My first "Starting Strength" workout

[Wolfram]

After reading the faq and this forum for a while and posting my workout for critique I decided to give Starting Strenght a try.

My old workout routine was low set, high rep (2x12 mostly) and with many machine assited/isolated excercises. Here's a link: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...=1#Post12260909

The straight forward no-nonsense attidude of SS appealed to me, plus it seems to be the defacto accepted standard for you guys.

So I get down to the gym, which is actually a squash club, and there's a WISPA tournament going on. Lots of young, fit honeys from all over the world running around in tight squash skirts.

But I don't have time to dawdle. I change clothes and go upstairs where the weight-room is located.

Warmup: 10 mins elliptical on level 8.
I usually do 10 mins of level 10-12(full) when I use the elliptical for warmup but I didn't want to risk tiring my legs. I've also seen that some guys do shorter warmups, like 3 mins. Is 10 mins too long? I've barely started sweating at that point.

1. Squats: 3x5x135
I've never done real squats before, only the sled. I had no idea what weight to use so I just slapped on two plates on the bar and tried it out (I usually do 2x12x270 on the sled). My form was probably not great, but I think I did ok. I've been studying videos of the "goblet-squat, potato-sack-squat" guy and that helped. At first the weight seemed pretty light but by the end of the 3rd set my form was starting to get shaky so I guess 135 is a good starting place. One thing I noticed is that when I get in the hole I'll have a hard time keeping my feet flat on the ground. The inner edge of the foot (from the big toe to the heel) will start to push up just a little bit. Is that something I need to fix? I do manage to keep my weight on my heels though.

Bench press: 1x5x110, 1x3x135, 2x5x120
I was doing this exercise already in my old program, albeit at a higher rep count. I got a bit overambitious in the second set so I decided to do two more sets at what I think is a comfortable weight for me atm. I don't have a spotter and I've always sucked in upper body strength. Hopefully that'll get better.

Deadlift: 1x5x135, 1x5x175
This one was completely new to me so I had no idea what to expect. I also was pretty clueless on my form, and wasn't quite sure how much I should bend my knees, or if I should mainly use my back. The first set was way to easy, so I decided to add some weight and do another one. I finished that one pretty easily as well though I did feel it working a bit more.

Pull-ups: 1x8x20(neg), 2x8x16(neg)
After the first 3 main exercises were done I hardly felt tired or winded at all. Is this normal? When I did my old program I would often be extremely winded and just sit down and relax for 2-3 minutes just to catch my breath. So I added some extra pull-ups. This is another weak area of mine and I have to use negative assistance to finish more than 1-2 reps. I have no idea how much the plates weigh so I just put in the number of plates used.

Immediately after the workout I was having a few doubts as to the effectiveness of it. I didn't feel as exhausted like I did after my original workout or a game of squash etc. But then I started getting this kind of "glow" in my legs. After showering I watched the finals in the womens squash tournament, which lasted about 30 minutes. I probably should have eaten something right away because when I get to my car my body is pretty much howling for nutrition. And the glowing in my thighs continues. Damn, that's a nice feeling.

The next day I have light muscle soreness. All in all this seems like a cool program and I'm gonna stick to it. It's much more satisfying to pull a load of heavy [censored] from the floor and lift it in the air than pulling on some wires/cables in a girly machine. I love doing the squats, because I was really afraid of them at first and didn't think I could go down so low without having knee problems, but apparently I can. I'll have to see how my knees feel after a month of this though.

So, did I do this right? Am I supposed to be more tired after the workout? How many auxiliary workouts should I be doing after finishing the 3 basic ones (like pull-ups/dips/abs)? And why is there only 1 set of deadlifts? I don't get that.

[chisness]

Thoughts on adding in the HIIT cardio program after this? I'm planning on starting this soon and it would be nice if this were possible since going to the gym 6 times a week for 3 SS sessions and 3 HIIT sessions wouldn't be realistic.

[cbloom]

Wolf, if you're not familiar with any of these moves make sure you do them with very light weight and practice form before really trying to get a workout. Start with weight that feels way too light for you.

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After the first 3 main exercises were done I hardly felt tired or winded at all. Is this normal?


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That means you're not doing them with enough intensity. Use more weight and concentrate on form, you should feel wiped out after each workout. Heck, you should feel destroyed after just one set of deadlifts.

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So I added some extra pull-ups.


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Don't mess with the program until you do it for a while!! If you have extra energy, practice form with no weight so that you can safely bump your normal lifts to higher weights.

[Efourdee]

I've never read or done starting strength, but I believe the idea is to continually add weight every workout. Correct this if im wrong.

So if you are already struggling with the weight on day one, then you are going to burn out quickly before making any significant strength gains.

So not only should you be using easier weight in the beginning to work on form, but its an integral part to the success of your program.

I would have to assume starting strength addresses this issue.

[Wolfram]

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I've never read or done starting strength, but I believe the idea is to continually add weight every workout. Correct this if im wrong.

So if you are already struggling with the weight on day one, then you are going to burn out quickly before making any significant strength gains.

So not only should you be using easier weight in the beginning to work on form, but its an integral part to the success of your program.

I would have to assume starting strength addresses this issue.

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(from: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showpo...;postcount=21)

"Question - What weight should I start with during the first week?

The weight you use is going to be determined by the amount you can do for 5 repetitions with proper execution and technique.

The way the "first day" is explained in Starting Strength, the trainee warms up with the bar, then adds a bit of weight and does a set of 5. Continue to add weight and do sets of 5 until form/technique breaks down. Keep the weight there, correct the technique problems/weak points, and perform 2 more sets with this weight. That is your first "3 sets of 5" workout for that exercise."

This is pretty much what I tried to do. I did some warmups with a ligth fixed weight barbell, then tried a random weight using my experience form my old program.

Later in the post there's some text regarding weight advancement that basically states that you should add a little weight when you can finish the whole workout with
proper form.

I think what you're talking about is the 5x5 program which has a much stricter weight advancement routine.

[Wolfram]

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So I added some extra pull-ups.


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Don't mess with the program until you do it for a while!! If you have extra energy, practice form with no weight so that you can safely bump your normal lifts to higher weights.

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The program includes provisions for accessory exercises so I wasn't really messing with it. It does however state that you shouldn't be doing those for the first few weeks, but I just hated leaving the gym feeling like I hadn't really worked out.

[longbody]

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So, did I do this right? Am I supposed to be more tired after the workout?

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No. The weights are light and you're just working technique for now. You might start to get a little worn down as the weights start to increase, but you should do everything you can to minimize it so that you can focus on lifting heavier weights with good form and getting stronger. Rest between sets should be longer, 3-5 min. than a typical bodybuilding program for ex., which may be no longer than a minute.
A good rule of thumb for a straight up strength program is to lift as much as possible while being as fresh as possible. Muscle soreness is not an indicator of progress.

Do any kind of conditioning or cardio after your strength workout, or on a different day. Fatigue isn't what you're looking for in a strength program. Its counterproductive for safety and strength gaining purposes.

[Buckeye81]

Although I am echoing what previous poster have already said, I want to emphasize the importance of initially focusing on form and technique with lighter weight. Around this time last year, I was forced to take a 4-5 month break from lifting due to a back injury I suffered from doing sloopy deadlifts. It is sooo frustrating to be held back from working out due to physical limitations when the mental desire to work out was there. The second time around I took the time (3-4 weeks)to perfect all the compound lifts, although like you I felt like I "wasted" a workout because I didn't feel physically exhausted afterwords.

I guess the moral of the story is focus on perfecting your form and ONLY THEN hit the weights hard! When you really start lifting heavy your body will thank you for it.

[J.Brown]

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Although I am echoing what previous poster have already said, I want to emphasize the importance of initially focusing on form and technique with lighter weight. Around this time last year, I was forced to take a 4-5 month break from lifting due to a back injury I suffered from doing sloopy deadlifts. It is sooo frustrating to be held back from working out due to physical limitations when the mental desire to work out was there. The second time around I took the time (3-4 weeks)to perfect all the compound lifts, although like you I felt like I "wasted" a workout because I didn't feel physically exhausted afterwords.

I guess the moral of the story is focus on perfecting your form and ONLY THEN hit the weights hard! When you really start lifting heavy your body will thank you for it.

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AMEN!

think about in terms of taking a lesson, well in anything, but squash is a good analogy.

you take a backhand lesson from a pro.
you go hit hours of rails at 50% to 75% pace to get a groove and work on your new grip/backswing/follow thru etc.
then you take it and use it at full speed in matches.

of course your practice isn't as taxing as your prior matches with your old ineffective backhand, but omg will your new one work better. same with starting strength.

believe me once you get the form down and feel comfortable it will all be taxing enough. plus compound movements w/proper form are very taxing on your muscles/mind/CNS.

good luck and keep us posted. J.

[TimM]

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Thoughts on adding in the HIIT cardio program after this? I'm planning on starting this soon and it would be nice if this were possible since going to the gym 6 times a week for 3 SS sessions and 3 HIIT sessions wouldn't be realistic.

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I did HIIT immediately following my SS sessions for my entire run on the program. I dropped the HIIT entirely recently because now I'm on a 5x5 program, and after 25 heavy squats plus warm-ups it's just too much.

It's not best to do cardio immediately after a workout like SS. It will slow your gains. But for convenience it's too much to ask to split them up for most people.