Good plan. You could even drop them all back a cycle, although it isn’t necessary.
@littlesleeper @MarkKO glad to hear some confirmation, am going to continue with my maxes (adding 5lbs and 10lbs? Or keep the training maxes from this cycle? Herein lies my confusion) as if I were continuing the cycle after the De-Load, excited to start working up into some triples and singles, seeing where it all goes.
I’d probably keep the same maxes given you’ll be working up.
How was the difficulty on your last cycle? Complete all prescribed reps with some decent + sets? Did you feel recovery was an issue at any point during the program?
Based on your answers to those questions you should either continue pushing your TM the prescribed increases or you can take a step back, or repeat the last cycle’s TMs.
Judging your recovery is a big key to the puzzle.
1 Like
@MarkKO makes sense, but as @littlesleeper pointed out, recovery is key. At the moment I haven’t struggled with any prescribed reps, the least I’ve gotten on a PR set was a +2 and I’ve felt great throughout the 3 cycles (most beat up I’ve felt was right after the Deadlift Challenge, ha) I think I’m gonna hold at my current training maxes as bumping stuff up is simply 5-10lbs across the board and in the long run not a huge deal…also just ran the numbers and my TM now is 90% of my 1rm that I started with, so it actually works out kind of perfect… thanks guys! Appreciate you entertaining my questions and taking the time to drop some knowledge.
2 Likes
4/19/17
Legs: Pure Pump Work/Deload
-Leg Extensions 3 x 20-25 @ 60, 70, 70
-Single Leg Extensions 3 x 12 @ 40
Superset:
-Close Stance Leg Press 3 x 12 @ 260
-Wide Stance Leg Press 3 x 12 @ 260
-Squat Stance Leg Press 3 x 20 @ 305
Superset:
-Single Leg Press 2 x 10 @ 160
-Calf Raises (Leg Press) 2 x 15 @ 160
-RDL 4 x 15 @ 115
-Standing Calves 3 x 15 @ 70
-Seated Leg Curls 3 x 12 @ 60, 70, 70
-Walking Lunges 50 each leg @ BW
LISS:
-15 minutes incline treadmill
Whoo boy! Forgot what a pure pump day was all about, lots of volume, not overly hard, got a great sweat going, don’t feel overly fatigued. Got this workout from a buddy who is training pure volume/bodybuilding for a show later this year, took a bit off of everything to keep it a true deload, but it felt really good to mix it up today, gonna keep this up for this deload week into my “pure strength” phase later next week. This was purely a “for funsies” workout that I’m gonna feel.
Edit: Weight today as of approximately 11:00am was 215.6 (want to start tracking this for trend spotting.) Also just ran numbers out for 12 months running 5/3/1 aaaand not gonna lie I’m pretty excited, being conservative and barring any major setbacks a year out I should be closing in on a 600lb (580) deadlift and a 450lb (440) squat, this blows me away that I could be doing this weights in a year, and I am simply over the moon about it.
1 Like
4/20/17
Weight: 215.6
Chest: Pure Pump/De-Load
Incline DB Bench:
- 60 x 12
- 70 x 10
- 80 x 8
- 90 x 6
- 90 x 5
- 80 x 7
- 70 x 8
Dips
- 3 x 10 @ +25
CGBP
- 115 x 15
- 3 x 10 @ 135
- 115 x 12
Cable Fly (High Point)
- 2 x 12 @ 40
Cable Fly (Low Point) - 2 x 12 @ 30
Pec Deck
- 3 x 10 @ 80
Tricep Extension (Rope)
- 5 x 20
Gah…I hate “chest day” but 'tis a necessary evil. Got a good pump, lots of blood flow, yada yada yada. Once again it was a good mix up, and a good choice for a deload to keep my interest in place (when I previously de-loaded, the weights left me feeling…poor). Excited to hit it again hard next week.
1 Like
4/21/17
Weight: 212.8 (0530 weigh in as opposed to 1130, am going to try and weigh in first thing)
Back: Pure Pump/De-Load
Trap Bar Deadlift:
- 8 x 8 @ 235
Bent Over Row:
- 225 x 5
- 5 x 5 @ 185
Single Arm Lat Pulldown:
- 70 x 12
- 5 x 10 @ 110
Neutrel Grip Row:
- 100 x 10
- 5 x 10 @ 150
Wide Grip Pull-Ups:
- 5 x 5 @ BW
Another fun mix-up, kept traps light and fast, just trying to work on a bit of speed as I have noticed I’m a grinder and don’t have a lot of explosion to my reps (no matter the weight), worked on the same cues and felt great in my lats, honestly felt like doing every variation of everything known to man, but cut it off with a good pump. Just punchin’ the clock tryin’ not to do too much.
Lift heavy, lift hard, lift often.
Feedback always welcome,
D
Edit: Weight may be a bit misrepresented (although I like the number) as I hit the steam room and sauna yesterday evening, may be a bit more dehydration than any kind of real loss.
1 Like
Reading through your log now - good stuff, I like your movement combinations.
I have to laugh about travel day gyms - lol. The worst. I’m in a hotel a couple days next week.
I love walking in to a hotel gym and being like… 
4/22/17
Shoulders: Pure Pump/De-Load
Seated DB Shoulder Press
- 60 x 12
- 65 x 10
- 70 x 8
Kroc Rows (straps)
-2 x 20 @ 100
Lateral Raises
-3 x 15
Rear Delt Raises
- 3 x 15
Superset:
-Plate Raises
-5 x 10 @ 25
-Ab Rollout
-5 x 10
Superset:
-Dips 3 x 10
-NG Pull-Ups 3 x 5
Finisher:
Constant Tension- BTN Press-Overhead to Regular Press - 3 x 10
Another fun pump session, I think I missed some of my smaller assistance work in there, feel like I did SNGHP, but lost the paper I had written it down on. Not overly fatiguing, still felt like I got a work out in. Active Recovery Sunday (4/23) dog walking, yard work for most of the day, got a pretty solid burn and some sweet tan lines. Ready to start back into 5/3/1 in earnest.
1 Like
4/24/17
Squats
Edit: Weight 214.0
Start of 5/3/1: The Original
65% 195 x 5
75% 225 x 5
85% 255 x 5+ PR Set of 12 (Actual Rep PR, took a little of the soul out of me, did not expect that, hips came up first on the 12th rep, called it there)
Assistance:
-Lily Shrug 5 x 10 @ 60
-Standing Calves 4 x 12 @ 70 (2-1-2 Tempo)
-Pull Ups 10,8,8
-Walking Lunges 100 total (50 each leg)
Superset:
-DB Curls 4 x 10 @ 25
-Face Pull 5 x 20 @ 80 (alternate between high and low pull points)
Solid day, may do the FSL style of 5/3/1 (totally just hit me yesterday that the hardgainer template is 5/3/1 FSL on juice, ha) to get a bit more volume in with a back off set, I really like the idea of it, felt like I was done with my working sets too early or something, the overall workout took like 40 minutes, super quick. The Lily Shrugs and Walking Lunges torched my glutes, but I don’t do nearly enough uni-lateral shit, so it’s good for me, this I know. A little worried about my conditioning since I’m dropping 20 rep squats for 3 cycles (have decided to alternate between the base version of 5/3/1 and the Hardgainer’s version, as I think this is going to create a great contrasting amount of volume and create solid physique and strength gains consistently). Am going to need to address conditioning post-haste. Advice, ideas, and criticism always welcom.
Lift heavy, lift hard, lift often.
2 Likes
4/25/17
Bench
Weight: 216.0
65% 160 x 5
75% 185 x 5
85% 210 x 12
65% 160 x 10
Assistance:
-Incline DB Bench 10 x 5 @ 80
-Wide Grip Pull Ups 5 x 5 @ BW
-Z-Press 3 x 10 @ 65
-Skull Crushers 3 x 20
-Dips 2 x 15 @ BW
Cardi-oh-no:
-20 Minutes Incline Treadmill 2.5-2.7mph
A good day of pressing, haven’t focused on bench much and haven’t done a PR set so wasn’t really sure where I was at, but 12 @ 210 felt pretty good, probably had a couple more but didn’t want to get my face restructured due to ego.
Cheers to forevery chasing!
2 Likes
4/26/17
Weight: 216.4 (weighed 3 times, 217.2, 215.6. 216.4)
Deadlift
Notes: No belt, no straps, mixed grip
65% 285 x 5
75% 325 x 5
85% 365 x 5+ (12 total)
65% 285 x 5
Assistance:
-Seal Row 2 x 10 @ 115 (hated these)
-Underhand BB Row 4 x 12 @ 135
-Single Arm DB Row 4 x 8 @ 90 (Deliberate pause at top and bottom of movement.)
Superset:
-Neutrel Grip Chins 3 x 5
-Dips 3 x 10
Superset:
-Wide Grip Chins 3 x 5
-Ab Wheel 3 x 10
Superset: Traps
-Shrug 10, 12, 12, 12, 12 @ 100
-Modified High Pull 10, 12, 12, 12, 12 @ 100
A great lift for me, decided that if I want to be strong I should probably be able to hold onto the weight I pull off the floor, so going to try to avoid my usual “crutches” especially straps, for the time being (I say that right up until a weight slips out of my hands and I get uber pissed, thank goodness our gym is chalked up.) I am really happy with getting 12 “unequipped” as I believe I pulled 10 or 12 with 365 with straps and a belt a cycle or two ago. Hated the seal rows, first time I’ve done them, maybe that’s why, didn’t feel jack and …yeah… anyway, stoked on the pulls.
Keep on keepin’ on.
4/27/17
Weight: 215.8
OH Press
Warm-Up:
3 Rounds:
15 reps @ 45
20 Pull Aparts
65% 100 x 5
75% 115 x 5
85% 130 x 10
65% 100 x 8
Assistance:
-SNGHP 5 x 15 @ 100
-Rear Delt Fly/Row 5 x 20 @ 20
-Swiss Bar Bench (Middle Grip) 110 x 10, 2x160x10, 110 x 12
-Swiss Bar Z-Press (Wide) 3 x 10 @ 70
-Tricep Extensions (Rope) 4 x 25 @ 40
Cardio:
20 Minutes Incline Treadmill 2.7mph
Good press day, nothing exceptional, shoulders seem pretty weak, but all will be brought up in the end. Felt big and full, always feel good on days I work shoulders, the zing in my left shoulder has stayed away, am happy about that, lots of press variations in there, all felt good, don’t feel overly fatigued.
1 Like
4/28/17
Weight: 215.4
A Little Bit of Everything: Active Recovery
Superset:
-Goblet Squats 3 x 10 @ 55
-RDL 3 x 10 @ 55
-Chest Supported Row 3 x 15 @ 25lb DBs
-Pull Up (Wide Grip) 3 x 5
-Dips 3 x 8
-Flat DB Bench 3 x 8 @ 40
-Up-And-Over Shoulder Press 3 x 8 @ 45
-Plate Raise 3 x 10 @ 20
-Straight Bar Curl 3 x 10 @ 45
-Tricep Extension 3 x 10 @ 50
Total time appoximately 35 minutes, real easy, worked up a little sweat, mostly wanted to do something was feeling a bit of everything and wanted to force some blood into each muscle group to help with recovery (my theory anyway). Felt good, light, easy. Seems like a lot written down, was not a lot.
1 Like
4/29/17
Skwaat
Weight: Forgot to weight myself
70% 210 x 3
80% 245 x 3
90% 270 x 3+ - 12 total
70% 210 x 5 (Paused)
Assistance:
-RDL 4 x 10 @ 135
-Standing Calves 5 x 12 @ 90
-Straight Arm Pulldown 3 x 15 @ 90
-BO Rows 5 x 10 @ 135
-100 Walking Lunges (50 each leg, pause at 25)
-GHR 3 x 10
Had good tempo for the PR set, surprised myself a little, by 8 was needing to slow it down and really focus on breathing and re-bracing for each rep.
4/30/2017
Bench
Weight: Forgot to weigh
70% 170 x 3
80% 190 x 3
90% 220 x 3+ (13 total)
75% 185 x 8
Assistance:
-Swiss Bar Bench (Middle Grip)
-110 x 10
-160 x 8
-170 x 5
-180 x 5
Superset:
-WG Pull up 5 x 5
-Dips 5 x 10
-Skull Crushers (Ascending/Descending super/drop sets)
-35/55/75lb x 20/15/12 reps
-75/55/35lb x 12/15/20 reps
-Single Arm Tri Extension
-3 x 10 @ 30
-Up & Over Shoulders
- 3 x 10 @ 65
Good press day, felt strong on 220, went to technical breakdown, 13 was not much of a grinder and form didn’t break down.
Just destroying those plus sets. Nice work!
I’m running 5 PRO right now, so I’m missing out on the + sets but I wouldn’t be anywhere near hitting the reps you are. I think my TM might be a bit high at the moment. I’ll finish this cycle and reevaluate. You’re doing a hell of a lot more assistance than I do as well…I should probably add some…
1 Like
My trick for plus sets is breathing squats. It means I take ages, but I only stop when my muscles crap out from fatigue rather than gassing out.
@littlesleeper Really appreciate the kind words! Volume in assistance is where I make up for my lack of weight in my working sets. Your working sets are considerably higher than mine and therefore take more effort to recover from (between sets, between workouts) and you’ve gotten pretty flippin’ strong from your approach. If it ain’t broke… haha
@MarkKO Yup! I figure as many as I can safely get without racking the stupid thing counts in my book!
2 Likes