Setting a realistic short term goal

workaccount

As you have probably seen from my other thread regarding Milk I am currently reading starting strength.

I intend to start on Wednesday after preparing myself for the last week by improving my diet etc. I even started a fitness log here.

Anyway I have tried a few times in the past to do this and failed. I was never following a strict program before and I never really set goals.

This time I am going to do a 4 week stint - want to keep it short to keep myself motivated and not take too big a bite.

I don't know what I should expect to achieve in the month though. I want to gain mass and strength.

My details are 6' 2", 174lb's male and 23 years old.

Perhaps I should just have the four weeks as my goal and whatever gains I make then will give me a good gauge for a future stint?

Cheers

gabgab

My goal would be to do 12 workouts in three weeks, with proper form and video the lifts and post them up for some advice. Simple as that.

It sounds easy, but set it as a goal and work towards it,

I am starting it this week, and form and diligence are the keys, if you take it that you are adding weight each workout, 6 months will see you lifting some serious weight, with the correct form and will create excellent results.

What do you think?

workaccount

gabgab wrote: »

My goal would be to do 12 workouts in three weeks, with proper form and video the lifts and post them up for some advice. Simple as that.

It sounds easy, but set it as a goal and work towards it,

I am starting it this week, and form and diligence are the keys, if you take it that you are adding weight each workout, 6 months will see you lifting some serious weight, with the correct form and will create excellent results.

What do you think?

Hmmm certainly thinking of it in terms of having to do a total of 12 workouts makes it sound like a much easier thing to achieve....

Never thought about posting up videos....great idea.

Best of luck in your own goals too.

gabgab

Yeh do it, its not that difficult if you break it down.

Videos are good as people will give you pointers, that or get a coach, but to be honest there are very few people that will coach the lifts correctly from what I'v read from other posters on here, and the book covers it all. Video will be good to reference it against what the book says,

LegacyUser

For form, check out youtube...there are Mark Rippletoe video clips on youtube (since this forum is full of mark rippletoe fans) that tells you how to do squats, deadldifts etc properly. It's not that hard to be honest. Anyone who lifts regularly can pick up this stuff pretty quickly by themselves.

workaccount

cheesedude wrote: »

Anyone who lifts regularly can pick up this stuff pretty quickly by themselves.

True true because I've done it before. I'd imagine there's always ways to improve though especially for a beginner.

gabgab

Gotta agree, did my first one properly last night and tiny things make a big difference, eg: where my hands/wrists are when in the bottom part of the squat versus where they should be. Go for it though and keep us posted

Colm_OReilly

I'd advise everyone to get a coach or a decent spotter to check their form, as it will 'creep' into bad form if left unchecked. Videos will help with this if you don't have instant feedback.

On any of the lifts (slow or olympic) I'll get the guys to take a look and give me feedback, and anytime I'm near another coach I'll get them to cast an eye over my form as well.

workaccount,
What's your starting weight for the squat/dead/press/bench/pc?

Rip's given guidelines for the linear increases you should make (iirc 5lbs for the squat, 10lbs for the dead, 2.5 for the press). Use these as your goals. So if your squat starts at 100lbs, in 12 workouts time it should be 155lbs.

Sound reasonable?

workaccount

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

I'd advise everyone to get a coach or a decent spotter to check their form, as it will 'creep' into bad form if left unchecked. Videos will help with this if you don't have instant feedback.

On any of the lifts (slow or olympic) I'll get the guys to take a look and give me feedback, and anytime I'm near another coach I'll get them to cast an eye over my form as well.

workaccount,
What's your starting weight for the squat/dead/press/bench/pc?

Rip's given guidelines for the linear increases you should make (iirc 5lbs for the squat, 10lbs for the dead, 2.5 for the press). Use these as your goals. So if your squat starts at 100lbs, in 12 workouts time it should be 155lbs.

Sound reasonable?

45 to 70kg in 12 workouts... :eek:

I might be starting out on 35 or something.

BobbyOLeary

workaccount,

personally I can't speak highly enough of Starting Strength. I used it on and off for about 4 months, to be honest I never really got into the perfect 3 workouts a week with plenty of rest but I did my best. Colm can back me up on this, I'm not a big man by any means but I saw enormous gains on the program. When I finished off I had the following 5 rep maxes at a bodyweight of around 73-74kg.

95kg Back Squat, up from about 60kg
120kg Deadlift up from 50kg
50kg Shoulder Press from 35kg
70kg Bench from 55kg
65kg Power Clean, I only started this lift on SS so I don't know my previous max

Plus I got up to being able to do about 15 nice deep dips (from 2-3) and about 7 or 8 palm facing away pullups (from 1). If you stick with it, drink your milk and get plenty of rest you'll probably see even greater gains than I had.

Personally I saw an alright bit of mass gain, my shoulders got wider and I was a bit harder in spots where I was soft before. Not as much as I'd have liked though I only drank the gallon of milk for the last month so I can't really blame the program. Just give it a fair try for the month and I guarantee you'll see great results.

gabgab

workaccount wrote: »

45 to 70kg in 12 workouts... :eek:

I might be starting out on 35 or something.

Go for it man, think in a month, or 12 workouts You will have jumped up in what you are lifting, so keep a diary. He advises this nearer the end, I still have not read even a fifth of it as I am skimming through it a bit,

I would echo colm's point too. Its like driving, yeh on the day of the test were tip top and all mirrors and signals, 2 months later.......... Very few of us drive with the same level of care, reckon the same principal applies to this stuff.

DM-BM

This might be helpfull if your doing SS

http://www.strengthmill.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=36