Oklahoman does it Texas style
I joined BB.com because I didn't want to pay out the a*s to join Mehdi's inner circle, and I've been putting off starting this thread since I joined because of all the miscers, naysayers, and haters on this forum, but I've decided it's time because I want to share my experience with SL 5x5 and the past few weeks of Madcow, with everyone.
Some back story, I started SL 5x5 in early January 2012. I weighed 145 and squatted about 135, but only because I hadn't done squats in a long time and wanted to start really light. At the time I was in the military and had build up some pretty decent leg strength from rucking and finning and such. My body type is simple; wiry, extreme hardgainer, but using SL 5x5 I was able to put on 20 pounds of lean muscle in just 6 months. Because I was in Afghanistan and operating at the time, I couldn't even have the strictest workout schedule, or the best diet, but it just goes to show that SL 5x5 is a great beginner's program.
I want to give some background of what I was lifting so I'll give 1 workout a month starting in February (when I actually started keeping a log)
Feb 1 (by this time I had already made some serious progress and I think I had stalled, I don't remember)
Squat 225 5x5
Bench 145 5x5
BO Row 135 5x5
March 1 (operating)
March 3
Squat 250 3x5
Bench 165 5x5
BO Row 135 5x5 (I began incorrectly by doing underhand grip rows, during Feb I deloaded a bunch and switched to Overhand grip)
March 31-April 9, missed workouts, took a few days to rest and refit before hitting the gym again.
April 13
Squat 260 3x5
Bench 185 3x5 (first time ever benching 185, I was so proud)
BO Row 150 1x5, 155 4x5
May 1
Squat 275 5,3 failed
OHP 140 5,4,3 failed
DL 295 1x5
June 2
Squat 315 1x5 (first time, proudest day so far. Hit that 3 plate squat)
OHP 165 5,3 bar seemed to slip forward as it was coming down, took a lot of strength to keep it "in the track", couldn't finish the sets
Deadlift 305 1x5, 1x3 (Deadlift is my weakness. I love it, but I seem to be no good at it)
Early June I came back from Afghanistan and was pretty much beer soaked for the next 2 months, plus I was in a different gym with different plates and different bars. It was a lot of change for me, so the numbers fluxuated and I had to deload. Intentionally deloaded on squats because I had been stalled at 315 squat ever since I hit it that first time.
July 2
Squat 295 1x5
OHP 145 1x4 (switched from a fat bar to a whipping bar) 2x5
Deadlift 275 1x5
The rest of my numbers are a mix of frustrating stalls over and over until September when I started Madcow.
Cliffs:
Hardgainer
Started super light, built up from scratch
Got fed up with stalling
Switched to Madcow
Goals:
405 Squat
455 Deadlift (atleast)
230 Bench (gotta break through 2 plates)
185 lbs BW (+20 lbs)