Konada's Workout Journal

[Konada]

Decided to move my workout stats here, haven't been doing much for interest in my personal improvement journal.

Stats at 1 June 2011
Height: 5'6"
Age: 18
Wt: 102lbs

In lbs:
Squats: 3x5 55
Deadlift: 1x5 44
Bench press: 3x5 44
Standing military press: 3x5 34
Barbell bent rows: 3x5 44

14 June 2011
Ht: same
Wt: 108lbs
Age: same

Squats: 3x5 100
Bench press: 3x5 55
Deadlift: 1x5 65
Standing military press: 3x5 50
Bent barbell rows: 3x5 55

 

[Konada]

15 June 2011

Squats 3x5 105lbs
Bent BB rows 3x5 55lbs (easy still focusing on correct form)
Standing Military press 3x5 (1st set 55lbs, 2/3 set 50lbs, might be because of warm up sets earlier.)

 

[Kerpal]

Squats: 3x5 100
Deadlift: 1x5 65

You're not squatting deep enough.

 

[Konada]

You're not squatting deep enough.

I do ATG squats. Way below parallel and I know that. Probably means I can ramp up deadlift weight more. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[Kerpal]

Yeah, with those squat numbers you should be able to deadlift about twice as much.

 

[Konada]

20 June 2011
Fell sick a couple of days ago so had to skip gym. So this session is to make sure I hold my previous stats

3x5 Squats 105lbs (fail on 2nd rep of last set)
3x5 Standing Military press 55lbs
3x5 BB Bent Rows 65lbs

 

[Konada]

22 June 2011

3x5 squats 90lbs (focusing on correct form first, realised from comments ans myself form was way out)
3x5 inclined bench press 60lbs (as usual some asshol3 always hogs the bench press)
1x5 deadlift 90lbs

 

[Konada]

24 June 2011

Today is the worst workout I've had so far. Tried to switch from high bar to low bar but my upper back (rounded back) couldn't take the heavy weight and as a result I missed the rack after a set. Had to go back to high bar and lowered the weight. I was pretty much affected by that and it affected the rest of my workouts.

3x5 Squats (LB 1x5 100lbs *missed rack*, 2x5 95lbs HB)
3x5 Bent barbell rows 65lbs
3x5 Standing Military Press 50lbs

Thoughts for next workout:
1. Bring down weight to 80lbs and focus on getting uppr back to support weight properly for low bar.
2. Start to ramp up weights. (I feel that I'm stalling though)

Could really use some advice here wince I'm a newbie at this.

 

[Fuglydude]

Dude as a newbie, don't worry about bar placement and all that jazz. Just focus on proper squatting and work on getting your numbers up. Stuff gets way easier after you've been doing it for a little while and have some mass to back you up.

Have a good diet and train hard and you'll grow like a total weed in the next few years!

 

[Konada]

Dude as a newbie, don't worry about bar placement and all that jazz. Just focus on proper squatting and work on getting your numbers up. Stuff gets way easier after you've been doing it for a little while and have some mass to back you up.

Have a good diet and train hard and you'll grow like a total weed in the next few years!

Hmm I looked it up on the web and many say that HB squats focus on the quads more whilst LB squats focus on glutes and hamstrings as well. Not only that but it helps the upper back somehow via isometric exercises just by supporting the bar, leading to more gains. I know I shouldn't be concerning myself with bar placement and sh1t but I prefer to start early to prevent serious mess ups in the future when I'm doing heavier weights. Your thoughts?

 

[Kerpal]

What do you need advice on?

You should have an easier time with the low bar position, you can low bar squat a lot more than you can high bar assuming you train them both equally.

If someone is on the bench all the time just ask to work in.

There is no, No, NO way you should be "stalling" at this point in your linear progression. Read this: http://startingstrength.com/articles/clarification_rippetoe.pdf

Read the book if you haven't already. Maybe re-read it if you have. A lot of the questions you're asking are covered in the book.

 

[Konada]

What do you need advice on?

You should have an easier time with the low bar position, you can low bar squat a lot more than you can high bar assuming you train them both equally.

If someone is on the bench all the time just ask to work in.

There is no, No, NO way you should be "stalling" at this point in your linear progression. Read this: http://startingstrength.com/articles/clarification_rippetoe.pdf

Read the book if you haven't already. Maybe re-read it if you have. A lot of the questions you're asking are covered in the book.

My upper back can't support the weight I'm squatting right now if I' do low bar squats. Its partly a shouldrr flexibility problem but I'vr been doing shoulder dislocations to cope with that.

I realise that my upper back always becomes rounded with heavy weights during low bar squats, I presume my upper back is the limiting factor for a good low bar squat with proper form right now. I also have a hard time re racking after finish the low bar squat set. So I'm thinking of lowering the weights to correct my form before venturing into heavier weights. That's my problem with low bar squats.

 

[Kerpal]

Have you tried widening your grip? That may help if your shoulders are too inflexible.

It doesn't make any sense that your upper back can't support the weight low bar but can high bar. If anything it should be the other way around.

Are you sure it's your upper back rounding and not your lower back? If it is your upper back you're probably not pulling your shoulder blades together properly, the technique is covered in the book.

 

[Konada]

Have you tried widening your grip? That may help if your shoulders are too inflexible.

It doesn't make any sense that your upper back can't support the weight low bar but can high bar. If anything it should be the other way around.

Are you sure it's your upper back rounding and not your lower back? If it is your upper back you're probably not pulling your shoulder blades together properly, the technique is covered in the book.

It could be because I failed to keep my back tight. Usually when I de-rack it I kept my back as tight as possible (even though it hurts me), after I start my first rep, I lose focus on keeping back tightness and probably where all the trouble starts. I realise when I derack the bar its always signifacntly higher than the hooks, but after a set I have to kinda tiptoe to put the bar over the hooks. Is this a sign of a weak back?

 

[Kerpal]

Could be several things. Are you totally sure it's your upper back and not your lower back? Keeping your upper/lower back tight should not hurt. If it's hurting your lower back you might be hyperextending.

If the bar is lower at the end of the set then you're probably holding it too low during the set and it's sliding down your back. That would explain the shoulder pain too. Either that or your lower back is rounding so badly that when you walk it back in the bar is lower than it was when you unracked it. You should never have to tiptoe the bar back into the rack, lower the hooks a notch or two. And re-read the book, this isn't rocket science. I figured this stuff out and I'm the least athletic person on the planet, if I can do it you should be able to.

A video would help diagnose form problems.

 

[Konada]

Could be several things. Are you totally sure it's your upper back and not your lower back? Keeping your upper/lower back tight should not hurt. If it's hurting your lower back you might be hyperextending.

If the bar is lower at the end of the set then you're probably holding it too low during the set and it's sliding down your back. That would explain the shoulder pain too. Either that or your lower back is rounding so badly that when you walk it back in the bar is lower than it was when you unracked it. You should never have to tiptoe the bar back into the rack, lower the hooks a notch or two. And re-read the book, this isn't rocket science. I figured this stuff out and I'm the least athletic person on the planet, if I can do it you should be able to.

A video would help diagnose form problems.

I'll try to take a video asap. Could be a lower back issue but I never felt pain there before, though one of the old fellas there told me I was bending my back.

 

[Gears of Led Zep]

Squat's suck ass. People think they're a good body workout.....It's not true. It's just one of countless myth which have become part of the gym rat mythology. Heavy squats are actually a bad exercise. If you do them routinely over decades, you'll increase the probability and onset of lumbar-sacro osteoarthritis and lower back problems. Seated leg presses are better becase they take the load off of a spine which did not evolve sufficient to accommodate the way humans use their spines.

You need to be very skeptical about what you hear around gyms. The bodybuilder mentality is generally credulous and ignorant and ripe for any memes that comes along. And, the magazines, websites, supplements ads, etc. are all designed to keep you in the dark because the truth won't sell products, advertising, equipment, gimmicks, supplements, etc.

 

[KarmaSutra]

Squat's suck ass. People think they're a good body workout.....It's not true. It's just one of countless myth which have become part of the gym rat mythology. Heavy squats are actually a bad exercise. If you do them routinely over decades, you'll increase the probability and onset of lumbar-sacro osteoarthritis and lower back problems. Seated leg presses are better becase they take the load off of a spine which did not evolve sufficient to accommodate the way humans use their spines.

You need to be very skeptical about what you hear around gyms. The bodybuilder mentality is generally credulous and ignorant and ripe for any memes that comes along. And, the magazines, websites, supplements ads, etc. are all designed to keep you in the dark because the truth won't sell products, advertising, equipment, gimmicks, supplements, etc.

Listen to this man. Gears is spot on with his information. I fell prey to the heavy squats myth. Then my knees, lower back, and arches of my feet began to ache and hurt. Not Aleve or Darvocet helped. I went to seated leg presses and used the hack squat machine which completely alleviated my issues.

Without any loss.

Excellent and insightful post Brother.

 

[Gears of Led Zep]

Sorry Konada I didn't mean to try and derail your topic, I just wanted to add my 2 Lincolns.

 

[Kerpal]

These guys are right. If you don't want to spend the time to learn the proper form and just want mediocre results, stick to the leg press and hack squat machines.

If you want to get big and strong, read the book, learn the form, and do the program. This stuff isn't rocket science.