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Thread: And so it begins, again

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Okehampton, Devon, UK
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    Default And so it begins, again

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    Ok, so here we go, finally putting together an online log for others to read and hopefully help out by providing data.

    Male (born male, can prove if asked ), 5 foot 9 inch, I have my own basic home gym set up but work away a lot with shift work so commercial gyms are suffered,

    Started Stronglifts in July 2016 after wanting to put on muscle, soon led to Starting Strength,

    Was 70kgs / 155lbs approx at 32 years old, slim but conditioned to my physical job, within about a year and a half I'd gained 15kgs / 33lbs approx, now after some stalls, some life issues, stresses, covid, break ups etc etc I now weigh 93 kg / 205lbs,

    Started at the very beginning of my weight training in July 2016 with -
    Squat - 80kg 5 x 5,
    Dead - 110kg 1 x 5,
    Bench - 52.5kg 5 x 5,
    Press - 25kg 5 x 5,
    (Stronglifts remember)

    By the end of 2019 my best numbers were -
    Squat - 187.5kg 1 x 1,
    Dead - 220kg 2 x 1,
    Bench - 108.75kg 5 x 1,
    Press -71.25kg 10 x 1,

    My faults were -
    Not eating enough,
    Chasing heavy single reps,
    Not de-loading and building up again with 3 x 5,
    Not eating enough,
    Thinking I knew best,
    Inconsistent training regime,
    And not eating enough.

    Between February and July 2019 I was furloughed and had the most fantastic lifting sessions ever, previously I'd had a lay off due to life issues, started right at the bottom again and ran the NLP, getting to-
    Squat -167.5kg 3 x 5,
    Dead - 165kg 1 x 5,
    Bench -107.5 6 x 1,
    Press - 77.5kg 1 x 1,

    For some reason which was only in my own head, my deadlift was very slow to build back up.

    I do chinups, starting at 3 x 10 body weight, then add 1.25kgs each time. up to 20kg 5 x 3 now, will deload 10-15% when I get to singles and aim for sets of 5 reps again.

    When my furlough ended I has flat out with work playing catch up with the 4 month back log I had, so when I finally got back in my gym it was November the 19th, and I had to start all over again at-

    Squat - 60kg 3 x 5,
    Dead - 140kg 1 x 5,
    Bench - 60kg 3 x 5,
    Press - 40kg 5 x 3 (I find I do better on 3's),

    Now, as of 20th January 2021, I'm on-
    Squat - 172.5kg 3 x 5,
    Dead - 190kg 1 x 5,
    Bench - 102.5kg 5 x 1, and 87.5kg 5 x 3, doing a heavy day and a volume day,
    Press - 70kg 6 x 1, going to deload 10% and build back up at 3 x 5.

    Life time goals are-
    Squat - 200kg for reps,
    Dead - 250kg, the magic quarter of a metric tonne,
    Bench - hmmmmmmmm we'll see what the future holds,
    Press - bodyweight
    Last edited by Big-Green-Mud-Machine; 01-23-2021 at 07:01 AM. Reason: 3 x 10, not 10 x 3

  2. #2
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    Nov 2016
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    Default

    For what it's worth, on Wednesday 20th January I managed to drop a 15kg weight plate on the big toe of my right foot from my bench height after I finished my 172.5kg 3 x 5 squats, wasn't concentrating, but I continued with my Press session afterwards anyway, lots of blood on my wooden platform now which looks badass, and the nail is gonna go soon but there's no broken bones. That's gonna pause my squats and deads for a few days, as balance is off but still chinning, benching and pressing

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
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    Okehampton, Devon, UK
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    Sunday 25th,

    Speed squats, 138.75kg 3 x 3, (felt way lighter then last weeks speed squats at 137.5kg),
    Bench, 90kg 3 x 5, (felt very fast, I'm hoping I'll exceed my last PR 3 x 5 very soon),
    Deads, 195kg 1 x 3, (forth rep got 6 inchs up and stopped).

    Away with work for a week now and all our gyms are closed, so resting and eating. Friday night hopefully I'll attack another PR on squats.

    As I'm back adding weight to the bar every work out for some movements and on others I'm doing a heavy/speed (light) I consider myself to be an early intermediate. Previous times I've burnt out too fast by chasing single reps and not eating enough, yet not wanting to admit my fault and so wasting months not getting anywhere.

    Not this time.

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Got home a day early so did an evening workout,

    Squats 175kg 3 x 5, (1st set was the heaviest thing in the world, told myself I'd not eaten enough today so try just a triple on the next set, got under the bar, did the first rep and heard a voice telling me not to be a pussy. Second set felt 20kg lighter form was off on first set, third set had form break down towards the end but still hit depth )

    Press 62.5kg 5 x 5 (ran LP back up to heavy singles, so knocked back 10% and building back with fives, looked through old training logs and found I'd last done 62.5kg 16/04/19 when I was doing a 5 x 5 and then 10 x 1, so I had to match that for my own pride)

  5. #5
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    Working nights this weekend and not got a lot of spare time tomorrow (still aiming for speed squats and dead's tomorrow) so squeezed in bench press today, 92.5kg 5 x 3, feeling good, could maybe have done another 2 sets of 5 but I've learned the hard lesson of burning out too quick, slow and steady is the game I'm sticking to now. If it works then keep doing it, right?! won't be long until I surpass my 5 x 3 PR.

    If any one reading this is just starting out, believe me and everyone else on here that says just do the program, lift for 5's. And eat. It works.

  6. #6
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    I didn't get time for a workout yesterday, but the extra days' rest did my heavy sluggish legs good. The toe was doing well but a few miles of walking in last couple of days has made it swollen and painful, but I preserved this afternoon and concentrated on balance and pushed through.

    Today after I'd slept off my night shift -

    Squat - 140kg for 3 x 3 speed sets (felt very fast)
    Press - 71.25kg for 5 singles (started to split Press into heavy singles aiming for 5 and then 3 x 5 at about 10 - 15% less weight),
    Deads - 197.5kg x 3 (aimed for 5 but failed at 3, form was good and haven't managed that weight for nearly a year),
    Chins - 15kg for 3 x 5 (been a couple of weeks since I'd chinned so knocked the weight down and will cycle back up 1.25kg each time for 5's),

    Another night shift tonight, I try and nap for an hour beforehand but not always tied enough, rest day tomorrow anyway so it'll be a food and sofa day.

    I find the 3, 4 or 5 steps forward and 2 or 3 steps back works for me, running out 3 x 5 until it ends in singles then knock back and aim for 3 x 5 on the weight that I was doing for 3's.

  7. #7
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    Sunday 6th -
    Squat - 142.5kg 3x3 ( VERY sore forearms aftetwards, no idea why),
    Press - 64kg 3 x 5 (form way off 1st set, but for press it usually is, 2nd and 3rd sets normally feel much better),
    Chins - NOPE, my arms were just too sore for anything else after.


    Today -
    Squat - 180kg 3x3 (PR for reps),
    Bench - 97.5kg 3x5 (felt good, aim for 100kg next time but may have to microplate 1.25kg jumps)
    Chins - BW+ 10kg 5x3 (feeling very heavy tonight, maybe drained after Squat+Bench)

  8. #8
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    For some reason when I try to edit a post on my phone all it seems to do is delete it, so I've lost my post from Thursday 4th Feb, so here it is -

    Squat - 177.5kg 5/4/FAIL (long day, early start, late workout, not enough food etc etc, was aiming for 3x5's as was making good progress still, last LP I wasted time too many resets aiming for 3x5's at any cost, then again wasted time chasing heavy singles, this time I'll change to 3x3's and continue running it up and out to heavy singles, then resetting at the 3x3 weight for 3x5's and cycling back up)

    Bench - 95kg 3x5 ( very fast, making good progress)

  9. #9
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    11/02/21

    Squat - 145kg 3 x 3, (feeling lighter/faster each week)
    Press - 72.5kg 5 x 1, (I always go light headed on heavy singles, not as bad this time round, will increase by 1.25kgs now).
    Deads - 200kg 1 x 3, (would have liked a 5, but still making progress on triples so will keep at 3's and a back off set of -20% for a 1 x 5).

    13/02/21

    Press - 65.25kg 3 x 5, (going well, really trying hard with form, always end up pushing forward a smidge and losing efficiency. Also, concentrated on REALLY locking my spine solid, I think I've been concentrating too much on the Valsalva at the front and been hunched over a tad).
    Bench - 100kg 4/3/3/2, (thought I'd get 5's, but failed after 4 on 1st set, I'd have done 5 x 3 so will now aim for 3's whilst doing a -20% volume/AMRAP 3 sets each week).

    today

    Squat - 182.5kg F/1/1/1/F, (well, nothing lasts forever and I did increase my squat by at least 2.5kg each week since November 2020. I find when the 5's run out I quickly crash and burn. Sleep is great, food intake is at max and pre workout coffee was necked so I'll see about more heavy singles next week and then a reset/light week).
    Bench - 80kg 3 x 10, (throwing in a volume day each week at -20% of other bench to see if it pushes up the heavy day).

  10. #10
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    starting strength coach development program
    19/02/21

    Squat - 146kg 3x3,
    Press - 73.75kg 5x1, (had an audience for these, 1st time for a few months, it's amazing how it drives you to not fail, (matched weight from July 2019)).
    Dead - 202.5kg 1x3, (the triples are going great, slow to pull off the ground but I've got my mind in the right place again now. Grit and grind, just push the floor away)

    Today -

    After sleeping till noon due to a Saturday night shift I kicked my arse in gear and did...

    Press - 66.25kg 3 x 5, ( PR'd reps at 3x5, last time I did this weight I was doing 5x3 (I'll take any little victory)).
    Bench - 102.5 5 x 3, (PR'd reps again! same as Press, last time at this weight it was 5x3).

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