5/3/1 to Elite.

Training Training Logs
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Well, after a piss poor squat workout tuesday night, not even worth reporting, I need to shut it down for a few days and deload. Let’s just say I stopped at 315 x 1.

I’ve been thinking I need a change for a while, not because 5/3/1 doesn’t work, because it absolutely does, but mentally I just need to change it up for a while. I was thinking of doing a couple months of straight bodybuilding training, or just doing a basic westside template. I’m actually leaning towards the latter, will think on this the next few days. The draw to the bodybuilding is that I can just go in, hit a muscle for 10-12 sets, get a good pump and be happy with it.

The drawback is that I don’t know if I really know how to program it correctly so that I don’t sacrifice strength gains on things like my deadlift. Maybe that sounds stupid? I guess it’s been so long since I’ve done a traditional bodybuilding style workout that I’m not exactly sure how I’d structure my deadlifts in. Westside on the other hand, was fun while I did it, obviously still has the heavy lifting that I like, and at the same time is structured in a way that I’m familiar with, understand, etc, get some pump reps in, maybe gain some muscle.

Goal overall is to give myself a mental break, rejuvenate my squat- through reps, speed work, something (!), and come back to 5/3/1 in 2-3 months or so. Will keep logging whatever I do.

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My heads spinning a bit, different thoughts.

I’m thinking I will keep the 5/3/1 and just reset my squat very light, and start hammering some of the lower body assistance stuff that I hate. Also jumps for speed as I just saw in Jim’s big 5/3/1 q&a post on elitefts. 5/3/1 just makes sense to me. Will keep thinking on this. Whatever I do starts Monday 3/7

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If your looking for something new the Juggernaut method works well with 5/3/1. Its the same 4 day split with 3 weeks + 1 deload. I am going to start that next week but only on 2 lifts, keeping the other 2 with 5/3/1 still. Initially its more sets/reps so a good change for more volume which is what I was looking for.

This blog has some good info too if you haven’t seen it already. http://www.lift-run-bang.com/

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hey man, good work, ive been following your log for a few days, read old posts and what not. you’re pretty strong. I just started 5/3/1 so far i like it. even tho i’m a beginner with 5/3/1 i have been training for a few years. So i figured i’d give my input about getting your deadlift back up. I think you should stick with 5/3/1, and since you said you feel beat up quite often from the lower body lifts, maybe switching back to the 3 day a week or maybe even the 2 day a week version of it would be beneficial to you, just a thought. Jim even said that the 2 day a week version has helped many ppl gain just as much strength as the 4 day.

Also maybe really try doing lots of goodmornings or glute ham raises if you can. I think both those moves done consistently will help your lower body lifts. I’m no expert and don’t claim to be so i hope you don’t get mad that i am trying to give you advice since you are a lot stronger than me, but I just figured Wendler probably would give you some similar advice. Also, one more thing i was curious about, do you run a lot or do conditioning a lot? because if you are pushing the conditioning too hard that would definitely hinder your performance in the lower body lifts.

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Sufiandy- thanks, I’m slightly familiar with that I’ll check it out.

Goodfellow- thanks. Looking at things in perspective, I’m not the strongest guy out there by any means, but looking back, I’m a hell of a lot stronger on some things than I used to be. Take your time, you’ll get there. I think I may kind of be at the point where anyone could really get to with some training, and to move beyond that I need to find the drive to push past where most feel uncomfortable, or something like that.

You also made a good point, something I’ve realized but maybe didn’t mention- I have been doing more conditioning, running in particular. In fact, Monday night I ran 4 miles, probably had no business squatting the following night. I’m trying to get a job in law enforcement, and I’ve pretty much always got applications in somewhere, so at any given point I could potentially have an opportunity to start an academy pretty soon, so I have to keep up with running. I’m not even running as much as I need to, but about twice a week I’ll hit the road or treadmill and run 1-4miles depending on how I feel. So you hit the nail on the head there. One crucial thing I somehow didn’t account for was to back off the lower body training as I increased conditioning. As Wendler says you can’t serve two masters, so I shouldve trained to maintain lower while I increased conditioning, instead I increased both and smashed hard into a wall.

Another thing you mentioned was the GM’s- another valid point. I tried them a few weeks or so ago for the first time in a long time, and my hams were torched for days, it was great. The following week I did them and just didn’t feel them the same.

I think I probably increased 20lbs the second week, and probably didn’t concentrate as much on form, so I should have gone back down in weight and focused on form- Wendler uses 135 on that move a lot of the time, and he’s a solid motherfucker, if he can benefit from 135 at his level, I sure as hell don’t need to be sacrificing form for more weight.

Anyway, after a couple days of thinking already, I’m seeing some areas where I’ve gone wrong, so I’m most likely going to make myself a simple plan, back down some training maxes, and start kicking ass again. I’m basically happy with where I’m at with bench. Military I think I will back down, squat definitely. Deadlift I need to look at the numbers and see what’s up. Maybe back down but still include a few heavy singles each deads day. Stay tuned- new plan premiers 3/7/2011!

Thanks

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good thinking. Also Good luck pertaining the job. Hopefully you’ll get a call from someone to join an academy. I live in Buffalo, NY. I am going to be taking the Buffalo Police exam this April myself so Hopefully that works out if not I’ll be continuing with my education in exercise physiology.

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Thanks, and good luck with yours as well.

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2048×1536 541 KB

this should be interesting.

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disclaimer: im not going to do anything with that gun.

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downloaded Electric Wizard’s “dopethrone” from itunes lastnight, ready for some training tomorrow.

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[quote]dez6485 wrote:
downloaded Electric Wizard’s “dopethrone” from itunes lastnight, ready for some training tomorrow. [/quote]

Definitely one of my favorite albums of all time.

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I really want “come my fanatics” too, just didn’t have enough money on itunes card

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Started new cycle with deadlift, backed training max down to 450, which is 4-5 cycles back.

290 x 5
335 x 5
380 x 10

I’m ok with this. 12 is the number I had in my head, but my grip started to slip on rep 5/6, so I had to let the bar actually stop at the bottom for a fraction of a second to re grip. Definitely could’ve gotten more otherwise, no big deal.

Assistance was shit. Was running low on time, did some 45 degree back extensions, bunch of band pull-a parts when I got home.

Now, a lot of times this is where I’d turn around and bench tonight, but I think that burns me out, so I will not be lifting today.

Also noticed I never put a pic of that new tattoo in here, I’ll do that this week.

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380 x 12 aint bad. Whats your height/bw, by the way?

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I didn’t get the 380x12, but without being a cocky asshole, I do know I could have. It’s weird that I had the grip issue, but I’m pretty sure I know why. I noticed during warm ups I wasn’t wrapping my thumb around the bar, and I wasn’t ever really closing my fist tightly, just kind of using the fingers as hooks and letting it hang a little. I shouldve paid more attention to that throughout the work sets.

Height is 5’9", weight is probably around 195-196 morning. Don’t ever weigh myself in the morning but at night I’m 198-199 lately.

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Bench

Bar x 20
95 x 8
145 x 5
185 x 5
215 x 5
245 x 8

Pullups neutral grip in between 84 reps total for workout

Flat bench db press
90 x 8
95 x 8
95 x 6

…pullups continued through db press

Cable rope up rows
80x12
90x12
100x12
100x12
100x12
100x12

I didn’t push the 245 set on bench as hard as I could, nor did I push that third set on db press- was thinking 3 sets of 8, but it felt like 7+8 would have been grinders so I cut it. I feel like this is a smart change for me to make, as it is “assistance” and if I push it hard enough to cut into valuable recovery time, that defeats the purpose.

Normally I would have done another row on top of this, but again, in an effort to not do more than I need, I cut it.

Ran a mile on the treadmill after this, which is another change I’m making. Sometimes the running on upper days is sacrificed in order to do more assistance, then the running is pushed to next day, which I’m sure kills lower body lifts following day, or the running just doesn’t get done- neither are acceptable options anymore.

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Sounds like you are making some intelligent changes in your training. I agree with you that assistance work needs to be applied with caution. I usually keep my volume low on assistance work; 2 or 3 warm up sets and 1 top set. However, Im pretty judicious as to when to push that top set. I also do less assistance excercises for lower body lifts (1 or 2 excercises in addition to hill sprints, as opposed to 2 or 3 excercises for upperbody).

How much conditiong work are you doing?

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I run about 3x/week most of the time. Sometimes just a quick mile, sometimes 3-4miles.

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Two workout to log:

Squat- reset to…265! And decided to go with box squats to work on some apparent weaknesses…they’re so foreign to me at this point I don’t know if I will keep them, I’ll figure it out by next squat day

175x5
200x5
225x5…stopped at 5, although I will say even though I could’ve kept going, this makes my turn around strength in the hole a glaring weakness

Ab wheel 5x10

Military press, reset to 185

Bar x 15
65 x 8
95 x 5
120 x 5
140 x 5
160 x 7

Could have gotten maybe 10 but didn’t push it- did pink band pull- aparts BEFORE each set for 20 reps, total of 120, and chin ups after for total of 50- 10, 8, 8, 8…

Seated side laterals
20x20
20x15, 4 sets

E-z bar curls SS with laterals 80x10, 5 sets

Then db shrugs- 100x20

Didn’t like db shrugs, just felt like bells were rolling up my legs

BB shrug 405x15

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Also, should mention guess that I played flag football on a muddy field Saturday morning and my groin/hips are so sore I’m having to lift my legs with my hands just to get out of bed and into my car. Fucking crazy. Traps got really sore too, guess from pumping arms as I sprinted. Played for 2 hours, no breaks, so while I was shot at the end of game (we won) it was a great workout. Caught 3/5 passes to me, got some nice rushing yards with a good stiff arm on one of them, was fun.