Tjs excellent adventure

[skatechop]

Hi bb decided to start tracking my sl 5x5 progress in written form since the weight has gotten tougher and knowing I will need some tips and motivation to get through. Thanks for checking it out & leave an opinion, good or bad I'll take it!

I started all exercises with the bar, no prior lifting experience besides rolling motorcycles into truck beds solo on the daily & lifting motors out of frames
: P

DIET

I went from drinking a 6 pack on the nightly, fast food 2 meals a day & large greasy home meals to no alcohol and tracking macros in mfp. I eat 1g protein per pd bw and maintenance cals of 2500.
Cardio and cheat meals on weekend [2 consecutive off days around 2700-3000 cal.]


SUPPLEMENTS

Fish oil capsules
Multivitamin
EAS whey protein 30g
Premier protein bars 30g

Starting weight: 194
Current : 188.5 [steady since first couple weeks of sl]


CARDIO

I did heavy skateboarding from 10-21[6+ hours] & was a steady 130 lbs @ 6'1". Have a mean beer belly that has decreased to less than half the size since sl. I usually do some light skateboarding, basketball or walking/hiking now on my weekend off days.


GOALS

I know its important to set goals for myself. My biggest goal is overall strength, so I can lift good weight in intermediate programs. Bonus would be impressive biceps & reclaim my 6 pack [not Heineken] somewhere down the road after sl. The goal at hand is to make the end of 12 week weights of the sl program [sq 220, ohp 130, dl 245, bp 130, bbr 150].

9/14/16
mid week 8

Squat
155 5x5

BP
100 5x5

BBR
120 5x5

NOTES

Weight hasn't been bad up to this point besides ohp which I had issues with at 70 or 75 lbs. My form was crap [wasnt moving the bar in a straight line & elbows werent out]. After form videos & warm up sets Ive been ok until missing last rep of 4th set @ 90lbs last week. Monday I felt stronger & missed last rep of last set [lol heartbreak]. Im not worried yet & feels good to have a challenge coming up, hoping I'll be better on Friday.

Hurt left knee squatting last week, felt a pop then tightness & a little pain when bending. After some stretches and weekend rest it felt better. I caught an Alan Thrall vid while resting & realized I wasn't pushing my knees out I tried to keep them inline with toes but never pushed out so naturally my knee came in. No problem with squats besides getting heavy for me since then. Knee feels 100%.

Other exercises feel good. Working stretches for my anterior pelvic tilt. I add preacher or hammer curls for assistance exercises then pushups to failure to end workout. Started at 20, did 23 today.

[guy169]

looks like you got a nice plan mapped out, let us know how it plays out

[skatechop]

9/16/16
end week 8

Squat
160 5x5

OHP
90 5/5/5/4/5

DL
205 1x5

Preacher Curls
35 3x8

NOTES

Rough day. Stayed up late with daughter, had to go to courthouse early am.
Also the 4 hour skating session yesterday didnt help anything, lower back was in a little pain & my feet.

Felt a little off but no excuses the damn ohp wouldnt go up easy even from the first set.
Im looking forward to the 10lb deload because Im hoping I will notice a strength gain from the last time I hit that weight.

Im starting to notice I am looking smaller this week. More defined if any at all but smaller all around especially in my thighs.
Im thinking I have a choice:

A. up calories
B. quit assistance exercises
C. quit cardio
D. tough it out

Maybe I need to do all of the above. Even with the failure I think Im still doing ok considering Im coming from almost zero muscle.
IDK but..


"I gotta do something!"

-George Costanza

[skatechop]

Still recovering from some lower back pain from Friday, think I pushed too hard skating a handrail the day before then post workout around 1am I took my daughter to er for fever. Had to run a couple laps in the corridors with her on my back to calm her down. Took the time off to study some Alan Thrall Anterior Pelvic Tilt videos. First workout I've missed, wanted to get the lifts so bad but I know my back will thank me if I relax another couple days. Gonna get back at it Wednesday, hopefully stronger!

[skatechop]

Felt better after 3 days off & got workouts in Tue, Thur and Sat.
Decided not to stress on diet, Im eating healthy 90%, getting my protein & if I hit 3000 cal some days thats fine by me..better over than under.

OHP was still hard even with deload & days off but got through.
Daily lower back stretches are paying off & still learning more little tricks on the basic lifts.
Tomorrow is first day at new job & back to normal 5x5 schedule.

Cant wait to get my power rack hopefully with first check.
My modified bench is crying for help with these new olympic weights!

[pezking7p]

"Tough it out" doesn't usually work. I think you either have to cut the cardio or just accept that you're going to have a little tougher time after skating for 4 hours. An Ollie pretty much takes the place of deadlifts (and squats to some extent) which I think you've realized by now.

Interested to see progress on a straight set 5x5 program. It's definitely a different animal than 3x5.

My advice for pressing: do it as fast as you can. All around fast. And keep your elbows in toward each other.

[skatechop]

"Tough it out" doesn't usually work. I think you either have to cut the cardio or just accept that you're going to have a little tougher time after skating for 4 hours. An Ollie pretty much takes the place of deadlifts (and squats to some extent) which I think you've realized by now.

Interested to see progress on a straight set 5x5 program. It's definitely a different animal than 3x5.

My advice for pressing: do it as fast as you can. All around fast. And keep your elbows in toward each other.

I agree and yes found out so much skating really almost doubles my leg work. You are 100% right I started trying to do my ohp with power & speed, that has paid off tons. Skipped the skating this week, Im beat from new job..standing & lifting 8 hours in the mornings until 2:30 then straight home for my workouts.
So after two weeks with only 1 day in between Im looking forward to this weekend off! Power rack will have to wait a few more weeks because of bills. Im going to skip the skatin also until my body feels fresh again & use that time to eat & be with my daughter then eat some more!

end week 10

Squat
190 5x5

OHP
90 5x5

DL
230 1x5

Preacher Curls
35 3x8

Close Grip Barbell Curl
60 3x8

Push Ups To Fail
20


NOTES

Feels good to get the OHP I failed previous. Squats took everything I had to do 5x5, have a feeling I might be forced to do 3x5 soon. Deadlift was no problem except my hands feel like hamburger meat & my grip was slipping a little. Ran out of protein monday, had to get creative & add peanut butter, 1 cup oats & a protein bar to my shake. Definitely makes the work week worth it to come home & get the weight.

[skatechop]

end week 11

Squat
205 5x5

BP
125 5x5

ROW
145 5x5

Hammer Curls
35 3x8

Close Grip Barbell Curl
60 3x8

Push Ups To Fail
20


NOTES
Got through week 11 & it wasnt easy! Still a long way from my goals but have been really thinking and appreciating what this program has given me. Im in no way an experienced lifter but I now have some structure & follow through 100% win or fail. Didnt think I'd get 205 squat after last week but felt good & no longer waiting for that one that wont go up..just going for it trying to dig deep & use every single tip Ive learned, at once. Bench is another story, I can do it but 125 felt really heavy so Im thinking this could be my weak exercise. I'm realizing quickly the actual time & work it will take to get the 200lb bench, 300lb squat & 400lb dead I want..but Im ok with that! I could easily still be sitting in my backyard after work killing Heinekens for hours, thinking Im not a person destined to be fit & wondering why I have no muscle.

Anyway got a killer workout on my off day today by accident. Tagged along with my little sis to her gym. Its basically a giant indoor rock climbing paradise with a tiny but well stocked gym & yoga classes in a small corner. Hadnt climbed since around 12 when my uncle used to take me outdoors around San Diego, he was very hardcore & a damn good climber. Taught me some things & its something I really have a love for doing even though I never do. She said I did awesome scaling some intermediate walls with the bad loaner shoes for bonus points. My sis is a tiny vegan who has gained serious muscle since climbing I was impressed. I would have never went if I wasnt lifting if Im honest with myself. Life is very good when I lift!