What is the consensus on the second exercise of the workout being the heavier? I ask because I plan on my leg workouts being alternating days of deficit DLs/rack pulls and squats/zerchers. On squat day, they will be heavier than zerchers. On DL day, though, I will, obviously, be doing more on the rack pulls than the deficit deads.
I thought about swapping them but am concerned that doing rack pulls 1st would leave my back fatigued enough as to contribute to bad form on the deficits.
Thoughts?
I usually have one big, killer lift for the day, do it first, and treat everything else as accessory work. That is the way 5-3-1 is structured, but that is also the way I’ve always done it. Not saying that its the right or only way.
I alternate between fish oil and cod liver oil so as not to go overboard on vitamin A and D (codliver oil has a bunch of A and D).
Deadlift Day-
Back at it. Decided on 5x3 on my working sets. I really had to force myself not to go heavier, for lower reps, just to move more weight. The pull is almost overwhelming, if not detrimental.
Left knee is still bothering me. I tried to do the rack pulls from the bottom pin, but it hurt too much. It wasn’t as bad at the slightly higher level. Once it warmed up, I was able to do deficit deads. Only the first 2 sets really felt uncomfortable and I think that was due to foot angle.
Rack Pulls - from bottom of the knees
barx10x2
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x5
435x5
455x5 - PR +1 Rep
Deficit Deadlifts
225x5
315x5 - knee was hurting this set. You can kind of tell. I am avoiding hitting the knee with the bar.
335x5
350x5 - PR weight
Reverse Flyes
40sx10x3
Laterals
30sx10x2
25sx10
Forward Raises
45#px10x2
I am wiped out. By the time the deficit deads were done I had zero energy, extreme fatigue and a massive headache. Damn I’m a wuss!
[quote]LittleStrick wrote:
Deadlift Day-
Back at it. Decided on 5x3 on my working sets. I really had to force myself not to go heavier, for lower reps, just to move more weight. The pull is almost overwhelming, if not detrimental.
Left knee is still bothering me. I tried to do the rack pulls from the bottom pin, but it hurt too much. It wasn’t as bad at the slightly higher level. Once it warmed up, I was able to do deficit deads. Only the first 2 sets really felt uncomfortable and I think that was due to foot angle.
Rack Pulls - from bottom of the knees
barx10x2
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x5
435x5
455x5 - PR +1 Rep
Deficit Deadlifts
225x5
315x5 - knee was hurting this set. You can kind of tell. I am avoiding hitting the knee with the bar.
335x5
350x5 - PR weight
Reverse Flyes
40sx10x3
Laterals
30sx10x2
25sx10
Forward Raises
45#px10x2
I am wiped out. By the time the deficit deads were done I had zero energy, extreme fatigue and a massive headache. Damn I’m a wuss![/quote]
To PRs and a few tons of volume? No wuss there. Good lifting!
[quote]j_willy3 wrote:
To PRs and a few tons of volume? No wuss there. Good lifting![/quote]
x2! - very nice session and great PRs, big guy!
[quote]LittleStrick wrote:
Deadlift Day-
Back at it. Decided on 5x3 on my working sets. I really had to force myself not to go heavier, for lower reps, just to move more weight. The pull is almost overwhelming, if not detrimental.
Left knee is still bothering me. I tried to do the rack pulls from the bottom pin, but it hurt too much. It wasn’t as bad at the slightly higher level. Once it warmed up, I was able to do deficit deads. Only the first 2 sets really felt uncomfortable and I think that was due to foot angle.
Rack Pulls - from bottom of the knees
barx10x2
135x5
225x5
315x5
405x5
435x5
455x5 - PR +1 Rep
Deficit Deadlifts
225x5
315x5 - knee was hurting this set. You can kind of tell. I am avoiding hitting the knee with the bar.
335x5
350x5 - PR weight
Reverse Flyes
40sx10x3
Laterals
30sx10x2
25sx10
Forward Raises
45#px10x2
I am wiped out. By the time the deficit deads were done I had zero energy, extreme fatigue and a massive headache. Damn I’m a wuss![/quote]
It’s the volume. Once you adapt the poundages will go up. Are you calibrating with these poundage choices?
That was some strong pulling. It looked like you had an appreciative live audience as well!
J-willy, soldog, jjack-
Thanks gents. It didn’t feel like a lot of volume. But it definitely felt like a lot of effort. I was a bit light headed on the last 2 reps of deficit deads.
Yes, the live audience is always nice…unless the get under the bar, or worse, grab it while I’m lifting 
He keeps saying that he wants to be as big and strong as Daddy. I keep telling him that he’ll one day be bigger and stronger. He’s my little warrior poet.
[quote]DaCharmingAlbino wrote:
It’s the volume. Once you adapt the poundages will go up. Are you calibrating with these poundage choices?[/quote]
Calibrating them?
If you mean did I choose a percentage of 1RM for the 5x3…yes. On the rack pulls, 455 was about 87-88% of 1RM. That was too high for all 3 sets, so I started at 79-80% (405), went to about 85% (435), then to the 455. It was a good choice. I could have forced a 6th rep on that set, but it would have been REAL ugly.
On the deficit deads, I didn’t know what to use. The only other time I have done them, I used 315 and knew I could get well over 5 at that. Turns out the 350 was spot on as well. Maybe one more rep in there, but it would have been awful. I don’t do dead day again util a week from Wednesday. I will do 3x3 on that day. I will shift the percentages accordingly.
Wow! My lower back is as stiff as it has been since I started back. It doesn’t hurt like it has, at times. It’s just stiff and fatigued. I must have lucked up and hit it just right. I can feel the muscles strain when I arch back. Good stuff! As long as it doesn’t evolve into actual pain…
Under the “new plan”, I won’t hit the area that hard again for 10 more days. I have squats and zerchers on Friday, but the squats don’t put near the strain on it and the zerchers will be lighter by comparison.
Inconvenient news arrived last night. The time crunch on the new facility has finally taken over. Ovetime (not that I get overtime…bassards salaried me) is going to “be necessary”, so I was told. I HATE it when work interferes with working out! I guess I will have to try to manipulate it to where I don’t work late on workout nights.
Funny part is, the boss is going to annouce this today. I have a Dr. appointment today at 4:30. So I can’t work late…lol. It wouldn’t be so bad except that we (my counterpart and I) had planned to have our part done on 8/1. We aren’t done because condtruction is more than a month behind. Nothing like someone else’s slack becoming your own problem.
What happened to wuss… You worked the crap out of yourself. Good job!
[quote]j_willy3 wrote:
What happened to wuss… You worked the crap out of yourself. Good job![/quote]
Thanks j-willy. I don’t feel quite as wussified today. Looking back, I think it was the number of reps at that % that got me. I’m just not used to 15 reps per exercise at working weight. I’ve been doing 3x3 so long.
Went to see the GP about the thyroid numbers and E2 test, today. While there, I spoke with him about the pain directly under my left knee cap. He said it sounds like tendinitis. I replied, “Great! My left knee, to go along with the tendinitis in both elbows!”
Guess I’m gonna need better anti-inflammatories and good warmups.
Also, DAMMIT!!, we go on mandatory 10 hour days tomorrow. I will spare you my rant, but will say that I am going to have to be creative to get my workouts in. Sometimes I really hate my job.
[quote]LittleStrick wrote:
Went to see the GP about the thyroid numbers and E2 test, today. While there, I spoke with him about the pain directly under my left knee cap. He said it sounds like tendinitis. I replied, “Great! My left knee, to go along with the tendinitis in both elbows!”
Guess I’m gonna need better anti-inflammatories and good warmups.
Also, DAMMIT!!, we go on mandatory 10 hour days tomorrow. I will spare you my rant, but will say that I am going to have to be creative to get my workouts in. Sometimes I really hate my job.[/quote]
Better megadose Omega 3’s and pop some Aleve and L-Arginine. These, YTWL and rubberband dislocates worked on my shoulder. Tough break on the work schedule!
[quote]j_willy3 wrote:
LittleStrick wrote:
Went to see the GP about the thyroid numbers and E2 test, today. While there, I spoke with him about the pain directly under my left knee cap. He said it sounds like tendinitis. I replied, “Great! My left knee, to go along with the tendinitis in both elbows!”
Guess I’m gonna need better anti-inflammatories and good warmups.
Also, DAMMIT!!, we go on mandatory 10 hour days tomorrow. I will spare you my rant, but will say that I am going to have to be creative to get my workouts in. Sometimes I really hate my job.
Better megadose Omega 3’s and pop some Aleve and L-Arginine. These, YTWL and rubberband dislocates worked on my shoulder. Tough break on the work schedule![/quote]
I wouldn’t mind the work schedule so much if it was actually necessary. They are panicking because we are behind. But we are behind because construction is behind. As they are still behind, and we can’t do what we need to, doesn’t seem to make nuch sense for us to be there!
Up to 6g/day of fish oil. Been doing it for several days. Well see if it makes a difference.
Sorry to hear that my Brother. Still strong pulls. Maybe you need some time to deload so to speak. Did you think to ask about your shoulder?
[quote]63Galaxie wrote:
Sorry to hear that my Brother. Still strong pulls. Maybe you need some time to deload so to speak. Did you think to ask about your shoulder?[/quote]
63G- it isn’t a big deal. Just really inconvenient. Not to mention, my Aspie side really doesn’t like changes in routine. We did the same thing 17-20 months ago with a go-live on a new clinical system. That one was frustrating because, since part of the department was actually there doing their job, the boss didn’t think it fair for the rest of us to go home…even though we had long since completed our work. Not to mention, it was 10-11 hour days over Christmas.
Sometimes it is like working in Romper Room. As a for instance, 99.5% of my job can be done remotely (i.e. from home). With my boss, though, if you are not on the premises, you are not working. It pays well, though. Since the wife and I want her to be able to be at home with the kids, it is worth it, in the big picture.
I did mention the shoulder. He didn’t think it too severe, as I do not have any discomfort unless I stress it in certain ways. He mentioned cortisone, but I declined for the time being. He would send me to another doc for that. And I don’t want the co-pay or the time inconvenience. I’m going to give it a bit more time and continue to work the muscles around it to see if it will right itself on its own.
Question for you…in the fed that you lift in, do they allow suicide/thumbless grip for bench? I was reading the rules for AAU, as they have OK meets, and they do not.
How everything is going well down in TX.
Got home tired. Was a very busy day. Another light chest day…
Bench, supersetted with Seated Rows on sets 3-5 and Close Grip Pulls on sets 6-8
Bench
barx15x2
95x15
135x15x5
Seated Rows
160x15x3
Close Grip Pulls
160x15
160x12x2
Tricep Pushdowns supersetted with Incline DB Curls
Pushdowns
60x15x3
Inc. DB Curls
30sx15x2
302x10
That’s it. Had to be short and sweet, as I got home late.
Squats on Friday.
Nothing wrong with that work. How was the shoulder?
[quote]j_willy3 wrote:
Nothing wrong with that work. How was the shoulder?[/quote]
Shoulder felt great. I stayed at 135 and exagerated keeping the arms tucked, to keep stress off the shoulder. I didn’t fell a thing. I think I will stick with this on Sunday and venture up towards 185 on the next Thursday (9/10), just to see how it feels.
I am kind of enjoying going lighter on the upper body and saving the energy for lower.