kerosene's log

[kerosene]

Here we go - started today.

My story in short:
31 year old, work in front of computer often for looong hours. Excercise was dropped for a long time and that caught me about a year ago with herniated disc and sciatic pain. Currently quite out of shape - not overweight just weak and no stamina. Lifted weights in teens and benched 84kg when I weighed 64kg at 16 years old - later in 2000 got back in shape (compulsory military in Finland) and benched 105kg at body weight 85kg. I have always had this cardio for legs weights for upper body mentality and of course that has resulted in weak legs. Ran a marathon around 18 - I guess that would be another bigger achievement - In general I have more of a endurance body than max strength.

Anyway those numbers are history and all that is left from there is decent benching technique - and I guess in general I have always been very careful to concentrate on form over numbers (except when actually trying personal bests).

SL 5x5 caught my attention because I really enjoyed powerlifting programs when younger. Also it has few great things for a beginner.
1. simple - this is really big - I hate running around doing curl this and tweak that with all the different gadgets.
2. Easy easy start - keeps depression away from seeing how weak I have ended up and gives great opportunity to get the form right before weights get too serious. I will not feel like death after 1st routines.
3. measurable progress, concrete goals. Never understood doing bicep curls 3x12 x what ever weight I feel like today stuff.

Picked up starting strength from amazon last week and read most of it over the weekend. Got me very excited - now lets stick to the routine.

Besides the back issues I have very high cholesterol that I have inherited from my father - I learned about it last autumn and changed my eating habits quite a bit. Less crap more whole foods. Will try to have it checked next week or so to keep track. I know they might want to feed me pills already but I am not ready for that yet. Anyway - the point here is that while I do want to add my caloric intake I will probably stick to fat free milk and oatmeal over whole milk and eggs.

And I am aware of the fact that it is my body that creates (mostly anyway) the cholesterol ie. dietary cholesterol doesn't equal blood cholesterol.

Oh yeah - I will probably have hard time hitting every work out next few weeks - I will be happy if I get to sleep more or less decent hours as we are on final stretch on a big project at work. Will try to hard to hit it though.
Also I will be on vacation for the month on August and probably will not have access to weights during. Ideally I would have been a little further before such a long break but I will just have to continue after.

Current stats:
Body weight 198lbs / 90kg. 6'4" /192 cm.

[kerosene]

Log Monday 4/27/09

Squat 5x5x45 lb

Bench 5x5x45 lb

Barbell row
(Instead of inverted rows I will probably be doing these - only one squat cage so having space to do inverted rows is going to be harder than barbell rows.
5x5x45lbs - (I think - it was short bar with 5lb discs - will use the same bar so thats my reference start anyway)

Inverted crunches
8,6,0
I think my form blows on this one - doesn't feel rigth need to check the vids again

pushups
10,8,0

Already had that smug feel looking at people with their swinging backs doing their curls or half depth bench presses. I altered with one tough looking guy doing his sets with bigger weights - I felt funny using empty bar especially when bench is the only one where I could rack a little more - oh well have to leave the ego at home.

[KCMasterpiece]

Good to see that you're back into getting in shape.

I have lumbar spinal stenosis and am obsessively worried about form as SL relies alot on hip/lumbar region strength. How recovered are you from the back injuries?

I'll keep an eye on the log as we're very similar in size and starting #'s.

PS I would use the olympic bar for all lifts, including BBR.

[kerosene]

about the back:
It feels as it has stabilized - while recovering I wasn't doing much - I knew I needed to strengthen the area but most core excercises were quite painful so I listened to the pain. Autumn I kayaked once a week which was pretty good as its low impact and done right you use your trunk (not arms). With doctors I got painkillers, couple of cortisone shots and cortisone pills. Corisone always helped to take the pain away for few days but no real impact.
MRI showed bulging disc and the doc said that I can live with it or have surgery. Never went back to see him actually... wasn't impressed by the "we can have surgery - do you want it?" - mentality. I had about 8 seconds to think about it after he told I should have it. Also whenever I asked about traction or physical therapy he just covered it with "will not help".

Luckily a friend of mine is an experienced trauma surgeon - I gave the MRIs to him and he showed it to his back specialist friends too. The advice was surgery might be needed but 1st everything else should be tried. The back started getting better around that time (xmas 08) and has been pretty much the same or a little better for months now.
The way it is now - ankle hurts a little (from the sciatica) every now and then. After bad sleep or long night at work back and right leg hurts - nothing major but a pain. Lower back mobility is kind of bad - can't reach my toes and trying hurts. I cannot run - the pounding even on treadmill is too much So its far from perfect but not too bothersome. I wanted to start building muscle to give more support and get back to a level where I can do more stuff without feeling so fragile.

I think the level of pain might be here to stay (unless I choose to have a piece of the disc nipped off) but I can live with it as long as it doesn't force me to not do things - I think that will in the long run cause a lot more problems.


The bar:
The bar I was using is like olympic bar - just shorter - takes same disks and has bearings. The way the gym is laid out It is easier and benches seem to be in use 90% of the time and thus so are the bars...
Is there other reasons for using the Olympic bar for bar bell row?

[KCMasterpiece]

The bar I was using is like olympic bar - just shorter - takes same disks and has bearings. The way the gym is laid out It is easier and benches seem to be in use 90% of the time and thus so are the bars...
Is there other reasons for using the Olympic bar for bar bell row?

That sounds fine.

I think Medhi addresses the different lengths of Oly BB's somewhere in the eBook. I thought you meant EZ Bars that mess up your grip position and only weight like 18 pounds.

[kerosene]

Wed 4/29/09

Squat
5x5x50lbs
felt good, actually did few sixes as I was concentrating on the feel on my back. Head tends to turn up during the lift. Also few felt like they were turning forward (butt up without weights moving) - nothing major and will keep attention.

OHP
5x5x45lbs
Felt pretty controlled and good - better than I anticipated. Will re-read the press bits on starting strength before next time.

DL
1x5x8f lbs
FIrst time. Felt pretty good a little funny around where the bar passes knees - I did some kind of shift around there on few lifts.

Pullups
2,1,1 chinup
Oh dear giving those 2 reps is generous - didn't feel strong at all. I have a bar at work I can use I think I will start doing a 1-2 every now and then get the things started

Prone bridges / plank
3x 30s
no problems here.

Back felt pretty good - got nice cruck-sounds stretching and after that felt fine. Right buttock is definitely stiffer from the sciatica. So far haven't had a bad day with the back since I started going to the gym (few weeks before I started 5x5).

Scale said 202lb today - I have added an egg for my breakfast and eat bigger pot of oatmeal with it. Drink more milk too - not a gallon but probably a quart a day. Peanuts fro snack - good for cholesterol.

generally eat more.

[kerosene]

Thu 30/4/09

Session with a trainer. Random tiring stuff, football drills (think running in row of tires without the tires), pushups, planks, etc.

I know that 5x5 suggests not to do too much on top - I am sure that would be better for the strength training but I have become such a couch potato that I think high heart rate interval cardio is probably good for me - I have ungodly high heart rates btw. (often hit 185+ during training and when kayaking I can keep it in the 165-180 range for full hour). Also I like having endurance and I enjoy the sessions.

I have the training on Thu and plan to do 5x5 on Mon, Wed and Sat. Its a lot in \the week and once I have gained a little more basic stamina I will probably ease out and drop the trainer sessions and just do random fun stuff on top when I feel like it - such as the kayaking.

Having hard time eating enough - I drink milk though but real food would be better.

[kerosene]

Sun 5/3/09
Didn't get to go yesterday as planned. Actually went in the evening but the gym was closed.
This puts me in a tricky situation as I should go tomorrow or my schedule will be a total mess.

Thu night after the training I ended up working till Fri afternoon 4pm with only 1 hour nap on the work couch. Surprise surprise the back was giving me pain yesterday and today.

To today's workout.
Squat
5x5x55lbs
Felt good - head started to stay down - I think I will turn around next time to not face the mirror. I think staring myself in the eyes (or temptation to do so) is doing bad things.

Bench
5x5x50lbs
Actually did and extra set with 95 lbs just to get a feel - all was fine.

Barbel row
5x5x50lbs
Felt really good - I really like the more horizontal row - I used to do it in 45 degree angle. I am sure my liking will change once getting clean reps gets harder.

Pushups
10,8,0
Didn't even try the 3rd set - I did so much pushups on Thu that didn't feel the need.

Inverted crunch
14,8,6 or something - I think I am doing this quite wrong. If I do it with fairly bent legs I can keep controlled form but if I try to sit on my upper back only and keep my hips and knees in 90 degree angle its not very pretty and I got wrong kind of pain stinging in my lower back.

[kerosene]

Tue 5/5/09
Again long night at work on Monday and the sciatica has been shooting some stiffness in right buttock and pain in ankle - nothing I wouldn't be used to but definitely makes me keep track of it.

I trained today and will skip Thu - will just do HIIT with the trainer.

To today's workout.
Squat
5x5x60lbs
Good workout. Felt a little heavy which makes me sad as the weights are still low. IThe rack doesn't allow my to turn away from the mirror but head stayed down better today anyway.

OHP
5x5x50lbs
Felt good - Still liking it.

Deadlift
1x5x95lbs
Very enjoyable. I can see why people like the DL

Chinups
4,2,0
Didn't even try the 3rd set - quite annoyed about these suckers.

Prone bridge
3x30s or a little more. These are not terribly hard for me - will probably start adding a little time

after 15 min on treadmill - hill program fast walking at 4.6mph (on Sunday it was 4.8mph but the limited sleep made me take it easier). I do this to train my heart - trying to get my heart rates down. Its way too easy for me to push the heart rate to 180 - on the treadmill I keep steadily HR at 175 or so. Doesn't feel like I am killing myself or anything.

Oh yeah - I will probably switch my warm ups from exercise cycle to treadmill - I think its more important to get my back some lubrication than my knees. Back feels always better after my fast marching session.

[kerosene]

Thu 5/7/09 - day with the trainer

Football drills, pushups, planks, abs, lost of stretching etc.

I like my trainer but in general don't care for that business.

Training to failure or close every time? - seems silly to me. However - I do like my trainer and he listens to me and the more active exercises are good - Little coordination and sweating is good for my so long un-used body.

[kerosene]

Sat 9/3/09
Didn't get to go yesterday as planned. Actually went in the evening but the gym was closed.
This puts me in a tricky situation as I should go tomorrow or my schedule will be a total mess.
Got starting strength DVD yesterday and watched most of it. To me it looks like all squatters (in the dvd) have small roundness in their lower back in the bottom. Not sure what to make of that

To today's workout.
Squat
5x5x60lbs
- was meant to have 65 but didn't have my notes with me - oh well - will get 70 next time. Had 95 on last set just to get a feel for what is to come. Head stayed down.



Bench
5x5x60lbs
Did last set with little more. I know I am being greedy but bench is very very easy for me still.

Barbel row
5x5x55lbs
felt good - did 6 on most sets.

Pushups
10,8,0
Didn't even try the 3rd set - again - I did plenty pushups on Thu

Inverted crunch
14,12
This felt better than previous times. The difficulty seems to be easy to adjust depending how I hang my legs. Mostly I kept them closer to torso but some where with nice 90 degree hip + 90 degree knee angles.

HIIT on treadmill - screw the hill program the automatic hill program for treadmills seems to be silly. I did marching at 4.6 mph and one minute at 2 degree incline @ 5mph, 1 minute easy etc. for about 12 minutes. HR maxed out at 184 so I think it was plenty hard enough.

May 20th is the deadline for my work project - once that is done I will try to get back to Sl 5x5 3 times a week + one with the trainer. Until then weights twice a week and trainer once will do.

Back has been fine.