Workout No. 52
Monday, 8th December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 32.5kg
Overhead Press 3/3/3/3/2 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 120.0kg
Assisted Chin-ups 2/2/2 @ 73.0kg

Finally finished off my first 5lbs tub of whey protein and weighed in at 93.0kg today. Will make a more conscious effort to drop my weight down to 90.0kg as I have only been trying half-heartedly. I know I am making gains muscle-wise, but my belly is not reducing in size at a rate at which I am happy with. Have some fat to lose in the chest region as well. Might try “cutting” while still progressing (albeit at a slower rate) with the Stronglifts programme.

Decided to be patient and not rush into adding weight to my squats so I went for a 2.5kg weight increment instead of 5.0kg. Continuing with what I have been doing recently, squatted 3 sets in the high bar position and 2 sets in the low bar position. Noticed that not pushing out my knees as hard as possible reduced the slight discomfort in my knees. I still kept my knees out and prevented them from collapsing inwards but all I was doing was to apply about 70% of the maximal force I could exert in pushing my knees out instead of 100%. Will do some research online regarding this to see if this is actually what one would consider to be “safe practice”.

Did not complete the 5x5 for the overhead press after the 2.5kg increment to 42.5kg as expected. Only managed 3/3/3/3/2 reps. I somehow quite look forward to this lift nowadays despite the slow progress.

Deadlifted 1x5 @ 120.0kg but I was not at all happy with my form. Lower back looked neutral and not rounded but my upper back definitely rounded a little and I could feel myself “slump” forward slightly. Will either do another micro-deload or just continue lifting 120.0kg until I am confident with my form. Rounding the upper back is generally acceptable but the while the weights are still “light” I would prefer to have near perfect form at this stage.

Barely any energy left in the tank after the deadlifts but I pushed on and did 2/2/2 reps of assisted chin-ups with only 20.0kg assistance. My bodyweight chin-up target of 2014 does not look likely.

Workout No. 53
Wednesday, 10th December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 35.0kg
Bench Press 2/3/3/3/5 @ 55.0kg
Barbell Row 5/5/4/3/4 @ 62.5kg
Assisted Dips 3/3/3 @ 72.0kg

Weighed in at 92.0kg today. Still haven’t been very disciplined with my eating habits. Haven’t had the chance to replenish my whey protein supply. I am currently using Dymatize Elite 100% Whey Protein in Café Mocha but have been contemplating if I should try another flavour for my second tub. Only this flavour has some caffeine in it as an ingredient though, and it usually keeps me away from at least one cup of coffee a day.

Squatted 5x5 @ 35.0kg today, continuing with my 2.5kg progression. First 2 sets in the high bar position and the last 3 sets in the low bar position. Kept my stance narrower than usual (but still not too narrow) and did not push my knees out as hard as possible (maintaining about 70% of max pushing-out force). No pain, and squatted quite comfortably.

Only managed 2/3/3/3/5 reps of bench presses @ 55.0kg. Disappointing. Tried to press the 3rd rep of the first set and got pinned under the bar which was caught by the rack safeties. Had to roll the bar over my head to get off the bench and reset the weights. So embarrassing. Surprisingly was able to press 3 reps for the second, third and fourth sets and even more surprisingly, I pressed a full 5 reps for the last set. On the final set, after pressing 3 reps, I still felt very strong and managed another 2 clean reps. Must have been something to do with my set-up and this might be why I am progressing so slowly on the bench press.

Did not complete the 5x5 for barbell rows as well. This is the second session stuck at this weight. Rows are starting to feel very challenging and I really have to remain focused to get a full 5 reps.

Assisted dips @ 72.0kg to finish off the session. 3/3/3 reps which is one less than last time.

Workout No. 54
Saturday, 8th December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 37.5kg
Overhead Press 4/4/4/4/4 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 120.0kg

Up another 2.5kg to 5x5 squats @ 37.5kg. Was very tempted to go straight to 40.0kg as my inner ego does not like lifting these baby weights but I fought the temptation. Maintained the same form as described in the previous updates (slightly wider than hip width stance, knees pushed out with 70% effort) and did 3 sets of low bar squats and 2 sets in the high bar position. Tried to keep the reps fast and controlled with minimal rest between sets. Knees are still doing well.

4/4/4/4/4 @ 42.5kg overhead presses. Minimal rest in between sets as well as I was kinda rushing off today. Suspect that I will be able to grind out the 5x5 nest week and progress to 45.0kg.

Did not go up in weight for the deadlifts and lifted 5 reps @ 120.0kg as I did on Monday. Form was still not perfect and I am still not sufficiently happy. Upper back is still rounding slightly and form was bad on the last rep. Might de-load to 110.0kg and work my way up again. Better safe than sorry although I did not feel any unwarranted strain in my back.

Skipped chin-ups today as I was short on time.

This post has been edited by justintga: Dec 14 2014, 11:50 PM

Workout No. 55
Monday, 15th December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 40.0kg
Bench Press 5/5/5/4/3 @ 55.0kg
Barbell Row 3/3/0/0/0 @ 62.5kg

I have this bad habit of playing with my calluses (mainly from deadlifting) and I usually tear the skin off, etc. Today I think I overdid this on the callus just under my middle finger on my right hand and tore too much skin off. It now feels painful and tender. Might affect my lifting.

92.0kg weigh in today. Still not eating as I should and snacking at night once in a while. To be completely honest, it is not that I am eating rubbish everyday. I am just not eating sufficiently cleanly to get leaner at the rate at which I want. And the weight lifting makes me hungry. My target since I started training was to be able to perform a bodyweight pull-up by the end of 2014 and a bodyweight of 90.0kg. Looks like I will just about miss both targets for the year. I believe I can still forcefully achieve the 90.0kg target if I really wanted to by dieting over the next two weeks but the intention was to train and moderate my diet to drop my weight by gaining lean muscle mass and losing fat as a result of training instead of by dieting or starving myself.

Squats starting to feel the slightest bit heavy now @ 40.0kg but still managed to complete the 5x5 with minimal rest. Have been squatting continuously for the past 2 weeks which is a major improvement since my knee injury despite the low weights. My left knee is still not at 100% but the last time I was able to squat so many sessions in a row was back in mid-October 2014. Felt the slightest irritation in my knee during the warm-up sets today with just the empty barbell but it went away as soon as I started loading the bar with plates. 3 working sets in the low bar position and 2 sets in the high bar position. Couldn’t get a squat rack today which was facing a mirror to have a better look at my form as all of the good racks were taken considering that today is Monday AKA International Chest Day and the gym was very packed.

Suffered a little during bench presses due to my torn callus. Some improvement from the last session going up to 5/5/5/4/3 (22 reps) from 2/3/3/3/5 (16 reps). The full 5x5 should not be a problem next week. Can’t wait to get up to a more respectable bench press weight of 60.0kg.

Epic fail on the barbell rows. Torn callus hurt quite badly and only managed 3/3/0/0/0. Will deload this lift to 55.0kg for the next session.

Slight shoulder strain after the last session of dips so I skipped the dips today and did some “negative” pull-ups by jumping up and lowering myself as slowly as possible. Did 8 reps in total.

Workout No. 56
Wednesday, 17th December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 42.5kg
Overhead Press 5/5/5/4/4 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 120.0kg
“Negative” Pull-ups 3/3/3

Fought against temptation to go up 5.0kgs to 45.0kg but kept my discipline and went for 5x5 @ 42.5kg. Slightest irritation still present during the warm up sets with the empty barbell @ 20.0kg but as soon as I loaded up the bar with plates, the pain was gone. 3 low bar, 2 high bar sets as usual, with a slightly wider stance for the low bar and going deeper on the high bar.

Failed to complete the 5x5 for overhead presses today @ 42.5kg, missing the last rep of the last two sets. Third unsuccessful session in a row so it is deload time. Suspect that this is my third deload overall (have to look back at my records) which means changing down to 3x5 from 5x5 following the Stronglifts programme. Maybe a timely deload as I am going off for a year-end holiday next week.

Third session doing deadlifts at 120.0kg. Still not 100% happy with my form. Will wait until I get back from my holiday and see how I feel before deciding whether or not to up the weight further.

3/3/3 "negative" pull ups. Could “hang” for quite a few seconds in the top position for the 1st rep of each set, and less for each additional rep. Really felt the strain in my biceps, arms and back compared to when I am doing barbell rows.

This post has been edited by justintga: Dec 21 2014, 11:30 AM

Workout No. 57
Saturday, 20th December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 45.0kg
Bench Press 5/5/5/5/4 @ 55.0kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 55.0kg

Squats as per usual and managed to complete the 5x5 @ 45.0kg easily. Starting to feel the weight slightly though. Previously the barbell + weights felt very light on my back.

Tragically missed the last rep of my bench press sets, which means a deload which may not be such a bad thing as I am leaving for a week long Christmas holiday.

Rowed the deloaded barbell row weight of 55.0kg easily and rushed off for dinner with my family. Back felt a little tired as I have been doing "negative" pull-ups here and there at work whenever I get the chance. Today is likely to be the second last gym session of the year for me. Will squeeze in one more session on the 29th or 30th just before the new year. See you guys soon!

Workout No. 58
Saturday, 3rd January 2015

Squat 5x5 @ 47.5kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 37.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 120.0kg
Pull-ups 1/1/1 @ 93.0kg
Chin-ups 1 @ 93.0kg

Back in the gym after a two week break. It was surprisingly packed. Probably everyone is still motivated in keeping to their new 2015 resolutions of keeping fit haha. Happy to report that I did not gain any noticeable weight over the holiday period. Still at 93.0kg which is not bad considering how much I have been pigging out especially during my China trip. Have been doing bodyweight squats, push-ups and "negative" pull-ups just to keep myself active over the past 14 days.

The Stronglifts 5x5 app suggested that I deload by 10% as I have not been lifting for a while. Decided to stubbornly ignore the suggestion as I just deloaded most of my lifts before I took my two week break. Hope I won't regret this decision. Squatted the 5x5 @ 47.5kg relatively easily, 3 reps in the high bar position and 2 reps in the low bar. Knees felt decently good.

Also completed the 5x5 overhead presses at a deloaded weight of 37.5kg with relative ease. I have gone through 3 deloads in the progression up to this weight in total but the app has not switched the programme from 5x5 to 3x5. Suspect that I actually have to go through 3 deloads at the same weight before this happens. Did a quick Google search on this but found nothing concrete. On an unrelated note, does anyone know where I can find 0.5kg plates which I can fit on a standard barbell? I am intending to try smaller weight increments for the overhead press but have been unable to source for these lower increment weights. Lightest plate in my gym is 1.25kg.

Was planning to ease off on the deadlifts and maybe go for a 110.0kg 1x5 today as I have not been to the gym for 2 weeks but felt really good during warm-up sets up until 100.0kg. Went for the 120.0kg working set in the end and completed the 5 reps.

The "negative" pull-ups have really been working and I can basically do a 85% single rep pull-up and hang at the top for 3 seconds and a rep-and-a-half chin-up! Did 3 bodyweight pull-ups with some rest in between each one and a single chin-up slotted in between.

Update (4th January 2015): Sore everywhere the day after... Guess I started too hard after a long time off...

This post has been edited by justintga: Jan 4 2015, 09:57 AM

Workout No. 59
Wednesday, 7th January 2015

Squat 5x5 @ 50.0kg
Bench Press 5x5 @ 50.0kg
Barbell Row 5/4/4/4/4 @ 57.5kg
Assisted Dips 5/4 @ 72.0kg

Have been very busy at work lately over the past week and have been skipping lunch quite frequently. Was supposed to go to gym on Monday but could not make it due to work commitments and decided to go on Tuesday instead. Got stuck at work again so only managed to make it today. My weight dropped a little and the reduced total calorie consumption from the skipped lunches over the past couple days must have contributed to this. Only arrived at the gym at 9pm, exhausted from the past few days, hoping that my gym form will not suffer.

Quads still felt the slightest bit sore but completed the 5x5 squats @ 50.0kg easily and without much rest in between sets. Starting to “feel” the weight though. Also, reverted back to 5 sets of low bar squats only.

First time bench pressing in quite a while but the 50.0kg weight didn’t feel too bad with minimal rest between sets as well. Also completed the full 5x5.

Did not feel so good as I was stepping up to the bar to start the barbell rows. Felt weak and tired but managed to get 5 full reps on the first set. Didn’t do so well on the remaining sets though. Not sure if it just has been a long time since I last barbell rowed or maybe skipping lunches and the long days at work are taking their toll on me.

Finished off the gym session with assisted dips but only managed a set of 5 reps followed by another set of 4 reps before I totally “bonked” and headed to the showers.

This post has been edited by justintga: Jan 12 2015, 10:33 PM

Workout No. 60
Friday, 9th January 2015

Squat 5x5 @ 52.5kg
Overhead Press 5/5/5/3/5 @ 40.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 122.5kg
Assisted Chin-ups 5/4/3 @ 72.0kg

Weigh in today read 92.0kg. Haven't been eating well again.

Squats today felt much heavier @ 52.5kg compared to two days ago at 50.0kg. Still only needed the minimum 1.5 minutes between sets but the bad eating habits this week and long hours at work have really affected my gym performance.

Didn't start off too strong for the overhead presses as well but still finished the first 3 sets without too much difficulty. Started off the 4th set sloppily without sufficiently bracing my core and gripping the bar marginally too wide so I didn't get the full 5 reps. Recovered and refocused to get the full 5 reps for the final set. On another day, I would have pressed the full 5x5 but didn't at all feel anywhere near 100%.

Did all the warm-up sets in a variety of different grips for deadlifts (mixed, reversed mixed, double overhand) as even my grip didn't feel too right today. Got up to my work set weight of 125.5kg and deadlifted the full 5 reps. Form broke down slightly on the final rep but nothing too bad. Once again, not too happy with my performance today but still managed a new PR deadlift weight which means today's session wasn't a complete disaster.

Ended the workout with some assisted chin-ups, also fairly disappointing with 5/4/3 @ 72.0kg.

Workout No. 61
Monday, 12th January 2015

Squat 5x5 @ 55.0kg
Bench Press 5x5 @ 52.5kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 55.0kg

Arrived at the gym quite late again due to work commitments. Body weight remained constant at 92.0kg. On a related note, ordered a pair of body fat callipers online to start measuring body fat % instead of relying on the scales which should arrive soon.

Squats are starting to feel heavier @ 55.0kg and I could feel the slightest, slightest sensation again in my left knee during the warm-up sets. No pain during or after the 5x5 but will continue to monitor closely.

Bench presses at 52.5kg for the full 5x5 without any issues. Was not pushed to the limit and will hopefully surpass the previous 55.0kg plateau soon.

Lowered the barbell row weight to 55.0kg as I was not pleased with my form the last session. Completed the 5x5 with relative ease compared to my last attempt at 57.5kg. I have been eating properly again so that has definitely helped.

Skipped the assisted dips as it was getting very late.

Workout No. 62
Wednesday, 14th January 2015

Squat 5x5 @ 57.5kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 40.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 125.0kg

Arrived late in the gym. Again. Sigh. Digital scale at the gym was not working today. The postman attempted to deliver the body fat callipers which I ordered online but no one was home so I’ll have to find time to go pick it up.

Squats are really starting to feel heavy again. All other lifts have been feeling heavy for a long time. Felt myself starting to lean forward a little while pushing upwards on the last reps of the early sets. Focused on sitting back to prevent this from happening. Was sweating by the end of the 5x5 which hasn’t happened for a long, long time.

Tried to minimise my rest time between sets for the overhead press and just barely, barely managed to press the final rep of the 5th set. Would have had it much easier if I didn’t try to rush through it but it was getting late. Will be back up to my previous plateau weight of 42.5kg next week.

Warmed up as usual for deadlifts with the final warm up set at 110.0kg. The first 3 reps of the working set weight of 125.0kg were nice and solid, the 4th set started to feel wonky and I could feel my back rounding a little during the 5th rep. Also on the 5th rep, by the time my torso was upright, my legs were still the slightest bit bent and I sort of “squatted up” the final few centimetres instead of the typical smooth deadlift “pull”. Bad, bad form. Will deload as I do not want to risk any injury to my back.

It was past 10.00pm by this point so I decided to skip chin-ups and head home, extremely exhausted from today’s workout.

Workout No. 63
Friday, 16th January 2015

Squat 5x5 @ 60.0kg
Bench Press 5/4/5/3/3 @ 55.0kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 57.5kg

Still haven’t had the time to go and pick up my fat callipers. Body weight remained constant at 92.0kg.

Quite pleased that I am finally back up to 60.0kg squats after restarting from the empty bar. Could “feel” my knee slightly during certain reps but took extra care of my form. Still a worry but there was no pain or discomfort. Managed the full 5x5 but came out of it slightly drained.

Back up at my previous plateau bench press weight of 55.0kg. Pressed 5/4/5/3/3. Believe that I probably could have done maybe an extra rep here or there for the failed sets (4/3/3) but didn’t want to take a chance as I might have had to reset the weights after the catchers save me from being crushed by the bar in the eventuality that I fail the rep attempt. I basically stopped if I was not 100% confident of finishing the next rep.

No real issues with the barbell row @ 57.5kg. Usually push-throughed the first 3 reps of each set and slowed down for the 4th and 5th to catch my breath slightly.

Skipped assisted dips.

Workout No. 64
Monday, 19th January 2015

Squat 5x5 @ 62.5kg
Overhead Press 5/5/3/5/2 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 110.0kg
“Negative” Pull-ups 3/3
Dumbbell Curls 5/5 @ 10.0kg

Weigh-in today read a stable 92.0kg as expected. Am definitely gaining muscle and losing fat slowly but I still have a slight belly. Upper body and thighs are starting to show some definition. Very, very tempted to start a cut but I do not know if it is too early for that.

Squats are starting to bother my left knee again very slightly. No pain but there was some noticeable discomfort. I had to deload all the way down to 20.0kg and work my way up to this weight again in 2.5kg increments after experiencing pain in my left knee after the last time I squatted 70.0kg. Slightly worrying again that the symptoms are back. Completed the 5x5 @ 62.5kg and will continue to monitor closely.

Back up to my previous plateau weight of 42.5kg on the overhead press. Only managed 5/5/3/5/2. Lost focus on the last set and started bleeding strength as I didn’t stay tight enough and brace my core. FOCUS!

Deloaded deadlifts to 110.0kg after the poor form during my “successful” 125.0kg attempt. Warmed up as usual but surprisingly 5 reps of 110.0kg did not feel significantly easier than my 125.0kg attempt.

Finished off with 2 sets of 3 “negative” pull-up reps and for the first time ever, some vanity dumbbell curls.

Workout No. 65
Wednesday, 21st January 2015

Squat 5x5 @ 65.0kg
Bench Press 5/5/5/4/4 @ 55.0kg
Barbell Row 5/5/5/5/4 @ 60.0kg

Arrived nearly 2 hours later than usual today. No change in bodyweight from Monday. My body fat callipers have arrived and a manual one-person rough test using 3 points (chest, abdomen, thigh) estimates my bodyfat to be around 19%. Will get some help this weekend for a more accurate reading.

Squats are starting to bother my left knee a little more than I would be comfortable with. The last time I injured myself was around the 70.0kg mark although it didn't seem like there was any issue with my form. Managed the full 5x5 @ 65.0kg with some discomfort on a few reps here and there.

Decent attempt at the bench press with 5/5/5/4/4 reps @ 55.0kg. Hopefully will be able to progress after next week's session.

Should have completed the 5x5 barbell rows @ 60.0kg but lost focus on the last rep and missed it. Very tired at this point, but no excuse.

Workout No. 66
Friday, 23rd January 2015

Squat 3x5 @ 67.5kg
Overhead Press 3x5 @ 42.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 112.5kg
“Negative” Pull-ups 2/2
Barbell Curls 10/10 @ 20.0kg

Pleasant surprise during the weigh-in today - 91.0kg! Have decided to start a mini-cut and see how it goes. Will also drop down to 3x5 for now as I believe I will have difficulty with recovery with the reduced calories. Never tried this before but I hope I won't stupidly lose all my gains during this cut.

Left knee didn't feel good at all squatting 67.5kg today. Worse than the last two sessions. Will probably lay off squatting for a short bit for now. Suspect the high volume is a contributor to this problem so this is one of the reasons for the transition to 3x5.

The reduced volume definitely helped me to complete the 3x5 overhead presses @ 42.5kg. Doubt I would have managed a full 5x5, especially if this was preceded by 5x5 squats.

Deadlifted 112.5kg for 5 reps. Wasn't 100% pleased with my form. Will also start taking it easy next week on this lift to give my body some time to recover.

Ended the workout with some "negative" pull-ups and 2 sets of 10 empty barbell curl reps.

Workout No. 67
Wednesday, 28th January 2015

Squat 3x5 @ 70.0kg
Push-ups 2x10
“Negative” Pull-ups 3/3

Was in Singapore between the 27th and the 29th of January 2015 for a conference and stayed at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront. Had about two hours of free time today so I decided to pop by the hotel gym for a quick workout. Pleasantly surprised that there was not one but TWO proper squat racks in the gym which is not typical of a hotel gym which is usually full of machines and treadmills.

Went up to 70.0kg for squats and my knees didn't feel the slightest bit comfortable. Completed the 3x5 though.

Surprisingly there was no bench for bench pressing so I replaced this with 2 sets of 10 push-ups followed by some "negative" pull-ups.

Workout No. 68
Friday, 30th January 2015

Front Squat 3x5 @ 40.0kg
Overhead Press 3x5 @ 42.5kg
Push-ups 2x10
“Negative” Pull-ups 2/2

Gained a little weight from my Singapore 1-buffet-per-day-and-sometimes-2 spree in Singapore.

Took it easy today and didn’t wanna risk injuring my knees so I gave them a slight rest by skipping low bar squats. Tried out some front squats instead. Started light and I think I did okay for my first proper try. Was able to keep my elbows up and my form looked decent.

Successfully completed 3x5 overhead presses @ 42.5kg, moving on to 45.0kg for the first time ever!

2 sets of slightly elevated push-ups (with my feet on two plates stacked on top of each other) followed by some “negative” pull-ups to finish off.

This post has been edited by justintga: Feb 17 2015, 03:28 PM

Workout No. 69
Wednesday, 4th February 2015

Squat 3x5 @ 60.0kg
Front Squat 1x5 @ 50.0kg
Bench Press 3x5 @ 55.0kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 60.0kg

Deloaded my low bar back squats slightly and completed the 3x5 @ 60.0kg without any issues. Legs still felt fresh so I worked my way up to a single set of 5 reps for the front squat @ 50.0kg which also felt good. Front squats seem to feel better for my knees. Will monitor and see how things progress.

Also managed the full 3x5 for the bench press @ 55.0kg without suffering too much. On an unrelated note, does anyone have any idea where to find 0.5kg plates with standard holes for barbells? I’d prefer to go up in 1.0kg increments for the bench and the overhead press if possible.

3x5 barbell rows @ 60.0kg without much difficulty. Skipped assistance exercises as it was getting late.

This post has been edited by justintga: Feb 17 2015, 03:28 PM

Workout No. 70
Friday, 6th February 2015

Squat 3x5 @ 70.0kg
Overhead Press 3/4/3 @ 45.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 110.0kg
“Negative” Pull-ups 3/3

Back up to 70.0kg squats today as my knees were feeling better. Not easy but completed the full 3x5.

Failed on the first attempt of the overhead presses @ 45.0kg only managing 3/4/3 reps as expected.

Light deadlifts again to work on my form and some "negative" pull-ups to end the session.

Workout No. 71
Tuesday, 10th February 2015

Squat 4/0/0 @ 72.5kg
Bench Press 3x5 @ 55.0kg
Push-ups 3x10

First ever squat attempt at 72.5kg after edging past my previous best of 70.0kg last Friday. 4 reps on the first set and failed to get the 5th. I knew I would risk my knees from experience if I pushed on so I stopped there.

On the bright side, a nice PR for my bench press, completing the full 3x5 @ 55.0kg.

Wasn’t in the mood to row so I completed the short gym session with 3x10 push-ups.