where u place ur legs? leg drive sometimes need b careful, if not even butt also lift off from bench...lol. already done packing shoulder?

if its a slight knee pain ill just continue squatting while always stretching and maintain good form. at least, in my experience.

Workout No. 34
Friday, 24th October 2014

Squat 0/0/0/0/0 @ 72.5kg
Overhead Press 5/4/2/3/3 @ 37.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 102.5kg

It has been one week since I last squatted any respectable weight but the pain in my knee was still present although it was minor. Decided to give it another weekend off in hope that I can start squatting 100% pain free again on Monday. Better safe than sorry.

Set up the rack for the overhead press and managed 5 reps for the first set. Failed to get 5 reps on the remaining 4 sets as expected. Have always had to work very hard for every single pound for this lift. Hopefully I'll manage to get 5x5 on the next attempt.

Did more deadlift warm-up sets than usual to make up for the lost volume from the lack of squats. 102.5kg feels very, very heavy but managed to complete the 5 reps without suffering any noticeable loss in form.

Skipped the chin-ups as I have been doing chin-ups as a back exercise for the past 3 workouts to compensate for missing out on barbell rows.

Workout No. 35
Monday, 27th October 2014

Squat 0/0/0/0/0 @ 72.5kg
Bench Press 4/4/3/2/2 @ 47.5kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 45.0kg
Assisted Dips 3x5 @ 54.0kg

Got on the weighing scale today at the gym and noticed that my weight went up to 94.0kg which is 3.0kg higher than about a week ago. I have been eating more this week but was surprised by the sudden jump. Perhaps a portion of this weight is just water? Or maybe it could due to the fact that I have not been squatting and my slightly elevated calorie intake over the past week or so has contributed to this increase in weight. My intention is to roughly remain around the 90.0kg mark throughout the programme, burning fat and gaining lean muscle without fluctuating in weight. I know that one should not judge progress based on weight but inches, but I believe if I am making progress on the programme, lifting progressively heavier weights and maintaining my weight, I should definitely be gaining muscle and losing fat.

Passed on the squats for the 4th workout in a row after experiencing a slight pain when warming up with just the empty barbell. Starting to get slightly concerned about my knee. Pain has been very minimal for a couple of days but the problem is that minimal is not the same as non-existent.

I think my bench press is the weakest of all my lifts, with deadlifts being the strongest. Squat progress has been hampered by pain / injuries, barbell rows by the fear of poor form and in the case of overhead presses, progress is slow for most. But I have had no excuse for my bench pressing. I see many people in the gym who deadlift much less than me but are able to bench much more, albeit some with half reps. And most of these people weigh much less than me. Am quite disappointed that I am struggling to bench press 0.5 times bodyweight, only managing 4/4/3/2/2 lifts today @ 47.5kg. It seems as if my upper body is disproportionately weak.

My discipline in following the Stronglifts programme has wavered slightly i.e. skipping rows and inconsistent accessory exercises. Decided to deload on the barbell rows and restart at 45.0kg with strict form with zero assistance from momentum. Completed the 5 reps fairly easily but I felt it more in my back this time.

Completed my workout with some assisted dips which I usually skip after bench pressing as my triceps are usually busted after pressing but I forced myself to be disciplined.

This post has been edited by justintga: Nov 1 2014, 09:36 AM

Workout No. 36
Wednesday, 29th October 2014

Squat 5/5/5/0/0 @ 50.0kg
Overhead Press 5/5/4/2/3 @ 37.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 105.0kg
Assisted Chin-ups 5/5/4 @ 64.0kg

The digital weighing scale at the gym was not working today so I did not get the chance to verify my weight. 3.0kg jump on Monday so I wanted to see how I would weigh in today.

Decided to start squatting again as I was growing impatient waiting for the knee pain to disappear. The target was to play safe and attempt to work through the warm-up sets with progressively heavier weights to reach a work set weight of 50.0kg depending on how my left knee felt. Started with 2 sets of 5 reps with an empty barbell. Focused on keeping my chest up and knees out. The slight pain intensified a little bit at the bottom position of the squats (perhaps a 3/10 from a 2/10) but nothing too unbearable. Went up to 30.0kg, pain didn’t get any worse. Did another 3 reps @ 40.0kg, same story. Took a one minute break before squatting my target work set weight of 50.0kg. Completed the first 5 reps of the first set without too much difficulty but the quadriceps on my left leg (same side as painful knee) started to feel a little strained. Perhaps due to the quads having to work extra hard to compensate for a weak knee? Proceeded with another 2 sets of 5 reps but my quads got progressively more tight/fatigued (like they were going to get cramped up) so I stopped after 3 sets. Knees did not feel any worse (maybe even a little better?) after squatting. If my knees feel good on Friday, will attempt a full 5x5.

Completed 5 reps for the first two overhead press sets @ 37.5kg after only managing 5/4/2/3/3 the previous time. Suspected that I would fail on the 3rd or 4th set as the last rep of the first two sets were impossibly difficult. Surely enough, only managed 4 reps on the 3rd set and even less on the remaining 2 sets. Should just about manage or slightly miss the full 5x5 on the next attempt at this weight. Also noticed that my first press out of the 5 is always weak and slow. Maybe something to do with the way I am unracking the weight.

Deadlifts @ 105.0kg. Getting more and more brutal. Will keep a close watch on my form.

Assisted chin-ups to finish off the most complete workout I’ve had in over a week!

Workout No. 37
Friday, 31st October 2014

Squat 5/0/0/0/0 @ 50.0kg
Bench Press 5/5/5/5/3 @ 47.5kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 47.5kg
Assisted Dips 3x5 @ 53.0kg

Weighing scale was working again in the gym. It seems that I really have put on about 2.0kg over the past two weeks. Current weight is 93.0kg with a height of 1.85m. Most likely fat + water but hopefully a portion of it is muscle. Might start cutting down on my food intake a little. Don’t want to weigh more than 90.0kg by the end of the year (unless it is evident that all that extra weight is mostly muscle) while still maintaining my strength gains. Trying to avoid any form of weight gain in the form of fat.

After managing 3x5 squats @ 50.0kg on Wednesday, the target was to complete a full 5x5 today. Started building up towards my work set weight but my left knee did not feel too comfortable so I decided to stop after the first set of 5 reps. On Wednesday the baseline knee pain was a 2/10 and up to 3/10 while squatting. Today, the baseline knee pain was 1/10 and up to 4/10 while squatting. Also, my knee just did not “feel” right. Will give my knees another weekend off and reassess on Monday. Unsure if it is a better idea to totally stop lower body exercises for a while to let my knee recover or to try lower weights every week which may or may not aggravate my knee further. Also suspect that the heavy deadlifting may be a contributor to the slow recovery of my knee. Have noticed that on the “pull” upwards while performing deadlifts, my forearms very, very slightly “squeeze” my knees inwards and this may be a problem? Can also feel a slight stress on my knees when I deadlift. Any comments guys?

Bench pressed a total of 15 reps @ 47.5kg on Monday and bettered that today with 5/5/5/5/3 presses (23 reps in total). Last rep of every set was a “death” rep, nearly taking 5 seconds to complete. Knew I would not complete the 5th set as I was really feeling my triceps after the 4th. If all goes well, should progress to 50.0kg next week!

Barbell rows @ 47.5kg today felt a fair bit heavier than the last session @ 45.0kg for some strange reason. Still completed the 5x5 without too much difficulty.

Unsure if I completed the 3x5 assisted dips with 40.0kg assistance previously and was too lazy to look it up so I went with 40.0kg assistance again today which was fairly easy despite my triceps and chest being very fatigued from the bench presses. After checking back, I had already finished the 3x5 at this weight and should have been dipping with 35.0kg assistance. No biggie.

Not a workout update but finally caved in and decided to start on whey protein. Bought a 5lbs tub of Dymatize Elite 100% Whey Protein in Cafe Mocha and just took my first serving with 8oz of milk after dinner while watching the Man City vs Man United match. Tasted quite good to be honest!

Workout No. 38
Monday, 3rd November 2014

Squat 0/0/0/0/0 @ 50.0kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 37.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 107.5kg
Assisted Chin-ups 3x5 @ 63.0kg

Took a serving of whey with milk prior to the workout just before leaving my office. Maybe it is because this is something new to me but I quite enjoy the process of preparing the shake and the taste of it (much better with milk than with water).

Passed on squats today. Knee has been bothering me for too long and I have decided that I will not squat until it recovers fully. Still getting a good workout as the weights for the other lifts are getting heavier but I really miss starting my workout with squats.

Finally broke through my 37.5kg overhead press plateau today! Didn’t even feel too difficult. Quite pleased with this and am very much looking forward to pressing 40.0kg in the next session.

Warmed up for my deadlifts, trying a different starting set up following Mark Rippetoe’s method: Stand with bar midfoot, about 1” in front of the shins, with a fairly narrow stance and toes slightly pointed out. Hold bar without moving it, keeping hips up. Bend shins towards bar without moving the bar while keeping hips up. Lift chest to set back, and PULL while keeping bar against legs all the way up. Noticed that my hips were higher than usual at the starting position but apparently this is okay and results in a “shorter” pull which is more efficient. Started with 40.0kg, adding 20.0kg each time until reaching 100.0kg. Attempted the 100.0kg with a regular double overhand grip (previous best with double overhand was 80.0kg). Did two reps but my skin felt like it was nearly tearing off and I could barely hold on to the bar. Will probably stick with the mixed grip for 100.0kg or heavier deadlifts. Working set was 107.5kg. Deadlifts are getting more and more brutal and I took 1 minute to complete the 5 reps, including resetting the bar after each rep to the Mark Rippetoe’s suggested starting position.

Also broke through the chin-up plateau today, completing 3x5 chin-ups with 30.0kg assistance. I hope to be able to perform unassisted chin-ups by the end of 2014. Only 25.0kg away from this goal! Had quite a good session overall today with the exception of missing out on the squats. Still uncertain if my heavy deadlifts are slowing down the recovery of my knee. Took another portion of whey with milk upon reaching home.

Workout No. 39
Thursday, 6th November 2014

Squat 0/0/0/0/0 @ 50.0kg
Bench Press 5x5 @ 47.5kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 50.0kg
Assisted Dips 3x5 @ 57.0kg

Left knee hasn’t improved at all. No squats again. Not sure if I should go see a doctor or therapist about this. The pain doesn’t really bother me while walking and only the slightest bit while climbing up or down some flights of stairs but I am unable to squat pain free. The pain while squatting is very bearable (3 out of 10 maybe) but I am worried that if I continue squatting, I will damage my knee in the long term. Nearly approaching 3 weeks since I last squatted 70.0kg. Any suggestions guys? Or should I just be patient and give my knee enough recovery time and then slowly build up my squat again with strict and proper form?

Today was my 3rd attempt at benching 5x5 @ 47.5kg and finally broke through this plateau. Was quite confident this time that I would be able to progress to 50.0kg as I only missed 2 reps on the last attempt last week. Triceps were very fatigued by the 4th set and I really struggled through the 5th but still made it.

Loaded up the barbell progressively through my barbell row warm-up sets to arrive at the work set weight of 50.0kg. Caught my knee cap while lowering the weight once during the warm-up sets. Completed the 5x5 but once again, I was concerned with my form. It looks right to me at least on camera but I always have this fear of injuring my back while rowing (although I have never actually experienced any back pain from doing this lift).
Dipped 3 sets of 5 reps @ 57.0kg (35.0kg assistance) surprisingly without too much difficulty and without stalling at this weight even once, straight up to only 30.0kg assistance next time!

Workout No. 40
Saturday, 8th November 2014

Squat 0/0/0/0/0 @ 50.0kg
Overhead Press 3/2/2/3/3 @ 40.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 110.0kg

Quick gym session today. Skipped squats again as my knee has not recovered fully yet.

Increased my overhead press weight by 2.5kg to 40.0kg after breaking through my 37.5kg plateau. The additional 2.5kg felt more like 10.0kg as I really struggled to even complete 3 reps and had no energy left to even attempt the fourth on any one of the sets. Eventually only completed 3/2/2/3/3 and will be happy if I can manage 4/4/4/4/3 in the next session.

Second deadlift session today since I have started following Mark Rippetoe’s suggested starting set up procedure. To be honest, I feel less power with this position, especially at the start of the lift and feel that my hips are particularly high (maybe because I am tall). Completed the 1x5 deadlifts @ 110.0kg but I took longer than usual between each rep to reset as I am still unfamiliar with this set up. Very surprised at how much 5 reps can take out of you. Barely had anything left in the tank by the time I finished the 5th rep and I suspect my form suffered a little. Back looks okay in the videos but overall, this set up looks more “shaky” compared to how I previously set up my deadlift. Might just stay at 110.0kg for a while to perfect my form.

Skipped chin-ups today as I was rushing for time.

d pain is really at d knee there or somewhere near? i guess its better for u to take glucosamine+msm+chondroitin jus incase it was cause by dried fluid or bone clashing. wearing knee wrap (not those powerlifting wrap) may help also as it keeps ur knee warm n support it

Workout No. 41
Tuesday, 11th November 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 40.0kg
Bench Press 5/5/5/3/4 @ 50.0kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 50.0kg
Assisted Dips 3/3/3 @ 63.0kg

93.0kg for today’s weigh-in. Not very happy with the rate of my “perceived fat loss” over the last couple of weeks. Don’t seem to be losing any fat at all and might even have gained some. My appetite has also been higher recently and the 1 or 2 whey protein shakes with milk per day definitely adds to the calorie count. Could be partially attributed to the reduced volume from missing out on squats too as a result of my knee pain. Will start reducing my food intake marginally and see what happens, if I can exert some self-control that is. I understand that this might slightly hamper my strength gains but I can live with that as the short term goal is getting leaner.

My knees felt particularly good today so I decided to give squatting a go. Decided to aim for a light working weight of 40.0kg today. Started with 2 sets of 5 reps with the empty barbell @ 20.0kg, pain level was at a 1.5/10. 3 reps at 30.0kg, all good. First 5 reps @ 40.0kg, all good. Proceeded with the remaining 4 sets without much issue and surprisingly the pain dropped to a 1/10. Could feel my quads slightly after the 5x5 which is unusual for such a low weight, probably because I haven’t been squatting much recently. Will add either 2.5kg or if possible 5.0kg each session until I get back to my previous squatting weight of 70.0kg if my knee continues to behave.

Bench pressed 5/5/5/3/4 @ 50.0kg. Once again was unable to progress without failing at least once after increasing the weight by 2.5kg from the previous session. Didn’t fail too badly though and may stand a chance in progressing to 52.5kg the next round. Benching 50.0kg is quite an achievement for me and getting here was a much more difficult journey than arriving at a 100.0kg deadlift. Have always had a weak baseline upper body strength.

Did not go up to 52.5kg for my barbell rows as I was supposed to because I wasn’t too pleased with my form last week. Rowed 5x5 @ 50.0kg. Will probably go for 52.5kg the next round.

Was quite tired by this point but pushed on for 3/3/3 dips @ 63.0kg. Not very good but am confident that I will get the 3x5 very soon!

The pain is at the bottom of my knee cap, at the top portion of my shin bone. When I physically apply pressure to the region using my fingers, I can actually feel this pain. Pain is increased when climbing stairs, squatting, jogging, etc.

It has improved though, and after squatting a light weight of 40.0kg yesterday, it didn't get any worse. Climbed the stairs up to my office with barely any noticeable pain at all.

ermm... imho, we shud always take care of our knee. d location of d pain doesnt suggest it was lack of stretching / nerve prob. try some knee wrap / d supplement i mentioned. http://examine.com/supplements/Glucosamine/

Noted and will do some research on this. Thank you!

Workout No. 42
Friday, 14th November 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 45.0kg
Overhead Press 5/4/2/4/2 @ 40.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 112.5kg
Assisted Chin-ups 3/3/3 @ 67.0kg

Squatted 5x5 @ 40.0kg on Tuesday after my knee pain subsided and went up another 5.0kg today. Very pleased that I am squatting again and managed to get my 5x5 @ 45.0kg without too much difficulty. As long as my knees and everything else feels okay, I intend to increase the weight each session by 5.0kg until say 60.0kg and then lower the increments to 2.5kg to work my way up slowly to my previous work weight prior to the knee injury. Still some residual pain in my knee sometimes during the day while climbing stairs, etc (0.5/10) but this is not always present.

Only 5/4/2/4/2 overhead presses @ 40.0kg for a grand total of 17 reps out of the required 25. Was surprised that I managed 5 reps in the first set. My first press out of the 5 reps always seems weaker and slower than the second press so I suspect that my set-up for overhead pressing needs some work.

Started warming up for deadlifts with 5 reps @ 40.0kg, 5 reps @ 60.0kg, 3 reps @ 80.0kg and 2 reps @ 100.0kg. Tried to go for a regular grip (double overhand) for the 100.0kg reps and it wasn’t too bad. My grip strength is improving. Working set @ 112.5kg was with a mixed grip. This is the third session since I have started setting up my deadlift as recommended by Mark Rippetoe. Starting to get the hang of it and although my hips still ‘feel’ too high, my deadlifting seems to have gotten marginally easier and I feel stronger during the pull.

Quite exhausted today by the end of the deadlifts so I didn’t do too well with the chin-ups. Just 3 sets of 3 reps @ 67.0kg, struggling with every single one.

Workout No. 43
Monday, 17th November 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 50.0kg
Bench Press 5x5 @ 50.0kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 52.5kg
Assisted Dips 3x5 @ 63.0kg

Hopped on the weighing scale today and the number 93 came up. I know I am making gains but I still would like to see that number drop a little...

Went up by another 5.0kg again to 50.0kg squats. Third squatting session in a row without any knee pain. Woohoo! 5x5 felt easy and I kept a very close watch on my form. Barely needed any rest between sets. Will go for 55.0kg on Wednesday!

First 3 sets of bench presses at 50.0kg were fairly difficult and the 4th felt absolutely brutal and totally destroyed my triceps. Took a longer rest than usual (5 minutes) before attempting the 5th set. Expected to only finish 3 reps in the final set but to my surprise, I managed to grind out the 5 reps. Had to give it my all to press the weight up inch by inch on the last "death rep" and I don't think my bar path was very straight in the end.

Barbell rows @ 52.5kg after intentionally not increasing the weight last week for this lift. Form appeared to be much more convincing and am confident enough to attempt 55.0kg on Friday. Don't really "feel" this row in any particular muscle group though and I seem to require much less rest from barbell rows compared to other lifts.

Triceps were still burning after the bench presses but once again, to my surprise, I managed the 3x5 dips @ 63.0kg. A near perfect session today!

This post has been edited by justintga: Nov 17 2014, 11:41 PM

Workout No. 44
Wednesday, 19th November 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 55.0kg
Overhead Press 5/4/4/2/3 @ 40.0kg
Deadlift 4 @ 115.0kg

Attended full-day firefighting training the day before this gym session and came out totally drained and sore everywhere. Aggravated my left knee again slightly as I spent a lot of the day crawling on my knees through the heat and smoke, carrying the heavy oxygen tank on my back, crouching in uncomfortable positions and wearing the bulky fire suit. The extreme heat made everything much less bearable. Woke up today feeling exhausted with aching muscles all over.

Weighed myself once I arrived at the gym after work and my weight went up again to 94.0kg. Not very sure why.

Up another 5.0kg to 55.0kg for my squats, which is the heaviest weight that I have squatted for over a month since my knee injury. Felt much more difficult than 50.0kg which felt relatively unchallenging on Monday. Suspect that I didn’t have as easy a time compared to the last session not because of the additional 5.0kg but rather as I was still recovering from the abuse my body went through during the firefighting training.

Only managed 5/4/4/2/3 lifts on the overhead press today @ 40.0kg. Third failed attempt in a row so this means it is time to deload. 13 reps out of 25 the first time, 17 reps the second and 18 today. This is my second deload for the overhead press so I need to check if I am supposed to go with 3x5 from now on based on the Stronglifts programme.

The tank was quite empty by this point but I pressed on. Warmed up as usual with 5 reps @ 40.0kg, 3 reps @ 60.0kg, 3 reps at 80.0kg and 2 reps at 100.0kg. Didn’t feel particularly confident about the 115.0kg. Set up for the lift and after the first rep, I knew that today wouldn't be a good day for lifting. Struggled with the first and second reps and by the third rep, I was struggling to keep my back tight and it felt like it started rounding ever so slightly. Looked okay in the video though. Fourth rep was slightly worse and when I attempted the fifth rep, I had nothing left in me and the plates didn’t even leave the ground despite me trying.

Rested a fair bit before attempting chin-ups, but gave up after the first rep. Too tired.

Workout No. 45
Friday, 21st November 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 60.0kg
Bench Press 5x5 @ 50.0kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 55.0kg
Assisted Dips 5/4/2 @ 67.0kg

Pain in left knee has been slight but noticeable again since the firefighting training on Tuesday. Probably a 1/10. Bodyweight is down to 92.0kg. Suspect all these are daily fluctuations due to water, etc. A more accurate measure would be to weigh myself daily in the morning but I do not have a weighing scale at home.

A solid 5x5 squats @ 60.0kg today. First 4 reps were easy but the last rep took a little effort for all 5 sets. Squatted relatively pain free which was encouraging as the knee pain came back slightly since Tuesday during regular daily activities like climbing stairs.

Decided not to go up in weight for the bench press today and remained at 50.0kg to try out a wider grip (middle finger on the ‘ring’ marking on the barbell) compared to my regular grip. This was because I was reviewing my bench press form and realised that my grip is much narrower than a standard grip, although my forearms are vertical when the bar touches my chest. I keep my elbows tucked in at 45 degrees which is probably why I can still achieve vertical forearms with this narrower grip. Felt like I could generate much less power with this wider grip, likely due to the unfamiliarity with this set-up. Continued with this grip for the 2nd set, tried a grip between the wider grip and my regular grip for the 3rd, 4th and 5th sets which felt more solid (but still very, very difficult). I would not have completed the 5x5 @ 52.5kg today if I had attempted it for sure.

Completed 5x5 barbell rows @ 55.0kg. Last few inches were the hardest and could feel my body attempting to cheat by standing up and losing form but I fought against by body’s urge to do so. Looked okay in the videos.

Up to 67.0kg dips (25.0kg assistance) and managed 5/4/2. Dips have surprisingly caught up with chin-ups which used to be the stronger of the two during the early stages. Was extremely exhausted by this point and noticed that the workouts are taking over 90 minutes, meaning that including the time spent in the locker room changing, preparing for the workout, showering, warm-ups, etc, I spend an average of 2 hours in the gym per session which is longer than I would like. This should drop in the future when I start deloading and moving on to 3x5 instead of 5x5 as per the Stronglifts programme.

Update: Woke up on Saturday morning with my knee hurting much worse (3/10), with the pain creeping up to a 4/10 towards the end of the day. Knee was generally fine on Friday night. Pain down to a 2/10 on Sunday morning. Any suggestions guys?