ExRx.net

In the interests of saving the rainforests (and my garage) from the constant molestation of tree-based paper products I have decided to start my very own ExRx online training journal.

As you can probably tell from my log I currently follow a modified Starting Strength program, although I'm looking to switch to 5/3/1 in the not-to-distant future.

Any questions, comments and kudos are most welcome!

have some kudos! great to see the log.

i hope keeping it helps you half as much as mine helped me this year.

that said, don't forget to enjoy Christmas!

Did you slip while doing squats?

I did, it was scary.

Omg. Atleast you were able to keep going.

Talc has the opposite function. It's more of a lubricant. So, yeah. I'd think chalk would be a lot better.

@Jungledoc, agreed. I was only using the talc to aid with blisters and calluses. I kind of didn't realise it was having the adverse affect of messing with my grip since it was only really a problem on the deads and chin ups. That and I use it on my shins when I deadlift as well.

How well does that work?

@Jungledoc: The talc works a treat - otherwise I have a propensity to get scabby shins from the bar knurls.

Updated my body weight today; I've put on about a key (2-3 lbs) since the last check but with the strength gains I've been making-not to mention the holiday period in my wake-I'm not too surprised. If anything it's what I expected. With a bit more consistency in my training and eating I should see those lbs drop pretty steadily.

In preparation for my transition to a 5/3/1 based program I've decided to undertake a critical appraisal of my form on all major lifts. Here are some preliminary observations from this workout:

Squat:
I have been experiencing some minor tendinitis in what feels like the anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS) and/or the tensor fascia latae (TFL). According to Rippetoe and Kilgore (SS) this could be caused and/or exacerbated by letting the knees slide forward at the bottom of the movement, thereby increasing tension at the hip and creating a more acute knee angle. It could also be the case that I've been hitting the hips too hard under the SS program (i.e. squatting three times a week might be too much). Either way I have to concentrate on getting the knees right, when to extend etc.

Bench:
As far as I can tell it's fine. I know that my bench is probably set too high relative to the length of my legs but until I a) get a new bench or b) join a gym, there's not much I can do about it. This means that for the time being my bench is lacking the full benefit of drive through the posterior chain, but that isn't such a problem for what is, after all, a chest exercise.

Deadlift:
This is a difficult lift to evaluate in the absence of a coach and/or advanced training partner(s). At the moment it feels right and I'm making progress but I can't be completely sure. One occasional hiccup I have is extending my knees forward too early during the eccentric phase of the movement, sometimes resulting in a bashing of the tops of my knees. This is usually remedied by concentrating harder.

I use a mixed grip on my heaviest sets but I do NOT alternate between which hand is in which position set to set or between workouts). The problem is that my left hand is somewhat over-pronated. This means I cannot comfortably supinate my left forearm relative to my grip. This could be a problem if it affects development.

Press:
I'm having a tough time figuring out exactly where my grip should be in terms of width - must consult SS to try and figure it out. I'm experiencing a few problems due to my over-pronated left hand (it's out of axis with my wrist). Keep an eye on this.

let me know if you would like me to try and get you a free guest pass for the globogym i use - can snailmail to you if you'd like.

Ooh, sounds grand. Sometime this week I'm going to visit the locals gyms and find out what kind of deals I can get, but it might be good to pay a free visit to said globogym and see what that's like.

Cheers!

(PM me if you manage to hook something up)

will see what i can do - jan/feb's a pretty easy time for gyms - all the short-term-guilt-driven-flash-in-the-pan customers are attending. hopefully they're still interested in attempting to generate new customers.

I felt awesome and hit a PB squat today (Mon 10/01). Heard a few cracks and pops though, hoping my hips are okay tomorrow.

Got stuck on my bloody bench press again though. Feels more psychological though - nobody spotting can be daunting on those upper reps.

It's high time I joined a Gym!

I saw you're pullup ladder information request.

The one i'm doing works like this.

1 rep - 30 sec rest.
2 reps - 30 sec rest.
3 reps - 30 sec rest.
4 reps - 30 sec rest.
5 reps - 30 sec rest.

then back to 1 rep and repeat until the sequence breaks down. The next time you do it try and beat your previous total reps. If going to 5 reps is too hard, and believe me it's not as easy as it looks, just got to 4 or even 3 reps. See what works.