My Starting Strength log

[Geoff Bischoff]

Glad the squat moved so well, after a tough start to the day!

On the press: Absent a form check to see if maybe you've got an issue ... consider that the press just uses the smallest amount of musculature of all the main lifts, and therefore stalls quicker. Best way around this is to start microloading, likely. If 105 flew up except for a couple final reps, but 110 is crashing on set one, maybe what you need is 107.5. Making that happen is pretty quick and not too expensive; my set of fractionals cost 40$ for all pieces from 1.0 lbs down to 0.25 lbs, and they calibrated just fine on my kitchen food scale (by MicroGainz). Probably you can find equally acceptable stuff for even cheaper, and get it to show up thru Amazon before your next press session on Monday if you hit it quick.

[Adam Gottstein]

Thanks for the feedback, Geoff. I have some 1.25lb plates so I can do 2.5. I will need to get a full set of micro plates, but these should work for the immediate need. If I do fail again on Monday, I will do a small reset and increase by 2.5lbs/session.

[Adam Gottstein]

Cardio for 11/29/2018: 3.04 miles @ 60 mins

[Adam Gottstein]

Cardio for 11/30/2018: 3.11 miles @ 60 mins

Only had about 2 hours between done with normal work day and starting some after hours work stuff, so I went for a walk instead. Will lift on Saturday this week.

[Adam Gottstein]

Monday, December 3, 2018
Squat: 215x5x3
Bench: 130x5x3
Deadlift: 235x5x1

Cardio (Post Workout): 3.17 @ 60 minutes.

BW: 318.6
Waist: 54

I missed Friday and didn't make it up on Saturday. I feel a bit upset that I missed this, but overall, the break was good. Because of this, I decided to just repeat last week, so weights are the same as last Monday. I think they felt a bit more solid overall, which is good. Cardio was good as well and felt strong. When I first started, the first 1/4-1/2 mile was a bear until my body got moving. Now it's pretty easy to get going and keep going. It still isn't my favorite thing to do, so I'm glad when the 60 minutes is done.

Regarding body weight and waist, both are down (Yay!! ). I did some review of the past several weeks, and noticed that the weeks I did lose weight, I was averaging closer to 2400 calories than 2500. I decided to drop my total calories to between 2300-2400 calories (favoring 2300). My protein intake should be about 230g with <= 60g fat and the rest carbs (works out to about 200ish carbs). I'm going to push that and see if I can keep dropping the inches/weight while still putting weight on the bar.

On a different subject - I have a power rack, and have looked into getting spotter arms, but wonder why at the same time. The only thing they really offer me that the standard pins don't is the ability to squat outside of the rack with somewhere to drop the bar if I fail. What are your thoughts on spotter arms? Are they worth it, and why?

[Geoff Bischoff]

Hey man, you're moving along nicely! Good work.

For definitions: Spotter arms, does that mean arms that stick out outside the rack? Pins: You just mean rods that you can set at variable height INSIDE the cage?

[Adam Gottstein]

Sorry, yeah, pins = the bars/rods you set inside the rack and go through holes on both ends. These came with the rack and I don't move them as I have an adequate height for both squat and bench. Spotter arms are extensions you usually use outside of the rack and are about 24 inches that look more like squat rack arms. Here's an example from Rogue: SAML-24 Monster Lite Safety Spotter Arms (Pair) | Rogue Fitness

[Geoff Bischoff]

Ah, okay. For what it's worth, I always work out at commercial gyms, so I get a mix of equipment. I have not found a marked difference between pins and spotter arms, provided the spotter arms are long enough or the pins are able to be set at a good height and don't slip.

Is squatting outside the cage something you want to do badly enough that you're willing to pay for it? Unless someone's got an objective reason why one's better than the other, I don't know what other metric to use.

[positronbomb]

The gym at work that I use, have racks we both the features you mention.
I've never found a need to use the "spotter" arms outside the rack.
I always work inside the rack using the pins set at the correct height for safety.
I guess it's personal preference.

[Adam Gottstein]

Thanks for your opinions on the matter, Geoff and pb. I like working in the rack just fine, but have seen some videos with people using the spotter arms in what looks like a home gym, so thought I'd ask. I definitely have other places to spend my money.

Cardio for 12/4/2018: 3.25 miles @ 60 minutes.

This is my 2nd best speed just behind 3.26 mph. It is also my first time in this range at a full 60 minutes as 3.26 and 3.24 were both 2 miles that I calculated out. It feels good to be getting better at even the simple things.