Because it seems as though my last 3 posts have been about benching, I was trying to think of what I would rename my exclusively all bench press all the time blog. I'm just a sort of in-shape, sort of better than average strong dude...not the massively swole ex-football players over on the tier 1 bench who have 3 or 4 plates per side of the bar. No, I wouldn't be able to move the bar an inch off my chest if I was lifting with them. But I'm not at the bench with the skinny wannabes with the cut-off Affliciton tees and dopey lifting gloves struggling to use good form and a full range of motion with anything other than a plate on each side either. I'm at the bench in between: the B-Bench. I'm a B-Bench All-Star.
Ok, let's just stick with B-Court All-Star. Flows better, and seems to be applicable to all areas of my life anyway.
I've hit on why I've obsessed with my bench numbers and working out chest all these years, but to reiterate, I've always been no-chest guy. I was always on the skinnier side anyway, but at the same time I thought I had decent shoulder, arm, and upper back strength/definition for a guy my size. Chest? Big Bench? No go. Plus, while it's widely known that true strong guys probably worry more about squatting than benching (never skip leg day, bro), nothing looks more badass in the gym than a guy loading multiple plates per side of the bar on the bench press, and pumping out 8-12 reps.
To bring this back around to me, I never really had a goal for a 1 rep max bench number in mind...I just want to keep getting stronger and improve the number little by little. But a pie in the sky goal I've always had is to actually do a working set of 225 lb. Why 225 lb.? I mean, that just always seems to be the standard by which people are judged. 2 plates per side just seems like such a neat and tidy amount. At what weight are prospects compared on the bench at the NFL combine? 225 lb.
What do I mean by a working set? A working set means different things, but in this case I just mean a set of more than 2 reps...so, even 3 would be a working set. Anything less than 3 kind of seems like you're pretty close to working with your 1 rep max. Really, my lifetime goal would be to do a set of 8 reps of 225 lb. Again, a set of 8 just seems like a normal working set you would do for any ol' exercise.
Whenever I have tried to do an as many reps as possible set of 225 lb. over the past year, I've always got stuck on 2 reps. It's not just that I've gotten stuck on 2, it's that those 2 reps have actually felt pretty easy. I get the 2nd rep up no problem! And then on the 3rd rep attempt, it always felt like someone came and sat down on my bar mid-lift. I have even been able to do a 2nd or 3rd set of 2 reps of 225 with relatively no rest in between (1:00-1:30 rest) pretty easily, but 3 reps was always out of the question.
Well, yesterday I finally got it...and again...and again. 3 sets of 3 reps of 225 lb. (with 4:00 rests in between sets). On the 1st 2 sets, I even positioned the bench shittily so that I was banging the bar against the hooks on bottom of the rack on the way up on the 3rd rep...no matter. I powered through it and locked out those reps anyway (no big deal). There have only been a couple times I've been more hyped with myself after a lift (the 1st time I ever benched 225 lb. maybe, as I thought I'd never even get there).
Anyway, if anyone ever reads this, this isn't bragging. Obviously, there are guys with lifting numbers that would make me look silly. Just using this blog as my own personal therapist and collecting the ramblings of a guy in his mid-30's doing things he never thought he could.
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Monday, October 29, 2018
Update: 1 Success and 1 Failure
It's been about a month and a half since my last post, at which time my lower body was feeling pretty beat up, but my upper body was feeling strong. So much so that I could feel a new 1 rep max on the bench on the horizon (and normally there's nothing I feel less confident in than my bench). And about 4 days after I wrote that, taadaa! I joined the 245 lb. club. Kiddy weights for serious lifters, but for a skinny jabroni like me who seemed to be stuck on a decade long plateau of 225 lb., no small feat.
So, how did I add 20 lb. to my bench in almost exactly a year? StrongLifts 5x5 was a big reason for my most recent gains, but it started with a more bench press focused program I found last year called the Six Week Bench Press Solution. This was the lifting program that 1st got me hooked on parametric strength building programs like StrongLifts. Based on your previous 1 rep max, calculate your working sets throughout the program, complete the program, test/set your new 1 rep max. It sounds so simple, right? So simple that I ran through it a 2nd time last year just a few weeks after completing it the 1st time...and it worked again. Wash, rinse, repeat. So amazed was I that I wondered how many times I could complete this program and improve my max before tapping out.
Well, it turns out the 3rd time wasn't a charm. My attempt at 250 lb. a couple of weeks ago failed spectacularly! In hindsight, there were a couple of things working against me. 1st, I had just beat my 1 rep max prior to starting this program over again. It's not like I had been stuck on a plateau and needed help getting over some hump. Any strength building program is going to have its limits. Otherwise, everyone could just do StrongLifts or Smolov or any of a number of different things, and our strength and personal bests would just keep rising and rising to infinity, right? (That would be an odd universe where everyone could bench 700 lb. and squat 1,000 lb.) Also, one of the main reasons I went back to this program was because I was taking a break from StronLifts, and admittedly I didn't really want to go back to just having an arm day, back day, chest day, etc. and sort of mindlessly going about some made up routine. I now love having a piece of paper or app or chart tell me what I have to accomplish on a specific day with all the guess-work taken out. I guess in that sense it's good to take a break from these programs to make your brain build your own routines again.
Also-also, this was intended to be a 6 week program (hence the title...duh) with 2 chest days per week. Because I was bored and taking a break from StrongLifts, squats in general, and deadlifts in general, that left a lot of time to fill. Let's just say I finished a 6 week program in 4 and a half weeks...probably not the rest and recovery time that was intended for success. And finally, the program was updated since the 1st couple of times I went through it. It was edited to include some incline bench work as well. At 1st, I loved this idea just for the pure sake of changing things up from what I had previously done (and I always felt I was neglecting my incline work in this program before). But whereas the original program was spelled-out in a way that was crystal clear, the inclusion of the incline work left some ambiguity in the program, and things weren't clarified as well as they could have been. (Ok, so 5 sets of 3 reps of incline bench press at 85% of my 1 rep max...my 1 rep max on flat bench? Incline?) Throughout the program, I assumed it meant the % of my 1 rep max for flat bench, but do it on the incline. This made for some not-so-productive (albeit very difficult) sets. I should probably follow up with the author for clarification if I'm being honest. In the end, for the 1st time I didn't see any gains at the conclusion of the program.
Still, I'd recommend the Six Week Bench Press Solution to anyone who is looking to get a bigger bench. The original program increased my bench 10 lb. in 6 months...when doing my own thing increased my bench 5 lb. in 3 years. I think I will tuck it away for a bit and try some other stuff for a while, but I could see myself going back to it when I get stuck in a rut. Hopefully, I'll be able to be more disciplined with my recovery time, and not rush things. In the mean time, I'm going to go back to StrongLifts for a 2nd round. I'm starting basically back at ground zero in terns of weight, so it will be at least 8 weeks or so before I start to approach the heavier weights I ended up at last time. Adios.
So, how did I add 20 lb. to my bench in almost exactly a year? StrongLifts 5x5 was a big reason for my most recent gains, but it started with a more bench press focused program I found last year called the Six Week Bench Press Solution. This was the lifting program that 1st got me hooked on parametric strength building programs like StrongLifts. Based on your previous 1 rep max, calculate your working sets throughout the program, complete the program, test/set your new 1 rep max. It sounds so simple, right? So simple that I ran through it a 2nd time last year just a few weeks after completing it the 1st time...and it worked again. Wash, rinse, repeat. So amazed was I that I wondered how many times I could complete this program and improve my max before tapping out.
Well, it turns out the 3rd time wasn't a charm. My attempt at 250 lb. a couple of weeks ago failed spectacularly! In hindsight, there were a couple of things working against me. 1st, I had just beat my 1 rep max prior to starting this program over again. It's not like I had been stuck on a plateau and needed help getting over some hump. Any strength building program is going to have its limits. Otherwise, everyone could just do StrongLifts or Smolov or any of a number of different things, and our strength and personal bests would just keep rising and rising to infinity, right? (That would be an odd universe where everyone could bench 700 lb. and squat 1,000 lb.) Also, one of the main reasons I went back to this program was because I was taking a break from StronLifts, and admittedly I didn't really want to go back to just having an arm day, back day, chest day, etc. and sort of mindlessly going about some made up routine. I now love having a piece of paper or app or chart tell me what I have to accomplish on a specific day with all the guess-work taken out. I guess in that sense it's good to take a break from these programs to make your brain build your own routines again.
Also-also, this was intended to be a 6 week program (hence the title...duh) with 2 chest days per week. Because I was bored and taking a break from StrongLifts, squats in general, and deadlifts in general, that left a lot of time to fill. Let's just say I finished a 6 week program in 4 and a half weeks...probably not the rest and recovery time that was intended for success. And finally, the program was updated since the 1st couple of times I went through it. It was edited to include some incline bench work as well. At 1st, I loved this idea just for the pure sake of changing things up from what I had previously done (and I always felt I was neglecting my incline work in this program before). But whereas the original program was spelled-out in a way that was crystal clear, the inclusion of the incline work left some ambiguity in the program, and things weren't clarified as well as they could have been. (Ok, so 5 sets of 3 reps of incline bench press at 85% of my 1 rep max...my 1 rep max on flat bench? Incline?) Throughout the program, I assumed it meant the % of my 1 rep max for flat bench, but do it on the incline. This made for some not-so-productive (albeit very difficult) sets. I should probably follow up with the author for clarification if I'm being honest. In the end, for the 1st time I didn't see any gains at the conclusion of the program.
Still, I'd recommend the Six Week Bench Press Solution to anyone who is looking to get a bigger bench. The original program increased my bench 10 lb. in 6 months...when doing my own thing increased my bench 5 lb. in 3 years. I think I will tuck it away for a bit and try some other stuff for a while, but I could see myself going back to it when I get stuck in a rut. Hopefully, I'll be able to be more disciplined with my recovery time, and not rush things. In the mean time, I'm going to go back to StrongLifts for a 2nd round. I'm starting basically back at ground zero in terns of weight, so it will be at least 8 weeks or so before I start to approach the heavier weights I ended up at last time. Adios.
Friday, September 7, 2018
End of the Road (Part Deux)
So, my last post on here I basically detailed that I was putting a wrap on my StrongLifts 5x5 routine (for now). I actually continued doing 5x5's for just deadlifting and benching for another week and a half or so, but I decided to pull the plug on the deadlift portion for now too because...well, I'm really tired of my groin and hip hurting, and it only makes sense that squats and deadlifts aggravate it. So, what started as the full 5 exercise program is down to 1: bench press. This is ok because I'm still progressing there without injuring myself. I accept the little groin/hip tweak as part of the deal when you get into a strength-building routine. You're trying to push yourself to get stronger. You're approaching your physical limits and boundaries. When the weights get heavy, your form breaks down and gets sloppier. Obviously, you want to practice as good of form as possible all the time, but that's just kind of what happens. I once heard or read the phrase it wouldn't be your max if it wasn't ugly.
But all that sort of segways into what I really wanted to get into, which is to go off onto a little tangent about my bench press progression. As I mentioned before, part of why I started this blog back up is to get stuff off my mind that I can't really bounce off of anyone else. When I tried telling my wife that I was excited that I was able to complete 5 sets of 5 at 210 lb. with only 2-3 minutes rest between sets, her response was is that good? She wanted to listen. She tried. She gets an A for effort. But she doesn't have much of frame of reference for what is heavy for me.
Additionally, she's not a numbers nerd/stat geek like me. I get more excited tracking her running or lifting stats than she does. She goes more off feel. (She felt good running, or feels stronger lifting heavier, etc.) I'm data driven. I want to see the numbers. I started keeping a notebook of what I lifted 6-8 years ago, which eventually progressed into an app on my phone that tracks everything. I didn't know what I was doing and wasn't progressing how I wanted, but, hey, I was tracking it!
So, when I can lift 5 more pounds, do 1 more rep, or 1 more set, it's a big deal to me. Especially on the bench. I suffer from this condition...I think it's called nochestitis. It's a common problem in men that can't bench worth a damn. I recognize that everyone's bodies and genetics are slightly different. That's not to make excuses for myself, but some people can do cardio and planks until the cows come home and will never have abs...while others can eat a full pizza a day and have an 8 pack. I barely do shoulders anymore, but I think I will always have decent shoulder definition for a guy my size. But I will always have to fight and claw for every pound more I can bench or millimeter added of chest size. That's nochestitis for ya.
But all that sort of segways into what I really wanted to get into, which is to go off onto a little tangent about my bench press progression. As I mentioned before, part of why I started this blog back up is to get stuff off my mind that I can't really bounce off of anyone else. When I tried telling my wife that I was excited that I was able to complete 5 sets of 5 at 210 lb. with only 2-3 minutes rest between sets, her response was is that good? She wanted to listen. She tried. She gets an A for effort. But she doesn't have much of frame of reference for what is heavy for me.
Additionally, she's not a numbers nerd/stat geek like me. I get more excited tracking her running or lifting stats than she does. She goes more off feel. (She felt good running, or feels stronger lifting heavier, etc.) I'm data driven. I want to see the numbers. I started keeping a notebook of what I lifted 6-8 years ago, which eventually progressed into an app on my phone that tracks everything. I didn't know what I was doing and wasn't progressing how I wanted, but, hey, I was tracking it!
So, when I can lift 5 more pounds, do 1 more rep, or 1 more set, it's a big deal to me. Especially on the bench. I suffer from this condition...I think it's called nochestitis. It's a common problem in men that can't bench worth a damn. I recognize that everyone's bodies and genetics are slightly different. That's not to make excuses for myself, but some people can do cardio and planks until the cows come home and will never have abs...while others can eat a full pizza a day and have an 8 pack. I barely do shoulders anymore, but I think I will always have decent shoulder definition for a guy my size. But I will always have to fight and claw for every pound more I can bench or millimeter added of chest size. That's nochestitis for ya.
That's how my 1 rep max has progressed over the last 4 years or so. Not much to see for 3 years, but this past year has been productive. And I feel like another data point at 245 lb. should be near on the horizon. Now, that probably seems pathetic to a lot of people, but that's huge for me. There's a 3 year stretch in there where my bench stayed completely stagnant. My next 5x5 bench routine is scheduled to progress to 215 lb. I've never done a set of 5 reps of 215 in my life, but based on yesterday I may not have 5 sets of 5, but I know I can bang out 1-2 sets at that weight. That's huge for nochestitis Patient Zero over here.
Monday, August 27, 2018
End of the Road
Sooooo, that didn't take long.
After singing the praises of Stronglifts 5x5 in my last post, today I've decided to put Stronglifts to bed (for now). I have nothing bad to say about the program. It's easy to follow. You feel like you're accomplishing something every training session (as opposed to wandering mindlessly between exercises). And it produced results i.e. strength gains.
You can theoretically do Stronglifts forever (although if it were actually possible to add 5 pounds to every exercise for every workout, we'd all be squatting 700 lb. and benching 5-hunksi), but the initial program is 3 workouts a week for 12 weeks. By my math, that's 36 workouts. Well, I got to 34, and unfortunately it's time to call it quits for me.
Why? Well, 1 of the very few downsides to Stronglifts is that the user is only privy to the basic program with the free version of the app. The app advertises different set and rep ranges to break through plateaus as well as different assistant exercises to go with the 5 mainstays, but that's only when you upgrade to the paid yearly subscription. It's not expensive by any means, and I'm sure you could find a bootleg Excel calculation online somewhere that gives you the paid program, but that was the 1st time I ever did a meh when contemplating the Stronglifts program.
The 2nd reason is that I accomplished what I set out to do. I had previously completed a program that helped me set new personal bests on the bench. I wanted to do the same thing with squatting. Stronglifts did that. My previous 1 rep max squat was 270 lb. On the 34th Stronglifts workout, I repped 285 lb. 5 times (for 1 set at least). So, mission accomplished. When I was looking at squat strength programs, I wasn't originally considering a program that focused on other areas as well. But when I found Stronglifts, I said, What the heck? Why not?
Finally, it just got to the point where I had to consider competing interests. My left groin/hip have been killing me the last 2 weeks or so. I'm not sure if squatting heavy is what caused the soreness, but I don't think it's helped me recover any faster either. I've kind of tried to baby it and scale back the frequency of my squatting, but the injury still seems to be lingering. With that being said, it's probably best to shut it down for a couple of weeks, and let everything heal for real. Squatting heavy is fun, but so is playing basketball without worrying that you're going to pull your groin every layup attempt or being able to chase the kids around the yard without an ice pack afterwards.
I do think I will pick the Stronglifts program back up at some point (or maybe start the program off from scratch), but I think it's time to try something else for a bit. Stronglifts definitely got me through an entire summer where some days I would rather be anywhere else but in my sweatbox of a garage gym. I would have liked to do 2 more workouts just to get to that nice clean 36 number, but what am I trying to prove at this point? I think I'm nearing (or already at) my squat plateau as is. I'm going to continue a modified 5x5 program for deadlifts and bench for a couple of more weeks just because I haven't really approached my limits there yet, but otherwise that will be a wrap. Good program though, and I would recommend it to anyone who's training routine has gotten a little stale and is trying to gain strength.
After singing the praises of Stronglifts 5x5 in my last post, today I've decided to put Stronglifts to bed (for now). I have nothing bad to say about the program. It's easy to follow. You feel like you're accomplishing something every training session (as opposed to wandering mindlessly between exercises). And it produced results i.e. strength gains.
You can theoretically do Stronglifts forever (although if it were actually possible to add 5 pounds to every exercise for every workout, we'd all be squatting 700 lb. and benching 5-hunksi), but the initial program is 3 workouts a week for 12 weeks. By my math, that's 36 workouts. Well, I got to 34, and unfortunately it's time to call it quits for me.
Why? Well, 1 of the very few downsides to Stronglifts is that the user is only privy to the basic program with the free version of the app. The app advertises different set and rep ranges to break through plateaus as well as different assistant exercises to go with the 5 mainstays, but that's only when you upgrade to the paid yearly subscription. It's not expensive by any means, and I'm sure you could find a bootleg Excel calculation online somewhere that gives you the paid program, but that was the 1st time I ever did a meh when contemplating the Stronglifts program.
The 2nd reason is that I accomplished what I set out to do. I had previously completed a program that helped me set new personal bests on the bench. I wanted to do the same thing with squatting. Stronglifts did that. My previous 1 rep max squat was 270 lb. On the 34th Stronglifts workout, I repped 285 lb. 5 times (for 1 set at least). So, mission accomplished. When I was looking at squat strength programs, I wasn't originally considering a program that focused on other areas as well. But when I found Stronglifts, I said, What the heck? Why not?
Finally, it just got to the point where I had to consider competing interests. My left groin/hip have been killing me the last 2 weeks or so. I'm not sure if squatting heavy is what caused the soreness, but I don't think it's helped me recover any faster either. I've kind of tried to baby it and scale back the frequency of my squatting, but the injury still seems to be lingering. With that being said, it's probably best to shut it down for a couple of weeks, and let everything heal for real. Squatting heavy is fun, but so is playing basketball without worrying that you're going to pull your groin every layup attempt or being able to chase the kids around the yard without an ice pack afterwards.
I do think I will pick the Stronglifts program back up at some point (or maybe start the program off from scratch), but I think it's time to try something else for a bit. Stronglifts definitely got me through an entire summer where some days I would rather be anywhere else but in my sweatbox of a garage gym. I would have liked to do 2 more workouts just to get to that nice clean 36 number, but what am I trying to prove at this point? I think I'm nearing (or already at) my squat plateau as is. I'm going to continue a modified 5x5 program for deadlifts and bench for a couple of more weeks just because I haven't really approached my limits there yet, but otherwise that will be a wrap. Good program though, and I would recommend it to anyone who's training routine has gotten a little stale and is trying to gain strength.
Thursday, August 16, 2018
If I Knew Then What I Know Now: Stronglifts 5x5
It's cliché to say, but, man...if only I could combine some of the wisdom I've acquired in my early to mid 30's back to when I was 21 or 22. Those kinds of thoughts are magnified when you're talking about gaining muscle and strength, when an average male peaks in terms of strength gains somewhere between 18 and 22. Maybe some of the pitfalls I've encountered through the years couldn't have been avoided. I'm extremely stubborn, I don't like to ask for help, and I like to figure things out on my own. Over time, I gained more knowledge in this area mostly "by osmosis" I guess: an article here, a tip from a (much stronger) friend there. But eventually, whatever slight progress and gains I was making would stop, and I would plateau.
Finally around this time last year, I gave in (in a way). I googled "how to increase your max bench." I sifted through some things that were mostly garbage, but I also came across several programs and routines that offered step-by-step instructions showing how to get from point A to point B. The reason I decided on 1 particular program (more on that program at some point down the road) was because it was so formulaic. It specified how many times a week you trained chest, how many weeks the program lasted, and calculated the weight of every set based on some predetermined parameters. And what do you know? After 6 weeks (that was the program length), my max bench press increased. So impressed was I that I repeated the whole program again based on my newly established 1 rep max, and, shocker...it worked again. What a novel concept: there might be people on this planet who actually know more about something than me...so, use them!
And so began my love for this formulaic kind of workout approach. These programs may not be for everyone, but I've found they are perfect for me. Because every workout is laid out ahead of time, it takes out the guess work of what exercises you're doing a particular day. I tend to be in and out of the gym much faster now then before because there is less thought involved and less wasted time as a result. You can also do these types of workouts completely on your own because that printout or that app on your phone is your personal trainer or workout buddy. Some people find they do better working out with someone. I enjoy the company every once in a while, but in general I like working out in a quiet empty gym. Maybe that makes me a psychopath, but that's what works for me. The formulaic workout program also appeases the nerdy, math-loving, science-experimenty part of me. Calculate x, follow steps a, b, c, and d, and get result y. And from my experience, the programs I've tried actually give you positive results.
This leads me to Stronglifts 5x5. After increasing my 1 rep max on the bench 15 pounds in like 6 months (after increasing it like 5 pounds in the previous 6 years), I found that my squatting had become pretty stagnant as well. At first I thought about just modifying the bench program that I had been doing for squats, but after a little digging I found Stronglifts. The general ideas behind Stronglifts 5x5 is almost numbingly simple. It focuses on the 5 big compound movements (squatting, bench pressing, bent-over rowing, deadlifting, and overhead pressing). You do 3 workouts a week alternating between squat, bench, and row and squat, overhead press, and deadlift, 5 sets of 5 reps for everything, and the weight for each exercise goes up 5 pounds each workout.
The weights for each exercise start painfully light at the onset of the program, but going up 5 pounds for each exercise makes things heavy in a hurry (especially for squats). I'm 11 weeks in, and my last workout included a 5x5 of what my 1 rep max was prior to beginning Stronglifts. The other great part about Stronglifts is that you record and can track your progress all in 1 handy-dandy app on your phone. If you fail an exercise at a certain weight a certain number of times, there is even programming in the app that drops the weight down automatically.
Finally around this time last year, I gave in (in a way). I googled "how to increase your max bench." I sifted through some things that were mostly garbage, but I also came across several programs and routines that offered step-by-step instructions showing how to get from point A to point B. The reason I decided on 1 particular program (more on that program at some point down the road) was because it was so formulaic. It specified how many times a week you trained chest, how many weeks the program lasted, and calculated the weight of every set based on some predetermined parameters. And what do you know? After 6 weeks (that was the program length), my max bench press increased. So impressed was I that I repeated the whole program again based on my newly established 1 rep max, and, shocker...it worked again. What a novel concept: there might be people on this planet who actually know more about something than me...so, use them!
And so began my love for this formulaic kind of workout approach. These programs may not be for everyone, but I've found they are perfect for me. Because every workout is laid out ahead of time, it takes out the guess work of what exercises you're doing a particular day. I tend to be in and out of the gym much faster now then before because there is less thought involved and less wasted time as a result. You can also do these types of workouts completely on your own because that printout or that app on your phone is your personal trainer or workout buddy. Some people find they do better working out with someone. I enjoy the company every once in a while, but in general I like working out in a quiet empty gym. Maybe that makes me a psychopath, but that's what works for me. The formulaic workout program also appeases the nerdy, math-loving, science-experimenty part of me. Calculate x, follow steps a, b, c, and d, and get result y. And from my experience, the programs I've tried actually give you positive results.
This leads me to Stronglifts 5x5. After increasing my 1 rep max on the bench 15 pounds in like 6 months (after increasing it like 5 pounds in the previous 6 years), I found that my squatting had become pretty stagnant as well. At first I thought about just modifying the bench program that I had been doing for squats, but after a little digging I found Stronglifts. The general ideas behind Stronglifts 5x5 is almost numbingly simple. It focuses on the 5 big compound movements (squatting, bench pressing, bent-over rowing, deadlifting, and overhead pressing). You do 3 workouts a week alternating between squat, bench, and row and squat, overhead press, and deadlift, 5 sets of 5 reps for everything, and the weight for each exercise goes up 5 pounds each workout.
The weights for each exercise start painfully light at the onset of the program, but going up 5 pounds for each exercise makes things heavy in a hurry (especially for squats). I'm 11 weeks in, and my last workout included a 5x5 of what my 1 rep max was prior to beginning Stronglifts. The other great part about Stronglifts is that you record and can track your progress all in 1 handy-dandy app on your phone. If you fail an exercise at a certain weight a certain number of times, there is even programming in the app that drops the weight down automatically.
At this point, I'm not sure how long I will continue it (until I stop seeing gains I guess??). I'm starting to struggle going up in weight on the overheard press. Based on past experience, I know I will be at my 5 rep max on the bench press in a couple of weeks too. The squatting is getting more difficult, but I'm in uncharted territory at this point. But even if I never improve my max on any of the other 4 exercises as a result of this program, I feel like I already accomplished my goal because I was just looking to improve my squat numbers anyway. If this sounds like some unpaid advertising for Stronglifts, well, it kind of is. It's worked for me thus far, and I'm happy with the results. If you're interested in building strength check out the link above or search for Stronglifts 5x5 in your app store.
Thursday, August 9, 2018
Back Again
Wow...it's been nearly 4 years since my last post. (I can't believe I have 265 of 'em on here. I'm not nearly interesting enough to have 265 posts.) A lot has changed. I have 3 (THREE!) kids running around at home now. A professional Washington sports franchise won a championship (hockey, but still...). And...well maybe not that much else has changed!
Why the return? In short, I have no friends anymore. No, no! I'm not saying that in a pathetic please-feel-bad-for-me way. And no, I don't actually have zero friends, but you get the idea. That's just sort of what happens. Married, 3 kids, don't get out much...it's not a complaint, it's just life.
Basically, even at the age of 33 I still need somewhere to release my semi-coherent ramblings on sports, fitness, and whatever other stupid thing pops into my head once in a while. I love my wife, but I am too humane to subject her to too much of my nonsense at any one time. My kids are still too young. If I had a dog, I would probably just scream things at it every once in a while. "You can't switch a big out on Steph Curry at the top of the key, Dusty!" (Dusty seems like a good imaginary dog name.)
So, I'm here. We'll see how long this lasts. My last post was 4 days before my middle kid, Jordan was born. Writing mostly nonsensical things that no one ever read (except for me) didn't seem all that important at the time. But I think writing those nonsensical things that no one ever read made me a little bit more sane.
Why the return? In short, I have no friends anymore. No, no! I'm not saying that in a pathetic please-feel-bad-for-me way. And no, I don't actually have zero friends, but you get the idea. That's just sort of what happens. Married, 3 kids, don't get out much...it's not a complaint, it's just life.
Basically, even at the age of 33 I still need somewhere to release my semi-coherent ramblings on sports, fitness, and whatever other stupid thing pops into my head once in a while. I love my wife, but I am too humane to subject her to too much of my nonsense at any one time. My kids are still too young. If I had a dog, I would probably just scream things at it every once in a while. "You can't switch a big out on Steph Curry at the top of the key, Dusty!" (Dusty seems like a good imaginary dog name.)
So, I'm here. We'll see how long this lasts. My last post was 4 days before my middle kid, Jordan was born. Writing mostly nonsensical things that no one ever read (except for me) didn't seem all that important at the time. But I think writing those nonsensical things that no one ever read made me a little bit more sane.
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