jww38 Training Log

[jww38]

I've been doing Stronglifts Beginner 5x5 for a couple of months now. I have been using the forums on here the whole and think it is time I started a log as well as keeping my records in my tattered notebook I take to the gym.

I had been working out using a split workout i conjured up of the internet then decided to change to a full body program and found stronglifts.

My current stats are
Height - 1.89 m
Weight - 84 kg
Age - 22

Box Squat (Just above parallel) - 92.5 kg
Deadlift - 120 kg
Bench - 80 kg
Press - 50 kg
(All above 5x5, below 3x5)
Barbell Row - 75 kg
Dips - BW + 25 kg
Chin ups - BW + 20 kg

I did workout A yesterday with the weights above.

Bench was third time at 80 kg, I got it the time before but needed help on my last rep so stuck at 80 kg and got a solid 5x5.
BBR was good until my last 2 reps where I started to stand up. Will try 75 kg again next time.

I got my friend to watch me doing dips to check my depth then showed them this page and the video on it http://buildingbodies.ca/exercise/chest-dips-weighted-dips/ and they said I went lower so I might go a little higher to protect my shoulders.

I am doing box squats as my back rounds when I go deep on normal squats, considering phasing front squats into my workouts as explained in this thread http://stronglifts.com/forum/box-squat-and-front-squat-on-same-day-t20288.html

[jww38]

Just finished my workout B.

The gym was busy so I had to do the press first, taking the bar off the floor as all the squat racks were taken. To make things worse all the big 10kg plates were taken so I warmed up with the bar then went straight to 52.5 kg / 115 lbs. Got the first 4 sets with good form then only got 4 in the last set. I'll see how I'm feeling next time whether I go to 55 kg /121 lbs or not.

Did my first front squats today. I did 3x5 above parallel box squats at 95 kg / 210 lbs then 2x5 50 kg / 110 lbs front squats. Managed to get below parallel but wrists were a bit sore. Didn't feel it much in my legs but when I stood up I felt in my abs which felt awesome.

Did a solid 1x5 deadlift at 120 kg / 265 lbs.

My chins struggled at BW + 20kg / 45 lbs, did 5,3,4. I think I'm going to cut pullups for a while and concentrate on chins until I can go BW + 40kg / 90 lbs then go for 1 arm chins.

Overall a decent workout, need to read up on wrist position on the front squat before next time and find some good bridge variations. Today I passed a light dumbell across in front of me while in the bridge position.

[jww38]

Workout A

Box Squat above parallel 97.5 kg 3x5 then tried front squats at 52.5 kg for 2x5. Wrists were a bit sore though and think this affected my bench. think I will but front squat after bench / press in future until I can get my wrists right

Tried the bench at 82.5 kg but only got 2,2,3,2,3. Partly due to my wrists and I also didn't push myself too hard as I was by myself. next time I will try bench in the squat rack to give me a bit more confidence under the bar.

Barbell row; went for 3x5 at 75 kg but stood up on my last rep. Will try get 75 kg next week then deload to 67.5 kg if I can't.

Dips were strange, struggled to 3 reps with 25 kg added on my first set then got 2 sets of 5 after that. Will try 25 kg again next time and if I can't do that I might switch to volume style training for dips.

Does anyone have any good sites/advice for the front squat, especially wrist positioning?

[jww38]

Workout B - Not Good

Squats above parallel box 3x5 at 100 kg then 2x5 front squats at 52.5 kg, think I have my wrist position right now.

Now for the bad part, Press i stupidly tried 55 kg, got 3 reps and realised i wasn't ready then got 5,3,3,3 at 52.5kg. Now I am 1 workout away from my second stall at this weight, although I got 5,5,5,5,4 last time.

Deadlift I tried 125 kg but only got 2 singles. Hopefully I can get the 1x5 next time.

Chins were good, went 5,5,4.5ish at BW + 20kg. Might look to go up to 22.5 next time.

Didn't bother with bridges today as I was already spent. Not sure why I have gone downhill all of a sudden. I think I may look at going to 3x5 on bench and press and maybe heavy deadlifting once every second workout. Not sure what to do in place of the deadlift though.

Any tips from anyone in/has been in this position?

[jww38]

I'm an idiot. Just realised why I drilled deadlifts one week then battled the next. I wasn't using my glutes, seems I remembered to tighten everything before I lifted but then tried to get 125 kg of the floor without using my glutes.

Hopefully writing it here will make me remember next time. And I don't think I worked hard enough getting my body under the bar on the press when the bar went above my head.

Will this solve my deadlift/OHP problems? Time will tell.....

[jww38]

Squats and bench = good
BBR and dips = bad

Did 3x5 today as gym was busy and didn't have a heap of time plus I think I'm moving enough weight to justify switching.

Did 3x5 above parallel box squats at 102.5 kg, going to drop the box an inch soon. How much weight should I drop to make up for the drop in height?

Nailed 3x5 bench at 82.5 kg, next time I'll be doing 85 kg and if I don't find a kilo of bodyweight between now and then I'll be benching above bodyweight.

BBR no good, 4,4,3 at 75 kg. Will deload next time or do inverted rows with my feet on a box to help keep by lower back still.

Dips were awful, tried BW + 27.5 kg but had a pain in my right hand so only managed 3,2. Hopefully the hand thing was just a one off.

I seem to be having half and half workouts, with 2 exercises going well and battling on the other 2.

I think lower back strength is becoming a weak point so I may slip in some hyperextensions somewhere, maybe in place of one of my ab exercises.

[jww38]

Got my Creatine today, and started my loading period. Taking 5 grams with about 150 mls of sweet navel orange raro (NZ powdered juice) 4 times a day for the next 5 days then 5 grams a day till I run out then I"ll see how the results are and see if I start another cycle.

Have workout B tomorrow, not sure if it will make a difference for that but I'm hoping to blast through my OHP semi-stall all the same, and I'm not relying on anything other than my strength and technique.

Who else on here has taken Creatine and had success/failure/horror story?

I'm also hoping to put on a couple of kgs by the end of the year and then I can achieve my goal of 10 + kg of lean muscle for the year. (Started the year around 74-75 kg)

[mjh]

thanks for checking in my log mate. I'm not stressing too much about the deads, I'll give it a few more goes before I start to worry.

Where in NZ are you mate?

[jww38]

I'm down in Chch. Work out at the uni gym which is usually good although gets busy every now and then

I've always liked deads and done 1x5 at 140 kg before stronglifts, just struggling at the moment with form and lower back being fatigued.

[jww38]

Workout B, not bad compared to my last one

Box squat 105 kg 3x5
OHP 52.5 kg 5,5,4
I'm gonna have one more shot at 52.5 kg even this was the third time I couldn't make it. Pretty confident I'll nail it next time
Deadlift 125 kg 1x5, finally got it. Still worried about deadlifting heavy every workout though.
Chins BW + 22.5 kg 5,4,3. Not bad considering got my other lifts apart from 1 rep on OHP and I stuck another 2.5 kg on the chain
Did a couple of weighted bridges then tried some Turkish get-ups with much uncoordinated. Will research these more and practise at home before next time.
Oh and I threw in 2x5 front squats at 55 kg after Deads, these are definitely starting to feel better and I think I'm getting the bar position right.

I think the creatine definitely helped my stamina today, normally if I got most of the previous lifts I would have nothing for chins.

Post workout feast: BCAA tablets (Got them free with my Whey) washed down with Creatine followed by a Whey protein shake.

[jww38]

Workout A or half of it, as gym was busy

Did 3x5 107.5 kg box squats, starting to get tough but I'm happy with form. Not sure whether to drop box height or keep going till I stall then deload and drop box height.
Thought if I did abs a bench would free up afterwards so I did 3 x 12 reverse crunches with my hands behind my head.
Bench did not free up so I did 2x5 front squats at 57.5 but my hand position felt a bit off.
Still no bench so I did 3x5 BBR at 70 kg then left.

Deloaded 5 kg on the BBR, still felt heavy but I concentrated hard on form, realised part of it is resetting every rep which I hadn't been doing. This made it more explosive and easier to keep my torso down.

Will do bench and dips tomorrow.

Post workout feast: BCAA tablets (Got them free with my Whey) washed down with Creatine followed by a Whey protein shake again

[jww38]

Rest of workout A today.

Bench

Warm up;
1x10 with the bar
2x8 with 60 kg
4,3,5 with 85 kg

Felt okay on the first 2 sets but didn't have a spotter so I didn't force the last reps. Had a spotter for the last set and the confidence knowing you won't end up pinned under the bar helped heaps. I got 5 good reps without the spotter touching the bar except unracking.

Dips got 5,4,2 with 27.5 kg. Hand still hurt a bit and the bench took a bit out of my triceps and chest so couldn't get 3x5.

Did 3x10 hyper extensions after and felt a massive pump in my lower back when I finished them.

[jww38]

Workout B

Box Squat 3x5 110 kg
OHP 3x5 52.5 kg, finally got it
Deadlift 1x3 130 kg, will try it again next time
Chins 5,3,3 BW+22.5kg
15,10,10 hyper extension
3 x 30 sec prone bridge with 10 kg on back

Deadlift wasn't too flash today, I need to warm up for it properly starting next time. Chins were a struggle after the first set, did a couple of BW sets as well to make up for the mixed reps.

[jww38]

Workout A

Box squat 112.5 kg 3x5
Bench 85 kg 4,5,4 Should get it next time
BBR 70 kg 3x5
Dips BW + 27.5kg 5,5,2 Just died on last set, first time doing dips on non parallel bars, seemed to hit chest more

[jww38]

Workout B

Box squat 115 kg 3x5, gonna drop the box and weight at 120 kg.
OHP 55 kg 3x5
Deadlift 130 kg x 1. Struggling on the deadlift after heavy squats and OHP
Chins BW + 22.5 kg 4,3,3