everything except DLs. It might affect ohp, but I never feel off balance.

^All righty, that's what I figured to be the case.

28.11.2011

Food:

2850 kcals / 200 g of protein

Since you have a specific bodyweight goal, do you mind posting your current BW, if possible, semi-periodically just so we can see the progress on that?

OP you are going to end up looking like a 180 lb machine with all that protein.
GL, Keep it going!

Sure, I just weighed myself today morning - 64,8 kg / 143 lb
First time I weighed myself after starting SS was one week into the program and then I weighed 64 kg so I'm up 0.8 kg / 1.8 lb from there.
0.8 kg sounds a bit high cos I only ate ~4000kcal surplus that week, but maybe I overestimated my cals out or might just be a case of lol-sample-size and variance-yo.

BTW, I don't really have a specific BW-goal per se but rather just simply get stronger and bigger whatever it might mean BW-wise. That 80kg is just something that might be cool.

Anyhoo, I think from now on, instead of my daily **** I'll start posting my weekly surplus and bodyweight (+ how much I'm up from the getgo). Like this:

After week2 - BW = 64.8 kg / 143 lb (+ 0.8 kg / 1.8 lb)

Hehe, hope so, but fpos might be closer to truth.
But in all seriousness, my protein intake is prolly a bit overkill and daily 150g or even lower would pretty much do the same trick. But yeah, whatever, I like my proteins.

Ty, sir. I'll try my best.

This, plus it's common to "gain" a bit of extra weight when you first start eating at a surplus.

29.11.2011

SS-workout #7

SQ:

Miserable fail. I couldn't go parallel let alone below it even with the bar alone so I just simply gave up.
I've had some weird mild ache in my legs (Bad squatting form?) and in the bottom part of my lumbar (rounded back in DL's?) since Saturday-workout.
Apparently squatting or even trying to squat really aggravate the leg ache.
I think I won't be biking before my next workout, try to give my legs the best possible opportunity to get better.
Also the ache in the bottom part of lumbar is really weird. It's very mild but if I happen to sneeze it really gets aggravated

BP:

2 x 5 x 20
1 x 5 x 30
1 x 3 x 35
1 x 2 x 45
3 x 5 x 47,5

Bench felt good.

Hang cleans i.e. HC from now on:

A ****ton of random sets of random reps from random heights with bar alone.
5 x 3 x 25 kg / 55lb

Cool exercise, I think I'll be liking this one. I videoed the last set, might post it later.

Re: variance, I weighed myself again today morning (under same circumstances than yesterday) - 64.2kg.
So I dropped 0.6kg in a day while I ate ~600kcal surplus.

I guess I'll start weighing myself every tuesday and wednesday morning with empty stomach and use the average for a weekly bodyweight.

So, After week2 - BW = 64.5 kg / 142 lb (+ 0.5 kg / 1 lb)

Where in your legs is the pain located? No idea about the lumbar thing.

It's kinda hard to pinpoint really. I don't know how to properly describe it, at least in English, but I'll try:
It's kinda radiating ache that doesn't feel muscular but rather skeletal.
When I walk, the ache can be felt in shins and around the knees. It's very mild, I can walk just fine.
When I try to squat and go below a certain point it starts radiating into inner thighs (adductors?) and gets pretty aggravated and thus it feels like that if I go any lower I won't be able to get up again.
FWIW, on the right leg it kinda blends in with the little sciatic pain I have there all the time.

To me it sounds like the same type of pain I got when I started, which went away after a couple of weeks. I wouldn't worry about it unless it gets worse.

^All right, I try to be as sedentary as I can until Thursday and hope I'll be able to squat then.

In other news, Two weeks ago I decided to order a set of fractional plates from U.S. (Iron Woody) and yesterday finally got a letter from Finnish Customs that they have my package and will deliver it further as soon as I pay the tax.
Kool.

Hrmph. I wasn't supposed to weigh myself this morning but for some reason I did - 63.8 kg.
So, in two days my bw has dropped 1kg / 2lb while eating a 1000kcals surplus. Prob just variance but still weird.
Meh, I guess I need to stop weighing myself daily.

Or if you, you need to ignore the individual measurements.

^That I will do.

1.12.2011

SS-workout #8

SQ:

3 x 5 x 20 kg
Fail.

Legs were still completely and utterly useless. 3 warmup-sets with bar only were enough to call it quits. Legs were all spaghetti and I just knew I wouldn't make it out of the hole with anything heavier on my shoulders. Also, the pain around the knees got somewhat bad.

OHP:

2 x 5 x 20
1 x 5 x 25
1 x 3 x 27,5
1 x 2 x 30
3 x 5 x 35kg / 77lb

No problemos w press. I videod a couple of sets, will post at least one of them later.

DL:

1 x 5 x 40
1 x 3 x 60
Fail w 70kg / 155lb

I just couldn't force the 70kg up from the floor because of my shaking, useless legs

After failing w DL too, I spent a minute trying to figure out something that I can do and then decided to do some chins just to get something done.

Chins:

5 + 4 + 3

Well, at least I ate like a pig all day.

Press video from yesterday:

35kg / 77lb workset3 -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8-7l...&feature=g-upl

As always, any critique/advice truly appreciated.

I'm a bit puzzled as to what to do w my legs. TBH I'm not really surprised that they're torn.
After all, I was pretty much completely sedentary for years. Then all of a sudden I start biking 20km 5 days a week. And then 1-2 weeks later I also start squatting 3 times a week.
I assume that has to be quite a shock to legs that are only used to doing nothing.
Also, at the age of 30, I'm really not the youngest of fellows, either.

Your age shouldn't be too relevant. I didn't get the impression the biking thing was new. No wonder you're having trouble adapting then...

A solution could be to bike a couple of times a week as your body gets used to lifting. Then add another day until you're biking 5 times a week again after a month or two. Adjust as needed.

I've always biked some but as a professional poker player there was no need for me to go/bike anywhere regularily and also the trips I made were much shorter, like a few kms at longest.
I returned to my IRL job ~5-6 weeks ago and only then started biking regularily/longer trips. And soon after that I started SS.
The plan about biking u posted sounds good. The only problem I have with that is I just learned that I hate commuting by car/bus even more than I initially thought - I did go to/from work by bus on Wed and by car on Thu and hated every second of all of it.
Anyhoo, I guess I just have to accept the fact that I can't keep biking every day and squat 3 times a week, at least with my current shape.
Starting next week, I guess I'll only bike on rest-days or even less.

You can probably adapt to doing it eventually. Unless your bike ride is exceptionally hilly, which would obv make it harder. Do you plan to bike in the winter as well?

Yeah, I hope so.
The ride is somewhat flat, only one bigger hill to go over.
Winter? Sure. Roads are already icy so I just recently put my spike tires on.
I won't be biking on days there's a ****ton of snow on the roads or if the temperature drops below -20C (I reckon anything below that and transmission and brakes will freeze no matter how well oiled/greased).

3.12.2011

SS-workout #9

SQ:

Legs were still un-squat-able. Actually left leg is ok but right leg is still weak and in pain.
But it's all-right, I can always do chins. I hear that they're an excellent substitute for the squat.

BP:

2 x 5 x 20
1 x 5 x 30
1 x 3 x 35
1 x 2 x 45
3 x 5 x 50 kg / 110 lb

Bench was ok.

HC:

2 x 5 x 20
1 x 3 x 25
5 x 3 x 27,5 kg / 61 lb

Cleans are fun, can't wait to get to do dem power cleans instead of hangs.

Chins:

6 + 4 + 3

Bench 50kg / 110lb - workset3



Hang clean 27.5 kg / 61lb - workset 5



Any critique/advice is very much welcome.