Hope you enjoy it dude! There’s no going back for me, haha.
And dude: when your mediocre performances would crush almost anyone else, you’re in a GOOD way
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Good looking workouts man. Will be following. Never posted before but look through logs on here. May start posting my own.
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@vlifter83 good to have you along!
Back on the board this week
Press
45 x 20
95 x 3
105 x 3
125 x 4
145 x 8
105 x 2 x 10
95 x 2 x 10
95 x 7 + 3
Pull-ups
16, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, up to 100
Barebones workout, got the job done in an hour
Bench Friday, squat Saturday
I think my body is adapting to the increased volume pretty well. It’s hard to set a new rep PR when you’re fatiguing yourself with a set of five or three, but that works in my favor. I wish I could do dips and tricep extensions, but they really hurt my elbow. Push-ups are the only “safe” movement.
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Bench
45 x 10
95 x 3
135 x 3
165 x 5
185 x 4
210 x 8
225 x 2
165 x 10
165 x 8 + 2
155 x 7 + 3
145 x 8 + 2
135 x 10, 12
100 push-ups
Lost count on the pull-ups but more than 100
Bag work
Squats Sunday
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I hate this program
I got off-balance and folded on the third rep with 390, I guess my training maxes are wrong
Hip was acting up today as well, if it’s not one thing it’s something else. I genuinely hate lifting weights sometimes. I don’t want to hit PR sets anymore I’d rather do prescribed reps and sets and leave
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Something I am starting to realize is that once you really start to make some strength gains, balancing stresses/injuries becomes part of the lifting game. The aches will come, and it takes a bit of know how to figure out how to work around/ avoid them.
Sadly, I do no have this know how. But some do lol, and they make YouTube videos.
Nah it’s just embarrassing to fall on my face in front of the entire gym with a weight I’ve repped for 5-6 in training. Not a good feeling, I don’t even know what happened but something is “off” with my squat form. Doesn’t feel right. Really, I haven’t been feeling “right” for weeks and I’m barely meeting my own average performance standards.
I can’t even eat my way through the plateau because 1.) I don’t have an appetite and 2.) I’m already eating enough to support recovery. I’m just gonna get fat if I keep eating and eating
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I can not STAND PR sets on squats. Tell me how many reps I need to do and I’ll do it. “Go have fun!” doesn’t work. I can do that for a BACKOFF set, but not the primary set.
For deads and press I’m good with PR sets. Squats and bench: I need numbers.
Might be worth mixing and matching methods.
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I think my stance was way too close and I wasn’t feeling up to par today. Going to keep my TM the same for squats because I got 10 and 7 on 5’s and 3’s week, so I feel like today was a fluke. I hit 385 x 4 AFTER I squatted 350 x 10 for an all-time PR, so I feel like giving myself another month to catch up is the best idea.
Maybe I’ll invest in proper coaching at some point but I want to see what a year of 5/3/1 can do for me. I was more pissed about losing my balance due to bar whip and my close stance. In retrospect I should have re-racked the bar.
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This is me, and I’ve chosen to run 5/3/1 almost exclusively for the past 18 months. (I did the 10K Swing Challenge over a 12-day period recently, and there’ve been several weeks of “no training” due to work travel, vacation, sickness, etc.)
But yeah, I hate training and I hate PR sets.
Pwn has mentioned using different methods for each of the lifts, but there’s also 5s PRO. I’ve used that quite often over the past 18 months… Maybe you would have success with it, too?
I think you’ll go far with this. I started with a 6-month commitment, and it’s now over a year-and-a-half later—I’m not as big or as strong as you, but I’ve done alright. I’m excited to see where this takes you!
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Feel that man. I recently switched to trying out conjugate style training because I can at least fool myself into not having to do the same thing twice.
Have you tried bands for tricep pushdowns? Might be a way to get that movement in without bothering the elbow.
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@SvenG I think my problem lies exclusively with heavier weights and the associated “whip” that’s present with 375+ pounds on the bar. Also, when I’m feeling good, I’m feeling GOOD. But when I feel like shit, it’s virtually impossible for me to get a productive workout or stimulate GH production because my body gives out before my mind.
Thanks for the well wishes! I’m going to keep my TM the same because I know I botched the set with 390, my stance was way too close and I thought I could muscle through it. Boy, does 6 inches of additional width make a difference in how much I can squat.
@mr.v3lv3t I have not! I should get actual bands, I only have an EliteFTS mini that I use for band pullaparts.
This just in; I’m fairly convinced that I have the testosterone levels of the average grandmother. I struggle with severe ED, feel like garbage 24/7, have Hashimoto’s disorder, and take an assortment of unhealthy medications for my mental health issues. If my labs come back as low as I think they will, I see TRT as just another thing I have to do to stay healthy.
I’d rather go to a clinic 3x/week and feel good than deal with my current list of symptoms. I don’t even date because, let’s be frank, it doesn’t work most of the time.
I’m doing everything right, but I can’t train or diet my way out of experiencing the crippling side effects brought on by Gabapentin, Seroquel, Lithium, an SSRI, and Levothyroxine. As I’ve seen over the past year, tapering also feels like an impossible task.
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Watched Westside vs. The World today and went to go work out because it’s better than rotting in my apartment. I should mention that I have no friends up here. Anyway, back to 5/3/1 - chipped an old PR today. From prior experience I’m using much less “lean” than I did before my injury, which should translate to better shoulder hypertrophy and back protection.
Volume seems to be the trick for my upper-body lifts, but the lower body compounds are tricky because good mornings/hinging with heavy weight seems to aggravate my lumbar spine. At this point I’ll take what I can get because at least I’m on the board.
Press
45 x 10
95 x 3
110 x 3
130 x 3
150 x 8 – PR, almost got 9. If we’re being pedantic I’ve never hit a “heavy” work-up set and pressed this much before.
Power cleaned and push pressed 185 on a whim, this could be a viable “fourth day” to add for 5/3/1
110 x 2 x 10
110 x 9 + 1
110 x 7 + 3
110 x 6 + 3 + 1
110 x 6 + 2 + 2
95 x 2 x 10
Probably did 125 or 135 overhand pull-ups, I’m losing count but I know I’m getting stronger with this movement. Hitting consecutive sets of 10 is getting easier, and I can do 17 overhand pull-ups in one consecutive set without letting go of the bar at all.
Never was able to hit more than 6-7 chin-ups weighing 190-195 lbs. until now.
1 x 10
1 x 17
endless sets of 10, 8, 7, etc.
Not going with the fourth week de-load, gonna jump right into the next 5/3/1 cycle and take a seventh week de-load instead. Really I just want to redeem myself with squats, going to squat on Wednesday or Thursday depending on how I feel. After I went close-stance with 390 my hips were feeling weird so I called it and went home (my legs aren’t exactly sore).
My “winter” physique:
Don’t have a scale, but from July to now I look like a totally different person. Also, I’m just gonna work out later at night because without exception I always have the best sessions around 6-7 PM. Considering becoming a SARM goblin (half-kidding).
Not sure if this makes a huge difference, but I gave up pre-workout in April when I blacked out and got transported to the ER after pushing the Prowler too hard on a scoop of that Woke AF LFG shit. Prior to now, I’ve set most of my “big” PRs on pre-workout, and now I just have some coffee before I work out.
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Couldn’t resist getting a squat workout in. Came in, quads fucked up, right forearm sore as shit, upper back obliterated, didn’t care, still wanted to redeem myself from the last time I got underneath a bar.
My quads felt like they were “sore” or “impinged” with 135 on the bar, then I spread out my stance and made my belt a notch looser so I could show my university’s gym how “fat” I was. At some point along the line, I started going for maximal belt “tightness” whenever I got under the bar in exchange for bracing. This was to my detriment.
The difference between how my squats felt is like night and day, I can’t even describe how much “easier” my work-up sets and top set were. I’ve finally unlocked the key to building my squat - a wider than average stance and “breathing” into my belt.
That said, here goes…
Squat
45 x 10
135 x 5
225 x 3
285 x 5
310 x 5
350 x 10
285 for 3 sets of 8 reps
Lower back was wayyyy too pumped after the back-off sets, called it quits even though everything felt nice and easy. I think I have to get my lower back stronger specifically, but I’m not sure how to train my lower back without re-injuring myself. Good mornings and RDLs are most definitely out of the question.
Kneeling Ab Wheel
5 unbroken sets of 20 reps, 2.5 minutes of rest in between
Eating 1.5 pounds of ground beef and plenty of peanut butter/sunflower seed butter every day. Haven’t noticed a negative impact on my calisthenics, which hopefully means I’m doing something right. Either way, I can’t restrict my food intake if I want to progress.
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Just so much to love in this post.
- great insights on your bracing, nothing to say other than that I agree with all of it
- great mentality of just getting in some god damn work, regardless of soreness
- great job eating for progress while still maintaining your body comp.
Just great work all around, lots of great things happening in this log
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Damn you are explosive as F!! Those reps at 350 just flew up.
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Hey readers,
Bench today. Had the chance to use a proper bench at my University’s gym and was pleased with the results. Came in feeling beat up, did better than I expected.
Bench
45 x 10
95 x 3
135 x 3
145 x 5
170 x 5
190 x 11
225 x 4, rest 2 minutes, got 3 more
145 x 3 x 10
145 x 9 + 1
145 x 8 + 5
120 pull-ups, 150 push-ups done in circuit-style. I’d love to see how many reps I can hit with 225 while fresh and not doing “work-up” + PR sets. From today’s performance, I’m expecting 7-8 reps with 225 right now. More to come later
I am still using suicide grip to bench, also getting more and more unbroken sets of 10 on pull-ups.
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Thank you both! It’s good to be back training consistently, hopefully I can keep this program running without incurring injuries or stalling or lacking general recovery.
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Couldn’t quite get into the groove today. Still chipped a small PR with no doubts in mind. The gains don’t just appear anymore, I have to work REALLY hard for them. Ah well, novice linear progression (
@T3hPwnisher ) can’t last forever. Every small win counts!
Press
45 x 12
95 x 3
105 x 3
125 x 5
140 x 10
105 x 3 x 10
Gym closed early, got kicked out, did pull-up/push-up circuit on random scaffolding
I did 18 overhand pull-ups in a singular set today, got to 15 unbroken before hanging from the bar for a moment to catch my breath. Did more until I got to 120 total pull-ups and 150 push-ups.
I should film my pull-ups one day.
Pushups: 1 unbroken set of 40, sets of 25
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Squats today. Tore my left adductor 
I don’t know what to do next.
Hit 370 x 7 and something ripped in my left leg. I think I should stop squatting because I’m getting injured every 3 weeks. Next up is a shoulder blow-out followed by a tricep injury. It happened 10 minutes ago and it already hurts like a motherfucker