So I finally got the ambition to introduce myself here and start posting. Most of you know me by now, although Danny might not recognize me anymore with my bandanna and hippie hair.
I had some lifting background before I started going regularly at MIT but it was mainly just endurance and support stuff for wrestling. Lots of "horsing weight around" and very little lower body work. I started lifting on a schedule exactly 1 year ago at 5'11.5", 135lbs. My main intention was just to gain weight, get stronger (vague), and enjoy my time away from the engineering world. I started out like most every other tall skinny semi-beginner... happy to bench 95lbs 5x, scared of squat racks, and intrigued by the polish-looking loud beaniecap guy.
Some time after starting, Jon (gumby) and I began going together almost 7 days a week. We were basically rotating through chest/back, arms/shoulder, lower body days. We had a few major lifts for each day that we would cycle through so we weren't repeating things, and we tried to change up speed days with heavy days (read: "waste of time"). I still continued running during all of this, and almost decided to train for a marathon before I couldn't run anymore due to lower back overuse.
6 months later = 165ish lb body weight.
Enter Pat. Skinny guy like I was (am) trying out this weight lifting thing. P B & J go to the gym regularly and meet Kik. Danny leaves for Poland, errr... Isreal; Kik becomes a sad puppy looking for a crew and after lots of questionable jokes and funny looks from bystanders, P B & J become his rebound (P+B+J approx equal body weight to replacing Danny).
We are now on Kik's plan for the last month+. Changing plans and getting guidance from people who know what they are talking about (Kik, Nathan, Gordon, and anyone else in the area) has been a huge boost to my lifting. My lifts all went up a very significant % in the past month, and I feel like a lot of the technique is finally clicking. My PRs as they stand now are:
All at 163BW...
Bench w/ delay - 225
Squat - 255
Deadlift - 363
Part of my problem has been coming up with goals. I know for a fact that one of them is to increase lower back strength and technique on my deadlifts. Up to 315 I'm fine, but past that I get a lot of rounding. Recently I've had a problem lifting my butt a small amount off the bench when I fire through my legs and that has to change (easy change methinks). Overall I'm happy with my squat technique... just need to get stronger.
Of course I'm also still trying to put on weight even though I've plateaued hard. Getting up solidly into the 170-175 range by the end of the year would be great. Making a total of 1000lbs would also be fantastic (currently 843), although I don't know a reasonable timeframe. I'll just give myself the advice that I tell Kik every day anymore: "Quit thinking and just f--king do it man."
I look forward to posting on here and learning even more from you all. Hopefully I can give some useful input as well.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
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hi brian! welcome.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you posting Brian! I'm looking forward to your posts.
ReplyDeleteNice improvements, man. Keep posting.
ReplyDeleteHi Brian -- it looks like you made a very big improvement since I left. Here is a potential short-term goal (there could be more, but not much more): Squat is lagging, and should be a much higher priority than deadlifts right now. No one said that you should be completely balanced (because only total matters), but there is a lot of room for progress here.
ReplyDeleteI also think that you are too skinny (6 feet, 163 lbs is considered anorectic, even for tennis players), and should increase bodyweight gradually. Sometime like 200 lbs within 4-5 years seems reasonable. This is not an objective by itself, more like means to an end, and there is no reason to be obsessed about it (just fuck--g eat more).