I will do 3 step the next week. Down, pause - up a quarter - down, pause - up half - down, pause - all the way up. Same weights. Go through a few rounds of that for squat, adding weight each round. I don’t enjoy squatting, but getting mobility back and getting low w light weights will be good. And I still find it the most predictive lift besides clean and jerk.
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Took 2/17 off.
2/18
112 reps each
- Lunge (bw)
- Plate Raise (25)
- Triceps Ext (27.5)
- Bicep Curls (20# DBs)
Then 500m farmers carries with 2 50# DBs
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2/19 - Lunch Break Workout - Last round of 5/3/1+ for awhile - did the final 531 day for all 4 lifts. After a little warm-up, went:
- Squat: 285 (5) 320 (3) 350 (3)
- Pendlay Row: 175 (5) 195 (3) 215 (3)
- Power Clean: 205 (5) 225 (3) 245 (3)
- Bench: 175 (5) 195 (3) 215 (3)
I’m looking forward to doing something different for the next few months, a little closer to what my lifting looked like when training actively for track. And a little closer to the name of this log, lol.
So, today’s session - I hit triples of more weight than my initial max estimates of (315 squat - 200 Bench - 200 row - 240 clean). And way over my starting point training maxes of (285-180-180-215). And the triples were all relatively easy - could have done 5 on everything except the clean I think, and I think my starting estimate was high there. I’d guess my actual starting max was closer to 225. All in all, for 4.5 months on 5/3/1 - I’d say I conservatively added 15% on everything, maybe even 20%.
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Why would you abandon the 5/3/1 program after such success? Your training cycle (instead of training week) has really allowed you to space out these workouts and you still made progress.
Why not continue to space the 5/3/1 sessions out while doing everything else you like to do?
So my new set-up (going to try this for a month or two, depending how long it takes to get through each 6 days) will be a 6 day cycle again. Following this basic flow.
- Day 1: Lower Body Strength - Lower rep and higher set ranges for clean and squat (will have some snatches as warm-up) and then accessory stuff on pull-ups and RDL
- Day 2: General Strength/Hypertrophy - More ad-lib stuff with higher rep ranges and lighter weights, and some sort of running. While it’s cold, probably treadmill stuff.
- Day 3: Metcon. Will probably vary this a little bit, but some rowing warm-up and finisher, and some sort of barbell complex as the main work. If I progress it, would be adding weight or reps to the complexes.
- Lower Body Power - more dynamic movements at faster speeds (IE Snatch instead of clean, DL at lower weights instead of squat, Plyos) Progress with small loads. If I could measure speed, would be a great weigh to progress, but don’t have a way of doing that at the moment.
- Upper Body Strength - Bench, Weighted Pull-ups (low rep for now), dips, seated row. Progress in weight on all.
- Track work - all weather dependent what I’d do.
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Not so much abandoning, but taking a break. It was starting to get a little stale. And on some of the lifts (cleans for instance, my progress was about run out) and squat I need to level set with lighter, fuller ROM stuff, and bench and row could keep progressing for a long while, but the weights were getting to a point that my joints were not feeling good. So going to more difficult versions of the lifts with lighter weights will be productive - at least for a period. Will probably go back to it, as I like the ability to progress without going overboard on volume.
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Also - weighed in this morning - down .8 kilos on last week. Weighing more than once a week probably needed to track. More importantly, moved down a notch on lifting belt. Tight squeeze but got it on.
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Alright - seeing as I’m traveling today and tomorrow and about to start a new round of things, I’m taking today off and tomorrow morning just bodyweight at hotel. Friday starts new program for a month at least.
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2/22
1st day on new program.
- Warmup for cleans doing 5 sets of 3-6 of lighter deep pause squats up to 155 then 155-175-195 for doubles of hang Power cleans.
- 10x2 power cleans at 200 with 1’ rest between each set.
- 2 step pause squats 2x5 at 205
- 1x10 RDL at 135
So… power cleans were ok. From floor would’ve been better but worked out from home. Bar didn’t spin much either. Progressing these will be no problem.
2 step pause squats (down all the way, hold for a couple seconds - up a quarter, pause for a second, down all the way - pause for 2 seconds - all the way up =1 rep) were horrible. I planned on 5x5 but no way. These will take a while. Feels good to be getting low again.
RDLs were meant to be 3 sets - but my hamstrings were done by then.
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This is kind of how I thought these would work out after you described them to me (at least for me). Good luck!
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I’m going to work it. Will adjust my progression - think it was more conditioning and mobility than time under tension. Will probably ramp the sets up till I can get 5x5 - although I can probably do weight and sets at same time as the weight wasn’t the challenge.
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I find that it’s tricky to get bracing/breathing right on anything other than a regular rep. When I do the 1.5 reps I breathe out a little bit on the half rep and re-brace on the next eccentric portion.
I couldn’t hold my breath during those squats so I’m sure I’d have the same issue.
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2/23 - High Rep Day
- BW Lunges - 120 reps 50-40-30
- Plate Raises - 25# - 120 reps 50-40-30
- Triceps Ext (DB overhead) - 27.5# - 120 reps - 45-35-25-15
- DB Biceps curls - 22.5# - 80 reps - 25-20-15-10-5-5
5/6. Accumulated 26 pull-ups and 50 pushups between sets.
Biceps are definitely my weak spot - both aesthetically and strength wise. Even when I was cranking out pull-ups, my biceps were unimpressive.
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Don’t feel bad. I think I’m in the same boat. I haven’t been able to do a curl with my right arm since October.
Ok - down another .3 lbs vs yesterday. Weekly measures better but definitely continuing to drop. Feel mostly like I’m becoming mostly a smaller version of myself - although I can see outline of abs without any good lighting. I keep thinking of posting more pics but always worry about getting identified or having them show up when I get new jobs or get searched by clients lol.
Going to see how I look at 210 and then decide what’s next. Will get there by May.
I’m going to try CT’s advice and track weekly and adjust. If I don’t see the drop I want then I’ll drop calories. I’m currently at BW x 11. I’ll go to 10 if needed but no lower. If that isn’t working then I’ll increase activity.
Me too! What is it about fat that convinces us that it’s muscle and then we think we’re shrinking when we cut weight? We’re obviously losing fat so why does it mess with our head?
I crop my face/head for pics but obviously not for videos. I just don’t want anyone to use my photo. I’m not worried about my identity.
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Agree on weekly weigh. I think it’s just tough to lean out selectively. And at least at my age - it all sets up in the belly. Everywhere else is pretty lean except belly and chest.
Afraid that if I lean down to 10% I will be 200 and look like a pencil. Nobody believes I’m 220 - and I want to look like I lift - which I think is have to get to 240+ and I don’t want to carry that much weight - but could be fun.
Re pics - I’m in a pretty public facing business job and I show up in press and social media regularly. My name showing up next to pics is not what I want. Ie - still lots of pics w my ex-wife all over. Maybe I should just not worry about it and let it be out there as a fit leader lol. There is another training log I kept for a long time w my name attached. Nothing bad on it, but one of the cool things about forums is you can say what you want.
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2/24 - Metcon
Cardio Warm-up and cool-down - super easy 10’ jog at start and finish - 6mph speed - went a mile.
Metcon was following complex
2 Rounds of 3 (per lift) at 115-135-155 - with about 2’ between each weight jump.
- Front Squat
- Hang Clean
- RDL
- Push Press
- Bent Row
So would go two times through that complex, rest a couple minutes, bump weight and repeat. Was quite tough - especially 135 and 155.
Went to the USA Indoor National Track and Field Championships today, and it was damn impressive.
A high school girl won the 600m, setting a national record, a world junior record, and almost a world record. Ran it in 1’23" - which is insane. The guy who won, did the same thing in 1’13" - another world record. A woman pole valued 16’. Another woman triple jumped around 48’ (this is a running start, then hop, a step, and a jump).
Several women ran 2 miles in around 9’30". A 65 year old dude ran 60m in 8.08 seconds (this would be like 5.0 for a 40 yard dash).
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2/25
Long day of travel and meetings. Kept diet pretty well lined up if not a little carb heavy and protein light - but stayed under 2500 calories.
150 lunges and 150 leg lifts in hotel room.
Nice dude, keep at it. Definitely hard to keep training while you travel. The results will pay off
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