Jason's Novice Log w/random updates on Elane

[mstrja77]

Hello everyone. I got interested in SS after hearing Brett McKay on Art of Manliness. I've always enjoyed strength training, but never had the opportunity or enough interest to follow a program. For 30 years I have wrestled with my weight and body image. I've tried Atkins, juicing, running, p90x, ellipticals, bikes, and every variation of macros there is. Always the yo-yo. Finally, after hearing a few podcasts, reading a few articles, and watching some videos, I decided I was tired of all that. I wanted to stop worrying about what I looked like and just get strong. I bought the book, started searching for used equipment, and tried to figure out how I was going to make a home gym work. I ended up selling a bunch of old tools and cleared a spot in my shop. It's not the best location as it's about 300 feet from my house, but my house is full of four homeschooling kids aged 4-9. My wife, Elane, was really starting to get annoyed because I kind of became obsessed with it. I followed Brett and Matt's article on building a platform (it was much more than he spent ~$300). I found a rack and CAP plate set for $350 on Craigslist, which was a major score. I ordered Do-Win shoes from Rogue because I have wide feet. They are just fine. I had already put the platform and cage together when they were delivered so I was ready to go. I got the SS app and had been using the MyFitness app for about 3 days to track my macros. The $50/yr subscription was a little scary at first, but I realized $4/mo was nothing to not have to hassle with tracking everything manually. By this time I had convinced Elane to do it with me. She had been running for about 9 months and was hoping to start training for a half-marathon. After being honest about it, she realized that it just wasn't going to be feasible with all of the distractions. I work half of the year from home and other half I am gone M-Th. I am in the middle of working from home so this was the opportune time to start. She didn't have shoes for the first couple of training days, but I was just trying to get her introduced to the lifts and also figure out what we were going to do with the kids. I ended up laying a board across some buckets and had them sit in their lawn chairs and do workbooks. It was really hot as we started July 4 and they were not happy, especially since it took at least two hours. The constant changing of plates and form checking just added up. My younger two kids also needed constant attention. I also ordered an Ohio Power Bar with Cerakote. My shop is not temp or humidity controlled and I didn't want to constantly battle rust. So for the particulars:

41yo, 5'6", 184lb and 42" waist to start. I used the calculations from the 'To Be a Beast' article on BB Medicine to try for recomposition. I have plenty of belly to help fuel the diet. Since first training on July 4 and never missing a day, my progression is thus:

WK1 D1 Squat 115x5x1 Press 85x5x1 DL 185x5x1 (I didn't realize I was still supposed to do 5x3 on the first day. We were just trying to see where we were.)
WK1 D2 Squat 125x5x3 Bench 110x5x3 DL 200x5x1
WK1 D3 Squat 135x5x3 Press 90x5x3 DL 215x5x1
WK2 D1 Squat 145x5x3 Bench 120x5x3 DL 230x5x1
WK2 D2 Squat 155x5x3 Press 95x5x1 95x3x1 92.5x5x1 DL 240x5x1
WK2 D3 Squat 165x5x3 Bench 130x5x3 DL 250x5x1
WK3 D1 Squat 175x5x3 Press 95x5x3 DL 260x5x1
WK3 D2 Squat 185x5x3 Bench 140x5x3 DL 270x5x1
WK3 D3 Squat 195x5x3 Press 100x5x2 100x4x1 DL 280x5x1
WK4 D1 Squat 205x5x3 Bench 150x5x3 DL 290x5x1

I had been progressing steadily on all lifts up to this point. I was really only having problems hitting all of the reps on the Press. The DL was getting really hard. I had gotten dizzy on quite a few reps. My wife wouldn't watch because she thought my eyes were going to pop out. Some of her videos of me are a little off-center because she wouldn't watch. All that being said, it was at this point that the pain in my hip flexors and groin were too much to ignore. It had begun about the time my squat got to 155. It was bad enough I couldn't kick the sheets off of me while in bed or make sudden turns without severe pain. I am sure it's because of my knees going too far forward, my back not horizontal enough, and looking up on the way up. My DL form was kinda bad too. I wasn't getting my back flat enough and would have injured myself probably sooner than later. My Press form had always been iffy, but it was getting better. The Bench was easiest form-wise, just because I had done it before (although very little). I began researching issues with hip flexors and given my age and experience, just felt it was time for a good reset. I have been doing the Starr Rehab Method for Squats. The first day I did it, I also lifted heavy on the Press and DL:

WK4 D2 Squat 45x25x3 Press 102.5x5x3 DL 300x5x1

More research made me realize Rip has said not to do any other heavy work while doing Starr. What I decided to do was just do the warmups for the other lifts, but also progress them each day so that my warmup weight for each lift will be what my workset weight was when I finish the rehab for the Squat. I plan on increasing my warmup weight for the Press by 2lbs from the last warmup weight at 2 reps (5lbs for Bench and DL). My last heavy day of Press, my last warmup was 90x2. My next day of Press will end up at 92x2. Bench will start at 130x2 and be increased by 5lb each day of Bench, still keeping it at 2 reps. Hopefully, this will minimize loss in the other lifts while also allowing my body to concentrate on healing my hip flexors and groin. The other problem is the elbow/bicep pain from having the bar on my back for so many reps doing Starr. I am trying a couple of different things (widening grip, gripping farther down towards the wrist) to help. When I get to about 17, my hands start tingling. By the time I finish, I can barely move my arms and have to "fall back" from the bar to allow my hands to come down. It's kinda like getting joystick cramps for those of us old enough to remember playing the Atari and stand-up console games for hours on end.

As for Elane, it is very much a work in progress. I completely agree with Matt and Scott from the podcast. You can't train who you sleep with. I could never be a SSC. I don't have the patience to train anyone who can't focus. Although, I can't blame her too much. She homeschools 4 kids, keeps up with the house (yes, I help), and makes 3 variations of food for every meal because we all have food issues. I have full-blown Celiac disease. I can't even touch it without breaking out. It's also getting worse. Elane has developed an intolerance to meat, which makes getting enough good protein a challenge. She can have turkey in small doses, but has to rotate it in and out of her diet. She has been tested for Alpha Gal, but it was negative. However, any other meat causes immediate, intense gastro-intestinal distress (to be nice). I failed to correct her DL form before she tweaked her back, which has led to problems squatting. Her bench and press are ok. I'm still trying to figure out the compliment sandwich. I just revert to boot camp mode too quickly for her. I'm hoping she sticks with it, but I don't want her to not like it because she isn't making progress, half-ass it, then get really hurt. If she doesn't want to do it, that's fine, just be honest.

My waist size has yet to change, although I believe it's because my back is getting stronger. I can suck in the gut more than I've been able to in 15 years. My weight has fluctuated between 182.2 and 184.7, just like the recomposition macros plan is supposed to. I haven't worried about either too much because I'm still adding weight every workout. Instant feedback is great for the novice because it is constant encouragement that the program is working as intended. I know that'll change in the future, but right now it's great.

My big questions right now: Does anyone see a big issue with my rehab plan? Is my DL too far ahead of my squat and, if so, what do I alternate? I know that I shouldn't do cleans and I'm really not interested in doing them other than to learn the movement. Should I add bent-over rows and curls on Bench day, Press day, or just keep on with the DL?

I'll add videos as time comes available. Thank you to all who make this possible.

[mstrja77]

I'm going to make this quick because any decent length post means I get logged off and have to start all over. If anyone can relay this bug to the host, it would be appreciated.

[mstrja77]

So I did the Starr rehab method for my hip flexors and ended at 195, just shy of the 205 I stopped earlier. So how did that go? I tore my right adductor. I overcorrected for the sliding of my knees and had them too far back along with my stance being too wide. Couldn't even get to parallel, got about 2/3 of the way back up on my first rep of the second set of 195x5, and pop. After the pop, it felt like a zipper unzipping. My wife dropped my phone and grabbed that side (lucky for me because she was recording from that side) and I was able to get the rest up with my left leg before collapsing to the floor. I followed the Joe Leppo article regarding ice and rest. I'm at day 8 and the bruise only got about as big as a grapefruit. I narrowed my stance and pointed the toes out about 15 degrees. The first few reps on the first day were terrible, but it definitely started feeling better towards the end. I'm using the TUBOW's constantly now. I don't have enough muscle memory to trust myself just yet. One thing the article didn't touch on was when to go back to a normal stance. If anyone has a thought, please let me know. I'm including a link to the aforementioned tear. There's not much to see, but there was a lot to feel.

I have also stopped doing deadlifts until I can squat with minimal pain. I'm doing curls until then. I'm also considering doing rows as well. I am trying to maintain my gains on the bench and press until I can get back to LP on the squats.

YouTube

[positronbomb]

Hang in there.
When you get back at it maybe increase the weight at smaller increments and really focus on doing the movement with strict form.

[mstrja77]

I finished day 8 of rehab yesterday. Below is my last set at 115x15.

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Here is one of Elane's worksets of 85x5. She said her back hurt (I think it was carrying toddlers over the weekend). She has been a bear to help, but I think she's getting better. I think her biggest problem is that she is so busy with running our house, training just isn't a priority. Even when we're lifting, her mind is elsewhere. Oh, well. The life of a home-schooling mother of four isn't easy.

YouTube

[mstrja77]

Finished rehab a little below what I tore the adductor. I'm continuing LP with the squat at 175lbs. I've continued to improved the press and bench a little, after following the advice of no other heavy lifting while rehabbing. Yesterday was the first time I deadlifted since the injury. I was unable to get into position with the toes pointed out at all, so I just did chins and rows instead. Below is my workset 50lbs below my previous best.

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