Good points. CT says your best strength gains come from accumulating volume in the 80-87% range.
5/3/1 is a long term program where this one just kicks your ass for 10 weeks. I don’t think you could run back to back cycles of The Complete Power Look. I mean, you could, but I don’t think you’ll successfully hit a 3RM the 2nd time through. It’d be pretty awesome to take my 1 RM to a 6 RM in 20 weeks but I don’t think my body could handle it.
Week 3 - Day 1
FRONT SQUAT
135 x 4
185 x 4
225 x 4
295 x 4 ← Oops, just noticed this was my 5x5 week…
295 x 6 ← that’ll make up for my mistake, right?
295 x 5
295 x 5
295 x 5
These were tough, but not grindy. Most reps moved pretty quickly. This isn’t one of the lifts I’m afraid of failing, yet.
PAUSED FRONT SQUATS
185 x 6, 6, 6, 6
REVERSE LUNGES (FRONT RACK)
95 x 6, 6, 6, 6 ← I need to up the weight here next week. Still drives some blood into the quads and acts as a good finisher but even 115lbs would make these more beneficial, I think.
I’m not being super strict with my diet right now. Enjoying adult beverages too often, not turning down desserts and bread/bagels/muffins are being enjoyed. My physique hasn’t taken much of a hit, in my opinion, but I’m going to assume that the increased demand from this program is keeping me in check.
I’m looking forward to 1RM testing in mid-December. I’m expecting there to be a week of PR smashing.
Also, @BOTSLAYER, I’m not sure how you’re currently using the wraps for front squats but I used to try them like this and it was weak and felt awful:
Then I started wrapping my hand in them and getting my hand in as tight as I can to the bar. Now it feels like I’m holding the bar. It feels very strong and safe for me like this.
Oh hell yea, hopefully I get in later today or tomorrow and am going to make a front rack form check and i will definitely try that.
Thank you!!
No problem man! Hopefully you can kinda get what I’m trying to show. Basically grab it like the first picture, then circle your hands around until you are super tight with the bar (will take a bit of playing around initially to find where to start your hand on the strap), but this was a game changer for my front squat.
Cross arm is good enough for Dan Green, it’s good enough for me 
Week 3 - Day 3
BENCH PRESS
135 x 5
185 x 5
205 x 5
245 x 3
295 x 5
295 x 5
295 x 5
295 x 5
295 x 5 ← RPE 10, eeked this one out with some sloppy form.
DB FULL RANGE BENCH
80lb x 6
80lb x 6
80lb x 6
80lb x 6
80lb x 6
CLOSE GRIP FLOOR PRESS
205lbs x 6
205lbs x 6
205lbs x 6
205lbs x 6
205lbs x 6
Nice chest and tricep pump from this workout. First set @ 295lbs felt quick, but the last set was all I had in me. Love it!
Little vid of my 1st set of 295lbs on the bench:
Post workout nutrition for the last few days has been:
1 scoop protein
2 tbsp PB2 (well, Walmart brand powdered peanuts)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp MAPLE SYRUP
Then enough almond milk to cover the powder
Pretty tasty and quick to make/eat.
Rest Day Gym Fun
RUN THE RACK DB SHRUGS
50 x 25
60 x 20
70 x 20
80 x 20
90 x 20
100 x 20
AB WHEEL ROLLOUT
10, 10, 10, 10
HANGING LEG RAISES
10, 10, 10, 10
JUMP ROPE
100, 50, 50, 50
AIRDYNE
2min Slow
4 mins of: 10 hard, 20 easy
2min Slow
I got the little AirDyne session from Mark Dugdale’s section in this article:
I actually like all 3 of his tips here. I do consume apple cider vinegar daily and find that heavy calorie restriction 1-2 days a week works better for me than trying to track and stay semi-strict all week.
With the addition of my dumbbells, my basement weight room is really starting to take shape. But of course, I want moar!!
A few things I still would like to add and upgrade are:
I currently own (which is a GREAT rack, it just might be overkill):
But was thinking of switching to something like:
Or even this so I would have some cables for some more training options:
I’m going to tag you, @T3hPwnisher, because if I remember correctly you have/use a reverse hyper and/or GHD.
I can’t really justify dropping coin on my entire wish list tomorrow, but I’m just looking for opinions from my readers on what THEY would prioritize for purchasing because I plan on picking away at this list over time. It’s pretty awesome what $20 per paycheck can add up to over the course of a year!
Say you have $1000 to spend on making your ideal weight room (all plates and dumbbells are already puchased), what would be in your shopping cart?
A decent bar, power rack with pull-up bar, decent flat bench, 45 degree back raise (in that order of priority) and I’d be happy. Reverse hyper if any money left over.
Squat stand, nice bar, really solid dip/pullup station, band set, a couple cable attachments to hang on bands, one set of bumpers if I didn’t have any. Few sandbags to have at various weights. Maybe a log depending if I could find deals on the other pieces of equipment.
I’d probably try to build a GHR/ place to lock my feet into to do back raises or glute ham raises.
If space is concern, the rogue yoke (and I’m sure others do as well) serves as a rack, a yoke, and a sturdy bar to load stones or sandbags over.
@MarkKO - I thought the bodybuilder in you would also want an adjustable bench for all those incline gains! Thanks for the suggestions man!
@brady888 - I was set on a yoke awhile ago, and it completely fell off my radar when I was looking around my weight room for things I needed tonight! That will definitely be up for some serious consideration. My wife’s work actually has a payment plan through her company with Rogue. Unfortunately there is no discount, but they set up automatic deductions on HER paycheck over an extended time (I’m currently not sure of the specifics, but I may need to look into this). This could be dangerous…cannonball grippers, new barbell, might as well slap a 10" log in the cart too…sorry hun, you’re not making any money this year…
Week 3 - Day 4
DAMN DEADLIFT (CONVENTIONAL)
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 5
405 x 3
485 x 5
485 x 3 ← felt grindy so I quit and set up the camera for the next set to show you guys how much I suck
485 x 5 ← showing off for the camera. Decided to grind more than usual, and now looking at the set, it doesn’t look as grindy as it felt.
485 x 3 ← on rep 3 I let out a massive burp at the top and I thought I was going to lose my pre-workout so I dropped it.
485 x 3 ← vid, weight is just feeling heavy.
I think I’m feeling some cumulative fatigue from this program. Trying to hit 5x5 @80%1RM is ok on bench or push press, but that kind of volume for deadlifts is starting to wear me down. Next week is supposed to be 5x6 @ 80%, but I think I’m going to take my deadlift day off and just hit some light supplemental movements and hopefully come back in Week 5 ready to hit the 3x3 @85%.
2.25" DEFICIT DEADLIFT (CONVENTIONAL)
315lbs x 6
315lbs x 6
315lbs x 6
315lbs x 6
CG T-BAR ROW (only recording the added weight to bar)
50lb x 10
75 x 10
100 x 10
125 x 10
100 x 10
75 x 10
50 x 10
I have a half rack in my basement and a decent adjustable bench. They’re Fitness Gear from Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Rogue has racks that fold into the wall. I have the Echo 2.0 bar and it’s great for me. Good bearings for my Olympic stuff and more sturdy than the cheap Fitness Gear one that came with my weights (I bent that one cleaning 275). It doesn’t have any center knurling though.
Here’s your plyo box:
Out of your three hip extension machines I’d get the GHR because you can do glute/ham raises and work up to just straight up Nordic hams which would be some badass hamstring strength.
I would keep your Power Rack. That thing is cool. If you’re gonna mess with some Westside stuff, the “rails” or “pins” and Band Pegs will be super useful and handy. Maybe even get the drill out, and make more holes so you can move the pegs around. I would even add 2 more pins or “bars” to the wish list. That way, you could lift off the rails, and push into another pin, like Josh Bryant and all his 600 pound bench pressers.
Then
Bar (Texas Power Bar!) These are awesome. I get excited just wrapping my hand around the sharp, deep knurling.
Bench
Back Raise
Yep, exactly! (well, I think I’m going with 20x24x30 but basically the same)
Maybe just jerry-rig something like this instead of investing 500 bones into it?
I really like this suggestion lol because I’m cheap and I do really like the rack. There are just so many other gym toys I want and space is my limiting factor. I’m going to have to do something really nice for my wife for her to let me expand…again. Her laundry area is getting smaller and smaller 
This has been on my list of things to do for awhile actually. The bend pegs that are currently on the rack are permanent and make it difficult to deadlift inside the rack as the plates JUST land outside of the pegs and if you’re off at all on your descent you will hit them. This forces me to DL outside the rack, requiring additional space to designate for DLs.
I have read quite a few people finding this to be a helpful training method which I’ve never tried so this is definitely worth consideration (and probably a nice cheap addition as well!) I’ve read articles from Thib on the subject and actually just saw Clint Darden deadlifting against pins the other day.
These actually are fairly reasonable in price (in comparison to some other ones I was browsing through). Thanks for the suggestion!
Again, two good versatile pieces of equipment. Would you recommend the 45o version over the horizontal type?
That rack… keep it. Awesome.
1: bar - then you’ll have two
2: bench - nothing beats a sturdy bench.
3: well as you suggested rig something for back raise.
4: Roses for the wife 
I prefer the 45 degree. I “feel” like I can get more hamstring and backside out of it. Parallel to the ground hits my lower back way more, and it “feels” harder to hit glutes/hams. And if I want to get after lower back, barbell across shoulders on the 45 degree does the trick. You can also do a half-assed Glute/Ham raise on the 45, if you set the pad low, and keep pulling with your hams at the top.
Glute/Ham raises are cool, but I can only do Zero, so they personally do me no good. My gf can do multiple sets of 12-15, so they don’t do much for her either. It’s like the perfect example of why everybody needs different exercises.
If you don’t use them, cut those band pegs off! Swing your rack around and free up some space.
Saw the tag. Reverse hyper over GHR a million times. I got my GHR in 2010 or so and went 6 years before I started using it again. Didn’t feel like I got anything out of it that I wasn’t getting from other hamstring work. The reverse hyper on the other hand performs a movement that is VERY difficult to otherwise replicate, and builds a bullet proof back.
If you don’t already have a prowler, I’d get one of those over a lot of the other stuff too, because again, it’s hard to replicate.
