Larry's Novice SS Log

[KreuzhebenFTW]

Wed, 2017-10-25
BW: 82.2 (+0.4)
BF%: 19.8 (0)
Squat: 135 x 5, 3, 2
Press: 53.5 x 5 x 3
Deadlift: 135 x 5 x 1
Chinups: BW x 4 x 3

Somehow I'm weaker than two weeks ago and 135kg is an insurmountable obstacle.

Started microloading the Press on the advice of coach Alex. She was spot on, since I don't believe I could have managed 55 kg.

Deadlift felt better, using the new (tapered to 3 in in the back) belt. Didn't feel like puking like I do with the 4in belt. Back rounding is there, but I think is less than before.

My Upper Body just sucks big time. I cannot do more than 4 chinups per set

[KreuzhebenFTW]

Manage to find a semi-decent place to train while out of town in Turku, Finland. However, I have no scales and am no tracking my food intake until Wednesday when I get back to Hamburg.

Fri, 2017-10-27
Squat: 135 x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 70 x 5 x 3
Power Clean: 62 x 2, 1, 1, 2, 1

I finally cracked 135kg again on the squat, but form was awful I think. Benches were OK, with only slight pain on the left shoulder. The power cleans were a complete mess. I think I was out of gas when I got to the power cleans, more tired than usual and I was simply not jumping explosive enough.

[KreuzhebenFTW]

Mon, 2017-10-30
BW: Don't Know, no scales
BF%: see above
Squat: 110kg x 5 x 3
Press: 55kg x 3 x 3
Deadlift: 140kg x 5 x 1

Failed the presses. Should have done 54.5kg but this Gym didn't have 1.25kg plates.

[KreuzhebenFTW]

Thu, 2017-11-02

I didn't train yesterday because I forgot one of my lifting shoes. Then the day got complicated and didn't want to finish a workout at 22:00. So I postponed to Thursday.

Why did I sleep only 4 hours last night? No idea, but I just woke up at 4, took a leak and then could not sleep anymore.

BW: 85.9 (+3.7)
BF%: 21.9 (+1.1)
Squat: 137.5 kg x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 71 kg x 4, 5, 5, 3
Power Clean: 62.5 kg x 3, 3, 2, 1, 0
Chin Ups: BW x 3 x 3

First ever 300+ lb squat for 3 sets of 5! :-) Nice. 137.5kg had become a scare number for my squats. But now I'm happy I left it behind me.

First time benching on the bench banks without security pins. Apparently I'm not allowed anymore to drag a bench bank to the squat rack, because I could maybe scratch the platform. So, first set missed the last rep. For the second and third, asked another benching Bro for a spot and explained him he would intervene only if the barbell was falling back and I asked him for help. Second and third set went well, although I had to tell him twice everything was alright on the last rep. He had to fight the urge to grab the bar. Anyway I attributed the first set failure to fear of getting obliterated by the falling barbell, so I decided to give it a go again, but I could only complete 3 reps.

The power cleans are starting to frustrate me. After two very surprisingly happy sets of 3, I could not (or would not) jump any more.

[KreuzhebenFTW]

Sat, 2017-11-04
BW: 87 (+1.1)
BF%: 22 (+0.1)
Squat: 20x5x2, 50x5, 80x3, 110x2, 140kg x 5, 1, 2
Press: 20x5x2, 30x5, 40x3, 50x2, 54.5kg x 3, 5, 5, 5
Deadlift: 60x5x2, 90x5, 110x3, 125x2, 142.5kg x 5

Failed at first attempt to squat 3 plates. Will try again on Tuesday. Failed first press set, due to form issues. I think I didn't time correctly the hip thrust . So after set 2 and 3 went OK, I decided to try again for 5 and had no real problems. Knees are bending still a little bit. Deadlift felt easy but I keep rounding my back as aI start pulling.

[KreuzhebenFTW]

Tue, 2017-11-07
BW: 86 (-1)
BF%: 21.6 (-0.4)
Squat: 20x5x2, 50x5, 80x3, 110x2, 140kg x 5, 3, 0
Bench Press: 20x5x2, 40x5, 50x3, 62.5x2, 72x5, 2, 4
Power Clean: 40x5x5, 50x5, 55x3, 62.5kg x 3 x 5

Second attempt at 140kg Squat went also down the drain. First set was OK, although very shallow for my standards. Tried the third set twice, in both cases I could not bounce even once from the hole.

Bench Press: first set was OK, although my spotter I believe pulled a little bit at the top, although I explicitly asked her not to touch the bar unless I asked. Anyway, second and third were crap. Pain on the left shoulder is affecting me.

Power Cleans: Finally cracked 62.5kg for five sets of three. They look horrible tough. I'm also hitting my left clavicle when catching the barbell.

[KreuzhebenFTW]

Thu, 2017-11-09

Light Squat Day:

BW: 86.3 (+0.3)
BF%: 21.7 (+0.1)
Squat: 20x5x2, 40x5, 70x3, 90x2, 112.5x5x3
Press: 20x5x2, 30x5, 40x3, 50x2, 55.5x5x3
Deadlift: 60x5x2, 90x5, 105x5, 125x5, 145x5
Chinups: BW x 3, Band-assisted (Black 24kg): 6, 4

Deadlift form is still ugly as hell on the heavy working set. I think I'm lifting my hips too early and this leads to my back rounding. Also, at this weight I'm just thinking on pulling the damn weight. I guess I'm moving in the realm of ego lifting, because I'm disregarding the form, particularly on reps 4 and 5.

[KreuzhebenFTW]

Sat, 2017-11-11
BW: 87.2 (+0.9)
BF%: 22.1 (+0.4)
Squat: 20x5x2, 50x5, 80x3, 110x2, 140x5x3
Bench: 20x5x2, 35x5, 50x3, 60x2, 72x5x3
Power Clean: 40x5x2, 50x3, 55x2, 65x3x5

Damn! I need more days like this. Everything ran smoothly, didn't fail anything and set PRs on all 3 lifts. Couldn't have been better.

[KreuzhebenFTW]

Tue, 2017-11-14
BW: 87.8 (+0.6)
BF%: 22.4 (+0.3)
Squat: 20x5x2, 50x5, 80x3, 115x2, 142.5x2x2, 127.5x5x2
Press: 20x5x2, 30x5, 40x3, 50x2, 56.5x5x3
Deadlift: 60x5x2, 90x5, 115x3, 145x3

Started doing only one heavy set of squat plus 2 backoff sets. But 142.5 just buried me. Probably technique related. On the deadlift I was rounding the back too much and preferred to abort after the 3rd rep.

Thu, 2017-11-16
BW: 88.1 (+0.9)
BF%: 22.4 (+0.3)
Squat: 20x5x2, 50x5, 75x3, 90x2, 114kgx5x3
Bench Press: 20x5x2, 40x5, 55x3, 62.5x2, 73kgx5, 5, 4
Power Cleans: 40x5, 50x3, 60x2

Light Squat day. Failed last rep of my benches and the power cleans were just an unmitigated disaster. Pain on the left shoulder was crippling enough

Sat, 2017-11-18
BW: 87.9 (-0.2)
BF%: 22.4 (=)
Squat: 20x5x2, 50x5, 80x3, 115x2, 142.5x5, 127.5x5x2
Press: 20x5x2, 30x5, 40x3, 50x5x3
Chinups: BW x 4, Band-assisted (Black 24kg): 6, 4

Reset the Press to correct my tendency to push press. This time no knee bending to be seen!

Tue, 2017-11-21
BW: 87.8 (-0.1)
BF%: 22.3 (-0.1)
Squat: 20x5x2, 60x5, 85x3, 115x2, 145kgx5, 130x5x2
Bench Press: 20x5x2, 40x5, 50x3, 62.5x2, 73x5, 4, 5, 5
Deadlift: 60x5x2, 90x5, 115x3, 120x2, 130x5

Got a new 5RM PR on the Squat, but they were very shallow. Probably will have to repeat. Reset the Deadlift to correct back flexion.

[KreuzhebenFTW]

Thu, 2017-11-23
BW: 89.4 (+1.6)
BF%: 23 (+0.7)
Squat: 20x5x2, 60x5, 90x3, 116x5x3
Press: 20x5x2, 40x5, 47.5x3, 52.5x5x3
Power Clean: 40x5x2, 50x3, 60x2, 67.5x3, 2, 1, 1, 1