Jacob Anstey's Log: The Strength Journey

Started LP in January at 130 lbs, and I took my weight up and was 177 lbs in June. Shot myself in the foot with recovery while on LP (sleep and food), but have decided not to cry over spilt milk. I currently train at a SS gym, and I’m restarting the gainzZz train with a conservative approach and will (most likely) modify very quickly. The numbers are not impressive by any means (re: lifts), but I have to start somewhere. I look forward to sharing as I continue this journey to strength.

  1. Male
  2. Age: 22
  3. Somewhere between 6’0’‘-6’1’’
  4. 170.8 lbs
  5. Current macros: 200 P/315 C/60 F (there is context behind these #s) – will push carbs and fats northward; unsure how much weight gain per week, but am currently starting at 1.5-2lbs and will adjust as necessary. Fill free to berate me if weight gain ever stops. I have a ways to go…

Monday, September 11th: Squat: 225x5x5

    • Moved well. Am working on keeping my knees out more as I come out of the hole. Overall, I have improved a lot more on keeping them out.Bench: 137.5 x 5 x 5
    • This lift has the most momentum at the moment. Last fail on the LP was 145, and I could have done that for 5 sets across today without issue. Have benefited greatly from pull-ups and the closed-grip BP.Cleans: 120 x 3 x 5
    • I’ve worked on this lift a lot since starting in February. Weight isn’t heavy, but I’m trying hard to get the form down. I’m working on building up so I can do power cleans and not cleans. Today’s workout was one of my bests. By far the biggest love/hate relationship I’ve ever had.

No conditioning until I get stronger and start eating more.

What’s your programming now? Texas Method?

It is just a HLM setup.

Wednesday, Sept. 13th:

BW: 171.6 lbs (and the ball starts rolling…)

Front squat: 175lbs x 5 x 3 ​​​​​​

  • Moving well and increasing 5 lbs/week

Press: 97.5lbs x 5 x 5

  • For what it is worth, I missed 97.5 while on 5 x 3 sets at the end of June before moving to 3 x 3 sets to “finish out” (I killed the momentum of this in April, really) the LP. These all moved well.

Deadlift: 275 lbs x 5

  • Started pulling on my toes and had the bar drift from me after the 1st rep. Never has this happened before. Weight wasn’t unbearable, and I think I put so much focus on keeping the back extended at the beginning that I took for granted the other fine details of a well executed lift. Only failed once with the deadlift on LP and that was at 280. Looking forward to next week’s showdown.

Pullups: x 5, x 5, x 4, x 4, x 2

  • Body weight pullups, with one set of 5 reps, another set of 5 reps, another set of 4 reps, etc…I’m building up to get 20 reps in three sets. When I started LP at 130 lbs, I couldn’t even do a single bodyweight pullup.

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Overall, I was pleased with this morning’s workout. With the exception of the deadlift malfunction (albeit still not something I’d like to get in a habit of), the lifts went well. Sleeping more than 5 hours now and eating more = gainzZz, I suppose.

Friday, Sept. 15:

BW: 172.4 lbs

Squat: 205 x 5 x 3

  • TUBOWED the warm ups and 1st set.

Closed-Grip BP: 132.5 x 5 x 3

Stiff-Legged Deadlift: 200 x 5 x 3

  • Fourth week on these. Has really helped with Monday’s deadlift.

Pullups: x 5, x 4, x 4, x 4, x 3

  • Meh

Monday, Sept. 18:

BW: 172.2 lbs
Updated macros: 200 p/330c/60f

Squat: 230 x 5 x 5

  • Need to get my stuff together quickly. Not going down this road again.

BP: 140 x 5 x 5

  • Moves well.

Cleans: 122.5 x 3 x 5

  • Probably my best day ever with this lift. Certainly a LOT of growth to come.

Observations from this morning: I need to eat more. I need to add oats back into my pre-workout shake. I need to leave all electronics outside of my room for bed. Off to California for work here in the next few weeks, so no time to screw around.