SS round 2: ding ding! - Matt297's log

[matt297]

The gloves are off for this one

I've decided to keep a log for my own motivation and maybe a little support along the way. Plus I am hungover right now and it gives me an excuse to sit on my ass for the foreseeable future

This is my second time on SS, and while I am somewhat nervous about what I can expect to get from starting strength this time around, I am going to give it my best shot. The purpose being to make sure I milk linear progression.

Its also a great opportunity to nail the form on the big lifts. I'll be starting this tomorrow.

My last stint on SS went ok. I came from being a full time smoker, heavy weekend drinker, and general waste of space. I was waaay too skinny. I'm still thin but compared to what I was before it is a vast improvement. Pics upcoming.

Hip flexors gave me big problems last time as did stress outside the gym...as did elbow and knee pain...as did my body's insatiable desire to expel everything I eat almost as soon as I eat it.
Fingers crossed this time around I dont have the same trouble. I think I'll factor in a de-load week here and there if things get tricky.

I didn't do powercleans last time but this time I'm sticking to the original program.

Workout A
3x5 Squat
3x5 Bench Press
1x5 Deadlift

Workout B
3x5 Squat
3x5 Press
5x3 Power cleans

Only change I'll make is squatting x3 per week. I'm really dubious about my ability to keep up with the squats given the hip flexors and current stats. I'll see how it goes and play it by ear. On alternate days I may just go 50% or do front squats, or go texas style, heavy/med/light. I may add in dips and chins too. opinions or comments most welcome!



Stats and pics up next

[matt297]

ONE YEAR'S PROGRESS AND STATS

So it has been a mixed first year; some periods of great gains but just as many bad periods, consisting of injuries, crap routine, and gym closures. But considering how low i started in both weight and lifts, and the fact I was a 27 year old with a very bad lifestyle (smoker, drinker, and bad diet), things have gone ok. Bring on the rest of 2010!

Body Stats



Lifting Stats

These are all 5RMs



My lifts were actually lower when I started at the end of February 09!

Current estimated 1RM;

Deadlift 316
Squat 242
Bench 173
Press 106

[matt297]

*nervously apprehensive about putting up pics*

PICS!

Here is my before and after shots...

First up... the before pic. I actually have another one taken 3 weeks before which is even more hideous. But it makes me feel sick looking at it so I wont post it.

Feb 2009 @ 133lbs



Now the money shot. Got a long way to go but I hope its obvious that things are under construction

March 2010 @ 167lbs



*please note that the handbag does NOT belong to me

Next up is day one.

[communistpanda]

Nice results for a year! I'm definitely interested on how this will go.

Subbed.

[newbie2bb]

hey subb'd to your log . good progress for a year. i'll be watching it to see how u go. look at it this way...at least ur not 133 pounds

[matt297]

Nice results for a year! I'm definitely interested on how this will go.

Subbed.

hey subb'd to your log . good progress for a year. i'll be watching it to see how u go. look at it this way...at least ur not 133 pounds

Thanks guys. Yeah I never want to go back to being that thin!

[matt297]

This turned out to be a pretty crap day actually when I expected it to be so easy!

I knocked 60lbs off the squat and deadlift to start, and 30lbs off the bench.

Squat
2x5x45
1x5x85
1x3x135
1x5x155
1x5x155
1x5x155 *Move up next time

##Note: Hip flexors already giving me problems. I can move the weight but its uncomfortable. Will stretch them out during the week.

Bench
2x5x45
1x5x65
1x3x85
1x2x105
1x5x125
1x5x125
1x5x125 *Move up next time

(I joined a new gym recently and I HATE the benches there. They are like, segmented instead of a regular flat rectangle, so its hard to get into a comfortable position. Also there are two J hooks for the bar. One os too high, knocking my shoulder blades out of position, and the other is too low , meaning a dangerous and delicate racking. In fact on one rep I missed the lower rack on one side causing me to push the bar on one side down round up and over. That was fine because I could handle the weight but what happens when I start hitting PRs and do the same thing? )

Deadlift
2x5x135
1x5x170
1x3x195
1x5x225
1x5x225
1x5x225 *Move up next time

I got my lifts as I expected but I was unhappy with the squat and my general enthusiasm today. I'll chalk it down to having a bad morning. Now to drink me some milk!

[newbie2bb]

This turned out to be a pretty crap day actually when I expected it to be so easy!

I knocked 60lbs off the squat and deadlift to start, and 30lbs off the bench.

Squat
2x5x45
1x5x85
1x3x135
1x5x155
1x5x155
1x5x155 *Move up next time

##Note: Hip flexors already giving me problems. I can move the weight but its uncomfortable. Will stretch them out during the week.

Bench
2x5x45
1x5x65
1x3x85
1x2x105
1x5x125
1x5x125
1x5x125 *Move up next time

(I joined a new gym recently and I HATE the benches there. They are like, segmented instead of a regular flat rectangle, so its hard to get into a comfortable position. Also there are two J hooks for the bar. One os too high, knocking my shoulder blades out of position, and the other is too low , meaning a dangerous and delicate racking. In fact on one rep I missed the lower rack on one side causing me to push the bar on one side down round up and over. That was fine because I could handle the weight but what happens when I start hitting PRs and do the same thing? )

Deadlift
2x5x135
1x5x170
1x3x195
1x5x225
1x5x225
1x5x225 *Move up next time

I got my lifts as I expected but I was unhappy with the squat and my general enthusiasm today. I'll chalk it down to having a bad morning. Now to drink me some milk!

i would take it easy on the milk fyi ..too much ur going to gain way to fast... what is ur diet like btw ..how many calories etc

[matt297]

i would take it easy on the milk fyi ..too much ur going to gain way to fast... what is ur diet like btw ..how many calories etc

Rip recommends a gallon of milk a day (gomad). I'll not be doing that much, maybe 2 litres at most if the stomach can handle it!

I don't count calories. But my diet is ok. I try and eat as clean as possible. On an average day i have this;

Breakfast - Bowl of porridge (with a lil sugar and cinnamon)
Smoothie (sometimes with two or three teaspoons of olive oil)
Protein shake with milk

Brunch - 3 weetabix with a banana

Lunch - Tuna sandwhich or sardine sandwhich or scrambled eggs (4 whole)
- Half a tin of beans

Snack - oatcakes with cheese or protein bar (see below)

Dinner - Varies a lot but always meat, carbs, n veg

Late dinner - either second dinner or a few eggs (sometimes nothing depending on time)

Night - If I dont have a late meal i have a casein protein shake

__________________________________________________ _________________

Home-made protein bar

Got this recipe off bb.com

3 cup oatmeal
1 cup skimmed milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
4 scoops protein powder
dash of cinnamon



These were the most blandest thing ever!!! lol. Definately needs some work!

[matt297]

Session #2

Squat
2x5 20kg (45lbs)
1x5 40kg (88lbs)
1x3 60kg (135lbs)
1x2 70kg (155lbs)
1x5 72.5kg (160lbs)
1x5 72.5kg (160lbs)
1x5 72.5kg (160lbs)

Powerclean
2x5 20kg (45lbs)
1x5 25kg (55lbs)
1x5 30kg (66lbs)
1x5 30kg (66lbs)
1x5 30kg (66lbs)

Press
2x5 20kg (45lbs)
1x5 25kg (55lbs)
1x5 30kg (66lbs)
1x5 30kg (66lbs)
1x5 30kg (66lbs)

Stretched hip flexors and groin last night and today it felt so much better.

All the lifts went easy.

[newbie2bb]

hahah i know that 1 gallon what he recommends however the direct outcome is gas and other ...wow ur the only guy i know who eats sardines. and good job on the homecooking .

[matt297]

hahah i know that 1 gallon what he recommends however the direct outcome is gas and other ...wow ur the only guy i know who eats sardines. and good job on the homecooking .

lol. yeah. Too much milk can reek havoc on your insides! I gota eat my sardines boneless and skinless. lol

[matt297]

Session #3

Squat
2x5x20kg
1x5x40kg
1x3x60kg
1x2x70kg
1x5x75kg (165lbs)
1x5x75kg (165lbs)
1x5x75kg (165lbs) *Move up next time

Bench
2x5x20kg
1x5x30kg
1x3x40kg
1x2x50kg
1x5x57.5kg (127lbs)
1x5x57.5kg (127lbs)
1x5x57.5kg (127lbs) *Move up next time

Deadlift
2x5x60kg
1x5x80kg
1x3x100kg
1x5x105kg (235lbs) *Move up next time

2x9 Dips (unweighted)

3x15 Standing Calf Press (smith machine) 82.5kg (182lbs)

Today was easy. Hip flexors feeling ok. Still a little tight though. I'll keep stretching them out.

[lessonlearned]

I'll be following along. Good progress so far. Feel free to check out my log as well.

[newbie2bb]

hey u ever heard of the 5/3/1 method? starting that sunday i think but would be a nice spring off of rippetoe

[Inertiatic]

Subbed. And damn, you were pretty skinny. Nice progress up to this point though.

[Farley1324]

I'll follow along.


And I'll bet most people could handle a gallon of milk a day if they worked up to it. I sometimes drank 5 quarts a day when I ran SS for the first time a couple of years ago. Didn't bother me one bit.

[matt297]

I'll be following along. Good progress so far. Feel free to check out my log as well.

thanks man.

hey u ever heard of the 5/3/1 method? starting that sunday i think but would be a nice spring off of rippetoe

yeah thats wendler's program i think. I thought it was more for advanced folk but i really dont know much about it.

Subbed. And damn, you were pretty skinny. Nice progress up to this point though.

lol, you want to see the picture of me 3 weeks before that one! Its a stomach turner! Thanks for subbing in

I'll follow along.


And I'll bet most people could handle a gallon of milk a day if they worked up to it. I sometimes drank 5 quarts a day when I ran SS for the first time a couple of years ago. Didn't bother me one bit.

Thanks Farley. I think some people are better adapted to it. Although I hear what you are saying. My ability to eat and drink milk has gone up considerably since I started weights. Going in too fast is the killer!

[newbie2bb]

matt u do know i got the ebook for

5/3/1



cough ..

u know if its out there i can find it .


also have e book called

black secret book . by thibs i think from t nation

oh yeah i am doing another log . i finished my prime/powerfull/oep

now going to something totally diffrent its in my signature on on my old log link


doing Havoc and M-drol log

[matt297]

also have e book called

black secret book . by thibs i think from t nation

Ive never heard of the 'black secret book'. Presumably because its a secret. *bertstare.jpg*

whats that about?

ill be sure to check out your other log

[matt297]

Session #4

Powerclean
2x5x20kg
1x5x30kg
1x3x32.5kg (72lbs)
1x3x32.5kg (72lbs)
1x3x32.5kg (72lbs)
1x3x32.5kg (72lbs)
1x3x32.5kg (72lbs) *Move up next time

Note: Form wasn't as great today but still good. Weight was easy so its just the technical part. Keep those elbows up!

Squat
1x5x20kg
1x5x40kg
1x3x60kg
1x2x70kg
1x5x77.5kg (171lbs)
1x5x77.5kg (171lbs)
1x5x77.5kg (171lbs) *Move up next time

Note: Right hip flexor felt much better today. Left was still sore. It bugged my form on the first two work sets but last work set went up a breeze.

Press
1x5x32.5kg (72lbs)
1x5x32.5kg (72lbs)
1x5x32.5kg (72lbs) *Move up next time

Chins
1x10 BW
1x8 BW *2x10 next time

Seated Calf Raises
1x15 20kg
1x15 20kg
1x15 20kg *Move up next time

Note: Used seated calf machine. Only second time I used this. I dont know what contribution toward weight would be included from BW and/or machine itself.

[Inertiatic]

You feel good doing no warmups for pressing? I feel like getting the juices flowing with some warmups helps me so much with trying to press any significant amount of weight.

[Farley1324]

You feel good doing no warmups for pressing? I feel like getting the juices flowing with some warmups helps me so much with trying to press any significant amount of weight.

Exactly.

No offense to the OP, everybody has to start somewhere, but he is not yet pressing a significant amount of weight.

[Farley1324]

You feel good doing no warmups for pressing? I feel like getting the juices flowing with some warmups helps me so much with trying to press any significant amount of weight.

Exactly.

No offense to the OP, everybody has to start somewhere, but he is not yet pressing a significant amount of weight.

[matt297]

You feel good doing no warmups for pressing? I feel like getting the juices flowing with some warmups helps me so much with trying to press any significant amount of weight.

Exactly.

No offense to the OP, everybody has to start somewhere, but he is not yet pressing a significant amount of weight.

yea i did a warm up set with the bar and 25kg before the working sets. I just didn't realise I never put them in.

My press was pretty rubbish the first time around so i've started low and this time I am working on the form more, which I neglected a little first time.

[Inertiatic]

Well considering his 5RM is 94 pounds, as noted in one of the first posts, I could see how 72 pounds may not be difficult enough to press to warrant any kind of warmup. It was more of a general question, as I wasn't sure if that was standard practice for the OP, or the lack of warmups was more due to the lower intensity (77% of max).

Edit: Oh, okay. What were your issues with form? Leaning back too much? Wrong arm placement? Non-vertical bar path?

[matt297]

It was more of a general question, as I wasn't sure if that was standard practice for the OP, or the lack of warmups was more due to the lower intensity (77% of max).

Edit: Oh, okay. What were your issues with form? Leaning back too much? Wrong arm placement? Non-vertical bar path?

I always warm up for every specific exercise. I just reduced the warm-up for that and the powerclean because of the lower intensity.

Its funny how you just dont pay attention to elements of form, or forget them. When doing the press the first time around I didnt pay any attention to arm placement (vertical under the bar) and finishing the movement off at the top (rather than not getting 'underneath' the bar).

[matt297]

Session #5

Squat
2x5x20kg
1x5x40kg
1x4x60kg
1x3x70kg
1x5x80kg (176lbs)
1x5x80kg (176lbs)
1x5x80kg (176lbs) *Move up next time

Note: Probably my best squats ever today. Speed was great. Flexors still tight but improving.

Bench
2x5x30kg
1x5x40kg
1x3x50kg
1x5x60kg (132lbs)
1x5x60kg (132lbs)
1x5x60kg (132lbs) *Move up next time

Note: Still bugged by the style of the bench. Its difficult to get properly set but i'm adapting.

Deadlift
1x5x60kg
1x3x80kg
1x2x100kg
1x5x110kg (242lbs)
1x5x110kg (242lbs)
1x5x110kg (242lbs) *Move up next time

Dips
2x12 *Add 5kgs next time

Abs
Done a few random exercises. Need to come up with a proper ab routine.

[matt297]

Session #6

Squat
2x5x20kg
1x5x60kg
1x4x70kg
1x3x80kg
1x5x82.5kg (182lbs)
1x5x82.5kg (182lbs)
1x5x82.5kg (182lbs) *Move up next time

Note: Good squats. Went up relatively easy with good pace.

Press
2x5x20kg
1x5x30kg
1x5x35kg (77lbs)
1x5x35kg (77lbs)
1x5x35kg (77lbs) *Move up next time

Note: Press was fine although I didn't put enough emphasis on squeezing at the top. But this might be because I was a little distracted by the semi-clad hotties working out next to me.

Powerclean
2x5x20kg
1x5x30kg
1x3x35kg (77lbs)
1x3x35kg (77lbs)
1x3x35kg (77lbs)
1x3x35kg (77lbs)
1x3x35kg (77lbs) *Move up next time

Note: Still working on form but went up easy.

Pull-ups
1x8
1x6 *2x8 next time

Abs
Done a few random exercises. Still need to come up with a proper ab routine.[/QUOTE]

[matt297]

Home-made protein bar - Round two!

I've tweaked the revipe for my second batch

3 cup oatmeal
1 cup skimmed milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
4 scoops protein powder
1/8 cup of unrefined brown cane sugar
1/4 honey

They no longer taste like a sun dried turd!!!

In fact they are awesome!! Taste good, easy to eat, and they are a tad softer cuz of the honey. Success!