Hey Everyone. So I decided to start my own training log since I am on here so much.
I am 6’2" and 275. I threw discus and hammer at a Division I school in undergrad, so I have a decedent amount of experience in the weight-room. Right now, my rep maxes are: Bench 373 (normal so no pause), Deadlift 525, and Squat 425. I am competing in my first powerlifting meet in August. It is a push/pull meet. This is the 2nd week of my 3rd cycle using the 5/3/1 program.
BENCH DAY:
5 min elliptical
Active stretching and roller
Reverse Band Pause Bench (bands take 70 off bottom and 20 off top)
5x135
5x225
3x275
1x325
1x355
1x385
1x415
Flat Bench (no pause)
3x260
3x295
3x330
Flat Pause Bench for Speed
3x10 at 135
10x155
10x175
Tricep Pushdowns
3x10 at 50
2x10 at 60
Chins (assisted cause I can’t lift my fat as up)
5x5
Leg Raises
2x10
Bench felt really strong today. My meet goal is around 350’s so I am right on track.
Feel free to leave comments or suggestions.
I’ll be following. I hope to be on your level some day lol. I’m also about to do my first meet in july.
About to do my first meet as well. Will be following.
Curious, which bands did you use for reverse band bench?
Strong benching man. So I take it you’re maxing out (or going close to it), then doing 5/3/1 as your main assistance here? Is that something that you’re doing specifically for your bench, or will you be doing something similar for your other lifts? Is it something that Jim has written about in 5/3/1 for Powerlifting (I only have the original).
Looking forward to watching your progress towards your first meet!
This is about the 3rd time I’m trying to post this. What the hell T-Nation?
Thanks everyone for the positive feedback!
Elmore- what are your goals at your meet? And what weight class will you be lifting in?
Dixie- they are purple bands that are at my gym. I would say they are a medium thickness and tension. I plan on getting my own soon.
Element- the singles are something I am doing at the suggestion of a friend who is a strength coach so I could get used to the pause. My last rep is about 95%-ish of my max. I don’t do this for my other lifts, but I do plan on doing my opener and second lift next cycle for deadlift. (the deadlift singles are mentioned in Jim’s new book)
1100 or better raw total and probably 198 pound class. Im not that strong at this weight, went through a 30 pound bulk when I got out of the military and should be way stronger than I am.
DEADLIFTS
Morning weight: 275.4
Warmup
5 min ellip
active stretching and foam rolling
DEADLIFT
4x5 135
3x225
2x315
3x365
3x405
6(+3)x 450 (rep PR)(vid)
SEATED ROW ON MACHINE W/ ELBOWS OUT (not cable)
5x10 90
LAT PULLDOWNS
2x10 100
2x10 120
10x100
ABS
2x25
Static Stretcihng and Foam rolling
Very happy with deadlift. My buddy started the vid a little late, so you can’t see the initial takeoff on my first lift. My last rep was a little shaky, but I got it up. I didn’t realize that I had a slight rounding in my back.
For some reason I mistakenly attached this random photo I took and I can’t figure out how to take it down. Hopefully this will be the video!
[quote]elmore18 wrote:
1100 or better raw total and probably 198 pound class. Im not that strong at this weight, went through a 30 pound bulk when I got out of the military and should be way stronger than I am.[/quote]
Hey man, just have to take it one day at a time. 1100 isn’t a bad starting point at all for that weight class.
[quote]Killerb521 wrote:
[quote]elmore18 wrote:
1100 or better raw total and probably 198 pound class. Im not that strong at this weight, went through a 30 pound bulk when I got out of the military and should be way stronger than I am.[/quote]
Hey man, just have to take it one day at a time. 1100 isn’t a bad starting point at all for that weight class. [/quote]
One of the best lessons I ever learned was “everyone starts somewhere.” If you are bustin your butt and workin hard, then the level you start at is utterly irrelevant.
MILITARY PRESS
5 min walkinging on treadmill
Active stretch and foam rolling
MILITARY PRESS
10x45
5x95
2x135
3x155
3x175
8(+5)x195 (rep PR)(vid)
SEATED DB MIL PRESS
2x10x70
10x60
2x10x50
BENT OVER RAISES
5x10x12.5
CHINS/PULLS (assisted, of course)
5x5
LEG RAISES
1x25
20 min walking on treadmill
Nothing to much to talk about on a shoulder day. Happy with the workout and glad that my shoulders are getting stronger.
On another note, I can’t believe how awful my deadlift form was in the last video. I am looking forward to working on it on Tuesday. My plan is to reset myself after each rep so I can: (1) work on my form; and (2) get my starting strength up.
So I don’t know why I can’t upload the vid. I made a youtube account. Please let me know if the vid link does’t work.
video works, and that press was beastly man.
[quote]elmore18 wrote:
video works, and that press was beastly man.[/quote]
Thanks man! Just happy to finally hit a rep PR after a few weeks.
SQUATS
WARM UP
5 min ellip
Active stretch and foam rolling
SQUAT
3x5x45
5x135
3x225
3x270
3x305
8(+5)x340 (vid)(rep PR of late)(this is 340, the 440 is a typo and wishful thinking! haha)
LEG PRESS
10x300
10x390
10x480
10x570
10x380
HAM CURLS (paired with chins/pulls)
10x100
10x80
3x10x60
CHINS/PULLS (assisted)
5x5
ABS
2x20
20 min walking on treadmill
Lots of foam rolling and use of the stick when i got home to stretch it all out.
Overall, very surprised at how well squat went today. I felt powerful out of the hole and left a few in the tank. Didn’t want to go crazy and wear out my back. Form wise, the bar was too far up on my back and it was starting to push me over a little.
On another note, I figured out how to edit videos. Pretty cool program via Windows.
One last thing, I stopped weighing myself everyday because I felt as if I always had to loose. Therefore, I’m just going to weigh myself once a week on Mondays.
[quote]Killerb521 wrote:
[quote]elmore18 wrote:
video works, and that press was beastly man.[/quote]
Thanks man! Just happy to finally hit a rep PR after a few weeks. [/quote]
+1 to elmore’s comment. Farking strong pressing!
[quote]Element_26 wrote:
[quote]Killerb521 wrote:
[quote]elmore18 wrote:
video works, and that press was beastly man.[/quote]
Thanks man! Just happy to finally hit a rep PR after a few weeks. [/quote]
+1 to elmore’s comment. Farking strong pressing![/quote]
thanks brother. I saw were you had some solid gym sessions yourself. You have a meet lined up anytime soon?
Yeah, I’m planning on competing at the UK Open in mid-September. It’s usually a well run meet with a fair few novices there… It’ll be my third meet, and my first where I’m properly, fully gearwhored up. Looking forward to it, but I’m having to learn the hard way to use my gear and programme my training effectively with it!
BENCH DAY
Morning weight: 274.2 (-.8 from last week)
5 min ellip, active stretch, and foam roller
REVERSE BAND PAUSE BENCH (bands take 70 off bottom and 20 off top)
5x185
3x225
1x275
1x335
1x365
1z395 (vid) (felt light)
1x425 (missed)(vid) (Got it off my chest and then my right side gave out. Buddy helped out a bit and then I was able to lock it out. Happy about explosion of chest)
1x425 (completely buried. It was embarrassing, lol)
NORMAL BENCH
5x275
3x310
2(+1)x345 (vid)
PAUSE BENCH- went halfway up to work on bottom
10x185
3x10x205
10x185
TRICEP PUSHDOWNS
10x50
10x60
10x70
2x10x85
CHINS/PULLS (assisted)
5x5
20 Min treadmill
Overall, I can’t really complain. The 395 rep in pause felt great and I barely missed 425. Also happy with normal bench. I had done so many reps at high weight that I was happy with 2x345.
With respect to pause, I was upset that my ass came off bench. I can’t get my feet set like I normally do in the power rack so it’s uncomfortable. Normally I don’t have an issue with my ass coming off the bench.
With the 425 attempt, I think it was more technique issues than strength. I think the bar came down a little too fast. But, it came off the chest quickly, which means I got 355 off pretty easy.
Took sound off first two because there was a fan right next to where I put the camera.
[quote]Element_26 wrote:
Yeah, I’m planning on competing at the UK Open in mid-September. It’s usually a well run meet with a fair few novices there… It’ll be my third meet, and my first where I’m properly, fully gearwhored up. Looking forward to it, but I’m having to learn the hard way to use my gear and programme my training effectively with it![/quote]
Nice man! That sounds like a legit meet. My meet is in a golds gym, haha. What are your goals for the meet? Also, what weight class will you be competing in? Keep up the solid training. It looks like you’re doing good based off your log!