Today’s Weight: 119.8 - 120.1
Last Week’s: 119.5 - 120.0
Time: 4:30 PM
I don’t think there was any real weight change. This was expected- my eating plummeted when I went home over the weekend (had dinner at a friend’s twice, and the food there was similar to vomit.)
Bench Press: 95 lb
1x8, 1x4, 1x5
Failed the last rep of the second set, because I was too focused on breathing.
Bent Over Rows: 55 lb
1x7, 1x8, 1x5
I need to re-evaluate my form in this exercise.
I think I’m going to get back to squats on Tuesday, my back’s feeling a lot better.
Overhead Press: 65 lb
2x8, 1x5
So close.
Chin Ups: 16/10/9
I might need to start looking into weighting these. I can also probably do more than 16 on the first set, I’ve just been focused on progressing 1 rep per visit. I’ll try to put more into it next time.
Rows: 55 lb
3x8
Bench Press: 95 lb
1x6, 2x5
I failed the seventh rep on the first set, and I guess you could say that I kind of panicked.
Back to deadlifts and squats today! I’m seeing a doctor on Thursday before lifting then to be sure I didn’t fuck something up back there because it still feels kind of weird to flex that area, but it doesn’t bother me much anymore.
Deadlifts: 135 lb
3x8
Started low and focused on form because of the time I took off. Wasn’t too bad- my calluses didn’t even rip off. I’ll be fine pushing these up.
Overhead Press: 65 lb
3x8
That took way too long. But I did it. The second set was the hardest, by far. Can’t wait to try 75 lb.
Chin Ups: 20/15/7
Like I said, I was going to go harder on chin ups. I was trying to get 20/15/10 but my arms fizzled out on that third set. I’ll get it Saturday.
I’ve found that filming myself from the side while I squat and deadlift helps me find any form problems nicely. It’s worth a shot to make sure you’re not rounding your lower back or something. And if you want you can post the videos in the powerlifting forum and I’m sure people’ll be happy to help.
The next time I’m at the gym with a friend, I’ll have them bring a camera. : )
I forgot to post my weight results on Tuesday:
Weight: 121.3 lb - 121.4 lb
Last week’s: 119.8 lb - 120.1 lb
I’m surprised I gained anything actually, considering how much of my weekend was spent dicking around with my girlfriend (she went to a college across the country, she just flew back recently) and how little I ate during that period. I wont be going back this weekend, so hopefully I can gain twice as much weight this week.
Saw an on-campus doctor. I pulled a muscle in my back, and my hip is now rotated. She wasn’t sure if I pulled the muscle because my hip was off center, or if my body was compensating for the pulled muscle by rotating my hip a bit. Everything in that area’s supposedly pretty scrunched up. I have a few physical therapy sessions scheduled for almost two weeks from now, hopefully they’ll figure out what came first, and help fix it all. Until then I have to wait, so squats and deadlifts are, once again, out.
It pisses me off because I love deadlifts, and I hate having this in the way. But it’s just another obstacle, so all I have to do is smash it down and move past it. I’m most afraid of my legs regressing, but I’m not going to fuck around with an injury, even if it’s just a pulled muscle.
Rows: 60 lb
3x8
I can’t possibly be doing these right, that weight’s too high. I’ll do some more research into form for these.
Bench Press: 95 lb
1x8, 1x6, 1x5
I finally figured out how to breathe while doing these. it feels loads easier. I should be able to make some faster progress now that I’m not scared of suffocating mid rep.
Squats and Milk!
A gallon a day in addition to what you’ve been eating will put mass on you! Liquid calories bypass the satiation response…
Good luck!
The majority of my calories have become liquid, which is depressing but my stomach is puny and pathetic and incapable of holding enough solid food to attempt weight gain. I can’t wait to resume taking solid shits again. Thanks for the support.
Overhead Press: 75 lb
2x5, 1x4
I’d been stuck on 65 lb for such a long time, hitting 75 lb felt incredible. I noticed that I kind of move the bar to the left a bit while pressing, but I’m currently assuming that’s a result of the hip issue.
Chin Ups: 20/15/10
Now to see if I can get to 10/15/15!
Today’s Weight: 122.8 lb - 122.7 lb
Time: 4 PM
Last week’s: 121.3 lb - 121.4 lb
About 1.5 lb.
Rows: 65 lb
3x5
Felt like I could’ve done more, but I’m still freaking about my form. After midterms are over I’ll look into it.
Bench Press: 95 lb
1x6, 1x8, 1x5
A couple bad reps on the second set explain the odd spike. Got reworried about my breathing. I finish midterms Thursday, so I’ll do something about my breathing/row problem either then, Friday, or Saturday before the gym.
Overhead Press: 75 lb
1x5, 1x3, 1x2
Bad, bad, bad day. So I did an extra 65 lb set for 3 reps. I couldn’t do more. Damn.
Chin Ups: 20/8/6
Yes, that really happened. Hopefully I jump back up next Tuesday. I have physical therapy around that time soon, so maybe I can get back to doing squats and DL’s! I’m really excited for that.
Much better day today. Fixed my form on rows AND benching.
Bench Press: 95 lb
1x8, 1x7, 1x5
Pinned myself on the 8th rep of the second set. I managed to get the weight off (do I eve NOT pin myself when benching 95? I mean really now) but someone actually came over to help. that made me feel surprisingly better. I’m going to have to start actually asking for a spotter when I start pressing heavier, the only reason I can continue failing so frequently now is because the weight is so light.
Rows: 65 lb
3x5
Felt this more on the right side than the left. Not sure if that means anything.
http://startingstrength.wikia.com/wiki/FAQ:The_Program#Three_Flavors_of_Starting_Strength
I would highly recommend following that program. I believe that it is the best way to systematically add weight to both the bar and your body. You can replace the power cleans on the original program with pull ups if you want to. Trust me dude, your strength will go through the roof. And no other program that I know of is more known for putting 50 pounds on a guy in less than a year
I’ll look into it this June, when I get off the program train4sport recommended. I was doing a starting strength variant before, but it had been a little bit more mucked up than the one you linked.
Today was a bad day for weight gain. 121.0 lb - 121.0 lb at 4 PM, meaning I lost about a pound or two. That’s awful, pretty much undoing my gain the week before, but I expected it. My eating was worse, and with midterms, finding out that Hannah has PCOS, Sarah visiting Sunday, and the transition between chocolate milk and regular milk trying to kill my teeth (regular milk seems… colder, and it’s bothering my teeth- my dentist kind of fucked up over break and I have a few hypersensitive teeth I can’t fix until summer) and everything really blew up in my face. I’ll try to make up for it this week, since I’m really disappointed in my progress. On the positive side, it’s week 8 of school, meaning I’m out of here in three weeks, including Memorial Day weekend. I’ll be able to eat better food, and I’ll be able to eat more frequently too. I’m looking forward to that.
Physical Therapy starts tomorrow. I’m excited, I want to deadlift again.
Overhead Press: 65 lb
1x6, 1x8, 1x6
Yes. That happened. After my warmup I lifted 75 lb twice and realized that it just wasn’t working. I cut back to 65 lb right after. This time, if I hit 3x8, I’m going to go to 70 lb instead of 75.
Chin Ups: 20/15/10
I really want to get another five in there somehow. Just to say I can do 50 chin ups. No legitimate reason, really.
This was a triumph.
I’m making a not here: HUGE SUCCESS
It’s hard to overstate my satisfaction.
My trip to the gym
I did what I must because I could
For my bench was pretty great
Except one rep at the end
But there’s no sense crying over every mistake
You just keep on trying until you must fake
Then the set gets done
And you flash your big guns
For the people who are standing by
I’m not even angry
I’m being so sincere right now
Even though my pelvis is quite shitty
It’s kinda rotated
Opposed to my desire
As it turned it hurt because
I was deadlifting too
Now these points of data make a beautiful line
I am getting stronger
I will make good time
So I’m glad it got turned
Think of all the things I learned
For the people who were standing by
Go ahead and watch me
I’m going to lift until I die
Maybe you’ll find me lifting with you
Maybe on Tuesday
That was a joke
HAHA
FAT CHANCE
Anyway today was great
I got all sweaty and moist
Look at me still talking
When there’s logging to do
When I look out there
It makes me glad I met you
I’ve got numbers to put down
I might parade around the town
For the people who are standing by
And believe me I am standing by
I’m lifting weights and I’m standing by
I feel fantastic and I’m standing by
And when you’re dying I’ll be standing by
and when your’e dead I’ll be standing by
Standing by
Standing by
I’ve been singing a lot of “Still Alive” for a video project lately, and I can’t get it out of my head. I’m sorry and you’re welcome.
Bench Press: 95 lb
2x8, 1x7
It’s not that I failed the last rep. It’s that I knew I was going to fail and didn’t try. I was lifting with the valsalva maneuver (I’m sure I’m spelling that wrong) and although I could feel the blood rush to my face the lift itself felt a lot easier and more comfortable. I really want to add more weight to the bar Tuesday but I’ve decided to try and nail the last rep instead. Mostly to make sure this wasn’t a fluke.
Rows: 65 lb
3x8
I think the confidence boost from the bench is what let me do this, really. I always say that I doubt I’ll progress past x weight on rows but I’m really sure I wont be able to get past 70 for a bit because I found the last few reps so difficult here.
Squats: 115 lb
3x8
This is what I was so excited about. Went back to squats. No pain. My legs feel like they are dying. Shrieking in agony and about to burst. Yeah, I know, 115 lb is weak, but I haven’t squatted in about a month. And you know what? It’s like discovering color again. It’s amazing. I can’t wait to feel how sore they are tomorrow. I really can’t. No pain here, and considering how painless deadlifting was last time I should be fine there as well. If my back starts bothering me tomorrow morning though, I’ll halt plans on that until I finish physical therapy next week (I have two sessions… if that’s not enough I’ll have to wait longer… urk.)
Deadlifts: 145 lb
3x8
Yes, I’m going back to deadlifts. Being more careful on form, and I made sure I did some of the stretches my physical therapist told me to do first, to get the blood pumping.
Overhead Press: 65 lb
3x8
I did a longer warmup on these than usual. Did you know that valsalva maneuver works on overhead presses? I do now. My form was spot on, so I know that my progression to 75 wasn’t a fluke. I’ll try 75 again next week, and if that fails, backpedal to 70.
Chin Ups: 20/15/10
I’m a bit irked at my lack of progress but I’m not regressing, and if anything my chin ups should be getting worse as I gain weight.
Adductor: 6 plates
3x10
My physical therapist told me to do adduction/abduction exercises. I’m fitting them into my deadlift days because there’s no way in hell I’ll be pulling these off after squats. I should probably increase the weight here, I just wanted to make sure I got the full ROM.
Abductor: 9 plates
3x10
Increase weight.
Today’s Weight: 121.7 lb - 122.1 lb
Last week’s: 121.0 lb - 121. 0 lb
Time: 10 PM
I’d like to say that the time factor here isn’t as significant as it should be, mostly because I had to miss a meal in the morning. I had planned on eating after seeing one of the therapists at the gym to get some feet inserts (I walk silly, and it’s causing my knees to come in while I squat) and she ended up being late by a good 15-20 minutes. That wasn’t pleasant.
On the positive side, my pelvis is fine. I no longer need physical therapy. Bring on the good shit.
Bench Press: 95 lb
3x8
Yes. It’s legit. This Sunday I get to start benching over 100. You know how I feel right now? Like a fucking unicorn. Like the unicorn that does the fucking. Like a unicorn fucker.
Rows: 70 lb
3x5
These were hard. But they should be. They’re over half my body weight. That just depressed me.
Squats: 125 lb
3x8
I feel like I’m going deeper than I used to before I stopped squatting. I’m also feeling it a lot more. I have no feeling in my legs right now. It’s fucking awesome.
Good stuff, man! Keep eating your face off so that you can keep it up. It’s the hardest part, as you probably know by now.
New progress pics, to compare to March. I think I’ll upload new ones around the first every three months so I can always have a fairly recent picture, but distanced far enough so that I can actually see the result of whatever program I’m on. If a muscle group starts lagging, I’ll also know that something needs to change. I’m hoping it’s not too tall and displays properly.
Thanks. Yeah, the eating is a bitch. I can get used to eating all the meals, but the issue is there isn’t much campus food that’s high in both calories in protein. I’ve been eating burgers and fries almost constantly this whole term, with breaks to go out and buy a burrito and such (which lacks calories AND protein, so that doesn’t exactly end well for me…)
My weight is a bit lower than last week. I expected it to be honest, I didn’t get a chance to go to the gym over Memorial Day Weekend, and school’s kept me busy- I didn’t have a chance to go yesterday. My eating took a bit of a hit, my sleep’s been kinda bad, and, in over a year of dating my girlfriend, we hit our first relationship snag the other day and it’s been bothering the fucking shit out of me. I’ll probably be able to gain it back this week but I’m not sure, with finals coming up and my taste buds hating burgers more and more with every passing moment.
Today’s Weight: 120.8 lb - 121.4 lb
Time: 10 PM
Last Week’s Weight: 121.7 lb - 122.1 lb
The larger weight jump is indicative of my poor eating.
Deadlifts: 155 lb
3x8
I got stuck at first. I wasn’t sure if I could lift it (turns out I was crouched down too low, it looked like I was going to squat) and had a moment of doubt, but then did it anyway. It felt great to pull this out and not fuck up my pelvis.
Overhead Press: 75 lb
2x5, 1x2
The last set just wasn’t going to happen. The second rep kinda fizzled and after that I knew the bar wasn’t coming back over my head. I’m going to tribute my inability to 3x5 on having a generally bad day, but the 2x5 start is nice.
Chin Ups: 20/6/6
I just didn’t give myself enough time to rest on those last two sets. I’m also worried my ROM on these might not be too great so I’m focusing a bit more on it, so there should be a hit on my chin up rep count.
BIG difference, man. Kick ass.
Post didn’t appear and my posts have drifted off into nothing, so this is a repost. If I end up doubling, you know why now.
I wasn’t sure if I was actually bigger or imagining it, so it’s great to hear you saw it too.
Bench Press: 105 lb
1x5, 1x3, 1x4
I’ll give it two more tries before deciding to bump down to 100 lb. I cut my resting times a bit since I thought I was taking too long, so that might be why I didn’t do as expected. The last set had a reduced ROM, I wouldn’t have done that much otherwise.
Rows: 70 lb
3x5
Squats: 135 lb
3x8
This was the weight I was going to be doing before my back pooped out on me, so I’m glad I pulled it off. Can’t wait to add more weight.