Yessir. If I can really add 10lbs every 3 weeks for most of the year, it will be more than enough to hit my goals. Just gotta stick to the plan.
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Friday 8/13/2021
Coffinworm c2 w1 d3
Warmup 3 minutes elliptical
Bench CW: 5x145,170,190,170,190
3x210 major lifetime PR! Had another 1 or 2 in me, sticking to the plan though
Superset with 5x10 face pulls, cable rope, 110lb
10 box jumps
Squat was messed up by availability so I made it suck worse. 3x10 “185” on a barbell machine (like a smith machine with fixed bar path; Also I think the bar is less than 45).
Then a rack opened up so I did 2 sets of 5 real squats at 175.
Superset CGBP 5x10 135lb with the squats, that was good.
5x10 each side BSS. 0,30,0,30,0lbs.
Was brutal and totally wiped.
Edit for commentary:
I’m absolutely thrilled with my bench progress. I have not prioritized bench, really in my life; yet it’s coming along just great, well on my way to a respectable 225 bench (the “2” in my log title). I was nervous about this, 190 felt heavy, and while I knew I could get it once, I wasn’t expecting 3. But my spotter gave me a liftoff and when I had the weight, I was like, “This is light!”. I think having a spotter on bench makes a HUGE difference.
I really like what Jim does in Forever. Every program - every single one, I think - starts every session with warmup and 10 jumps or throws. I have typically skipped that but have really stuck to it in CW and it just feels good. Sessions are a bit long, but if something has to give I’ll push the assistance work to later in the day and keep the warmup and jumps. They aren’t taxing, but if I were turning into a deconditioned sack of cottage cheese they would be; so it’s like a reality check to make sure you don’t go too far chasing weight and losing athleticism.
I have been unable to do as much light conditioning this past week as I was before. There are good reasons - my time is allocated in other directions - so that’s just a fact. In fairness I’m drenched in sweat every lifting session, so that ought to count for some conditioning.
The BSS are MISERABLE and that’s why I did them today, and why I’ll keep them and progress them. Plan for next time is 30, 0, 30, 0, 30, before transitioning to straight sets and ultimately progressing the weight. My knees did feel kinda shit after though so we’ll see.
Non-training commentary:
I have a really demanding day job, lots of responsibility but pretty flexible regarding time. Also I have a side business, which at any given time typically has 0 or 1 open contract; at the moment I have 3 open items, all quite dissimilar, so I’m being pulled in many directions at once.
Plus I have 4 kids, and we recently put the older 3 in Tae Kwon Do, which is a major time commitment, and one of them is an infant, which is a major time commitment.
So I’m happy to have Coffinworm as a just-follow-the-script plan and not think about anything too much.
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Nice work on the PR, my man!
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Awesome bench, dude!
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Awesome work dude
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Nice PR, mate.
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The PR is good, the comment after is excellent
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Fuck yes well done my man
Having a lift off is a huge difference. Let’s you keep tight and stable
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All,(too many to tag) I really appreciate all the support and kind words following the PR. All that encouragement has me all the more fired up to hit the next one. So, thanks for following and participating!
I’ve been quieter here due to the many commitments mentioned in my last entry. 3+ miles of walking this weekend and a pool session or two that should also count for conditioning; but uncharacteristically I didn’t touch a barbell Saturday or Sunday. No regrets.
Squats in an hour or so, hope the 235 feels better than it did last week.
Looking forward to the anchor in a couple weeks, a chance to hit a joker and or some AMRAPs.
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8/16/21, Monday, CW cycle 2 week 2, day 1.
Warmup on elliptical
10 long jumps
Squat cw 5x165, 190, 210, 190, 210.
2x235, rerack, breathe, 1x235.
Superset with 5x5 toes to bar.
That SUCKED from the beginning. Felt like dogshit. More on this later.
Bench 5x5 155
Superset 4x20 glute/back raises
50 curls with 50lb bar. 20 btn with empty bar, 20,10 dips.
Fatigue accumulation I guess. Also, a lot of diarrhea. Idk. Hope I’m better Wednesday for DL.
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Remember mate that sometimes it is just about doing the work and moving to the next one.
There is no trophy for getting 3 reps easily vs hard, it is all just work. You didn’t feel it tonight and that’s OK but you did it anyway. These are the sessions that over time build to something better.
Change this to Wednesday is DL and I will get it done.
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Roger that, thanks.
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8/17 Tuesday
2.1 mile walk pre-dawn. Set me up for a great day. A good thinkin’ walk.
8/18 Wednesday
Elliptical; 10 jumps.
5s pro. Press: 90,100,115. Flew. Could have done more.
Deadlift: 215, 245, 275. Could have done more. In other words, not feeling like crap as I did Monday.
4x5 shins to bar during main work.
5 rounds, 10 each chest supported rows and dips.
1x25 back/glute extension with 25lb against chest.
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hmmm how strange! Good work
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8/20/2021 Friday
Coffinworm, cycle 2, week 2, day 3
Warmup on Elliptical
10 box jumps
Bench coffinworm: 5x 145, 170, 190, 170, 190; 3x 210 - tying the lifetime PR from last week as per program. The top set was so easy, and so obvious that I had more reps left, the spotter was disappointed LOL. I knew what @simo74 would say though so capped the set at 3.
Squat: 5x5@70%, 165lb. Moved great.
Pullups: 12-18 reps, not sure - sets of 3 betwixt.
DB flye with 35s: 5x10 SS with squats.
Curls: 40 or 50 total reps with light weight.
BSS: This murdered me but it’s the moneymaker right now. 5x10 per side. 30, 0, 30, 0, 30lb. The undulating weight makes it bearable, and this is progress from last week; but I hate these so freaking much.
Side note. For me right now, 5/3/1 is like having a religion. A set of rules/guidelines to follow, a bit of freedom of choice within constraints, an ultimate goal,.a long journey, don’t have to think much, and can just lock out the temptations of other approaches.
I know it’s not the way-truth-life, there are plenty other ways that lead to (metaphor meaning both heaven and goal weights, and therefore also hell). But sticking with it is easier right now, with all the stress, than thinking for myself.
Another side note that popped into my head during the session. What if I spent 6 months or a year with a load limit of 135lb. I’d be forced to really shake things up. Crazy high volume on most movements; lots of power cleans; insane reps for DL/SLDL; heavy weighted BSS; super heavy curls; high volume rows; and with no main lifts going heavy, maybe Press would progress too since it’s the one lift that could be maximally loaded. Would be an interesting experiment. And would pair well with conditioning, even running. And wouldn’t tax the lower back or knees at all. Just a thought.
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The ultimate accumulation block? It’s so crazy, it might even work.
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Nice work showing restraint and keeping your eye on the true goal. This is how you transition from someone who just works out to someone who trains. Quality
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Limitations are freedom. You’re no longer confined to having to do things “the best”, so you can just be creative. I’m tempted SO many times to just scrap my whole gym and get a set of stands and a barbell and just see what I can do. A return to minimalism can be refrehing that way.
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DOMS update:
Light pec soreness which feels awesome. As expected, glutes sore from BSS. Strangely, like last week, right glute more sore than left. I think my stance is not symmetrical when I switch legs. Maybe I’ll do right side first next week - gotta remember that!
Life update:
I’m proud of this.
Since we had our 4th child, I had been the one getting cranky and resentful and stressed. Too much to do, not enough time, really struggling with it. A few weeks ago I was what my wife and I call “six feet from the edge” (the Creed song) and she called me on it. I decided she was right. She and the kids are “what’s important”, and all the other stuff I want to do, or “need to do”, are generally less important (provided I can earn a living). So since then I’ve been really making time to entertain the kids, actually engage with them instead of just provide for them. @T3hPwnisher and others had a discussion about this recently that may have influenced me here.
So yesterday I realized my wife was “six feet from the edge”, which is really a first for her, a paragon of patience. So I did the right thing. Pretty much blew off work for the day and just dove in to helping her get caught up, watched the kids so she could run, etc. Made her feel amazing, I felt good, kids were happy, and the real reward was when she told me she recognized what happened and was so appreciative of me for doing what I did.
It’s why I have lifting on autopilot with 5/3/1 and very little extra (log activity is way down the past few weeks!). Priorities!
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Nice, dude—that’s a life win right there!
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