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My new years journal-Single factor 5x5

asdfzxcv

asdfzxcv

New member
Hello all

Due to the unorganised mess that was my other journal and the beginning of what will hopefully be a productive new year,I have decided to start a new journal.This time I will be running the standard 5x5,not a modified one.

I will be starting the bench+row fairly conservatively in order to get accustomed to the movements.The squat+deadlift I will simply keep pushing onward as they have not stalled yet and seem to be going strong.The deadlift I want to try to get a few 10lb PR's on as I started it recently and it seems to have a bit more slack to tighten up.

My goals by this time next year are as follows,still very much a newbie at 19years old.
Weigh 225-230b,currently 191lb at 6'4
Squat 345x5,currently 245x5
Deadlift 385x5,currently 245x5
Barbell row 225x5,currently 135x5
Bench 225x5,currently N/A(bench hasnt arrived yet)
Overhead press 185x5,currently 110x5
Pull ups 5x5,currently like 1-2 LOL

Although these may be very high goals I am going to give it all I have got and try to do things right this whole year

As my goals indicate I have also got alot of eating ahead of me too,here is what I have in mind

7.00am Cup of oats+1scoop whey

10.00am Can of tuna on wholemeal bread(sandwich)

1.00pm after training-Scoop of whey+scoop of dextrose

2.00pm Chicken breast/steak or some other lean source of meat+1-2bananas

4.00pm steak or large chicken breast with a cup of broccoli+a cup of oats in a seperate bowl

7.00pm Another whey shake in milk or can of tuna

10pm(depending on hunger)Cup of low fat cottage cheese+tablespoon of natural peanut butter

I also drink 6-8glasses of low fat milk during the day,which adds a big chunk of calories.

I drink about 1-2gallons of water per day

Comes to about 3500-3700cal according to fitday.com,which should be good for about a pound of weight gain a week.

If anyone has feedback please feel free to comment.
 
Ok first workout of the new year went pretty good,bench will be here wednesday or thursday.

Bodyweight 191lb date 2/1/06
Been eating a fair bit of food this weekend as I want to increase muscle and hopefully strength much faster then I have been.All been very clean food,just lots of it.

Today(all lifts in pounds)

Squats
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x5
245x5PR
I dont know what it was today but I felt invincible at the top set of squats.I think now that I am eating more my strength is increasing lots as it was far easier then last monday.

Barbell rows
95x5
105x5
115x5
125x5
135x5
Really liking this movement,hits the back nicely.I hope to increase these by 5lb for a few weeks before having to resort to smaller increments.

Bench press
N/A
coming soon

Decent workout,looking forward to getting this bench
 
Thanks for the kind words carlsuen.I am starting to learn that if you want to be big,you have to eat big as food is the best anabolic there is.Hopefully I can keep fat to a minimum,but as Mark rippetoe said to me if you gain 40lb of muscle and 10lb of fat who is going to call you fat?
 
Nice workout, hope you keep your log up. It'll be interesting to see your gains this year, supposedly you can keep going on SF for 'years' ;)

And oh yeah something MC2 reminded me awhile back, don't forget to continue to up your cals to account for the mass you add throughout the year.
 
Jim Ouini said:
Nice workout, hope you keep your log up. It'll be interesting to see your gains this year, supposedly you can keep going on SF for 'years' ;)

And oh yeah something MC2 reminded me awhile back, don't forget to continue to up your cals to account for the mass you add throughout the year.
Click to expand...

I believe that I can get at least 6-12months out of it if I keep the food up enough.Obviously things will slow down after a bit,but I dont think I will need a dual factor based program for quite a while.I havent really stalled with squats/deads yet,the bench and rows are fairly new movements so there should be plenty of room for improvement.I dont have very much muscle on my body yet so there should be a fair margin for improvement in that way too.

Thanks for the kind words.
 
Wednesday

Bodyweight 190lb,which is Strange given the amount I have been eating the past few days,probably just water weight fluctuation

Squats(light)
135x5
155x5
185x5
185x5
185x5
Very easy,focused on going right to the bottom position and pausing for a second or two,good sets.

Deadlifts
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x5
255x5PR
Not bad at all,pretty decent pulls all round.My only problem now is my shins which get scraped by the bar as it passes,no big deal however.

Chin ups
5xbodyweight
5xbodyweight
3xbodyweight
3xbodyweight
4xbodyweight

20total reps
Did pretty good on these despite the fatigue of the deads/squats.I probably could have got 4reps on the 3rd and 4th sets if I rested just a bit more.I hope for more total reps in coming weeks.

Push(overhead) press
85x5
95x5
105x5
110x5
115x5
No record on these today as I toke it easy and focused on the motion.I will bump these up 2.5lb next week.

Overall it was a pretty good workout,hopefully I can hit 265 on deads next wednesday :) .
 
carlsuen said:
no what i meant is pics of u.. and ur current weight and all.. composition?
Click to expand...

Haha,I am even less impressive looking then the bench :p .At 6'4 190Ib am not very impressive looking,nor am I ultra lean.I need to be about 230-240 just to look like a normal 6' man does at 190.I think I would need to be about 250lb before anyone thinks I work out lol.It is a long journey but at the end when I am squatting 400+,deadlifting 500+ and benching 300+ and weighing about 260-270lb at my height it will be worth it:)
 
Friday 6/1/06 bodyweight 191lb,Bench finally arrived!!!!

Squats
135x5
155x5
195x5
225x5
250x3PR
In totally uncharted territory now,this is the heaviest weight I have ever had on my back,let alone squat.The first two reps were textbook form,the last one was a little bit rough on the way up because I got overzealous.Nevertheless I made all the required reps.

Rows
95x5
105x5
115x5
125x5
137.5x3PR
Ironically the top set feels much easier then the set before it,probably due to the height of plates I was able to get a more favorable position.Very easy top set.

Bench
95x5
105x5
115x5
125x5
135x5
Very low numbers due to the fact that I havent benched in 5months and I am taking it easy.Hopefully this will shoot up fast as my body learns the bench groove again.

Couldnt help myself :) ,did a few extra sets of 135lb to get accustomed to the movement,I am going to be sore tonight :worried: .

Overall good workout.
 
Last edited:
hey.. y are u working up to ur top sets when u told me to stick with 3x5 with a fixed weight? and are ur rows 90 degrees? or what?
 
carlsuen said:
hey.. y are u working up to ur top sets when u told me to stick with 3x5 with a fixed weight? and are ur rows 90 degrees? or what?
Click to expand...

Your doing the Rippetoe novice program,I am doing bill starrs single factor 5x5 as I dont think I could increase weights lifted every workout.My rows are at 90degrees as recommended by madcow.
 
Congrats on the new arrival and the PRs.

It's interesting that you found the top set of rows easier. I used to find it harder because the smaller plates allowed a larger ROM and allowed me to build up more momentum on the bar. I got my PR to around 135x5, then stalled and switched to powercleans, so I can't say how it's gone since then.
 
carlsuen said:
oo.. ur other thread says rippetoe tho.. maybe i got it wrong..
Click to expand...

Ended up just sticking with 5x5 as it is working pretty well for me.

Anotherbutters,I think the top set is easier as I am able to get into a more favorable position due to the size of the 45lb plates as I am a bit taller then you(6'4) and the smaller plates force me to bend down much more.
 
Monday 9/1/06
bodyweight 194lb,up a few pounds over the weekend due to all the eating,hopefully some of it is muscle lol.Had a shit sleep because it was so damn hot,only got 3-4hours so I felt like shit.

Squats
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x5
250x5PR
Thought that todays squats were going to be impossible given the crappy sleep I had.As I ramped up the sets seem pretty easy,even the 225 beforehand was very smooth and taken as low as I can go.The main set was decent,not quite ATG but well below parallel.Might chuck in some overhead squats as assistance to improve my squat flexability even further.

Bench
95x5
105x5
115x5
125x5
137.5x5PR
These felt even easier then fridays workout.I probably could have managed a 5lb PR but I didnt want to push too fast on a unfamiliar exercise.

Rows
95x5
105x5
115x5
125x5
137.5x5PR
These rows are going well as I made todays 5reps pretty easily.I think I am starting to get these down as my form seems to be staying pretty strict.

Overall a good workout,Might add some overhead squats in place of the abs/tricep work suggested in the original template.
 
when are you supposed to bring the weights for set 1 - 4 up in weight? i am doing this same routine and just finished my 1st week. i went up 2.5% on my set 5 from monday and did the triples without failing... i know i try to do 5 reps tomorrow but what about the other sets?
 
I usually reset the ramp up sets every 3-4weeks,you should start at about 60% of your max and make fairly even jumps towards the top set.Next week I will probably reset minesomething like this,notice how the increases are even between each set.

155x5
180x5
205x5
230x5
255x5
As long as the increments are fairly even you should be fine :)
 
8/1/06 Bodyweight 192lb

Been thinking about a few things today in regards to my training in general.Due to the large amount of bodyfat I carry (18-20%) I will try to run this at maintainence calories for the next few months and see if I tighten up a little bit.This will slow down my gains,but I think it will leave my in a better position then all out bulking up.

In regards to training I think my squat is starting to slow down while my other lifts seem to be increasing still.I have reset my squat once before when I hit the 225-230lb mark 8weeks ago,now I have hit the 250-255lb region and I think I am running out of steam once again.If 255 feels too much for me this Friday I will reset the squat down to 235 or 240 to give myself another run at a PR while letting the other lifts catch up.I have being doing the 5x5 style format for squats for about the last 4 1/2 months now,maybe it is time to try something a little different,whether it is a different program like westside or just a tweak of the 5x5 template for a little while to get the squats moving again.I am very cautious when it comes to squatting as I dont have a rack or spotters,I dont want to fall over with 250lb+ on my back as it would be the end of me.

Hopefully if I do reset this coming week I can get my squat up another 15-20lb while increasing the other lifts at a steady pace before losing steam.

If anyone has any feedback please feel free to respond :) .
 
asdfzxcv said:
Hopefully if I do reset this coming week I can get my squat up another 15-20lb while increasing the other lifts at a steady pace before losing steam.

If anyone has any feedback please feel free to respond :) .
Click to expand...


Just a thought mate, but if you're now changing your calorie intake so as to not take on too much bodyfat won't that harm your strength gains? Could you not continue with caolrie intake and but throw in quite a bit of cardio into the mix at about 60% max heart rate?
 
mphowells said:
Just a thought mate, but if you're now changing your calorie intake so as to not take on too much bodyfat won't that harm your strength gains? Could you not continue with caolrie intake and but throw in quite a bit of cardio into the mix at about 60% max heart rate?[/QUOTE

I plan on doing some cardio on the off days anyway.The calories needed to come down regardless as they were too high.My maintainence level is about 2800 calories so if I take in 3000 that should fit nicely and allow for a little bit of excess.I am not looking to shred the fat off quickly,If I could get down to 15% bodyfat in 5-6months I would be thrilled whilst continuing to gain strength slowly.I am roughly 193lb at 18-20%bf and at a height of 6'4.If I were to drop to anymore weight I would look like an anorexic person,which is why I an opting to slowly recomposition myself slowly over a extended period of time.

Thanks for the feedback it is much appreciated and I will take it into account.
Click to expand...
 
It's interesting that your squat is slowing down whilst the other lifts are still rising. Your body as a whole is still getting stronger, so maybe you're just increasing squats at a slightly faster rate than you're getting stronger at them. Common advise is to cut back on the warmup sets to help the top set, but if there is that much disparity between squats and the other lifts, maybe you should just go ahead and reset. Do you have the equipment to make a 4lb increase instead of 5lb per week? That might help you have a longer run next time.

Is there no way you can work out somewhere with a power rack for squats? You're just not going to be able to really push yourself without one and there's always the risk of the freak failed rep that you didn't see coming.

Could I ask a favour? I know you put the date in your workouts, but we can see that from the post. Could you start adding the week number instead? It makes it a lot easier when looking back through your posts, comparing week to week. Cheers.

And yes, your bodyfat issue and approach sounds the same as mine :)
 
anotherbutters said:
It's interesting that your squat is slowing down whilst the other lifts are still rising. Your body as a whole is still getting stronger, so maybe you're just increasing squats at a slightly faster rate than you're getting stronger at them. Common advise is to cut back on the warmup sets to help the top set, but if there is that much disparity between squats and the other lifts, maybe you should just go ahead and reset. Do you have the equipment to make a 4lb increase instead of 5lb per week? That might help you have a longer run next time.

Is there no way you can work out somewhere with a power rack for squats? You're just not going to be able to really push yourself without one and there's always the risk of the freak failed rep that you didn't see coming.

Could I ask a favour? I know you put the date in your workouts, but we can see that from the post. Could you start adding the week number instead? It makes it a lot easier when looking back through your posts, comparing week to week. Cheers.

And yes, your bodyfat issue and approach sounds the same as mine :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback Anotherbutters.I probably could make a few more 5lb jumps but I prefer to be safe then sorry.I do have 2.5lb of home made ''microweights'' which I could use,if needed I could make up another 1.5lb for 4lb jumps.In regards to using a power rack you know that commercial gyms blow when out of a town of 70,000 people,not one gym is equipped with any means of freeweight squatting.While my freeweight squatting options are not optimal they are the best I have and I cant really afford a proper rack for a few months so I just have to make do with what I have.Thats what I am afraid of more then anything,the freak failure rep that squashes me :worried: .If anything at least reramping the squats might give me some time to bring the other lifts up to speed as I have been neglecting them a bit lately.
 
Wednesday 11/1/06 bodyweight 192lb

Felt a bit sluggish today,woke up with a dull pain on my left side just above my hip.Hopefully it will dissapate within the next few days.

Squats
135x5
165x5
190x5
190x5
190x5
Pretty easy as always,no complaints here

Deadlifts
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x5
260x5PR
Again pretty good deadlifts here,today was my first day trying the hook style grip and I must say I am impressed.Usually after 225 I would feel my grip slipping,but using a hook grip I felt I could hold my top set all day.Only setback is that it leaves the thumbs a bit tender,but thats ok with me.

Push press
70X5
82.5X5
95X5
107.5X5
120X5PR
Last set was a little tough,but I got al the reps.I was going to do a 2.5lb jump but I decided to just go for 5lb and I got it.Next week I will most likely switch to 2.5lb increases.

Chins
bwx5
bwx5
bwx4
bwx3
bwx3
Did these last today so my energy and motivation was somewhat depleted upon reaching these.Next time I think I will do these first.

Overall not bad,hopefully the deads+push presses will keep increasing like this for while.
 
aren't you supposed to be hitting pr's by like week 4.. i'm also doing single factor .. i like this thread pretty nice.. you're pretty much doing the exact same thing as me..
 
This journal is a continuation of an old one,I have been running the program for about 9weeks since I had to reset the squats.
 
Nice weights on squats! Especially for being 6'4! I guess I can't complain about having a tough time at 5'11". I'm struggling w/ 185 right now. LoL Funny thing -- I can row 175 strict 90 degrees. Oh well.

Just curious -- why make yourself reramp every 3-4 weeks? I thought you basically went until you HAD to reramp. I'm wondering myself whether I'm struggling to hard at the top and should just reramp. It's taking me 3-4 sessions to get the 1x5 PR sometimes. Ugh.
 
Thanks for the encouragement protobuilder.In regards to the re-ramping I only do it when nessercary,what I meant to say is that when I do re-ramp I revert to using weights that I did 3-4weeks ago.

Eg-say I get stuck at 200lb on a particular lift for some time,I would reset back to 180-185lb and try to work up again in 5lb increments,hopefully exceeding my last pr.Hopefully I can hit 255lb tomorrow without incident so I can continue to increase the squat without having to reset.
 
Friday 13/1/06 bodyweight 194lb

Squats
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x5
255x3PR
Very good squatting today,I think I will manage 5reps come monday as it wasnt very hard.Wore different shoes today,Army type boots with a slightly raised heel instead of my old piece of shit runners with holes in them LOL.They feel great as the bottom of them is very solid and they force me to sit back while squatting due to the lace up part at the front.

Bench press
95x5
105x5
115x5
127.5x5
142.5x3PR
Decided to go for a 5lb increase on bench this time,which I seemed to manage with ease.Reading the Bench sticky in the powerlifting section has helped my form quite a lot.I will try for another 5lb increase next friday hopefully.

Rows
95x5
105x5
115x5
127.5x5
140x3PR
Again these went fairly well,the top set was a little tricky,but I got it.

I think that my back is starting to strengthen up as it seems to be coping better with the stress of squats.This is probably due to the increases I have made in deadlifting and getting more proficient at squats in general.

Overall pretty good workout.
 
nice work out,, keep going there..

say which part of aussie do u stay? cuz i might be going to perth to study cum this july..
 
Biological/chemical science,went into university not really knowing what I wanted to do so I am sticking with this for now.First year was a little bit of a mishap due to personal reasons,but I am going to make up for it this year :) .
 
I am going to get a copy as soon as I have some extra cash,as well as the olympic weightlifting encyclopedia.I have heard that starting strength is a useful reference to both novices and experienced lifters alike.Its just that the school year is starting again so I need to make sure that is covered before additional expenditure.
 
I don't know what overseas delivery is like to Aus, but there's been a history of delivery times being quite long for Starting Strength. You might want to factor that time into your decision as to when to buy it - wouldn't want you waiting 2 months before you ordered it, then have to wait another 2 months to receive it.
 
Monday 16/1/06 bodyweight 195.5lb

Didnt feel quite as energetic as I normally do,despite the decent sleep and ample eating I did on the weekend.My lower body felt somewhat tighter then it usually is,probably because I didnt do much on the weekend,oh well.

Squats
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x5
255x5PR
Got all of todays required reps for a hard fought PR,but I just didnt feel in the groove today.My form was decent and pretty deep,but it just didnt feel as smooth as normal.

Bench
95x5
105x5
115x5
127.5x5
142.5x5PR
Bench actually felt pretty good today,the PR was quite easy to get.Will probaby aim for 147.5 for the friday.

Rows
95x5
105x5
115x5
127.5x5
140x5PR
Not much to say here,increase went fairly well and form seems to be staying in order.

Overall a fairly good workout,hopefully I feel more rested come wednesdays deadlifts.
 
I think I am starting to feel the beginning of overreaching syndrome creeping up.So far my performance is still increasing,but I am starting to feel more exhausted even after a deep 8-9 hour sleep so a deload may be in order in the next few weeks.Also my appetite is going through the roof,even on rest days all I feel like doing is eating and sleeping.
 
How many weeks have you been doing this now? It's difficult to tell because you don't have the week number in your workout entries ;)

Just keep going whilst the weight's going up. Congrats on the PRs!
 
anotherbutters said:
How many weeks have you been doing this now? It's difficult to tell because you don't have the week number in your workout entries ;)

Just keep going whilst the weight's going up. Congrats on the PRs!
Click to expand...

I have been running this for about 8weeks straight.I started the program with my squat at 215lb and now it is 255lb,so I have pushed my max squat up a bit while bodyweight has remained fairly stable,up a few pounds in recent weeks as I have been eating more.Only started deads recently due to weight plate constraints,they have been going up pretty well.Bench is also very new so it is increasing at a fast rate.I feel like I am getting closer to my limit on squats and that limit isnt currently increasing very fast.I am hoping that increasing the deads will continue to carry over to the squats,but that wont last long.I know that I could probably gain on the duel factor version,but I want to keep that resource untapped for as long as possible and milk this for another few months at least.There are plently of plateau busting methods I have yet to try,so I am not too afraid yet.
 
Wednesday 18/1/06 week ''9'' bodyweight 196lb

Squat
135x5
165x5
200x5
200x5
200x5
Opps overshot the mark on these,was only supposed to use 195lb.I will keep this the same next week to get back on track.

Deadlift
155x5
185x5
205x5
235x5
265x5PR
The pulls again were fairly easy,the only mishap was having to reset my grip for the last 2 reps as my hand were placed incorrectly on the bar.

Push press
75x5
87.5x5
95x5
107.5x5
122.5x5PR
Another good increase in weight,smooth set.Was feeling pretty fatigued by the end of it.

Chins-Forgot ill do later tonight

Overall not too bad,although being deep in PR territory is taking its toll fatigue wise.Bodyweight is going up pretty fast,I will see how it goes for the next few weeks as I dont really want it to go up more then about 1lb/week later on.
 
I want the bodyweight to increase at a far slower rate.I have been eating shitloads of food the past few weeks and while it is adding muscle,it is adding a bit more fat then I am comfortable with.I am aiming for less of an increase in coming weeks.

Your squats will catch up and surpass mine soon enough,just give it time ;)
 
carlsuen said:
and food.. shit.. i haven't been eating shit loads.. can u post ur recent diet?
Click to expand...

LoL.........my recent diet has been something of a mess lately as I have been getting really hungry and just saying screw the diet its eating time lol.But this is the general template I use

7.00am Cup of oats+1scoop whey

10.00am Can of tuna on wholemeal bread(sandwich)

1.00pm after training-Scoop of whey+scoop of dextrose

2.00pm Half a Chicken breast/steak or some other lean source of meat+1-2bananas

4.00pm steak or large chicken breast with a cup of broccoli+a cup of oats in a seperate bowl

7.00pm Another whey shake in milk or can of tuna

10pm(depending on hunger)Cup of low fat cottage cheese+tablespoon of natural peanut butter

comes to about 3500-3700cals,I will check it on www.fitday.com later.I have probably been touching the 4000-4200cal barrier on certain days,but from now on I will be strict and stick to the plan.
 
whoa.. that's a lot of food in the after noon.. shit.. i'd puke over so much food.. haha!!! but u eat very little during dinner time huh.. i'd get hungry every 3 hours.. dang.. the old metabolism is just too damn high.. hehe.
 
Wow, I'd eat that much if I were cutting ;) Is that really over 3000 cals or didn't you list everything? There are barely any carbs listed and very little in the way of fats.
 
anotherbutters said:
Wow, I'd eat that much if I were cutting ;) Is that really over 3000 cals or didn't you list everything? There are barely any carbs listed and very little in the way of fats.
Click to expand...

You have got to be shitting me lol,fine I will add in more oats and natural peanut butter.You must have a superfast metabolism Anotherbutters if you can cut on that.What do you do for a job?lumberjack lol jk,Because apart from working out I do very little physical activity at all.But I will add to the diet nevertheless and see how it goes.

Thanks for the help :)
 
lol, no mate, I didn't mean for you to change your diet. Especially not based on what I think it might do for me! The amount you eat should be dictated by what makes you achieve your weekly weight change, whether that's up, down or the same. Track your weight and adjust your diet accordingly.

I was pulling your leg a bit about cutting on that diet, but it looks to be a fair amount less than I'm eating for maintenance now and I'm 20lbs lighter than you, lol. One of your meals is chicken, broccoli and oats, and I've just had chicken, 6 small new potatoes, 1 cup broccoli, 1 cup cauliflower, 2 med carrots, 10 sprouts, 1 big tomato, 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1-2 teaspoons of omega 3-6-9 oil. I'm stuffed, but I'll have a 250g tub of cottage cheese with pineapple in a few mins before bed and I'll almost certainly be the same weight tomorrow as I was today. I'm very close to bulking, but it amazes me how much I can eat without gaining too. My stomach was actually rumbling this afternoon and I was like, wtf?!!! I'd only had a salmon sandwich on brown bread and 2 pints of milk for lunch.

What do I do for a job? I sit at a desk all day in front of a computer, lol. I get about 1/2 an hour's walk twice a day as part of my commute, but that's it as far as exercise is concerned (not brilliant, I know).
 
I get what you are saying,thanks for the feedback.I think I will need to add to that as for the last few weeks I have been eating much more then that because I get raverous after workouts.

Also,what is a ''new'' potato?Pardon my ignorance but I only know of regular potatoes and sweet potatoes :)
 
Just an update

Feeling sore throughout my entire back and my legs/hips are a bit sore too.This very unusual as I dont tend to get muscle soreness due to adapting to squatting 3times a week.Maybe it is a recovery defecit that has finally caught up,who knows.I hope that it subsides by tomorrow as I am supposed to squat 260x3 and in my current position I am having doubts about it.Nevertheless I will try it,if I fail and the symptoms dont receed I will consider reramping to deload my system.

Diet wise I am going to be a much more rigid in following the outlined plan.My eating habits,although clean,are a bit too disorganised at this particular moment.Cardio wise I have been doing a 30min brisk walk on the off days just to keep moving and hopefully keep some fat at bay.
 
This is about the 9th straight week,this is a continuation of an old journal.I hope I can squeeze more milage out of it yet.
 
Good deal. I've noticed you saying more frequently that you feel tired. It could be the program, but it could also be sleep, diet, stress issues. If you want to milk it for all it's got, make sure everything else is in order. I attribute part of my success on my 5x5 gain with 8-9 hours of sleep every night, and of course TONS of food. The combo really kicks the recovery mechanisms into overdrive.

Good luck, and keep us posted. Great job so far!
 
nelmsjer said:
Good deal. I've noticed you saying more frequently that you feel tired. It could be the program, but it could also be sleep, diet, stress issues. If you want to milk it for all it's got, make sure everything else is in order. I attribute part of my success on my 5x5 gain with 8-9 hours of sleep every night, and of course TONS of food. The combo really kicks the recovery mechanisms into overdrive.

Good luck, and keep us posted. Great job so far!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the encouragement Nelmsjer,I checked out your journal and I must say you are quite a strong lifter,hopefully I reach that level someday.I attribute the tiredness to CNS fatigue as I sleep 8-10hours a day and eats lots.It is very minor however and nowhere near full-blown overtraining so I am not all that concerned.At worst I deload for a few weeks no big deal,I am 19 I have years of lifting ahead.

Thanks for stopping by :) .
 
Wow...19. You WILL reach that level and surpass it. Keep at it and do it intelligently. You have so much ahead of you, and you're learning "young". Awesome.

Thanks for the compliment!
 
Friday 20/1/06 week ''9'' bodyweight 195lb

Squats
135x5
165x5
195x5
230x5
260x3PR(just barely made it)
Squats have definatly slowed down,the 260lb felt like a million tons on my back lol.The reps were rough and not as good as usual,every single one a grind to the top.I have decided to reset squats back to 240lb and reramp come monday as I have increased from 215lb nine weeks ago so it was only a matter of time before things stalled.

Bench
100x5
110x5
120x5
135x5
147.5x3PR
This was the light at the end of the dark tunnel of squats.The bench is still increasing fast and the 5lb PR was fairly easy.

Rows
95x5
105x5
115x5
127.5x5
142.5x3PR
Nothing exciting here,the extra 2.5lb was somewhat difficult but managable.

Overall it sucks that the squats had to slow down,but thats life.Hopefully I will be able to reramp to a new PR,then perhaps switch to a new rep range.If anyone has suggestions please feel free to share them.
 
Congrats on all your PRs. Get some good rest in this weekend and try for 260 on Monday...you may surprise yourself.
 
Thing is,I dont have the luxury of a power-rack in a gym.I workout at home with a set of squat stands,if I go down I aint coming back up again.I would rather be conservative then go too far and get pinned to the floor and badly hurt.I am definately happy with my progress so far and dont want to risk myself under a weight that has a good chance of crushing me if I am not confident of getting it.
 
Yeah, I was going to say give 260 a go on Monday too, but forgot you don't have a squat rack. It sucks not be be able to really push yourself on squats, but congrats on getting through the grinders and setting a PR anyway.

Back-off sets?
 
Been resting up the past few days.I am still somewhat sore and tired but I will probably give 260x5 on squats a try tomorrow just to see if I can do it,although I dont think its going to happen.Diet hasnt been to plan lately as I have had car troubles which will not be resolved till tomorrow(starter motor is screwed) and have been eating shitloads of oats,ground beef and heaps of milk lol.I havent weighted myself lately but I am probably down a few pounds.Not ideal but shit happens,hopefully I can get one last PR before I reset these squats.Cant wait till I can squat 1.5times my weight for 5reps as I think that is a good milestone for a begginer.Hope things get a bit better tomorrow.
 
Monday 23/1/06 week ''10'' bodyweight 196lb

Squats
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x5
240x5
Decided to reset the squats today,I was going to try for the 260x5 but decided it probably wasnt wise to keep increasing without confidence in my ability.The 240felt pretty easy compared to the last time I did it 4weeks back.

Bench
95x5
105x5
115x5
127.5x5
147.5x5PR
Good stuff here,Might even try for 155x3 on the friday if all goes well.

Rows
95x5
105x5
115x5
127.5x5
142.5x5PR
Again another easy increase,form is beggining to become more consistant now.

Overall it a bit of a downer having to reset the squats after such a good run,but I am confident they will increase once again in future.After this run stalls out I will either alter the rep/set range and try again.My body is still getting stronger as everything else is still going up,its just the squats that have slowed down.
 
asdfzxcv said:
I will probably give 260x5 on squats a try tomorrow just to see if I can do it,although I dont think its going to happen.
Click to expand...


Bro, If have this kind of attitude about it, you will never achieve anything. You have to tell yourself that you will do it. You have to believe in yourself, and your abilities. If you don't, then you will fail.

This may sound kind of dumb, but when I am warming up, as I get close to 90% of my 1RM, and beyond, I always tell myself "Just like that last one." Its this little mantra that I get going in my head as I get under the weight. I know, from my own personal experience over the years, that the second that the thought of failure crosses my mind, that I might as well call it quits for the day, because I'm not going to be able to get the lift. You have to attack the weight. You have to own the weight, or it will own you.
 
Illuminati said:
Bro, If have this kind of attitude about it, you will never achieve anything. You have to tell yourself that you will do it. You have to believe in yourself, and your abilities. If you don't, then you will fail.

This may sound kind of dumb, but when I am warming up, as I get close to 90% of my 1RM, and beyond, I always tell myself "Just like that last one." Its this little mantra that I get going in my head as I get under the weight. I know, from my own personal experience over the years, that the second that the thought of failure crosses my mind, that I might as well call it quits for the day, because I'm not going to be able to get the lift. You have to attack the weight. You have to own the weight, or it will own you.
Click to expand...

Its not for lack of desire as I have plently of that,but more for safety.Believe me achieving my lifting goals is of highest importance to me,so please do not think of me as some half assed slacker.You see I dont have access to a power-rack,only squat stands so I dont have a means of bailing out if I get caught out.I would rather be somewhat more cautious then end up squashed under the bar and put out of commission for a long time due to injury if the weight ''owns'' me :) .Yes I know that this is not optimal but it is all I have to work with and thats life.

I know what you mean about the mental battle,I always try to keep as optimistic as possible in regards to the immenant heavy squats and focus all my mental fortitude towards the task at hand.Believe me I am all for intensity and focus,but sometimes the body isnt quite up to the task yet and you need to know when you are beyond your limits as it is would suck to be put out of commission for being overzealous.
 
asdfzxcv said:
Its not for lack of desire as I have plently of that,but more for safety.Believe me achieving my lifting goals is of highest importance to me,so please do not think of me as some half assed slacker.You see I dont have access to a power-rack,only squat stands so I dont have a means of bailing out if I get caught out.I would rather be somewhat more cautious then end up squashed under the bar and put out of commission for a long time due to injury if the weight ''owns'' me :) .Yes I know that this is not optimal but it is all I have to work with and thats life.

I know what you mean about the mental battle,I always try to keep as optimistic as possible in regards to the immenant heavy squats and focus all my mental fortitude towards the task at hand.Believe me I am all for intensity and focus,but sometimes the body isnt quite up to the task yet and you need to know when you are beyond your limits as it is would suck to be put out of commission for being overzealous.
Click to expand...

gotcha bro. safety is always a good thing to keep in mind.No rack at your gym? that's a kick in the balls. keep pushing yourself, you are on the right track./

Karma to you
 
Illuminati said:
gotcha bro. safety is always a good thing to keep in mind.No rack at your gym? that's a kick in the balls. keep pushing yourself, you are on the right track./

Karma to you
Click to expand...

I workout at home as no gym in my town of 80,000 people has any means of freeweight squatting,only ''smith'' machines which I think is fucking pathetic so I just chose to workout at home.I would rather do cautious freeweight squatting over machine squatting in that god forsaken contraption in some pussified ''gym''.
 
have you torn a pec muscle before or something.. just wondering why your row is as high as your bench..
 
Phaded said:
have you torn a pec muscle before or something.. just wondering why your row is as high as your bench..
Click to expand...

Only been benching for 2 1/2weeks so I am still very weak in that area and I am getting it down form wise.It is increasing at a far faster rate then the rows and this will lead to a more significant gap as time progresses.
 
hey asdfzxcv.. would it be possible to build ur self a power rack? as in u could put wooden blocks between ur squat stands as high as ur thigh?... then when u lift u can move a little bit back wards.. and then u have a "safety bar" so even if u fail u can just dump it there.. just a thought on how u can improvise..
 
carlsuen said:
hey asdfzxcv.. would it be possible to build ur self a power rack? as in u could put wooden blocks between ur squat stands as high as ur thigh?... then when u lift u can move a little bit back wards.. and then u have a "safety bar" so even if u fail u can just dump it there.. just a thought on how u can improvise..
Click to expand...

That is actually something that I am contemplating at this stage,building my own rack.Seen someone on another forum that built an entire rack out of wood,I was quite impressed and might do something similiar soon if I cant find a cheap rack around.

Thanks for the input carlsuen.
 
Phaded said:
have you torn a pec muscle before or something.. just wondering why your row is as high as your bench..
Click to expand...

Actually, it is ideal that your row is as high as (or very close to) your bench.
 
Wednesday 25/1/06 week ''10'' bodyweight 197lb

Squats(light)
135x5
165x5
200x5
200x5
200x5
These were easier then normal,I actually did these quite fast today.These will stay steady for another week or two until my main squats ramp up again.

Deadlifts
155x5
185x5
225x5
245x5
275x5PR
Deadlifts kicked ass today,best pulls I have done.Was nervous because I had to make a 10lb jump due to lack of smaller plates,but I actually got it fairly easily.Only complaint was the grip slipped on the last 2 a bit,but I rectified it within several seconds and pressed on to hit the PR.

Push press
75x5
87.5x5
100x5
112.5x5
125x5PR
Was a tough set today after the exhausting deadlift PR,but I still managed to hit a record on it.I think I could hit 135 fresh but it will come in time regardless.

Chins
5xbw
4xbw
4xbw
4xbw
4xbw
Not much change here,I should really give these more attention but after everything else I am stuffed.Maybe I should do these first.

Overall good workout,the deadlifts indicate that my lower body is still getting stronger despite the reset.I cant wait to hit 3big plates a side(315lb) for 5reps,which will happen in time.
 
Friday 27/1/06 week ''10'' bodyweight 197.5lb

Squats
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x5
245x3
195x8
These felt steady and strong,much easier then the last time I did 245lb.Hopefully I can continue these past 260lb with excellent form.

Bench
105x5
115x5
125x5
135x5
152.5x3PR
125x8
Nice top set here,it went up with ease and monday should be pretty easy.Hopefully I can milk more 5lb PR's in coming weeks.

Row
105x5
115x5
125x5
135x5
145x3PR
125x8
Felt very strong on these today,another steady 2.5lb increment.

Quite a good workout despite the heat,remembered the back off sets today.Weight is increasing at a slower rate which is good because I dont want excessive fat gain.
 
Monday 30/1/06 week ''11'' bodyweight 198lb

Squats
135x5
165x5
195x5
225x5
245x5
Good squatting today,maintained good form during the top set,much more stable this time around.Starting to get a bit stronger I think,but thats just me.

Bench
105x5
115x5
125x5
135x5
152.5x5PR
Again bench seems to be the rising star of the lifts with another easy 5rep PR.Hoping for another 5lb on friday if all goes well.I want to be able to bench my bodyweight at least once in 4months time.

Row
105x5
115x5
125x5
135x5
145x5PR
Was a bit trickier today then friday,but I still got in all the reps.

Food intake has been pretty good with around 3200-3500cals on most days.It will probably stay steady for a few months as I hope to up my bodyweight a little bit then stabilise at the new weight,so I will just wait and see were this intake level takes me.

Overall not too shabby progress on most lifts lately,even the reset squats seem to be on the rebound.
 
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