Cycle 6 Week 3 Dead day
warm-up, foam, mobility 20 minutes total
Rack Pulls ( 2 inch below knee)
5x265, 3x295, 7x335 ( PR+3reps) grip failed, back could do more.
Snatch Grip Deads
3x8x185, 1x8x205, 1x4x225 (PR+1rep), 1x265 (PR+10lbs)
GM’s
3x10x115, 1x6x125
Fat Bar Curls for Mrs Goat aka Lucy, I’m home!
3x9x85, 1x6x95
So that concludes Cycle 6 and its off to deload. I will hang the “gone deloading” sign but before I do I thought I would to and summarize my thoughts on 6 months of 5/3/1 Goat Style
A Goats eye view on 5/3/1
Have to say that it works for me! No doubt my rep maxes have moved up nicely given the time frame and I tested 1RMâ??s back at the end of December and was pleased with those results as well. Some exercises moved up more than others, but that is to be expected. Deads were the big mover! I will retest at the end of April…can’t wait.
I like the simple format and knowing exactly what numbers and reps I should do on any given session. Doing this at 5am makes thinking less, important. It also fits nicely into the time allotment I have.
I suppose since I switched up main exercises I am on one level I am not doing â??5/3/1â??. But I donâ??t think when Wendler designed this protocol he figured on a bunch of old goats buying in . So the adjustments I made were pre-emptive against repetitive motion injuries. Especially considering the shoulder issues I have had in the past and a few other maladies I have obtained from being tossed off a motorcycle a few times(never good and not recommended).
Switching temporarily from Standing barbell millies to seated DBâ??s , from flat bench to CGBP is my own attempt to preserve my shoulders. I also believe that working the same overall movement and muscles with a slightly different spin can only be helpful in the long run for overall strength gains. Plus the variation keeps the mental interest up and that helps me with keeping the fire burning! Another aspect I found to be helpful for me was I stopped max repping every session. By the end cycle 5 I was really starting to feel drained with signs of nagging little pains. I was still making gains, but didnâ??t want to end up on IR. This cycle when I max repped I capped them at 10 ( so really not a max rep effort) but again just trying manage my own situation. Am I suggesting that this is what others should do? No, not at all. Just voicing what I think has been beneficial to me.
Cycle 6 was one of my most consistant in terms of progress and was certainly hard, but also the most enjoyable. Changing my squat day to earlier in the week has worked for me. I am fresher, not so much physically, but fresher mentally early in the week… The work week tends to grind on me and since I really enjoy deads and all its variants doing it late in the week when I am beat up, is easier than doing squats which I struggle with and therefore find it hard at times to put forth a stellar effort.
Lastly, I notice my recovery sucks when my diet, rest and alcohol in-take are not what they should be ( no,duh): which on all three counts is pretty much a regular occurrence in some combination. I need to work on that as correcting those would pay huge dividends in and out of the gym. Hence, chewing on some Buffalo jerky ( no fat, low salt and high protein, although damn freaking expensive) as I write this!
I will spend two more cycles with my present set-up before returning to the traditional 5/3/1. Overall, its been a good ride for me and I am looking forward to the next 6 cycles!
Peace
I’ve decided to make some tradeoffs on grip for heavy rack pulls. My grip takes a beating during the week with Krocs, pullups and deads. I’m using straps for rack pulls just so my extensors gets some extra work. I know grip is going to be a big factor once my deads get really heavy, but right now grip doesn’t bother me. I’m more concerned about core and back strength. Just my two cents and I may be way off base. Still learning.