headhunter's Workout Journal: Starting Strength

headhuntr · 10-22-2008, 02:57 PM

I finally set up my power rack, bench and all the equipment I'm going to need at home. I've tweaked up my diet and schedule and am ready to get back into my workouts! I read the SS book and went through the wiki website and threads on this forum. I've been pretty innactive for the last 6 weeks or so due to school, work and some family issues. Anyway, I'm back in it now and started the Starting Strength routine two days ago. I'll keep my logs in here as I go along. Hopefully everything goes well!

My current stats:
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 170 lbs

Week 1; Workout A

Squat:
70 lbs x 5/5/5
Squats went pretty well. I think I have the motion down pretty good after doing quite a few warmups and exercises to practice it. I'm starting off at a pretty low weight in order to make sure I get the form down right first. I'll up the weight as I go along. So far though even this somewhat lower weight got my thighs nice and sore. Those 6 weeks off really hurt me, but I'm on a fresh start now!

Bench Press:
60 lbs x 5/5/5
Bench went well too. I tried to make sure I had the form down as the book and everything described it. It was funny to realize how I was doing quite a few things wrong before. Anyway, again, starting off at a lower weight just to get the form down. I've got plenty of time to work my way up.

Deadlift:
65 lbs x 5
Deadlifts were a little trickier than the other two exercises. I've never liked deads and the movement is really a little awkward for me (for now!). I decided to keep the weight pretty low to really work on my form. For now the weight is lower than my squat, but once I get the form down I'll up it at a good pace I'm sure!

That was it for my first workout. My thighs were pretty sore from the squats all day and the day after. I realized that my chest felt the workout too as my pecs were a little sore as well. The six weeks off really put me off, but I'm happy to see that the workouts are doing their thing! Keeping my diet in check too!

headhuntr · 10-22-2008, 02:58 PM

My first workout went pretty well and I've been sticking to my diet and schedule. Honestly the hardest thing for me right now is getting that 8 hours of sleep a night. Going good so far though!

Week 1; Workout B

Squat:
75 lbs x 5/5/5
I upped my squat weight by only 5 lbs for this workout as I'm still aiming at getting my form down before I jump to higher increments. I'm trying to focus on everything during the lift, and so far I think I'm doing pretty well. The form and movement is getting more natural and I'm feeling the work throughout my whole body.

Press:
55 lbs x 5/5/5
I had an issue with the press as the ceiling in my basement is pretty low. For now it's okay since I'm not using any large plates, but as I up the weight I'll probably have to look into removing a couple of the ceiling panels. The press movement came together pretty nicely and felt good. I think I have it down pretty well. Again, starting with a somewhat low weight just to make sure I get all the kinks out of my form before I start working with heavier weights.

Power Clean:
45 lbs x 5/5/5
Now this move is definitely not comfortable or natural to me. I really took the time to practice it backwards and forwards, over and over again. It got quite a bit better by the end, but I still decided to stick with just the bar weight for now until I get my form down. I was a little awkward jumping at first due to my low ceiling, but it's high enough for me to get the required height, so hopefully next week I'll get this move down better.

That's it for my second workout! I'm keeping with my diet and working on drinking more milk. I'm making sure to get the proper warmup in before my workouts and doing some stretching on off-days and after the workouts. So far I'm feeling really good and hope to get my form down on every exercise soon so that I can start adding some real weight on my lifts. Cheers!

headhuntr · 10-24-2008, 01:38 PM

I ordered some bumper plates and fractional plates yesterday, so I should get them in a couple of weeks or so hopefully. I just really couldn't find any bumpers around here. Anyway, I mostly need them to just get the right height on the bar for deads and cleans, so I'm looking forward to those coming in. The fractional plates I got in case I'll need them later on when I won't be able to increment my weight by 5 lbs every workout.

Week 1; Workout A

Squat:
80 lbs x 5/5/5
Squats went well again today. I'm still working on my form and trying to go ass to grass on every rep. I only upped the weight by 5 lbs again since the last workout to really get my form down with lighter weights before I start adding at 10 lbs a workout. Felt good today.

Bench Press:
70 lbs x 5/5/5
I upped my bench weight by 10 lbs since I started really low last time. I worked on my form again and really saw an improvement.

Deadlift:
80 lbs x 5
I upped my deadlift weight by 15 lbs since my last workout since I started very light to get the form down. It feels a lot better now and a lot less awkward. I have to stack plates in order to get the right height on the bar, but that should change soon when I get my bumpers.

All in all a good day. I'm really looking forward to getting my form to a pin on my lifts and get my weight up to really start working.

headhuntr · 10-27-2008, 11:28 AM

Second week of SS and during my two days off I was really itching at hitting the weights.

Week 2; Workout B

Squat:
90 lbs x 5/5/5
I added 10 lbs to my squat for today's workout and I think I'll keep going at that pace from here on in, until I start seeing some trouble. The squats went well, good speed and I think my form is improving every time little by little.

Press:
60 lbs x 5/5/5
I added 5 lbs to my press today and it felt good. It's still probably a little light, but my wrists were really feeling it by the end of my working sets. I really wish my basement ceiling were a couple of inches higher since I'm hitting the panels, but what can you do. Other than that, I think I have the form down.

Power Clean:
45 lbs x 5/5/5
I stuck to 45 lbs for the Power Clean as the whole movement is still really awkward for me. I think I'm just over thinking it though. I really can't wait for my bumpers to get in, I'm sure it'll help quite a bit of this lift. I'm getting better at it though!

Weighted Sit-Ups:
25 lbs x 12/12/12
I decided to add some weighted sit-ups to my routine and I started off with the 25 lbs plate. I'm doing sets of 12 reps and I'll add a set each workout until I hit 5 sets and then I'll up the weight, going back to 3 sets of 12 and then working back up to 5 and so forth. It was a little light today, but the weight'll progress quickly.

So that was it for the first workout of my second week. Things are going pretty well and I'm going to start adding weight to my lifts now. I'm eating quite a bit more and trying to keep it as clean as possible. It's going well so far with the food, the sleep and the workouts. Looking forward to Wednesday!

headhuntr · 10-29-2008, 11:18 AM

Another day another workout! I should be getting my bumper plates and fractional plates tomorrow, so that'll be good to have. Other than that, I had to fix up one of my metal plates with a little tape, but everything's good now.

Week 2; Workout A

Squat:
100 lbs x 5/5/5
I added 10 lbs to my squat today and it felt good. I kept the bar speed at a good pace, but I think my form still needs some minor tweaking. Other than that, the weight increase felt great.

Bench Press:
80 lbs x 5/5/5
I upped my bench by 10 lbs as well this week as it's still feeling pretty light. My form is much better now and I had no trouble with the weight this week either.

Deadlift:
95 lbs x 5
Upped my deads by 15 lbs this week as it's still light. My form is much better now so the weight should be going up at a good pace from here on in.

Weighted Sit-Ups
25 lbs x 12/12/12/12
I added a set of 12 sit-ups today and it went well. The weight is still light, but I'll progress through it instead of jumping up too fast. Friday I'll do 5 sets and then work down to 3 sets with a 35 lb plate for the following workout.

That's that for today. I'm happy to say that I'm keeping in check with my diet and it's staying pretty clean so far. I'm getting my sleep in and sticking to my schedule. Everything is feeling great and I'm really looking forward to working with some heavier weights, but I won't jump ahead of myself too quickly just yet. It'll come with time. Looking ahead to Friday!

headhuntr · 11-02-2008, 07:24 AM

Friday, 31-Oct-08

I finally got my fractional and bumper plates, so that should help my cleans and deads on future workouts. Other than that, keeping my eating pretty clean and getting my sleep in.

Week 2; Workout B

Squat:
110 lbs x 5/5/5
I upped my squat by 10 lbs again and it felt good. Kept a good bar speed and I think my form has gotten much better. I'm trying to go ATG on every lift, so things are working out pretty well so far.

Press:
65 lbs x 5/5/5
Added 5 lbs on the press and I'm still not having any trouble with the weight. My wrists feel a little sore after all my working sets, so I'm going to work on some stretching exercises to up my wrist flexibility.

Power Clean:
55 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my weight on the clean by 10 lbs as I'm a lot more comfortable with my form now. Felt good, I just have to make sure not to be lifting with my arms.

Weighted Sit-Ups:
25 lbs x 12/12/12/12/12
Did 5 sets for my weighted sit-ups with the 25 lbs plate and it's still feeling very easy. I'll be upping to a 35 lbs plate for my next workout and lowering it down to 3 sets.

That's that for my second week on SS. Everything is going well, I think my form on most of the lifts has gotten a lot better and now I'll be able to get into some real weight. I'm trying to keep my eating as clean as possible and to get enough sleep.

hey_papi85 · 11-02-2008, 07:58 AM

Good stuff so far man. I did SS (well the sticky version with dips and chins) for about 4 months with really good results. One thing I suggest though is starting to deadlift with 135 as this will be the proper height to learn from... considering your size this shouldn't be an issue.

headhuntr · 11-02-2008, 08:08 AM

Ya, I'll probably be at 135 lbs for deads by the end of this week. I'm getting the right height regardless from now on though since I got my bumper plates in. Thanks for the feedback!
Cheers!

headhuntr · 11-03-2008, 01:41 PM

I'm really starting to dislike the weekend as I want to get some more workouts in. My eating and sleep this weekend wasn't great either, which I'm going to have to work on from now on.

Week 3; Workout A

Squat:
115 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my squat weight by 5 lbs today and it felt good. I'm really starting to feel the weight on my working sets and am trying to go ATG on every rep. I think my form has improved a lot and I'm quite happy with it now. Bar speed was good throughout.

Bench Press:
85 lbs x 5/5/5
Added 5 lbs to my bench and I'm starting to feel the weight here too. I'm making sure to keep my shoulder blades pinched and working on my grip a little. Kept the bar speed good throughout.

Deadlift:
115 lbs x 5
Added 20 lbs to my deads this workout and I'm starting to feel them really working. My bumpers came in really handy and helped my form a lot. I have to watch my lower back a little, but other than that, everything is looking good so far.

Weighted Sit-Ups
35 lbs x 12/12/12
Upped my sit-up resistance to a 35 plate and dropped down to three sets of 12. I'll be adding a set until I hit 5, then I'll be moving on to 3 sets on a 45 plate.

That's it for today. Was a good workout and I'm really starting to feel them. I'm excited to start lifting heavier. I think I might throw in some cardio on Sunday mornings just to keep in shape. I'm eating pretty clean and sleeping well too. Looking forward to Wednesday!

headhuntr · 11-05-2008, 01:39 PM

Wednesday, 05-Nov-08

Week 2; Workout B

Squat:
120 lbs x 5/5/5
Added 5 lbs to my squat and it felt good. I kept the bar speed at a good pace, but I'm really starting to feel the weight on my lifts. It's feeling good so far. I'm still trying to go as deep as possible and work on my form a little.

Press:
70 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my press weight by 5 lbs and kept the bar speed good. I'm really not happy with my setup for presses, but there isn't much I can do about it and I don't want to take the exercise out of my routine since it's an important one. Anyway, I still have to work on my wrist flexibility a little and my form overall. Other than that, things went well.

Power Clean:
65 lbs x 5/5/5
Added 10 lbs to my cleans and it went okay weight-wise. The bumpers are really helping for this lift. I might be overthinking the whole movement, but I feel as if I'm still somewhat pulling with my arms, which I have to work on. I'm not 100% happy with my form right now, but I'll definitely work on it in future workouts. These cleans are really making me sweat though, it's quite some work.

Weighted Sit-Ups:
35 lbs x 12/12/12/12
I'm on the 35 plate now and added an extra set. I'll be doing 5 on Friday and then moving up to the 45 plate. Sit-ups went well as always.

Overall today was an okay workout, but I'm really looking at working on my form a little more on pretty much all three lifts. I'm going to start doing some back and wrist flexibility exercises so that I can really get into things properly. As for the clean, I'm just going to have to work on it. Looking forward to Friday!

headhuntr · 11-07-2008, 01:12 PM

Friday, 07-Nov-08

Week 3; Workout A

Squat:
125 lbs x 5/5/5
Added another 5 lbs to my squats and the weight is starting to get heavy. I think much of it can just be in my head, so I'll be sure to be physically and mentally ready for Monday! Other than that, I kept the bar a a good pace and am trying to hit my form as close to dead on as possible.

Bench Press:
95 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my bench weight by 10 lbs today as I really want to start feeling my workouts more. The weight felt better, but it's still a little light. Kept the bar speed good and everything went well.

Deadlift:
135 lbs x 5
Upped my deads by 20 lbs again and it felt pretty good. I can finally use the 45's so my height is good even without the bumpers. I have to work on my back flexibility a little though as I'm still not liking my form 100%. Should be there soon though!

Weighted Sit-Ups
35 lbs x 12/12/12/12/12
Sit-ups went well as always. Added an extra set and next week I'll be upping my weight to a 45 plate and starting back down at three sets of 12. Looking forward to it.

So that's that for my 3rd week. Diet and sleep are going well, I'm gaining weight so I'm happy with that. I'll have to see how much I gain this week to know whether to up, lower or keep my cals the same. So far so good, I'm happy with everything, I just have to work on my wrist and back flexibility a little more, and I'll be throwing in a little HIIT stationary bike cardio on Sundays. Cheers!

headhuntr · 11-10-2008, 12:28 PM

Monday, 10-Nov-08

Week 4; Workout B

Squat:
130 lbs x 5/5/5
Added 5 lbs to my squat again today and it felt good. I'm really trying to go ATG on every rep and working on keeping my form as good as possible. Really starting to work with the weight, so I'm happy with that.

Press:
75 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my press by 5 lbs today as well and it went well. My wrists are still feeling a little sore after my working sets, but I'm guessing that'll get better as my wrist flexibility gets better. I'm still not liking my setup for the press, but again, not much I can do about it unless I want to do them seated, which I don't.

Power Clean:
75 lbs x 5/5/5
Added 10 lbs to my cleans and I'm really trying to get my form down. I feel like it went a lot better today. I think I was pulling with my arms a little on a couple of reps, but for the most part everything went well. Tireing as hell, made me sweat like crazy again.

Weighted Sit-Ups:
45 lbs x 12/12/12
I'm up to the 45 plate for my sit-ups and they're going well as always. I'll be adding a set next workout as usual.

That's that for today. Still working on my form on most lifts, but the weight is starting to really work, so I'm happy about that. I upped my calories a little and am trying to keep with my diet as much as possible. My sleeping is going well too. I added in a 20 minute HIIT stationary bike cardio on Sundays to help keep the fat gain off a little. Other than that, everything's going good!

headhuntr · 11-12-2008, 12:57 PM

Wednesday, 12-Nov-08

Week 4; Workout A

Squat:
135 lbs x 5/5/5
Added another 5 lbs to my squats and it felt good. I really went ATG today and managed to keep good bar speed and form. Squats are going well for the most part and I'm pretty happy with them.

Bench Press:
100 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my bench weight by 5 lbs again today and I'm still not having many problems. It's definitely working more, so I'm happy that my weight increases are staying steady. Worked on my grip, pinched shoulder and back arch a little more today. Looking forward to working with even heavier weight.

Deadlift:
150 lbs x 5
Upped my deads by 15 lbs and things are still going relatively well. I'm not 100% happy with my form yet and am still working on some back flexibility exercises to really get into the proper position for my deads. Anyway, I'm watching my lower back and really trying to do everything properly.

Weighted Sit-Ups
45 lbs x 12/12/12/12
Sit-ups are still going well, added an extra set today as usual and it was quite a bit more difficult. I'm looking forward to seeing how things go on Friday with a 5th set.

That's that for today. Basically still working on my deadlift form, but other than that everything is going well. I'm steadily gaining weight (although my scale is being a little iffy), and I'm eating and sleeping right. Looking forward to Friday!

headhuntr · 11-14-2008, 06:40 PM

Friday, 14-Nov-08

Week 4; Workout B

Squat:
140 lbs x 5/5/5
Added 5 lbs to my squats today and everything went well. Went ATG on every rep, I'm happy the weight increases are staying pretty constant.

Press:
80 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my press by 5 lbs today and had some trouble with it. Really struggled on some reps and I think I might have tweaked my left shoulder a little bit. It's not feeling great right now, but luckily I have 3 days until my next workout and about 5 days until I really need to work the shoulders again. Hopefully it's nothing serious and it'll be back to 100% by then. I think I'll start micro-loading for next Wednesday. Try a 2.5 lbs increase for now and see how things go. It might just be my sleep and diet for the past couple of days. We'll see.

Power Clean:
80 lbs x 5/5/5
Added 5 lbs to my cleans and it went pretty well. I'm still really working on perfecting my form. I was a little rushed today for my workout in order to make a family dinner on time, so that didn't really help my taking the time to work on form with low weight. Anyway, the working reps went pretty well, but I'm still worried about whether I'm pulling with my arms or not. I'll really try and get my form to nearly perfect next week.

Weighted Sit-Ups:
45 lbs x 12/12/12/12/12
Sit-ups went well again today. I'm really feeling them working now, so I'm happy about that. I'll try for 55 lbs for Monday and back down to 3 sets. See how things go.

That's that for today. I'm not super happy about how the workout went compared to previous ones, but I'll try and make up for it next week. My routine has been a little off these past couple of days due to school and stuff, so hopefuly things fall back into place by Monday.

headhuntr · 11-17-2008, 12:40 PM

Monday, 17-Nov-08

Week 5; Workout A

Squat:
145 lbs x 5/5/5
Added another 5 lbs to my squat today and everything went well. I got a slight pull in my right groin muscle last week, so I had to watch it today and spend a little more time stretching it and warming up. Other than that though, things went well.

Bench Press:
105 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my bench weight by 5 lbs and it felt good. I'm making sure to keep my shoulders pinched and to watch my grip and back arch. My shoulder felt good, so it seems to have healed up nicely since last Friday. Looking forward to my Friday workout for another bench session.

Deadlift:
160 lbs x 5
Upped my deads by 10 lbs. Felt good, my form seemed better and the weight increases are going well.

Weighted Sit-Ups
55 lbs x 12/12/12
Sit-ups are at 55 lbs now and they're really getting hard. I'll be adding another set on Wednesday.

That's that for today. Workout went well and so did the stretching and warm up. I'm going to have to pay a little extra attention to my right groin. It's been a recurring injury for years now if I don't warm up or stretch well before sports and what not. The shoulder's feeling back to 100%, so I'm definitely happy about that. I didn't get the chance to get my cardio session in yesterday however, since school has really been taking up some crazy amounts of my time lately. It should simmer down now though. Looking forward to Wednesday!

headhuntr · 11-19-2008, 12:53 PM

Wednesday, 19-Nov-08

Week 5; Workout B

Squat:
150 lbs x 5/5/5
Added 5 lbs again to my squat and things seem to be going well. My groin injury doesn't want to go away though, and even with the added stretching and warmup it's being a little anoying. I'll feel it out for the next couple of workouts and see what I'll do about it.

Press:
82.5 lbs x 5/5/5
My press didn't go so well last week for one reason or another so I decided to start micro-loading on it this week. I upped my weight by 2.5 lbs today and it went a lot better. The working sets were still pretty hard, but I managed all the reps with decent form I think. I'll continue with the 2.5 lbs increments and see how it feels.

Power Clean:
85 lbs x 5/5/5
Added 5 lbs to my clean today. I'm really not happy with my form for this lift. I'm lifting with my arms and am starting to get a little frustrated with the whole thing. Come Monday I'm going back to basics and spending the required time to re-learn the whole form properly. I'm hoping I can do it well this time around.

Weighted Sit-Ups:
55 lbs x 12/12/12/12
Added a set to my sit-ups and they are getting freakin' rough. I managed to complete all the reps, but to be honest, a few of the last ones were really not as full as they could have been. I'll add a 5th set on Friday and take longer rests between them to feel it out.

That's that for today. Overall it went well, but I'm getting a little concerned about my groin discomfort and the Power Clean is starting to get frustrating. Hopefully I can get the form down come Monday and my groin issue works itself out. Cheers.

headhuntr · 11-22-2008, 10:29 AM

Friday, 21-Nov-08

Week 5; Workout A

Squat:
155 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my weight by 5 lbs on squats again and things felt good. I'm working on my form again a little, trying to use a more low-bar position than I was before. I've realized that my left arm/shoulder isn't as flexible as my right, but I'm working on it and it should catch up pretty quickly. I'm still getting a sort of discomfort/pain in my groin area during heavy squats, and I'm starting to wonder whether it's normal soreness or something else. I'm taking more time on warmups and stretching, but it doesn't seem to be fixing things. I'll look into it and see what's up.

Bench Press:
110 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my bench weight by 5 lbs and everything went well. I'm making sure to be thinking about my shoulder, back and grip form throughout the lift, and so far I think things are going good. The weight is getting heavier and I'm starting to feel some real work.

Deadlift:
175 lbs x 5
Added 15 lbs to my deads. Everything went well, although by the time I get to my working set, my hands are pretty sweaty so my grip isn't as great due to the bar slipping. I'll have to pick up some chalk this week to fix that. I'm still using a double overhand grip in order to work on my grip strength, and so far it's still working for me. I'm trying to use a hook grip as well.

Weighted Sit-Ups
55 lbs x 12/12/12/12/12
Added a 5th set to my sit-ups and with the longer rests between sets it was pretty manageable today. I'm really working hard on these and they are getting tough as hell. I'll probably up my weight to 60 lbs for next week and work back up from 3 sets on Monday. Looking forward to see how it goes.

Other than that, I'm eating well and sleeping enough. I started the program at 170 lbs on October 20th, and now 5 weeks in I'm weighing in at 182.6 lbs. I've gained a little bit of fat around the waist, but I'm not too worried about it for the moment. I'm looking at throwing in two HIT cardio sessions a week to keep my fat gains down a little and to work on my endurance, but I don't want to hinder my recovery and with these groin discomforts I'm really taking that seriously. Anyway, I'll be working on my Power Clean form on Monday and trying to get that down to a pin. Cheers!

headhuntr · 11-25-2008, 08:14 AM

Monday, 24-Nov-08

Week 6; Workout B

Squat:
160 lbs x 5/5/5
Added 5 lbs to my squats and things went well. I'm still working on my form with the lower bar position and used a somewhat narrower stance today to try and let my groin discomfort heal or go away. It was better, as I didn't feel it as much. It did creap up a little later in the day, so I'll see how the rest of the week goes and then I might take a couple of workouts off squatting to let things really heal up fully.

Press:
85 lbs x 5/5/5
Still micro-loading on the press. Upped my weight by 2.5 lbs again and it was hard, but manageable. My wrist was a little sore from having slept on it wrong, but with a bit of warmup and stretching things went pretty well.

Power Clean:
N/A
I really took the time today to get my clean form down to a pin and went back to basics re-learning everything from the ground up with the empty bar. I'm actually quite happy with my form now, but by the time I had things in line (which took a good 15-20 minutes of straight cleaning), my left hand started to work up. I broke my left forearm a couple of years ago snowboarding and ever since then I can't hold a weight straight down for too long a period of time with it before it starts to hurt. So that got in the way a little bit and I couldn't get my working sets in. I'm still happy with how things went and I got a couple of 65 lbs sets in. I might work on my form a little more tomorrow and then get back into real weights for Friday's workout.

Weighted Sit-Ups:
60 lbs x 12/12/12
Upped my weight on sit-ups to 60 lbs and I'm really working hard with it. I dropped back down to three sets and I'll work my way up to 5 by Friday, as usual.

That's it for today. I'm happy that I'm finally getting my Power Clean form down, even though my wrist got a little wacky. I'm going to have to look into getting some chalk for cleans and deads soon, local weight stores don't have any, so I'll have take a look at rock climbing outlets. Other than that, I'm still a little concerned about the whole groin thing, but I'll see how it plays out this week to choose whether or not I'll take a couple of workouts off squats. My eating and sleeping weren't very clean or regular this weekend due to it being my girlfriend's birthday, but things should fall back into place now. Looking forward to Wednesday.

headhuntr · 11-26-2008, 01:00 PM

Wednesday, 26-Nov-08

Week 6; Workout A

Squat:
165 lbs x 5/5/5
Added 5 lbs to my squats again today and everything went pretty well. I'm working on my low bar position and my left shoulder and elbow still need a little work flexibility-wise. I'm still also using a narrower stance in order to not aggravate my groin discomfort. It felt better Monday compared to last week and even better today compared to Monday, so I'm happy about that. Hopefully it'll have completely healed soon.

Bench Press:
115 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my bench weight by 5 lbs and everything is still going very well. The weight is getting heavier and I'm having to work harder and harder with it, so I'm happy with that.

Deadlift:
185 lbs x 5
Deads are still going well, added another 10 lbs today. I have yet to get that gym chalk, since I haven't had the time to take a look at any rock climbing stores in the area yet. Hopefully I can get my hands on some this weekend to help my deadlift and power clean grip. Still doing double-overhand and for now it's manageable.

Weighted Sit-Ups
60 lbs x 12/12/12/12
Added a 4th set to my sit-ups and it's proving to be pretty taxing. I'm loving the feeling that I'm really working hard, so I'm looking forward to seeing how things go on Friday with a 5th set.

That's that for today. I'm not completely happy with my eating and sleeping lately, I feel as if I've been slacking off a little bit, so I'm aiming at getting things back on track right away. Other than that, I'm happy with my steady progression and strength gains. The groin thing is still a little concerning, but hopefully it gets better soon.

RAW87 · 11-26-2008, 01:29 PM

Great workouts. I just started Rippetoes last week. Sub'd and repped!

headhuntr · 11-28-2008, 12:10 PM

Friday, 28-Nov-08

Week 6; Workout B

Squat:
170 lbs x 5/5/5
Added another 5 lbs to my squats today. My lower bar position is going better as my left shoulder and elbow are getting more flexible every workout. I'm still keeping with a slightly more narrow stance to help my groin discomfort, and that's going better as well. It felt a lot better today, so I'm really hoping that it's completely gone by the end of next week.

Press:
87.5 lbs x 5/5/5
Still micro-loading on the press and things are going well. Added another 2.5 lbs today and the weight is really working me, but it's still manageable so I'll keep going with the same increments for now.

Power Clean:
N/A
I'm still working on my Power Clean form and I'm really happy with it out of the jump position, but I can't seem to coordinate things too well once I drop the bar under the jump position, not to mention below the knees. Anyway, my wrist started working up again which got in the way of my working on the cleans for too long. I'll probably take some time tomorrow to finish things up and get the whole movement down.

Weighted Sit-Ups:
60 lbs x 12/12/12/12/12
Did my 5 sets of sit-ups today and things are going well. My last couple of reps on most of the sets are really not as full as I might want them to be, but I think I'll still up my weight to 65 lbs for next week.

That's that for today. Things went well for the most part, but I'm still pretty unhappy with my Power Cleans. I'm really getting eager to get them down to a pin, but I guess it'll come with time. Looking forward to Monday.

Quickxi · 11-28-2008, 12:37 PM

nice workouts....

headhuntr · 12-01-2008, 11:44 AM

Monday, 01-Dec-08

December's here already and so is my 7th week on SS. Time's really flying, we'll be in 2009 soon! I'm really loving my progress so far and am hoping I can keep it up through the holidays.

Week 7; Workout A

Squat:
175 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my squat weight by another 5 lbs today and things are still going well. My groin discomfort is almost completely gone, so much so that I even forgot about it for most of my routine today. Hopefully by the end of the week it'll have left completely.

Bench Press:
120 lbs x 5/5/5
Added 5 lbs on my bench today and it's really getting hard fast. I'm loving the feel that I'm working hard for the reps and sets, so hopefully things keep going well.

Deadlift:
195 lbs x 5
Up to 195 lbs on my deads having added another 10 today. Everything's going good with them, although I have yet to get that chalk and my hands are getting a little sweaty and slippery by the end of the routine. School's really taking up a lot of my time now, being that finals started, so hopefully I can find a minute or two soon to get on that chalk situation.

Weighted Sit-Ups
65 lbs x 12/12/12
Upped my sit-up weight to 65 lbs and everything's going well. The last few reps on my 3rd set could definitely be better, but I'm not too worried about it for now.

That's that for today. Still eating clean and getting my sleep in. Loving the workouts and am definitely not going to let exams get me out of my groove. Cheers.

headhuntr · 12-03-2008, 11:55 AM

Wednesday, 03-Dec-08

Week 7; Workout B

Squat:
180 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my squat weight by 5 lbs today and everything's going well. The groin discomfort is all but gone, so I'm really happy about that. Keeping the bar speed good and still working a little bit on my left shoulder and elbow flexibility for the lower bar position.

Press:
90 lbs x 5/5/5
Still micro-loading on the press, added another 2.5 lbs today. The weight is getting heavy and the bar speed on the last rep of my 3rd set could be better, but it's still manageable for now. Hopefully I can keep up with these increments for a while longer.

Power Clean:
75 lbs x 5/5/5
Finally restarted my working sets on the power clean. I'm not 100% satisfied yet with my form, but I'll work on it as the workouts come along. I started back down at 75 lbs for now and things are going well. Here's hoping for the best.

Weighted Sit-Ups:
65 lbs x 12/12/12/12
Added a 4th set to my situps and the last few reps on it are really anything but full. Regardless, things are still going well.

Everything is going well with the workouts. My eating and sleeping have been quite a bit better recently since it's final exam period, so I'm home a lot studying, meaning that I can really plan and schedule my meals and routine. Looking good so far!

headhuntr · 12-05-2008, 11:47 AM

Friday, 05-Dec-08

Week 7; Workout A

Squat:
185 lbs x 5/5/5
Added 5 lbs to my squat today. The last rep on my 3rd set was pretty harsh and quite slow, but the rest were manageable and I kept a good bar speed and form. Looking forward to next week, if I can keep up these increments I'll be at 200 lbs by next Friday!

Bench Press:
125 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my weight by 5 lbs again today on my bench. Everything went well and I'm making sure to keep my form in check. I'm taking longer rest periods between sets to keep everything proper.

Deadlift:
205 lbs x 5
Added another 10 lbs to my deadlifts today. It went well, although the weight is getting really heavy. I still have to get some chalk to help my grip, which I'm still using double-overhand.

Weighted Sit-Ups
65 lbs x 12/12/12/12/12
Added a 5th set of sit-ups today. I'll be upping to 70 lbs and back down to 3 sets for next Monday.

That's that for today. I'm really happy with my eating this week, although my sleep wasn't great yesterday due to having to get up early to go write one of my finals. Anyway, looking forward to Monday. Cheers.

headhuntr · 12-08-2008, 11:59 AM

Monday, 08-Dec-08

Week 8; Workout B

Squat:
190 lbs x 5/5/5
Added another 5 lbs today to my squats and things went well. Nothing really to complain about. My left shoulder and elbow are getting more flexible, which is helping my low bar form. I'm still watching out for that groin discomfort which is totally gone now. Just want to make sure not to get it back.

Press:
92.5 lbs x 5/5/5
Micro-loading on the press, added 2.5 lbs today. Went well, the weight is getting heavy and the last couple of reps on my 3rd set are pretty slow, but it's still manageable. I'm probably going to spring out and get two more 10 lbs plates to help me for the press. Being as my ceilings are pretty low, I can't put on anything larger than a 10 lbs plate on the bar and as of now I'm already using almost all the plates I have that are 10 and under for the press.

Power Clean:
75 lbs x 5/5/5
I was supposed to be doing 80 lbs today on the clean, but I guess I must have mis-counted and only added to 75, which I figured out after my 3rd work set, so I'll be adding 5 lbs on Friday instead. It did however give me some room to keep working on my form, which is getting better slowly but surely. I have yet to get that chalk for my deads and cleans and am really hoping I'll get around to it soon!

Weighted Sit-Ups:
70 lbs x 12/12/12
Upped my weight on sit-ups to 70 lbs and back down to three sets. I'll most likely be adding half a set each workout now, just to make sure that I'm getting the most out of proper and full reps. That'll lower me down to adding weight every 2 weeks instead of every week. I'm probably going to spring out and get a curl bar for my sit-ups, as my standard barbbell is getting overloaded as it is.

That's that for today. Looks like I have a few things to buy, and hopefully I can get to that this weekend after my second final. I'm sleeping well and am pretty happy with my eating, although I only gained 0.2 lbs last week, meaning that I'll have to bump up my cals a little to get back to my desired 0.5 to 1.5 lbs a week gain. Looking forward to Wednesday!

headhuntr · 12-10-2008, 11:51 AM

Wednesday, 10-Dec-08

Week 8; Workout A

Squat:
195 lbs x 5/5/5
Added another 5 lbs to my squats and it went pretty well. The weight is really getting heavy and I'm making sure to keep my form as close to perfect as possible.

Bench Press:
130 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my bench weight by 5 lbs today and I struggled a little more than last week, but it still went well.

Deadlift:
215 lbs x 5
Added 10 lbs to my deads. I'm still using a double-overhand grip and have yet to get any chalk. They were pretty brutal today, but I managed to get by.

Weighted Sit-Ups
70 lbs x 12/12/12/6
Added a 4th set with only half the reps today. As I said before, I'll be adding half sets from now on to really get the most out of full reps. I'll be up to a full 4 sets on Friday.

That's that for today. I'm pretty happy with how things are going, but I honestly might be getting off my bulk and Rippetoes sooner than I thought. I'm happy with the strength gains, but I'm gaining a little bit too much size for my liking. I already have to buy a whole new set of jeans and pants due to my thighs getting bigger. I'm probably going to keep at it until New Years, then go into a cut and see how things are looking. I'm happy with the size I'm at right now and don't really want to be gaining much more in that perspective. Strength gains would be great, but not if they come with the added size as well. Size in my chest and arms I don't mind too much right now, but it's my thighs that are getting a little annoying. We'll see what kind of program I'll be going into. Definitely though, the squats'll have to cool down a little. Cheers.

headhuntr · 12-12-2008, 12:27 PM

Friday, 12-Dec-08

Week 8; Workout B

Squat:
200 lbs x 5/5/5
Added another 5 lbs to my squats today and I'm happy to say that I'm at the 200 mark! I'm really happy with that. The weight is getting pretty heavy, but I'm keeping up with it and trying to keep my form intact.

Press:
95 lbs x 5/5/5
Still micro-loading on the press and added another 2.5 lbs today. It's really heavy, especially on the last couple of reps of my 3rd set, but I'm managing. I've officially run out of plates to add to it though, so I'll have to spring out and get a couple of 10 lbs plates before next Wednesday. My ceilings are pretty low in the basement, so I can't add anything larger than a 10 lbs plate.

Power Clean:
80 lbs x 5/5/5
Finally restarted adding weight to my power cleans. Added 5 lbs today and it felt pretty good. I think my form is quite a bit better now, although a couple of my reps could've gone better in that respect. Anyway, I'm really starting to like the lift, so I'm happy about that.

Weighted Sit-Ups:
70 lbs x 12/12/12/12
Added another half set today which brought me up to 4 sets at 70 lbs. They're pretty heavy, but I'm managing quite well. I'll be up to 4.5 on Monday.

That's that for today. I'm really happy with the results strength and physique-wise that SS has given me so far. I think I've cut down on the eating a little bit, which I'll have to work on. The sleep's been good though. Anyway, I have a final tonight and then one next Saturday and I'm done for this term! Holidays here I come!

headhuntr · 12-15-2008, 12:05 PM

Monday, 15-Dec-08

Already in my 9th week and only 10 days until Christmas morning!!

Week 9; Workout A

Squat:
205 lbs x 5/5/5
Added another 5 lbs to my squat today and it was pretty heavy. I still managed all my reps with decent form, but I'll really have to come in energized for Wednesday and Friday if I want to keep up these 5 lbs increments.

Bench Press:
135 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my bench weight by 5 lbs today and it feels really good to finally be benching a plate. Not much of a feat for a lot of people on here, but I'm happy with it and that's all that really matters. Anyway, I was really working and the bar felt heavy as hell. Took longer rests between sets and managed it none-the-less.

Deadlift:
225 lbs x 5
Added 10 lbs to my deadlifts and the weight is really getting heavy. I finally switched my grip on my working set to a one-hand reverse and that helped a lot.

Weighted Sit-Ups
70 lbs x 12/12/12/12/6
Up to 4.5 sets on my sit-ups and everything is going pretty well. I'll be at 5 by Wednesday and then probably just repeat that on Friday before upping my weight for next Monday.

That's that for today. I still didn't spring out to get those 10 lbs plates for my press on Wednesday due to the last couple of days being pretty hectic with Christmas coming and finals still rearing their ugly heads. I'm not too happy with my eating this past weekend, but I'm still doing good in the sleeping department. So far, after 9 weeks, I've gained just under 16 lbs on SS. Looking forward to Wednesday!

headhuntr · 12-18-2008, 07:43 AM

Wednesday, 17-Dec-08

Week 9; Workout B

Squat:
210 lbs x 5/4/3
Added another 5 lbs to my squats today and I can really say that they felt heavy as hell. I managed the first set, although with some effort, but I missed on my last rep of my second set. The third set went just as bad as I didn't even try for a 4th rep. I think it was just my frame of mind today and I was just not into it as much as I should have been. Combined with some sub-par eating and maybe a lack of sleep, I'm not too surprised at the outcome for today.

Press:
97.5 lbs x 5/5/5
Still micro-loading on the press and added another 2.5 lbs today. As the workout went on I got more into it and managed to tough out all 3 sets of the press. The last couple of reps on the third set were pretty heavy, but I pulled them off.

Power Clean:
85 lbs x 5/5/5
Upped my weight by 5 lbs for power cleans and everything went well. I'm really starting to enjoy this lift and my form is getting better every workout.

Weighted Sit-Ups:
70 lbs x 12/12/12/12/12
Finally up to 5 full sets on my sit-ups at 70 lbs and they went pretty well. Heavy, but manageable.

I think Friday might be my last workout for SS before I take a week off to rest during the Christmas break and then start up with a split just before the new year. SS has brought me some really great results strength-wise, but I feel as if it's not 100% compatible with my goals anymore. Mainly my thighs have really grown a lot and I don't feel that squatting 3 times a week is what I need right now. My goal isn't to be a strongman or anything of the sort. I'm happy with the size and weight that I've gained and I'll be looking to go into a split and cut to lean up and see where things are at. We'll see how it goes and who knows, maybe I'll be back on SS or a similar strength routine again soon! Cheers.