Vlad's training log

[taifun]

Thanks! I really like power cleans, and I use them also to get into the starting position for OH press. There is really something addictive in getting the weight from the floor and putting it over your head. I really recomment this movement. You can do it instead of your inverted rows.

Yeah, that's the plan. I'm going to spend another week nailing down form on the basic lifts, then start progressions towards the power clean.

[Vlad]

31 Jan, 2009. Workout 8.
Squat: 20 kg - 2x5, 27.5 kg - 1x5, 35 kg - 5x5
OHP: 10 kg - 2x5, 15 kg - 1x5, 17.5 kg - 1x3, 20 kg 1x2, 22.5 kg 1x2, 25 kg 5x5
DL: 60 kg - 1x5, 80 kg - 1x3, 90 kg 1x2, 95 kg - 1x5
Pull-ups: 9x1 half pull-up
Rev. crunces: 16 kg 3x12

Felt much better today, but had not completly recovered from the cold. Squat and DL were easy.

Strugled with the OHP technique. For the moment, if I put the bar on my front deltoids in the starting position, then my elbows are almost parallel to the floor, and it is very difficult to press from that position (my triceps do all the work). But If I lower the elbows so that they are at 45 deg with the trunk (they are way in front of the bar in this position as well), then it is much easier to press, but the bar does not touch the deltoids. I guess I lack flexibility for the press to do correctly. I'll stick with the 45 deg angle in the future, hoping for that as my flexibility increases the bar will get down to the deltoids one day.

[Vlad]

3 Feb 2009. Workout 9.
Squat: 37.5 kg - 5x5 (wu: 20 kg - 2x5, 30 kg 1x3)
BP: 27.5 kg - 5x5 (wu: 10 kg - 3x5, 15 kg - 2x5, 20 kg - 1x3, 25 kg - 1x3)
Power clean: 27.5 kg - 5x5 (wu: 10 kg - 1x5, 15 kg - 1x5, 20 kg - 1x5, 25 kg - 1x3)
Kneel push-ups: 3x9
Prone bridge: 3x30 sec

Still not fully recovered from the flu. Not a difficult workout, but felt quite tired afterwards.

[Vlad]

5 Feb 2009. Workout 10.
Squat: 40 kg (88 lb) - 5x5 (wu: 20 kg - 2x5, 30 kg 1x3)
OHP: 26.2 kg (58 lb) - 5x5 (wu: 10 kg - 3x5, 15 kg - 1x5, 20 kg - 1x3, 23.5 kg - 1x3)
DL: 100 kg (220 lb) - 1x5 (wu: 60 kg - 1x5, 80 kg - 1x3, 90 kg - 1x2)
Pull-ups: half pull-ups - 6x1, 2x2 (10 in total)
Prone bridge: 3x30 sec

Not fully recovered yet, but feeling OK. Squat was easy. OHP was not difficult, but not light either. I think my technique is better now: found a comfortable position for the elbows and concentrated on lifting the chest, "aiming for the nose", getting under the bar and shrugging at the top position. I desided to use a smaller weight increase for the OHP: just approx. 1.25 kg. This will ensure that I get to my short term goal of 45 kg just before the deadline (25 april), and I am not in a rush. Deadlift started to feel heavy again, but was not difficult. A good workout.

[guru]

Hi Vlad,

Good log & good goals, although it seems that the DL goal is easier than the squat one. However, goals are for focus & it's important not to be in a rush. Very important is the technique. If you feel something is getting heavy to the extent of losing form, do not be afraid of deloading. You come out a lot stronger & better as I have learned.

I have read your other posts & they are impressive. I'm sure you will put all that knowledge to good work in your workouts. Buying Starting Strength was a very wise investment indeed. As regards nutrition, Jcraig is probably the most knowledgeable person on this forum & he has already offered his advice.

I see that you are doing half pull ups. I would suggest slow negatives, each lasting at least 5 seconds or more.

Keep upping the weights. I will be following your log. Good luck.

- Guru

[Vlad]

Hi Guru,

Thank you for your advice and compliments. I have read your log from the beginning and it's impressive! I will be following it with interest.

I was not sure about my goals since I have not done anything (except for the DL) in a long time. But I remember how hard it was to deadlift 120 kg 1x5, so I thought that even a 20 kg increase in 3 months (as set in my goals) would be quite difficult. I would be happy to lift more if possible.

As far as half pull-ups, my left sholder is very unhappy in the bottom position when I do full pull-ups. This is why I start in a position at which my elbows are bent maybe 20-30 deg from the fully extended angle (my shoulder is OK in this position), and then I do a "normal" pull-up which includes the negative phase as well. I hope that gradually I will be able to do full pull-ups without pain in my shoulder.

[DaveT]

Hey Vlad
Thanks for coming by my log. Seems you have got into a rhythm with your workouts.
Are your pull ups the same as the pull ups defined by Mehdi (ie palms facing away from you)? If they are, then maybe you could try chin ups (ie palms facing towards you). They are a little easier and may be better for your shoulder. Just a thought...
Good to see you switched from the front squat to a regular squat. While the front squat is a good exercise, you want to be able to bear the same kind of weight that you can with the regular squat. More weight = more muscle.
Good luck with the training.

[Vlad]

Hey Vlad
Thanks for coming by my log. Seems you have got into a rhythm with your workouts.
Are your pull ups the same as the pull ups defined by Mehdi (ie palms facing away from you)? If they are, then maybe you could try chin ups (ie palms facing towards you). They are a little easier and may be better for your shoulder. Just a thought...
Good to see you switched from the front squat to a regular squat. While the front squat is a good exercise, you want to be able to bear the same kind of weight that you can with the regular squat. More weight = more muscle.
Good luck with the training.

Hi Dave,
Thanks for coming by. I do pull-ups with palms facing away from me. I tried chin-ups also, but this position is even worse for my left shoulder. So I decided to be very non-agressive with the pull-ups, afterall this is just an assistence exercise, and it's getting easier on my shoulder actually. So one day I hope to do it with the full ROM.
Good luck with your training and correction of the exercise form

[Vlad]

7 Feb 2009. Workout 11.
Squat: 42.5 kg (94 lb) - 5x5 (wu: 20 kg - 2x5, 30 kg 1x3, 40 kg - 1x1)
BP: 30 kg (66 lb) - 5x5 (wu: 10 kg - 3x5, 15 kg - 2x5, 20 kg - 1x3, 25 kg - 1x3)
Power clean: 30 kg (66 lb) - 5x5 (wu: 10 kg - 1x5, 15 kg - 1x5, 20 kg - 1x5, 25 kg - 1x3)
Kneel push-ups: 3x10
Prone bridge: 3x30 sec

[Vlad]

7 Feb 2009. Workout 11.

Almost recovered from the flu this time (which I had had for the past two weeks). Squat and BP were easy, but the power clean was rather challenging from the technique point of view. I had no problem to clean from the jumping position, but as soon as I lowered the bar to the knee level, then I had either a tendency to jump before reaching the jumping position or a tendency to stop when reaching the jumping position correctly and then jump. So I had a difficulty in combining the two pulls, but still I had a couple of nice cleans when it felt really good. After doing 5x5 with 30 kg, I also did a lot of cleans with the empty bar (did not count how many) to practice the technique. All in all this was an exhausting power clean session, and my T-shirt was totally wet from the sweat. A good workout.

[Vlad]

9 Feb 2009. Workout 12.
Squat: 45 kg (100 lb) - 5x5 (wu: 20 kg - 2x5, 30 kg 1x3, 40 kg - 1x2)
OHP: 27.5 kg (61 lb) - 5x5 (wu: 10 kg - 3x5, 15 kg - 1x5, 20 kg - 1x4, 25 kg - 1x3)
DL: 105 kg (231 lb) - 1x5 (wu: 60 kg - 1x5, 80 kg - 1x3, 90 kg - 1x2, 100 kg - 1x1)
Pull-ups: 3/4 pull-ups - 5x1, 3x2 (11 in total)
Prone bridge: 3x30 sec

I have completely recovered from the flu today. Everything worked great today, and I increased the range of motion on the pull-ups to 75%.

The first 4 weeks of the SL program completed. I will measure and post my BF and BW tomorrow.

[guru]

Great! Deadlift already crossed BW. With 3 times squats, they will soon catch up.

- Guru

[Vlad]

Great! Deadlift already crossed BW. With 3 times squats, they will soon catch up.

Thanks! I really look forward to it.

[Vlad]

11 Feb 2009. Workout 13.
Squat: 47.5 kg (105 lb) - 5x5 (wu: 20 kg - 2x5, 30 kg 1x3, 40 kg - 1x2)
BP: 33.5 kg (74 lb) - 5x5 (wu: 13.5 kg - 3x5, 18.5 kg - 2x5, 23.5 kg - 1x3, 28.5 kg - 1x3)
Power clean: 32.5 kg (72 lb) - 5x5 (wu: 16 kg - 1x5, 20 kg - 1x5, 25 kg - 1x5, 30 kg - 1x3)
Kneel push-ups: 3x11
Rev. crunches: 12 kg - 3x12


Measured my BW and BF yeasterday:
BW: 101 kg (1 kg up from one month ago).
BF: 17 % (the same as one month ago).
It seems that my BW increased a little without gaining detectable fat. Callipers are quite tricky, but my waist measurement is the same, so it seems quite likely that I have not gained any fat.

Squat was easy. BP was not light anymore, but not difficult. Power clean was good today. Last time I had a problem in connecting the first pull with the second (jumping), but today it worked really well most of the time. My T-shirt was wet again after the power clean. A good workout.

[taifun]

Excellent work on the cleans!

With 3x11 kneeling push ups you should be nearly ready for regular ones?