Boring But Bulking - a 5/3/1 log

Training Training Logs
21

Off day today, got some conditioning in that I skipped on yesterday.

  • 20 minutes treadmill intervals
  • 6 mile outdoor cycle.

TBH, I’m a little concerned about how abs fit into the program. Having never actually bothered with abs or core work in the past, I’ve a lot to be desired. Is it OK to do things like weighted planks and Landmines, eg things I can do where I’m not wrecking my lower back with (ab wheel/rollouts) or swinging like Tarzan (hanging leg raises)?

Is there a problem in say doing maybe 3x10 on the hanging knee raises and combine that with 3 60s weighted planks on one of the days, then go do 5x10 Landmines on the other?

It’s probably not a big issue, but I said I wanted to do the program exactly as written, although the accessory work is seemingly quite negotiable and variable as detailed in the book.

22

[quote]I_Bleed_Green wrote:
I should have been doing the ab wheel today but I still don’t have one. I guess that’s no excuse, I can try doing barbell roll outsFiber: 128g[/quote]

I use a piece of round steel thru a 5kg plate (with a small plate either side so my hands don’t rub against the moving wheel (blisters otherwise!).

23

And now I have realised the awesomeness of joker sets and FSL’s!

Today I benched 70kg x 3, that may sound insignificant to many of you, but I’ve never benched that kind of weight before. I followed that PR up with benching my first work set 13 times! FSL, is genius!

24

Cycle 1 3’s Week:
Thursday 8th May 2014

Bench Press Day

5/3/1 Bench Press

Bar x 10
30kg x 5
35kg x 5
45kg x 3

50kg x 3
55kg x 3
65kg x 6

Jokers:

67.5kgx3
70kgx3

FSL:

50kgx13

Comments: NEW PR’S!!! Having read both the original 5/3/1 and Beyond throughly I think I’ve finally begun to get a grasp of “knowing thine own self” in regards to feeling when I’m on to a good thing during training, and therefore knowing when to push myself. This is without a doubt the best bench press session I’ve had so far. I went in with the plan to defeat my previous 5RM (bare minimum, today, since it’s only my second week of 5/3/1) on the PR set, having did this, I decided to push for jokers to see just how much I had improved. I then ended by going 13 reps FSL.

BBB Military Press

Bar x 5
Bar x 5
30kg x 10
30kg x 10
30kg x 10
30kg x 10
30kg x 10

Comments: I opted to try Jim’s recommendation of lifting with a false grip. It’s never the best, I’m extremely critical of myself when it comes to executing the lift, since even standing with de-rounding my kyphotic shoulders in mind just looks plain shit. However, I’m not going to be one of those who gives up lifting and spends hours working on shoulder mobility, adapt along the way. Here’s how I got on using false grip:

Barbell Rows

40kg x 10
40kg x 10
40kg x 10
40kg x 10
40kg x 10

Comments: I prefer this exercise to DB rows, there’s just something more symetrical about it, and I really need that, given my postural difficulties.

Barbell Curls

20kg x 10
20kg x 9 (and 1 cheat)
20kg x 9 (and 1 cheat)

Comments: Again, aiming for symetry, I also seem to find it much easier to engage more of the bicep with the barbell than I do with DB’s. Having never done any curling of the sort prior to commencement of 5/3/1, it’s been a humbling experience thus far, although one that’s always fun.

BW Dips

x 10
x 9
x 6
x 6

Comments: Think that bench session cost me some tricep power today. Still, rather than complain about not getting 3x10 (my continual and current goal with dips), I decided to simply do an extra rep on the last set. So progress was made after all!

Final Thoughts: I love 5/3/1, it’s simple, yet so well thought out with multiple avenues of progression instilled into it to be implemented nearly every session!

25

Cycle 1 3’s Week:
Friday 9th May 2014

Squat Day

5/3/1 Squat

Bar x 5
Bar x5
40kg x 5
50kg x 5
60kg x 3

70kg x 3
80kg x 3
90kg x 4

Joker Sets

95 x 3
100 x 2

FSL x 3

70 x 10
70 x 5
70 x 4

Comments: Brutal, I’ve never pushed myself before like I did on the FSL today. My best 5RM prior to picking up 5/3/1 on the squat was 95kg. Something spooked me on the PR set, 90kg should have been manageable for more than 4 reps, it’s still a PR in the context of 5/3/1, so I chose ot get some extra volume in as I felt good following the set. My problem has always been that once the weight gets too heavy, I start to get this slight forward lean coming out of the hole. I’ve heard it from everybody, always trying to diagnose it as “weak glutes”, “weak core”, “weak quads”, “weak this and weak that”, but in actuality, might I just be a crappy squatter?

This is where my obsession with low bar squatting comes into play. Based on how I’m built and my tendency to learn forward when it’s really heavy, shouldn’t I make the switch? Anyone with experience care to shed some light, most grateful here!

So, some positives

  • I’ve never made 100kg for more than a single rep before, so this was a new PR.
  • I mentally challenged myself and my fortitude by squatting 70kg for a 10 rep set.
  • I made an additional two FSL sets following this.
  • I survived the BBB Deadlift following this.

Here’s a video of my 5/3/1 sets for anybody to take a look at: - YouTube

BBB Deadlift

50kg x 5

70kg x 10
70kg x 10
70kg x 10
70kg x 10
70kg x 10

Comments: Same as last week, brutal but awesome and a great way of continually developing technique.

(no abs were done today… I literally crawled home following this workout)

Concusion: Lot of self criticism going on, but in light of what I percieve to be failings, I made some big achievements where fortitude and mental focus are concerned. This is what I love about 5/3/1, even on a shitty day, there’s so many opportunities to achieve, and to notice those achievements. Would love to get some feedback on my Squat qualms.

Thanks!

26

Had a pretty good day deadlifting today, will stick the log up (and yesterdays) at some point today. I am somewhat concerned about my caloric consumption (4500-5000 - legitimate, I am NOT an undereater!) daily…

27

Cycle 1 5/3/1 Week:
Monday May 13th 2014

Military Press Day

5/3/1 Military Press

Bar x 10
25kg x 5
30kg x 5
35kg x 3

40kg x 5
45kg x 3
50kg x 6 (PB)

Joker Sets

52.5kg x 1
55kg x 1
57.5kg x 1
60kg x 1 (PB)

Comments: Great session, done completely with the false grip. Got 6 reps with no cheats on the PR set today! Feeling strong, hit some jokers up and went as far as I could. Finished it by pressing 60kg. To think, a month ago I wouldn’t have made it near that!

BBB Bench Press

Bar x 5

35kg x 10
35kg x 10
35kg x 10
35kg x 10
35kg x 10

Comments: This was far too easy today, it felt like I was just screwing around with the weight. I’ve been thinking that one of the other BBB options (perhaps 5x5?) may be better suited to the Bench in the next cycle? What does everybody think, given that it’s only going to go up by 5lbs otherwise…

Lat Pulldowns

55kg x 10
60kg x 10
60kg x 10
60kg x 7
60kg x 9
60kg x 4

Comments: 55kg felt pretty easy on the first set. Went up to 60kg, was ok for the next couple of sets. Only managed it for 7 in the fourth set, got 9 in the fifth set with a bit of oomph, then did a final set to get my reps in.

BB Curls

20kg x 10
20kg x 10
22.5kg x 10

Comments: 20kg felt very easy today, I blitzed through the first couple of sets, so I added on 5lbs extra, still felt reasonably doable, but slow and steady, don’t want to get too ahead of myself.

BW Dips

x 9
x 9
x 7
x 6

Comments: Still not getting that 3x10, but I’ll be damned if I don’t do the reps! My bodyweight has slightly increased, so it may be down to that, coupled with fatigue and my tris simply not being strong enough and still getting used to doing this amount of work where dips are concerned. Regardless, I give it my best every session, you can’t win em all.

Conclusion:

Made some good progress today, pretty happy!

28

Cycle 1 5/3/1Week:
Tuesday 13th May 2014

Deadlift Day

5/3/1 Deadlift

60kg x 5
75kg x 5
90kg x 3

115kg x 5
125kg x 3
140kg x 4

First Set Last

115kg x 8 (PB)

Comments: Decided today warranted the belt on the two heaviest sets. A good decision, I felt a lot stronger and far more confident doing them. Felt great after the 140x4 and decided to end it with a FSL. I’ve never pulled more than 75kg for anything above 5 reps, I suspect I could have gone to 10 with the 115, but I was fatiguing and didn’t feel like playing chance with Mr Failure today. I’m learning all the time about how to appropriately manage myself during training.

BBB Squat

Bar x 5
Bar x 5

50kg x 10
50kg x 10
50kg x 10
50kg x 10
50kg x 10

Comments: Getting used to these now, always a challenge! I did experiment doing the first couple of sets low bar. I’m not sure it’s for me though, don’t get me wrong, I can do it, I just feel more comfortable in the style that I’ve learned, namely a high bar squat with a slightly wider foot positioning.

Weighted Planks

10kg 60s x 3

Comments: Some ab work, I’m still having difficulty with the hanging leg (or knee in my weak-ass case) raises, so after massacring a set of HLR’s, I went and did some weighted planks. Anything is better than nothing, doing what I can do, alongside practising what I can’t seems to be the way forward

Conclusion:

Good session, definitely feeling a lot stronger.

29

I’m considering bumping BBB up to 60% of Training Max next cycle, at least where Bench and Press are concerned. My upper body strength has really shot up in the past couple of weeks and I simply wasn’t finding the BBB Bench challenging the other day!

30

If its not challenging, maybe try joker sets if you have the capacity? & keeping the BBB the same?