Reckoners Training Log

[reckoner]

Male 29 years old 6'2 190lbs - no idea what my body fat % is
Squat - 250lbs
Bench (3x5) 210lbs
Deadlift 290lbs
OHP (3x5)120lbs


My main goal is to gain strength and size. I spent too many years in my life as a tall lanky wimp. I have been "working out" for about a year now, following a half assed SL approach (5x5) on most exercises. I spent a lot of time without a squat rack, my squat was stuck at 155lbs for months, until I got a squat rack and then decided to follow the SL program. I started SL properly on October 12th 2009 with these stats and haven't looked back
OCT 12th 2009 - Squat 200lbs - Bench 180lbs - deadlift 250lbs - ohp 90lbs

Furthermore I quit smoking almost a month and a half ago and SL has become my new drug, I love going into my basement and challenging myself to reach new levels in strength (mental and physical)
Since finding this fourm it has motivated me even more, to see people going through the same challenges, and sharing info, and their stories to help each other move forward is amazing, this place is like no other fourm I have ever visited.
I have set myself some short term goals
Squat 300lbs
Bench 250lbs (3x5)
Deadlift 350lbs
OHP 150lbs (3x5)

[WhiteGorilla]

Congratz on quitting smoking, and yes working out can become addictive
Good lifts, good thinking on starting a log
Good Luck!

[reckoner]

@ Whitegorilla - Thanks

Well, I just finished a workout about an hour after starting this log and I guess I am posting my gains after each so here goes.

as of today
Squat - 255
Deadlift - 305
OHP (3x5) 125
Pull ups x body weight -10-10-8
Prone bridges 3 x 60 sec

I don't know if I was motivated by starting this log or what, but my dead's jumped up 15lbs today, and I am pretty happy about that. I have no idea what my 1RM is on any lift, and I dont want to know, it feels pretty damn good that every time I go into my basement I am going to beat my old personal best on any or all my lifts!

Also I added some cardio at the end of my session today. 3 rounds of that "bear" workout. I didnt add weight each set, I just kept it at 105lbs because it was my first time, and it kicked my ass! But man, getting my ass kicked like that feels great.

[reckoner]

Friday November 13th 2009

Bench (3x5) 215
Squat (5x5) 265
Push-ups 25-15 10 (last set with 10lbs plate)
Reverse crunch 12-12-10
Inverted Row 12-12-12
2 sets of Bear @ 100lbs

Today was pretty good considering I'm not feeling 100%. My neck was pretty stiff from Wed workout, but it feels better now that its loosened up a bit. I think I'm getting that damn cold everyone has, coughing a lot and my chest feels heavy, and I'm in the middle of a midnight shift. Anyway..... enough excuses. I stalled on my bench today 3-3-2-2-3. I really struggled with 215lbs today, but somehow managed to get my 3 reps out on my last set, It looks I might be stuck @215 for a bit. Squats went up 10 lbs today without too much trouble, but it is getting extremely challenging now, but I'm getting real close to 1.5x body-weight. After Bench and squat I find myself really having to push myself through the rest of the workout because I'm gassed.
I think my nutrition needs some more attention by upping my carb intake I guess...???....?!!!

also.. I have been following SL for a month now and its amazing to look how far I have come in just 30 some days
Squat up 65lbs
Bench up 35lbs
Deadlift up 65lbs
OHP up 35lbs
It would have taken me ages to move up this much weight before, I can't express how great this program has been for me

[Lefty]

good job on quitting smoking.
i´ve quit smoking a few years ago and in retrospec it was one of the best decisions in my life.

good lifting... i will keep an eye on your log to watch your progress since our body stats are pretty similar.
do you still have power left to do the bear right after your SL workout?
i generally feel pretty crushed when im done with my regular SL workout and you even lift a little bit heavier then i do.
anyway, good luck and keep the good work going.

[nburge]

Hey - thanks for dropping by my log and congrats for starting one of your own. They're great.

Couple of questions;
- what made you quit smoking? It's a great decision and hopefully will help you with workouts. I've only ever smoked cigars and feel dreadful the following day
- why did you do the bench before the squat? Doing squat first means you give that 100% and you may need the power given the weights you're lifting. Anything above my own bw has been a struggle for me

great bench too - that's a lift I'd love to make progress on but have struggled badly.

Keep it up!

Neil.

[reckoner]

@ Lefty - Thanks, Usually I am really gassed after my workout, but I fight it out and try and squeeze as much as I can with the Bear workout at the end. Like I said I'm only lifting 100lbs during it so its not as bad as it would be if I were adding weight every set.

@nburge
I quit smoking because it was time, it made no sense to workout, watch my food intake and then light up a smoke. I was sick for too long and just got tired of it. My son helped me through it, and setting my mind to it like I would set my mind to a workout ( telling myself I was stronger than some stupid addiction and challenging myself)
I have tried doing bench before my squat my last two sessions, sometimes after my squat I dont feel I have the overall strength to push through my bench, so I switched it up and it seems to help a bit.

Thank you both for stopping by

[reckoner]

Monday November 16th 2009

Had to skip my workout today. I am still feeling sick, I must have caught this damn bug going around. My neck is still stiff and sore from last week. I must have pulled something on Wednesday when I was doing my OHP. It hurts like hell to lift my head (while laying down) which has made sleeping a bitch. Hard to turn my head from left to right and especially up and down, so an extra few days of rest could only do me good. It may sound like I am making excuses but I believe that I have actually hurt myself, not just sore, but actual pain. So Rest, rest,rest until Wednesday night.

[nerdswithguns]

Hey
Thanks for stopping by my log a few days ago, you have a solid one yourself going on here.

I'm feeling for you man, hang in there. You'll get over the sickness/neck problems in no time and be back stronger than before. Don't neglect the benefits of an easy recovery workout when you're sick/injured though, it can do wonders for your recovery. A light mobility drill warmup-type workout is perfect. Just my two cents.

Also congrats on quitting smoking and all your recent gains.

[reckoner]

Wednesday November 18th 2009


Squat 275 5x5
Bench 205 3x5
Reverse Crunch 15-10-5
pushup 25-25-20


Well, all in all it was a terrible day today. I still don't feel close to %100 but I tried to push forward anyway. I moved up another 10 lbs on my squat, but I really felt my form was getting pretty sloppy, I don't know if its because I still feel sick, or because the weight is getting really challenging. I'll give it another try on Friday, but I think a deload might be in order. I dropped 10lbs off my bench because of all the trouble I had with 215lbs last week (and because I'm under the weather) 205 was OK, no problems so I'll jump right back to 215 on Monday. As far as everything else today, I didn't really have the physical or mental strength to push through, that and I am minutes away from leaving for work (midnight shift). I will come back here and read all my excuses I used today to help motivate myself for Friday.


@nerdswithguns - Thanks for stopping by and lending your support

[reckoner]

Friday November 20th 2009

Squat - 245lbs
OHP - 115lbs
Pullups - 10 -10 -10
Deadlift - 310lbs - 1x3

Today I deloaded my squats to correct my form, which I felt was sloppy as hell. The deload to 245 worked great, my form was top notch. I will work my way back up to 275 over the next few weeks, but with perfect form this time. My OHP was only at 115 today because I still have stiffness in my neck, so I didn't want to push it, I just wanted to loosen it up, but not completely skip it all together. I failed on my deadlift today, it moved up to 310lbs, but I only managed 3 reps before I gave up. Today was my last shift of midnights for a month, so back to more productive workouts as I seem to struggle through them when I'm on midnights.

[reckoner]

Monday November 23rd 2009

Bench - 205lbs (3x5)
BB row (1st time) 125 lbs
squat - 250lbs
Reverse crunch - 15-12-10
Pushup + 15lbs 20-15-10

Not a bad day , I felt a big difference just being off of those damn midnights. My bench is still stuck @ 205, I'll push it to 210 on Friday. It was my second workout since I deloaded on my squats- up to 250 with no problems, and my form still feels good. I added some BB rows in today, I needed a change, I might bump the weight up a lot higher on Friday so they feel as challenging as my other lifts. Going to try for 3 sets of 20 with the extra 15lbs on my back on Friday pushups

[reckoner]

Wednesday November 25th 2009

Squat - 255
Seated OHP -(3x5) 125
Clean and jerk (1st time) x 3 125lbs
Deadlift 1x5 305lbs
Pullups +10lbs 10-10

Not a bad day overall, I'm starting to feel like I'm getting back into the swing of things after a horrible week last week. My OHP seems to be stuck at 125lbs as I struggled through my sets again today, I guess I'll just keep at it because I don't know of anything to help me over the hump. I threw in some clean and jerk (just to the shoulders because I have low ceilings) just for the hell of it today, I might add it full time to my workouts at a higher weight. Deadlifts went off without a hitch today, I give 310lbs another try on Friday seeing as I failed last time. By the time I got to pullups today I was gassed, surprised I managed to squeeze 20 out.

[reckoner]

Friday November 27th 2009

Squat - 265
Bench -210
Bent over BB Row - 145
Reverse Crunch - 15-15-10
Pushup + 15 lbs - 20- 15- 12

My squat is up 10lbs today, back to 265. Form is still good so I will try and push it back to 275 again on Monday

[nburge]

Hey dude - what do you think is wrong with your squat form? Where are you feeling it falter? I had loads of issues with mine (even though at lower weights it looked good). best place to start is to video yourself and shove it up here on the forum for someone to critique. At heigher weights I found my problems were in doing goodmornings, and a lot of this is to do with my descent into the hole. If I focus on keeping my shoulders back and chest up I make a much better platform for the weight and it stays over my foot better, making the upward movement more solid too. Ultimately a really heavy squat just feels like a bastard and will expose the smallest flaw you have in the technique. Good luck.

For the clean and jerks it sounds like you did an ordinary clean (as the jerk part is a split pushing the bar overhead). These are quite tough to get the form right on, so be sure to video these too and take advice. I tried to teach myself with Starting strength but found it too difficult - my form was awful. Some people on here have managed it that way though, so keep going. to begin with you'll find these very tiring, as you need to put a hell of a lot more force in to move the bar quickly than you do just to lift it. They're fun though!!!!