Shoulders/arms
CGBP: 10s @ 45, 95, 3x10 @ 125
SS: Ez-bar curl 8,8,12f @ 60 / Machine press: 3x8 @ 74 + 5lb plate
C: Face pull 12, 12, 14 @ 54, rope pushdown 12, 12, 20f @ 54, fat hammer curl 3x10 @ 20
SS: Overhead extension 3x12 @ 25 + green band, incline curl 3x10 @ 15
15 minutes on the elliptical
I read and watched some Meadows stuff over the last couple days and took away some things to play around with. I changed around my arms work so my last superset involved starting from a stretch and boy howdy, did that give me a pump that Iām not prepared for. I did some more failure work leading up to them as well.
Legs:
SSB squat to a box: 6s @ 45, 95, 135, 3x6 @ 185
SSB good morning: 3x8 @ 155
Leg press: 15@219, 12@265, 15@299
Snatch-grip RDL + shrug: 3x10 @ 145
Ab-wheel: 10, 12
I slipped out of the groove a couple times on my last set of squats but my legs are holding up fine. It seems a little light to throw my belt on. Iāll keep working up and see if it irons itself out or if I need to dial things back. Between being tired pretty often and easy progress slowing down, Iām debating moving back to 531 but with a better understanding of volume and intensity than I had before. Weāll see. I hopped back on the leg press instead of step-ups to ratchet up volume without worrying about stabilization. I got a lot more work done than I anticipated. I apparently just wasnāt pushing near enough weight before.
Chest/back:
Bench: 3s @ 45, 95, 135, 155, 175, 185
SS: T-bar rows 3x8 @ 75, 80, 85 / Ring push-ups 3x10
Meadows row: 3x8 @ 55, 60, 60
SS: Lat pulldown 10, 10, 12f @ 120 / Machine decline: 3x12 @ 132
I did some ponderinā last night and came to the conclusion that trying to train 5-6 days a week isnāt sustainable as Iāve gotten older. Iām not beat up, so thatās nice, but Iām pretty run down most days if I actually stay on track with training as often as I had planned. Iām going to go back to the devil I know, 5/3/1, while keeping with the assistance volume Iāve been working with this past month. I tested my 3rm on bench today and got within 10 pounds of my old 3 rep PR when I was playing around in strongman. Iāve always been a shit presser but this is giving me a lot of hope and a lot to think about how I used to train.
Deadlift: 3s @ 135, 185, 225, single @ 275
Chin-ups: 6,6,5
One-arm barbell row: 8@25, 2x8 @ 35
Neutral grip pulldown: 3x10 @ 120
SS: Hanging leg raise to parallel 2x10, hypers 2x10
15 minutes on the elliptical
I tested for my deadlift training max today and was kind of shocked at how light it came in. I havenāt been deadlifting and it just felt very strange trying to break weight off the floor. Nothing felt like it was failing as much as I just didnāt know how to make my body move like that. If things feel too late after my first cycle, Iāll retest and readjust. High rep deadlifts have historically been very bad for me.
Iāve never treated deadlift day as a back day, always treating it more like a second squat day when it came to assistance work. It did a solid job of driving a bigger pull but from the waist up Iād always been DYEL and my pressing sucked. Not having any desire to compete again, I like the idea of looking like I lift. It felt really great just spending a day wrecking my back. Itās encouraging to see that Iāve doubled my reps on chins without doing them in about a month too.
Incline bench: 3s @ 45, 95, 115, 135, 145, 150
SS: CGBP 10 @ 115, 2x10 @ 125 / EZ-bar curl: 3x10 @ 60
C: Face pull 2x10 @ 54 10 @ 70, Rope pushdown 3x10 @ 70, Fat hammer curl 3x10 @ 20
SS: Overhead extension 3x12 @ 25 + green band, Incline curl 3x10 @ 15
15 minutes on the elliptical
I decided to go with incline bench as my second press since my gym is now in my basement and pressing overhead isnāt an option. Iām keeping my shoulder/arms day as my assistance work since it seems to be doing something. My right elbow grabbed me a handful of times during pushdowns and then while curling. Hopefully it irons itself out.
SSB squat to a box: 3s @ 45, 95, 135, 185, 225, 235
SSB good morning: 3x8 @ 155
Leg press: 3x10 @ 219 + a green band
Snatch grip RDLs + shrug: 3x10 @ 155
Ab wheel: 2x12
It was squat testing day for my starting 5/3/1 numbers. I belted up at 185. I forgot just how solid it feels to brace against a belt. It did change my form a little though, keeping my torso more vertical. I wrapped a bend around the arm with the foot plate on my leg press and I really like it. The strength curve on the stock leg press gets too easy as it moves away. The band fixes that. I hadnāt had a leg day that made me question whether Iād survive my basement stairs until today and I think the leg press mod is the culprit. Iāll be keeping that for my quad volume for sure.
5/3/1 Begins
Incline Bench: 5s @ 45, 95, 100, 115, 9@130
SS: CGBP 2x10 @ 125, 10 @ 130 / EZ-bar curl: 2x10 @ 60, 10 @ 62.5
C: Face pull: 3x12 @ 70, Rope pushdown 3x10 @ 70, Fat hamemr curl 3x10 @ 20
Skipped the second superset
Moving cardio to my off days
I donāt know what the deal is but everything felt amazing today and I have the gnarliest pump yet despite doing less work. I got 9 reps on my work set, always a good feeling. My arms are trashed so I skipped my last superset of incline curls/extensions. Iāve decided to move cardio to my off days so Iām not in as much of a rush in the mornings before work. Since itāll just be cardio those mornings, Iāll stretch it out to a half hour and get more in per week anyway.
Deadlift: 5s @ 135, 160, 185, 8@210
Chin-ups: 3x5
One-arm barbell row: 8 @ 35, 2x8 @ 40
Neutral-grip pulldown:10 @ 120, 8,10 @ 135
SS: Hanging leg raise 2x10, hypers 10 raw, 10 + red band
It feels nice to be picking up a bar again. Chins suffered a little from my arms day yesterday but otherwise everything felt good. Neutral grip pulldowns are hitting parts of my back that Iāve never felt contract before. Fun stuff.
SSB squat to a box: 5s @ 45, 95, 135, 150, 175, 10 @ 195
SSB good morning: 8 @ 155, 2x8 @ 160
Leg press: 10, 10, 12 @ 219 + a green band
Snatch grip RDL + shrug: 3x10 @ 155
The weather has turned back to shit and my mood has followed. It was hard getting down to the basement this morning. Spring is right around the corner but these teasers and snowstorms are the worst.
Bench: 5s @ 45, 95, 120, 135, 11@155
SS: T-bar row 8@85, 2x8 @ 90 / Ring pushups 3x10
Meadows row: 3x8 @ 60
SS: Lat pulldown 3x12 @ 120 / Machine decline 3x10 @ 132 + orange band
I was expecting 8 or 9 and got 11 reps on bench. With my discovery of added band resistance to my leg press, I looked at my machine decline and itās perfect to wrap a band around. I put an orange EFS band on and itās SO much nastier than its stock form. Itās a fight from bottom to top now instead of being hard at the start and very quickly falling away. Other than that, it was a satisfying training day, nothing special.
Incline bench: 3s @ 45, 95, 105, 120, 8@135
SS: CGBP: 3x8 @ 135, Ez-bar curl: 3x8 @ 65
Circuit: Face pull 3x12 @ 70, rope pushdown 3x10 @ 70, fat hammer curl 3x10 @ 25
With increasing temperatures and daylight, itās getting easier to get down into the gym in the morning. I added some weight to close grip bench and ez-bar curls to speed up loading. Iāll pick up the reps soon. Off-day cardio is working well.
Deadlift: 3s @ 135, 175, 200, 9@225
Chin-ups: 3x5
One-arm barbell row: 8@40, 2x8 @ 45
Neutral-grip pulldown: 3x10 @ 135 (failure on the last)
SS: Hanging leg raise 2x10 / hypers 2x12 with red band
Last night I got back to martial arts with my boy. We did some kata, sparring, and a new grappling drill. It was brief but fun to get back into.
SSB squat to a box: 3s @ 45, 95, 135, 160, 185, 8@210
SSB good morning: 3x8 @ 160
Leg press: 10, 12, 12 @ 219 + a green band
Snatch-grip RDL + shrug: 3x10 @ 155
Training felt great through leg presses but I pretty quickly flattened right out towards the end. Maybe it was martial arts training last night. Not sure.
Bench: 3s @ 45, 95, 135, 145, 8@165
SS: T-bar rows 3x8 @ 90 / Ring chins 3x10
Meadows row: 3x8 @ 60
The fatigue is accumulating. I dropped by last superset because Iām just exhausted. Hopefully a couple days off gets me recovered.