I still think its the simplest PROGRAM. Workout routine? No. But program? Yeah. No tendo units broken out, no monitoring of MRV, no “pen tap test” to track recovery: just plug in numbers and go.
But the other bro approved to programming is muscle confusion, and thats awesome too, haha
Since this is my baseline, I’m even overwhelmed when you tell me to do 70% on something! My concept of “programming” is do something stuff until you’re tired, and then try to do a little more next week.
Then again, I’m not the sharpest tool…
Although your blog this week finally captured me!
5s PRO, 5x5 FSL - c13w3d7
Saturday - 11 June 2022
Workout: Easy conditioning & deadlift WMs, 0825-0935 (70 minutes)
1-pump burpees + 28-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Bike@120-140 bpm - 10 minutes
Weighted vest walk - 30 kg - 15 minutes
Deadlift - 280 - 13 (rep PR), 14 (rep PR), 15 (rep PR)
Fasted. Not sure what to say here… Back-to-back-to-back rep PRs! A good morning? A great morning!?!
I could tell what was going to happen when I looked at Thursdays WM attempt and saw 12 reps—today’s PR progression was inevitable. I pulled the first set without straps, but my hands were tired, or weak, or tight or something, and I had to do quick grip-resets twice. Screw that. 3-minute break, then strap in and go on the second. It was alright—not great, but at least I wasn’t fighting a slipping bar. 4-minute break, strap in and go again. The first 8 reps felt light as a feather. Then my mind caught up with my body, my HR spiked, and I became conscious of how heavy this barbell thing actually was. But I did it: I got 15 reps, and I did 42 over three sets in something like 10-12 minutes.
Lots left on the docket for today—not the least of which is deadlift recovery, so let’s eat!
Pretty sure those were actually deadlifts!
10/10 persistence!
I confess it took me a minute… But then, genuine LOL!
5s PRO, 5x5 FSL - c13w3d7
Saturday - 11 June 2022
Workout: Calves & daily work + BB curls, 1530-1610 + 1650-1700 (40 + 10 minutes)
Jump rope tabata - 4x40/10
3 rounds of:
a) 1-pump burpees - 17, 17, 17
b) KB swings - 28 kg - 17, 17, 17
c) Pendlay rows - 120 - 10, 10, 20
d) Belted CR - 135 - 25, 20, 15
Jump rope tabata - 4x40/10
BB curls - 123
Ate breakfast, moved furniture, cut grass, ate lunch, and then eventually got around to calves and daily work. It was totally unremarkable, but it is now done. I’ll edit in the BB curls once they’re done.
Edit: And that’s BB curls done. But barely! I was really struggling with grip today, had to take weird rests at the bottom AND at the top. I often daydream about just dropping the bar as I’m working through these, but today I was worried I’d actually drop the bar. Did I read somewhere—here, probably!—that lack of grip strength is an indication of overall fatigue (or something like that)? 'Cause between the first set of deadlifts this morning and these curls, well… Anyway, back at it tomorrow with the start of Cycle 14!
I had this exact though when I read that post.
5s PRO, 5x5 FSL - c13w3 - summary
Yesterday marked the end of a long 1s week. I was tired and sore all week, despite eating and sleeping well. Fact is, I was pushing hard, and it was worthwhile. The top sets were usually hard and slow—probably too hard and too slow—but I was able to rebound on the FSL supplemental sets and get in some good volume. The WMs attempts were stretching me like crazy, which is awesome. I didn’t hit 20 reps on any of them for any lift, and that’s less awesome. I did, however, set a number of rep PRs throughout the week, so they definitely weren’t wasted attempts. I just need to continue working on my rep strength to be able to move those weights for 20 reps.
I also started Indigo-3G and Surge this past week. It’s a little too early to say that Indigo-3G is making a difference in how lean I feel, but I can tell you it’s not hurting: I don’t think I’m getting fat despite eating like a horse! With Surge, however, I can definitely say my fatigue levels at the end of the workouts in which I’ve been drinking it are noticeably lower. I’m still taking it slow and steady for the reasons I mentioned here, but there’s not doubt it’s helped me push harder and longer.
I’ve already commented on concerns that I’ve let my ego creep in with respect to my TMs and “progress,” so I’m correcting that as I move into a new cycle today: my Cycle 14 TMs will remain the same as in Cycle 13 across all lifts.
Even so, I really like the setup I’m running. A few weeks back I said I’d be running Cycle 13 like Cycle 5, Week 2, and I’d run Cycle 14 like Cycle 5, Week 3. In the former, that meant 3 WMs for each lift at 60%/50%70% of the projected Cycle 15 anchor TMs, while here in Cycle 14, it’ll be 2 WMs for each lift, the first at 5% less than FSL and the second at FSL. However, because I was too aggressive in Cycle 13, I’m basing these numbers on my current Cycle 14 TMs, not the projected anchor TMs (which themselves will not be what I originally projected anyway).
My goals for this week are:
My TMs for Cycle 14 are:
Press - 150 lbs
Squat - 335 lbs
Dead - 375 lbs
Bench - 270 lbs
Again, these are the same as in Cycle 13, and my goal here is to master the percentage work over the next three weeks before heading into a deload and the following anchor. (Still thinking Full Body, 5s PRO for that.)
Finally, the Widowmaker weights for Week 1 are:
Press - 100 lbs, 105 lbs
Squat - 220 lbs, 235 lbs
Dead - 245 lbs, 265 lbs
Bench - 180 lbs, 190 lbs
And again, these weights are based on my Cycle 14 TMs: 5% less than FSL for the WM that will cap off each lifting workout, and FSL for the WM that will follow two days later. I’m planning to have more success with these weights than I did in Cycle 13 using the previously projected Cycle 15 anchor TMs—these are still going to be tough, but they should be manageable.
I’m definitely gonna give it all I’ve got, so let’s get after it!
5s PRO, 5x5 FSL - c14w1d1
Sunday - 12 June 2022
Workout: Squat & squat WM, 0955-1115 (80 minutes)
Warm-up
Throws + jumps
Begin: 1013; End: 1103; Duration: 50 minutes
Squat - 135x5, 170x5, 205x5 | 235x5, 270x5, 305x5 | (235x5)x5
Dip - 60 - 15, 13, 7
HLR - 20, 16, 4
Pull-up - BW - 14, 14, 7
Push-up - 30
Good morning - 115 - 15, 10
BPA - red - 10 high + 10 mid + 10 low
Squat - 220 - 20
Assistance totals:
Push - 65 reps
Pull - 65 reps
Single-leg/core - 65 reps
Remember how I kept the TMs the same so I could crush the work sets? Yeah, me neither…
Shifting some things forward a day and moving a few other things around to accommodate my son’s surgery on Thursday. Yeah, squatting like crazy after pulling back-to-back-to-back rep PRs yesterday morning isn’t ideal, but I had to, “Get to yes!”
Oh, and I somehow found 20 reps in the follow-up Widowmaker today, too. But every set was just all-over, full-body hard, kind of like the deadlifts have been recently. I was folding like a cheap suit on the top set—is my lower back shot?—and my knees almost buckled on the last rep. Got through the main work in about 13 minutes, supplemental in 19, assistance superset throughout. Assistance was strong again, so there’s that.
Luckily all I’ve got left today is daily work, the lawn is already done, and there’s no more furniture to move, so maybe I can bounce back for tomorrow’s pressing.
5s PRO, 5x5 FSL - c134w1d1
Sunday - 12 June 2022
Workout: Daily work, 1530-1555 (25 minutes)
3 rounds of:
a) 1-pump burpees - 17, 17, 17
b) KB swings - 28 kg - 17, 17, 17
c) Kroc rows - L/R - 65 lbs - 10, 10, 21
Daily work, done and dusted.
5s PRO, 5x5 FSL - c14w1d2
Monday - 13 June 2022
Workout: Press & press WM, 1105-1215 (70 minutes)
Warm-up
Throws + jumps
Begin: 1120; End: 1202; Duration: 42 minutes
Press - 60x5, 75x5, 90x5, | 105x5, 120x5, 135x5 | (105x5)x5
Decline DB press - 2x60 lbs - 15, 13, 7
Ab wheel - ramp (19) - 18, 16, 6
Chin-up - BW - 15, 15, 5
Band pushdown - red - 30
Bulgarian split squat - L/R - 2x30 lbs - 15, 10
BFP - red - 30
Press - 100 - 13+5+2, 10
Assistance totals:
Push - 65 reps
Pull - 65 reps
Single-leg/core - 65 reps
Woke up feeling better than yesterday, but got into the weight room and had to slog through this one. Pressing felt alright, not immensely strong, but not as weak as it could’ve been. Main work in 12 minutes, supplemental in 16, assistance superset between every set of press.
Got to the WM, started fatiguing around 10, got to 13, and just quit. It got hard and I just quit. Managed to find my head again and finished out the 20 reps as a rest-pause with 15 seconds in the rack between each mini-set. I was very disappointed in my effort, though, so I took 2 minutes to regroup and put up another 10 reps. I had to fight for the last 3 or 4, but at least I actually did fight this time. I was happy with the effort there, it just came too late…
Daily work and the sled later. Planning on some jump rope work and DB front squats between the up and down trips on the sled. It’s also butt-ugly hot and super humid (but not actually raining) today, so that’ll increase this afternoon’s misery!
5s PRO, 5x5 FSL - c14w1d2
Monday - 13 June 2022
Workout: Daily work + hard conditioning, 1435-1450 + 1630-1710 (15 + 40 minutes)
3 rounds of:
a) 1-pump burpees - 17, 17, 17
b) KB swings - 28 kg - 17, 17, 17
c) Pendlay rows - 120 lbs - 10, 10, 21
Lilian - 10 rounds of:
a) Sled push - 25 yds, 135 + sled = 222 lbs
b) 10 DB lateral raises - 2x12 lbs
c) Sled push - 25 yds, 135 + sled = 222 lbs
d) 8 DB front squats - 2x30 lbs
Time: 29:52
Was able to squeeze this in, sled work will follow later.
Edit: Well that was a train wreck from the start: jump rope broke on the very first round, so I had to think quickly (which I’m never any good at) and did 10 air squats, which I thought I’d use to replace the JR reps. Then I realized I was doing DB front squats at the bottom, so air squats seemed a terrible choice. Some light bulb went off, and I thought: “DB lateral raises, that’s the ticket!” So I grabbed some DBs and went after it.
From there, it was, “Pain and misery / Always hits the spot,” over and over again in my head (hence the workout name). DB front squats mixed with a sled push is either a really bad idea, or a really Bad Idea, but I’m not sure which just yet. And 100 lateral raises on press day, yeah, that’s a really Bad Idea.
Timed it just for kicks, and that includes the weird first round and the scrambling I was doing “mid-set.” Still came in under 30 minutes, and I could once again push a lot harder—there was a fair amount of sucking wind after all of those front squats before tackling the trip up the driveway!
Anyway, 500 yards, 100 lateral raises, and 80 front squats—I’ll take it!
5s PRO, 5x5 FSL - c14w1d3
Tuesday - 14 June 2022
Workout: Easy conditioning & squat WM, 0725-0830 (65 minutes)
1-pump burpees + 28-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Bike@120-140 bpm - 10 minutes
Weighted vest walk - 30 kg - 15 minutes
Squat - 235 - 20 (rep PR)
Fasted. This morning’s rain thwarted my plans for a run at the track, so I did Sunday’s easy conditioning work instead. Today was going to be a mish-mash anyway, so no harm done.
Super happy with the effort on the squat WM today. I’m 99% sure that’s a rep PR, too—looks like I hit 225x20 as part of Pwn’s New Year’s Challenge back in mid-January, and then I hit 230x20 in late-April during the Pervertor, Anchor cycle. Either way, I’m pleased with how it went: 11 solid reps, quick regroup after that because I came up kinda funny, 3 more solid reps, then basically doubles for 15-16, 17-18, and 19-20 with about 6-8 breaths between.
I’ve got calves, daily work, and extra conditioning to work in yet today, and maybe Sunday’s bench WM attempt, too, because that’s a normal Sunday lift and things are just weird this week.
5s PRO, 5x5 FSL - c14w1d3
Tuesday - 14 June 2022
Workout: Calves, daily work, & bench WM + extra conditioning, 1225-1315 + 1520-1555 (50 + 35 minutes)
Towel hop tabata - 4x40/10
3 rounds of:
a) 1-pump burpees - 17, 17, 17
b) KB swings - 28 kg - 17, 17, 17
c) Kroc rows - L/R - 65 lbs - 10, 10, 21
d) Belted CR - 135 - 25, 20, 15
Towel hop tabata - 4x40/10
Bench - 190 - 17+5
Pwn’s The Last Castle - AMRAP, 20 minutes
a) Farmer’s walk - 25 yards - 2x87 lbs
b) 6 alternating DB snatches - L/R - 40 lbs
c) Farmer’s walk - 25 yards - 2x87 lbs
d) 10 KB swings - 28 kg
Rounds: 8; Time: 22:21
Funny, I recently said this:
and then turned around and missed on today’s bench Widowmaker! Mostly I’m annoyed—I gave it the ol’ college try, but just didn’t have it in me, I guess. Mis-grooved the first rep, my left shoulder got in my head, had to fight for 17, and then racked it for a brief 15-second pause, after which cranked out 5 more, just because. Trying to keep the end goal in mind, but even though I may be working on being willing to fail, actually failing still sucks…
And now, of course, Pwn is in my head again: Failure is anabolic!
Daily work and calf work was fine. New jump rope won’t be here until tomorrow, so I substituted a towel hop tabata for JR tabata. That certainly did the trick, even if I could feel my hips in a way I don’t with the jump rope. Probably the impact of left-right over the towel v. straight up-down with the jump rope (or really forward-backward for me, because I am an uncoordinated lunk!). I should probably get this into the rotation on a regular basis.
Anyway, I still have The Last Castle to squeeze in, and that’ll either come mid-afternoon or early-evening, because I’ve got some errands to run with my daughter.
Edit: Man, I know it was only the squat WM today that was above and beyond what is normal for Sunday workouts, but today all of that felt like a metric crap-ton of work. Anyway, it’s done and I’m still on schedule for the week. Did 7 full rounds in 19:21, was transitioning to DB snatches when the timer expired, realized I wasn’t going to beat last week’s time after those, and ultimately finished out 8 full rounds about 50 seconds slower than last week.
5s PRO, 5x5 FSL - c14w1d4
Wednesday - 15 June 2022
Workout: Deadlift & deadlift WM, 0955-1130 (95 minutes)
Warm-up
Throws + jumps
Begin: 1014; End: 1115; Duration: 61 minutes
Deadlift - 150x5, 190x5, 225x5 | 265x5, 300x5, 340x4, 340x1 | (265x5)x5
Dip - 60 - 15, 13, 7
Ab wheel - ramp (19) - 18, 16, 6
Chin-up - BW - 15, 13, 7
Push-up - 30
Deficit reverse lunge - L/R - 2x30 lbs - 15, 10
BPA - red - 10 high + 10 mid + 10 low
Deadlift - 245 - 20
Assistance totals:
Push - 65 reps
Pull - 65 reps
Single-leg/core - 65 reps
Miserable day. And that was with half a serving of Surge…
Pulled everything strapless today (except the follow-up Widowmaker), but that’s not the only reason I missed on the top set—I’m just struggling that badly right now. Fought hard for four reps, had to reset my grip between each one, took a 15-second pause after the 4th, tried to pull the 5th but it wouldn’t budge. It’s like my body just said, “No!” I was NOT happy, and almost walked away from it, but I found my head—don’t know how long that took, but luckily not too long—and pulled a “5th” just to finish it off. Anyway, main work in 19 minutes, supplemental in 25, assistance superset throughout.
Press WM and daily work later this afternoon.
Oh, and we got the surgery info for tomorrow, so my current plan is to get up early and knock out Saturday’s easy conditioning so that all I’ll have tomorrow afternoon is calves, daily work, and some kind of extra conditioning. Plans are a good thing, but we may end up flying by the seat of our pants tomorrow, so…
5s PRO, 5x5 FSL - c14w1d4
Wednesday - 15 June 2022
Workout: Press WM & daily work, 1410-1435 (25 minutes)
Press - 105 - 17+4
3 rounds of:
a) 1-pump burpees - 17, 17, 17
b) KB swings - 28 kg - 17, 17, 17
c) CS DB rows - 2x50 lbs - 10, 10, 21
Pretty happy with the effort on that press WM attempt. No, I didn’t get 20 unbroken reps, but I fought hard for the 17th and found a way to bounce back after a strict 15 seconds in the rack for 4 more reps.
The high-rep set of CS DB rows continues to eat my lunch. Shortened ROM by the end again, though for fewer reps I think. I was also really focusing on using my back and not my biceps throughout.
Edit: It’s less than 10 minutes later and a massive exertion headache just set in. Guess I did something right today!
Sugar free Rockstar and 2 excederin tablets was always my go to. You earned that pain my dude!
Just picked up an early Father’s Day gift from my wife and kids:
They did all the craigslist legwork, all I had to do was go get them!
Wouldn’t even know they were used, and we got a pretty good deal—around $1.15/lb, so very nearly pre-Covid pricing, too.
Are you using chalk for deadlifts ?
I am. I just have a weak grip. 
