I’ll try to follow along, but no promises - I often fall off people’s logs. Feel free to tag me if you feel it’s needed.
Greyskull is a solid program, but lacking in pull movements. Phraks Greyskull is the correction to that, which is why I recommended this one in particular.
Good luck buddy
I got the picture from @Andrewgen_Receptors
Well. I’m starting to feel guilty about my discipline in my programming.
That’s why I have you good folks to hold me accountable. Seriously, call me impatient I deserve it.
My days have been crazy with personal life stuff and I missed I think 2 days prior to today and I likely will Miss tomorrow. So I decided I might as well do a full body. Then I thought well I’m going of script with a full body I might as well just do somthing crazy. So affter my scheduled squats (Smashed them) I went for a 2 plate bench cause… well I’m impatient and I needed to stoke my ego possibly if I’m being honest with myself. But I god damn SMASHED it !
Squats 235 5x5
Bench 225 x 1
I’m ready to be shamed now
Back at it on the straight and narrow. No more effing around I set out to do somthing and god dammit I’m hitting those PRs by June.
240 squat 5x5 today. Killed it. Heavy but I killed it.
That’s officially body wieght for 5x5. I’m starting to look much better, leaner. Even though I haven’t packed on the pounds like I sort of planned I’ve been eating a lot and my strength gains are reflecting that.
The body weight thing could
Be a reflection of the 6 daily beer I have cut out of my diet since I started this… come to think of it lol.
Also I haven’t been programming my deadlifts at all because I just can’t do it squating every other day. My plan is too adress this when I’m no longer seeing linear progress on my squats and re structure abit. Ie pharks grey skull
Today was a Max effort work out. On Both my bench and Rows.
Bench 185 5x5. I mean I did all of my reps. What more do I want I geuss, it felt nice to feel that balls to the wall grind but I’m afraid the curtain is closing on this LP. Regardless it feels like a very welcome milestone for me.
Row 175 5x5. This is it as far as this goes I must admit. I sort of completed all of my reps in some form or another but they were not even remotely honest reps by the end it probly looked for like an aggressive sex act towards the barbell.
So that’s that. I guess now I take some weight off the bar and take another run at it? How much?
I’m not giving up this thing as a whole and doing Pharks untill I have absolutely scrapped every bit of progress from my squat… I think I have another 10 lbs at least there.
Also @Andrewgen_Receptors thoughts on changing to upright rows? Always liked the movement a lot not sure if it translates well in a strength routine…
245 5x5 squat today !
Felt heavy. But it always feels heavy I think I’m actually just getting 5 lbs stronger each time that this point.
So that’s good 
BTW if you remember from my very first post 245 was my 1RM just 5 weeks ago!!
Sorry, I must have missed your tags or something.
When running Phraks Greyskull LP, I think a worthwhile change would be that the last set should be As Many Reps As Possible (AMRAP).
Potential other option: try 5x3 with a little more weight, then next week try 5x4, then 5x5. OR switch to a different template altogether like 531 or Conjugate. I only have experience with 531 and am not a powerlifter so I can only advise so much. Perhaps @KonsuTheTraveller has some advice here - he lifts WAY more than I do.
I wouldn’t change them, rather, I would add them in as ‘assistance work’. Get stronger in that plane of movement, but it’s not designed to be a main movement, at least in my opinion.
BTW there are hundreds of powerlifting templates out there. I can’t advise any more than I already have frankly, I just did Push Pull Legs and started each session with Bench, Deadlift or Squat - aligned with the day. My goals were not to be a powerlifter, just to be strong and look good naked.
Appreciate the input receptors.
We definitely share similar goals aswell, I don’t consider myself as a candidate to compete ever or would even care to but throwing a heavier barbell then the average man is definitely in my plans.
Smashed my bench today 190 5x5
And took some weight off my rows for now 155 5x5
Snapped a couple progress pics for my records. Like everyone’s progress pics, they are at an optimal angle with a pump so I look way huger then I really am lol.
great starting point!
Hey thanks for the tag @Andrewgen_Receptors, I don’t know how much help i’d be because frankly, I am a 20 year old kid, so i’m essentially a child when it comes to my Lifting Career haha. But I can try to give pointers based on my limited experience. I’ll keep it straight to the point
So that’s that. I guess now I take some weight off the bar and take another run at it? How much?
I’m assuming that’s what the program calls for, then yes, stick with it until your sure you can’t milk the progress anymore. I wouldn’t know where you should start, if its % based etc. If it doesn’t work, then change something up and see if that works, repeat. If I could’ve milked my LP differently I would’ve started incorporating a lighter bench day, and then a heavy day using my usual sets of 5, and try to make big progress with two different rep ranges in both hypertrophy and strength which will push your numbers up, at least that’s what i’ve found. You could even utilize bench variations like Reverse Grip, Close Grip, Larsens, Incline, Decline to milk out Linear Progression on those too. I’m not comfortable giving much knowledge on lower body stuff because my Squat Training is very minimalistic in both volume & accessories, and I don’t think it’d work for most people. But i’ve found applying the same concept to Back/Deadlift Accessories does work for me. There’s so much untapped strength potential in so many variations and thats whats awesome about training.
Sky’s the limit for you dude, keep grinding. This is your journey so take the information you think is useful and leave the rest out, my pointers could work for you and be awesome, or couldn’t work for you and be dogshit, which is why everyone else stresses how everyone is different when it comes to training. Sorry for the big ass wall of text haha
I much appreciate the input my friend and your self declaration of being what you consider inexperienced, looking at your log though dude you definitely are no noob to lifting. Strong as fuck man are you competing or what? Those stats are nuts for 20 years old dude.
Smashed 250 5x5 today. Extremely difficult. But I got more in me yet.
I’m going to murder this 315 squat by the end of the month man… weather I should attempt it or not so soon I suppose is in question but I think I’ll be there. Which is crazy to me when I set out and made this log with the 4/3/2 plate goal I honestly didn’t have a clue I’d see progress like this.
I believe I can change my goal to a 1000 lb total by the end of June and that’s my new focus.
Time to eat!
Such goals are arbitrary and dumb maybe to some but you gotta aim somewhere.
350 squat 245 bench 405 deadlift… end of June. That’s the mark.
I believe my deadlift strength is actually decent but the muscle memory and clean form just needs training… aswell as more strength of course. Squatting every other day is proving very effective for me right now and when progression tapers of I will do pharks grey skull and squat only twice a week to allow for a dedicated deadlift day.
I’m gonna get fat I don’t care
Not to anyone on this website or reading what you wrote…
Go get it!
Honestly man this website is so awesome and surprising motivating these logs especially.
By far and long the most positive and helpful training site I’ve come across… I was on bodybuilding.com many moons ago…. Absolute garbage.
Strong as fuck man are you competing or what?
Not yet. But plans underway though and we’re working on it. There’s a lot of guys rooting for me at the home gym I’m training at and they’re willing to pitch in for fees etc. I’m looking into something sometime next year when I’m 21. It’s mainly USPA out here and hold a lot in October
Your progress has been phenomenal dude. 5x5 is honestly one of the best programs when starting out because it is almost near linear progress for a long time. You’ll be able to ride for awhile.
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Not yet. But plans underway though and we’re working on it. There’s a lot of guys rooting for me at the home gym I’m training at and they’re willing to pitch in for fees etc. I’m looking into something sometime next year when I’m 21. It’s mainly USPA out here and hold a lot in October
Your progress has been phenomenal dude. 5x5 is honestly one of the best programs when starting out because it is almost near linear progress for a long time. You’ll be able to ride for awhile.
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I hope to see a link up to that fund for fees when the time comes buddy. I’ll be behind you with a little bit that I can give like I’m sure many others on here will be, that’s real world class strength man you are 12 years way from your peak yet my god.
Upper body day… gotta love it.
Bench 195 5x5. Very hard. Made it though, maybe just the fear of being crushed to death by the bar without a spotter just me through that last set. But whatever works.
Row 160 5x5. Working on ramping this back up.
Now we eat
Squat Day.
255 5x5.
Pretty hard but honestly maybe easier then my last session, I’m convinced that every workout I’m basically tapping into brand new strength at this point. It’s kinda funny I’ve always chuckled at guys touting their Linear progression programs ( Legends like Mr rippetoe included ) how they out 300 lbs on a guys squat in like 8 months. What they don’t tell you is they started with only the bar when they easily could have started way heavier, so it’s like entirely pointless for the first 5 months other then training form.
That’s definitely not what I’m experiencing right now. Real PRs every workout
