3/2/2017
Weight Update: After sticking at 215 for a couple days (4-5 ish) weighed myself a few hours after waking up and am sitting at 211. Hmm…inadvertant cut? Let’s all cross our fingers (the two that read this 
)
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3/2/2017
Squats
Day 1 of deloads
40% 115 x 5
50% 140 x 5
60% 170 x 5
40% 115 x 20
Superset:
Lily Shrugs 5 x 12 @ 55lb DBs
Standing Calves 5 x 10 @ 90lbs
Superset:
Bent Over Rows 5 x 10 @ 135
Dips 5 x 10
10 Minutes on stairmill, moderate intensity.
Haven’t done an actual planned deload…maybe, ever? Definitely need it, but mentally just wanted to get in, punch the clock, get these weights behind me haha everything moved fast, tried to focus on moving the bar as fast as possible while remaining under control. The reps (except the widowmaker set) didn’t feel any faster than doing it with heavier weights, which leads me to believe I should probably work on explosivo! Not looking forward to throwing deload numbers on the bar for bench and shoulder press, purely for my ego’s sake haha
Happy Lifting!
3/3/2017
Bench Press
De-Load Day 2
Warm-Up - 1000m row, easy pace, approximately four and a half minutes
40% 95 x 5
50% 120 x 5
60% 5 x 5 @ 140
Assistance:
Superset:
-Face Pull 5 x 20 @ 80lbs
-Push-Ups 5 x 12
Superset:
-Single Arm DB Row 5x10 @ 70lbs
-Lat Pulldowns w/ band + Fat Grips 4 x 25
AirDyne:
-5 minutes w/ 25-30 second sprints 15-20 second rest
Yay for deload! Kind of went for pump work on this, focusing on MMC and stretching with every rep. AirDyne was way more difficult than I thought it would be, I was planning on 10 moderate minutes, but I just couldn’t seem to find a good “pace” and decided to make it quick and painful with the sprints. All in all a productive deload session as I am treating them as conditioning work.
Lift hard, lift heavy, lift often.
Edit: Added a small workout in, I teach a TRX class here at our gym and there was only one lady in it and she asked me if I’d do it with her so she didn’t have to be the only one. 22 minutes of “fun” ugh I’ve got some glaring weaknesses it feels like after messing around on the suspension training stuff. At least I know I’ve developed effective workouts for them, had me sweatin’! haha
Following along for the quest to all of these!!
3/4/17
Non-Active Rest
Traveling, visiting family, following significant other around mall, basically hiking right?
3/5/17
Driving, eating, lounging, cleaning. Still feel a little beat up. Just going to hit prescribed reps and light assistance for deads today, I think hips and low back are tight from all the driving.
Ponderings of a youngster (relatively)…
Was thinking last night about goals, goal setting, where I’ve been, and where I want to go with my lifting “career”. It’s hard to believe that years ago, I wanted certain numbers for reps (185 on bench, 225 for squats, and 315 for deadlifts) then it evolved into my version of the “2,3,4” club (2 plate bench, 3 plate squats, 4 plate deadlifts) I thought for sure I’d be strong if I could rep those. Now it’s bench 1.5 x BW, squat 2 x BW, and pull 2.5-3 x BW. The quest for strength never seems to get easier, everything just seems to get more difficult, at times its disheartening, at other times its a point of pride. It is one of those things where the “better” you get, the harder it becomes to make appreciable changes. Its so easy to be pulled in a thousand different directions with fitness (I wanna be the strongest dude EVER. I wanna be able to run a thousand miles and do pull ups till your arms fall off. I want to be the most ripped dude thats walked this planet) We talked alot about goal setting throughout my study of psychology, how to do it effectively, how to up your chances of sticking with it…but I’ve noticed its still hard, I still want to “do it all” when it comes to fitness and struggle to maintain my focus on one area.
These are simply thoughts I wanted down for when I look back on this training log a year from now, or two, or five. If you read, thanks, if you can relate, ain’t it fun?
Lift heavy, lift hard, lift often.
D
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Yes indeed.
3/6/2017
Deadlift De-Load
Warm-Up- Lazy Lifter, light RDL
225 x 5
225 x 5
225 x 3 (4" deficit)
225 x 3 (4" deficit)
275 x 5
275 x 3 (4" deficit)
Assistance:
-RDL 4 x 10 @ 135
-Face Pulls 5 x 12
Superset:
- Dips 5 x 10
- Lat Pulldowns 5 x 10
Best feeling deload I’ve had so far, best I’ve felt on it, did a bit of a “heavy” deload and ranged upwards from that 60% mark, felt really good, helped me mentally, maybe. I think moving forward I am going to do 6 weeks, then a deload week, for sanity, and I also believe I can hit all the numbers for the next two cycles without issue. Hard to stay excited during a deload, especially when it makes you feel more beat up than the actual heavier weights, still stoked to see where this 5/3/1 styled training (I say styled because I have ranged away from his suggested assistance) and progression takes me in a year. Had the opportunity to use a solidly built box last night so I took advantage of it with the deficit deads, haven’t done them in quite awhile and they felt really good, other than that I am trying to break in a new training partner and it is absolutely brutal, we are both near the same age, he played football as well (at a college in the same conference) and is a big fella, but our goals are definitely different and so is our drive, I’ve bent over backwards the last couple workouts (and the last one had shitty assistance work like this one) to get a time and a place for a workout and it absolutely drives me nuts that he’s late, or pushed the time back twice, but he’s about the only guy around who even seems to have an urge to lift heavy, I’ve been spoiled in the past, have had excellent workout partners for years (highly dedicated, very strong, punctual) but the last two have about made me a loner for life in the weight room. Alright, whiny first world rant over.
Am extremely excited to be hitting heavier weights starting again this week.
Lift heavy, lift hard, lift often.
D
Edited to remove the overuse of the word stoked, my apologies.
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3/7/2017
OH Press
Still in de-load, still trying to get on the same page as new lifting buddy (maybe that’s the distinction? lifting buddy as opposed to partner?) I’m an extremely easy going guy, about the only thing that gets me antsy is being late, or waiting for people when it’s something that I’ve had lined up and am excited about. Waited 15 minutes for lifting buddy to show up, did not tell me he would be late, did not tell me he was on his way, almost blew a circuit…wife was visibly surprised when I told her that I had waited that long for him to show up.
Warm-Up- Lazy Lifter, Jump rope, AirDyne (3-5 minutes total warm up)
OHP
65 x 5
75 x 5
85 x 5
95 x 5
105 x 5
10 x 5 @ 85
Shoulders felt great, got bored, really focused on moving the weight smoothly and quickly and getting my head through the window.
Assistance:
-Snatch Grip High Pulls
-135 x 10
-4 x 10 @ 185
Superset:
-Lateral Raises 5 x 10 @ 15lbs
-Plate Raises 5 x 10 @ 25lbs
Another terrible assistance lift day, I’m starting to blame it on new found friend haha am I a dick? probably…am I looking for an excuse? probably… but shit, man! Today I am back to our regular scheduled programming and will be taking heavier (relatively) weights for a ride, am going to start counting on his being late and just utilize that time for a better, longer warm up.
“Friends may come and go, but 200 pounds will always be 200 pounds.” - Henry Rollins
Edit: Forgot to add that during the morning did a 20 minute TRX session, gonna have to be careful with these as I move forward if I continue to do them 2-3 times a week.
Certainly not a dick! This is pretty much why 95% of the time I enjoy lifting alone except for my brother and wife. Brother will only lift with me on Mondays if I’m doing Bench Press (which I don’t anymore) and my wife is a teacher so we only get the summers to lift with one another. The only time I like having a workout buddy is on Bench Press days because that’s the only time I feel I need a spotter. Oh Press lands back in the rack position, just drop a Deadlift if you don’t make it, Squat lands on the safeties but the Bench Press can take your head off! I feel like workout time is “my” time and it would drive me crazy to have to fart around for 15-20 minutes just waiting for someone to show up. Plus I lift on my lunch break so I’m already pushed for time as it is.
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Yeah, I definitely got into my own head while waiting, dislike it immensely, the “my time” is definitely spot on, and I find that as I progress in my lifting that I have less and less time for individuals that are lacksadaisical about their training. With following this progression scheme of 5/3/1 and working with an 85% training max, it gives me the confidence to know that I should and will hit at least my prescribed reps. People are just so unreliable, ha!
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So, just sat down and read through Wendler’s 5/3/1 in its entirety…that was a good read, holy smokes. Easy to digest, sound reasoning, plus great ideas for what feels like every possibility I could encounter, my lord how I wish I had found and used this sooner.
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3/8/17
Squat Day
Warm-Up - Lazy Lifter, bunch of warm up sets, slam my plazma (get bloated), crank up some nasty hip hop, change it to hard rock, back to rap, accidentally push play on “best of” random artist
190 x 5
230 x 5 (wasn’t paying attention, was supposed to be 215, atta boy way to have your head in it!)
245 x 11 (thought I’d get 10, wanted 12, rocked forward onto the balls of my feet on the 11th one, decided to rack it there)
190 x 20 R/P (lots more rest than I anticipated, a little upset with this)
Assistance:
- Hammer Strength Pulldowns 5 x 10 @ 90lbs each side (done with these, don’t feel like I get good work done with this machine)
- Calves 2 x 12 @ 180
Superset:
-SA OH Press 5 x 10 @ 45lbs
-Lilly Shrugs 5 x 12 w/ 55lb DBs
Solid day of work, could definitely feel those TRX classes though, affected how fast my legs fatigued for sure, thought it may have an effect going in…and it did. The 20 set moved great for the first 10 but then it was something like 3-1-2-1-1-2 R/P. Definitely feeling both the PR set and the Widowmaker set this morning, not incapacitated…but definitely fatigued, looking forward to a much less demanding bench day today.
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3/9/17
Bench Press
Warm Up - 7 push ups, 5 jumping jacks, gulp for air
65% 155 x 5
75% 190 x 5
5 x 5 @ 205 85%
Assistance:
-Neutrel Grip Chins 3 x 10
-Dips 5 x 10 +25lbs
Superset: ARM PUMP ENGAGED
-Tricep Extensions (Rope) 5 x 20
-Zottman Curls 5 x 10-12
Cardio - 20 rep squats from yesterday should count right?
-Stair Mill - 10 Minutes Low-Moderate Intensity
-Mop the gym
Had my head in it much better than Week 3 last cycle, everything moved smooth, elbow is feeling good, tried to pre-hab it with some real light single arm tricep extensions to get everything warmed up prior to working sets, seemed to work. 205 felt as light as it should, got a decent chest pump from it, but the dips felt the best, with jus that bit of additional weight I felt that it increased their effectiveness a ton.
Kicking myself today, we have our Spartan Sprint coming up next weekend (3/19) and if I would’ve been smart I would have made that a deload week, but noooooo go ahead and get all excited to do everything exactly as written and forget to include life in your plan/lifting cycles. Ah well, in the grand scheme of things it’ll all buff out.
On a side note, does anyone follow ppsa on instagram? (penandpaperstrengthapp) that whole group of accounts is gold haha
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3/10/17
Today will be a rest day…today will be a rest day…today will be a rest day…
Feeling those squats for sure, not sure if recovery is lacking or what, but I’m not typically this sore and its definitely the most sore i’ve been in the 4 weeks I’ve been doing the 5/3/1. Definitely makes a rest day sound good, so will be foam rolling, walking, and low impact active recovery for today (that’s the plan anyway) will be the focus. Have been eating big, just stepped off the scale and it flashed 218.6 at me 
I’m not seein’ a bunch of extra fluff in the mirror, but that’s definitely the heaviest I’ve been in a minute, I would just hate to be laboring under the impression that I’m gaining muscle and instead I’m just becoming a fat bastard.
Edited to add 30 minutes of LISS on a treadmill at an incline, everything feels considerably better.
3/11/17
Deadlift
Warm Up - Crank that hard rock…well soft rock…jazz. Do some deep knee bends grunt at lack of flexibility.
270 x 5
315 x 5
355 x 12 (PR Set)
270 x 5 x 5
Assistance:
-Krock (?) Rows 100 x 18, 16, 16
Superset:
-Push ups - 5 x 10
-Inverted Rows 5 x 10
Cardio (still think anything over 10 for weight should count)
-15 minutes incline treadmill
Everything felt good with deads (it’ll be a sad day here when they go gunnysack on me) the 355 for 12 was work, but do able, probably could have ground another one or two out with an extra breath in there, but 12 was good for the day. Felt like doing Kroc Rows again, gym has DB up to 100 (which is great for the size of gym/town and plenty big for me right at the moment) want to do 3 x 25 with the 100s and slowly ramp up the reps, keeping it at 3 sets, forearms and grip felt surprisingly good the day after, but holy smokes lats got torched, feels good to be sore again.
Meanderings: Why is it so much easier to be fat, weak, and out of shape than it is to be relatively strong with a work capacity, I mean literally you just have to do nothing. Also, there is a gym in town (the local community gym) that asked me (I’m basically famous right?!) how they should spend a little money, and I suggested buying a yoke, lo and behold! there will now be a facility in town with a yoke, pretty excited to mess around with it a bit for funsies.
Lift hard, lift heavy, lift often, don’t be a dick.
D
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3/12/17
Rest Day
Spring Cleaning, wander around downtown with the In-Laws, eat too much
3/13/17
OHP
Warm-Up - Sip Plazma, look for 5 pound DBs, find 5 pound DBs, steal from old lady, jog slowly away
100 x 5
110x 5
125 x 5
10 x 5 @ 100
Assistance:
Band Pull Aparts (Supersetted with first 5 sets of 10x5) 5 x 15
Superset:
-
Single Arm BB Shrugs in Smith Machine 5 x 10 w/50lbs
-
Tricep Extensions (Rope) 5 x 20
-
Dips 5 x 10
-
Hanging Leg Raise 3 x 12
Nothing quite like a good shoulder pump to start the day, everything moved smoothly, elbow felt great throughout the workout (thinking the high rep, low weight rope extensions as a warm up are gonna be key). A pretty relaxed day of lifting really, got a good sweat going, but not really that taxing moving through the working sets of presses, enjoying it while it lasts, ha. May do some LISS later in the day, jury is still out on that one.
Went back later in the day (approx. 430pm) with significant other, ran a mile, didn’t really wanna get another workout in, so cleaned up an extremely messy weight room and curled and tricep extended everything I picked up for 8-10 reps, it was entertaining. Feel beat up as all hell after that run, lower back pumped up like a basketball, achilles hurts, running is the devil.
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3/14/17
Squats
Warm-Up- Crank that Soulja Boy, change the station, crank that hard rock…change the station, Crank that hip hop!..change the station and lazy lifter
70% 205 x 5
80% 230 x 5
90% 260 x 10
70% 205 x 20
Assistance:
-Kroc Rows 20, 18, 15 @ 100lbs
Superset:
-Lilly Shrugs 5 x 10 @ 60lb DBs
-Standing Calf Raise 5 x 15 @ 70lbs
Superset:
-Straight Arm Pull Downs 3 x 10 @ 70lbs
-Plate Raises 3 x 10 @ 35lbs
Cardio:
-15 minutes incline treadmill
Was a bit nervous about squats was definitely mental as everything moved really well, the 260 felt surprisingly good for 10, all the reps felt solid. The 20 reps sucked, 10 moved well, then rest/pause for the last 10 with a lot of swearing, but it got done. Assistance work was focused around back/upper back because I will not be hitting another deadlift day until I get back from the Spartan Race. Going to bench 3/15 and then just light full body workouts Thursday and Friday, Saturday off, Sunday race. Definitely feeling the squats today (3/15) but in a good way. Question for those of you following along, with the PR sets, am I looking to PR over the reps I got at the same percentage the previous cycle? Or am I looking to get just a PR over what I’ve ever done with that amount of weight on the bar before? I was thinking about that and I’m guessing it is measured against the previous week’s same percentage… in which case…damnit.
Lift hard, lift heavy, lift consistenly.
D
I’ve always tried to PR with the amount of weight on the bar. That way if you Squat 300 for 5 reps on a cycle (probably on 5/3/1 week), when that weight rolls around again and you get 8 reps (probably a 3’s week) then you have set a PR a know you got stronger.
Yeah that makes sense, I was just running myself in circles a bit, over analyzing. Thanks, boyo!