Kemik does StrongLifts - with targets

Back! Missed a few posts after the last ones but kind of hit an end of year wall. I think we can all agree that I didn't hit my targets! haha.

Anyway, I have more time to concentrate on this so gym three times a week (minimum twice) should be possible. At the end of last year various commitments meant I was only going once a week and that really wasn't beneficial.

SL says I should deload 50% of the weight. I won't be going that far but I will be going down. Here's the starting numbers for 2015 with two additional exercises.

Previous
Squat: 5x5 65kg
Bench: 5x5 47.5kg
Row: 5x5 45kg
OHP: 5x5 32.5kg
Deadlift: 1x5 90kg

Starting 2015
Squat: 5x5 45kg
Bench: 5x5 37.5kg
Row: 5x5 32.5kg
OHP: 5x5 27.5kg
Deadlift: 1x5 60kg
Dips (NEW!): 3x10 10kg assisted
Chin-ups (NEW!): 3x10 10kg assisted

The idea being that within 8 sessions (3 weeks) I am back where I was. Considering my last session was mid-December, I don't think that is too unreasonable.

I'm skiing in 8 weeks time so that might be a good marker to stop, reflect and see how I'm doing.
 
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Update time!

13th January
Squat: 50kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)
Bench Press: 40kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)
Barbell Row: 35kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)

16th January
Squat: 52.5kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)
OHP: 27.5kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)
Deadlift: 70kg (5)

19th January
Squat: 55kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)
Bench Press: 42.5kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)

22nd January
Squat: 57.5kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)
OHP: 30kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)

Gym has been really busy so those last exercise I've had to skip. I have been doing assisted chinups and pull ups but I'm going to leave them off here while I get the form right. At the minute I'm around 5kg assisted on both.
 
Another update, creeping back up to my previous PBs.

26th January
Squat: 60kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)
Bench Press: 45kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)
Barbell Row: 37.5kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)

28th January
Squat: 62.5kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)
OHP: 32.5kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)

2nd February
Squat: 65kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)
Bench Press: 47.5kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)
Barbell Row: 40kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)
 
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More updates!

4th February
Squat: 67.5kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)
OHP: 35kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)
Deadlift: 75kg (5)
Chinups: BW (5, 6 ,4)

Missed Monday 9th as I was on call and working late.

11th February
Squat: 70kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5) - NEW PB!
Bench Press: 50kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5) - NEW PB!
Machine Row: 45kg (5, 5, 5, 5, 5)

My weight is also now up to 68.9kg! As someone who finds it really difficult to put on any weight, no matter how much I eat, I'm very happy to see I've put on 2kg. Going to keep pushing.

I found that if I try to spread my weight across my feet rather than lean more onto my heels then the squat uses my legs more. I'm really worried about keeping my back straight so any tips appreciated.

My ski trip is coming up at the start of March so I'll be reigning back the squats from the 25th January to prevent injury.
 
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You might be keeping your torso more upright by keeping the weight over your midfoot (inadvertantly), meaning more legs...

And regarding gaining weight: you find it difficult to put on weight because you don't eat enough. It's very difficult for humans to hide/subvert the laws of physics and thermodynamics. ;)

Good work on the PBs, however! Squatting more than BW is an achievement however anybody looks at it. Now for 1.5* BW! :D
 
mrthingyx said:
You might be keeping your torso more upright by keeping the weight over your midfoot (inadvertantly), meaning more legs...

And regarding gaining weight: you find it difficult to put on weight because you don't eat enough. It's very difficult for humans to hide/subvert the laws of physics and thermodynamics. ;)

Good work on the PBs, however! Squatting more than BW is an achievement however anybody looks at it. Now for 1.5* BW! :D
Click to expand...

With squatting being in each session I really focus on making sure form is correct but it is difficult when exercising alone. Do you have any tips for checks to do while squatting?

Feet placement is easy. Doing the sitting on the chair action is also easy but I think in the past I was putting too much of the weight in the heels rather than across the whole foot.

As for food... I honestly don't know how much more I can eat! ha. How do you have time to prep meals?? At the minute my diet is:

Breakfast: Bowl of porridge.
Lunch: Full meal (e.g. spag boll, curry and rice, etc)
Pre-gym, every day Snack: Three bits of cooked chicken/breakfast bar with banana/anything I can find that's extremely easy to do the night before.
Post gym snack: Protein shake
Dinner: Full meal (e.g. 75g of rice, large helping of whatever meat, etc). Usually have a yoghurt or something for desert.
 
Difficult one if I can't manhandle the person in person. ;)

PPractically, take a video from the sides and back so we can see what's going on with your back and knees/torso when you lift.

Foot placement and all that is normally a derivative of hip socket/femur length/ankle mobility as all these play a part on where your feet should sit to allow your hips to move the most freely and optimally... there isn't necessarily a wrong answer for this, but another variable is what you actually want from the movement... :D

Regarding diet... my daily intakebasically looks like:

- Two slices of brown bread and peanut butter
- 4 scrambled eggs with cream and some horrid rapeseed oil + salami/ham
- salad with tuna, avocado, feta cheese, olives, shedloads of rapeseed oil
- peanuts/sesame seeds/pumpkin seeds/etc. (normally 100g at the very least);
- Brotein shake (two scoops, creatine, cream, and bucketloads of sugar if post workout);
- Chilli with rice (for dinner);
- Cake/biscuits/crisps/anything else I can find in the house of an evening...
- Weetos/ with soy milk.

Portion size is also important: I normally eat two portions of dinner.

It's easy to eat lots. Really, really easy. Once you get used to it, you'll start feeling hungry without it. :D
 
Re food add more fats to your diet which will automatically increase the calories, peanut butter, avocados, eggs etc.

With your protein shake you can always add a scoop of blended oats or PB :)
 
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