CoreyD's Epic Quest!

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

2013 Goals

These are my goals for the end of this calender year.

1. Parallel Squats- 1RM 465 lb, starting the year at 385 lb.

2. Bench Press- 1RM 335 lb, starting the year at 275 lb.

3. Barbell Deadlift- 1RM 575 lb, starting the year at 465 lb.

4. Big 3 total- 1350 lb, the above would get me to 1375 lb.  Starting the year at 1125.

5. Overhead Press- 200 lb, starting the year at 165 lb.
6. Pull-ups- 10 in a row, starting the year at 2.
7. Body Fat %- 20%, starting the year around 30%.

 

Bonus: Run a 27 min 5k if I feel I can manage getting the above goals and still fit in running.

 

I'm being pretty agressive with the lifts, but I think I can do it now that I'll have my weights at home instead of the gym.

 

For the BIG 3, I'd honestly be very happy with 1300.  I just find I do better and work harder when I set lofty goals and come up just short than if I set easy goals. With easier ones I keep putting them off because I think I can just put in the work later and still hit them, that's why I failed at pull ups last year.

 

I increased my squat by 100 lb last year and only worked out seriously for 6 months of it. My bench went up 30-40 lb, and it's going to be more of a focus this time and I really want to get good form on it. The dead lift may be the hardest to hit out of the BIG 3 goals.  It's a pretty high and I'm going to have to really work the grip. I'm going to start using straps on anything with 3 reps or less.

 

I'd like to hit that overhead press goal.  It tends to hover around 60% of my bench and 205 lb is 60% of my bench goal. The calculated 5RM from this is about 180, so if I can hit this and drop my weight to 240 lb. or less, I should be able to meet my Epic Quest goal of putting 75% of my weight over my head 5 times this year.

 

The bodyfat is secondary to the strength goals.  I'd really like to get rid of the belly so that I can look as strong as I am and look good nekid.  15% is the end goal, but I'd be happy with the 20% this year, especially since it won't be a huge focus. Dropping the weight should also help with those pull up numbers.

 

The running is an afterthought. In the past, trying to work a lot of running into my exercise while strength training really hurt my gains, so I won't be doing that or focusing on running.  I would like to work up to being able to run without shin splints again and will be incorporating jumping rope multple times a week to really work my lower legs. We're getting a treadmill and I may hop on that once or twice a week as well.

 

I've found that heavy squats make me run faster, so if I can just have my legs conditioned so that I can run 5k without pain, I'm hoping I can hit this goal with minimal actual running work.  I know I can currently run 1 mile on the treadmill at the pace I would need, it's just getting to the point of doing that on the street and being conditioned enough to hold it over 3.1 miles.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Certification

Become a Starting Strength Coach

 

Here's the deal: I don't like engineering. I graduated almost 4 years ago now and have been involved in quality assurance, engineering drawings management, configuration management, a small bit of design, and engineering management.  They're all pretty boring, except the design.

 

I've promised my wife that I will give it 1 more shot once my 2 years in my current office is up and if I still don't like my current job at that point.  I'll aim for getting a more design and analysis or advanced research job at that point as they are the most promising to keep my interest, but I have my doubts.  Engineering isn't what I thought it would be going in; only a select few ever get to focus on designing interesting stuff. It's like astronauts, only a few get to actually ever go to space, which is why I quit on that dream in my teens. I will finish my Masters in Engineering in the mean time to help me have more choice of where I want to go.

 

If engineering still doesn't work out, my new passion is strength training.  I love the defined way it advances and think it really is an understudied part of the biology sciences. It plays to my engineering interests as the body is simply a biomechanical system and much of my education will still apply to it.  I find that those most happy in life are those that turn their hobbies into their jobs and don't work where they are miserable.

 

To that end, I want to get a strength training certification. Even if I don't make it my full time job, it would be a nice side job to have as I always really wanted to be a teacher, except it doesn't pay as much as engineering, which is why I didn't pursue it. Training doesn't pay great either unless you get to the higher levels, which will be something I'll have to research further if I ever decide to fully make the jump into doing it full time. At the very least I wouldn't be able to do it until student loans and the house is paid off.

As a part time job, I'd get to help people get stronger and be turning my hobby into something that actually pays at the same time. The other benefit is that as much advice that I give here, I always have my doubts about what I'm telling people.  I'm not trained or educated in the traditional sense to do so, and having an actual strength training certification would put me more at ease in that regard.

So I decided if I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it right, and that's how I found this program.  It's a 3 day seminar taught by the man himself, Mark Rippetoe.  I've read a few of his books (Starting Strength is one of them) and they've helped me a ton, and so have a bunch of others on the board. He's widely considered as one of the best novice strength trainers around. At the end of the seminar you demonstrate your ability to spot and correct various form issues.  If you pass the practical test, there is then an open ended answer written test.  If you then pass that, you get your cert. It's a fairly rigorous certification process overseen by people who really know what the hell they are talking about and would make me pretty confident in my abilities.

It does cost a fair bit of money ($795) and if I fail to get my cert I have to go again.  I don't want to fail to get my cert, so in the mean time I will be studying my ass off.  I'm going to reread starting strength and practical programming, as well as a few anatomy books.  I'm also going to consider finding a SSC in my area to a) be trained by to correct my own form and talk to in order to find out how rigorous the seminar is and if there is anything else I can do to prepare.  I don't want to half ass this, people currently take my word and put their bodies at risk based on the advice I give and will do so even more once I'm certified and that's a big responsibility.

[Waldo]

Here's the deal: I don't like engineering. I graduated almost 4 years ago now and have been involved in quality assurance, engineering drawings management, configuration management, a small bit of design, and engineering management.  They're all pretty boring, except the design.

 

I've promised my wife that I will give it 1 more shot once my 2 years in my current office is up and if I still don't like my current job at that point.  I'll aim for getting a more design and analysis or advanced research job at that point as they are the most promising to keep my interest, but I have my doubts.  Engineering isn't what I thought it would be going in; only a select few ever get to focus on designing interesting stuff. It's like astronauts, only a few get to actually ever go to space, which is why I quit on that dream in my teens. I will finish my Masters in Engineering in the mean time to help me have more choice of where I want to go.

 

I struggled with this a lot at first, but have found my way into a place I'm happy with.  I'm fortunate now that for the most part I do a little bit of paperwork, but mostly conceptual design and design review, and general project management.  I don't have do much of the filling in the details busy work if I don't want to.  It really took a while to figure out though.  I started out as a field engineer, doing a lot of the same stuff that you describe.  Though it took even longer to figure out where I want to go from where I am now, since my purely engineering options are limited on up the ladder (good 'ol management), but I think I finally have a handle on that, and have it figured out.  As with everything else, you create your own destiny.

 

High profile design isn't everything its cut out to be, money's nice, but the hours are brutal.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

I struggled with this a lot at first, but have found my way into a place I'm happy with.  I'm fortunate now that for the most part I do a little bit of paperwork, but mostly conceptual design and design review, and general project management.  I don't have do much of the filling in the details busy work if I don't want to.  It really took a while to figure out though.  I started out as a field engineer, doing a lot of the same stuff that you describe.  Though it took even longer to figure out where I want to go from where I am now, since my purely engineering options are limited on up the ladder (good 'ol management), but I think I finally have a handle on that, and have it figured out.  As with everything else, you create your own destiny.

 

High profile design isn't everything its cut out to be, money's nice, but the hours are brutal.

 

I honestly wouldn't even mind the management that much if it was mechanical systems, but the project I'm currently on is all electrical and software, so any technical expertise I have is completely useless and it's not at all interesting to me.

[Blaidd]

I'm sure you're going to do just fantastic with the certification. Your assistance has been absolutely invaluable to me so far and honestly i think you'd make a great contribution to the world of strength training (you could do your own ladies lifting book thing).  You could even use your engineering background to create your own line of weights, machines etc - i lap those up

 

I have been considering something similar, but i am more interested in the mental and emotional background to getting fit and healthy - I'm already a certified trauma counsellor so was considering converting that to something along the lines of eating disorders, obesity, psychology of nutrition etc and maybe one day when i'm all growed up like you i can bring training into it as well (or just refer people to you).

 

Thanks again and also good luck, I have no doubt that you'll get that certification.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Got a weight training epic quest goal checked off this week for the first time! I squatted 405 lb for 5 reps on Tuesday. It felt awesome. In the process of getting there, I was doing 305x5 for a warm up and remembered my first ever 1RM attempt where either this weight or 10 lb more didn't make it up.

 

I'm sure you're going to do just fantastic with the certification. Your assistance has been absolutely invaluable to me so far and honestly i think you'd make a great contribution to the world of strength training (you could do your own ladies lifting book thing). You could even use your engineering background to create your own line of weights, machines etc - i lap those up

I have been considering something similar, but i am more interested in the mental and emotional background to getting fit and healthy - I'm already a certified trauma counsellor so was considering converting that to something along the lines of eating disorders, obesity, psychology of nutrition etc and maybe one day when i'm all growed up like you i can bring training into it as well (or just refer people to you).

Thanks again and also good luck, I have no doubt that you'll get that certification.

 
Thanks for the encouragement! I'm very glad I could help, it's been a pleasure.
 

2013 Goals

These are my goals for the end of this calender year.

1. Parallel Squats- 1RM 465 lb, starting the year at 385 lb. Did 405x5, which estimates a 455 1RM, so a hell of a lot further along than I thought. The addition of a belt probably helps a lot and I'm actually now hoping for 500 by the end of the year.
2. Bench Press- 1RM 335 lb, starting the year at 275 lb. I got 270x5 a week or two ago, which estimates a 308 1RM, but I think I overtrained a bit on intensity and am currently barely getting 247.5 for 5. So I wsa about half way there but I'm taking it easy for the next few weeks and we'll see how it goes.
3. Barbell Deadlift- 1RM 575 lb, starting the year at 465 lb. I have pulled 505 lb for 1 and 445 for 5, so about 40% there. I think I had mroe in me on the max pull and may be able ot get 515 or even 525 right now, we'll see.
4. Big 3 total- 1350 lb, the above would get me to 1375 lb.  Starting the year at 1125. Currently calculating out to 1268, so already mroe than half way to the goal.  Hoping to hit 1300 at SSS, but unless my bench gets worked out, it's not likely.
5. Overhead Press- 200 lb, starting the year at 165 lb. Got 160 for 5 but like my presses I think I overtrained this on intensity as I'm having trouble at lighter weights. Backing off to 80-90% on the lifts this week with a little more voume and we'll get back at it next week hopefully.
6. Pull-ups- 10 in a row, starting the year at 2. Haven't worked these, but they and chins will be part of my next challenge.  I have increased my pendlay row from 195x5 to 220x5, so hopefully that has some carry over.
7. Body Fat %- 20%, starting the year around 30%. I've been noticing my belts being loser lately, so I think I've been trading fat for muscle a bit, but I haven't stepped on a scale.  Planning on making some progress on this next challenge and figure out a rough way to measure, maybe the navy formula.
 
Bonus: Run a 27 min 5k if I feel I can manage getting the above goals and still fit in running. Haven't touched it, but plan on running a bit next challenge.  Dpeending on how it goes I may try to hit a 8:30 mile.

 
Figured it was time for an update on this one to look at progress 1/4 of the way through the year. I used calc'd 1RMs, but we'll check most of them at SSS in a month or so.

[weirdquark]

Sounds like you're having some pretty awesome progress.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

So I got the squats goal during Fall Brawl and have a shot to get the deadlifts at my first real competition in December, having pulled 555 lb 2 months ago. I have gotten a 495 squat, 305 bench, and 555 deadlift which puts me at 1355, so I hit my total goal, though not competition official (yet).

 

Overhead press I'm still a bit away from, but have an outside chance of getting it by the end of the year if I really focus on my press. I think I did 190lb at one point messing around with heavy singles. Bench won't happen, and building my upper body and catching it up to my legs and lower back is going to be a primary concern in the first half of next year, along with losing the weight, which I've done none of. Running didn't happen either.

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

For Posterity

2013 Goals

These are my goals for the end of this calender year.

1. Parallel Squats- 1RM 465 lb, starting the year at 385 lb. Achieved 9/5/13 with a 1RM of 485 lb.

2. Bench Press- 1RM 335 lb, starting the year at 275 lb. Missed by quite a bit. Current max I've done is 315 touch and go, 305 paused. bench press is a focus of 2014.

3. Barbell Deadlift- 1RM 575 lb, starting the year at 465 lb. Did not get in 2013, but I did at 4T in January. I'll count it!

4. Big 3 total- 1350 lb, the above would get me to 1375 lb.  Starting the year at 1125. Achieved 12/8/13 at my first powerlifting meet, right on the nose.

5. Overhead Press- 200 lb, starting the year at 165 lb. Missed by 5-10 lb.

6. Pull-ups- 10 in a row, starting the year at 2. Gained weight and never got around to it. Focus in 2014

7. Body Fat %- 20%, starting the year around 30%. Gained weight, still around 30%. Focus of 2014.

 

Bonus: Run a 27 min 5k if I feel I can manage getting the above goals and still fit in running. Never got around to it, focus of 2014.

[RockinRobin]

@Gainsdalf the Whey Sounds like you need to evaluate what you can't live without!!  Hope these websites help!

 

I think I initially found Nerd Fitness while looking at a blog by Scott Dinsmore - he is all about helping you determine the "work you can't not do" whether that remains Engineering or turns out to be fitness related!

http://liveyourlegend.net/the-impossible-next-step

 

Naz and Leah are part of his community too and have a great Blog that is about how to Rock your Purpose!

http://www.rypl.net/start/

 

Best of luck!

[Gainsdalf the Whey]

Got my 50 pushups this past Friday and again today, and achieved my bench goal a year or two ago. Focusing on improving my 5k time and pull-ups this year, as well as dropping weight. The press goal may just happen as a consequence.