Session didn’t move as fast as I would have liked on the assistance work but since it took me a good few minutes to figure out how to set up my lunges (first time doing those lol.)
Bit of troubleshooting needed here with that press. This is the lightest week and I still just can’t get the reps. With the squat, it’s like you have enough muscle groups involved to force your way through the set, but with the press, once my shoulders give out they’re gone for good. What should I do?
That brings us up to date. Today was off from weights. Morning cardio - 10 minute run. Probably could have gone easier on this, but yeah I didn’t go full out either. Scared a few rabbits out of the bushes though, hahaha. And yeah I know I said I’d do 20 minutes of running… but that is a bit too long, especially when I’m going off time rather than distance (which I can’t do because I’m running in a different location to usual, with some irritating gradients.) Also did 60 or so band pullaparts in the morning.
Also currently investigating commandeering a small 8 metre pool to keep my swimming going during the holidays. Obviously, normally, I wouldn’t be able to get much actual swimming done in an 8 metre backyard pool, but getting a swim tether or swim bungee cord might allow me to at least get a decent workout, even if it’s not quite the same. I’ll need to buy one for that of course - never actually used one before though so it’ll be interesting if I do go ahead with it.
Some more thoughts on Beefcake. I’m still trying to figure out how to sort out this pesky press. It’s problematic because I’m not getting the full 5x10 benefits. If anyone has any thoughts then I would really appreciate it. Eat and sleep more comes to mind of course, but if there’s anything else then please do share your thoughts!
But, on the whole am enjoying the new program, and am looking forward to deadlifts tomorrow.
One more thing: I know the 2021 T-ransformation challenge has started, and it may seem very convenient that I’m starting my bulk on the exact date the challenge begins so in case anyone’s wondering why I’m not taking part in such a conveniently timed challenge, the main reason is that I very much refrain from posting photos of myself online, especially on public forums - just not comfortable with it. So I’m not going to be formally taking part. But I’m going to be going just as hard, fighting it through the duration of the challenge with all the participants anyway!
I don’t think it’s possible to use “too much glute” on just about anything. They’re the biggest muscle in your body and the strongest. Paul Anderson was famous for the quote “the man with the biggest butt is the strongest”. Squats will grow them, especially squats with the bar on your back vs a front squat. They’ll grow quads too for sure, but you’re gonna see growth all over your lower body.
Regarding the press: how is your week structured as far as lifting goes? Reason I ask is that you’re squatting and then pressing the next day. Some trainees find that holding a barbell in the squat position on their back can be fatiguing in the shoulders, and to go from a day of 8 sets of squatting with high reps to pressing the next day could just be exhausting the shoulders too much compared to having a day off in between. The other solution, of course, is lowering the training max on pressing. You could also take longer rest periods. There is also the “Malcolm X approach” of Jim’s, which is to get the 50 reps in “By any means necessary”, so take as many sets as possible on the press to get your 50 reps in.
I structure my weeks the way you described in your post. Squat and deadlift are always followed with 1-2 days off.
Might be worth trying to switch your squat and press day around. I also find that the DOMs that rows give me make my upper back feel better during squats, like I can feel the tightness, and if I’m not bracing correctly.
Interesting, did not know about that quote. I definitely do use my glutes a lot when squatting (thanks to stupidly long legs and a short torso). But yeah I never thought of it that way.
Squat - press - off - deadlift - bench - off - off is my structure. I didn’t really think it through that much though, just took it straight off Jim’s article. As far as fatigue from the squat goes, I don’t think it’s a significant problem… my 5’s PRO sets on press felt pretty strong and fast. And I’ve always been very poor at high reps on the press, regardless of training setup.
I like the Malcolm X setup idea. However for now maybe I should just do the most obvious thing and increase rest time, since I think I still have time to spare. If the supplemental starts to drag on too long (like 20-25 mins) I’ll use the Malcolm X setup or lower the TM.
Ha, I get more upper back DOMS from squats than rows lol. But yes I will experiment with swapping the days too if I’m still struggling.
Since this is Wendler’s program- I recall reading somewhere in 5/3/1 Forever where he describes that most people suck at pressing because they just don’t press all that often- it’s a movement that most people don’t train instinctively. Ergo, I think it’s essential that you hit all 5x10.
Make sure you get sufficient rest in between the main ramp sets; try not to go into the BBB sets with any fatigue in the shoulder since you’ll get plenty of that in said BBB sets. Also utilize the full 20 minute window. Heck, I suggest you do this for all the BBB sets.
If this doesn’t work then I suggest you keep the same TM but further reduce the BBB weight. Progress by increasing the BBB weight until you get to using 65% of TM. Increase TM once you can do this. It sounds like need practice with moderate rep pressing, just so your shoulder area/upper back actually has the stuff it needs to be able to do press for moderate reps.
Gotcha, I will keep those tips in mind. Yes it did occur to me to run the BBB sets with a lower % of the TM, I think that’s how the original BBB worked anyway. What I’ll do, then, is increase the rest first; if that doesn’t work, I’ll lower the % of TM I’m using for the BBB as you describe; and then, if that fails too, I’ll either utilise the Malcolm X approach or lower the TM entirely.
Two more sessions plus some cardio to report on - deadlift and bench. Had absolutely no free time the last few days, hence the delay!
First session -
04/01/21
Deadlift
Warmup: 60kgx5
Set 1: 78x5 (5 @65%)
Set 2: 90x5 (5 @75%)
Set 3: 102x5 (5 @85%)
BBB: 78x10, 10, 10, 10, 10
Assistance –
Superset: 50 reps Chins 9, 6, 6, 4, 3, 5, 4, 5, 4, 4 (11 sets) with 50 reps Dips 11, 9, 9, 8, 7, 6 (sort of messed up this set since the chairs slipped) (6 sets)
2 sets pullovers
Notes:
Main sets dead stop, supplemental is touch and go. TnG isn’t as bad as I thought actually haha (in terms of how the technique and form feels). I think this setup will be just fine.
Tried pulling with a double overhand grip on the supplemental - worked for about 5 reps in the first set and then I put the bar down and switched to hook grip, because that was completely unsustainable. Tried double overhand again on the later sets but had to give up and go to hook grip. I was even struggling with the hook grip towards the end lol.
Dips much better today - more engagement in the chest. Chins took ages though, and I was resting for a good 2-3 minutes towards the end between sets just to keep going. Still, great feel in the back. But the grip and forearms are struggling with doing all those chins - hopefully they will be forced to adapt.
Soreness the next day: hamstrings a bit, which is normal with deadlifts for me (despite never feeling them during the session lol) and upper back/traps a bit, which is more unusual. I suspect high-rep deadlifts are the cause, since I remember having the same feeling in the first sessions I ran of Coach Thib’s 20 Minute Muscle Builder, which had a 20-rep deadlift set.
Warmup: 20kgx10
Set 1: 44x5 (5 @65%)
Set 2: 51x5 (5 @75%)
Set 3: 58x5 (5 @85%)
BBB: 44x10, 10, 9, 9, 8 superset with rows 54x12, 10, 10, 10, 8 (ish) (almost 20 mins for supplemental and rows)
Assistance –
Alt. BB lunge 40x2x12/leg
2 sets pullovers
(Had to skip arm work and abs I was planning to do them the next day but I had absolutely no time.)
Notes:
Took the full 20 mins today for supplemental and still couldn’t get 5x10. We’ll try again next week and if things go south we’ll adjust.
Cardio for today and yesterday:
Yesterday 06/01/21 - I was planning to do some runs but as I’ve mentioned, I had no time, so I did 4 minutes of tabata burpees before bed. Yesterday was also a low-carb and lower calorie control day… reminded me how much I hate dieting haha.
Cardio for today, 07/01/20: shuttle runs. I set up 5 markers about 5-10 metres apart and did classic shuttles, so to the first marker and all the way back, second marker and all the way back, etc, stopping when you get back from the last marker. Did that 3 times with about 2 minutes rest - the last one I did sprint to the marker and jog back, just to shake things up. Would have done more but I have squats tomorrow so decided to call it a day. Good session, definitely got a good workout. Would have liked to have done this workout yesterday and something easier today but yeah.
If you recall, some people including myself mentioned that dips and chins the day before press might be too much and that you should monitor how it effects you. I only do dips and light barbell rows the day before pressing, so maybe consider that.
Yeah, I was actually just thinking about that just now, since I have press day tomorrow… I’m considering doing a restructure. I’ll give tomorrow’s session a go anyway but if things keep going south then I might have to make some changes.
Yesterday’s squat session! Also realised today that my first set weight for squats was 2kg too heavy last week (58 kg instead of 56). Not sure quite how I missed that. Weights were correct today though lol.
08/01/21
Squat
Warmup: 20kgx10, 40x5
Set 1: 60x5 (5 @70%)
Set 2: 69x5 (5 @80%)
Set 3: 77.5x5 (5 @90%)
BBB: 60x10, 10, 10, 10, 10 (time: about 15 minutes.) (I wonder if I could/should even go heavier on these…?)
Dips not quite as good as I would have liked. Not quite getting into the groove, partly because the chairs I’m using as an improvised dip station were slipping about a bit. Chins felt pretty good though.
Legs almost free of soreness as I write this 24 hours later; back feels a little bit tighter but still not sore as such, which is still odd because I never feel anything in my back the day after chins. Looks like my body has adapted to the BBB squats?
Anyway I have the press session now. Will report back later!
There will come a point in time where you wish you had never written that. Enjoy it while you can!!!
Edit: and for something actually constructive- maybe use the sets to work on form tweaks, slower descent into the hole, power out of the bottom etc? Or even do pauses on a couple sets to dial in parallel/wherever you squat to.
Haha, probably true! You’ll have to remind me about this comment when I’m crying about the squats being too difficult in week 6.
Great idea, I might just try that. They’re definitely tough enough without them though! But maybe on the lighter weeks or on the days when I’m feeling strong I could experiment.
So after finishing the BBB sets I was 12 reps in the hole, so I just went “screw it” and used the Malcolm X method. Supersetted these sets with rows too. I basically just kept banging out reps, resting only quickly. Reached 50 eventually - it was pretty intense.
On that note, it looks I might need to adjust my training slightly. Not sure at the moment whether I’m going to lower the weight for the BBB sets or rearrange my training days… the latter may be trickier. I’m enjoying the Malcolm X approach though, I have to say. Definitely ups the ante a little!
Lunges done slightly differently today, in a walking style. Had some space so decided to use it!
Have been doing band pullaparts at various different times throughout the day rather than during my actual sessions, is working well.
Some brief words on diet. I’m struggling at home to secure the high-quality nutrition that I need - when I was cutting it was easy to get two big servings of compliant food and then make that last the whole day, but now since I need more food and more meals, it’s becoming more difficult - high-protein bulking foods are not favourites in my household. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Yesterday, 10/01/21 was an off day. I was scheduled to do some running but I ended up spending two hours digging a trench in a garden (don’t ask) which I decided was hard enough to count as conditioning. I didn’t have much time yesterday anyway so it all worked out in the end. Also, I might just end up doing short sprints instead of longer runs on all my conditioning days - I tend to end up turning the long runs into pretty taxing affairs and they’re a bit boring. Anyway I have deadlifts scheduled for today (yay!), so will report back later.
I cook meat and fish in bulk every couple of weeks, then store in the freezer and fridge. It saves a lot of cooking time, and you don’t have to worry about not having protein available.
I suggest you drop the weight on the BBB sets- it’s much simpler.
Can you buy protein powder? What are foods that you can easily get a hold of and store in large quantities?
Yes that might work. It would allow me to make up my meals more independently from everyone else in the house too, which would be of help.
My thoughts too. Classic BBB uses a relatively low percentage anyway, and that seems to work ok for everyone. It might be a bit tricky to reschedule my training days anyway.
Already taking three servings a day (90g protein). Taking more than that is going to get me a telling off!
Chicken and ground beef are both easy to come by and store. The ideal would be if I could mix up some sort of homemade potion drink thingy that had everything I need.
I was planning to do them the next day but I had absolutely no time.)