A Lifter's Iron Log...

[ghettostudmuffin]

10-19-2010

5-3-1 Mesocycle 2, Week 3

Bench Press 135x5, 155x5, 185x3 warmup
75% at 195x5
85% at 225x3
95% at 250x7, I had a good looking girl spotting me so that might have helped abit.

I was quite surprised I put up 250 that many times because last week I did 235x8 and that was definitely all the reps I had in me. I forget that this program really peaks you up as the weeks go by because you are actually in a state of mild detraining after the deload week by the time you hit your main lift again.

Dumbell Bench 90's x8, 75's x6, 55's x6, rest time was very short. Maybe 45 seconds between sets. Strength was there, but I haven't done any db benches since I started lifting again 4+ months again so felt very unstable. Was going to start with 100's, but though better of it. Good move. Pretty sure as an opening set within a few weeks of db's I could rep the 110's np.

Cable Row pyramided up in weight over 5 or so sets. Started off with 12 reps, then 10, then a couple at 5 and finished with #18 so I guess 180lbs x3. I actually think it's significantly more weight the way the machine is setup because at a different gym in the past the cable row had actual weight listed and I could do 3-4 solid reps with 250 and my db's rows are actually stronger now than then. Same goes for the cable pressdown maching. Last time I was using the #8 and #9 spots and seriously that is like flyweight to me on a pressdown. Something's amiss and I'm going to get to the bottom of it. Elementary my dear.

Bodyweight 227.5lbs

All in all I was very happy with this workout. The bench set was a pr for my bodyweight since I have repped around 265 in the past at around 238lbs.

Happy camper atm. Squat workout 3 I was less than impressed, but since the new job they have all been abit weak, but dead and bench has been doing well. We'll see if new pr's come thursday and saturday on deads and presses.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

10-21-2010

5-3-1 Mesocycle 2, Week 3

Deadlift 135x5, 185x5, 225x3 warmup
75% at 255x5
85% at 290x3
95% at 325x13 I think I had 1 more rep in me, but again I felt form would have been off too much. Upper back is rounded, but feels fine. Low back is flat and not feeling taxed that much even on a higher rep set so I know I'm starting each rep deep enough. That and the bloody shins.

Lying Leg Curls 80x10 warmup
140x5 too heavy
125x8, 115x10, 95x10, 80x10

Stairway Calf Raises 80x5x10

Bodyweight 229lbs.

Solid workout. Was very happy with the deadlift.

5-3-1 rocks. Next workout is standing press on Saturday and then on to a deload week and then mesocycle 3 woot.

Oh ya, weight is up 1.5lbs since Monday. Ya, that's because I fuckin quit that shit job. More I learned and the more I did it I was like fuuuuuck this. Oh well, ya live and ya learn.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

10-23-2010

5-3-1 Mesocycle 2, Week 3

Standing Barbell Press 45x10, 65x10, 95x5 warmup
75% at 115x5
85% at 135x3
95% at 160x8, this was supposed to be 157lbs, but I didn't feel like doing 157, very happy with this set

2 DB clean and press 60's x1, 70's x1, 80's x1, if I was totally fresh I think I could clean and press the 90's

Seated DB Press 60's x3x8,8,6 very short rest time between sets

BB Upright Rows 50x10, 60x10, 70x10, 80x10 these kinda tweak my wrists abit which is why I don't do them that often

BB shrugs 165x4x10 explosive reps, weight was really light, but I just wanted to focus on exploding the weight up. I need to buy some lifting straps again so I can do heavy explosive shrugs

DB shrugs 85's 1x25

Seated L-flyes for rotator cuff 25lbs x8 both sides. My rotators are getting stronger. Initially I think I was doing 15lbs for 10reps.

Seated Alt DB curls 25's x13 strict reps, I prefer to go lighter on db or bb curls and go higher reps and more peak contraction, my forearms get retardedly pumped from curls. Reminds me of Mike Mentzer and how he claimed he didn't do forearm work. I've been accused of having bam bam forearms lol.


Little more volume than I normally do, but this is the last workout of 5-3-1 cycle 2 so now I have around 9-10 days before cycle 3 starts. I haven't been doing the light workouts during the deload weeks. Hasn't seemed to hurt progress at all. I will probably go in on Tuesday and do a moderately light squat workout though just because I don't want them having not been trained for like 18 days straight.

Bodyweight 232lbs. The weight is coming back on and I'm really not eating that heavy. I quit the sawmill job. That job and training are not conducive whatsoever. That and a few other serious issues I had with the job.

All in all a very solid workout.

 

[Tblock1]

nice man looking stronger by the day!

 

[the.gladiator1987]

looks like a solid program to do after cycle

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

It would be a solid program on cycle too I think. Just do the bodybuilding assistance option which will give plenty of volume.

I would recommend the dual-factor 5x5 on cycle. Last time I did it on cycle I cheated and just added 5lbs a week from the start. Combined with the high volume of it what with benching 2x a week once at 1x5 pyramiding up and the other time 5x5 with the same weight and the squats you gain weight super easy. In 9-10 weeks I got up to atg squatting 345x4.

I actually prefer 5x5 and it's variations for improving the squat. Both from a form/technical standpoint because you are doing it so much and also because I really don't care for going over 5 reps in the squat.

With 5-3-1 so far it appears that my bench, dead and press are benefiting well from the frequency of the program, but the squats aren't. Have to see how this next cycle goes. The sawmill job might have been fucking up my squat progress so we'll see.

If I'm not happy with my squats at the end of 5-3-1 mesocycle 3 I'll probably go into a dual-factor 5x5.

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

11-1-2010

5-3-1 Mesocycle 3, Week 1

Full Squat 135x5, 155x3, 175x3 warmup
65% at 200x5'
75% at 235x5
85% at 265 x1, well what can I say. I went off track here. I absolutely could not motivate myself to go for a max reps set with 265 so instead did 295x1, 325x1, 350x1. Only took about a minutes rest between every single from 295 up. All raw. I was much happier with the feel and form on this 350 then the last time I did a max. I did have a serious hitch about half way up, but pushed through it. EDIT: I think it might have been 360. I was in the zone so I can't remember for sure. Minimum 350, but I coulda swore I put 2 10's and a 2.5 on each side.

Got some more technique coaching. Need to bring my elbows higher so I can use them to drive up by popping them forward. I've been keeping a tight upper back, but elbows aren't up enough.

Stripped the weight back to 225 and did 2 sets of 5 with a short pause in the bottom position. 1 minute or less rest between sets.

After misc chatting and bullshitting then got some coaching and did 225 for 2 sets of 3-4 with elbows high.

At this point I felt I had enough. Felt good, but was plenty happy with the squat workout for legs. I did do weightless calf raises on the stairs for 1 set of like 10 reps with an explosive lift, then 5 seconds down and hold and stretch hard in the stretched position for 15 seconds and repeat. I got this idea from doggcrapp training. Only problem was I didn't use any weight because I wasn't sure what the slow negatives and stretching would do. Next time I do calves I use some real weights and really give this rep scheme a serious try.

Bodyweight 232.5lbs

I guess I'm not really doing 5-3-1 now in it's entirety. I want to focus on some lower rep and higher weights squat sets for awhile, but I'll still keep everything else the same since it all seems to be working pretty solid.

So technically at this point it's not really 5-3-1 anymore. It's my own mish-mash. I had to go with my gut instinct. I just had no motivation to do a high rep squat set and ended up setting a pr max squat since I've been back training.

It is what it is.

 

[the.gladiator1987]

good shit bro. I feel like i benefit from the 5x5 better than any other program. Im jus doin more of a bb split right now cuz im on cycle so i wanna bring up some lagging points as far as size goes, but after im def doing 5x5 as ill be training for college football too. 350x1 is a good squat!

 

[ghettostudmuffin]

350x1 raw and all the way down for a typical gym guy is decent considering most gym dorks don't even squat serious, but I'm always humbled being around the powerlifters. Fuckin 125lbs girl squats over 425 suited!

I'm thinking I'm gonna do my old 6 singles strat for a month or 2. It's awesome for improving maximal strength. It was an old stand by of the famous strongman and weightlifter Doug Hepburn. It works best on bench and squat.

Basically use around 90% of your max and do 6 perfect singles. So I would use 315. Rest as much between each single so you feel strong. Goal is not to tire the cns, but to get it to fire more efficiently/powerfully. Last time I did this seriously was about 5 years ago. I had just started training after probably a year layoff and within 5 months was doing 6 perfect singles with 325 if I remember right.

Add 2.5-5lbs each week. If I jump up from 315 to 335 inside of 1-2 months for 6 singles that'll probably bump my squat up to 375 raw.

My major milestones are the classic 3 plate bench, 4 plate squat and 5 plate dead.

I'm gussing I'm only about 6-9 months away from hitting all of these raw.

My biggest issue is training solidly for 6 months to a year and then stopping for as much or more time. Then I lose everything and have to start over and regain it all. I should be a fucking monster by now, but because of all the layoffs I'm not.

SHIT IS GUN CHANGE! BANG BANG! ok enough of that.

 

[the.gladiator1987]

same here man, being sick and not being motivated just takes me backwards. That 6 singles looks good! you will be up to your milestones in no time, youre getting stronger every workout natty. you got any pics brah?