T Nation

5/3/1 BBB 3 Month Challenge

Training Logs
#1

Decided to start a log to keep myself accountable. Going to have a go at Wendler’s BBB 3 months challenge, which on paper sounds easy, but realistically the 2nd and 3rd months are going to be brutal. I’m 6’2 210-215 pounds. I’m currently going into my 7th consecutive 5/3/1 cycle and hoping to continue making progress for at least 3 more until I have to take a step backwards. I will also be using front squats as my squatting movement.

Some short term (~6 months) goals are:

365 Front Squat
550 Deadlift
315 Paused Bench
225 Press

Training maxes:

Front Squat: 325
Deadlift: 470
Bench Press: 275
Press: 190

Will be training 4x per week for the most part. May do some conditioning here and there but nothing too extreme as that will take away from what I am trying to do.

#2

Friday 11/28/14
Press Day (190)

Warmup:
-Red band dislocations x30
-Pull aparts x20

Press:
-Barx10,10
-85x5
-105x3
-125x5
-145x5
-165x5 (little slower than expected)

BBB Bench Press (50%):
-135x10x5 sets (60 sec rest or so, nothing difficult)

Neutral Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns:
-105x15
-120x10x5 sets (easy, focus on squeezing)

DB Hammer Curls:
-30x10x3 sets (1 sec squeeze at top)

V-Bar Tri Extensions:
-3 sets of 10 (1 sec squeeze at bottom)

Cable Rear Delt Flies:
-2 sets of 20

#3

Saturday 11/29/14
Deadlift (470)

Warmup:
-Hip flexor, glute, hamstring, low back stretching

Deadlift:
-135x5,5
-225x5,3
-275x3
-315x5 (add belt, saving low back, still acts up once in a while)
-355x5
-405x5 (easy)

Front Squat (50%):
-160x10x5 sets (2 min rest or so, not too bad)

Cable Abs:
-160x10x5 sets (60 sec rest)

DB Hammer Curls:
-30x10x3 sets

#4

Monday 12/1/14
Bench Press (275)

Warmup:
-Band Dislocations x45, Lat stretching

Bench Press:
-barx10
-95x5
-135x5
-165x3
-185x5
-210x5
-235x5 (very easy, long paused last rep)

BBB Press (50%):
-barx10,10
-95x10x5 sets

DB Row (Pause and squeeze at the top for 1-2 seconds):
-80x10x5 sets (lats were on fire)

BB Curl:
-65x10x3 sets (too easy)

Rope Extensions:
-100x10x3 sets (2 sec squeeze)

Machine Rear Delt Flies:
-60x10x3 sets

#5

Tuesday 12/2/14
Front Squat (325)

Warmup:
-Lower body stretching (hips, glutes, low back, adductors, flexors)

Front Squat:
-barx10
-95x5
-135x5
-185x3
-215x5
-245x5 (add belt)
-280x5 (PR of sorts, very fast)

Trap Bar Deadlift:
-135x10
-235x10x5 sets

Cable Abs:
-160x10x5 sets

BB Curls:
-70x10x3 sets

#6

Friday 12/5/14
Press (190) Week 2

Warmup:
-Band dislocations x30, lat, triceps, shoulder stretching

Press:
-barx10,10
-75x5
-95x5
-115x3
-135x3
-150x3
-175x3 (easy)

BBB Bench Press (50%):
-135x10x5 sets

Superset

Neutral Grip Wide Lat Pulldowns:
-105x15
-120x10x5 sets

DB Hammer Curls:
-30x10x3 sets

Superset

Rope Triceps Extension:
-100x10x3 sets

Cable Rear Delt Flies:
-20x20x2 sets

#7

Saturday 12/6/14
Deadlift (470) Week 2

Warmup:
-Lower body mobility/stretching

Deadlift:
-135x5,3
-225x3
-275x3
-315x1
-330x3
-380x3
-425x3 (add belt, fast)

BBB Front Squats (50%):
-barx10
-95x5
-135x5
-160x10x5 sets

Cable Abs:
-160x10x5 sets (squeeze)

DB Hammer Curls:
-30x10x3 sets (squeeze at top)

#8

Tuesday 12/9/14
Bench (275) Week 2

Warmup:

  • Band dislocations x16, Thoracic Extensions on foam roller

Bench Press:
-barx10
-95x5
-135x5
-165x3
-195x3
-225x3
-250x3 (super easy, last rep long paused)
-275x1 (Long pause PR ~3 seconds)

BBB Press (50%):
-barx10
-95x10x5 sets (super easy)

DB Rows:
-80x10x5 sets (Pause and squeeze at the top for 1-2 seconds)

BB Curl:
-70x10x3 sets

Superset

Triceps Rope Extensions:
-100x10x3 sets

Cable Rear Delt Flies:
-20x20x2 sets

#9

Thursday 12/11/14
Front Squat (325) Week 2

Warmup:
-Lower body stretching

Front Squat:
-barx10
-95x5
-135x5
-185x3
-230x3
-260x3
-295x3 (easy)

Trap Bar DL:
-235x10x5 sets

Cable Abs:
-160x10x5 sets

BB Curls:
-70x10x3 sets

#10

Saturday 12/13/14
Press (190) Week 3

Warmup:
-Shoulder mobility w/ bands, stretching

Press:
-barx10
-95x5
-115x3
-145x5
-165x3
-185x2 (felt like shit)
-185x1 (heavy)

BBB Bench Press (50%):
-135x10x5 sets

Wide Grip Neutral Lat Pulldowns:
-105x15
-120x10x5 sets (getting too easy)

DB Hammer Curl:
-30x10x3 sets

Superset

Rope Triceps Extensions:
-100x10x3 sets

Machine Rear Delt Flies:
-50x10x3 sets

#11

Monday 12/16/14
Deadlift (470) Week 3

Warmup:
-foam rolling lower body and back
-stretching hips, hip flexors, adductors, hamstrings, piriformis

Deadlift:
-135x5
-185x5
-225x5
-275x3
-315x1
-355x5 (belt)
-405x3
-455x1

Felt ok, low back felt slightly tweaky

BBB Front Squats (50%):
-barx10
-95x5
-135x3
-160x10x5 sets (lowerback tweaked on last rep of 3rd set probably from losing tightness in the hole, had to wear belt and stop at parallel for the last two sets which were pain free)

Cable Abs:
-160x10x5 sets (getting too easy)

Superset

DB Hammer curls:
30x10x5 sets (too easy now)

#12

Wednesday 12/17/14
Bench (275) Week 3

Warmup:
-low back ppu’s, hip extensions
-shoulder dislocations with band x 35

Bench Press:
-barx10
-95x5
-135x5
-185x3
-215x5
-235x3
-265x3 (Last rep paused)
-290x1

BBB Press (50%):
-95x10x5 sets

Machine Chest Supported Row:
-120x15
-150x10x5 sets

BB Curl:
-70x10x3 sets

Superset

Rope Tri Ext:
-100x10x3 sets

Seated DB Rear Delt Flies:
-15x20x2 sets

#13

Friday 12/19/14
Front Squat (325) Week 3

Warmup:
-low back ppu’s, hip extensions, hip flexors

Front Squat:
-barx10
-95x5
-135x5
-185x3
-225x1
-245x5
-280x3
-315x1 (Easy PR)

BBB Trap Bar DL (50%):
-235x10x5 sets

Cable Abs:
-160x10xx5 sets

Superset

DB Hammer Curls:
-30x10x5 sets

#14

Sunday 12/21/14
Press (190) Week 4 (Deload)

Warmup:
-Band dislocations, lat stretch, shoulder/tricep stretch x 3 rounds

Press:
-barx20
-80x5
-95x5
-115x5

BBB Bench Press (50%):
-135x10x3 sets

Neutral Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns:
-105x20x3 sets
-120x10x2 sets

DB Hammer Curls:
-20x20x3 sets
-30x10x2 sets

Superset

Rope Tri Ext:
-70x20x3 sets
-100x10x2 sets

Seated DB Rear Delt Flies:
-10x20x2 sets
-20x10x2 sets

#15

Monday 12/22/14
Deadlift (470) Week 4 (Deload)

Warmup:
-low back ppu’s, hip extensions, hip flexor stretching, piriformis, foam roll quads, IT bands, adductors, glutes, upper back

Deadlift:
-barx10
-135x5
-190x5
-235x5
-285x5

Lower back not feeling these, still tweaked from last week and pain comes back during conventional deads. Going to try pulling sumo for a while.

BBB Front Squats (50%):
-barx10
-95x5
-135x5
-160x10x3 sets

Cable Abs:
-120x20x3 sets
-160x10x2 sets

Superset

DB Hammer Curls:
-20x20x3 sets
-30x10x2 sets

#16

Sunday 12/28/14
Press (195) Week 5

Warmup:
-Band dislocations x10, lat stretch, shoulder/triceps stretch x 3 rounds

Press:
-barx10,10
-75x5
-95x5
-115x3
-130x5
-150x5
-170x5 (Not as easy as expected)

BBB Bench Press (60%):
-barx10
-95x5
-135x5
-170x10x5 sets (not bad)

Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns:
-105x15
-135x10x5 sets

Superset

DB Curls:
-30x10x3 sets
-25x10x2 sets

#17

Monday 12/30/14
Sumo Deadlift (480) Week 5

Warmup:
-band dislocations x20, lat stretching, shoulder/triceps stretching

Sumo Deadlift:
-95x10
-135x5
-185x5
-225x5
-275x3
-315x5 (add belt)
-365x5
-410x5 (no chalk, pretty easy)

BBB Front Squat (60%):
-barx10
-95x5
-135x5
-185x3
-200x10x5 sets (much pump in the glutes)

Superset:

Cable Abs
170x12x5 sets

Band Good Mornings
Yellow thin band x 20 x 5 sets

Rope Tri Extensions
100x12x5 sets

#18

Video of one of the BBB sets of front squats 200x10

#19

Wednesday 12/31/14
Bench Press (280) Week 5

Warmup:
-Band dislocations x10, lat stretch, shoulder/tri stretch x 2 rounds

Bench Press:
-barx10,10
-95x5
-135x5
-165x3
-185x5 paused all these
-210x5
-240x5 paused last rep

used the squat bar for benching today which feels very different. didn’t like it

Press:
-115x10x5 sets

Chest Supported Machine Row:
-120x15
-165x10x5 sets

superset

DB Curls:
-25x10x5 sets

Rope Triceps Extensions:
-80x15x3 sets

#20

Sunday 1/4/15
Front Squats (335) Week 5

Warmup:
-Foam roll IT bands, glutes, quads, t-spine, lumbar

Front Squat:
-barx10
-95x5
-135x5
-185x3
-220x5 (add belt)
-255x5
-285x5 (Much easier than anticipated, also rep PR, had 2 in the tank)

BBB Sumo Deadlift (60%):
-135x10
-185x5
-235x5
-290x10x5 sets (did these in about 15 minutes, they were light but tiring)

All I had time for today