Grokk's Training Log

[Grokk]

Hey everyone,

I've been reading the Stronglifts website for about a year now and decided recently to get back into strength training after a period of focusing on posture correction. I'm 20 years old and am a full-time college student. I'm 6 feet tall and weigh around 184 pounds right now. I used to play American football and soccer during high school and lifted heavy weights to help with sports. After coming to college, I sat way too much and stopped training for strength, focusing on "mirror muscles". I started to notice that posture was going downhill and that I couldn't maintain form on squats anymore due to a weak posterior chain and torso. It's been about one year since I started trying to reverse my bad posture and have done a lot of learning along the way. I jumped from program to program in the past year, overlooking the fact that simple and straightforward was what I needed. My goals right now are simple. I want to get stronger on all the basic lifts while keeping my form and posture in check. I used to have gluteal amnesia and still have to foam roll and stretch every day to keep my hips working right. I have really tight hip flexors so and want to focus on hip movement so I'm going to start Stronglifts 5x5 with box squats. Other than that, I plan to add pullthroughs, single leg work, and some extra core work to Stronglifts 5x5. I plan to add one of the extra things each workout so for example on Monday I might add pullthroughs and on Wednesday I'll do extra core work. I don't know any max lifts yet and I'm starting tonight officially.

Time to get started....

[Grokk]

Monday, 28 September 2009

First workout tonight went well. I'm focusing on strict form in my lifts and plan to progress slowly but surely.

Squat
20kg, 2x5
34kg, 5x5

Bench
20kg, 1x5
43 kg, 5x5

Inverted Rows
1x10
1x12
1x15

didn't think I was going high enough on these. not sure it i can touch my chest to the bar yet

Pushups
1x15
1x20
1x18

Reverse Crunches
3x12

Pullthroughs
18 kg, 3x10

hips felt very tight as usual so did some hip flexor stretching afterwards.

[Grokk]

Wednesday, 30 September

Just getting used to lifting again. Hips are tight so I tried to focus on posterior chain again.

High Box squats
20kg, 2x5
38kg, 5x5

Overhead Press
20kg, 3x5
I stopped because my shoulder started hurting. I have been having shoulder problems since a physical labor job this summer. I think my scapular stabilizers are weak. Also, I'm pretty sure I pinched a nerve in my left shoulder about 1.5 months ago. Things have gotten better but doing anything in the vertical plane hurts or feels weird.

Deadlift Off Rack Knee Height
20kg, 4x5 (trying to work on form)
43kg, 1x5

Pullups
Pullups hurt too so I'm doing holds where I grab the bar and see how long I can hang in the bottom position while trying to use my scapula to hold myself.
3xF (time)

Prone Bridges
3x30 second holds
Not too bad, I hope to be able to add resistance to this soon.

Pullthroughs
23kg, 3x10
14kg, 1x50 just for fun

[Grokk]

Friday, 2 September

High box Squats
20kg, 2x5
41kg, 5x5

Bench Press
20kg, 1x5
43kg, 5x5 same weight, I'm trying to bring squat up past bench first

Inverted Rows
1x10
1x11
1x14

Pushups
1x20
1x18
1x17

Reverse Crunches
3x12

Pullthroughs
3x10

[Grokk]

Monday, 5 November- posted late

Box squats
20kg, 2x5
43 kg, 5x5

Overhead Press
Going through correct technique with broomstick. Trying to use my upper back to push up the weight.

Deadlift Off Rack Knee Height
20kg, 1x5
48kg, 1x5

Pullups
3xF (time) Still holding myself for time with my upper back.

Prone Bridges
3x60 second holds, doing it on my knees for now to cut down on hip flexor involvement in the movement

Pullthroughs
23kg, 3x10

[Grokk]

The workout is slightly abbreviated.

Box Squats
20 k, 1x5
45kg, 5x5

Bench Press
43 kg, 5x5 -trying to keep weight down until back strength improves

Inverted Rows
3xF(most around 10-12 due trying to complete rep fully by touching bar)

Reverse crunches
3x12

Pullthrough/upper back circuit (Scapular cable retractions(
3x10 and 3x10

[bkklift]

Looks like you're making steady progress, good job!

Do you do much in the way of dynamic stretches before you lift? Might help with activating your glutes and tight hip flexors.

[Grokk]

Thanks. I do some leg swings but its hard to move my legs back without my lower back moving. Other than that I don't do too much. I think I'll look for a few more things to add before the workout.

[bkklift]

I would recommend 5 mins on the elliptical/skipping rope to get your blood pumping, then doing these stretches before starting your warm up sets. That way you'll really be primed to go.

[Grokk]

Thanks man. I'll try those out next workout

Monday September 12 (yesterday)-didn't log my last workout, was too rushed and forgot

Foam rolling, walking to gym, legs swings, and hip flexor stretches

Box Squat- finally lowered the box to right around parallel. I can feel more hip drive now.
20kg, 2x5
30kg, 5x5 -lowered the weight to make sure I'm using correct form

Bench
20kg, 1x5
48 kg, 5x5

Inverted Rows
1x17
1x10
1x8

One armed Rows- each arm
14 kg 1x10
16 kg 1x8
18 kg 1x6
20.5 kg 1x5
23 kg 1x3

Pushups-chest is tight so i decided to lessen the pushing movements

Reverse Crunches
3x12

Pullthroughs
23 kg, 3x10

[Grokk]

Wednesday 14, 2009

Hips were really tight yesterday. I warmed up by putting the treadmill on incline and I walked on it for about 5 mins. I then did some leg swings both ways, some split squats, and aggressive hip flexor stretching. I could feel the right muscles working but hip flexors are still really tight. With time I hope it lengthens.

Box squats-I'm having trouble using my hips correctly on these so I'm going to keep the weight down for a bit to get used to the depth. My left hip on the front is popping as well when I take a wide stance on the box squat. There is no pain, so I figure it's a tendon or muscle snapping across a bone or something.
20kg, 2x5
30kg, 5x5

Overhead Press-I'm definitely feeling better on this when I squeeze my shoulder blades together throughout the movement.
20kg, 1x5
27kg, 5x5

Rack Deadlift
20kg, 2x5
52kg, 1x5

Pullups
3xF hold for time

Prone Bridges
3x30 second holds

[migwickert]

Hey Grokk

Welcome to the forums, like you I've been reading for a while now but just started a log. During college, I'm in grad school now. I went back and forth and struggled to stay consistent because of classes, social life, etc. I was sore pretty bad after my workout on Monday. Usually, I'd skip my next workout because of that soreness. Not any more. After researching it on SL, I had to correct my approach. Worked through the soreness on Wednesday and they're right, it helps rid my soreness quickly. Of course, I've been sleeping well also, among other things. All the best. Have to tried Eat Stop Eat yet?

[Grokk]

Thanks for the welcome migwickert. No I haven't tried Eat stop Eat. I have been reading Stronglifts and have looked into the concept. For right now I am in need of some weight gain so I have been trying to stick to something similar to the 8 nutrition rules. Yeah recently I am having a lot of tests so sitting down a lot has made it hard at times to get warmed up and move correctly. After Iearning about soft tissue work from SL and Roberston I've had much more luck with loosening up and moving correctly in the squat. I also recently made my own foam roller by taking the foam matting for camping, putting it around a 4' diameter PVC pipe and duct taping it all together. So far it has been more effective than the first foam roller I got which has worn out. Do you do anything outside of lifting to help loosen up other than foam rolling? I thought walking more might help but I'm not sure.

[Grokk]

Saturday 17, 2009

I slept through gym time yesterday after classes so I worked out today.

Box Squat
Bodyweight-4x10-trying to use hips to get off low box
20kg, 5x5-still struggling with form so I'll keep trying to get this down.

Bench
20kg, 1x5
52kg, 5x5

One armed Rows
14kg, 1x10
18kg, 2x5

Reverse Crunches (in dorm room)
3x12

My goals right now are simple. Bring up the box squat and trying to stretch and loosen my hip flexors are much as possible.

[Grokk]

Monday 19, 2008

I'm kind of pissed. I may just be impatient but I can't ever seem to loosen up my hip flexors especially my rectus femoris. I feel that even box squatting with a wide stance makes them tighter. I want to lift heavy weight but I also want to walk right by actually putting my feet behind me. When I do split squats I can't even keep the glute on the back leg working. It just tightens my hip flexors up when I warm up. When I do leg swings I can't even bring my legs back behind me at all. I know that I need to do a lot more mobility work and foam rolling and stretching. I might not even walk around enough to get natural mobility work. Regardless, I know that the only choice is to keep trying.

Box squats
20kg, 2x5
32kg, 5x5-I think I was being too obsessed about form so I just let loose a bit today. My hips were tight as usual.

Overhead Press
20kg, 1x5
29kg, 5x5

Rack Deadlift
20kg, 2x5
54kg, 1x5-felt like my back was doing a bit too much pulling on the last few sets

Pullups
3x5
3x4
3x3

Prone Bridges
3x30 second holds