Another Single Factor 5x5 Journal

[|D_J^B_J|]

Very interesting to read the progress of another lifter doing the same program as I am with similar weights - You are 6kg heavier than I am, your dead and row is stronger than mine but my bench and military press are stronger than yours.

Is your gym getting a squat rack in the future? I was forced to do Smith squats until a couple of months ago, and I can assure you that free squats are much better. Your whole body will thank you for it.

Another question: Do you train with a spotter? Even with a spotter I find it awkward doing the back-off sets on Friday because with lifts such as the bench, squat and row, I have to rack the bar while my spotter takes some of the weight off as quickly as possible before I start lifting again. This causes me to pause for at least 5 seconds during the set.

How do you take some of the plates off before doing your back-off sets on the Friday while minimising the pause during the set?

 

[blut wump]

As far as I'm aware, feel free to correct me on this, the back-off set isn't meant to be a drop-set. More a kind of cool-down set so you don't have to rush from one set to the next.

 

[anotherbutters]

I don't treat it as a drop set, just as blut wump said. I think the description says something like "the 5th set is a higher weight for 3 reps, then try to get 8 reps at the same weight as the 3rd set", but I don't think it was meant to be taken literally.

My gym keeps saying they're getting a squat rack, but it hasn't happened. I've even found out who the manager is and had a go at him. I'm well within my rights - they said they were getting one when I joined in December. grrr.... I'll be changing jobs soon and possibly relocating, so changing gyms doesn't make sense right now, so I'm kind of stuck. I'm not happy about it, believe me!

The only spotting I have is for the final sets on bench.

Nice to see your progress too. I don't know how I managed to get my dead so much higher than everything else. At the moment it's double my bench! bench: 60, squat: 90, dead: 120

 

[anotherbutters]

Week 3, Wednesday

1. Light back squats in smith (kg)
48 x 9 (warmup)
63 x 5
68 x 5
75.5 x 5
75.5 x 5
75.5 x 5

2. Deads (kg)
60 x 9 (warmup)
70 x 5
80 x 5
92.5 x 5
105 x 5
120 x 5 (up 5) ------------- PR!

3. Military (kg)

18 x 9 (warmup)
23 x 5
25.5 x 5
29 x 5
30.5 x 5
35.5 x 5 (up 1.5)

4. Pullups (assisted, kg)
-25 x 7 (warmup)
-20 x 5
-20 x 5
-15 x 5
-15 x 5
-5 x 2 (up 5, failed)

Summary

I didn't bother trying front squats today. I just don't want to risk injury to my wrists whilst maintaining the rack, or to anything else when I try to get the bar back down again. I don't think it's worth it for the benefit I'll get from the light weight that I manage.

Deads. Wow! I remember my lower back aching last week after just the 2nd or 3rd set. I think that's because I ripped through the first few sets quickly and my form was pretty sloppy. I was also sweating like a pig.

Today was completely different. I got past the 4th set and I felt as though I hadn't even started - not even a hint of a twinge or ache from my back, and I barely broke a sweat. I was supposed to do 117.5kg today but I couldn't resist and went for 120kg instead (5kg/11lb increase). My left hand grip started to fail on the 4th rep but I held on and got all 5. Woohoo! I use a mixed grip and this is the first time it's started to fail, so I might try to start using hook grip. I assume you normally combine the two? Anyway, I'm really pleased with deads today. They were hard, but nowhere near as stressful to the CNS as last week. I'm wondering how much more I could have lifted if my grip was up to it!

Military was hard, but I squeezed out the last rep. Having the microplates has transformed my workouts. I have so much more control over intensity.

Pullups were hopeless. I tried to use only 5kg of assistance (10kg last week), but barely got two good reps. I weigh 1kg more than last week, but I think having these at the end of the workout doesn't help. I'm not too bothered to be honest, as my other lifts are still going up. I'll drop back to 10kg assistance next week. To be honest, 15kg assistance was hard enough. If nothing else, pullups give me a massive pump in my arms

My gym got some new plants today in these massive 3ft high pots. Look pretty expensive. But no squat rack. If only the manager was around for me to wring his neck.

In summary, a brilliant workout. Can't wait for Friday!

 

[blut wump]

Congrats on the PR.

Sorry, I can't help on the hook grip question since my grip is currently stronger than my deadlift. I'm still trying to decide whether that's good or bad. I usually deadlift with a simple double-overhand grip.

 

[anotherbutters]

Cheers!

For a moment there, I imagined you with one hand over the other in the middle of the bar trying to do a deadlift.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Grats on PR's. My wrist is feeling a little tweaked from Monday's fronts so tomorrow I'm thinking of either the crossed arms rack or more than likely I'll wear some wrist supports.

My gym got some new plants today in these massive 3ft high pots. Look pretty expensive. But no squat rack. If only the manager was around for me to wring his neck.

 

[blut wump]

One-arm deadlifts can be a good grip exercise. Jim Ouini has been doing what he called 'suitcase deadlifts' where the bar is off to one side. I've done them occasionally where I've straddled the bar. The good thing is that your grip gives out without your CNS getting fried but you'll still be lifting enough to make it a worthwhile exercise.

Other good ones are: gripping plates for a minute - drop, rest, repeat; carrying heavy DBs around the gym for distance or time.

 

[anotherbutters]

Today's the first time my mixed grip has started to fail so I haven't needed any direct grip work before. I'd try the farmers walk if it wasn't for the fact that people'd think I'm crazy walking round until they fall out of my hands. I can imagine myself getting to the other side of the gym, then they drop and I can't pick them up to carry them back again.

I've tried holding a plate before now, but second time round the sweat on my hand makes it impossible to carry on. Maybe I should just factor that in and lighten the weight.

I'll try something next week. Farmers walk sounds fun. See if I can make it to one of those new plant pots and dump them in there

 

[Jim Ouini]

I was actually contemplating chalk last week when my hook grip started to slip...luckily this week I've been pretty solid.

I like those suitcase deads, it really works your grip as you have to manage the weight as well as the balance i.e, I don't think the same amount with a dumbell would be the same thing.

Also works the stabilizers really well.