jshaw's Starting Strength log

[pageh656]

amazing progress, so far. i did SS for the first 4 months this year and now im doin gslp, which is very similar obv. epic lifts you have.

[ddog171]

Squats looking solid. Epic progress in here.

[jshaw5]

amazing progress, so far. i did SS for the first 4 months this year and now im doin gslp, which is very similar obv. epic lifts you have.

Do you have a log on here? I've read a little about GSLP, I like the of doing AMRAP on the last set. I can't really do that now since I'm at the point where the 5th reps are almost always real grinders, but I think I might incorporate that in when I have to reset.

[IfNotNow]

Those squats looked pretty good all around. I saw no depth issues on the last two reps either.

[jshaw5]

Monday's workout

Tracked a workout for 1,094 pts

Barbell Squat:
45 lb x 5 reps (+31 pts)
115 lb x 5 reps (+50 pts)
185 lb x 3 reps (+65 pts)
255 lb x 2 reps (+87 pts)
320 lb x 5 reps (+200 pts)
330 lb x 2 reps (+145 pts)
330 lb x 5 reps (+214 pts)
Camera died in the middle of the first set First set of 330 I thought was easier than 325 on Friday, then between sets I realized why... I only had 320 loaded Added a pair of 5's for the last two sets. On the second set, I think I lost tightness coming out of the hole after the 2nd rep, couldn't get out. Almost called it a day on squats after the 2nd set, then I said fukc this, I'm not letting 330 defeat me. Loaded the bar back up with 330 and went for another set. The last rep was the biggest grinder I've ever had on squats, but I got it.

Barbell Bench Press:
45 lb x 5 reps (+36 pts)
85 lb x 5 reps (+47 pts)
125 lb x 3 reps (+49 pts)
165 lb x 2 reps (+54 pts)
205 lb x 1 reps (+58 pts)
Elbow acted up. I wish I could say I was smart and stopped as soon as I felt it, but I tried pushing through. When I lowered the bar for the first work set rep, I finally said nope, just there for a moment before pushing it back up and racking it.

Weighted Hyperextension:
0 lb x 10 reps (+7 pts)
25 lb x 10 reps (+9 pts)
35 lb x 8 reps (+9 pts)
35 lb x 8 reps (+9 pts)
35 lb x 8 reps (+9 pts)

Hanging Straight Leg Raise:
8 reps (+5 pts)
8 reps (+5 pts)
8 reps (+5 pts)
Not sure what they're called, but the last two sets I did like windshield wipers arching from side to side rather than straight up and down.

[Woody-5]

Great work on the 330x5 squats!
Take care of that elbow

[jcranston]

Careful with that elbow, good session none the less!

[pageh656]

Do you have a log on here? I've read a little about GSLP, I like the of doing AMRAP on the last set. I can't really do that now since I'm at the point where the 5th reps are almost always real grinders, but I think I might incorporate that in when I have to reset.

i dont have a log. that is what i started to do on my resets for the upper body lifts and DL, i didnt do more than 5 on squats because that would prob have killed the rest of my workout (gslp has squats at the end for that reason). my main reason for switching over was because my recovery was suffering squatting near my 5rm every other day, so now its only 2/3 workouts and the other day is DL w upper body lifts switching still like SS. gslp also allows for more conditioning which is something i wanted to work on. i also liked the idea of GTG pullups/pushups but i found it made my joints a bit more sore since ive been on a deficit for awhile. all in all, they are very similar programs and i think its a good next step after SS, but dont rush the transition because SS is still the quickest progression and doing the movements more often helps keep form fresh in your mind.

keep up the good work.

[jshaw5]

Wednesday's Workout

Tracked a workout for 2,265 pts

Front Barbell Squat:
45 lb x 5 reps (+36 pts)
80 lb x 5 reps (+45 pts)
120 lb x 3 reps (+48 pts)
155 lb x 2 reps (+51 pts)
195 lb x 5 reps (+99 pts)
195 lb x 5 reps (+99 pts)
195 lb x 5 reps (+99 pts)


Standing Barbell Shoulder Press:
45 lb x 5 reps (+49 pts)
65 lb x 5 reps (+56 pts)
90 lb x 3 reps (+53 pts)
115 lb x 2 reps (+53 pts)
142.5 lb x 5 reps (+95 pts)
142.5 lb x 5 reps (+95 pts)

Fukcing elbow started acting up, skipped the last set.

Barbell Deadlift:
135 lb x 5 reps (+57 pts)
195 lb x 5 reps (+86 pts)
260 lb x 3 reps (+107 pts)
320 lb x 2 reps (+136 pts)
385 lb x 4 reps (+284 pts) (vg's)
335 lb x 1 reps (+121 pts)

Considering I actually got the bar off the ground this time, this went much better than last time. Actually got to really use my versa gripps, they are absolutely amazing. I picked a bad spot to set up, way too much traffic, was kinda distracting. Back and hamstrings were still a little sore from squats and back extensions on Monday, but I think my quads were the limiting factor. By the time the fifth rep came around, they were just exhausted.

Barbell Shrug:
135 lb x 10 reps (+29 pts)
185 lb x 10 reps (+40 pts)
225 lb x 10 reps (+53 pts)

Rack Deadlift:
275 lb x 5 reps (+106 pts)
315 lb x 5 reps (+138 pts)
365 lb x 5 reps (+194 pts)

Cable Crunch:
30 lb x 10 reps (+9 pts)
70 lb x 10 reps (+12 pts)
100 lb x 10 reps (+15 pts)

Song of the day:

[pezking7p]

Good stuff on the lower body work! What's the deal with your elbow? Have to let that crap heal bro. Then figure out what causes it and don't do it anymore, or else you'll constantly be in pain/stalled. Srs.

I've got some tips for elbow pain, can you describe it in detail?

[jshaw5]

Wednesday's Workout

Tracked a workout for 2,265 pts

Front Barbell Squat:
45 lb x 5 reps (+36 pts)
80 lb x 5 reps (+45 pts)
120 lb x 3 reps (+48 pts)
155 lb x 2 reps (+51 pts)
195 lb x 5 reps (+99 pts)
195 lb x 5 reps (+99 pts)
195 lb x 5 reps (+99 pts)


Standing Barbell Shoulder Press:
45 lb x 5 reps (+49 pts)
65 lb x 5 reps (+56 pts)
90 lb x 3 reps (+53 pts)
115 lb x 2 reps (+53 pts)
142.5 lb x 5 reps (+95 pts)
142.5 lb x 5 reps (+95 pts)

Fukcing elbow started acting up, skipped the last set.

Barbell Deadlift:
135 lb x 5 reps (+57 pts)
195 lb x 5 reps (+86 pts)
260 lb x 3 reps (+107 pts)
320 lb x 2 reps (+136 pts)
385 lb x 4 reps (+284 pts) (vg's)
335 lb x 1 reps (+121 pts)

Considering I actually got the bar off the ground this time, this went much better than last time. Actually got to really use my versa gripps, they are absolutely amazing. I picked a bad spot to set up, way too much traffic, was kinda distracting. Back and hamstrings were still a little sore from squats and back extensions on Monday, but I think my quads were the limiting factor. By the time the fifth rep came around, they were just exhausted.

Barbell Shrug:
135 lb x 10 reps (+29 pts)
185 lb x 10 reps (+40 pts)
225 lb x 10 reps (+53 pts)

Rack Deadlift:
275 lb x 5 reps (+106 pts)
315 lb x 5 reps (+138 pts)
365 lb x 5 reps (+194 pts)

Cable Crunch:
30 lb x 10 reps (+9 pts)
70 lb x 10 reps (+12 pts)
100 lb x 10 reps (+15 pts)

Song of the day:

new page

Good stuff on the lower body work! What's the deal with your elbow? Have to let that crap heal bro. Then figure out what causes it and don't do it anymore, or else you'll constantly be in pain/stalled. Srs.

I've got some tips for elbow pain, can you describe it in detail?

I think the elbow issues started a month or so ago. At first I thought it was caused by bench, because that's when it bothered me the most. However, after doing some research on the issue, I determined that squats are the culprit. The pain is in my brachioradialis


When I first identified the issue, I widened my squat grip and started using elbow sleeves. It was feeling better and I had a couple workouts with no pain, but it's starting to creep back up again. It pretty much doesn't bother me outside of the gym, so I think it's better, then it starts acting up again. I'm taking Friday off and going back to wearing the elbow sleeves for squatting and pressing movements, but any other suggestions would be great. Thanks.

[Woody-5]

Excellent work hitting the 385 pulls!

[pezking7p]

use narrower grip in squats, as narrow as you can go and then go about two fingers inside of that The problem comes when you try to pull your hands together, massive stress on brachioradialis in a poor position. Also squeeze shoulder blades together hard throughout movement, give that bar something nice to sit on. As soon as I did that 90% of my elbow issues went away.

In the mean time, I've never done this, but I've heard fantastic, almost instant results.

[The Shoeless Wonder]

squats fudged up my forearm for a little bit.

nice numbers on the fronts. 2 plates soon for you big guy!

dl for looks spot on, cept you dont have to shrug/strain your arms. how you like dem versa gripps? yeah, i thought so

[jshaw5]

Excellent work hitting the 385 pulls!

Thanks. After not being able to move 385 last week, I was worried I was going to have to reset. This confirms that my legs were just dead last week, these felt real good today.

use narrower grip in squats, as narrow as you can go and then go about two fingers inside of that The problem comes when you try to pull your hands together, massive stress on brachioradialis in a poor position. Also squeeze shoulder blades together hard throughout movement, give that bar something nice to sit on. As soon as I did that 90% of my elbow issues went away.

In the mean time, I've never done this, but I've heard fantastic, almost instant results.

I'll have to try a narrower grip. My grip has always been kinda wide since my shoulders aren't very flexible. Do you wrap your thumbs around the bar or go thumbless? Now that I think of it, when I switched to a thumbless grip, I widened my grip a little bit, and that's probably around when I first started having discomfort in my elbow.

squats fudged up my forearm for a little bit.

nice numbers on the fronts. 2 plates soon for you big guy!

dl for looks spot on, cept you dont have to shrug/strain your arms. how you like dem versa gripps? yeah, i thought so

I started looking into versa gripps a while back when I saw you posted about them in another log. They are absolutely amazing. They may cost 5x more than regular straps, but they're worth every penny

[pezking7p]

I use thumbless grip. When I decided I was going to use a narrower grip, it felt awful. But after warmups, I found the discomfort was gone and my upper back felt much tighter, and I'm less prone to "pull" the bar into my back. It got so bad last year that I was in misery outside the gym.

[MatTheCur]

You've seen how I grip for squats... I'm actively working on bringing my grip in tighter, especially after haing finally found my low-bar sweet spot.

I've always tried to keep as tight and narrow as possible, and have been scared that I might develop some problems in my arms. I haven't yet *knocks on wood*, and I've always had my hands on top of the bar pushing it down into my traps/delts

[Bumpus]

I see you have caught me on OHP, now all I have in bench :/

Curls helped my elbow out a bunch too.

Good Isht man!

[Bumpus]

In the mean time, I've never done this, but I've heard fantastic, almost instant results.

What is that band called? Buddah band? I might be looking into one of those and it looks like my wife will get her chance to beat me up a bit.

Would wearing an elbow sleeve during the workouts have a similar effect?

[Juggernaut0]

Can't wait til you're reppin out 4 plates. Nice work!

[Ironlife]

Deadlifts looked great, i like how you reset each rep and really made a concious effort to get everything right

[jshaw5]

I use thumbless grip. When I decided I was going to use a narrower grip, it felt awful. But after warmups, I found the discomfort was gone and my upper back felt much tighter, and I'm less prone to "pull" the bar into my back. It got so bad last year that I was in misery outside the gym.

You've seen how I grip for squats... I'm actively working on bringing my grip in tighter, especially after haing finally found my low-bar sweet spot.

I've always tried to keep as tight and narrow as possible, and have been scared that I might develop some problems in my arms. I haven't yet *knocks on wood*, and I've always had my hands on top of the bar pushing it down into my traps/delts

The more I think about it, I realize that up until I switched to thumbless grip, I was constantly trying to fight my shoulder flexibility making grip narrower and narrower. When I switched to thumbless, I widened it a little, started having problems, and I thought even wider would make it better

What is that band called? Buddah band? I might be looking into one of those and it looks like my wife will get her chance to beat me up a bit.

Would wearing an elbow sleeve during the workouts have a similar effect?

I think he said they're called voodoo bands. I couldn't find anything on google, but I saw in the comments someone said where to get them. I'm not sure if an elbow sleeve will be tight enough, but I'll probably give it a shot.
http://www.jumpstretch.com/osc/catal...234e6d997d0472

Can't wait til you're reppin out 4 plates. Nice work!

Me too!!!

Deadlifts looked great, i like how you reset each rep and really made a concious effort to get everything right

Thanks. I think once I hit over 3 plates, I started to let my form slip, worried more about just getting the weight up than making sure I do it right. Looking through some of my subs, I saw some things that reminded me of cues that I need to get back into my pre-deadlift process.

[dk240t]

In that series, he mentions getting the bands from roguefitness.com. They have a whole series of them - Voodoo bands, resistance bands, in a variety of thicknesses/resistances. You can find them other places, but I found a good selection there. I haven't bought anything from them, just checked them out.

[PeterGibbons316]

Next time you squat get a vid from behind so that we can see your hands/elbows. I had elbow issues as well that ultimately were caused by trying to pull myself up out of the hole putting too much stress on my elbows. Something that helped was actively trying to raise my elbows up out of the hole - as if my elbows were attached to the ceiling with strings that were being pulled up at the bottom of the rep. But the real issue I found was that my hands were draped too far over the bar. So instead of pressing the bar forward into my back, I was pressing it down into my back. I put a mirror at eye level in front of my squat rack and use it to check my hand position and haven't had any issues since.

I also agree that adding curls helps tremendously as well. You do all kinds of pressing movements on SS that really work the triceps, but hardly anything to work the bicep on the other side of the joint. It creates an imbalance that allows these kinds of elbow problems.

[dk240t]

I also agree that adding curls helps tremendously as well. You do all kinds of pressing movements on SS that really work the triceps, but hardly anything to work the bicep on the other side of the joint. It creates an imbalance that allows these kinds of elbow problems.

Do you think chin-ups for a bicep move are adequate? I don't do curls regularly, but do chins on Press/Power clean day.

[PeterGibbons316]

Do you think chin-ups for a bicep move are adequate? I don't do curls regularly, but do chins on Press/Power clean day.

It wasn't in my experience. It's an issue of balance. I think the bicep activation in chin-ups or rows isn't nearly comparable to the tricep activation on bench or OHP, so without something else to target the biceps they remain underdeveloped. It's not like it takes that long to do a few sets of curls after your session, and it's not like they are going to interfere with any of the important lifts.....

That's my 2 cents anyway.

[pezking7p]

re: voodoo bands, you can also just get a bicycle inner tube and cut it in half (so it's just a long tube) and then split it down the middle (so it's no longer a tube, just a long strip).

[jshaw5]

Next time you squat get a vid from behind so that we can see your hands/elbows. I had elbow issues as well that ultimately were caused by trying to pull myself up out of the hole putting too much stress on my elbows. Something that helped was actively trying to raise my elbows up out of the hole - as if my elbows were attached to the ceiling with strings that were being pulled up at the bottom of the rep. But the real issue I found was that my hands were draped too far over the bar. So instead of pressing the bar forward into my back, I was pressing it down into my back. I put a mirror at eye level in front of my squat rack and use it to check my hand position and haven't had any issues since.

I also agree that adding curls helps tremendously as well. You do all kinds of pressing movements on SS that really work the triceps, but hardly anything to work the bicep on the other side of the joint. It creates an imbalance that allows these kinds of elbow problems.

Here's my video from last Friday, I got the second work set from behind, starts at 1:12. Damn my grip is wide.

It wasn't in my experience. It's an issue of balance. I think the bicep activation in chin-ups or rows isn't nearly comparable to the tricep activation on bench or OHP, so without something else to target the biceps they remain underdeveloped. It's not like it takes that long to do a few sets of curls after your session, and it's not like they are going to interfere with any of the important lifts.....

That's my 2 cents anyway.

I definitely agree with this, and I've intended to add some curls into the routine more regularly, but I need to stop making excuses.

re: voodoo bands, you can also just get a bicycle inner tube and cut it in half (so it's just a long tube) and then split it down the middle (so it's no longer a tube, just a long strip).

Wow that is genius. Definitely running out to walmart later to grab a couple tubes.

[PeterGibbons316]

Looks like your hands are placed pretty well on the bar - not too far under, or draped over. So your issue is likely to be different from mine

You can train through it, but the best cure for tendonitis is rest

Ibuprofen helps after the fact, but if it bothers you while you are lifting, NSAIDs won't help all that much.

[ddog171]

I count my blessings I don't have this elbow pain. Been seeing it a lot on the threads. I sometimes get pain in my elbows doing chins, but nothing too bad.

I am sure a couple sets of curls in the squat rack will help your rehabilitation.