3/20/09
Mil Press
wux3
195x5
205x3
225x1
Mil Press
115x10x5
HC
165x5x5
DB Tri Ext
4x10
Tri Pushdowns
3x10
225 was a struggle and almost stalled, but got it up. I did not feel great, and my shoulders felt tired throughout. Lowered weight on HC from last week, to make sure I got them all.
3/23/09
Squat
225x5x5
RDL’s
225x5x4
Pendlay Rows
195x5x5
BB Curls
5 sets
Abs
3 sets
3/25/09
Squat
205x5x4
CG Bench (index finger lined up with smooth)
225x5
245x5
265x5
275x5
295x5
315x5* (beat last week - 4)
225x5
Lat Pulldowns
5x10
Tri Ext (cable)
5x10
Did you dump the 5/3/1 ??
3/27/09
Squat
wux3
275x3
285x3
295x3
DL
315x3x3
Hammersmitth Rows
180x10x5
Bi’s
5x10
Abs
3xfailure…
[quote]crankMAN wrote:
Did you dump the 5/3/1 ??[/quote]
Yes and no. For some reason, my squat seems to be getting weaker, while everything else is going okay. My Squat was pretty shitty to start with, so want to get back to basics with it… and maybe a Starr 5x5 for it…
However, I don’t want to do 5x5 for anything else. Even though my numbers on bench and DL haven’t been gone through the roof or anything, I have noticed a great deal more upper body muscle mass in the last 3 months. So I am trying to play with and set myself up to try to keep 5/3/1 for BP and MP, and maybe even DL, while squatting 3x per week.
This week was a practice run, and was thinking of getting the new 5/3/1 manual to see how I might be able to trick this out.
This may sound stupid… but I really do feel like I need to be squatting 3 per week, and don’t want to do that for anything else.
3/29/09
MP
155x5
165x5
175x8
DB MP
45x10
50x10
55x10
60x10
65x10
HC
165x5
165x5
165x5
165x5
skipped 5th set
BB Tri Ext
75x15
85x10
95x10
105x10
115x8 (hit uprights)
Rolling DB ext - 1x10 (40lbs)
Abs
3 sets
I was painting in my house all day, and my shoulders and traps felt tired going in. Excuses… No too bad… going with 5/3/1 for upper body, based on 90% of my current max, 225. I did CG Bench this week, but will count it and go with 3x3 next week, with 90% of projected current max of 365.
was on vacation all week and have been lazy getting workouts logged…
Friday (4/3/09)
Squats
275, 285, 295x3
DL
335x3x3
Pendlay Rows
135x10x5
BB Curls
5 sets of 10
Saturday (4/4/09)
I felt pretty good yesterday, going in and when I got to the gym decided to try to get a 3 rep PR on bench… which I almost did, sort of…
Bench
wu x a bunch
315x3
335x3
355x2 (ass came off on 3rd, but I blew it up and coulda woulda shoulda)
DB Bench
75x10
85x10
95x10
105x8
85x10
Side Lat Raise
3x10
Lat Pulldowns
3x10
Cable Tri Ext
5x10
I know excuses are BS, but I really had that 3rd rep… except for the whole butt coming off the bench part. It flew up and I feel pretty good about it. Altererd my workout a bit as I missed my Wednesday workout.
4/6/09
Squat
235x5x5
RDL
225x5x4
Pendlay Rows
200x5x5
BB Curls
115x5x5
Abs - skipped…
getting back to squatting 3x week this week… plan is to start really low on 5x5 sets across and go up 10 lbs a week on Monday… light squats 4x5 on Wed and Heavier 3x3 on Fri, increasing every week… see if this works… at the minimum, I’ll get alot of practice and reps on my squats.
4/8/09
Squats
205x5x4
MP
165x3
175x3
185x9* (+1)
MP
115x10x4
HC
205x3x3
BB Tri Ext
95x12x5
Got a rep PR for 185…
4/10/09
Squats
285x3
295x3
305x3
DL
345x3x3
HS Low Rows
180x5
230x5
250x5
270x5
280x5
180x12
DB Curls
20, 30, 40x10
50x8, 40x10
Abs
3 sets
Late workout… 800pm start. Benching tomorrow, DL’s feel very light… Squats feel heavy. They move easily and form is okay, but just feel heavy.
4/11/09
3-board CG Bench
wux3
275x5
305x5
325x5
345x5
365x4
Bench
225x10x2
Upright Rows
95x10x2
115x10
125x8
95x10
Overhead Tri Ext.
4x10
BB tri Ext
115x10
Not sure what this is about… got home late this evening and was going to hold off until tomorrow am, but decided to workout last minute… upright rows seemed good here…
4/13/09
Squat
245x5x5
Pendlay Rows
205x5x5
RDL’s
265x5x4
BB Curls
120x5x5
Weighted sit-ups
4x12
Feeling okay… legs are getting used to squatting 3x week, however using such light weights shouldn’t be difficult anyway (that was my plan). Swapped rows and RDL’s which worked out, as felt stronger in both. 205 was fairly easy.
4/15/09
Squat (light)
205x5x4
Bench (Paused)
335x2
335x2
335x2
BB Tri Ext
95x8, 115x8, 120x8, 125x8
Lat Pulldowns
3x10, 9, 8
DB Shoulder Press
50x12
55x12x2
One Arm Pushdowns
3x16
Abs
3 sets
This was my first real workout using paused reps… these we not hard at all, but the difference is even more than I thought.
I would stick with 5/3/1 on squats. Wendler had a solid program. If your squat is so far below your deadlift, that is usually a good red flag to tell you something is f***ed on your technique. Do you have any way of getting video of one of your heavy squats? Some people can handle an extra 50-100lbs in one day just by fixing some details on their squat form.
[quote]drew.haynes wrote:
I would stick with 5/3/1 on squats. Wendler had a solid program. If your squat is so far below your deadlift, that is usually a good red flag to tell you something is f***ed on your technique. Do you have any way of getting video of one of your heavy squats? Some people can handle an extra 50-100lbs in one day just by fixing some details on their squat form.[/quote]
here you go… sorry about poor quality and angle… was done in my basement with a phone… I have never seen a video of myself squatting before, looks like I round my lower back quite a bit…
Coach me up!!!
here is 315x3
Looks easier than it felt…
for vanity sake… I am fat, but not that fat, I have my belt on under my sweatshirt…
Hmmm… yeah focus on a tight back arch. A lower bar position could help with leverage… from what I can tell it LOOKS pretty high on your traps but I could be wrong. Bar sits across my rear delts pretty low.
You may have to wrap your wrists with a lower bar placement as it can be a little stressful - but it definitely helps with better leverage and to tighten some people up. Can’t tell from the side, but if you aren’t, be sure to focus on “knees out” also to keep your hips steady. Just make an effort to push your knees outward on the way up and down.
Just my two cents - I’d give it more time and play around with it. My only other suggestion… go to elitefts.com. Go to the Q&A and send that squat video to Chris Clark. He’s always helpful in critiquing form and he’s more qualified than I. You could also ask Jim Wendler over there too… but Jim is usually a little brief - Chris Clark is more likely to give you detailed help.
[quote]drew.haynes wrote:
Hmmm… yeah focus on a tight back arch. A lower bar position could help with leverage… from what I can tell it LOOKS pretty high on your traps but I could be wrong. Bar sits across my rear delts pretty low.
You may have to wrap your wrists with a lower bar placement as it can be a little stressful - but it definitely helps with better leverage and to tighten some people up. Can’t tell from the side, but if you aren’t, be sure to focus on “knees out” also to keep your hips steady. Just make an effort to push your knees outward on the way up and down.
Just my two cents - I’d give it more time and play around with it. My only other suggestion… go to elitefts.com. Go to the Q&A and send that squat video to Chris Clark. He’s always helpful in critiquing form and he’s more qualified than I. You could also ask Jim Wendler over there too… but Jim is usually a little brief - Chris Clark is more likely to give you detailed help.[/quote]
thanks for the advice… I do have a high bar position and will try getting it lower. I have been messign around since seeign the video, and I think my back rounds at the bottom due to some flexibility issues… however I am unable to pinpoint it yet, as it all feel stight as hell. Beside some streching, do you have other ideas? I will send it to Chris Clark, and will search out the Q&A to see if he has addressed this before. I haven’t done much with Good Mornings, do you think adding them in would help?
4/19/09
CG Bench
285x3x5
DB Tri Ext.
40x12
40x10
35x12
Upright Rows
95x12x3
Side Raises
25x16x3
Hammer Curls
superset w.
One arm cable pressdowns
16x2 (each)