ExRx.net

Well, I just started Mark Rippetoe's Starting Strength Routine on Sunday

5min cardio warmup (Elliptical Machine)

Workout A: Working Sets..
Squats
3x5x65

Bench Press
3x5x75

DeadLift
1x5x75

Dips
2x6

Overall, I could have probably used higher starting weights, but being new to Free Weights, I erred on the side of caution and safety. Progression should move along fairly quickly, therefore actual starting weight should not matter.

Also, I'm pretty sure my form for the Deadlift was bad. I need to study/research/and watch more videos to ensure I get better at this. This will be hard, since the program only calls for a single working set of Deadlifts. Flexibility is a problem for the lower weights, due to the BAr being lower to the ground.

Cliff

Last Night:

Cardio/Fun with the Kids...

1.2Mile swift walk (run for my 3yr old) 20min

The Last .5 miles or so, was really a walk with her on my shoulders. (28#)

Cliff

Yesterday and Last night ...

DIET: Not that good High in Sodium Grease and Fat, but stayed within my Calorie goals. Just ate Bad foods... Oh Well...

~15min cardio warmup (Treadmill)

Workout B:
Squats
Warmup:
10 BW
1x5x45 Dumbell(2x22.5#)
1x5x45 Barbell
Working Sets:
1x5x85
2x5x75

Standing Overhead Press
Working Sets:
3x5x65

Bent/Pendlay Rows:
Working Sets:
3x5x65

Chinups (Close hammer grip)
2x3

HyperExtensions
2x10


Notes:
Squats:
I had to wait to use the squat rack, therefore, I began warming up with Dumbells. Then the first set just seemed like to much weight and form was suffering. So, I dropped down to 75# and finished the last two sets.

Standing overhead Press/ Pendlay Rows.
This was my first attempt at both of these movements. The Overhead press wasn't bad, and once again, I could have done more weight, but as a true novice I began my working sets at a low weight of 65#.

However, the Pendlay Rows did not quite go as well. My biggest problem seems to be the lower back rounding. Actually lifting the weight was not difficult, but keeping proper back form was difficult. This is likely due to 31 years of bending at the lower back instead of at the waist. My Back is much more flexible than my legs. I think I really need to work on some leg stretches which would help this. Once again, Low Weights, which puts the Bar lower made these harder due to my inflexible body .

Chinups.. What can I say, just needs more work and I will get better...

Hyperextensions: These were added because my wife was at the Gym with me. She won't go near the free weights, so I wanted to do something with her, besides the Beginning Cardio.

Cliff

Last Night was a rest night...Just spent the night at home with the kids. Didn't even get in my normal Ab workout..

Cliff

Worked out early today (Immediately after work and before Dinner). I have a softball game at 9:30 tonight..

Working Sets:
Squats:
3x5x75

Bench Press:
3x5x85

RDL:
1x5x85

Squat Notes:
As mentioned earlier, I have a Softball game tonight and really didn't want to push to hard today. Also, Squatting 3 days a week is completely new to me and the DOMS from the Prior 2 Squat sessions are getting pretty rough..

Bench:
I still feel like I could have lifted more. It's hard for me to stop at only 3 sets of 5, because I feel like I could do more.

RDL:
This is my first attempt at these. I think my form was pretty good. Overall, I'm pretty sure my form for these were much better than the Standard DL's. I concentrated quite a bit on keeping my back straight and not rounding it. I did 1 warmup set with just the Bar (45#) with 10 Reps.

Now, I'm off to cook a steak and refuel for the game. It's cool here tonight and will be around 55-60 degrees at game time. Hopefully my legs won't tighten up to much and cause an injury.

Cliff

Today's Workout...

Cardio/Warmup
10min Treadmill
30sec 3.9mph walk
3min 6mph Jog
Rest 3.8mph Walk

Workout B:
Squats: **
45x6 warmup
85x4.5
85x5
85x5

Overhead Press: $$
45x7 Warmup
75x5
75x4.25
75x5

Pendlay Row: %%
45x5 Warmup
75x5
75x5
75x5

Chinups:
4
4
3

** Squat Notes:
The two days rest really helped with the muscle soreness. I look forward to the next week. I'm not really sure what happened on the first working set of 85#, I just didn't seem to have 5 full reps and only ended up going down halfway. However, the last two sets felt OK, but the last rep had a little squirm to the lift.

$$ Overhead Press Notes:
These really seemed to drain me. Each set was nearly to failure. The Second set, I could not get the last rep completely. After longer rest, I did complete the final set.

%% Pendlay RoW:
Did these in the Squat Rack, because the gym was slow this afternoon. This allowed me to work on my form a little more, because I did not have to lower the weight all the way to the ground. I still had some lower back rounding, but this was one thing I focused on.

Now for the bad.. This evening, I do have some slight lower back pain. I'm not sure if this is due to more weight, or bad form.

I am pretty happy about the workout today, but I do still have a couple of things to work on.

Cliff

HMM, Tha back pain was gone this morning, So I will assume the Soreness I was feeling last night was weight and not Injury related.

Also, after awaking this morning I feel really good. I don't have the usual quad soreness from doing squats.

Eating over the weekend seemed like way to much, but after calculating all my Food Intake, it wasn't that bad. Overall, this week I need to pay better attention to my Diet and Nutrition though. My Protein intake has been low and calories have been high (Fats and Carbs, or GREESE and Bread)..

Cliff

HMM, Last week was lost due to Illness. So, today was my first day back.

~10min Cardio Warmup Treadmill

Workout A:
Squats:
BWx10
45x5
Working: **
85X4
75x5
75x7

Bench Press:
45x5
75x5
Working: !!
95x5
95x5
95x5

RDL
45x5
65x5
85x5
Working: ##
95x5

Dips: @@
BWx5
BWx6

** Squat Notes:
I wanted to come back after a week and be able to lift as much as I last lifted. But NO... Actually on my first working set, I had to put the bar down on the safeties. I was glad to be in the Cage. Truly it was quite odd. Rep 1-3 were pregressively harder (as they should be), but on the 4th rep my legs just gave out. I dropped back to 75# for my last two sets and all was well except for my 7th rep on the last set. I lost some form and rolled onto the balls of my feet instead of staying back on my heals. :(

!! Bench Notes:
Not much to say here. My working sets of 95# were difficult but doable. I "May" have been able to get 1 or 2 more reps on my last set, but I didn't want to try without a spotter.. Overall, I feel much better about this Bench Press as compared to my last Bench Press.

## RDL Notes:
I did several Warmup Sets, mainly to help practice form with weight. I think my form is getting better. I put a lot of focus on arching and not rounding the lower back. Head back and Chest Up, However, My Knees seem to be getting in the way, should they, or should I be bent over farther?

@@ Dip Notes:
Can't complain, I keep adding more reps each time. Balance and stabilization was an issue on the first set, but not as much of an issue for the second set. These are still new, so I can only get better. :)

Overall, I'm pretty happy with my progress after missing a full week. I did gain a couple of pounds though, which isn't much of a surprise considering how I felt last week and how little I actually did.

I just wish my Squat Progress would move along as fast as my other lifts. Additionally, I'm beginning to see a pattern with the Squats. It seems as the first working set is always the hardest. I'm beginning to wonder if this might be a psychological issue, or a problem with my warmup sets. Any Ideas???

Cliff

Last night 10/14/2008

Cardio Warmup
10 min Treadmill with Target Heart Rate 151

Squats:
BWx10
45x5
45x5
75x3
80x5 -W
80x5 -W
80x5 -W

Press - Overhead:
45x5
75x5 - W
75x5 - W
75x5 - W

Bent/Pendlay Row:
45x5
65x5
80x5 - W
80x5 - W
80x8 - W

Chinups - Hammer/Neutral Grip Superset with Vertical Leg/hip Raises:
4 - 12
3 - 12

Squat Notes:
Overall, Not much to say I completed all Sets and Reps as planned. I think I seem to want to squirm a bit and push more with my right leg. Need to "fix" this issue as it may be what's holding me back some.

Overhead Press:
Kept the same weight as last press, because I did not complete all reps previously. I completed all reps, but the last couple were still difficult. I think I need to focus more on my shoulders when doing this lift.

Rows:
I did these in the Squat rack, using the lowest safety bar setting as the Deload/ground point. These felt pretty good, and I focused a lot of effort on keeping my lower back straight/semi arched instead of round. Once again, lower back strength and rounding are what is holding me back. I feel that I could easily Lift/pull more weight with my upper body, but my form fails at the lower back. This will get better.

Chins/leg raises:
I was a little rushed while doing these, so I didn't rest much. Not much to say, except I really need to work on the Chins More and harder.

Overall:
My Wife came to the Gym with me and I was a little rushed for most exercises and tried to shorten my rest periods between sets. I should not have done this, but since I had to wait for the Squat rack/cage to empty, she was almost halfway through her workout before I even began warming up with my Squats. I am extremely happy that she is returning to the Gym with me again though. I just wish we were once again doing the same type of routines so we could workout together.

Cliff

Tonight's Workout

Cardio Warmup/pre-exhaustion:
The last Fall League Softball Game. Played the whole game 1hr with 15-20min pre-game warm up. Pre-game warm up, Throwing, A few sprints, jogging, stretching.

Workout A:
Squats:
BW x 5
BW x 5
45 x 5
65 x 3
75 x 2
80 x 5 - W
80 x 5 - W
80 x 5 - W

Bench Press:
55 x 5
45 x 5
65 x 5
75 x 3
95 x 2
105 x 5 - W
105 x 5 - W
105 x 5 - W

RDL:
45 x 5
45 x 5
75 x 3
95 x 2
115 x 5 - W

Dips:
BW x 8
BW x 6
BW x 7

Squat Notes:
Stuck with 80# instead of increasing weight this workout. This is mainly due to playing softball (catcher) Prior to actually going to they gym. Still the last couple of reps I seemed to roll up on the balls of my feet instead of staying back on my heals.

Bench Notes:
Not much really to say. This was truly a good workout. At a couple of points, I was not sure if I would get the bar back up, but pushed through it and completed all reps. As well as added 10# to the bar. I was extremely happy to use the 25# plates and my next big milestone/goal is to use the 45# plates and lift a full 135#. But, that's still several weeks off.

RDL:
The Squat rack/Cage was empty and the gym was nearly empty. This allowed me to do these in the Cage. This is much easier than using the end of a Bench to start from. Progressed 20# on the Bar, but I think my last couple of reps had some Lower Back rounding again.. ARRGGHHH... Otherwise, I think my Form was "OK".

Dips:
Extremely Happy here. Added a full set (3 instead of 2), and more reps each set. But, My Triceps are really feeling it tonight.

Overall Notes:
All Warmup Sets were performed as described on the SS Wikia page and the XLS Spreadsheet. Except for the Squat, which I started with BW instead of 3 sets of 5 at 45#. Also, for all warm up sets, I kept at a steady pace, without any major breaks in between sets. IE: Do a set, get up or walk around add weight, go back and do the next warm up set, repeat. Upon completion of the last warmup set, I would then load the bar with the working load and rest a couple of minutes before teh first working set.

All Working set rest periods were at least 3 minutes and timed by a timer to ensure I actually rest. Amazingly, 3min seemed like a long time, which just goes to prove that I likely have not been resting this long in the previous workouts.

BTW: We won the Softball game against the Fall league Champion.

Cliff

Today's Workout

Cardio Warmup: None, just some strectching and straight to the weights

Workout B:

Squat:
BW x 5
BW x 5
45 x 5
65 x 3
75 x 2
85 x 5
85 x 5
85 x 5

Overhead Press:
45 x 5
45 x 5
65 x 3
75 x 2
85 x 5 - W
85 x 3 - W
85 x 3 - W

Pendlay/Bent Row:
45 x 5
45 x 5
65 x 3
75 x 2
85 x 5 - W
85 x 5 - W
85 x 8 - W

Chinups:
Skipped today - Running late to go to a Fall Festival with my daughters.

Overall, all Working Set rest periods were at least 3min. Everything felt pretty good except for the Overhead Press. I just couldn't get the reps even with good rest.

Squat Notes: I nailed all sets and reps. However, even before I stepped under the bar, my outer quads hurt pretty bad. Some Type of Doms I think, but not in the normal location. Usually, I get sore on the tops of my legs and not on the outside. I don't think this is an actual injury, but Time will tell I guess. No Bruising or anything like that.

Cliff

Last night 10/21/2008

Cardio Warmup
5 min Treadmill

Workout A:

Squats:
BW x 5
BW x 5
45 x 5
65 x 3
85 x 2
95 x 5 -W
95 x 5 -W
95 x 5 -W

Flat Bench:
45 x 5
45 x 5
65 x 5
75 x 3
95 x 2
105 x 5 -W
105 x 5 -W
105 x 5 -W

RDL:
45 x 5
45 x 5
85 x 3
105 x 2
125 x 5

Dips:
BW x 10
BW x 3
BW x 5

Squat Notes:
My Legs were still sore on the outside of my legs, but not as bad as my previous workout on Sunday. I felt some pressure on my knee that I have never felt while Squatting, but this started with my BW Warmups. I fought through the Discomfort though and for some reason, didn't have much trouble with the added weight. There were only about 2 reps where I wanted to roll forward onto the balls of my feet.

Bench Press:
Still a few slow reps, and really didn't feel much better than my last bench press. I didn't squirm on the bench, but had some trouble with Bar Stability.

Deadlift:
Overall Felt Good no Complaints. This seems to be progressing pretty well.

Dips:
Not enough rest between the sets. My wife and I were ready to get out of the Gym at that point. The First set felt great though, but I should have stopped at 8 instead of going to Failure. This would likely have allowed me to do more reps on the following sets.

Overall Notes:
It felt really good working out. I kept my Daily Calories in check, but my Lunch was bad (High in Carbs and FAT). Additionally, I ate then went straight to the Gym, which is not normal. Typically, I would try and wait at least an hour or more before working out. Dinner: Half Sandwich and Soup from Panera.

Cliff

Last Night's Workout...

Cardio Warm up:
7min stationary Bike. (I really don't like stationary bikes)

Workout B:

Squats:
BW x 5 %%
BW x 5 %%
45 x 5 %%
75 x 3 %%
95 x 2
105 x 5 - W
105 x 5 - W
105 x 5 - W

Overhead Press:
45 x 5
45 x 5
65 x 3
75 x 2
80 x 5 - W
80 x 5 - W
80 x 5 - W

Pendlay/Bent Row:
45 x 5
45 x 5
65 x 3
85 x 2
95 x 5 - W
95 x 5 - W
95 x 5 - W

Chinups:
Skipped again, due to waiting on the squat cage/rack for to long and running short on time at the end of my workout... ARRGGHHH.....

Squat Notes:
Overall Felt pretty good and still progressing...
%% - Performed on the Smith Machine because the cage was full for a long time.

Press Notes:
Dropped weight to try and reset due to slow and missed reps the last try. Completed reps, but still slow on a couple. If these don't improve on the next Press Day, I will consider changing my Warmups routine for these.

Row Notes:
The First 3 Warm Up sets were done as a Bent/Row and without deweighting. The Working Sets and last warm up set were Done in the Cage and deweighting on the safety bars.

Overall Notes:
My lower back is getting stronger, as well as my mental ability to hold proper form/position. I notice this due to less rounding during Rows.

Cliff

Yesterday's Workout...

Cardio Warm up:
~5 minutes jogging on the Track...

Workout A:

Squats:
BW x 5
BW x 5
55 x 5 #
85 x 3 #
105 x 2 #
115 x 5 #
115 x 5
115 x 5

Flat Bench Press:
45 x 5
45 x 5
65 x 5
85 x 3
100 x 2
110 x 5
110 x 2
110 x 2 **

RDL:
45 x 5
45 x 5
95 x 3
115 x 3 !!
135 x 5

Squat Notes:
# These were performed on the Smith, because I didn't have time to wait for the Cage. :(
Otherwise, these Felt pretty good, but there really is a big difference in using the Smith and Freeweight. All else being equal, I really don't like the "Feel" of the Smith Squats...

Bench Notes:
WOW, These were exceptionally Bad this week. the First working set was hard, but didn't seem that bad. I guess I was wrong...
** Complete Failure and needed help raising the bar off my chest...

RDL Notes:
!! Should have only been 2 reps, but I got carried away.. oops...
My Flexibility is getting better, and I am able to go deeper with these. Actually on my Working set, I was able to set the weight on the ground and still keep pretty good form. I may switch these out for standard Deadlifts in the Future.

Overall:
A Bit rushed today, and My head wasn't fully into lifting. I think this "may" have been part of the problem with the Bench. I will reset to a lower weight on the Bench and work my way up Slower this time.

Oddly, My Legs weren't as sore as normal after my squats. I'm not sure if this had anything to do with using the Smith or not. I was outside and did quite a bit of walking directly after my workout, which kept me semi-loose and the blood flowing.

My Diet has not been very good the past couple of days. :(

Cliff

OK, Life is getting in the way of my workouts.. Sick Kids and Work have caused me to miss 3 normal Gym Days..

Hopefully, I can get my project out tonight and be back in the gym tomorrow.

Poor Eating, Little Sleep..
I'm not going to try and start back where I left off. I will drop a few pounds and work my way back up..

Cliff