Zentinel's log

by **zentinel** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:06 pm

Squats 180 x5/5/5/5/5
Bench: 130 x5/5/5/5/5
Rows: 115 x5/5/5/5/4
Dips: 30 x5/5/5/5/5

by **zentinel** » Wed Mar 05, 2008 12:48 am

Squats 185 x5/5/2/5/5
OverPress: 90 x5/5/5/5/4
Deads: 225 x5
Chins: 25 x5/5/5/5/4
Which means I'm starting me first soft deload on Saturday. Whee!

by **zentinel** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 5:25 pm

Squats 185 x5/5/5/5/5
Bench: 135 x5/5/5/5/5
Rows: 115 x5/5/5/5/5
Dips: 32.5 x5/5/5/5/5

Hitting that 135 bench was a big breakthrough for me, as I've never been able to bench with the big plates before. It was sweet.
Other than that, my workout is getting absurdly long, taking an hour fifteen to complete (not counting warmup, cooldown, abs, etc). I think I'm going to try to reduce it by
1) cutting warmup rest periods to 45 seconds
2) focussing on explosivity (which will mean cutting max lits)
3) cutting work set rest periods to 2 minutes max.
I'll start on the explosivity when I do my deloads, cux there's no way I can keep up these weights going any faster. My squats are slow, but there's no way I could think of doing them faster. I'm hyperalert of the potential for injury right now (with failure in rach of all my sets), so I'm wary of changing too much.

by **zentinel** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 9:05 pm

Somehow pushed my limits on my squats, but had no energy left for anything else. Ended up regressing on my soft deload for my Overheads.

Squats: 190 x5/5/5/5/5
OP: 80 x5/5/5/3/4
Deads: 235 x5
Chins: 25 x5/5/5/5/5

by **zentinel** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:07 am

Feeling run down, so drank some coffee before going to the gym. Is caffeine harmful to exercise? I've heard arguments both ways...
Squats: 195 x5/5/5/5/5
Bench: 140 x5/5/5/5/4
Rows: 120 x4/3/4/3/3
Dips: 35 x5/5/5/5/5

by **Mehdi** » Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:13 am

caffeine is harmful for sleep. But it's good for fat loss, and to "wake up" before going to the gym.

by **zentinel** » Fri Mar 14, 2008 2:00 am

I just his 200 lbs for squats; given that 220 is 1.5 BW, AND given that I haven't deloaded yet, I'm thinking I may not be going low enough. This is rough, since I don't know if I'll be able to get ANY reps if I go any lower.
Squats: 200 x5/5/5/5/5
Overhead: 80 x5/5/5/5/4
Deads: 245 x5
Chins 25 x5/5/5/5/5
I adjusted the grip and elbow position on my overhead, and aren't getting the reps I was at a higher weight. Bummer.
I also got the beginning of a blister from doing deadlifts. I need to buy some chalk, but am tempted to buy some lifting gloves.

by **zentinel** » Sun Mar 16, 2008 2:16 am

Well, things progress. I hit a snag though: dips have become excrutiating. It's not that I can't do the weight, or the excercise hurts, it's that when I stop (as I try to let go of the machine), the tissue around my left collarbone is in agony, and I have to stand there for a few seconds until the pain subsides.
I've had this problem before with dips, and might have to sub something in. I'm thinking close-grip bench, or skullcrushers.
Squats: 205 x5/5/5/5/5
Bench: 140 x5/5/5/5/5
Rows: 115 x5/5/5/5/5
Dips: 37.5 x5/5/5/5/5

by **zentinel** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 1:47 am

Interesting aside: Mehdi recommends liftin until you hit 1.5 x bw, or 2 hard deloads on Squats.
I just did 205# on Squats. At my BW of 145, that means my x1.5 is 220. I have yet to deload or seriously stall. I'll likely have to deload once before I hit it, though.
Should I continue after I hit it until a get 2 deloads , or switch up workouts anyway?
(I'm thinking I might have to buy Starting Strength to make sure my form is good).

by **Mehdi** » Tue Mar 18, 2008 1:09 pm

The 1.5x body-weight is not rule in stone. That's why I also mentioned the 2hard deloads.
If you hit 1.5x bw without stalling, keep adding weight until you have to deload 2 times.

by **zentinel** » Wed Mar 19, 2008 2:35 pm

I went in feeling ok, but the collarbone pain returned after doing pullups. I'm going to have to find someone to tell me what's going on.

Squats: 210 x5/5/4/5/5
Overhead: 80 x5/5/5/5/5
Deads: 255 x5
Pullups: 27 x5/5/4/3/3

by **zentinel** » Fri Mar 21, 2008 3:40 pm

Kept my dips higher, and collarbone pain was reduced (although still present.) Gonna go talk to a sport therapist about it this week.
Squat 210 x5/5/5/5/4
Bench: 145 x4/3/4/3/3
Rows: 120 x5/5/5/5/4
Dips: 40 x5/5/5/5/5

by **zentinel** » Sun Mar 23, 2008 3:50 pm

Really crashed out on Squats today. That's ok though: I've been suffering from a bit of burnout, and can use the "Rest" a hard deload represents.
Also hitting my max on Deads, so dropped the increase from 10 lbs per workout to 5 lbs.
I know you're supposed to switch up your workout ever 2 months or so, and am thinking maybe I will after next month. That'll be my 4th month of Stronglifts.
Squat 210 x3/4/3/4/3
OP: 85 x5/5/5/5/4
Deads: 260 x5/5/5/5/5
Chins: 27 x5/5/5/5/4

by **zentinel** » Tue Mar 25, 2008 9:32 pm

Was glad to be able to ease back on Squats. I'm still burned out though, and my workout is still taking too long; my energy is wearing out after an hour.
Physiotherapist told me to stay away from dips for a few weeks, so I'm giong to sub in Close Grip Bench.

Squats: 185 x5/5/5
Bench: 145 x5/4/3/3/3
Rows: 120 x3/3/4/3/3
Bench: maxed out at 125 x3

by **zentinel** » Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:17 pm

Well, I feel like I'm seriously starting to suffer from burnout. The "Hard deload" weights are feeling hard, and I'm just not feeling the drive to get up and go. Yesterday I failed during the "deload" set.
Part of the problem as that I can't seem to get the main workout to under 1 hour 15 minutes, which is too long. The whole workout takes about 1:45.
Squat: 185 x5/5/2
OP: 85 x5/5/5/5/5
Deads: 265 x5
Pullups: 27 x5/5/5/5/3
On the up side, I thought I was getting weaker on the pullups, but I think I may have gained a few lbs. Whew.

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