1st full fledged Warrior Challenge...here goes...

[Drazen]

Ok, lets see if I can manage to not mess this up too badly

 

Main goal: Lifting!  (surprise surprise)

 

I signed up for a PL competition in July, and I would like to not embarrass myself TOO badly, so getting stronger would be better.  To that end my goal for this challenge is to increase my 5-rep working weight as follows:

 

Current Squat 5-rep weight: 260 lbs

Goal Squat 5-rep weight:  300+ lbs

 

Current Bench 5-rep weight: 280 lbs

Goal Bench 5-rep weight:  300+ lbs

 

Current Deadlift 5-rep weight:  275 lbs

Goal Deadlift 5-rep weight:  315+ lbs

 

 

I am currently following the Starting Strength program, more or less.  I am still seeing the noob gains on squat and deadlift, not so much on the presses.  We shall see if those gains continue for the next couple months or not.  I have also never tried to find a 1RM, which is why the goals are set as they are.

 

 

Goal 2:  Food Log - create and periodically review

 

I normally dont really track calories and such, only really making sure I have enough protein.  I "think" we eat pretty healthy, but now is the time to find out if that is true and if something is missing.  My wife uses MyFitnessPal to track her stuff, so I will probably do the same.  I will review in order to see if I really am eating about 80% paleo like I think I am...

 

 

Goal 3:  Research intermediate level training programs

 

I know that the noob gains will not last forever and eventually I will have to switch programs.  I have seen some reviews on various threads so I will read those, review the programs themselves and have one in mind whenever the switch needs to be made.

 

 

 

Let the stressing, second-guessing and panic begin...

 

 

 

 

 

[Devlin]

Looking like a good challenge. The mfp to check up on on your paleo percentage is a pretty good idea.

[Stronkey Kong]

Dude! How tall/big are you?

Noob gains with a 300# 5 rep bench!

[raptron]

For real!

[Drazen]

Dude! How tall/big are you?

Noob gains with a 300# 5 rep bench!

I am 6'2", and as of Monday morning I weighted 257lbs.

[Br0din]

Bro, like me, your bench is unusually strong compared to squat and DL.  You should show well in your meet with that.  I"m not paleo but I have the process for tracking calories pretty much down, if you need friends, add me.

[matty_mcfly]

Dude! How tall/big are you?

Noob gains with a 300# 5 rep bench!

This and this again.

 

You're a big boy, but down that is one impressive bench.

 

You need to bring up that squat and deadlift. Looking forward to watching you kill it

[Drazen]

Thanks for the encouragement!  My squat and DL are moving up nicely now that I have stopped injuring it in TKD every few months. 

[Drazen]

Last lifting session before the Challenge has been completed, so my starting 5-rep weights will be:

 

Squat:  270 lbs

Bench:  285 lbs

Deadlift:  285 lbs

[wildross]

Looks good.

[Harbard]

Nice Goals.  Man, to echo the other commenters, those bench numbers are impressive.  

[Drazen]

I started to get a complex over this so I went back to the gym today and weighed all the plates I use. All is well.

Is it really that impressive?

[Br0din]

I started to get a complex over this so I went back to the gym today and weighed all the plates I use. All is well.

Is it really that impressive?

 

I"ve done that too.  Go look at the lifting leader boards.  Dudes the bench what we bench, squat in the 400s and DL in the 500s.  People who squat and DL what you do (and what I used to do) bench in the 100s (maybe sniffing 200.)  What you are seeing is a whole lot of jelly on your peanut butter sandwich.  

[HDLevs]

Really impressive bench and great room for improvement. Do your best this challenge and I second the MFP tracking. It makes it alot easier to be accountable.

[peelout]

Great wts.  I was just tickled when I moved up to putting 2 big boy wts (45's) on the bar for my bench.

[wildross]

I started to get a complex over this so I went back to the gym today and weighed all the plates I use. All is well.

Is it really that impressive?

For someone like us who are just starting..yes. the problem we have is the wilkes numbers. Plus you'll see some older guys put up impressive numbers at your meet.

[Drazen]

I"ve done that too.  Go look at the lifting leader boards.  Dudes the bench what we bench, squat in the 400s and DL in the 500s.  People who squat and DL what you do (and what I used to do) bench in the 100s (maybe sniffing 200.)  What you are seeing is a whole lot of jelly on your peanut butter sandwich.

I had looked at the individual boards but had not compared people across the different lifts before. Lots of work to do!

[Drazen]

For someone like us who are just starting..yes. the problem we have is the wilkes numbers. Plus you'll see some older guys put up impressive numbers at your meet.

I will be 40 next month!

[Drazen]

Day 1.

 

lifting went well:

 

squats 3x5x270lbs

bench 3x5x285lbs

 

LOTS of shoulder mobility work

 

I will have to let the nutritional experts judge on how good the meal plan is going:

 

breakfast:

coffee with a touch of cinnamon

scrambled eggs with bacon bits and a little cheese

 

mid-morning:

1 apple

5 homemade protein cookies (whey protein, almond meal, peanut butter and raisins)

 

lunch:

PWO drink (protein/gatorade)

an unknown quantity of turkey

6 strawberries

1 banana - this was originally planned to be 1/2 sweet potato, but they were bad so...)

 

 

dinner will be either chicken or steak - there is currently 5 lbs of chicken breast and 4 steaks marinating in the fridge, waiting to be grilled

[Br0din]

looks like you're getting protein and fats.  Nothing out of hand.

 

I track calories like I track my money budget.  I have it down to a routine and mostly enter everything into MFP when I eat my (standard) breakfast.  I didn't see if you are cutting, bulking or recomping.  I would guess you are bulking for PL comp, so just eat more.

[Drazen]

I havent really started tracking calories closely yet, just estimating portion sizes and using MFP.  For this challenge I am mainly interested in making sure I am eating the right foods.   I would say that I am bulking since I am somewhere in the 2500-3k calorie range.  From what I read on here somewhere, as long as I am recovering sufficiently between workouts and still progressing, I should be eating enough.  Lets hope that continues...  I will have to take a look at your MFP to see how you track everything.

[HDLevs]

Good lifting and good eating. Off to a great start

[Br0din]

Feel free to add me.  Info in my signature.  I'm pretty boring with my nutrition, shake/oatmeal for breakfast, chicken and veggies for lunch, shake PWO, and whatever my wife cooks or Taco bell for dinner.  But I have the process down and only missed 1 day in the last 3-4 weeks or so.

[Design Wizard]

Great workout for the first day of the challenge! I wish I could Bench that! I'm hoping to hit 200 this challenge.

I don't know what your food goals are. You mention eating healthy, but there are still different goals within that. Are you wanting to put on muscle? Cut body fat? I've been working to cut body fat for the past year and a half. I'm down 115 pounds of fat so far. From that perspective, I'd go for a good bit less fruit. There's a lot of unneeded sugar in them. Kind of a catch 22 with fruit. Steve wrote about it recently.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2014/12/11/is-fruit-healthy-for-you/

Nice to meet you. Looking forward to watching your challenge!

[miss_marissa]

I agree. It is impressive that your bench is right up there with squat and deadlift! My bench is about half of my squat and deadlift (I'm a lady though, so that plays into it)

 

Also, yay for comps!

 

Day 1.

 

lifting went well:

 

squats 3x5x270lbs

bench 3x5x285lbs

 

LOTS of shoulder mobility work

 

I will have to let the nutritional experts judge on how good the meal plan is going:

 

breakfast:

coffee with a touch of cinnamon

scrambled eggs with bacon bits and a little cheese

 

mid-morning:

1 apple

5 homemade protein cookies (whey protein, almond meal, peanut butter and raisins)

 

lunch:

PWO drink (protein/gatorade)

an unknown quantity of turkey

6 strawberries

1 banana - this was originally planned to be 1/2 sweet potato, but they were bad so...)

 

 

dinner will be either chicken or steak - there is currently 5 lbs of chicken breast and 4 steaks marinating in the fridge, waiting to be grilled

MOOOAR VEGGIES! hehe