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Thread: Alan's log

  1. #1
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    Default Alan's log

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
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    • starting strength seminar august 2024
    My goal is to see how strong I can get.

    I ran an LP in winter 2013-2014 into the spring, hurt myself (shit form), recovered, stalled at 300lbx5x3 on the squat (can't remember my other work set weights, but I managed 155, 225, and 405 for singles on the press, bench, and deadlift respectively). After that I pretty much gave up on lifting and told myself I failed due to physical limitations (corrected club foot making for a goofy left leg, both slightly shorter and with relatively limited ankle flexion -- contributed to aforementioned shit form, but I also just got lazy and chased numbers). I either didn't work out or farted around in the gym for a couple years. I maxed out my body weight at about 260 (at 6' tall), most of it fat, and then I managed to drop 35 lbs over about 5 months with intermittent fasting and kettlebell training. When I stopped that, I crept up to the low 230s. My heart rate and blood pressure are decent for a man of my size and age but could be better. I like being a big guy (for you) but I know I'm not strong enough to actually merit being at this body weight.

    There are three reasons I'm coming back to the SSNLP. The first two are related, and the last is the most important.

    First, I want to make up for my failure last time. I don't like leaving things unfinished and the fact that I just dropped it has been eating at me for a couple years now.
    Second, I want to see how strong I can get. I was not too far from the 1000-pound club at the end of my first LP. I want to get there... and then keep going until I hit whatever's left of my potential.
    Finally, my first child is due any time now. I want my kid to know his dad is strong -- stronger than the other kids' dads, sure, but that won't be too hard. I mean actually strong. I want him to see his dad undergoing the voluntary hardship that the Barbell Logic guys are always going on about, and the rewards of that hardship -- a strong body, a strong will, and a strong character. If he's smart, he'll figure out it's the iron that did that, like in that piece by Henry Rollins. If he's not smart, I'll just tell him.

    I just started week 3 today and I'm putting this out there to keep myself accountable.

    I started my squat at 175, press at 95, and deadlift at 225 on November 21 (bench at 135 two days later, and I'm still screwing around trying to get the right technique with power cleans). I've stuck to the 3x/week frequency so far, walking on the treadmill for an hour on off days. Still doing 10lb jumps on the deadlift, have just gone to 5 pound jumps on the squat, and maintaining 5 pound jumps on everything else.

    Today's workout, 'A' day:
    Body weight: 238
    Squat: 230x5x3
    Press: 110x5x3
    Deadlift: 255x5

    Notes on the squat: consistently shoving out the knees seems to minimize hip pain; don't forget your Valsalva; try not to pull down on the bar on a tough rep
    Notes on the press: you've got the hip motion mostly figured out, now focus on slamming yourself under the bar
    Notes on the deadlift: keep wearing sweatpants and you won't bloody up your socks

  2. #2
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    Mar 2013
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    It's good to see you back at it. You could wear long socks and forget the sweatpants for deadlift. That way you could make sure that your shins are in the right place when you pick up the bar. Do you have the books? Do you plan to visit a certified SS coach? It might well be a good idea.

  3. #3
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    carson, I had some long socks I bought for my last LP and tore them up over the course of working . They were good, but not perfect. I did end up going to Walmart to see if I could get some more but the best I could find came halfway up the shins. I found cheap sweats though, so I start with the bar over my mid-foot and keep it there.

    To answer your other questions, I'm re-reading SSBBT3 now (and if what I missed the first time is any indication, I could stand to re-read it a few more times). I also plan to visit a coach some time in the next month or two once life gets (more or less) back to normal after the baby arrives.

    Thanks for the questions and encouragement!

  4. #4
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    Today's workout, "off" day:
    Walk 3.3 mph @ 2.5% incline x 60 minutes

    Great way to catch up on podcasts.

  5. #5
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    Today's workout, 'B' day:
    Body weight: 236
    Squat: 235x5x3
    Bench press: 150x5x3
    Power clean: 85x3x5

    Notes on the squat: long slow grind on (1,5) with wobbly bar path and off balance to the right*; bad depth (at parallel) on (2,4), lost tightness on the way up; pulling down on the bar for hard reps, off balance (again!) to the right* (less so than before) on (3,5)
    Notes on the bench press: cue: "bounce" off the chest; bar path seems wobbly from video footage, but fine from sight picture on the bench
    Notes on the power clean: failed (nearly dropped) one of the warmup sets (mind wandering); jumped too early on (3,3); jumps in general felt a bit weak, but maybe this is due to the low weight?

    * I'm guessing this is because in a panic my body leans over to its stronger side (the right side) to carry most of the weight. This happens now and again and I'm not sure how to prevent it.
    Last edited by Alan Liddell; 12-06-2017 at 07:31 AM. Reason: speculate on cause for o/b squats

  6. #6
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    It's been a few days, but I like to think for a good reason: my son was born on Thursday and today is the first morning I've woken up (I say "woken" up as if I've gotten any significant amount of sleep since Thursday (I haven't)) in my own bed since Wednesday.

    Anyway, training.


    Today's workout, 'A' day:
    Body weight: no data
    Squat: 240x5x3
    Press: 115x5x3
    Deadlift: 265x4+1 (see notes)

    Notes on the squat
    • First work set: depth on a few of these marginal; pulled down on the bar on 5 (cue: "push up on the bar")
    • Second work set: knee slide (I suspect) on 4,5 -- weight comes forward of midfoot; stay with the exercise, don't let the mind wander, mind the technique
    • Third work set: more knee slide on 3; 4,5 better

    Notes on the press
    • First work set: bit wobbly on 5; try a bounce?
    • Second work set: bend at hips, not knees; tried breathing at the top and bouncing at the bottom, but exhaled on the way down from 4; wobbly on 5 again
    • Third work set: back to breathing at the bottom -- much better!

    Notes on the deadlift
    • Work set: failed to lock out on 5 due to losing grip in the right hand -- set the bar down and switched to a mixed grip (yeah, I know) to pull the last one
    • Next time switch to hook grip for last 2 warmup sets (for practice) as well as the work set
    Last edited by Alan Liddell; 12-14-2017 at 08:11 PM. Reason: corrected squat weight (lazy copy-paste)

  7. #7
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    Notes on the workout:

    I ended up using a different squat rack, shoved up against a Smith machine in the corner, since the one I normally use was occupied. I didn't have any space to take any video, so I'm going off of feel.

    Today's workout, 'B' day:
    Body weight: 239
    Squat: 245x5x3
    Bench press: 155x5x3
    Power clean: 95x3x5

    Notes on the squat:
    • Second work set: knee slide/off-balance (to front) on 5.

    Notes on the bench press:
    • Remember the sight picture.

    Notes on the power clean:
    • Hook grip works pretty well at this weight.

  8. #8
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    Notes on the workout: I've been on a suboptimal schedule so I ended up on the crowded squat rack again today. No footage again. I also got my belt in the mail today, so I tried that on all my work sets with mixed results.

    Today's workout, 'A' day:
    Body weight: no data
    Squat: 250x5x3
    Press: 120x(4+1, 5, 3) (see notes)
    Deadlift: 275x5
    Chinup: BWx(2, 2, 1) (see notes)

    Notes on the squat: wore the belt on all work sets; felt very strong. Focused on breathing and getting depth, less on other aspects. Could feel myself pitching forward on some reps, probably part of the reason why I feel sore on the inside of my knees.

    Notes on the press: try again at this weight next time
    • First work set: wore the belt about where I wore it for the squat; managed four reps. Breathing was awkward, and was probably not well rested enough (was rushing to get home for dinner). Took the belt off and cranked out the last one.
    • Second work set: wore the belt low on the hips, couldn't get it buckled tight around my belly. It essentially did nothing, so I didn't have awkward breathing issues. Cranked out five reps, but very slow with significant layback on the last one.
    • Third work set: rewatched Thrall's video on wearing the belt; turns out the "center of my lower back" is (or felt like) about where it was with the squat. Only managed three reps. Could use a coach's eye.


    Notes on the deadlift: tried to place the belt as per Thrall's video. Turns out "higher up" on my belly started out a bit too high and I kept having to readjust it between reps. I managed all five, but the belt was more of a distraction. Again, could use a coach.

    Notes on the chinup: I'm weak (also fat). Keep at it.

  9. #9
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    Congratulations on becoming a father. As the saying goes "There are few things I enjoy more than lifting heavy weights one is being a Dad."
    Last edited by carson; 12-30-2017 at 06:02 PM.

  10. #10
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    starting strength coach development program
    carson, thanks. Having a kid is both exhausting and rewarding, but mostly rewarding.

    Christmas came and went and we moved six states down the coast. I'm set up in my new place now and back at training. I kicked it off with a session with a SS coach, namely Christian Conti-Vock (if you're in the Baltimore/DC/NoVA area, would recommend).

    Today's workout: press day (I'm switching to this nomenclature, rather than the A/B split, for reasons I'll explain at the end)
    Body weight: no data
    Squat: 235x5x3
    Press: 95x5x3
    Deadlift: 255x5

    Christian took me through the lifts from the ground up. I thought I would have more to unlearn regarding the squat, but it was actually the press which gave me the most trouble to get right, hence the more dramatic deload. In retrospect, the fact that my technique was completely off (i.e., I was essentially just muscling the damn thing up) is probably why I was failing on the press at a relatively low weight in relation to my size. We talked about cues, using the belt on the squat, set my foot width on the deadlift, lots of good stuff. We also talked about leaving out the power cleans entirely, since I'm not training for an explosive sport (and I'm not very explosive anyway, probably thanks to the club foot). I'll work in rows instead from now on. I was feeling lightheaded after some of the deadlift sets, which hasn't happened before, but I attribute it to not having been sleeping much or well and just generally being fatigued at the end of the coaching session.

    Ready to get back into it on Monday!
    Last edited by Alan Liddell; 12-30-2017 at 07:37 PM. Reason: corrected deadlift entry to single set

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