Phase 2(!!!)/Cycle 1/Week 1/Day 1
MONDAY 26.03.2012
Squat 5/5/x
5 x 90
5 x 105
10 x 117.5 kg
DB bench
10 x 25 / 5 chin ups
10 x 25 / 5 chin ups
10 x 25kg / 5 chin ups
DB row
10 x 30
10 x 30
10 x 30kg
Standing Ab Wheel Rollout:
5,5,5
Kneeling Ab Wheel Rollout:
15
NOTES:
-MAN the accessories felt heavy today haha. I was a bit weary as I started my workout later than usual, but still pretty happy with my 10 reps on the squat.
[quote]mikemike87 wrote:
Panzerfaust, thatās cool. I thought it was probably a painting of a fabled creature the natives came up with. It looks sinister.
And Iāve bad news about your squat. I saw your latest vid andā¦ thereās nothing wrong with it :P. No short cut to 400 for you. You even have proper hip drive. Most people who squat low donāt always have hip drive. Something that helps me mentally is to not think of the entire body trying the lift the weight. I narrow my focus to the knee and itās movement. At the bottom of the squat when the knee has moved forward a little I imagine the knee being pushed back like thereās a rope attached to the back of it and someone is pulling it from behind me. That should force your butt straight up then after the butt has lead the way by a split second you complete the process by standing, but the standing part you should be able to do without thinking. I focus so much on the knee I actually look at the knees throughout the entire rep of the squat.
On the first two sets of Wendler I usually exaggerate the hip drive and sometimes donāt even bother to finish by standing. This helps lock my mind into how that last heavy third set should feel regarding my hip drive.
Until I started this recent cycle I didnāt back squat for about nine months. I front squatted. Front squatting works the lower back, abs, and upper back much more than back squats do for me. This has never failed to translate to a better back squat. To build up ultimate core strength I also work abs using weighted exercises after front squats. Then next time I front squat after an ab work out I feel myself flexing my stomach with all I have. Iāve thought about using front squats as an assistance exercise while on 5/3/1.
Now hurry on and get to the good stuff![/quote]
Haha yeah man itās a mean painting! I also like your take on it.
Thanks for those little mental cues, I will give them a shot next time =).
A bit disappointed I didnāt have a major issue to fix though =Pā¦ I liked the idea of tweaking my way to an extra 50kg on the bar hahaha. Ahhh well, hard work it will have to be!
Funnily enough I used to only front squat, as I didnāt have a power cage. And I agree - awesome lift for core strength!
Cheers man.
Good start at phase two panzer 
Thanks dude!
So for anyone who doesnāt know the system, Phase 2 is exactly the same as Phase 1, except:
-ādailyā squats, performed at the start of every Wednesday and Friday workout, increase from:
Phase 1: 40% x 5, 50% x 5, 60% x 5
to:
Phase 2: 65% x 3, 75% x 3, 85% x 3
ā¦so greater intensity, with less volume.
-This is detailed in Wendlerās 5/3/1 Second Edition e-book, which I highly recommend for anyone.
I will not go straight into these squats without a warm up, so I will now be performing 6 sets of squats every workout day, or close to 100 reps per week. Awesome!
The whole idea of taking on this 1 Year challenge is to get my back squat to somewhat manly figures, so Iām really happy to be through the first quarter and into Phase 2.
If I am not squatting 400lb by December 21st, 2012, I will buy you all a beer. Said beer can be collected in Wellington, New Zealand.
Phase 2/Cycle 1/Week 1/Day 2
WEDNESDAY 28.03.2012
Squat FBT
3 x 90
3 x 105
3 x 117.5 kg
NG Bench (5/5/X)
5 x 57.5 / Row 25 x 10
5 x 65 / Row 25 x 10
12 x 75kg / Row 25kg x 10
Chin ups (plus 10kg)
10, 10, 5, 2, 1, 1, 1
DB Side Bends (26.5kg)
10, 10, 10
NOTES:
-First day of heavier ādailyā squats. My hamstrings were sore from Monday and from sprint Tuesday, but funnily enough this morning (Thursday, post workout) the pain is all gone. I really love the idea of doing moderately heavy squats every day - this is going to be great.
-Benching felt pretty good though I didnāt touch properly on 1 rep.
-Iāve increased the weight of my rows between bench sets.
-I supersetted the weighted chins with my side bendsā¦ this was REALLY hard work. It led to the last set of chins becoming 5 plus 2 plus a series of singles haha.
-Will post a video when I get a chance.
[quote]panzerfaust wrote:
Phase 2/Cycle 1/Week 1/Day 2
WEDNESDAY 28.03.2012
Squat FBT
3 x 90
3 x 105
3 x 117.5 kg
NG Bench (5/5/X)
5 x 57.5 / Row 25 x 10
5 x 65 / Row 25 x 10
12 x 75kg / Row 25kg x 10
Chin ups (plus 10kg)
10, 10, 5, 2, 1, 1, 1
DB Side Bends (26.5kg)
10, 10, 10
NOTES:
-First day of heavier ādailyā squats. My hamstrings were sore from Monday and from sprint Tuesday, but funnily enough this morning (Thursday, post workout) the pain is all gone. I really love the idea of doing moderately heavy squats every day - this is going to be great.
-Benching felt pretty good though I didnāt touch properly on 1 rep.
-Iāve increased the weight of my rows between bench sets.
-I supersetted the weighted chins with my side bendsā¦ this was REALLY hard work. It led to the last set of chins becoming 5 plus 2 plus a series of singles haha.
-Will post a video when I get a chance.[/quote]
Awsome workout man, real beastmode I must say 
Looking forward to see what you have become after you are done with this 3xweek squatting adventure
Keep up the good work!
I would take you up on that beer, but i have a feeling youāll be capable of squatting 400lbs by this summer!
Your back strength is absurd. Youāll pull 500 lbs. soon enough and you chin with added weight while whittling down core strength with side bends.
solid squat and bench session.
Also, isnāt Dec. 21, 2012 the day the world is supposed to explode or some crap like that? Sounds to me like Panzerfaust is trying to set up a back up plan to weasel his way out of beer for us all if 400 lbs. isnāt meet by said deadline AND we all happen to show up in Wellington! Youāve really thought this through!
Did someone say free beer?
Video From Wednesday:
[video]2320[/video]
Phase 2/Cycle 1/Week 1/Day 3
FRIDAY 30.03.2012
Squat FBT
3 x 90
3 x 105
3 x 117.5 kg
OH Press 5/5/x
5 x 42.5 (5 chins)
5 x 50 (5 chins)
8 x 55 kg (5 chins)
Deadlift (3/3/3 for Powerlifting + singles)
3 x 117.5
3 x 130
3 x 150
1 x 175
1 x 185
1 x 200 kg - new all time PR
Notes:
-OHP was average; had hoped for 10 reps
-Deadlift new PR, shaky legs haha, but got it! Now to hit 500lb!
[video]2321[/video]
[quote]florelius wrote:
[quote]panzerfaust wrote:
Phase 2/Cycle 1/Week 1/Day 2
WEDNESDAY 28.03.2012
Squat FBT
3 x 90
3 x 105
3 x 117.5 kg
NG Bench (5/5/X)
5 x 57.5 / Row 25 x 10
5 x 65 / Row 25 x 10
12 x 75kg / Row 25kg x 10
Chin ups (plus 10kg)
10, 10, 5, 2, 1, 1, 1
DB Side Bends (26.5kg)
10, 10, 10
NOTES:
-First day of heavier ādailyā squats. My hamstrings were sore from Monday and from sprint Tuesday, but funnily enough this morning (Thursday, post workout) the pain is all gone. I really love the idea of doing moderately heavy squats every day - this is going to be great.
-Benching felt pretty good though I didnāt touch properly on 1 rep.
-Iāve increased the weight of my rows between bench sets.
-I supersetted the weighted chins with my side bendsā¦ this was REALLY hard work. It led to the last set of chins becoming 5 plus 2 plus a series of singles haha.
-Will post a video when I get a chance.[/quote]
Awsome workout man, real beastmode I must say
Looking forward to see what you have become after you are done with this 3xweek squatting adventure
Keep up the good work!
[/quote]
@ Floreliusā¦ cheers man! Iām very happy with 531 FBT thus far. All I really want from this year is a decent squat and a 500lb deadlift. A buddy of mine is about 50lb ahead in both lifts, but heās got a shoulder injury which should give me time to catch him if I work hard haha.
[quote]panzerfaust wrote:
@ Floreliusā¦ cheers man! Iām very happy with 531 FBT thus far. All I really want from this year is a decent squat and a 500lb deadlift. A buddy of mine is about 50lb ahead in both lifts, but heās got a shoulder injury which should give me time to catch him if I work hard haha.
[/quote]
A 500lb pull is hardcore man, I wish you the best of luck getting it and catching up with your friend
[quote]mikemike87 wrote:
Your back strength is absurd. Youāll pull 500 lbs. soon enough and you chin with added weight while whittling down core strength with side bends.
solid squat and bench session.
Also, isnāt Dec. 21, 2012 the day the world is supposed to explode or some crap like that? Sounds to me like Panzerfaust is trying to set up a back up plan to weasel his way out of beer for us all if 400 lbs. isnāt meet by said deadline AND we all happen to show up in Wellington! Youāve really thought this through![/quote]
I hope so dude! I agree, the accessories Wendler prescribes are pretty much godlike. When I first started 531 I could barely see my lats - now after thousands of dumbbell rows and chin ups they pop out pretty nicely.
And yes, you are correct - the Mayans are conspiring with me to save the cost of buying anyone a beer!!! Thankfully too, as beer is horribly expensive here.
Phase 2/Cycle 1/Week 2/Day 1
MONDAY 02.04.2012
Squat 3/3/x
3 x 97.5
3 x 112.5
9 x 125kg
DB bench
11 x 25 / 5 chin ups
11 x 25 / 5 chin ups
11 x 25kg / 5 chin ups
DB row
11 x 30
11 x 30
11 x 30kg
Standing Ab Wheel Rollout:
5,5,5
Kneeling Ab Wheel Rollout:
15
NOTES:
-The squats felt pretty good though I will have to check my video as I felt like the final 4 were not as deep as the first 5. Should still be legal depth though.
-The accessories definitely feel heavier this cycle. Itāll be interesting to see how they progress!
-Not sure if I have mentioned before (old, terrible memory) but I do my Dumbbell Bench and Dumbbell Row in cycles. I start with 3 sets of 10 reps, and add 1 rep to every set every week. When I hit 15 reps, I add 2.5kgs to the weights and reset to 10 reps.
And here is a video of Mondayās squats, a set of presses, rows and ab wheel rolls.
Could someone smarter than me please tell me if I am a high or low bar squatter. I wouldnāt know the difference haha.
[video]2326[/video]
Phase 2/Cycle 1/Week 2/Day 2
WEDNESDAY 04.04.2012
Squat FBT
3 x 90
3 x 105
3 x 117.5 kg
NG Bench (3/3/X)
3 x 62.5 / Row 31.5 x 5
3 x 70 / Row 33.5 x 5
11 x 80kg / Row 36.5kg x 5
Chin ups (plus 10kg)
10, 10, 9, 1
DB Side Bends (26.5kg)
11, 11, 11
NOTES:
-Trying to go really deep on my āextraā squat days.
-I got the same bench as my previous 5/3/1 day, so that is all good. The form was a bit tighter and I felt more comfortable, but still didnāt think Iād get that 12th rep.
-changed my ābetween setā rows to heavier with less reps.
-Was happy to nearly get 3 sets of 10 clean 10kg chin ups.
[video]2327[/video]
Phase 2/Cycle 1/Week 2/Day 3
FRIDAY 06.04.2012
Squat FBT
3 x 90
3 x 105
3 x 117.5 kg
OH Press 3/3/x
3 x 45 (5 chins)
3 x 52.5 (5 chins)
8 x 57.5 kg (5 chins)
1 x 70kg (PR)
Deadlift (5/5/5 for Powerlifting; no singles)
5 x 110
5 x 127.5
5 x 145kg
Hanging Leg Raise
10, 5, 5
Notes:
-I was a bit irritated not to hit 9 reps on the press as that was my goal.
-Happy to get the OHP single. It wasnāt a true PR, as I have hit this over a year ago. But this is a āpost injuryā PR, done after repping out, and it felt relatively easy so I suspect my true PR could be 72.5-75kg. Which is awesome.
-Deadlifts I focused on speed and explosiveness.
Squat and Press: (sorry about the dumb camera angle for the OHP reps!)
[video]2338[/video]
Congrats with a PR in press man