A year with 5/3/1

[Malcore]

My starter log that gives some background.

 

My initial goal remains the same.  Strength.  500 lbs deadlift, 400 lbs squat, and 300 bench.

 

Timeline.

 

Starting info.

 

Bench 190 for 5, 222 1RM

Dead 350 for 5, 408 1RM

Squat 285 for 5, 332 1RM

OHP 130 for 7, 160 1RM

 

 

In November of 2014 my one rep max projections will be at least 300, 400, 500.  During that same month, the 3rd week of the cycle, the +1 week will actually have me lifting 265 bench, 430 squat, and 495 deadlift for at least one rep. 

 

I plan to use the Boring But Big template.  I'm starting at 40 percent of my training max because I've done this before and it is pretty difficult to jump into.  I will ease up to 50 percent and then take a look at some variations offered in the Beyond 5/3/1 book. 

 

That said, I may try a variety of variations over the next year but the big lifts will stay true to the program.

 

I've scheduled the above timeline to be a 24.5 day cycle, taking a deload week after every 2 cycles.  So 6 weeks, deload, 6 weeks, deload, etc.

 

On week 3, the +1 week I plan to work up to some heavy singles/triples at approx 100, 105, and 110 percent of my training max.  Though currently looking at it, the idea of even squatting 330 for just one rep (110 percent of my training max) seems kind of crazy. 

 

I am also doing curls and tricep work using 5/3/1 programming.  I taped my formerly 17 inch arms and found them to be 16 inches.  Bummer.  When last I curled I was doing 110 lbs with an ez curl bar for 3 reps but the forearm pain (with EZ or barbell) was just too much to do anything more than that. 

 

I will probably also mix up the BBB work.  I'm using template 2, which is squats on deadlift day, and bench on OHP day, etc.  I'll do RDL's for deadlift and dumbbell work, and close grip bench, etc.  

 

So.  There you have it.

[Malcore]

11-4-13

 

Squat

195 x 5

225 x 5

255 x 7

 

Romanian Deadlift

150 for 10 reps and 5 sets.  I've never done these before.  I did these Monday, today is Thursday.  My Hams are still sore.  Great cardio work, too.

 

Curls with barbell

55 x5

65 x5

72.5 x 9

 

35 x 10 for 3 sets.  My biceps were pretty toasted after 3 sets.

[Malcore]

11-5-13

 

OH Press

95 x5

110 x5

125 x8

 

Kroc Rows at 75 lbs, left 21 and right 23.

 

Bench  80x10 for 5 sets.  Focused on taking the arms out of the lift and really felt the chest work.  Feeling it still two days later.

 

Tried to do some front raises using the empty barbell but I couldn't even do one.  I was pretty shot by that point.

[Cort]

Yeah 5/3/1 buddy! Looks like a good plan. Will be awesome to see what those tape measurements say in November 2014. 

[Malcore]

11-7-13

 

Deadlift

 

Interestingly, I came across an issue with deadlifts.  Starting Strength calls for a couple warm ups, I usually just did a moderate triple and then went for the PR.  5/3/1 has a ton of volume, meaning a whole bunch of reps that I'm not used to.

 

135 x5

185 x5

225 x3

240 x5

280 x5   And at the end of this set, my lower back was burning with lactic effort. 

312.5 x8 reps

 

So when I went to do my Boring But Big squats, the burn only became worse until it was agonizing. 

Squat BBB

120 x3x10

I stopped after 3 sets.  I remember this from a long time ago.  My wimpy lower back will get used to the work and I'll be able to plow through.  It took about 10 minutes this time for the burn to fade.  This is one of the reasons I love 531.  Cycles from volume to intensity and back which lets me find weaknesses.

[Malcore]

11-8-13

 

Favorite day of the week.  Bench day.  Bench is fun, but it is followed by an agonizing kick in the junk via overhead press Boring But Big.

 

Bench

130 x5

150 x5

170 x10

 

OHP BBB

Teeny tiny 60 pounds gets heavy fast.  60x5x10

 

I had a hard time flipping the chicken on the grill after this was done.

 

One week down, 51 to go.

[Malcore]

Yeah 5/3/1 buddy! Looks like a good plan. Will be awesome to see what those tape measurements say in November 2014. 

 

Thanks!  I paid good money for my talking tape measure!

[Cort]

Hardy har har

[Jimbo]

Ambitious goals. Go for it!

[Malcore]

Ambitious goals. Go for it!

Thanks, Jimbo! 

 

11-11-13

Squat

210 x3

240 x3

270 x7

 

Curl

60x3

70x3

77.5x10

35x4x10  and 15 on the last set.  I just stopped at 15, it wasn't to failure.  Didn't feel this at all and probably wasted my time.  I'm going to bump up the percentage for this by 15 percent or so for next week.  According to my log, last week on the 4th set of these my biceps were "pretty toasted."  EDIT: Correction, I had to stop at 3 sets last week.  After 3 sets I was too burned out to continue.  So quite an improvement to this week.

 

Deadlift

Did stiff leg version this time, which I think I like much better.  150 x5x10

[Malcore]

11-13-13

 

Overhead press

105x3

120x3

130x8 !!!

 

Kroc Rows

75 lbs. for 25 reps left and right.  Think I'm going to drop this down to 55 lbs next week and start going for 35 or 40 reps.

 

Dumbbell bench press

40x5x10

These are much more difficult than 80 lbs barbell.  Almost felt the entire thing in the chest.

 

Also, have done some research about my lower back burn that I had last week, and again on this mondays squat workout.  One possible reason is that my glutes aren't activating at all, which overloads the lower back.  I did 20 reps left and right of one legged glute bridges this evening just to see how it felt.  These are supposed to be a good activity to get the glutes firing again.

[Cort]

What's the reasoning behind dropping your kroc row weight?  Seems like it would be better to keep the weight up if you're doing 25 reps each already.  

[Broba Fett]

I don't know how I missed this log but I'm following along now.

 

I'm in my first cycle of 5/3/1 and loving it.  Should be fun to watch your progress.

[Malcore]

What's the reasoning behind dropping your kroc row weight?  Seems like it would be better to keep the weight up if you're doing 25 reps each already.  

 

Matt Kroczaleski says don't advance till you can get 25 reps but he also talks about getting a huge response from 40 reps.  Of course the guy has done 250 lbs for 25 reps, so there you go.  25 to 40 reps is still working in the program.  I'm thinking of mixing volume and intensity.  75 for 25 was pretty intense.  I want to see what I can do with 55 and perhaps bounce between lower weight/higher reps, and keep progressing with 25 reps to advance 5 lbs.  My dumbbells only go to 90 lbs though.  One of the things I always wondered if I would need it is an olympic dumbbell and if I keep going at the rate I am, in a few months I probably will need it.  Kroc Rows.

[Malcore]

I don't know how I missed this log but I'm following along now.

 

I'm in my first cycle of 5/3/1 and loving it.  Should be fun to watch your progress.

 

Thanks!  Having a visible log like this adds weight to the commitment.  Feels like I'm working my way towards Mordor. 

[Malcore]

11-15-13

 

Powerclean 135 x 2x3

 

Deadlift

265x3

305 x3

332.5x6  Definitely left a couple in the tank on this one. 

 

Squats BBB

120x5x10  I did these really slow.  I wanted to pay really close attention to what I was doing and prevent the dreaded back burn.  One thing I did was have a definite pause of 1 to 2 seconds in the bottom, I didn't bounce out of the hole like I usually do.  I think as a part of my rapid drop to get the good bounce I was, just before the point of impact, losing the tightness in my lower back.  I practiced controlling my descent.  I pushed my pelvis forward at the lockout (when standing up), locking my glutes trying to push forward far.  Before the drop, I didn't do a pelvis tilt, just kept a neutral but flat back.  I found myself throwing my neck back against the bar, even though I was looking forward my head was tilted back-  I stopped doing it.  Result?  No pain what-so-ever.

 

I took them really slow.  Sometimes taking up to 3 mintues between sets.  These get the heart pounding and the lungs huffing like crazy.

 

Neck Harness

15 pounds for 25 reps, 3 sets.  Went light on this first time, I'll still have a very sore neck tomorrow.

[Jimbo]

Result?  No pain what-so-ever.

 

Glad to hear it!

[Broba Fett]

 

Squats BBB

How do you like doing that version of BBB?  I'm doing the one where you just back off on the weight and do 5 more sets of your main lift for the day.  Makes for quite a burn.

[Malcore]

Was trying to figure out what you were talking about and then, OH snap, I think I see what I did wrong.  I'm doing 5 sets of 10.  I annotated it as 10 sets of 5 didn't I?  I'm doing 5 sets of 10 at 40 percent this cycle, 45 next cycle, then 50 percent for a cycle.  Then I'm thinking of trying the heavier/lower rep versions he talks about.  I see that isn't the first time I mistyped my sets/reps.  Sorry for the confusion.  But to answer, I love it.  Its a serious gut check.  Gonna edit the mistakes.

[Malcore]

11-15-13

 

Bench

 

140 x3

160 x3

180 x9

 

OHP with dumbbells.  These, just like bench, are much different with dumbbells.  It seems like a whole lot more shoulder gets used.

30x5x10

 

2 weeks down.  50 to go.

[Broba Fett]

Was trying to figure out what you were talking about and then, OH snap, I think I see what I did wrong.  I'm doing 5 sets of 10.  I annotated it as 10 sets of 5 didn't I?  I'm doing 5 sets of 10 at 40 percent this cycle, 45 next cycle, then 50 percent for a cycle.  Then I'm thinking of trying the heavier/lower rep versions he talks about.  I see that isn't the first time I mistyped my sets/reps.  Sorry for the confusion.  But to answer, I love it.  Its a serious gut check.  Gonna edit the mistakes.

I sorry, I didn't explain my question very well.

 

What I meant was how do you like that variation of the Boring But Big assistance work?  Looks like you're doing the one where you do a different lift than the main lift for the day.

 

The one I'm doing is the one where you do the main lift for your working sets, and then lower the weight and do 5 sets of 10.

 

For example, my last working set of bench was 140x10.  Then I lowered it to 75 and did 5 sets of 10.  By the time you get to the 3rd or 4th assistance set it burns pretty good. 

 

I was just wondering if doing a different lift for your assistance work (your DB OHP for instance) after your main lift leaves you burning in a similar fashion.

 

Good workout yesterday btw.

[Malcore]

I prefer it a lot.  I think it helps when I squat, bench, etc. twice a week instead of once a week if for no other reason than variety.  Back in the day, I used this same method, then out of the blue switched it to the template you use.  Squats on squat day, etc.  The result was a soreness I hadn't felt for quite some time.  So it is different in some aspect.  What I'm doing now I've definitely felt.  Lots of grunting on the last few reps of the 4th and 5th sets.  I expect it to only get more intense as I up the intensity for 45 and then 50 percent. 

[Broba Fett]

 if for no other reason than variety. 

That makes sense.  Doing 10+ sets of something in a row does get kinda old.

[Malcore]

11-18-13

 

Squat

225x5

255x3

285x6

 

Curl

65x5

75x3

80x9

 

45x5x10 

 

Deadlift BBB

 

150x5x10

[Malcore]

11-22-13

 

Had to combine deadlift and OHP.

 

OHP

115x5

125x3

137.5x5  This was disappointing.  Was hoping for much more.

 

Deadlift

280x5

315x3

350x7  !!!

 

Did no boring but big.