Pre-juice 5x5: Darkness on the Horizon

[Guinness5.0]

Week 2 -- WEDNESDAY

Front squat warmup to 205x5x5
-Getting easier. I've started to power clean it up and it seems like it racks better. Maybe the somewhat uncomfortable PC dials back the relative discomfort of front squats . Seriously though, these felt better. I think some of it is just acclimating to having a bar pushing on my windpipe, which ain't exactly natural

Deadlift 325x5x4, 365x5
-I wanted to see how 365 would feel, and I figured a 200 pound jump in workload for this session would be inconsequential. It felt fine, so I may try 370 next week.

Standing OHP 155x5x5
-pretty easy. I've been making sure to really lock it out at the top, meaning squeezing my traps hard at the top w/ the bar over the back of my head and really holding that bar steady for a count. It seems like a good idea (I've been re-reading Starting Strength - it's replaced the stack of magazines in my bathroom). I will probably do these before deads next week as I find that aftera fairly heavy dead session my OHP suffers.

Pullups BWx5x5
-I didn't add weight. I'm gonna add a 25 lb plate next week. I'm too self-concious to use a ten w/ a pullup belt

Grip work Static bb holds: 315x4.278565 seconds, 225x~30 secondsx2, plate pinches (2 10's smooth side out): 1 minute each hand, 45 seconds each hand
-good times. I ordered a CoC #1 today, so plate pinches and grippers will be my mainstays in terms of grip work (I ordered the #2 and #3 last year - #3 is still in the package )

Good workout. Not a walk in the park but still pretty easy overall. I know it's easy when I rest less than 2 minutes b/t sets on deads. Another plus was that a hottie I've been chatting with lately said I had the best squat form she's ever seen. Turns out she's into powerliftinig and wants to pull 300 in the near future. She asked when I usually train and said she might want to bounce questions off me. Needless to say it made my night.

And my pins didn't come But they shipped Monday via Priority Mail so I hope they'll be here Friday at the latest.

Also, I bet I'm the library's most frequent visitor. They actually have a library cop. Talk about an easy gig - it's always the same guy (so far anyway) and he just stands around and talks to the librarians.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Another plus was that a hottie I've been chatting with lately said I had the best squat form she's ever seen.

Wait til she sees your backsquat J/K G5.0 it's all good.

I've been making sure to really lock it out at the top, meaning squeezing my traps hard at the top w/ the bar over the back of my head and really holding that bar steady for a count

I have real problems doing this - I'm going to have to dig into SS tonight and see what's up.

Pullups BWx5x5
-I didn't add weight. I'm gonna add a 25 lb plate next week. I'm too self-concious to use a ten w/ a pullup belt

*Looks at logbook*

 

[Guinness5.0]

*Looks at logbook*

If anyone should feel silly it's me - rather than adhere to the principle of progressive resistance I'm letting my ego dictate my increase.

Youth is wasted on the young

EDIT: and BTW, she was referring to my backsquat - she just didn't approach me on monday

 

[Jim Ouini]

Yeah I figured, just flippin ya some G-dawg.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Week 2 -- FRIDAY

Squat 1x5 135x10x2, 185x5, 225x5, 275x5, 315x5, 350x5
-Pretty good. The last rep was a bit tough but I wasnt using the valsalva technique, just flexing my abs.

Bench 5x5 260
-Pretty easy. I used a thin bar and it felt kinda odd. 285 is gonna be rough.

Power clean 135x5x2, 155x3x2, 185x3x2, 205x3x3
-Gettin' more comfy. I had my hottie friend check my form - mostly I wanna make sure the bar stays close to my body. Everything else I'm confident on. She said it was really close, so that's good.

Curls/Dips 95x8x2/BWx15, BWx13
-Gonna add weight to dips from here on.

Well the easy stuff's over. PRs from now on. Here are Monday's targets:
Squat 5x5: 350 (5 lb. PR and no belt this time)
Bench 1x5: 295 (equal previous PR)
Power clean 1x3: 225 (PR of sorts - if I get it it'll be the first time w/ 225 and good form)

 

[RipStone]

Nice workout Gee. You'll nail those goals come Monday.

What exactly is the valsalva technique? I know you mentioned it before, but I never got an answer.

 

[Guinness5.0]

It's official: I'm a cheater

So it's 100mg of test prop. and 75 mg. tren acetate EOD for the next few weeks. Here're my stats as of this morning:

Resting heart rate: 54 BPM (I figured it was worth seeing if sauce would jack up my heart rate)

Weight: 240
Neck: 18"
Shoulders: 53.25"
Chest (lats flexed): 48.75"
Belly (abs flexed): 39" (up from ~38.5 - got a bit sloppy on diet - too many huge burritos )
Waist: 38.1"
Right arm flexed: A hair over 16.75"
Left arm flexed: a hair under 16.75"
R and L forearm: 13.75"
R thigh flexed: 27"
L thigh flexed: 26"

So my arms are nearly symetrical, but my legs are not. I'm not surprised as I feel like I lean ever so slightly to the right on squats. I guess it's confirmed.

I'll post the pics I took when I measured soon.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Nice workout Gee. You'll nail those goals come Monday.

What exactly is the valsalva technique? I know you mentioned it before, but I never got an answer.

Basically, you take a big breath into your belly, hold it, and push your abs out (harder to describe than to actually do ). This stabilizes the spine from the inside, in addtion to the stabilization that the spinal erectors create.

I'll type a better explanation after I rewiew Rippetoe's description in Starting Strength.

 

[BiggT]

Thought I'd check this out.....everything looks good....I love prop....nothing like fast-acting test, you inject, and within 12 hours you're sex drive is through the roof, lol. Tren will help with your goal of better body composition for sure.

Training-wise you look like you know yourself.....I am liking the lower reps on the power cleans, thats what I do on them, 1-3 reps, I don't know how the hell people can progress with good form doing 5's or more.

Good stuff.

 

[Cynical Simian]

It's official: I'm a cheater

Didn't want to take on those PRs by yourself, eh?

Needless to say, things are looking good for Monday. (insert bro-speak encouragement here)


In response to your K message question about my training, I'm doing the Single-Factor 5x5 with the typical substitutions/additions (non-olympic lifts, standing press, chins, etc.). I started lifting a little over four months ago, so hopefully I can get quite a bit more mileage out of it without having to switch things up too much.

Rip, part of the explanation Rippetoe gives in SS is to think of what you'd do if you had to move something heavy in real life (I think he uses pushing a car as an example): you take a deep breath, tighten up your body, and don't exhale until you're done. Like Guinness said, it's difficult to explain but actually very natural and helpful.