Old Guy Doing 5/3/1

Training Logs
1725

3/16/25 Weekly weigh-in: 199.6#

3 weeks in a row at the same weight. My running and conditioning continue to improve, so I’m not terribly worried about losing more weight, but I still would like to lose more fat. Oh well, not at the expense of strength, so I’ll keep doing what I’m doing for right now.

From start of T-ransformation challenge:
12/30/24 - 212.4#
1/8/25 - 210.4#
1/14/25 - 210.0#
1/19/25 - 207.4#
1/26/25 - 206.2#
2/2/25 - 204.2#
2/9/25 - 201.2#
2/15/25 - 201.0#
2/22/25 - 200.6#
3/2/25 - 199.6#
3/9/25 - 199.6#
3/16/25 - 199.6#

2 Likes
1726

Day late update, since I went straight home after training because my wife had the granddaughters for the evening and I didn’t want to miss out on that.

3/17/25 5/3/1 whole body strongman version, cycle 5 day 3

Warmup: barbell complex x3

Power cleans:
3x45#
3x65#
3x95#
3x115#
3x130#
6x150#

Superset with 25# weighted chin-ups: 1,2,3,4,5,6

Squats:
3x45#
3x95#
3x135#
3x175#
3x205#
3x230#
8x260#

Accessory:

Superset of Zercher squats: 5x155#, 205#, 205#
25# weighted dips: 8,8,8
EZ curl bar curls: 53# x8,8,8
Tricep extensions: 53# x10,10,10

Good start to week 2 of this cycle, weights are still feeling heavy but manageable. I’m pushing the accessory superset enough that I’m pretty drenched in sweat and heart rate definitely elevated by the end, so I’m probably getting some conditioning benefit from that as well. Oh, and I accidentally increased the weights on the Zercher squats, I didn’t realize until after that I had added 10’s instead of 5’s on those. Didn’t feel any harder, so I guess that’s good?

3 Likes
1727

3/18/25 after work

Conditioning: Elliptical 36 minutes, difficulty 7, speed 4+, 5+ or faster on the hills. Final numbers HR: 127, Miles: 2.78, Calories: 387, peak HR 141. Continuing incremental improvements, same or slightly faster speed than last week, lower final HR and lower peak HR. HR would have been even lower except that my Pandora decided to play ‘Seven Nation Army’ during my last 2 hills, so I went at that pace, which pushed my speed up a little over 6. Progress!

2 Likes
1728

3/20/25 5/3/1 whole body strongman version, cycle 5 day 4

Warmup: barbell complex x3

Deadlifts:
3x45#
3x95#
3x135#
3x185#
3x225#
3x245#
3x280#
8x315#

Superset with pull-ups 1,2,4,6,8,10,12,14

Press:
3x45#
3x65#
3x85#
3x105#
3x120#
8x135#

Superset with front squats 3x same weights.

Accessory -
Dumbbell overhead press per arm: 50# 8,8,8
Superset with dumbbell bent over rows: 65# 8,8,8

Conditioning: Elliptical 18 minutes at level 7, speed 4, didn’t ramp up on hills. HR started at 129, topped out at 142 during the hills, and ended at 136. More time and better heart rates than a week ago.

2 Likes
1729

3/23/25

First of all, I missed my run this weekend, I had to go to Topeka early Saturday, then spent the entire day doing stuff with my wife, and all day Sunday was spent with the kids and grandkids, so no regrets.

Weekly weigh-in: 200.6#

First time since I started tracking this time around that my weight actually went back up, but to be fair I haven’t been very strict with eating these last couple of weeks, and then I’ve also had a few drinks. No worries, I’m still doing alright.

From start of T-ransformation challenge:
12/30/24 - 212.4#
1/8/25 - 210.4#
1/14/25 - 210.0#
1/19/25 - 207.4#
1/26/25 - 206.2#
2/2/25 - 204.2#
2/9/25 - 201.2#
2/15/25 - 201.0#
2/22/25 - 200.6#
3/2/25 - 199.6#
3/9/25 - 199.6#
3/16/25 - 199.6#
3/23/25 - 200.6#

2 Likes
1730

3/24/25 5/3/1 whole body strongman version, cycle 5 day 5

Warmup: barbell complex x3

Power cleans:
5x45#
5x65#
5x95#
5x115#
5x125#
3x140#
5x155#

Superset with 25# weighted chin-ups: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7

Squats:
5x45#
5x95#
5x135#
5x185#
5x225#
3x250#
5x275#

Accessory:

Superset of Zercher squats: 5x155#, 205#, 205#
25# weighted dips: 8,8,8
EZ curl bar curls: 53# x8,8,8
Tricep extensions: 53# x10,10,10

No problem with any of the weights, and power clean form is feeling like it’s improving. Practice makes perfect, right?

4 Likes
1731

3/25/25 after work

Conditioning: Elliptical 36 minutes, difficulty 7, speed 4+, 6+ on the hills. Final numbers HR: 129, Miles: 2.85, Calories: 386, peak HR 147. I increased the hill speed again, and it’s reflected in the HR numbers and the miles, although it somehow thinks I burned fewer calories.

1 Like
1732

3/27/25 5/3/1 whole body strongman, cycle 5 day 6

Deadlifts:
5x45#
5x95#
5x135#
5x185#
5x225#
5x265#
3x305#
5x335#

Superset with pull-ups 1,2,4,6,8,10,12,14

Press:
5x45#
5x65#
5x95#
5x115#
3x130#
5x145#

Superset with front squats 3x same weights.

Accessory -
Dumbbell overhead press per arm: 50# 8,8,10
Superset with dumbbell bent over rows: 65# 8,8,10

Conditioning:

Run 400m - 2:36 - rest 3 minutes
Run 400m - 2:23 - rest 3 minutes
Run 400m - 2:12

Good finish to cycle 5, so that’s 5 cycles in a row of never being in danger of missing the desired number of reps on the final sets, so I chose my starting training maxes appropriately. The first wall I’m going to hit, of course, will be on the press, like it always is. You can only add 5# every cycle for so long on that one. I’m still very happy with my progress.

The conditioning was just to get something in, and I was at the community center gym, so I did 400’s. Not fast by any means, I was already pretty gassed from the weight training, but got the work done. Rest day tomorrow, and then I think I’ll do a long run on Saturday. We’ll see how I feel.

2 Likes
1733

3/29/25

Conditionng: 5K run: 39:59. This is my first outdoor run since I started back, and it was pretty tough, running on an indoor track doesn’t give the experience of the hills and a 25 mph wind. Also, I’m pretty sure I actually ran a little further, since the app cut off several corners, so apparently it doesn’t update the GPS continually on the free version of mapmyrun. I wanted to get an ‘honest’ 5K though, so I went all the way until the app said 3.11 miles. Hardest part was when I got back to my house on my long loop around town and was only at 2.61 miles, and I had to choose to keep going for another 3 block square instead of heading into the house. 2 weeks out from my 5K, so I guess anything under 40:00 is a win.

Also, I don’t think it helped that I got a 90 minute deep tissue massage yesterday, my quads and hamstrings felt like lead.

3 Likes
1734

Late update:

3/30/25 Sunday weigh-in 200.6#, same weight as last week.

3/31/25 whole body strongman version, cycle 6 day 1

Warmup: barbell complex x3

Power cleans:
5x45#
5x65#
5x95#
5x115#
5x135#
8x145#

Superset with 25# weighted chin-ups: 1,2,3,4,5,6

Squats:
5x45#
5x95#
5x135#
5x195#
5x225#
10x255#

Accessory:

Superset of Zercher squats: 5x145#, 195#, 195#
25# weighted dips: 8,8,8
EZ curl bar curls: 58# x8,8,8
Tricep extensions: 58# x10,10,10

Weights weren’t all exactly at my working %'s today because someone hid ONE of the two 2.5# weights in the gym at work today, so I bumped up to the next multiple of 5 on several of the weights, including the EZ bar weights on the accessory work. I found it after I got done working out, halfway across the gym from the other one, shoved halfway under the other squat rack. Little irritated by that, but whatever, the weights weren’t any problem anyway, even doing a little bit more than what was on the schedule. I just wish people would put their shit away when they’re done with it.

3 Likes
1735

4/2/25 after work

Conditioning: Elliptical 39 minutes, difficulty 7, speed 4+, 5+ on the hills. Final numbers HR: 131, Miles: 2.89, Calories: 414, peak HR 147. I’m a day late on conditioning, I went straight home from work yesterday since it was my wife’s birthday.

1 Like
1736

4/3/25 5/3/1 whole body strongman version, cycle 6 day 2

Warmup: barbell complex x3

Deadlifts:
5x45#
5x95#
5x135#
5x185#
5x235#
5x275#
10x305#

Superset with pull-ups 1,2,4,6,8,10,12

Press:
5x45#
5x65#
5x85#
5x105#
5x115#
10x135#

Superset with front squat 3xsame weights

Accessory -
Dumbbell overhead press per arm: 50# 10,10,10
Superset with dumbbell bent over rows: 65# 10,10,10

2 Likes
1737

4/5/25

Conditioning:

Interval runs -
Run 400m - 2:36 - rest 3 minutes
Run 400m - 2:30 - rest 3 minutes
Run 400m - 2:18 - rest 3 minutes
Run 400m - 2:08 - rest 3 minutes
Run 400m - 1:55

Did the old ‘start slow, then make each interval slightly faster’ protocol, and went pretty close to all-out on the last interval, improved my 400m time by another 3 seconds. I also noticed that as I go from slow to putting a little more effort in, my gait goes from mid-foot to toe striking, and it seems like the toe striking is a lot easier on my knees. I’m wondering if it might be worthwhile to work on transitioning to running that way all the time. Of course, the muscular endurance isn’t there to do that for a 5K right now, but I can start working toward it. 8 days away to my 5K in KU, and this was my last actual run before then, although I’ll do the elliptical at least once in the next week, maybe twice.

3 Likes
1738

4/7/25 5/3/1 whole body strongman version, cycle 6 day 3

Warmup: barbell complex x3

Power cleans:
3x45#
3x65#
3x95#
3x120#
3x135#
6x155#

Superset with 25# weighted chin-ups: 1,2,3,4,5,6

Squats:
3x45#
3x95#
3x135#
3x185#
3x210#
3x240#
8x270#

Accessory:

Superset of Zercher squats: 5x155#, 205#, 205#
25# weighted dips: 8,8,8
EZ curl bar curls: 58# x8,8,8
Tricep extensions: 58# x10,10,10

I sort of rushed this one, shorter rests between most sets since it’s sets of 3 except the last sets, didn’t seem to impact performance. finished in under an hour including warm-up.

4 Likes
1739

4/8/25 after work

Conditioning: Elliptical 39 minutes, difficulty 7, speed 4+, 5+ on the hills. Final numbers HR: 131, Miles: 2.94, Calories: 416, peak HR 142. Last conditioning before my 5K on Sunday!

2 Likes
1740

4/10/25 5/3/1 whole body strongman version, cycle 6 day 4

Warmup: barbell complex x3

Deadlifts:
3x45#
3x95#
3x135#
3x185#
3x225#
3x250#
3x290#
8x325#

Superset with pull-ups 1,2,4,6,8,10,12,14

Press:
3x45#
3x65#
3x95#
3x110#
3x125#
8x140#

Superset with front squats 3x same weights.

Accessory -
Dumbbell overhead press per arm: 50# 10,10,10
Superset with dumbbell bent over rows: 65# 10,10,10

2 Likes
1741

I did the KU ‘Movin’ with the Rec’ 5K this morning, and it did not go particularly well. I did finish, but my left knee went wonky a little short of 2 miles, and I walk/gimp ran the last 1.something. Finished in 44:27, about 4 minutes slower than I had hoped, but I DID finish! Ibuprofen and ice are the order of the rest of the day.

KU run 2025
KU run 2025526×1140 90.1 KB

6 Likes
1742

4/15/25 5/3/1 whole body strongman version, cycle 6 day 5

Warmup: barbell complex x3

Power cleans:
5x45#
5x65#
5x95#
5x115#
5x130#
3x145#
5x160#

Superset with 25# weighted chin-ups: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7

Squats:
5x45#
5x95#
5x135#
5x185#
5x225#
3x255#
5x285#

Accessory:

Superset of Zercher squats: 5x155#, 205#, 205#
25# weighted dips: 8,8,10
EZ curl bar curls: 58# x8,8,8
Tricep extensions: 58# x10,10,10

Rested an extra day because my knee is still wonky. Squatting doesn’t hurt it at all, but I had to be careful with power cleans because locking the knee out seems to bother it. Still a good workout.

3 Likes
1743

Looking good, Steve!

Also, I admire your commitment to 5/3/1. I’ve rarely managed to stick to a program for more than 4-6 weeks (luckily a lot of them have 3 to 4 week cycles so I at least finish the cycle before changing things).

1744

Well, even though it’s all 5/3/1 there’s a lot of flexibility. For instance, the one I’m doing now completely eliminates bench in favor of power cleans, since bench only marginally helps you in strongman, and my shoulder doesn’t let me bench well anyway so it’s a perfect fit. Long time, no talk! Are you still in Wichita?