T Nation

5/3/1 with Rest Pause

Training Logs
#1

I decided to log my training on here, to keep myself honest and also as a way of tracking progress and RM’s on both my main lifts and RP (rest pause) sets

Current stats/maxes
I’m 27 years old from Australia
5’8 and 81kg
My diet is 50/25/25 C/P/F and I shoot for anything over 3680 cals, as much to have the energy to train really hard as much as anything

1RM’s (In KG)
120 Bench (I’ve gone heavier but it wasn’t a competition style pause so I don’t count it)
205 Deadlift
80kg Press
180kg Squat

#2

I’m trying the four day Rest Pause template from 5/3/1, and I’m really enjoying just going in and beating the shit out of myself with the weights, and giving myself the freedom on the RP exercises whether to go super heavy, or sub maximal with big volume. My arms and shoulders are feeling like they are responding the most.

Monday 16th
I’m in the 2nd week of this cycle, having recently dropped back to 90% of my maxes, as I’d begun to plateau

Press:
3x warm up sets
3x3 with 47.5kg, 55kg, 60kg (7 reps on last set)
1x RP with 40kg (23 total reps)

DB flat bench
1x8 warm up 27.5kg
1x RP with 37.5kg (28 total reps)

Chin ups (wide neutral grip)
1x10 warm up
1x RP (40 total reps)

Barbell curls
1x10 warm up 30kg
1x RP with 37.5kg (21 total reps)

Did 4x12 ab wheel rollout in the PM as well

#3

Tuesday 17th March

Deadlift:
3x warm up sets
3x3 with 122.5, 140, 157.5 (only 6 reps on last set which was very disappointing)
1x AMRAP with 100kg ( 18 total reps)

Front squat
1x warm up set
1x RP with 80kg ( 17 total reps)

Karwoski rows:
1x warm up set
1x RP with 50kg ( 43 total reps)

Kneeling cable crunches:
1x warm up set
1x RP with 36kg ( 26 total reps)

The Barbells at the gym I’m at now are thicker in diameter than the standard olympic bars that I’m used to using, and its throwing me off at the moment, because my grip is failing before my back/traps etc. I’m hesitant to use straps, but I might consider using them for my RP accessory deadlifts. I suppose, if anything, the thicker bar will eventually strengthen my grip for normal bars.

#4

Rotator cuff work today, nothing heavy just keeping them healthy
cable face pulls
cable external rotation
band pull apart

Little bit of ab work too
hanging side crunches
kneeling cable crunches

everything was ‘light’. Enough tension to feel it, but easy enough to allow my nervous system a break before tomorrow.

#5

Thursday 19th March
Bench:
3x warm up sets
3x3 at 75, 87.5 and 100kg (7 reps last set)
1x RP with 70kg 28 total reps

Incline bench:
1x warm up set
1x RP with 50kg for 27 total reps

Kroc rows:
1x warm up
1x RP with 45kg for 36/35 total reps (right/left)

Dips:
1x warm up set
1x RP set for 55 total reps

Bench felt awesome today, I wasn’t bouncing off the chest and all the reps felt pretty smooth. I wasn’t sure if I had one more in the tank or not so I backed off to get some more work in on the rest pause set. Shoulders felt awesome today after the rotator cuff work yesterday, felt like I was able to feel them on the bench and stabilise more consciously throughout the lift. Will do some ab work tonight and maybe a walk with the gf up the local hills

#6

Friday 20/03/2015

Squats:
3x warm up set
3x3 with 110, 126, 142.5kg (8 reps last set)
1x amrap set with 80kg for 18 total reps

RDL:
1x warm up set
1x amrap with 100kg for 15 reps

Calf raises:
1x warm up set
1x RP with 100kg for 41 total reps

Kneeling cable crunch:
1x warm up set
1x rp with 36kg for 35 total reps

Squats felt really good today, no issues or soreness in knees or lower back at all. I felt like I had one, maybe two reps left in the tank on my last set, but I got in my own head and thought the bar was slipping so I bitched out, next time I’ll crush it.
Grip is starting to feel a little stronger on the thicker bar, hopefully it keeps improving and shows when I’m able to use a standard bar again for Deads and RDL’s

#7

tried to upload a video but it wouldn’t embed…dammit

#8

…or…maybe it did.

#9

Sunday 22/03/2015

Mobility work today
Foam rolling, piriformis release, band pull aparts, band external rotations and some dynamic stretching.

#10

Monday 23/03/2015
(warm ups will be assumed from now on, but I’ll note if I skip them or anything)

Press:
3x5/3/1 with 52.5, 60, 67.5kg (5 reps on final set)
1xRP set with 40kg for 27 total reps

DB press:
1x RP with 40kg for 18 total reps

Chin ups:
1x RP for 37 total reps

EZ bar curls:
1x RP with 32.5kg for 30 total reps

Felt pretty decent today, decent lift and felt a good connection with each lift. Rest Pause seems to be giving helping me to ‘feel’ the muscle better during the lift, probably because it’s screaming

#11

Tuesday 24/03/2015

Deadlifts (sumo)
3x5/3/1 with 120, 135, 150kg (10 reps on final set)

Front squats
1x amrap for 16 reps with 80kg

Karwoski rows
1xRP set for 47 totals reps with 60kg

Kneeling cable crunch
1xRP set for 38 total reps with 36kg

Pulled sumo stance for the first time today and everything felt ‘easy’. My back was feeling a little tender because I didn’t stretch out properly after squatting/over the weekend (my own stupid fault) so I stopped at 10, but I felt like I could have grinded a few more out. To my surpise it seemed to help my grip problem with the thick bar…I’m not sure if its just because my grip is getting stronger from Kroc rows, but it felt like having my hands closer together in sumo stance made my grip stronger. Also the weight just comes up so much faster than normal! I’m going to use normal stance for volume, but I think sumo might be the way to go for power…but we’ll see

#12

weight is also up a little…keep rocking between 81 and 82.5…keep eating.

#13

Thursday 26/03/2015

Bench
3x5/3/1 with 80,90,102.5 (6 reps on last set)
1xRP with 60kg for 36 total reps

Incline bench
1xRP with 60kg for 25 total reps

Kroc Rows
1xRP with 45kg for 45 right arm and 47 left arm

Dips
1xRP bodyweight for 58 total reps

Feeling stronger out of the bottom of my bench. It’s still miles behind where I want to be, but I think the DB benching on mondays is starting the help out. Grip on Kroc rows is feeling stronger, and it was more my upper back fatiguing than my hand giving up this time which is nice.