Endurance Athlete Goes 5/3/1

Training Logs
21

Cycle 2, Week 1, Day 3 â?? OH Press [3 x 5]
Overhead Press:
WU
3 x 5: 65 x 5, 70 x 5, 80 x 9
JOKERS: 85 x 5, 90 x 3
FSL: 65 x 8, 8, 7, 7, 7 [60 sec rest]
3x5 / Jokers / FSL supersetted w/ Decline Sit Ups: 5 x 10, 4 x 5

Accessory
A1 - Chins: 10, 10, 10, 8, 7 [10lbs x 3, 2]
A2 - Dips: 20lbs x 8, BW x 15, 15, 12, 12
B1 - Seated Military Press Machine Press: 40lbs x 12, 12, 12, 10, 10, 30lbs x 5
B2 - Rear Delt Fly: 40lbs x 15, 15, 15, 15, 15 [30 sec rest after mil press, 60 sec rest after rear delt fly]

Core
Straight Leg Raise: 5 x 10 [30 sec rest]

I am usually more focused on how the chins will go on this day because Iâ??m still so new to the overheard press that I donâ??t really care too much about it yet, but this session had me pumped. In cycle 1 I pressed 80lbs for 6 reps, so getting 9 reps here was an awesome feeling. I took it easy on the jokers and focused on grip and form. Iâ??m still not sure what grip will work the best for me. Iâ??ve read a few articles and watched a few videos, but nothing feels great yet.
Only 5 chins short this time. Iâ??ve put on almost 10 lbs since the beginning of cycle 1, so itâ??s good to know my relative strength is still improving. My goal is getting all 50 chins by the end of this cycle.

22

Cycle 2, Week 1, Day 4 â?? Front Squat [3 x 5]
Front Squat
WU
3x5: 105 x 5, 120 x 5, 135 x 12
JOKERS: 145 x 5, 160 x 5
FSL: 105 x 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
3x5/Jokers/FSL supersetted w/ weighted chins: 10 x 5 w/ 15lbs

Accessory
A1 - DB Bulgarian Split Squat: 70lbs x 8, 8, 8, 10, 12
A2 - Romanian Deadlift: 185 x 8, 8, 10, 12, 15
A3 - BB Shrugs: 185 x 12, 12, 12, 15, 15 [60 sec rest between exercises]

Core
B1 - Straight Leg Raises: 5 x 12
B2 - 45 Degree Back Extension: 5 x 12 w/ 25lb plate [no rest between exercises]

Itâ??s December and Iâ??m in Michigan, but the gym had to be 80 degrees for this workout. It turned my favorite session into a sweaty, grumpy hell. I ditched the hanging leg raises and focused on the weighted chins (Iâ??ll probably save the leg raises until the end from here on). Noticed that my lower back feels much stronger as Iâ??m able to get really low and come up with no kind of forward bend. My sticking point is honestly wrist pain as the set goes on. Anything above 8-10 reps and my wrists start hating me.

23

Cycle 2, Week 2, Day 1 â?? Bench [3 x 3]
BB Bench Press:
WU
3 x 3: 110 x 3, 125 x 3, 140 x 12
Jokers: 150 x 3, 160 x 3, 170 x 3
Down sets - 5 x 3 @ 90% of TM w/ pause at bottom: 140 x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 [90 sec rest]
3x5 & Jokers supersetted w/ chin ups: 10 x 7
Down sets supersetted w/ BB Curls: 50 x 10, 10, 10, 8, 8

Accessory
A1 - DB Incline Bench: 40s x 12, 12, 10, 9, 9
A2 - DB Row: 45 x 10, 12, 12, 12, 12 [45-60 sec rest between A1/A2]
B1 - DB Decline Triceps Extension: 15s x 4 x 12
B2 - Decline Sit Up: 4 x 12 [no rest between B1/B2]

The 3s week is quickly becoming my favorite of the cycle. Heavy triples on the joker sets felt really good so I decided to try out 5x3 at 90% of TM for the down sets. Iâ??ve been thinking about where to go for my next cycle and I might try some form of BBB with 5x5 @ 80% → 5x3 @ 90% → 5x1 @ 100% TM. The BBB 13 week challenge is looking enticing.

As for the workout, 140x12 and 170x3 both felt great and I left a couple reps in the tank on both. I upped the weight on the assistance and paired the decline triceps extension and decline sit ups out of laziness because I didnâ??t feel like getting off the damn bench.

24

Cycle 2, Week 2, Day 2 â?? Deadlift [3 x 5]
Deadlift:
WU
3 x 5: 145 x 3, 165 x 3, 185 x 20
JOKERS: 205 x 3, 225 x 3, 245 x 1
Down sets - 5x3 @ 90% TM: 185 x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3 [90 sec rest]
Jokers & 5x3 supersetted w/ Hanging Leg Raises: 7 x 10

Accessory
A - Back Squat w/ SSB: 95lbs x 10, 10, 10, 10, 12, 12 [60 sec rest]
B1 - Reverse Hyper: 80lbs x 10, 10, 10, 12, 12 [Paired w/ leg curl. Minimal rest between]
B2 - Standing Single Leg Curl: 30lbs x 10, 10, 10, 10, 10

Core
Weighted Swiss Ball Crunches: 30lbs x 15, 15, 15, 15 [30 sec rest]
Side Bends: 45lbs x 20, 20, 20, 20 [no rest]

More 20 rep deadlift fun. I recorded a video of the set so everyone else could share in the misery. Form critiques are also welcome because after ~12 reps I have enough trouble keeping count, so focusing on proper technique is almost impossible.

EDIT: Video is sideways, so here’s a link:

25

Cycle 2, Week 2, Day 3 â?? OH Press [3 x 3]
Overhead Press:
WU
3 x 3: 70 x 3, 80 x 3, 85 x 9
JOKERS: 90 x 3, 95 x 3, 100 x 2
FSL: 70 x 8, 8, 8, 6, 5 [60 sec rest]
3x3 / Jokers / FSL supersetted w/ Swiss Ball Crunches: 10 x 15

Accessory
A1 - Chins: 10, 10, 10, 8, 8 [15lbs x 2, 2]
A2 - Dips: BW x 5 x 15
B1 - Seated Military Press Machine Press: 40lbs x 12, 12, 12, 10, 8, 30lbs x 5
B2 - Rear Delt Fly: 50lbs x 5 x 12 [30 sec rest after mil press, 60 sec rest after rear delt fly]

Core
Straight Leg Raise: 5 x 12 [30 sec rest]

Still alternating grips on the barbell for the overhead press. Iâ??m leaning towards thumbless rather than a full grip. My elbows are definitely flaring out a bit as the weight gets heavier, so Iâ??m still improving form. Otherwise, pretty standard session. In week 2 of cycle 1 I pressed 80lbs for 6 reps and this week I pressed 85lbs for 9 reps. Also, only 4 chins leftover this time (compared to 14 leftover in week 2 of cycle 1). Not bad considering Iâ??ve put on a good 10 lbs since that time, but Iâ??d really like to get 5x10 before this cycle is over.

26

Cycle 2, Week 2, Day 4 - Front Squat [3 x 3]
Front Squat
WU
3 x 3: 115 x 3, 130 x 3, 145 x 12
JOKERS: 155 x 3, 165 x 3, 175 x 2
FSL: 115 x 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
3x3 / Jokers supersetted w/ weighted chins: 20lbs x 5 x 3; 30lbs x 5 x 3
FSL supersetted w/ pull-ups: BW x 5 x 5

Accessory
A1 - BB Bulgarian Split Squat: 75lbs x 10, 10, 10, 12, 12
A2 - Romanian Deadlift: 185 x 10, 10, 12, 12, 15 [60 sec rest between exercises]

Core / Traps
B1 - Straight Leg Raises: 5 x 12
B2 - 45 Degree Back Extension: 5 x 12 w/ 30lb DB
B3 - BB Shrugs: 135lbs x 15, 15, 15, 12, 12 [all reps w/ 2 sec pause at top]
[Minimal rest between exercises]

Phew. This day is fun, but very tough. The second half is almost a full blown conditioning workout. I moved the shrugs out of the Squat/RDL superset for a couple of reasons: (i.) My grip was hindering the last few sets of RDLs and shrugs, and (ii.) Joe Defranco talked about training traps in his latest podcast and mentioned lowering the weight and making sure youâ??re getting full ROM and pausing at the top. Moving them into the core/back extension superset allowed me to lower the weight and have better grip across the board, while still keeping the workout to an hour.

27

Cycle 2, Week 3, Day 1 Bench [5/3/1]

BB Bench Press:
WU
5/3/1: 115 x 5, 130 x 3, 145 x 11
Jokers: 155 x 1, 170 x 1, 185 x 1
Down sets - 5 x 1 @ TM w/ pause at bottom: 155 x 5 x 1 [90 sec rest]
5/3/1 & Jokers supersetted w/ chin ups: 5 x 8; 5 x 5
Down sets supersetted w/ BB Curls: 50lbs x 5 x 10

Assistance:
A1 - DB Incline Bench: 40s x 5 x 12
A2 - DB Row: 50 x 5 x 12 [~60 sec rest between A1/A2]
B1 - DB Decline Triceps Extension: 20s x 12, 12, 10, 10
B2 - Decline Sit Up: 4 x 10 [no rest between B1/B2]

Final week of the first two cycles…

Cycle 1: 135x9; top joker set 170x1.
Cycle 2: 145x11; top joker set 185x1.

The 185 single went up so fast I thought about doing a couple more reps, but racked it before I did something stupid. Instead I chose to do 5 singles at my current TM for my down sets this week. The weight felt really light, so I paused at the bottom and exploded up each time. Assistance work flew by and I was out of the gym in less than an hour.

28

Cycle 2, Week 3, Day 2
Deadlift [5/3/1]:
WU
5/3/1: 155 x 5, 175 x 3, 195 x 20
JOKERS: 215 x 1, 235 x 1, 255 x 1
FSL: 155 x 5 x 8 [90 sec rest]
Jokers & FSL supersetted w/ Hanging Leg Raises: 8 x 10

Assistance
A - Back Squat w/ yoke bar: 95lbs x 6 x 12 [60 sec rest]
B1 - Reverse Hyper: 90lbs x 5 x 8 [Minimal rest between pairing]
B2 - Standing Single Leg Curl: 40lbs x 5 x 8

Core
Weighted Swiss Ball Crunches: 35lbs x 4 x 15 [30 sec rest]
Side Bends: 45lbs x 5 x 20 [no rest]

Final week comparison of the first two cycles:

Cycle 1: 175x20; top joker set 235x1.
Cycle 2: 195x20; top joker set 255x1.

Another cycle full of 20 rep deadlifts. The biggest â??problemâ?? Iâ??m having with 5/3/1 so far is deciding whether to continue these 20 rep deadlift sets or bastardizing the progression. Iâ??m leaning towards the latter. 20lb increase, here I come!

29

Cycle 2, Week 3, Day 3
Overhead Press [5/3/1]
WU
3 x 3: 70 x 5, 80 x 3, 90 x 9
JOKERS: 100 x 1, 105 x 1, 115 x 1
FSL: 75 x 8, 8, 8, 7, 6 [60 sec rest]
Jokers & FSL supersetted w/ Swiss Ball Crunches: 10 x 25

Accessory
A1 - Chins: BW x 5 x 10
A2 - Dips: BW x 5 x 15 [90 sec rest between]
B1 - Seated Military Press Machine Press: 40lbs x 12, 12, 12, 11, 10, 30lbs x 6
B2 - Rear Delt Fly: 50lbs x 5 x 12 [30 sec rest after mil press, 60 sec rest after rear delt fly]

Core
Straight Leg Raise: 5 x 12 [30 sec rest]

Final week comparison of the first two cycles:
Cycle 1: 85x6; top joker set 100x1.
Cycle 2: 90x9; top joker set 115x1.

Great session. I ended up hitting all my goals, including the 5x10 chin ups.

30

Cycle 2, Week 3, Day 4
Front Squat [5/3/1]
WU
5/3/1: 120 x 5, 135 x 3, 155 x 12
JOKERS: 170 x 1, 180 x 1, 190 x 1, 200 x 1
FSL: 125 x 5 x 8

Accessory
A1 - BB Bulgarian Split Squat: 80lbs x 5 x 10
A2 - Romanian Deadlift: 195lbs x 10, 10, 10, 12, 12 [60 sec rest between exercises]

Core / Traps
B1 - Straight Leg Raises: 5 x 12
B2 - BB Shrugs: 135lbs x 5 x 15 [all reps w/ 2 sec pause at top]
[Minimal rest between exercises]

Final week comparison of the first two cycles:
Cycle 1: 145x9; top joker set 180x1.
Cycle 2: 155x12; top joker set 200x1.

Felt really strong today so I pushed for one extra joker set to get to 200lbs. A very nice way to close out my second cycle.

Iâ??ve got a couple weeks off work for the Holidays and soreness is non-existent so Iâ??ll skip the deload week and begin cycle 3. Iâ??ve decided to keep the jokers and FSL since Iâ??m still progressing and feeling great. Iâ??ll be changing up the assistance work across the board though.

31

Quick Cycle 2 Review:
Iâ??m up to 155 lbs. I started cycle 1 at 140 lbs and spent most of the summer at 135 lbs; been eating like a champ!

A quick rundown of where my lifts started and where theyâ??re at now:

Bench:
Entering Cycle 1: 145x3
Final week of Cycle 1: 135x9; top joker set 170x1
Final week of Cycle 2: 145x11; top joker set 185x1

Deadlift:
Entering Cycle 1: 205x1
Final week of Cycle 1: 175x20; top joker set 235x1
Final week of Cycle 2: 195x20; top joker set 255x1

Overhead Press:
Entering Cycle 1: 95x1
Final week of Cycle 1: 85x6; top joker set 100x1
Final week of Cycle 2: 90x9; top joker set 115x1

Front Squat:
Entering Cycle 1: 150x3
Final week of Cycle 1: 145x9; top joker set 180x1
Final week of Cycle 2: 155x12; top joker set 200x1

For conditioning, Iâ??ve only been running ~20 miles a week with 2 sprint sessions (usually 16x60 meters). After averaging 11 miles/day for the past couple years, it feels like nothing. I also walk the dog 3-4 miles every evening (when weather is really bad, Iâ??ll do 4 miles on the treadmill at a 10-12% incline).

Iâ??m really liking the jokers/FSL template and will continue. Being a beginner, I can get away with this type of volume on a regular basis, so Iâ??ll continue to utilize it until the weight and/or recovery dictate otherwise.

32

Binge posting Cycle 3, Week 1 training sessions and finally caught up to real-time in posting these…

Cycle 3, Week 1, Day 1 - Bench [3x5]
BB Bench Press:
WU
3x5: 105 x 5, 125 x 5, 140 x 14
Jokers: 150 x 5, 160 x 5, 170 x 4
FSL: 110 x 5 x 5 [60 sec rest]
3x5 & Jokers supersetted w/ weighted chins: 25lbs x 10 x 3
FSL supersetted w/ BB Curls: 50lbs x 10, 10, 10, 8, 8

Assistance
A1 - Close Grip 2-Board Press: 135x8, 115x12, 12, 8
A2 - Chest Supported Cable Row: 90x4x15 [~60 sec rest between A1/A2]
B1 - Triceps Pushdown: 50x3x12
B2 - Hanging Leg Raise: 3x10 [minimal rest between B1/B2]

Last time benching 140 I got 12 reps. This week I got 14 reps and probably had another 2 in me, but did not have a spotter. The new assistance went well. I have noticed my bench sticking point is the lockout, so I will be working on close grip board presses for the next couple cycles.

Cycle 3, Week 1, Day 2 â?? Deadlift [3x5]
Deadlift:
WU
3x5: 155x5, 180x5, 205x15
JOKERS: 225x5, 245x5
FSL, from deficit: 155x5x8 [90 sec rest]
FSL supersetted w/ Hanging Leg Raises: 5x10

Assistance
A1 - Back Squat w/ yoke bar: 135x5x8
A2 - Good Morning w/ yoke bar: 115x5x8 [60 sec rest between each]
B1 - Lying Leg Curl: 60x1x15; 70x4x15
B2 - Weighted Swiss Ball Crunches: 35x5x15 [minimal rest between each]
C - Side Bends: 50x5x20 [no rest]

Capped deadlift set at 15 reps. Double overhand grip for first 10 reps, before switching to mixed grip. First time doing deficit deadlifts, but they felt good. 155lbs felt really light after the joker sets.
Weâ??ll see how my lower back feels after squatting with the yoke bar and doing good mornings. I was seriously struggling to stay upright on the last couple sets.

Evening 6 mile run with some sprints thrown in randomly.

Cycle 3, Week 1, Day 3
Overhead Press [3x5]
WU
3x5: 65x5, 75x5, 85x10
JOKERS: 90x5, 95x5, 100x3
FSL: 65 x 8, 8, 8, 8, 8 [60 sec rest]
WU & 3x5 paired w/ BW Chins: 5x10; Jokers paired w/ BW Pull-Ups: 3x5; DB Hammer Curls paired w/ FSL: 60x5x8

Assistance
A1 - High Incline DB Press: 70x12, 12, 10, 10
A2 - Face Pulls: 30x4x12 [90 sec rest between]
B1 - Dips: 3x15
B2 - DB Shrugs: 110x3x15 [60-90 sec rest between]

Core
Ab Wheel: 3x10 [60 sec rest]

During week 1 of the previous cycle I pressed 80x9 and my top joker set was 90x3. This time I pressed 85x10 and 100x3. Changed up the assistance. The goal is to add weight to the A superset and add sets to the B superset. Also, first time using an ab wheel. Much, much harder than expected. I added chins during the press and still completed 5x10. Pull ups will be the next focus as 3x5 felt rough.

Cycle 3, Week 1, Day 4
Front Squat [3x5]
WU
3x5: 115x5, 135x5, 150x13
JOKERS: 160x5, 170x5, 180x4
FSL: 115x5x8
FSL paired w/ Hanging Leg Raises: 5x10

Assistance
A1 - Leg Press: 180x12, 12, 12, 15, 15
A2 - Reverse Hyper: 70x5x15 [60 sec rest between]

Core
Decline Sit Ups: 4x10 [minimal rest]

The goal was 150x12, but I had one more in me for lucky number 13. Most of the FSL reps were paused at the bottom. Fun times (not really).
Sprint workout immediately after. 1 mile easy followed by 16x60 meter sprints with 140 meter jogging recovery. 3 mile cooldown. Then food. Lots and lots of food.

33

2448×3264 1.01 MB

Updated progress pic. Bodyweight at 155 lbs and climbing.

34

Wow, your progress pic is night and day from your ‘before’ pics, you had a ton of room to grow and now you’re giving your body the stimulus it needs. Excellent progress! I also see that you came to the same conclusion as I did, that the best use for joker sets on 5/3/1 is when your training max is set way lower than what your true max is. Just remember, as your training max goes up it will eventually start approaching your true max more closely, and IMO it’s a good idea to start dropping off some of the joker sets at that point. I’m now only doing joker sets on the 3’s week, and in a few cycles I’ll have to drop them completely and start doing the 5 forward/3 back protocol. Jim Wendler talks a lot over in his 5/3/1 forum about joker sets being overused, but I think when you set your training max low, like when you’re hitting 15-20 reps on your top set, it’s a fine way to get some heavy work in while still sticking to the 5#/10# per cycle progression.

Also, I have one question for you. Why front squats instead of back squats? They’re a fine exercise, and I use them as an accessory for my deadlift day, but you can’t load yourself nearly as much so you’re missing out on some potential muscle growth stimulus. Not a wrong choice, necessarily, I’m just curious what your reasoning is.

35

Hi, Steve. Thanks for the kind words. I’ve been following along with your log and it’s been really helpful (I spent a good few days over Thanksgiving break reading your log and jblues85). I do realize that eventually jokers will need to be utilized at appropriate times and using them only during the 3s week seems like a great idea.

Re: Front/Back Squats. I completely agree about the loading, but in the past I’ve had issues when back squatting. I could never get ‘comfortable’ and always ended up with nagging lower back pain and achy shoulders. The plan is to switch to back squats in a couple cycles after I’ve broken them in during my deadlift assistance work. I did some light back squatting during my first couple cycles and I’m currently squatting using a yoke bar for assistance on deadlift day. I’ll get there soon and I’m looking forward to squatting some heavier weights when the time comes…

36

Cycle 3, Week 2, Day 1
Bench Press [3x3]
WU
3x3: 115x3, 135x3, 150x13
Jokers: 160x3, 170x3, 185x3
FSL: 120x5x8 [60 sec rest]
3x5 & Jokers supersetted w/ weighted chins: 10x4 w/ 25 lbs added
FSL supersetted w/ BB Curls: 50lbs x 5 x 10

Assistance
A1 - Close Grip 2-Board Press: 120x15, 15, 12, 10
A2 - Chest Supported Cable Row: 105x4x12 [~60 sec rest between A1/A2]
B1 - Triceps Pushdown: 50x4x12
B2 - Hanging Leg Raise: 4x10 [minimal rest between B1/B2]

Continuing to progress nicely. Summary of week 2 AMRAP sets: 130x10, 140x12, 150x13. Pushing more weight for more reps is always fun. I rotated my grip for the chins between neutral, underhand, and close grip underhand.

Cycle 3, Week 2, Day 2
Deadlift [3x3]:
WU
3x3: 175x5, 195x3, 215x16
JOKERS: 235x3, 265x1
FSL, from deficit: 175x5x8 [90 sec rest]
FSL supersetted w/ Hanging Leg Raises: 5x10

Assistance
A1 - Back Squat w/ yoke bar: 135x5x10
A2 - Good Morning w/ yoke bar: 115x5x10 [60 sec rest between each]
B1 - Lying Leg Curl: 70x5x15
B2 - Weighted Swiss Ball Crunches: 35x5x15 [minimal rest between each]
C - Side Bends: 55x5x20 [no rest]

Goal was to try and get to 15 for the AMRAP set and because I got it, I decided to pull one more for kicks. I fully expected to pull 265 for 3 reps, but barely got the 1. My first true grinder of a rep. Ah well. Iâ??ll keep that in mind the next time I see 265lbsâ?¦

37

Still chugging along. I’ve been training pretty much every day since I’m off work for the holidays. No soreness or aches/pains, but I’ll probably throw in a deload week after work resumes to give the joints a rest.

Cycle 3, Week 2, Day 3
Overhead Press [3x3]
WU
3x3: 70x3, 80x3, 90x11
JOKERS: 95x3, 100x3, 105x3
FSL: 70x5x8 [60 sec rest]
WU/3x3/jokers supersetted w/ BW Chins: 5x10, 4x8
FSL supersetted w/ BW Pull-Ups: 5x5

Assistance
A1 - High Incline DB Press: 80x10, 10, 8, 8
A2 - Face Pulls: 40x4x12 [60-90 sec rest between]
B1 - Dips: 4x15
B2 - DB Hammer Curls: 30x5x8 [60-90 sec rest between]

Core
Ab Wheel: 3x10 [45 sec rest]

Cycle 3, Week 2, Day 4
Front Squat [3x3]
WU
3x3: 130x3, 145x3, 160x12
JOKERS: 175x3, 190x3, 200x2
FSL: 125x5x8
FSL paired w/ Hanging Leg Raises: 5x10

Assistance
A1 - Leg Press: 200x10, 10, 12, 12; 180x2x15
A2 - Reverse Hyper: 80x4x10; 70x12 [60 sec rest between]

Core
Decline Sit Ups: 5x12 [minimal rest]

Prowler work

38

Due to being off work for the Holidays, I went through this cycle quickly. I’ll post a more detailed summary/recap of how it all went and how I felt in a couple days. In the meantime, here are the notes from the last week of cycle 3…

Cycle 3, Week 3, Day 1
Bench Press [5/3/1]
WU
5/3/1: 125x5, 140x3, 155x12
Jokers: 170x1, 185x1, 200x1
FSL: 130x5x8 [60 sec rest]
5/3/1 & Jokers supersetted w/ weighted chins: 10x3 w/ 35 lbs added
FSL supersetted w/ BB Curls: 50lbs x 5 x 10

Assistance
A1 - Close Grip 3-Board Press: 130x12, 12, 10, 10
A2 - Chest Supported Cable Row: 105x4x15 [~60 sec rest between A1/A2]
B1 - Triceps Pushdown: 50x5x12
B2 - Hanging Leg Raise: 5x12 [minimal rest between B1/B2]

Conditioning
Prowler pushes / Farmers walks

Cycle 3, Week 3, Day 2
Deadlift [5/3/1]:
WU
5/3/1: 185x5, 215x3, 230x15
JOKERS: 255x1, 275x1
FSL, from deficit: 185x5x8 [60 sec rest]

Assistance
A1 - Back Squat w/ yoke bar: 135x5x12
A2 - Good Morning w/ yoke bar: 135x5x8 [60 sec rest between each]
B1 - Lying Leg Curl: 70x5x15
B2 - Weighted Swiss Ball Crunches: 40x5x15 [minimal rest between each]
C - DB Side Bends: 60lbs x 5 x 20 [no rest between sides]

Conditioning
Prowler pushes/pulls

Cycle 3, Week 3, Day 3
Overhead Press [5/3/1]
WU
5/3/1: 75x5, 85x3, 95x10
JOKERS: 105x1, 115x1, 125x1
FSL: 75x5x8 [60 sec rest]
WU/5/3/1/Jokers supersetted w/ BW Chins: 5x10, 5x5
FSL supersetted w/ BW Pull-Ups: 5x5

Assistance
A1 - High Incline DB Press: 80x10, 10, 10, 8, 8
A2 - Face Pulls: 40x5x12 [~60 sec rest between]
B1 - Dips: 15, 15, 15, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 5
B2a - DB Hammer Curls: 30x5x8 [45 sec rest between]
B2b - Ab Wheel: 4x10 [45 sec rest between]

Conditioning
Prowler pushes

Cycle 3, Week 2, Day 4
Front Squat [5/3/1]
WU
5/3/1: 130x5, 150x3, 165x13
JOKERS: 185x1, 205x1, 215x1
FSL: 135x5x8
FSL paired w/ Hanging Leg Raises: 5x10

Assistance
A - Leg Press: 200x5x15
B1 - Back Extension: 10lbs x 12, 12, 10, 10
B2 - BW Squats: 4x25 [minimal rest between]

Core
Decline Sit Ups: 4x12 [minimal rest]

Conditioning
Prowler pushes and farmers walks

39

As promised, hereâ??s an updated summary of how my lifts have progressed through 3 cycles:

Bench
Entering Cycle 1: 145x3
Final week of Cycle 1: 135x9; top joker set 170x1
Final week of Cycle 2: 145x11; top joker set 185x1
Final week of Cycle 3: 155x12; top joker set 200x1

As you can see, I’ve been adding 10lbs/cycle here (Don’t tell Jim). I’m still adding reps as well, so I’ll continue to progress this way until I feel I need to slow it down. The 200x1 flew up and I swear I had a couple more reps in me.

Deadlift
Entering Cycle 1: 205x1
Final week of Cycle 1: 175x20; top joker set 235x1
Final week of Cycle 2: 195x20; top joker set 255x1
Final week of Cycle 3: 230x15; top joker set 275x1

I capped cycle 3 at 15 reps. I’d like to get the reps below 10 as high rep deadlifting isn’t very much fun, so I’m looking at one more progression of more than 10 lbs. Immediate goal here is to deadlift 300lbs. The 275 went up slow, but it was after 230x15 and I was a little gassed.

Overhead Press
Entering Cycle 1: 95x1
Final week of Cycle 1: 85x6; top joker set 100x1
Final week of Cycle 2: 90x9; top joker set 115x1
Final week of Cycle 3: 95x10; top joker set 125x1

I’m really starting to like the overhead press. Before starting 5/3/1 I had never done it. 95x1 to 95x10 in three cycles isn’t too shabby.

Front Squat
Entering Cycle 1: 150x3
Final week of Cycle 1: 145x9; top joker set 180x1
Final week of Cycle 2: 155x12; top joker set 200x1
Final week of Cycle 3: 165x13; top joker set 215x1

I’ll be back squatting on deadlift day over the next cycle for assistance and if all goes well, I’ll replace front squats with back squats here. My goal is to hit 225x1 at the end of cycle 4.

Quick Hits:
Bodyweight was 140lbs at the beginning of cycle 1 and is currently 160lbs. Mr. Wendler will owe me a new wardrobe soon.

Chin up strength has gone through the roof. At the beginning of cycle 1, sets of 6 b/w chins were grinders. Now sets of 10 are no problem and Iâ??m adding 25-35lbs for sets of ~6 (on top of the 20 extra lbs of bodyweight).

Recovery has been great and Iâ??ve rarely had any soreness. The hardest part of the program has been forcing myself to take days off. Incorporating prowler/kettlebell/mobility drills into recovery days helps not only with recovery, but also with scratching that itch to train.

Currently taking my first deload and will begin cycle 4 in a couple days…

40

Cycle 4, Week 1, Day 1

Bench Press [3x5]:

WU
3x5: 115x5, 135x5, 155x13
Jokers: 165x5, 175x5, 185x4
FSL: 115x5x8 [60 sec rest]

3x5 & Jokers supersetted w/ weighted chins: 10x5 w/ 25lbs added
FSL supersetted w/ BB Curls: 55lbs x 10, 10, 8, 8, 8

Assistance
A1 - Close Grip 3-Board Press: 135x12, 12, 10, 10
A2 - Chest Supported Cable Row: 120x4x10 [~60 sec rest between A1/A2]
B1 - Triceps Pushdown: 60x3x12
B2 - Hanging Leg Raise: 3x15 [minimal rest between B1/B2]

Felt great coming off my fist deload. Spent the past 4 days doing some light bodyweight circuits, kettlebell swings, and prowler pushes. Nothing taxing and I felt ready to go today. Kept assistance the same, but increased the weight a bit and will work on increasing reps or adding a set as the cycle progresses.