[desijut]

Ok, so I started on Stronglifts 5x5 about a week before christmas 2011. The only lift i had attempted was bench press which was around 55kg (for maybe 3 reps? (probably spotted to the max too lol) I just did any old weights then lol).

Stats

Height - 5"9

As of 24/02/2012 my stats were:

Weight 60kg ----->67kg
Squats - 87.5kg
Bench - 57.5kg
Pendlay Rows - 50kg
Overhead Press - 40kg
Deadlift(1x5) - 100kg

Changed to Starting Strength. Stats (for 3x5) as of 13/05/2012 are:

Weight - 69.9kg
Back Squats - 105kg
Front Squats - 95kg
Bench - 65kg
Overhead Press - 45kg
Deadlift 5RM - 137.5kg
Power Cleans(5x3) - 62.5kg

Changed Press to 5x3. Stats as of 30/05/2012 are:

Weight - 70.6kg
Back Squats - 105kg
Front Squats - 105kg
Bench - 67.5kg
Overhead Press(5x3) - 50kg
Deadlift 5RM - 137.5kg
Power Cleans(5x3) - 62.5kg

10/09/2012 - started back up. Stats are now:

Weight - 67.5kg
Back Squats - 80kg
Bench - 55kg
Overhead Press - 35kg
Deadlift 5RM - 110kg
Power Cleans(5x3) - 50kg

[Spoonforknife]

Good luck mate!

Within the next week i'm joining a gym in Clapham and posting a full blog!

I'm going to be mass gaining/bulking!

[pinda.college]

Stack up on the compound excersises and all your other lifts will improve over time.

I cannot complement/criticise your lifts because you've only started a week before christmas.

Just carry on what your doing, eat big- you'll get big- and then you'll lift big.

Get the protein down you after every workout and throughout the day!

[desijut]

(Original post by Spoonforknife)
Good luck mate!

Within the next week i'm joining a gym in Clapham and posting a full blog!

I'm going to be mass gaining/bulking!

cool, nice one!

(Original post by pinda.college)
Stack up on the compound excersises and all your other lifts will improve over time.

I cannot complement/criticise your lifts because you've only started a week before christmas.

Just carry on what your doing, eat big- you'll get big- and then you'll lift big.

Get the protein down you after every workout and throughout the day!

That's exactly what i've been doing, im now 67kg, obivously some of it is fat but im very happy with the gain so far, plus i havent got to the heavy lifts and ive seen these gains

[Mdawg]

Nothing wrong with Friday / Sunday / Tuesday.

Good luck, try and get your lifts video'd (especially squat and DL) to make sure your form is good. Better to find out sooner rather than later if you're doing something.

[desijut]

ok, i will try to make some vids in the next few weeks

[desijut]

Today I did:

Squats
20x5x2
35x5
50x5
65x3
80x5x5

OHP
20x5x2
25x5
30x5
35x3
42.5 - 5,5,3,3,3

DL
60x5
70x3
80x2
95x5

Bold are the workout sets

Squats were nice, i went deeper today after reading SS and sorting some of my technique out. However this form was deteriorating in the 4th and 5th set.
OHP... wtf?!?!? I managed 5x5 at 40kg so thought i would get somewhere close at least lol. Maybe too many warmup sets, plus today i didnt eat as much as i usually do. Sleep isnt an issue. It's half term holidays/
DL - Finding the bar is hard to keep hold of, im still using the overhand grip so i will be switching to mixed grip soon (i dont use chalk atm too)

Also, im going to introduce a few sets of power cleans, just the bar, once workout per week, idea being, once rows stall twice and squat stalls once, I change to the original SS from SL5x5. This way im practicing the form of a power clean for then. Good idea??

[desijut]

I did kickboxing today and I have to say, i am stronger but my cardio has really plummeted. We did a bit of running and i was out of breath for ages!!! Should i go for some runs or do some sprints? If so, on which days?

[desijut]

I felt good yesterday so i did my workout on thursday instead of friday.

Today I did:

Squats
20x5x2
30x5
45x3
65x2
82.5x5x5

Bench
20x5x2
25x5
35x4
45x3
57.5x5x5

Rows
20x5x3
25x5
35x3
40x2
47.5x5x5

Also did a few power cleans with just the bar

Bold are the workout sets

Squats were surprisingly tough, i really had to grind them out, but i still completed them convincingly.
Bench - It was tough but I managed it comfortably in the end
Rows - Finding the action awkward as the weights get heavier, finding my back is raising slightly as i bring the bar to my chest.
Power Cleans - the actual movement of the bar from the thighs upwards is ok, it's just the catching it in the front squat position, which im finding very uncomfortable.

[desijut]

Today my cousin needed a hand in the gym so i went with him, i ended up practicing front squats and power cleans, bear in mind only with the bar. But then i thought i would try 30kg, and then 40kg...

Front Squats - Yeah, took me a while to get the bar in the right position but after that they were alright
Power Cleans... Yeah, the only problem i had was catching it on my shoulders. Im getting the hang of the lift but at 40kg, i got a bit of a shock as i underestimated the weight so it only went to my lower chest, i corrected it next time but im still finding the timing of "catching" the weight a bit off.

My next session is on sunday so it should not **** up my recovery

[danadd9]

in2watch.

[GodspeedGehenna]

Watchin'

Get yo-self some chalk and start using mixed grip on your DL if you're finding that the bar slips. Cleans are quite technical and can take a bit of practice, especially if your wrists are quite inflexible in terms of extention. Make sure you're getting those elbows up too.

[desijut]

(Original post by GodspeedGehenna)
Watchin'

Get yo-self some chalk and start using mixed grip on your DL if you're finding that the bar slips. Cleans are quite technical and can take a bit of practice, especially if your wrists are quite inflexible in terms of extention. Make sure you're getting those elbows up too.

Does it have to be a certain type of chalk or will any do? Yeah as soon as it gets too much i will change to mixed grip.

I think my elbows were fine, my arms were perpendicular to the ground

[GodspeedGehenna]

(Original post by desijut)
Does it have to be a certain type of chalk or will any do? Yeah as soon as it gets too much i will change to mixed grip.

I think my elbows were fine, my arms were perpendicular to the ground

I prefer liquid chalk. It's less messy than powder. Just takes a few secs for the alcohol to evaporate.

[GodspeedGehenna]

(Original post by desijut)
my arms were perpendicular to the ground

Try and get your underarms (e.g. your humerus) near parallel to the ground when you're in the rack position.

[desijut]

(Original post by GodspeedGehenna)
Try and get your underarms (e.g. your humerus) near parallel to the ground when you're in the rack position.

oops, meant arms are perpendicular to my body, basically parallel to the ground like you just said

[GodspeedGehenna]

(Original post by desijut)
oops, meant arms are perpendicular to my body, basically parallel to the ground like you just said

Aight. Sounds legit. Keep it up.

[desijut]

lol, i reread it and i realized i sounded like i was holding it like a OHP, but yeah, im going to keep throwing in a few power cleans at the end of my workouts, very light ones, just to get it right, then i will put them in, chuck rows out and do the original SS.

[desijut]

Squats
20x5x2
35x5
40x3
65x2
85x5x5

OHP
20x5x3
25x3
35x2
42.5 - 5,5,4,4,3

DL
60x5
70x3
80x2
100x5

Power Cleans
20x5

Bold are the workout sets

Squats were tough, I was breathing heavy after the 5 sets, but I still felt i could do more.
OHP - Improvement on last attempt, had food and sleep, so one more try and a reset if i dont make it
DL - 2 plate on another note, im switching to mixed grip next time for the work set, just couldnt grip the bar properly. Also need to buy some chalk.
Power Cleans - doing it to sort technique out, still not catching it right

Starting to really be drained by these workouts. Bring it on! Oh and also need to make some vids to check form.

[desijut]

Squats
20x5x2
30x5
45x3
65x2
87.5x5x5

Bench
20x5x2
25x5
35x3
45x2
60 - 5,5,4,4,4

Rows
20x5x3
25x5
35x3
40x2
50x5x5

Power Cleans
20x3
30x3
40x5

Bold are the workout sets

Squats - Relatively easy
Bench - Disappointed, on all three of those missed reps, if i had got the bar up a few more millimetres i would have been sailing. On another note, first ever 1 plate bench press
Rows - I completed them but I feel im lifting my back too much and cheating on the reps
Power Cleans - On 20 and 30kg, catching was an issue. On 40kg, i was catching the bar much more efficiently and also bending my knees automatically on the catch to compensate for the heavier weight

5x5 is getting too long to complete (hour and a half, maybe a bit longer this session). Im also starting to fail reps and not particularly liking the rows and prefer the cleans so i'm going to change to SS and stick to it forever(till it's not working)