Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Attainable Goals

(From the Archives - picture taken December 12th 2005. I thought Brad would like this - he brought up, the other day, how we hung out 3 years a go before we really met and became friends a few years later. This is the night he is talking about - I must of been having too much fun because I didn't remember what he was talking about until I found the picture - it must of been before he came out of his shell.)
Program B
Back Squat-----Bench Press-----Power Cleans
WU
45x5x2----------45x5x2--------45x5x2
120x5-----------75x5-----------80x5
160x3-----------110x3---------120x3
230x2-----------140x2---------160x2
Work set
255x5-----------165x5---------185x3
255x5-----------165x5---------185x3
255x5-----------165x5---------185x3

------------------------------185x3
------------------------------185x3
I am now about 2 pages into Rip's section on Programming in 2nd ed. Starting Strength. It is interesting when he discusses the hierarchy of lifts; heaviest to lightest being: Deadlift, Squat, Bench and Power Clean followed by Press. My power clean is much, much better than my bench, my bench is really weak as you can see below. I think the reason for this is that I never used to bench press, I have a good technical understanding of the clean and am pretty efficient when I want to be. I thought my bench press would improve a heck of a lot faster than it is. But Rip touches on that decribing the Press's to improve the slowest because of the few muscles they use compared to the other lifts. He ranks the deadlift as imporving the fastest because of the ambundance of muscles being used and limited range of motion around the knees and hips. I saw a huge improvement in my deadlift in a short period of time and was hoping for the same in my other lifts but I understand it is going to take time. I am going to honor my 6 week strict commitment to SS before I dabble into any WOD's but I may end up going 8 weeks. Depending on how fast I reach my goals which are:
Squat: 305lbs x 5
Bench: 185 x 5

Press : 135 x 5

Clean : 205 x 3

Dead : 375 x 5

Doing the Math these goals are attainable with small linear gains if I do not get stuck.

2 comments:

  1. I think those are quite attainable goals. you won't get stuck if you just suck-it-up buttercup, lift hard and recovery harder.

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  2. Sean,

    You write very well. What a great explaination of the programming chapter. That is my favorite chapter in SS.

    When you stop making linear gains from workout to workout..congratulations, you are now no longer a novice lifter!

    Cheers,

    Pat

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