B_beer's Training Log

[b_beer]

Hello everyone! Welcome to my training log!
Before I'm going to tell you about my work-outs I'd like to give a short introduction. I'm a 16 year old lad from The Netherlands and have been working out since february 2007 and had great gains. I gained  17 kg.  But I found out I seriously lack strength and meanwhile found out about this site. I decided it was time for something different, I'm going to concentrate purely on the strength aspect of weightlifting. I'm going to start StrongLift's 5x5 program.
Right now, as I'm starting the program, I weigh 82 kg(1,87 m tall, bodyfat around 15%) and these are my stats:
Squat 80x3
Deadlift 100x1
Bench Press 60x4
Pull-Ups 3
Dips 10
These will all be improved soon
 
 

[b_beer]

Today I've had my first work-out of the program.
I did do:
Squat 5x5 50 kg
Bench Press 5x5 40 kg
Barbell Row 5x5 30 kg
Dips 1x10 1x5 1x4
I felt a bit weak from my cold, my heart would beat really fast and I felt really hot after every set. The work-out was light except the dips till failure. 1 minute wasn't enough to prepare for the next set of dips it seems.
I did do barbell rows for the first time with a stop at the ground, well not really ground: I put 2 15 kg plates on both sides on the ground to get, because I used small weights and I thought it would be a bit too low for me. I wanted to look in front of me to the ground, but because I'm used to doing looking to the wall while deadlifting, this sometimes failed because of habit. Not a big worry, will get used to it. Didn't hurt however.
 
 

[Mehdi]

Welcome B_beer. Congraz on the 17kg weight gain.
 

[Victor]

Good luck B-beer, you made some great gains!

[b_beer]

Today it was time for workout B!
I planned to do:
5x5 52,5 kg Squats
5x5 20 kg Overhead Press
1x5 50 kg Deadlift
3xF Pull-Ups
I did all of those and on the Pull-Ups I did 2,2,1
I tried putting the bar lower on the squats. It felt pretty comfortable for my wrists with the thumbless grip, also I felt like my back was more upright and my upper body felt stronger while carrying the bar. However I felt some aching on the right side of my back, in the area of the latissimus dorsi,  but it wasn't the muscle itself probably. Let's hope this is not permanent and just for 1 workout.
The Overhead Press was fine, I really start liking this exercise

After the set of deadlifting I felt my back had worked and my heart was pumping. It was good.

Now the hard part! The Pull-Ups! I'm not strong at this, not yet. The first set I pulled myself 2 times, second set as well, third set I managed 1 rep the last one I got halfway up but failed.

[Mehdi]

Pull-ups will happen, don't worry about it

[b_beer]

Of course they will

[b_beer]

Today it was time for:
5x5 55 kg Squats
5x5 42,5 kg Bench Press
5x5 32,5 kg Barbell Row
3xF Dips

The squats were feeling good and they went deep, but I couldn't do them as explosive as last 2 workouts. Bench Press and Barbell Row were also alright, no problems. I did 7 reps on my first set of dips, 5 on second and last set 3. Those numbers are a bit weird compared to my first work-out. It's because I didn't watch my technique that much on every rep, from now on I'll go as deep as possible and keep elbows as close as possible to my side all the time. Unless you recommend something else.  

By the way, I'm going to start on my flexibility, right now while doing the upper body flexibility test with one hand at the back and one from overhead trying to touch eachother there aren't close to touching at all. And I am not close to being able to touch my toes either.
So I'm going to do 4 times a week shoulder dislocations, tricep stretch and leg swings. Do leg swings help getting rid of lordosis by the way?

[Quagmire911]

Here is a post by Mehdi on lordosis:
http://stronglifts.com/lordosis-why-it-causes-lower-back-pain-how-to-fix-it/
 
Another good option is getting the Egoscue method, which you can also read about on the blog.
 
Hope this helps,
 
Quagmire

[Mehdi]

Leg swings are always good. Won't fix lordosis much however, lordosis is more hip flexords, front muscles. You get a slight stretch there from the leg swings, but the real deal is with the hip flexor stretch.
continue shoulder dislocations, that will increase upper-body mobility.

[b_beer]

Sunday's workout! Squats, overhead press, deadlifts and chin-ups!
Aimed for 57,5 kg today on the squats. The first set felt surprisingly hard but on the second set I discovered I should just squat as deep as I can without thinking and then come up without hesitance and with full explosion, kind of like bouncing. I was surprised by how deep I went and it felt awesome! I should record to check if I really go as deep as it feels and of course to check if my back is held correctly and my knees aren't too far over my toes.
Overhead Press, what a lovely exercise done standing, I really love it I should keep my chin down when I lock my elbows, I almost fell backward one rep I did this exercise with 22,5 kg.
One set of deadlifting, 55 kg, technique felt okay, I got a question though. After lock-out I pull my hips back. Is this correct? Because I'm hanging forward I feel my back working most(the muscles), just want to make sure this is correct and not dangerous.
Chin-Ups, I find those easier than pull-ups. I did do 4 reps 1st set, 3 2nd, and 2 3rd.

As soon as I got home I did do some stretching, some hip flexor stretching, then some shoulder dislocations and eventually leg swings. Those leg swings hurt most in my calves.

[Mehdi]

What do you mean with pulling your hip back b_beer? Deadlifts ends with locked knees & locked hips.
Chin-ups are easier than pull-ups indeed.

[b_beer]

They end with locked knees and hips indeed, but when you bring the weight back to the ground is what I'm talking about.

[Mehdi]

They end with locked knees and hips indeed, but when you bring the weight back to the ground is what I'm talking about.

Ok, yes you bring the weight down by pushing your hips back, correct.

[b_beer]

TADADADA
Tuesday Squat, Bench Press, Barbell Row, Dips!
First of all, I should get a cheap watch to keep an eye on my resting period. Counting isn't as precise as a watch can be! Oh yeah, I've only had sleep for 5 hours 2 days in a row, which might have been quite detrimental to my lifting. And I did some napping. What's your view on napping as substitution for shortage of nightsleep? I heard growth hormone is being released during REM sleep. Napping is just light sleep, afaik.
60 kg 5x5 Squats! I keep being amazed how deep I can go on squats since starting this program, might be the stretching or it might be me revising my technique! Because I go deeper I sometimes go to deep which makes me get stuck for some time, it's harder! I have to really push to get the weight back up, I had like 3 reps like this. I'll be moving inside the rack next time, it got bars that can catch my squatting bar when I fail(NO I AM NOT PLANNING TO FAIL). Although that I don't like it inside there, the height of unracking is a bit different and I just don't like the feeling of it. I could get a spotter as well.
Bench Press felt heavy on 45 kg, while I could do sets with 50 kg 10 reps before starting this program. It's probably just me not having lifted some more weight on that for a while, when I'll start doing it again I'll be able to do it again!

Barbell row 35 kg - still light, was okay!
Dips, did them strictly this time, elbows kept close to body, going deep. Did do 5/4/4 I'm content

As soon as I got home I did do hip flexor stretch, I barely felt the stretch anymore. Good sign? After this I did some shoulder locations and leg swings.