Damn sven, I just looked up this program and it is almost identical to what I want/had ranted about in my log. I may end up running this with you after my current program comes to an end!
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5/3/1 & Bodybuilding - c18w1d4
Wednesday - 02 November 2022
Workout: Daily work, calves, & extra conditioning + BB curls, 1725-1810 + 2020-2030 (45 + 10 minutes)
5 rounds of:
a) BPA - red - 10 high + 10 mid + 10 low (per round)
b) Deficit RDL - 135 lbs - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
c) CT’s modified French press - 95 lbs - 10, 10, 10, 10, 10
3 rounds of:
a) 1-pump burpees + 28-kg KB swings - 25 + 25 (per round)
b) Single-leg CR - L/R - 35 lbs - 10, 8, 6
BB curls - 141 (rep PR)
Bah! My mind is already scattered and now I’m in a hurry. Here is the “Cliffs Notes” version:
- There was no real conditioning element in that first circuit; not sure what I was thinking when I wrote that out as my “extra conditioning” last night.
- That said, my conditioning deteriorated enough over vacation that it produced a decent training effect: my HR wasn’t redlining, but it was elevated and peaked in the mid-150s, so… Calling it “good.”
- 150 BPAs in a relatively short period of time are harder than they sound.
- I was hoping to feel the RDLs in my lower back, but mostly it was in my hamstrings; still got blood moving to my PC, so that’s good.
- I forgot to hit my 300+ jump rope reps before and after the other calf work; that’ll have to come later, or maybe tomorrow (with a penalty, of course).
- The 3 rounds of burpees + swings are make-up and penalty for forgetting to include those before Monday’s walk; they were not supposed to be today’s “extra conditioning” work.
- Sliding the calf raises in there technically means I was resting between rounds of burpees + swings, which isn’t how I usually do things, but…
- My HR was high (and higher than earlier), peaking in the upper-160s, so we’re calling that “good” too.
- I still intend to hit 141 unbroken BB curls as some point tonight.
- The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Okay, I’ll edit in whatever else I get to, assuming I actually get to it!
Edit: Man, oh man—I did not want to do that! But 141 unbroken is now in the books. And, wow, I am out of practice: that took an agonizing 7:43! No pausing at the top, though, and I did a GREAT job of lying to myself about quitting after, “1 more rep.” I think I probably said that close to 141 times, haha! Also, for the record: I don’t do penalty reps for delaying these curls anymore—I did that once awhile back and my right elbow hasn’t been the same since… Still, I’ll get the whole sequence in by year’s end and we’ll call that, “Challenge met.”
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@antiquity - You are tempted. Very, very tempted… Don’t wait, join me!
@boilerman - Hell yeah, dude! Jump in and join the fun. I’m only a few days in, so you haven’t missed much. How much longer do you have on your current programming?
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If I were to run a straight program now, it’d be that one. We’ll see… I’ll do it vicariously through you for now.
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I’m halfway through week 9 of a 12 week block, so 2.5 weeks left. I definitely want to run 531+BB I just need to see how I make out with this current one. If I blow my previous PRs out of the water, it may have to wait another 12 weeks haha.
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5/3/1 & Bodybuilding - c18w1d5
Thursday - 03 November 2022
Workout: Chest & triceps, 0520-0640 (80 minutes)
Indigo-3G - 0500
Surge - 0530-0622
Warm-up
Throws + jumps
Begin: 0540; End: 0636; Duration: 56 minutes
Bench - 110x5, 135x5, 165x5 | 190x3, 220x3, 245x4
Dip - 75 lbs - 10, 10, 8 + 2, 7 + 2 + 1
DB flye - 2x40 lbs - 5; 2; 2x35 lbs - 5, 12, 8 + 4, 7 + 3 + 2
Band pushdown - red - 20, 20, 20, 20, 16 + 4
Push-up - 25 + 5 + 5, 15 + 5 + 5, 11 + 4 + 5, 8 + 5 + 4 (97 reps)
BFP - red - 30, 30, 30, 30, 30
Semi-fasted: black coffee upon waking, then Indigo-3G and Surge as above.
It’s a good bodybuilding day when you hit failure A LOT, right? Had to rest-pause almost everything by the end, and now I am beat!
Warm-up sets in 4 minutes, main work in 5 minutes, and the “supplemental” dips in 10 minutes. Bench moved fine, particularly since it’s been awhile. Dips were just about perfect: I don’t mind rest-pausing these moves in the early days of this template—I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: That leaves room to grow! I hit genuine failure on that mini-set of 2 reps in the last set: I was part way up on the 3rd rep and I just collapsed. I’m going to need to watch that—too easy to get hurt that way.
Fumbled around with the weight and setup on the DB flyes, basically alternating between a slight incline and a flat bench on those. I think 2x35 lbs is the right weight moving forward, but I’m not sure yet about incline v. flat: My left shoulder felt grindy on almost all of the sets, and it was sometimes worse on incline, sometimes on flat. Could be the weight is still just a touch heavy, too.
Pretty pleased with the push-ups: 97 reps overall isn’t too bad. I’d like to add a rep or two each time, so 97 is now the target to beat. I hit a wall with the band pushdowns there at the end, but again, that’s how I know I was working hard throughout. The BFPs were today’s daily upper back work, and I was happy with how strong they felt, even at the end.
I’ll get in some easy conditioning (burpees + swings and a weighted vest walk) and yesterday’s forgotten jump rope reps (with a penalty) later today.
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5/3/1 & Bodybuilding - c18w1d5
Thursday - 03 November 2022
Workout: Easy conditioning, 1700-1815 (75 minutes)
Jump rope - 500+ reps
1-pump burpees + 28-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Weighted vest walk - 30 kg - 30 minutes
Jump rope - 500+ reps
Okay, that’s yesterday’s jump rope and today’s easy conditioning done. 1000+ reps on the jump rope is harder than you’d think.
Beautiful weather today, so at least the walk was pleasant. Or as pleasant as it can be with 30 kg crushing your traps!
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5/3/1 & Bodybuilding - c18w1d6
Friday - 04 November 2022
Workout: Legs & abs, 0525-0650 (85 minutes)
Indigo-3G - 0500
Surge - 0530-0639
Warm-up
Throws + jumps
Begin: 0545; End: 0644; Duration: 59 minutes
Squat - 130x5, 165x5, 195x5 | 230x3, 260x3, 295x4
BB hack squat - 135 lbs - 15, 15, 15, 15, 15
Leg curl - 75 lbs - 15, 15, 15, 15, 15
Leg extension - 100 lbs - 12, 12, 12, 12
Ab wheel - ramp (19) - 10 + 2, 10 + 2, 8 + 4, 6 + 4 + 2
Upright row - 55 lbs - 15, 15, 15, 15, 15
Semi-fasted: black coffee upon waking, then Indigo-3G and Surge as above.
So the great thing about not squatting on Monday: You don’t have to squat on Monday. But the bad thing about not squatting on Monday? Yeah, you have to squat on Friday.
Warm-up sets in 5 minutes, main work in 6 minutes, supplemental BB hack squats in another 15 minutes. Today’s top set was awful—just absolutely awful. I felt strong through 260: everything was moving and my (beltless) brace was solid, particularly since I haven’t been under the bar in quite awhile. But then I threw on the belt—'cause why not?—and things just fell apart… I think I was so focused on “using” the belt that I just lost sight of everything else—my knees were buckling, my hips came up way too fast, I’m pretty sure I just good-morning’ed the weight up, and I was straining way too hard to do it. I either should’ve put the belt on a lot earlier or just left it off altogether. Live and learn, I guess.
First time out with BB hack squats. The template calls for leg press, but I don’t have one, so that’s off the table. After googling around a bit, I figured I’d try these as the replacement. (BTW, if anyone else has good suggestions for leg press alternatives, please speak up!) I think they fit the bill: the weight wasn’t heavy, but my quads were toast after 75 reps in 15 minutes and I was working hard in each set. Later I was driving back from dropping my kids off at school and I thought, “I could’ve probably done 185 lbs.” And who knows, maybe I could have? But it was a solid effort this morning, so I’m happy with that. Oh, and yes—there’s room to grow!
Ran the rest of it as a circuit, finishing up with the 5th sets of leg curls and upright rows (which were today’s daily upper back work). Got the weights just about right on all of those moves because reps were getting hard at the end of the later sets. Really happy with the ab wheel today even though I had to rest-pause every set: I haven’t done that many continuous reps on those since that “injury” or whatever it was, and I’ve been trying to build back ever since—again, I was working hard on those throughout and it felt good to get more than 6 reps or so at the beginning.
So that’s “Leg Day,” and now all I’ve got left is today’s easy conditioning!
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5/3/1 & Bodybuilding - c18w1d6
Friday - 04 November 2022
Workout: Easy conditioning, 1625-1720 (55 minutes)
1-pump burpees + 28-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Weighted vest walk - 30 kg - 30 minutes
Hah! The push-ups during today’s burpees genuinely hurt—I haven’t had sore pecs in, what? Years, probably. Hooray for Thursday’s “Chest & triceps” workout with 4 sets of push-ups to failure!
Another beautiful afternoon. Today’s walk was just as hard on my traps as yesterday’s, but somehow it felt better overall.
Anyway, that’s it for today. Back at it tomorrow with easy conditioning, daily work, calves, extra conditioning, and more BB curls!
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If you have a dip belt and a landmine or a nice corner to shove the BB into, maybe try some belt squats?
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5/3/1 & Bodybuilding - c18w1d7
Saturday - 05 November 2022
Workout: Easy conditioning, 0525-0620 (55 minutes)
1-pump burpees + 28-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Weighted vest walk - 30 kg - 30 minutes
Fasted. Rest of it to follow throughout the day.
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Weighted sissy squats (or even bodyweight only high reps) are a great quad killer
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5/3/1 & Bodybuilding - c18w1d7
Saturday - 05 November 2022
Workout: Calves, daily work, & extra conditioning + BB curls, 1400-1445 + 1805-1815 (45 + 10 minutes)
Towel hop tabata - 4x40/10
3 rounds of:
a) Single-leg calf raises - L/R - 35 lbs - 10, 8, 6
b) DB gorilla rows - 2x25 lbs - L/R - 15, 15, 15
c) KB swings - 28 kg - 50, 50, 50
Towel hop tabata - 4x40/10
(Half) Cindy WOD - AMRAP, 10 minutes
a) 5 pull-ups
b) 10 push-ups
c) 15 air squats
Rounds: 7 + 19 reps (finished 8 full rounds in an additional 0:31)
BB curls - 142 (rep PR)
Spent the morning tearing out old carpet in the basement—actually started that last Sunday, just after we got back from Florida. Anyway, I made some decent progress on that, so I took a break to get this work in.
Really happy with how everything went, considering. Could bump up the weight on those gorilla rows, though—my upper back was feeling it by the end, but the hardest part of those was maintaining the gorilla squat position!
I’ll edit in the BB curls once they’re done: 142 unbroken is today’s goal. But first, I need to finish up in the basement and hit the hardware store.
Edit: That’s that: 142 unbroken in 7:24, which is better than 141 earlier in the week. Getting back on track, one set at a time!
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@T3hPwnisher - Great article this week! My recent job change has left me with No Other Choice: I’m not training at 0330, but it does start earlier than it ever has before, and more often than not, I’m “getting to yes.”
Anyway, that one really resonated with me—thanks for always setting the bar so high!
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5/3/1 & Bodybuilding - c18w1 - summary
Maybe it’s just the change from the other 5/3/1 templates I’ve tackled, but I am loving 5/3/1 & Bodybuilding! Objectively, it’s not all that different: I could certainly choose supplemental lifts that are different from the main lift in most other templates, and I could run the assistance of almost any other template using the movements in this one, but it’s the assistance body-part split that’s the differentiator for me.
In any case, Week 1 went well, particularly since I’m bouncing back from about 3 weeks away from the BB with the Swing Challenge and vacation. Anyway, I’m running this first cycle 3/5/1 and most of the main work went well. Squats are still troublesome, and I don’t like the fact that top sets with a lower TM are so hard these days, but I’m pretty pleased with everything else. Mentally, Pwn’s “chasing effort” helps soften the blow: I’m working hard, and that’s what matters.
I will say that minimum 30-minute weighted vest walks every day is already tedious. Mostly they’re just boring, but my traps are always fried at the end of them, so they can be painful on top of boring some days, too. Prior to this template, I was only walking 3 times a week for only about 15-20 minutes, so I’m hoping my body conditions to the frequent longer walks pretty quickly… I guess we’ll find out, because I’ve still got another 5 weeks (at least!) of these.
I also made some progress on catching up with BB curls, so if I can do that again this week, I should be back on track coming into Week 3.
Despite a decent first week back, I am NOT eating enough, plain and simple. I only got breakfast 3 days this week, and I’m so full after dinner I’m having a hard cramming down the pre-bed snack. I managed some extra (junk) calories on Tuesday and Friday evening by raiding my kids’ Halloween stash for some Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups—there’s always from for Reese’s, am I right?—and my daughter had a friend over last night, so we went out for ice cream, but some candy and ice cream does not a gaining phase make…
Besides, I don’t really want to do it with junk food. I don’t think it hurt too much this week because my calories were way too low to begin with, but I need to adjust this week to get enough quality food in me to grow.
Okay, so that was Week 1, now on to Week 2. My goals are:
- Complete all 4 lifting workouts
- Do a 30-minute weighted vest walk every day
- Hit my upper back with a high-rep movement every day
- Complete 3 days of hard conditioning & direct calf work
- Eat more and eat more quality foods
Not much more to say, except that some additional food prep—and breakfast via @atlas13’s egg muffins, in particular—should go along way toward hitting that last one this week.
So that’s my plan—time to crush it!
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5/3/1 & Bodybuilding - c18w2d1
Sunday - 06 November 2022
Workout: Easy conditioning, 0650-0745 (55 minutes)
1-pump burpees + 28-kg KB swings - 2x(25 + 25), 25-second rest between
Weighted vest walk - 30 kg - 30 minutes
Fasted.
Between the time change and rolling over for another hour after my alarm this morning, I got an extra TWO HOURS of sleep last night! I’m not unhappy about that, even though it set everything back by quite awhile this morning.
It’s already warm today, but the walk was decent. Tried yet another route, and it was closer to 40 minutes overall—the last hill was particularly killer!
Anyway, now that the old stuff is out of the basement, I get to fix up the water damage and finish prepping for the new carpet install. Shouldn’t be too bad, but I’d much rather sit on the couch all day and watch football. (Haha! Actually I wouldn’t. But there are probably 100 other things I really would rather be doing than working in the basement… C’est la vie!)
So that’s my day. Daily work, calves, etc. will follow at some point—stay tuned!
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Hell yeah dude! I haven’t been able to comment here as much as I’d like, but you’re absolutely living “get to yes”. Glad you dug the post.
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5/3/1 & Bodybuilding - c18w2d1
Sunday - 06 November 2022
Workout: Daily work, calves, & extra conditioning, 1510-1555 (45 minutes)
Towel hop tabata - 4x40/10
3 rounds of:
a) Wendler rows - 90 lbs - 20, 20, 35
b) 1-pump burpees + 30-inch box jumps - 10 + 10, 10 + 10, 10 + 10
c) Single-leg calf raises - L/R - 35 lbs - 10, 8, 6
Towel hop tabata - 4x40/10
Pwn’s Tabearta - 8x20/10 - 65 lbs - 3x3, 5x2
Crushed it!
And I got another rep on the 3rd round of Tabearta, so that’s progress. New goal: add a good, solid rep in each consecutive round each consecutive week, and if I can get to 8x3, bump up the weight and start over. Not sure if that’s within my grasp or not, but it’s something to shoot for!
Oh, I also crushed basement prep AND breakfast prep:
That’s almost 2 dozen eggs, a 1/4-lbs. of turkey bacon, about 6 oz. of grated cheddar, a touch of salt and pepper, and maybe a half-hour of total prep time—BOOM!!!
So who said they only had time for breakfast three days last week!?!
Yeah, that’s what I thought…
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So perhaps I should of mentioned this when I recommended these, but make sure you can handle dairy well before making these TOO much of a staple.
I love ‘em to death, but can only handle 3Muffin breakfasts for about 2 weeks straight until my stomach protests, at which point I come close to breaking the toilet lol
Edit: just read your post and saw that you use a lot less cheese than I did, which will prolly help with the stomach issues. How’s the consistency?
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Thanks for the heads up! I normally eat 2-3 eggs for breakfast every day, so I should be okay. I did add the cheese, but as you point out, not too much. They’re very similar in consistency with how I prep scrambled eggs—not too much moisture. (I like my eggs on the dry side, and I actually left these in the oven an extra 2 minutes to dry them out a little!)
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