Another Single Factor 5x5 Journal

[Guinness5.0]

I don't think I've been lifting my chest. I certainly haven't been thinking about it. That has to help with getting the shoulders back.

I think that's why the shoulders are such an afterthought to me- my focus is on pushing my sternum out as my hips go forward and as a consequence my shoulders go back w/out much concious effort.

 

[anotherbutters]

Week 10, Friday

Bodyweight: 78.5kg (173lb)

1. Freeweight back squats (kg)
bar x 18 ....... warmup
40 x 9 ......... warmup
60 x 5
70 x 5
77.5 x 5 ......... up 2.5
85 x 5 ........... up 5
95 x 3 ........... up 2.5 ...... (209lb)
77.5 x 8 ........ up 2.5

2. Bench (kg)
bar x 9 ......... warmup
30 x 9 .......... warmup
47.5 x 5 ........ up 2.5
52.5 x 5 ........ up 2.5
57.5 x 5 ........ up 2.5
62.5 x 5
70 x 3 .......... up 1.5 ........ (154lb)
57.5 x 8

3. Row (kg)
30 x 9 .......... warmup
40 x 5
45 x 5
50 x 5
55 x 5 .......... up 2.5
61 x 3 .......... up 1 ........ (134lb)
50 x 8

4. Abs - decline bench, lean back just below horizontal, hold for 5, then back up
BW x 8
BW x 8
BW x 8

Comments

Squats weren't that strenuous. I could have done 5 reps today, or jumped up to 97.5kg. I might go straight to 97.5kg on Monday, not sure yet.

I had a wierd problem on my first set on bench. The right hand side of the bar seemed stuck down. Completely freaked me out. Then I realised I'd put the wrong plates on that side of the bar . The sets were fine, although I could feel my left pec straining on the triple, which I've never felt before. I'll keep an eye on it on monday.

Rows were good. I was watching my form so much today, I nearly did 5 reps instead of the triple by mistake.

I threw in some abs for a change today. I'll start adding weight to these as the weeks go by. You might have noticed I've hardly done any 'beach work' since I started. The main reason is that I'm happy with the results I've been getting, so I just don't see the need for anything extra. I think I'll keep the ab work though, just to further strengthen the core.

I wasn't sure how well I'd do today as I've been feeling pretty run down. Just tired all the time, probably because I haven't had a weekend off in a while. I went to bed early and got nearly 12 hours sleep last night! Today's workout was ok though, so I'm happy.

For those of you that are still using that antiquated weights system we gave you a while back, I've shown the top sets in lbs for you

 

[blut wump]

Isn't that squat a PR for weight?

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

A qucik question regarding single-factor training with the 5x5 program - if you squat 215 for your top set of 5, let's say, you could do something like this:

135, 155, 175, 195, 215

Now, if you increase by 5-10 lbs. a week on your working set, would you bump everything else (the warmups) up by 5-10 lbs. also? Or would you keep them the same for weeks on end, until the gap grew enough that you'd need to use larger jumps in weight to make it steady?

 

[anotherbutters]

Isn't that squat a PR for weight?

I guess. I'd forgotten

I've been counting PRs when I get 5 reps, but you're right, I haven't lifted that weight before and it's higher than the smith squats I used to do. A belated woohoo!

Freeweight squats feel completely different from the smith squats. Chalk and cheese different. With smith squats, I gradually got to 93kg and stayed there forever (in my Max-OT days). With freeweights, I don't have any doubts I'll be trying 100kg (two plates) within the next week or two and look forward to continuing the increases. I no longer have any 'taboo' weights that I regard as sticking points. Now that feels good!

I hope to fix my deadlift problem with better form, eat well and keep these gains coming.

 

[anotherbutters]

A qucik question regarding single-factor training with the 5x5 program - if you squat 215 for your top set of 5, let's say, you could do something like this:

135, 155, 175, 195, 215

Now, if you increase by 5-10 lbs. a week on your working set, would you bump everything else (the warmups) up by 5-10 lbs. also? Or would you keep them the same for weeks on end, until the gap grew enough that you'd need to use larger jumps in weight to make it steady?

I play it by ear. If the earlier sets feel as though they're getting too easy, I increase them. If the top set feels pretty hard, I might delay increasing the fourth set for a week or so, just to give me some breathing room. I don't work off percentages, nor do I always increase by the same amount, but I try to keep the jumps fairly evenly spaced.

If you look back through my journal and concentrate on say Mondays, you'll see how I've increased them week by week. I even write down the increases, just to help questions like this

Also, it's different for different exercises. I find deadlifts taxing, so I've only increased the first set by 5kg since I started. But on military press, I've bumped all the sets a few times.

 

[anotherbutters]

Week 11, Monday

Bodyweight: 79kg/174lb (target: 79kg)

1. Freeweight back squats (kg)
bar x 18 ........ warmup
40 x 9 ........... warmup
60 x 5
70 x 5
77.5 x 5 ......... up 2.5
85 x 5 ........... up 5
96 x 5 ........... up 3.5 ......... (211lb) ........ PR!

2. Bench (kg)
bar x 9 .......... warmup
30 x 9 ........... warmup
47.5 x 5
52.5 x 5
58.5 x 5 ........ up 1
63.5 x 5 ........ up 1
70 x 5 .......... up 1.5 ......... (154lb) ........ PR!

3. Row (kg)
30 x 9 .......... warmup
40 x 5
45 x 5
50 x 5
55 x 5
61 x 5 .......... up 1 ............ (134lb) ........ PR!

4. Abs - 5 second below-horizontal holds

1.25kg x 8
1.25kg x 8
1.25kg x 8


Comments

Squats seemed easy on Friday, so I decided to try to jump 7.5kg over the next two weeks rather than 5kg. I jumped 3.5kg (7.7lb) today and still had some gas in the tank. I'm pretty excited about this - I feel like I'm going to get tons of mileage out of these! Today also blows anything I've ever done on a smith machine out of the water.

My final rep on bench was the slowest rep I've ever done - something like 6 seconds, lol. I stalled about half an inch off my chest, but I thought there's absolutely no way on this earth am I missing this PR, so I pushed with every last sinew in my body and it moved a bit, so I kept pushing and it kept moving. I'd hate to think how long I'd have been there if I'd have found a sticking point because I wasn't giving up - THANK YOU guys And I'm so glad I don't have to work with a spotter, for his sake

Rows - excellent form on the 4th set, but I stood up quite a bit on the last set. I'm going to push on and increase again on Friday, but if my form is lousy, I'll stick with this weight on Monday.

Abs - I'm going to start doing these Monday and Fridays. I still have DOMS in my abs from Friday, so I dread to think what they're going to feel like tomorrow The weight I used today was minimal, but doing these with just bodyweight was hard enough.

Injuries - I might have a case of the Blut Wumps. It's probably nothing, but it feels like I've pulled something in my back, right at the bottom of my left shoulder blade. If I stretch my left arm out in front and across me, as though I've just delt a blow to someone, I can feel it at the bottom of the shoulder blade. I can also feel it when I retract my shoulder blades. It started just before my 4th set on bench, but didn't seem to affect the bench or rows.

I had something like this a few months ago when I was doing heavy standing machine calf raises. I had about 160kg/350lb (all the plates bar one) on there and my left shoulder collapsed with a sickening crunch. I couldn't do shrugs or even hold a bag of shopping after that, for about 2-3 months. It feels similar, but I don't know, it might be nothing and might be gone by tomorrow. I just thought I'd mention it in case it's the start of something. I don't know what might have caused it. I just hope it doesn't affect my deadlift on Wednesday.

 

[blut wump]

Congrats on all the PRs again. There's just no stopping you. 7.5Kgs is quite a lot but if you have it in you then there's little point dawdling.

I love those slow, creeping max bench reps, the successful ones, anyway.

The injury sounds unpleasant and very much like a muscle-spasm. Try an Ibufrofen and try alternating hot and cold, five minutes each. Also try to get someone to massage it for you if possible. I had a huge hamstring cramp after my bench on Friday and I've ordered some taurine from myprotein.

 

[anotherbutters]

Thanks. My back doesn't actually hurt unless I have a real good go at trying to find a position that hits it. It feels better already, so I'm just hoping it's nothing. I've been carrying bags of sand around and mixing concrete today and it's been ok.

On a lighter note, my arms have reached 14". Still small in bodybuilding terms, but they were 13" when I started this journal 11 weeks ago. Still probably only 2/3 the size of your arms, but then I only weigh 2/3 of you

 

[blut wump]

Honest, guv, I don't even work them. That picture was taken 27th Aug so three weeks into the Korte. I did do arms for about three weeks prior to the Korte, though. Congrats on the burgeoning.

I'm glad to hear that you're feeling better but so did I after hurting myself and then the injury really let loose two days later under load.