Chris' SS log

[cms]

Hi all,

First, thanks to Rip for the great book and all the people posting here with critique, it's been really helpful to me starting out.

I'm a 30 yr old man who's struggled with strength his whole life. I'm 5'11.5", 185 lbs, probably 20% BF. I'm pretty sure I have the genetics to be strong, since my father and brother are both ripped and I have a cousin who competes in powerlifting. They all take after my dad's side though, and I take after my mom (where the chubby genes come from, sorry mom!)

I picked up SS last month and read it through, and for the past 2 weeks I've been practicing my form. I've been working out off and on with weights for almost 3 years but I've never been able to get strong because of my reluctance to eat big. I'm a developer (computer programmer) by trade, and I came out of college obese and weak, and now I'm just chubby and weak. Aiming to change that.

I followed the instructions in the book to set my starting weights last week. Here's where I am now, where my form stays good but the reps start to slow at 5:

Squat: 105 lb
BP: 105 lb
Deadlift: 135 lb
Press: 65 lb
Clean: 60 lb

Yes those are really low, but that just means I have a lot of room to grow! I'm pretty sure my biggest weakness right now is my core/lower back, which keeps me from being able to support much weight on the bar.

First official workout is today after work. Hopefully there isn't a large queue for the squat racks.

[misspelledgeoff]

i'll bet you won't have much of que in the rack--unless of course some guy and his brahs are working teh gunz.

good luck on the workout and be sure to post up results.

[Mr.City]

Was tempted to tell a tale of true brohemian silliness, but perhaps not. Don't be discouraged by low numbers. We all start low.

[WatsupHannity]

Starting low is what it's all about. Progression is the name of the game, not poundages on a given workout... a fact I sadly only learned 6 months ago.

[msingh]

Dont do starting strength, get that bodyfat down to 12-13% then start the program. You will gain a hell of a lot of fat while on SS and if you're already at 20%, it's unhealthy and difficult to keep going while carrying so much excess fat. This is my humble advice, dont take it the wrong way.

I suggest doing mostly conditioning work, getting your diet cleaned up, and while doing so have 2 lifting days where you learn to do the lifts correctly. That way when you are ready to start SS you'll have good technique and form and can get into it straight away. Learn to do cleans, and squats especially, they're the hardest.

Dont worry about low numbers, it's all good, we all start from somewhere, in 2-3 months you'll have respectable one and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about.

[misspelledgeoff]

just to provide the another perspective msingh's ...there are quite a few of us that started SS in the 20% range of bf. msingh had one experience with the program starting at higher bf, I (and many others) had quite a different one.

you want to get big and strong, right? then you are in the right place and you are doing the right program. trust me, a little extra bodyfat is nothing when you see your lifts increasing and your body getting more muscular week after week. and like Rip says, fat is easier to lose than muscle is to gain.

[msingh]

Gaining 10% bf on SS is normal i think, and if you start at 20% and end up at 30%, yes you're much bigger and stronger but you're also obese and unhealthy!

I'm at point where i'm wondering whether i should stop SS and lose 30 lb first then continue SS, or keep going and then lose 40-50 lb at the end of it. Scary thing is none of my pants fit anymore and my last pair is too tight and it's a 44in one. I would never recommend to anyone to do SS unless they're skinny or really really fat.

Whats the point of being big and strong only to get really fat? And mark and others will tell you strength adaptations are persistent, well fat gains are quite persistent too! You cant easily take off 40 lb.

of course the OP wants to become big and strong, but he should be patient and prepared for SS. Walking in at 20% and doing SS with GOMAD .. is that the right way to go, really? I cant recommend it, but it's his choice.

[cms]

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

To be honest my BF % does have me worried. I weighed 260 coming out of college, no idea what my BF was, but I got myself down to 180lbs using the Body 4 Life book. I'm done with that, though, it's time to get strong.

My lifts went well yesterday. Nothing felt that heavy, and I'm only slightly sore today. I focused on keeping my lumbar arch in the squats and I think I had good hip drive. At least, I didn't feel my quads pushing me up so I assume that's good. Lower back is sore, but I know I'm weak there. It's not sore to the point where I'm non functional.

11/23/2009
Squats: 115 x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 110 x 5 x 3
Deadlift 150 x 5 x 1

The eating is rough. I'm not quite up to the gallon of milk, maybe 3/4, and I feel like I'm gonna puke. I'm trying to have lean meats and veggies 3 meals a day, and whole grain carbs. Honestly putting down the food is a chore at this point.

[msingh]

Will you be happy if you're 260 at 30% bf at the end of SS?

[coldfire]

Now you are trolling, just like you did here: http://startingstrength.com/resources/forum/showthread.php?t=13374

[misspelledgeoff]

yes, you are trolling. if you want to continue your soap box diatribe about the evils of bodyfat and the efficacy (or lack of) of Starting Strength then please start a new thread so we can all beat this dead horse some more. but please let's not clutter up cms' log any more than we already have.

great start cms. look forward to following your log.

[Platus]

My bf% went down when on SS. I went from just over 20% down to around 17-18%. I have been doing 1/2 GOMAD on average.

You'll never know until you try it; if you find that you are making good progress but putting on too much fat you can always adjust your diet.

[Alyion]

I gained a good 50lbs on SS and only went up one jean size. bf is still less than 20% and I should hit around 220 and still wear a size 34 pant if it keeps up

The program works - if you do the program. Obviously you wont need the gallon if you are overfat - the body will provide and make up the excess energy for you

[cms]

Is there a good rule of thumb (besides 1g protein per lb)? Should I just eat when I'm hungry and drink lots of milk, or try to force the gallon of milk + another 2500 cal? When my lifts get heaiver will I be able to process more food?

I really feel like I'm going to explode right now, it's not comfortable! I'm not eating too much junk food either, the worst thing in my diet is a Dunkin Donuts breakfast sandwich. I thought the workouts would be the hard part but the eating seems to require far more discipline.

[Mr.City]

It sounds like you're overthinking the food part. Being a bigger man, (230 lbs) I usually eat until full, focusing mostly on protein rich food, like chicken, beef, eggs, etc. I stay away from carb rich food since I have no need for them on a low rep program like SS.

[Paul Sousa]

Read this: http://70sbig.com/?page_id=7

[msingh]

You lost bf on SS? You must have not have gained any muscle either. You Gained only one jean size? You must have have started off skinny. SS works best for skinny guys who gain 10% bf and a lot of muscle and strength. Guys who are 20% bf gaining 10%bf and muscle and strength end up big fat strong fat guys, i dont care what anyone says here, you're gaining weight you're gaining fat without chemistry, even ripp said so.

Anyone can pick up a barbell and end up much stronger in a few months time. That's easy, it works, we know how to do it. Starting strength and gomad will give you plenty of meat on your body as well. It can be done. But learn from the examples, who does it work best for? Guys like the Zach start off 165 lb at 10% bf and end up 210 @ 17 % bf. That's progress but he's not some disgustingly obese fat guy now, is he? He's a normal human being.

Guys who start off at 180 lb at 20% bf end up at what? 240 lb @ 30%bf? Now you're big and fat but you're strong, congratulations. There are tonnes of big fat strong guys around, now you're one of them. What's the point of training then?? Get skinny first and then do SS and you dont have to worry about being a big fat strong guy, you're just a normal strong guy.

I'm done with this topic but i've had enough with idiots who encourage people do a program which can be done later, at any other time, when there are better programs to do in the short term, like crossfit or something.

What's the goal of starting strating strenght? Linear progression right? Who can do linear progression longer, the guy who starts off at 20-25% bf or the guy who starts at 10-15% bf? Who will have to stop quicker or slow it down when he reaches +50 lb and +10% bf? Who can keep going longer, the one who has a bf after 3 months lower than what you started with, or the guy who starts off with a bf of 20%??? think people, think.

If you are 20% bf after 3 months of SS, you can eat 70s big for another 3 months without a worry in the world. You can do linear progression for another 3 months. But consider the guy who is 30% bf after 3 months, can he eat 70s big for another 3 months? He'll end up grossly obese, is that acceptable to him? Linear progress will suffer for most people who end up that fat, unless they're really stupid and reckless, which i admit many of us are, around here.

[Paul Sousa]

Seriously msingh, shut the hell up. You can continue this diatribe on the CF forum where you have whined a ton already. This is a person's training log and you are being a giant douche.

[EJLouis]

I really feel like I'm going to explode right now, it's not comfortable! I'm not eating too much junk food either, the worst thing in my diet is a Dunkin Donuts breakfast sandwich. I thought the workouts would be the hard part but the eating seems to require far more discipline.

I started SS on Oct 22 with essentially the same weights as you (squat=115x3x5, bp=95x3x5, deads=130x1x5, press=65x3x5) -- don't tell Rip, I'm doing rows instead of cleans. We're about the same height and weight -- 5'11" and 175lbs. (I'm guessing my bodyfat was 15%-ish). I'm 35 if it makes a dif.

Last workout was Nov 21 (will be tonight but haven't done it yet :)
squat=175x3x5, bp=125x3x5, deads=195x1x5, press=81.25x3x5

Presently I am bigger in the gut, but I think most of it is the processing of food and getting used to the milk bloat. It's already better than it was (or I've gotten used to it). Jeans aren't fitting, partially due to gut but mostly due to my thighs. A couple more weeks and my thighs aren't going to fit in any of my pants. Eating has been the hardest part of SS so far. I'm hitting approx 2/3 GOMAD and doubled everything else that I was eating before.

If you're really worried about the food/GOMAD scale it back until it becomes a problem with your progression. Get lots of sleep so sleeps isn't the issue and go from there.

Think of it as huge renovation project. Get the project done, clean up after.

This is my first post as I wanted to chime in to let you know that you're not alone on the curve and I didn't want you to get discouraged from the hijacking of your worklog by any nay-sayers.

Congratulations on getting closer to your genetic limitations one session at a time.

[coldfire]

You lost bf on SS? You must have not have gained any muscle either. You Gained only one jean size? You must have have started off skinny. SS works best for skinny guys who gain 10% bf and a lot of muscle and strength. Guys who are 20% bf gaining 10%bf and muscle and strength end up big fat strong fat guys, i dont care what anyone says here, you're gaining weight you're gaining fat without chemistry, even ripp said so.

Anyone can pick up a barbell and end up much stronger in a few months time. That's easy, it works, we know how to do it. Starting strength and gomad will give you plenty of meat on your body as well. It can be done. But learn from the examples, who does it work best for? Guys like the Zach start off 165 lb at 10% bf and end up 210 @ 17 % bf. That's progress but he's not some disgustingly obese fat guy now, is he? He's a normal human being.

Guys who start off at 180 lb at 20% bf end up at what? 240 lb @ 30%bf? Now you're big and fat but you're strong, congratulations. There are tonnes of big fat strong guys around, now you're one of them. What's the point of training then?? Get skinny first and then do SS and you dont have to worry about being a big fat strong guy, you're just a normal strong guy.

I'm done with this topic but i've had enough with idiots who encourage people do a program which can be done later, at any other time, when there are better programs to do in the short term, like crossfit or something.

What's the goal of starting strating strenght? Linear progression right? Who can do linear progression longer, the guy who starts off at 20-25% bf or the guy who starts at 10-15% bf? Who will have to stop quicker or slow it down when he reaches +50 lb and +10% bf? Who can keep going longer, the one who has a bf after 3 months lower than what you started with, or the guy who starts off with a bf of 20%??? think people, think.

If you are 20% bf after 3 months of SS, you can eat 70s big for another 3 months without a worry in the world. You can do linear progression for another 3 months. But consider the guy who is 30% bf after 3 months, can he eat 70s big for another 3 months? He'll end up grossly obese, is that acceptable to him? Linear progress will suffer for most people who end up that fat, unless they're really stupid and reckless, which i admit many of us are, around here.

Don't we have moderators here to delete this type of bullshit from a training log?

[Alyion]

(stupid bullshit)

What the hell msingh? The guy wants to get stronger and is doing a program catered for his goals. No one here is telling him to drink gallons of milk and gain eye-watering amounts of weight - that would just be stupid. What we are telling him is too lift weights and get strong and keep his head on his shoulders diet-wise.

Would you tell someone who has 20+% bf to just do loads of cardio and not lift? - I sincerly hope not

[cms]

11/25/2009

Squat: 125 x 5 x 3
Press: 70 x 5 x 3
Clean: 70 x 5 x 3

Squats didn't feel hard today, however I think I got a little complacent on the second set and my form broke down. This is not an easy lift to master, I can see why there are so many critique threads.

Presses went up easy, but I noticed my right side going up faster than the left. It created an uneven bar about 3/4 of the way up. I was consiously trying to correct it but without much luck, and now my right shoulder feels like it did more work. I'm right handed, and my entire right side is stronger, so that's probably why. Not sure how to correct the imbalance other than to keep trying.

Cleans were easy, I think. I didn't have to go down really at all to catch the bar, my jump generated enough force to get it up to my shoulders. I guess that means I'll have a lot of quick progression on this lift?

My right knee feels stiff right now, maybe I need to stretch it or maybe I'm unconsciously using it more than the left leg in squats/cleans. Probably the same strength imbalance.

Thanks for all the support guys, time to make my post-workout dinner. Chicken breast with some whole wheat pasta and green beans. And milk.

[cms]

11/27/2009

Squat: 135 x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 115 x 5 x 3
Deadlift: 165 x 5 x 1

I fucked up today and wasn't able to add correctly when doing my squats, because I was focusing so much on form. I ended up doing 3 work sets of 125, which is what I did Wednesday. So, I put on 10 more pounds and did my 3 sets of 135. I did a lot of squats today. Fortunately I ate like 1 lb each of turkey, chicken, and roast beef yesterday so I had a lot of energy.

Form felt better though, still a WIP. Focusing on shoving out my knees. I think I need a wider than normal stance because my hips are so wide. When I do body weight squats with a really wide stance I can feel the adductors working (maybe it's just a stretch?).

Bench press felt easy.

Deadlift was also pretty easy, but I definitely felt my lower back working, maybe from the extra squats? I think I'll have a sore back this weekend.

[cms]

11/30/2009

Squat: 145 x 5 x 3
Press: 75 x 5 x 3
Clean: 75 x 3 x 5

I almost fell asleep on the bus ride home, so I figured I'd be sluggish going into the workout. Squats felt heavy, where on Friday I did 135 no problem. Today I tried harder to get the bar further down my back, right about in line with the crease of my arm. It was really hard to keep my wrists straight when it was there, not sure I did. I have really long forearms... maybe I need to widen my grip some.

2nd set of squats was tough. I took a longer rest, like 5 mins, and really focused on form for the 3rd set, shoving my knees out at the bottom. That one went much easier.

Presses felt good, 75 felt easier than 70 did last week.

Cleans also easy. I hit myself in the face with the bar one rep. That hurt.

[cms]

12/2/09

Squat: 155 x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 120 x 5 x 3
Deadlift: 180 x 5 x 1

Squats were tough. Last set, 5th rep went up real slow. Still, I don't feel like it took everything I had. I'm confident I'll get 165 on Friday, then depending on how that feels maybe it's time to go to 5 lb increments?

Bench was easy. I know I could have jumped 10 lb but I stuck to the program.

Deadlift wasn't too bad either. I need to get chalk, it's getting heavy enough now that I felt my grip slip a little, partially due to sweaty palms I'm sure.

I'm going to weigh in on Friday. Not sure if I'll be happy or freaked if I am over 200 lbs. I can see my gut and ass are a lot bigger now, and I can barely fit into my pants. I might need to shop for fat guy pants this weekend.

[cms]

12/04/2009

I screwed up today. I was thinking about shit at work and I put too much weight on the bar and stalled bad.

Squat: 175 x 5 x 1, 175 x 2 x 1, 175 x 1 x 1
Press: 80 x 5 x 3
Clean: 80 x 5 x 3

Bad stall. My last squat warm up was 165 x 1, which felt pretty good. I should have been doing 165 across.

I'll eat up and rest up this weekend and go back to 155 on Monday, and go back to 10 lb increments. Gotta focus in the gym!!

I also realized I have some pretty bad butt wink at the bottom of my squats, which is probably why I can't seem to find my hip drive every rep. I need to seriously stretch my hamstrings.

Not happy with today. Oh well, onward.

Also, I weighed in before leaving. 200 lbs on the dot. That's 15 lbs in 2 weeks.

[misspelledgeoff]

good work cms.

yeah you fell into the trap all of us do--feeling strong so you get a bit greedy on the weight increase. we've all done it. just keep in mind that 10 pounds per workout is 30 pounds per week which is 275 exactly one month from now! no need to rush it as the gains will come big and soon.

[cms]

12/07/2009

Squat: 165 x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 125 x 5 x 3
Deadlift: 195 x 5 x 1

Still working on my squat form. First work set felt hard but I got through. Second one felt easier, I think I really found my hip drive on that one. Third set was fucking hard, the 4th rep took everything I had to get up. Then I went back down for one more and hit that too. Hell yes. Worried about 175 on Wednesday... gonna eat as much as I possibly can.

Bench press went up easy, but it's starting to feel heavy. Deadlift was hard but I kept my focus and they all came up well.

I'm going to stretch my hamstrings each night before bed now. I really think that's the source of my squat difficulties. I don't have the ability to film myself squatting but when I go down with no bar and keep my hand on my back I feel it start to lose its arch about 2/3rd of the way down.

[cms]

12/09/2009

Squat: 175: 5, 5, 3 (stalled)
Press: 85 x 5 x 3
Clean: 85 x 5 x 3

I had to train at Globo-Gym today (boston sports club) for unimportant reasons. I went at the slowest time of the day and I still had to swap sets with a guy on their only squat rack.

I took the opportunity to ask him how my depth was after the first set. He said it looked good, but then said I don't need to go so deep, my feet are too wide and should point straight ahead. Nice enough guy but I totally ignored the rest of the advice he kept offering me. I also have no idea now how my depth was, becuase his narrow stance high bar half squats were not at all what I was trying to do.

2nd set of squats felt strong, but I really had to dig for that 5th rep. 3rd set, rep 3 went up fine, I went down for rep 4 and lost my hip drive. I dunno why, maybe I went down too fast. Honestly 175 felt fucking heavy on my back. I know that's nothing to most of the guys here but hey, before this program the most I ever squatted was 135. And that was a half squat.

Presses went up well but are also feeling heavy. Cleans were fine.

I'm going to search around for the proper procedure to deal with a stall, but I think I may have hit my limits with the 10 lb increases on the squat.

[stronger]

12/09/2009

Squat: 175: 5, 5, 3 (stalled)
Press: 85 x 5 x 3
Clean: 85 x 5 x 3

I had to train at Globo-Gym today (boston sports club) for unimportant reasons. I went at the slowest time of the day and I still had to swap sets with a guy on their only squat rack.

I took the opportunity to ask him how my depth was after the first set. He said it looked good, but then said I don't need to go so deep, my feet are too wide and should point straight ahead. Nice enough guy but I totally ignored the rest of the advice he kept offering me. I also have no idea now how my depth was, becuase his narrow stance high bar half squats were not at all what I was trying to do.

2nd set of squats felt strong, but I really had to dig for that 5th rep. 3rd set, rep 3 went up fine, I went down for rep 4 and lost my hip drive. I dunno why, maybe I went down too fast. Honestly 175 felt fucking heavy on my back. I know that's nothing to most of the guys here but hey, before this program the most I ever squatted was 135. And that was a half squat.

Presses went up well but are also feeling heavy. Cleans were fine.

I'm going to search around for the proper procedure to deal with a stall, but I think I may have hit my limits with the 10 lb increases on the squat.

happens to the best of us. Do you own Practical Programming 2? It will tell you how to reset so that you can make the push to a 200lb squat

5lb jumps are here it seems

also, if you have questions on form, post a video for the gang to check (if you haven't already)

[cms]

I don't have the ability to really make a video, maybe if Santa brings me a Droid :)

I also do not have PP, sounds like I need to place an order. I just placed an order for fractional plates, I figure I'm gonna need them soon for Presses.
http://www.ironwoodyfitness.com/fractionals.php

My plan is to back off the weight to 155 and go to 5 lbs, and keep up with the eating and GOMAD.

[cms]

12/11/2009

Squat: 155 x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 130 x 5 x 3
Deadlift: 210 x 5 x 1

All lifts felt strong today. As planned after Wednesday's stall I backed 20 lbs off the squat and will go up 5lb a workout now.

Weighed in today and I actually lost a pound this week, down to 199. Maybe that explains Wednesday's stall? Been doing GOMAD faithfully, perhaps I need to eat bigger meals. I already eat til I feel like I'm going to explode...

There was an old powerlifter in the gym today who saw me squatting deep and decided to help me out. He told me to try squatting with a block under my heels. It felt weird but I can def. feel a difference. I probably won't do it again though because it was a tad too short for a comfortable shoulder width stance. The block was probably 2 inches narrower than my shoulders.

I have squat shoes coming for Christmas from either my mom or fiancee, with elevated heels, hopefully i'll get the same effect from those.

[misspelledgeoff]

great work chris. 2 weeks at 10 pound jumps is freaking awesome. you increased your squat by 60#'s!!

you will be able to ride the 5 pound per workout progression for some time, i expect. just watch that you are getting enough food.

[cms]

Thanks for the support Geoff!

12/14/2009

Squat: 160 x 5 x 3
Press: 90 x 5 x 3
Clean: 90 x 3 x 5

Really found my hip drive today. Felt my glutes, hamstrings, and adductors all activating out of the bottom on my 2nd and 3rd sets. I finally found the right place to put the bar on my back with a comfortable hand width (really wide due to my freak monkey arms), and I was able to keep my chest up the whole way down. Weight on my heels, and it was almost automatic. Amazing. I think using the block last week helped me recognize it when I found it today.

Press and clean both felt strong, like I could have done 95 today. 85 last week felt real heavy on the press so I'm encouraged by today's lifts.

[cms]

I'm upset that I couldn't train yesterday. My fiancee came home sick on Sunday and I did my best to keep her the hell away from me but it was no good, I got hit with this god awful flu tuesday night. Yesterday I slept til 8pm, waking up once to pee. I tried to eat and couldn't even swallow the food. I drank some milk though.

I'm at work today, feeling much better (probably because of all the sleeping). I am going to go to the gym tonight and feel it out. I still feel really weak, dizzy when standing, and I have no appetite.

Man up I suppose.

[cms]

12/18/2009

Squat: 165 x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 135 x 5 x 3
Deadlift: 225 x 5 x 1

Training with the flu sucks. That is all.

[misspelledgeoff]

5# on squat and bench, #15 on dl. impressive increases, flu or not

[cms]

12/21/2009

Squat: 170 x 5 x 3
Press: 95 x 5 x 3
Clean: 95 x 3 x 5

Plugging along. I'm wondering how much longer I can put 5 lbs on the Press each workout. I have my micro load plates but I haven't needed them yet.

[cms]

12/23/2009

Squat: 175 x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 140 x 5 x 3
Deadlift: 240 x 5 x 1

Pushed right through the 175 wall I'd been hitting no problem. I've finally kicked this flu and I felt really strong, like I could have done way more.

Deadlifts are getting hard though.

[cms]

12/26/2009

Squat: 180 x 5 x 3
Press: 100 x 5, 5, 4
Clean: 100 x 3 x 5

Press stalled today. I really thought I could get that last rep, maybe I should have rested longer?

Time to do 2.5 lb increments.

[statesboroga_keith]

12/26/2009

Press stalled today. I really thought I could get that last rep, maybe I should have rested longer?

How long do you rest between sets?

[cms]

Usually 4-6 mins, but this last workout I was racing the clock because the gym was closing early. I had to do my presses and cleans in 20 mins. I probably rested 2 minutes between press sets, and I almost squeezed out that last one. I thought I had it then I noticed in the mirror my arms were sinking rather than going up, so I racked it.

I think I'm going to do a small reset to 97.5 and go from there.

[statesboroga_keith]

Gotcha. I'm guessing its more because you felt rushed, plus the mirror distraction didn't help on top of that....2 minutes isn't alot of rest time between press sets.

[cms]

12/28/2009:

Squat: 185 x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 145 x 5 x 3
Deadlift 255 x 4 x 1

Deadlift stalled today. I was wondering how long I'd be able to manage 15 lb increases. I gave the 4th rep everything I had and the 5th rep I couldn't even get off the floor.

I will try a reset to 225 and use 10 lb steps now.

Squats and bench both felt strong. Reps went up kind of slow but they went up. I think I'll be able to hit 200 lb on the squat soon no problem, 185 doesn't feel that heavy.

[misspelledgeoff]

great work!

what's body weight these days?

[cms]

Last time I weighed in I was at 205. That was before Christmas.

My fiancee told me I'm fat now. I told it's a temporary condition.

[misspelledgeoff]

good work.

a month from now i bet she won't say that.

[cms]

12/31/2009

Squat: 190 x 5 x 3
Press: 97.5 x 5 x 3
Clean: 105 x 3 x 5

I should turn this into my flu log, because my fucking flu came back. Hit all my lifts anyway, fuck you flu. Gonna go curl up and die now.

[cms]

Official diagnosis was bronchitis. I tried to squat 195 on Sunday and almsot blacked out under the bar during the second set. It was an experience. I went home after that.

Gonna try again today, I'm not coughing and I've been eating better the past two days. I may have to reset a little, which is sad, I was really hoping to break 200 this week.

I hate living in New England, btw. One day it's 50 degrees and the next day it's 6 degrees, that's recipe for illness.

[cms]

1/5/2010

Squat: 195 x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 150 x 5 x 3
Deadlift: 225 x 5 x 1

Right back on schedule. Took long rests between squat sets to make sure I hit all the reps.

I think my new squat shoes are making deadlifts harder. 225 felt easier last time I did it. I will try switching back to flat shoes next time I deadlift and see if it helps.

[cms]

1/8/2010

Squat: 200 x 3, 185 x 5 x 2
Press: 100 x 5 x 3
Clean: 110 x 3 x 5

Bad day today. I came in exhausted and not wanting to lift. For various reasons lately my diet and sleep have been shit. Not making excuses, though, I just need to sort it all out.

After the squat failed badly I focused and hit all the other lifts. Time to go drink my milk and eat dinner.

[cms]

1/10/2010

Squat: 200 x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 155 x 5 x 3
Deadlift: 235 x 5 x 1

Patriots laid an egg at Gillette today so I made up for it with a good workout. It's amazing what focus can do for my squats, chest up, knees out, push from my heels, 200 went up no problem.

Bench Press feels like I've hit my limit, wondering if it's time for smaller increments. The last rep took everything I had, it went up real slow but it went up.

I tried the flat shoes again when deadlifting and I think it helped. I'll see if I can push through 255 when I get back there, using 10lb steps.

[cms]

1/12/2010

Squat: 205 x 4, 190 x 5 x 2
Press: 102.5 x 5, 5, 3
Clean: 110 x 3 x 5

Squat stalled badly, press stalled as well. Not sure why this happened, I did 200 2 days ago and it felt real strong. 205 today felt so much heavier. It must be my rest and recovery.

Still, I've almost hit my first goal which was a bodyweight squat as my work set, less than 2 months in.

I'll see how the warmups feel next time and figure out if I should reset or try 205 again.

[cms]

I did my bodyfat today with some calipers, it's around 22%. Looks like I've gained 12 lbs of muscle on this program, and 9 lbs of fat if my initial bf estimate was correct.

I've been thinking about why the squat failed last time I was in the gym and I think it had more to do with form than fatigue. My torso wasn't tight, and I went off balance on the last "good" rep, shifting way right. That shouldn't happen if I keep a tight back and my chest up.

[misspelledgeoff]

that's awesome Chris. I always figured the best one could do (minus teh Vitamin S) was a 60/40 split on muscle to fat. Looks like you are right on track.

[cms]

Thanks Geoff. It was pretty encouraging, I had assumed I gained all fat. Seriously, my belly and ass feel so huge.

So right now my question is when to stop GOMAD. It's not clear from reading SS if you're supposed to do it until you reach your target weight or just do it forever. I at least want to get my squat up to 225 before I stop.

My issue is, I'm getting married April 3rd. I'd like to lean out for my soon to be wife for that day, and the honeymoon after. I'd rather not be parading around tropical beaches with a belly and tits. So, I'm wondering when I need to start focusing on dropping this excess fat. I've seen the Lyle McDonald fast posted around here, I'm wondering if anyone has had success with it? I don't want to sacrafice the strength gains I've made, they've been incredible.

[misspelledgeoff]

Chris, interesting as I just started the Lyle McD fast two days ago. On the scale I am down 10 pounds--though I know that is mostly water and food not being in my GI tract. I squatted last night and didn't really notice any difference. The press took a huge hit though. But I think that's more of an energy issue than a muscle loss issue.

I will keep you posted on the results.

[Mr.City]

What's the Lyle McD fast?

[cms]

1/15/2010

Squat: 205 x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 160 x 5,3 140 x 5
Deadlift: 245 x 5 x 1

Made 205 no problem today. Still hoping to hit 225 squat by the end of the month. Bench stalled, I kinda thought it would. This was the last lift to stall on me, so I'm not too worried. I'll back off a bit and go to 2.5 lb steps.

[cervicornis]

Hey Chris. It depends on your goals, but it seems to me that it would be time to stop the GOMAD. You weigh 205-210 now? That sounds like enough weight for your height, especially considering the weights you're dealing with at this point in your 'lifting career'. As I understand it, the GOMAD diet is best for young, underweight folks who want to add muscle (and fat) to their frame as fast as possible.

As long as you eat enough to keep a caloric excess, you should continue to see strength gains. Why not adjust your diet so that you run a 500-1,000 caloric excess/day and see how your lifts go for a couple of weeks?

[misspelledgeoff]

http://www.bodyrecomposition.com/the-rapid-fat-loss-handbook



What's the Lyle McD fast?

[Mr.City]

That book's kinda of pricy. Is it worth it?

[cms]

1/17/2010

Squat: 210 x 5,5,4
Press: 102.5 x 5 x 3
Clean: 115 x 3 x 5

Squat stalled again, sadly. 3rd rep of the last set felt good, 4th one I lost balance and shifted to my toes in the hole, and pressed up with my quads. That apparently wiped me out, because I couldn't hit the last rep.

It's frustrating :(

I'm gonna replace GOMAD with Muscle Milk, I just got a big order from Amazon for like $50 for a 5 lb bucket. I'll see how my lifts progress, I might have to make smaller steps but I certainly don't wanna end up going backwards!

I'll see where I am in a month and re-assess. Let me know how that diet goes, Geoff! I'm curious if I can just do that for 2 or 3 weeks in March to slim down for the wedding and make my future wife happy.

[misspelledgeoff]

we'll see. The guy seems to know what he's talking about though. I'll give you guys a progress update in a week or so.



That book's kinda of pricy. Is it worth it?

[cms]

1/19/2010

Squat: 210 x 5,1, 190 x 5 x 2
Bench Press: 150 x 5 x 3
Deadlift: 255 x 5 x 1

Having problems with this weight, this was much worse than just 2 days ago. I think I'm going to reset to 190 and try to punch through. So much for 225 by the end of the month :( My problem has to be form, because my deadlift keeps going up and my squat has been a grind since around 175. I realy need to figure out how to take a video.

Reset on Bench started today as well. I'll do 2.5lb steps from here.

Deadlift was a PR, so the reset paid off.

[EJLouis]

I've been thinking about why the squat failed last time I was in the gym and I think it had more to do with form than fatigue. My torso wasn't tight, and I went off balance on the last "good" rep, shifting way right. That shouldn't happen if I keep a tight back and my chest up.

Hey cms,

If you aren't using a belt I strongly recommend getting one. I can finally keep my torso tight which allows me to focus on the depth and hip drive. Huge difference. The squat feels more tiring keeping the torso pressure but the weights feel lighter with the belt (if that makes any sense).

Good luck pushing onward and upwards,
EJL

[cms]

1/22/2010

Squat: 190 x 5 x 3
Press: 105 x 5 x 3
Clean: 120 x 3 x 5

My cleans are starting to suck. I need to practice the jump, because I really don't have one. When I try to jump I either stumble backward or don't rack because there's no power in it.

Reset the squat to try and push through 210. 190 felt really light, and I was able to focus on form. It's amazing, when I first did 190 I felt like the heaviest thing in the world, and now it's easy.

[cms]

1/25/2010

Squat: 195 x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 152.5 x 5 x 3
Deadlift: 260 x 5 x 1

Progressing in the resets of squat and bench, no problems. Deadlift was another PR. My lower back is really sore this morning. Since I stopped GOMAD progression feels harder so I'm going with smaller increments. I will likely start microloading the squat too once I break through 210 where I've been stalling.

Ej, I haven't tried a belt yet. I'm trying to get as far as i can without gear, as recommended in SS. If my squat stalls again at 210 I will try one out.

[Tim Lofton]

cms,

You kind of sound like you are where I've been for the past three sessions at 250#. Squat was progressing well, not easy, but steadily. My first time at 250 I did two sets of five and the last set I did four reps before missing the very last rep. Next session I did two reps in the first set then got stuck at the bottom; reload the bar, two reps and stuck again. Reload to 245 which, in hindsight, was not enough, but still only did three reps. Stopped squats at that point and moved on to the rest of the workout. Took the weekend to recover.
Yesterday was a repeat of 250. Felt rested and ready. Warm-up went well, loaded up and did two reps before getting stuck at the bottom. I said "BS" to myself, reloaded, had a self-chat, refocused, and went on to complete 3x5. It was mental, pure and simple.
I'm not saying it the case for you, but it's something to examine. You may be worrying about your back as well, especially if it is bothering you. One of my self-cues is "protect the back", which tells me to lock-in the form necessary to maintain back extension and to keep things healthy back there.
As far as microloading the squat, I thought I heard someone here indicate that it is not recommended. May be time to add some regular milk along with your muscle milk.
I have decided that, even though the squat is progressing, the ascent of the bar has been slowed considerably. So on Wednesdays I'm doing squats at 80% of Monday's weight, then continuing standard progression on Friday. I was hoping to not have to do this until, at least, past 1.5x BW, and hopefully I will only do this for a couple of weeks. I do think I was dealing with a little bit of fatigue issues and this scheme will still allow for a 10# weekly gain (assuming all goes well). Good luck,

tim

[cms]

Thanks for the advice Tim, I do think my squat stalls are due to form breakdowns and mental "intimidation", I guess. When I started this program, I was so weak I told myself if I hit a bodyweight squat I'll be incredibly happy. Well, I got there, and ridiculously fast too (like 2 months), and it doesn't feel as satisfying as I thought. I want more! But, perhaps the weight still intimidates me.

Anyway, on to the latest log.

1/28/2010

Squat: 200 x 5 x 3
Press: 107.5 x 5,5,3
Clean: 125 x 3 x 5

Everything went well, Press stalled obviously but I've been pushing through the stalls without a real reset. Perhaps I should go to 1lb jumps or something, I have the plates to do it.

I kept my back set when squatting and it's been easier. I hope to push through 210 in 2 more sessions. Chest up, back straight, knees out.... I repeat this to myself every rep. It's been working so far, the reps aren't as much of a struggle as they were before. Stronger or better form or both? Either way I'm optimistic.

[cms]

1/30/2010

Squat: 205 x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 155 x 5 x 3
Deadlift: 265 x 5 x 1

[cms]

2/2/2010

Squat: 210 x 5 x 3
Press: 106 x 5 x 3
Clean: 130 x 5 x 3

All PRs today. Cleans are getting real tough though. 225 squat by V-day, that's my goal!

[EJLouis]

Good job on the PRs

[cms]

I owe 2 logs from this weekend

2/5/2010:

Squat: 215 x 5,4
Bench Press: 157.5 x 5 x 3
Deadlift: 270 x 5 x 1

2/7/2010

Squat: 215 x 5,4
Press: 107 x 5 x 3
Clean: 135 x 3 x 5

Suqat continues to frustrate me. It might be time to invest in a belt. All other lifts progressing, though.

[EJLouis]

You may of missed this tip from misspelled. I tried it by adding an extra wheel per side. Did make the workset lighter feeling -- surprisingly so, even during the 2nd and third set. Hope it helps.


Heavy walkout right before your workset. Load the bar up with 30kg more than your workset. Get under it and walk it out. Stand there with it on your back for 5-10 seconds. Rack it and wait 2-3 minutes. Do your workset. By comparison your workset wont feel as heavy.

[cms]

Good tip, wish I'd seen it sooner!

2/10/2010

Squat: 195 x 5 x 3
Bench Press 160 x 5 x 3
Deadlift: 275 x 3

Deadlift stalled, but I've been making good progress with it so I'm not too upset. Resetting squat again, I'm going to order a belt next week after payday. Bench Press is another PR, and it felt strong, so hopefully there will be a lot of progress there.

[cms]

2 Logs

2/13/2010

Squat: 200 x 5 x 3
Press: 108 x 5 x 3
Clean: 135 x 3 x 5

I repeated the 135 on the clean because I wasn't happy with my racks the last time I did it. This workout went much better, ready to move on there.

2/15/2010
Squat: 205 x 5,3,3
Bench Press: 162.5 x 5 x 3
Deadlift: 255 x 4

Terrible workout. I was tired and had no energy. Bench Press was a PR but I struggled every single rep. Squats and Deadlifts just would not come up, at weights I've managed in the past.

I got some feeback on my squats from a guy at the gym, he told me my back is folding forward at the bottom of my reps, and I need to keep my chest up. Makes sense, that could explain my terrible session if my back was just not staying tight. It was sore going in from the deadlifts a couple sessions ago, still hadn't recovered from those.

My belt should be here at the end of the week. Squat helper guy said the belt will help a lot, and I've read that here too, so looking forward to that.

[cms]

2 Logs:

2/18/2010
Squat: 205 x 5 x 3
Press: 109 x 5 x 3
Clean: 137.5 x 3,3,3,1

Clean failed, pretty badly. Probably due to short rest, but I made my jump for rep 2 after the 1st racked fine and it went nowhere, and I damn near dropped the bar on the floor. That would have made a big racket and likely gotten me in trouble. I wish my gym had bumper plates....

2/20/2010

Squat: 210 x 5 x 3
Bench Press: 165 x 5,3,4
Deadlift: 255 x 5 x 1

Bench stalled weridly. I'll try the same weight again next time.

I had my new belt for the last two squat workouts and it made a huge difference. Everything felt stronger. I think it's just a result of having that feedback to know where to keep my back, and when I'm hitting my depth. I felt the "bounce" out of the bottom for the first time for real, now I just need to learn to control it.

[cms]

2/23/2010

Squat: 215 x 5 x 3
Press: 110 x 5 x 3
Clean: 137.5 x 3,3,3,3,1

Almost got all the cleans today but the racks were sloppy. I need to reset this I think and work through.

FInally pushed through 215 squat with the help of the belt, and it wasn't even hard. Press is still progressing and I'm quite happy about that. Every time I do presses if feels like the hardest goddamn thing in the world but it hasn't stalled in a while. Microloading definitely the way to go here.

I need to start that fat loss fast soon, wedding is coming up and I need to be fitted for for the tux in the next 3 weeks (at the latest). So, I gotta start like now. So not looking forward to this... I love eating. And beer. :(

[misspelledgeoff]

Do you have the Rapid Fat Loss e-book from McDonald?

[cms]

So, last week I was doing my squats and something "popped" in my left shoulder followed by a decent amount of pain. I decided to call it a day at that point. Then next day I had trouble lifting my left arm without pain, but a couple days of ice and stretching and the pain is mostly gone. No idea what happened, or why, maybe I popped the shoulder out of the socket for a moment? Perhaps I had the bar too low on my back... weird.

Anyway I have the rapid fat loss e-book, and I also got myself Practical Programming. The diet officially starts today. I'm going to lift tonight, the abbreviated workout advocated in the e-book, because my shoulder feels mostly better.

Stats on March 1st:
215 lbs, 22.3% BF, 167 lbs LBM, and 48 lbs of fat. That's +19 lb of LBM since I started this program in November. Amazing.

I'm going to stick with this diet until at least the 14th, then I'll see where my stats are. Thanks to everyone here for the support and info, and to Rip for writing these excellent books. I'm amazed at what I've accomplished so far, and I still have a lot of potential to grow I think!