Endurance Athlete Goes 5/3/1

Training Logs
121

Big update as I usually train frequently while on the Beyond 531 template…

Cycle 12, Week 1, Day 2 - Deadlift [Beyond 531]

Warm Up
Agile 8, jumping jacks, tuck jumps

Deadlift - [315 TM]
Worked up to…
315x1
335x1 [Joker]
350x1 [Joker, 1RM PR]
315x5 [TM set, capped]
225x5x5 [from 2” deficit]

Superset w/ Deadlift
Box Jumps: numerous during warm up sets
Ab Wheel: 5x20 during down sets

Conditioning / Assistance
Prowler +90lbs / back raises: 6 trips w. low handles / 3x15

Notes
I dropped the TM a full three cycles. First, because I’d like to bring bar speed back. Second, and much more importantly, it will make the TM sets easier to load. Laziness has its place in training, surely.

350 came up OK. Definitely slow off the floor, but once I can get it to my knees, I’m golden. The box jumps and deficit deads will hopefully help with the speed off the floor. I’m trying not to overthink things like this too much because I know I basically just need to get stronger everywhere at this point.

I was running low on time, so I crammed in some light back raises between prowler trips.
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Saturday, 23 April 2016
Cycle 12, Week 1, Day 3 - Overhead Press [Beyond 531]

Warm Up
Agile 8, Simple 6, Med Ball Throws

Overhead Press - [TM 130]
Worked up to…
130x1
140x1 [Joker]
150x1 [Joker, PR]
130x5 [TM set, capped]
95x10x5 [10 sets of 5, all reps paused at bottom]

Superset w/ Press
Band Face Pulls / Band Pull Aparts: many
Weighted Chins: 10x5 w/ 45lbs

Assistance
1a.) Dips: 4x20
1b.) Curls: 4x15

Notes
150 flew up. I was tempted to keep working up, but decided to save it.

I stole from Jim’s recent Hardgainers template and went with 10x5 for the supplemental work. Felt great and surprised myself that I could do 10x5 chins w/ 45lbs. I started with sets of five thinking I’d be down to doing sets of 1-2 by the end.
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Sunday, 24 April 2016
Cycle 12, Week 1, Day 4 - Back Squat [Beyond 531]

Warm Up
Agile 8, Jumping Jacks

Back Squat - [TM 270]
Worked up to…
270x1
290x1 [Joker]
305x1 [Joker, PR]
170x5 [TM set, capped]
200x20 [Widowmaker]

Assistance
1a.) Leg Press: 5x12-15
1b.) SLDL: 5x5
2.) Hanging Leg Raise: 100 total

Conditioning
Flag Football

Notes
That Hardgainers template must’ve made an impact on me, because I lifted the supplemental work for squats as well. I really, really like 20 reps squats. It must be the distance runner in me. I’ll probably stick with these for a while because I feel my form/technique is spot on throughout.

Gave some thought to short-term/long-term goals…

Some random short-term goals:
Bench: 275x1 (hopefully within current cycle)
Deadlift: 315x10 (This cycle or next cycle)
Press: 160x1 (hopefully within current cycle)
Squat: 225x20 (2-3 cycles down the road)

Long-term goals:
Bench: 300x1
Deadlift: 405x1
Press: BWx1
Squat: 250x20
1 Mile Run: sub 5:30 (this is probably doable today, but I’d like to set some easily attainable running goals to get my mind motivated to actually run again)

122

Cycle 12, Week 2, Day 1 - Bench Press [Beyond 531]

Warm Up
band curls/extensions, med ball slams

Bench Press - [235 TM]
Worked up to…
235x4 [TM set, capped]
245x1 [Joker]
255x1 [Joker]
185x5, 8, 8, 8, 8 [plan was 5 sets of 8, but brainfarted the first set]

Superset w/ Bench
Band Pull A-Parts / Face Pulls: many [during wu sets]
Chins: 5x10 [during work sets]
Kroc Rows: 70x20, 80x15, 90x15 [during down sets]

Assistance
DB Incline Bench/DB Shrugs: 3x10-15 each
Bis/Tris: 3x15-20 each

Notes
Plan going in was to cap the TM set at four, hit a couple jokers but nothing crazy, then push the volume work. Boring stuff, but I’ve got my eye on 275x1 next time around and wanted an “easy” day in between hard efforts.

123

Cycle 12, Week 2, Day 2 - Deadlift [Beyond 531]

Warm Up
Agile 8, jumping jacks

Deadlift - [315 TM]
Worked up to…
315x8 [TM set, PR]
335x1 [Joker]
350x1 [Joker]
225x5x5 [from 2” deficit]

Superset w/ Deadlift
Tuck Jumps: numerous during warm up sets
Ab Wheel: 5x20 during down sets

Assistance
Paused Squats: 5x5 [3 second pause at bottom]
Leg Curl: 5x10

Notes
Great session. 315x8 felt good and bar speed was much better than expected. I could’ve grinded a couple more for ten, but I’ll save it for a later day and make all ten look pretty.

124

Cycle 12, Week 2, Day 3 - Overhead Press [Beyond 531]

Warm Up
agile 8, med ball throws, various lat stretches

Overhead Press - [TM 130]
Worked up to…
130x7 [TM set, PR]
145x1 [Joker]
155x1 [Joker, PR]
160x1 [Joker, PR]
100x5x8 [5 sets of 8]

Superset w/ Press
Band Face Pulls / Band Pull Aparts: many [during work up sets]
Chest Supported T-Bar Row: 5x10 [during down sets]

Assistance
1a.) Cable Row: 5x15
1b.) Dips: 5x20
1c.) Curls: 5x15
1d.) Front Raise: 5x12

Notes
Another great session. Closing in on a bodyweight press faster than expected. Held off on heavy singles for five cycles, but I’m reaping the rewards now.

125

Cycle 12, Week 2, Day 4 - Back Squat [Beyond 531]

Warm Up
Agile 8, Jumping Jacks, Tuck Jumps

Back Squat - [TM 270]
Worked up to…
270x6 [TM set, Rep PR]
295x1 [Joker]
315x1 [Joker, PR]
205x5x8 [5 sets of 8 w/ 60-75 second rest]

Assistance
1a.) Leg Press: 5x12-15
1b.) SLDL: 5x5
2a.) Weighted Decline Sit Up: 3x10
2b.) DB Side Bend: 3x20

Notes
Continuing to ride the wave. Another session where everything felt light. I go into these Beyond 531 sessions with a few options in mind and as I’m going through the work up sets I start deciding what would be the best option to run with. After I hit 90% for a single (right before the TM set), I make the decision and get my head ready for what’s to come.

126

Cycle 12 is complete. I’ll catch up on posting my log tomorrow when I have more time, but here’s the bench session…

Cycle 12, Week 3, Day 1 - Bench Press [Beyond 531]

Warm Up
band curls/extensions, med ball slams

Bench Press - [235 TM]
Worked up to…
235x5 [TM set, capped]
255x1 [Joker]
275x1 [Joker, PR]
175x8, 8, 8, 8, 6 [close grip, paused]

Superset w/ Bench
Band Pull A-Parts / Face Pulls: many [during wu sets]
Chins: 4x10; 1x15 [during work sets]
DB Rows: 75x20, 85x15, 95x15 [during down sets]

Assistance
DB Incline Bench/DB Shrugs: 3x10-15 each
Bis/Tris: 3x15-20 each

Notes
Wore a belt while benching for the first time. Definitely felt like it helped.

235x5 was capped and I felt like I had ~3 reps left. I knew this was a good day and that 275 was in the cards.

127

Cycle 12, Week 3, Day 2 - Deadlift [Beyond 531]

Warm Up
Agile 8, jumping jacks

Deadlift - [315 TM]
Worked up to…
315x10 [TM set, PR]
335x1 [Joker]
235x10x5 [10 sets of 5 from 2” deficit]

Superset w/ Deadlift
Tuck Jumps: numerous during warm up sets
Paused Squats: 5x5 during down sets
Ab Wheel: 5x20 during down sets

Notes
315x10 felt awesome. Deload incoming, so I decided to push the supplemental sets to ten. This was done on a whim because the sets of five were feeling fast.
.

Cycle 12, Week 3, Day 3 - Overhead Press [Beyond 531]

Warm Up
agile 8, med ball throws, various lat stretches

Overhead Press - [TM 130]
Worked up to…
130x7 [TM set]
150x1 [Joker]
105x10x5 [10 sets of 5, all reps paused at bottom]

Superset w/ Press
Band Pull Aparts: many [during work up sets]
DB Row: 5x20 [during down sets]

Assistance
1a.) Cable Row: 4x12
1b.) Dips: 4x20
1c.) Curls: 4x15
1d.) Front Raise: 4x15

Conditioning
Flag Football
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Cycle 12, Week 3, Day 4 - Back Squat [Beyond 531]

Warm Up
Agile 8, Jumping Jacks, Tuck Jumps

Back Squat - [TM 270]
Worked up to…
270x6 [TM set]
205x10x5 [10 sets of 5]

Superset w/ Squat
SLDL: 5x5 [during down sets]

Assistance
1a.) Leg Press: 5x12-20
2a.) Weighted Decline Sit Up: 5x10

Notes
Cycle 12 is complete. I set 13 PRs during this cycle. Time to deload, recover, and then begin again…

128

Back from a boring deload full of mobility, bodyweight stuff, and long walks with the dog. Back to work…
.

Cycle 13, Week 1, Day 1 - Back Squat [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
jumping jacks, agile 8, hamstring death by lacrosse ball

Back Squat - [TM 250]
95x5, 95x5, 135x5, 155x3
175x5
200x5
225x10 [capped, but I was right on the bubble. goal was 8-10.]
175x20 [easy. felt great.]

Superset w/ Squat
box jumps

Assistance
1a.) Split Squat: 4x15
1b.) Back Raise: 4x10
1c.) Ab Wheel: 4x20

Conditioning
Prowler: 90x2, 140x2, 90x2

Notes
Lowered squat TM quite a bit as I’m focusing on deep, high rep squatting. Long-term goal is 225x20, ass to grass, so I will begin here and slowly build over time.

175x20 was a breeze; assistance was a bastardized breeze (I just don’t feel the need to push and pull more than I already do and my bench is already dangerously close to my squat); conditioning was…sweaty.

129

Cycle 13, Week 1, Day 2 - Bench Press [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
Agile 8, band curls/extensions, med ball slams

Bench Press - [235 TM]
95x5, 115x5, 145x3
165x5
190x5
210x5x5 [top set 5x5, most reps paused on chest]

Superset w/ Bench
Band Pull A-Parts / Face Pulls: many
Chins: 5x10
DB Rows: 3x15

Assistance
Close Grip Bench Press: 3x10 w/ swiss bar
BB Curls: 3x15

Conditioning
Prowler: 140x8 trips

Notes
The 5x5 with the top set was a nice change of pace. I really love PR sets, but can’t argue with 25 crisp, fast reps at 90% of my TM.
.

Cycle 13, Week 1, Day 3 - Deadlift [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
Agile 8, jumping jacks, hip/hamstring smashes & stretches

Deadlift - [335 TM]
135x5, 175x5, 205x3
235x5
275x5
300x10 [capped, all dead stop]
235x5x5 [5x5, FSL]

Superset w/ Deadlift
Tuck Jumps: numerous during warm up sets

Assistance
Paused Squats: 5x5
Back Raise: 3x15
Hanging Leg Raise: 100 total

Conditioning
Flag football

Notes
Bar speed on the deadlift is back. Deficit deads over the past couple of cycles have certainly helped with speed off the floor.

Bought my first pair of Olympic lifting shoes and tried them out on the paused squats. Bigger difference than I was expecting. Can’t wait for squat day!

130

Cycle 13, Week 1, Day 4 - Overhead Press [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
agile 8, med ball throws, more hip/hamstring mobility nonsense

Overhead Press - [TM 135]
55x5, 70x5, 80x3
95x5
110x5
120x5
95x10x5 (10 sets of 5 w/ FSL. All reps on first 8 sets paused at bottom)

Superset w/ Press
Band pull-aparts [during WU sets]
Inverted Rows: 4x15 [during main work sets]
DB Rows: 5x15-20 [during supplemental sets, alternating arms]

Assistance
1a.) Dips: 20, 20, 20, 15, 15, 10 [100 total]
1b.) DB Curls: 15, 15, 15, 10, 10, 8

Conditioning [PM Session]
Track: 1 mile warm up, 1 mile steady (5:52), 1 mile cooldown
Stretch & foam roll after

Notes
Great lunchtime lifting session followed by a conditioning workout in the evening before the usual 60 minute walk with the dog. Weather was too nice not to enjoy it.

131

Cycle 13, Week 2, Day 1 - Back Squat [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
jumping jacks, agile 8

Back Squat - [TM 250]
95x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x3
165x5
185x5
215x12 [Rep PR]
165x20 [FSL Widowmaker]

Superset w/ Squat
box jumps

Assistance
1a.) Split Squat: 4x15-20
1b.) Back Raise: 4x10
1c.) Ab Wheel: 4x20

Conditioning
Treadmill: 20 minutes at 12-15% incline & 3.5-4.0mph

Notes
First squat session in Olympic lifting shoes. I started spending too much time worrying if I was hitting depth, so I’ll nip it in the bud now and squat ass to grass from here on out. Excited about my squat again.

The prowler was being used so I jumped on the treadmill and cranked up the incline for 20 minutes.

132

Pretty funny you mention that because that was my exact mindset a while back when I switched to a high bar position. When I squatted low bar I could never get a feel for where proper depth was. Now I got the bar up high with my Oly shoes and just drop it all the way down. For me this is more of a natural movement and have already surpassed my low bar numbers (which weren’t very good to begin with). I notice now I don’t have to Front Squat as often just because I have noticed since my Olympic Squat has gone up, so has my Front Squat. Good luck and keep up the good work!

133

I’ll probably end up squatting high bad and going as deep as possible, but right now I lack trap/upper back mass to place the bar anywhere other than my rear delts. I started out front squatting because I couldn’t put the bar anywhere on my back without it grinding into bones, then I progressed to back squatting with a hoodie on, now I’m back squatting without a hoodie, so I’m almost there. :slight_smile:

Cycle 13, Week 2, Day 2 - Bench Press [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
Agile 8, band curls/extensions, med ball slams

Bench Press - [235 TM]
95x5, 115x5, 135x3
155x5
180x5
200x5x5 [top set 5x5, all reps paused on chest]

Superset w/ Bench
Band Pull A-Parts / Face Pulls: many
Chins: 5x10
DB Rows: 3x15

Assistance
Close Grip Bench Press: 3x12 w/ swiss bar
BB Curls: 3x15

Conditioning
Incline Treadmill: 1 mile in 15:30, 10-12% incline

134

Catching up on my log. Busy weekend, but I did train!
.

Cycle 13, Week 2, Day 3 - Deadlift [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
Agile 8, jumping jacks, hamstring death by lacrosse ball

Deadlift - [335 TM]
135x5, 160x5, 185x3
215x5
250x5
285x12 [Rep PR, capped, all dead stop]
225x5x5 [5x5, FSL]

Superset w/ Deadlift
Standing Long Jumps: many

Assistance
1a.) Paused Squats w/ SSB: 5x5
1b.) Reverse Hyper: 5x12, light w/ hold at top
2.) Decline Sit Up: 3x12

Conditioning [PM Session]
1 mile on track in 5:48.
.
.

Cycle 13, Week 2, Day 4 - Overhead Press [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
agile 8, med ball throws, lat smash with lacrosse ball

Overhead Press - [TM 135]
55x5, 65x5, 75x3
95x5
105x5
115x5
95x10x5 (10 sets of 5 w/ FSL. All reps paused at bottom)

Superset w/ Press
Band pull-aparts: many [during WU sets]
Inverted Rows: 4x15 [during main work sets]
T-Bar Rows: 5x10-15 [during supplemental sets]
DB Side Bends: 5x12-15 [during supplemental sets]

Assistance
Dips: 20, 20, 20, 15, 15, 10 [100 total]
DB Shrugs: 4 sets of a bunch

Conditioning
Incline Treadmill: 1 mile w/ 500+ feet elevation gain

Notes
BBS and overhead pressing go together really well. Form is easier to control, and pausing at the bottom feels more manageable with sets of 5 (a set of 10? I’m getting that fucker done as quickly as possible and am still in survival mode towards the latter part of the set). Plus, it’s easier to hit the back really hard in between sets because pressing isn’t excessively taxing.
.
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Cycle 13, Week 3, Day 1 - Back Squat [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
jumping jacks, agile 8

Back Squat - [TM 250]
95x5, 95x5, 135x5, 155x3
190x5
215x5
240x8 [Rep PR]
190x20 [FSL Widowmaker]

Superset w/ Squat
box jumps

Assistance
1a.) Split Squat: 3x15
1b.) Back Raise: 3x15

Conditioning
Incline treadmill walk: 1 mile, 16:30, 700 feet elevation gain

135

Cycle 13, Week 3, Day 2 - Bench Press [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
Agile 8, band curls/extensions, med ball throws

Bench Press - [235 TM]
95x5, 125x5, 145x3
175x5
200x5
225x5x5 [top set 5x5]

Superset w/ Bench
Band Pull A-Parts / Face Pulls: many
Chins: 5x10
DB Rows: 3x15

Assistance
Close Grip Bench Press: 3x12-15 w/ swiss bar
BB Curls: 3x15

Conditioning
Incline Treadmill Walking: 20 minutes, 1.65 miles, 880 feet of elevation gain, ~140 avg. HR.

.

Cycle 13, Week 3, Day 3 - Deadlift [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
agile 8, jumping jacks, hamstring work w/ band distractions

Deadlift - [335 TM]
135x5, 165x5, 200x3
250x5
285x5
320x10 [PR]
250x5x5 [5x5, FSL]

Superset w/ Deadlift
Tuck Jumps: many
Ab Wheel: 5x15 [during down sets]

Assistance
1a.) Paused Front Squats: 5x5
1b.) Reverse Hyper: 5x12

Conditioning
Prowler +140lbs: 6 trips [ss w/ Hanging Leg Raises: 3x15]

Notes
Regarding the squat stuff on deadlift day, I’m trying to choose movements that will help my deadlift, but I’m honestly just looking for reasons to use my new squat shoes. It’s the first purchase I’ve made towards lifting, so I’m like a kid with a new toy at this point.

136

Cycle 13, Week 3, Day 4 - Overhead Press [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
agile 8, limber 6, med ball throws

Overhead Press - [TM 135]
55x5, 65x5, 75x3
100x5
115x5
130x5
100x10x5 (10 sets of 5 w/ FSL. All reps paused at bottom)

Superset w/ Press
Band pull-aparts: 100 total
Inverted Rows: 4x12
Cable Rows: 5x15

Assistance
Dips: 20, 20, 20, 15, 15, 10 [100 total]
DB Hammer Curls: 5x10-15

Conditioning [PM Session]
.5 mile warm up w/ strides & running skills/drills
1 mile on track in 5:49
.5 mile cooldown followed by stretching

Notes
This concludes the first cycle of the Hardgainers template. Great stuff…so let’s run it one more time!

137

Cycle 14, Week 1, Day 1 - Back Squat [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
agile 8

Back Squat - [TM 260]
105x5, 105x5, 135x5, 165x3
185x5
210x5
235x10 [PR]
185x20 [FSL Widowmaker]

Superset w/ Squat
tuck jumps

Assistance
1a.) Leg Press: 5x15 [close stance]
1b.) Back Raise: 5x15
2a.) Hanging Leg Raise: 5x15
2b.) Adductor/Abductor: 3 sets of each

Conditioning
Incline treadmill walk: 1 mile in 16:45, 655 feet elevation gain [20:00 total, 10-15% incline]

.

Cycle 14, Week 1, Day 2 - Bench Press [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
Agile 8, band curls/extensions, med ball throws

Bench Press - [240 TM]
95x5, 120x5, 145x3
170x5
195x5
215x5x5 [top set 5x5, most reps paused on chest]

Superset w/ Bench
Band Pull A-Parts: 100 total
Chins: 5x10

Assistance
Close Grip Bench Press: 3x10-12 w/ swiss bar
BB Curls: 3x15

Conditioning
Incline Treadmill: 30 minutes, 2 miles, 1000 feet of elevation gain (8-10%), 145 avg. HR.

Notes
Ramping up the steady state conditioning. Legs are feeling great, so I’d like to get my aerobic system tuned up for some summer sprinting, etc.

138

Cycle 14, Week 1, Day 3 - Deadlift [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
agile 8, jumping jacks, hamstring work w/ band distractions

Deadlift - [345 TM]
135x5, 175x5, 205x3
245x5
275x5
310x10 [capped]
245x5x5 [5x5, FSL]

Superset w/ Deadlift
Tuck Jumps: many
Ab Wheel: 5x15 [during down sets]

Assistance
1a.) Paused Front Squats: 5x5
1b.) Back Extension: 5x15

Conditioning
Prowler +160lbs: 8 trips

Notes
Pushed the prowler outside. Much better environment than pushing it indoors down a hallway where everyone gets in my way and/or provides a sarcastic comment about how hard it looks.

139

Cycle 14, Week 1, Day 4 - Overhead Press [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
agile 8, limber 6, med ball throws

Overhead Press - [TM 140]
55x5, 70x5, 85x3
100x5
115x5
125x5
100x10x5 (10 sets of 5 w/ FSL. All reps paused at bottom)

Superset w/ Press
Band pull-aparts: 100 total
Band Face Pulls: 50 total

Assistance
Dips: 3x20
DB Hammer Curls: 3x12

Conditioning
1 mile run on track in 5:47. 6 miles total.

Notes
Quick lifting session followed by a nice run. It was beautiful out, so it was fun to get out and enjoy the weather.

140

Cycle 14, Week 2, Day 1 - Back Squat [Hardgainers]

Warm Up
agile 8, jumping jacks

Back Squat - [TM 260]
105x5, 105x5, 125x5, 145x3
170x5
195x5
220x12 [PR, capped]
170x20 [FSL Widowmaker]

Superset w/ Squat
box jumps

Assistance
1a.) Leg Press: 5x15-20 [close stance]
1b.) Back Raise: 5x15
2a.) Hanging Leg Raise: 5x15
2b.) Adductor/Abductor: 3 sets of each

Conditioning
Incline treadmill walk: 1 mile in 15:00, 450 feet elevation gain [25:00 total]

Notes
Legs felt great. The FSL Widowmaker especially rocked. I’m currently weighing 170, so I wanted to “own” that weight on the bar.