How big’s that deficit? They are horrible things aren’t they? When I pull from 4" it feels like I am going an upright row haha
25/04/12
5/3/1 Mesocycle 7, Wave 1 (Sorta)
Bench Presses:
20x2x10
60x5
80x5
100x5
110x5
117.5x5
100x2x5
Push Presses:
40x5
60x3
82.5x2x3
82.5x2
Barbell Rows:
60x5
80x5
100x5
110x4x5
Lat Pulldowns:
160lbx2x10
TRX Rear Delt Flyes:
BWx2x15
Really good session tonight; I might have had a sixth rep if I’d really pushed it my top set of the bench press. Pretty sure that 120x5 would be a PR, so that will be next month’s goal!
[quote]Adam-F wrote:
How big’s that deficit? They are horrible things aren’t they? When I pull from 4" it feels like I am going an upright row haha[/quote]
I was standing on a 50kg plate - I think that’s only a 2.5" deficit, which wasn’t too bad. Still bastard hard though, and they’ve done me well in the past. Hoping they’ll kick-start some progres on my deadlift.
27/04/12
5/3/1 Mesocycle 7, Wave 1
Squats:
20x2x5
60x2x5
100x5
120x5
137.5x5
157.5x5
177.5x5
(Estimated max: 207.1kg)
Good Mornings:
60x8
80x10
90x4x10
Ab Pulldowns:
140lbx2x8
EZ Bar Curls:
43x12
48x10
53x8
28/04/12
5/3/1 Mesocycle 7, Wave 1
Presses:
20x2x8
40x2x5
55x5
62.5x5
72.5x4
(Estimated max: 82.2kg)
Pull-ups:
BWx6
BWx8
BW 5x8
BW 10x8
BW 15x7
Dips:
BWx8
BW 10x8
BW 15x8
BW 20x8
BW 25x8
BW 20x8
Plenty of excuses/reasons for such an underwhelming session. I prefer a rest day between squatting and pressing, hadn’t eaten or slept well… Blah blah blah. Will pick it up next week.
Haven’t posted for a while; I’ve been absolutely flat out at work, putting in the hours until the early hours of the morning most nights over the last week. I’ve managed to fit in a couple of sessions in between, but it’s been distinctly underwhelming. Seems that fuck all sleep = fuck all strength!
30/04/12
5/3/1 Mesocycle 7, Wave 2
Deadlifts:
60x2x5
(Added 2 sets of chains per side)
60x5
100x5
120x3
140x3
160x3
185x3
140x3
Front Squats:
60x5
80x4
90x4
105x2x4
105x2
Barbell Shrugs:
60x5
100x20
140x20
180x12
Pikes:
1 sets
Decent deadlifts. Front squats would have gone nicely too, but I use a clean grip and it slipped off the bar at the top of the second rep, so that screw my last set.
03/05/12
5/3/1 Mesocycle 7, Wave 2 (Sorta)
Floor Presses:
20x2x10
60x2x5
80x3
90x3
100x3
107.5x2 —> Misload
110x3
Push Presses:
40x5
60x3
70x3x5
Barbell Rows:
60x5
80x5
100x5
110x5
115x3
90x15
Push Presses:
40x5
60x3
70x3x5
Lat Pulldowns:
160lbx2x15 (Rest/pause)
Felt exhausted, so wasn’t too disappointed with the effort in this session. Got a double with an unevenly loaded bar for the floor presses.
08/05/12
5/3/1 Mesocycle 7, Wave 2
Squats:
20x2x5
60x2x5
100x5
130x5
150x3
170x3
190xF
190x1
SSB Good Mornings:
30x5
70x4x12
Pikes:
3 sets
Glute/Ham Raises:
BWx15
BW 20x2x12
Ghetto Chest Supported Barbell Rows:
60x8
100x2x12
90x15
Squats were poor. Very poor. Knackered, but not really a decent excuse.
11/05/12
5/3/1 Mesocycle 7, Wave 2
Presses:
20x2x8
40x5
50x5
60x5
70x3
75x3
70x3
60x10
Pull-ups:
BWx6
BW 10x5
BW 15x5
BW 20x5
BW 25x5
BW 30x4
BWx9
Dips:
BWx15
BW 15x5
BW 25x5
BW 35x3
BW 35x4
BW 30x3
BW 15
TRX Rear Delt Flyes:
2 sets to failure
EZ Bar Curls:
2 sets to failure
That’ll do for this week… Back to it properly next week.
14/05/12
5/3/1 Mesocycle 7, Wave 3
4" Block Pulls:
65x2x5
105x5
145x5
165x3
185x1
205x1
185x2
145x3x3
SSB Squats:
30x8
70x5
90x4x10
Pikes:
BWx3x10
Lest this post descend into self-loathing and self-pity, I’ll give you the highlights: tried to focus on keeping an arch off the blocks, but was finding it difficult. Topped out at 205kg (pathetic - I’ve pulled 245kg from this height before) but had nothing left, so dropped the weight and focused on speed. Moved on to SSB squats, as I made great progress with them previously, but my lower back was farked after this so didn’t do much else.
Well, this was just an absolute heap of shit (again).
16/05/12
5/3/1 Mesocycle 7, Wave 3
Reverse Band Bench Presses:
20x2x5
60x2x5
(Added light bands)
100x5
120x3
140x3
150x1
160xF
155x1
150x1
Close Grip Bench Presses:
100x7
100x6
Kroc Rows:
45x12
45x15
55x20
Dumbbell Bench Presses:
55lbx10
75lbx17
75lbx15
75lbx13
Lat Pulldowns:
2 sets to failure
TRX Rear Delt Flyes:
2 sets to failure
Happier with this.
18/05/12
5/3/1 Mesocycle 7, Wave 3
Ab Pulldowns:
2 sets
Reverse Hypers:
2 sets
Suspended Chain Cambered Bar Squats:
30x2x5
70x2x5
90x5
110x3
130x1
150x1
160x1
Ab Pulldowns:
120lbx12
140lbx5
130lbx8
Reverse Hypers:
70x3x12
Feeling tired, full of cold, and had some pain in my lower back following the strain of Monday’s session. I started off with a couple of light sets of ab pulldowns and reverse hypers, did a squat variation I hoped would be less stressful to my back, and then finished off with some more ab and lower back work to stretch it all out.
19/05/12
5/3/1 Mesocycle 7, Wave 3
Presses:
20x2x8
40x5
55x5
65x5
72.5x3
80xF
Press Starts:
70x5
65x8
60x8
Pull-ups:
BWx6
BW 10x5
BW 20x5
BW 30x3
BW 42.5x2
BW 35x3
BWx11
Dips:
BWx8
BW 20x5
BW 30x5
BW 40x1
BW 35x3
BW 35x3
BWx15
Face Pulls:
100lbx2x12
Well, this sums up my training for this cycle. Deload next week, time to reset, refocus, and come back much stronger than I’m feeling right now.
Time for a re-group then mate?
Do you have a comp date or anything specific to train towards? Perhaps a move away from 531? Best of luck!
Yeah, friggen hell. 5/3/1 sucked for my bench.
Smolov JR <---------!!!
I’ve taken a deload this week, and am feeling much more rested as I write this. In sum:
Monday was some light lower body stuff - KB swings, abs, glute/ham raises etc, just to get some traction on my lower back.
Wednesday was higher-rep dumbbell work for upper body - floor presses, rows, lat pulldowns and the like.
Friday was a medley of seated good mornings, dumbbell presses, pull-ups, reverse hypers, ab pulldowns and face pulls.
I’ve had some massage on my lower back as well, which is starting to feel much improved. Ready to get back to it next week now.
[quote]Adam-F wrote:
Time for a re-group then mate?
Do you have a comp date or anything specific to train towards? Perhaps a move away from 531? Best of luck![/quote]
Yep, I’m looking at trying to decipher the RTS method; seems to be working very well for you mate.
At the moment, no planned comp to work towards. Maybe I do need something to aim for…
[quote]Spock81 wrote:
Yeah, friggen hell. 5/3/1 sucked for my bench.
Smolov JR <---------!!![/quote]
Interesting… Never thought about running Smolov Jr for my bench. What kind of results did you get? Did you put your other lifts on the back-burner for a month or so whilst you concentrated on the bench?
[quote]Element_26 wrote:
[quote]Spock81 wrote:
Yeah, friggen hell. 5/3/1 sucked for my bench.
Smolov JR <---------!!![/quote]
Interesting… Never thought about running Smolov Jr for my bench. What kind of results did you get? Did you put your other lifts on the back-burner for a month or so whilst you concentrated on the bench?[/quote]
No, I ran the smolov squat cycle along side the smolov JR for my bench, ha-ha.
BUTTT, keep in mind that A)I’m crazy, and have been doing wayyy too much volume and am quite used to it and B)I am also quite weak, so my lifts don’t tax me as much as someone who is squatting like 500 pounds.
I benched 120 (oh, I’m a chick) before starting smolov, and after only 3 weeks I got it up to 130 x 2 paused, and 120 x 6. It was awesome cause all of my bench days felt so easy during the entire cycle. I think I’m gonna run it again right away here after a bit of a deload because I want the big plates dAMMIT!!
Since it is only 3 weeks you can just kinda run it along side anything, or sneak it in between programs to get your bench up a bit.
Anyway, ya!