From Totally Pathetic, to Just Mediocre

Training Logs
1

I thought I’d make a log to help with accountability, and if anyone ends up reading it and wants to offer feedback that would be great. I’m a long time lurker here but this is the first post I’ve ever made.

I’m 21, 5’11", 193lbs up from 180 or so a year ago. I took up lifting after trying out Rowing and then Crossfit for a while, and have been focusing on weights for about 9 months now. I’m at college, and my current plan is scheduled around my classes. Looks roughly like this:

Monday: Squats
Tuesday: Off
Wednesday: Snatch Grip High Pull
Thursday: Off
Friday: Bench Press
Saturday: Farmer’s Walk
Sunday: Power Clean and Push Press

I’m going for a one lift a day kind of program, inspired by both Dan John and CTs Layer system on here, with my own particular bastardization thrown in. I ramp each exercise to max (other than Farmer’s Walks), then do some heavy doubles at 90% of max, then do 10-15 sets of every minute on the minute work at a lower weight and/or a complex at a light weight.

Current maxes in each and goals:

Squat: Current: 225 Goal: 315
Snatch Grip High Pull: Current: 195 Goal: 225
Bench Press: Current: 235 Goal: 315
Clean and Push Press: Current: 175 Goal: 195
Farmer’s Walk: Current: 70lb dumbbells one lap around gym Goal: 100lb dumbbells one lap around gym

2

Today: Squats

Ramp to max: Sets of 5 up to 200, sets of 3 up to 225

Then 5 triples at 200

Drop weight to 135, add a rep every minute on the minute. Made it to eleven minutes.

3

Cool, you’re right about where I am with the biographical stuff (I am 21, 6", 192ish up from 170ish, lifting at school) minus the crossfit and rowing anyway. What are your goals? Trying to up your numbers on those lifts specifically? Just getting stronger in general?

Best of luck to you.

4

Today was Snatch Grip High Pull day, so I started with a Snatch Imitation Complex I found in an article here a while ago. Just 10 pound olympic plates on the bar: Snatch Grip Deads x8, Snatch Grip High Pull x8, Power Snatch x8, and then Overhead Squat x8, then Full Snatch x8. It’s not a lot of weight, but it’s a great warm up.

Then I ramped my power snatch from 95lbs, adding 20, then 10, then 10, then 10; for 5 sets of 3 up to 145. That’s where I start the ramp for my high pulls, adding 20 lbs twice then 10 pounds once, then 5 pounds for my last set of three.

After that I took 20 pounds off, and did doubles every minute on the minute for six minutes.

Then a Snatch based complex similar to the imitation I did earlier, but for much lower reps and with 135lbs. SGDL, SGHP, Power Snatch, Overhead Squat. I start at 1 run through, then 2, then 3, then back to 2, then 1 to finish.

Finally, I did 3 alternating sets of 5 barbell roll-outs and 8 saxon side bends per side.

If: I guess my goals are pretty general at this point, I want a little bit of everything. Strength, power, conditioning, more muscle/leaner. Right now I feel like my lifts are pretty weak, so I want to get the numbers up in these lifts, then when I hit my goals I’ll probably cycle to other target lifts (Deadlift, Full Snatch, Strict Press etc.) or other fitness goals (Bodyweight bench for 15, 100 burpees in as little time as possible etc.)

5

Cool, I’ll be following if I can find time between classes.

6

Good stuff here, keep it up

7

Bench Press day today. Just realized upon watching others that I use a pretty close grip on this, with my pointer fingers at the edge of the knurling; but it works for me so I guess I’ll stick with it for a bit.

Ramped from 135, sets of 3 all the way to 235 which I was finally able to hit for three good reps in a row. Tried to hit 240 but it was a rubbish rep, so I’m keeping my max at 235 for the moment.

Dropped the weight to 215, did doubles every minute on the minute for 6 sets.

Dropped to 145, did 3x10 alternating with sets of 10 pull ups.

Finished with some quick sets of hammer curls, 3x12 at 40 lbs.

8

Farmer’s Walk Day

1 lap of the gym (No idea how far this is, maybe 25-30 meters each way?)
warmup with a 35 lb plates
@90lbs dumbbells: failed, had to stop twice
@75lb dumbbells: made it!
@60lb dumbbells
Then 5 sets of two laps with 45lb plates, resting one minute between.

Finished with 3 sets of 5 roll-outs and 10 saxon side bends per side with a 10lb plate overhead.