power clean
22kg x 5
45kg x 5
51kg x 5
58kg x 5
64kg x 5
squat
34kg x 5
58kg x 5
67kg x 5
77kg x 5
86kg x 5 (90% 5RM)
bench
23kg x 5
33kg x 5
39kg x 5
46kg x 5
52kg x 5 (80% 5RM)
pull-up x 5
chin-up x 5
pull-up x 2
chin-up x 4
band leg curl
doubled green (both legs) x 20, 20, 20
Good session. The power cleans were great. I expected them to be a struggle, but my form was solid and they came right up.
This is the end of the third week. The plan is to increment squat by 3kg and cleans by 2kg. I’m holding bench for another week.
squat
35kg x 5
69kg x 5
79kg x 5
89kg x 5
99kg x 5
bench
23kg x 5
39kg x 5
46kg x 5
52kg x 5
59kg x 5
power clean
23kg x 5
33kg x 5
40kg x 5
46kg x 5
53kg x 5
stability ball back extension
20, 20, 20
band push-down
doubled blue x 20, 20, 20
Great. No real trouble squatting. Last rep was not perfect like usual, but I didn’t feel close to failure. This might have been a 5RM PR. Or close to it.
All my squatting is basically full depth. I’m not committed to this or anything, I’m just weaker when just hitting parallel. I can’t get any ‘bounce’ when only going parallel. For the moment, I don’t mind either way, but I would like to develop a PL style squat as well.
In other news, I’m not going to football practice for awhile. I just don’t have time in the evenings right now. I didn’t mention it on here earlier, but I have a newborn son since Feb 7th and that has kinda changed things up. Hah!
bench
23kg x 5
46kg x 5
52kg x 5
59kg x 5
65kg x 3
power clean
23kg x 5
40kg x 5
46kg x 5
53kg x 5
59kg x 5 (90% 5RM)
squat
36kg x 5
51kg x 5
61kg x 5
71kg x 5
82kg x 5 (80% 5RM)
hanging knee raise
15, 12, 10
x-band walks
green band x reps
blue band x reps
Bleh. Another busted bench attempt. This is pretty frustrating.
I just cant get anywhere on this damn lift. I’m going to replace bench with overhead pressing for the next several weeks. I’m not sure it will have a huge carryover, but my press is something I’d like to work on anyway.
I do feel like I’m making progress on my squat and clean, so the program is going somewhere.
power clean
23kg x 5
46kg x 5
53kg x 5
59kg x 5
66kg x 5
squat
36kg x 5
61kg x 5
71kg x 5
82kg x 5
92kg x 5
OH press
20kg x 5
35kg x 5
40kg x 5
45kg x 5
47kg x 5 (3 push-pressed reps)
pull-up x 3
chin x 5
pull-up x 3
chin x 4
plate bench press
20kg x 33, 22, 20
Not bad at all. The power cleans are feeling pretty good. I think anything over 66kg is going to be a PR.
I just went to max on the pressing to get some idea where my max was at. I’ll probably go with 46kg or 47kg. I’m thinking of alternating between 90% 5RM and 100% for the OH press and leaving the 80% day out. If I stall out quickly then I’ll put the 80% day back in.
Threw in the plate press at the end for fun. I wanted to do some dips, but my shoulder complained immediately.
squat
36kg x 5
71kg x 5
82kg x 5
92kg x 5
102kg x 5
OH press
16kg x 5
28kg x 5
33kg x 5
38kg x 5
42kg x 5
power clean
23kg x 5
33kg x 5
40kg x 5
46kg x 5
53kg x 5
ghetto t-bar row
50kg x 10, 10, 10, 10
Excellent. 102 x 5 is def a PR. This program is feeling like a success. I have a shot at hitting a clean PR this week too. Hopefully I can get a few more weeks of this.
I’ve decided that my back/abs are my weak point when it comes to squatting. I feel like I have a few more reps in my legs by the time my back starts to lose it. I’m going to focus my assistance work for these two points.
OH press
16kg x 5
33kg x 5
38kg x 5
42kg x 5
47kg x 5 (104 lbs)
power clean
24kg x 5
41kg x 5
48kg x 5
54kg x 5
61kg x 5 (90% 5RM)
squat
37kg x 5
53kg x 5
63kg x 5
74kg x 5
84kg x 5 (80% 5RM)
A1 ghetto t-bar row
55kg x 10, 10, 10, 10
A2 band pull-apart
doubled blue x 10, 10, 10, 10
db row
27.5kg x 25 (per side)
Solid. Everything moved quickly today. Really feeling good. The back work was pretty good too. I need to get some bigger adjustable dbs and more 5kg plates though. 27.5kg is about the max db I can make right now (without using huge plates and wrecking the ROM).
I’ve got a ways to go, but my goal is to hit a 2-plate bench and 3-plate squat by the end of the year.
Congratulations on the baby. I guess you’re going to get used to training on little sleep.
[quote]theuofh wrote:
Congratulations on the baby. I guess you’re going to get used to training on little sleep. [/quote]
Thanks a bunch!
Yeah, recovery has been less than ideal. Eight uninterrupted hours of sleep is so far from reality these days. On the other hand, I’ve been able to up my calories. He eats every 2-3 hours. I try to eat when he does. I just wish I liked milk as much as he does!
power clean
24kg x 5
48kg x 5
54kg x 5
61kg x 5
68kg x 5 (150 lbs)
squat
37kg x 5
63kg x 5
74kg x 5
84kg x 5
95kg x 5 (90% 5RM)
OH press
17kg x 5
24kg x 5
29kg x 5
34kg x 5
38kg x 5 (80% 5RM)
A1 chins
4, 4, 4, 6 reps
A2 elbow plank
90, 90, 60, 65 secs
Another good session. The 68kg clean was solid and I think it is the heaviest I’ve ever pulled. I should be able to hit 70 next week.
The squats to 90% of 5RM were pretty tiring, but this is typical after going heavy on power cleans. Friday will be interesting.
squat
37kg x 5
74kg x 5
84kg x 5
95kg x 5
105kg x 5 (232 lbs)
OH press
17kg x 5
29kg x 5
34kg x 5
38kg x 5
43kg x 5 (90% 5RM)
power clean
25kg x 5
35kg x 5
42kg x 5
49kg x 5
56kg x 5 (80% 5RM)
Great. Another squat PR. I think this is the 6th week of this program. I had planned 8 weeks, but I’m going to stick with it until I stop making gains. Why quit if it is working?
Had to drop the assistance work today. I’m a bit pressed for time. I’ll probably do an extra session tomorrow. I want to hit my upper back. I also need to work on my right leg. It has been giving me some trouble lately. I’m having a bit of pain behind the knee. I think a tight hamstring is causing it. I’ll do a bit of single-leg work and stretching also.
A1 chins
bw x 3 x 10 sets
A2 lunges
20kg (db total) x 3 (per side) x 10 sets
B1 stability ball back extension
arms on chest x 15, 15, 15
B2 ab wheel
knees on floor x 5, 10, 15
B3 BTN band pull-apart
doubled blue x 15, 15, 15
Finished the session off with some tennis ball rolling on my right leg mostly. And some static stretching. I need to pick up an actual foam roller, the tennis ball is a bit of a pain.
The lunges were light and mostly to stretch out my legs. I alternated sets between long and shorter lunges. I think I should keep regular single-leg work in my program. This stuff really feels right.
OH press
17kg x 5
34kg x 5
38kg x 5
43kg x 5
48kg x 5 (106 lbs)
power clean
25kg x 5
42kg x 5
49kg x 5
56kg x 5
63kg x 5 (90% 5RM)
squat
37kg x 5
54kg x 5
64kg x 5
75kg x 5
86kg x 5 (80% 5RM)
A1 face pull
doubled blue x 15, 15, 15, 15
A2 db pullover
10kg x 10, 10, 10, 10
Good session. Cleans felt a little sluggish and I was pulling a bit with my arms. Hopefully two days off will solve this in time for pulling 70.
I really focused on form on squats and kept a correct knee angle. I really felt it more in my glutes and hammies. I think the lunges yesterday helped this.
I added some more tennis ball rolling after the session. It really seemed to help my right knee yesterday. It is feeling near 100% now. I also did a bit of work around my left elbow and my upper back.
power clean
25kg x 5
50kg x 5
56kg x 5
63kg x 5
70kg x 5 (154 lbs)
squat
37kg x 5
64kg x 5
75kg x 5
86kg x 5
96kg x 5 (90% 5RM)
OH press
17kg x 5
25kg x 5
29kg x 5
34kg x 5
39kg x 5 (80% 5RM)
A1 ghetto t-bar row
60kg x 10, 10, 10, 10
A2 bent-over fly (last two sets seated)
4kg (per db) x 10, 10, 10, 10
A3 push-down
doubled blue x 15, 15, 15, 15
Feeling good. That’s a PR on power cleans and I’m sure I still have more. As these get heavier I’ll probably catch the bar a bit lower. It’d be great to build these to a 100kg 1RM eventually.
Everything else was good. My squat form really seems to be improving lately. The pressing was no sweat.
The bent-over flyes really showed off how unbalanced my shoulder flexibility is. I really need to work on my left side. I finished off the workout with some soft tissue work and shoulder dislocations.
squat
37kg x 5
75kg x 5
86kg x 5
96kg x 5
107kg x 5 (236 lbs)
OH press
17kg x 5
39kg x 5 (oops)
29kg x 5
33kg x 5
44kg x 5 (90% 5RM)
power clean
35kg x 5 (oops)
36kg x 5
43kg x 5
50kg x 5
58kg x 5 (80% 5RM)
ez bar curl
36kg x 5
Another great day. Squat is progressing well. If this keeps up I feel pretty good about hitting 3 plates by the end of the year. Other stuff was fine although I put the wrong weight on the bar twice. Dumb. Curls were for fun/curiosity.
I had planned to do some back work, but I was a bit short on time. I just got a delivery of 160kg of plates this evening. I bought them from a local powerlifter who runs a business reselling used gym equipment. He’s a former Hungarian national bench press champ. We chatted about lifting for awhile and he invited me to come work out at his gym. Granted, I’m weak as hell and the gym is a bit far, but at some point in the future I’d like to take a few trips over there.
OH press
17kg x 5
34kg x 5
39kg x 5
44kg x 5
49kg x 5 (108 lbs)
power clean
25kg x 5
43kg x 5
50kg x 5
58kg x 5
65kg x 5 (90% 5RM)
squat
38kg x 5
55kg x 5
65kg x 5
76kg x 5
87kg x 5 (80% 5RM)
A1 ghetto t-bar row
65kg x 10, 10, 10
A2 sprinter sit-up
20, 20, 20
A3 elbow plank
45, 45, 60 secs
ez bar curl
36kg x 6
Ouch. Not a bad day, just tough. The top set of presses were not perfect, but I’ll take it. The rest of the work sets were fine, but I was a bit sluggish today. I hate lifting in the evenings.
The rows were nice and heavy. Really feeling them in my back. That is not always the case. Man, a superset of 3 movements is pretty damn good for GPP. I was dying at the end of these.
I’ll probably do a bit of foam rolling later. My right calf was acting up a bit. Although generally it has been fine lately. I do have some pretty serious fatigue in my lower back though. Hopefully I’ll be feeling good by Wed.
A1 chin
bw x 4 x 5 sets
A2 db lunge
20kg (db total) x 6 (per side) x 5 sets
db floor press (neutral grip)
10kg (per db) x 10
25.5kg (per db) x 5 x 3 sets (56 lbs)
ez bar curl
36kg x 4
Threw in an extra workout today as I had some time and I might have to make adjustments to my normal routine this week.
I kept it pretty easy on the chins and quit early. Lunges really loosened up my hips.
The floor pressing was totally new for me. I went pretty heavy, I don’t think I could have pressed much more. They felt great though. I’ll def have to try some barbell floor and board pressing in the future.
Finished everything up with some soft tissue work and hamstring stretching.
I was 87kg/192lbs on the scale yesterday. That’s the heaviest I’ve been. Weight gain is not my primary gain, but it is totally welcome. As it is, I’m a good 40lbs heaver than when I first touched a dumbbell a couple years ago. One of these days I’ll have to pose some before/after pics.
power clean
25kg x 5
50kg x 5
58kg x 5
65kg x 5
72kg x 5 (159 lbs)
squat
38kg x 5
65kg x 5
76kg x 5
87kg x 5
98kg x 5 (90% 5RM)
OH press
18kg x 5
25kg x 5
30kg x 5
35kg x 5
40kg x 5 (80% 5RM)
A1 ghetto t-bar row
65kg x 10 x 4 sets
A2 band pull-apart
doubled blue x 10 x 4 sets
Another tough day, but another power clean PR. These were not easy though. Progress has been quite good overall thus the 90% 5RM sets are already past my starting PRs. This makes days like today nasty. I hardly got through the last squat set.
I warmed up with several of the magnificent mobility drills. I should make this a habit. I defiantly have some mobility imbalance between my left and right sides. My left side tends to be tighter just about everywhere.
squat
38kg x 5
76kg x 5
87kg x 5
98kg x 5
109kg x 1, 1 (240 lbs)
OH press
18kg x 5
30kg x 5
35kg x 5
40kg x 5
45kg x 5 (90% 5RM)
power clean
26kg x 5
37kg x 5
44kg x 5
52kg x 5
59kg x 5 (80% 5RM)
db farmer’s walk
51kg (db total) x 80, 80, 60, 50 secs
Not a great day. I was prepared, but just didn’t feel too strong. After the fourth set of squats I knew I was going to have trouble with the top set. Could only do two singles. Last week I hit all 5 reps with 107. Time for a modification.
I’m thinking either of repeating last week’s intensity, but with sets of 2 reps as a deload. The other possibility is to sub front squats for back squats for awhile. Going to think on this.
All the other work sets felt fine. I kept rest to a minimum too. The weather is finally great so I wanted to get outside a bit, so farmer’s walk. My grip is pretty weak, so I didn’t get the conditioning work I hoped for. I had to put the dbs down well before I got tired. They were fun though!
Today:
Complex A
bb row x 8
hang clean x 8
front squat x 8
Complex B
push press x 8
back squat x 8
good morning x 8
Complex C
bb row x 3
hang clean x 3
front squat x 3
push press x 3
back squat x 3
good morning x 3
With 45kg (~100 lbs) barbell weight and 2-3 min rests between individual complexes, I did: A, B, A, B, C, C.
Didn’t have a lot of time today, so I did this complex work instead. My conditioning is pretty poor. I noticed this yesterday while moving furniture and today while throwing a frisbee around with a buddy. Figured this kind of stuff might be a good idea. I can afford to lose a bit of fat too.
The initial plan was to have A and B be a single complex, but after the front squats I was seriously winded, so I split it up.
I’m thinking of starting a new program instead of deloading the 5x5 I’ve been doing. The gains have been good, but it is getting a bit stale. Maybe I’ll return to it after a few weeks. I’m thinking 5/3/1 or Korte’s 3x3 in the meantime. It’d be good to deadlift again. Any thoughts?
Wendler 5/3/1 wave 1, day 1
OH press
20kg x 5 x 2
40kg x 5
42kg x 5
44kg x 7 (edit)
25kg x 10 x 5
chins
7, 5, 4, 4, 3
2 rounds with 33kg bb weight:
row x 8
hang clean x 8
front squat x 8
push press x 8
back squat x 8
good morning x 8
Good stuff. Decided to just jump into the new program. My new bar arrived and I was eager to try it out. I finally have a proper O-bar. Up till now I’ve been using a POS chrome-plated standard bar. The knurling is much better and the diameter is noticeably smaller.
I don’t really know know my 1RMs, so I’m guessing a bit here, but today’s work seemed just about right. The deadlift is going to be a bit more difficult to judge though.
Depending on time, my plan is to do some complexes to finish off the OH press and bench days. I’m guessing the I’ll be too beat up after the 5x10 DL/squatting on the other days.