Programming and tracking my workouts along ​my journey to a 500lbs deadlift was essential. Jim Wendler's 531 program is one of the most popular in the fitness world and I know from experience that it works. It does require a lot of math and I didn't want to mess around with a calculator all the time. I tried the other spreadsheets available online and none offered the detail and analysis that I knew was possible. So I started my own and spent nearly 2 years developing and making improvements. Now I have the Best 531 Spreadsheet. 

​​I first learned about weightlifting my senior year in high school. It was offered as an elective taught by the football coach. On our first day, we met in the weight room, and with very minimal instruction about safety, we all choose a partner and were set free to use all of the equipment. Naturally, everyone wanted to bench press, which was mostly standing around talking about bench press. Some members of the football team were able to use the 45lb plates and bench 135lbs for reps. Impressive at the time, as I was very small and unable to do the same. I remember maxing out with a very slow 95lb bench press.
I was no good on the bench, but, surprisingly, I was excellent on the leg extension machine. I could lift the whole stack of weights many times. One day I did this a few times too many. Then I had to crawl up the steps leading from the weight room to the locker room. My breakfast earlier that morning was a can of Orange Crush. It came back up.