Just lack of time atm, so 3 times a week, improving all major lifts. Then beginning bodybuilding.
I want 315x5 squat, 225x5 bench, and 405x1 deadlift. This is all before I switch from SS. Once I hit these numbers I will then take 2 solid weeks to correct my form once again using those weights and then I will go from there as to deciding what I want to do with the new found size/strength. I hope to be at my goals before late august when I go back to school.
-Zep
That’s a big call. Aim big to do big I guess. You best be smashing the food.
[quote]RobRaynerBB wrote:
That’s a big call. Aim big to do big I guess. You best be smashing the food.[/quote]
Whatever it takes Ill do. Im not gonna fail.
-Zep
Squats 3x5 @ 165
bench 3x5 @ 165
deadlift 1x5 @ 165
pulldown 3x 10 @ 85 (different machine than last time)
pullups 6/4/4 @ bodyweight of 177
I couldnt find the 2.5’s near the bench press so Ill just use 165 for this workout and for fridays. I now realize how much people who do curls in squat racks irritate others.
Wrists still sore on setup, but my next post will be pics so Ill get it all sorted out. I’m a bit nervous about squat depth too, but the bar on my shoulers is level with the last place on the rack to put a pin. Is this good or bad?
-Zep
Heres the squat setup. Please somebody explain to me how to fix it so that my wrists and elbows dont hurt. If this is right, then Ill just get used to it.
Clean video coming.
-Zep
Todays workout.
B workout:
Squat 3x5 @ 170
press 3x5 @ 90
clean 3x5 @ 90
lateral raise 3x8 2 @ 25
face pull 3x10 @ 100 (felt real heavy so Ill stay here for a few workouts)
curls 3x10 @ 55
Feelin good.
A Workout
Squat 3x5 @ 175
bench 3x5 @ 165
dead 1x5 @ 175
pushdowns 3x10 @ 110 (back to cable stack)
pullups 6/5/3.5(cheat rep) @ bodyweight of 178
This stuffs startin to feel heavy. I mean Ive always done pullups to failure, so theres no change there. My bodyweight is going up at a solid rate, and I have been eating clean calories at maintenance nothing more. Actually I would go to say that I am not eating enough at this point. I usually have about 2 large meals a day and a snack and one or two protein shakes. I really cant tell if its fat or not. I remember I measured my arms on the 1st of the year and they were 12.5. Measured them after the workout (so its not a cold measurement) today at just above 15.5 on the tape. I just hope I can continue progress like this. It feels damn good.
I played around with my hand position a bit during squats not sure whats up with that yet, but Ill get it sooner or later.
-Zep
Squat setup: try rotating your hand counterclockwise until the first, not the second knuckle of the thumb is over the bar. At that point the crook of the index and middle fingers may not be in contact with the bar, but the grip should still work. Also moving hands out a bit might help.
[quote]pk0ad wrote:
Squat setup: try rotating your hand counterclockwise until the first, not the second knuckle of the thumb is over the bar. At that point the crook of the index and middle fingers may not be in contact with the bar, but the grip should still work. Also moving hands out a bit might help.[/quote]
Thanks for the post, I noticed that the only time I can get the grip is when I am essentially pinching the bar, not grabbing it. I usually have to re-adjust my grip midway through the sets though. I still think I am doing something wrong as the pain still exists.
-Zep
B Workout
squat 3x5 @ 180
press 3x5 @ 95
clean 5x3 @ 95
lateral raise 3x10 25lb dumbells
face pull 3x10 @ 100
curls 3x7 @ 65 lb bar
bodyweight 183
Still having problems with my grip in squats. I really just want to get comfortable doing it correctly so that I can focus solely on squatting, and not on my damn grip/wrist and elbow pain.
-Zep
[quote]Zeppelin0731 wrote:
Still having problems with my grip in squats. I really just want to get comfortable doing it correctly so that I can focus solely on squatting, and not on my damn grip/wrist and elbow pain.
-Zep[/quote]
Bring your hands out a little more. Should alleviate the elbow pain. You’ll have to really squeeze your upper back. I’m not sure why you’re wrists hurt. Your grip on the bar is to stabilize the weight.
[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
[quote]Zeppelin0731 wrote:
Still having problems with my grip in squats. I really just want to get comfortable doing it correctly so that I can focus solely on squatting, and not on my damn grip/wrist and elbow pain.
-Zep[/quote]
Bring your hands out a little more. Should alleviate the elbow pain. You’ll have to really squeeze your upper back. I’m not sure why you’re wrists hurt. Your grip on the bar is to stabilize the weight.[/quote]
I have been stretching and doing everything I can to sort it out. Im not sure if you saw the pics I posted up or not. Thanks again for the post and your time. I feel like the program is really working.
-Zep
I am proud to announce that as of today, according to the fitness charts that I AM OFFICIALLY OVERWEIGHT. I celebrated by going to my local hot dog shop for a celebratory meal. I had 5 coney dogs and a family sized french fry with cheese and chili on it.
I have also decided to track my waist size as I gain weight to determine fat accumulation or whatever the hell it is supposed to tell.
31.5 inches as measured about an inch abouve my belly button.
-Zep
[quote]Zeppelin0731 wrote:
[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
[quote]Zeppelin0731 wrote:
Still having problems with my grip in squats. I really just want to get comfortable doing it correctly so that I can focus solely on squatting, and not on my damn grip/wrist and elbow pain.
-Zep[/quote]
Bring your hands out a little more. Should alleviate the elbow pain. You’ll have to really squeeze your upper back. I’m not sure why you’re wrists hurt. Your grip on the bar is to stabilize the weight.[/quote]
I have been stretching and doing everything I can to sort it out. Im not sure if you saw the pics I posted up or not. Thanks again for the post and your time. I feel like the program is really working.
-Zep[/quote]
The pic [profile picture] … looks like your wrists cocked forward a lot. “Technically”, your traps will support the bar and your hands are just there to stabilize. I could be wrong, but this is how I’ve always thought about the setup. I’ve never gone “handless” though!
He’s a freak, so I don’t suggest the same 
[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
[quote]Zeppelin0731 wrote:
[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
[quote]Zeppelin0731 wrote:
Still having problems with my grip in squats. I really just want to get comfortable doing it correctly so that I can focus solely on squatting, and not on my damn grip/wrist and elbow pain.
-Zep[/quote]
Bring your hands out a little more. Should alleviate the elbow pain. You’ll have to really squeeze your upper back. I’m not sure why you’re wrists hurt. Your grip on the bar is to stabilize the weight.[/quote]
I have been stretching and doing everything I can to sort it out. Im not sure if you saw the pics I posted up or not. Thanks again for the post and your time. I feel like the program is really working.
-Zep[/quote]
The pic [profile picture] … looks like your wrists cocked forward a lot. “Technically”, your traps will support the bar and your hands are just there to stabilize. I could be wrong, but this is how I’ve always thought about the setup. I’ve never gone “handless” though!
He’s a freak, so I don’t suggest the same :)[/quote]
That Is absolutely nuts. I was like “what the hell is this guy talking about” then his hand just dropped and I was like “WTF!” hahaha.
I have a workout later today. Im gonna try to incorporate more of what everyone has been telling me. Ill post how it goes.
Also, how heavy is it supposed to feel? I havnt missed any reps yet, but its startin to get noticeably heavier.
-Zep
squat 3x5 @ 185
bench 3x5 @ 170
deads 1x5 @ 185
pulldowns 3x10 @ 110 (smoother reps and less cheating than last time)
pullups 5/5/4.5 (cheated one) @ bodyweight of 181.5
Hand setup on squats felt better today, still a bit uncomfortable, but Im gonna go with the way I figured it out today for a few workouts.
-Zep
[quote]Zeppelin0731 wrote:
Also, how heavy is it supposed to feel? I havnt missed any reps yet, but its startin to get noticeably heavier.
-Zep[/quote]
Do you mean when it’s on your back? Varies for me. Sometimes 225 feels heavy, sometimes my top weight isn’t even there (385-425). A lot of it is mental - how the weight feels, and how many reps you can push through.
[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
[quote]Zeppelin0731 wrote:
Also, how heavy is it supposed to feel? I havnt missed any reps yet, but its startin to get noticeably heavier.
-Zep[/quote]
Do you mean when it’s on your back? Varies for me. Sometimes 225 feels heavy, sometimes my top weight isn’t even there (385-425). A lot of it is mental - how the weight feels, and how many reps you can push through.[/quote]
Justin general. Ive never done a progression like this. My football team back in the day essentially did 5rmx3 and made very slow progress. I am older now, and I am growing like a weed on a less than optimal diet for growth (avg like 2 good meals a day and a shake or two made with milk and a snack some time throughout the day). I also noticed that heavier weights feel a bit easier to control for some reason. I found an article on the SS wiki that said:
1.If you get all 3 sets of 5 with proper technique, then move the weight up as described above.
2.If you get all 3 sets of 5 with proper technique, but bar speed was exceedingly slow on the last few reps (i.e. you busted a nut trying to complete your reps), then you may end up stalling if you add the full amount. Err on the side of “lower”. i.e. don’t add 20 lbs to the deadlift, add 15. Don’t add 10 lbs to the press, add 5 (or even 2.5), etc. and proceed cautiously. Cautiously means adding less weight rather than more. There is no consequence for adding too little weight, but adding too much could stall progress for weeks.
3.If you get the first 2 sets of 5 with proper technique, but you only get 4 reps on the 3rd, then determine if it was a “recovery deficit” (4 hours sleep last night/skipped meals, etc) or a “technique deficit” (body wasn’t tight during presses, leaned forward too much in squat, etc). If the strength or technique deficit was an anomaly and/or is easily correctable, then you can probably add the normal amount of weight as described above. If the weight just felt dog heavy, then add only a bit more, or even keep the weight the same for the next workout. Better to get your 5/5/5 next workout then get a 5/5/3 or a 5/4/4 with a heavier weight.
4.If you get at least 12 or 13 of the reps total (i.e. 5/4/4 or 5/4/3 or 4/4/4) then keep the weight the same for the next workout.
Is this pretty much how you ran your progression?
Also, It feels like a damn eternity between workouts. Is this normal?
-Zep
[quote]Zeppelin0731 wrote:
Is this pretty much how you ran your progression?[/quote]
That’s about right. Self regulation at it’s finest.
[quote]Also, It feels like a damn eternity between workouts. Is this normal?
-Zep[/quote]
The good thing about SS is that gets you going to the gym. I personally think 4-5x/week is when you make better progress, but that’s usually “too much” for newbies. If you have a hankering for doing more work, or getting in the gym more often then do some complexes, hill sprints, sled dragging, prowler pushing … you get the idea.