Adena Posted March 28, 2011 Author Share Posted March 28, 2011 Yay on the bench! Do you do your bent over rows with your torso at 90 degrees? No, I do about a 45 degree angle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted April 1, 2011 Author Share Posted April 1, 2011 Deadlift Day Deadlift: 1x3x1351x3x1701x3x1951x3x220 Rack Pulls: 3x3x245 Assisted Wide Grip Pull-Ups: 1x81x51x41x3 Farmer's Walks: We had new farmer's walk bars in the power room today, so I tried them out! They were extremely light, which I didn't expect. I just added 50 lb to each bar and did three sets. They're a lot more awkward than just gripping plates and walking with them. Plate Pinches: 3xtwo 5 lb plates pinched between each hand, as long as I can hold on before they drop. Squat Day Parallel Squat: 1x5x451x5x1451x3x1651x2x185 Oly Squats: 1x5x1452x3x145 Lunges with a 35 lb plate held overhead: 1 set Lunges with a 45 lb plate held overhead: 2 sets Bench Day Bench Press: 1x5x451x5x851x3x951x4x105 1x8x901x10x851x11x801x12x751x13x70 I think the pyramid down is really working for me. I had to leave the gym early as my husband and I are going to go on a double date with some other newlyweds, and I was too excited to get home and get ready to continue my usual training regimen for the day. I think the extra volume on bench is the most helpful thing for me, anyway. Just found this smiley, ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medman Posted April 1, 2011 Share Posted April 1, 2011 Wow, you have been KILLING it! Amazing work on your squats & deadlifts. Glad to see you haven't been slacking off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryStella Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 i did reverse lunges with a 65- 75 pound loaded barbell on my back. Thought you might want to try them. My legs hurt for days! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 Thanks, Medman! No, MaryStella, I most certainly do NOT want to do reverse lunges with that much weight! Sounds painful! Aaaah, maybe I'll try it anyway. To be honest with you, I'm incredibly clumsy, and the idea of lunging around with a loaded bar worries me. I always wobble around quite a bit just with a small plate overhead. Deadlift Day Deadlift: 1x5x1351x5x1851x3x2101x1x235 So I'm back to where I was before the vacation, which is good, but not really progress. Hopefully now I've gained a little momentum and can continue to crush more weight. I will say this though, I felt a LOT better about my form during this one rep of 235 than the last time I tried it. My whole back was in perfect form, spine protected, and I slowly set the weight down instead of almost dropping it. I was really concentrating. My hands were killing me for some reason, but my back held up just fine. I wasn't even sore the next day. Rack Pulls (from a lower position than usual, right at about my knees): 3x1x245 Farmer's Walks: 2x90 ish in each hand At this point, someone came in to tell me the gym was closing, so that's all I accomplished for Deadlift Day! So today starts my Deload Week, and I went into the Power Room to do light squats. There's this weird trainer who always comes in with his clients to have them do random exercises with light weights and calisthenics, which are fine, but definitely not powerlifting moves. It would be fine if he wasn't kind of weird, but he always sort of passive agressively says something to me about how he wishes I wasn't really in there. Meanwhile, I am friends with the powerlifter (also a personal trainer there) who actually put in all the work to build this room and make it a secluded strength and power workshop, separate from the rest of the gym. I met him before he started building it and acquiring all the equipment. Anyway, this other weird trainer was in there today having some lady do some sort of exercises right in front of the squat rack. I politely asked if they were going to use the squat rack, and he answered, "No, but I'm going to be back here for the next couple of hours." I would have thought maybe that was an innocent comment if he hasn't told me to get out of the room in the past, but it made me wonder if he was trying to get me out of there this time as well. Anyway, I sort of gave him a dirty look and stepped around him and the lady to get into the squat rack. He continued to have her start her lunges from right up against the squat rack the whole time I was there, even though there was the whole rest of the room to use, and the door was open so they were going all the way outside and turning around and coming back. I had to step around them every time I started a new set. Kind of petty and silly, but I found it really annoying. After I got done, I went to go find the powerlifter I'm friends with to try to clarify the situation. It ended up with me saying if it doesn't stop, I would go to Des Moines Strength Institute instead. Maybe that was a bit of an overreaction on my part, but I don't know. I was under the impression that the Power Room was for, I don't know, Power? I might just check out the other gym anyway since it's a little more up my alley. I heard it was pretty grimy, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lobsteriffic Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Two things: 1. Your deadlift is super impressive! 2. That guy sounds like such a d-bag! I'd get really ticked off by that as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted April 8, 2011 Author Share Posted April 8, 2011 Thanks, my deadlift is ok, I guess! Haha, good to know someone understands. I don't like passive aggressive not-exactly-saying-anything-wrong-but-attempting-to-make-you-mad kind of crap. I suppose I have to deal with a few people I don't care for anywhere I go, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewybaws Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 Sounds like a moron. More to the point, have you signed up for your first meet yet? Or put any more consideration into it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryStella Posted April 8, 2011 Share Posted April 8, 2011 YUCK! I hate gym drama! Think about him everytime your pulling some heavy weight! Nice job on the deads! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SeaSiren Posted April 9, 2011 Share Posted April 9, 2011 IMO opinion, if they allow him to train clients there, then they get to be responsible for his gym etiquette ..... just saying. And yes, your deads are VERY impressive! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lobsteriffic Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Before you started 5/3/1 did you actually buy the book or did you just do some reading online? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lobsteriffic Posted April 11, 2011 Share Posted April 11, 2011 Also, do you still do overhead press day? (sorry if you talked about that somewhere and I missed it and/or forgot about it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted April 12, 2011 Author Share Posted April 12, 2011 Sorry I haven't been online much lately, guys! To answer a few questions, I have been looking around at meets in my area, but I'm still not sure I understand and have all the stuff I need. For example, for one meet I'm supposed to have some sort of suit, even if I compete raw. Something like a wrestler's getup, I think? So I'm not quite ready. There's a lot of other stuff going on in my life lately so I have been kind of behind on planning to compete this summer. I'm probably not going to make it. I didn't buy the book on 5/3/1, I just got the basic gist of it online. I think there's an article on T-Nation's website where they interview Jim Wendler and he gives the basic program. I don't do overhead press day anymore, even though I prefer doing them to bench, because most meets have you compete in bench instead. One trainer told me that a lot of powerlifters just focus on either bench or overhead press for a while because it's so difficult to gain in both lifts simultaneously. Since I have so much trouble with bench, I just wanted to focus on it for a while. Thanks for all the compliments, I'll just have to keep training so I have an even more impressive deadlift, ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewybaws Posted April 12, 2011 Share Posted April 12, 2011 Yeah you need a singlet/leotard or whatever you want to call it. I think a lot of stuff that works for advanced powerlifters doesn't apply to novice lifters like ourselves. They've put in years of doing the main lifts consistently before doing things like substituting even the main lifts for other exercises for bouts of time, and know where their weaknesses are and how to work on them effectively. I think for us when we suck at a lift the best way to solve it is to practice it more. I doubt you were overloading your shoulders/tri's with 1 top set a week on 5/3/1 on press/bench, and with no OHP all you're doing to strengthen the tri's/shoulders are bodyweight pushups (not to mention they'll only be getting worked once a week now) . More importantly I think the bench volume (for top sets) is probably too low. 3 heavy sets every 4 weeks. I've just recently added OHP back in, it's a good way to work the medial/posterior deltoids to balance it out from the bench a bit. Most of the powerlifters I train with do bouts of some form of overhead pressing for assistance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted April 13, 2011 Author Share Posted April 13, 2011 You're probably right. It's partially because I was also struggling with finding enough time to devote to four days a week of strength training. My cardio days definitely don't take up nearly that much time, so it has made a big difference to go in three times instead of four. I could work OHP this month and not work bench for a while, I guess. I really don't like bench press anyway! Oh and also, I've asked a lot of people for help with bench and what assistance exercises to do and nobody has been able to help me. Or maybe they don't want to. So I know I'm hardly working my tris, just not sure what to do for them. I seem to aggravate my old back injury by doing those one dumbbell behind the head thingies. That's another thing, I may fool a lot of people, but I'm actually pretty retarded about lifting weights. I don't know what anything is called. So I'm not sure if what I'm describing is a tricep extension or not. Seems like I'm extending my triceps, but I could say that about a lot of other similar lifts. Aaaaanyway. Thanks for the advice. If you have any specific tricep exercises I could add in that would help, I'm all ears. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chewybaws Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 It's quite simple - do your 5/3/1 Press after Squats on squat day. And do an assistance exercise for tris/shoulders/chest at the end of Bench and Squat day. Options; Bench assistance to choose from;DB benchClose grip benchIncline benchOverhead tricep extensionsDips (careful with your shoulder)Pushups To be honest I think a program where your benching heavy 2x a week would be better for building your bench - I think the muscles are underworked rather than overworked. Have you considered going back on Madcow? Still ramps up to a top set like 5/3/1 (press/deads unaffected), it's 3x/week, bench/squat heavy twice so plenty of practice, and the assistance is uncomplicated (i used to get a sore head trying to figure out what to do) If you were to pick numbers that would be hitting your 5RMs on everything round about week 4/5 you wouldn't burn out quickly, and when you eventually started failing weights you could switch back to 5/3/1 if you wanted. Whatever you do remember overall - out of the powerlifts bench will always be the slowest to progress because it's the smallest muscles involved. You just have to work them hard and eventually it will come around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted April 13, 2011 Author Share Posted April 13, 2011 Thanks for the encouragement. I wish I had seen this post yesterday since I had my squat day and just did my normal stuff. I never really thought of doing assistance for a different lift than what I was doing for the main lift in one day, for example doing heavy squats and then working lighter bench assistance, but actually I was talking to a powerlifter at my gym last night who trains that way. I guess I could try that starting next week, and for this week just do a separate OHP day. That's what I was intending to do tonight since I miss them so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoshxDeLaney Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Hey, I'm fairly new on here and I'm checking out your training log for the first time. Great progress! I'm also doing 5/3/1, and I see that you are looking for the book. I have the ebook file and could email it to you if you'd like Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted April 14, 2011 Author Share Posted April 14, 2011 I'd appreciate that, Mosh! I'm interested in the more advanced one too, although I hear the basic gist of it is switching the sets-of-5 week with the sets-of-3 week so you have a mini-deload during week two, and also you're not supposed to go to failure in the last set during week two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adena Posted April 14, 2011 Author Share Posted April 14, 2011 Squat Day Parallel Squats: 1x5x451x5x1301x5x1501x5x170 Oly Squats: 3x6x135 Lunges with 45 lb plate held overhead: 3x12 lunges each leg OHP Press Day! SOHP: 1x5x451x5x501x5x551x5x60 Push Press: 1x6x652x5x65 Press Starts: 1x3x652x5x65 Bodyweight Dips: 3x6 Assisted Chin-Ups with supposedly 65 lbs of counterbalancing weight; doesn't sound right to me, but oh well: 1x81x51x4 It doesn't take much convincing for me to throw in an overhead press day, guys, so thanks for reminding me of its existence! Honestly, what with being a newlywed and a bunch of stuff I've been worrying about lately, I guess I just sort of forgot about it. I never intended to abandon the overhead press. It's been a while since I've done front squats and since I've gotten the ok that it's normal to grip with just a few fingers if your wrists are not that flexible, I'm ready to give them another try. Ever squash your fingers between the bar and your own collarbone? Yeaaaah...working on that whole clumsiness thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lobsteriffic Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Yay OHP! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoshxDeLaney Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Do you have a regular email address to which I can send it, or is there a way to send files on here that I didn't notice? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lobsteriffic Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Mosh is it weird if I ask if you could send it to me as well? If you don't want to that's cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoshxDeLaney Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 Not at all. If I can figure out how to put it on mediafire I'll just do that and post a link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaryStella Posted April 15, 2011 Share Posted April 15, 2011 always pushing the big weights. i love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now