1337lolzz's training log

[oi_joe]

i like high bar too, i like to be a little more upright. shoulder dislocations are working good for me, i also use the bar empty and pull it down across my shoulder to try and streche them into a low bar position, don't know if thats wise, but i cant see why not

[1337lolzz]

Fitday's report,
Total calories: 4401
Fat: 183 grams, 38%
Carbs: 336 grams, 31%
Protein: 333 grams, 31%
Darn, couldn't get 5000 :p.  If i didn't have school I'd definitely get it.  I go from 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM without anything.
Anyways, I'm happy with my diet.  Fitday is cool and easy.
 

[1337lolzz]

Day 19 (or something): Stop whining and lift that'chit
 
Squat 5x5 200 lbs
Bench 5x5 100 lbs
Barbell Row 5x5 95 lbs
Dips 3xF 8, 7, 6
 
Injured? Tired? Cramps?  Doesn't matter, still going for it!  After the second set on squats my right hamstring started cramping.  Great... just what I need, a cramp with 200 lbs on my back.  When I get these in tennis, I fall to the floor instantly screaming in pain.  I've broken my arms several times before, and the pain from leg cramps beats them all. 
Alright, I'll take an extra long rest and finish one more set.  3x5 isn't that bad.
But wait!  After struggling through the third set, 1337lolzz's aquaintances who happen to be a couple years younger come over.
"Damn, 1337lolzz, you lifting all that?  Show us, I don't believe you."
Alright... light weight baby.  Needless to say, the fourth set was the easiest of them all
 
Comments on workout:
Form on squats is still bad, but getting better.  Still leaning forward.  I believe the barbell needs to be above my heel throughout the squat (can someone confirm this?).  Right now it's above my toes, thus the lower back pain.  Flexibility is better but still needs to improve to squat correctly.  Also, need to keep chest up.  Hips straight up from the bottom.  I had a tendency to squeeze my glutes forward at the top of squats, which kinda rounds my back.  Stopped doing this.
Notes for Bench press: squeeze shoulder blades before getting on the bench; legs perpendicular to floor; look straight at the ceiling
Notes for rows: bar under shoulder blades; legs as straight as possible without being locked; parallel bac; breathe on bottom
Also, remember to warm up correctly in future workouts.  Before, I increased in weight in intervals of 10-20 lbs, and did too many warm up sets.  Was tired before work sets even started.  Now, increase in intervals of 35-45 lbs, and only do sets of 3, 2, and 1.  Two sets of 5 with the barbell at the start.  Don't do warm up sets if using weight under 80 lbs.
 
Edit: I'm done trying to gain weight.  I'm happy with my size, but my importantly, happy with my eating.  From now on, I'll only eat when I'm hungry, so maybe just 4 meals a day instead of 5.  If I gain weight, fine, as long as it isn't fat.  I don't live to eat, but eat to live.
 
 

[Mehdi]

Bar above the center of your feet at all times on deadlits, oh press, squats. Otherwise you lose balance.

[1337lolzz]

205 squat today. Did 5x5 easy. Also did press, deadlift, and chinups.
Squat was piss easy.  I widened my stance.  I think I could have done 205 for 10 reps... not even tired now.
Is there anything wrong with doing high bar, wide stance squats?  I think I can break parallel with a wide stance, but with a shoulder width stance I can only do quarter squats.  I notice that with a wide stance it feels like nothing compared to close stance.

[Mehdi]

Wide stance is easier. Wide like a bit wider than shoulder-width apart. Not like sumo squat wide.
wider stance = you can use your adductors better, more muscle is more strength.

[1337lolzz]

Did 9 dynamic stretches for hips, hamstrings, and ankles before workout today.  It helped a lot.
Squats 5x5 215 lbs
Overhead Press 5x5 70 lbs
Deadlift 1x5 135 lbs
Pullups 3xF 3/3/3
Maybe it was the dynamic stretches, but squats were great.  Form felt solid, no tightness in lower back.  I felt I only needed a 1 minute break between sets.  As weight goes up on squats, it gets easier.  215 feels lighter than when I was using 120 when I started.  I feel squats more in the upper body than lower body, the core is really getting worked.  I went to parallel or maybe even just below parallel.  Flexibility is improving with the dynamic stretches.
Next thursday should be my 2 plate squat.
Deadlift is tough.  Can't get shoulder blades over the bar, always shoulder over bar.  Back is rounded at start and finish.  Bar too far forward forces me to pull with lower back.  First three tries couldn't get the weight off the ground, it's being lifted with the back, not legs and glutes.  Dropping deadlift until flexibility improves.  I don't like it anyways - they should rename it the Egolift.
The highest I have ever gone with deadlift is 150 lbs I think.

[paul]

youre squatting some good numbers here. keep up the hard work

[Mehdi]

Something is wrong with your technique on deads. if you can squat 215lbs, you can deadlifts 135lbs, you have the leg strength. If your shoulders are over the bar, your hips will be too lower (you're squatting instead of deadlifting). Tape yourself.

[1337lolzz]

Did the 9 dynamic stretches which helped and is helping with flexibility.
Squat 5x5 225 lbs
Overhead Press 5x5 75 lbs
Deadlift 225 x 0
               185 x 1
               145 x 5
Chinups 3xF 4/4/4
I finally did two plate squats today.  Never did I think I would be doing squats with two big plates on each side of the bar.  It wasn't too hard either.
I was stuck at 75 lbs on the overhead press.  Did it today with speed.  It was easy.
Feeling ambitious, I tried 225 on the deadlift.  Last week I did 135 for 1x5.  I tried increasing the weight by 90 lbs instead of the normal 5 lbs, lol   The bar went up an inch then fell back down.  I tried 185 and got it up once.  I gave in and did a 10 lbs increase from last workout, 145, which I completed.
Lower back is a weakness for me.  I didn't feel anything in my quads, glutes, traps, or hamstrings on the deadlift, only in the lower back.  Keeping the back straight is the hardest part, but I think it'll get better.  Form is getting better.
Chinups were powerful.  Grip strength was an issue.  My right wrist was hurting (the outside of the wrist) from bench press on Monday, so my right hand was losing grip.  Probaby why I only got 4 reps.  It also seemed to annoy me a little on overhead press.
As a side note, my upper body seems to be growing up fast.  I see it "catching up" to my lower body.  Overhead press was easy, and the bar rests fine on my back while squatting.  I don't even feel it.  Before, the limitting factor on squats was my upper body.  It was taking all the beating.  Now, my core and shoulders are bigger and stronger.  Only today did I actually feel squats as a lower body workout
(Oh, and I got a nice cut on my right shin from deadlifts on my first rep of 145.  Blood streamed down to my ankle, lol)
Edit: My goal was 2 plate squat.  I got that today.  I weigh 155 lbs, so a 1.5x bw squat would be 235.  I think I can get that.  If I don't stall, it should be next thursday.
I started the program with squats at 115, and now I'm at 225.  I haven't stalled yet.  My next goal is a 3 plate squat, which is about 2x bodyweight, for 5x5.  I remember Rippetoe saying that a 315 squat is possible on the 3x5 program, for a 5RM.

[1337lolzz]

Squat 5x5 230  5/5/5/4/5
Bench Press 5x5 115
Barbell Rows 1x5 110, 4x5 65
Dips 3xF 8, 6, n/a (wrist was hurting)
Squats were decent.  The form wasn't too good, but not the worst.  For some reason, on the fourth rep or the fourth set, I got stuck 3/4 of the way up.  I was pushing, but I stayed in the same spot for at least half a second, then finished the rep.  This was the first time it has ever happend on squats, so my first thought was "nothing is going to save me if I can't finish this last rep."  I racked the weight.  I completed the last set though.
The gym has one squat rack, no power cage.  I can't squat ATG, so even the highest setting of the adjustable safety bars are a good 1 and a half feet below my maximum squat depth.  As a side note, I am close to squatting 1.5x bodyweight for 5x5 on squats. Yipee!
Bench press is getting heavy again.  I am getting close to where I got stuck at last time, 120 lbs.  I don't feel it in my chest at all, and never have.  I feel it only in the triceps.  It might be form, but I am giving a huge concious effort to keep my shoulder blades back, down, and together.
On barbell rows I decided to do a drastic deload.  Wasn't happy with form.  It was turning into a partial deadlift, with back-pulling.  It felt better at 65 lbs.  From now on, I'll try keep it as strict a barbell row as possible.   Need to keep knees straight but unlocked, and lower back straight.
Dips are good.  They tear up my chest.  Before, I used to only feel it in my triceps.
Felxibility isn't seeing so much improvement.  I don't think I am breaking parallel; I don't even think I am reaching parallel.  But I do know that my back is staying straight, and my hamstrings are being worked through their full range of motion.  I don't have any knee pain, so I don't think it's such a big issue.
 
90% of this game is mastering form and flexibility.  I'd give half my strength for perfect form and flexibility.  I'd do this because I know that If I do the exercises correctly and through my full range of motion, I would be working the correct muscle groups, and would surpass someone who does them incorrectly.  Everyone should do their best to improve every detail of their form, with every exercise.
I'm not sure if anyone else feels the same way, but the biggest risk of weightlifting (bodybuilding, strength training, anything) is that it can turn into unhealthy narcasissm.  I want to look "perfect" in the mirror.  I want to squat more than the guys who weigh 40 lbs more than me.  This, I think, can result in an ego, and eventually injuries.  Once you start living life in the eyes of yourself, things will become a lot better for you.

[Mehdi]

You'll get that more on squats.  Happend to me twice yesterday. stuck at parallel. then got all reps on the last set. I think it's lack of focus, lack of speed, not taking enough rest between reps.
Some people use their triceps more than chest on bench press. continue with the dips.

Ego is recipe to failure. Failure (injuries, plateaus) is good at sending the ego back home. It's one benefit of working at home, no more ego. It's also a downside, competition is great to push yourself higher. But you need some base preparation before getting into that.

[1337lolzz]

It's not usual for me to post right after a work out, but here it goes.
Squats 5x5 230 lbs
Overhead Press 5x5 80 lbs
Deadlifts 1x5 155 lbs
Pullups 3xF 4/3/3
Squats good.  First couple of sets weren't too great, was getting some lower back tighness due to going on my toes.  I then remembered my "key's to success" (curled toes, chest up).  I think if you do these two right, it's hard to do squats right.  Curling toes to their maximum (locked, like when you lock your elbows on a bench press) forces you to sit back and push from the heels.  Keeping the chest up forces you do keep your back straight, sit back, and not lean forwards.  Everything else (squeezing glutes, knees out) are just small details.  Also, I narrowed my grip by about 1 ft.  This stabilized my core much better.  Before, even on warm up sets, unracking the weight and taking two steps back was hard.  I was wobbling and unstable.  It's better now.
Overhead press good too.  Stalled at 75 a while ago, so this is a nice PR.  Squeeze glues, get under the bar, agression!, elbows forward, barbell straight up and down.  (these are just things I need to remember to do them right).
Deadlift not so good.  Not comfortable with form.  I need to use a wide grip otherwise my arms touch my knees (in the starting position).  Next week I am going to bring my camera and record.
Pullups are good.  First time in three months that I've done 4 reps.  Before my max was 3.
Also I brought a stopwatch to the workout today.  I'll only give myself 3 minutes of break.  Before, I've been taking way to long; sometimes my squats last over 30 minutes...  Now, the whole workout (not including warmup) took 45-60 minutes.
Edit:
Squats and milk routine looks fun!  I may try that when I want to gain some weight.
Oh, and next workout is 1.5x bodyweight squat for 5x5.  I'm gonna get it.

[Mehdi]

Deadlifts: narrow your stance, this way your arms stay perpendicular with the floor without touching your legs. Otherwise you need to pull the bar higher.

[1337lolzz]

Yeah, I'll try that.  I think deads will be good on Thursday with a less than shoulder width stance.