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Thread: 1 year under the bar today!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jun 2017
    Location
    Manitoba
    Posts
    16

    Default 1 year under the bar today!

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    One year ago today I squatted, pressed, and deadlifted for the first time. I was a completely untrained 35 year old male at 6’4” who had recently gone from a bodyweight of 185lbs to 220lbs thanks to craft beer. I had been reading the blue book for a couple of weeks already and wasn’t going to wait any longer even though I only had a good old-fashioned set of 1” York bars, plates, and the matching bench. I started each lift at 100lbs that week because I thought that was ample resistance and the weight would be added so quickly that it didn’t matter if I was a bit conservative. Within a week or so I had built a rack so that I could squat and press properly. I finally got to the press chapter in the book and dropped it down to about 70lbs.

    Recently, I was really chasing goals of squatting 315x5x3 and deadlift 405x5. I had initially thought I’d get them by the new year. That didn’t quite happen, and I needed a deload after missing a few weeks so then I was chasing that goal by my 1 year SS anniversary. I did finally get my squat goal a little while back and changed up my programming for it to a Texas Method style. The dead lift resisted my goals. A couple weeks ago I only got 3 reps at 395. I got my 5 the following week. Then I ditched attempting Power Cleans and added volume and light DL days just to chase my 405x5 goal. A week before I was planning to do the 405x5 I got 400x4, but the 5th rep didn’t quite make it up to my knees.
    So I was pretty ecstatic on Saturday when I got to go lift with a buddy and decided to do the 405x5 Deadlift first. I guess it was because I did it first, it moved pretty easily. First time I’ve recorded myself, and I can see my back doesn’t look anything like how it feels and I’ve got some work to do on properly setting it, but I’m so happy to have hit this goal. If anyone would have hinted at me that I would squat 315x5x3 and DL 405x5 inside of a year I absolutely never would have believed it.

    I’m thrilled with what I’ve been learning under the bar and how the voluntary hardship has changed me beyond the physical. Thank you so much, Rip and all the SS crew. The podcasts, the videos, (Sully for the in-person form check in September!) Add me to the list of people who’s lives are changing for the better because of what you’re doing. Next goal is to earn my sticker, I’m thinking the target there is another year.

    Current/PRs:
    BW 250lbs
    SQU 315x5x3
    P 148x5x3
    B 216x5x3
    DL 405x5
    PC 145x3x5
    CH 0x8x3



    Here's the 405x5 from Saturday. Just unfortunate we didn't actually have 4 sets of 45s for the occasion.


    YouTube

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    STL(ish)
    Posts
    584

    Default

    Nice work, congratulations on hitting your initial goals!

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