Nyx

5/3/1 is geared towards making progress on monthly cycles, which is why you see the different rep schemes on the first three weeks followed by a deload week. You go to the gym 3-4 times a week, each concentrating on a different key lift, and then add in some assistance work as you want. If you can squat, say 110 lb for easy math, then you would consider 90% of that -- 100 lb -- to be your 1RM for the purposes of calculations. A lot of people overestimate their 1RM and he tries to correct for that. The first week, on squat day, you would squat 100*.65 = 65 for 5 reps, 100*.75 = 75 for 5 reps, 100*.85 = 85 for as many reps as you can get in. The second week, on squat day, you would squat 70 for 3 reps, 80 for 3 reps, and 90 for as many reps as possible. And so forth. To Gainsdalf's point, it's typically recommended that beginners start on a linear progression, where you increase the weights every workout. Even if you have been lifting but not have been following any specified program with progression, you'd be considered a novice. This isn't a bad thing, it just means that you can progress a lot more each week than a more advanced person could, and so you should take advantage of it. Starting Strength and Strong Lifts are probably the most frequently used ones. Once you stall, you deload and work back up, and once you stall again, it's probably time for an intermediate program that focuses on making progress on weekly cycles. The Texas Method is one example. Once you need to progress beyond that, then something like 5/3/1 would be appropriate.

I usually only get it if I start high-volume exercise after not doing it for a while: going from sets of 5 to a set of 20, or starting to run after a hiatus.

Week #n-1 (I think we've established that I can't count, so I give up) Lifting: A Sleep: C Protein: A Asthma Meds: A While sleep has been going downhill, I've come to the conclusion that (1) I will still need a sleep goal next go-around, and (2) this goal format doesn't work well for me. 10:02 rolls around and I am still downstairs, still need to get into PJs and brush teeth and take out contacts, and I think "ah, eff it, I'm already past 10 pm so I've already failed, what's another half an hour?" Then that turns into an hour. I think that next time I will assign grades based on total hours of sleep over the week, to give me an incentive to to go bed earlier to make up for later nights, and to make 10:10 not that much worse than 10:00. Volume Day: Squats, all onto a box to continue to cue sitting back 45x5x2 85x5 130x3 175x2 220x5x5 This was really, really tough. I almost failed one rep but did get through. Needed lots of rest between sets. The form of the sets that I taped looked better, but I still need to work on my knees/shins being steady in the lower half of the lift. My knees are still shifting forward some. Press 45x5x2 50x2 80x5x5 And this was easier than expected. I think my form is getting better. Some of these sets may have had 6 reps, because of that whole counting thing. Deadlift 100x5x2 152.5x3 Loading error; we don't have fractional plates 210x2 265x1 What I was I thinking 260x4 A little bit better And then I took a test. Another semester down!!!!

Oh no!!! I can just see you crawling around in your front yard, "my precioussssss". We are going to see the Hobbit soon, but our babysitters need to get back in town first. I'm glad to hear that it's good.

I didn't have leg hair going into today's training session, but I am now missing some skin... Lack of sun can be miserable, and may not be helping with your motivation.

Intensity Day Squat 45x5x2 90x5 140x3 185x2 235x5 RAWR. I wasn't wild about my depth (borderline) or form (not sitting back enough) on the ones that I taped on Monday, and so I put a box behind me to cue sitting backwards and to make sure that I hit depth: when my butt grazed the box, I was below parallel. I skipped 230x5 last week because of the meet, and thought about doing 230x5 today, but since I did the volume workouts on schedule, I figured that the only reason I wouldn't be able to hit this set was mental. I'm glad I went for it. Bench 45x5x2 65x5 90x3 115x2 130x3, x2 (plus a failed attempt that I dumped on the pins), x2. This was supposed to be either 3x2 or 3x3, I didn't actually write down the number of sets going into it. The very last one was so damned slow that a trainer sprinted from across the gym to help spot me, and got there just as I was locking out. I was in the power rack with safety pins in place, but it was nice to know that someone still had my back if I needed it. CLEANS! 45x5x2 60x5 75x3 90x2 115x3x5 These were fun, except the one that I cleaned right into my chin. I am sure that my form needs help.

You've got this, Mark!

That silks video is really, really cool.

I was reading your thread, thinking, oooh, this guy is learning how to do power cleans, too! And then I realized it was you who posted in my thread. LOL. I know that SS doesn't call for front squats, but I think they helped me to figure out the racking position. I have hit myself in the throat before, too.

I got 10 hours of sleep last night, and it was glorious. I really should do that more often, minus the part where my alarm doesn't go off and I wake up after I should have already left the house for work. Not that long ago, my husband and I were training together, sets of 10, and I don't think we both arrived at the number 10 at the same time on more than 2 of the total sets between the two of us. We kept arguing about whether that was 9 vs 10 vs 11, and I am sure that anyone else around us were wondering what the heck was wrong with us. We have degrees in math and EE, too... I am still learning. I was in the process of learning when the running injury happened, and it has been a while since the doctor wanted me to do any explosive movements. I feel lucky that I had clearance for heavy lifts on flat feet. I've been reading up on technique and watching videos, which admittedly only goes so far, but it often does help to know what a lift should look like and then videotape myself actually doing it and work on it that way. I am also going to meet with the personal trainer again to go over cleans and - even scarier - snatches. If you two come up with any tips for how to learn them, I am all ears! http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/node/4421 The ones in my area are few and far between as well, and most of them sadly do not involve the squat. I love squats. I am in a major metropolitan area, but it seems like there are very few serious lifters here. The meet was 2 hours away, and several people asked me where I am even able to train in this area. Thankfully my little neighborhood gym has that power rack.

I was projecting out what numbers I will be lifting by the next local powerlifting meet, and, well, gulp. One day at a time, right? Volume Day, Take 2. I felt good enough that I wanted to go ahead and deadlift, and then get back to a Sunday deadlift schedule. I needed to keep it to just lunch-time, so this did not leave any time for accessory work. Bench 45x5x2 55x5 80x3 100x2 115x5x5 Deadlift 95x5x2 145x5 (Should have been 3, but counting is hard.) 205x2 250x5 I was cleared by my doctor yesterday to start doing cleans again, and so I am really looking forward to doing some on Friday! I almost fell asleep twice this afternoon -- while working -- and so I think I'm just going to go ahead and hit the hay now, or at a minimum lay in bed reading about database concurrency issues until I fall asleep. That shouldn't take long. I'm blaming the deadlifts. Yawwwwn.

Congrats again on the meet. This is a very good, detailed write up. I didn't have a handler, and am wishing now that I did. My husband was watching and told me afterwards that he was surprised that I didn't go for more on my later deadlift attempts. I definitely could have gotten more up -- one of the judges knew it was my first competition and told me after my third attempt that I could have gone for more. I'm going to recruit my husband to help me with this next time.

Vixen, I was so nervous going into it that I couldn't sleep on Friday, but there really wasn't that much to be nervous about. It was a great experience. I bet you'll do great!

Thanks, Donar! What data in particular should I be keeping an eye on - weight and bf %?

Thanks, Jess! That's really nice of you to say. And you really should give it a shot! Everyone there seemed to concentrate on winning against themselves more than winning against other people, and they really liked to see people doing their best, whatever their limits were. I was really amazed by how supportive everyone was.