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Thread: WD40

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    25

    Default WD40

    • starting strength seminar april 2024
    • starting strength seminar jume 2024
    • starting strength seminar august 2024
    Male
    38
    5'7"
    73.9 kg

    Background:
    Sedate work (office bound) but active outside of work (martial arts, MTB) though this had all but stopped due to work and family commitments. Have previously been member of several chain gyms to support martial arts and cycling with some (poor) instruction wrt resistance training methods and mechanics.

    With two young growing boys who like to use me as a climbing frame, I began feeling weak and decided to start exercising with a view to becoming fitter and stronger apx last November by doing some interval training dvds (Insanity, T25) and body weight stuff (convict workout) I picked up from a car boot sale. This was fine for conditioning though when I also picked up some weights from a farm sale I started adding in some dumbell exercises (presses, rows, curls etc) but without much purpose and at high reps.

    About 6 years ago a friend of mine with whom I worked sold me some squat stands at a good price because they were not rated for enough load. He also started becoming huge, drinking milk all the time and going on about some guy called Mark Rippetoe like he had joined a cult or something and supplemented his evangelising by lending me "starting strength basic barbell training" in a fetching peach colour because he had bought ed 3. Long story short, I didnt give the book back to him.

    By chance I started reading the book and decided to give it a go. I don't have much disposable income so my entire gym has to be zero/low cost. As a result my equipment is not the greatest and but it has been gleaned from trawling farm sales, car boot sales and garage clearances, cost less than £150 and was mostly covered in rust and farm dirt. Another problem is that I don't have the programming book and realise that I am missing a big piece of the puzzle with it - as such I acknowledge that I am ndtfp. My increases have not been linear but have still been going up. Eating has gone well, sleep not so much.


    All weights in KG

    JAN 31

    Squat: 3x5x70
    Bench: 3x5x46
    Dead : 1x5x80.5

    FEB 02

    Squat: 3x5x75.5
    Bench: 3x5x48.5
    Clean : 5x5x35.5

    FEB 03

    Squat: 3x5x77
    Press: 3x5x38
    Dead : 1x5x85.5

    FEB 05

    Squat: 3x5x82
    Bench: 3x5x51
    Dead : 1x5x90.5

    FEB 07

    Squat: 3x5x87
    Press: 3x5x40.5
    Dead : 1x5x95.5

    NOTE: Squat felt very hard, restrict weight increase next session

    FEB 10

    Squat: 3x5x88
    Bench: 3x5x53.5
    Dead : 1x5x100.5

    NOTE: Felt pull on right hip on DL rep 2 - suspect trying to lift with bar too far forward. Completed set with extra concentration on form.
    Next day very sore. Walked, cycled, rested.

    FEB 13

    Squat: 2x5x90.5

    NOTE: Warmed up with 40 min walk and 15 min cycle. All squat warm ups completed well - stiffness in the hip but no pain. Taking bar from rack for squat workset 3 twinged hip again & very painful. Rested for 20 mins and tried back off set at 82kg - no avail.


    Since then I have been resting and reviewing my progress. I have changed the following:

    My previous gym space was in a 20x10 shed. The floor is non reinforced joists (solid concrete base) and the roof is too low for the press forcing me to take it outside. I suspect the floor was not helping my technique and since I now have access to a garage with a solid level concrete base I have moved my equipment there.

    I have not been recording my workouts so form checks are difficult. I have used mirrors during warm up sets but remove these for work sets.

    I need to work on managing stress and sleeping better.

    I found a belt in a barn and cleaned the chicken shit off of it so I can see if that makes a difference.


    I am also in the near future going to be hindered by:

    Bar - my bar is a 5' 6kg spinlock york 1" dia rated to 135kg
    Lack of weights - I have a fuck ton of 0.5, 1.25, 2.25, 5 plates. But only 2 x 10KG plus 2 x lumps of metal that weigh 10.5kg each and fit on the bar. I brought 2 x 15KG plates but expect to outgrow the entire set up.
    Squat stands - two freestanding rated to 165kg.
    Life getting in the way - I am trying to DTFP but realise that in most respects I am not achieving this.



    Last night I watched Alan Thrall's video where he snapped his back in half on a deadlift and everyone said dont be a pussy it's only a bit of back pain, then he lifed over 400lb a week or so later. That made up my mind so I am going to lift today after 5 days rest.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Posts
    714

    Default

    With a name like that you're capable of anything.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    25

    Default

    Usernames are funny things..

    I was going to say it was a toss up with wd40 and gt85 but that sounded wrong.

    Or that wd40 had saved my ass a few times but again...

    Real name is James


    FEB 18

    SQUAT : 3x5x71
    BENCH : 3x5x56
    DEAD : 1x5x86

    NOTES
    Back/hip tight but felt stong. Adjusted weights down for squat and dl.
    Started wearing belt for workset
    Filmed worksets for review, corrected depth in squat.
    PR bench.

    Still have some stiffness in the hip this morning but onward and upward.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    25

    Default

    FEB 21
    Eating well
    Trying to sleep better though tonight i only had time from 21:30 for myself so will be late with early start tomorrow.

    Hip still not 100% but better each day. I upped the weight which challenged form.

    SQUAT : 3x5x80
    PRESS : 3x5x43
    DEAD : 1x5x100

    CHANGES:
    I have been loaned use of a 7ft 20kg bar and 130kg of plates and it feels a lot better to use a larger dia bar. No microplates though so still pressing with 5 ft 6kg bar for fractional increases.

    Wearing some harder soled asics as an improvement from my nike x trainers. Not ideal but i am whittling some dutch clogs during toilet breaks.

    Dropped cardio workouts to 10 minute prior to weights or 25 on non weight days.

    FEB 22

    Weight check 75kg

    From a start of 71 kg to 75 kg in nearly 3 weeks. I feel wider and bump into stuff more.
    Last edited by wd40; 02-22-2019 at 10:14 AM.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    25

    Default

    Work has been hectic lately. Food good, sleep patchy, time short.

    MARCH 1
    SQUAT : 3x5x85
    PRESS : 3x5x45.5
    DEAD : 1x5x115

    MARCH 3
    SQUAT : 3x5x87.5
    BENCH : 3x5x62.5
    DEAD : 1x5x120


    NOTES:
    Noticed I have a tendency to lift my chin when grinding squats which I understand affects hip drive and tightness so am working on that.

    I am still doing strict presses and need to incorporate 2.0

    Extra concentration with grip for dead lift now, last warm up @100kg and work set weights feel heavy now.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    25

    Default

    Work, life, lack of sleep etc.. excuses. Fact is I have only managed one work out this week but still added weight to the bar so that is something. I’m eating well.

    MARCH 13
    SQUAT: 3x5x90
    PRESS: 3x5x48
    DEAD: 5x125

    No big problems to log.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2018
    Posts
    714

    Default

    As long as you get at least one workout in a week you are making progress.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    25

    Default

    Thanks - my worry was not being able to add weight, or worse having to decrease.

    MARCH 15
    SQUAT : 3x5x92.5
    BENCH : 3x5x65
    DEAD : 1x5x130

    NOTES:
    Happy with squats on video review
    Worked on legs and arch during bench
    Deadlift felt very heavy and form broke down on last rep

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    25

    Default

    MARCH 19

    SQUAT : 3x5x95
    PRESS : 3x5x55.5
    DEAD : 1x5x130

    NOTES:
    My brilliant wife is taking the strain in the morning with the kids and is creating me time to train before work. I think she secretly likes my increasing strength. Also making me tuna sandwiches for lunch <3

    Pre train warm up down to 5 mins light cardio, active stretches and 3x2 min rounds on heavy bag.

    Squats surprised me as not as tough as I anticipated. Video review revealed I am still lifting my head on grinds which is killing hip drive and adding to the difficulty.

    Deads were tough as. I reset grip on #3 and #4 and didnt feel proper lock out. Going to limit increase on next workout.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Posts
    25

    Default

    starting strength coach development program
    MARCH 24
    SQUAT : 97.5x5x3
    BENCH : 67.5x5x3
    DEAD : 137.5x5x1

    NOTES: I had left too long between workouts and felt this session during and after.

    Deadlift was a particular struggle with the result being more like 5 sets of 1 as opposed to 1 of 5.

    Realised my notation is wrong.

    MARCH 29
    SQUAT : 90x5x3
    PRESS : 53x5x3
    DEAD : 125x5x1


    NOTES:
    Decided to deload lifts but lazily used the app and didnt realise it is done on a per exercise basis. Result was I didnt deload the press.

    Much happier with form all round, suprisd by press.

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