Form Check and question

[London Lion]

Hi Mark,

Can you check my form on the below lifts?

In ref to the clean I?m purposely dropping my hips as per the advice on page 187 of SS, as the bar hadn?t been making contact with my thighs, only shins.

Squat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAjVlyCnEl8
Deadlift: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMPmfU8-dG0
Power Clean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twlrZqs7Mho
Press: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fdeC1p95yg


Also, I?m now just finished my third week. The only reason I started this program is to improve my performance in my chosen sport ? soccer.

Since I?ve started, my performance has declined rather than improved. I am slower, getting out of breath more than before and feel sluggish on the pitch. I started SS at 217, 6 foot 2 and approx 20-25% bodyfat, im 24 btw. I don?t have scales where I am right now, but ive noticeably put on weight in the stomach/belly region and my chest seems to have filled out slightly. Im on the original novice program with the only assistance exercise being 3 sets of chin-ups on Mondays and Fridays. I play my soccer games on Sundays.

My lifts are at (no stalls yet but close on squat and deadlift):

Squat: 198
Bench Press: 130
Press: 90
Deadlift: 238
Power Clean: 75

I?m eating more than I did before (no GOMAD though) approx 3,559 calories, 142 grams fat, 418g carbs, 175g protein, with hardly any junk.

My lifts keep improving but my performance is down in my chosen sport. Could it be that this program isn?t for me as a fairly heavy (weight and body fat wise) bloke already?

Or should I drop all the starchy carbs im eating (bread/pasta/rice/oats) except post workout?

Thanks for any advice.

Cheers,


London Lion

Ps I don?t care about any of the six pack nonsense but I do care about defenders beating me to the ball, as is happening at the moment.

[Mark Rippetoe]

To begin, "3,559 calories, 142 grams fat, 418g carbs, 175g protein" is not an approximation. Your lifts are basically correct, except that your chest is not up high enough on the deadlift. You seem to have managed to get fat and tired on this program, a thing not reported by most of the folks here. Three weeks on the program, 9 workouts, with a squat of 198 and a deadlift of 238 at a bodyweight of more than 217 means that either 1.) you are very weak or that 2.) you have started so light that the program has not become enough of a challenge to make you significantly stronger. I suspect from your videos that you are undertraining the barbells, and thus overtraining the field sport. But this is also hard to believe, since you claim to have gotten fatter on what should be merely a maintenance diet for so active a young man. I am puzzled. Sleep? Too much "recreation"? Other bad habits?

[London Lion]

To begin, "3,559 calories, 142 grams fat, 418g carbs, 175g protein" is not an approximation. Your lifts are basically correct, except that your chest is not up high enough on the deadlift. You seem to have managed to get fat and tired on this program, a thing not reported by most of the folks here. Three weeks on the program, 9 workouts, with a squat of 198 and a deadlift of 238 at a bodyweight of more than 217 means that either 1.) you are very weak or that 2.) you have started so light that the program has not become enough of a challenge to make you significantly stronger. I suspect from your videos that you are undertraining the barbells, and thus overtraining the field sport. But this is also hard to believe, since you claim to have gotten fatter on what should be merely a maintenance diet for so active a young man. I am puzzled. Sleep? Too much "recreation"? Other bad habits?

Hi Mark,

Thanks for your opinion.

With regard to your point that "either 1.) you are very weak or that 2.) you have started so light that the program has not become enough of a challenge to make you significantly stronger." - if point 1 is the case, isnt that the point of the program to rectify the problem and become strong? On the football pitch Im recognised as a strong player physically by my team mates in tackles, not getting knocked off the ball etc but thats a different type of strength than how much I can lift in the gym.

Regrading point 2, I am finding the lifts challenging now. I feel close to stalling on the squat and deadlift. Maybe I am just weak when it comes to barbell training...???

My sleep is good, i have a few beers on the weekends and some junk food then but my "recreation" doesnt stretch to drugs or smoking.

Before starting the program i was doing boxing type training. Could the fact that ive stopped this and am working out less days than before, + the increase in food be the real reason for the fat gain?

i dont want to bin the program as so much of what ive read in the SS and PP makes so much sense. However my performance in sport is the most important thing to me. Would it be best for me to train with barbells twice a week and add some metcon back in?

Thanks,

London Lion

[Mark Rippetoe]

Man, I don't know. A guy with 2 types of strength that has lowered his caloric expenditure and gotten fatter but has no apparent form problems yet has decreased his performance on the field he's practicing less on while lifting weights that are well below what would be expected of a strong athlete on this program, well, this is just outside my ability to analyze.

[vxmorpheusxv]

How often do you train for soccer?

Toss a metcon back in, if you're getting winded it should help.

Why do you think you're going to stall soon? Lifting heavy weights will always feel hard, if you're lifting anything heavy enough to spur on progress. Sometimes (or most of the time) it will be really hard.

There is no reason you should be stalling this early. You aren't in fact. Keep doing what you're doing (or maybe eat more), train for soccer, toss in a metcon. Strength will come with the program and it will help you out, you've only been on it for a few weeks and can make much more progress. Just do the program.

P.S Don't be afraid to eat. It will spur progress and allow recovery. Also don't be afraid to microload when you need to, because you will need to eventually to keep from stalling. Can't always go up 5lbs on the presses.

P.P.S "On the football pitch Im recognised as a strong player physically by my team mates in tackles, not getting knocked off the ball etc but thats a different type of strength than how much I can lift in the gym. "


Really dude? Think about what you said there for a second.

[London Lion]

Thanks for the response Ripp, you humour isn't lost on me.

I guess this illustrates perfectly that internet coaching can only do so much.

Last question before I ride off into the sunset -

Would you advise 2 days of barbell strength training + 2 or 3 days metcon to see whether my performance gets back to normal (and hopefully improves)?

Some barbell work is better than none I wouldn have thought even if i am weak and have 2 types of strength - :D

Cheers,

London Lion

[Benny1981]

I'm no coach, but I look at the guy and he looks like he can lift more than that.

[jgrube]

just keep progressing and eating what youre eating. the program isnt what made you slower.

you're not even squatting your bodyweight yet. give it some time.

[JLascek]

That's a lot of carbs to be eating with a relatively low amount of protein. Had "Practical Programming" actually been read, it would be known that a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is a safe recommendation. I would expect to get fat on that many carbs too.

[M_B]

Strength is gonna be important to you, but the guys I know who play football started pre-season training weeks and weeks ago?

They also adopted a suitable plan which starts with 'Strength', then convert that to 'Power' and thence to 'Power Endurance'. During the season (which we're well into now), they train only for maintenance. I don't doubt your more sluggish on the pitch. :-)