ITT: I become strong

[Datfox]

History:

I started lifting in October 2011 after a finger injury that I knew would prevent me from doing my sport (rock climbing) for at least two months.

My starting lifts (5RM) were:

Squat: 50kg
Bench: 50kg
OHP: 35kg
Deadlift: 80kg

I followed SS (with included weighted pullups and rows instead of cleans although I wanted to minimise fat gain so only ate a few hundred calories over maintenance) until January 2012. At this point I was able to climb again and so reduced the time I spent in the gym to 2 days/week and stopped squatting because it affected my flexibility and big legs would hinder me while climbing anyway. I also started shrugging and (attempting to) power clean around this time because I didn't really like rowing.

At the start of March I decided to test my 1RMs and they were as follows: (at just over 70kg bw)

Deadlift: 140 kg (Could probably have done at least 145 but my back had felt a bit tweaky so I didn't want to break form too badly)
Bench: 80 kg
OHP: 55 kg
Weighted Pullup: 40 kg
I didn't try for a squat 1RM because I hadn't squatted properly in so long.

I then stopped training for a month for a climbing trip (I wanted to minimise non-climbing-specific mass so I went on my first ever cutting diet too). Anyway, due to exams and other issues, I'm not gonna be able to climb properly for quite a while so I'm going to resume training, again based on SS. The routine I'll be following will be something like:

Day A:

power clean - 5x3
shrug - 3x8
squat - 3x5
bench - 3x8

Day B:

squat - 3x5
deadlift - 1x5
ohp/handstand push up - 3x5/x
weighted pullup - 3x10

with one day of rest between each workout wherever possible. However, first I need to re-learn how to power clean because my form is far from good at the moment. I'm also putting considerable effort into flexibility/mobility work for squatting because my form has always been quite poor.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

04/04/12

This was a practice session to help me figure out how much work I needed to do on clean/squat form.

Lots of powerclean practice, mostly from the hang position, although I did a set with an extra 30kg from the ground to see what my form looked like with weight on the bar (not good).
Did a lot of experimenting while squatting to see what foot width/bar position produced the best results. High bar seemed most comfortable. 3 sets of 5 reps of 60 kg (plan to work up very slowly to give my flexibility as much time as possible to develop).
My lower back felt very stiff deadlifting so I only did up to 1 set of 5 reps of 100 kg.

[Datfox]

Gym was shut over the easter period so all I've done since the last session was a 3km run on the 7th.

Today:

Powerclean: 5x3x50kg (mainly practising, struggling to keep the bar path vertical)
Back Squat: 3x5x62.5kg (had some problems preventing my back from going too horizontal though so I think I may alternate between front and back squats)
Shrug: 4x8x80kg (extra set while waiting for bench, felt heavy)
Bench: 3x8x57.5kg (apparently my right shoulder was initially slightly elevated wrt the left but that improved slightly as I focussed on keeping my body symmetrical. Weight felt fairly heavy)

[Datfox]

Decided to include front squats rather than back squats on Day B.

Front squat: 3x5x50 (should get video next time so I can see what I'm doing wrong)
OHP: 3x5x40
Pullups: 10,9x5kg,6xBW (Feeling VERY weak on these, although it may be because I used a thicker bar and had to use a dumbell rather than weight belt)
Deadlift: 5x115 (felt amazing to be dling again, as long as my back isn't affected too badly by front squatting beforehand I can see the weight continuing to rise significatly)

NB: 72.4kg bw up from 71kg on 30/3

[Datfox]

Postponed yesterday's session until today because of discomfort/pain in my right shoulder - think I may have to swap OHP for the dumbell variant or handstand pushups.

Power clean - decided not to do this as simply cleaning the bar to my shoulders hurt a little.
Back squat - 3x5x65kg pretty easy, think i pulled my left hip flexor a bit but it didn't hinder my squatting much
Bench press - 3x8x57.5 decided not to increase to 60 this session because of the shoulder discomfort/the gym was empty so had nobody to spot me
Shrugs - 3x8x80 felt a lot lighter than last time, will probably increase to 82.5 next sesh

[Datfox]

Front squats: 3x5x52.5
Deadlift: 1x5x115 (Could have increased the weight but I didn't see the need to rush)
Pullups: 3x10xBW They felt kinda hard, which is pretty weird considering I was doing 3x10x+8.75 OK a month or so ago but I guess I'll just have to work back up slowly.
Decided not to hit shoulders today, they they still feel a bit dodgy so I'll leave them until next Day B instead.

Edit after looking at vids:

My front squat form looks fairly decent, I need to remember to keep my elbows up and out of the way of my of my knees, keep my head facing forward rather than to the side and find some way to stop my back from rounding at the bottom but otherwise looks ok...

Deadlift form looked pretty poor for me, was extending my legs too early and not sitting back far enough near the start of the lift, am also working on keeping a more neutral head position atm (previously used to look forward throughout which probably wasn't great for my spine). Will probably stay at 115 next session to perfect my form.

[Datfox]

Took delivery of my first ever batch of whey protein today, I've had four servings so far and think it's absolutely delicious (even though it's supposedly unflavoured). My weight before today's session was 73.45kg which i think is about 1kg more than last week (and I think my bf% may actually have gone down slightly).

Power clean: I think I'm gonna give up on these until I can find a coach to teach me properly, will probably be doing bent over rows instead from now on.
Back squat: 3x5x67.5 - felt surprisingly light actually (compared to the previous session), I didn't mention last sesh that my left hip flexor was a bit painful while front squatting and it was today as well but not quite so bad as the previous times, I'm hoping it's healing and nothing major.
Bench: 3x8x60 - Didn't feel particularly heavy, although my arms didn't seem to be pressing the bar entirely evenly
Shrugs: 3x8x82.5 - need to check out some videos for form, i'm not sure if my shoulders are too far forward/if my head is at the right angle

[Datfox]

Left hip flexor started hurting again the day after my last workout so I've decided to stop squatting until it feels better - hopefully it'll be soon because I miss squatting already :/

Today:

Deadlift: 1x5x117.25 - form seemed decent as I lifted 115 so decided to bump it up a bit
Pullups: 3x10xBW - finally seem to have the MMC back again, will start adding weight again next session
Bicep curl: 3x8xBar+10 - needed something else to do after pullups or the trip to the gym wouldn't have been worth it
Headstand pushups: 3x5

I'm considering getting a few pairs of football/rugby socks, it'll save my shins getting scratched so much when I deadlift and will stop me putting holes in my normal socks (don't tend to wear shoes in the gym so my socks get worn out pretty quickly).

[Datfox]

Still not squatting :/

Bench: 3x8x62.5 - felt hard, I don't think I'll manage 3x8x65 next session but I'll try it and see...
Shrugs: 3x8x82.5 - increase weight next session
Bent over row: Tried this for the first time, 3x5x50 with supinated grip. I had problems with ROM (getting the bar to reach my body at the top of the concentric) and with breathing which I've outlined in this topic: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=144304011

[Datfox]

71.8kg bodyweight - I imagine this is mostly due to the lack of squatting I've been doing (my jeans don't feel quite so tight at the moment), although I have been cutting my calorie intake a little

Deadlift: 1x5x117.25 - didn't feel mega hard, increase to 120 next sesh i think
Pullups: 3x10xbw+2.5 - felt easy, lats were feeling very strong
ez curls: bar+10kg - didn't feel very hard, left shoulder seemed to roll back a bit on my final 2 reps of the last set though :/
headstand pushups: 6,6,5.5 reps

My leg is starting to feel better now, the plan is to climb on saturday to see how it feels and if it still feels good on sunday then i'll do some very light squatting.

[Datfox]

Drank a very large amount of alcohol on friday night and only got a couple of hours sleep so wasn't really in a fit state to test my leg climbing on saturday. I was still feeling a bit crap today but decided to hit the gym anyway.

Bent over row: 3x5x52.5 felt good, think i sorted my breathing out now
Bench: 3x8x65 - new PB, bar bounced a little bit on a couple of reps and I almost stalled about 3/4 up on the last reps of the last 2 sets but otherwise good. Dependent on how I'm feeling next bench day I'll bump it up to 67.5 to see if I fail (could get very drunk again though in which case I probably won't).
Shrugs: 3x8x85 - managed to cut my shin dling the bar on the first set so had to go get first aid (lol) but otherwise good, felt heavy but manageable
Squats: I did a few bodyweight squats and my leg still felt bad so I decided to not bother adding weight and let it rest for a bit longer

[Datfox]

Shoulder aching a bit from the last session but otherwise feeling ok.

Deadlift: 1x5x120 - Didn't feel too bad, I asked a friend to check my form (forgot my phone so I couldn't record it) and he reckoned by back looked good and straight. Bum ached a bit afterwards though, lol
Pullups: 3x10xbw+3.25 - Lats are feeling good, surprsingly good ROM on the later reps actually
Bicep curl: 3x8xBar+12.5 - Felt good, forearms were looking very vascular by the final reps
Squats: 1xBar weight - still felt slightly painful (although better than before), I may check out alternative leg exercises like leg press or something while my leg's healing
Headstand pressups: 7,7,6 reps

[Datfox]

Bench: 67.5x6.5(1.5 semi-assisted),65x8,7 (1 assisted). Not sure what the problem was here, I didn't seem to have much control over the bar path which messed up two of the sets, will go back to 65 next session to consolidate there
Rows: 3x5x55 - felt easy
Shrugs: 3x8x85 - easy, increase next session
Abs: 3x25 lying leg raises

Tried squatting but my leg was still irritating me, I've decided to start leg pressing for a few weeks and hope that my injury heals in the meantime.

[dk240t]

What hurts in the leg? Have you tried foam rolling and stretching work? Foam rolling can work wonders, especially on the IT band and hip flexors.

[Datfox]

What hurts in the leg? Have you tried foam rolling and stretching work? Foam rolling can work wonders, especially on the IT band and hip flexors.

I don't have a foam roller, although I have considered buying one. I have a feeling the source of the pain is either my hip flexor or the soft tissue holding the muscle to the bone. Basically it's at the top of my left leg, slightly on the inside. Also, the discomfort increases the deeper into the squat I get.

[Datfox]

Yesterday was messed up, didn't get enough sleep and wasted loads of time not revising so i postponed the session until today.

Deadlift: 1x5x122.5 - 120 felt easy, 122.5 felt heavy although i think i maintained form
Pullups: 3x10x5kg - probably better performance than last session's
Bicep curls: 3x8x25kg - body twisted a bit on some of the hard reps, my shouders are weird :s
SQUATS!: 1x5x80kg (to 20 deg above parallel) - Did these at the end of the session because the gym was packed so my lower back wasn't in great shape after deadlifting. I noticed that the leg pain only really started as i got to horizontal and below while squatting so today I did partial squats to around 20 deg above horizontal. It felt really strange stopping so high and probably looked totally retarded but it's good to finally be able to exercise my legs.
Headstand pushups: 3x8

Also, traps are still aching a bit from shrugs last session - I increased the ROM a bit last time allowing my shoulders to fully drop to their lowest position, will try to repeat on wed/thu.

[dk240t]

I don't have a foam roller, although I have considered buying one. I have a feeling the source of the pain is either my hip flexor or the soft tissue holding the muscle to the bone. Basically it's at the top of my left leg, slightly on the inside. Also, the discomfort increases the deeper into the squat I get.

Quit considering it and buy it. Really, they are that useful and they last a long time. Buy it and search for "Active 8" and do that workout, that cleared up a lot of the hip pain issues I was having in squats.

Or keep having pain and not doing squats.

I think you have a really good shot of quickly clearing up your pain issue with some foam rolling and Active 8. It is going to hurt foam rolling the first time, but it is so worth it.

[GoinThruChanges]

Quit considering it and buy it. Really, they are that useful and they last a long time. Buy it and search for "Active 8" and do that workout, that cleared up a lot of the hip pain issues I was having in squats.

Or keep having pain and not doing squats.

I think you have a really good shot of quickly clearing up your pain issue with some foam rolling and Active 8. It is going to hurt foam rolling the first time, but it is so worth it.

This man speaks the truth. Not enough is said about the wonders of foam rolling. After getting back into lifting, I started having a nagging back pain and always felt very tight in my lower body. After foam rolling the hip flexors, the pain disappeared. I also noticed my bad knee is not so bad any more after my IT band lengthened out some.

[Datfox]

Went to the gym (75 mins) after dinner for the first time, no issues digestion-wise.

Bench: 65x8, 67.5x8, 67.5x8(2 assisted), 65x8 - As with last time, I had problems controlling the bar path and it ended up going too far up/down my body and I had to waste energy correcting it.
Row: 3x5x57.5 - Watch lower back but otherwise ok
Shrugs: 3x8x87.5- Surprisingly easy, did full(er) ROM like last time.
Squats: Didn't happen cos gym was packed and I ran out of time.
Lying leg raises: 3x25

Ordered a foam roller yesterday. Hopefully it'll fix my leg issues D:

[Datfox]

Didn't get much done in yesterday's session, I promised to teach a friend how to deadlift which took a lot of time and I had to go out shortly afterwards.

Deadlift: 1x5x122.5 - Felt lighter than last time, I got my friend to vid the set and my form seemed decent, although my bum was slightly higher than i would have liked at the bottom of the lift.
Pullups: 3x10x6.25 - last rep was hard but the rest were fine.

Also got my foam roller delivered yesterday, I'll hopefully give it a go today and see what it's like.

[Datfox]

Did a foam rolling session yesterday and today - probably the most prolonged and painful experience of my life for my abductors/ITB but thankfully the rest of my muscles were all pretty loose/pain free it seems. My legs actually felt more achey after rolling than after any squat session i've done in the past. Taught the same friend from last session how to back squat/bench properly - need to remember to show him how to improve his flexibility for squatting.

ALSO: NEED TO REMEMBER OPTIMUM BAR HEIGHT FOR BENCH LEAVES 6 HOLES IN THE RACK BELOW THE BAR.

Squats: 5x40,50,60,50 - Slightly uncomfortable right at the bottom of the squat but far better than previous sessions.
Bench: 5x65,67.5,67.5 - Tried a slightly different breathing technique today, usually i inhale a bit on the eccentric but today i inhaled fully before letting the bar move down which felt a bit more stable. I think I'll adopt this technique permanently. Next session I think I'll try 70,67.5,67.5 as long as I'm feeling fresh.
Row: 3x5x60 - form was a bit dodgy at the start but i think i sorted it by the end.
Shrugs: 3x8x90 - need to get a friend to look at my shoulders as i shrug, they looked a little asymmetric, otherwise not particularly hard.
Abs: 3x25 lying leg raises

[Datfox]

EDIT: 70.8 kgs (think I've lost a bit of fat and am retaining a bit less water right now).

Deadlift: 5x125 - the weight didn't feel massively heavy, I'm not sure about my form though (as usual) so I'll repeat 125 next session and get someone to vid me.
Pullups: 3x10x7.5 - Felt pretty easy tbh
Bicep curl: 3x8x25 - Shoulders rolling a little at the end of the sets :S
OHP: 3x5x20 - started this again today with mega strict form. Plan to do 30 then 40 in the following sessions and see how my shoulders respond. Hopefully if I keep my elbows forward throughout the lift I won't have the same problems I used to.

Been foam rolling like a boss recently, it hurts a lot. Does anyone know if it's always like this or will it stop hurting so much after I've been using it for a while.

[Datfox]

Squat: 3x5x60 - Wasn't feeling great and I was unsure how my leg would cope with me squatting again so this was just testing to see what happened, it was ok
Bench: 3x8x70 - Bounced a bit too much on the final set (due to fatigue) but the first and second sets were surprisingly clean, especially as I think I'm a bit ill at the moment
Shrugs: 3x8x90 - Easy, increase weight next session
Row: 3x5x60 - Still want someone to vid me, I'm not sure what my MMC is like either
Lying leg raise: 3x25 - lots easier than previous sessions, will probably increase to 30 next session because it barely hurt at all, even on the final set.

Will foam roll later.

[GoinThruChanges]

EDIT: 70.8 kgs (think I've lost a bit of fat and am retaining a bit less water right now).

Been foam rolling like a boss recently, it hurts a lot. Does anyone know if it's always like this or will it stop hurting so much after I've been using it for a while.

Nice work on the fat loss.

Yes, foam rolling hurts. If you use a piece of PVC pipe, it hurts a lot. I got used to it after a couple of weeks. It doesn't get less painful, you will just have fewer spots that trigger pain because you have worked the muscles over and over. The spots that hurt the most are the ones you need to give some extra work. Exercise makes microtears and swelling in muscle fibers. This can develop into adhesions and scar tissue over time. Foam rolling helps smooth out and lengthen out the muscle and break down an adhesion that may form. It also increases blood flow, which is why it is useful to warm up with foam rolling. However I've found that when you roll doesn't matter. I prefer before because I have a very tight IT on my right leg that bothers me if I have not warmed up.

Good Luck

[Datfox]

Deadlift: 5x125 - video'd it and my form looks decent so I'll increase to 127.5 next session.
OHP: 3x5x30 - really focussed on keeping my elbows forwards for as much of the ROM as possible, the weight was easy, I'll increase to 35 or 40 next session as long as I don't experience any pain in my RC in the next few days.
Pullups: 10,10,9.5x8.75 - I'm feeling a bit unwell today but these weren't too bad, increase to 10 next session

Edit, forgot ez bar curls: 3x8x25 - increase weight next time

[Datfox]

Still a bit ill. 72.3kg (some of that was food though) also feeling a little dehydrated atm despite drinking loads

Squats: 3x5x65 - only squatted to parallel, it felt weird but i think it was necessary. light weight
Bench: 3x8x70 - Less bouncing this time, will do 72.5 next session if I'm feeling well. Need to try and use my legs more, at the moment I'm only using them for the end of the set for really hard reps.
Shrugs: 3x8x92.5 - might get some straps, could shrug the weight ok but forearms were struggling a little
Rows: 3x5x62.5 - considering changing to tbar rows because they feel more natural
Lying leg raises, 30,30,35 - should start hanging leg raises soon, these are getting easy

[Datfox]

Wasn't feeling great today, woke up at about 5.30 am for some reason and had an exam at 9 plus it was mega hot so not totally psyched, still got 3 PRs though.

Deadlift: 5x127.5 - felt heavy but not my limit
Pullups: 3x10x10kg - wasn't kipping but felt a little dynamic (more horizontal motion than necessary maybe)
OHP: 3x5x35 - Video'd myself, form looks decent although maybe a little dominant on the RH side.
Bicep curl: 3x10x27.5 - I knew 27.5 was the new weight I should be lifting but 8 reps felt too easy so I (incorrectly) assumed I usually do 10 reps, either way it wasnt particularly hard.

[Datfox]

Worst session ever. Felt sick/hot/tired etc throughout, couldn't be bothered to do half the stuff i was meant to.

Squats: 3x5x70 - easy still, form looks good.
Bench: 7x72.5, 8x67.7, 5x70 - very messy so i aborted the last set
Shrugs: 3x8x92.5

Didn't row/abs/stretch after cos i was in a bad mood, hopefully it's only temporary.

[Datfox]

Starting a bit of a deload period atm, will probably do 2-4 chilled sessions total.

Deadlift: 5x60,75,90kg
Pullups (bw): 5,6,7
Bicep curl: 3x10x15
OHP: 5x20,25,30
Lying leg raises: 10,15,20

Felt pretty good actually, I'm feeling pretty tired atm (exam stress i guess) but i felt really refreshed after the session (despite looking ridiculously weak lol).

[Datfox]

Another deload session today.

Bench: 5x35,45,55
T-Bar Row: 5x20,25,30
Squat: 5x40,50,60
Shrugs: 8x50,60,70
Lying Leg raise: 10,15,20

Think I might resume serious lifting again from next session.

[Datfox]

Deadlift: 5x127.5 - Increase next time, pretty easy today
OHP:3x5x37.5 - As above
Pullups: 3x10x10 - Increase next time if fresh
EZ Curl - 3x8x30 - The reason they felt so easy last time was because I OHP'd between pullups and curls, will have to vary the weight dependent on the order because 30 felt very heavy after pullups.