5/3/1 Progression

5/14/09

Squat

335X3
355X3
added knee wraps
375X6

Stiff legged deadlift

225X15
225X15

Decline situps supersetted with hanging leg raises

3 supersets

Back held up just fine today. I decided to start adding the wraps on my last set moving forward. I’ll be competing in the not so distant future and the fed allows wraps so I need some practice with them.

5/15/09

Decided to deload the close grips today since I had to train at 6:00 this morning.

Close grip bench

225X5
245X5
265X5

Incline dumbbell bench (hammer grip)

75’s X12
75’s X12

Pull ups

BWX15
BWX10
BWX10

Off day tomorrow. Heading down to south Georgia to shoot guns and drink whiskey. Could potentially be a potent combination.

Weekend recap

Beers: 60
Steak X 3 out of 5 meals over the course of 2 days

Fish caught: 14

of bullets fired: 6 million

of falls into the lake trying to retrieve a fishing rod: 2

Cans of Copenhagen: 1 1/2

I didn’t think about training for two days and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy it.

Monday 5/18

Standing military

170X5
190X3
215X3
135X10

Upright rows

135X10
155X8

Shrugs

225X10
315X10
added straps
405X15
405X15

Pink band pull aparts

2 sets of 15

5/19

Box squat

Worked up to 4 sets of 5 with 365.

Back raise

BWX10
BW+black band X 12
BW+black band X 15

Decline situps 2 sets of 20

Standing cable abs 2 sets of 15

[quote]Brent Moody wrote:

Close grip bench

225X5
245X5
265X5
[/quote]

How close are your hands? I’ve been experimenting with my hand positioning because of shoulder pain when I bench. I keep moving them - currently it is around 12-14". Does that seem right or should they be closer?

I’m at about 14" mainly because I’ve got long arms. I wouldn’t go much closer than 12" unless you’ve got really short arms. Does your shoulder pain subside as your grip moves closer in?

5/20

Conditioning

Sled drag

2 plates X 2 trips forward
2 plates X 2 trips backward
3 plates X 2 trips forward
3 plates X 2 trips backward
4 plates X 2 trips forward

I get harassed just about every time I pull the sled in my neighborhood. Most harassers tend to be old ladies with little dogs who apparently dont have anything to do but give me crap. Some just want to ask questions and some are downright a-holes. Today was no exception except this time I was tag-teamed by not one but two senior citizens. This duo said they’ll be contacting the neighborhood association which sounds just annoying enough to cause me to look for a new place to condition.

[quote]Brent Moody wrote:
I’m at about 14" mainly because I’ve got long arms. I wouldn’t go much closer than 12" unless you’ve got really short arms. Does your shoulder pain subside as your grip moves closer in?[/quote]

I have a 74" reach, not sure if that is ‘long’ though for 5’11"

I wouldn’t say it’s painful at this point. I seem to lose strength when pressing upward. At first it was painful and I lost almost all horizontal pressing strength. My military press has been great.

I’ve started doing a lot of db rows the last couple weeks, and will start adding db cleans (DeFranco style?) next bench workout. I already do chins and pull-ups.

I have a 74" reach, not sure if that is ‘long’ though for 5’11"

I wouldn’t say it’s painful at this point. I seem to lose strength when pressing upward. At first it was painful and I lost almost all horizontal pressing strength. My military press has been great.

I’ve started doing a lot of db rows the last couple weeks, and will start adding db cleans (DeFranco style?) next bench workout. I already do chins and pull-ups.

Sounds like the right game plan to me. I also always do some type of rear delt movement (band pull aparts, reverse pec deck) at least once a week to strengthen the area.

Close grips

275X5
295X5
315X6

Hammer grip incline dumbell

75’sX10
75’sX10

Behind the neck lat pulldowns

200X10
200X10
200X8

Pretty sure I’ve got some kind of minor sprain in my left bicep. I tried to do pullups today but it was killing me so I switched over to the pulldowns. I felt like garbage today. I was shaky on every rep of the close grips. I think this was because I took a caffeine pill on an empty stomach 30 minutes before I lifted.

Close grips

[quote]Brent Moody wrote:
I felt like garbage today. I was shaky on every rep of the close grips. I think this was because I took a caffeine pill on an empty stomach 30 minutes before I lifted.[/quote]

I do that, all too often. I take this garbage before every workout - Minithin EF from a gas station. It has 200mg of caffeine per pill. One is a good dosage, sometimes two is ok. But occasionally two makes me feel sick and lose my edge.

[quote]Brent Moody wrote:

I have a 74" reach, not sure if that is ‘long’ though for 5’11"

I wouldn’t say it’s painful at this point. I seem to lose strength when pressing upward. At first it was painful and I lost almost all horizontal pressing strength. My military press has been great.

I’ve started doing a lot of db rows the last couple weeks, and will start adding db cleans (DeFranco style?) next bench workout. I already do chins and pull-ups.

Sounds like the right game plan to me. I also always do some type of rear delt movement (band pull aparts, reverse pec deck) at least once a week to strengthen the area.
[/quote]

OK, thanks. I haven’t been doing anything for my rear delts for the last three cycles of 5/3/1 - yeah, dumb.

Got an article published on the EFS website. Check it out if you get a minute: http://www.elitefts.com/documents/reevaluation.htm

Accessory Day

T bar rows

4 plates X 8
5 plates X 8
5 plates X 8

Hammer strength low row

3 plates/side X 8
4 plates/side X 8
5 plates/side X 6

Dumbbell pullovers

100X5
120X5
140X6

These killed my elbows.

Hammer curls

55’sX8
65’sX8
75’sX6

Gonna take it easy this weekend. I will probably train 2 out of the next 3 days but both workouts will be light with a ton of reps.

[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
Brent Moody wrote:
I felt like garbage today. I was shaky on every rep of the close grips. I think this was because I took a caffeine pill on an empty stomach 30 minutes before I lifted.

I do that, all too often. I take this garbage before every workout - Minithin EF from a gas station. It has 200mg of caffeine per pill. One is a good dosage, sometimes two is ok. But occasionally two makes me feel sick and lose my edge.[/quote]

Dang buddy I bet 400 mg of caffeine DOES make you lose your edge! I’ve never tried 400 mg at one time. Maybe I should look into this…

Ego Day

Reverse green band bench

315X5
365X5
405X5
455X3
495X1
315X15

I think the bands take off about 450 pounds at the bottom and 430 pounds at the top because these were all way too easy.

Push ups

4 sets of 25

Tricep rope pushdowns

3 sets of 20 with 90 lbs.

Pink band pull aparts

3 sets of 15

[quote]Brent Moody wrote:

I get harassed just about every time I pull the sled in my neighborhood. Most harassers tend to be old ladies with little dogs who apparently dont have anything to do but give me crap. Some just want to ask questions and some are downright a-holes. Today was no exception except this time I was tag-teamed by not one but two senior citizens. This duo said they’ll be contacting the neighborhood association which sounds just annoying enough to cause me to look for a new place to condition. [/quote]

I’m in the same situation bro…old people suck at life…

I’ liking the log though, keep it up

[quote]Alpha wrote:
Brent Moody wrote:

I get harassed just about every time I pull the sled in my neighborhood. Most harassers tend to be old ladies with little dogs who apparently dont have anything to do but give me crap. Some just want to ask questions and some are downright a-holes. Today was no exception except this time I was tag-teamed by not one but two senior citizens. This duo said they’ll be contacting the neighborhood association which sounds just annoying enough to cause me to look for a new place to condition.

I’m in the same situation bro…old people suck at life…

I’ liking the log though, keep it up[/quote]

Appreciate it. My dad always said, “Being old doesn’t automatically give you the right to be an asshole”.

I just try and chalk it up to a lack of understanding.

[quote]Brent Moody wrote:

Dang buddy I bet 400 mg of caffeine DOES make you lose your edge! I’ve never tried 400 mg at one time. Maybe I should look into this…[/quote]

ha ha I advise against that! 200mg seems to be just right for me - and that’s after drinking coffee all day

[quote]Brent Moody wrote:
Got an article published on the EFS website. Check it out if you get a minute: http://www.elitefts.com/documents/reevaluation.htm

[/quote]

Didn’t know you were a celebrity :wink: I tweeted the article, so hopefully you can get some traffic from that.

Atlanta? The fam and I will be vacationing there for about four days at the end of June.