Ted's SS Novice Log

[teddyd]

Sunday, 8 October 2017
Workout B

Squat	112.5 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squats 8 October 2017
Bench Press	72.5 kgs	5, 4, 3	Bench Press 8 October 2017 - set 2 Bench Press 8 October 2017 - set 3
Power Cleans	50 kgs	3, 3, 3, 3, 3	Power Cleans 8 October 2017

This is the "I fucked up again" edition of SS novice.

Calories are 2,750 KCals on training days and 2,550 KCals on non-training days. I have asked my coach to increase to 3,000 KCals on all days.

I am tired, kiddo has been ill, and my sleep has been disturbed. Saturday was a day out and about without eating properly, travelled over 150kms to three different family/close friend birthdays/dinner and Sunday I was exhausted. I am always tired with a 9 month old in the house. Trained and failed miserably on the bench press. I have two training sessions this week with Carl Raghavan, our resident SSC in London, UK. I will train both Workout A and Workout B with him and determine next steps to get bench moving again. Generally no issues with squat, deadlift, and seemingly press at the moment.

[teddyd]

Tuesday, 10 October 2017
Workout A

Squat	115 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squat 10 October 2017
Press	45 kgs	4, 5, 5	Press 10 October 2017
Deadlift	145 kgs	3	Deadlift 10 October 2017

On Tuesday evening I trained under the watchful eye of Carl Raghavan SSC.

Squat technique was pretty good, although a few tweaks were required, mainly slowing down, grip correction, and tightening of the upper back to hold the bar.

Press technique was almost the opposite of what is the Press 2.0. Thus the 4 reps on the first work set as I was still getting used to the pop of the hips and bounce. This will take some practice.

Deadlift technique amendments required the bar to be a bit further back as it was a bit forward of mid-foot, and keeping my hips up with a chest up squeeze. I was almost squatting the bar from the floor with the hips dropping. Reps were only three. May have been due to being tired (I was training at 8pm rather than my usual 11am) and to technique changes.

I have another session with Carl on Thursday 12 October 2017 for squat, bench press, and power clean.

[teddyd]

Thursday, 12 October 2017
Workout B

Squat	117.5 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squat 12 October 2017
Bench Press	72.5 kgs	5, 3, 5, 5	Bench Press 12 October 2017
Power Cleans	60 kgs	3, 3, 3	No video

This was the second training session with Carl.

Squat was pretty good and form seems to be pretty good.

Bench press has been a bit of a bastard. Today, the form was corrected. A narrower grip, flat feet on floor with strong contraction through the body and pushing the knees out. Chest arch was fine. We discovered on the second set that unracking the bar by myself actually drained me of energy for the set. This is because as I lift the bar from the hooks, the bar travels about 4 or 5 centimetres back, thus the pull to bring the bar to the starting position over my shoulders is incredibly difficult and drains me. Stupidly designed upside down triangle hooks. The third set was with Carl giving me a lift off and the set was fine. He believed I had it in me to do a fourth set considering the second set failure and the third set smoothness in getting all five reps. Again, with a lift off from Carl, I completed all five reps. I have to either find someone at the gym to help me with a lift off, or as discussed with Carl, set up further up the bench.

Power cleans were more for technique only, thus the three sets. Carl does not consider that they are necessary for me in pursuing my goals of muscular gain and getting stronger. However, we discussed that it may be worth me working up to body weight cleans and then just pop them in once every couple of weeks for technique maintenance. I mentioned on Tuesday that I am considering studying for a SSC and Carl stated that to be able to teach/coach all movements, I would have to be able to perform all movements, thus the build up to body weight and then training them on a less frequent basis. My time would be better spent doing chins and back extensions, particularly as I have been sort of squatting my deadlift off the floor by lowering my hips and building a stronger lower back would serve me more in loading the back during deadlifts.

[teddyd]

Sunday, 15 October 2017
Workout A

Squat	120 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squat 15 October 2017
Press	47.5 kgs	5, 4, 4	Press 15 October 2017
Deadlift	145 kgs	5	Deadlift 15 October 2017

Press was using press 2.0 as taught by Carl earlier in the week. Carl noted I need to be more aggressive pushing the hips forward. I will get 3x5 and then microload by 1.25kgs.

I was happy with both the squats and the deadlift.

[teddyd]

Thursday, 12 October 2017
Workout B

Squat	122.5 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squat 18 October 2017
Bench Press	73.75 kgs	5, 5, 5	Bench Press 18 October 2017
Chin Up	BW (87.2 kgs)	15 sets of 2 reps	No video

Squat felt pretty good although did not feel completely vertical on last rep. Also I tried to look up and then corrected. I need to keep focused on the floor.

I am fucking pumped with bench press. I micro-loaded by 1.25kgs and got all three sets. As mentioned in the last training session with Carl, the unrack is murder. So I have to set up further up the bench, with my eyes over the bar. As such, the lift off is straight up and thankfully when I perform a repetition of the bench press the top position is not that close to the uprights or hooks. I need to keep tighter and have a stronger leg drive and push out the knees harder.

I had power cleans programmed, but as Carl considers them superfluous to my goals, I was stuffing around today. I warmed up and tried to do a set at 70kgs (far too big a jump) and was not able to. 60kgs for 3 reps was fine.

I seem to have developed tendonitis in my right elbow on the outside, lateral epicondylitis. This first flared up while doing presses with Carl. I don't know why. Researching the SS board, and specifically this post (General Procedure for Rehabbing Tendinitis/Tendinosis) a I have a booking with my sports massage therapist for it next Friday as no earlier appointments are available. However, in the interim I thought I would give the chin up protocol a crack. As I train during work hours (10:30am-ish) I didn't have time to do the full 30 sets, partly also due to stuffing around with power cleans. I did 15 sets. I will do 30 sets next time without power cleans.

[teddyd]

Friday, 20 October 2017
Workout A

Squat	125 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squat 20 October 2017
Press	47.5 kgs	5, 5, 5	Press 20 October 2017
Deadlift	150 kgs	5	Deadlift 20 October 2017

Great day in the gym. Weights moved well and I was pretty happy. However, I noticed my knees sliding a bit on my final rep of deadlifts and after the gym I seemed to have a pain in my front left psoas area. I still have some pain there today (Monday 23 October 2017).

[teddyd]

Monday, 23 October 2017
Workout B

Squat	127.5 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squat 23 October 2017
Bench Press	75 kgs	5, 5, 5	Bench Press 23 October 2017
Chin Up	BW (87.3 kgs)	20 sets of 2 reps	No video

Sore psoas did not stop me from squatting and honestly did not feel it nor feel it affected my training. I have a feeling it was from deadlifting or possibly pressing (the hip thrust at the start of every rep) on Friday. I will take note how performance is during the press and deadlift on Wednesday.

[teddyd]

Wednesday, 25 October 2017
Workout A

Squat	130 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squat 25 October 2017
Press	50 kgs	4, 4, 3	Press 25 October 2017 - set 2 Press 25 October 2017 - set 3
Deadlift	155 kgs	3, 1	Did not record video

Another training session with Carl this evening.

My left hip/psoas at the front is still hurting. So form was key and having mentioned the hip pain to Carl he kept his usual keen eye on me. Carl did not see anything in my form that would have created such a pain.

Squat form is OK, but need to keep weight midfoot.

Press needs more hip bounce, snap back, and push back over head as the bar will want to spit out in front. I, on Carl's encouragement, probably went up too much to 50kgs. Will pull back to 48.75kgs for next session.

Deadlift is where I felt my hip/psoas again. I need to keep shins to bar and flex lats to be tighter, much tighter, to stop the bar drifting out front. The hip/psoas pain may be from not holding the flex of the trunk at the top of the deadlift which may result in too much weight being supported by the hips off the abs and low back, thus the pain. May need to reset, which pisses me off mightily as I wanted to keep my deadlift about 20kgs to 25kgs ahead of my squat.

[teddyd]

Friday, 27 October 2017
Workout B

Squat	132.5 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squat 27 October 2017
Bench Press	76.25 kgs	5, 5, 5	Bench Press 27 October 2017
Chin Up	BW (87.3 kgs)	7 sets of 3 reps 13 sets of 2 reps = 47 total reps	No video

Psoas was sore yesterday. During squats it was fine today. However, the lower left erector was sore as buggery particularly out of the bottom driving up the hips keeping my torso and chest down. Really sore. Makes me think the force is not strong in the erectors. Once I am finished with the high rep chin ups for the tendonitis in the arms some time next week (they are not as sore any more either due to the high rep chins, or the ibuprofen protocol, or pain redirected to psoas/lower back, or whatever) I will revert to 3 sets of chin ups and add in weighted back extensions for three sets. Unfortunately the gym I train at has the angled roman chair, but it will do.

I am happy with bench press and feeling better with getting tight and pushing out against the belt and the legs/knees.

I am tired today. Not getting the full 7 to 8 hours sleep (usually between 7 and 7.5 hours) as kiddo is going through a growth spurt so waking up during the night for food. Oh to be young, hungry, and fed, and have a barbell to train with...

[teddyd]

Monday, 30 October 2017
Workout A

Squat	105 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squat 30 October 2017
Press	48.75 kgs	5, 5, 4	Press 30 October 2017
Deadlift	145 kgs	5	Deadlift 30 October 2017 - final warmup Deadlift 30 October 2017

My left hip/psoas at the front is still a bit sore but not as much as last week. A deep tissue massage by my massuese helped, as did the weekend of rest. Actually I walked roughly 10 kilometres on Saturday with the baby in the pram (light prowler work ) and it actually helped the hip and lower back.

Carl suggested I lower the deadlift weight on the second deadlift workout of the second week - i.e. first week deadlift Wednesday, second week deadlift+2.5kgs on Monday, then drop to 70%ish to work on form on Friday. So as to leave gas in the tank for deadlifts on the two heavy days I am lowering squat weight to 80% of working weight. No, I am NDTP. It is hard keeping energy for training and getting a full night's sleep with a 10 month old so this is a slight adjustment, probably more for advanced novice, but I am using it.

My left hip popped once during one of the working sets of squats. Didn't hurt just popped clearly. Was fine afterwards.

Press has a slight hip bounce, snap back as noted by Carl when messaged him. I think subconsciously I am holding back a bit as my hip and back hurt.

Deadlifts were better at keeping the hips up and the bar in contact with the shins after really flexing the lats and holding them in place. Carl thinks I may have dropped the hips a bit and let the bar drift forward on the last rep.