T Nation

Meal Ticket's 5/3/1

Training Logs
#1

So I figured I should start logging my workouts. What better place than here? A little background:

Former athlete, played college football, took too long off from lifting after I got done playing. I started lifting hard again around 2/1/2011. After finding this site around the same time, I was using the HP Mass type program and gained some weight (195-222). I currently want to focus on strength without putting 2+ hours in at the gym.

Just bought Wendler’s ebook and I’ll be starting 5/3/1 tomorrow using the Periodization Bible assistance template.

Current stats:
Age: 27
Height: 6’2"
Weight: 220-222
BF: I’d guess 16%

Lifts:
Military: 185x3 = 195
Deadlift: 375x3 = 397
Bench: 275x3 = 291
Squat: 315x3 = 333

Starting it up tomorrow…let’s get it.

#2

6/6/2011
Cycle 1
Week 1
Day 1

Weight: 218.5

OHP: 135x5 140x5 150x10
DB Incline: 5x10
Neutral grip chins: 10x5
Tricept ext (rope): 4x10

Ok, first day of 5/3/1 in the books. OHP - I was a little worried since on Saturday I decided to find my 3 rep max on bench so I could plug the right numbers in for this week, but it didn’t seem to affect me much…10 reps seems to be the norm for people on the 5 rep day. I hit the 10th and didn’t attempt 11, no need to.

DB incline - I think I worked up to 65 for my last set, nothing exciting here.

Chins - I knew I would suck at these since I hadn’t done them in a while, so I did 10x5 instead of 5x10…and I was right. Those last 3 sets were a bitch. Got all 50 of those mfers though lol.

Tricept ext - Nothing exciting here. Worked up a little too fast so the 4th set my 10th rep was all I had in me so I skipped the last set.

Overall, good first day. One thing I’ll be monitoring is if the 50 chins today affects my dead at all tomorrow. Let’s get it.

*EDIT - Weight was low today but I’m not surprised since my cals were low the last few days.

#3

6/7/2011
Cycle 1
Week 1
Day 2

Dead: 275x5 285x5 305x10
Lying Ham Curl: 5x10
Leg Press: 4x10
Ab rolls: 3x12

Cardio - Treadmil tabata

Well, the chins yesterday didn’t affect the deads today, so that was good. However, I first started deadlifting about 4 months ago and had never done a set above 3 reps until today. Those 10 today left me a little wobbly lol. I think I could have 1-2 more actually but I felt form was getting a little sloppy so I stopped it there.

Hip flexor started tightening up on the 4th set of leg press so I stopped it there.

After getting the hip flexor loose again, I hit the Treadmil tabata. Brutal. I like doing it though because it only takes 4 minutes haha. (insert jokes here).

Solid day. Off day tomorrow, then bench Thursday, let’s get it.

#4

Forgot to add: I did some foam rolling in my warmup today and I forgot how good that is, legs felt great afterwards. I need to start incorporating that everyday.

#5

6/9/2011
Cycle 1
Week 1
Day 3

Bench: 195x5 210x5 225x10
DB Military: 4x10
DB Row: 4x10

Felt shitty today. Cut the mil and row short, skipped tricepts and conditioning all together.

I’ve been shooting for 10 reps on the last set of each main lift, and so far have hit all of them.

#6

6/10/2011
Cycle 1
Week 1
Day 4

Squat: 225x5 240x5 255x11
Back ext: 5x10
Lunges: 3x12
Hang leg raise: 3x12

Felt shitty overall again today, although the squat felt pretty good.

Good first week, I’m liking 5/3/1 so far.

#7

6/13/2011
Cycle 1
Week 2
Day 1

Weight: 220

OHP: 140x3 150x3 160x8
HS Incline: 5x10
Chins: 7x8
Tri ext: 5x10

First day of the second week, OHP felt good.

I prefer the HS incline to DB incline, so I think I’ll stick with HS for a while.

Went with a different grip for the chins this week, I’ll probably keep changing it up.

#8

6/14/2011
Cycle 1
Week 2
Day 2

Deadlift: 285x3 305x3 320x8
Lying leg curl: 5x10
Step ups: 4x10
Hang leg raise: 3x15

Deadlifts felt good today, but my grip was shot after the 8th rep.

I decided to add more 1 leg movements, because my left leg is weaker, so I did some step ups.

#9

6/16/2011
Cycle 1
Week 2
Day 3

Bench: 210x3 225x3 235x10
HS Military: 5x10
DB Row: 5x10
Tri Ext: 5x10

Treadmil tabata

Summary: Great day. Bench - Hell yea, same reps as last week +10 lbs. 3 Wheels isn’t far off now. I ate like shit yesterday too haha.

#10

6/17/2011
Cycle 1
Week 2
Day 4

Squat: 240x3 255x3 270x9
Split squat: 5x10
Back ext: 5x10
Hang leg raise: 3x15
Squats felt pretty good, started leaning forward on the last one.

Tried out elevated split squats for the first time, I like em.

I was fried by the time I got to the leg raises so I just hit 3 sets.

#11

6/20/2011

Cycle 1
Week 3
Day 1

OHP: 135x5 150x3 170x5
HS incline: 5x10
NG chins: 4x7 1x6 1x5
Tri ext: 5x10

OHP felt a little heavy, last rep was a grind.

Pleased overall since I went out drinkin Saturday

#12

6/21/2011
Cycle 1
Week 3
Day 2

Deadlift: 270x5 305x3 340x4
Lying ham curl: 5x10
Step ups: 4x10
Hang leg raise: 5x15

Treadmil tabata

Deadlift was disappointing but when I tested my true 3 rep max I used straps, and I haven’t been using straps since starting 531. So - my grip strength sucks ass, I could barely get 1 rep today. After the first rep I swtiched to an alternated grip and it was better, got 3 more reps.

#13

6/22/2011

Got out and ran an easy mile today to get the blood flowing a little.

#14

6/23/2011
Cycle 1
Week 3
Day 3

Bench: 195x5 225x3 250x7
HS Military: 5x10
DB Row: 5x10
French press: 5x10

I wanted to get 8 reps on bench but I didn’t attempt it, 7 was grinding.

Decided to do some french presses instead of pushdowns today.

Pretty good day overall, felt good. Did a little walking on the treadmil afterwards.

#15

6/24/2011
Cycle 1
Week 3
Day 4

Squat: 225x5 255x3 285x8
Bulg Split Squat: 4x10
Back Ext: 3x10
Hang Leg raise: 3x15

Pleased with the 8 reps on squats today, they felt good. Everything after that was brutal though haha, cut most of it short because I was fried.

#16

6/27/2011

OHP: 135x5 140x5 150x7
HS Incline: 4x10
NG chins: 36

This was supposed to be the deload week, but I decided to repeat week 1 and take the de-load next week, when I’ll be on vacation.

Workout was complete shit today, but I’m not surprised. I was out drinking friday and saturday, and my diet was shit and probably not enough calories.