Vhalros' Training Log

[jfh26]

Hi there. Noticed in your signature that we have pretty similar stats (although you have me by a bit on squats and BF% ), so I decided to drop by your log. Looks like you're making good progress here. I took a deload from 200lbs on squats recently to work on form, and the workouts were just starting to get longer for me. I anticipate when I get my squat up to where yours is I may need to switch to 3x5 as well. But I won't know until I get there of course. Good luck with your training!

[vhalros]

@jfh26, thanks for the comments and well wishes

I think one reason I have progressed quickly on the squats is that I did karate for a while, which holding lots and lots of low stances for a very long time. Horse stance is almost like holding a sumo squat at parallel, with one's back up right and no weight. So my legs were already pretty developed. I also don't have particularly long legs.

[vhalros]

Weight Training 10/2/2009

Ugg, woke up late this morning, and just felt off at the gym. My sleep felt unrefreshing and I woke up tired, although I can't pinpoint what caused this.

Squats 245 : 5/5/3
OHP 121.5 : 5/5/5
Dead Lift 274 : 3
Pullups : 1 / 0 / 0
W.M. Plank : 14/8/1

Not such a great one. My first stall on the Dead Lift. I was already feeling off, but after attempting that lift my energy was like zero I managed to struggle on and do a single pull up though.

[vhalros]

Karate Practice 10/2/2009

What do I do after a terrible morning work out? Go to another work out!

Started off with:

5x20 push ups, sets interspersed with running.

Lots of random basics in front stance, fudo dachi, not really enough to challenge me, but good to go through.

50 kicks each, on each leg, of:
Front
Side
Round House
Back

Interleaved:
2x50 crunches
2x30 sec planks

[vhalros]

Jujitsu Practice 10/3/2009

Lots of drills with:
Mount escape
Scissor sweeps
Guillotine Choke
Kimura lock
Guard passing


Felt tired before this work out, although not too bad once I got going. Tired two days in a row? Maybe I am doing too much. Taking Sunday off.

[vhalros]

Strength Training

Squats 245 : 5/5/5
Bench 165 : 5/5/5
H.P. Clean 75 : 5/5/5/5/5
1 arm pushup : (3,3)/(2,2)/(0,0) Hands elevated to mid shin
Rev. crunch 2 KG : 5/4/3

Take that, 245 pounds!

I had much more energy today. My form on the hang power cleans still feel off; I may try to find some one around here who knows how to do them and get their input, or else post a video to the forums.

[vhalros]

Strength Training

Squats 250 : 5/5/5
OHP 124 : 5/5/5
DL 274 : 5
Chins : 5/2/1
W.M Planks : 17/13/8

Felt good today, high energy.

The wall march planks were done on my forearms, with a platform. This actually makes it harder, which explains the lower numbers.

On the deadlift, I was able to complete the first three reps with a double over hand grip, but my hands were dying and I was forced to use an over-under grip for the last two reps (I alternated the grip for each).

Not making much progress on the chin ups/pullups. I think having the deadlift right before is really interfering.

[vhalros]

Strength Training Work out for Saturday, October 9th

I started warming up today, and felt very tired, and only got to squatting about 185 (trying a warm up of 225 crashed me into the safety bars.)

Squats 185 : 5/5/5
Bench 170 : 4/3/1

I couldn't figure out why I was feeling so exhausted, then I realized I had only actually slept for four hours Apparently that effects my strength quite a bit. Although curiously it effect my squats much more than the bench.

Any way, once I figured this out I decided that time would be more productively spent sleeping

[vhalros]

Strength Training 10/11/2009

Squats 255 : 5/5/5
OHP 126.5 : 5/5/5
DL 279 : 5
PullUp : 3/1/1
W.M. Plank : 14/9/2

Wow, I was just over flowing with energy this time. Squats felt easy. Deadlifts... well, those still felt brutally hard, but I managed to do them with a double over hand grip (I felt like I came very close to dropping it).

Maybe this is due to being forced to take light day on Saturday. Or maybe it is due to having an actual work out partner present today.

[vhalros]

Strength Training

Squats 260 : 5/3/0
Bench 170 : 5/5/5
H.P. Clean 75 : 5/5/5
One Arm Puhsup : (2,1)/(1,0)/(0,0)
6 Clapping Push Ups
Rev. Crunch 2kg : 5/3/2

I finally got the 1 arm pushups to the floor. Although some how I did more with my left arm than my right. Maybe I should do right arm first next time.

Stalling frequently on squats; I think it may soon be time to switch to an intermediate program, but I think I can milk a little more out of the beginners program, and will try for another week or two.

[bobu]

Your lifts are coming along nicely but I think you're a ways from needing an intermediate program. It doesn't look like you've even needed to deload yet. Usually you would be looking at at least two hard deloads before switching. I bet you can make it to 1 1/2 bw on your squats before that happens.

[vhalros]

@Bobu

I guess its not clear from my log, since I started maintaining it here some time after starting the program, but I've actually already deloaded once on squats (the first time at 245 lbs), once on BP, and once on OHP (I have my own records for all of this, but haven't posted the back logs here). Haven't had to do it on deadlifts at all yet, although I've stalled a few times.

But I do intent to try to get 1.5 BW squats out of the beginners program. For me that is 285 lbs; maybe I am being over optimistic but that doesn't seem to far away

Thanks for the encouragement

[Sid]

HI vhalros,

These are some pretty nice numbers you have for having started SL5x5 in June. As Bobu said, I think you can definitely squeeze out some more progress on your squats before having to switch - I was at around the same situation as you in terms of stalling and the weight I was doing when I started my log and I was able to get above and beyond 1.5xBW for 3x5 after deloading.

I'm also a grad student. What are you studying?

[vhalros]

@Sid,

Well, okay, message received. I'll keep on the beginners program as long as I can Unfortunately I had to miss my Friday workout because of a long black out that lasted pretty much all day and closed the gym And there was no time to go today.

I'm studying Computer Science, specifically compilers/programming languages. You?

[vhalros]

Karate Practice October 16th, 2009

Hmm, I have been remiss in not logging all of my karate work outs. Maybe I should take better notes about each of them, but as far as intensity they have been about the same as previous ones. I should however at least make not of which ones I attend.

Had to train outside today, due to half the city having a long lasting black out. We had to end early because it was rather cold outside. Mostly I just instructed the newbies on the finer points of Heian Shodan, so not too much of a work out for me.

I did however do:

3x10 burpees
3 1 arm pushups on each arm (I'm trying to teach every one in the club to do these, because that would be awesome )