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5/3/1 Cycle 4 Set 1

 

4 wide pullups

5 minutes bike

2x4 wide pullups

 

Bench:

5x45 lbs

5x95

5x135

5x165

9x185

 

DB Rows: 2x10x50lbs, 22x80lbs

Dips: BW 4x9,10

Bar hold: 60 secs @ 135lbs, 31 secs @ 225, 13 secs @ 315

 

No steps today, going out dancing with the wife tonight.

 

Bench felt great today. I actually had some left in the tank after rep 9, but decided to save it. I'm really happy with my bench press progression over the last few months. I was a lot stronger on the dips this time, since my shoulders were fresher. I think switching dips to bench day assistance was a good idea. Hopefully my jump rope comes in the mail this weekend so that I can get back to my usual warmup next week. I liked the jump rope/pullup alternation for full body warmup.

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I actually like to go out to a dance club every now and again, only these days I don't usually have the energy for it so I suck back a 5-hour energy shot beforehand and then write the following day off as useless. I end up getting home at 3 in the morning, whereas I'm usually sleeping by 10 pm. I actually met my wife while hanging out with friends after a night out clubbing.

 

5/3/1 Cycle 4 Set 1

 

5 slow wide pullups

5 minutes bike

5 slow wide pullups

 

Squats:

5x45 lbs

5x115

5x165

5x205

5x240

5x270

 

I'm still sick with a cold from yesterday so I decided to go easy today and only hit my main lift and the required reps. Even this was tough. I don't want to stress myself too much. I'd rather get over the cold sooner.

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5/3/1 Cycle 4 Set 2

 

4 minutes treadmill

 

Military:

5x45 lbs

5x85

3x105

3x120

7x135 - no improvement

 

Pullups: 8,8,7,6,5 - worse than last time

Shrugs: 2x5x135 lbs, 9x225 quick grip reset then 5x225

 

Blah workout today. Had to cut down on the workout due to a shortened lunch break today. No improvement on military press but I wasn't really into it, probably still dealing with the tail end of the cold from Monday. Mediocre performance all around. Finally got my jump rope in the mail though, but I need to let it hang out a couple days to straighten. Also picked up an eco ball for chalking up my deadlift grip.

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5/3/1 Cycle 4 Set 2

 

Jump rope!

5x100 jump rope alternated w/ 5x3 widest grip pullups

 

Deadlift:

5x135 lbs hook grip

5x225 hook

3x275 hook

3x315 hook

7x335 over/under

 

Glute ham raise: 5x15 hands crossed over chest

Leg raise: 5x14

Bar hold, double overhand grip: 135 lbs - 70 seconds, 225 lbs - 40 seconds, 315 lbs - 18 seconds

 

Stoked about getting back to jumping rope. The rope I purchased is great. http://www.amazon.com/All-Pro-Weight-Adjustable-Handles/dp/B0012RLJY6/. The only problem is that they didn't include extra crimps for shortening the rope. Instead they included a couple of eyelet halves. I wouldn't think about trying to crimp those on the rope as I fear they would cut through it. I ended up just taking a small bit of aluminum tube and using it as a crimp - works fine. I left the rope a little long just in case it wears out at the crimps. That way I can re-crimp it a few times before it gets too short. I'm also using it without the added weight (for now).

 

Felt great going into the deadlift. I did the first couple warmup sets slowly to make sure my form was good and then blasted through the rest of them. I also bought an eco ball and tried it for the final set. It really dried out my hands and I felt a much more solid grip. I would have gotten the 7th rep anyway, just with the eco ball powder it wasn't dropping into my fingers at the end like usual. Glute ham raises were tough at the end of the sets, and the leg raise was hell. I'll try for 15 reps next time, but I doubt my feet will reach even chest height by the end of those sets. Noticed a bit of improvement in my bar hold times, looking forward to further improvement.

 

Ended up talking to a couple kids doing squats in the gym who were complaining of tightness and inflexibility. I gave them the secret - stretching! Don't PE/athletics coaches in high school teach stretching anymore? Or do the kids just ignore it because they think it takes too long and doesn't matter (until they injure themselves later in life)? Probably the latter...

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5/3/1 Cycle 4 Set 2

 

5x100 jump rope alternated w/ 5x3 widest grip pullups

 

Bench:

5x45 lbs

5x115

3x155

3x175

6x195 - no improvement

 

DB Rows: 2x10x50 lbs, 20x80 lbs - no improvement

Dips: 5x10

Bar holds, DOH: 135 lbs - 80 seconds, 225 lbs - 37 seconds, 315 lbs - 13 seconds

 

Felt fine going in but the last set on bench didn't feel great. Rep 6 was a bit more of a struggle than I thought it would be and decided not to try for rep 7. I didn't bother asking for spotter because lately I've been able to finish out my goal rep numbers on bench with a little left in the tank. Not sure what happened on rows, lower reps than last time. I didn't feel as strong on them as I thought I should. Dips and bar holds were fine, and pretty much in line with expectations.

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5/3/1 Cycle 4 Set 2

 

5x100 jump rope alternated w/ 5x3 widest grip pullups

 

Squats:

5x45 lbs

5x115

5x185

3x225

3x255

6x285 - no improvement

 

Lunge: 5x15 +30 lbs

Good morning: 10x45 lbs, 10x95, 3x10x135

Bar hold, DOH: 135 lbs - 90 seconds, 225 - 40 seconds, 315 - 17 seconds

 

Another blah workout. Wasn't on my game and my squats suffered for it. I just couldn't get focused for the heavy set. The first rep felt sloppy, but I got somewhat into the groove for the rest. Again, my hams are touching my calves at the bottom, but looking at the mirror I'm just a bit past parallel. I have to start taking video again so I can check my form from the side. I think I am loosening my shoulders a bit and the bar is rolling/sliding down my back to a lower position. I also don't think I'm keeping my core tight enough, so my chest is dropping, shifting the center of gravity up higher and forward. I tried to remind myself of that before the set, but during the set it just slipped away. I always have good form during my warmups, but almost always lose it during the final heavy set.

 

First time doing good mornings, weight was pretty easy, although I could feel the bar pressing against my spine up near my neck on one of the 135 lbs sets and from that point on made a point to hold the bar lower.

 

Bar hold at 135 lbs was better, probably because my grip was pretty fresh today, no real grip exercises on the docket other than those.

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I don't know what's in store for me this weekend yet other than spending some good time with my son. Hopefully I can get the family out for a nice dinner tomorrow night, though.

 

The good mornings from last workout killed my hams and glutes! I was sore all day yesterday and even worse this morning! The hams more so than the glutes, but it was still a bother every time I had to tie shoes, pick something up from the floor, etc.

 

5/3/1 Cycle 4 Set 3

 

5x100 jump rope alternated w/ 5x3 widest grip pullups

 

OHP: (I'm not going to call it military press anymore because I don't keep my heels together)

5x45 lbs

5x85

5x115

3x130

5x145

 

Pullups: 8,8,8,7,6

Shrugs: 2x5x135 lbs, 15x225

Bar hold: 135 - 70 seconds, 225 - 33 seconds, 315 - 13 seconds

 

Steps: 2 sets 10x28 steps, 1 set 5x28 steps, 90 seconds rest between sets

HR after: 160 BPM

HR 5 minutes later: 120 BPM

 

Killer workout today. Rep 5 on OHP was a grinder but a little back arch at about the halfway point and up it went. Pullups are slightly better. A few more weeks and hopefully I'll hit 5x8. Shrugs are great, but I need to learn to lean forward a bit - the bar keeps hitting my junk on the way up. Bar holds were a little worse than last time, but that's due to both pullups and shrugs already taxing my grip.

 

I had planned to do my normal 4x5 on steps today, but on the first set I got to the top of rep 6 before I realized I had exceeded the plan. I switched it up and did 2x10 instead. My legs were pretty much dead at the top of rep 10 each set. The last set of 5 was done on full blast - as fast as I could go.

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5/3/1 Cycle 4 Set 3

 

5x100 jump rope alternated w/ 5x2 widest grip pullups

 

Deadlift:

5x135 lbs hook

5x225 hook

5x295 hook

3x335 over/under

6x375 over/under

 

Glute ham raise, hands crossed over chest: 5x15, done explosively

Leg raise: 5x15

Bar hang at bodyweight: 45 seconds, 40, 35, 45

 

My grip was feeling a little week today so I went over/under for my final warmup set instead of hook grip. I wanted to have a strong final warmup to build confidence for the heavy set. I again used the eco ball for grip only on my final set, and my grip was solid. I paused for a couple seconds after rep 5 to reset my feet as the bar bounced a little.

 

Instead of the slow controlled motion I usually use for GHR, I tried them explosively today. I kept my hams and glutes tight and whipped my torso up as fast as I could, letting it slow a bit as I approached full extension before bending the knees for the GHR part of it. The momentum from the back raise carried over into the GHR, so the movement as a whole was easier today. Barely made the 15 reps on the last two sets of leg raise. Noticed a little bit of swing at the bottom. Decided to do a set of timed bar hangs instead of the bar holds I've been doing today. Bodyweight clothed today was ~197 lbs.

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Heh, nothing in the table yet. No one seems interested so I'm probably going to delete the post after another week or so.

 

5/3/1 Cycle 4 Set 3

 

5x100 jump rope alternated w/ 5x3 widest grip pullups

 

Bench:

5x45 lbs

5x85

5x125

5x165

3x185

6x205

 

DB Row: 2x10x50 lbs, 22x80 lbs

Dips: 11,11,11,8,8

Bar Hold, DOH: 135 lbs - 73 seconds, 225 - 33 seconds

Bar hang, BW: 3x25 seconds

 

Felt a bit of shin discomfort on jumping rope, I hope I'm not developing shin splints. It might just be a bit of bruising from deadlifts on Wednesday. Bench went as well as I expected. The last rep was hell but I got it.

 

When I went to pick up the bar for a hold at 315 lbs, I wasn't focused well enough and I felt a little strain in my back, so I put it down and called it done. Did some bar hangs instead and stretched my back out - felt fine afterwards.

 

Skipped steps because I got a late start and needed to get back to the office. My workouts are starting to run a little long, I have to pay attention to how long I'm resting between sets.

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Heh, nothing in the table yet. No one seems interested so I'm probably going to delete the post after another week or so.

Sorry for the delay, done

 

Nice!

 

You seem to have a decent number of followers here so maybe having you down will spur some interest! Of course, it would probably help if there was actually a table up! I'll get to work...

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Happy to have some strong lifters on the table now. I guess it will grow like muscle, slow and steady!

 

5/3/1 Cycle 4 Set 3

 

5x100 jump rope alternated w/ 5x3 widest grip pullups

 

Squats:

2x5x45 lbs

5x95

5x135

5x175

3x205

5x240

3x270 somewhere between parallel and ATG

5x300 low bar

 

Lunge: 5x15 +30 lbs

Good morning: 10x45 lbs, 10x95, 3x10x135

Bar hold, DOH: 135 lbs - 75 seconds, 225 - 35 seconds, 315 - 13 seconds

 

That final set of squats was ugly! I took some videos of my squats this time and my form looks OK to me for the most part, but I'm sure there's problems there that I'm not aware of. I'll post them up when I get some time, maybe on Monday. On the 2nd to last set, I had a bit of trouble going ATG so I decided I was going to do the final set low bar and to parallel. I think I figured out the trouble I've been having with the high-bar position and ATG squatting. In the high-bar position, I need to use a bit more upper body strength to keep the bar from sliding down into the low-bar position, and I'm just not used to doing it. Usually with low bar position I don't need to think too much about holding the bar up with my arms as it sits better and the lower back angle makes it less likely to slip. So on the last set, since I hadn't done any warmups at low-bar I was off my game a bit. My knees kept buckling in off the bottom and I'd push them out, as opposed to keeping them out the whole time. I also took a couple seconds between some of the reps to reset myself and try to focus.

 

I've also been reading up a bit on squatting and I'm not sure I'm ready for heavy ATG squats yet. I think I'll practice a bit with the light sets to make sure my form is good, but for the top 3 sets I'll go back to low-bar below parallel.

 

Rest of the workout went fine, although a bit long given that I did a few extra squat sets.

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Good squatting !! Yeah throw the video up, I've just posted up a squat video in my thread so feel free to critique. My weakest lift but saying that, that also means there's heaps of room for improvement. I always do them ATG as you'll see, but not something you can jump straight into. Hitting that depth has taken me a fair bit of time, and I'm still far from perfect with the technique.

 

We live and learn I guess. Hope you are having a good week MF.

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OK, Squat video post!

 

All these vids were taken last Friday on my heaviest squat day of this cycle.

 

Warmup, I don't remember the weight, but pretty light. High-bar position, going for ATG, but I don't actually get that deep. However, my hams are squashing my calves at the bottom, so I'm not sure how much deeper I can go?

 

 

2nd to last set, 270 lbs. High-bar position, going for ATG, but I barely break parallel. If I recall correctly the bar was sliding down a bit and it's difficult to do ATG with a low-bar position.

 

 

Final set, 300 lbs. I decided not to do high-bar/ATG, but I still kept resetting the bar to the tops of my shoulders. As I mentioned in my journal for the day, my form was shit and the set was ugly. I'm almost embarrassed about posting it. I couldn't keep my back tight for shit. I didn't even hit parallel on 2 or 3 of the reps. They were much harder than I thought they should be. My knees kept buckling in and my stance was wobbly. Ugly.

 

I think I'm going to go back to low-bar parallel for a while, until I can get a bit more practice at high-bar.

 

Comments are welcome.

Edited by asparagus
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Fixed the URL issue and now the vids embed just fine.

 

5/3/1 Cycle 4 deload week

 

5x100 jump rope alternated w/ 5x3 widest grip pullups

 

Squat:

10x45 lbs

10x95

5x135

5x165

5x195

 

Lunge: 3x10

Good morning: 5x45 lbs, 3x5x95 lbs

Bar hang, angled (neutral) grip: 60 seconds, 45 seconds, 40 seconds

 

All the squats were done high-bar, ATG. I'm not sure exactly how low I'm getting, but my hams were compressing my calves at the bottom. I tried to keep my torso as upright as possible and concentrated on keeping my upper back and arms tight. I think that I am going to do the first squat workout of each cycle high-bar ATG as well as during the deload week so that I can get some practice with the form and decide in the future whether I want to incorporate it more into my lifts. For the 2nd and 3rd squat sessions of each cycle I will stick to low-bar as deep as I can go.

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Had an impromptu workout yesterday. Our TV died and my wife's parents offered to give us their old one, which was almost exactly the same size and model as the one we had. The workout stems from it being an old 36" tube television, so it weighed in at about 160 lbs (~73 kg), maybe more, and was basically a 38" (~1 meter) cube. I had to pick it up out of the cabinet at the in-laws' house and set it down on a dolly. Rolled it out to my truck, then lifted it from the dolly (ground) to the bed. That part was the warmup.

 

I then drove it to my house and prepared to take it from the truck and use the dolly to get it the ~30 ft to my front door. I picked it up and walked over to the dolly, and then as I started lowering, I decided "to hell with the stupid dolly" and carried the set into the house. I then picked up my old set (same weight and dimensions as the new one), and carried it out to the truck. I drove it around to the garage and put it on the floor.

 

It would have been easy if it was a 160 lb barbell, but the carry was actually pretty difficult due to the size of it and no good spots for a single carrier to grip it. That is one of the main reasons I train - so that I can just pick up shit like this and move it without a second thought. Felt good!

 

Today:

5/3/1 Cycle 5 Set 1

 

5x100 jump rope alternated w/ 5x2 widest grip pullups

 

OHP

10x40 lbs

5x85

5x105

5x120

6x135

 

Shrugs: 2x5x135 lbs, 14x225 lbs

Pullups, alternating grips: 8,8,8,8,7

 

Not a great workout today. I went really late, compared to my usual lifting at lunchtime. I never seem to lift as well later in the day as I do in the very early afternoon. The gym was extremely busy, I had to wait about 10 minutes for a barbell to free up. Also, I usually press in the rack, so the bar starts in the pins at squat height. Today the bar was cleaned from the floor prior to each set. I'm not sure if that affected my lift at all, but I should have been easily able to hit 7 reps, possibly 8 if I was feeling strong. I skipped the bar holds since my workout was running long anyway. No big deal, I'll go in on Wednesday and pull some nice reps on the Deadlift and make myself feel better.

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