Shawn Paul's Log

[shawnpaul]

Started SS three weeks ago. Thought I'd share my progress here.

5'7"M 23 y.o. 129#

So far 5RMs

Squat 120# (would be higher but I realized I was doing high bar last week and had to make the switch to low bar and had to lower the weight)

Bench 110#

DL 130# (just found I was hyper extending my back after watching some video today and cleaned it up)

Press 60#

PC 95#

Today's Workout

Squat 120# 5x3
Bench 110# 5x3
DL 130# 5x2 (was going to go to 140# but did a form check)

[shawnpaul]

Work Sets today:

Squat 120#
Press 60#
Power Clean 90#

I kept all the weights the same as last time because my mid back has been bothering me on my right side. It could be a number of different things from lifting, yoga (which I do on my off days), or it could simply be a postural thing which is what I'm kinda leaning towards. I see a chiro on the regular (since I was a kid) so I'll see on Thursday if I tweaked anything funny.

Presses were better thanks to the guys who critiqued my form from my videos. Looking forward to adding more weight on Friday.

[shawnpaul]

Today's workout:

Squat @ 125#
Bench @ 110# for 2 sets and 115# for 1 set
DL @ 150#

I still have the back pain. But it doesn't come back until I aggrivate it somehow. Yesterday it was playing drums and today it was DLing.

Tomorrow I see the doc for a scheduled appt and I'll see what to do.

SP

[shawnpaul]

So the pain in my back is dissipating, sweet! A few hours after lifting yesterday I didn't have any pain, only slight discomfort when my posture sucked...

Went to the chiro today. She said it could have been soreness from muscle imbalances working themselves out. That might be a reason why it was on one side. But otherwise my spine was fine. Good to know.

[shawnpaul]

Today's workout:
Squat @ 130#
Press @ 65#
Power Clean @ 95#

Today I realized I was loading some weight on my shoulders during my squat. When I bent over a little more I felt more in control of the bar and the lift was easier than the previous sets... Awesome!

Finally added some weight to the press too. Tightening up really helped.

Still trying to figure out this back pain business though. It came back this morning, when I was hunching over my guitar during my practice session. Does lifting just exaggerate any imbalances in your muscles? Like I never had this pain playing drums or guitar before. If I did it never lasted more than a couple days. But now I'm thinking that I have postural problems with both instruments...

SP

[shawnpaul]

Today's Workout:

Squat:
45# (5x2)
85# (5)
110# (5)
130# (5x3)

Bench:
45# (5x2)
65# (5)
90# (5)
110# (5)
115# (5x2)

DL:
45# (5)
85# (5)
125# (5)
140# (5)
160# (5)

Felt good today. Squats were much better after leaning forward more! I think I'm realizing pain is part of the game. My upper back didn't hurt during my DLs. Had some weird lower back pain this morning... Lifted through it. Did some extra stretches... We'll see how that turns out.

Getting Stronger.

[shawnpaul]

Today's Workout:

Squat:
45# (5x2)
85# (5)
115# (5)
135# (5x3)

Press:
45# (5x2)
55# (5)
65# (5)
70# (5x3)

Power Clean:
45# (3)
65# (3)
85# (3)
100# (3x3)

Today was awesome for a number of reasons. First, for my squats I got to use the big boy plates, woo! Second, I wasn't planning on going up in the press today, but 65 fel really easy so I went to 70. Third, my power cleans just plain felt good. Still have a hard time getting the bar back on the floor. I'm using regular plates propped on some dumbells... Oh well. Back feels fine too. Nice day outside, nice big burrito for lunch. Mmmmm.

[shawnpaul]

Today's Workout:

Don't have my notebook handy... Here are my worksets:

Squat 140#
Bench 115#
DL 170#

[shawnpaul]

Yesterdays Workout:

Squat:
45# (5x2)
90# (5)
120# (5)
135# (5x3)

Press:
45# (5x2)
55# (5)
65# (5)
70# (5x3)

Power Clean:
45# (3)
65# (3)
85# (3)
100# (3x3)

I've been sick the last couple days, missed my Monday workout so I just picked up on Wednesday. Tried to keep the weights the same, the squat was lowered but I'm not worried. I wasn't eating big when I was sick... Forearms were hurting on Tuesday from over practicing guitar on Monday (playing guitar is my job!), I'm gonna improve my stretching routine and go to the gym everyday to warm-up and stretch my arms everyday. Tomorrow I'll try to get my squat back up... not sure if I should try to go higher on my DL...

[shawnpaul]

Today's Workout:

Squat:
45# (5x2)
95# (5)
125# (5)
140# (5x3)

Bench:
45# (5x2)
65# (5)
95# (5)
115# (5x2)
120# (5)

DL:
45# (5)
95# (5)
135# (5)
150# (5)
170# (5)

I decided to keep everything roughly the same as the last A workout. The squats were a bit hard, so I went to Chinese buffet after to eat. I need more milk!

[shawnpaul]

Today's Workout:

Squat:
45# (5x2)
90# (5)
115# (5)
135# (5)
145# (5)

Press:
45# (5x2)
55# (5)
65# (5)
75# (5)
70# (5x2)

Power Clean:
45# (?)
65# (3)
85# (3)
105# (3x3)

Did my workout early today. Trying to make more of my day. Power cleans are starting to get hard... I did a lot of form work with the bar. Still have to get my elbows under better. I finally found out how to get the bar back on the floor. I set up a bench in front of me, after I rack it I throw it (gently) onto the bench and get it back on the floor after a grip change.

[shawnpaul]

Today's workout:

Squat
45# 5x2
95# 5
135# 5
150# 5x3

BP
45# 5x2
65# 5
95# 5
115# 5
120# 5x2

DL

45# 5
115# 5
135# 5
160# 5
180# 5

Squats are getting hard. I didn't have my standard breakfast today (3 eggs, 2 english muffins with PB, big glass of whole milk, banana, coffee) because of an early appointment, so maybe that's the reason. Or maybe lifting heavy things IS hard and I'm getting stronger in the process.

[shawnpaul]

Last Friday's Workout:

Trying to stay on top of it....

But don't have my Notebook right now...

Worksets:

Squat 155#
Press 75#
PC 110#

[shawnpaul]

Today's workout:


Squat
45# 5x2
95# 5
115# 5
145# 5
160# 5x3

Bench
45# 5x2
65# 5
100# 5
120# 5x3

DL
45# 5
105# 5
135# 5
170# 5
190# 5

Everything looking good. Making small progress in everything. The way I do the bench is every three workouts I'll move the weight up by 5lbs. So on Friday I'll do 120x2 and 125x1, Wednesday will be 120x1 and 125x2, following Monday 125x3 and I'll have reached "125" then.

I just weighed myself this weekend and I'm at about 140 which is up 10lbs. from when I started. 150 here I come!

[shawnpaul]

Wednesday's Workout:

Worksets:
Squat 165#
Press 75#
PC 115#

[shawnpaul]

Today's Workout:

Squat
45# 5x2
95# 5
125# 5
150# 5
175# 5

Bench
45# 5x2
65# 5
95# 5
120# 5x2
125# 5

DL
45# 5
115# 5
150# 5
180# 3
200# 5

If anybody reads this, I've failed to mention in my previous posts that I'm doing all of this with a retractible inguinal hernia. I've had it since I was in high school and never got it fixed. To make sure it doesn't bother me during my lifting I do hip raises between my heavy sets to make sure its *ahem* 'in'. So I try to steer clear of valsalva. Maybe my progress is slower... But I'm not bothered.

[shawnpaul]

Okay, so its been a little bit since I've worked out. I fell sick again last week, went to lift on monday and could only get my squats in. Took the rest of the week off, I had a hectic performance schedule too so I had to have energy for that.

Anyway here's what I did today:

Squat
45# 5x2
95# 5
120# 5
140# 5
155# 5x3

Press
45# 5x2
55# 5
65# 5x3

PC
45# 3x2
65# 3
90# 3
110# 3x3

I did a lot of form work today too. My squats felt better, last session I felt my hips raising before my chest. Fixed that. And I raised my shoulders more in my presses too.

[shawnpaul]

Aaaggh!

Pulled a muscle today. One of my hamstrings, the one closer to my groin on my left leg. Shit! I can't even walk right.

I know that they (both legs) were still kinda sore from Monday. But I thought training and getting 'em warm and loose would clear it up. Nope. It was an embarrasing 95# that brought me down. After I racked my last rep I walked out and practically toppled over from my leg locking up. Uggg.

Is it because I corrected my form on Monday? Really that muscle group has never been sore before then.

I don't know what to do... I'm taking the rest of the week off.