The Old Man's (Mostly) 5/3/1 Log

Training Logs
1

The Basics:

  • Weight: 203
  • Height: 6’1"
  • Age: 50
  • BF%: 16.4% (per Navy calc)

Background & recent training

  • Prior to this year, I worked mostly in a Dan John / Simple Strength / Mass Made Simple sort of format. It was decent, but I really wanted more progress.

  • In early 2017, I started getting ready for my first PL meet, which I completed this fall. Most of that time was spent with a basic 531, 5s PRO + BBB leader / PR sets + FSL anchor. Switched over to 531 Powerlifting program for meet prep.

  • After the meet, I played around with Coach Thib’s “Fastest Way To Get Jacked”, just as a break from the heavy powerlifting moves. It’s a lot of volume, but I liked the switch.

2018 and forward:

  • My aim for the year is to see if I can put on a couple of pounds of LBM, and gradually get my BF% down to 12-ish. Nothing crazy, just want to be able to walk around with some everyday upper arm vascularity, not just after training.
  • I’m starting the 531 “Building The Monolith” program now. After that, I’ll see how my progress & recovery are doing. Ideas for later in the year include a cycle of 531 Krypteia, as well as Thib’s “Best Damn…” if I need to dial it back a little.

Cheers!

2

Monolith - Week 1 - Day 1

Superset:

  • Dumbbell squat- 25x2x10, 45x5, 55x5, 60x5x5
  • Chins - 7x5
  • Dips - 7x5

Press - 45x5, 65x5, 75x5, 85x5, 65x15

Superset:

  • Pulldowns - 100x4x15
  • Pushups - 4x15
  • Band face pulls - 4x20

NOTE: Yeah, I know, dumbbell squat? Given my schedule right now at work and home, I’m not going to have access to a squat rack on training days. So it’s either front squats where I clean it off the floor each set, or the goblet squats. I think these’ll be good for my hip mobility, with a side dish of extra upper back volume. Time will tell.

1 Like
3

Monolith - Week 1 - Day 2

Deadlift - 135x2x5, 155x5, 175x5, 195x3x5

Bench - 135x2x5, 155x5, 185x5x5

SS:

  • Dumbbell row - 65x15,10,10,10,15
  • EZ bar curl - 65x8, 45x15,10,10,10
4

Monolith - Week 1 - Day 3

SS:

  • Press - 65x5x10
  • Band face pulls - 5x20 OR
  • High Pulls - 65x5x5

SS:

  • Chins - 5x5
  • DB Shrugs - 55x5x15

Goblet squat - 45x5, 55x5, 60x5, 30x20

5

Cool, another old guy to follow! Looking forward to seeing your progress.

6

Monolith - Week 1 - nutrition

Plan

  • kCal: 2100
  • P: 200
  • C: 100
  • F: 85

Actuals

  • kCal: 2482
  • P: 154
  • C: 225
  • F: 110

Measurements:

  • BF% (Navy calc): +.8%
  • Waist: +1cm
  • Arm: no chg
  • Thigh: no chg

Comments:

  • Macro adherence sucked this week. Just came back from a boy’s trip to Vegas, and my head wasn’t in the game. This week I’m back on track.
7

Monolith - Week 2 - 5’s week

Monday
DB squat - 25x2x10, 45x1x5, 50x1x5, 55x5x5
Press - 45x2x5, 60x1x5, 70x1x5, 80x1x5, 60x1x17
Band face pulls/pullaparts - 5x20
Pulldowns - 100x7x15
Dips - 5x10
Pushups - 15,15,10
NOTES:

  • While planning the week out, I was thinking about the pullups. The principle seems to be that day 1 gets higher rep chins, then day 3 gets weighted chins for sets of 5. But since my max is only like 7 or 8, it doesn’t seem right that I should be doing a bunch of sets of 5 for both the day 1 and day 3 work. So I’m switching to machine pulldowns for the day 1 work, and keeping unweighted chins/pullups for day 3.
  • Elbow was really starting to bug me, so I switched over from dips to pushups.
  • Assistance was mixed in with pressing, then supersetted after that. Roughly 1 minute rest periods, but based on when I felt ready, not the clock.

Day 2
Deadlift - 135x2x5, 145x1x5, 165x1x5, 185x3x5
Bench - 135x1x5, 155x1x5, 175x5x5
Curls - 55x15,12,10 SS with DB Rows - 60x15,12,10
Pinch curls - 10x8,10,13 SS with Fat man rows 10,10,10

Day 3
DB Press - 25x10x5
Face pulls 50x5x15 SS with DB high pull 40x5x5
Chins - 5x5 SS with DB shrugs 55x5x15 with hold at top
DB squat - 25x2x5, 45x1x5, 50x1x5, 55x1x5, 45x1x20

NOTES:

  • I lift in the gym at work, and equipment is limited. Barbell was occupado, so presses had to be dumbbell today.

Nutrition

  • Plan
    • kCal: 2100
    • P: 160
    • C: 140
    • F: 85
  • Actuals
    • kCal: 2290
    • P: 146
    • C: 148
    • F: 104
  • Measurements:
    • BF% (Navy calc): -1.2%
    • Waist: -2cm
    • Arm: no chg
    • Thigh: +1cm
8

Monolith - Week 3 - 1’s week

Monday
DB squat - 20x1x10, 50x1x5, 55x1x5, 65x5x5
Press - 45x2x5, 70x1x5, 80x1x5, 90x1x5, 70x1x15
Band face pulls/pullaparts - 5x20
Pulldowns - 115x15,10,8,8; 100x12,13; 80x16,16
NOTES:

  • Assistance was mixed in with pressing, then supersetted after that. Roughly 1 minute rest periods, but based on when I felt ready, not the clock.

Day 2
Deadlift - 135x2x5, 165x1x5, 185x1x5, 205x3x5
Bench - 135x1x5, 155x1x5, 175x1x5, 195x5x5
DB Rows - 50x20,20,20,17,15

Day 3
NOTES:

  • Time off for Thanksgiving

Conditioning

  • Hills x 10
  • Ruck - 1.5 miles w/50#

Nutrition

  • Plan

    • kCal: 2400
    • P: 170
    • C: 230
    • F: 90

  • Actuals

    • kCal: 1940
    • P: 115
    • C: 160
    • F: 70
    • How does anyone under-eat on Thanksgiving week??

  • Measurements:

    • BF% (Navy calc): -0.8%
    • Waist: -0.5cm
    • Arm: no chg
    • Thigh: -0.5cm
9

Monolith - Week 4 - 3’s week

Monday
DB squat - 25x2x10, 55x1x5, 60x1x5, 70x5x5
Press - 45x2x5, 70x1x5, 80x1x5, 90x1x5, 70x1x11
Band face pulls/pullaparts - 5x20
Pulldowns - 130x5x10
NOTES:

Day 2
Deadlift - 135x2x5, 165x1x5, 185x1x5, 205x3x5
Bench - 135x1x5, 145x1x5, 165x1x5, 185x5x5
DB Rows - 55x20,20,15,15,15
Rope Curls - 80x13,12

Day 3
Press - 65x12x5 (SS with

  • Chins - BWx6x5
  • Face pulls - 6x5)

SS

  • High pulls - 95x5x5
  • Shrugs - 95x5x15

DB Squat - 55x1x5, 65x1x5, 75x1x5, 65x1x20

Conditioning

  • 20 min bike
  • Walk 3.5 miles

Nutrition

  • Plan

    • kCal: 2400
    • P: 170
    • C: 230
    • F: 90

  • Actuals

    • kCal: 2560
    • P: 153
    • C: 193
    • F: 113

  • Measurements:

    • BF% (Navy calc): -0.1%
    • Waist: -0.4cm
    • Arm: +0.5cm
    • Thigh: +0.5cm
10

Monolith - Week 5 - 5’s week

Monday
DB squat - 50x1x5, 60x1x5, 65x5x5
Press - 45x2x5, 65x1x5, 75x1x5, 85x1x5, 65x1x17
Pulldowns - 130x15,15,10,10,10,10, 90x20,15
Band face pulls SS w/pushups - 20,15,15

Day 2
Deadlift - 135x2x5, 145x1x5, 175x1x5, 195x3x5
Bench - 135x1x5, 155x1x5, 175x5x5
DB Rows - 70x20,12, 10
DB Curls - 20x15,10,10

Day 3
Press - 70x15x5 (SS with

  • Chins - BWx5x5
  • Face pulls - 5x15)

SS

  • DB high pulls - 50x5x5
  • DB shrugs - 50x5x15

DB Squat - 50x1x5, 60x1x5, 65x1x5, 50x1x20

Conditioning

  • 20 min bike
  • Walk 2 miles

Nutrition

  • Plan

    • kCal: 2400
    • P: 170
    • C: 230
    • F: 90

  • Actuals

    • kCal: 2530
    • P: 171
    • C: 192
    • F: 105

  • Measurements:

    • BF% (Navy calc): +1.0%
    • Waist: +0.3cm
    • Arm: -0.9cm
    • Thigh: -0.5cm