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Thread: In search of the mythical power gut

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2022
    Location
    Florida
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    Cool In search of the mythical power gut

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    Hello friends! I've been lurking on the forums for a while and finally decided to create an account and post my log. Mainly because I have a severe case of fuckarounditis and hope this will keep me on track I've been running the SS NLP for about 7 weeks now, since the beginning of October.

    **********************************************
    ************* Stats and progress so far *************
    **********************************************

    Male 35 years old
    5'11"

    10/1/22 ---> 11/17/22
    Bodyweight 155 ---> 171
    Squat 135x5x3 ---> 235x5x3
    Bench 95x5x3 ---> 150x5x3
    Deadlift 175x5 ---> 290x5
    Press 55x5x3 ---> 90x5x3

    4500 cals and 250g protein per day
    8-9 hours sleep per night

    **********************************************
    ************* Mistakes I've made ******************
    **********************************************

    SLEEP - After the second workout, I moved literally to the other side of the planet, crossing 13 time zones and subsequently ruining my sleep. For the next 4-5 days, I averaged about 3-4 hours of sleep per night until it normalized. Obviously not great for progression, but it didn't affect me too much since I was still using pretty light weights.

    DIET - I didn't start seriously tracking my food intake until the third week. Prior to that I was probably getting between 3000-3500 calories per day and maybe 150g protein. Part of it was the move and having to readjust to life in my new location.

    Once I realized my bodyweight wasn't moving much, I started legit tracking and aimed for 4500 calories per day with 250g protein. Arbitrary numbers, but I want as few variables in the strength equation as possible. I eat as "clean" as possible...mostly single-ingredient foods. I eat out maybe once or twice a week, and it's never a blowout session.

    I'm okay with gaining some fat. I've accepted the fact that I'll never be "cut" and I'd rather be chubby and strong than chubby and weak.

    **********************************************
    *************** My training history ****************
    **********************************************

    I've pretty much always been a skinny-fat guy. I've been as low as 145 lbs and as high as 230 lbs. Neither of which looked good. I've been hovering between 150-160 for about a year now.

    I didn't play sports and was very sedentary all through my childhood and teenage years. I started lifting somewhat seriously when I was about 20, and at some point stumbled on SS. I wasn't keeping logs back then, so I have no idea how long or what kind of progress I made...probably wasn't any longer than 2-3 months and I definitely didn't gain any mentionable amount of strength.

    After that I basically did every program under the sun. I've gone on cuts and bulks and done Crossfit, powerlifting, and bodybuilding programs. The last time I "bulked" I was doing 5/3/1 and got up to 230 by eating pizza, ice cream, fast food, and any other crap I saw. I was an idiot and ended up just getting fat.

    I've had numerous injuries, the most serious of which was shoulder surgery ~2016. Fed up with always feeling beat down from workouts, for the past year I've been doing solely bodyweight and gymnastics-style exercises. I felt better, but lost whatever strength and muscle I had gained.

    All in all, I'm disappointed with myself. I realize I've been screwing around and wasted years and years of potentially productive training. Hopefully getting back to the basics with SS can help me get back on track.

    **********************************************
    *************** The program so far ****************
    **********************************************

    I've been running the NLP for 7 weeks now, with the only hiccups being during the first few weeks. As prescribed, I started with 10 lb jumps for the squat and deadlift then decreased to 5 lbs when it started feeling overly ambitious. Bench and press started with 5 lb jumps -- bench is still there but press naturally has already dropped to 2.5 lb jumps.

    I'm in "phase B" of the program now. I alternate power cleans and deadlifts each workout and have not started chins/back extensions. Arm pull is a real problem for me with the power cleans, so each of those workouts I've just been running through the practice progressions listed in the blue book. It feels better than when I started but I'm sure it's not perfect.

    For the squat, I got up to 235x5x3 then had incomplete reps with 240 for three sessions in a row (all recovery aspects were in check). I just reset 10% back to 215 and will work my way back up. I have a feeling it's a form issue. Need to really focus on that.

    Deadlift has been going well. The horizontal back angle is a much different style than what I'm used to (more vertical torso, more of a leg press) but I like it so far and it seems more efficient.

    **********************************************
    *************** Goals **************************
    **********************************************

    As far as diet, I'm aiming for 10 lbs weight gain per month. In one of the SS podcasts, Nick Delgadillo mentioned 1 lb/week as a good starting point for his clients, so I figure 10/month is a good number. So far, so good...started October 155 and finished 165 on the dot. Halfway through November and I was 170.

    For lifts, short-term goals are the following by the end of the year:
    S 275x5x3
    B 185x5x3
    D 315x5
    P 95x5x3

    Yeah, I like nice, even numbers. Plates and quarters But really, these numbers seemed achievable based on what I started with, and having some short-term goals to shoot for really gives me motivation.

    Long-term, I don't really know. I'd love to say "I'm gonna deadlift 600 and squat 500!" but who knows what's achievable. At this point I just want to see how strong I can get.

    What I've realized as I've gotten older is that there will ALWAYS be someone bigger, someone stronger, or someone more jacked and tan than you are. Comparing yourself to others is pointless. Just try to be better than YOU were yesterday.
    Last edited by Casey Trop; 11-18-2022 at 05:30 PM. Reason: Made the post even longer

  2. #2
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    Mar 2013
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    You have had a fascinating journey. I'm glad you are taking SS more seriously. I gather you have read Rippetoe, "Starting Strength:Basic..." and perhaps Sullivan and Baker, "The Barbell Prescription". Both are excellent. If you have read neither please read them. If you have read them a few more times.

    Are you in contact with an SS Coach? He/she will keep you on track.

    I'm 75 and started at age 66. I wish SS had been around many years ago. Who knows what I'd be lifting if I had started at your age?

    After a few months, you will reach your top weight as a novice. Then, through consultation with a SS coach, you can move to any number of intermediate programs.

    You may wish to send a video from time to time to catch some encouragement or advice from more practiced lifters.

    Best wishes.

  3. #3
    Join Date
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    11/17/22
    SS NLP week 8 day 1

    Squat 215x5x3
    Last successful session was with 235x5x3. I failed to complete my reps with 240 three workouts in a row, so I reset 10% per the PP advice and am working back up. I strongly suspect I have a form issue since this seems waaaaay too early to stall out, so I'm planning to post a form check in the technique forum.
    11/17/22 Squat 215x5 (rear quarter) - YouTube (rear view)
    11/17/22 Squat 215x5 (front quarter) - YouTube (front view)

    Bench 150x5x3
    Last couple reps were hard, but not grinders. Will probably drop from 5 lb jumps down to 2.5 soon. I've *always* struggled with benching.
    11/17/22 Bench 150x5 - YouTube

    Deadlift 290x5
    Timed these and it took me 40 seconds to complete the set. Definitely getting harder...will likely need to add in chins/back extensions soon.
    11/17/22 Deadlift 290x5 - YouTube

    Good session other than the annoying squat. Bodyweight has been holding within plus/minus 1 lb of 170 for a week now. 4500 still seems like plenty of calories, but if it continues to hold stable then I'll bump them up slightly.
    Last edited by Casey Trop; 11-19-2022 at 08:38 AM. Reason: Added video links

  4. #4
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    Thanks Carson! Yep, I own The Barbell Prescription, Starting Strength, and Practical Programming. I actually read Barbell Prescription first since at this point I'm not quite as balls-to-the-wall as I was 10-15 years ago. Aging does that

    I would love to join a SS gym but the nearest one is 2.5 hours away. I've looked into the online coaching as well, and I may do that at some point. Have you done it?

    Very encouraging to see someone your age (no offense!) still lifting seriously

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2019
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    Good on ya, Casey. Starting at 35 is a great time! I didn't discover this stuff, always having been an endurance junky, until 49.

    My closest SS gym is 7+ hours away. I'll try to drop in to one whenever I am traveling around the country to get check-ups. Those end up being about once a year. Consider uploading videos for feedback in the Technique forum. Just make sure you read the stickied notes about how to shoot the videos so that you give the coaches the best look at your lift. You'll be a lot of feedback from non-coaches, too, so you'll have to decide which ones seem knowledgeable and which ones, not so much. That will get you moving on the right track as you decide to pursue online coaching or not. (of course, I just saw that you were considering posting your squat to that forum, so carry on).

    And definitely keep posting your workouts. Sometimes it's helpful to go back and review progression over the weeks and see what's working and what isn't. Personally, I post here and keep a spreadsheet, since both are formatted differently and it's easier to see things sometimes if you look at them differently.

    Keep at it!

  6. #6
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    Thanks Bill! Yeah I may just suck it up and drive down to the gym near me eventually. Seems like it would be totally worth it to get in-person form coaching at least once.

    11/19/22
    SS NLP week 8 day 2 (videos will be uploaded soon)

    Squat 220x5x3
    Felt solid with these. Looking at past videos, I thought my knees were going too far forward, so I tried the TUBOW trick today. Of course, I didn't have a block of wood so it turned into TUFM (terribly useful foam roller). Based on that, seems like the knees are fine.
    https://youtu.be/8wG-m--f1m4
    https://youtu.be/3hdR_ZuPhtM

    Press 92.5x5x3
    Need to work on *throwing* my body under the bar after it clears my head. I start to grind a bit in an incline bench kinda position because I'm not getting forward quickly enough.
    https://youtu.be/SRfseAO-Ss8
    https://youtu.be/B6zoycGw2Oc

    Power clean 65x3x5
    First time doing full reps with these. Since I started doing them, I've only done the practice progression outlined in the blue book. Arm pull was a huge issue for me, so I watched a lot of the SS videos on Youtube and have really been focusing on it. I'm happy with how these turned out.
    https://youtu.be/VqukXoKkwb0
    Last edited by Casey Trop; 11-19-2022 at 05:23 PM. Reason: Added videos

  7. #7
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    BTW, if you haven't searched for SS coaches, do that, too. I've had form checks by SS certified coaches in non-SS gyms. You might find one closer to you than that SS gym.

  8. #8
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    Casey,

    I have not done any online work. The wonders of the internet are a bit challenging for an old-timer like me though I know people even older than I am who have mastered it. I am a member of a private gym and was one of Dr. Sullivan's first clients in 2013. I train on Mondays and Fridays at Greysteel gym. Sully works with 3 to 4 of us at a time. I'm content to lift at the elite level for Deads for my age and weight and lift at the advanced level for the other lifts. I do not do dynamic lifts. The last time I tried I passed out briefly. Sully said, "that does it for you on these lifts." I know a couple of people around my age who can do them but I'm willing to wait or the afterlife.

  9. #9
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    11/21/22
    SS NLP week 8 day 3

    My recovery was off this weekend Saturday night we hosted some friends and I had a few glasses of bourbon and didn't get to bed until around 1am. I know, stupid. And last night I slept long enough, but for some reason still woke up groggy and not refreshed. My diet was also off. Seems like I always end up eating less on weekends because I'm not in my normal workday routine.

    Happy I ended up not missing any reps today but I need to dial it back in for the next two rest days.

    Squat 225x5x3
    11/21/22 squats 225x5 rear - YouTube
    11/21/22 squats 225x5 front - YouTube
    Felt pretty darn heavy. Assuming it's because of my crappy weekend.

    Bench 155x5x3
    11/21/22 bench 155x5 - YouTube
    Last rep was a grinder. Pretty sure I ended up bridging a bit on it.

    Deadlift 295x5
    11/21/22 deadlifts 295x5 - YouTube
    Felt great. Still having issues with the bar drifting away from my legs when I switch to the alternate grip. I've seen Rip's video where he mentions it's because the supinated hand moves forward more easily. Just need to really focus on stopping that. (At heavy weights, easier said than done!)

  10. #10
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    starting strength coach development program
    Referring to the power guts: My son used to show me his six-pack until one day I said "Big deal. I have an entire case." Or did I just think that????

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