100%, if all I cared about were the numbers, I’d use a far less clunky app than this. I want to learn what things I’m doing stupid, without having to ask the missus.
100%. Virtual gym friends is great
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No training today other than a few rounds with Bob. Will have to see if I can get to the gym tomorrow and squat something.
Had a small handful of pistachios today for the first time in months. I had gone away from them because I thought maybe I had developed and allergy. The small handful confirmed it. Felt weird like before soon after. That sucks, because I love them. WTF 2020.
Managed to sneak out during the middle of the day and have a squat day. Going to change things up a little. I think I am going to do a “I ain’t doing jack shit” version of 531, which in this case means not specifically doing the extra 5 sets, and replacing it with whatever I feel like replacing it with. And for now, I am going to do the prescribed reps, as discussed earlier. If it calls for 5, then I am doing exactly 5. I have literally never done it that way, so will be interesting. On paper, it looks super easy to me. I am setting the starting weight up higher than normal (instead of 90% of max). I probably won’t do it for deads, because I know I will be up around and over 200 before long, and I don’t want that.
So right, squats then. In addition to the above, I am going to do a form reset. Feet going out beyond shoulder with (but short of sumo), and putting my grip on the bar out as well. Focus on form and tension, which makes sense in my head when I am keeping the weight higher and the reps lower. Have not tried this stance in a few years, hopefully my back and knees don’t complain too much.
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Barbell Squat
- 50 kg x 5 reps
- 65 kg x 5 reps
- 80 kg x 3 reps
- 85 kg x 5 reps
- 100 kg x 5 reps
- 110 kg x 5 reps
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Muscle-Up
- 1 reps
- 1 reps
- 1 reps
- 1 reps
- 2 reps
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Barbell Bulgarian Split Squat
- 20 kg x 5 reps
- 40 kg x 5 reps
- 50 kg x 5 reps
- 60 kg x 5 reps (PR)
Was pretty okay. Back started bugging me on the 100 set, but I could tell it was from something unrelated so I pressed on. 110 was moderately challenging, owing to the new stance and the only recent return to heavy squats. Felt like the correct weight to start with, however.
And check out those baddass Bulgarians! Getting withing spitting distance of @simo74 territory there (or not), although I must say the second leg at 60 was fucking terrible. The last rep or two probably shouldn’t have counted, doubt I went down quite far enough. Fuck that was hard.
Overall, though, this was an easy leg day, which I sorta expected from the Jack Shit variation. Let’s see where it goes.
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Very nice work. I know exactly what you mean about the odd Bulgarian rep not counting, I have at least one or two of those by the end set.
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Since this was the first time I tried it “heavy” with a real barbell, I sorta wondered when I got done with the first leg at 60 (which was mostly all legit)…should I re-rack before I do the second leg? I did not, but that definitely made the second leg more difficult. How do you to it?
I’m happy to see the split squats! Do you time your rest between sets? Before I started my recent setup, I would rest 60 sec between sets. I tried the split squats by doing both legs consecutively and resting 60 sec and then I tried doing one, resting 30 sec, and then doing the other and resting 30 sec.
You’ll get through the sets quickly but the latter eliminates having one leg that’s a rock star and another that’s getting participation medals.
I just do one leg and they straight onto the next. I always start with my right leg as it seems to be the weaker leg. Even though I am huffing and puffing my left leg seems to get through ok.
I think my right leg is also unexpectedly having more trouble, and I have been doing it second. Should probably try the other way around. Might have to fiddle with it like J suggests, at least on the heavy sets…maybe re-rack and wait 30 seconds. I should also probably lower the weight a little, that 60 was mostly just to see if I could.
No, I am from the “take whatever time you need between sets” school. For these it was probably a bit less than 2 minutes I would guess.
And guys…I can really feel my ass took a massive pounding yesterday.
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Can you at least make it challenging
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Weak limb first is the way to go! And sure you should wait if these are really challenging. Meadows makes me wait 90-120 secs between each leg of bulgarian death set
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Not quite sure what you are referring to. It is not my fault that the deepest tissue of my ass muscles have been ravaged by a bunch of Bulgarians.
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hahaha you’re making it even less challenging, like now we have to find the question to the answer: Did bulgarians today, really hit all the gluteus musles.
Btw Wendlers Jack shit is just the main set done for a PR set.
And nothing more.
For you it would have been squat 110 kg AMRAP and done. But as Jim says, if you’ve put it all into that final set and set a new rep PR, then you could look around the gym asking yourself have any of those cardio queens even worked out.
I would say your setup look like triumvirate
main set + 2 assistance exercises that works weak points or compliments the main lift.
FSL, widowmakers, BBB, SSL all about more work on the main lift + assistance.
If you don’t mind I would suggest you at least to do 5 pro, all sets all reps on all weeks main set 5 reps, first week easy last week hard. Two cycles then 1 cycle where you push the main sets for PR reps.
Anyway I’m looking forward to your Wendler approach.
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Let’s break this down a bit, just so that I understand your suggestions…
Yes. I am stopping after the PR set, and not doing the BBB sets that I normally do. And then adding something to address weak points as you suggest, like how I added the Bulgarians to address weak glutes. Not a triumvirate exactly, but at least one assistance to compliment the main work.
This is what I would NORMALLY do. This time I am thinking about doing the bare minimum sets, so 5 for week 1, 3 for week 2 and 1 for week 3. I have moved up the starting weight to account for the significant decrease in volume.
This part I am a bit unclear about. Is it to say that for two whole cycles, also go for 5 reps on the main set? And then AMRAP for the entire 3rd cycle?
Can you guys stop talking about how great Bulgarians are please, because:
A) I don’t like them
B) I don’t want to do them
C) I really don’t want to do them, leave me alone
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Bulgarians are terrible. And great. It’s like a very hot girl who is also completely evil.
You should do them. Even if it is just with bodyweight, do a bunch of those for a lot of reps and feel the burn.
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The Jack shit is only done when you’re stressed out and don’t really have time to go to the gym.
You go in do 2 - 3 warm up sets. Then the 3 main sets of the day, finishing with a PR set that leaves you battered. Then go home.
It’s not supposed to be done as a whole program just one day once in a while.
Jim really likes doing the 5 pro variation for two cycles.
Week 1: 65, 75, 85 % all 5 reps as you now it
week 2: 70, 80, 90 % all sets done with 5 reps
week 4: 75, 85, 95 % all sets done with 5 reps.
up the weight by 5 - 10 pounds
Next cycle same as before
up the weights by 5 - 10 pounds
Now you do your main sets as done in the original program with a PR set.
You can twist it here and do the weeks 3 5 1 only doing PR sets on the first week 90% and last week 95% and only doing 5 reps on the middle week 85%.
He likes to do FSL 5x5 after the main set, but that’s because people likes to do a lot of volume on bench.
Do the 5 pro and use 2 assistance exercises like you did yesterday. I think you’ll be surpriced.
Okay, I think I see what you mean. I better understand what I have been seeing in your logs too now, I believe. So 5 reps for all the working sets for the first two cycles, and then use the original 531 scheme for the third cycle, but go bananas after the PRs. Something like that?
The assistance work will take care of itself in my case, because doing the main work would never be enough for me. I could see myself doing things like the Bulgarians and even 350 sets targeting the same muscles.
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Okay, went to bench today with the intent to follow this 5 Pro version. That means adjusting the weights back down to something more like a TM as is normally recommended. Dips will be the assistance work today (hooray for finally being able to use more plates!)
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Decline Barbell Bench Press
- 45 kg x 5 reps
- 60 kg x 5 reps
- 70 kg x 3 reps
- 75 kg x 5 reps
- 85 kg x 5 reps
- 100 kg x 5 reps
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Dips - Chest Version
- 5 reps
- 5 reps | weighted | 11.3 kg
- 5 reps | weighted | 20.4 kg
- 5 reps | weighted | 31.8 kg
- 5 reps | weighted | 40.8 kg
- 20 reps | weighted | 20.4 kg
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Muscle-Up
- 1 reps
- 1 reps
- 1 reps
- 6 reps
- 1 reps
- 2 reps
100 Seemed a bit too easy for just 5, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy two weeks from now, so that is what I have to remind myself. This whole day was easy except for that last set of dips with a plate dangling between my legs.
Also first time I have hit 6 MUs in a while, would love to drive that up higher still.
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That’s what she said alright.
I’m sure you’ll drive it to ten easily