Whup's 5-3-1

Cycle 8 - Week 1
SAT 10-24

OHP warm up (65)x8 Rainbow Press(65)x8 (95)x5 Scap wall slides - Plate rotations - Stretch
Work Sets
65%(130)x5
75%(150)x5
85%(170)x6 Up 5lbs and minus one rep from last cycle
(135)x12

Wide Grip Pull Down Machine
(1 plate, 1 25)2x10, 2x8

HS ISO-LAT MP
(2 plates)2x10, 2x8

Side Lateral DMBL
(25)4x8

EZ Curl Bar - Narrow grip
(80)x10
(90)x8
(100)x6
Drop set
(60)x8
(50)x8
(40)x8

Arc Trainer
20 min

I love going to the gym on Sat mornings to view the people. The usual mid 40s group of ego bench pressers were there, all 6 of them, and they want everyone to know it. They were doing there usual sets of 225 bench/spotter deadlift combo, geared up with gloves, belts, sleeveless shirts, and loud man-grunts. There’s always something good to laugh at on Saturdays.

Cycle 8 - Week 2
MON 10-26

Power Clean warm up (65)x3 (95)x3 (135)x3 - Free Squat(135)x10 - Stretch - Leg Swings
Work sets
(185)x3
(195)x3
(205)x3
(135)x8

Free SQ warm up (185)x5 (225)x5
Free SQ Work Sets
70%(285)x3
80%(325)x3
Box SQ
90%(365)x6 Took it easy, didn’t go all out

Box SQ - Narrow Stance
(235)x12
(245)x12
(255)x10

HS Leg Curl
(2 plates)3x10
SS
HS ISO-LAT Ext
(35)3x10

Sit-up & Ab Wheel - Super Set
2x20

Calves & Tibia - Super Set
3x15

DAMN I love weight training!! The sound of the plates hitting each other and the floor, the bend in the barbell, chalk clouds, lifting heavy, the feel of my muscles working, getting a good sweat, competing with myself, getting stronger/bigger…

[quote]whup wrote:
DAMN I love weight training!! The sound of the plates hitting each other and the floor, the bend in the barbell, chalk clouds, lifting heavy, the feel of my muscles working, getting a good sweat, competing with myself, getting stronger/bigger…
[/quote]

amen brother.

Cycle 8 - Week 2
WED 10-28

OHP warm up (65)x6 Rainbow Press(65)x6 (95)x5 Scap wall slides - Plate rotations - Stretch
Work Sets
70%(140)x3
80%(160)x3
90%(180)x5 Up 5lbs and same reps from last cycle
Back off set (135)x13

Barbell Rows
(135)x10
(225)3x10

Side Lateral
(25)x10
(30)2x10
(20)x15

HS ISO-LAT BN Pull Down
(2 plates)x10
(2 plates, 1 25)2x10
(2 plates, 1 35)x10

Barbell Shrugs
(365)2x20

HS ISO-LAT MP
(2 plates)3x10
SS
Rear Lateral - Paramount Machine
(10)3x10

Arc Trainer
20 min

I trained with a bodybuilder friend, big strong dude, been training since the 80’s. So we kinda mixed our routines together, and did a lot of volume. Worked out well, we trained hard and fast. I’m still trying to put more mass on my shoulders, side and rear. Overhead presses only puts size on my front delts. He overhead pressed 165 for 10, very easy, and he never does them standing.

[quote]grettiron wrote:
whup wrote:
DAMN I love weight training!! The sound of the plates hitting each other and the floor, the bend in the barbell, chalk clouds, lifting heavy, the feel of my muscles working, getting a good sweat, competing with myself, getting stronger/bigger…

amen brother.[/quote]

Can I get a hell yeah?

Keep up the good work Whup!

Wow just checked this out, awesome progress, strong lifting.

Thanks a lot fellas!

I hadn’t checked out your log for a little while, but it’s great to see that you’re continuing to make fantastic progress dude! All your lifts are just going up and up - long may it continue.

TUES 10-27 - I forgot to record this day

Evil 8 Complex 105lbs

Arc Trainer
20 min

THUR 10-29

Training at home due to the random snow storm. I’ve got a pull-up bar in my doorway, and a 255lb weight set with a 45lb barbell.

Clapping push-ups - Its been a while since I’ve done these and they felt pretty good, but hard
4x15
SS
Neutral grip pull-up - 3 sec hold on top and bottom
4x6

Giant set:
21s
(55)x 3 sets

Overhead Brbl Tri Ext
(75)3x10

Ivanko Gripper
3x25

Sit-up with 10lb plate behind head
2x10
These damn things were hard. Still working on my sit-up strength

This snow needs to stop before this weekend, so I can road trip it back home to visit for a week

[quote]Element_26 wrote:
I hadn’t checked out your log for a little while, but it’s great to see that you’re continuing to make fantastic progress dude! All your lifts are just going up and up - long may it continue.[/quote]

Thanks a lot buddy! I hope it does continue, because I’m enjoying training and learning from everyone’s logs

Cycle 8 - Week 2
MON 11-03

DL warm up (135)x10 (225)x6 (275)x3 - Stretch
Work Sets
70%(335)x3
80%(385)x3
90%(430)x7

Front SQ - Clean grip
(135)x10
(185)4x8

Incline Sit-up 4x10
SS
45 degree Back Raise 4x10

I trained in a very small gym in my hometown, but it gets the job done. No chalk allowed so I had to use straps for the last set of deads

TUES 11-03
Not done in 5-3-1 fashion

Bench Press 10x3
(265)2x3
(255)3x3
(245)5x3

Incline HS ISO-LAT
(2 plates)x8
(2 plates, 1 10)2x8
(2 plates, 2 10s)x8, x7 + 7 partials, Dip stretch

Compound Row - Single pulley
(100)3x8
(110)x8

Rack Chins
(BW)x8
(25)3x8
(BW)x8

Close Grip BP
(135)x10
(155)x10, x6
(135)x6
(115)x10 + 20 second hold locked out

Flat Flys
(40)3x10

Some Curls

Stretch

[quote]whup wrote:
TUES 11-03
Not done in 5-3-1 fashion

Bench Press 10x3
(265)2x3
(255)3x3
(245)5x3
[/quote]

what does this notation mean? (weight)reps x sets? vice versa?

[quote]grettiron wrote:
whup wrote:
TUES 11-03
Not done in 5-3-1 fashion

Bench Press 10x3
(265)2x3
(255)3x3
(245)5x3

what does this notation mean? (weight)reps x sets? vice versa?[/quote]

I always list sets first and then reps; 10 sets of 3 reps. And my whole chest and shoulders are sore as hell today. I’m going to try 10x3 with overhead pressing as well.

I’ve decided to drop 5/3/1 for a few reasons:
To concentrate on more of a bodybuilding program for a while and hopefully add some more size
I need to try something different…getting bored
I’ve never trained 5 days per week or had an arm day
Less time in the gym
I’m thinking 5 sets of 8, but sets/reps will probably change a lot
I will alternate dumbbells and barbell weekly
I’ve neglected arms isolation exercises far to long, stupidly falling into the “indirect isolation” group. My muscles need direct isolation to grow

Day 1
Squats
Lunges or leg presses or hack squats
Leg Ext
Leg curls or pull-through
Abs & calves & back raise

Day 2
Cable side laterals
Standing overhead press
Cable Upright row/Front laterals
Rear laterals

Day 3
Close grip bench press
EZ curls
HS dip
Incline curl

Day 4
Rack deadlift
Rack chins
HS Iso-Lat pull down or pull-ups
HS Iso-Lat row
Abs & calves & back raise

Day 5
Incline bench press
HS Iso-Lat decline
Flat flys
Face pull

Something along these lines, still in the experimental stage so things will prob change
Any suggestions?

THUR 11-05

Free SQ
(95)x10
(135)x5
(185)x3
(275)x3
(315)x3
Box SQ
(335)x5
(355)4x6 4 sets of 6

Walking Lunge
(70lb dumbbells) 3 trips of 15 or so yards

HS Iso-Lat Leg ext
(45)4x8

Back raise & abs

FRI 11-07

Close grip BP
(95)x8
(135)8
(145)x8
(155)x8
(165)x8
(175)x7

EZ curl
(30)x8
(80)x8
(90)x8
(80)2x8

HS dip
(1 plate)x8
(1 plate, 1 25)x8
(2 plates, 1 25)3x8

Incline curl
(35)5x8

i’m a big fan of db lunges. they are challenging and seem to put meat on the adductors like crazy. the authors on this site have recommended lunges as a good unilateral movement, too. i don’t think they are in the same category as leg presses or hack squats… maybe do a lunge variation every week and swap leg ext with some other quad heavy exercise? i’ve tried sissy squats before and they were alright. i’d pick heels-elevated close-stance squats for high reps over anything else… gonna go back to those because they really blew up the outside quad meat. i think the heels-elevated squats don’t have to be done with a taxing weight.

my opinion: lunge every week (adductors, glutes and teardrop), heels-elevated squats for high reps (outside of the quad). GHR if you have it otherwise RDLs (hamstrings and glutes). hmm come to think of it, i should put RDLs back in my rotation.

for deadlift day, 3 direct lat exercises? what about picking two per week and go heavier on the back raises for some low-stress lower back work? that way you have a heavy back raise day and a light back raise day. shit i should do that too lol.

oh yeah, direct arm work ftw. i’m loving fat bar curls right now. you might have some luck with overhead extensions. that could easily be an EZcurl/OH extension superset. something about the long head of the tricep… i just know it feels good.

[quote]grettiron wrote:
i’m a big fan of db lunges. they are challenging and seem to put meat on the adductors like crazy. the authors on this site have recommended lunges as a good unilateral movement, too. i don’t think they are in the same category as leg presses or hack squats… maybe do a lunge variation every week and swap leg ext with some other quad heavy exercise? i’ve tried sissy squats before and they were alright. i’d pick heels-elevated close-stance squats for high reps over anything else… gonna go back to those because they really blew up the outside quad meat. i think the heels-elevated squats don’t have to be done with a taxing weight.

my opinion: lunge every week (adductors, glutes and teardrop), heels-elevated squats for high reps (outside of the quad). GHR if you have it otherwise RDLs (hamstrings and glutes). hmm come to think of it, i should put RDLs back in my rotation.

for deadlift day, 3 direct lat exercises? what about picking two per week and go heavier on the back raises for some low-stress lower back work? that way you have a heavy back raise day and a light back raise day. shit i should do that too lol.[/quote]

I was trying to shoot for about 4 lifts per workout…I think I’ll rotate rack chins and rows weekly
I’m def going to add RDLs and higher rep squats
Heavy and light back raises sounds like a great idea
Very good suggestions!!! Thanks A LOT!