GSP's Better late than never 3X5...

[GSP]

I'm finally taking the plunge and Starting Mark Rippetoe's 'Starting Strength' program. At 32, I'm figuring it's time to at least build a balanced foundation to work with. I only wish I'd been exposed to these Core lifts when I was 17, and growing like a weed just from eating, and doing Bench Press, Leg Extensions, and 17 variations of curls. I've been running marathons for the past couple of years, though I'll be stopping most of my running for the first few months just give my body a chance to adjust.

I've already been running the exercises in SS for about 2 months, but only 2X per week instead of 3 and with no squat progression attempted, as I've been recovering from some running related injuries. I'll also have to drop BB Bench in favor of DB. I think I'm finally over the hump now, and will start adding weight, and switch to the program's 3X workout in another week. The only modification I've made is to sub DB bench press in place of BB, due to some shoulder impingement issues I have, and Pendlay rows for Power Cleans for lack of coaching available on the latter.


Beginning stats:

5'11"
175 lbs.
BF - 13-15%

My starting point on each exercise will be:

ATG Squats: 3X5 X 130 lbs. (this is 45 pounds lighter than my previous 5 rep Max, but I'd rather ease back into this rather than kill my groin again)
DB Bench: 3X5 X 60's
Pendlay Rows: 3X5 X 140

Standing Press: 3X5 X 105
Deadlift: 1X5 X 190

I'm dialing in my diet for about 1lb a week in body weight gains initially, I'll adjust up or down depending on how that seems to work after a month or so.

I probably won't log a workout by workout journal, but will bump this thread and report overall progress every week or two, and whenever I start hitting some sticking points on the various lifts, which will hopefully be later rather than sooner!

 

[Protobuilder]

Welcome! Looking forward to seeing some progress. Rip's program is a great starting point.

At 32, I'm figuring it's time to at least build a balanced foundation to work with. I only wish I'd been exposed to these Core lifts when I was 17

My sentiments exactly. If I'd been doing 5x5 w/ basic lifts back when I had that youthful hormonal profile, I'd like to think I wouldn't have graduated a spindly 135. LoL You and I have roughly the same stats--fairly tall, lean (nice way of saying skinny), and not naturally strong. LoL

Good luck w/ your program!

 

[anotherbutters]

That's an excellent program to start on. Your weights ought to rocket at this stage. Good luck!

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

That's an excellent program to start on. Your weights ought to rocket at this stage. Good luck!

Quiet old guy.

 

[Protobuilder]

^^ You ruin everything.

 

[Cynical Simian]

Welcome and good luck!

Obviously, it's your call how much time you want to spend on this journal, but updating after each workout might be useful even while things are going smoothly.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

^^ You ruin everything.

I know.

 

[GSP]

and not naturally strong. LoL

What are you talking about, I'll have you know I can leg press 450 lbs, lol! I just don't do squats because they're bad for your back and knees.

updating after each workout might be useful even while things are going smoothly.

I may just do that. I was trying not to get in the habit of obsessing about the numbers for each workout, but who am I kidding, I'll do that no matter what.

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

 

[GSP]

4/17 - Workout A

Squat (3X5) 110 lbs.
DB Bench (3X5) 60's
Pendlay Row (3X5) 135 lbs.

Comments: I decided to start with the 3X per week and progression on squats a week early, My groin pull from Dec. felt fully recovered for the first time, so I jumped in a few pounds lighter than projected and will ramp up 10 lbs. per workout until that stalls. Everything felt good, DB Bench is a big shoulder improvement for me over BB bench, though getting the weights into position to start the first rep causes some pain, I'll need to get this technique down right to avoid problems as weight increases.

 

[GSP]

4/19 - Workout B

Squat (3X5) 120 lbs
Standing Press (3X5) 100 lbs
Deadlift (1X5) 205 lbs

Comments: Great workout. My weight is acting goofy right now. I just finished a 10 week caloric deficit (lost 15 lbs) and was sitting around 175 last Monday. Did some big time eating/drinking over a long weekend and weighed 185 on Monday and then 180 today. I'm figuring my glycogen levels were just reseting and 180 is probably my new norm. Kinda sucks because I was just starting to see some abs then bam, nothing. Not a big deal as I wasn't expecting to keep them, but I thought I could enjoy them a week or two!

 

[GSP]

4/21 - Workout A

Squats (3X5) 130 lbs
DB Bench (3X5) 65's
Pendlay Rows (3X5) 140 lbs

Friday Weigh in: 179.9 lbs


Comments: Still feeling great on squats. Fingers crossed for another full week of 10 lb. jumps per workout, though if I make that, I think it will be time for smaller increments. Probably no more 10 lb total jumps on the DB Bench left in me either, which is the tricky one. I use ankle weights in .5 lb increments for fractional loading, I'll have to toy around with making these work on DB's. They are rubberized so they won't hold the magnetic plates like all metal DB's.

 

[GSP]

4/24 - Workout B

Squats (3X5) 140
Standing Press (3X5) 110
Deadlift (1X5) 215

Comments. Good workout, squats are finally starting to feel like a little work instead of a slingshot rebound out of the hole, pretty sure I've got at least 2 more 10 lb jumps left in me on that though. Standing press is starting to stick w/5 pound jumps. I finished all 3 sets of 5 but with a lot of effort on the last 2 reps. Deads still climbing easily in 10 lb. increments. I did feel my double overhand grip get a bit fatigued on the last rep today, so that will become a factor sometime in the near future.

Note: Technically, every lift I'm doing is a PR right now, as these are all new exercises to me (I used to do Hammer Strength Deads, BP and Press). My PR on squat was 170, but that was to parallel, I'm true ATG now so there's really no translation. I'll start logging PR's as such from here on out.

 

[Cynical Simian]

I've been following your updates but haven't had much to post since everything's going well so far. I have one comment on "slingshot rebound," although, if you were just referring to the speed/ease of ascent, it's not an issue. Making sure you're staying tight at the bottom while going ATF is easier on your knees than an uncontrolled "bounce" out of the hole.

 

[GSP]

. I have one comment on "slingshot rebound," although, if you were just referring to the speed/ease of ascent, it's not an issue. Making sure you're staying tight at the bottom while going ATF is easier on your knees than an uncontrolled "bounce" out of the hole.

Yeah, I was just referring to the speed/ease of ascent. I've been making a brief pause at the bottom position during each rep, it's just with the lighter weight, it felt like the elastic energy out of the bottom did all the work and I didn't even have to try. Sadly, it appears those days are coming to an end

Going so light initially was one of the best decisions I've ever made regarding workouts. It really gave me a chance to nail my form. It took a few weeks with nothing but 25's on the bar to do that, but it was definitely time well spent.

 

[GSP]

4/26 - Workout A

Squats (3X5) 150
DB Bench (3X5) 67.5's
Pendlay Rows (3X5) 145

Comments: First 2 squat sets sucked - lot's of minor joint pains for some reason plus a ghost of tendonitis past , but the third set was awesome.

The fractional weighting on the dumbells worked surprisingly well. I had to play around with how to strap the weight on and keep them balanced when getting in position, but no major problems with it. That was comforting since small increments will obviously be a big part of my ability to progress with DB's.

Last week I didn't think I would manage another 5 pound jump on rows, but I was feeling pretty good by the time they rolled around today, and actually had a very good 3 sets, better than 140 was for me last friday.

 

[anotherbutters]

Going so light initially was one of the best decisions I've ever made regarding workouts. It really gave me a chance to nail my form. It took a few weeks with nothing but 25's on the bar to do that, but it was definitely time well spent.

That's good to hear!

What's the shoulder issue that's stopping you from bench pressing? You mentioned SS. I assume you have the Starting Strength book and you've read all about bench press form, tucking your elbows in, etc?

If your squats are getting tough, start making smaller increases. It's better to keep the increases going up, even slowly, rather than miss a rep and have to retry on the next workout.

 

[GSP]

What's the shoulder issue that's stopping you from bench pressing? You mentioned SS. I assume you have the Starting Strength book and you've read all about bench press form, tucking your elbows in, etc?

If your squats are getting tough, start making smaller increases. It's better to keep the increases going up, even slowly, rather than miss a rep and have to retry on the next workout.

I don't have a medical diagnosis on my shoulder, I've always thought it was an impingement. It hurts during just about every exercise I do, but bench is the only one that seems to have lingering effects. I haven't ever been able to comfortably perform BB Inclines, the pain during flat bench has just been the last few years though. I do have Rippetoe's book, it's been worth it's weight in gold. I spent several weeks working on the bench form. It did reduce the pain, but it still got intense enough after 3-4 workouts where I had to take 2 weeks off from pressing. I was pretty quick to ditch it for DB's, especially given that Rippetoe seems to be a big advocate of DB Bench (says he prefers it over BB in his book, but that BB is the standard so he teaches that). Even with DB's, I've found that the lowest incline setting seems to be the best fit for me.

That's good advice on the squats. I was planning on dropping to 5 lb. increments next week. I might do it tomorrow depending on how I feel

 

[GSP]

4/28 - Workout B

Squats (3X5) 160 PR
Standing Press (3X5) 113 PR
Deadlift (1X5) 225 PR

Friday Weigh-in: 182.0 lbs.

Comments: Playtime is definitely over. Hit the 160 squats pretty good, but I'm feeling it now. That will be my last 10 lb jump. If I'm fortunate, I'll get another 4-5 workouts with 5 lb increases.

Standing press is going to be a real challenge for me going forward, as all shoulder exercises always have been. I went up 3 pounds from Monday, and it's taking max effort from me to complete the last 2 reps of the 3rd set. I'll be keeping the progression in smaller increments from here on out.

Deads are still feeling real good. The fatigue from squatting is starting to affect me a bit more now, but the 10 lb increase was still a comfortable one, and I didn't feel like I was flirting with failure at any point. Double overhand grip is still holding out for me, we'll see how much longer. I've got a few more 10 lb jumps left in me on this. Deads are definitely my most natural lift. I've felt very comfortable with them from day 1.

 

[anotherbutters]

Congrats on the PRs!

Do you have any plans on what you'll do when the 3x per week increases slow down? Are you going to carry on pushing with smaller increases, or switch to something like the SF 5x5?

Wow, you've put on 7lbs in 2 weeks!

 

[GSP]

Congrats on the PRs!

Do you have any plans on what you'll do when the 3x per week increases slow down? Are you going to carry on pushing with smaller increases, or switch to something like the SF 5x5?

Wow, you've put on 7lbs in 2 weeks!

Thanks! Right now I'm planning on pushing ahead with Rippetoe's program with smaller increments, and less frequent increases in poundages. Ultimately, I think I'll end up transitioning to the SF 5X5, but I'd like to squeeze all the gains I can out of this program. I'll probably stay with it until I can no longer hit 2.5% increases weekly in poundages, at that point, I'll either go 5X5 or reset a few weeks back and make one more 3X5 run.

I'll be honest, the weight gain is tough for me. Not actually gaining it, but I've never purposely ate to gain, and it's psychologically tough at times. I've probably only actually put on 4-5 'real' pounds. I came immediately off a caloric deficit, so the first few pounds were simply water and glycogen reseting to their normal levels. I'll keep pushing it up as long I still fit in my pants. I started a 33" waist, and most of my pants are 34's, when I gain fat, I can do fine in those until I get in the low 190's, then they start getting pretty snug. Since a good chunk of this weight will hopefully be lean mass, I could see myself getting up to 193-195 before needing to strip a few pounds of fat off.

 

[anotherbutters]

I'm inclined to think that dropping down to one PR per week (SF5x5), or ideally something in between the 3x5 and SF5x5 would be better than resetting a few weeks and trying the 3x5 again.

But you're not there yet. Hopefully you'll have a few more weeks on the 3x5.

 

[Protobuilder]

Congrats on your string of PRs! Looking real good so far. Ride those PRs as long as possible. I recently came off a 15 week run on the SF 5x5 so if you have questions, I may be able to help.

Keep it up!

 

[GSP]

I'm inclined to think that dropping down to one PR per week (SF5x5), or ideally something in between the 3x5 and SF5x5 would be better than resetting a few weeks and trying the 3x5 again.

But you're not there yet. Hopefully you'll have a few more weeks on the 3x5.

I hope so too. The more I think about it, I think my first tweak to the scheme will be to lighten the Wed. Squats, and go for Mon and Fri PR's, then ultimately 1X PR's. When that stalls, it's on to 5X5.

You mentioned something 'in between' 3X5 and 5X5, any ideas on that? I'm coming off a very low volume 2X program, and a gradual transition into the 5X5 workload might be a great option for me.

 

[GSP]

Congrats on your string of PRs! Looking real good so far. Ride those PRs as long as possible. I recently came off a 15 week run on the SF 5x5 so if you have questions, I may be able to help.

Keep it up!

Thanks Bro! 15 weeks is a great run on the 5X5 based on the journals I've seen on it, that takes some serious effort - effort that I have a new found respect for after just a few weeks doing 3X5.

 

[Cynical Simian]

I'm not sure what he meant by an "in between" program either, perhaps just sticking with this layout, going by feel a bit and adding weight more frequently than once per week if you think you can.

Workload-wise, the SF 5x5 would probably be what you're looking for as a transition out of the 3x5, since the sets are ramped rather than "real" 5x5 with 5 sets of the same weight (straight sets).

 

[anotherbutters]

I didn't have anything in particular in mind, but something like you're idea of turning Wednesdays into light days and only attempting 2 PRs per week is the kind of thing I meant. Just small changes like that to keep you going. Two PRs per week for a few weeks is obviously better than jumping straight onto the SF 5x5.

And like CS said, switching from flat sets of 5 to ramped sets will make the top sets easier, so that's another thing to try. Don't do both things at the same time though. Maybe swap to light squats on Wednesdays first, then when that gets tough, change one or both of the other sessions to ramped sets. Play around with the other exercises too - you get the idea.

 

[GSP]

5/1 - Workout A

Squats (3X5) 165 PR
DB Bench (3X5) 70's PR
Pendlay Rows (3X5) 148 PR

Comments: Good Workout all around. The time was definitely right for the switch to 5 lb. jumps on squat instead of 10.

DB bench is feeling good. The tough part for me is getting the weight into position and getting the first rep, the last 4 are fine, but the first one is like doing 2 as far as fatigue. I

Decided to slow down the progression on rows a bit. Seemed like a good choice too, the last rep of the 3rd set was a complete one, but didn't have the acceleration of the other reps.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Well you can't complain about 3 PR's in a workout. Congrats.

 

[GSP]

Well you can't complain about 3 PR's in a workout. Congrats.

Thanks man! Nope, not much to complain about (except that I ate like a pig this weekend and was almost a half pound lighter than on Friday - This gaining stuff takes some effort!)

 

[GSP]

5/3 - Workout B

Squats (3X5) 170 PR
Standing Press (3X5) 115 PR
Deadlift (1X5) 235 PR

Comments: Real good workout today. My wife mentioned she thought I might be leaning too far forward on my squats. I did an extra couple reps at the end with lighter weight and asked her to make sure of 2 things - that my hips were well below my knees and that the bar stayed directly over my feet for the whole rep. Yes on both counts - I have a long torso and I don't think she's used to seeing someone who folds in quite so much at full depth. Just the same, I'm taking a vid of the next workout to double check.

Standing press was very good today, much easier than 113 last Friday.

Deads continue to go well, still using double overhand grip. I think I'll start going with 5 lb. jumps from here on out. I wasn't close to failure or anything, but I'm really starting to feel the fatigue, and I'm finding if a Wed workout is taxing, better to go more conservative the next week when I'll be up for the exercises 2X.

 

[GSP]

5/5 - Workout A

Squats (3X5) 175 PR
DB Bench (3X5) 72.5's PR
Pendlay rows (3X5) 150 PR

Friday Weigh in: 183.8 lbs.

Comments: Great workout today on all 3 lifts. Squats continue to go well. My wife taped the last 2 sets, and I have to say my form was pretty darn good

DB Bench reps are slow going up each rep, but I continue to be able to handle 5 lb. total increases (2.5 per DB) each workout.

Rows were the best session I've had on these. I could really feel my shoulders pulling together in the back on every rep.

I need to slow down the weight gain a bit. I'm eating mostly very good, but lot's. I'm positive there is muscle going on, I can see and feel it especially in my thighs. But I don't want to have to do a 3-4 week cut too early either, as I certainly can't afford a whole new work wardrobe. Still fitting into 33" jeans though, but a bit more snug. Think I'll cut milk out of my shakes, which should reduce about 300-400 Kcal per day.

Next week will be a challenge. I'm on the road all week for work, and will have to find gyms in the area as well as the spare time to get in my workouts.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Congrats on the PR's. It's nice you've got db's that go up in 2.5lb increments. A lot of the gym's I've been to only go up in 5lb increments, which makes it hard to keep it going.

My wife taped the last 2 sets, and I have to say my form was pretty darn good

Post 'em up

 

[GSP]

...It's nice you've got db's that go up in 2.5lb increments. A lot of the gym's I've been to only go up in 5lb increments, which makes it hard to keep it going.

Actually, my gym has the typical 5 lb. increments on their DB's. I rig them up with ankle weights that have .5 lb. increments on them, so it gives me a lot of options with how much weight I add.

I agree about the 5 lbs. jumps being tough. Obviously, I was able to make those jumps for the first couple workouts, but I would have already hit a sticking point with them I think If I only been able to make the jump in 5's.

 

[GSP]

5/8 - Workout A

Squat (3X5) 180 PR
Standing Press (3X5) 118 PR
Deadlift (1X5) 130

Comments: Dragged my sorry ass out of bed at 4:30 to make this one happen. I'll say this, I wouldn't wish the pain of early morning squats on my worst enemy, absolutely brutal! But still got another 5 lbs. on the bar so all is good.

Standing press was tough again but still got it done.

I broke my chain of Deadlift PR's through my own stupidity (wasn't the first time and won't be the last). I was in a hurry to get out of the gym by 6:00 am to get on site for work, so I didn't look at my training log. I ended up adding 5 lbs. to my Deadlifts from the week before last, instead of last Wed. Oh well. I'll get it on Friday. The Knurling on the bar at the gym I was at felt like it was etched in with a hack saw, I'm lucky to have any skin on my hands right now.

 

[Jim Ouini]

I know lots of people do it, but there's no way I could get up at 4:30 and lift, much less squat. Great work.

BTW, I know it's hard to say but how much in the tank do you feel you have on, say, your squat and deadlift?

 

[GSP]

Yeah, it's safe to say that 5:00 am PR attempts will not be a staple of my program going forward!

Like you said, it's tough to project where my sticking points are going to be. When I first started the program, I was hoping to take squats to 185-190 and Deadlifts to 250. Knock on wood in advance here, but I think if I play my cards right and everything falls into place, I'll be able to ride this out into the low 200's on squats and hopefully to 270 on deadlifts.

Starting this week, I'm only attempting 2 weekly PR's on squat (I may make Friday my light day just for this week since that will be another early a.m. workout and my Wed. session should be more normal hours). I'm also strongly considering reconfiguring the exercises to where I only perform Deadlifts on Wed. during the light squat day ala Starr's 5X5 (with a ramped set of 3 instead of a 1X5). My goal at this point is to hit 1 more squat PR this week, then 2 next week as well. At that point, I'll see if I can run a few more weeks at 1X PR's

 

[anotherbutters]

Sounds good to me. Congrats on the progress so far - it's going like clockwork!

 

[GSP]

5/11 - Workout A

Squats (3X5) 185 PR
DB Bench (3X5) 75's PR
Pendlay Rows (3X5) 153 PR

Comments: I hesitate to call any workout with 3 PR's crappy, but another odd-hour workout just isn't hacking it. I couldn't get away from a business dinner this evening until 8:30 central time, which is 9:30 my time. The squats were actually fantastic, I haven't had a 5 pound jump feel this easy since 165.

DB press was tough on the last set but I got it. I was starting to feel wiped at this point.

Rows sucked. The gym didn't have 35's, so I actually had a slightly smaller ROM with the 45's. The last rep I damn near failed on, I took a 3-4 second rest/pause between the 4th and 5th rep to get a good deep breath before the lift. I'm considering this an anomaly for now, as 150 was a good session for me at home last week.

Since I got a day off schedule this week, I'll do a Sat. session then get back on my MWF schedule next week.

 

[anotherbutters]

If you're in a different gym, there might well be more than 3lb difference in the weights due to manufacturing tolerances.

Congrats on the PRs! It's good to hear the squats are still going up nicely.

 

[GSP]

If you're in a different gym, there might well be more than 3lb difference in the weights due to manufacturing tolerances.

Congrats on the PRs! It's good to hear the squats are still going up nicely.

I thought of that. It was the same bar and 45's that I used on squat, maybe some of the smaller plates had some variation.

 

[anotherbutters]

Sorry, for some reason I thought you were out of town or something, and in a different gym.

 

[GSP]

5/13 Workout B

Squats (3X5) 145
Standing Press (3X5) 120 PR
Deadlift (1X5) 245 PR

Sat. Weigh-in: 182.5

Comments: Backing off on the squats felt great, definitely the right move. It carried over into Deads too, the 245 went up with no problem - I had 2-3 reps left in me. This new arrangement (which will be my Wed workout from here out) should keep my deads moving up longer. The strain of PR's on squat and deads on the same day was starting to become too taxing.

Standing press was great as well, all 3 sets were good - only the last rep of the last set was tough.

Odd to see the scale drop back almost a pound and a half in a week. I ate out about 12 times this week. My only speculation is that drinking all that milk was causing a lot of water retention, and cutting it out last week reduced that. Not concerning to me though since I was actually worried about gaining too much too quickly.

 

[GSP]

Sorry, for some reason I thought you were out of town or something, and in a different gym.

You were right, I was out of town in a different gym. I just meant I used the same bar and 45 lb. plates for squats and rows. There definitely could have been a weight difference, or simply a bad row workout for me, who knows.

 

[Cynical Simian]

The pull with the height of the 45s is a bit of an adjustment, but you might want to get used to using them instead of 35s. Oh, and of course congrats on the PRs.

 

[GSP]

The pull with the height of the 45s is a bit of an adjustment, but you might want to get used to using them instead of 35s. Oh, and of course congrats on the PRs.

I would have expected them to be a bit easier since the bar was higher off the ground - but then again, it would have been a slightly different motor pattern than what I get with 35's.

Are 45's preferrable to 35's for bar height? I've been leaving the 35's on despite being high enough in poundages for 45's because I was told at one time that the 35's gave a better ROM for the rows. Would I be better off making the switch to 45's instead?

 

[Jim Ouini]

Probably true for deadlifting but for rowing if your back is parallel and you extend your arms isn't that the ROM. Doesn't seem like it'd change much because the plates are smaller. Although when I was doing < 45's on my rows I wasn't able to deload the weights between reps. You might be built differently.

Either that or I haven't had my coffee yet

 

[Cynical Simian]

I would have expected them to be a bit easier since the bar was higher off the ground - but then again, it would have been a slightly different motor pattern than what I get with 35's.

Are 45's preferrable to 35's for bar height? I've been leaving the 35's on despite being high enough in poundages for 45's because I was told at one time that the 35's gave a better ROM for the rows. Would I be better off making the switch to 45's instead?

There're a couple of reasons I prefer 45s:
1. Necessity. I work out at home and have only one pair of 35s. My weights are still low enough that I could use 35s and smaller plates, but I plan on getting strong enough that it wouldn't be possible without buying additional small plates.
2. Comfort. I'm about an inch taller than you and found that 45s worked better for keeping my back/legs at the appropriate angles. Even though <45s give a better ROM, I don't like the slightly downward back angle or larger amount of knee bend.

Like Jim said, depending on your proportions, and if you can keep using 35s as long as you want, it doesn't really matter as long as you're consistent.

 

[GSP]

I never thought of it that way but it makes sense. The only real difference is the amount of bend in the legs between 35's and 45's. I may just switch to 45's for the simple reason that I travel quite a bit with work, and I'm always going to be able to find 45's at a gym - 35's are hit or miss in my experience.

Thanks for the feedback guys.

 

[GSP]

5/15 - Workout A

Squats (3X5) 190 PR
DB Bench (3X5) 77.5's PR
Pendlay Rows (3X5) 155 PR

Comments: Great workout. Squats really seemed to hit my glutes today. No change in form or anything, it just seems that I feel squat workouts more in different areas from week to week. Last week my quads and hips seemed more taxed than other areas.

DB Press was a killer on the last rep of the last set. It took me around 7-8 seconds to get it all the way locked out. I hate to say it, but If that was a row or dead, I probably would have failed - but there's something psychologically motivating about being under the weight as opposed to over it. I had to do flat bench last week instead of 15% incline due to equipment availablilty, I think the jump might have been stretching it given my week+ layoff from the exact exercise. I'll make a smaller jump on Friday.

Rows were great. 155 all 3 sets with no issues at all. Felt good since I struggled with the last row workout.

One other note. The shoulder pain I've been struggling with has improved every week of this program and is almost completely gone. I don't know if I had a muscular imbalance between pushing and pulling that I'm correcting now, or if all the machine work I've done over the last few years left my stabilizer muscles severely lacking - but things are looking good! If this continues, when I run my next cycle on 5X5, I'll give BB bench a run, but first things first....

 

[Jim Ouini]

Congrats. The hits just keep on comin'.

BTW speaking of push/pull imbalance, I noticed that your BB row is about the same as your DB press (77.5 x 2 = 155). Is that by design or just the way it worked out?

 

[GSP]

Congrats. The hits just keep on comin'.

BTW speaking of push/pull imbalance, I noticed that your BB row is about the same as your DB press (77.5 x 2 = 155). Is that by design or just the way it worked out?

Thanks Bro. No, the current equality between my DB Bench and Rows was not planned, though I suspect it might be at least a part of the reason I'm improving in the shoulder right now. By hitting DB press instead of BB, I inadvertantly choose an exercise that by nature wasn't going to progress as quickly as a barbell variety. Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

 

[GSP]

5/17 - Workout B

Squats (3X5) 145
Standing Press (3X5) 123 PR

Deadlift
1X5 - 195
1X5 - 230
1X5 - 253 PR

Comments: The Bar I ended up with in the power rack was bent towards one end. Didn't notice during squats (though my wife damn near tipped over during her last set), but on my last Standing press set , the bar shifted in my hand due to the bend when I was at full lockout, and I almost lost control of it. Only open bar so I used it for deads too, same problem almost stripped the bar out my hands halfway up my heavy set.

My gym has recently been acquired by another company, and I suspect we had some crap pawned off on our location, as I had never seen this particular bar before. I told 3 different people at the desk and stuck the bar in the hallway. I don't lose my temper easily, but if I ever see that bar in the rack again I'm going to go ape shit!

But I digress. 2 more PR's, a good day overall.

 

[GSP]

5/19 - Workout A

Squats (3X5) 195 PR

DB Bench
1X5 - 78.5's
1X5 - 78.5's
1X4 + Failed last rep - 78.5's

Pendlay Rows (3X5) 157 PR

Friday Weigh in: 183.5 lbs

Comments: Great squats. Next week I'm dropping to 1 PR attempt per week on these. Not sure if it will be Monday or Friday's yet.

DB Bench marks the first failed rep since I started the program, it was very demoralizing. I started getting the last rep up, but I realized my butt was coming off the bench so I aborted the attempt. I think I've been jumping up too quickly since around 70-72.5's. I will reset this back to 71 or 72 next week and proceed with smaller increments.

Rows went fine. Felt like crap because of the failed DB Bench attempt, but still got all 3 sets with little issue.

 

[Cynical Simian]

It's frustrating when the string of PRs stops, but, as you know, it's inevitable, and you've made great and steady progress so far. You might want to consider trying the same weights again next week on DB press and then increasing in smaller increments from there. Perhaps hold off on a reramp until you stall for a couple workouts in a row at the same weight.

Congrats on the PRs.

 

[GSP]

It's frustrating when the string of PRs stops, but, as you know, it's inevitable, and you've made great and steady progress so far. You might want to consider trying the same weights again next week on DB press and then increasing in smaller increments from there. Perhaps hold off on a reramp until you stall for a couple workouts in a row at the same weight.

Congrats on the PRs.

Yeah, I'm probably jumping the gun a bit by resetting so quickly. I'll give the same weight a go on Wed. That's also my light squat day now so I should be able to give it 100%. I am starting to find the PR squat days make most everything else I do a lot more difficult.

 

[GSP]

5/22 - Workout B

Squats (3X5) 200 PR
Standing Press (3X5) 125 PR
Pendlay Rows (3X5) 160 PR

Comments: Squats went fantastic today. I was actually a bit surprised, as every Friday I feel extremely fatigued and worry another 5 lbs. will stick me, but then the next Monday it goes up great. Even had me thinking about another jump on Friday, but I'll stick with my better judgement and stay at 1X PR attempts to try and get 4-6 more weeks out of the program. At this point, I've got my sights set on 2 plates on each side for the end of this run.

Standing press and Rows both went well. As crappy as I felt after failing on DB Bench last week, I felt that good after nailing the squats and it carried over into the rest of the workout.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Congrats on the PR's again. Seems like you'll hit 2 plates easily on your squat.

Also,your OHP seems pretty strong in relation to your bench. Is that true? Well it's closer to your bench than mine is

 

[GSP]

Congrats on the PR's again. Seems like you'll hit 2 plates easily on your squat.

Also,your OHP seems pretty strong in relation to your bench. Is that true? Well it's closer to your bench than mine is

Thanks man! Yeah, my OHP is closer to Bench than is typical. The big factor is that I'm using Dumbells instead of a BB right now, plus I've been using a 15 degree incline to help my shoulder. If I was using a flat BB Bench, the gap would be significantly wider right now.

My shoulder has been improving quite a bit lately, after I finish this run, I'm going to give BB Bench a try again.

 

[GSP]

5/24 - Workout A

Squats (3X5) 150
DB Bench (1X5) 78.5's Failed on 4th rep

Deadlifts
1X5 - 195
1X5 - 235
1X5 - 260 PR

Comments: I flat out got beaten by the DB's today. First few reps went fine, then I dropped the DB's too far down as I lowered the weights from my 3rd rep and I couldn't recover. I did a second set of 5 with the 75's and got all 5, but I was concerned that I wasn't going through the full ROM. It's hard for me to judge those without a bar to touch to my chest. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with these. If I reset, by the time I work back up I'll probably be wrapping up on everything else.

I'm going to do a light week next week. Maybe lift Tuesday and Thursday and try and let a bit of the fatigue I've been feeling subside. I may just switch over to BB Bench and be done with it. I still need to think about that one a bit.

At least Deads went real well. Hit 260 with no problems at all. I did switch to a mixed grip this week and it made a big difference. I think I should be able to ride this lift up to 285+ over the next 5-6 weeks.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Yeah I'd say you have plenty especially since you just switched to mixed grip. Wait til you strap up

 

[carlsuen]

straps and gloves? no diff right?

 

[GSP]

Yeah I'd say you have plenty especially since you just switched to mixed grip. Wait til you strap up

Yeah, and I need to find a way to sneak some chalk into the gym. They don't technically allow it, but I noticed that a couple of the very few real lifters that go there use it and are just very good about cleaning it up. I used some chalk I borrowed from someone else during Deads last week, and it made a huge difference. In fact, I think I go could double overhand for 10-15 more pounds with it.

Oh, and this morning while I was shaving, my 5 year old son woke up and walked into the bathroom and said "Daddy, your muscles look bigger than they used to". My wife swore she didn't put him up to it!

 

[anotherbutters]

Oh, and this morning while I was shaving, my 5 year old son woke up and walked into the bathroom and said "Daddy, your muscles look bigger than they used to". My wife swore she didn't put him up to it!

Sweet!

 

[carlsuen]

wow.. that must be an amazing feeling.. makes u feel like a million bucks!!

 

[kethnaab]

wow.. that must be an amazing feeling.. makes u feel like a million bucks!!

and even if she did put him up to it, who cares? You're collecting PRs like a kid collecting rocks! yeah! kickin' dat ass!

another day, another 3 PRs....*yawn*



good job man, keep it up. Rippetoe's program is fantastic.

 

[GSP]

wow.. that must be an amazing feeling.. makes u feel like a million bucks!!

Yeah, I just brush it off when he points out that I have less hair and a bigger stomach than him, but that one was pretty cool.

 

[GSP]

good job man, keep it up. Rippetoe's program is fantastic.

Thanks man! I have to say Rippetoe's program has already exceeded my expectations. I'm not exactly over the hill, but I'm no spring chicken anymore either, and I questioned how far I could ride the PR's without the hormone levels of a 16-22 year old.

 

[GSP]

5/29 - Workout B

Squats (3X5) 205 PR
Standing Press (3X5) 128 PR
Pendlay Rows (3X5) 163 PR

Comments: Another great squat workout. I don't know if this is normal or not, but I get a little nervous sometimes now before I get under the bar for a squat PR attempt. I'll get a bit of an adrenaline dump as I step under the bar, then have to back out for about 10 seconds till it settles down. The good thing though is that I get really focused right after it, I just have to time things right.

Whatever I did right for my shoulder over the last 6 weeks was undone and then some last Wed. when I failed on DB Bench. When tucked my elbows back on squats I thought my arm was going to rip out. It was better once warmed up though, and gave me no problems by the time Pressing came around.

 

[Cynical Simian]

another day, another 3 PRs....*yawn*



good job man, keep it up. Rippetoe's program is fantastic.

Well, this sums up of one of the most monotonous and successful journals I've seen. One look at this journal should convince anyone considering this program/style of training to give it a try.

I read all of your updates but there's never much to say except "congrats on the PRs." So, uh, congrats on the PRs.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Agreed. GSP is a real broken record

 

[anotherbutters]

He's the sole example of someone running the Rippetoe program in our new training vault sticky, so he has to do well

Congrats on yet more PRs!

 

[GSP]

He's the sole example of someone running the Rippetoe program in our new training vault sticky, so he has to do well

Congrats on yet more PRs!

LOL, No pressure there!

 

[GSP]

5/31 - Workout A

Squats (3X5) 150

DB Bench - Did not attempt

Deadlift
1X5 - 190
1X5 - 235
1X5 - 265 PR

Comments: My shoulder is worse off than I originally thought, it's been going downhill every day since last Wed. The pain comes when I lift my elbows to chest level or above and pull my elbows back behind the plane of my shoulders. Needless to say this makes squats quite painful. I had to switch to a fairly wide grip to take the tension off. I'm debating on whether or not to attempt any presses at all for the next week. I might be able to do Standing press, that motion isn't painful, but I'm not sure I want to take any chances. Bench of any kind is out for at least this week and next.

Deads went well @265.

 

[anotherbutters]

Congrats on the deadlift PR. They can be difficult

I don't know what to suggest on the shoulder. Hopefully someone else will chime in.

 

[GSP]

6/2 - Workout B

Squats
1X5 - 140
1X5 - 180
1X3 - 210 PR

Standing press (3X5) 130 PR
Pendlay Rows (3X5) 165 PR

Friday Weigh in: 186.7 lbs

Comments: Another tweak to the program for me this week. I decided to ramp the weights on Squats for my Friday workout in an effort to keep fatigue at bay. I feel like I've got several weeks of strength progression left in me, but my legs, particularly hips, are starting to ache pretty much all the time. I'm hoping the reduced intensity through ramping on Friday helps me extend this great run a little while longer.

Kind of spur of the moment I decided to go ahead and do a heavy triple at next Monday's working weight for my top set. This worked out great, I ought to get under the bar with a lot of confidence on Mon.

Standing press was on the bubble of failure. My last rep of the last set took me 10 seconds to get up, and my whole body was shaking trying to keep stability. Besides looking like moron, I got a big rush when I got it locked out!

Rows went very well.

Side note: The bent barbell from a few weeks back was sitting in the power rack when I got in today. I did my warmup set with it and realized what it was when it shifted on me. I was livid, that thing was eventually going to injure someone. I carried it down the hall to the lobby and slapped it up on the counter and asked who was going to throw it in the garbage. The poor kids behind the counter didn't know what to do. I explained the whole situation, and told them I knew that it wasn't their fault, they stuck it outside with a note to the manager on it.

Wow, that was pretty wordy! Well, it's Friday, it's not like anyone has anything better to do besides read this.

 

[Illuminati]

Yeah, and I need to find a way to sneak some chalk into the gym. They don't technically allow it, but I noticed that a couple of the very few real lifters that go there use it and are just very good about cleaning it up. I used some chalk I borrowed from someone else during Deads last week, and it made a huge difference. In fact, I think I go could double overhand for 10-15 more pounds with it.

Oh, and this morning while I was shaving, my 5 year old son woke up and walked into the bathroom and said "Daddy, your muscles look bigger than they used to". My wife swore she didn't put him up to it!

haven't tried this product yet, but you might want to give it a shot...

http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=114&pid=1008

its a liquid chalk. only costs $4.00 from elitefts.com can't go wrong for the price, even if its no good.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Congrats on the PR's and belated dead PR. And I see you're up a few lbs as well. Good stuff.

Side note: The bent barbell from a few weeks back was sitting in the power rack when I got in today. I did my warmup set with it and realized what it was when it shifted on me. I was livid, that thing was eventually going to injure someone. I carried it down the hall to the lobby and slapped it up on the counter and asked who was going to throw it in the garbage. The poor kids behind the counter didn't know what to do. I explained the whole situation, and told them I knew that it wasn't their fault, they stuck it outside with a note to the manager on it.

Are you sure it's not one of those cambered bars?

 

[GSP]

haven't tried this product yet, but you might want to give it a shot...

http://www.flexcart.com/members/elitefts/default.asp?m=PD&cid=114&pid=1008

its a liquid chalk. only costs $4.00 from elitefts.com can't go wrong for the price, even if its no good.

Thanks for the link. Someone had mentioned a product like that some time back, looks worth a shot at least.

 

[GSP]

Are you sure it's not one of those cambered bars?

Crap, I think I may have accidentally tossed all the curl bars out too! Come to think of it, it's highly likely it was just someone curling in the squat rack again.

 

[Protobuilder]

Great journal going here! You gotta' be thrilled w/ this progress. Looking very good. Is the bodyweight/bodyfat going the right direction?

But not so nice throwing out all the EZ curl bars. Gym rats everywhere now hate you. LoL My squat bar (home gymer) is bent right int he middle and it works GREAT for squatting actually. LoL

Just a quick tip on OHP: you want to lock out kind of directly overhead or a little bit behind, which brings your traps into play a bit and also really brings the medial delt into it (for me anyway). not trying to talk down, but if you're new to this, that tip might be helpful.

Congrats on the progress. Enjoy it! BTW I'm 30 in a few days so I know what you mean re: hormonal profile. LoL

 

[GSP]

Thanks for the tip on the OHP protobuilder, I certainly appreciate any input you guys have. OHP isn't a particulary complex lift for me (squats took me a month to really get worked out), but it turns out there are numerous subtle movements that can make a real difference in the mechanics.

My weight is doing the right thing, I'm up probably 10-11 pounds from the start. It's more than I wanted to put on in 7 weeks, but I convinced myself to let loose a bit for my initial run with Rippetoe's program just so I didn't miss out on what will be the best gains I'll likely ever experience. I haven't done any body composition analysis or anything, but if I had to guess, I'd say it's about 50/50 muscle to fat. I can still squeeze into my 33" jeans, albeit not very comfortably now. But I've never been able to wear them past the 182-183 mark when I gain pure fat (prone to an extra 15-20 lbs every football season from overindulgence ) My upper thighs have grown considerably, and my Lats rub against all my shirts now, both positive developments.

 

[Cynical Simian]

Yeah, I feel the same way about OHP. One of those subtle things I've found helpful is thinking about clipping my nose with the bar on the way up. I know you haven't been having any trouble with OHP, but it's just another little cue that I thought I'd throw in while we're on the subject.

Once more, I'm impressed by how you're tweaking the program on the fly based on changes in your rate of progress. Good stuff. Nice job on the weight gain so far as well.

And, since a post in this journal wouldn't be complete without it, congrats on the PRs.

 

[GSP]

6/5 - Workout A

Squats (3X5) 210 PR (rep range)

DB Bench (3X5) Did not attempt

Pendlay Rows (3X5) 168 PR

Comments: Great Workout. First set of squats was tough on the hips despite a good warmup, but that's par for the course lately. Last 2 sets were great.

Rows felt like I could have made a 10 lb jump today! Only did 3 lbs of course, but I actually had to double check the weight after the first set to make sure I put all the plates on!

 

[carlsuen]

when i was running the rippetoe myself.. my legs were sore forever.. but you'll get used to it after another month or so.. i remember having to dread to climb up stairs.. haha.. congrats on the PR..

 

[GSP]

when i was running the rippetoe myself.. my legs were sore forever.. but you'll get used to it after another month or so.. i remember having to dread to climb up stairs.. haha.. congrats on the PR..

I keep waiting for that to happen! My quads, glutes, and hamstrings seemed to adapt to the load fairly quickly, it's my hips that are being stubborn.

On the flip side, my lower body flexibility has increased considerably from after a few months of progression on full ROM squats.

 

[GSP]

Once more, I'm impressed by how you're tweaking the program on the fly based on changes in your rate of progress. Good stuff. Nice job on the weight gain so far as well.

Thanks Bro! A good understanding of my threshold for training and fatigue is the biggest weapon I have in my training arsenal.

Every change I make I do in the context of keeping the main structure of the original program intact, which is 3 straight sets of 5 for the working sets on a PR. I may do some ramped sets or light days to manage fatigue, but a full 3X5 at a given weight is still the goal before more weight is added.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Anyone else suspect that GSP actually is Rippetoe and he's just pimping his program?

Congrats on the PR's.

 

[GSP]

Anyone else suspect that GSP actually is Rippetoe and he's just pimping his program?

Congrats on the PR's.

Thanks man! LOL on the Rippetoe comment, I would think he'd at least have sense enough not to fake some wussy shoulder problem with less than 80 pound DB's

That said, I'll pimp this program anywhere I go. At first I was happy, but not floored by my gains, but as I look back at how far I've come and realize I've still got at least a bit of progression ahead of me, I'm astounded at the results.

 

[GSP]

6/7 - Workout B

Squats (3X5) 135
Standing press (3X5) 132 PR
Deadlift
1X5 - 185
1X5 - 225
1X5 - 270 PR

Comments: Bigtime thumbs up to protobuilder and cynical Simian for getting me focused on some of the finer points of OHP. I concentrated on almost brushing my nose during the lift, and it made a huge difference in the leverage I was able to get on the weight.

Deads are getting tough, but not ready to stall out yet. Grip is doing very well still with the switch to over-under grip.

 

[GSP]

6/9 - Workout A

Squats
1X5 - 140
1X5 - 185
1x3 - 215 PR

DB Bench - did not attempt

Pendlay Rows (3X5) 170 PR

Comments: Every week lately I feel like my hips won't take 5 more pounds on squats, and every week I get under the bar and up it goes. Funny thing is, my warmup sets hurt so bad I could cry like a little girl, but the top set(s) are all business.

Rows continue to climb nicely. Since I'm doing these 2X per week every week now, I may slow things up just a bit from here on out, maybe to 3 lbs. total progression a week. Hell, even at that I'd be at 200 before the fall, so we'll see how far it goes.

I may do a partial deload next week and skip out on squats and Deads. I'm torn. My lifts are all still going up and there's no way I'm done yet. But my hips are really taking a beating to the point where if I'm not pumped full of aspirin, I'm hobbling around work and home. I think the time is right for a little break and then get back at it. 225 was my last revised goal for squats, but now I think a bit more may be in the cards, we'll see.

 

[anotherbutters]

I cringe at the thought of aiming for my nose on OHP. I banged my forehead once by pushing my head forwards and under the bar too soon, but I've never hit my nose, or worse, my chin. (Of course if you were BW, you'd just hit somebody else in the head with the bar ).

It goes without saying, but congrats on the continued progress! Have you tried stretching your hips more after the workouts?

 

[Cynical Simian]

Have you tried stretching your hips more after the workouts?

Great suggestion. If I had to name one thing that's helped my squat form/depth most, it'd be regularly stretching my hip flexors.

 

[GSP]

What kinds of stretches work the hip flexors. I currently do static stretching about 4 times a week. The only stretch I know that works the HF's is kneeling on 1 knee with the other out in front, then pushing forward with the hips

 

[Jim Ouini]

That one works. I do one kinda like this too and use the the safety pins in the power rack instead of the bench shown in the pictures.

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.d...05E457B919A1.hydra?id=459539&pageNo=-1#bottom

 

[GSP]

Thanks for the link Jim. I just tried that one at my desk, it really produces a good stretch in the hips and upper quad area!

*Edit: This might be a good use for the Smith Machine! Of course, I'll probably do them in the power rack instead, I'll interupt the workouts of too many people by using the Smith for this.

 

[Cynical Simian]

The only stretch I know that works the HF's is kneeling on 1 knee with the other out in front, then pushing forward with the hips

This is the one I do. The one in the T-Nation link was the first that I tried, but I switched to the one described above since I seemed to be twisting my knee a bit when doing the T-Nation version.

 

[anotherbutters]

Try sitting on the floor with your legs straight, spread wide, then whilst keeping your back arched, lean forward between your legs.

 

[GSP]

6/12 - Workout B

Standing Press (3X5) 134 PR

Pendlay Rows (3X5) 172 PR

Comments: 1 lb away from the 45's on Standing press, it's mine on Friday!

Rows were painful (but still a PR ). I'm used to having my posterior chain nicely warmed up from squats. It was surprisingly difficult to get a good warm-up even starting light and progressing up with low reps.

Threw a little cardio in this evening as well. Just a moderate paced 25 minutes on the elliptical. I was happy to see I wasn't winded from it at all, as my break from running had me concerned about that possibility.

 

[GSP]

Try sitting on the floor with your legs straight, spread wide, then whilst keeping your back arched, lean forward between your legs.

I do that one, I feel it in my hips because they are sore, but I feel like that one works my groin and upper hams more than anything else. I think I'm just experiencing geriatric complications.

 

[GSP]

6/14 - Workout A

Squats - Nope
DB Bench - Nope
Deads - Nope

Comments: Well, when you decide to take a week off from lower body, and are avoiding bench for a while to heal an injury, that doesn't leave much!

Did 25 minutes of cardio. The powers that be must have a sick sense of humor, as I was graced with a cardio bunny on the treadmill in front of me with her thong pulling out of her spandex. However, the woman next to me, who also happens to carry the title of Mrs. GSP does not share my aesthetic sense.

I think I need to get back in the squat rack for my own health.