22/05/09
Workout A

Squat (Deload)
5x40KG
5x40KG
5x40KG
5x40KG
5x60KG
5x60KG
5x60KG

Bench Press (+5KG)
5x70KG
5x70KG
5x70KG

Deadlift (+10KG)
5x85KG

I knew I wasn't going to squat 85KG today so went lighter and did a few more sets.

27/05/09
Workout A

Squat (+5KG)
5x85KG
5x85KG
5x85KG

Bench Press (+5KG)
5x75KG
5x75KG
5x75KG

Deadlift (+5KG)
5x90KG

Squats were pretty tough, need to be careful I don't start caving in.

29/05/09

Leg Extention
5x65KG
5x75KG
5x80KG
5x95KG
5x95KG
8x75KG

Military Press +5KG
5x40KG
5x40KG
5x40KG

Wide Grip Pullups
5
6
6

10 minutes on bike

01/06/2009
Workout 1

(60 seconds rest)

Front squat (Light)
5x35KG
5x35KG
5x35KG

Incline DB Bench
5x25KG
5x25KG
5x25KG

Lat Pulldown (Wide grip)
5x57.5KG
5x57.5KG
5x57.5KG

Seated DB Shoulder Press
5x22.5KG
5x22.5KG
5x22.5KG

Hammer Curls
5x15KG
5x15KG
5x15KG

Incline DB Bench felt pretty difficult for some reason, I always knacker myself setting up.

Seated DB Press was tough with the short rest time. You know my DB bench setup sucks when im shoulder pressing nearly the same.

Enjoyed it

03/06/2009
Workout 2

(90 seconds rest)

Deadlift (Light)
5x50KG

Incline DB Bench
8x25KG
8x25KG
8x25KG

Lat Pulldown
8x57.5KG
8x57.5KG
8x57.5KG

Seated DB Shoulder Press
8x17.5KG
8x17.5KG
8x17.5KG

Incline DB Curls
8x10KG
8x10KG
8x10KG

Back problems again.

Soon as I started with the deadlifts it felt really tight and sore.

05/06/2009
Workout 3

(120 seconds rest)

Incline DB Bench
5x30KG
5x30KG
5x30KG

Wide
15x47.5KG
15x47.5KG

Seated DB Shoulder Press
12x17.5KG
12x17.5KG

Hammer Curls
15x10KG
15x10KG

Legs
Few light seated leg press, few minutes on bike

Incline DB Bench moving up quickly, same weight as last time on shoulders but 4 more reps. Aiming for 5x25KG on the shoulder press on Monday.

08/06/09
Workout 1

Leg Extention
10x70KG
10x70KG
10x70KG

Incline DB Bench
5x27.5KG
5x27.5KG
5x27.5KG

Lat Pulldown (Wide grip)
5x57.5KG
5x57.5KG
5x57.5KG

Seated DB Shoulder Press
5x25KG - PB
5x25KG

Reverse Barbell Curl
10x20KG
10x20KG

Very crap nights sleep and was out of the office at work so I ate very little so didn't have much energy.

Either way, hit a PB on the shoulder press which is coming on nicely.

Some nice work there, but that's not really Rippetoe's 3x5 anymore is it?

Consistency, my friend!

Cheers

My back started giving me a little bit of trouble so I backed off.

10/06/2009
Workout 2

(90 seconds rest)

Incline DB Bench
8x27.5KG
8x27.5KG
8x27.5KG

Front Squat (Light)
8x35KG
6x45KG

Lat Pulldown
8x57.5KG
8x57.5KG
8x57.5KG

Seated DB Shoulder Press
8x20KG
6x20KG

Incline DB Curls
8x10KG
8x10KG
8x10KG

Front squats didn't effect my back at all, they never seem to (strange).

Shoulder press was tough, I think the 5x25KG on Monday and all the incline pressing took its toll a little.

13/06/2009
Workout 3

(120 seconds rest)

Leg Extention (30 seconds rest)
6x60KG
6x60KG
6x60KG
6x60KG

Leg Curl
30x25KG

Incline DB Bench
15x17.5KG
15x17.5KG

Lat Pulldown
15x47.5KG
15x47.5KG

Seated Machine Shoulder Press
15x20KG
15x20KG

One Arm Cable Curl
12x15KG
12x15KG

Wanted to keep things relatively light as i'd been feeling a little weak and don't plan on taking time off for a couple of weeks.

15 reps really are quite a challenge

15/06/09
Workout 1

Leg Extention (20 seconds rest)
6x60KG
6x60KG
6x60KG
6x60KG

Seated Leg Curl (20 seconds rest)
6x35KG
6x35KG
6x35KG
6x35KG

Incline DB Bench
5x35KG
5x35KG
6x25KG

Free Moving Handle Lat Pulldown
5x70KG
5x70KG
5x70KG

Seated Machine Shoulder Press
5x40KG
5x40KG
5x40KG

Alternating DB Curl
5x15KG
5x15KG
5x15KG

Rope Tricep Pushdown (30 seconds rest)
10x20KG
10x20KG

Decent workout

17/06/2009
Workout 2

Leg Curl (20 seconds rest)
6x45KG
6x45KG
6x45KG

Leg Extention (20 seconds rest)
6x60KG
6x60KG
6x70KG
6x70KG

Seated Chest Press
8x60KG
8x60KG
8x60KG

Free Moving Handle Lat Pulldown
8x70KG
8x70KG
8x70KG

Rope Cable Front Raise (Between legs)
8x25KG
8x25KG

One Arm Cable Curl
8x20KG
8x20KG
8x15KG

Shoulder felt a bit off so went for a easy chest movement, still felt a bit funky then.

I think trying to go heavy on chest and shoulders in the same session, along with all the over movements that may hit the shoulders is too much.

I've not been updating this.

Training was going ok, but to be honest I think after around 6 weeks of full body trianing, with 3-4 weeks spent doing Starting Strength before my back problems crept back in, I started to feel a bit overtrained.

I think there was too much volume for the shoulders, not so much the direct work but in combination with pressing and pulling every day as well.

Either way i've been training still, deloaded a little for a few days.

However, on Wednesday my shoulder felt a bit funny when pressing, my elbow joints have been getting a little sore and on Thursday night and today my right pec is aching a little like i've pulled it.

I had a planned week off after next week, so i'm just going to go light for the next week, maybe do a bit more cardio, drop quite a lot of carbs and maybe try lose a few pounds then hopefully everything will be fine after a week off.

Not happy though at the moment about it all!

Why no squats or deads mate? If I were you I'd drop all upper body stuff for at least a fortnight and focus on the moves that will get you bigger and stronger; curls and extensions are 'garnish', they're certainly not going to make an appreciable difference on their own. If back pain is the issue then there are 101 single-leg variations to choose from that will greatly reduce the strain on your lumbar spine will still providing an excellent training effect.

I know all about the positive effects of squatting and deadlifting, but as I said I started having trouble with my back again. My knees also started getting a bit more which was why I was avoiding things like split squats. (Although i'm not sure the leg ext really helped matters).

Either way, i'm going to take it easy for a week, do a bit more cardio and drop a fair bit of carbs. Then take a week off from weights which is well needed and come back to it hopefully with no niggles, ready to ake some progress.

That's cool, you're right to take care of your back- I had serious lower back pain for about five years (in fact solving it was the reason I started lifting in the first place) and it's not something to mess about with. I know that my advice was unsolicited and I'm not trying to wind you up, but it seems a shame to see Strating Strength- which is a great program- devolve into curls and extensions, when there are a lot of better exercises that would both provide a solid training effect and most likely help your back problems at the same time. Single-leg exercises (box squats, RDLs, lunges, step-ups, etc) can all be done with DBs in hand so you're not loading the spine, and will all challenge your core stability. They also get the glutes firing, which is just as crucial for preventing back pain.

Leg curls are the only way you can actually get your hamstrings to work without the glutes in tandem, this never occurs in 'real life', so they train faulty motor patterns and just increase the imbalance. As for extensions, you're absolutely right, they will grind your knees down over time- lifting weight (especially as your primary exercise, which means you'll use more) when your foot is unable to stabilise the kneecap is asking for trouble. There's a good article on T-Nation called 'the truth about leg extensions' that's well worth a read.

As I say, more unsolicited advice, but you wouldn't post your journal on the Interweb if you didn't want any feedback right?

Gonna be a bit blunt, please don't take offence.

1. I very very seriously doubt you're overtrained. With no squats, no deads and a big part of your workouts done on machines, you're about as likely to overtrain as you are to gain huge muscle.
2. Get your back sorted! Take a break, take the time to get it fixed. Half-assed training will get you nowhere and possibly make the back worse. I've had some serious back problems myself and had to take half a year off squatting/deadlifting - it didn't force me into chest press or shoulder raise machines. They might have a place in some routines, but should never be the backbone of one. That is unless you throw the machine on your back and squat.
3. Doing more "athletic" training as well as adding in flexibility work and yoga has given me SO MUCH. I feel so much fitter though I've only made minor progress so far. At some point I hope I'll be able to sit on my ass with straight legs and back, but that just isn't possible now. Look into alternative training methods - I can recommend yoga.
4. As Spit said, leg extensions are baaaaad. No matter what. Leg curls are not quit as bad, but they're not good either.

There's no easy way around it, get that back fixed while you're still young. Imagine havin kids and not being able to play with them because you have a bad back... That should motivate you.

Dont hold back brilla!

Standing leg curls are very functional if you run as they mimic the shortening phase of a stride.

Rilla, I appreciate you are trying to give advice but I think that's a little over the top to be fair.

The only part of my routine that has changed was my leg movements. I used the chest press/shoulder press maybe once or twice when I was feeling tired during a session.

Most of your points are completely mute. I was squatting/deadlifting/benching/pressing 3 times a week, heavy, for a good few weeks. A big part of my workout is not on machines, I had been using machines for some leg work.

You really can't tell if i'm overtrained or not. I said I was feeling like my shoulders had took a bit too much, full body workouts if they include pressing every time can be pretty hard on the shoulders. They started to feel weaker and a bit niggly. Now i've picked up when feels like a small pull in my chest and my elbow is getting funny.

I thought my back issues had gone, it was fine when deadlifting and squatting for a few weeks but maybe I pushed too quickly and it brought them back, i'm unsure. Either way, it's not a day to day back pain issue, it's pretty specific.

Either way, I am where I am. I'm going to train but take it easy for a week whilst keeping the calories down, then take a week off before I get back too it with a split routine.