A Fresh Start - Lane Foulks

[Lane.Foulks]

I'm 36, 6'2, and about 235 lb. I'm married and a father of 3 young children. Prior to college, I was in the Navy for 6 years as nuclear reactor operator. I found SS about 7 years ago while in college studying electrical engineering. My wife was pregnant with my first, and I really wanted to get back in shape. I did SS for a few months and moved into various intermediate programs for a year before graduation and moving interrupted the program for a few months. After that I lifted consistently for 8 or so months before the birth of my 2nd child basically interrupted me for 5 years (some not very serious spurts of lifting in there).

I restarted SS about 11 weeks ago. This time I'm trying to be really serious. Before I wasn't sleeping or eating well, I don't think my squats were low enough (preventing progress), and so forth. I've been doing pretty good so far, I've already set new deadlift PR's, and matched working weight squat PR's (although I'm not sure about the form when I was originally setting them).

I just going to drop in my working sets for the last 11 weeks below to show progress. I do a Tues-Thurs-Sat AM work schedule. You will note, that I decided to start SS with doing DL only once a week (since I felt my DL would go up fast as I retread old ground). I also do chins and PC once a week. Typically, after chins on Tues, I do cable row or curls (not recorded). My PC rack position is terrible and I stopped doing it. I have started to work it back in as I work on form.

Scanning through my old training book here are my old PR's before restarting (not all these existed at same time, squats are suspect form):
Working Sets:
- Sq: 250x5x5, 285x3x5
- BP: 180x5x5, 185x3x5
- Press: 107x5x5, 117x3x5

Max Sets:
- DL: 385x3, 375x4, 365x5
- BP: 225x1, 210x2, 205x3
- Press: 140x2
- Squat: (315-335 with bad form)

[Lane.Foulks]

Dumping my training log up to today:

Week 1: 5/23/2017
(T/R) Sq: warmup, BP/Press: warmup, Chins
(S) Sq: 135x5/5/5, BP: 135x5/5/5, DL: 225x5

Week 2: 5/30/2017
(T) Sq: 140x5/5/5, P: 80x5/5/5, Chins:0x6/5/3
(R) Sq: 155x5/5/5, BP: 145x5/5/5, PC: 115x5/5/5
(S) Sq: 175x5/5/5, P: 95x5/5/5, DL: 315x5

Week 3: 6/6/2017
(T) Sq: 185x5/5/5, BP: 155x5/5/5, Chins:0x5/3
(R) Sq: 195x5/5/5, P: 105x5/5/5, PC: 135x5/5/5
(S) Sq: 205x5/5/5, BP: 165x5/5/5, DL: 335x5

Week 4: 6/13/2017
(T) Sq: 215x5/5/5, P: 110x5/5/5, Chins:0x6/5/4
(R) Sq: 220x5/5/5, BP: 170x5/5/5, PC: 145x5/5/5
(S) Sq: 225x5/5/5, P: 115x5/5/5, DL: 355x1 FAIL (forgot to use alt grip)

Week 5: 6/20/2017
(T) Sq: 230x5/5/5, BP: 175x5/5/4 (+135x5 dumb), Chins:0x6/4/4
(R) Sq: 235x5/5/5, P: 115x5/5/5, PC: x5/5/5
(S) Sq: 240x5/5/5, BP: 180x4/3 FAIL (back off set on Tues caused BP fail), DL: 355x5

Week 6: 6/27/2017
(T) Sq: 245x5/5/5, P: 120x5/3 FAIL, Chins:0x8/6/4
(R) Sq: 250x5/5/5, BP: 165x5/5/5 RESET
(S) Sq: 255x5/5/5, P: 105x5/5/5 RESET, DL: 365x5

Week 7: 7/4/2017
(T) Sq: 260x5/5/5, BP: 170x5/5/5, Chins:10x5/4
(R) Sq: 265x5 FAIL (stopped too hard), P: 110x5/5/5
(S) Sq: 225x5/5 LIGHT, BP: 175x5/5/5, DL: 375x4

Week 8: 7/11/2017
(T) Sq: 240x5/5/5, P: 115x5/5/5, Chins:10x5/5/5
(R) Sq: 245x5/5/5, BP: 180x5/5/3
(S) Sq: 250x5/5/5, P: 120x5/5/5 **new 3x5 PR**, DL: 385x5 **new 5RM** (Previous 1&3RM PR)

Week 9: 7/18/2017
(T) Sq: 255x5/5/5, BP: 185x5/5/4, Chins:15x5/4
(R) Sq: 260x5/5/5, P: 125x3 FAIL (+95x5/5)
(S) Sq: 265x5/5/5, BP: 190x4/3 FAIL, DL: 395x4 **new PR** (Once previously could break but not get up)

Week 10: 7/25/2017
(T) Sq: 270x5/5/5, P: 125x3 FAIL (+105x5/5), Chins: 20x5/4
(R) Sq: 275x5/5/5, BP: 170x5/5/5, PC: 135x2 (bad rack)
(S) Sq: 280x5/5/5, P: 110x5/5/5, DL: 405x4 **new PR**

Week 11: 8/1/2017
(T) Sq: 285x5/4/3, BP: 175x5/5/5, Chins: 15x5/5/4
(R- TODAY) Sq: 285x5/5/5 (kept upper back tight, “easy”), P: 115x5/5/5, PC: 95x2 (r-shoulder sore, late)

[Lane.Foulks]

My DL have been going up +10lb basically every week, at some point I should drop to +5lbs. I have set PR's 3 weeks in a row, but have only gotten 4 reps the last two weeks. Maybe this Sat I should only attempt +5lb?

My Squats have been going up pretty good with only one reset so far. However, I have been having some trouble with form. After reading Identifying and Correcting Thoracic Spinal Flexion in the Squat | Bill Hannon I realized that this is exactly what has been happening. I've been allowing my upper back to become soft and the bar would roll up a little. I narrowed my grip some, kept my chest up, and my elbows to my side (not lifted up). And today the squat that I missed on Tuesday was as easy as you could expect a working set to be!

I need to start doing micro loads on Press and BP. I will probably start doing it on press next time. On BP, since I got to 180 without dropping reps prior to the reset, I will go up +5lb one more time to 180. Next week I will start going up by +2/3lb.

[Dave_M]

Welcome! Looking good so far.

A lot of your numbers and lifting experience are similar to mine (although I don't have a good excuse like 3 kids). Looks like you got the deadlifting gene too.

Don't make the mistake I did. Start micro-loading the pressing movements before you think you need to. Those 1.25# change plates are your friends.

[Lane.Foulks]

Welcome! Looking good so far.

A lot of your numbers and lifting experience are similar to mine (although I don't have a good excuse like 3 kids). Looks like you got the deadlifting gene too.

Don't make the mistake I did. Start micro-loading the pressing movements before you think you need to. Those 1.25# change plates are your friends.

Thanks Dave_M! Yeah you're probably right about the micro-loading sooner. I guess I do have the deadlifting gene, haha. If you keep your log on here, could I get a link? (EDIT: I found it, yeah we are pretty close)

[Lane.Foulks]

Week 11 Saturday

Sq:
45x5/5
135x5
185x3
225x2
290x5/5/5 (PR working set weight)

Recorded my 3rd set. I was having trouble with the bar rolling up and me losing balance. Keeping my upper back tight was a big part of the problem. After looking at the video, it looks like I'm not bring the bar far enough down my back. I might be doing a high bar back squat this whole time! My shoulders are really tight and I have a hard time even getting it as low as I do. I will have to work on some stretches.

BP:
45x5/5
95x5
135x3
155x1
177x5/5/5 - LET THE MICRO LOADING BEGIN!

Working set felt pretty good.

DL:
135x5
225x5
275x2
335x1
410x0/0 FAIL, reattempt FAIL
365x5

After 10 weeks of going up on DL, and setting PR's the last 3 weeks, I was bound to fail. I had been going up with 10 lb jumps this whole time, the last 2 weeks I have only been able to get 4 reps. This week, I did decide to not go up 10, but only 5 lb. I broke both from the floor, but couldn't get them past 3-4 inches off the ground. Backed off 10ish %, and did a set of 5. I did feel a little sore in my upper right glute before starting the DL's.

EDIT: I also came home in rolled a 3ft diameter piece of tree stump 40ish feet. Had the stump removed early in the week and have been waiting until after my DL to move it. It was like flipping a heavy tire. Exhausting. Count it!

[Lane.Foulks]

So I posted a video Squat form check of my squat in the technique forum, and got some good feedback. I have really tight shoulder/wrists, and have very difficult time getting the bar low and my wrists flat. In fact, I don't bother getting my wrist flat. I also have a hard time keeping my back in proper flexion while stepping back. It looks like I try to regain this flexion by doing a quick bump/hitch before my rep. I tried to fix some of these problems, but it was difficult. Most of it stems from inflexibility, that can't be corrected overnight. Frustrating. I'm going to do a large reset on squat to work on technique. I can't do it at the current weight.


Week 12 Tuesday:

Sq:
45x5/5
135x5
185x3
225x1
295x5/5/2 (last set I was so frustrated with my form I stopped)
- *RESTING* to work on form

Press:
45x8
65x5
85x3
120x4 (I meant to microload but I misread my log, should have only attempted 117)

- I stopped due to pain in my right shoulder that I have had for a few days.

Chins: (trying to be stricter, longer range of motion)
0x6/5/4

All around shitty workout. I may do a light day on Thursday on squat, 80% for 2 set of 5, 235 lb.

[Lane.Foulks]

I decided to add in a light day in on Thursday. This might have to be a regular occurrence for the mid week workout. I've been working on shoulder and wrist flexibility, and form. I video tapped the last set of squat and posted it to the technique forum here:Squat form check - take 2. Feel free to check it out and give me some feed back. Thanks!

Week 12 Thurs:

Sq:
45x5/5
135x5
185x3
235x5/5 (LIGHT DAY, 80%)

BP:
45x6/5
95x5
135x3
155x1
180x5/5/5

PC:
95x4
- Rack still bad. I need to seek out a coach. There are none in the Starting Strength directory near by. But there is a cross fit gym, maybe I'll talk them.

[Lane.Foulks]

Been a while.

[positronbomb]

Any news?