Strength.. with a dash of size.

Aspiring

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Guessing the 5x70 should read 5x60 or else the 1RM calculator is broken

My mistake, thanks for pointing it out I fixed it there. Getting a bit ahead of myself :pac:

Aspiring

5/3/1 BBB Cycle 3 - Week 1 - Day 2

Squat:
1x5x105kg
1x5x112.5kg
1x5x120kg

Hex bar Deadlift:
5x10x120kg

Plank:
2 min
2 x 1m with 20kg

Estimated Squat 1RM based on final 1+ reps set:140kg

Went a bit wider with the squats, which seemed to be much more powerful. Much better bounce out of the bottom. There weren't any good barbells for dead lifting so I decided to get some use out of the hex bar. I added 10kg to what I was planning on doing with barbell, which seemed a fair enough compromise. Much tougher on the quads and low back compared to my usual deadlift form. Got some core work in too, its something I really want to work on over the next few months.

Aspiring

I've decided to change my deadlift training max I'm working off for 5/3/1 for a few reasons. The main reason is that I've been progressing faster than I had anticipated, which is why I've ended up doing 8 or 9 reps on occasion when its supposed to be close to your 1 rep max. By changing the training max it'll bring down the number of reps I need to do to progress week on week, which is what I want. High rep deadlifts are ruining my ability to squat afterwards, which isn't ideal. Lower reps also means more focus on strength gains, which is what 5/3/1 is made for. Just thought I'd post what I'm doing here in case anyone is reading the log after deadlifts tomorrow or the day after and wondering why the work sets suddenly got heavier.

Irishcrx

I followed the advice you gave me two weeks ago and now have my diet part pretty much on track , I settled for 2250 being maintenance so am eating around 2700 - 2800 daily now and have added in Whey, this has made the extra eating easier for me.

Started at 148 pounds, I was 152.5 last night so average of 2 a week isn't bad but I know that'll slow down. Oddly my waist isn't really getting more bloated but my back and shoulders seem broader or something. I'm only eating decent food as well no 'crap bulking' methods with fatty foods.

I may have to alter my training schedule as I go though , think I have too much on each day might need to lower the sets I was struggling to finish this morning , muscles were depleated.

Also I don't have deadlifts in, I have squats but I think I need to add deadlifts I just need to find the form for them again. Any advice on deadlifts?? What weight to start at/reps , how to progress them?

I'm following your thread it's one of the better more informed one's on here.

Aspiring

Irishcrx wrote: »

Also I don't have deadlifts in, I have squats but I think I need to add deadlifts I just need to find the form for them again. Any advice on deadlifts?? What weight to start at/reps , how to progress them?

For a long time I did 1 set of 5 reps for deadlift as the only work sets. That's what's called for in the starting strength program. I think a good weight to try start out at is 60kg. If you've a history is sport you'll probably already have a pretty strong deadlift, the problem is just finding the form to make the most of that strength. If you're deadlifting once a week you can get away with adding 5kg a week to your work sets for a good while. Your deadlift will become your strongest lift pretty quickly because of this.

I think the most important thing is to make sure your form is on point. Record yourself working out and make sure you're not rounding your back, your hips aren't too high/low at the start of the lift and you're keeping your chest up. You'll find countless videos online of correct form, try to emulate what you see there. I'm assuming you're doing the conventional deadlift (legs narrow, arms outside legs) which is most widely done and there are great videos on YouTube showing correct form for it. Take a look at Jonnie Canditos channel, he has some of the best videos on deadlift form out there.

Best of luck!

Aspiring

5/3/1 BBB Cycle 3 - Week 1 - Day 3

Deadlift:
1x5x135kg
1x5x145kg
1x7x152.5kg


Estimated Deadlift 1RM based on final 5+ reps set: 188kg

I was in a bit of a rush today so only got the deadlifts done. Can't wait to get back to the gym in college, there's so much more equipment to use and the stuff they have is much higher quality.

Irishcrx

Got the deadlifts done this morning - again thanks for the advice! , I was doing shoulder shrugs at 60kg with the dumbells so I started the deadlifts at 60kg but was handy enough so I upped it to 80kg for 3 x 5 sets and felt that a fair bit more. I think my form was good I remembered them from doing them years ago and it came back me so will do what you said and take it handy try adding 5kg every week or so until I hit my limit.

Body is feeling rough this morning , I don't think i'm giving myself enough recovery since Monday morning I've done Gym/Football/Gym/Football/Gym...going to take two days off now.

Thanks again!

Aspiring

5/3/1 BBB Cycle 3 - Week 1 - Day 4

Bench:
1x5x87.5kg
1x5x92.5kg
1x5x97.5kg

Military press:
1x7x50kg
4x10x42.5kg


Estimated Bench 1RM based on final 1+ reps set:114kg

Struggling to bench 97.5kg for 5 reps after easily doing a 3x5 with it over two months ago is just pure bollox to be honest. I feel like I've wasted two months potential progress, and have actually gotten weaker since then. 5/3/1 just isn't working for my bench, or my squat either, for whatever reason. My deadlift has gotten much better but that has mostly been finding the form that suits me. I think it's time to put 5/3/1 to bed for a while and go back to what I know best, and what has never failed me. Time to go back to:
Starting Strength and bulking.

Plan to follow.

Aspiring

Plan:

• Starting Strength Mon/Wed/Fri
• Similar accessory work to 5/3/1
• 4200 calories days off
• 5500 calories work days
• Enough sleep

Going to do a bit of a deload to start so here are the starting 5 rep weights:
Squat:110kg
Bench: 92.5kg
Deadlift: 155kg
Press: 55kg
Row: 80kg

I've no idea if I'll progress any better than I have on 5/3/1 but sure no harm in giving it a go. Nothing to lose really.

Darrenon91

5500 calories? Nice

How do you plan on getting all that in? Honesly dont think I could ever get that much in.

Alf Veedersane

Aspiring wrote: »

5/3/1 just isn't working for my bench, or my squat either, for whatever reason.

I always just felt there isn't enough volume at a high enough percentage to give strength gains.

I know there are probably thousands of people who have made good strength gains from it but that was just my opinion on it as a program.

papu

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I always just felt there isn't enough volume at a high enough percentage to give strength gains.

I know there are probably thousands of people who have made good strength gains from it but that was just my opinion on it as a program.

Yeah needs more volume & frequency and less deloads, Canditos Linear program or the 6 week one worked allot better for me than 5/3/1 ever did.

There are lots of difference variations of 5/3/1 though , Which one were you doing?

Aspiring

Darrenon91 wrote: »

5500 calories? Nice

How do you plan on getting all that in? Honesly dont think I could ever get that much in.

I'll spread it out over the day in smaller meals I'd say.
I just went through the numbers on what I think would eat on a work day and I have the following:

Breakfast:
4 weetabix with milk
1 pint of milk
2 bananas
Total calories: 835 calories

Work Lunch:
3 meat of choice sandwiches with butter
Total calories: 850

Home lunch:
Beans on toast (2 slices)
1 pint of milk
Kitkat/Mars bar/other
Total calories: 800

Afternoon snack:
1 cup of peanuts
1 pint of milk
Total calories: 1000

Dinner:
Usually some kind of meat + spuds + veg
Total calories: 600

Evening snack:
1 cup of peanuts
Total calories: 600

Bed time snack:
Rice + olive oil
1 pint of milk
Total calories: 800

Total calories for the day: 5485

Think I could manage that, fairly similar to what I'm doing atm.

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

I always just felt there isn't enough volume at a high enough percentage to give strength gains.

I know there are probably thousands of people who have made good strength gains from it but that was just my opinion on it as a program.

That's what I felt too. I felt like I wasn't squatting enough at all, every week felt like it had been ages since I last did the lifts properly.

papu wrote: »

Yeah needs more volume & frequency and less deloads, Canditos Linear program or the 6 week one worked allot better for me than 5/3/1 ever did.

There are lots of difference variations of 5/3/1 though , Which one were you doing?

I just had a look at that program there looks fairly decent. Might give it a go after I'm finished up with this go at starting strength.

I dunno if you were asking Alf or myself which variation of 5/3/1 we did but if you meant me it was 5/3/1 BBB.

Aspiring

Squat:
3x5x112.5kg

Bench:
3x5x92.5kg

Deadlift:
1x5x150kg

Back accessory stuff

Calories: 4069

Aspiring

I have DOMS fairly bad in my quads today for the first time in months. Didn't expect it at all considering I only changed from a 3x5 of increasing weights to a 3x5 with the same weight for each set. The mystery of DOMS continues :pac:

Aspiring

Squat:
1x5x100kg

Military Press:
3x5x55kg

Barbell row:
3x5x80kg

-Curls
-Shrugs

I've some kind of problem going on with my right quad muscle. It wasn't feeling right even after warming up really well so I stopped once I reached 100kg. Hopefully it clears itself up over the next few days. Gave DB curls a go for the first time in ages, just to fill up some time.

Aspiring

Squat:
3x5x115kg

Bench:
3x5x95kg

-Shoulder hypertrophy work
-Chest/triceps hypertrophy

Squats were back on form today, no pain whatsoever. Wasn't happy with bench so I'm going to go for 95kg again the next time I'm benching. No dead lifting today, I was too bollixed tbh :pac:

Aspiring

Squat:
3x5x117.5kg

Overhead press:
3x5x57.5kg

Row:
3x5x82.5kg

-Chest hypertrophy work
-Upper back hypertrophy work

Calories: 3954

Aspiring

Squat:
3x5x120kg

Bench:
3x5x95kg

Deadlift:
1x5x155kg

Squats were class, feeling better than ever with my new form which is wide, toes pointed out, chest up and focusing on hips rather than knees. Bench all OK, tried a different grip width each set, wider seems to be best for me. Deadlifts were fairly hard after doing the squats, still grinded out 5 reps with good form so all OK there too.

Calories: 5260

Aspiring

It's been over 2 years since I updated the log here. A lot has changed in those two years, I've been training on and off a lot. I've been the strongest/biggest I've ever been, and lost it all again, many times in that 2 year period. Currently in final year of college so I want to start up this log again to keep me motivated to keep going to the gym. I've been quite consistent for the last month so I want to keep it up.

My goals have changed a lot over the last two years. My main goals now are just to be bigger and fitter, I don't really care about hitting PRs in certain exercises or anything anymore for some reason. Just gonna keep adding weight on the bar, and running faster, and see how it goes.

Goals:
-Be 80kg lean
-Sub 20 min 5K

Current stats:
-72kg lean
-30 minute 5K

At the moment I'm running twice a week and lifting 3 times a week. The runs are 5K runs, and the lifting is just upper body A/B workouts. Not training legs at the moment (shame on me I know ) because I'm focusing on the 5K time.

Aspiring

Overhead press:
3 x 5 x 55kg

Bench press:
3 x 10 x 70kg

Barbell row:
3 x 10 x 70kg

Barbell shrugs:
3 x 10 x 90kg

Pullups:
3 x 10

Curls 21s:
2 x 21 x 25kg
1 x 21 x 20kg

Lateral raise:
3 x 15 x 7.5kg

Aspiring

Wednesday 20th September:

Pin Press:
3x5x92.5kg

Military Press:
3x10x42.5kg

Barbell shrug:
3x5x102.5kg

Pull ups:
3x9 (+5kg)

Chin ups:
2x10

Lateral raise:
3x20x7.5kg

Aspiring

Run today:
5km in 27:50

Good bit faster than last time. Think my confidence in running faster is coming back. Gonna try for 27:00 on Saturday/Sunday.

Aspiring

Bit sore today after the run yesterday, first time having DOMS in a long time.

Workout today:

Military press:
3x5x55kg

Bench press:
3x10x72.5kg

Barbell row:
3x10x72.5kg

Barbell shrug:
3x10x92.5kg

Pull ups:
3x10

Lateral raise:
3x15x10kg

Been a full month on the current program now. I'm progressing better than I have in a long time. The last time I progressed this fast in terms of strength/size was probably when I first started. I can feel the progress slowing down now though, training each upper body part 3 times a week is beginning to become difficult. I'd say I'll get a few more weeks out of it but I'll be changing it up after that.

Traps are growing mad fast compared to everywhere else. The change in them over the last month is insane. I suppose doing shrugs 3 times a week will do that

Aspiring

Been reading up on running training and it seems running 5K a few times a week isn't really a good approach at all. Increasing weekly mileage is supposed to be the best way to improve. With that in mind I decided to do a 10km run today instead of the 5km I had planned.

Treadmill Run:
10km in 1:03:15

Not very fast but still not too bad. It's been years since I ran that far so I'm happy enough.

Aspiring

Pin Press:
3x5x95kg

Military press:
3x10x42.5kg

BB Shrug:
3x5x110kg

Pull up:
3x10 (+5kg)

Lateral raise:
3x15x10kg

Aspiring

Military press:
3x5x55kg

Bench press:
1x10x75kg
2x8x75kg

Barbell row:
3x10x75kg

Barbell shrug:
3x10x95kg

Pull ups:
3x12

I've had the worst hangover of my life the last two days, fairly happy to get a decent gym session in.

Aspiring

Run:
2km in 10:00

Aspiring

Pin Press:
3x3x97.5kg

Military press:
2x10x45kg
1x9x45kg

Shrug:
3x5x112.5kg

Pull ups:
3x8 (+10kg)

Chin ups:
2x12

Lateral raise:
1x20x10kg
2x15x10kg

Bodyweight: 72.7kg (up 0.7kg since last weigh in)

Aspiring

Military press:
3x4x57.5kg

Bench press:
2x9x75kg
1x10x75kg

Barbell row:
3x10x77.5kg

Barbell shrug:
3x10x97.5kg

Pull ups:
3x8 (+10kg)

Chin ups:
2x8

Lateral raise:
1x20x10kg
1x18x10kg
1x15x10kg

Progress on the military press definitely slowing which I was expecting. Haven't taken creatine for about 2 weeks, I'm surprised how little of a difference coming off it has had. I get way more acne when I take it which is no fun at all.