Starting Strength log

Bruce7

Today: Deadlift

70 x 5
100 x 5
130 x 3
145 x 3
160 x 7*

Assistance:

GHR: 3 x 12 @ bodyweight / 5kg / 10kg. Technique better this time, got much higher. These are tough.

Good Mornings: 3 x 10 @ 60 / 80 / 80. Bit unsure about technique on these. Will get it looked at.

Lunges: 5 x 10 with 20kg dumb bells. Tough

Abs: 3 x 12 pulldowns with 30 / 40 / 50. Too light.

*Edit. Just remembered that 160 x 5 was one of the targets I had set for year end. So, that's one down. Am confident of hitting the bench (100 x 5) and squat (140 x 5) targets, but o/h press (75 x 5) is doubtful and I have stopped doing cleans.

Bruce7

Today: Bench

20 x 8
60 x 5
80 x 3
90 x 3
100 x 6 - Another target hit

Assistance:

Incline Bench: 3 x 12 @ 60k
Tricep pushdown: 5 x 12 @ 90 / 90 / 100 / 100 / 100
Bent over row: 3 x 10 @ 40 / 50 / 50
Trap pulldown: 5 x 6 @ 80 /80 / 90 / 90 / 100

Bruce7

Yesterday: Squat

60 x 10
60 x 10
115 x 3
130 x 3
145 x 6 - Another target hit / exceeded
80 x 20
80 x 20
80 x 15

Good mornings. 3 x 10 @ 50 / 20 / 20. Technique was lousy before. Was practically a squat. Starting again with v low weight

Lunges: 3 x 10 with 15k plate in each hand

Assisted chins: 5 x 5 (orange band)

My conditioning sucks.

Bruce7

Today: Overhead Press

20 x 5
40 x 5
50 x 5
57.5 x 3
65 x 6

Upright BB row: 3 x 12 @ 20 / 25 / 25
Flat DB press: 5 x 10 @ 22.5k each
Tricep pushdown: 5 x 12 @ 90 / 90 / 90 / 100 / 100
Assisted chins (orange band): 5 / 5 / 3

Bruce7

Today: Deadlift

70 x 5
100 x 5
135 x 5
155 x 3
175 x 5

Assistance:

Glute Ham Raise: 3 x 12 @ 10kg
Good Mornings: 3 x 10 @ 20kg / 25kg / 30kg
Barbell Lunges: 3 x 10 per leg @ 30kg
Standing ab pulldowns: 3 x 12 with about half the stack

Bruce7

Friday: Bench

8 x 40
5 x 60
5 x 85
3 x 95
4 x 105
2 x 105

Assistance:

Incline Bench: 3 x 10 @ 60
Bent over rows: 3 x 10 @ 40, 60, 60
Tricep pushdowns: 5 x 10
Assisted chins (orange band): 5 x 5 and a few negatives

Bruce7

Today: Squat

60 x 8
120 x 5
135 x 3
150 x 5
80 x 20
80 x 20
80 x 20

Good mornings: 3 x 10 @ 30k
Barbell lunges: 4 laps (10m + 10m or so) @ 30k
Prowler sprints (10m + 10m): 6 @ 30k

Bruce7

Overhead press: 3 x 5 @ 40

Upright rows: 3 x 10 @ 20

Flat DB press: 5 x 10 @ 20

Tricep pushdowns: 5 x 12 @ about 35pct of the stack

Bruce7

Today: Dead lift

5 x 75
5 X 90
5 x 110

Glute Ham Raise: 3 x 12

Good Mornings: 3 x 10

Standing Ab pull down: 3 x 12

Bruce7

Had a mini competition vs a friend yesterday, which was independently judged. Went as follows:

Squat: 150 / 165 / 185x
Jumped the gun on the 185 and came up just before I had hit parallel. Would have easily gotten it, but anyway...

Bench: 110 / 120x / 120x
Disappointing.

Dead lift: 175 / 190 / 210

Overhead press: 60 / 70 / 80

Bruce7

Today: Merged squat and bench day due to missed day earlier in week.

Bench:
85 x 5
90 x 5
95 x 3
100 x 3
105 x 3

Squat:
130 x 5
140 x 5
150 x 3
155 x 3
160 x 3

Box jumps: 8 x 3 to about a 2 foot box
Lunges: 3 x 10 @ 40k
Flat DB bench: 3 x 12 @ 25k
Tricep pushdown: 3 x 10
Bent over row: 3 x 10 @ 40k
Standing ab pulldowns: 3 x 10
Assisted chins (orange band): 5, 5, 4, 3, 3

Bruce7

Yesterday:

Squat:
60 x 5
60 x 5
140 x 5
140 x 5
140 x 5
140 x 5
140 x 5

Explosive squats: 8 x 3 @ 90kg + bands
Barbell lunges: 3 x 10 per leg @ 40kg
Box jumps: 8 x 3 to 2 ft box

Shoulder is screwed so no bench, dl or press for the next few weeks.

Bruce7

Yesterday (29th)

Squat:
60 x 5
120 x 5
130 x 5
140 x 5
150 x 3
160 x 3
170 x 3
90 x 20
90 x 20 - started seeing stars here and major headache
90 x 13

Good mornings: 3 x 12 @ 40k
Lunges: 2 x 10 @ 40k

Prowler sprints:
Prowler + 30k: 6 laps (2 x ~10m)
Prowler + 20k:
4 laps
8 singles
8 singles
6 singles
4 laps

This was tough. Only recuperating now, with the aid of plenty of Green Spot (recommended)

Bruce7

Today:

Speed squats: 8 x 3 @ 90k + orange bands
Box jumps: 8 x 3 to 2 foot box
Lunges: 3 x 10 @ 40k
Good mornings: 3 x 10 @ 40k
Standing ab pulldowns: 3 x 12 @ 30k

Bruce7

In a lot of ways, I am as weak as a kitten, so, for the foreseeable, I will be following a programme to rehabilitate my shoulder, which is now almost pain free, and to address all of the strength imbalances I have, especially my core.

To begin with, this will entail:

Medicine ball chops - effectively kettlebell swings with a medicine ball
Front planks
Lat pulldowns
Cable chops
Wall slides - sitting against a wall and raising my hands behind my head.

I did all of the above today under the supervision of a physio and will be doing it 4 times a week for the next two weeks. Hopefully, this will end up being just a warm-up and I can get back to proper lifting soon.

mrpink6789

Welcome back dude, how long are you out of the squat game for?

Bruce7

mrpink6789 wrote: »

Welcome back dude, how long are you out of the squat game for?

Thanks

Another two weeks at least. It's frustrating as hell. I keep deciding to go back and the physios (one being my wife) keep telling me I can't put any weight on my shoulder.

I don't know why it has only just occurred to me to do some leg presses though. I might try to work up to 1,000kg or something while I've nothing better to do.

Bruce7

Today:

10 mins treadmill (2km)

3 x 8 medicine ball chops (10k medicine ball)
3 x 10 second prone bridge
3 x 8 lat pulldowns in squat position (6th plate)
3 x 6 cable chops per side (5th plate)
3 x 6 wall slides

Bruce7

Today:

12 mins treadmill (2.4km)

3 x 8 medicine ball chops (10k medicine ball)
3 x 10 second prone bridge
3 x 8 lat pulldowns in squat position (7th plate)
3 x 6 cable chops per side (5th plate)
3 x 6 wall slides

Bruce7

Today:

2.25 mile jog, and one hill sprint - hill on Springfield Road leading up to the back of an estate in Rathfarnham.

Time: 24 mins :eek:

Bruce7

Today:

15 mins treadmill (3km)

3 x 8 medicine ball chops (10k medicine ball)
3 x 10 second prone bridge
3 x 8 lat pulldowns in squat position (8th, 9th & 9th plates)
3 x 6 cable chops per side (6th plate)
3 x 6 wall slides

Bruce7

Today:

18 mins treadmill (3.6km)

3 x 8 medicine ball chops (10k medicine ball)
3 x 10 second prone bridge
3 x 8 lat pulldowns in squat position (9th, 10th & 10th plates)
3 x 6 cable chops per side (5th plate - focus on keeping core tight)
3 x 6 wall slides

Bruce7

Today: Rehab with physio:

New programme:

3 x Circuit 1
Med ball chops x 3
Core drill - front and side planks, 6 second holds
One leg dumbbell row x 6 per side

3 x Circuit 2
Wall slides x 8
Inverted row x 6
Bridging x 8

Have been given all-clear to squat again, but only front squats for the moment.

Root cause of injury is strength imbalance. My posterior chain and upper body 'push' muscles are ok, but upper body 'pull' muscles and core are weak as hell. Arching back in back squat, DL, bench etc compensates for this, and accentuates the imbalance. Result is that shoulder blades are not being properly stabilised - kept back and down - and they then impinge on the smaller muscles and tendons of rotator cuff and AC joint.

So, this is why back squat, and push exercises are still out, but I'm sensing light at the end of the tunnel.

Bruce7

Following is from memory:

Tuesday, March 8th.

IP warmup x 3

Deadlift:
3 x 5 warmups
120 x 3
120 x 3
120 x 3
150 x 3
160 x 3
160 x 3
160 x 3
170 x 3

Reverse hyper (60k)
9, 6, 15, 15, 15

Alternate situps:
3 x 20 with 10k

DB Bench press
20 x 8
20 x 8
25 x 5
25 x 5
25 x 5
25 x 5
25 x 5

Inverted Ring Rows
5 x 8 efforts - a good few of these were crap

45 degree Side bends
3 x 10 per side

Single DB Press
3 x 12 @ 10kg - Don't think I did these properly

Stretching

Bruce7

Thursday, March 10th:

IP warmup x 3

Prowler - 10 mins
100kg. 10 pushes in 9 mins 20

Work Block-15mins
Caterpillar walk: 2 x 10m
DB snatches: 5 & 5
Tuck jumps: 10

4 rounds.

Prowler - 10mins
40kg. 14 pushes

Work Block-15mins
10 Box jump & turn
10 T-pushups
10 KB upright rows (16kg bell)

5 rounds

Stretching

Bruce7

Monday, March 14th:

IP warmup x 3

Front squats
40 x 8
60 x 6
80 x 5
85 x 5
90 x 5
95 x 5
100 x 5

Supported DB RDLs
15kg x 8
15kg x 8
15kg x 8
15kg x 8

DB situps
3 x 15 @ 10k. Saw someone else doing these another day and realised I had done them incorrectly.

Neutral Grip Pullups
Grey band 7 x 5 efforts. A lot of these were crap.

Alternating Incline DB Press
10 x 8
12.5 x 8
15 x 5
17.5 x 5
20 x 5
22.5 x 5
25 x 5

Ab Rollouts
3 x 15

KB Shrugs
24 x 8
24 x 8
32 x 8
32 x 8
36 x 8

Bruce7

Wednesday March 16th:

IP warmup x 3

Con Block-10mins
Not sure what they are called - sprinting forwards, across and backwards. Did 10 in 10 mins. Averaged around 30 - 35 seconds per effort.

Work Block-15mins
5 one leg squats each side to a stack of mats
10 Sit throughs
5 grey band pullups

12 or 13 rounds

Prowler-10mins
Prowler + 40k. 15 trips

Work Block-15mins
10 KB Swings 16kg
5 KB press press 16kg each side
2 Lengths of bounding

9 rounds (I think) it may have been 10

Stretching.

Shoulder rehab
Y / T / Ms: 3 x 5 of each with 2.5k DBs.

Bruce7

Friday March 18th

IP warmup x 3

Testing

Weight: 116
Skinfolds: Didn't check, but presumably something blubbericious
Bench: A meagre 100k
Pullups: An even more meagre 0
Pressups: 40 in 60 seconds
Inverted Rows: 15 in 60 seconds
TBDL: 220
Spider test: 470m

Shoulders were sore again after this. Think the problem could be my bench technique. Did some rehab - not sure what it is called. It involved making a kind of sling out of some bands and doing rotations.

Bruce7

Saturday, March 19th

IP warmup x 3

Prowler
110k. 10 trips in 8 mins 12.

Work Block-15mins
Caterpillar walk: 2 x 10m
DB snatches: 5 & 5
Tuck jumps: 10

6 rounds.

Prowler
40k. 18 trips in 10 mins

Bruce7

Today:

IP warmup x 3

Deadlift
70 x 5
100 x 5
120 x 3
120 x 3
120 x 3
150 x 3
150 x 3
170 x 3
170 x 3
170 x 3

Glute Ham Raise - as there is no reverse hyper in Raw
4 x 15 bodyweight

Alternate situps
3 x 20 with 15k plate

Ran out of time, will finish tomorrow morning.