TempestTenor's Training Log

[TempestTenor]

Hey, I should probably start a log!

Current stats and PRs:
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 200lbs
Bodyfat: 20% - 21%

Squat: 225lbs
Deadlift: 225lbs (technique issues had been keeping this low, but I think I've figured it out now)
Power Clean: 150lbs
Bench: 180lbs
Press: 120lbs

Goals for 2009:
Bodyfat: 15%
Squat: 300lbs
Deadlift: 400lbs (hey, aim high, right?)
Power Clean: 200lbs
Bench: 200lbs
Press: 150lbs

I am following the vanilla Starting Strength program. All weights are in pounds.
Unless otherwise denoted, all exercises follow this schedule:
45lbs x 5/45lbs x 5/40% x 5/60% x 3/80% x 2/100% x 5/100% x 5/100% x 5

Power clean work sets are instead 5 x 3. All Power Clean warmup sets are Hang Cleans and Hang Shrugs until 135lbs.

[TempestTenor]

7/29/09 Workout

Squat
45/45/90/130/175/210/210/210

The work sets felt challenging. Unfortunately this workout was supposed to be at 220 but I loaded the plates wrong and didn't realize it until I finished. Screw it, I'm still going up to 225 (my current PR) the next workout.

Press
45/45/70/90/115/115/115

I've been cutting out an extra set of empty bar warmups for the Press because 45 is a relatively large percentage of 115 and it probably doesn't make sense to do too many of those. Heck, my 40% warmup is 45! I am in the middle of a deload from 125.

Power Clean
45/45/60/90/135
155 x1
155 x2
155 x1
155 x1
155 x1

Just awful. This is my second week at 155. My form was all over the place. Forced racks, missed reps, forward jumping, backwards jumping. At one point I lost my balance and had to step off the deadlift platform with the weight still racked on my shoulders. Last week didn't fare much better. I just can't seem to feel the "power" in the power clean. I tried some hang power shrugs at 155 and the bar barely moves past my hip crease.

[OrlandoB]

Good stuff man. How long have you been training?

[TempestTenor]

Been on Starting Strength since the middle of December. I had tried SL 5x5 for a week or so beforehand, but decided to drop it because the workouts took too long. I then tried the Onus Wunsler variation of SS for 2 weeks because I wanted to do pull ups, but then realized that I'd never be able to learn the Power Clean if I do it only once every 4th or 5th session.

There have been a couple of vacations and also a shoulder dislocation injury thrown in middle. It's kind of depressing that I've been at this for 7 months and still haven't reached 1.5BW squats!

[rpaulson7]

Sound like a rough go with the power cleans, you better back off on the weight quite a bit and get your form down and your stabilization muscles up to par. You're going to hurt yourself with the bad form, jumping off the platform, etc.

StrongLifts really stresses the form for each lift, and you should take that knowledge to your other programs.

[TempestTenor]

I had already deloaded a number of times on the PC. The bar racks okay at 150 but it all goes to hell at 155. I'm going to try a different technique on my next PC workout...we'll see how it goes. If it doesn't work, then it'd be my third failure at 155 and I'd be deloading anyway.

7/31/09 Workout
Squat
45/45/90/135/180
225 x 4
225 x 4
225 x 3

I technically did 5 reps on the first set, but the last rep was pretty forced with bad form. I tried for 4 on the last set, but had to bail.

Bench
45/45/70/100/135/170/170/170

Deadlift
135/135/170/215

For deadlifts, I do 135 x 5/135 x 3/80% x 2/100% x 5

[TempestTenor]

8/3/09 Workout

Squat
45/45/90/135/180
225 x 5
225 x 4
225 x 4

225 was my previous stalled weight. Felt pretty good about this workout. I am under a bit of pressure to nail 3x5 next time for it will once again be my third time at 225. I think if I get at least 13 of 15 reps next time, I will still move up to 230.

Press
45/50/70/95/
120 x 5
120 x 5
120 x 4

I will repeat this weight again before I attempt 125 (my previous stall). After watching some videos and reading up on the Press, I've been trying a closer grip on the exercise. "They" say that one's thumbs should be just outside the shoulders and that the forearms should be vertical. My previous was wider than this standard so I will narrow it down and give the standard method a go.

Power Clean
45/45/60/90/135/155/155/155/155/155

Well this was a pleasant surprise. I was able to get 5 x 3 after failing miserably at 155 during the last two attempts. Somebody posted an interesting series of Power Clean videos over at the Strength Mill forums. Coach Don McCauley advocates using a hip bump/catapulting motion as opposed to the triple extension for the Power Clean. His logic makes a lot of sense to me.

I tried to implement his methods during this PC attempt. I tried placing the bar further away from my shins (at the base of my toes instead of mid-foot) and got in a deep squat position for setup. I couldn't quite make it work. There was a lot of friction between my shins and the bar and I couldn't generate any power at the jump. I went back to using the classic deadlift setup. What did work for me, however, was concentrating on using my hips to jostle the bar up to my shoulders and forgetting about using my knees and ankles. It worked quite well as the lift felt easier and I was able to get all the reps. I will continue to develop this catapult method in future Power Clean workouts.

[TempestTenor]

8/5/09 Workout

Squat
45/45/90/135/180
225 x 5
225 x 4+
225 x 3

I was unfortunately unable to complete 3x5 at 225lbs. I got 5 reps on the second set, but the last rep was very slow. I'm not sure if my form was okay, so I'll say I got 4+ reps =) I am still going to go for 230 lbs the next workout. If I fail 3 times at 230, I will do a hard 20% deload (my first one).

Bench
45/45/70/105/140
175 x 5
175 x 5
175 x 4

The second set felt better than the first set. The third set felt very heavy. I will repeat this weight next time. 180 was my previous PR and 185 was my previous stall.

Deadlift
135/135/180/225

I felt very confident in the deadlift the last few times due to some new technique tweaks so I decided to make a 10lbs jump and go straight to 225(my previous PR) from 215. The set was moderately challenging and while I did feel fatigue in my lower back, I did not feel "stress" in my lower back. I think I'll jump 10lbs again my next workout. This'll be a good opportunity to get my DL to an appropriate ratio with my other lifts while my squat is stalled.

[TempestTenor]

I'm quite late in posting this. I was away this past weekend and was very busy when I came back. I missed this past Monday's and Wednesday's workouts due to life(tm). I expect to be back on Friday.

8/7/09 Workout
Squat
45/45/90/145/185
230 x 3
230 x 2
230 x 2

Yeah so my foray into 230-land ended up as I expected. I have soft deloaded a couple of times from 225 already so I think it's clear that I will need a hard 20% deload this time. The work weight for my next squat workout will be 180lbs. I'm kind of excited to hard deload actually. I've made a lot of improvements to my squat form lately and I look forward to really internalizing these improvements during this deload.

Press
45/50/70/95/120/120/120

The last rep was hard, but I finished it. I look forward to the PR attempt at 125.

Power Clean
45/45/65/95/135
160 x 3
160 x 0
160 x 0
160 x 0
160 x 0

There were a couple of forced racks sprinkled in the "zero" sets, but I wouldn't count them as actual reps. The first set felt really good actually. I used the "ATG" version of the Power Clean setup and videotaped myself doing it for the first set. Then I started to tweak my form for the subsequent sets because I saw some things wrong in the video...and it all went to hell ha ha. I'm still "jumping" with my feet ala Triple Extension. I will try to keep my heels from the floor and explode from the hips next time. I look forward to trying this weight again.