Just Started "Starting Strength"

[Brian Hicks]

Ok,

This is just to track my gains. I will update this once a month to digitally track my progress.

At the end of 2010 i bought the book "Strarting Strength" 2nd Edition. I read it cover to cover and familiarized myself with the proper techniques outlined in the text. I also watched a ton of demo videos and even sought critique by a friend who has his Level 1 cert. On 1-11-11/ 1-12-11 I started my first SS workouts. Here are my numbers. I have been keeping a journal daily and i'm excited to see where i am at on 2-11-11.

1-11-11 Workout A

SQUAT
45x5
95x5
135x5
155x5
175x5x3

PRESS
45x5
65x5
85x5
95x5
105x5x3

1-12-11 Workout B

SQUAT
Same Cycle

BENCH
45x5
95x5
135x5
165x2 (Too Much too soon)
155x5x3

I know it calls for Cleans and Dead Lifts also, and i started incorporating those lifts on 1-16-11 and 1-17-11. I also conclude these workouts with a 2k Row. I alternate those workouts for 3 days (A,B,A), then i do a Row Only Day, Then a rest Day, Then start it over where i left off. (B,A,B). After the first solid month i will attempt to get my CrossFit total.

If anyone has some advise that would be great. I think i am on the right track. I'm focused on doing each exercise with correct form, i know the weight will increase the more workouts i do. I wasn't happy with my starting numbers at all, but i had to start somewhere i guess.

[Robert Fabsik]

Brian,
Maybe I'm misreading you but Starting Strength is typically a 3 day a week total program. What you describe is working out 3 days then taking one day off of the weights while still rowing--which is more of 5-6 days a week of strength training. This is way too much.

If your goals are just strength, I would do the Starting Strength or some other basic program only. If you have some other conditioning/endurance goals, then maybe some rowing, but not as much as you have described.

My understanding of Starting Strength is
Workout A: Squat/Bench/Deadlift
Workout B: Squat/Press/Powerclean

Monday-Workout A
Tuesday-off day
Wednesday-Workout B
Thursday--off day
Friday--Workout A
Sat+Sun--off days, maybe some active recovery--light/easy conditioning work
Monday--Workout B
Tuesday-off day
Wednesday-Workout A
ETC...

If you just flip flop A and B as with a 3 on 1 off schedule, you'll burn out and not give your body the chance to heal and make gains.
-Bob

[Brian Hicks]

Originally Posted by Robert Fabsik

Brian,
Maybe I'm misreading you but Starting Strength is typically a 3 day a week total program. What you describe is working out 3 days then taking one day off of the weights while still rowing--which is more of 5-6 days a week of strength training. This is way too much.....

....If your goals are just strength, I would do the Starting Strength or some other basic program only. If you have some other conditioning/endurance goals, then maybe some rowing, but not as much as you have described...

...My understanding of Starting Strength is
Workout A: Squat/Bench/Deadlift
Workout B: Squat/Press/Powerclean...


...If you just flip flop A and B as with a 3 on 1 off schedule, you'll burn out and not give your body the chance to heal and make gains.
-Bob

Thanks Bob. I get what you are saying totally. I have been rowing pretty heavily since this last June. I thought about stopping rowing and resting, but the rowing i am doing really isn't killing me. I only do 2K at a moderate pace. Sometimes i do 1k and 1k. Today was my "Row Only Day" and i did a 500m warm up at a moderate pace, rested for about 5 minutes, and then did a 2k at Race Pace, which got me my new PR. I've done alot of work on my form and i don't want to let that go. The first part of my daily warm up for any workout is a moderate 500m row (Sub 1:50), just to get my blood flowing.

Tomorrow is a Rest Only Day, so i don't plan on attempting anything.

Also, I added in the Deadlift to my A and Cleans into my B days.

If things start taxing me too much, i'll ditch the rowing completely, or maybe do a (A, Row, B, Row, A, Rest, Rest) rotation.

[James White]

Originally Posted by Brian Hicks

Thanks Bob. I get what you are saying totally. I have been rowing pretty heavily since this last June. I thought about stopping rowing and resting, but the rowing i am doing really isn't killing me. I only do 2K at a moderate pace. Sometimes i do 1k and 1k. Today was my "Row Only Day" and i did a 500m warm up at a moderate pace, rested for about 5 minutes, and then did a 2k at Race Pace, which got me my new PR. I've done alot of work on my form and i don't want to let that go. The first part of my daily warm up for any workout is a moderate 500m row (Sub 1:50), just to get my blood flowing.

Tomorrow is a Rest Only Day, so i don't plan on attempting anything.

Also, I added in the Deadlift to my A and Cleans into my B days.

If things start taxing me too much, i'll ditch the rowing completely, or maybe do a (A, Row, B, Row, A, Rest, Rest) rotation.

Just don't b**** and moan if you stall out early. You won't be able to say "the program didn't work" if you didn't work the program.

[Tamara Cohen]

Originally Posted by Brian Hicks

I think i am on the right track.

As a Starting Strength Coach, I disagree.

[Todd Rehm]

When I did SS, I kept some rowing in and found that it was not too much for me. My linear progress took me up to about a 365# squat.

The keys for me were that (1) I came to SS having been rowing; (2) I treated it as active recovery rather than trying for PRs very often.

[Eric Montgomery]

1. Take at least one day off in between workouts. SS should be a M/W/F or Tu/Th/Sa program, not consecutive days.
2. Cut out any rowing done at faster than an easy, recovery pace. A hard 2K is brutal and will mess up your recovery from your squatting pulling and pressing as soon as your numbers get a bit higher.

[Joe Bernard]

Originally Posted by Brian Hicks

Thanks Bob. I get what you are saying totally. I have been rowing pretty heavily since this last June. I thought about stopping rowing and resting, but the rowing i am doing really isn't killing me. I only do 2K at a moderate pace. Sometimes i do 1k and 1k. Today was my "Row Only Day" and i did a 500m warm up at a moderate pace, rested for about 5 minutes, and then did a 2k at Race Pace, which got me my new PR. I've done alot of work on my form and i don't want to let that go. The first part of my daily warm up for any workout is a moderate 500m row (Sub 1:50), just to get my blood flowing.

Tomorrow is a Rest Only Day, so i don't plan on attempting anything.

Also, I added in the Deadlift to my A and Cleans into my B days.

If things start taxing me too much, i'll ditch the rowing completely, or maybe do a (A, Row, B, Row, A, Rest, Rest) rotation.

So which are you doing, moderate or new PRs? Either way, refer to the advice above.

[Brian Hicks]

Thanks for the info everyone. I'll take Saturday and Sunday off and switch to M/W/F for SS. I'll ditch doing a 2k after the SS workouts and just row on the middle days.

[James White]

Originally Posted by Brian Hicks

Thanks for the info everyone. I'll take Saturday and Sunday off and switch to M/W/F for SS. I'll ditch doing a 2k after the SS workouts and just row on the middle days.

Still not doing the program. Just sayin'.