Ted's SS Novice Log

[teddyd]

After many years of training/exercising and not making massive progress, I am all in on a clean attempt at the SS novice linear progression. I purchased the books (I have read SS 3rd and PPST 2nd once before many years ago) and purchased the SS app to remove any friction. I am still working with a well respected (thankfully) bodybuilding/nutrition coach, with whom I have been working over the last few years and actually had some progress, but not enough as a natural. The goal is to get stronger without out getting fatter.

Body weight: 85 kgs
Body fat circa 19% (according to Navy body fat calculator)

Wednesday, 20 September 2017
Workout A

Squat	90 kgs	5, 5, 5
Press	37.5 kgs	5, 5, 5
Deadlift	110 kgs	5

I have videos of my working lifts and will post them up shortly.

[teddyd]

Videos of yesterday’s lifts.

Squats - third set: Squats 20 September 2017 - YouTube
Presses - second set: Press 20 September 2017 - YouTube
Deadlifts: Deadlifts 20 September 2017 - YouTube

[teddyd]

A bit more information.

Diet/nutrition
I am currently eating 2,400 KCals on training days and 2,000 KCals on non-training days. Prior to this week and beginning SS Novice, I was on 2,150 on training days. To limit fat gain I am doing what I understand to be a "reverse diet" with my coach; essentially incrementally and periodically increase calories rather than a large increase in one fell swoop. I am sure these caloric values will increase quite rapidly over the coming weeks, particular as the weights get heavier.

Lifestyle
I work in an investment bank. I leave home at 7am and get home circa 7pm to 8pm. Thankfully my job, or my direct management, is flexible enough to enable to train at work during the day. My commute is about an hour or so each way, of which I can usually get a 20-30 minute nap (if a train seat is available).

I am a (relatively) new dad. Kiddo is almost 9 months old. Life is what comes with a young child. Sleep is circa 7 hours a night, which I aim (and hope) to increase to 7.5 hours or possibly 8 hours. I aim to get to bed at 10pm and the alarm is set for 6am. I still want and need to spend time with my wife, which is usually after putting kiddo to bed at 8pm. Sometimes I stay up late once or twice a week (weekends usually) to midnight so as to get some time to myself (gaming, reading, movies/series that the wife is disinterested in, whatever). I don't like staying up past midnight as kiddo is a reliable alarm clock between 6am and 6:30am.

I think that covers it all.

[teddyd]

Nope, I forgot to mention I am 39 and 3 months old.

[teddyd]

Friday, 22 September 2017
Workout B

Squat	95 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squats 22 September 2017
Bench Press	67.5 kgs	5, 5, 5	Bench Press 22 September 2017
Deadlift	115 kgs	5	Deadlifts 22 September 2017

I thought I may have bitten off a bit more than I could chew on the bench press. However, reviewing the video, it seemed to be moving at a reasonably good speed.

I am using a hook grip with deadlifts. Thus the slight reset each rep. It works within the definition of deadlift.

I noticed a dull pain on my lift lower ribs on the side of my rib cage later in the day on my last workout. A bit sensitive to the touch but nothing debilitating. I still have it. I trained today notwithstanding.

[teddyd]

Monday, 25 September 2017
Workout A

Squat	100 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squats - 25 September 2017
Press	40 kgs	5, 5, 5	Press - 25 September 2017
Deadlift	120 kgs	5	Deadlifts - 25 September 2017

Bar speeds still seem OK to my untrained eye. Will continue with 5kgs and 2.5kgs increases.

I still have the dull ache in my left side. I figured out today as I was either putting my weight belt on or taking it off that the ache was situated exactly where the belt sits. Not sure why it aches but continue to train and I will let it heal.

Starting to wonder when to do the deadlift on Workout A days only and put in chins on Workout B days. Also wondering if I should try cleans, which I used to do in 2013/2014 when last attempted SS Novice. I am 39 years old and according to The Barbell Logic podcast, I am too old for cleans. Not sure at what percentage of the deadlift cleans should be loaded. Still reading the book and the site to find the answer.

[teddyd]

Wednesday, 27 September 2017
Workout B

Squat	102.5 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squats 27 September 2017
Bench Press	70 kgs	5, 5, 5	Bench Press 27 September 2017
Deadlift	125 kgs	5	Deadlifts 27 September 2017

I have decreased the increases on squats to 2.5 kgs per training session. This is so as to allow the deadlift to progress with a bit more leeway over the squat as I think I started the squat too high and the deadlift too low.

Excuse the angle of the deadlift video. The phone camera must have slipped a bit or I set it up badly.

[teddyd]

Friday, 29 September 2017
Workout A

Squat	105 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squats - 29 September 2017
Press	42.5 kgs	5, 5, 5	Presses - 29 September 2017
Deadlift	130 kgs	5	Deadlifts - 29 September 2017

Video of presses is of second work set. Third work set got interrupted by a phone call and so the recording was cut off.

I was tired today as out with a relo last night and only got 5 and a half ours sleep. Also because I was stuffing around when I got home and didn't go straight to bed. Also, the kiddo was up and screaming at 3:15am. Strength progression was as planned.

[teddyd]

Monday, 2 October 2017
Workout B

Squat	107.5 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squats 2 October 2017
Bench Press	72.5 kgs	5, 4, 4	Bench Press 2 October 2017 - set 2 Bench Press 2 October 2017 - set 3
Deadlift	135 kgs	5	Deadlifts 2 October 2017

I failed on my fifth rep on the second set of bench press. Did I not grind enough? Possibly. I am tired as kiddo was up and screaming last night from teething. Diet is currently 2,400 KCals. I am going to ask my coach to increase to 2,700 KCals. I will repeat 72.5 kgs for bench press on Friday for the full 5, 5, 5.

Failing the set frustrated me. Not sure if I wasn't focused enough. Was my mind elsewhere? I was a bit off kilter this morning, not badly so, but whatever. First three questions:

1. 3 minutes rest between sets will be increased to 4 minutes.
2. Incremental weight increases will be reduced from 2.5 kgs to 1.25 kgs after I get the 72.5 kgs on Friday. The 1.25 kgs increment will also apply to presses.
3. Caloric intake will need to increase. Sleep will need to improve and I need more sleep.

The weight is getting heavy now. It never gets easier, you just get stronger.

[teddyd]

Wednesday, 4 October 2017
Workout A

Squat	110 kgs	5, 5, 5	Squats - 4 October 2017
Press	43.5 kgs	5, 5, 5	Presses - 4 October 2017
Deadlift	140 kgs	5	Deadlifts - 4 October 2017

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

I was aiming to do 43.75kgs on presses. I brought the wrong micro-plates: 0.5kgs x 2 and 0.25kgs x 2 totaling 1.5kgs rather than the 1.25kgs I was aiming for. Also, like an idiot instead of just doing 44kgs I just added the 0.5kgs micro-plates for a total of 43.5kgs. I will do 45kgs next session, an increase of 1.5kgs and then continue with 1.25kgs increments.

Deadlifts were good despite being interrupted. I will begin to alternate with power cleans on B workouts. I am considering adding chins on B workouts, although not there yet. I may give it a week for the power clean to settle in.

Calories are 2,750 KCals on training days and 2,550 KCals on non-training days. Next week I will ask my coach to increase these to 3,000 KCals. I want strength and size to go up, but am currently at 19%-20% body fat and as per Rip's article A Clarification I am at the top end of the range of acceptable body fat. As such, I am, with my coach's guidance, titrating up calories rather than jumping up. According to Dr Jordan Feigenbaum's article To Be a Beast the calories needed for a male aiming for muscle gain is approximately equal to body weight in pounds x 16.9. I was 85.9 kgs on Monday 2 October 2017, approximately 189 lbs, and as such require 3194 KCals. Over the last few weeks my waist measurement has increased from 34.5 inches to 34.75 inches, so the titrating seems to be fine as strength is increasing and waist is marginally increasing.