Asa's Beginner Log

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1

Hi all! This is my first log; I’m newish to lifting and excited to be back on a consistent schedule.

Quick background:
I am 5’8’', 28, and never did any structured strength or conditioning until the last few years. I learned about Starting Strength in 2019, and during 2020 ran SSLP for 3 or 4 months with results that were exciting to me at the time. I then moved to the Beginner Prescription, just running Week 4, but wasn’t very consistent. I also tried intermediate Group Programming for a few months to motivate me to go to the gym, but it wasn’t a good fit for me as I was and am still very much a novice.

After a long period of sporadic gym-going, I’ve been back on my most consistent stretch since 2020, going 3 times a week for about 6 weeks. I’m back on Beginner Prescription Week 4.

Here were my top sets (at RPE 8) my first week back:
Squat 4x155
Bench 10x65
OHP 4x75
Deadlift 4x195

And currently:
Squat 4x195
Bench 10x100
OHP 4x90
Deadlift 4x225

My current numbers are still about 5-10% lower than my personal bests which were all in 2021, but I’m looking forward to surpassing myself in the next month or two if I can continue my current trajectory.

Here are my current challenges:
I had persistent discomfort in my adductors, particularly my right, which would become painful at the bottom of the squat. I have been subbing leg presses for squats on a day by day basis, depending on how my warm-up squats feel, and the discomfort has mostly gone away in my day to day life. Squeezing a medicine ball between my thighs as a warmup has also helped. However, I failed my most recent squats which had previously been an RPE 8 at that weight, due to a feeling of discomfort and weakness in the adductors/groin. I’ve been thinking about trying squat variants at lower weights to practice the movement. As an aside, I’ve also noticed that my right thigh has developed more mass than my left, and definitely more “pump” after workouts, and am wondering if doing more work that works the legs out individually might be good to balance me out.

I also miss doing Cleans from SSLP, and tried them out this week on Day 2 (next to Barbell Rows). I also recently started Jiu Jitsu a couple classes a week, and that has been great for cardio and motivating myself to get stronger. I also feel like training explosivity would be good for that as well.

My weight has been wiggling between 141 and 143 lbs, and I struggle with eating enough protein (though I get at least 100 grams a day, I know I should be getting closer to 150 ideally), and eating enough to gain weight (I would love to consistently put on a pound every week or two).

That’s me! Just a pretty weak kid eyeing down thirty and wanting to get stronger while the going is good!

2

My numbers from the past week:
Squat 4x195 (haven’t PR’d this lift since last time)
Bench 10x105
OHP 5x90 (at RPE 10)
Deadlift 4x255

I’ve stopped doing Jiu Jitsu for the present (was too much on top of my schedule, but I want to add it back in). Squats have been stalled for a month, but I think that’s mostly due to sprains, and me using variants to get around pain that don’t have as much carry-over to squat. I’m also re-learning how to grind squats: breathing in really really deep, making a stank face and pushing the air into my abdomen, letting the hips come up fast and using abs and bracing to stand back up. Also focusing on not favoring my right leg.

OHP is always hard for me, I think I need to add more volume to substantively progress. Right now I’m progressively overloading by adding an additional set or rep at my current weight, but I also have some microplates I will bring with me to the gym next time.

Bench is progressing slowly, using the same overloading tricks as OHP.

Deadlift is the one lift where I feel really good about the progress, I PR’d the lift by pulling 4x255 on Friday and it didn’t feel miserable. Pulled 8x215 yesterday. That’s as much as I’ve ever done and keeps me motivated.

On the subject of weight, I have still not found a way to consistently gain weight (came in at 142.6lbs this morning). The trick I think is just eating more substantive meals, more consistently. I have a bad habit of having essentially a snack for dinner if I had a big, late lunch, or waiting until 10 or 11 to have my first meal of the day. It’s what feels good to me, but I need to fight my natural instincts if I want to put on muscle faster.

3

Quick update:

Due to personal reasons, was much less consistent this past month, took multiple days off between workouts and several days where I would just do my first lift for the day and then bounce. Still made some progress on some lifts. I was only doing two top sets at RPE 8 but trying to do three top sets now, and keep my rests to 3 or 3.5 minutes, as being in the gym for longer than 1 hour and 45 minutes really burns me out.

I’ve also been doing my own substitutions to the Beginner Prescription. Here’s my current schedule (I haven’t been sticking to this consistently, but it’s my goal going forward). I think of the GPP days as bonuses, that if I get to them great, but they are more about letting off steam and the focus should be on the main lift days.

Feedback is definitely appreciated! This is where I’m at right now, modifying the program to fit my own interests and motivations.

DAY A
Low-bar squat 1x4@6, 1x4@7, 3x4@8
Close-grip bench 1x7@6, 1x7@7, 3x7@8
Deadlift 1x8@6, 1x8@7, 2x8@8

GPP DAY 1
GPP work on ab machine, pulldowns, curls @6-7
30 min steady state cardio @6-7

DAY B
Overhead Press 1x4@6, 1x4@7, 3x4@8
Front Squat 1x7@6, 1x7@7, 3x7@8
Barbell Rows 1x10@6, 1x10@7, 2x10@8

GPP DAY 2
GPP work on ab machine, pulldowns, curls @6-7
30 min steady state cardio @6-7​

DAY C
Deadlift 1x4@6, 1x4@7, 3x4@8
Bench 1x7@6, 1x7@7, 3x7@8
Pause Squat (2 count) 1x5@6, 1x5@7, 2x5@8

And here’s my most recent lifts (RPE 8ish):

Squat 4x205
Bench 10x100
OHP 5x95
Deadlift 4x265​

I’m planning to stay on this routine through Xmas and then re-assess. Wish me luck!