Howdy Folks!
Starting a training log to keep me honest as I work towards getting bigger and preparing for USMC OCS. Here are my starting stats:
Height/Weight
Height: 5’ 11’’
Weight: 155lbs
Main Lifts*
Bench: 186
Squat: 208
Deadlift: 253
Overhead Press: 95
PFT Scores
Pull-Ups: 20 reps (dead-hang, pronated)
3 Mile Run: 20:26
Crunches: 100
Total: 285
*calculated based off of 5RM
A couple workouts so far this week.
Monday
Bench - 3x5 @ 165
Incline Bench – 3x5 @ 115
Pull Ups – 3x5 @ 25 (after long warm-up, increasing weight)
Skullcrusher/Close-Grip Superset – 3x15 each exercise @ 40
Rear Delt Cable Row – 3x10 @ 35
Tuesday
Squat - 4x5 @ 175
Run - 1 mile
Intervals - 60sec/30sec activity/rest
NOTES:
Wanted to squat 5x5 today, but my lower back is feeling the strain. I believe it is my squatting form, which needs revision. This is a shitty setback.
My other injury (shin splints) feels great! No pain after the 1 mile run! Gotta’ build this shit back up, slowly but surely!
Wednesday Rest Day
Thursday
Pull-ups 1: 5x10 @ 10lbs
Seated Overhead Press: 5x5 @ 100lbs
Pull-ups 2: 5x10 @ 10 lbs
Tricep Pulldown: 3x10 @ 25lbs
Pull-Ups 3:
-5x5 @ 12.5lbs, dropping weight to stay at 5 as needed
-Pushupsx10 as active rest
Sort of just winging it for now. Mostly just eating and moving weight. We’ll see if the loose plan I have translates into gains.
Update on Training: so, I’ve been fighting this nasty case of shin splints since forever. I have stopped running (except for a 3mile PFT run I did once, about a month ago), and assumed that the splints would be gone.
So, as written above, I went for a 1 mile light jog on the treadmill. The next day, I felt the splints. Worse yet, if I pressed on the shins, I could feel one small point of pain in particular. This is an indication of a stress fracture.
Since I haven’t been running, I was dumbfounded as to how my splints could have progressed to a fracture.
Turns out, none of my doctors/physical therapists told me to stop lifting heavy weight. And all that extra load-bearing on the tibia from heavy squats and deadlifts (I am a relative newcomer to lifting) could be contributing to the issue.
That being said, maybe I’m just feeling phantom pain. Or maybe it is just shin splints.
In any case, I dug deeper than I ever before about medial tibial stress syndrome, stress fractures, compartment syndrome, and shin splints. I discovered what could be another problem: anterior pelvic tilt. In other words, my posture is bad.
In this case, my posture is bad because I have A) weak deep-core strength, B) tight quads, hip-flexors, and low-back, and C) weak hamstrings and glutes.
So, my program at the moment includes extra strengthening of the shitty muscles, lots of stretching of the tight muscles, and more deep-core work both during and after my lifts. In the mean time, I will continue to ice, compress, and elevate my lower legs.
It remains to be seen if I have progressed to a stress fracture, or if I have just been treating my shin splints with the wrong solution.
My first day of 5/3/1!
In regards to the above post, I missed a lower-leg day for fear that the extra load-bearing is the problem for my shins. I don’t know quite how to progress, but I have decided to go with some 5/3/1 in the meantime. We’ll see if my daring holds out for the squat work on Tuesday.
I am excited to start doing 5/3/1 though! I have heard such great things!
Sunday, 8 Feb
Bench:
Warm-up - from bar to working weight
Set 1 - 110lbs x 5
Set 2 - 125lbs x 5
Set 3 - 140lbs x 12
Pull Ups:
Warm-up - from bodyweight to working weight
5x5 @ 30lbs
Weighted Carry:
Tried out all kind of shit for the first time. It was fun.
Triceps Pullover/Super-Close-Grip Press Supersets:
3x15 @ 40lbs (for each exercise, alternating)
(After core work and stretching)
Triceps Pulldown:
Drop sets
From 30lbs to 15lbs, and from 15 reps to about 10 reps. Just for fun.
Core Work and Stretching
Glute-Ham Developer:
1 set of continuous work
1 set of static hold in “up” position
Pelvic Bridges:
Pelvis up
Place object between knees
Raise/lower alternating legs
Continue until form breaks
Yoga Ball Reverse Crunches:
Plank with feet on yoga ball
Bring legs into chest
Extend legs out
Continue until form breaks
Stretching:
Extensive lower-leg
yoga-style