Deadlifts: 165 lb
3x8
I thought this would bother my back a lot more than it really did (it got all pissy again, but I’m just going to work through it this time and do my damn stretches.)
Overhead: 75 lb
3x5
It’s like confirmation I’m ready to move onto this level. That excites me to no end.
Chin Ups: 20/15/10
Today’s Weight: 121.5 - 121.6 lb
Time: 5:00 PM
It’s an improvement, but not by much. Today’s my last day at college though, and I’m going to have my mom teach me how to cook when I get back.
Rows: 70 lb
2x8, 1x5
Extended my ROM on the last set. I’ve decided that I just don’t like bent over rows. Not an “I don’t like them because they’re hard” way, but I simply don’t like the exercise. Maybe I just need to be using higher rep ranges but there’s always something about them that bothers me. I wont be able to really do them back home anyway, because my gym doesn’t have very large dumbbells (its’ an athletic club, so not a legit gym.)
Bench: 105
2x4
Fuck. I felt my back in a way I shouldn’t while doing these. I don’t think my PT fixed me.
Bench: 95
1x6
The fact that I couldn’t hit 8 bothered me.
Squats: –
I did the warm up and went down once or twice with 145 but I couldn’t go as low as I wanted and I felt a slight twinge in my back so I just left. Something needs to be adjusted.
I’m going to change the current program I’m on, partially due to the change of gym, to something resembling Starting Strength more on Thursday. I’ll probably start going M/W/F from now on as well to clear up my weekends a bit more. We’ll see how it all pans out.
Starting Strength only reaches it’s full potential if you’re eating like a horse and sleeping like a… sloth (?). I wouldn’t start it until you can make sure that that can happen.
The rows may be difficult for your spine. Many people (me) tend to cheat a little by kicking their back up a bit. Which is fine (safety-wise) if you use your upper back but if your core’s not locked down, then you might get some lumbar movement. Which is not good, as you know.
Also, the injury/rehab forum here is great. Some of the people there might be able to help you with your back.
I don’t think it’d be Starting Strength in execution, but I’m thinking of messing about with some of it’s set and rep numbers for the heavier stuff. I don’t know how hectic my Summer is going to be but it’s safe to say I wont be able to eat as much as I’d like to.
I’ve been noticing Rows bothering my spine a bit but it alleviates if I cheat a little as well. I can only see this getting worse as the dumbbells get bigger too, and I honestly don’t feel it the same way I do with other lifts, it’s a lot more unpleasant.
I’m thinking of looking around the injury/rehab forum and getting some advice. When I went to a doctor the first time I was told I’d get better over time, and the pain did eventually subside the first time my back went all fucky on me so I think she was right in that regard. I’m probably making it worse with the deadlifts. I think I’ll take deadlifts out entirely until I go back to school, and then see if they still bother me then. I’m also going to remove rows, so I’m really only keeping bench, squats, chins, and military and I’m not even sure if I’d like to keep doing chins.
I do know I’d like to up my frequency. I feel like I’ve made some good progress on my squat, deadlift, and chins, but I don’t feel the same way about bench, or my arms in general, and those responded like motherfuckers when I was curling for high reps four times a week. I actually hate waiting a full three-four days to get another chance at a lift, it just feels too slow for the number of lifts I’m doing. There’s also the issue of missed days, where rescheduling is just a pain in the ass if I miss a day when going 3/week, whereas when I lifted more it was fine because I was going more frequently and could afford to take a rest day.
I’m thinking 4-5 times a week. I might miss a day or two, but it’ll be fine as long as I can make at least three. I’ll get some new back exercises and probably some more core work so I can keep my lifts more stable. I might do a Core/Lower/Upper split and try to get some different rep ranges in there, especially with exercises like Bench where my progression is really stalling.
Some more info for you: The Training Strategy Handbook
Remember that you’re a relative beginner, so with a lot of food and sleep you can, for example, squat heavy three times a week and still progress well. You can recover from anything very quickly. So my advice to you is to kick some heavy weights’ asses every time you train.
hello,
Personally I would switch from 3x8 to 8x3 for everything. I think progress will be faster. that’s it
good luck
Just saw your log, good luck man! I’ll echo what everyone is saying and eat until you’re sick of it and really focus on the main compound lifts: bench, deadlift, squat, overhead press, chins, maybe barbell rows, and their variations (not decline bench lol). Thats what I’m trying to do right now.
You also write very well FWIW, interesting reading and I’ll continue to follow! Good luck again!
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate all the comments.
@jasmincar: Why 8x3? I’m guessing it could possibly allow for some heavier weight since it seems like an approach closer to powerlifting, but I’m not totally sure about the logic behind it.
I decided on a two day split that draws a bit of inspiration from the last one. It goes as follows:
Day 1:
Standing Cable Rows-
I didn’t want to do barbell rows because my back is still wonky, and dumbbell rows weren’t treating my spine too well- plus the position was rather uncomfortable to my shoulders for whatever reason. I couldn’t find a good back exercise that wasn’t a row variation, so I eventually settled on this variant since I felt like it wouldn’t bother me at all. If it does, I’ll have to switch.
Dumbbell Bicep Curls-
I decided to start curling again, because when I used to curl like some kind of retarded curling chimp I had some really good arm growth. I’m thinking I’m going to start doing these for more reps, as they grew when I was doing them for 3x20.
Pull Ups-
Rather than Chin Ups because they’re harder, I feel them more in my back, and because I don’t want to be doing two bicep heavy exercises after each other.
Squats-
Since these are all back/arm exercises, I can just pound them here without restraint.
Day 2:
Bench Press-
To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of bench pressing. However I’ve definitely grown and it’s one of those lifts that I have a definite goal for- 135 for reps. That is a rather weak lift, but it’s a lift that I’d be able to talk about without shame, and one that I could do in the gym without feeling pathetic. So I’ve kept it in. I’m fairly triceps dominant, but I’ve definitely noticed some chest growth so I’m not too worried about that.
Shrugs-
Since I have to remove deadlifts due to my back, I’ve decided to put in shrugs to keep my trap development up. It was a toss up between these and standing cable crunches, and this was the eventual victor based on the premise of “I rape my abs harder on more exercises that don’t target them.”
Military Press-
I’m a bit worried about doing them on the same day as bench, so it’s possible I’ll switch them with rows. This one shouldn’t need explaining.
Calf Raises-
Another unnecessary one I suppose, it’s because I don’t have calves, and don’t really work them when squatting- not in the way I fuck the hell out of my quads, hamstrings, and glutes anyway. I’m hoping that it’s not that my genetics are horrible, but that I’m just too skinny. I’m hoping to grow them to the point that I can wear shorts.
I’ll be going M-F, or as close as possible. I start work in two weeks, which means my friends and such wont be getting in the way and it’ll be easy to fit it into a definite schedule. I forgot to go yesterday since I was spending the day with the girlfriend, so I started today. I’ll get back to recording my weight officially on Monday.
Today’s Workout:
Standing Cable Rows: 55 lb
3x8
These were new to me, so I started light. I feel these a lot more than the dumbbell variants, and without any of the problems that came with being bent over.
Curls: 25 lb
3x8
I’ll be upping the reps later probably. These were easier than I thought they’d be. The dumbbells have thinner handles than the ones at my college gym, it was actually unpleasant. Couldn’t feel my forearms wrap around them as much.
Pull Ups: 10/10/10
I would’ve done more on the first set, but I was doing them really wide grip because I’m adjusting to the new bar and grip.
Squats: 145/135/125
1x8/1x8/1x8
This one was a bit weird. I didn’t like my ROM, so after my first set I lowered the weight. Then, I still didn’t like my ROM, so I lowered my weight again. I can’t adjust the safety pins as easily here- I used to squat until the bar hit them- and I can’t check if I’m proper as well since this gym only has mirrors in front- not on the sides. It’ll be a bit of trial and error until I’m doing these back to form.
Only two lower body exercises, and one of them is calf raises? You might want to look into squat and deadlift variations or even lunges to find something else you can do. Good luck, you’re off to a good start.
I had considered doing squats every day, but I realized that’d be a bit overkill.
I can’t deadlift because of my back, so I understand that my hamstrings and glutes may not be getting worked out as well as they would have on a Starting Strength like program, however I’m hoping to make that up with the frequency I’m squatting- I should squat 2-3 times a week when my schedule solidifies.
Since I’m still a beginner, this should be okay. When I begin to gain some respectable weight, I’ll start adding and varying my leg workouts, because I understand squats alone might not do it. Ultimately the current program is based rather heavily on the last one- it’s the removal of deadlifts that forced the change from chins to pulls and the addition of shrugs, with curls based on previous success and calf raises because they aren’t hit. Since that program worked for me, I think this one will too.
I should be going today, so I’ll update this post then or make a new one.
Edit: Forgot to update this post yesterday, so I’m doing it now.
Bench Press: 100 lb
1x7, 1x6, 1x5
Lowered to 100, going to work my way back up to 3x8 before upping.
Military Press: 75 lb
1x1
No. Already knew I wasn’t going to pull it off after a single rep. I’ll probably switch these with squats.
Military Press: 65 lb
3x5
Shrugs: 135 lb
3x20
I’m taking a higher rep approach to shrugs. This is a low weight, but the way I see it, I’m a tiny person, so I’ll start with a weight I can do with proper form first and up it from there.
Calf Raises: 205 lb
3x20
I didn’t need much of a rest time between sets, and only my left calf is sore, so I clearly need to hit them harder. I expected that though.
I do both calf raises and shrugs on the smith machine. The weight room at my ‘gym’ is incredibly small and it seems like the best option to me- with no equipment set out for it. I also don’t want to use the squat rack for this when it’s really unnecessary, so keep in mind my smith use for those two exercises- if it actually matters.
I’m going to throw this out there knowing a lot of people will disagree. In my opinion, shrugs with strict form are a waste of time for beginners. The range of motion is so small that most people need to load up a lot more weight than they can use with strict form to get anything out of it. Heavy face pulls and T-bar rows get the job done for trap development and are more useful exercises in general. Another thing to consider is that trap development is the least of your worries in terms of not being able to do deadlifts - low back strength is more important.
It may have been a typo, but I would NOT suggest squatting every day.
Also, I’ve had some success military pressing and benching on the same day. It certainly is possible, and if you do the military pressing first it may help you avoid shoulder pain while benching. Don’t be afraid of longish rest periods.
How are you doing the calf raises? Do you bounce out of the bottom?
how is the new plan working out?
I took the last week off because it was my last week before work, and my schedule ended up jammed with people wanting to see me before I got busy.
@pk0ad: I’ll look into the suggestions. I couldn’t find any good low back specific exercises which is why they werent’ included. Traps were included mostly to make sure they were getting worked at all. Like calves, I can quite easily switch them out for a better exercise.
@hastalles: I’m not squatting every day, but every other day on the program. 2-3 times/week. if it becomes too much I’ll just start organizing my split by day (squat T/R, for example) rather than doing a continuous alternating as I do now.
I’m on my way to the gym now. About to weigh myself. I’m sure I’ve lost a bit of weight, but I don’t know how much. I’ll be using my moms scale unless I find a better one at the gym, but the thing about my moms scale is that it subtracts a few pounds. I’ll update with the workout afterwards.
Edit: Gym Update
Alright, I’m using the gym scale since it’s a free weight one. Mom’s scale said I was 118.1 lb. Last week I was 115.0 lb on that scale -.- The scale at the gym?
Time: 5:45
Weight: 122ish - 122.5 lb
Curls: 25 lb
12/10/8
The original plan I was on had me doing higher reps and the jump with the dumbbell weights tends to be hard for me. I think I’ll skip curls on Wednesday, so I don’t fuck up my elbow by overdoing arms. I may knock these down or off completely later.
Pull Ups: 12/10/6
I should rest more on these. Not that this is bad, I just think I can do more.
Cable Rows: 85 lb
3x8
I think it was 85 lb. I may have bumped it down to 70. If I can’t do these with 85 next time, we’ll know. Our cable goes up in 15 lb increments so advancing might be odd. I found another set of cables I can use, and do two arms, so I’ll try that if the increments are smaller.
Squats: 125 lb
3x8
Did these without my arch support and I remembered what it’s like for my knees to come in silly. (I fucked up my shoes exploring a creek and cliffside with the girlfriend, and haven’t transplanted the lifts). Still, I think I found parallel (note to self: 10 holes down from where you set the bar, with the last hole partially concealed. The bar should be three brown streaks up) and these weren’t terribly hard- I managesd to add more speed than I usually do.
I saw a girl squatting 145 today. To parallel. Her legs were amazing. I really wish more girls did squats.
45 degree back raises are something a lot of people do to hit low back directly. Reverse hypers are always a good option if you can do them. It’s also useful to recognize how some exercises train low back isometrically, such as heavy front squat holds, partial deadlifts or deadlift holds, heavy bent rows… whatever gets you handling heavy weight with a braced core.
I like the look of back raises. Reverse hypers may be possible for me, but they’re intimidating and I’m not sure I’ll have the confidence to pull them off- certainly not all that many. I don’t have anything that hits the lower back, and that’s where deadlifts seem to be fucking me up, so I might switch them in with something else. How many times would you suggest doing them a week? I’m asking mostly to make sure that doing them constantly wont cause some kind of pain (elbow pain with arm workouts, etc.,)
1-2x a week should be plenty, for medium-high (10-15) reps. It’s not an exercise you should try to max out on every week. Think of it as something to do to get your low back moving through a good range of motion while focusing on control and stability. Done light, it’s a good way to loosen up from squats, bench, anything where you hold your back in a tight arch.
Supermans are sort of like a reverse hyper, but unweighted and in a smaller ROM. Again, the goal is to perform the exercise as a controlled movement. Sloppy form and excessive speed are not needed.
I might then only do curls M/T depending on when that day of the split is, and then replace them with Back Raises for the rest of the week.
I’ll start weightless and then gradually work my way up. 3x10 until I can do 3x15 and then move up, etc.,
Reverse Hypers still scare me, so we’ll see about them. Maybe on my next split.
Shrugs: 185 lb
3x20
I wouldn’t have gone up this much, but I forgot what I shrugged.
Calf Raises: 205 lb
3x20
I’d have added weight, but I also forgot what I calf raised.
Bench Press: 100 lb
2x6, 1x5
There was a moment where I could smell the iron, and the world around me died, and I was lifting, and it was fucking beautiful. That said, I could’ve probably gotten a couple more reps.
Military Press: 65 lb
2x5, 1x3
I wanted to do this press before benching but it was taken.
Back Raises: Unweighted
3x15
I felt that more than I should. I’ll start using 5 lbs on Friday.
Sitting Cable Rows: 40 lb
This is that Row machine I was talking about. 40 lb each arm. This is a bit light, but I tend to start really light when doing any exercise. The setup is quicker and more efficient than the standing ones I was doing before.
Pull Ups: 10/7/6
Sad face.
Squats: 135 lb
3x8
I started today sore, from squats on Monday. I am now double sore. I thought I’d fail on the third set, but not only did I not fail, I GOT FASTER AND DEEPER. Love squats.