I like brisket

[scoppi]

ALL WEIGHTS ARE IN POUNDS
WEIGHTS WILL BE RECORDED SUCH AS: WEIGHT x REPS x SETS
So 315x5x3 means 3 sets of 5 at 315 lbs


So one of my friends at work brought in a couple sandwiches from a smokehouse in almont michigan. one was pulled pork and the other beef brisket. i had the brisket one, and it was by far the best fucking sandwich ive ever had. its not the easiest to find good smoked meat around here, but holy shit was that delicious. i plan on going up there next weekend and eating every sort of critter they serve up.

anyways, ive decided to start a log. here's (http://www.startingstrength.com/resources/forum/showthread.php?t=17389) where i whine about my elbows and how my squats are wiping the floor with me. its also got my highest completed work sets. but ive decided to take a big reset, and see what my linear progression will do.

6-20-10
BW: 188

Back Squat - 275x5x3
Press - 115x5x3
Chin ups - 25x5x3
Dips - 45 x 7,4

This was all in all a pretty shitty work out. its been a week since my last work out, but i did do some hill sprints a few days ago. either way i expected this to go pretty easy, but the squats were wayyy harder than they had any right to be. everything else was pretty mediocre. im going to write this off to not eating enough, which i havent been doing the past couple days. love handles and belly fat is starting to make me feel pretty chunky. but i think im just going to keep eating while on my lp.

oh, and elbow tendinitis has calmed down quite a bit, but i can still feel it in my right elbow and dont want to aggravate it.

[scoppi]

6-22-10

Back Squat - 280x5x3
Bench Press - 190x5x3
Deadlift - 325x5x1
Kroc Rows - 23 right, 21 left @ 75 lbs

Squats were better today, but dont know if they felt 50 lbs lighter than my max working set weight .... Bench went really well, my elbow only complained a little bit. The deadlifts were harder than they should have been. i might have to start doing some "core" work. Did kroc rows for the first time. next time ill do 70 lbs to make sure form is ok, and get the reps closer to 30. they were tough but i liked doing them.

when you lose the arch in your back on deadlifts, is that an ab or lower back failure?

[scoppi]

6-24-10

Back Squat - 285x5x3
Press - 120x5x3
Pull Ups - 25x5x3
Dips - 35 x 8,7,5

I used the foam roller on my hips and lower back after my warm up, and it was pretty excruciating. My hips are just unbelievably tight right now. Squats went well, elbow didnt act up too much, and the press felt great. Didnt get as many out on the dips as i had wanted, but w/e.

[scoppi]

6-25-10

Was just going to do some hill sprints today, but my buddy was in town and wanted to work out. He did a linear progression a little before i started mine, and is on cffb right now. I did:

Back Squat - 225x5x3
Press - 115, 135, 155 (PR), 165(PR), 170(F), 170(F), 135x3x8

Just did some light squats for recovery i guess. He did 345x5x3, and made it look easy. His BW is about 190-5. It was cool to go for a heavy press. 165 felt pretty easy, so I was a bit disappointed to not get 170, but this is my first time going heavy, so I'll take it. Then we just got some volume in at 135.

I usually lift alone, so it was really cool to lift with somebody, in the sun, and just move iron around for fun.

[scoppi]

6-29-10

Back Squat - 290x5x3
Bench Press - 195x5x3
Chins - 30x5x3
Dips - 35 lbs x 8,8,7

My elbows felt the best they have in a long time, with only a slight niggle in my right one, but no pain at all on the squats! The squats weren't too tough, but they didn't fly up. Rest time was about 4 minutes between sets. Bench, again, wasn't difficult, but they weren't easy either. Chins and dips were pretty easy tho.

Bodyweight is down to the low 180's. Going to schedule a consult with the captain soon, because eating 70's big got me a bit too chunky.

Been doing hip and leg stretches, as well as foam rolling. Im going to do some full body prehab, and make sure everything is oiled up properly. Im almost done making my sled/prowler, which i think will go nicely with my hill sprints for conditioning work.

[scoppi]

7-1-10

Front Squat - 235x3x3
Press - 125x5x3
Deadlift - 335x5
Kroc Rows - 32kg Kettlebell x 21 right, 21 left

The press' were really tough. the weight didnt really even feel that heavy, but it was just hard getting it up and down 5 times. I think doing dips on bench days might not be the best strategy. Deadlifts were tough but good.

[scoppi]

friend in town, so going to be doing some different stuff for a week or so

7-4-10
Pulled a sled for some conditioning/recovery.


7-5-10
Went for maxes for the first time after starting my linear progression.
bodyweight: 183 lbs

Squat - 385
Bench - 255
Deadlift - 405

i went for 405 on the squat, but it wasnt gonna happen. 385 was relatively easy tho. for my bench, it was the first time ive gone for a max bench ever. i missed 265 but might have been able to get 260. my lower back was pretty jacked from the squats, so i wasnt really able to go hard on the deadlift. 405 was a pretty clean lift, so i went for 425, but my back wasnt having it. i could have probably gotten 10 lbs more on the squat and deadlift, but i think those are pretty good indicators of where my strength actually is, and not some inflated, 1-time lift numbers.

my friend went 405-265-495, so ive got some catching up to do. hes about 190 (same friend as above). ive really got to do some lower back assistance work though. i think ill go for higher rep back extensions, just something i can do frequently and not worry about overtraining it. but if anyone has some advice, please chime in.

logs feel like blogs, and writing about my day and feelings feels pretty gay. gotta get some beer to fight that.

[Mr.City]

Nice job

[Braindrop]

I got up at freaking 3:30 this morning to start smoking a 13 pound brisket. Should be ready around 8:00 tonight. Mmmmm.

Nice maxes!

[scoppi]

thanks for the comments, and braindrop, i hope that brisket has been devoured by now.

so i obviously havent updated this for awhile, so this will be a bit of a catch up post.

the week after the maxes i did a few crossfit football work outs with my buddy. we did a sprint one and it was torturous. so im going to try to do 1 day of sprinting a week, and another day of sled work. heres what i've been up to:

7-14-10
Back Squat - 295x5x3
Bench Press - 195x5x3

Rough day back.


7-16-10
Back Squat - 245x5x2
Press - 125x5x3
Deadlift - 335x5x1

Getting the form back on my squat. The presses felt like i was trying to lift a house.


7-20-10
Back Squat - 295x5x3
Bench Press - 195x5x3
Chins - 30x5x3
45* Back Extensions - 3x12 with 10 lbs behind head

Squat and bench felt good. Chins were a bit gritty. My lower back is definitely my weakest point, so strengthening it ASAP is in order.


7-24-10
Back Squat - 300x5x3
Press - 130x5x3
Chins - 30x5x3

Everything was pretty easy.


7-26-10
Front Squat - 245x3x3
Bench Press - 200x5x3
Deadlift - 345x5x1

Front squats and bench were easy, but the deadlift was pretty tough. I think im going to do that weight again next week.

[Braindrop]

Hah. Yes, very much so. So much that I've got another one covered in dry rub and saran wrap in the fridge that I'm going to smoke either tomorrow or Friday...

[scoppi]

Hah. Yes, very much so. So much that I've got another one covered in dry rub and saran wrap in the fridge that I'm going to smoke either tomorrow or Friday...

I really need a smoker ....

7-28-10
Back Squat - 305x5x3
Press - 135x5x3
Chins - 35x5x3

The squats and press were bloody hard. I'm going to write this off as a bad day, but 305 felt 30 lbs heavier than 300 did. Same with the press, 135 felt way heavier than 130. I know my form was off on both of them (especially the press), but I just wasnt very strong. Rest time was 5 in between sets of squats, and 3-4 for the press. Im going to repeat the weight for the squat and press next time, and see if it feels better. Chins went pretty well though, and i wanted to do dips and back extensions, but ran out of time.

[MazdaMatt]

A bad day? A bad day is when the weights don't go up. You made all your reps. Go eat a burger and add 5lbs next time. Nice workout.

[scoppi]

A bad day? A bad day is when the weights don't go up. You made all your reps. Go eat a burger and add 5lbs next time. Nice workout.

Well, I didn't add 5 lbs the next time, but i did eat a burger - a few of them actually.

8-1-10
Back Squat - 305x5x3
Bench Press - 205x5x3
Chins - 35x5x3
45* Back Extensions - 4x12 with 12.5 lbs behind head

Everything went pretty well. I realized I was squatting too deep again, so I fixed it on my 3rd set, and got my bounce back. Gonna make sure my form is perfect on my light day. The back extensions were really hard. I had planned on doing 4-3-5 sets at 12 reps on Mon-Wed-Fri, and then increasing the weight 2.5 lbs the next week, but I might have to adjust it a bit.

[scoppi]

8-2-10

Did some light sled and sledge conditioning/recovery work. Feeling pretty sore in my shoulders and lower back.

[scoppi]

8-5-10
Back Squat - 245x5x2
Press - 135x5x3
Deadlift - 350x5x1

Form on squats felt great. The presses were a slight bit easier than last time, but they were still tough, and the final rep was a grind. Deadlifts were a little tough, and there was some minor form breakdown, but it was a good, quick set.

[scoppi]

8-6-10

Had to work out two days in a row due to a final I had on Wednesday, and a family reunion thing im going to tomorrow. Everything felt alright, but my lower back was a bit sore from the deadlifts.

Back Squat - 310x5x3
Bench Press - 210x5x3
Chins - 37.5x5x3

Squats were tough, but not terribly hard. The first set felt good because my form was on, but it broke down some on the second and third set. I'm having trouble finding that grove once the weight gets heavier. I'll work it out, but its a little frustrating. Bench was easy and chins were alright.

[scoppi]

8-11-10

Back Squat - 315x5x3
Press - 137.5 x 5 x 3
Chins - 40x5x3

Squats were fucking hard. 5 minute rest between the first and second set, and 7 minutes between second and third. Form was off again, I was going too low. Press and chins went well. the third set of both were a bit gritty, but not too bad.

On my second set of squats, i somehow managed to not tighten my belt all the way, and I found out how much I appreciate having that thing.

[scoppi]

8-13-10

Back Squat - 255x5x2
Bench Press - 212.5 x 5 x 3
Deadlift - 355x5

Pretty tired today. Still some soreness from the squats all along the posterior chain. Deadlifts were difficult. Bench was pretty easy.

[scoppi]

8-16-10

Back Squat - 315x5x3
Press - 140x5x3
Chins - 40x5x3

[scoppi]

Alright, I havent updated this in awhile. From the 18th to the 24th i went on a canoe/backpacking trip in algonquin provincial park. It was a ton of fun and squatting really helped with the 100 lb, 3 mile portages. But anyways, it was a week or so of reduced calories and no barbell training, so it set me back some.

Also, a couple weeks ago while I was squatting, this guy in the power rack next to me noticed i actually knew how to squat and started talking to me. It was almost like i was talking to the host from bigger, faster, stronger. this guy was from texas, but moved to cali in his 20's to lift big weight. he told me about powerlifting and bodybuilding in the 80s, he had competed against mike inzer, and trained with tom platz. dude was cool as hell, and told me to keep pushing my squat because im built well for it, and could put up some big numbers. It kind of helped me get back on track a bit, and really want to start pushing it.

But anyways, Ive been lifting during this time, so i'll post what ive been up to.

[scoppi]

8-27-10
Back Squat - 295x5x3
Bench Press - 210x5x3


8-30-10
Back Squat - 255x5x2
Press - 135x5x3
Deadlift - 345x5


9-1-10
Back Squat - 300x5x3
Bench Press - 212.5 x 5 x 3
Chins - 35x5x3


9-5-10
Back Squat - 305x5x3
Press - 137.5 x 5 x 3


9-7-10
Back Squat - 255x5x2
Bench Press - 215x5x3
Deadlift - 355x5

[Braindrop]

Welcome back!

[scoppi]

Welcome back!

Thanks, mate.

9-9-10

Back Squat - 310x5x3
Press - 140x5x3
Barbell Row - 140x10x3

Squats were deep but not too difficult. Press felt great, I really want to make progress on this lift. The strange upper back work (or lack of) has been a combination of me being short on time and lazy. I didnt have a bar to do chins on, so I chose the rows just to get some volume. I know rip hates rows, but i wonder if running a linear progression on them 1 day a week, with chins on the other non-deadlift day, would reap greater benefits than solely doing chins.

[scoppi]

9-13-10

Back Squat - 315x5x3
Bench Press - 217.5 x 5 x 3
Chins - 40 x 5,5,4
45* Back Extensions - 20, 20, 20

Squats went really well. The weight felt light, and the sets were deep and explosive. Bench went well but the chins sucked. Did some lower back work, which i'll hopefully be able to stick with.

[misspelledgeoff]

Nice work getting back to 3 wheels on the squat. Looks like you've got more left in the tank as well.

[TartanEagle]

I know rip hates rows, but i wonder if running a linear progression on them 1 day a week, with chins on the other non-deadlift day, would reap greater benefits than solely doing chins.

I don't think Rip hates rows, as much as he hates when people puss out on Powercleans and substitute rows.

Nice job on the lifts. I always bomb out on squats at 300. Which I am taking another run at over the next week or so. I hope it goes as well for me as it has for you.

[scoppi]

misspelled - thanks, ive just got to watch my sleep and make sure im eating enough, and Im hoping i'll make some good progress.

tartan - i definitely pussed out of power cleans. the squats just became too fatiguing to do both on the same day. but my max set was 205x3x5 so im not too worried about it. good luck on 300.

[scoppi]

9-15-10

Back Squat - 245x5x2 (No Belt)
Press - 142.5 x 5 x 3 (PR)
Deadlift - 365x5

Im going no belt on the light squat days to work my "core" more. The squats felt good, but my lower back was fatiguing. Press went well - weight was really easy, but for whatever reason the very last rep was a grinder. I think my form got a bit off. Deadlifts were tough. I took 15-20 seconds in between rep 4 and 5, but I didnt let go of the bar so I'm calling it a success.

[scoppi]

9-17-10

Back Squat - 320x5x3
Bench Press - 220x5x3
Good Mornings - 115x5x3
Kroc Rows - 65 x Right: 30, 25 - Left: 30, 25

Squats were a joke. I had to work a bit for the last rep on the second and third set, but overall they were easy. Bench went well too. Weight felt light, and even with shitty form on the third set, the reps weren't that hard to get. Good mornings and kroc rows were light weight so my body could get used to the movements.


This is the template im going to use from now on. Weighted chins and back extensions on monday, deadlift on wednesday, and good mornings and kroc rows on friday. I might drop the kroc rows and just stick with chins, but after having been a gymnast and a crossfitter, im kind of tired of doing chins and want to lift weight. I'd do barbell rows instead of the krocs on friday, but i think that would be too much stress on my lower back. I opted for back extensions on monday because they wont create too much fatigue for me to be able to recover from in time for wednesdays deadlift, and good mornings on friday to make sure my lower back is really being worked in a way that will have the most carry over to my squat and deadlift. When the squats start getting hard i'll probably drop some or all of the lower back work, and then insert it again after a reset.

If anyone has any comments on this, please chime in.

[scoppi]

9-21-10

Back Squat - 325x5x3
Press - 145x5x3 (PR)
Chins - 40 x 5,5,4
45* Back Extensions - 20, 20

Squats and press were easy. chins sucked balls. back extensions gave me some good lower back and hamstring work. only did 2 sets on them instead of three because thats all i needed.

[scoppi]

9-23-10

Back Squat - 255x5x2 (No Belt)
Bench Press - 222.5 x 5 x 3 (PR)
Deadlift - 370x5 (PR)

Squats were a bit heavy. I'll stick to 245 for another few weeks. Bench wasnt as easy as it was last time, but i guess i cant complain - i didnt struggle for any reps. Deadlifts felt heavy but good. there was some form breakdown on reps 4 and 5, but i think i could have pulled 375 today without much issue.

[scoppi]

9-25-10

Back Squat - 330x5x3
Press - 147.5 x 5 x 3 (PR)
Good Mornings - 120x5x3
Kroc Rows - 75 x R:30 - L:30

the bar felt heavy on my back for the squats, but the reps werent difficult. plus i was fucking deep on them. not sure why im going so deep, ill have to get that straightened out before the weight gets seriously heavy. the presses, however, sucked. kind of disappointing since 145 felt so good. i like to complain, so i will, but i guess i wont whine since i got all the reps. ill just repeat the weight next time. good mornings and kroc rows are what they are. but last weekend i was seriously sore from them. hamstrings and biceps got tenderized and marinated. hopefully wont be so bad this time around.

[Danish Viking]

9-25-10

Back Squat - 330x5x3
Press - 147.5 x 5 x 3 (PR)
Good Mornings - 120x5x3
Kroc Rows - 75 x R:30 - L:30

the bar felt heavy on my back for the squats, but the reps werent difficult. plus i was fucking deep on them. not sure why im going so deep, ill have to get that straightened out before the weight gets seriously heavy. the presses, however, sucked. kind of disappointing since 145 felt so good. i like to complain, so i will, but i guess i wont whine since i got all the reps. ill just repeat the weight next time. good mornings and kroc rows are what they are. but last weekend i was seriously sore from them. hamstrings and biceps got tenderized and marinated. hopefully wont be so bad this time around.

Saw some well though out posts of yours, so I figured I'd follow along here. Our stats are fairly similar as well. About presses I dont know if I would repeat if you got all the reps. Everything past 145 for me feels like I reached the limit, yet I keep progressing. I'd go for 150 next time - but you know yourself better, of course.

Rip writes about GM's in SS that you shouldnt use more than 30% of your squat poundage, and that you ought to work in the higher rep ranges. Not that this is gospel, but something to consider - at least for those of us with previous back troubles.

Anyway - decent lifting, looking forward to seeing more of it.

[scoppi]

-Danish

Thanks for following along. I took a look at your log, and you're right, our stats are pretty identical. I'll be following along and most likely using you as motivation, especially on the press (you're probably right and i should move up to 150 next time). And as for the GM's, thanks for letting me know that, i hadn't read that part of SS. it does make more sense to program them that way. for the moment i'm going to stick with how i'm doing them, but once the squats get heavier i might switch over to something like 2x10. ive changed a lot of variables recently, and id like to at least try and keep them constant for some time.

[scoppi]

9-28-10

Back Squat - 335x5x3 (PR)
Bench Press - 225x5x3 (PR)
Barbell Rows - 185x5x3

YEAAAAHHH BUDDY!!!! alright so, im finally back into pr territory on the squat, and they felt pretty good. the weight is getting heavier, but it wasnt too much of a struggle. i could say pretty much the same thing for bench. the last couple reps on set 2 and 3 were difficult, but overall they werent awful. im removing the chins and back extensions for barbell rows. this is partially a time thing and partially a lack of desire to do another pull up. i know taking out chins isnt the smart move, but im just sick of them at the moment. hopefully when i switch programming in a bit, those and power cleans will come back into the mix.

[Danish Viking]

Was that a Ronnie Coleman "Yeah Buddy!!!"? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO45iY7hilI I fucking love that guy.

Anyway, good lifts. You are right. Your bench is better than my (crappy, crappy) bench, my Press is abit better than yours, and the rest is pretty equal. I'll be squatting 335 Friday if all goes well. Yeah Buddy!!

The GM thingy is on pg. 247 of SS 2.ed. It's actually 35% of your squat now that I read it again, I just use 30% because I'm careful as fuck about my lower back.

[scoppi]

Was that a Ronnie Coleman "Yeah Buddy!!!"? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO45iY7hilI I fucking love that guy.

haha, yeah, it was definitely a ronnie coleman YEAAH BUDDY! and thanks for sharing that link, i hadnt seen that one before.

9-30-10

Back Squat - 245x5x2 (No Belt)
Press - 150x5x3 (PR)
Deadlift - 375x5 (PR)

So my right hip flexor is acting up a bit, but really isnt an issue. Im just going to have to keep an eye on it. And thanks for that nudge Danish, 150 was definitely the right weight for the press. All the reps were pretty easy. The deadlift went surprisingly well too, I dont think there was much form break down at all. The weight felt heavy as shit, but I got all the reps, and i could have gotten another one if i had wanted. Aint nuttin but a peanut.

[Danish Viking]

Lightweight!! GJ on the Press - that's a decent deadlift too.

[scoppi]

10-2-10

Back Squat - 340x5x3 (PR)
Bench Press - 227.5 x 5 x 3 (PR)
Good Mornings - 125x5x3
Kroc Rows - 85 x R:30 - L:30

Well, the squats arent easy anymore. The first set was pretty easy, second set was kinda tough, and the third set was, well, a hard set of squats. Rest time was 4-4.5 minutes between sets. Ive got a scheduled deload for next week, so hopefully that will get me ready for another few weeks of PR's. As for the bench, its getting tougher as well. I got all the reps, but the last one on sets 2 and 3 was a bit grindy. I'm gonna have to get some straps for the rows, because its my grip that holds me back on them, which i'm ok with because my grip isnt an issue with my deadlift.

[scoppi]

10-6-10

Back Squat - 340x3x3
Press - 152.5 x 5,4,3
Barbell Row - 195x5x3

First deload week. Reducing squat volume while maintaining intensity in a hope to keep my body used to the feeling of heavy weight while simultaneously giving it a break. They felt fine. Presses however, blew nasty chunks. Fucking flying failure of feces. I dunno, my press just felt weak today, i dont think i could have gotten 145. I'll have to do 152.5 next time and hopefully it will go a bit better.

[stronger]

what sort of rest time do you do between sets for press?

[scoppi]

3 or so minutes

[stronger]

5-6 works better in my experience if you aren't under any time constraints. Never underestimate the positive effect of a few mins extra rest

[scoppi]

Thanks for the tip, stronger. I used it tonight for bench and will use it to (hopefully) get 152.5 on monday.

10-8-10

Back Squat - 345x3x3
Bench Press - 230x5x3 (PR)
Kroc Rows - 95 x R:25 - L:25

345 isnt the lightest weight ive ever squatted, but they went up without issue. Bench was a bit tougher, but once i got myself to stay tight and keep the bar in the groove, they werent too bad and i didnt really have to struggle for any reps. As for the rows, i really need to get straps because my grip is holding me back.

Notes: Bodyweight has been hovering around 183-185 for the past month or so. Elbows flaring up slightly. Its not bad right now, but definitely going to be keeping an eye on it.

[scoppi]

10-13-10

Was supposed to work out on monday, but couldnt because i had a test on tuesday, and couldnt work out on tuesday because i had work that night, so this session got put off until today.

Back Squat - 345x5x3 (PR)
Press - 152.5 x 5 x 3 (PR)
Barbell Row - 205x5x3

Squats were heavy. I knew they would be difficult coming back after the deload but hopefully now my body has rested enough to let me push it hard for the next couple weeks. Elbows felt a bit better. Presses were hard, but i got the dirty bastards. My last set of presses today (and bench last week) was actually my best set out of the 3 because i tightened up and kept the bar in the groove. Rest time was 4-5 minutes between sets for the squats and presses. I finally got straps, so im looking forward to getting my row on.

[stronger]

that's a very nice press. glad you nailed it, sometimes a deload is very useful

[Danish Viking]

That's some decent weight. Good to know that I'm not the only one struggling with elbows - you even set a squat PR for sets across on slightly sore elbows! Good job.

[scoppi]

Stronger - thanks man, i really didnt want to fail on that weight again.

Danish - the elbows can be really rough. im not knocking rip or the low bar style of squatting he teaches, but theres a fuck ton of us on here who are all having the same issues. i think one of the largest reasons for this is that we're increasing the weight on our squats so rapidly, but effectively doing nothing to strengthen our elbow tendons, resulting in them getting abused.

which leads me to the main point. in my very limited personal experience, the elbows up cue doesnt release any of the strain on the elbows, it just makes it worse. i played with hand placement till i was blue, and tightened my upper back as much as i possibly could, but high elbows fucked up my elbows. i dont know if a coach could straighten this out for me or not, but i dont have one, and im not going to let my elbows going to get in the way of my training, so i switched to a more "power style" squat. its basically the one ungeared lifters have used for the past few decades, and the mechanics are essentially the same as rips. the biggest difference is that elbows are down, which takes all of the strain off of them for me. head is aimed a little more up, feet are maybe a bit closer together, and back angle maybe a bit more upright, but the motion is pretty much the same, and frankly, these form changes work better for my body proportions.

its kind of sad, but changing my form was the only way i could stop the elbow pain. even after i took time off, gotten the tendinitis to go away, and reset to 275, the second i hit 300 it would always come right back. heres a video of wendler squatting, which is how im doing it now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sqb6njA8gE

[Danish Viking]

Stronger - thanks man, i really didnt want to fail on that weight again.

Danish - the elbows can be really rough. im not knocking rip or the low bar style of squatting he teaches, but theres a fuck ton of us on here who are all having the same issues. i think one of the largest reasons for this is that we're increasing the weight on our squats so rapidly, but effectively doing nothing to strengthen our elbow tendons, resulting in them getting abused.

which leads me to the main point. in my very limited personal experience, the elbows up cue doesnt release any of the strain on the elbows, it just makes it worse. i played with hand placement till i was blue, and tightened my upper back as much as i possibly could, but high elbows fucked up my elbows. i dont know if a coach could straighten this out for me or not, but i dont have one, and im not going to let my elbows going to get in the way of my training, so i switched to a more "power style" squat. its basically the one ungeared lifters have used for the past few decades, and the mechanics are essentially the same as rips. the biggest difference is that elbows are down, which takes all of the strain off of them for me. head is aimed a little more up, feet are maybe a bit closer together, and back angle maybe a bit more upright, but the motion is pretty much the same, and frankly, these form changes work better for my body proportions.

its kind of sad, but changing my form was the only way i could stop the elbow pain. even after i took time off, gotten the tendinitis to go away, and reset to 275, the second i hit 300 it would always come right back. heres a video of wendler squatting, which is how im doing it now:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sqb6njA8gE

Thanks for your thoughts. I've also thought of dropping the "elbows up". Actually, when you watch Rip squat himself his elbows arent that "up", the same goes somewhat for the pics in SS.

I do believe in the power/athletic/lowbar squat though. It's easier on my lower back, which tends to round if I do OL-style. Guess I'll have to continue to work on it...

[scoppi]

Cool, I just wanted to share with you what worked for me. I hope you get that tendinitis resolved quickly, i know it can be a major pain.

10-16-10

Back Squat - 255x5x2 (No Belt)
Bench Press - 232.5 x 5 x 3 (PR)
Deadlift - 380x5 (PR)

Squats were fine. The first 2 sets of bench were easy, but i lost concentration on the 3rd set and my form went to complete shit. I got all the reps but it was tougher than it needed to be. Deadlifts were hard. Now i know i need to keep doing lower back work during my deloads, because it feels a bit weaker than it was before.

[Danish Viking]

Cool, I just wanted to share with you what worked for me. I hope you get that tendinitis resolved quickly, i know it can be a major pain.

10-16-10


I tried to not shove up my elbows today, and it might've helped. Difficult to say right now, though. I can't wait to get back from it, and set some PR's like you are (good job - I'm envious).

[scoppi]

Thanks man, i just hope this train keeps on rolling.

10-19-10

Back Squat - 350x5x3 (PR)
Press - 155x5x3 (PR)
Good Mornings - 130x5x3
Krock Rows - 105 x R:30 - L:30

Unfortunately, the squats were effing hard. My lower back is definitely the weak link in the chain, which sucks because it takes the longest to recover from (for me at least). Reps were all deep because thats where i get the most bounce, and theres a lot of strain on me knees if i try to cut it off at parallel. Ill try to do some work on form so the heavier weight moves a bit better. Presses were surprisingly easy considering i had a hiccup at 152.5. Last set was a little tough, but nothing i couldnt handle. Just got to keep with the good mornings and i think they'll get my lower back where it needs to be; also, straps feel good on the rows. Didnt even feel the elbow today.

Ive been really busy lately with school and work, so i havent been able to keep a consistent schedule. Hopefully it will get better in the next couple of weeks or so.

[scoppi]

10-21-10

Back Squat - 355x5x3 (PR)
Bench Press - 235x5x3 (PR)

Going to a concert in cincinnati tomorrow and then camping in daniel boone national forest in kentucky for a couple nights, so i wanted to get this work out in before i left. I had to give up a rest day, and I was still sore, but i managed to get all my reps even though they were bloody awful. Squats were tough, but the third set was particularly difficult because i decided to tighten my belt one notch tighter to help my lower back. It completely fucked things up. As for bench, set 2 felt ok, but it never felt good, even during the warm ups. My elbow decided to start acting up, and i managed to tweak something in my neck on one of my warm up sets.

This is my "monday" of the second week after my first deload. im going to finish the second week, deload, and then try to get one more week out before resetting. My rest time was 7 in between sets on squats, and 5 on the bench, so i'm due for a reset soon. Im going to have to play with how i work these deloads and resets but right now im thinking ill do: 3 hard weeks, deload 1 week, 2 hard weeks, deload 1 week, 1 hard week, reset. I'll most likely give myself a couple weeks to work back up to the start of the hard week, and then aim to hit pr's during the third week (so the first 2 hard weeks will be weights ive already hit). I think this is a manageable way for me to cycle on a linear progression, but i'll keep playing with it until i get something that works for me.

[scoppi]

10-25-10

Back Squat - 265x5x2 (No Belt)
Press - 157.5 x 4,5,4
Deadlift - 385x5 (PR)

I didnt feel very strong today. Squats never felt quite right, form was off on presses, and the deadlift was pretty much a 5RM.

[scoppi]

10-27-10

Back Squat - 360x5x3 (PR)
Bench Press - 237.5 x 5 x 3 (PR)

Fuckin a. Lower back was weak from deadlifting on monday. First set of squats was good heavy. Second set was hard heavy. Third set was the toughest set ive ever done. Im deloading next week, my body needs it, but ill probably repeat this weight again the week after. Bench press went well. Ground out a rep or two, but it felt relatively light. Didn't do good mornings or kroc rows because my back needs rest right now, not more stimulation.

[Danish Viking]

I like your deal with using deloads and skipping an excercise when your body tells you to. I wish I were better at that...

And two PR's in one session isnt half bad! How much do you weigh these days?

[scoppi]

I like your deal with using deloads and skipping an excercise when your body tells you to. I wish I were better at that...

And two PR's in one session isnt half bad! How much do you weigh these days?

I feel like at this point , i really need to pay attention to my body if i want to keep making steady gains on an advanced novice template. Im weighing 185 right now. I'll be really happy if i can get double bodyweight for 3x5 before i have to reset.

[Danish Viking]

I feel like at this point , i really need to pay attention to my body if i want to keep making steady gains on an advanced novice template. Im weighing 185 right now. I'll be really happy if i can get double bodyweight for 3x5 before i have to reset.

That's some crazy poundages to be moving at that bodyweight. How tall are you - and are you looking to gain weight?

[scoppi]

Danish - Im 5'7". Id like to eventually be up around 195, but ive already put on all my novice weight, and if i try to bulk up to the 190's, ill just be putting on fat (i know cuz i got up to 190 before cutting down to ~182). im trying to eat a bit over maintenance, and put on 1-2 lbs per month.

11-1-10

Back Squat - 365x3x3
Press - 157.5 x 5,5,4
Row - 205x5x3

Squats went pretty well, weight felt heavy on back though. Im strong enough to get this weight on press, but my form was so far off today. I was falling over on each set. Meh work out, but its a deload week so whatever.

[Danish Viking]

Danish - Im 5'7".


Fair enough, that explains the BW. That's some pretty fucking crazy weights you're moving, then. I'm impressed that you can still push LP at this point.

John Sheaffer would tell you that body composition has more to do with food quality and carb timing than the rate with which you gain weight. Obviously eating quality food in itself can be quite an impediment to gaining weight, as I am learning. Each pound I gain is a struggle.

Did you see the roundtable thing where John mentions a rule of thumb of 3 lbs of BW per inch of height as a baseline for levers to work properly etc.? That'd put you at about 200 lbs. (and me at 220).

In any case - some good work you're putting in.

[scoppi]

11-3-10

Back Squat - 275x5x2 (No Belt)
Bench Press - 240 x 5,5,4
Deadlift - 390x5 (PR)

Squats felt great. Bench was tough. Missed my last rep. Angry. Must get next time. Deadlift was hard, but got it.

[scoppi]

Danish - I hadn't watched all of the round table videos, but that does sound like a good rule of thumb. Ive kind of gotten lazy with my eating, and need to refocus and make sure im getting the calories and protein i need.

11-8-10

Back Squat - 365x5x3 (PR)
Press - 157.5 x 5 x 3 (PR)
Barbell Row - 215x5x3

Squats were really tough, but in a good way. Thanks to the deload, my lower back wasnt threatening to explode into million of shards. As for the press, I got the reps, but it was fucking ugly. I was falling backwards on a couple reps. Not sure whats up, but i'll see how 160 goes - i might need to reset it soon. Rows felt good.

[scoppi]

11-11-10

Back Squat - 275x5x2 (No Belt)
Bench Press - 240x5x3 (PR)
Deadlift - 395x5 (PR)

I was, well, very sore from mondays squats, so I took the extra day of rest so i could go after the deadlifts. but yeah, squats werent too tough, even though my muscles were sore and lethargic. Bench was hard. i barely ground out the last rep. I'll try to push my pressing movements a bit more, but im thinking im gonna have to reset them soon. I got my 5 deadlifts, but they were hard. Hopefully I'll be able to keep adding weight to them, even though every time feels like a 5RM.

[Danish Viking]

You're a strong fucker. You outlift me by quite a margin on everything except the press, I'm a bit jealous! At least I weigh more than you :P

In all seriousness - great stuff. Keep it up.

[scoppi]

Thanks for the encouragement, Danish. Im hoping to see you set some squat PR's soon.

11-15-10

Back Squat - 370 x 5,2
Press - 160 x 5,3
Good Mornings - 135x5x3
Kroc Rows - 110 x R:27 - L:27

So today was just an abysmal performance. It hasnt helped that my eating and gym appearances have been infrequent and sub standard, but i really just didnt have it mentally today. The first set of squat and press were both really hard, and i just didnt have it in me to finish them. Squats were probably doable, press wasn't though - either way I pussed out. So I think its time for a reset. Im gonna try out JP's method of going for a max rep on the last sets while maintaining my templates basic structure. My mind and body need a break from the heavy weight for a bit so that i can get to the gym when im supposed to, as well as get my eating back to where it needs to be. Hopefully ill be back in PR territory by the end of december so I can go for totals, and see how close i can get to 200/300/400/500.

[stronger]

eating solves lots of problems. You'll bounce back from it, and you learn something every bad workout. As long as you're lifting heavy, it eventually washes out into a win-win

[Danish Viking]

eating solves lots of problems. You'll bounce back from it, and you learn something every bad workout. As long as you're lifting heavy, it eventually washes out into a win-win

+1, especially the eating part. If my diet is off my lifting goes to hell pretty damned quick. Just eat&sleep like crazy and you'll come back and kill it.

I've found the AMRAP-set thingy to be quite fun.

[scoppi]

Thanks for the pushes to get me eating the way i should.

Danish - Screw you. Seriously. I dont know how you find the AMRAP thing to be fun, because i was ready to collapse on the ground in a heap of puke, sweat, and tears after that set, and my hamstrings and lower back wanted to take a spaceship to a more peaceful galaxy. Seriously, that was ultimately miserable. I think JP might have a point of scheduling the squats to the end of the work out because of that set - I'll have to figure out what im going to do with my rows and good mornings.

11-18-10

Back Squat - 335 x 5,5,9
Bench Press - 215 x 5,5,7
Barbell Rows - 225x5x3

Was a pretty good work out. The last set of squats were murder. I could have gotten 1 more, but i got the number i wanted, and i thought it best to leave it in the tank. Not to mention my cardiovascular system was about to go on strike, and my muscles were openly revolting. Completely awful. Benching sucked pretty hard today though. I should have gotten 9 or so at that weight, but it just never felt right (probably because of the squats). Rows felt surprisingly good though. Form is cheaty, but im going for weight here, i dont really care if im using a bit of hips to help.

Edit: Not a serious screw you, danish. those squats are just brutal. I guess this is a sign that i need to work on my conditioning.

[Danish Viking]

Danish - Screw you. Seriously. I dont know how you find the AMRAP thing to be fun, because i was ready to collapse on the ground in a heap of puke, sweat, and tears after that set, and my hamstrings and lower back wanted to take a spaceship to a more peaceful galaxy. Seriously, that was ultimately miserable. I think JP might have a point of scheduling the squats to the end of the work out because of that set

Edit: Not a serious screw you, danish. those squats are just brutal. I guess this is a sign that i need to work on my conditioning.

This is why they are at the end, yes. It feels weird the first few times if you've been brought up on Starr/Rip workouts (like me) but you get used to it pretty fast. Conditioning is my biggest problem as well (exacerbated by the altitude here). 9x335 is pretty fucking decent, btw.

I'd put the assistance pulling between the B/P and squat/dead. I.e. for that workout do bench, row, squat. I realize that you *might* get a bit of back fatigue affecting your squats, but it shouldnt be too big of a deal.

[scoppi]

Thanks for the tips and info, Danish.

11-22-10

Back Squat - 275x5x2 (No Belt)
Press - 142.5 x 5,5,7
Deadlift - 360x7

Squats felt fine. Form on press was off again. Im not too worried about it though, I'll get it back. Pretty weak performance for the bench and press though, but i think i'll start getting used to the amrap thing, and it will go better. Deadlifts were tough. Overall this wasnt the best of work outs, but i think december will go well for me, so im not that worried.

[scoppi]

11-24-10

Bench Press - 217.5 x 5,5,9
Back Squat - 340 x 5,5,8
Barbell Row - 235x5x3

So today was an interesting day. On my last bench set, i decided to go for 10, got stuck half way up, and got pinned underneath. I was gonna dump the plates to either side, but someone came and helped drag it off of me. Guess im gonna have to grab a spotter for that last set. To make up for my complete embarrassment, i got into my squat work out quickly - too quickly, actually, because i forgot to put on my belt for my first set. I finished the set relatively easily, but my abs and lower back were working pretty hard on the last 2. So yeah, i didnt really have my head on my shoulders today, but im pretty happy with how my work out went.

[Danish Viking]

A spotter is a must for the AMRAP on bench. It's kind of a pain, really. Decent weights you're pushing there, too.

[scoppi]

11-28-10

Press - 145 x 5,5,8
Back Squat - 345 x 5,5,8
Barbell Row - 240x5x3

My form on the press is finally starting to feel better again, and the amrap set went much better. Squats felt good as well. Left one in the tank for both the press and squat. I really hate squatting over 5 reps, it feels too much like conditioning; but im interested in seeing the effects, so i'm going to stick with it for a reset or two.

[scoppi]

11-30-10

Bench Press - 220 x 5,5,9
Back Squat - 275x5x2 (No Belt)
Deadlift - 365x6

My deadlift is a piece of shit. Im thinking of switching it up into more of an intensity type thing. Something like 5 singles and possibly a back off. I dont think ive gotten a lot of mileage out of the 1x5, so i want to see if im better suited to lower reps for deadlift. Bench went pretty well though. Also, i wasnt fully recovered from last session, so im sure that affected me negatively.

[Danish Viking]

What's wrong with adding 5 lbs to your deadlift and still getting 6 reps? I'd just stick with it, if I were you. The other stuff sounds like fun as well, though Rip would probably have you using haltings/rack pulls in stead of full on deadlifts, if you feel 1x5 isnt working anymore.

[scoppi]

What's wrong with adding 5 lbs to your deadlift and still getting 6 reps? I'd just stick with it, if I were you. The other stuff sounds like fun as well, though Rip would probably have you using haltings/rack pulls in stead of full on deadlifts, if you feel 1x5 isnt working anymore.

You're probably right. I have gotten up to 395x5 from ~300x5 which IS good progress (even though the reps were sloppy as hell). I guess i was just disappointed last night because i was expecting at least 7.

How does your deadlifts feel Danish? For me, Im now able to lift heavier weight, but lighter weight still feels heavy. For example, 315 still feels about the same as it used to, even though i know i could get more reps out then i could before. Seriously, squatting 315 is easier then deadlifting it. So i guess im wondering if its that way for everyone, or maybe just a product of me being built for squatting and not deadlifting?

Ive been thinking about deadlift programming lately because id really like to get to that 500 mark, but at this rate my squat and deadlift will arrive there at about the same time. So yeah, im kind of curious if i'd respond more favorably to low rep work. I dunno.

[Danish Viking]

Heavy squats and heavy deads always feel like I am going to die. Say 330 or 350 squat feels pretty fucking tough, same for deads. Deads to tire me in a different way than squats, though. But I wouldnt say that they feel "easier".

If you stall out before or around 400, I'd say it makes sense to switch it up. But if you are getting 5 or more reps while increasing the weight on the bar, I'd keep at it. On the other hand change for the sake of change can sometimes be a good idea to keep things fresh.

[scoppi]

Yeah, part of it is wanting a little bit more variety, but I'll continue with 1x5 until I can't do it anymore or its clear that its stopped working for me.

12-4-10

Press - 147.5 x 5,5,7
Back Squat - 350 x 5,5,7

Today was a pretty bad day. I'm not sure why but I felt really tired and weak. I was falling asleep in between my sets, and the weights just felt heavier than they should. Hopefully I'm not getting sick. I worked out in the early afternoon as well - I usually work out at night, so maybe that had some impact. I'll try to up food and sleep, which i havent been doing the best at, and that will probably sort things out.

[Danish Viking]

Getting 7 reps on your last set on an off-day is pretty fucking good in my book. More food and sleep is always a good idea - go eat a couple of pounds of beef.

[scoppi]

12-7-10

Bench Press - 222.5 x 5,5,9*
Back Squat - 355 x 5,5,6
Barbell Row - 250x5x3

Had to grab a new spotter tonight for bench, and of course i pick one that doesnt speak english. He definitely touched the bar on a few reps, but im just gonna continue on to 225 next time and get at least 8. As for squats, well fuck. Tonight is the first night i failed a squat. For some reason i BURIED reps 4-6 and just didnt have enough to get 7 up. Oh well i guess. Rows were SLOPPAY. An annoying night.

[scoppi]

Alright, so between finals, narrowly avoiding a cold, a slightly tweaked knee from squatting last time, more hours at work, girlfriends b-day, and gym membership issues, its been awhile since my last work out. Hopefully I'll be able to stay consistent through the holidays.

12-12-10

Press - 150 x 5,5,5
Back Squat - 275x5x2
Deadlift - 405x1x5
SLDL - 225x5x3

My press blows. Weight felt heavy and muscles felt sticky. I think this is mostly from not having been to the gym in awhile. Squats were light, but I am having issues getting my feet set and keeping the bar locked down on my back. Hopefully this will fix itself. I went for 5 singles on the deadlift today, which turned out to be hugely disappointing. 405 was far heavier than it should have been. I liked the SLDL's. I think I'll see a lot of return if i stick with them.

I think that switching my squat form has been sabotaging my deadlifts. How I squat is more dependent on quads and glutes, where as Rip's low bar focused more on hamstring and lower back (for my body proportions anyways). So now im left with the question of how to make up this posterior work. In all reality, i should have switched over to TM a few months ago, but im far too stubborn to do that. Ive got a few ideas on how to make my not-so-linear, linear progression work.

[Danish Viking]

You also switched to HB squats? I just switched back to LB, to save my lower back and knee.

150 for 5's across at 185 (?) BW is hardly a press that "blows" IMO.

[scoppi]

You also switched to HB squats? I just switched back to LB, to save my lower back and knee.

150 for 5's across at 185 (?) BW is hardly a press that "blows" IMO.

Its not really high bar, its old school powerlifter form. Dr Squat demonstrates it rather well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7oq0PIT_M8

Bar is still in the low bar position, but elbows are down, head is up, feet are closer together, and the back stays more vertical. Im built pretty well for squat, and this form suits me nicely. Ive been squatting like this since sometime around August. Whenever i stopped complaining about elbow tendonitis is a week or two after i switched.

And yeah, sets at 150 arent terrible for press, it just hasnt been moving as nicely as my bench. Also, i gotta try and keep up with you ;). That 167 x 5,5,4 is awesome, Danish. As for bodyweight, I dropped down to ~181 for a bit, but now am back at ~184.

[Danish Viking]

Its not really high bar, its old school powerlifter form. Dr Squat demonstrates it rather well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7oq0PIT_M8

Bar is still in the low bar position, but elbows are down, head is up, feet are closer together, and the back stays more vertical. Im built pretty well for squat, and this form suits me nicely. Ive been squatting like this since sometime around August. Whenever i stopped complaining about elbow tendonitis is a week or two after i switched.

And yeah, sets at 150 arent terrible for press, it just hasnt been moving as nicely as my bench. Also, i gotta try and keep up with you ;). That 167 x 5,5,4 is awesome, Danish. As for bodyweight, I dropped down to ~181 for a bit, but now am back at ~184.

Well, you'll be happy to know that I'm doing 150 today! Thanks for the video-link. That might be a good compromise for me. I fucking hate HB squats.

Now go eat something!

[scoppi]

12-17-10

Bench Press - 225 x 5,5,8
Back Squat - 340 x 5,5,8
Good Mornings - 135x5x3

Bench felt good and strong. Reset the weight on squat because I havent been able to make it to the gym consistently enough to try and keep adding weight. Also, I feel like 340 to 360 is the "sweet spot" right now, where ill make the best strength gains if i spend some time working in this range. In the summer it was 295 to 315, and i worked through that range a number of times (this happened because i had to take some weeks off). Once i pushed it, I was able to make it up to 365, with my previous PR being 330. Hopefully I'll see similar results.

Basically, i really need intermediate programming of some sort. these work outs are brutalizing me. I had always planned on switching to TM, but im really not sure how my deadlift will react to this. I want to stick with what im doing at least for another couple months, but I might need to make some changes soon.

[scoppi]

12-22-10

Press - 152.5 x 5,5,5
Back Squat - 345 x 5,5,7

Was difficult. Not enough consistency or food. Just aiming for maintenance through the holidays. There will be changes in January.

[Danish Viking]

I think alot of us are just aiming to maintain strength and size during the Holidays, and then get back on progression in Jan. That said getting 7 on the AMRAP set isnt too bad, now is it?

[scoppi]

Thanks for all the encouragement you've given me, Danish. And yeah, training during the holidays has been a crap shoot. Hopefully I wont lose too much strength, and be able to make some gains in the first few months of 2011.

12-28-10

Bench Press - 225 x 5,5,7
Back Squat - 350x3, 385x1, 405x1

Meh.

[Danish Viking]

Grats on the 4 wheel squat. I'm jealous.

[scoppi]

12-30-10

Back Squat - 275x5x2

Holy crap, i didnt feel it until i got under 225, but my body is WRECKED from that 405 squat. Right quad and lower back started cramping up and are now super sore. Its strange because i felt fine yesterday and today. Shoulders were also too sore to press, which i can understand because i was feeling it a bit from tuesdays bench, but that squat did a number on me. Its slightly annoying because i dont think it was a max - though it was difficult for my lower back. I might have been able to hit 415-420. This just tells me my consistency has been rubbish and is showing, and that some intensity work would be beneficial.

[scoppi]

1-8-11

Back Squat - 275x5x3
Bench Press - 205x5x3
Barbell Row - 225x5x3


1-10-11

Back Squat - 285x5x3
Press - 145x3x5
Deadlift - 375x1

[scoppi]

1-13-11

CF WOD. My conditioning is poop.

[scoppi]

1-15-11

Bench Press - 215x5x3
Back Squat - 295x5x3
Deadlift - 385x1x3

[scoppi]

1-18-11

Back Squat - 305x5x3
Press - 150x3x5
Deadlift - 365x1x5

[scoppi]

1-20-11

Back Squat - 315x5x3
Bench Press - 220x5x3

[scoppi]

1-24-11

Back Squat - 325x5x3
Press - 150x3x5
Kroc Rows - 85 x R:25 - L:25

[scoppi]

1-26-11

Back Squat - 275x5x2
Bench Press - 225x5x3
Close Grip Bench Press - 135x8x2
Deadlift - 375x1x5
EZ Bar Curls - Bar+50lbs x 8 x 3

[scoppi]

1-29-11

Back Squat - 335x5x3
Press - 152.5 x 3 x 5
Dips - 25x8x2
Glute-Ham Raises - 3x5
Kroc Rows - 90 x R:30,20 - L:30,20

[Danish Viking]

That's some strong squatting. I've been wondering about Kroc Rows lately. I'm not sure I understand what you are doing. 90 lbs for 30 then 20 reps?

[scoppi]

That's some strong squatting. I've been wondering about Kroc Rows lately. I'm not sure I understand what you are doing. 90 lbs for 30 then 20 reps?

squats are tougher than i expected them to be. i definitely lost some strength in december, so ive just been trying to slowly get it back. i think i'll be able to push into pr territory if the next few weeks go well.

sorry the notation is confusing on the kroc rows. i split it up like that because the reps i accomplish for each hand arent always symmetric. what that last one means is: 90 lb dumbell used, got 30 reps on my first set with right hand, 30 reps on my first set with left hand, 20 reps on my second set with right hand, and 20 reps on my second set with left hand. i should probably just find a simpler way to write it.

i was going to do a little review on how my training has gone the past few months, and since you asked about the kroc rows, i might as well do it now.

Training Review

Exercises
- Barbell Rows: I wasnt a big fan of them, and will take them out of my training. i think they placed too much stress on the low back for what they offered.

- Kroc Rows: I do like these. I think they contributed to that spurt in my bench progress a while back. They also remove the stress off the low back, and hit the upper back and biceps better than the rows did. i'll use them for bench and deadlift lock out.

- Good Mornings: I didnt notice any clear benefit from doing these, but i think they were helping. I felt them more in my hamstrings than my lower back, but im sure they helped all of the posterior chain. Im pretty weak at them, so i think a movement like this will be necessary in my training. I have no doubt that if i got these into the low 200's my deadlift would be a considerable bit higher.

- SLDL: I only did these 1 day as a backoff, but i really liked them. Seemed to target my lower back more than the GM's did. I dont know how i can program GM/SLDL/RDL into my training without it interfering with my squatting and deadlifting right now, but i think those 3 would be very worthwhile assistance work.

- Chins/Pull ups: i think my press has suffered a bit for taking them out. however, i think my bench has been helped by the kroc rows. i think ill stick with the rows for awhile longer, but at some point id like to get back to doing some chins.

- Curls: not necessary if im doing krocs

- Glute ham raises: im doing these as my posterior assistance. i think i could have chosen these or 45* back extensions, but i suck particularly hard at these. if i can become average at them i think it will help my deadlift some. im using these as assistance instead of GM's or SLDL because i think a non weighted exercise will be easier to recover from.

Couple Thoughts

- Upper body assistance: I think doing a little bit of upper body assistance work would be helpful. something like dips, close grip bench press, db incline, or db press while the bench/press weight isnt super heavy will help fill some of the gaps. ill probably have issues recovering from bench sessions + assistance, but press + assistance should be fine.

- Deadlift: this mofo has been slow like molasses. im really not sure ive made more than 20 lbs progress in the past 6 months. this is clearly a posterior chain weakness. i think i gave up on 1x5 a little early. ill make another run at them like that, and once thats done ill probably move on to alternating haltings and rack pulls. i think singles or doubles would work well with the deadlift, but id have to do it more frequently than 1x/week.

Programming

- I made good progress off of that template i made up. basically taking a deload week every 1-4 weeks, but keeping the intensity high, and pushing the lp hard. this time around, once i reach the top end, i think ill switch from 3x5 to 3x3 and progress like that for a few more weeks. this is more intermediate/advanced programming, but its mine, i like it, and i think it can continue to work for me.

- Greyskull LP: I do not like. To start off, i just want to say that i dont think i was an appropriate candidate for the greyskull lp, but still, i dont think it programs the lower body very intelligently. My problem with it is one of recovery. ss is programmed using 3x5 because its the most a novice can recover from in 48 hours, and progress linearly for an extended period of time. If adding more was better, ss would be 4x5 or 5x5, but its not, because more ISNT always better. At my level of squatting, I should have known there would simply be no way I could adequately recover from 2x5, 1xAMRAP, two times a week. You could argue that a novice could progress on that, and while thats true up to a point, I see no benefit for a novice to do that since ss will enable them to progress linearly for longer than greyskull will.

That being said, I think 2x5, 1xAMRAP has potential for bench and press – lifts where more volume wont fry you.

- I'll be switching to TM at some point in the near future. I think I could probably still make some progress using my bastardized advance novice program, but I think some intensity work would be very good for me.

[scoppi]

2-1-11

Back Squat - 340x5x3
Bench Press - 227.5 x 5 x 3
Glute-Ham Raises - 4x5
Seated DB Press - 50x8x2
Kroc Rows - 95 x R:20 - L:20

[Danish Viking]

Again some pretty good squatting (and benching) there.

Thanks for the clarification and the thoughts - always interesting to hear other peoples experiences two comments:

* Johns LP: Agree on the AMRAP for squats/deads. On the other hand my upper body hypertrophied like a mofo from the AMRAP deal. It depends on goals, but I think it's a valid variation of SS if you want to do a bit more "beach work".

* Good Mornings: Be careful with these. Rip writes something in SS about smart lifters never using more than 35% of their squat on this excercise.

[scoppi]

Danish, I dunno, I kind of have a hard time believing that getting stronger at GM's while maintaining good form will be problematic. Basically what it comes down to is that im somewhat desperate to get my freakin deadlift moving, and my lower back and hamstrings stronger.

2-3-11

Back Squat - 275x5x2 (No Belt)
Press - 155x3x5
Dips - 30x8x2
Deadlift - 355x5

It finally feels like I have my strength back on the squats - they were really easy. I was hoping the upper body assistance work would give my bench and press a boost, but I think all its doing is preventing proper recovery, so its time to drop it. The deadlifts weren't as easy as I had hoped. My hamstrings were definitely feeling the glute ham raises, and I'm out of practice on the sets of 5; however, I did keep good form, so I'm calling it a win.

[Danish Viking]

Maybe it's time to switch to rack pulls/haltings as Rip writes about alot of places. You are deadlifting about 2xBW if I am not mistaken, so it might be time for a more "advanced" strategy?

Failing that I've found RDL's to be wonderful for lower back/hamstrings. And Starr's programmes would have you Clean/Hi-pull/Shrug.

Just saying that GM's _can_ cause lower back problems, and if you want to go heavy, there are other options.

[scoppi]

Yeah, bodyweight is still in the 180-185 lb range (i have upped the protein and calories though, I'm taking a shot at 190), so maybe it is time to move on. Rip advised us to switch over to the halting/rack pull method once your set of 5 is in the low to mid 400's. I figured I should try to get there first before switching over, but the point about my bodyweight is a good one. I don't see how I'd be able to work power cleans into my program right now, but they are in the TM template I've been thinking about. Also, I probably wouldn't use GM's anytime soon; because of where my sticking point is (the dumb ground), I think RDL's or SLDL would be more appropriate.

Thanks for the thoughts Danish, they help, especially when you work out alone. I'm looking forward to seeing how you do on that Starr 5x5 program.

[scoppi]

2-5-11

Back Squat - 345x5x3
Bench Press - 230x5x3

Short on time and energy today.

[Danish Viking]

Thanks for the thoughts Danish, they help, especially when you work out alone.

No probs. My point about Starr's programme/cleans was actually that you can get plenty of pulling strength without doing anything with "deadlift" in it's name, since Clean/hi-pull/shrug has also worked for alot of people.

And let me just reiterate that you're moving some damned serious weight for a 180-185 lb guy...

[scoppi]

2-8-11

Back Squat - 350x3x3
Press - 157.5 x 3 x 5
Kroc Rows - 95 x R:30 - L:30

Deload week. Thanks for directing me back to reality, Danish.

[scoppi]

2-10-11

Back Squat - 275x5x2 (No Belt)
Bench Press - 232.5 x 5 x 3
Power Cleans - 205 x 7 or 8 singles every 60 seconds

I never should have completely removed cleans from my program. Squats felt like shit for some reason, but bench felt good.

[scoppi]

2-13-11

Back Squat - 355x3x3
Press - 160x3x5

[scoppi]

2-15-11

Back Squat - 350x5x3
Bench Press - 235x5x3
Kroc Rows - 100 x R:30 - L:30

[Danish Viking]

Your cleans are still impressive, though. Cleaning above BW is pretty decent in my book.

How are you programming your squats - seems you had a 3x3 in there?

[scoppi]

Your cleans are still impressive, though. Cleaning above BW is pretty decent in my book.

Thanks, I really like cleans and have been doing them for awhile. Its somewhat strange that my clean is pretty good, but my deadlift is lacking.


How are you programming your squats - seems you had a 3x3 in there?

I do 3x3 instead of 3x5 on my deload weeks. I prefer lowering the volume and keeping the intensity high over lower the intensity and keeping the volume the same, because I like keeping weight on my back, and it gives me confidence that I can hit the next weights. Heres what im hoping to accomplish in the next month or so. Its ambitious, but if I write it down, maybe it will force me to see it through.

___________________Deload____PR Range________
350x5x3 -- 360x5x3 -- 370x3x3 -- 370x5x3 -- 380x5x3
275x5x2 -- 275x5x2 -- 275x5x2 -- 275x5x2 -- 275x5x2
355x5x3 -- 365x5x3 -- 375x3x3 -- 375x5x3 -- 385x5x3

What happens from here depends on how im feeling, but I think ill run with 3x3 instead of 3x5 and see how high i can take that before I reset, and then decide whether or not its time to switch to TM. But who knows, I might burn out on this at 370. Also, after reading through my log, theres 2 things I tend to do a lot: ponder about programming (which im doing here), and complain. So, we'll see what happens, but I'm excited to try and start pushing my squat.

Oh, and I'm going to try and start eating more and gaining some weight, ive been 181 for the past month. Kirk Karwoski was 5'8", 280 lbs. Fuck.

[scoppi]

2-17-11

Back Squat - 275x5x2
Press - 162.5 x 3 x 5
Power Cleans - 185 for 15 singles on the minute
Curls

[Danish Viking]

I envy your cleans. Now go eat.

[scoppi]

2-19-11

Back Squat - 355x5x3
Bench Press - 237.5 x 5 x 3

Some updates:
I tweaked a lower lat attachment of some sort on the kroc rows on Tuesday. Nothing major, just a slight niggle, but we'll see how it affects me.

Elbows were acting up for a bit. Ive dialed in my grip on the squat, so that doesnt cause them to flare anymore. Also, Ive been taking 1 tbsp of fish oil and cod liver oil a day. I really think those have helped.

I think im going to try creatine for awhile. If anyone reading this has any personal experience with it, feel free to chime in. They say its good for providing your muscles energy during high intensity exercise, so maybe it will give my lifts a boost - i dont exactly have my fingers crossed for this. But, it will cause my muscles to absorb ~5 lbs of water weight, so maybe it will help improve my leverages.

BW is 183.

[Danish Viking]

Creatine is fucking fantastic. Cycling or not depends on who you listen to. You might be one of the unlucky 20% it doesnt work on - but with all probability it'll help recovery a bunch and bump up your BW.

[scoppi]

2-23-11

Back Squat - 360x5x3
Press - 165 x FAIL
Seated DB Press - 60x8x3
Pull Ups - 2x10

Squats went well. Last set was tough, but I felt strong on them. Im not sure why I failed so hard on the press today. 162.5 wasnt that hard, and I was expecting to get this. Hopefully it will go up next time. I did the DB presses just to get some work in, and pull ups instead of kroc rows. I was pleasantly surprised to find out I could still get 10 reps without too much difficulty.

Im taking 10g of creatine this week. Subsequent weeks I'll take 5g.

[scoppi]

2-25-11

Back Squat - 275x5x2
Bench Press - 240x5x3
Power Clean - 190 x ~6 singles

Bench was easy. I'm feeling really strong on that lift right now. I was going to do 15 singles on the minute for the power cleans, but i started getting a weird twinge on the left side of my low back, near the top of the pelvis. I think its pinched nerve or something like that, but i figured it didnt make sense to aggravate it further, so I stopped.

[scoppi]

2-28-11

Back Squat - 365x5x3
Press - 165 x 3,3,3,2,2

FUCK. I FUCKING HATE press. This time was way better than last time. I'm gonna give it one more go next time, and if i miss it, im throwing the fucking bar into the mirror. Squats were tough, but they tie my previous PR, and they were easier this time. I've got a welcome deload next week, and then I push into PR territory.

[Danish Viking]

Thats an awesome squat. And Press takes forever to improve once you get past 150, in my experience. What really works for me is getting some progress on the bench, this usually helps Press along as well. Also maybe form could be improved - perhaps posting a vid in the technique forum could be an idea?

[scoppi]

Thats an awesome squat. And Press takes forever to improve once you get past 150, in my experience. What really works for me is getting some progress on the bench, this usually helps Press along as well. Also maybe form could be improved - perhaps posting a vid in the technique forum could be an idea?

Form is definitely a large component. I know where the groove is on my press, and when I hit it, the sets are a lot easier. Unfortunately form can be all over the place on the press, which makes it a lot harder. A vid isnt a bad idea, theres probably stuff going on I dont know about.

3-3-11

Back Squat - 370x3x3
Bench Press - 242.5 x 5 x 3 (PR)

Deload week. 370 felt heavy, but the sets weren't too taxing. Im not fully recovered from 365x5x3. I'm fucking happy to hit that bench PR. First 2 sets were a little tough, but on the third set I tightened up a bit better, stayed in the groove, and it was easy.

[scoppi]

3-5-11

Back Squat - 275x5x2
Press - 165x3x5 (PR)
Pull Ups - 3x10

Thank god.

[scoppi]

3-7-11

Back Squat - 375x3x3*
Bench Press - 245x5x3 (PR)

Bench felt good and solid. Didn't really have to struggle for any of them. As for my squat, I'm a huge idiot. I accidentally put a 35 on one side instead of a 25, so the bar was like:

(5)(25)(45)(45)(45)----------------bar----------------(45)(45)(45)(35)(5)

So basically my first set was a lopsided 385x3. I corrected it and did the last two sets at 375. Sets were a bit tougher than I would have liked, but hopefully the deload served me well and I'll be ready to hit PR's in a few days.

[Danish Viking]

So basically my first set was a lopsided 385x3.

Been there, done that. Still some impressive weight you are moving. And congrats on nailing the Press.

[scoppi]

3-10-11

Back Squat - 370x5x3 (PR)
Dips - 40x5x5
Pull Ups - 3x10

Squats were hard. I cant press after heavy squats, which has been inhibiting my pressing progress, but I needed some volume so did the dips. BW was 183 this morning.

[scoppi]

3-13-11

Back Squat - 275x5x2
Bench Press - 247.5 x 5 x 3 (PR)
Curls - 35x8x3

Bench was moderately difficult.

[scoppi]

3-15-11

Back Squat - 375x5x3* (PR)
Dips - 45x5x5

Squats were hard, but I'm happy I got them. Theres an asterisk because instead of 3x5, it was really 5,5,3,5. I started talking with someone who's competed in powerlifting after my second set, and he offered a spot. I took it to be friendly, but it honestly through me off. On my 4th rep of the 3rd set I lost my focus at the bottom and came up a little forward. Had to dump the bar on the rack. I was pissed and wanted my 3x5, so waited a bit and got em.

[scoppi]

3-21-11

Back Squat - 380x3x3
Bench Press - 250x5x3 (PR)

I took a few extra days off to give my body a break. Honestly, I think it did more harm then good. Squats and bench were hard mainly because I was nowhere near the groove.

[Danish Viking]

3-21-11

Back Squat - 380x3x3
Bench Press - 250x5x3 (PR)

I took a few extra days off to give my body a break. Honestly, I think it did more harm then good. Squats and bench were hard mainly because I was nowhere near the groove.

Well, you squatted 380 lbs and set a bench PR, so it can't have been all bad. Also those kind of breaks show their worth in the long run. Coming back from a few days off is always a little weird. In any case - strong fucking lifts. How is the weightgain going?

[scoppi]

3-28-11

Back Squat:
250x5
285x5
325x7

185x10x5

Its time to switch programming. My version of advanced novice was a floundering piece of shit and anything but conducive to long term gains. That being said, it served me well and I dont think its a bad option if you're trying to peak. But its time to move on, and I'm going to 5/3/1. Im choosing 5/3/1 because I want to get some conditioning back and start playing rugby, and theres just no way I could do that on TM. The one catch is that next week I'll start a Smolov Junior bench cycle with someone I promised I'd do it with. So my first cycle of 5/3/1 will be squat and deadlift only (with the exception of this week).

And holy fuck, I lose a lot of strength when I take a week off. And this was supposed to be an easy workout, but it was hellishly hard - the 5x10 boring but big is goddamn awful, and 325x7 is an absolute joke. I hope next week goes better.

Thanks for following, Danish.

[Danish Viking]

You're quite welcome. I think that if you look back over your home-cooked version of SS, it did give you some progress? and 325x7 isn't that bad at your BW. You aren't the only one who performs like crap after a week (or even just one session) off, by the way.

Will look forward to seeing your progress on 531. It's a programme I've considered myself at some point, but I don't like the idea of only squatting once per week, if I am honest. I'd like to play Rugby one day - not an option where I live currently though.

How has eating been going?

[scoppi]

3-30-11

Bench Press:
165x5
195x5
220x8

Incline DB Press:
65x10x5

DB Rows:
80x10x3

Danish, in all seriousness about my version of advanced novice, I think its a pretty good option to switch over to when you're ending your LP. I think it can be used as a beginning intermediate program, but it isn't set up for long term use as one. I think it allows a person to take a couple runs and make some pretty good progress, but its not something to slug it out with. I think I would have been better off switching to TM a few months ago.

As for 531, I'm skeptical about a few things as well, and squatting only once a week is at the top of that list. But I'm gonna give it a go for at least 3 or 4 cycles and see how it pans out. I'm really wanting to get my conditioning back and hopefully have some fun (without breaking any bones) playing rugby. And where do you live again, isn't it somewhere in central america?

As for the eating, I really tailed off the past couple weeks. I'm letting myself down in that department, and I know it. Im going to start eating more again to try and help me with all this new volume, and hope the conditioning starts helping with body recomp.

[scoppi]

4/1/11

Deadlift:
250x5
290x5
325x7

185x10x5

5x10 of anything sucks.

[scoppi]

4/4/11

Bench Press - 200x6x6

Back Squat:
270x3
310x3
345x6

185x10x5

Started smolov jr for bench today.

[scoppi]

4-6-11

Bench Press - 215x5x7

DB Rows:
80x10x5

[scoppi]

4-8-11

Bench Press - 225x4x8

Was supposed to do deadlifts today, but ran out of time. I'll do them tomorrow.

[scoppi]

4-9-11

Bench Press - 240x3x10

Deadlift:
270x3
310x3
345x6

185x10x5

Smolov is hard.

[scoppi]

4-11-11

Bench Press - 210x6x6

[scoppi]

4-13-11

Bench Press - 225x5x7

Squat:
290x5
325x3
365x4

185x10x5

[Danish Viking]

I'm not sure I understand the methodology of your mix of 5/3/1 and smolov jr., but good lifts in any case. 35 total reps of 225 bench is pretty decent.

How is eating going?

[scoppi]

3-15-11

Bench Press - 235x4x8

DB Rows - 85x5x5

Danish, mixing 531 and smolov definitely isn't ideal, but I promised someone I'd run the cycle with him, and needed something to do for my lower body during these 4 weeks. So, since I was burnt out on my advanced novice template and was planning on switching to 531 anyways, I just decided to start it. Once im done with the smolov cycle, I'll run 531 as planned. As far as eating goes, I'd give myself a C. BW is still in the 180-185 lb range.

[Chargerforlife]

How is your recovery going with the Smolov jr bench? Do you think it has been worth it so far?

[scoppi]

4-16-11

Bench Press - 250x3x10

Chargeforlife, recovery is pretty good. Smolov is a buttload of frequency and volume, but I really haven't been sore at all. The first couple days took a little bit to get used to, but even though the days have been difficult, I've been able to complete the workouts. As for if its been worth it, I cant really say until next week is over, but I can say that I dont think I would have been able to do 250x3x10 before I started Smolov.

[Chargerforlife]

4-16-11

Bench Press - 250x3x10

Chargeforlife, recovery is pretty good. Smolov is a buttload of frequency and volume, but I really haven't been sore at all. The first couple days took a little bit to get used to, but even though the days have been difficult, I've been able to complete the workouts. As for if its been worth it, I cant really say until next week is over, but I can say that I dont think I would have been able to do 250x3x10 before I started Smolov.

I might give it a try at some point - I was thinking of combining Smolov jr bench and TM squats, deadlifts. It seems like the two programs could work together ok. Thanks

[scoppi]

3-18-11

Bench Press - 215x6x6

[scoppi]

4-20-11

Bench Press - 230x5x7

[scoppi]

4-22-11

Bench Press - 240x4x8

Deadlift:
290x5
325x3
365x4

[scoppi]

4-23-11

Bench Press - 255x3x10

Last day of Smolov jr. I'm really happy I finished this, and was pleasantly surprised it was as difficult as I expected it to be. The tricep tendons have been giving me a little feedback about the amount of volume and frequency, otherwise everythings stood up fine. I'll be going for a max next week. I'll be aiming between 285-300.

[Danish Viking]

285-300 bench @185 BW is pretty damned impressive. Just imagine the weights you could lift if you would eat ;)

[scoppi]

285-300 bench @185 BW is pretty damned impressive. Just imagine the weights you could lift if you would eat ;)

hah, yeah, i am a bit of a pussy when it comes to eating.

4-26-11

Bench Press - 185x5x2

Squat - 205x10x5

[scoppi]

4-28-11

Bench Press:
265 (PR)
285 (PR)
300 (PR)
315(f)

300 flew up - seriously easy. I figured 315 was too much a jump, but went for it anyways. It wasnt that far off. I might go for it again in a few days, but I'm really happy with that 300.

[JStrong]

Big 300, congratulations!

[scoppi]

9-13-11

Track Work


9-14-11

Squat - 255x5x3
Press - 125x5x3
Power Clean - 155x3x5
DB Row - 70x8x5

I'm back.

[scoppi]

9-16-11

Squat - 260x5x3
Bench Press - 195x5x3
Deadlift - 295x5


9-17-11

Track Work

My squat is coming back quickly, but my upper body is weak. Bodyweight is also at 170, up from 165. We'll see how much of my old strength I can get back with this LP.

[scoppi]

9-18-11

Squat - 265x5x3
Press - 127.5 x 5 x 3
Power Clean - 160x3x5
DB Rows - 90x4x9

[scoppi]

9-20-11

Squat - 270x5x3
Bench Press - 200x5x3
DB Rows - 70x10x4

[scoppi]

9-22-11

Squat - 275x5x3
Press - 130x5x3
Deadlift - 305x5


9-25-11

Squat - 280x5x3
Bench Press - 205x5x3
Power Clean - 165x3x5
DB Rows - 85x6x6

[scoppi]

9-28-11

Squat - 285x5x3
Press - 132.5 x 5 x 3
DB Row - 80x8x5

[scoppi]

9-30-11

Squat - 290x5x3
Bench Press - 210x5x3
Deadlift - 315x5

[scoppi]

10-5-11

Squat - 295x5x3
Press - 135x5x3
DB Rows - 90x4x9

[scoppi]

10-10-11

Back Squat - 300x5x3
Bench Press - 215x5x3

[Danish Viking]

Looks like strength is coming back pretty fast. Good too see.

[scoppi]

10-13-11

Back Squat - 305x5x3
Press - 137.5 x 5 x 3
Deadlift - 325x5



Looks like strength is coming back pretty fast. Good too see.

Thanks man. Lower body is progressing nicely, but the upper is moving a bit slower. It will be interesting to see how much I can get back, especially since I'm 10+ lbs lighter than I used to be.

[Danish Viking]

10-13-11

Back Squat - 305x5x3
Press - 137.5 x 5 x 3
Deadlift - 325x5




Thanks man. Lower body is progressing nicely, but the upper is moving a bit slower. It will be interesting to see how much I can get back, especially since I'm 10+ lbs lighter than I used to be.

So you're like 95 lbs now? :p

[scoppi]

10-15-11

Squat - 310x5x3
Bench - 220x5x3


So you're like 95 lbs now? :p

Lol Danish, I'm sitting at a fearsome 170.