TRAINING LOG: James Murdock

Dec 9-

Sq- 3x5 up to 265. Narrow, ATG squats are making my day. I don't have any of the hip flexor pain that was giving me problems coming out of the hole on PL squats. I could have gone heavier and I expect this number to be less ridiculous pretty soon.

DL-3x5 up to 335. Fair bit of spittle and grunting.

Push Press-3x185x5. Just for comparison, I was struggling with 95# a few months ago on this lift.  

Dips-3x10 with ~25lb chain

All modern PRs on the lifts--obviously I am paying for it today.

Thanks Joel.

For the past few months (so as long as I've been lifting) I had been doing the conventional schedule: lifting with one deads day and one squats day. I know going heavy on both on the same day is not the best way to get much done...I am exhausted by the time I'm done with the first anyway.

The reason I'm trying this is because I have been limited in my ability to get into the weight room more than twice a week, and because I thought Rippetoe's starting strength program sounded like a better fit for me to get some progress on my squats, and this is basically what he calls for. He actually has you dead every other workout--which I think is too much for me.

Joel Sim wrote: If it works don't fix it.

That remains to be seen, of course.

Basically I just looked at programs until I found someone reputable who gave me permission to squat 3x/week.

Yeah, I am definitely still in the heart of the anything works phase.

I welcome any advice, though I'll probably ignore it . I have to learn through injury and failure--there is nothing more Scottish than stubborness.

I have a huge lift today--moving my stuff out of my office and into the new one.

"there is nothing more Scottish than stubborness"

Except maybe Braveheart...wait...Australian.

Ok ok!  The Highlander!!!  Damn...French.

I give up.

glad you're feeling better & congrats on the PR!

Thanks, guys. Had some brotastic lifting days over the past little while--bench, incline, dips, military, etc., but decided to give my back a gentle run out and everything went fine.

Monday

Split Jerks--worked up to 185 and did a bunch of doubles. Nothing in my back at all. I realize with good form and rational thought this wouldn't be on my "upper" day, but that's making two dangerous assumptions.

Bench--3x225x8. Not great, but I was late from work--missing the regulars--and the only potential spotters looked dicey, so I went solo.

Incline, dips.

Tuesday

The Y gym was empty for some reason, so I shot around and even jumped a little. Too scared to do anything exerting, but my back felt good enough to go hit the weights.

Hang cleans--5x185x3. OK, maybe this wasn't smart, but I felt fine doing them with jerks, and I hadn't done these in many years and wanted to give it a shot. So different from power cleans--I need to work them in more. 

Squats--took it slow and easy up to 225x10. No problems at all, and it gave me a chance to think about form, going off my heels better and all that. Still made me dizzy, so that's a plus.

Reverse hypers--this was my only back pain, but it was the appropriate kind.

So, good day in the gym. No big weights or anything exciting, but I was able to do some moderate weight without any immediate or residual pain. Probably try some light deads on Friday, but keep the regulator around 225 and maybe open up a bit next week.

The thought of throwing in the ice makes my back seize up, so that may be a while off, still.

My new job is smashing me up, but I've been able to get into the gym pretty regularly, just at weird, quick times.

Sat 1st--Pulled sled, threw weights

Mon 3rd--Started out squatting, but knee hurt. Switched to deads up to 335x5.

Tu+Wed--Church league basketball. First time in a couple of years. Despite my best efforts, we won.

Thu--Recovered from basketball. Horrible shape.

Fri--First trial ever. Then second. Not much lifting or throwing going on here...

Sat 8th--Squats up to 295x5. Good mornings, DB presses.

Mon 10th--I got up early to go into the gym, only to get my car stuck in front of my neighbor's house. So I did car pushes. 2 sets of 500,  3 inches there and back, for about 20 minutes. Good start to the week.

After work I managed to get into the gym--patient wife--deads up to 355x3. Everything felt heavy, but this was a modern-day PR. I am a little disappointed in how much effort this was, but I just looked through my logs and saw that my DL 1rm in mid-September was 295, so I should keep some perspective. Then front squats and Kroc rows.

Today

Squats--going for 335x1.
225x2x3.
275x2.
Belt on.
315x1.
335x1 ATG, easy.
355x1. Not ATG, but felt really deep, and trustworthy guy said good depth.
225x3x10

Front Squat (for kicks and giggles) 225x5

Gassed.

Bench 225x2x8

2 sets of Tri push downs


As far as I can remember, that's probably just about lifetime PRs in Squats and Deads--all in the same week--and huge improvements in both over the measly weight I had been using. I am a little apprehensive about resetting my work sets to these new 1rm numbers, though.

Thanks for letting me post here. As well as being inspired by all the good folks on here, it's made me reevaluate the way I work and to head north, to paraphrase Wendler.

And yes, my ill-conceived squats and deads in one day routine didn't last long. Like 2 weeks and one torqued back.

Yup, I went ahead and reset my numbers for DL and Squat. Managed to get my reps, but only just.

Monday, Jan 24--
DL 335x5, 355x5, 360x6(5). Power snatch singles up to 175; I suck so bad at these. Kroc rows 105# 16/17.  Still very sore from Saturday squats.

Thursday, Jan 27--
Sq 275x5, 295x5, 305x6(5), back spasms. Tried to work through it with some power cleans, but thought better of it quickly and waddled to my car.

Saturday, Jan 29--
Bench 225x5, 235x5, 235x9(5)--finally had a trustworthy spotter. CG bench for speed 135x2x8. Push jerks up to a triple at 225. Tri push down, 2 sets.

It still looks like the ice planet Hoth here, but the local throwing group is setting up practice in a couple of months and I am excited about that. I need to spend a lot more time drilling, since I have no idea  how to do any of this.

I'm fortunate to live a short drive from all you guys around Draper.  Salt Lake valley must have the highest games:humans ratio in the world.

I am in Idaho Falls, so you guys qualify more as regional than local.  The closest "local" group is in Pocatello. I think they are all hibernating.

I don't find myself down there too often, but I will definitely give you a call next time we're in the area on a weekend, I would love to meet up and puke in your presence.

Mon Jan 31--DL 365x3, 375x3, 380x5(3), 225x10, 225x5. Hang Snatch 2x135x5. Kroc rows 105# 16/18

Thurs Feb 3--Squats 315x3, 315x3, 320x6(3), all ATG. I'm feeling so much better on squats. Power clean singles up to 245(PR), miss at 255. RDLs 2x225x6.

Sat Feb 5--Bench 225x3, 245x3, 250x3, 250x6(3), C+J 185x3, 225x3. I caught one of these awkwardly and my wrist started acting up. Strict Press 135x5, 145x5. Tri push down.  Suitcase carries, 1 set each hand, maybe 60 yards with 90#.

I've been around 230# for a month or so now, so I need to pick up my eating or expect my gains to slow down soon a bit. I will do my duty. 

Joel--Todd and Lyman are in Chubbuck (just outside of Pokey), I think. I've swapped e-mails with them a bit and do plan on going down and throwing with them.

Thurs Feb 10--

On the road, lifting in the hotel. Still had free weights and a good spotter.

Bench 225x5, 245x1, 2x260x1, 260x6(1). It looked like a 45lb bar, so I'll take it.

DB Press, Tri extension, Russian twists.

Conference all day, all-you-can-eat sushi for lunch.

I was feeling a little worn out and was going out of town, so I decided to take last week off, all but some push-ups and jumping. It felt a little harder to get in and ramp up for my heavy set today, but it felt good to be fresh going into the gym

Mon Feb 21--DL-- Warm up, 2x225x5, 2x315x2, 365x5, 370x5, 370x7 or 8.  My legs were already shaking after my 2nd work set, so I was glad to hammer out however many I did.

My form often goes to crap just below my knee and I feel my back arch up--I know better than to ask without video, but would rack pulls from that point help with my weak spot?

Hang pulls up to 205x5, hang cleans up to 185x5. Too exhausted at that point to get anything out of it.

Russian twists with 45# plate, x20.

I think I'll finish my ghetto WFD/WOB pipe+plate implement tomorrow. Excited to be amazed at how heavy 56# weighs.