PZilla's Training Log

[PZilla]

Ok so I am 20 years old. Been the chubby kid all my life. Well no more.

I am currently 6'1" tall, 246 lbs (111.5 Kg), and not sure on my body fat.

I have actually completed two programs prior to this. New Rules of Lifting Fat Loss I and II. I dropped from 275 to 246, like 5x5 it focused on compound movements but each workout day had 3 super sets of 6 compound exercises.

Anyway I was tired of the NROL programs and wanted to try something different. So someone led me to this site, and I fell in love with Medhi's mentality on strength training.

So I tried the first workout tonight.

I didnt do the 2 assistance exercise cause I wanted to focus on the big three.

Squat at 43 Kg or 95 lbs for 5x5
Bench Press at 38.5 kg or 85 lbs for 5x5
Inverted Rows for 5/3/2

Ok the IR's are incredibly hard. I could do alot more weight on the squat with better form. But I wanted to start at that weight tonight to ease my self into the joys of heavy squats. I am going to be honest and say I am not a great bench presser. I didnt use a spotter for this weight. Mainly because it didnt give me any trouble. But I look forward to it getting better.

I think Saturday when I do the B portion of 5x5, I will only do the big three. So I get a run through of my main focus. And then the next rounds will include them. But I know pushups, pull ups / chin ups, and inverted rows are going to give my big ass a lot of trouble.

[bbeardnc]

Hi PZilla,
I grew up not far from you near Lancaster. I am on my 12th week of this program and I am really loving it. It really is such a simple plan to follow and the gains come really fast. Just listen to your body and not your ego.
Bill

[PZilla]

Yeah I have always reeled in on ego working out. I know I was making the bench monkeys angry when I hogged the bench for 5 sets of 5 reps at 85 pounds!

[PZilla]

SQ: 45 Kg or 100 lbs at 5x5
OP: 29.4 Kg or 65 lbs at 5x5
DL: 40 kg or 90 lbs at 2x5 (first one was the warm up)

just focusing on form the weight is super easy. but I can feel my strength getting better. No assistance exercises until Tuesday when I tackle the a workout. Need to purchase a door frame pull up / chin up bar and maybe some assistance bands. Definitely need to switch out the new balances for some hard sole shoes. Also my gym now doesn't allow chalk for some reason. so I am going to get my own bean bag of it and tuck in the gym bag.

FUN work out and I really want to thank Medhi for his thorough website and workout.

[bbeardnc]

Hi PZilla,
Have you read Medhi's article regarding warm up? I made the mistake of not warming up with an empty bar (for the squat, bench, and OHP) or with 135 pounds (for the bent over barbell row and dead lift) then increasing the weights by 33 to 45 pounds until I got to my work sets when I started this program. It resulted in me having a strained hip flexor and I had to de-load from 205 to 115 on the squats plus taking a week off from leg lifts.
Here is the article link: http://stronglifts.com/how-to-do-a-proper-warm-up/

Are using something to bring the bar up to mid-shin level for your dead lift? I believe that the barbell bar will be too low (causing you to round your back) if you do the dead lift with only 90 pounds. Mid-shin is where the bar would be if you have a 45 pound plate on each side.

Bill

[PZilla]

well just 4 days prior I finished a program and my dead lift work sets were at about 215. And yes I had them elevated on some plates to mid shins.

Every thing else was warmed up bare bar or body weight.

I am still kind of thrown off by the light weight and low reps but I am really focusing HARD on technique. Asked a guy to watch my squat technique to double check if I was bouncing off my hams right.

Am I starting with to light of weight? on some of these? From everything I read I thought it was bare bars and I havent started with bare bars.

[bbeardnc]

I think that it is smart to start off light and work your way up over time. On the bench and OHP I started off with a bare bar; the squat I started with 85 and on the dead lift I started with 135. I moved up 10 pounds at a time on the leg lifts and 5 pounds per on everything else. The weight totals increase pretty fast that way but at the same time you are allowing your body to acclimate to the volume over time. When I reached 265 on the squat I totaled my work sets and my warm up sets and the amount came to nearly 9000 pounds. We all tend to be impatient and want to increase the weight quickly but the amount of weight will build fast enough on this program. The strength gains come from you allowing your body to recover from the volume of lifting as long as you provide sufficient rest and nutrition.
If I were in your situation I would do the dead lift at 135 then add 20 pounds each workout until I got to your previous weight at 215. Then I would slow down to 10 pound increments until I felt I was close to stalling and shift to 5 pound increments. As a beginner we benefit more from this program due to the steady weight increases per workout. Once you reach the point where you have to move to an intermediate program the weight increases slow to weekly.
I just finished my first 12 weeks doing the program pretty much as outlined by Medhi and the time passed quickly. I hope to continue on this beginner for at least another 12 weeks or until I reach 1.5 bw on the squat.

Bill

[PZilla]

I think I will stick where I am at. makes the workout pretty quick and my recovery time is pretty nice. The OHP and Bench really ensure I am sore as I was doing incline dumbbell presses and push presses in my previous inferior workout.

Today I do A again and really I am super anxious to get back in the gym. Its sickening to think I was at one point afraid of the gym. Now I have to KEEP myself out of it on off days.

[PZilla]

SQ: 52 Kg or 115 lbs for 5x5
BP: 43 kg or 95 lbs for 5x5
IR: Body weight for 1x4 1x2 1xF (not counting all the girl half trys )

Pretty awesome workout. Deceptively easy but I rested very little between sets. Warmed up all proper as well!

[PZilla]

Did some interval run jog walks with a female friend from work for about an hour and half.

Feeling pretty good.

[PZilla]

Ok last nights workout. Quick and Clean Form I might say!

All sets warmed up with bare bar, then 20% - 40% - 60% - Work weight.

SQ: 125 lbs for 5x5
OHP: 75 lbs for 5x5
Dead: (lots of warmup sets) 155 lbs for 5x5

Cake workout. But I was pouring sweat and my chest is definitely getting stronger 4 workouts into this.

I am a little concerned about the OHP though. Should I be power cleaning the bar and laying it on my chest like a front squat (elbows parallel to the ground) and THEN pressing. Or do I hold the bar on my chest with elbows perpendicular?

I did them all with clean grip at the bottom. which LOOKED right. But from videos I have seen people do them both ways. I am just curious as to which is the proper SL way.

Anyway, awesome workout last night. My diet has been pretty crappy this week. BUT i have stayed steady on weight and drink plenty of water. So I am not retaining a ton of water.

[PZilla]

SQ: 56 kg or 125 lbs for 5x5
OHP: 34 kg or 75 lbs for 5x5
Dead: 70.3 kg or 155 lbs for 1x5

sorry! I didnt post the weight in what the rest of the world uses. And I DIDNT do that dead at 5x5. Did it for 1x5.

I also want to point out that the weight on all these is pretty cake. But man its hard to reel in on the ego when you are hogging the power cage for all three exercises with such minimal resistance. :lol

Cant wait for the heavier stuff next month.

[PZilla]

...

Workout A

Squat at 140 lbs (63 kg) for 5x5
Bench at 110 lbs (50 kg) for 5x5
IRs: 10 / 3 / 5
Inverse Crunches: 45 lb (21 kg) weight behind head for 3x12

HIIT: THE FUCKING BEAR 45 lb (21 kg) bar at 5x5

no joke workout... I wanted to puke during the bear (first timer).

Once I add pushups into the mix this workout will be a blast.

Fuck the treadmill the bear is to much fun.

[PZilla]

SQ: 145 lbs or 65 kgs for 5x5
OHP: 80 lbs or 36.2 kgs for 6x5
DL: 155 lbs or 70.3 kgs for 1x5

Squats felt worlds better and really fired off in the glutes after watching the rippetoe videos on squat form. I was definitely abusing the mirror in front of me the whole time. but today I looked down and focused on pushing my ass up!

OHP I could fire off 4 easy with great form but on the last 3 sets that 5th one eased in the air. FEELS AMAZING to press even a tiny 80 lbs straight up in the air. but I failed on the 4th set on the 5th rep so I reset and did an extra set.

DL was cake. REASON: didnt keep track of the last time I did dead so I did the same wet two workouts in a row. Its ok. I was getting dirty looks for hogging the power rack by the curl and shoulder shrug monkeys. So it was time to go anyway.

I imagine they would have been real pissed if I did an 8x8 round of The BEAR HIIT.

[PZilla]

SQ: 155 lbs or 70.3 kgs for 5x5
BP: 115 lbs or 52.1 kgs for 5x5
IR: 12/6/5/5/4 (body at 45 degree angle and feet flat on floor)
IC: 45 lb dumb bell behind head for 3x12

no BEAR today. to busy. But a good workout. going to do some mobility work tomorrow for my off day. still need to buy a door frame chin bar or start struggling with them at the gym.