Edit: just to make sure I'm on the right track eating-wise, I had been eating at a mild loss to mostly maintain and allow for splurges (TDEE -10% but I'm sure more like -5% after splurges). I don't really have more weight that I want to lose and I'm ok if I gain a little or lose a little--my main goal is to get strong and I want to eat enough to fuel my workouts. My thought is to increase calories by 100 to start and see how I feel, and add more if I feel like I need it after a week or so. Does this seem reasonable?

That will probably be fine. You could probably just set your calories to maintenance level. I have no idea how you have been eating or exercising in the past, but if you add calories make sure it is mostly protein to fuel those new muscles you're building!

I've been lifting for a year, tracking calories for 2, and am still constantly evaluating my calorie needs & nutrition!

Wednesday was my 1st time doing Workout B. Did the squats and added my little 5lbs on to the bar..
That just looked sooooooooooo lame..Trainer/owner of gym walked by and she was just smiling at me..I was too because 2.5lbs on that huge longe bar look really loneley. (I know I can squat more because it feels really easy but I want to make sure that I have the form right this time).

First day was today.

Did Squats 5*5 at 45 (nothing on the bar)-felt like a tool
Bench press 1*5 1*3 1*2 and 2*1 all at 45 (nothing on the bar)- was concentrating to hard to feel like a tool
Barbell Row 2*5.. This is where I got pissed off and walked out of the gym, I was trying to focus on my form, and get some nice smooth movements, but my gym SUCKS and has no room for weights......like none, so I found a mat to go on.......then gym attendant dude told me I couldn't use that, but there was NO WHERE else to go. I'm going to try to hit up a different gym next time, as this was extremely frustrating, and I was clearly struggling.

As far as form goes, they don't have a squat rack (ghetto gym) so that sucked, I am looking forward to trying to do these the with the proper form, but I tend to have okay form on squats in general. Bench press.. I was really focused on my form, and found the hardest part was lifting straight up from my chest.

Overly- Can see myself falling in love with this plan, but HATE my gym. I've hated it for awhile now, it's a city rec center, has no air-conditioning, and not enough room. So I need to try going to another gym and see how I like it, I would really prefer to buy the equipment to do at home just for the comfort factor of being at home.

Erin, ya, don't think about what you look like. I started very recently with just the bar, and even though I got through the 5x5 squats, I could barely go down the stairs for 3 days after. If you couldn't see how much weight I was squatting, you would have thought I was doing 150+ lbs from how much I was struggling to stand up. Haha. My bar still looks lame with the single 5kg plates, but whatever. If I don't pay my dues with these, I'll never get to the 25kg plates, right?

Also, I saw a guy quarter (or maybe even fifth) squatting way more weight... And another doing quarter lat pull-downs on the machine... If I cared to do so, I could totally think they looked more like tools than me. Take joy in doing your own thing!

But for the sucky gym, ya, sounds like you need to find one where you at least have the physical room to get in a satisfactory workout. Ambiance and overall feeling count for a lot, but not having enough room when you have to pay for a membership is eliminatory, I think.

Thanks ladies, I'm more upset about the gym sucking than anything. I actually am really looking for the next workout, just as matter of where I'll do it, I'm thinking I might need to move to dumbbells if I stick it out there for the next month or so until I can get my own equipment, which is kind of sucky, but at least I can get work of my form more.

I'm thinking I will bite the bullet and just buy what I need towards the end of the month, mid-septemberish.

I'm up to 90lbs on squats and that seems to be going well. I just really have to concentrate on all the form stuff - squeeze traps, elbows in, core tight, breathing out going down and in going up, chest up, feet pointed, knees not to pass, push up through the heels. Ugh, it really takes it out on me mentally.

I feel ready to move OHP up five pounds to 60. Will be trying that today. My BP is improving too so I'll move that up five pounds on Monday to 75.

I've been deadlifting 115lb this week and I'm having a damn hard time with grip. How do I improve my grip?

Have you tried a mixed grip??

I'm back! I took a few months off to do TapouT with my husband (we both hated it) and then another few months off to heal a stress fracture in my shin from running. But I'm back and loving 5x5! I never see much difference in weight/inches, but I feel strong and healthy and that matters more than anything else to me.

Just got "Starting Strength" in the mail. "doing a happy dance"

Workout B today plus assisted chin-ups and dips:

Squats 5x5 @100#

OHP 5x5 @45#

Dead lifts 1x5 @120# (PR)

Assisted chin-ups 3x8 @52# assisted

Dips 3x8 @52# assisted


Some days are better than others and today was pretty much status quo. But I feel good and challenged my body. Can't ask for more than that.

Hi everyone and it is so nice to see so many new faces! I'm always amazed at how quickly this thread moves.

Well, after a bit of a break from the gym, I got back in this week for two days.....my schedule has been packed so I got what I could manage in at the gym.

I'm starting back with the standard SL 5x5 and will adjust when needed. Deloaded a bit for form and the fact that I lost a bit during the break.

Today I did B:

Squat 5x5 @ 85
OHP 5x5 @ 65
Deads 1x5 @ 135, 155, 175

Of course, next week I'm traveling for work most of the week and then the week after is a week at the beach so I may not make much overall progress in August.

Just got "Starting Strength" in the mail. "doing a happy dance"

Awesome, you will love it! After I read that I got the DVD- it really helped my form too. It's nice to get such detailed explanations on form.

Thanks for the advice, all! I watched the video posted upthread, too and so I'll give mixed grip a try next time around. I'd rather not use gloves, but I've never seen chalk at the gym. I'll talk to the owner next time if the mixed grip doesn't work well for me.

My day today:I started so I'm all crampy and wanna lie around. Got some awesome tomatoes from the farmers market though, then the gym.

I failed at THREE on military style push-ups. Yikes. Girly style, I made it to 26. I did a 60 second plank! Warmed up with empty bar for squats, OHP, and chest presses. Then lifted 5x5.

-90# squats
-60# OHP up from 55#. This was ****ing hard. I damn near failed at the fifth rep of each set and then did fail on fourth set. Deloaded to 55# for last set.
-55# pendlay rows. These are so awkward. I could've prolly lifted heavier but I haven't really done these so starting out small seems like a good idea.

No cardio cool down, just a nice stretch.

For fun: back in the day I was "virgomagik" all over the webz. When my nephew came along, though, he couldn't say my name (Tascha) so he called me "tata." I've been tata ever since! If you called my house and asked for tata, everyone would know who you meant, all my IRL friends and family call me that now (except my husband). Because I'm an OCD Virgo, I prefer all lower case letters. :blushing:

For fun: back in the day I was "virgomagik" all over the webz. When my nephew came along, though, he couldn't say my name (Tascha) so he called me "tata." I've been tata ever since! If you called my house and asked for tata, everyone would know who you meant, all my IRL friends and family call me that now (except my husband). Because I'm an OCD Virgo, I prefer all lower case letters. :blushing:

Oh good, thank you! I had wondered, and now I know!! :flowerforyou:

Today was a good day. Increased 5# on all lifts and they are all PR's.

Workout A

Squats 5x5 @105#

Bench Press 5x5 @65#

Pendlay Rows 5x5 @75#

Today's workout:

Three military style push-ups to fail, ten girly style. 70 second plank.

Empty bar 1x10:
- squat
- OHP
- chest press

Lift 5x5:
- 95# squat
- 75# chest press
- 120# deadlift with mixed grip

Heavy TOM. Wanted to cry when boys started crowding into the free weights. Mixed grip was incredibly helpful, so thanks to those who suggested that. Staying out at these weights for the week, will reattempt 65# OHP and increase to 60# for rows.