I’ve decided to be cool like everyone else and post my 5/3/1 log. This is the first time I’ve done the program and will be doing the first day tomorrow. Below are my starting lift numbers.
90% 1RM (1RM Calculated by WeightxReps)
Deadlift: 342lbs (380 from 325x5)
Bench: 238lbs (265 from 230x5)
Squat: 270lbs (300 from 235x7)
Overhead: 121lbs (135 from 115x5)
Each day has about 4-5 assistance exercises which may depend on which of my 2 gyms locations I go to that day. They will be fairly consistent and I plan on keeping it the same for 2 cycles. I will post my first 4 workouts with more info on that.
Week 1 Bench Press
Ended last set at 85% with 205lbs x 10 reps
Assistance lifts were done were the following, 3 sets each increasing weight each set. If the last set goes well I start next week with increased weight.
Laying Bench Row 100lbs x 5
Flys/Reverse Flys 10 reps with 85lbs/75lbs (Machine probably varies gym to gym)
Dumbell Bench 80lbs x 8
Dumbell Row 70lbs x 8
Weighted Dip 40lbs x 8
Week 1 Deadlift
Last set was 295lbs for 8 reps (in the morning). Have had much better luck with deadlifts in the afternoon rather than morning. Hope to get at least 8 reps next time when the weight increases and maybe I’ll be back on track for this lift. On Week 3 I always plan on doing this lift in the afternoon for best results.
Leg Curl: 6 reps of 100lbs (Starting with 80 and +10 each set)
Ab Machine and Leg Raise: 15 reps each
Back Extension: 12 reps
Sumo DL: 135lbs at 12 reps fairly fast speed (Increasing weight and trying 10 reps next week and possibly down to 8). Never done this exercise before until today.
Wrist Curls
Week 1 Press
105lbs for 10 reps which was my goal for the day. Been doing these seated until recently. Did 3 sets of each of the following.
Pullups 5 reps with 10 lbs added
Lat Raise 10 x 20lbs
DB Press 10 x 40 lbs
Closegrip pulldown 8 x 150 lbs (Started to light on this, should be able to increase weight weekly for a while)
Overhead dumbell tricep extension 10 x 20 lbs (Never did this before, feels kind of weird but will stick with it for a while and see how much I can move up the weight)
Week 1 Squat
230lbs for 7 reps. About what I did to test my 1RM so I could not really expect much more than this for today.
Assistance
Seated Calf Raise 10 reps
Lunges 16 or 8 per leg (Had not done this in a while and made the next 2 much harder)
Standing Calf Raise 10 reps
Leg Extension 10 reps
May up the reps on one of the calf raises to 12 or 15, probably not too important for now though.
Week 2
Last sets only, is anything else even relevant?
215x9 Bench Press
295x8 Deadlift
110x9 Press
245x5 Squat
Only thing I sucked on was Squats, everything else was equal or just 1 rep less than the previous week. Next week the best I can hope for is 3-4 reps on squats and hopefully get better numbers next cycle. Had not been doing low rep squats recently so maybe this is expected at first.
Week 3
230x6 Bench Press
325x6 Deadlift
120x6 Press
260x4 Squat (Paused a bit longer than normal before doing 4th rep)
Everything was about what I had expected based on the previous week. Upping everything the standard weight for Cycle 2. Hopefully will get better at squats otherwise it may be the first lift to not increase for a cycle. Will keep going until I drop below 3 reps on Week 3.
Cycle 2
Here is all the numbers just on the big lifts.
Week 1
210x9 Bench
300x8 Deadlift
110x8 Press
240x6 Squat
Week 2
220x9 Bench
320x8 Deadlift
115x7 Press
255x6 Squat
Week 3
235x5 Bench
335x6 Deadlift
125x5 Press
270x4 Squat
Made some very small changes to assistance work, will probably keep it the same for the next 2 cycles then I will redo everything. Progressing with recommended weight increases.
Cycle 3
Bench
215x9
225x8
240x5
Deadlift
310x9
325x7
345x6
Press
115x8
120x7
130x5
Squat
245x8
260x5
275x3
Repeating the same weight for squats on the 4th cycle, to early to be getting 3 reps. Goal is to just get up to doing reps with 315 by the 10th cycle so I have a few times to redo squats. Depending on how I feel most workouts I may cut back on assistance work. Will keep doing the same assistance for the most part and completely change it up for the 6-10th cycles. For summary its the following
Bench: Rows/Dip/Chest
Deadlift: Abs/Back extension/Wrist/leg curl
Press: Pullups/DB Press/Lat Raise/Close grip
Squat: Calfs/Lunges/Leg Press
Cycle 4
Bench
220x9
230x8
245x5
Deadlift
315x8
335x8
355x6
Press
120x7
125x7
135x4
Squat (Still sucks and did not really go up since repeating numbers on 3rd cycle)
245x8
260x6
275x3
Overall decent progress and about what I was expecting. As of posting this I have already done 2 days of Cycle 5 and my numbers are very good so far. Will try to take this cycle a bit slower with more rest days. Planning on keeping assistance exactly the same this time then on the 6th and 7th start rotating in new stuff. I was planning on more of a change on assistance but I really like what I have so far so will just swap similar movements.
Cycle 5
Bench
220x10
230x8
245x5
Deadlift (PR on all 3)
325x10
345x7
365x6
Press
120x8
130x6
135x4
Squat
255x6
270x5
285x3
Next cycle all assistance work is changing, will make a separate post for that later. Plan on doing 5 more cycles with increasing weight except for a few planned repeats.
Cycle 6 Bench Press
220x10
235x8
250x4
Assistance
-Bentover Row using 5/3/1 reps with training max of 160
-Dynamic Effort / Speed OH Press with 40/45/50% of training max for 5/4/3 reps
-Upright Row
-Week 1 Dips for reps
-Week 2 Hammer Strength bench press
-Week 3 Closegrip press
Cycle 6 Deadlift
330x8
350x7
375x5
Assistance
-Calf Raises
-Dynamic Effort / Speed Box squat using 35/40/45% of training max
-Abs
-Good morning
-Reverse Curls
Cycle 6 Overhead Press
120x7
130x6
140x3
Assistance
-Assisted Pullups (so I can get more reps than normal ones)
-DE Bench Press
-Hammer Strength Pulldown
-Week 1 Military Press from Pins, heavier than 1RM
-Week 2 Incline Press Machine
-Week 3 Dumbell Press
Cycle 6 Squat
260x7
275x4
295x3
Assistance
-Seated Calf raises
-DE Deadlift
-Abs
-Heavy quarter squats depending if I feel like it
-Week 1 Heavy squat singles
-Week 2 Lunges
-Week 3 Leg Extension