01/30/2021
W1D3 PFLP
Bench
135 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5
245 x 5
275 x 5
315 x 1
315 x 5 x 5 ← Yellow SlingShot (2XL) here.
Between Sets
Facepulls x 25
Facepulls x 25
Pistol Squats x 15
Pistol Squats x 15 ← this was probably the highest RPE all workout
Chins x 12
Chins x 12
Chins x 12
DB Rows x 20 (60lbs)
DB Rows x 20 (60lbs)
KB Swings x 25 (35lbs)
KB Swings x 25 (35lbs)
KB Swings x 25 (35lbs)
4:25am start time: 45minutes start to finish
01/31/2021
5/3/1 PFLP
W1D4
Deadlift
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 5
365 x 3
405 x 5
455 x 5
505 x 5
405 x 3 x 3 ← Conventional, double overhand grip
Between sets:
Ab Wheel x 10 (still have DOMS from these earlier in the week)
Ab Wheel x 10
Ab Wheel x 10
Dips x 20
Chins x 10
Dips x 20
Chins x 10
Dips x 20
Chins x 10
Dips x 20
Chins x 10
Dips x 20
Chins x 10
Finisher
35lb KB Suspended from Band BB Wrist Curls (photo to follow), 5 x forward curl & 5 x reverse curl
100 red mini band facepulls
Good forearm pump from the wrist curls, I’d like to sprinkle these into the mix. It has been awhile since I’ve done any direct forearm work.
Posting these here to keep me accountable. I’m down ~4lbs. Still a long ways to go!
Feb 2 Progress Photos, 1-month into cut, down 4lbs:
I just purchased grass fed butter, 10lbs of grass fed ground beef and 10lbs of grass fed top strip loin steaks. I’m taking a page out of @T3hPwnisher ’a book, who took a page out of Jon Andersen’s ebook. Guac, nuts, flax seed oil, sour cream and almond butter have also been stocked. Carbs will be trace, or from a single banana per day. I don’t mind going this low carb, and enjoy eating healthy fats.
Also, @flappinit posted some tips on pan frying steaks that I used and they turned out great (cast iron pan).
Hell yeah man. Deep Mountain eating, haha. Curious to see how it goes for you.
02/03/2021
5/3/1 PFLP
W2D1
OHP
45 x 5
135 x 5
155 x 5
175 x 5
135 x 5 x 5
Between Sets:
Facepulls: 20, 20
Pistol Squats: 15, 15 ← these aren’t getting any easier
Chins: 10, 10, 10
DB Rows: 60lbs x 20, 20
Workout completed in 31 minutes. Heavy breathing throughout, expecting conditioning to come back a bit in the next few weeks as long as I don’t get lazy with rest periods.
Finisher:
Hanging KB Wrist Curls: 5 forward, 5 reverse wrist curls
Lying Triceps Ext: 30lbs x 15, 15, 15
Rope Triceps Ext: 50lbs x 15, 15, 15
Kind of a “meh” workout. Just putting in the work. Decent pump from the finisher sets though.
This is my last week of nights (then a month on days), so I’m looking forward to a bit more of a normal schedule again. Although, if we get the storm that is currently forecasted, I’ll likely be working one or two 12hr shifts this weekend, on nights.
How much time are you leaving between each set for your dead lifts?
I thought I did a decent amount of sets for dead lifts but maybe I should be doing a decent amount more.
For some reason I always feel like I’m just not approaching dead lifts the most efficient method to increase my PR.
I don’t time my rest periods, but with these last couple of programs I’ve been running (both of which are variants of 5/3/1) I have been trying to keep my overall workout times down. Supersetting my main lifts with the supplemental work, with no “programmed” rest. My muscles seem to recover quicker than my lungs, so basically once I’m able to catch my breath, I’m back at the bar for the next set.
Ex.
Deadlift x 5
Chin-ups x 10
Change deadlift bar weight
Catch quick breath
Deadlift x 5
Repeat
5/3/1 has built my deadlift. If you’re looking for some simple (not easy) guidelines to follow, I wouldn’t look much further.
I was reading in another thread about how following cookie cutter programs was for noobs, and people need to build their own programs to be successful, blah, blah, yadda, yadda. I’m big on simplicity for training, and much prefer to have the thinking done for me by people/coaches who are bigger/stronger than me and that I can get on board with their methodologies.
Fingers crossed, but I’m doing way less these days and looking the same. Hopefully it continues and I’m not going to regress throughout the year. Time will tell.
I think there is a time to emphasize bodybuilding programs. I almost think a person should do something simple for first year or so. After a decent base is built, go full bodybuilder. After hypertrophy seems to plateau, go back to the basics for strength and maintenance.
Hell yeah: periodization. It works.
I’m talking about lifetime periodization. It took me 18 years to figure out what I should have done.
Same. Life is just one big macrocycle.
Until now, I’ve failed to view it this way. I fell victim to traditional science - 3 months of this, 3 months of that, 3 months of something else.
I even know of four year plans for Olympians, but I’ve never viewed it in terms of decades. Silly me.
Picked up a nice grass fed sirloin tip roast a couple days ago and found time to cook it up today, it turned out great!
Looks and sounds delicious.
I have a store bought, pre-marinated rack of pork ribs ready for tomorrow. With any luck, I won’t screw it up.
I managed to get a 4hr nap yesterday after my last night shift for a month, and then slept 6hrs last night! I woke up at 5:15am for a workout before the family is up. I actually had enough energy to push a top set a bit instead of just capping it with 5’s.
It felt good to push it a bit, still a few reps from failure though.
02/07/2021
5/3/1 PFLP
W2D1
Squat
135 x 5
225 x 5
315 x 5
365 x 5
405 x 10
315 x 5 x 5
Between sets:
Ab wheel: 15, 15, 15 (I’m still getting used to these, they torch my abs)
Dips: 20, 20, 20, 20
Chins: 10, 10, 10
Good workout. I was running through the workout quite quickly, until my top set of 10. That knocked me down a notch, and the workout slowed considerably. Still all done in around 50mins, but was on pace for sub 40mins when I decided to push that top set. Glad I did, it felt good to push it. Here we are two days later and my legs are still feeling it.
Bench tonight.
02/09/2021
5/3/1 PFLP W2D3
Bench
135 x 10
185 x 10
225 x 10
260 x 5 (top set as per 5/3/1)
315 x 1 x 3
225 x 10
Bench press is in an experimental phase right now. My current plan involves benching twice per week (sorry OHP, but you’re taking a back seat for now), and hitting a 315lb+ single each bench day. I’ll be mixing some volume days (similar to the one above) with intensity days (doubles, triples, etc) and some other misc work thrown in (SlingShot, incline, DB bench, etc).
Squat and DL will just follow 5/3/1 for now.
Between sets:
Facepulls: 25, 25, 50
Goblet squats: 100lbs x 20, 20
Back extensions: 12, 12, 12
Nice quick workout. 315lb singles were pretty snappy. My bench is frustrating, but I’m optimistic about my new approach. I know that chasing a bench PR during a cut is probably not “optimal”, but stranger things have happened in this log so let’s get after it.
380lbs will fall this year!!! (375lb touch and go lifetime PR was set in January 2017…)
I think you have a good plan. When I finally got a 405+ bench I was doing a heavy single followed by 531 for volume twice a week.
