Secret Agent John Courage ascends.

[Secret Agent John Courage]

I'll be tracking weightlifting workouts here. ðŸ‹

 

Today I did (copied from the warrior forum):

 

Squats: Bar + 45 + 10 + 10 + 2.5 = 180#

Press: Bar + 10 + 5 = 75#
Row: Bar + 35 = 115#
Chin Ups: 4/2/2 (PR!)

...I didn't really try to add weight this time because I was (attempting to) record for the form check, and that was enough to mentally throw me off already. So I thought let's just go slow here. Still managed to get some extra chin-ups in though, wee.

 

 

[Secret Agent John Courage]

Squats: Bar + 45 + 10 = 155# (regression)

Bench: Bar + 35 + 5 = 125# (5/5/4)

Deadlift: Bar + 15 + 45 + 5 + 2.5 = 180# (PR!)

Dips: 10/7/4

 

So today sucked. I wanted to get maximal depth on the squat (per form check advice), but I could only do 3 reps at 180# with that depth. So I cut the weight down to a truly humiliating 155. At this rate I should be squatting zero pounds by April! Go me!

 

Added 2.5 to the bench but couldn't quite squeak out the last rep. grrr

 

I did finish the set of deadlifts with 5 extra pounds. It almost killed me, but I did it. Wee.

 

Tried to dip more than before and that didn't go very well at all. So I'll back it back down to 8/8/8 on Friday.

 

Should have form checks for the bench and deadlift in a day or so. I'm sure that will lead to much hilarity.

[Sam Ashen]

Saying hi!  Gratz on starting a Battle Log!

 

 

 

So today sucked.

 

Apparently it was not all bad.

 

 

 

Deadlift: Bar + 15 + 45 + 5 + 2.5 = 180# (PR!)

 

You made a PR!

 

 

 

Squats: Bar + 45 + 10 = 155# (regression)

 

This might be a smart thing to do - Pairing the heavy squats with bench press and rows, then two days later pairing the deadlifts with light squats.

 

Here is something funny about linear progression you may have already noticed:  If you do heavy squats 3 times per week and add another 5 pounds each time, that would be 15 pounds per week.  52 weeks would be a year of that, so 780 pounds.  Add that to 180 and you are at 960 pounds.  If you alternate heavy and light, then you are adding 15 pounds every two weeks, so +390 pounds for a grand total of 570 pounds.  So eventually you reach a stalling point, but that is a subject of later discussion.

 

My squats stalled out pretty quickly - much more quickly than the originators of these beginner programs (StrongLifts) claimed.  I think Medhi (StrongLifts) said something about getting all the way to 300, but I stalled out much, much sooner than that.  I usually had to back off quite a bit and go through some form fixes, then get a little bit higher.

 

Anyway - I think going back in weight for a session is awesome if you believe you nailed that form!

 

 

 

Should have form checks for the bench and deadlift in a day or so. I'm sure that will lead to much hilarity.

 

Gratz on mashing the 20-Second Courage button so quickly!

[Secret Agent John Courage]

Saying hi!  Gratz on starting a Battle Log!

Hey, thanks.

 

You made a PR!

This site really needs Zelda-style "dah dah dah DAHHHHH" sound effects.

 

 

This might be a smart thing to do - Pairing the heavy squats with bench press and rows, then two days later pairing the deadlifts with light squats.

That makes sense, but for now I'm just going to keep the program as is. The weights are light enough that I don't think the squats are actively interfering with the deadlift yet. I'd rather get the form down under load on a regular basis.

 

Here is something funny about linear progression you may have already noticed:  If you do heavy squats 3 times per week and add another 5 pounds each time, that would be 15 pounds per week.  52 weeks would be a year of that, so 780 pounds.  Add that to 180 and you are at 960 pounds.  If you alternate heavy and light, then you are adding 15 pounds every two weeks, so +390 pounds for a grand total of 570 pounds.  So eventually you reach a stalling point, but that is a subject of later discussion.

Well, I'm only adding 2.5 per attempt at this point; and I don't even do that every time. For instance, on Friday I'm not adding weight to the bench press, because I couldn't actually do all three sets today. Three sets of five with good form before the weight is allowed to go up. The goal is strength, not injury.

But, yes, I totally see your point. Sooner or later I will absolutely need help to break through plateaus.

 

Anyway - I think going back in weight for a session is awesome if you believe you nailed that form!

Not sure I nailed it entirely, but my butt definitely couldn't go lower. As a side-effect, my knees didn't go as far forward either, so I think this is a win state. I didn't think to record it even though I had the tripod with me, dumb. Next time.

Maybe I'll use a new color for "Lowered Weight but Improved Form" because that's ultimately a better investment than adding weight to poorer form. Blue, maybe.

 

Gratz on mashing the 20-Second Courage button so quickly!

Well, I'm using After Effects to blur out my face in the videos. So it's more like 20 Seconds of Abject Cowardice.

Anyway, thanks for the perspective. You're right, the workout wasn't that bad, it's just killing 15# off the squat when it's already so puny makes me despair a little. Can the numbers please start going up already? No? Okay.

[Secret Agent John Courage]

Squats: Bar + 45 + 10 = 155#
OHP: Bar + 10 + 5 = 75# (stalled)
Row: Bar + 35 + 2.5 = 120# (PR!)
Chin-Ups: 4/1/1 (regression)
 

Will try to bump squats next time. Tried adding 2.5 to press, could only make it to 3 reps. The OHP hasn't budged in four weeks. Row went up, wee. Not sure what's up with the chin-ups, my arms hate me. 

[Secret Agent John Courage]

Squats: Bar + 45 + 10 + 2.5 = 160#
Bench: Bar + 35 + 5 = 125# (PR!)
Deadlift: Bar + 15 + 45 + 10 = 185# (PR!)
Dips: 8/8/5 grrr
 

Have the deep squats down methinks.

 

Was able to improve bench press dramatically by balancing my wedding ring below my navel. If I wibbled, it'd fall off. If I engaged the core throughout the exercise, it wouldn't budge. So that's a useful tool going forward. Also pretending to bend the bar helped squeeze the shoulder blades together so I think I'm better on that front too.

 

Had to sit down a spell after the deadlifts.

 

Fine, triceps, be that way. See if I care. I don't care! I care so deeply.

 

Also for future reference: This is Starting Strength, so it's 3x5 for squats and bench, 1x5 for deadlifts, and 3x8 goal for dips.

 

Warm-ups: Squat is Bar then Bar + 25; bench is Bar then Bar + 20; deadlift is Bar + 15 then Bar + 35; dips I just go for broke.

[Secret Agent John Courage]

Squats: Bar + 45 + 10 + 5 = 165#

OHP: Bar + 10 + 2.5 = 70# (regression)

Rows: Bar + 35 + 2.5 = 120#

Chin-Ups: 4

 

Started wearing workout gloves. I couldn't stand the callouses, and more the point, my spouse couldn't stand them either. So that's final. 

 

Deep squats proceeding nicely.

 

Not sure what to do about OHP. I intended to do more reps at the weight I've been stuck at, but couldn't even do a full 5 at that weight. So I lowered it down by 5 pounds and even that was a challenge. Not sure why; the only thing that's changed is the placement of the bar to be over my wrists per SpecialSundae's advice. I didn't think that would cause this much of a challenge. I guess I'll drop the weight down to 65# next time and try again. grrr

 

Didn't try to increase rows, probably should have. Next time.

 

Decided on just one set of chin-ups, since I was doing the first set to failure anyway.

[Secret Agent John Courage]

Not lifting today.

 

I've been having muscle pain in my right shoulder since the weekend. (Stupid: I played too much Fallout 4 with my usual horrendous posture.) I was hoping Monday's workout would help shake it out, but it just got worse.

 

I was going to post a new topic to discuss it, but then this thread happened, so I'm just going to assume Turtle knows what he's talking about and rest until the shoulder's 100%. It sucks because I'm really trying to solidify a new habit here, but better safe than sorry.

 

With any luck, it's better by Monday, so I can join the new Challenge. Send happy thoughts my way...