[Mumrik]

Well, I thought it might finally be time to start a log. I’m not the kind of guy who usually feels the need to blog about my life, but I’ve seen training logs like these recommended time and time again.



I am by no means particularly strong or experienced in this field. Since I was 14 or so, I’ve dabbled a little bit in strength training from time to time (half a year here and there with no particular motivation), but free weights always scared the shit out of me, so it was the usual pussyfied machine crap. I thought I’d end up KO’ing myself with a barbell or something and there is still time to see that come true. Two years ago I started grappling a bit and have since been expanding my training to include striking and combining the two. This motivated me to improve my strength (was getting tossed around) and a bit over a year ago I finally manned up and dropped the stupid 23985 different machines for 3x10 routine I had been fooling around with for a few months, and I started on the Eclipse version of Bill Stars 5x5 (or a slightly modified version thereof).
I don’t like the idea of eating supplements or using any other kind of “assistance”, but luckily I don’t seem to need it – My hunger went through the roof when I started lifting real weights, and I put on around 20lbs. in the first 9-10 months while loosing fat. I’ve been suffering from quite a setback for the last ½ year or so in the form of a shoulder injury. After much back and forth with my doctor I finally got an ultrasound that showed a gaping and swollen acromio-clavicular joint. Since then I’ve been wasting my time on ineffective rehab training (no improvement for two months) while being banned from doing any kind of martial arts training. Then I got a (katabolic) steroid injection that removed the inflammation and things started to move again. I am now on the road back and have been easing back into the bench press and SOHP. My training has suffered quite a bit from my lack of motivation while not doing martial arts (combined with only being allowed to do a few different exercises), but tomorrow will be my first day back doing martial arts (carefully, 1-2 times a week) and from this Wednesday I’ll be back to doing the full 5x5 with the correct reps etc. with ab wheel rollouts and Saxon side bends for added core training..

As of this post I am 25 years old, 6’2” or 6’3” / 189cm. and 205lbs / 93kg.. I am btw Danish, which is the reason I like those metric measurements

I am starting my third week of this 5x5 cycle, and today I lifted:
Squat: 5X242.5lbs. / 110kg.
Bench press: pyramid to 12x155lbs. / 70kg.
BOR: pyramid to 12x 155lbs. / 70kg.
The 12 reps are at the order of my physiotherapist. 5 reps from Wednesday on, plus I’ll be pushing myself much harder from then on.

My 5 rep. maxes that I started this cycle with are a humble:
Squat: 242.5lbs. / 110kg
Deadlift: 309lbs. / 140kg.
Didn’t test BOR, SOHP and BP because of my injury, and I haven’t been allowed to do proper pull-ups.

My upper body seems naturally stronger and bigger than my lower body, so I’ve been fighting to get especially my squat up there. It was a personal victory when it finally exceeded my bench press, but it still sucks hard… It should be noted that I (being very flexible) do quite deep ATG squats, but still...
My goals are to improve my absolute strength. I want to have it when I need it, and to feel that I have something in reserve when grappling. I have no intensions of ever competing in strength based competitions - I just want to be a strong motherfucker.
I wouldn’t be able to look myself in the eyes if I had bodybuilding oriented goals – in fact I have very mixed feelings about the reactions my physique (more muscular than average without in any way being something special) provokes from people - even though it hasn’t ever been negative.


I’m thinking about swapping the light back squats on Wednesdays for overhead squats (even though that bar position scares the hell out of me) and will probably try that out this week. At some point I’d like to implement some Olympic lifts to gain explosiveness and coordination.



I appreciate all kinds of suggestions and advice!

[vince89]

Good stuff I'll be checking this log out, looks like you made some good gains from 5x5 so keep it up!

Nothing wrong with having a good physique, dont feel like you need to be a fatboy powerlifter - you can be strong and look good. Lots of olympic lifters and powerlifters who are not in the Heavyweights/Superheavyweights have great physiques and theyve probably never done a day of bodybuilding style training in their lives! If you can achieve a good physique while training for strength, its a good thing!

[Mumrik]

I guess it's an association thing for me really. I don't like that people think I'm vein enough to train for aesthetics... and I'm not really comfortable getting that kind of attention.


As for my gains. I've rarely failed since I started the 5X5. The concept of not training to failure really helps my motivation, and if I do fail a set, I usually rest for 3-5 minutes and do it again with success (I seem to be able to keep my strength up pretty well through the sets). I've only walked home twice feeling like a failure, and both times I've made my lifts in the next session.
That way, I may not have improved as much as some, but I've been hitting almost all my goals on time.

In the period where I gained weight fast I kept getting pissed off by my BP results. Every two weeks or so I'd think I'd finally 5x'ed more than my body weight only to find that I had gained weight at the same speed as I improved my BP

I finally stopped measuring my manhood through the bench press... I mean - we all know it's all about big squats and deadlifting, right?

Squats and deadlifts are also about as far away from curlmonkey'ing as I can imagine, so focusing on those lifts really help me feel good about myself :p




Oh! maybe I should add that I'm now training in a powercage in the basement of the place I live (something a bit like dorms in the US). Somehow I convinced people that I should be given the money to order a cage, a bench, a barbell and 205kg. / 452lbs. in weights.
Lifting without mirrors and metrosexuals really help with the focus not to mention that not even having to leave the house to work out is awesome... Now to getting some money for a better heavy bag....

[vince89]

Well if people think youre a bodybuilder even though youre training for strength, that is a compliment really and a testament to your training methods that they can achieve both strength and a good physique.

Sadly, most people assume that anyone who goes to the gym and lifts weights is only doing it to look good but at least there are forums like these where you can chat to like minded individuals who understand what its all about.

[Mumrik]

So!

Tuesday was my first day back training MA.
Grappling went better than expected - not much pain in my shoulder, and I had not been left behind in the dust by the other guys there. Standup was fine too. My balance needed a bit of work, but over all it was really really really nice to be back, and my condition hadn't dropped noticeably.


Wednesday was time for DL, SOHP, wide grip pull ups and light squats.
I had planned to try out front squats or overhead squats that day, but I had to change my ambitions when I realized how sore I was after my first day back training MA. I ended up calling Wednesday a do-over, as I wasn't fit to do more than 3 sets of my DLs (my form deteriorated fast).
It was my first day back doing SOHP at lower reps (5x5), but it went pretty well - I've lost 11lbs./5kg. or so, but I'll get that back on the bar in no time. My ego won't let me only do 132lbs./60kg. for 5.
The wide grip pull ups had me worried. I hadn't been doing those at all for months by order of my physiotherapist. I've been doing close grip chins instead, so I decided to ease slowly into the pull ups. I did 3x3, but even that hurt my shoulder and had me quite worried, so I don't quite know where I'll go with that.

Next Wednesday will have to be the same weight on the deadlifts, but I'm okay with that - first time back training (especially grappling) is tough on the core and the shoulders.

Today (Thursday) I didn't have anything physical planned, but a buddy called and we ended up doing 3 hours of sparring grappling at mixed intensities. It felt great, and my shoulder didn't complain much as long as I didn't ask too much of it.


Overall the shoulder seems to be doing pretty well. I'll let it rest over the weekend and hopefully the soreness and discomfort that I do feel will go away.

[Mumrik]

Did my bench/squat/BOR today.

I've decided that this entire week is a do-over in regard to the 5x5 schedule. Being back training and finally starting up a lot of my lifting properly has made me unable to reach my goals. I've been sore and a bit tired.



Bench and BOR I've been doing for 12 reps the last few weeks (PT's orders) and before that I hadn't done them for months, so this was my first day at 5 reps. Felt okay - hit 198lbs. /90kg. on the bench and the exact same on the BOR... both of them are a bit below what I used to lift, but it's not as bad as I had feared.

[Mumrik]

Monday:
Pyramid to 198lbs. / 90kg. benchpress (lost some strength here)
5x242.5lbs. / 110kg. squat (ATG)
5x187lbs. / 85kg. BOR

Nothing too bad.

Didn't go to bed between monday and tuesday as I had to write an assignment. I did grab a 2½ hours nap before training training but was tired as hell.
I tapped out one of my instructors for the first time! I swept him from sidemount or halfmount and caught a toehold. Quite the milestone for me...

I'm pretty sore today (lack of sleep and generally far to little sleep for the last 4-5 days might have something to do with that), so I've decided to lift on thursday and saturday this week to a day of rest in today.

[Mumrik]

Pretty good workout today. I felt strong and am glad I pushed my second and third workouts this week to thursday and saturday.

SOHP: 5x5x132lbs. / 60kg. - this one has been suffering from my injury break, but today I felt like I could have done more... good stuff!
Light squats
Deadlift: 5x5x298lbs. / 135kg. - quite doable today
Pull-ups: 5x5xBW - It still hurts a lot when I try going for the wide grip, so today was close grip again I really need to get going on the pull-ups - for some reason I've been making up excuses for not adding weight, even though I have a dip belt lying around. Maybe it's because they are the last exercise I do on these days.

[jlagman]

Subscribed! I've got a bad shoulder too, over 20 separations in the past 9 years.

[statisticool]

What is everyone injuring their shoudlers from?