Bench press - BAR, 95x8x2, 135x5, 155, 175, 200x3
Tbar NG row (chestSupp) - 45x15, 70, 95x8x5
OHP - BAR, 75, 105x8x5
Incline DB row - 30, 60x12x3, 65x10x2
Chin up - 25x4x5
Incline DB press - 40, 65, 75x8x3
DB lateral - 5x20, 10x12x3, 12.5x10x2; last set drop @ 5, 2.5x12
Cable fly (high/low) - 17.5/12.5x12x2
MTS high bicep curl - 30, 40x12x2, 50x8x3
Straight bar tricep push down - 40x12, 60x10x2
Stair Masters - lvl 5 x 20 min
Ate lots but didn’t sleep well yesterday and workout was mediocre. Might try doing stair masters pre-workout tomorrow to see how they’ll affect my squats.
Squats were very fluid being done after stair masters; might start doing stair masters before every workout session to see how it goes. The workout went better than expected and I tried smith lunges for he first time while working-out with buddie whose a physique competitor. The smith lunges felt different and awkward but that might just be due to my form; my glutes from were fired from the gecko with my quads feeling the burn near the end of the set. Don’t think I will continue doing them myself unless I workout with him again.
Standing incline DB row - 40, 60x8x4, 60x15
Incline DB press - 40x12, 65x10x3
Leaning DB lateral - 5x20x2, 10x15x4; last set drop @ 5x15
Peck deck (pronated) - 100x15x4
1 arm machine preacher curl - 30, 35x10x3, 40x8
Rope overhead tricep cable extension - 32.5x10x3
Straight bar tricep push down - 32.5x12x2
All sets of OHP were done with a thumb-less grip and they my shoulders and forearm felt great. For now, my pull/chin ups will be done from a dead-hang position, followed by scapula retraction, before pulling my chest to the top. Done this way I am able to feel my lats, rather than my biceps do the majority of the pull.
Super set:
NG pull up - BWx8x5
OHP - 135x3, 115x8x4
BB row (supinated) - 95, 115x12x5
DB lateral - 5x20, 10, 12.5x12x4; last set drop @ 5x12
Standing DB curl - 30x12, 35x8x3
HS high curl - 30x8x3
Rope tricep push down - 30x12x3
1 arm supinated tricep pull down - 10x12x3
Huge pump, bench press and OHP felt really smooth, great workout overall. Workouts have felt phenomenal since I started warming up… Also, all my bar pressing movements have been done with a thumb-less grip, even my heaviest sets. The left pec and left upper trap were feeling tight after benching and OHP so I didn’t do any chest fly movements. Instead I stretched the chest vertically and horizontally.
Stair masters - lvl5x5min, lvl6x15min
Back squat (high) - BAR, 95, 135x8, 225, 260x5, 290x3, 325x6, 250x8x5
Back squat (high/pause) - 275x5x2
Back squat (high/explosive) - 275x5x2
BB SL (toe elevated) - 95x12, 145x10x4
Kneeling rope pull down - 30, 60x15, 70x12x4; last set drop @ 50xAMRAP
BB lunge - 40x15x4
Standing cable low row - 20x10x4
Felt lethargic even after warming up on the stair masters. Back squats went well and, except for explosive squats, felt harder than expected; explosive squat were like child’s play after having done constant TUT squats since starting 531. Might head in to do stair masters, abs, and calves if I don’t feel too drained from today.
Bench press - 135x10, 155x9x3
Incline DB row - 30, 45, 60x8, 65x12x5
DB lateral - 5x20, 7.5x18, 10x12x2, 12.5x10x2; last set drop @ 7.5, 5x10
Standing DB curl - 35x8x4
Tricep rope pull down - 45, 60x12x4
Tricep straight bar push down - 75x10x2
Worst workout this cycle. Hit my numbers but my mind wasn’t on the workout and no pump was achieved. My diet was per usual yesterday but my sleep didn’t feel refreshing. Woke up this morning, without an alarm, and it felt like I was hungover even tho I haven’t drank since the new years. No muscle soreness and it didn’t feel like it was my CNS. I assume it’s because I didn’t get enough deep/REM sleep which is highly plausible with the extra work/school work I’ve been getting. I’ll clear my mind before sleeping tonight and hope for a better day tomorrow.
Kneeling NG pull down - 42.5, 62.5, 72.5, 82.5x12x3
Kneeling rope pull down - 42.5, 52.5, 62.5x12x3
Lying leg curl (wide) - 75x15, 90x12x5
Standing calf raise - 120, 140, 160x10x2, 140, 120x10
A fairly successful workout. Developed great MMC connection on all lifts but particularly on the kneeling pull downs, the pump was just insane today. Thought about going heavier on squats since it would be the last ‘heavy’ session before deload but decided not to after thinking about losing the MMC or snaping my back after all the deadlifts
Treadmill - 20min
Bench press - BAR, 95x12, 135, 155x6, 185x6x3; last set drop @ 135x4
OHP - BAR, 75x8, 100x12, 100x8x2, 85x8
Chin up - BWx8x5
HS row - 45x10x2, 70x10x5
DB lateral - 5x15x2, 7.5x10x2, 5x10x2
DB curl - 30x10x3
Incline DB fly (pronated) - 20x15x3
Tricep rope pull down - 22.5, 27.5x12x3
1 arm tricep push down - 7.5x10x2
This wasn’t much of a deload volume wise other than lowered weight. I’ll take the next upper body session’s deload more seriously. Otherwise, a good workout.
Stair masters - lvl10x11min
OHP - BAR, 75, 95x8x5
Chin up - BWx8x5
Bench press - BAR, 115, 165x8x3
Incline DB fly (pronated) - 20, 22.5x15, 22.5x12
HS pronated row - 45, 70, 80, 90x8x4
DB lateral - 5x20x2
Super set:
Decline EZ skull crusher (inner) - 40x8. 50x8x3
EZ curl (inner) - 40x12, 50x12x3
Been experiencing ITB syndrome recently which I may be an accumulation of me being flat footed (I wear my insoles), frequent high bar squatting and climbing the stair masters. Felt good after rolling and stretching at the beginning of the workout. In future, warm ups will be at a higher intensity for 10 minutes then rolling of the lower body before each session. Perhaps ‘off days’ will be to stretch and form roll the whole body.
Tried some new workouts which I will be using for the next cycle (i.e. pronated HS row, decline/flat EZ skull crusher, and EZ curl).
Quads felt sore from rolling them yesterday and rolling was done after stair masters and in between squat sets today. Rolled my ITB, quads, hamstring, and calves which hurt a lot, some bruising/burst capillaries appeared around my upper ITB region near the hip. I emphasized/wrote narrow and ATG because I squat shoulder width and parallel normally on 531; before 531 I always squatted narrow and ATG. No deadlifts were done cause my back felt beat. Excited for cycle 5.
Bench press - BAR, 95x8, 135x4, 145, 170, 190x5, 165x8x3
HS pronated row - 45, 70x12, 95x8, 100x8x4
OHP - BAR, 75, 115x8, 115x7x2, 115x5
DB lateral - 5x18, 7.5x12x3, 10x8x3; last set drop @ 5x12
Incline DB fly (pronated) - 20x15, 22.5x12x2
Chin up - BWx10x2, BWx7x3
EZ tricep push down (wide) - 70x10x4
EZ cable bicep curl (inner) - 30, 50, 60xAMRAP
MMC with the bench press to chest has been improving and the movement is beginning to feel more fluid and natural. Depending on how this bench cycle goes I may need to keep the same weight for the next cycle; the anterior subluxation of my SC joint still presents a problem when i’m attempting to grind via a rep/form breaks every so slightly. Rest of the workout went well.
Thinking of investing in a rumble roller, stick roller, and some strength bands for when I can’t make it to the gym to on my off days.
Stair masters - lvl5x20min
Back squat - BAR, 135, 185x5x2, 230, 265x5, 300x7, 245x8x2, 265x8x2
BB SL (toe elevated) - BAR, 95, 145, 165x10x5
Kneeling rope pull down - 30, 70x12, 85x8x4, 70xAMRAP
Standing 1 arm cable low row - 20x15x3
Single leg lying leg press (noBase/narrow/high) - BASE, 25x12x2, 35, 45x12x2
HS kneeling leg curl - 30x12x4
Squats should have been better. Took it easy on the accessories today, wasn’t able to get quality nor sleep much last night and the lower back was really sore going into the workout. Beginning to understand the necessity of proper recovery, regardless of one’s will to train. Next time, in such a scenario, I may take an extra recovery day and postpone the program by one day. Don’t want to injure myself anymore than I already am.
Got myself a wooden stick and black rumble roller. Originally bought the blue version but because I didn’t feel I was getting enough pressure on my glutes and back I exchanged it for the black one. Rolled my back, abs, chest and shoulders before the workout. After 15 minutes of rolling I felt I was sufficiently warmed up so I kept my cardio till the end. Post workout I rolled my whole body and used the wooden stick to on my ITB and calves cause they hurt to much on the roller. Great workout and a pump was maintained throughout.
Not my first time but it was definitely been a while since I have used the NG tricep extension machine. It felt amazing and I will definitely incorporate it anytime I get a chance to since not all the gyms I go to have it. Hopefully this will add more shape and mass to my triceps.
Foam roll - whole body, lower focus
Sumo DL - BAR, 135, 225, 275, 335, 385x5, 440x8
Deficit DL (1.5") - 335x8x4
Back squat (high) - 135, 225x8, 275x6x2
Single leg lying leg press (noBase/high/narrow) - 50x12x2
Kneeling NG pull down - 42.5, 65, 80x12x3
Lying leg curl (narrow) - 85x15x2
Lying leg curl (wide) - 85x15
Roll - whole body
Amazing workout despite some lower back tightness. Excited to see how my training will progress with daily myofascial release; beginning to expand my knowledge towards the physical aspects for recovery. Next step is to dial in on nutrition.
Machine lateral - 30, 45x15, 50x12x4
DB lateral - 5x15x2
EZ curl (noBar/outer) - BARx15, 40x10-15x3; last set drop @ 20xAMRAP
Machine EZ tricep extension (outer) - 45, 60x12x3, 75x10
Was unable to get 3 clean reps with 205 which I attribute largely to my lack of and poor sleep quality last night. If next wave’s bench session proves to be unsuccessful I will hold this weight for another cycle. Tried for 3 sets of 10 with 115 on OHP but to no avail. Although I got a good arm pump form this work out, I’m not satisfied. Need to focus more on getting quality and enough sleep and recovery.
Back squat (high) - BAR, 135 ,185, 225x3x2, 250, 285, 320x3x3, 255x8x3
Sumo DL - 155, 265, 360, 410, 465x3
Deficit DL (1.5") - 355x6x3
Single leg lying leg press (noBase/high/narrow) - 50x15x3
Kneeling NG pull down - 45, 75, 105x12x3, 90x15x2
Seated calf raise - 35x15x4
Lying leg curl (wide) - 90x12x2
Did both squat and DL cause im not sure if i’ll have time this weekend. If I do have time, I’ll use it as a lower body deload.
Not sure when it happened but I think i tore my left pec during yesterday’s workout. Self diagnosis tells me its a grade 1 tear, bruising but no pain in that or surround area. It did not affect my lower body workout today but I’m deciding to take it easier on my horizontal and vertical pushing movements for the remainder of this cycle.
Super set:
Pronated tBar row (chest sup) - 45x12, 70x10x3, 80x8x2
DB lateral - 5x15x4
Machine NG tricep extension - 45x12, 50x12x3
EZ curl (outer) - 60x12x2, 70x8x2, 40xAMRAP
Great workout. Was really cautious with the shoulders and chest muscles and they didn’t bother me. The bruising is still the same size in the picture and I will refrain from regular bench press for the remainder of this cycle.
Was able to gym but my back didn’t feel like deadlifting. Took W5C3 of squats for a spin and it felt great, haven’t squatted that weight for over a year. The remainder of the leg exercises were focused on hamstring and glutes.
Also, all my bar pressing movements have been done with a thumb-less grip, even my heaviest sets. The left pec and left upper trap were feeling tight after benching and OHP so I didn’t do any chest fly movements. Instead I stretched the chest vertically and horizontally.