‘‘No excuses, just results.’’ I saw this motto on the Powerflex Gym shirt, a local gym of Albuquerque (where I was for most of the summer). This is what inspired me to get back to being accountable for reaching my goals. I am usually long-winded, so here is the short version:
-I am weak
-Plan to not stay weak
-Use Wendler’s 5/3/1 to kickstart goal
-Eat/Sleep/Lift/Get Publications (in order to get phd on time)
Eating is the usual 6-8 meals a day, mostly clean, have 2-3 carb up meals a week. Sleeping is fine, 7-9 hours a night. Lifting, I’m embarassed to say that my lifts are around Squat: 225x1-3, DL: 325:1-3, Bench: 225x2-5, and have been up and down for 2+ years. No more excuses. Pictures are in HUB (comparing old log’s to this morning’s @ 189).
Carbing up tonight with the wife’s homemade pizza (1 chicken pesto, 1 plain).
9/7/10 @ 5pm:
Military Press: 85 x 5, 100 x 5, 110 x 10 (PR, since I never really did high reps)
Dips: BW = 195 x 15, 14, 11, 10, 9
Wide Grip Pullups: BW = 195 x 8, 7, 5
Neutral Grip Pullups: BW = 195 x 7, 6, 5,
*Homemade Pizza: Chicken/Pesto x 6 slices and Plain x 6 slices (each the size of 1/3-1/2 of a normal slice, so roughly 4-6 ‘‘normal’’-size slices)
Today = deadlifts.
I have been reassessing my form, and found via Squat RX that I suck at squatting (among other lifts). Perhaps I’ll take a video of the big four lifts, though this week is particularly bad since every college kid ever is everywhere at all times in the g-d gym.
Goals (very doable) by 1/1/11 or sooner: Squat 315 x 1, Bench 285 x 1, Deadlift 405 x 1, Military Press 185 x 1, 15 BW wide-grip pullups (@ 200lb), and become a lean 200lb (haven’t ever had body fat tested, so pics/mirrors are what I judge).
Measurements (in inches) as of 9/7/10:
Neck: 14.5
Biceps: 13/15.25 (unflexed/flexed)
Shoulders: 47-48?
Chest: 40-41?
Navel: 34.5
Waist: 33.75
Glutes: 39
Hams/Quads: 23.25
Calves: 13.75
Ankles: 8.25
Wrists: 6.25
Edit: I looked at my last log’s measurements (as of 6/7/08), and not much has changed except: Navel: -.5, Waist: -.25, Wrists: -.5 (may be inaccurate, ha), and most importantly Quads/Hams: +1 inch.
9/8/10 @ 4:30pm
I’ve been warming up with body squats, push-ups, and an explosive exercise (cleans or jumps), followed by light dynamic and static stretching. Seems to work well, though I sweat very easily. I also lift in Chuck Taylor’s
Deadlift: 195 x 5, 225 x 5, 255 x 10 (grip failed, probably had 12)
Good Mornings: 95 x 10, 115 x 10, 105 x 10, 8, 10
Hanging Leg Raises: BW â?? 195 x 12, 10, 10, 10
Standing Calf Raises: (smith w/ 2 plates per side) x 14, 12, 10
Seated Calf Raises: 2 plates x 10, 8, 8
Tomorrow: Hill Sprints
9/10/10 @10:30am:
So I neglected the hill sprints yesterday, but will do them tomorrow (minus the hill). My office-mate’s birthday is today and a bunch of us are going out for Greek food = carb up meal tonight, especially since yesterday I had <70g! Tomorrow is my dad’s birthday celebration, and we’re going out for Indian, so another carb-up meal, probably directly after the sprints.
Weight: 189lb, 7.25 hrs of sleep, woke up twice
Bench: 145 x 5, 165 x 5, 185 x 14 (PR, again, never really did high reps like this)
DB incline: 65 x 8, 55 x 8, 7, 7, 7
DB 1-arm rows: 80 x 7, 90 x 12, 11, 11, 10, 10
Preacher curls: 65 x 10, 10, 9
DB curls: 35 x as many as possible (amap) followed by 30 x amap
Biceps and calves are weakest/smallest, so some direct assistance is necessary twice a week I think.
9/11/10:
sprints: 30 meter x 9 (need to work on shorter rest + more sets).
9/12/10:
Squats: 135 x 5, 160 x 5, 180 x 10 (possible PR)
Walking DB Lunges: 50s x 9,9,8,8
Seated Leg Curls: 90 x 10, 110 x 10,10,14 (new awkward machine, but can feel a better contraction)
Standing Smith Calf Raises (bar weight assumed = 0): 180 x 14, 230 x 12,10
Ab Roller: 20, 14, 10
Start of Week 2: Tuesday 9/14/10
Military Press: 90 x 3, 105 x 3, 115 x 10 (PR)
Dips: BW = 195 x 15, 15, 13, 11, 10
Wide-Grip Pullups: BW x 8, 6, 5
Wide-Grip Pulldowns: 145 x 8, 6, 130 x 8
Face Pulls: 75 x 12, 85 x 8, 8, 8
9/15/10:
Chinese food = diarrhea, thanks.
Deadlift: 210 x 3, 240 x 3, 270 x 7 (grip failed, shin was bleeding)
Good Morning: 95 x 10, 115 x 9, 9, 9, 8
Hanging Leg Raise: BW = 195 x 12, 10, 10, 10, 8
Seated Calf Raises (2 second pause at top and bottom = ouch): 90 x 14, 10, 8, 8
After cutting my right shin just below the knee during a warm-up set, I decided to narrow my stance. The knurling is still fairly new on the bars at my gym and I’m trying to sit back more, hence the dragging of the bar on my shins. The narrower stance actually worked my hamstrings far more than any other time, hmmm. The hammies were either super tight or fried during the GMs. I may skip tomorrows hill sprint session if I don’t get this current paper finished since I need to use the ‘‘no excuses, just results’’ slogan with my adviser!
Thursday 9/16: ‘Off’ day. I need to add more than 1 (hill) sprinting session to the week.
Friday 9/17:
Flat Bench: 155 x 3, 175 x 3, 200 x 11 (the spotter barely touched the bar for reps 10-13, without my consent, so I’ll say I had 11)
Incline DB Bench: 60 x 10, 8, 55 x 7, 50 x 7, 7
DB 1-arm Row: 90 x 12, 11, 11, 10, 10
EZ Spider Curls: 65 x 8, 8, 45 x 8
'Twas a humbling session. I decided to cut my rest intervals down to 60-90 seconds (closer to 60 it seemed). The idea came from another 5/3/1-er’s log.
Saturday 9/18: ‘Off’. Phillies game. Squats tomorrow.
Sunday 9/19:
Squats: 145 x 3, 170 x 3, 190 x 4.
Had to stop. Hip flexors are way too tight and started to hurt during the second set (170 x 3). I tried to move on to something else but it wasn’t working. Time to stretch these hips and hams every day! The cause: 3 hour drive home + ‘off’ day yesterday + a non-physical weekend.
Monday 9/20/10 (Start of Week 3, Cycle 1):
Military Press: 100 x 5, 110 x 3, 125 x 9 (PR)
Weighted Dips: +25 x 10, 10, 9, +20 x 8, +15 x 8
Pullups: 8, 6, 4,
Pulldowns: 140 x 8, 7, 130 x 8
Face Pulls: 85 x 10, 10, 9, 9
Ab Wheel: 20, 12, 8
Felt good today. Decided to do weighted dips rather than sets of 10-15 of just body weight. Ab wheel sucks when your arms are jello.
So it’s been a rough week with a family member in the hospital, and he’s finally doing much better. Note to self: take many doctors’ words with many grains of salt…
9/23/10:
A. Deadlift (deadstop): 225 x 5, 255 x 3, 285 x 7
B1. Back Extensions: BW x 10, 9, 7, 6, 6 (here is my weak point!)
B2. Hanging Leg Raises (full range): BW x 10, 9, 8, 8, 8
C. Seated Calf Raises (tempo 12x2): 90 x 12, 10, 8, 8
Later today is Benching followed by a sirloin!
Friday 9/24/10:
A. Bench: 165 x 5, 185 x 3, 210 x 8
B1. Dips: BW x 10, +25 x 10, 8, 8, 7
B2. Chins: BW x 10, 9, 8, 7, 6
C. BB Shrugs: 135 x 12, 185 x 12, 10, 10
D. BB Curls: 65 x 9, 85 x 7, 6, 75 x 7
Wow, the worst time in the world to try and use any kind of bench is approximately 5-7pm, hence a repeat of dips and not incline press. I’ll stick with morning sessions whenever possible. I hope the deload week coming up will help with the next cycle!
Tomorrow: Possibly some hill sprints, depending on if I get to the hill before the football game…
9/26 - 9/28: off due to emergency family matters.
Wednesday 9/29/10:
(activation work) Hang Cleans: worked up to 135 x 3
Back Squats: 160 x 5, 180 x 3, 200 x 8
Prone/side Bridges: ALAP x 2
Back Extensions: BW x 12,12
After 3 days off I was surprised at how easy squatting felt. I really focused on being tight, although my lower back felt tweaked after the 200 which unfortunately caused me to take it easy the rest of the day. Time for a short deload and more conditioning work.
9/30: off
10/1: deload
Military Press: 95 x 5,5,5
Dips: BW x 10,10,10,8,8
Pullups: BW x 9,8,6,4
Pulldowns: 145 x 8, 130 x 8, 115 x 8
Quick one. Tried not to rest long between sets.
10/2: off, but tried to find parking near the hill I sprint at. Unfortunately, there was a football game and it’s very close by, hence I gave up out of frustration…lame.
Sunday 10/3/10:
Cleans: 95 x 3, 115 x 3, 135 x 3
Deadlift: 225 x 5, 5, 5
Back Extensions: BW x 12, 10, 9, 8
Seated Leg Curls: 110 x 10,10,8
Standing Calf Raises (smith, plates per side): 3pl x 12,10,8
Hanging Leg Raises: BW x 11, 9, 8, 6
Observations: I have been stuck at my weight and strength for the past two years (among other reasons) due to lifting at a gym where nobody, at least during the times I train, is much stronger than me. Also, nobody has good technique, for instance, squatting, cleaning, deadlifting, benching, military pressing, etc., with full ROM. Today, though, was a different story, as the rogue beasts were out. Two sets of lifters foam rolling (more like PVC rolling) and (full) squatting 405 for a few reps, which is rare here, and inspiring. Also, one guy was filming his technique, which is something I definitely need to due since I’ve been pulling my low back/hams way too often…
Tuesday 10/5/10 (deload day 3 of cycle 1):
Bench: 135 x 5, 155 x 5, 165 x 5,
High Incline DB Press: 65 x 12, 8, 55 x 8, 45 x 8
DB 1-arm Rows: 120 x 10, 10, 8
Ab Wheel: 15, 10
10/6 (last deload day):
Hang Cleans (neural activation): 95 x 3, 115 x 3, 135 x 3, 145 x 3
Front Squats: 135 x 5, 145 x 5,5
Walking DB Lunges: 55 x 8, 65 x 8,7
Seated Calf Raises: 90 x 12,10,8,8
None of the two(!) squat racks were available, so naturally after warming up with cleans I just front squatted. Didn’t realize that those followed by walking lunges would make seated calf raises uncomfortable due to the leg rest part! This deload week turned into about 10 days, so I am eager to get back and push much harder (more volume). Also, I have noticed a slight difference in my ability to front squat, mainly my arm flexibility (due to focusing on hang clean form) and maybe some thoracic mobility (due to arm dislocates with some 12lb padded bar).
5/3/1 Cycle 2, Week 1
*Lift - 90%
*MP - 135
*DL - 310
*Bench - 225
*Squat - 220
Friday 10/8:
Military Press: 90 x 5, 100 x 5, 115 x 11
Wide Grip Pullups: BW=195x 10, 7
Pulldowns: 160 x 7, 140 x 8, 7, 120 x 8
Dips: BW x 10, +25x 10, 9, 7, +15x 7, BWx 7
Face Pulls: 75 x 10, 85 x 10,10,9
Ab Wheel: 15, 12