I used to be relatively fit in my uni days from a lot of road cycling and even dropped by the uni gym at least once a week (not any structured training, just some cardio, weights, etc - basically whatever I felt like doing).

Started working on the MRT project after uni and barely exercised at all for two years due to the extremely long hours at work. Had to work about 15 hours a day for nearly two years, 6 days a week, often on Public Holidays as well. Sunday was usually just sleeping in to recover so that I could face the week ahead.

Gained a lot of weight (95kg at 185cm from 85kg two years ago) from eating a lot as I was constantly "rewarding myself" for working hard and doing a good job and this did a lot of damage to my body. I decided that it was time to do something about it especially since work has started slowing down due to completion of the bulk of the major works in my section and I usually can go home around 7.30pm nowadays.

Joined a gym at the start of August 2014 and started on the Stronglifts 5x5 programme.

Alternate between the following two workouts adding 2.5kg each time if successful in completing the 5x5 lifts (5kg on deadlifts):

Workout A
Squat 5x5
Bench Press 5x5
Barbell Row 5x5

Workout B
Squat 5x5
Overhead Press 5x5
Deadlift 1x5

Starting Stats
Body Weight: 95kg
Squat: 20kg
Overhead Press: 20kg
Deadlift: 40kg
Bench Press: 20kg
Barbell Row: 30kg

Current Stats as at 15th September 2014
Body Weight: 90kg
Squat: 62.5kg
Overhead Press: 35kg
Deadlift: 85kg
Bench Press: 40kg
Barbell Row: 50kg

Thoughts and Progress So Far

I usually workout on weekdays after finishing work at 7.30pm. Gym is about 10 mins away from my office. I try to workout on alternate days and at least 3 times a week. Generally no cardio and I've been following the Stronglifts 5x5 programme quite strictly except for adding assisted dips after barbell rows (Workout A) and assisted chin-ups after deadlifts (Workout B) after about 4 weeks into the programme.

I haven't been counting my calories but have been consciously eating cleaner and healthier since starting the programme. Quantity hasn't gone down much though. One change has been to choose protein over carbs when possible i.e. two eggs instead of a small nasi lemak for breakfast. Also have totally cut out chips and soft drinks from my diet. Still have the occasional snack haha.

Been losing weight slowly and have noticed a change in my physique. Starting to get more toned (still fatter than I would like to be) but I am not sure if I am eating enough to make progress later on in the programme. Have lost 5kg in about 6 weeks. Main aim was to look less fat in the short term as I will be going on a beach holiday this Friday (19th September 2014). Might start eating more after coming back.

Also, spending some money on gym clothes has helped keep my motivation up as well as receiving compliments from my gf and friends. Gotta keep training hard!

This post has been edited by justintga: Sep 15 2014, 12:59 AM

Should have started this log from the start but hey, it's never too late!

My three most recent workouts:

Workout No. 17
Tuesday, 9th September 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 60.0kg
Overhead Press 3/3/3/2/0 @ 35.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 80.0kg
Assisted Chin-ups 5/5/5 @ 40.0kg

Started feeling a slight pain in while squatting in the region where your thighs are connected to your groin region. Generally squats still feel relatively easy but this was the first time that I've felt pain in this region. Googled "groin pain while doing squats" and found a number of possible reasons:

1. Hip flexors (I think these are the muscles which are hurting) have not been stretched sufficiently
2. Hip flexors not developing as fast as other muscles
3. Too wide a stance

Overhead pressing has always been the hardest lift for me since the start and I missed the 5x5 for one workout @ 27.5kg (first stall ever on the Stronglifts programme). Did not stall at 30.0kg and at 32.5kg but only managed 3/1/1/1/1 @ 35.0kg on Workout No. 15. Slight improvement with 3/3/3/2/0 @ 35.0kg this time but still disappointed.

Deadlifts still feel quite easy. Proceeded with assisted chin-ups with 50.0kg assistance.

Note that prior to Workout No. 17, I never felt like I would stall anytime soon for any lift except for the overhead press.

Workout No. 18
Thursday, 11th September 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 62.5kg
Bench Press 5x5 @ 40.0kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 50.0kg

Warmed up as usual doing 2x5 lifts with the empty barbell (20kg). Increased the weight slowly doing 3 reps @ 30kg and 40kg and 2 reps @ 50kg. Started feeling the pain again in the groin region at 50kg. Managed to complete the 5x5 worksets @ 62.5kg but with immense pain in the groin region by the time I finished the 4th set. Also tried a slightly narrower stance as above but I don't think it helped. Manned up to finish the 5th set but could barely walk after. Rest of legs felt fine and strong but the groin muscles were killing me. Rested 3 mins between sets. Form broke down a little during the 5th set due to the pain.

Bench press felt a little more challenging than usual but having two 5kg plates on each side of the barbell (40kg total) felt good. Was quite ashamed in the gym when I was starting off with the empty bar. 1 more session before hopefully starting to put on the larger 12.5kg plates for the first time (45kg total) on each side and getting past the shame of not having big plates on my bar.

Barbell row was not too difficult but form broke down slightly due to lack of concentration in the 5th set. As a punishment, will not go up in weight in Workout No. 20 despite completing the 5x5 lifts.

Was rushing home so skipped the assisted dips.

Workout No. 19
Saturday, 13th September 2014

Squat 2x5 @ 20.0kg, 1x3 @ 30.0kg, 1x3 @ 40.0kg
Overhead Press 4/3/2/4/2 @ 35.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 85.0kg
Assisted Chin-ups 5/5/4 @ 45.0kg

Started my warm up sets for squats but started feeling the groin pain @ 40.0kg. Did not want to risk a heavier weight so stopped there to be safe as I have not come up with a solution for the pain. Any suggestions guys?

Overhead press was disappointing again. Looks like it is time for a 10% deload as suggested by the Stronglifts programme after failing to get 5x5 for the 3rd session in a row. Common to stall on the overhead press apparently after some online research.

Deadlifts still feel relatively easy. Used the regular grip for the warm up sets with the mixed grip used for the work set. Bodyweight deadlift soon!

Assisted chin-ups to failure to finish off and could feel the burn in my arms and back.

This post has been edited by justintga: Nov 1 2014, 09:47 AM

Workout No. 20
Monday, 15th September 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 45.0kg
Bench Press 5x5 @ 42.5kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 50.0kg

Started with bench presses instead of squats today as the squat rack was heavily occupied. For once, bench pressing started feeling hard and I could feel a slight burn in my triceps after completing the 5x5.

Decided to deload to 45.0kg from 62.5kg for squats due to the groin pain which has been around for a few workouts now. Did the full 5x5 at this weight with good form and just the slightest bit of pain in the groin region. Will probably go up to 50.0kg for the next session on Wednesday.

Nothing worth commenting for the barbell rows except that I used the same weight from Workout No. 18 as I wasn't too happy with my form and concentration the last time I rowed. Completed without too much difficulty.

Got off work later than usual and there was someone on the assisted dip machine after completing my rows so I decided to call it a day.

Just one more gym session on Wednesday before flying off for a well deserved 5 day holiday in beautiful Boracay which should allow for sufficient time for the muscles in the groin region to recover. Planning to go up in 5.0kg increments instead of 2.5kg for my squats once I come back from the trip until I arrive at my old working weight of 62.5kg.

BORACAYYYYY!!!~~~

Workout No. 21
Wednesday, 17th September 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 50.0kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 30.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 90.0kg
Assisted Chin-ups 6/6/5 @ 50.0kg

Went up to 50.0kg from 45.0kg (5.0kg instead of the usual 2.5kg) and completed the 5x5 lifts. Still felt a minor pain the groin region but nothing near painful enough to stop me from finishing the sets. Still 12.5kg away from the previous working set when the groin pain was too much to bear. Hopefully the pain is just a matter of recovery.

First official deload on the entire programme on the overhead press (down 5.0kg from 35.0kg) after failing to complete the 5x5 three times in a row. The 5x5 lifts @ 30.0kg felt relatively easy.

Warmed up for the bodyweight deadlifts with 5 reps @ 55kg, 3 reps @ 65kg and 2 reps @ 80kg before completing the 1x5 deadlifts at body weight. Once again, used a regular grip for the warm up sets and a mixed grip for the working set. Not a big deal for most of you but I was quite pleased with myself for completing my first ever body weight lift of any sort.

Completed my workout with assisted chin-ups to failure with 6/6/5 reps @ 50.0kg. Still very ashamed of my pathetic chin up and dipping abilities.

A minimum of 5 days of recovery until my next workout. Hoping that the groin pain will be entirely gone by then. Off to Boracay!!!

Workout No. 22
Thursday, 25th September 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 60.0kg
Bench Press 5x5 @ 45.0kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 52.5kg
Assisted Dips 5/4/4 @ 50.0kg

Wooohooo I'm baaaccckkkk! Boracay was beyond amazing but I really pigged out during the trip with almost every meal being a buffet. Have to start eating healthy again.

Felt good to be back in the gym. First target was to assess if my groin pain was still going to be a problem after a week of recovery. Started off squatting the empty bar (20.0kg) to warm up. 3 reps at 30.0kg followed by 3 reps at 45.0kg and still felt quite good. The plan was to go up by 5.0kg to 55.0kg but the 45.0kg felt so easy that I went straight for 60.0kg. Completed the 5x5 lifts without any problems, with the weight not feeling particularly challenging. Will surpass my previous highest squat weight of 62.5kg (just before deloading to 45.0kg due to the groin pain) in my next workout.

Bench pressing is starting to get more difficult. Can still manage with only 90 secs of rest between sets though. The good news is that for the first time ever, I have big plates on either side of the barbell for my bench press! No longer have to endure the shame of only being able to press with the small plates anymore!

The rows, like the squats, felt easy. Form was off for the first 5 reps, but looked fine after (I usually video myself to check my form). Still felt fresh after everything so proceeded to do some assisted dips with 40.0kg of weight relief.

The Stronglifts app actually suggested a 10% deload across the board as it pointed out that I had not been working out for over a week. Being stubborn, I chose the "No thanks!" option and was glad I did in the end. Not only did I not experience sore muscles as warned by the app, generally the workout felt like one of the easier ones! I guess the one week of recovery really did me some good!

This post has been edited by justintga: Sep 25 2014, 11:52 PM

Workout No. 23
Saturday, 27th September 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 65.0kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 32.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 95.0kg
Assisted Chin-ups 5/4/4 @ 55.0kg

Arrived at the gym and realised that I had left my shorts at home so I had to work out in my jeans today

Went up by 5.0kg to 65.0kg as planned as my warm up sets felt very comfortable. This is the highest weight I have squatted since starting Stronglifts 5x5. 62.5kg was the last weight at which I completed the 5x5 lifts about 2 weeks ago after which I decided to deload to 45.0kg and rework my way up due to the extreme groin muscle pain I was experiencing. The pain is gone now and the 65.0kg did not feel particularly challenging. Looking forward to some good gains over the next few weeks.

Started my warm up sets for the overhead press but the empty bar at 20.0kg felt slightly challenging. My triceps and shoulders were experiencing slight DOMS from the bench pressing on Thursday probably due to a week off from lifting. Did 3 reps at 25.0kg and 2 reps at 30.0kg. Surprisingly managed to pull off the 5x5 @ 32.5kg without suffering too much.

Deadlift > bodyweight hahaha . Warmed up with 5 reps @ 65.0kg and checked my form followed by 3 reps @ 75.0kg and 2 reps @ 90.0kg with a mixed grip. Noticed that my legs straightened out earlier than usual and the hip drive came later and made a mental note to try and "push through my heels" for my 95.0kg work set. Completed the work set comfortably but noticed the early straightening of my legs with my hips driving forward later than usual once again. To review proper deadlift form before next attempt.

Assisted chin-ups to complete the workout. Will probably stay at this weight for now as I only managed 5/4/4.

Workout No. 24
Monday, 29th September 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 67.5kg
Bench Press 4/3/3/2/1 @ 47.5kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 55.0kg

Today's session was in total contrast to my previous workout session (Workout No. 23). Suffered much more today compared to two days ago.

Started feeling the slight groin pain again during my squats @ 67.5kg and the last 2 reps of each set especially towards the end were quite challenging. Form broke down slightly during the last set as well. Might stay at the same weight for the next workout depending on how I feel during the warm-up.

Bench presses were a total failure. Completed the 5x5 @ 45.0kg feeling slightly challenged but only managed 4/3/3/2/1 @ 47.5kg; not even close to the 5x5. Felt very weak under the bar and this was the first time I failed any rep for my bench presses. Didn't have a spotter so after missing the last rep on my first set, my confidence was probably affected which in turn affected my lifting.

Barbell row was okay but a PT in my gym politely told me not to make so much noise while lowering the weights to the floor after each rep after my 3rd set. Loss in form in the 4th and 5th set as I was focusing on not making too much noise

Triceps and chest were totally busted after the epic bench press failure so skipped the dips today.

Didn't feel so good overall especially on the bench press (47.5kg felt like 50% heavier than 45.0kg). Suspect that it is because I am on my 3rd consecutive session of training with only a day's rest in between after a fair bit of time off so my body might be in need of some recovery. Might only head in again on Thursday instead of Wednesday as initially planned.

This post has been edited by justintga: Sep 29 2014, 10:01 PM

Workout No. 25
Wednesday, 1st October 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 70.0kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 35.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 100.0kg
Assisted Chin-ups 4/2/2 @ 60.0kg

Today was BRUTAL. Was due for two days off but only took a day and paid dearly for it. Squats were very difficult and I really struggled but still managed to complete the 5x5. The groin pain was present but slight and it didn't feel like the last time when I was expecting it to prevent me from lifting the next session. Will see how the pain goes before attempting 72.5kg the next time round.

Woohoo! Broke through the 35.0kg barrier! The last rep of the last two sets were challenging and I pressed the weight upwards extremely slowly but still completed the 5x5. Suspect that I will fail again at 37.5kg.

Deadlifts weren't too bad. Finally reached the 100.0kg mark. Warmed up with 5 reps @ 65.0kg, 3 reps @ 75.0kg and 2 reps at 90.0kg which didn't feel particularly heavy. Don't expect to stall anytime soon on this lift.

By this point I was very exhausted but still proceeded with some assisted chin-ups. I seem to be able to do some chin-ups after squatting, overhead pressing and deadlifting but typically struggle to have enough energy left in my muscles to do dips after squatting, bench pressing and barbell rowing. Chin-ups were equally brutal and were with 30.0kg assistance. Can't wait for the day when I can do non-assisted chin-ups (target before the end of 2014)!

Workout No. 26
Friday, 3rd October 2014

Squat 0/0/0/0/0 @ 72.5kg
Bench Press 3/4/2/2/2 @ 47.5kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 55.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 65.0kg

Today's session was horrible. Was already expecting it though considering that the last two sessions were so brutal. I guess I need some rest. Started with my warm-up squat sets as usual but by the time I got to 55.0kg, the sharp groin pain came back. Didn't wanna push it so I decided to pass on the squatting.

No improvement when it came to the bench press as well. Got no where close to the 5x5 and the weight really felt very heavy.

Quite sure that I could have managed the 5x5 barbell rows @ 57.5kg but considering that I wasn't feeling too good about my strength, I maintained the same weights as per the previous barbell row session. Also, I feel that my form is deteriorating for this lift as the weight is getting heavier so no harm in not upping the weights momentarily.

Volume was low overall so I decided to do 1x5 deadlifts @ 65.0kg to finish off.

This post has been edited by justintga: Oct 15 2014, 11:34 AM

Workout No. 27
Monday, 6th October 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 72.5kg
Overhead Press 5/5/3/4/4 @ 37.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 105.0kg

Managed to complete the 5x5 squats @ 72.5kg to my pleasant surprise. Didn't even hurt too much during the lifts. Update: Post workout was horrible. Felt very tired and was aching everywhere.

Failed the overhead press but finished 5 reps for the first 2 sets. Remaining 3 sets were 3/4/4.

Deadlifts still feel fine so I went up by 5.0kg to 105.0kg although Stronglifts 5x5 prescribes a reduction in linear weight addition after 100.0kg.

Was actually down with a fever on Monday but went for gym anyway. Paid for it dearly at night. Still having a fever, running nose and sore throat until now. Looks like a few days away from the gym

This post has been edited by justintga: Nov 23 2014, 03:42 PM

Workout No. 28
Friday, 10th October 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 60.0kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 30.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 90.0kg

My current gym (Gorgeous Fitness) is about 40 minutes away on a weekday during the rush hour traffic after being transferred to my new work site so I went for a trial at Jatomi Fitness @ Tropicana City Mall which is about 15 minutes away. Obviously I was only considering gyms with power racks (preferred) / squat racks (at the very least) and Jatomi has 3 squat racks with adjustable safety catchers. They aren't full-out power racks but not many gyms in Kuala Lumpur have power racks to be fair. And Jatomi have bumper plates too! I only have about a month left on my Gorgeous Fitness gym membership so I might just decide to sign up within the next week or so with Jatomi.

Was still quite sick and coughing very badly with a fever so I decided to deload all of my lifts slightly (also allowing me to acclimatise to the new gym equipment). Have started to feel a slight, slight pain in my knees after squatting but I am confident that my knees are not caving in which is usually the cause for knee pain during squats. Will continue monitoring my form in the future. Also, experienced some wrist pain while re-racking the bar after completion of the squat sets. Might have been due to the change from my usual rack at Gorgeous Fitness (racking position is lower at Jatomi).

Residual slight wrist pain during the overhead presses from the squats but generally completed the 5x5 without any issues.

Deadlifts were also okay @ 90.0kg. Overall, I was quite pleased with Jatomi and am seriously considering signing up. Felt weak today as I was sick but I hope to recover over the weekend to continue training as usual next week.

This post has been edited by justintga: Oct 15 2014, 11:33 AM

Workout No. 29
Monday, 13th October 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 70.0kg
Bench Press 5/5/5/5/0 @ 40.0kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 50.0kg

Got a call from Jatomi over the weekend, inviting me to come in for another free session. Once again, started with lower weights as I was still not feeling too well and was still getting used to the equipment over at Jatomi. Was quite pleased with the fact that it seems like there is never a wait for the squat racks. Went up by 10.0kg from my last gym session, completing the 5x5 lifts at 70.0kg fairly easily (although I was "feeling" weak). Felt the wrist pain again in my left wrist while re-racking the bar at the end of each set, but this time, a sharper pain.

Being stubborn, I pushed through the pain and went on with my bench presses. The sets were easy on my triceps and chest but by the 5th rep of each set, I could feel my wrists giving way. The pain built up and I didn't want to risk the 5th and final set so I decided to stop.

No problems with the barbell rows but I suspect my wrist won't be fully healed by the time Wednesday comes...

This post has been edited by justintga: Oct 16 2014, 10:38 AM

Workout No. 30
Wednesday, 15th October 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 60.0kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 32.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 95.0kg

Signed up for a one year contract at Jatomi today. Have until the end of the month to decide if I will pay monthly or everything upfront. Traffic was quite bad on the way to Tropicana City Mall (approx. 25 mins). Only took me 15 minutes to get there the last two times.

Had to wait for a squat rack for about 15 mins because all 3 were in use. The racks were empty the previous two visits to the gym. My left wrist still didn’t feel too good today so I decided not to increase my squatting weight. Some guides online suggested using a wider thumbless grip while keeping your back tight (I squat low bar). Stayed at 60.0kg as I was worried about my wrist. Completed the 5x5 with barely any pain so I might just stick with this thumbless grip for now. The bar felt a little less stable on my back though. Maybe I just need more practice.

Went up to 32.5kg on my overhead press. Paid extra attention to keeping my wrists in line with the bar. Completed the 5x5 with some slight wrist pain towards the end. The last rep of each the final 3 sets were quite challenging, partially due to pressing the weight slowly and carefully to avoid stressing my wrist.

Deadlifted 95.0kg but the weight felt quite heavy. Perhaps I lost some strength due to my illness and am still feeling slightly weak.

Was slightly upset on the way home as I was stuck in another jam along the LDP at 10.00pm. Started to slightly regret signing up with Jatomi due to a combination of factors. First of all was the 25 minute drive to gym (only 15 mins the previous two trial sessions) followed by the 15 minute wait for a squat rack (they were empty the first two sessions). And there was no jam on the LDP on the way back home the previous two times but it took me 30 minutes to get home today. Maybe it is just bad luck…

Workout No. 31
Friday, 17th October 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 70.0kg
Bench Press 5x5 @ 42.5kg
Barbell Row 5/5/0/0/0 @ 52.5kg
Assisted Chin-ups 3x5 @ 51.0kg

Received my access wristband from Jatomi today. Definitely beats using a key and lock back in the Gorgeous Fitness days.

I was experiencing a lingering pain in my left knee on Thursday after my gym session on Wednesday. The pain was just under my knee joint but it wasn’t particularly bad. Filmed myself on Wednesday and my form seemed fine without my knees caving in. Did not feel any pain during the squats. Decided to squat anyway today, taking extra care with my form. Once again, I didn’t feel any pain during the squats. Wrists were fine as well and I continued using the thumbless grip.

Update (18th October 2014): Pain in left knee has gotten slightly worse...

Bench pressing started feeling challenging again now that I am up to 42.5kg after the deload. Not a heavy weight for most people but it sure feels heavy to me. Struggled with the last rep of each set, barely making each one. Wrist pain was gone though.

Completed one set of rows @ 52.5kg before some guy approached me and said I was going to hurt my back rowing the way I did. He then demonstrated rowing with his chest up at a 45 degree angle without returning the weights to the ground after each rep. I explained that I was doing a Pendlay row with my back parallel to the ground and lowering the weights back to the ground after each rep but he was adamant that I would hurt my back if I carried on. Decided to do one more set with the form that he suggested (only because he continued lingering around and staring at me) but I had difficulty lifting the weight in this position although I finished the 5 reps. Stopped as he was making me feel uncomfortable and proceeded to do some assisted chin-ups @ 51.0kg to do some bicep and back work as I was missing out on the rows.

This post has been edited by justintga: Nov 23 2014, 03:42 PM

Ignore that guy honestly. Bent over 45 degree hits different muscle from pendlay row. He just don't know about that exercise and assume anyone doing different from what he did is wrong. Unless your lower back are rounding while rowing. Or else, stick to it. Ignore him. Just ask him to stay away from you.

phaggots used to stare at me while im pendlay rowing. i suggest u put ur earphones on and focus on ur rowing. then assholes wont kacau u already

i always got knee pains when my hip flexors are tight. try to stretch them. or consider taking fish oil.

Stronglifts is a very aggressive program. u need good rest and eat enough. in the end its worth it. 100kg deads coming eh gdjm

Haha noted and will do. Should I continue with my squatting later with the knee pain? It is very slight now but I'm worried I will aggravate it... Or should I take some time off and just do some overhead presses, deadlifts and chin-ups today?

Workout No. 32
Monday, 20th October 2014

Squat 0/0/0/0/0 @ 72.5kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 35.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 100.0kg
Assisted Chin-ups 4/4/3 @ 61.0kg

Started off warming up for squats using only the barbell but the pain just under my kneecap was still present. Not severe at all but decided not to take any risks with my knees.

Felt particularly strong during the overhead press and the 35.0kg weight did not feel as difficult compared to when I pressed 32.5kg.

Did more warm-up sets for the deadlifts as I felt the volume for today was quite low because of missing out on the squats. Completed 5 reps of the 100.0kg deadlifts with decent form but gripping the bar is getting more difficult and the weight is generally starting to feel heavy. I usually use the standard grip for my warm-up sets and the mixed grip for my work set. Worried that my form will start deteriorating too now that I am starting to feel the weight. Will take extra care to keep form in check.

Finished off the workout with assisted chin-ups @ 61.0kg.

This post has been edited by justintga: Oct 23 2014, 11:43 AM

Workout No. 33
Wednesday, 22nd October 2014

Squat 0/0/0/0/0 @ 72.5kg
Bench Press 5x5 @ 45.0kg
Barbell Row 5/0/0/0/0 @ 52.5kg
Assisted Chin-ups 4/4/3 @ 61.0kg
Machine Pull-downs 5x5 @ 55.0kg

Set up the squat rack for squatting as the pain just under my kneecap was nearly gone. Did 2x5 warm-up lifts using the barbell only but there was still the slightest bit of pain and irritation. Decided once again not to risk injuring my knees and to give them more time to heal and recover. Will reassess condition on Friday.

Proceeded with bench presses @ 45.0kg. Would rate the exertion and difficulty level as 8/10. Last rep of each set was pressed very slowly as I was running out of steam. Barely managed to press the last rep of the last set. I believe that I have set up my bench press properly but I do not seem to get any additional power from my “leg drive”. If I don’t consciously pay attention, my feet seem to just rest on the floor and when I try and drive my legs into the ground, I don’t seem to gain any leverage or power at all. Any comments guys?

Loaded the weights on the floor for barbell rows and worked my way through the warm-up sets. When I reached my working set weight, I completed 5 reps, trying to keep my lower back neutral but noticed that my upper back was slightly rounded at the top of the lift to get the final few inches. Not sure if this is okay but I decided to stop. I think I am still mentally affected by the last guy who commented on my rowing…
Missed out on back work again so I went on to do some chin-ups. Accessory work for barbell row day should be dips but my triceps and chest were pretty much busted after the bench presses and I could barely get any power out of them. Assisted chin-ups with 30.0kg weight relief instead and managed the same number of reps as the last session.

Still felt quite fresh overall as volume was low today (no squats & rows) and I felt that I had not really worked my back. Looked around at the machines and saw that the pull-down machine worked the back and biceps so I went on and did 5x5 of 55.0kg before heading for my shower.

Strong log bro. Are you competing?

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?

Workout No. 46
Monday, 24th November 2014

Squat 0/0/0/0/0 @ 62.5kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 35.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 110.0kg
Assisted Chin-ups 3/3/3 @ 68.0kg

Knees were not feeling good at all so I passed on the squats. Pain was at a 2/10 level. Bodyweight squats usually reduce the pain but today they made the problem worse.

Deloaded overhead presses to 35.0kg after failing 3 attempts at 40.0kg. Completing the 5x5 at this weight was easy and I only took about a minute of rest in between sets.

Form was horrible on the last deadlift attempt so I decided to go for a minor deload to 110.0kg. Tried switching my grip for the work set from left hand underhand, right hand overhand to left hand overhand, right hand underhand. Much less stable. Perhaps I need some time to get used to this. Still didn't feel too strong today but completed the 5 reps with a little difficulty.

Assisted chin-ups with 25.0kg weight relief. Only managed 3/3/3. Today didn't feel too good overall and I hope the next session will be better. Applied an ice pack on my knee once I got home which seemed to help a little.

This post has been edited by justintga: Nov 26 2014, 03:48 PM

Did some recovery work yesterday at the gym as I read that tight quads may be one of the contributors to knee pain. Used a foam roller for the first time ever to target my quads, glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, etc.

And also tried out some planks to build my core strength. 3 x 1 min planks.

Generally my knees feel much, much better today but this could have nothing to do with the foam rolling at all.

This post has been edited by justintga: Nov 26 2014, 03:05 PM

Workout No. 47
Thursday, 27th November 2014

Squat 0/0/0/0/0 @ 62.5kg
Bench Press 4/4/4/4/4 @ 52.5kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 57.5kg
Assisted Dips 3x5 @ 67.0kg

Weigh-in today: 92.0kg.

My left knee has been relatively pain free for two days so I decided to attempt some squats today. Started warming up with just the empty barbell and noticed on the first rep that as I was descending, the angle of my legs did not look symmetrical and I was leaning to the right slightly. Tried to correct this but felt some minor pain in my knee. It seems as if my body is trying to compensate by squatting asymmetrically to avoid loading my left knee such that it will cause me pain. Decided to stop squatting and give my knee more time to rest before deciding on the next plan of action.

Did not manage to get the 5x5 on my first benching attempt @ 52.5kg. Managed 4/4/4/4/4 which is unusual as a more typical failure pattern would be 5/4/4/4/3 rather than 4 reps for each and every set. Should be able to grind out the 5x5 next week to proceed to 55.0kg.

Barbell rowed 5x5 @ 57.5kg. Form looked okay but the weight is starting to feel very heavy and I have to actively fight my body’s inclination to try and use momentum to assist with lifting the weight. Need much more concentration nowadays for this lift compared to when the weight was lighter. If I do not focus and concentrate on pulling as hard as I can and as efficiently as possible, it is very easy to miss the rep.

Managed to complete the full 3x5 dips @ 67.0kg. My dipping ability has now surpassed my chin-up ability which has stalled for a while. This is surprising because I used to be able to chin-up more weight than I was able to dip. Guess the benching and the overhead pressing is helping out with the dips.

Workout No. 48
Saturday, 29th November 2014

Squat 0/0/0/0/0 @ 62.5kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 37.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 115.0kg
Assisted Chin-ups 4/3/3 @ 68.0kg

Skipped squats again today although I was very tempted to try some lighter squats. I think I rushed into adding weight to my squats after my knee partially recovered the last time and as a result, I reinjured my knee. Will take it slow and steady from now on. If the problem still persists after this recovery period, I might need to go and see a specialist for some advice.

Went up to 37.5kg after the deload this week for the overhead press and completed the 5x5. Last set was quite challenging as I limited the rest in between sets as I have previously completed the 5x5 @ this weight before.

Finished the 1x5 deadlifts @ 115.0kg after the mini-deload this week. Form was much better than last time but still not 100%. Might not add any weight for the next session. Progression on the deadlift will surely be slower from now on. Suspect that grip may be a problem soon as well.

Barely any progress on assisted chin-ups again. An additional one rep compared to the last time and have been stuck at this weight for about 2 to 3 weeks.

Workout No. 49
Monday, 1st December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 20.0kg
Bench Press 5/5/4/5/4 @ 52.5kg
Barbell Row 5x5 @ 60.0kg
Assisted Dips 4/3/3 @ 73.0kg

Tried out some squats today using just the empty barbell with very minimal pain. Did 2 sets in the low bar position and 3 sets in the more vertical high bar position. Going to build up my squat from scratch again to see how my knee copes. Tried out high bar just to see if there was any difference in pain levels. Basically I am willing to try out anything as long I can keep squatting and it keeps my knee pain away.

Missed out 2 reps to complete the 5x5 for bench presses @ 52.5kg. Slightly disappointing but I should get the full 5x5 this week if all goes well. Not too pleased with my progress as usual in the bench press but I will be patient and keep at it.

Completed the 5x5 barbell rows @ 60.0kg. Nearly missed the very first rep due to lack of full and total concentration. Really need to focus and get everything right to be able to explode and row the bar against my chest with good form now that the weight is getting more considerable.

Ended the workout with some assisted dips, getting closer and closed to the bodyweight dip woohoo! 4/3/3 with 20.0kg assistance.

Workout No. 50
Wednesday, 3rd December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 25.0kg
Overhead Press 5x5 @ 40.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 117.5kg
Assisted Chin-ups 3x5 @ 67.0kg

Added 5.0kg to my squatting weight at the start of the week and completed the 5x5 @ 25.0kg. Need to keep my ego in check and not rush into adding too much weight too fast to rebuild my squat. Hopefully this time my knee will decide to behave. Once again, tried the first 2 sets in the low bar position and the last 3 sets in the high bar position.

Someone asked if he could share the rack with me so I felt a little pressured to limit my resting time during the overhead presses. Still managed to complete the full 5x5 @ 40.0kg without too much difficulty, breaking through my previous plateau.

Deadlifts were brutal @ 117.5kg. Form is a slight doubt with this lift nowadays but it looked okay overall and I didn't feel any pain while doing the 1x5. Pulled/pushed all warm-up sets up until 110.0kg with the double overhand grip to increase my grip strength. Reverted to the mixed grip for my work weight of 117.5kg. Might spend some time at 120.0kg to work on my form.

Finally completed the 3x5 reps of chin-ups with 25.0kg assistance. Last rep for each set was generally poor but will make another step up in weight and monitor closely.

Workout No. 51
Friday, 5th December 2014

Squat 5x5 @ 30.0kg
Bench Press 5x5 @ 52.5kg
Barbell Row 4/3/3/0/0 @ 62.5kg

Was short on time today as I had something on at 9pm so I kinda rushed through my workout, with minimal rest between sets. I even forgot to bring my water bottle along to the gym because I was rushing. Weighed myself again today – 92.0kg.

Up another 5.0kg for my squats today to 30.0kg. As usual, did a mix between 3 sets of high bar squats and 2 sets of low bar squats. Completed the 5x5 fairly easily and only felt the slightest bit of fatigue in my quads. Should I continue with this 5.0kg progression? Or go with 2.5kg increments? I suppose there is no harm being patient but my ego takes a hit each time I show up at the gym and squat these baby weights.

Finally bench pressed through the 52.5kg barrier today. Nearly, nearly missed the final rep of the final set of the 5x5 but that was probably because I minimised my rest between sets as I had to leave the gym early. 55.0kg won’t be easy.

Poor performance on barbell rows today. Practically rushed through the sets, only managing 4/3/3 @ 62.5kg before stopping and heading for a shower. Could not focus well as I was constantly thinking about the time. Will micro-deload to 60.0kg as a self-punishment. Skipped dips entirely.

This post has been edited by justintga: Dec 6 2014, 11:35 AM

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.

Workout No. 72
Thursday, 12th February 2015

Squat 5/4/3 @ 72.5kg
Overhead Press 4/4/3 @ 45.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 110.0kg
Front Squat 3x8 @ 50.0kg

A much better attempt at squatting 72.5kg today. Managed 5/4/3 reps with decent form.

Decent attempt at overhead pressing 45.0kg as well completing 4/4/3 reps. With some luck, I should be able to do the full 3x5 during my next try.

Deadlifted a reasonable 110.0kg. Not very sure why but I have been reluctant to try heavier weights on the deadlift. My upper back always rounds slightly (which should be okay) for any lifts past the 100.0kg threshold. Lower back generally looks nice and neutral.

Still quite fresh after everything so I proceeded to do 3x8 front squats @ 50.0kg just for some extra volume.

Workout No. 73
Sunday, 15th February 2015

Squat 3x5 @ 72.5kg
Bench Press 3x5 @ 57.5kg
Barbell Row 5/0/0 @ 62.5kg

Finally, finally squatted a full 3x5 @ 72.5kg. Very, very pleased as this is the first time I’ve successfully completed the target reps at a weight beyond my long time plateau of 70.0kg. Hopefully I continue growing stronger and stay injury free!

Also a PR for bench presses @ 57.5kg, completing the full 3x5. Will finally be able to try a 60.0kg bench press next week which has been a personal target for quite some time!

Extremely exhausted by this point and decided to call it a day after completing one set of 5 reps of barbell rows @ 62.5kg. To be honest, I’ve noticed that I have not made it past this weight for a very, very long time but this is the lift that I am least focused on and care least about which clearly highlights my lack of discipline.

Workout No. 74
Tuesday, 17th February 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 50.0kg
Overhead Press 3x5 @ 45.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 115.0kg
“Negative” Pull-ups 3/3
“Negative” Chin-ups 3

Did front squats instead today to give myself a slight rest after the last session’s PR @ 72.5kg. I know it is not much but I was well pleased with breaking my 70.0kg plateau which I hit when first joining this gym and sustaining my knee injury. It has been a long and slow process.

Also managed a PR for the overhead press today! 3x5 @ 45.0kg. Not too confident with the thought of attempting 47.5kg but have been unable to find lighter plates for a smaller increment of like say 1.0kg instead of 2.5kg.

Completed 5 deadlift reps @ 115.0kg before finishing off the session with some “negative” pull-ups and chin-ups.

Workout No. 75
Friday, 20th February 2015

Squat 2x5 @ 20.0kg
Front Squat 2x8 @ 50.0kg
Bench Press 2x5 @ 20.0kg
Overhead Press 2x5 @ 20.0kg
Barbell Row 2x5 @ 35.0kg
Deadlift 2x5 @ 45.0kg

Today’s session was a special one. My brother was back from Bintulu wanted me to teach him some compound lifts so that he can potentially start training at a gym back in Bintulu.

Showed him the basic form for squats, bench presses, overhead presses, barbell rows and deadlifts (core lifts for Stronglifts 5x5) with the minimum recommended weights, and squeezed in some simple front squats just to break a sweat.

The gym closed unexpectedly early today at 8.00pm, probably because it is the 2nd day of Chinese New Year.

Workout No. 76
Monday, 23rd February 2015

Squat 5/5/4 @ 75.0kg
Bench Press 3x5 @ 57.5kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 55.0kg
Push-ups 3x15

First attempt but another new low bar squat PR today completing for the first time ever 5 reps @ 75.0kg! Knees felt okay and I should have been able to get the 5th rep of the final set but I felt I started leaning forward ever so slightly on the 4th rep so I didn’t want to take any risks. Still quite pleased overall after failing to get past 70.0kg for months!

Warmed up for bench presses and progressed my way up to 60.0kg which was the target work set weight for today. Carried out two reps and had nothing left in me. I know it is not strictly following the Stronglifts protocol but deloaded to 57.5kg and finished off the 3x5 at this reduced weight. Suspect that I didn't do too well with the 60.0kg because of a psychological barrier. Will stay focused and trust that I can press the 60.0kg during the next session.

Deloaded barbell rows as well to 55.0kg for an easy 3x5 and ended the workout with 3x15 good push-up reps.

Workout No. 77
Wednesday, 25th February 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 55.0kg
Overhead Press 3x5 @ 45.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 115.0kg

Upped the front squat weight to 55.0kg today and completed 3x8 reps without pushing too hard. Still can go up in weight a fair bit I suspect, before any plateaus.

Did not increase the overhead press weight but rather stayed at 45.0kg although I already managed a proper 3x5 at this weight in the previous session as I was not confident at all of pressing 47.5kg. I was more comfortable with the idea of giving my body a little more time to grow and adapt. Completed the 3x5 but it still did not feel easy.

Fairly easy 5 reps of deadlifts at 115.0kg and no assistance exercises today.

This post has been edited by justintga: Feb 28 2015, 12:01 PM

Workout No. 78
Friday, 27th February 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 57.5kg
Bench Press 3x5 @ 60.0kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 57.5kg

Another 2.5kg increment to my front squats today to 57.5kg. Still a fairly comfortable weight for the 3x8. If my legs feel good, I will revert back and attempt the 75.0kg low bar back squats again on Monday.

60.0kg BENCH PRESS ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT! MIGHTY PLEASED! And the full 3x5 as well! Really focused on form and set-up to ensure that I was in the best position to press the weight. This was a target I’ve been aiming for since day one.

Completed barbell rows @ 57.5kg without suffering too much. It was getting late so no assistance exercises today.

Workout No. 79
Tuesday, 3rd March 2015

Squat 5/4/3 @ 75.0kg
Overhead Press 3x5 @ 45.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 117.5kg
“Negative” Pull-ups 2/2
“Negative” Chin-ups 2

Made a decision to start cutting at the start of the week but have not been very successful. Every time I eat a little less, I end up compensating by eating more, especially towards the end of the day and consequently consuming more calories than normal. Poor self-discipline. Body weight remained at 94.0kg today.

Attempted the low bar squat @ 75.0kg but was overenthusiastic on the 4th rep of the 2nd set, lost tightness and pushed up too hard that I took two uncontrolled steps forward inside the squat rack on the ascent. Poor poor form. Finished only 3 reps on the 3rd set. Disappointed overall.

Third session in a row overhead pressing 45.0kg for the full 3x5. Still feeling difficult but will hopefully have the confidence to attempt 47.5kg in the next session depending on how I feel on that day.

Fairly easy deadlifts at 117.5kg for 5 reps and ended today’s session with some “negative” pull-ups and chin-ups.

Workout No. 80
Friday, 6th March 2015

Squat 3x5 @ 75.0kg
Bench Press 5/4/1 @ 62.5kg
Barbell Row 3x8 @ 40.0kg

Weigh-in today still indicated 94.0kg and I am disappointed to report that my attempts at starting my cut have still been in vain. Still eating too much. My cut will officially start next week. I don’t count calories and I am not cutting too much food out but I get very, very hungry towards the end of the day and start overeating again. Epic fail.

On a positive note, managed to successfully squat 3x5 reps of 75.0kg! Will probably revert to front squats for a bit after this.

First time bench pressing over 60.0kg today. Surprisingly managed 5 full reps @ 62.5kg during the first set. Totally bonked after the effort. Rested 5 minutes and managed 4 reps for the 2nd set. Had nothing left for the final set and only did one rep and unfortunately strained my right shoulder in the process.

Kept the weights light for the barbell rows due to the strained shoulder and did 3x8 reps at 40.0kg.

Skipped assistance exercises because of the slight shoulder strain.

Workout No. 81
Monday, 9th March 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 60.0kg
Overhead Press 3x5 @ 45.0kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 120.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 3/3
“Negative” Pull-ups 3

Slightly improved discipline with regards to my eating. Will monitor my cutting progress over the next few weeks and report back. Tried using this body composition analyser machine at the gym and it reported that I weigh 92.8kg but have a bodyfat of 23.5% which seems to be on the high side. I know these machines are not very accurate but I will use it as an easy benchmark. Am currently targeting to bring down my bodyfat to 20% over the next 6 weeks before the end of April. Should be doable. Also, have started using Jefit as my main tracking app as I am transitioning away from Stronglifts with the front squatting, 3x5 instead of 5x5, etc. Still focusing on compound lifts in general though plus some compound type assistance exercises.

Back to front squats today. 3x8 reps at 60.0kg was tiring, yes, and I was sweating profusely by the end of each set. But truth be told, each invidual rep was not particularly difficult. Probably a fair bit of headroom to go before I plateau. Also front squats seem to be kinder on my knees but this may also be due to the fact that I am squatting lower weights compared to low bar squatting.

4th session in a row overhead pressing 45.0kg for the full 3x5. Did not dare to attempt the 47.5kg as I was still feeling the slightest shoulder strain from last week’s work out. This weight is still not getting significantly easier.

Deadlifts for 5 reps @ 120.0kg today. Deadlifts at this weight are getting easier and easier and I was not really struggling with the final rep or two as I usually do at heavier weights. Still feels heavy though but I was not as bonked at the end as usual.

Seem to be able to do one respectable chin-up and pull-up rep consistently now with my chin actually clearing the bar fully during chin-ups. Rest of the reps were “negatives”.

Workout No. 82
Wednesday, 11th March 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 62.5kg
Bench Press 3x5 @ 60.0kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 60.0kg
Push-ups 15/15/10

Cutting discipline has improved this week but still not in 100% control. Gotta stay focused on the goals!

New front squat PR of 3x8 reps @ 62.5kg. Exhausted by the end of each set of 8 reps but each individual rep was still not too challenging. Suspect that I can continue progressing in weight for a fair bit.

After the shoulder injury from bench pressing 62.5kg last week, I lowered the weight slightly to 60.0kg. Experimented with a wider grip than usual for the first two sets (my bench grip is quite narrow to start off with) and reverted to my regular grip width for the final set.

Strict barbell rows for 3x5 reps at 60.0kg without too much difficulty.

Ended the workout with 15/15/10 reps of push-ups. Was targeting 3 sets of 15 reps and failed. Triceps were burning and aching by the 3rd set.

Workout No. 83
Friday, 13th March 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 65.0kg
Overhead Press 3/3/3 @ 47.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 122.5kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 3/3
“Negative” Pull-ups 3

Still moving up in weight with my front squat. My mobility is not so good so my shoulders and neck and fingers are starting to feel tight at this weight. Managed the 3x8 reps at 65.0kg. Probably will try out 3x5 low bar squats @ 77.5kg during the next session as I have been front squatting 3 sessions in a row.

3/3/3 on my first attempt at a 47.5kg overhead press. Not bad. Quite happy that I stayed at 45.0kg for a while, else I would have failed miserably at this weight.

Deadlifts for 5 reps @ 122.5kg, still not maxing out and had some left in me. Just need to keep my form in check.

Ended with some disciplined “negative” chin-ups and pull-ups.

Workout No. 84
Monday, 16th March 2015

Squat 3x5 @ 77.5kg
Bench Press 3/2 @ 62.5kg
Barbell Row 3x6 @ 40.0kg
Push-ups 15/12

Attempted a new PR low bar squat today @ 77.5kg and finished the full 3x5!!! On the first attempt! Front squats have definitely helped. Effectively a 1RM @ bodyweight!

Warmed up for the bench press and progressively added weight to the bar. By the time I was at 50.0kg, unracking the bar was a challenge. Loaded up a total of 62.5kg, unracked the bar and knew I was in trouble after the 1st rep. Only managed 3 reps in total before giving up. Only did 2 reps on the 2nd set. Didn’t even attempt the 3rd set. Have been on a cut over the past two weeks plus I have been practising headstands, forearm stands and handstands over the weekend which has been putting a fair bit of strain and fatigue on my pressing muscles. Hopefully this was the cause for my poor performance today.

Went for some lighter rows as well and did some push-ups to add to the volume. By the end of today’s gym session I was very, very exhausted.

Workout No. 85
Wednesday, 18th March 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 67.5kg
Overhead Press 4/5/4 @ 47.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 125.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 3/3
“Negative” Pull-ups 3
Barbell Curls 2x8 @ 25.0kg

Front squats are starting to get harder and harder on my core and fingers especially. Getting harder to keep my chest up too. Still not at the limit yet though. Suspect that soon my front squat 1RM (85.0kg) will surpass my back squats (90.0kg) which is unusual especially since I have been training back squats for a much longer period. Could be technique related but front squats seem to be less taxing on my knees as well.

Made some progress in the overhead press from 3/3/3 previously, to 4/5/4 reps @ 47.5kg. Will keep trying and hopefully in a session or two, I will be able to manage the full 3x5.

Deadlifted 5 reps at my previous max of 125.0kg. Am confident I can continue progressing in weight but my form is not perfect although I do not feel any strain in my lower back, etc and I am feeling stronger.

“Negative” chin-ups and pull-ups as usual and have noticed that my first pull is much, much more solid. Just need to get to the point where I can do two full chin-ups in a row and progress from there. Also did 2 sets of 8 reps of barbell curls at 25.0kg to get some burn in my biceps which I rarely train directly and seem to be lagging behind the rest of my body.

This post has been edited by justintga: Mar 21 2015, 08:21 AM

Workout No. 86
Friday, 20th March 2015

Squat 3x5 @ 80.0kg
Bench Press 3x5 @ 60.0kg
Barbell Row 3x5 @ 60.0kg
Push-ups 13

Was feeling particularly good about my chances with the low bar squat today so I went for the 3x5 @ 80.0kg and completed it on my first attempt! My squats have really been progressing decently well over the past two months. Didn’t squat super deep but made sure that at least my thighs passed the parallel point. Was just worried that I wouldn’t have the strength to get out of the hole.

Played safe with bench presses again as I didn’t do too well on Monday. Managed the 3x5 @ 60.0kg but it wasn’t easy. I’ve noticed that I have yet to perfect my set-up for the bench press. Sometimes I feel much stronger on the bench and sometimes I feel like I am leaking pressing strength everywhere.

Also, have not really been progressing much on the barbell row. My first attempt at this weight was way back in December 2014! It is more of a discipline issue and this is by far my most overlooked lift and I keep playing safe looking for easy sets without upping the weight. Need to be more focused.

Was planning to do 3 sets of push-ups to failure but after one set, decided to practise some headstands and forearm stands. I can now hold a 30 second unassisted headstand fairly easily and am working towards getting my forearm stands to that same standard!

Workout No. 87
Monday, 23rd March 2015

Front Squat 3x8 @ 70.0kg
Overhead Press 3/5/4 @ 47.5kg
Deadlift 1x5 @ 110.0kg
“Negative” Chin-ups 3/3
“Negative” Pull-ups 3

Have had improved discipline with regards to my eating habits over the past two weeks. Still far from perfect but at least I am generally eating healthier on most days. Hopefully I am progressively losing body fat. Have noticed that my performance in the gym has been affected slightly though, probably due to the slight calorie deficit.

Front squats aren’t getting any easier. Completed the 3x8 reps @ 70.0kg and suffered a fair bit. Definitely more and more taxing to hold the vertical position now. Expect to start plateauing, at least slightly, quite soon. Might give back squats a little more attention over the next few weeks.

Still at 47.5kg for the overhead press. Lost a little focus on the first set and wasn’t as tight as I should’ve been so I only completed 3 reps. The first rep took much more effort than usual because of my sloppy set up. Managed 5 reps for the next set followed by 4 reps for the final set. 3rd failure in a row so this means it is time for a deload.

Wasn’t feeling particularly strong today so I went for an easy 5 reps for deadlifts @ 110.0kg. Did more warm-up reps than usual to get some volume in.

The usual chin-ups and pull-ups to finish off.