Bigstabile's Training Log

Training Logs
1

Haven’t kept an online log in years, but I’ve been reading others here lately and was inspired to start one up again.

I’m 35 years old, about 165lbs. Been training off and on since I was a kid, but like most people was always inconsistent. The last few years have been pretty solid and I feel like I’m headed in the right direction. Currently have a desk job at a pharma company that many days feels like literal torture. I’m now a part time student working towards a degree in Exercise Science and am loving it.

Been running 5/3/1 for the past few months and it’s going pretty well. Each workout starts with a shoulder and hip (agile 8) mobility/warm-up circuit and jump rope and finishes with about 10 minutes of stretching the areas hit during the workout, with a lot of focus on hips and shoulders (because of the desk job thing). I also try to get 10 minutes or so of conditioning which includes things like battle rope, sprints, sled push/pull/drag, kettlebell swings, and various loaded carries. I lift M/T/Th/F and in a perfect world I would do yoga and walk a couple miles with a 40lb vest on off days. At the very least though on off days I run through my mobility warm up and do some additional stretching. Being a desk jockey, while I’m at work I try to get up every hour and walk around for 5 minutes and weather permitting I take another 30 minute or so walk around lunch. My program sort of naturally fell into an upper/lower day M/T and pull/push Th/F, it was unintentional at first but it felt right so I’ve been sticking with it.

1/11/16
Squat: 177.5 x 5, 205 x 5, 230 x 13
Squat: 177.5 x 10 x 5
Good Mornings: 100 x 10 x 5
Calf Raises: 115 x 10 x 5
Deadbugs: 12x5

Recently began feeling uncomfortable with my squat technique so I decided to reset. When I started this round of 5/3/1 I used 90% of my max for my TM, for this reset I went with 85%. I’ve been experimenting with some different things in regards to the assistance exercise. My current experiment is in Wk 1 I’m doing 5 sets of 10 with the set 1 weight, Wk 2 will be 5x5 with the set 2 weight, and week 3 will be triples with the set 3 weight. This is limited to squats and presses. Not sure how long this will last once the weights get heavier, if it’s working out I’ll likely just deviate from the idea of using the 5/3/1 weights and just select an appropriate weight.

1/12/16
Press: 85 x 5, 97.5 x 5, 112.5 x 12
Press: 85 x 10 x 5
Pullups: 20 lbs x (2,3,4) x 3
Curls: 65 x 10 x 5
Pallof Press: Purple band x 10 x 5 (both sides)

Press was also reset this week, again felt technique was becoming an issue. Between all sets of presses I’m doing 5 reps of facepulls with the purple band. For pullups, I’ve found that I need to hit them twice a week. Currently I’m doing ladders on Tuesday with additional weight, shooting for the same number of total reps as I’m doing for unweighted straight sets later in the week. This week I’ll do 3 sets of 9 on Thursday. Each week I’ll add an additional ladder/set up to 5 total, then I’ll drop back to 3 sets/ladders and add a rep.

2

Might as well put some info in here about diet and supplements too.

For my diet, I keep it generally simple, lots of meat, eggs, veggies, and good fats, some fruit, some dairy. Normally get most of my carbs from stuff like potatoes and rice and I stay away from pasta and bread for the most part. Pretty much just drink water, coffee, and tea. I try to add in a good amount of fermented foods as well.

Daily supplements are a multi, fish oil, ZMA, and vitamin D. Pre/during workouts I drink a mix of about 30g cyclic dextrin and 15g hydrolyzed whey/casien with 10g BCAA. Post workout is about 30g hydrolyzed whey/casien and 15g cyclic dextrin.

3

1/13/16

Had a good 45 minute stretching/foam rolling session this afternoon.

Did my normal shoulder and hip warm up followed by:
Foam roller on T spine
lacrosse ball around scapula
lat stretch
lacrosse ball on high hamstring
“couch stretch”
lacrosse ball on piriformis/glutes
calf stretch
rear hip stretch

4

1/14/16

Deadlift: 245 x 5, 282.5 x 5, 320 x 10
Pullups: BW x 9 x 3
DB Rows: 60 x 10 x 5
Leg Curls: 60 x 10 x 5
KB Swings: 10 rounds 30 seconds on/ 30 off w/ 35lbs (averaged around 22 reps per round)

Really happy with my deadlift today, 320 for 10 is definitely a rep PR. Took a lot out of me though, the rest of the workout was tough. Just recently started doing leg curls again, it’s probably been more than 5 years, and they really hurt! Feel like I’ll be ready to start pushing them in a couple weeks though.

5

1/15/16

Bench: 135 x 5, 155 x 5, 175 x 8
DB Incline: 55 x 10 x 5
Lying Extensions: 65 x 10 x 5
KB Bulgarian Split Squat: 35 x 10 x 3

My spotter blew it on the 3rd set of bench and tried to rack the bar after the 5th rep. Obviously was distracting, not sure if I would have had additional reps in me or not though.

Really slacked on conditioning work this week, have to hit it next week.

6

Missed yesterday, just didn’t have the time. Will push squat day back a week and skip that deloading day this cycle.

1/19/16

Press: 92.5 x 5, 105 x 5, 117.5 x 10
Press: 105 x 5 x 5
Pullups: BW + 20 (2,3,4) x 4
Fat bar curls: 65 x 10 x 5
Pallof Press: Purple band x 10 x 5

Much better pace to my workout today than I’ve had lately. Start back to class tomorrow, I’m going to need to cut down some of the volume/time in the gym.

7

1/21/16

Deadlift: 262.5 x 3, 300 x 3, 337.5 x 8
A1: DB Rows: 60 x 10 x 5
A2: Leg Curls: 60 x 10 x 5

Short on time today (seems like a theme lately) and had to do a bit of an abbreviated workout. Really happy with deads again, gotta love those spurts of progress. Maybe a little chicken or egg, but having good work outs makes me want to work that much harder.

8

1/22/16

Bench: 145 x 3, 165 x 3, 185 x 6
DB Incline: 60 x 10 x 5
Lying Extensions: 65 x 10 x 5
Kb Bulgarian Split Squat: 35 x 10 x 4

9

1/23/16

~90 minutes shoveling snow

That counts as a workout, right?

10

1/24/16

More shoveling…

Squat: 190 x 3, 217.5 x 3, 245 x 12
Squat: 217.5 x 5 x 5

Really happy with squats today. Was feeling a little beat up from the shoveling and was definitely not as fresh as usual. Probably even had another rep in me but I was starting to see stars.

11

1/26/16

Press: 97.5 x 5, 117.5 x 3, 125 x 8
Press: 125 x 3 x 8
Pullups: BW + 20 (2,3,4) x 5
A1: Curls: 65 x 10 x 5
A2: Pallof Press: Purple band x 10 x 5

Kept the rest period to 60 seconds for the press triples. For pullups, within each ladder, just enough time to take a lap around the basement, and a couple minutes between ladders. I want to somewhat simulate a straight set with each ladder, just a quick rest, to hopefully improve unweighted straight sets.

12

1/28/16

Deads: 282.5 x 5, 320 x 3, 357.5 x 4
Pullups: BW x 9 x 5
Leg Curls: 60 x 10 x 5

Didn’t really feel that great today. Couldn’t seem to get warm, and just felt a little off in general.

13

1/29/16

Bench: 155 x 5, 175 x 3, 195 x 4
A1: KB Bulgarian Split Squat: 35 x 10 x 5
A2: Lying Extension: 65 x 10 x 5
B1: Deadbugs: 12 x 4
B2: Band Pull aparts: Yellow band x 12 x 4

Normally do DB inclines with bench, but my shoulder was bothering me. Seemed ok benching but I didn’t want to add anything extra on top.

Left shoulder has acted up off and on for years. Interesting that it felt great when I was hammering it everyday with mobility work and acted up when I slacked the last couple weeks. Guess I’m going to have to find a way to get work in on them everyday.

14

1/31/16

Squat: 202.5 x 5, 230 x 3, 257.5 x 6
Squat: 257.5 x 3 x 8
Good Mornings: 105 x 10 x 5
Calf Raises: 115 x 10 x 5

Kept rest periods between the squat triples to 60 seconds.

15

Got to the gym, aka my parents house, and realized I forgot my workout clothes. If it was a regular 5/3/1 week I would have run home and gone back. Since it’s a deload week and I was planning on keeping it to the main lift and maybe one other exercise anyway, I’m going to move today’s presses to Thursday with deads and maybe some pull-ups. I was thinking about needing some extra rest, so maybe subconsciously I left my bag by the door on purpose when I left this morning.

16

2/4/16

A1: Deads: 135 x 5, 150 x 5, 185 x 5, 225 x 5
A2: Pullups: BW x 5 x 4
Pallof Press: Purple band x 5 x 3

17

2/5/16

Bench: 85 x 5, 105 x 5, 125 x 5
Press: 55 x 5, 65 x 5, 80 x 5

18

2/7/16

Squat: 110 x 5, 135 x 5, 165 x 5

Needed to squeeze this in quick between studying for a test and the Super Bowl. Thinking about doing more sets with the top weight during deload weeks just to practice technique.

19

2/9/16

Press: 90 x 5, 102.5 x 5, 115 x 12
Press: 90 x 8 x 3
Pullups: BW+20 x (2,3,5) x 3
A1: Fat bar curls: 70 x 10 x 3
A2: Deadbugs: 12 x 3
Band Pull Aparts: Purple band x 10 x 3

Felt pretty good today. Still trying to figure out how to get everything in in less time. I’m definitely guilty of trying to do “everything” every workout. I need to focus on the longer term, overall picture.,

20

2/11/16

Deads: 247.5 x 5, 285 x 5, 325 x 8
Pullups: bw x 10 x 3
DB Rows: 70 x 8 x 3
Leg Curls: 70 x 8 x 3

Felt like shit today, everything was hard.