BENCH
120 x 5
170 x 5
210 x 3
230 x 1 x 5 sets
250 x 1
270 x 1 with UNDERHAND ROW
165 x 5
185 x 5
215 x 5 x 5
BTN OHP 550 SET
90 x 17, 11, 9, 9, 7 (53) Moving up to 95 next cycle.
SKULL CRUSHER
90 x 10 x 3 sets with PEC DEC
120 x 11, 9, 8
Solid session. No cardio because I just can’t… I hate it! I’ll get one good session done each weekend. I can at least run a mile before one of my mid-week workouts, hopefully two of them. I really like DT. It gets me 12-18 minutes of working and breathing. There is some stupid guy inside me thinking of trying Bloody DT - a round of DT plus a 400m run for 5 rounds. I’m guessing that’ll be about 25 minutes of torture.
Short and something or other. Didn’t feel great; lunch #2 was still too fresh and my stomach has been upset all day. It’s definitely from my food choices. Deadlifts felt harder than they should but that was mental. I’m sure my body is fine. If I was doing Advanced then I’d have to do that last set for 5x5. I decided to do 3s PRO for cleans on this day and I’ll do a Training Maximally style day on squat day (working up to my TM and possibly some Jokers). That’s all for today.
I feel like I should add some volume to my leg days if I’m not going to be running four days per week… oh, well.
I was doing BW walking lunges or band leg extensions for 50-100 reps after my runs in the Summer. Made my knees feel so good, and pumped the crap outta my legs. Might help.
There was a time when I would do a leg session consisting of 5x8 on squats, deads, lunges, and RDL’s. Now I can barely force myself to do the bare minimum. My mental state is different, but some of my old ways remain. I know I’m not doing as much and I wonder if I should add work back to my sessions. But the reality is that I don’t want to do any more. I’m really going to test out 5/3/1 for the year and see if I go anywhere with just the main work.
“There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under Heaven.”
Sometimes it’s difficult to change from one style of training to another. I often compare my current program and abilities to years or decades past. I’ve learned that anything is better than nothing; sometimes, we NEED low-volume, low-intensity training; and there are times when it’s best to follow that inner part of ourselves that doesn’t want to do more.
Thanks for that. I think I’m in a period of transition in my life. I’m okay with it because I want it, but I still second guess myself occasionally.
I still have training goals. I’d love to get close to a 4 plate squat; I’d be happy with 3.5. My little moments of doubt are attached to those things. I used to do so much more in the past that it seems unlikely to get there with my current approach. Time will tell.
@kdjohn, thanks for reminding me of bodyweight lunges. Those will fit the bill of keeping my hip happy and they’re also a great exercise. I’ve done sets of 100 total while rebuilding myself after hip problems. I never did push it to 100 each. That ought to be easy on the joints but hard on the muscles.
You’re welcome! From where I stand, it appears your brain and body know they’re dealing with other stresses and don’t want excessive training demands. As you know, deadlifts, squats, and cleans are much more neurologically demanding than other lifts, so your body’s wanting to ease off that throttle for a little while. Not stop, but relax.
Interestingly, you’re at the age I was - mid/upper 30s - when I made my best strength gains while training less days per week (once every three or four days) than I’d ever done. I couldn’t help but remember reading Bigger, Stronger, Faster my freshman year of college and the author’s assertion that 39, not 18, is a man’s optimal strength age.
I’m not sure because this is the least amount of volume I’ve ever done. I’m skeptical. 5/3/1 is supposed to make people stronger so I’m going to give it a legitimate run - like all year.
I’m also not ready to put a strength goal that high on the priority list. It seems more like a pipe dream at this point.
I had one of coworkers check on me one day (we’ve never met so I don’t think he knows who I am). I thought it’d be a good idea to combine a 1/3 mile run with snatches. I redlined my breathing and HR and he drove past right as I finished a run.
Well, you know my opinion on 5/3/1, and you’ve also seen my results. I’m a ways off from it now, but I have hit a 425# squat doing OG 5/3/1, I think after 10 consecutive cycles without resetting, which means adding +100# to squat and deadlift training max, and +50# on bench/press. My true maxxes had increased even more. Just think, if you run a year without having to reset, that’ll be +120# to your lower lifts training max and +60# to your upper lifts. You got this!
They’re super tonic for your joints. Again, last Summer when I was running lots AND doing the Hungarian Oak Leg Blast, I knew my knees were gonna feel beat up if I didn’t add something. Whenever I finished my runs, I’d do 50-100 (depending on the length of the run) BW walking lunges up and down my driveway, followed by a kneeling quad stretch. The blood rush I got to everything surrounding my knees was CRAZY, and made them feel so unbelievably good after running.
I know you’ve talked about cranky knees before, so I figured it might work for you too. High rep band and BW work is like a cheat code for lubing up your joints.
