Here's my DF 5 x 5, modified

[Jim Ouini]

Thanks. Yep I was pretty worn down by the end of the workout. After my last situp I just laid there on the bench with eyes closed and hands on head lol

On a positive note the joints are feeling good (except for left elbow during heavy rows and chins). Not like after Korte volume when I had some aches and pains in my kneee. So hopefully it bodes well for the upcoming weeks.

Also, I'm thinking of doing some fronts for 1-3 reps on Weds, not sure yet.

 

[anotherbutters]

Congrats on finishing the fun part

I hit you with k too, but mine's only worth 1% of Sir BW's. What's with the four Krowns BW? Not happy with just two? Do you reckon you'll hit the million mark by Christmas?

 

[blut wump]

I was going to ask whether you would be running the 3x intensity phase. I assumed you would be but your mention of Wednesday answers that.

I got an extra two crowns at 750,000. There's a slim chance of a million by the end of the year but I doubt it. That bookie event should pay out on Monday or Tuesday which will be a big boost.

I'm looking forward to the deload and intensity phase now. Have you checked your gym opening times? I'll be travelling North to visit the family on Saturday and probably staying until Tuesday or Wednesday so I'll be taking a mini-break from workouts. I hate that drive around the M25 and up the M1.

The gym has a kind of messed up start to the following week so I'm thinking of running a fresh 5x5 from the 10th. It'll be interesting to see what changes a year has made since that's when I started my first 5x5. I'd never deaded before; BB rows were just a memory and I was in a Smith for the rest with ANNTF squats, as Jim put them, probably fairly short of parallel too despite what I thought at the time.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Congrats on finishing the fun part

I hit you with k too, but mine's only worth 1% of Sir BW's. What's with the four Krowns BW? Not happy with just two? Do you reckon you'll hit the million mark by Christmas?

Thanks AB, appreciate it

I was going to ask whether you would be running the 3x intensity phase. I assumed you would be but your mention of Wednesday answers that.

Ya know I said that without really knowing if I was going to run 2x or 3x. I know 2x is what MC2 has as the de facto standard and I ran that the 1st time with excellent results. But we'll see, I'll play it be ear as usual.

I'm looking forward to the deload and intensity phase now. Have you checked your gym opening times? I'll be travelling North to visit the family on Saturday and probably staying until Tuesday or Wednesday so I'll be taking a mini-break from workouts. I hate that drive around the M25 and up the M1.

Closed on Xmas and New Years only. Shouldn't be a problem, wife's outta town to visit relatives for a few days too

The gym has a kind of messed up start to the following week so I'm thinking of running a fresh 5x5 from the 10th. It'll be interesting to see what changes a year has made since that's when I started my first 5x5. I'd never deaded before; BB rows were just a memory and I was in a Smith for the rest with ANNTF squats, as Jim put them, probably fairly short of parallel too despite what I thought at the time.

I take it the injury is fully healed and heavy deads are on the menu? Now that'll be interesting since you've been doing GM's and box squats.

 

[blut wump]

I've been doing rack pulls from a height where the bar starts out touching the middle of my knee-cap for silly weights with no problems. I did a couple of weeks [from the floor] of 8 sets of 3 at 315 and then 360 the following week and my back was fine at that. I've also been trying to pay more attention to the eccentric part of the lift.

I'm hoping I'll be just fine after all this time if not better than ever.

Edit:
the 8x3s were from the floor. The rack pulls have been up to 6 plates.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Nice. IIRC, rack pulls are Goggins' favorite deadlift assistance exercise.

 

[Madcow2]

Ya know I said that without really knowing if I was going to run 2x or 3x. I know 2x is what MC2 has as the de facto standard and I ran that the 1st time with excellent results. But we'll see, I'll play it be ear as usual.

It's only the defacto because it's a no brainer and there aren't another set of hard records waiting for you so it runs autopilot. Give it a try if you haven't. The main key is that you have to guage your recovery (which new people can't) and make sure you are good to go after the first week or so. It's a fun way to run this program and in my mind really beneficial. You just have to be able to evaluate your needs which at this point should be second nature.

 

[Jim Ouini]

I just read the 2x 'pure deload'; I've never actually run this - last time I did the 2x week workouts I spread out intensity over 6 weeks instead of 4 due to illness, keeping the M-W-F workouts.

I think I will try it, then.

BTW, I had some questions but all answered on your site. Nice.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Erm, just to be clear, are you suggesting 2x pure deload or 3x intensity? I got mixed up since you mention 'auto-pilot' (2x) and then 'gauging recovery' (3x)...

I think 2x pure deload would be interesting since the intensities for me would be the same from week to week i.e, if I add 5lbs on bench and 10lbs on squat I'll hit my 3RM's in Weeks 8/9 anyway. But this way I get to see the effect of reduced frequency in addition to reduced volume, correct?

And actually BW and I had this discussion while you were gone, from what I've read you have 3 variables to play with - volume, frequency and intensity. Usually volume is slashed and intensity is kept high. What would be the effect if you slash everything, including intensity? Fitness would still remain, fatigue would dissipate and you're still better than when you started...any thoughts?

 

[Madcow2]

I was suggesting 3x but just because it's different. With the 2x you increase the weight but not specifically for records in another mesocycle structure - it's a no brainer because it's just a pure deload, do it until you are ready to roll again. The purpose for most guys here would be purely to deload and rebound before entering another loading phase. It's all kind of interrelated. I mean, you can structure this stuff however you want and stack mesocycles and planning back to back well beyond 2 blocks/periods. This is kind of what the 3x option is, two hard pushing mesocycles with a bit of a rest in between (not enough rest and you suffer through the 2nd).

You could certainly slash all variables to recover. The key is workload. That said, it's a lot more beneficial to make some progress and this is why you see the accumulation -> intensification stuff used so often. Kind of ladders together providing progress and recovery. Also, keep in mind that in a really hard loading period you might not see any progress and the goal is to realize this progress in the next phase - if you drop everything you leave that hanging.