30 Yr old, 210 lbs, 6'. No experience

[Booman]

Age 30
Male
Weight 210 lbs (started 195)
Height 6’
10 week-ish progress

Active Duty father of 2 (infant and 2 year old), no weightlifting experience. Occasional running/calisthenics since highschool/college to stay “in shape”. Small gut.

Diet: eating whenever I have the slightest urge. 7-8 eggs in the morning. Plain Greek yogurt w/ granola as a snack, or apples w/ peanut butter. A large glass of milk or two a day (love it). Often cheap steaks for dinner. Wife is pretty good at making protein heavy meals. Occasional Mcdonalds or bag of chips (maybe once every other week). No soda. No alcohol for Lent. Overall not a perfect diet, but much more conscious and protein heavy than before, and eating more than I ever have (and weighing more). I think I’m getting enough calories, I tend toward the fat side naturally, and I’m pushing myself to eat now.

Sleep: 7-8 normally, but with 1 or 2 interruptions a night to feed the baby

24 Jan
Squat 140
Bench 145
DL 240

26 Jan
Squat 150
Press 95
DL 250

28 Jan
Squat 160
Bench 150
DL 260

30 Jan
Squat 170
Press 100
DL 270

3 Feb
Squat 180
Bench 155
DL 280

8 Feb
Squat 190
Press 105
DL 290

10 Feb
Squat 200
Bench 160
DL 300

10 Feb
Squat 205
Press 105
DL 305

12 Feb
Squat 210
Bench 165
PC 55

15 Feb
Squat 220
Press 110
DL 315

17 Feb
Squat 230
Bench 170
PC 65

19 Feb
Squat 240
Press 115
DL 295

23 Feb
Squat 250
Bench 175
DL 305

25 Feb
Squat 255
Press 120
PC 75

27 Feb
Squat 260
Bench 180
DL 310

1 Mar
Squat 240 (Deloaded to fix depth)
Press 125
PC 85

3 Mar
Squat 245
Press 145
DL 315

6 Mar
Squat 250 FAIL (last rep, last set)
Bench 185
PC 90

8 Mar
Squat 250
Press 130
DL 320

10 Mar
Squat 255
Bench 190
PC 95

14 Mar 260
Press 135 (Failed 3,2,0)
DL 325

16 Mar
Squat 265
Bench 195
PC 100

ABSENCE 2 weeks (wife gave birth)

30 Mar
Squat 260 (deloaded 10 lbs)
Press 120 (deloaded 20 lbs)
DL 325 (was feeling pretty good, so didn’t deload)

1 APR
Squat 265
Bench 185 (Deloaded 15 lbs)
PC 90 (deloaded for form, still learning)

3 APR
Squat 270 FAIL (last rep, last set)
Press 122.5 (started microloading)
DL 330 (hard)

Any advice appreciated. Very nooby. I bought the SS belt, blue book, Mr Gravity, and Strong Enough, still making my way through them. Watching videos, reading forums.

Still working on consistency, although I have a 3 week military field exercise coming up next month. Not sure if there’ll be a gym or how I’ll workout then.

I’m self taught, going to submit form checks soon.

Failed again on the squat. Same weight tomorrow after 2-day break, I’m sure I’ll get it. Why do people say not to microload on the squat?

Overall this routine has cured my backpain from the last 2 years. My wife says I look great (but she’s biased). Legs feel stronger, shoulders/chest feel firmer. I tried on my custom fit wedding suit and it doesn’t fit specifically at the thighs.

I do feel disheartened by failing squat at 270. I imagined an average sized guy like myself would be able to make close to 400 by the end of NLP, but that goal seems impossible at this point. Is this just pride? Am I doing something horribly wrong? Anyone out there like me who made 400? Am I nearing the end of my squat NLP?

Here's my last squats, second set
https://youtube.com/shorts/YkOBEO3d3_s?

Here's my last squats, third set (failed last rep)
https://youtube.com/shorts/WipmuNFybQY

[david strecker]

your video links do not work.

[Booman]

Weird, they worked for me. How about now?

[david strecker]

VIdeo unavailable...PRIVATE......might want to check your settings that were selected during the post.

[my_back_hurts]

I did some poking around and the guy in this thread was stalling on his LP at around the same numbers. See what Rip says there for advice.

[Booman]

Should be fixed. I've never made a YouTube video before.

[Booman]

I should add (in reply to Rip's three Q's) that I've upped my rests to 7-8 minutes, at least in the squats. Maybe 10 minute rests could keep me going? But I'm also trying to keep my workouts below 1.5 hours

[david strecker]

Video links work. your progression is very similar to mine. Resting 8-9 minutes is not going to keep your workouts at 90 minutes. It might be time to adjust your program as from what you have described your progression of 3x5 is becoming a "grind". The grey book addresses these variables with adjusting reps and sets. The last rep that you bailed on, you were out of the hole, bar was moving up and then you quit. Somewhere in the archives there is a good SS video on "when to bail" recommend you watch it.

[my_back_hurts]

I am by no means an expert. In fact, I literally don't even squat. However, it looks to me like you break at your hips first, instead of hips and knees together, and this is driving the bar out over your toes. I think this makes it much harder to stand up.

It's a common issue if you search "bar path" on this forum.

Look at this little picture I made. skwat.jpg. And one more.lean.jpg

[david strecker]

Don't Bail On Your Squats - How to set the bar on the pins if you get stuck with Mark Rippetoe - YouTube regarding bailing on the squat.

I do not see a "stretch reflex" at the bottom of the squat. Blue book details "the how" on the stretch reflex. Sit back, knees out, valsalva, stay tight during the whole movement of the squat.
You do have a tendency to lead with the hips first then knees. This mechanical motion needs to happen together "hips and knees together". If you do not do this correctly this "loads" the heals and put the bar forward, however, this is a small technique error. How do I know? I did the same exact thing. Time and practice and a few lashing of a whip on the back.