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Thread: 32 Year Old Male Lifter in Kuwait SS Journey started late 2017...

  1. #1
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    Default 32 Year Old Male Lifter in Kuwait SS Journey started late 2017...

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    Making a training log to vent and share my journey... I hope you follow along

    I live in Kuwait and things are funny over here

    The steroided out buff dudes in the gym I work out in (it's called Ras Salmiya) always give me all kinds of BS wrong advice while I'm training... yesterday one of the trainers came up behind me while I was squatting like he meant to buttfuck me... on my last two reps of my 3rd set, too lol... and after he's like "You should use a belt... you might slip a disc... and your form's wrong, you ought to be totally upright"... I'm just shaking my head thinking no dude, belts are unnecessary and for much stronger ppl than me lol... maybe once I'm hitting 300lbs+ ok... and also the being upright thing... that's for a front squat dude... back squat Rip says over and over you should be more horizontal with your back angle... I just smile and nod my head until he leaves lol... anyways

    I've been a vegetarian for 10 years. I've done this program eating a ton of fava beans and cheese sandwiches. Did you know 100g of fava beans has as much protein (25g) as ground beef?! It also has 25g of dietary fiber, which is super good for your health overall. Plus they're delicious sauteed with garlic and onions...

    I've also been a registered yoga teacher in the Iyengar style since 2008, altho it's just a hobby not a career and my yoga practice hasn't been as consistent lately...

    So I ran a half marathon in November 2017 and realized I was weak and still fat. 5'10" and 210lbs (95kg) at my lowest. I'm now 100kg (220lbs) but my waistline has remained at 39" during that weight gain... by contrast, at my fattest, before the marathon last summer, I was 220lbs with a 41" waist line...

    So I read SS, did a ton of research on form, etc, watched and rewatched every Rippetoe and Alan Thrall video and many others, Hodgetwins, Yo Elliott guy, devoured message boards like this... started lifting Dec. 16... been following the program almost exactly by the book, close as I can...

    My real goal is to dunk, as I used to be able to when I played high school basketball. Altho my ongoing motivation is just health and to be a buff ass man who can lift heavy shit and be proud of being strong lol

    my lifts progressed quick for the first 6 weeks:

    Squat: 45kg --> 100kg
    Deadlift: 50kg --> 115kg
    Bench 35kg --> 52.5kg
    OH Press 25kg --> 42.5kg

    Squat: 100lbs --> 225lbs
    Deadlift: 110lbs --> 255lbs
    Bench 77lbs --> 115lbs
    OH Press 55lbs --> 94lbs

    I just took a 2 week vacation to India and the Philippines so I had to unfortunately do a reset yesterday on my first workout back because I didn't have access to a gym where I was traveling, plus the eating wasn't as consistent... so my numbers are down to
    Squat 90kg
    Dead 100kg
    Bench 50kg
    OHP didn't try it yet...

    oh, I tried the assisted chin up machine and lat pulldowns yesterday, man my biceps and inner forearms are burning!!! Some serious DOMS from that. Also DOMS in my quads and chest from the squats and bench too, after such a long layoff it's to be expected...

    I have no access to buying bands here unfortunately, supplies are limited around here. The assisted pull machine and lat pulldown are the best I've got. My fat ass is nowhere even close to being able to chin myself up... I tried the other day in the Philippines in front of my wife... MAN that was embarrassing!! lol. my biceps wouldn't allow it... I just felt dead heavy and couldn't even get halfway up LOL oh well... I'll get to my one-rep chin soon enough... I know I will...

    I'm still nowhere near dunking. It's funny I don't play basketball anymore cuz I always break my pinky when I play and I'm a musician, so I value my fingers for that more than basketball... it's just a funny stupid thing... it's like I'm 32 and I want to be able to dunk again, man... I'm still nowhere even close... can't even touch the rim, barely the net... I need to lose this fat by gaining strength... hope I make it!!!

    Tomorrow I'm going for

    Squat 92.5kg
    Dead 105kg
    OHP 37.5kg (maybe 40 if I'm feelin' it)
    don't think I'll try assisted chins tmrw...
    best to recover those muscles more first

    I'll admit it. I did cardio yesterday. Light 30 minute jog on the waterfront. Not gonna do that tmrw. I think light 30 min jog 1-2 times per week, right after lifting... I think that won't mess up my recovery... if I'm feeling it, you know? If I'm too tired after lifting, then screw it, I won't do the jog... but if I'm still charged up from lifting.. a quick light 30 min jog, nothing strenuous... it won't hurt... I'll just eat more fava beans that day...

    My overall long term goals are
    Squat 400 / Dead 500 / Bench 275 / OHP 175 / Do a chin up / Dunk a Bball

    OH! I just ordered squat shoes (since I can't find my size here, my feet are too wide to fit any of the in-store models)... they should hopefully be coming next week!! ya, excited.

    Nike Romaleos 3. Size 47 (13.5US)

    Thanks for reading
    Last edited by Cobus Boudewijn; 02-13-2018 at 09:29 AM.

  2. #2
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    Welcome. I don't think I've ever come across someone who lives in Kuwait. Your travels sound fascinating.

    A marathon at 5'10" and 220 lbs. I'm 5'10" I ran a couple of marathons but I only weighed 170 lbs. That's quite a bit of weight to carry 26.2 miles.

    You are still young so your goals are doable. Have you tried online coaching?

  3. #3
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    Thanks for the response. ya Kuwait is very very goofy. everyone here who lifts is on steroids too. lol

    It was only a half marathon lol, 13.2 miles in 2hrs and 5 mins I think was my time...

    have you done online coaching? I feel I'm still too weak to need it lol
    Last edited by Cobus Boudewijn; 02-14-2018 at 01:14 AM.

  4. #4
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    Default Not feeling it...

    Today is Wed, should be training but I'm delaying til tomorrow.

    After 2 weeks off, the DOMS is still very heavy in my biceps and forearms...

    medium DOMS in my quads and lats... to the point that I feel I wouldn't be able to stabilize the bar in OH Press... I tried a heating pad on it last night that helped but only a little and it got worse this morning, as DOMS often does in this case...

    Hopefully Thursday I will be less sore... my lats are killing me too, whenever I try to do an OH Press motion... those assistance pullups are def. interfering with my recovery in this case... maybe they weren't such a great idea. oh well

  5. #5
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    As a principle of operation forget everything that interferes with your strength training until you have reached the end of linear progression. There is little point to it. When you reach the intermediate level do anything else you want...within moral boundaries and health.

    Please, don't be tempted by the steroid nonsense. It can have long term negative effects.

    I've never taken online training. Thankfully, I work with our coach twice a week face to face. But I know some people who have and they are doing quite well. I know several coaches but only three I know well. I think they all offer the service. My coach is Dr. Jonathan Sullivan. Check him out. He has many online clients. The other two coaches I know are Chris Kurisko and Karl Schudt.

  6. #6
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    very disappointing workout today.

    squatted 92.5kg easy, then 40kg oh press, also easy. surprisingly easy, since my lats were still a bit stiff from the assisted chins the other day. i was pumped up.

    then deadlifts. oh deadlifts. fuck deadlifts.

    before traveling i was pulling 115kg range so i backed it off last time... 100 felt pretty easy last time...

    today i put 105kg on there. first two reps were challenging, but i wouldn't say hard.

    then for some reason i decided to visualize 'exploding' with power for the 3rd rep or something...

    well, i must have done something wrong. cuz i fucked up my lower back. immediately felt lower right back muscle strain but still lowered the bar with control...

    now it's a bit difficult walking, i'm sort of slanted over sideways to the right... put ice and took ibuprofen but this just sucks... i was already backing off due to travel and now i have to back off more due to this damn injury....

    first SS injury. lame.

    gonna hit the hot tub tomorrow. will spent most of today on my back/stomach. god damn it

  7. #7
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    As Sully often says "Feelings lie" or something like that. Muscle aches are part of the territory.

    Consultations with an online SS coach can help you to avoid "exploding". I suspect that you might have tried to jerk the weight off of the floor. Try this instead. When you are set up take all of the slack out of the bar. I.e., When you lift a dead weight off of the floor your back, neck, and chest must be fully set and pulling before you pull. If you are lifting say 150 kg. lift 149 kg. before you pull (or push) the weight from the floor. Then continue. Don't loosen anything until after the bar has been fully lifted, you lock out, and then put the bar back on the floor. Until you connect with a coach and if you have access why not post some videos in the technique section?

  8. #8
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    thanks. ya, shooting video at the gym is difficult since in Kuwait gyms are single-sex so I can't have my wife come along and shoot vids and I don't have any friends who go to the same gym as me... I'll try to get that done tho... the last 2 months I've been meticulous about form...

    esp. w/ deadlift, around 60kg I had an almost-injury on one rep, where it was like 'oops.. wait.. almost snapped it'... where I lost form... finished the set without problems and had no injuries after.. but immediately re-watched deadlift form videos for an hour or two that night & obsessed w/ form, even more than squat, ongoingly...

    but I guess after such a long layoff, with an already-tight lower back from traveling, I must have just lost track of something form-wise and snapped my sh** up...

    it's depressing... earlier I had the thought like "screw this I'm gonna quit SS"... but I know that once this heals, which might be an entire week (great, another layoff) I'll just go back and lift EVEN lighter... 80kg squats and 90kg deadlifts are in my near future ((((

    maybe I should set my goals lower? Ugh, it's just so frustrating to be injured like this. still on ice & ibuprofen. going to work/out is out of the question for at least a day or two, maybe more...


    EDIT: I MAY HAVE SLIPPED A DISC

    Bending to the left side is impossible. I can't go from 12 oclock to 11oclock.. the lower right side won't let me. crap
    Last edited by Cobus Boudewijn; 02-15-2018 at 12:42 PM.

  9. #9
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    starting strength coach development program
    Why fool around with minor injuries? If you have some money contact an online SS coach.

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