Another Single Factor 5x5 Journal

[anotherbutters]

Week 13, Monday

Bodyweight: 80kg/176lb (target: 176lb)

1. Freeweight back squats (kg)
bar x 18 ........ warmup
40 x 9 ........... warmup
60 x 5
70 x 5
80 x 5
90 x 5
102.5 x 5 ....... up 2.5 ......... (226lb) ........ PR!

2. Bench (kg)
bar x 9 .......... warmup
30 x 9 ........... warmup
47.5 x 5 ......... down 2.5
52.5 x 5 ......... down 2.5
58.5 x 5 ......... down 1.5
63.5 x 5 ......... down 1.5
71 x 5 ........... same ......... (156lb) ........ PR!

3. Row (kg)
30 x 9 .......... warmup
40 x 5
45 x 5
50 x 5
56 x 5
62.5 x 3 ....... same ........ (138lb) ........ FAIL

4. Abs - 3 second horizontal holds
3.75kg x 3 x 8 (up 1.25)


Comments

I went out on Sat night and had a bit of a skin full, then didn't eat that well yesterday. I know, not in line with my goals, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Predictably, this workout wasn't great.

Squats - I didn't throw in the extra kilo on top of the 2.5kg increase and got it ok. Hard, but I got it.

Bench - I got the PR, but the final rep stalled half way up and I had to scream to finish it, if ever so slowly. If I eat well, hopefully I'll get away with an increase on Friday for a triple, but I think it's going to be difficult. Next increase is 1.5kg.

Rows - these were better than last week and I did 5 reps, but I couldn't complete them without standing up on the last couple of reps. I'm disappointed I've failed these again, but I've only got myself to blame.

Abs - I'm getting into these now. Three small breaths per rep gives me my three count. I did my weekly weight increase today, using two small plates. Whenever I get to the 7th or 8th rep with these, I can feel quite a lot of pressure on my lower back. Is this normal? It doesn't feel quite right and this is why I stopped at 6 reps last week. I do them sat on the end of the bench with my legs in the leg extension bar, which is locked in place.

 

[blackwell33]

'notherbutter,

I had the same question about the pressure on my lower back during situps. I do my declined with either a 35lb or 45 lb plate on my chest. It seems to be getting better with time, but I have felt a lot of pressure there and small amount of tenderness the day after. So, you're not the only one. Any thoughts on a solution?

 

[blut wump]

Ironically, the solution is to get stronger abs.

In the meantime, give more thought to the arch in your lower back and trying not to stress it. Maybe drop the horizontal holds for a while and go to crunches and bridge/plank work. On the crunches make sure that you are bending forwards with your back rather than using hip flexion.

 

[anotherbutters]

Come to think of it, most of the movement I do is with my hips. I'm just using my abs to keep my core straight. Is that right for the horizontal holds? It's only the final couple of reps where I can start to feel it in my back, so I could just cut down to 6 reps or play it by ear until my abs are a bit stronger.

Sorry, but what's bridge/plank work?

 

[blut wump]

It depends on what you want to work. If you're using hips then you're working hips. With the horizontal hold, there's bound to be a fair amount of hip action in there. Just try to make more of the effort be on your abs as you come up.

The plank is where you support your weight on your feet and forearms either to the front or to either side. It's a static hold and you go for time, keeping your body straight. As an intro to it, start on your front and hold for 15s, flip to one side for 15s, front again, other side. Call that one set. Don't rest but keep going for more sets or for total time. Later increase the duration of each hold, 30s, one minute, etc.

You can also just do the front and hold until failure or similarly with the sides. I never enjoyed doing them on my back since I found it uncomfortable on my elbows.

If it starts to feel generally too easy, you can start by raising a leg and moving it off to the side and extending an arm out to the front.

 

[anotherbutters]

Ughh! Sounds like a workout for girls and old people

 

[blut wump]

it's hard work.

I used to go to an abs class and there was a core of four of use who'd been doing it for months. One day we had a substitute instructor in who looked at the clock near the end of the session and noted that there were three minutes remaining and said we could do planks until failure. The four of us looked at each other and all laughed. He got ever so pissy when I told him that there wasn't enough time left.

Another fine static hold is to lay on your back and raise your feet about three inches. Try to get up to around five minutes. It helps on back strain to stick your hands under your buttocks.

These are every bit as good as crunches and sit-ups if not better and need no equipment more than a floor.

 

[anotherbutters]

I used to do weighted leg raises, but I could never do them with my hands under my butt because my torso would rise instead of my feet. I had to hold the bench behind my back to keep my torso down and I was never happy with the position. I was up to 12kg for 8-12 reps. Then I'd do cable crunches.

It's interesting that the exercises you mentioned are holds for a period of time, which is unlike training any other muscle. I thought abs were no different from other muscles and you'd have to train them for reps and add resistance to make them stronger.

 

[Guinness5.0]

It's interesting that the exercises you mentioned are holds for a period of time, which is unlike training any other muscle. I thought abs were no different from other muscles and you'd have to train them for reps and add resistance to make them stronger.

IMO the holds are good b/c the abs serve to stabilize your body in damn near every exercise you do. So to train them in a manner similar to the role they play as assistors with some static stuff seems like a damn good idea.

Also I've been told that static contractions will work muscles that don't get worked through dynamic ab movements, such as crunches.

 

[blut wump]

The abs class I mentioned earlier was run by a real hard-core nutter. We'd do a goodly mixture of static holds and movements for reps over a half hour period twice a week. Dropping a medicine ball on your abs with bent legs (you not the ball) is another good one. We realised that we were making progress when we did 150 crunches as a warm-down.

Re the static holds, you can work a lot of different muscles in that fashion. Like G5.0 says, they get worked like that a lot as stabilizers. A classic martial arts training exercise is low horse stance for duration. It's basically a wide, parallel squat held for time. I have a friend who can hold it for six or seven minutes.