winterkill's log (lifting & MT)

winterkill · 12:35 PM

Age: 22
Height: ~190cm (= 6'3")
Weight: 80kg (= 176lb)
Goals: (due April 5 2008)
* Deadlift 160kg for reps
* Front squat 80kg for reps (this entails an 80kg power clean)
* Bench 80kg for reps
* OHP 40kg for reps
Special Skills: Allergies! -10 HP from milk, wheat and olive based products. [OK, maybe "allergies" ain't technically right, but eating that stuff ruins my day]
PRs: None right now. We'll see how I go in January.

This log is mainly for my own discipline, and hopefully to get help from all you long time lifters out there.

Skill Training
Muay Thai: Goal is basically to make sure I go 2x weekly, and sparring at least 1x fortnight. I wanted to get into the advanced class this year but unfortunately study took up too much time and I missed too many classes.
BJJ: I've just started BJJ, my only goal is to make sure I go 2x weekly (at least until Uni starts again next year)

Strength Training
I've been following a program based on Rippetoe's Starting Strength program for beginners. There are two workouts, which alternate every 2nd day:

A:
Squat 5x5
Benchpress 5x5
Pullups 3xfailure

B:
Squat 5x5
Overhead Press 5x5
Deadlift 1x5

The program starts with an empty bar. 2.5kg is added every workout (the Deadlift starts with 20kg and goes up 5kg at a time). I'm doing front squats and cleaning the weight up onto my shoulders instead of back squats as I don't have access to a power rack or anyone to spot me (yeah, I'm a garage gym rat). I suspect that will slow down my progress, but I have no other options right now.

So a typical 2 week cycle looks like:
Mon: 1hr BJJ, 1hr MT
Tues: Lift (A)
Wed: 1hr BJJ, 1hr MT
Thur: Lift (B)
Fri: 1.5 hr MT Sparring
Sat: Lift (A)
Sun: R'n'R
Mon: 1hr BJJ, 1hr MT
Tues: Lift (B)
Wed: 1hr BJJ, 1hr MT
Thur: Lift (A)
Fri: 1.5 hr MT Sparring
Sat: Lift (B)
Sun: R'n'R

winterkill · 09-06-2007, 12:35 AM

Front Squat:
Wgt. x Reps x Sets
15 x 5 x 2 (warmup)
25 x 5 x 1 (warmup)
30 x 3 x 1 (warmup)
40 x 5 x 2, 35 x 5 x 2, 37.5 x 5 x 1 (work)

I just about died during the second set of squats so I dropped the weight after that. After the 4th set I got a second wind and threw on another 2.5kg for the final set.

Overhead Press:
Wgt. x Reps x Sets
15 x 5 x 2 (warmup)
17.5 x 5 x 1 (warmup)
20 x 3 x 1 (warmup)
22.5 x 5 x 5 (work)

Deadlift:
Wgt. x Reps x Sets
15 x 5 x 2 (warmup)
25 x 5 x 1 (warmup)
40 x 3 x 1 (warmup)
65 x 5 x 5 (work)

I think the warmup sets after squatting may have been a bit excessive, esp. for the OHP. Considering I'm cleaning everything up onto my shoulders, I'm pretty warm at this stage..

liquid! · 09-06-2007, 01:02 AM

Yeah, I'd ramp up a little faster, but no worries your just getting started. It takes a few workouts to figure out how much you should be lifting, so don't sweat it if you can't zero in on the correct weight right away.

You can use higher reps with the lighter weights when warming up. You won't get stoned. Probably.

Look forward to many noob gains.

edit- You can always make a ghetto power rack with two saw horses.

winterkill · 09-06-2007, 03:55 AM

Just to clarify, I've followed the program as laid out in the top post for about 6 weeks now, starting from an empty bar. Up 'til now I haven't been doing warm up sets at all. As you say, it'll take a while to figure out what works best for me.

I tried the saw horse thing, and it went all sorts of wrong, so I'm a little gun shy to try it out again. I'm constantly scanning the classifieds to find a power rack I can afford at the moment.

My lower back is feeling a little sketchy right now, which, from what I understand, means my form on the squats and deadlifts is wrong -- ass raising up before shoulders, turning both lifts into Good Mornings. I definitely need to concentrate on working my hips/glutes in those lifts.

Everything I've read talks a lot about the easy gains beginners make, but I feel like I've already kinda hit a wall on the squats. I guess I don't know what to expect, having never done this before. It's not like I expect it to be easy, but how hard should these sets be to complete? Maybe I'm just not used to working hard...So many factors to consider...form...nutrition...phase of moon...sunspots...etc.. Is there a ramp-up period after which I'm gonna start piling on muscle? Cause I haven't gained any weight since I started...nothing for it but to continue doing what I'm doing, I guess.

ghostwipe · 09-06-2007, 03:58 AM

Have you checked the craigslist classifieds?

winterkill · 09-06-2007, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghostwipe

Have you checked the craigslist classifieds?

No, I live in New Zealand which is about the last populated place you can go before hitting Antarctica so I'm not shipping from the states

Just had a look though, and they do have a New Zealand site, but it doesn't look like there are any ads...

winterkill · 09-09-2007, 08:31 PM

I piked on lifting this weekend as I had to shift house. I moved lots of heavy furniture and boxes.

I know, I'm totally ghey.

winterkill · 09-17-2007, 03:44 PM

I've been incredibly slack the last couple weeks. Had to move house, and had an assload of work to do for Uni and a bunch of extra hours at work to make up, all of which meant I haven't been able to find time to train.
On top of that, the garage at the new place I moved into is tiny and has no place to put up a bar for pullups. And I definitely won't be able fit a power rack inside. I'll try doing my lifting in the garage, but if it doesn't work out I may have to bite the bullet and join the Uni gym.

Anyway, enough excuses.

1hr Muay Thai

Drilled leg checks with various counters. Pretty basic stuff. Finished up with a bit of conditioning which I took pretty easy.

There's a distinct lack of decent training partners in class at the moment. Fortunately, I should be moving up to the "advanced" class before the end of the year. Which means people to push me hard. Good.

winterkill · 09-20-2007, 03:19 PM

1 hr Muay Thai

We did clinch work the entire hour. First we drilled knees in the clinch, then getting from outside the clinch into side control (i.e., from non-dominant position to side control). We also got shown a standing choke from side control which was pretty sweet.

winterkill · 09-22-2007, 06:21 PM

Front Squat
Wgt. x Reps x Sets
15 x 5 x 2 (warmup)
30 x 3 x 1 (warmup)
40 x 5 x 2, 35 x 5 x 3 (work sets)

Benchpress
Wgt. x Reps x Sets
15 x 5 x 2 (warmup)
22.5 x 5 x 5 (work sets)

Pullups
Wgt. x Reps x Sets
0 x 4 x 1, 0 x 3 x 2 (work sets)

Finally back into it. Hit the same weight as my last workout as I've missed 6 sessions. Feels good to be sore.

My form went to shit on the 2nd set of Fr. Squats so I dropped the weight for the last 3. Really need to concentrate on form and make sure I don't turn 'em into Good Mornings.