Dennis lifts things up and puts them down

[dk240t]

I finally decided to add in a workout log here for support and assistance. Its April 12, I started my current workout plan, Starting Strength, on January 28, and have done 27 workouts so far. Starting strength only lasts so long, and I think as I progress, I'm going to need more intelligent lifters' help building in variations and plans.

I started at ~163lbs, when I started tracking what I ate, I targeted calories at 3500/day. That proved too much, so I'm currently targeting 3000cal/day. Current bw ~175. I'm 5'10", 31 years old, never really lifted weights except for a few months playing around with machines about a year ago. Goal is to get strong, add muscle, and take linear gains on starting strength or slight variations as far as I can.

Starting stats (max weight I did on first workout of each exercise):
Squat: 100 lbs
Bench: 95 lbs
Deadlift: 95 lbs
Press: 65 lbs
Power clean: 65lbs
Dips: Unweighted sets of 5
Chin-ups: Unweighted sets of 4-5

Current Max:
Squat: 205lbs (x5x3)
Bench: 160 lbs (x5x3)
Deadlift: 215 lbs (x5)
Press: 102.5 lbs (x5x3)
Power clean: 125lbs
Dips: 3 Sets of 8 (+10lbs)
Chin-ups: 3 Sets of 8 (-20lbs, assisted)

[dk240t]

April122012_progress_graph.jpg

I'm an engineer, so I've got a spreadsheet log with graphs, and so I've attached my progress graph. If someone with 50+posts sees this, can you reply/embed it for me? It doesn't seem like I can do it.

That blip in the increases - I was going on vacation for a week, with some business travel right before, and went to do a workout on bad sleep/low food and it sucked. So I did the vacation/travel, took over a week off, and then dropped weights down when I came back to help continue linear progress.

Power clean, I still feel like isn't that tough - I'm working up quickly after I started into it late and had to work technique up.

Technique-wise - I think I'm getting all the lifts much better, still have issues with lower back rounding at the bottom of squats I think. I need to take some videos.

[dk240t]

Next workout is tonight. This is the 3rd workout of the week. Irregular business travel makes my workout schedule weird sometimes - I try to do workouts every other day and take the extra day rest when I travel. It doesn't look like I have any travel next week, so I'm thinking I'll take 2 days after today and then do the next one on Sunday. (In the past, I have sometimes gone 5 workouts every other day, followed by a few days rest due to travel, rather than 3 every other day, an extra day rest, then some more).

I thought I'd try taking a light squat day in the middle this week, did light squats on Tuesday with some RDL to help work the back/hamstrings (and hopefully work through my lower back rounding at the bottom of the squat). I think that was a good day, not sure how much I'll incorporate that into the program - special one-off day for now.

But then yesterday I wanted to do some cardio since I had done very little for a long while, so I did some running. And now my hamstrings are sore. Should make for interesting squats tonight, but gotta forge ahead.

Tonights workout plan: Squat 210 (+5 off max), press 105 (+2.5 off max), power clean 135 (+10 off max), assisted chinups 3x8 (-17.5, same as prior max where I missed some reps, light rest with gym closing early)

Note on assisted chinups: I want to work up to 3x8 chin-ups, and then go weighted, I started trying to do unweighted chin-ups to get up to 3x8, but when I tried the assisted chins I felt like I got a better workout and could more easily track progress, so I'm doing that. Linear progress on assisted chins - if I get all my reps, I'll decrease the assist/increase the weight.

[jshaw5]

Smart move to create a log on here. I would almost guarantee I wouldn't have made the same amount of progress if it weren't for my log, and I can't say how bad my form would be. What is your current programming like? I assume still squats every workout, bench/press alternating, and deadlift/power cleans alternating?

Here's your graph...

[dk240t]

Smart move to create a log on here. I would almost guarantee I wouldn't have made the same amount of progress if it weren't for my log, and I can't say how bad my form would be. What is your current programming like? I assume still squats every workout, bench/press alternating, and deadlift/power cleans alternating?

Yep, standard programming:

A day:
Squats 3x5
Bench 3x5
Deadlift 1x5
Dips 3x8

B day:
Squats 3x5
Press 3x5
Power clean 5x3
Chin-ups 3x8

Increase the weight on the bar if I get all the reps or pretty close, currently +5 for squat/bench, +2.5 for press, +10 for deadlift/power clean.
Increasing the weight on dips (weighted) and chin-ups (assisted) if I get all the reps.
Warm-up/cool down with 5 mins on the bike.
Throw some random ab/core stuff in when I feel like it.
Occasional curls <1 time/week when I am going to have extra rest. More like 1 time every 2 weeks probably.
Considering going to light squats in the middle day of the week soon, we'll see. Squats started off as one of my favorite exercises, but doing it every day and it requiring the most recovery time quickly has worn down on my excitement for it. I tried a light squat day for my 2nd workout this week; I don't think I'm going to make a mid-week light squat workout a permanent fixture quite yet.

Just realized one point for today's workout (power clean) ended up on the graph - I plan out my next workout in the spreadsheet but set it up so it doesn't graph. I'll have to fix that. And I'll have to hit that power clean number otherwise my graph will be all messed up!

[IfNotNow]

Subbed! Welcome to the world of journals...

[dk240t]

Summary: I decided to run the day before for some cardio, hamstrings felt sore all day long (workout at 5pm after work). I was afraid this would hurt me in the squats, I don't think it did. It killed my power cleans though. New PRs for squats and Press, need to redo these power cleans.

Squat
45x5
45x5
90x5
135x3
175x2

210x5x3 (PR, +5lbs)

Notes: Felt like quick recovery after first set, needed more standard recovery after 2nd. Couple of real grinders in last set, the 2nd or 3rd one was a real squat-morning type. Previously, I was having problems with lower back rounding at the bottom of the squat, but I didn't notice that here. If you watch the video, let me know what you think. Perhaps stretching + core work + some RDL work finally got improvement.




Press
45x5
60x5
75x3
90x2

105x5x3 (PR, +2.5lbs)

Notes: Noticed some form breakdowns in last set, first time I really saw that.



Power Clean
45-hangx5
75x5
95x3
115x3

135x3x4

Notes: Technically a PR, but I'm not counting it. I'm pretty sure I know what a power clean is, and this wasn't it. I didn't have it today. Hamstrings sore from running the prior day stole all the power. I threw one over one arm at 95 and dropped the last one I did at 135, decided a 5th set of 3 was only going to reinforce the terrible form I had today and that I wasn't successfully fixing it with more reps today. I swear I can do these. I'm going to have to redo this weight on a fresher day and see how I do before deciding to drop down. Or we'll see what people think. I'll post the video, and I'll also do a separate post with the video from the prior time I did 125x3x5 which was much better.

Do not watch unless you want to see power clean failure:



Assisted Chins
(BW-17.5)x8x3

Notes: Trying to do 3 sets of 8 and work up to bodyweight, then start weighting. PR for reps on this plan (although a while back when I did rock climbing, I'm sure I could have done 3 sets of 8+ at BW). Time to move up in weight/lower the assist to 15 for next time.

[dk240t]

I had video of the last time I did Power Cleans, on 4/8. I swear I did better then. If you want to critique form, work off this one, I just didn't have it last time. 125x3x5 here.



Thanks,

Dennis

[PeterGibbons316]

In on this.

I guess you decided to deload when you came back from a couple weeks off? How was that?

Power clean vid didn't look THAT bad. Just looked like you were scared of the weight, and only got your elbows up on a couple reps. You have a tendency to jump backward. Unfortunately I didn't do power cleans long enough to really give you any good advice on them


What kind of engineer are you?

[dk240t]

Thanks!

I'm not too worried about the Power Cleans. Some days you just have a bad day. Sometimes you know why. Running the day before took it out of me and I just didn't feel like I had the power.

Yeah, I did a little de-load when I took a week off, partly because my last workout sucked (poor sleep/food). I figure better to drop down and work back up than hit a wall. It doesn't take much time to get back to the weights you were at. I think it helped confidence, too. The weights I re-did felt much lighter, form felt better than the first time I'd hit them. It took 5-7 days of not working out before my legs started feeling normal again, no soreness, so I think a bit of a de-load, especially on squats, was helpful.

Glad to have you here!

I'm a chemical engineer, working in plastics now.

[dk240t]

I was thinking about power cleans. I think the "jump backwards" issue you noticed may actually be a "bar not touching legs" problem. The bar is too far forward, so to jump/pull against it, I have to jump backwards. This has been a lingering thing. My power cleans aren't terrible, nor great. I just need to work on racking them, getting the elbows under, and holding the bar against my legs when I jump. I had been stretching my arms into the power clean rack position on power clean days while I'm resting between squat sets, I need to get back into that habit.

Hamstrings still a little sore, more stretching and foam rolling. New workout tomorrow (currently Sunday/Tuesday/Thursday, but will shift with business travel coming up). Planning for 2 plate deadlift!

[PeterGibbons316]

Where do you have to travel on business? My company has factories all over the country and in Mexico as well, so depending on the project, I can end up wherever. I just started a new project that will require travel to Mexico - not real excited about it as good gyms down there will be hard to find. Typically though I would only be down there for a week at a time - and probably only a handful of times per year.

One thing that helped me on my cleans was to really think of the movement as 2 separate pulls. One from the floor to just above the knees. Then once the bar clears the knees you shrug as hard as you can and thrust your hips forward - the bar should be touching the thighs at this point and when done right will feel like you are almost using your knees to throw the bar up. You have the 3rd edition of SS? I heard Rip does a better job with the power clean in the 3rd edition, but I have the 2nd

[dk240t]

Right now, it is mostly Marietta, OH and Augusta, GA for work travel (2 plants we have), with some other stuff. The hotels I stay at in Marietta give me access to a YMCA, and I'm sure I could find something around Augusta, but the work when I travel makes getting the workout in hard - unpredictable scheduling. And usually they aren't week long trips, just a few days, so its just easier to adjust the schedule around and do most of them at the home gym. That's why an A/B/A/B/A/B type workout schedule works out well for me. So its easier just to take an extra day or two break, and do some body weight core work in the hotel room, and do some cardio if I get some free time.

I have the 2nd edition. I must have been the last person to buy it before the 3rd edition came out. I had it for a while before I finally got started, but when I got started.

I think mentally, I know how to do the power clean, I just need to keep working on it. I like the exercise. Would like to work rows into a more advanced program in the future, but not at the expense of power cleans.

New log coming up.

[dk240t]

4/15/2012 SS Workout 29

Summary: Was worried I was coming down with something - my throat started feeling a bit closed off yesterday and this morning, and was a bit tired this morning. Regardless, I fueled up and worked out on Sunday afternoon and set 3 new PRs, didn't miss a rep. This is the first time I've filmed the bench press. I missed the first set of squats and bench.

Squat
45x5
45x5
90x5
135x3
175x2

215x5x3 (PR, +5lbs)

Notes: Not the prettiest squats, felt a bit forward, definitely felt it in my lower back after the 2nd set.



Bench Press
45x5
75x5
105x3
135x2

165x5x3 (PR, +5lbs)

Notes: First time watching it on video - the gym is hard to get video on bench, so I've never done it before. It was kind of empty today so I got the last 2 sets on video. Let me know comments. I could get a more straight bar path, but my body feels pretty tight these days doing it. Not a huge arch, but I'm getting more comfy planting feet and using some leg drive, I think. It was very uncomfortable, and hard to keep my shoulders tight, when I first started trying to do that (keep shoulders tight and have leg drive). My wife is a good spotter, she didn't touch the bar at all.



Deadlift
65x5
95x5
135x5
175x3

225x5 (PR, +10lbs)

Notes: Back could be flatter I think. Held onto the 225 for a while on the last rep for grip work. Yeah, your computer didn't freeze, I'm just holding onto the bar still and not moving. I think I'm going to remove the 65lb deadlift warmup in the future.



Dips
BW+15x8x3 (PR, +5lbs)

Next workout: Tuesday. Try for new PRs on squat (+5), press (+2.5), and redo power clean PR that I don't count from last time.

[PeterGibbons316]

That's cool that you have access to the YMCA when you travel, for the longest time I would adjust my schedule whenever I traveled, until I eventually found a hotel that I could stay in with access to a really nice gym to use.


Sit back more on your squats. You kind of drop your ass straight down then come straight back up with it until you get stuck, then you finally throw the hips back to actually get the hams/glutes involved and finish the lift. If you start by pushing your hips back as much as you can, and then push them back as you rebound out of the hole - you will be able to use your entire PC for the duration of the lift without getting stuck like that.

Bench looked pretty solid - a little wobbly unracking, if you have a spotter, have them help you unrack and then rack when you finish. IMO you don't want a straight bar path. Looks like your elbows are directly under the bar which is the most important thing, whether you finish with the bar directly over your shoulders or directly over your sternum is up to you - I've always been stronger bringing the bar up to finish over my shoulders, even though the ROM is slightly longer.

I like the grip hold on your deadlift - I wish I had started doing those a lot sooner than I did. Keep that up.

[dk240t]

I stole that deadlift-hold for grip from your journal, fyi. Thanks!

Squats: I think I've done better at that in the past, I'll keep that sit back cue in mind next time.
Bench: I usually don't have a spotter, would rather do it all myself. But I see what you mean. Hit the pins on the 4th rep of the last set, but kept my tightness for the most part, which I'm happy with. In the past, my shoulder tightness had started to fall apart after about the 3rd rep pretty regularly on work sets, and I'd have to squeeze out the last 2 with my upper back/shoulders more flat on the bench, so I'm pretty happy with that progress, too (in addition to continuing to set PRs of course). I had to work on all sorts of form issues on my own, without ever videoing, so I'm pretty happy with this actually, now that I catch it on video.

[FarEastern]

Great progress. I like the vids you put in which would help yourself with benchmarks to have visual proof of progress.

Subbed! I'm starting a journal today after some time away. Very close to your SS routine.

[dk240t]

Thanks. I'm digging doing the journal. I stuck pretty well with the program and figured out a lot of things on my own in the first ~2 months, but I think this will prove helpful.

Also helpful: using the app "Splice" to make the videos from iphone video, and the myfitnesspal app for keeping track of food.

[LiftingObjects]

Subbed. Good to see you started a journal, nice progress so far.

[dk240t]

Videos to come later. I did all the editing, just waiting on them to upload to Youtube from my phone (slowly).

Squat
45x5
45x5
90x5
135x3
180x2

220x5 (PR, +5lbs)
220x5
220x1

Notes: Last set, not there mentally. Balked, then did one, then balked again, then racked it, then tried again right away and failed. I've been seriously thinking about doing a mid-week light squat day and heavy squat days on only the 1st and 3rd workout of the week, where I have more rest. I think I might make the same or faster progress this way. I tried it last week, but also ran between the 2nd and 3rd workout, but didn't have any problems hitting 2 squat PRs.

Press
455
60x5
75x3
92.5x2

107.5x5x3 (PR, +2.5)
Notes: Hit my chin on 2nd set, rep 4. Otherwise, slow, but done.

Power Clean

45(hang)x5
75x5
95x3
115x3
135x1, fail.

125x3x5
Notes: Failed at 135. Couldn't get it up high enough. Went back to 125 and did them all. Need to keep working on technique for racking, and also for getting the power in the pulls. A light squat day in the middle of the week might help here, too. Or just slower progression.

Chin-ups (assisted)
(-15lbs) 8x2 (PR for this program for sets of 8)

Only did 2 sets, wanted to head out of the gym a little faster so I skipped the third set. Think I'm still going to go up 2.5lbs next time. Getting to 3x8 at bodyweight on a decent pace.

[PeterGibbons316]

Nice work on the press PR!

How long you resting between squat sets? Even at 175 lb BW, I would say that 220 isn't heavy enough to start going to a light squat day.

[dk240t]

Nice work on the press PR!

How long you resting between squat sets? Even at 175 lb BW, I would say that 220 isn't heavy enough to start going to a light squat day.

Over 5 minutes. I haven't been timing it (although I did time it some yesterday), just when I feel right. I believe it was something like 7 minutes after 1st set. I could have rested more before the 3rd set, was kind of trying to speed things up a bit. But it was still a solid rest time.

The other thing pushing me to consider some light days is some hip pain I haven't really talked about - just at the top of the squats. I think a little more recovery could help that go away or be less painful. On the current 3 heavy sets of squats a week, my legs never really feel close to recovered.

[PeterGibbons316]

How is your diet? You getting enough protein?

You getting enough sleep at night?

If these things are good and you still can't recover in time, then it makes sense to go to a light day.

[dk240t]

I could perhaps eat more. I'm at 3k calories/day, generally over, and consistently getting 165-200+ g protein/day.

And I've been pretty religious about getting 8 hours of sleep per night.

The day before this workout I ended up light on calories though, like 2700, but still plenty of protein, and only got 6-7 hours of sleep as I was up a bit later to finish taxes up. Who knows. Just a thought, something I'm exploring, not really committed yet to taking a light day or not. I could go to eating more, but I think I'd rather do the slow bulk than mega-bulk and feel the need to mega-cut later.

But the worst squat days I've had over the past month have all been workout 2 of the week - could be partly a mental thing, too.

Besides, I think it would be pretty solid gains if I could add 10lbs/week to squat over the next 6 weeks, right?

The one Rippetoe line from SS that I keep near and dear in my programming plans is something about it always being easier to keep from getting stuck than to get unstuck, so my programming has always tried to err on the side of making some progress, even slow progress. Anyways, just some thoughts.

[dk240t]

Added in videos:

Squat
45x5
45x5
90x5
135x3
180x2

220x5 (PR, +5lbs)
220x5
220x1

Notes: Last set, not there mentally. Balked, then did one, then balked again, then racked it, then tried again right away and failed. I've been seriously thinking about doing a mid-week light squat day and heavy squat days on only the 1st and 3rd workout of the week, where I have more rest. I think I might make the same or faster progress this way. I tried it last week, but also ran between the 2nd and 3rd workout, but didn't have any problems hitting 2 squat PRs.



Press
455
60x5
75x3
92.5x2

107.5x5x3 (PR, +2.5)
Notes: Hit my chin on 2nd set, rep 4. Otherwise, slow, but done.



Power Clean

45(hang)x5
75x5
95x3
115x3
135x1, fail.

125x3x5
Notes: Failed at 135. Couldn't get it up high enough. Went back to 125 and did them all. Need to keep working on technique for racking, and also for getting the power in the pulls. A light squat day in the middle of the week might help here, too. Or just slower progression.



Chin-ups (assisted)
(-15lbs) 8x2 (PR for this program for sets of 8)

Only did 2 sets, wanted to head out of the gym a little faster so I skipped the third set. Think I'm still going to go up 2.5lbs next time. Getting to 3x8 at bodyweight on a decent pace.

[PeterGibbons316]

Sounds like diet and rest are good enough, try the light day and see how it works. If you are still getting stuck or struggling to recover, then you'll have to find the culprit and make some changes.

[dk240t]

We'll see.

I think I'm going to experiment with the light day again next week, depending. We'll see if I get all my workouts in next week with family in town over the weekend and part of next week, and some business travel.

Could try and up the calories a bit, but I feel like I'm force-feeding anyways. Could just up the whole milk intake a bit.

3rd workout of the week tonight, squat 220 again, bench 170, and deadlift 235 is the plan, with +20lb weighted dips.

[PeterGibbons316]

It should be easy to get in calories without feeling like you are force feeding. Drinking milk instead of water a couple times a day, or having a peanut butter sandwich as a snack at some point are some combination of those are pretty good ways to get in some good calories without feeling like you are just stuffing your face.

[jshaw5]

wtf, this is the second log that disappeared from my subs today. If you feel like you need to do something like a light squat day to keep linear progression going, go for it. Last month I swapped out squats for front squats on deadlift days (Wednesdays) to give myself more of a break between squat days and keep my back fresher for deadlifts, and last week I temporarily switch out sets across for ramping sets to give myself a little more of a break. I think both changes have helped keep my linear progression going strong.

[dk240t]

Took some timing notes: I was in the gym and on the bike at 5:13pm, biked for 5 minutes. Went and did squat warmups and then worksets. Finished squats at 6:00pm. So about 40 minutes worth of squats with all the breaks. Finished bench and deadlift at 6:42pm, did my dips, some foam rolling, and left the gym at 6:57pm.

Squat
45x5
45x5
90x5
135x3
180x2

220x5x3 (PR for sets across, +1 set)

My hips were hurting a bit at the top. My left wrist hurt after the first work set, but was fine after that. Hips hurt less as it went on I think, but even bothered me in warmups.



Bench Press
45x5
75x5
105x3
140x2

170x5x3 (PR, +5lbs)

No video. I lost some upper back tightness after the 3rd rep of the second set, and my foot came off the floor on the last rep of that set trying to grind it out. 3rd set was fine though.

Deadlift
95x5
135x5
170x3
205x2

235x5(PR, +10lbs)




Dips
(+20lbs) 8x3 (PR, +5lbs)