Wrists: Maybe I'm inflexible and can't bring my arms back far enough so maybe it just needs more time, but right now it definitely doesn't feel natural. Probably would help to get a pic/video of my arm position while squatting.

Volume on DLs: More or less I'm trying to figure out what my workset weight should be. maybe this is a bad approach, though.

Feb 20:

Squats:
3x5x255

OH Press:
3x5x95
1x5x100

DL:
1x4x325

Squats were good except my very last rep I feel like I was potentially a little unsteady on. It was a little concerning as I feel like I didn't go into the set mentally prepared enough for the heavy weight.

Presses are still pathetic imo. I was able to up it to 100 at the end which felt nice, so I'll start there next OHP day.

DLs: I did a bunch of warmup singles and doubles, eventually 2xing 315 and feeling like 325 would probably be my target workset. I did 4x325 which felt great. I didn't attempt a 5th rep but I don't think that I could have done it. Regardless, I think I found a good workset weight now.

I haven't had any solid SS sessions in the past week since I had an issue with my gym (Golds). Thought we had a deal when they gave me a quote and a free one week trial and then after the free week they decided it would be cool to quote me a higher rate than I was initially told. Total bs by this ******* employee so I'm trying to play hardball a little bit since I don't want to get screwed over even if it's just an extra $5/mo. I'll cave soon enough if hardball and complaining to his manager doesn't work since I want that barbell. For now I've had to use my apartment gym which is basically a smith machine and a couple other things. Anyways, I lifted a few times in the past week -- did some smith squats and other things but I'm itching to get back into SS.

More importantly, I think that I still need to consume more calories to see any kind of reasonable gains and I think the best way for me to do that is to start drinking a lot of milk. I know SS advocates a GOMAD but that's a lot right now so I may start off w/ a .5GOMAD. That's 8 cups which is 6 more than I currently average or about 700 extra calories if I'm drinking 2%. Seems good to me.

Maybe I can man up and get to a GOMAD but I don't want to get too big. In SS, Rippetoe talks about a 10% bf person getting to 20% bf while putting on a ton of weight when doing a GOMAD. Now....that sounds pretty awful, personally. I don't know what bf% I am now (see pics below) but I certainly don't want to balloon up 10% from where I'm at. I want gains, of course, but lean gains, like everyone. Just a pipedream?

I wouldn't take any eating advice from Rippetoe. He thinks everyone should be 20% BF. Lyle suggests going 500 over maintenance from 10% to 15%, then cut back to 10. Hopefully half the pound a week you gain is muscle and you can keep most of it while cutting properly. I just started the +500 bulk part. We'll see...

Yeah, makes sense. I was reading over the nutrition segment and it's basically "Eat meat and eggs and a GOMAD. Gain 60 pounds in a few months and you may be up to 20% bf and then you are doing the program." Yeah....no ty.

500 over maint is about what I'm shooting for. Since I already consume about 2c of milk a day, going up to a 8c/day would get me that extra ~500 along with the macros I want so I hope this works.

12-14% sounds about right. It's hard to guess because as we get older, stubborn bodyfat tends to store up around out waist. I have almost identical fat storing patterns as you. I am guessing we might be similar age.

Yeah my waist and back are turrible. I assume that if I were to cut, they'd be the last places that I would see results.

Feb 27, back to SS since I got my issue w/ Golds worked out.

Squats:
3x5x255

ez game today. My last rep of my last set last time was hard. This time I smashed it. Felt strong and good, like ox. 265 next time.

DL:
bunch of warmup singles and doubles with prone grip and then
1x5x325 with mixed grip

Last time I only did 4. 5 felt great today. On to 335 next time around.

Bench:
2x5x205
1x5x215

The 205 felt better today than last time so I moved up and tried 215. While I could do the 5 reps, I only barely finished the last one. Next time I think i'll do 215 for all 3 sets and see how many I can do.

Overall, excellent day. I ate a lot of food and drank 6c of milk throughout the day so I got a ton of calories which probably helped this workout. It was awesome though. Haven't felt this strong in a while.

My basic workout plan is that every other day I will try and do a SS workout that consists of {squats, bench/OHpress, and DL} while on the other days either resting or doing auxiliary stuff. On SS days I have a formal plan of what I'm doing, how many sets, how much weight -- everything. On the aux days I have very little plan right now. I do some rows, some ab stuff, maybe some shoulder stuff, but there is no plan. That should definitely change.

Feb 28 (aux day):
Since I knew I was going to take 3/1 off, I did some leg presses. Worked my way up to 10 plates, went as deep as I could and pounded out 6 reps before I called it quits.

Afterwards a barbell station freed up so I decided to practice my cleans. I've never done them so I tried to stay on light weight and practice good form. They felt good up to 115lbs but I feel like after that I started using my arms too much.

Aside from that I did some captain's chair knee raises and some bent-over rows and called it quits.

Overall it was a pretty solid aux day. Worked up a decent sweat and lifted heavy on a few exercises to failure.

March 1:

Skwats:
3x5x265

Felt great. Even the last rep wasn't too bad. May do one more day at 265 and move to 270 or 275.

OH Press:
2x5x105
1x7x105

Again, felt great. I give full credit to the increase in calories. Seeing them gains! Next time will be 110

DL:
1x5x345
I decided to move up by 20 lbs since last time since the last DL session went so well. I did 4 reps w/o major trouble but on the fourth my grip (mixed) was slipping so when I set it down, I gave myself a couple extra seconds and regripped for the 5th rep. Seems okay since I didn't give too much time.

Overall it was an awesome day. Crushed all my sets and making big progress in my lifts so far. Physically I think some pants are feeling tighter in the legs but it could be in my head.

March 4:

Squeets:
3x5x265

Easy. Crushed it. 270 next time.

Bench Press:
3x5x215

Had someone spot me on my last set but didn't need it. Crushed it. Pretty pumped to almost be at 225!

DL:
1x4x355

Nice, couldn't finish the set. Next time it'll be 355 again until I can get through this weight.

March 6:

Squats:
3x5x275

275 felt good. Last rep wasn't too hard. I need to get a video of my form but I feel like I'm going down about as far as I can with no weight on the bar.

OH Press:
3x5x110

110 wasn't so bad. May do 115 next time.

DL:
1x5x355

See video for form and please comment -- i'm new to DLs and posting vids in general

Umm, back doesn't look tight or straight at all to me. Very hard to tell how much your low back may be rounding - maybe it isn't....but I think that's wishful thinking and you need to learn how to keep it neutral throughout the lift.

Nothing really seems that tight at the start and the finish is very weak/loose. But 355 seems like a lot of weight for someone who is new to DLs - maybe you are jdock's long lost cousin or something. So now I'm just jealous and thinking I've been doing it wrong the many months (not really though).

Yeah it's poor form for sure. My lower back is quite sore for a day or two after DLs. I need to lessen the weight and get better form. Currently looking over links cha shared and going over the DL section in SS again.

An angle from above may be helpful to give any more specific advice but generally speaking I really try to tightening my lats a ton before pulling during a DL and brace my abs. Which is what I should try to do before all lifts I ever do so, ummm, maybe not revolutionary advice.

March 12:

Squats:
3x5x275

See video for form and please comment on anything you see wrong.



Bench Press:
3x5x220

Moving up and it feels good. Bouncing too much off chest, I think.

DL:
1x5xs325

Here is a video compilation of some of my warmups as well as my workset at the end. I'd really appreciate any comments on my form. I wanted to get a full visual of my form in each set to see if the weight was causing bad form or if I simply have bad form in each set. I tried to use a lot of the cues cha, skeletor and yugo gave but it's a work in progress, clearly.

They look way better. This is the most progress in the shortest amount of time I have ever seen. Your setup was absolute crap last week, you just picked up the bar off the floor with zero cues.

As for the the lumbar flexion? Who the heck knows? I wonder if people realize that the lumbar spine consists of the 5 lowest vertebrae of the spine. The only people I have ever seen significant lumbar flexion is Soulman's old deadlift and Jdocks. Yours I saw a tiny bit on the last rep of last week's video. But it's hard to tell. I think everybody needs to wear white tight form fitting underarmour tanktops (like I do in my videos), if they want us to check for lumbar spine rounding.

Wow thanks. Last weak I went into the deadlifts w/o a plan and this time I really tried to focus on form/cues which I will continue to do. Also, a big factor is I did less weight that previously. 325 vs 355, so not a huge difference but still a difference.

My biggest sign of better form: my lower back isn't sore as hell today. I think that actually speaks volumes.

Thoughts on first DLs:



This one is much improved. You still need to push your chest way more up and get back on your heels more. I'd also ditch the shoes and lift in your socks.

Squats look pretty good. Definitely need to keep your chest up as you get tired (maybe don't crank your arms too far back), and also pack your neck back a bit so it is in a neutral position (make a double chin)

DL does look much improved. Over time you will learn to get your back tighter (if you keep working on it). For next time I'd recommend really tightening your lats. And really keep squeezing your glutes throughout the pull.

I was going through cues in my head as I started my sets but I didn't think about keeping my chest up or to get back on my heels. Next time around I'll focus on that as well. ty!

I feel like my arms look weird in the videos but it feels fairly natural. I'm transitioning from a thumbed grip to thumbless so maybe that's some of it.

So I should have my chin a lot closer down to my chest?

It's funny, as I was doing reps I would actively squeeze my glutes in while finishing a rep and really feel it in the glutes/hams/calves some. The calves part was interesting as I didn't think I would feel it there but I did...but only in my right one. But my right one was already a little sore from snowboarding this weekend so maybe that's some of it. Regardless, it was nice to feel it in my posterior chain as opposed to only my lower back like I was before.

Yes - "feeling it" in your posterior chain vs. low back is for sure what you want. Your right calf may have some adhesions in it imo if you're feeling it during DLs. But, that's just a minor recommendation if you were thinking about where to do SMR next time.

March 14:

Squats:
3x5x285

Good stuff. 275 was feeling easy and today's 285 was harder. Got through it tho.

OH Press:
2x5x115
1x6x115

This was great. I couldn't do 115 a while ago when I tried to do 5 reps. I think I got like 3 reps in. Now I did 5 reps 3 times plus a bonus.

DL:
1x5x325

Hard but felt great after. Lower back isn't on fire so I think that means I'm not doing them terribly wrong anymore. Maybe only slightly wrong!

Weighed myself today for the first time since i started this log and im up 15 lbs lol. Holy ****. Im 206 currently. I dont feel like ive gotten fatter or bigger but i obv have. Pants and shirts fit the same