Wendler 5/3/1 wave 1, day 2
deadlift
65kg x 3, 3
81kg x 3, 2
95kg x 5
99kg x 5
105kg x 7
65kg x 10 x 5 sets
A1 lying leg raise
12 x 5 sets
A2 db curl
12.5kg (per db) x 10 x 5 sets
Ow. I haven’t deadlifted in quite awhile. I forgot how hard it is. I don’t think I’m going to be able to get out of bed tomorrow.
I put in lying leg raises instead of the hanging ones as my grip was fried from the DLs already.
Threw in curls for beach work plain and simple. I’ve put on enough weight that my arms are clearly lagging behind the rest of my physique (my wife pointed it out), I’ll probably do some direct arm work on the DL and squat days.
MagMo: cat/camel, yoga twist, side twist, bent knee twist, side-lying trunk twist, birddog, scap pushup, fire hydrant, windmill, shoulder dislocations (8-12 reps of each)
bench
20kg (bar) x 5, 5, 10
45kg x 5
53kg x 5
57kg x 5
61kg x 7
36kg x 10 x 5 sets (grip: normal, wide, close, wide, close)
db row
27.5kg x 10 x 5 sets (per side)
2 rounds with 36kg bb weight of (4-5 mins rest):
row x 8
hang clean x 8
front squat x 8
push press x 8
back squat x 8
good morning x 8
tennis ball rolling: feet, calves, glutes
Perfect. The new bar felt great benching. I really felt like I could apply more force to the bar. This really helped on the all-out set. I think I would have only had 6 reps with the old bar. I could also play around with the grip as this bar is a lot longer than my old one.
The complex finisher was murder again. Man, I hate these. I hope it is doing me some good.
I haven’t decided 100% yet, but I think I am going to do the 5-week cycle rather than the 4-week. But the next workout’s (squat) rep range depends on this.
squat
20kg (bar) x 5, 10
45kg x 3, 3
72kg x 3, 2
98kg x 1 (misload, arg)
90kg x 5
94kg x 4
90kg x 6
54kg x 10 x sets
A1 good morning
20kg (bar) x 10 x 5 sets
A2 db curl
12.5kg (per db) x 10 x 5 sets
Not a great session. The misload was annoying, but shouldn’t have been a problem. I also think I did a bit more warmup sets that was really necessary, but that is probably minor too. The problem was that the work sets were too heavy. This didn’t really make sense as I’ve done heavier. Don’t really know what the problem is. If I have to I’ll keep future sets lighter. As it is, I dropped the weight on the 10-rep squat work.
Good mornings were light, but I really focused on stretching my hamstrings. This is an area that needs a lot of work.
warmup+mobility work
OH press
20kg (bar) x 6
25kg x 5
30kg x 3
42kg x 3
44kg x 3
46kg x 7
28kg x 10 x 5 sets (grip: progressively wider)
chins
7, 5, 5, 3, 3 (+0 reps, damn)
2 rounds with 36kg bb weight (4-5 mins rest):
row x 8
hang clean x 8
front squat x 8
push press x 8
back squat x 8
good morning x 8
Good day. No trouble handling the work weight. I upped the 5x10 set a bit too. I’ll probably cycle through approx 50, 55, 60%.
Again, the complexes were hell. I was hugging the floor after the second round. I timed myself and it looks like it takes me nearly 3 mins to get through a round! Yikes. I’m thinking of dropping down to just the plain bar and trying to do more rounds with a lot less rest time. I’m not really sure what is ideal here (or exactly what my goal is), so maybe I’ll alternate between the two techniques.
mobility+warmup
deadlift
45kg x 5
65kg x 5
95kg x 3 (oops, misload)
99kg x 3
105kg x 3
113kg (249 lbs) x 5 (rep PR)
65kg x 10 x 5 sets (grip/stance: sumo, standard, snatch, standard, sumo)
lying leg raise
12 x 5 sets
db curl
13kg (per db) x 10 x 5 sets
Another good one. Again I probably could have pulled another DL rep, but I’m happy keeping it a bit conservative on this lift. The 10x5 work was not that bad. I decided not to increment it any from last time, but I’m sure I could have handled 70kg. The sumo pulls felt perfect. Even the snatch grip was better than the standard grip. The lower position feels so much better. NB: all sets were done in underwear only. I’m sure this is a valuable detail. Ha!
mobility+warmup
bench
28kg x 5
36kg x 5
45kg x 3
57kg x 3
60kg x 3
64kg x 5
38kg x 10 x 5 sets (grip: progressively narrower - rings to smooth)
db row
28.5kg x 10 x 5 sets (per side)
2 rounds with 36kg bb weight (4-5 mins rest):
row x 8
hang clean x 8
front squat x 8
push press x 8
back squat x 8
good morning x 8
hamstring and calf stretching
Solid day. I don’t normally lift on Tuesday, so I didn’t start till 9 PM or so. But everything went well.
I think the top bench set was a rep short of a rep PR, but I’m satisfied. I really need some progress on this lift. It’s shit.
The complex rounds still sucked, but I think they were a bit easier than the last few days. I briefly contemplated doing a third round. Maybe in another week. It could totally be in my head, but I feel like my recovery between sets is improving overall.
Squatting tomorrow.
mobility+warmup
squat
45kg x 5
55kg x 5
65kg x 3
85kg x 3
90kg x 3
95kg x 7
60kg x 10 x 5 sets (stance: progressively narrower)
A1 reverse lunge
4kg (per db) x 6 (per side) x 5 sets
A2 db curl
13kg (per db) x 10 x 5 sets
Solid day. I couldn’t lift yesterday after all, but this worked well. Squats felt fine. I probably had another rep if I really wanted it.
On the 10x5 the widest stance set of squats felt great. I couldn’t hit my normal depth, but parallel was no problem. I really felt these stretch my hips and hammies. They felt ridiculously light this way. Interesting discovery.
The lunges were really light but my focus was ROM and balance so they were fine. My plan is to progress them by stepping off a platform, so weight is not really the issue.
mobility+stretching
OH press
20kg x 6
25kg x 5
30kg x 3
40kg x 5
44kg x 3
49kg (108 lbs) x 6 (rep PR)
30kg x 10 x 5 sets (grip: progressively narrower)
chins
6, 6, 4, 4, 3 (+0 again, ugh)
2 rounds with 36kg bb weight (4-5 mins rest):
row x 8
hang clean x 8
front squat x 8
push press x 8
back squat x 8
good morning x 8
Good day. No trouble pressing. There is a chance I did 7 reps instead of 6. Sometimes I lose count. Doh. Anyway, I’ll err on the conservative side. The 10-rep sets were done at 60% and were no joke. Going wide to narrow grip was smarter than the other way around. The widest set is pretty tough.
I was hoping for another chin rep. I guess hitting the same as last time is fine considering I did more work coming into it. The 70+ reps of pressing does enough to weaken my grip and forearms.
Should be deadlifting tomorrow.
mobility+stretching
deadlift
45kg x 5
65kg x 5
81kg x 3
94kg x 5
105kg x 3
118kg (260 lbs) x 3
70kg x 10 x 5 sets (grip/stance: sumo, snatch, standard, snatch, sumo)
A1 lying leg raise (approx 90 secs rest)
12 x 5 sets
A2 db curl
13.5kg (per db) x 10 x 5 sets
Not too bad. I was not feeling super fresh today, but I was still able to pull for 3. Not a rep PR, but it didn’t kill me either. I might try to mix up my grip on the final set from now on.
The 10-rep sets were not easy today. I won’t be able to do much more than 70kg right away.
I won’t deadlift the day after chinning again. My lats and grip did not feel 100% today. If I do back-to-back days again I’ll probably start with the lower body day. I can usually get away with upper body work when I’m sore/tired. Less so for lower body.
mobility+stretching
bench
25kg x 5
36kg x 5
45kg x 3
53kg x 5
60kg x 3
68kg (150 lbs) x 2
40kg x 10 x 5 sets (grip: progressively narrower)
db row
30.5kg x 10 x 4 sets (per side)
30.5kg (67 lbs) x 16 (per side)
2 rounds with 36kg (79 lbs) bb weight (4-5 mins rest):
row x 8
hang clean x 8
front squat x 8
push press x 8
back squat x 8
good morning x 8
Solid day. I hoped for a third bench rep, but I lost my setup on the second rep and just was not tight enough for a third. On the other hand, it didn’t feel all that heavy and I think technically 68kg is the most I’ve ever had on the bar before (I’ve never really done less than 5-rep sets on bench in the past). The 10-rep sets felt really light.
Rowing was good. I decided to rep out the last set. I’ll probably continue to do this when I row.
The complex I’ve been doing does not seem to be getting much easier. I do feel like I am recovering faster between normal work sets though. Although that could be an effect of the BBB sets. I am strongly considering finishing every session with these complexes (instead of curls on the lower body days). They are unpleasant enough that they must be doing something for me!
Today’s HFT article was interesting. I’ve been thinking about trying something like this for chins and push-ups for some time now. Maybe I’ll give it a legit shot. One set of each per day.
mobility+stretching
squat
40kg x 5
57kg x 5
65kg x 3
80kg x 5
90kg x 3
100kg x 5
64kg x 10 x 2 sets (stance: wide, normal)
60kg x 10 x 3 sets (stance: normal)
Had to cut it a bit short, but everything went well today. Just a rep short of a PR. I’m starting the deload (probably tomorrow).
(deload)
mobility+stretching
press
20kg x 5
25kg x 5
30kg x 5
34kg x 5
deadlift
45kg x 5
65kg x 5
73kg x 5
85kg x 5
db press
12.5kg (per db) x 10 x 2 sets
chins
5 x 2 sets
db pull through
12.5kg x 10
22.5kg x 10 x 2 sets
lying leg raise
12 x 2 sets
Good day. Not much to say, everything was pretty easy. I’ll probably do two more deload days and start my next cycle this weekend.
For the past few days I’ve been doing some HFT stuff outlined in Waterbury’s recent article. Basically every day I am doing a set of chins for max reps, a set of push-ups with 12.5kg for max reps and 10 reps of ghetto GHRs focusing on lengthening the ROM. I do this every day. On the non-training days I also add my normal mobility and stretching. I’m going to give this 3 weeks or so and see where it takes me. I won’t be recording this stuff here, it would just clutter things. When I finish I’ll post my progress.
(deload)
mobility+stretching
bench
30kg x 5
36kg x 5
45kg x 5
50kg x 5
db bench
17.5kg (per db) x 10 x 2 sets
db row
30.5kg x 10 x 2 sets (per side)
db turkish get-up
22.5kg x 5 (per side)
Another easy deload day. I’ll probably do the squat deload tomorrow and start my next cycle on Saturday. I’ll likely be too busy to lift on Sunday and I don’t want to put things off till Monday so this is the plan.
Turkish get-ups were done out of curiosity. Not bad.
(deload)
mobility work
squat
45kg x 5
53kg x 5
65kg x 5
73kg x 5
bb lunge
28kg x 8 (per side) x 2 sets
db turkish get-up
22.5kg x 5 (per side)
Decent day. I’m feeling a bit sluggish and my diet has not been great lately. This is not the best sign during my deload. I’ve decided to stop the HFT work. I’m not sure it is causing my problems, but maybe it was not the best idea to try this experiment during the deload. Maybe I’ll give it another shot some time. I think it had potential. I’ll post the stats below (nothing special).
HFT work
May 1:
chins x 7
12.5kg push-up x 7
May 2:
chins x 8
12.5kg push-up x 7
ghetto GHR x 10
May 3:
chins x 8
ghetto GHR x 10
12.5kg push-up x 8
May 4:
chins x 6
ghetto GHR x 10
12.5kg push-up x 7
May 5:
chins x 7
ghetto GHR x 10
12.5kg push-up x 9
Only made it 5 days before dropping it. I think it may have potential for the future, but right now feels like I should do without.
mobility work
OH press
20kg x 5
25kg x 5
30kg x 3
41kg x 5
43kg x 5
46kg x 8
28kg x 10 x 5 sets (grip: progressively narrower) (90 secs rest)
chins (120 secs rest)
5, 5, 5, 3, 3
A1 hang high pull (75 secs rest)
36kg x 8 x 5 sets
A2 burpee (w/o push-up)
12 x 5 sets
Good day. One rep short of a rep PR. I should be able to hit one this week though.
I hoped starting the chins more conservatively would lead to more reps, but no luck. I’ll go back to pushing failure on each set.
Instead of the complexes I’ve been doing I wanted to try this metabolic pairing I saw in a Thibs article. Since the second movement is just bw I can really push myself into the ground. These were not easy. I surprised myself by doing 5 sets though. The article has a nice progression on these if they get too easy.
mobility
deadlift
50kg x 5
65kg x 5
77kg x 3
98kg x 5
102kg x 5 (semi-sumo)
110kg x 7 (semi-sumo) (rep PR)
65kg x 10 x 5 sets (stance: standard, 4 x full sumo) (120 secs rest)
lying leg raise (60 secs rest)
12 x 5 sets
Okay day. I pulled a clear rep PR, but on the first rep I was not well arched and jammed by lower back a bit. It was not really painful, just felt a bit tight after the rep. I decided to complete the remaining reps and sets. Now it is feeling tight, but nothing horrible. I’ll be nursing it tonight. Should be okay, I’ve gone though this before.
Now I’m totally convinced that full sumo is the proper stance for me. My groove feels perfect when pulling sumo, but when I pull semi-sumo or standard I feel crunched up and I worry about my back.
I cut the conditioning work to give my back an early rest. On the other hand, the relatively limited rest on the sets of 10 was a pretty good. Assuming I’m feeling well I’ll bench tomorrow and hit the conditioning again.
mobility+warmup
bench
28kg x 5
36kg x 5
45kg x 3
55kg x 5
58kg x 5
62kg x 6
db bench (60 secs rest)
20kg (per db) x 10, 10, 10, 9, 6 (grip: 2 x standard, 3 x neutral)
db row (75 secs rest)
30.5kg x 10 x 5 sets
A1 hang high pull (75 secs rest)
36kg x 8 x 5 sets
A2 burpee (no push-up, no jump)
12 x 5 sets
Decent. I’ve been off for a week due to pulling my back pretty badly. My bench effort was just short of a rep PR. Not bad considering I was having serious difficulty getting tight on the bench. My hips and back are still pretty tight.
I’ve decided to alter the main assistance a bit. Something between BBB and Triumvirate. I’m also planning to add some extra core work.
Well, I’ve been posting a log here for a year now. I’ll post some progress stats in a bit…
[quote]donpalmero wrote:
mobility+warmup
…
Decent. I’ve been off for a week due to pulling my back pretty badly. My bench effort was just short of a rep PR. Not bad considering I was having serious difficulty getting tight on the bench. My hips and back are still pretty tight.
[/quote]
do you foam roll as part of your pre and post stretching?
[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
donpalmero wrote:
mobility+warmup
…
Decent. I’ve been off for a week due to pulling my back pretty badly. My bench effort was just short of a rep PR. Not bad considering I was having serious difficulty getting tight on the bench. My hips and back are still pretty tight.
do you foam roll as part of your pre and post stretching?[/quote]
Actually it is funny you bring this up. I normally do a bit at the end of a workout hitting whatever felt tight during the lifting (mostly glutes and hammies). However, I usually kinda half-ass it. Just today I thought maybe it is a good idea to make foam rolling a regular part of the warmup. This makes more sense, right?