

Hi, a roman chair is the thing you do Glute/ham extensions on, but you're doing a sit-up instead. I do deadlifts today, pretty excited. I've always done them in my Do-Wins and I just learned that made it near impossible to get the bar over my mid foot and do them right which is a huge relief. I can't wait to see what I can warm up to because I really don't know. Doing them barefoot today! We'll see

[Shaneomac]

11NOV14
A day. Felt super weak. Got Monday and Tuesday off and currently in a different city visiting family, and went to a gym I haven't been to in about a year. Failed quite a few things that I should have nailed. Form was hit and miss. Not very happy with my performance at all. Will attempt this squat weight again next training day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYp7n3DMv6I

Squat:
45x5x2
135x3x2
225x1x2
275x1

305x5
305x5F at 5
305x5F at 5

325x1
345x1F


Press:
45x5x2
96x3x2
135x1

160x5F at 3
155x5
155x5F at 4


Deadlift:
135x5x2
225x3x2
315x1x2

405x5x1F at 4
405x2


BB Rows:
135x5

245x5
235x5x2

[carson]

Feeling week is very subjective and very relative. If I could lift your weights I'd be very happy. What the heck, I'm only 67. Your work looks very good to me.

[Shaneomac]

Feeling week is very subjective and very relative. If I could lift your weights I'd be very happy. What the heck, I'm only 67. Your work looks very good to me.

Thanks Carson, if I sounded arrogant I really didn't mean to be. My depth wasn't good on more than a couple of squats, and I didn't hit 5x3, so I'll either need to do it right next time or deload. Didn't help that I was throwing the weights off my barbell either ha.

[carson]

No, I did not take it as arrogance. I do wish I had started at 25 but am very grateful that I found SS at my age. Go for it, young man. Your lifts are already strong and because you are young you should lift some very impressive weights in your future.

[Sean Herbison]

My goal is to gain as much weight and strength as possible without failing Army BF% standards.

Good. Definitely gain weight. Just keep in mind the goal is to gain enough weight to keep the strength progressing, not simply slop on as much bodyweight as fast as possible. You probably don't need to be told this, but some people go over the top with it.

I tried widening my Bench grip so that my forearms were vertical when the bar touched my chest. The result was that my bench sucked.

You widened your bench grip and it got harder? That's strange. How narrow were you benching before?

[Shaneomac]

No, I did not take it as arrogance. I do wish I had started at 25 but am very grateful that I found SS at my age. Go for it, young man. Your lifts are already strong and because you are young you should lift some very impressive weights in your future.

Thanks Carson, I'll definitely work for it

[Shaneomac]

Good. Definitely gain weight. Just keep in mind the goal is to gain enough weight to keep the strength progressing, not simply slop on as much bodyweight as fast as possible. You probably don't need to be told this, but some people go over the top with it.

I might have been tempted to go over the top if I wasn't in the Army. The milk is the best thing I've done to my diet, ever.

You widened your bench grip and it got harder? That's strange. How narrow were you benching before?

Just close enough so the my thumbs would graze my chest when the bar came down. It's how I've always done it so I think that's why it was a stronger way to do it. My push-ups are pretty close hand too. Thanks for asking, did you see anything on my last video that I need to fix Coach?