It’s been over 3 weeks since I’ve worked out. This sickness on me and my family has been brutal. I’m down to 201lbs since this started. Which means since I got sick I’ve lost close to 15 pounds.
I’m going to try to make lemonade out of this. My appetite has been much lower, and when I do eat, I don’t need very much food to be full. Now I’ll really hit the portion control side of things hard. I’m sure I’ll need to eat once I start lifting again, but I’d like to use this as a springboard to a better, smarter, healthier body.
School commitments are keeping me out of the weight room this week, but next week will be my glorious return to the barbell!
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Sorry to hear about your forced month layoff from working out. It is easy to get derailed when real life keeps smacking you around like that. One thing I’ll caution you on: Take a week or two to do some relatively light work to get your body used to moving weight again, and consider reassessing your training maxxes before you jump right into 5/3/1 again. I know my ego wants me to jump right back to the same weights I was using before a layoff, but that’s a recipe for either burying yourself in exhaustion, or hurting yourself.
Finally back in! The plan was to find a comfortable 1 RM and keep my ego in check. As soon as I stepped in I saw others in there and I could feel the competitiveness welling up as I watched this other dude deadlift. But, I managed to control myself and focus on my goals.
I’ve seen the term “giant sets” mentioned on the forums. What does that term mean? Is that a superset of compound lifts?
Anyway, here’s my work for the day:
DL
135 x5
185 x5
225 x5
275 x5
290 x5
315 x3
All lifts were smooth and under control both up and down. No chalk, stop and go reps. On the last rep of 315 I felt my grip start to go, so I called it there.
OHP
Bar x8
65 x8
85 x8
95 x8
105 x8
All reps smooth and controlled. I focused on flexing hard from my toes to my thighs and getting the solid core belly breath. The last reps at 105 were slower, so I finished the 8 and called it there.
It feels great to get back to it and I look forward to continuing the plan. Tomorrow will be jumps and assistance. It will be great to get bodyweight work in.
Thanks for the words and support. It was much needed.
Giant sets are a lot like supersets from what I have seen. I think I may actually be using the term wrong in my log, because I think they’re supposed to be complimentary movements rather than working entirely different body parts, but I like the term and it seems to ‘fit’ my template of doing multiple ‘main’ exercises back-to-back with no rest between exercises. I think of supersets more for things like opposite muscle group work, like curls/triceps extensions, but that could just be me projecting what I’ve heard onto the term. I first started seeing the term being used when folks were getting heavy into Brian Alsruhe’s Dark Horse program, so maybe someone like @mortdk can give you a better set of definitions since he did that program all the way through.
Well Giant sets ala Brian Alsruhe is the one I use.
He likes the big 4 lifts and have a day around each lift.
His giant sets consists of 3 - 4 lifts done right after each other and the rest.
He likes antagonist muscles
So upperbody days looks like this
BB row-Bench-oblique work 90 seconds rest
pull up-OHP-oblique work
And his favorite joke is what is the opposite of a deadlift - lifelift 
lowerbody he primes the main lift so something like:
KB swing-deadlift-plank
box jump-squat-hanging leg raise.
the assistance lift follows the same rules.
If he puts in a 4’th lift it’s either condition battle rope, ropeskipping or it’s a strongman movement.
Hope this makes sense,
Questions feel free to ask.
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That does make sense. So I guess what I’m doing is supersetting the lifts. For example OHP and DL, I move from one to the other after each set. For me it’s for saving time. Thanks for the info.
6 March
Bodyweight an Jumps
Box Jumps x5
Push Ups x5
Pull Ups x5
Bulgarian Split Squats x10/leg
I got through two cycles of this before I had to call it for time. I have to say though, I appreciate the advice about easing back into it. I’m gassed after my warmup. This is a great opportunity to check my ego.
7 March
Squat & Bench (Superset, not giant set) - Today’s plan is to find my current 5 RM
Squat
bar x12
95 x5
135 x5
185 x5
225 x5 - This is it. Humbling
Bench
bar x12
95 x5
115 x5
135 x5
155 x5
175 x5 - Here it is. This is frustrating because I had been progressing well on the bench. But I just need to remember that strength is a journey. It will be okay.
Later I ran the mile, an easy one, finished about 8:40.
Good week overall. I’m glad to be back at it.
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This is the way @OTHSteve does it. I think he does it to save time and to get the lifts done more frequently.
This is a good approach too.
I’m doing opposite motions like row before bench.
If testing I would only do one lift and focus on that lift.
Good job btw it’s just numbers 5x225 is good
I’ve been away for awhile. I had a large project due and have spent every spare moment and many nights, almost two months, in front of the computer. I’m beat from it but forced myself back to the bar. So here it is.
DL & OHP (superset)
DL OHP
135 x5 Bar x8
185 x5 65 x8
225 x5 85 x8
275 x5 95 x8
290 x5 105 x8
315 x5
I used straps on the DL starting at 225. I recently got them but haven’t used them much. I thought today would be a good day for it as a way to help ease back into the lifts. They are amazing! The bar moved so well. I can see why people like them. I can also see why there’s so many articles reminding people to not use them all the time also.
19 March
Body weight/jumps
Depth jumps x5
Bulgarian as x10/leg
Dips w/ 25# x5
Back extensions x20
I got through 3 cycles before I ran out of time. Felt good.
20 March
1 mile run. 10:19
21 March
Squat/bench (superset)
Bar x12. Bar x12
95 x 5. 95 x5
115x5
135 x5. 135 x5
185 x5. 155 x5
225 x5. 175 x5
These last two weeks were all about getting back into it. I’m not sick anymore, but I’m a long way from recovered. I had to force myself back to the iron, and I always felt good doing it. Time to make it a habit again.
March 24 - bodyweight 200lbs
April 3
Mobility/Conditioning
Snatch Complex
Positions - (Power, Above Knees, Below Knees, Floor) (x5)
Jump - (Same position progression)(x3)
Power Snatch (Same)(x2)
Power Snatch w/ squat (same) (x2)
Snatch (Power, above knees, below knees) (x2)
Snatch Push Press 2x1(x3)
bar, 65, 75,75,95
All work except the push press done with the bar.
This is a complex I found on this website when looking for olympic lift technique. I don’t remember the article now, but I found this to progression to be helpful and get the heart rate up. Today I didn’t want to do stairs, or bike, or sled, or anything else, so this was a nice way to get back to it.
9 April - DL/OHP
DL - 135 x8
185 x5
205 x5
235 x5
270 x5
205 (widowmaker) x10
205 (widowmaker, sumo) x10
OHP
bar x12
65 x8
95 x8
105 (3x8)
Kroc Rows (w/ straps)
R - 70# x 31
L - 70# x26
Feeling great! Great to get back. I appreciate the tips to ease back into after a long time off @OTHSteve and @losthog. This is the first week back to Limited Time/Widowmaker.
Lessons from the past - take it easy on deadlifts. I love to do them, and today I was feeling so good I wanted to do more, but I had to keep it simple. I did like doing sumo deadlift for the widowmaker set. I think I will keep doing that to change things up a little.
I’ve had such a hard time with the OHP and I need to try something different. So reading forum posts over the weekend had a simple plan for progress, I believe @isdatnutty suggested to a teenager three sets of a certain rep range, and when that is completed 2 weeks in a row, up the weight. So I’m going to do that for a few months to get that OHP moving in the right direction.
Also, I’m putting together a little lifting competition at the school at which I work. There are several teachers who like to lift after school, and they get a bit competitive. My plan is to have the event after school, May 28 and 30. May 28 is Squat and Bench. May 30 is DL and OHP. I would then run the Wilks Score (since there are varying bodyweights and genders participating). I think it will be a fun way to wrap up the school year.
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That mock competition sounds like great fun!
Sounds fun. Wish I worked where you do…
Great idea with a mock meet for you and your colleagues.
10 April - Jumps/BW Assistance
Standing Long Jump - x4
Dips x10
HLR . x10 .
Pull Ups x5
After only 1 cycle here I realized I was very weak, especially on pull ups. The progress I had made last year almost disappeared, so I changed my target #'s for the day.
SLJ x4
Dips x10
HLR x7
Pull Ups x3 (4 second negatives)
Completed 4 rounds of this circuit and was gassed. Those negatives on the pull ups let me get some work in without bicycle kicking my way up. I’ll get better.
10 April - Mobility/Conditioning
Sled push
sled 40yds x4
+35# x4
+70# x2
+105# x2
Then a whole bunch of 1st graders came out onto the field and I ended up pushing a bunch of them on the sled. So…
+2 first graders 20yds x8
It was fun and exhausting. What started as a 20-30 minute conditioning thing turned into quite a workout. A bunch of 1st graders chanting “Ready, Set, Go!” before I’ve caught my breath is tough to ignore. And they wanted to go faster so I was trying to sprint. Lots of fun. Great workout. Plus maybe some of them will remember it and want to do it when they’re older.
11 April - Squat/Bench
Squat
bar x12
95 x5
115 x5
140 x3
160 x5
185 x5
210 x5+ (got 8)
Widowmaker - 160 x20
Bench
bar x12
65 x5
85 x5
105 x3
120 x5
140 x5
155 x5+ (got 8)
Widowmaker - 120 x20
Kroc Row
70# x25 (L/R)
12 April
Mobility/conditioning
Played about 40 minutes of volleyball
It feels so good to move and compete
15 April - DL/OHP
DL
135 x5
185 x5
220 x3
250 x3
285 x3+ (got 6)
Widowmaker - 220 x10 (sumo)
OHP
bar x12
65 x8
95 x8
105 x8
105 x8
105 x7 (couldn’t get the last rep, guess I’m doing this weight again)
Kroc Rows
70# x31 (L/R)
Next time bumping up the weight.
16 April
Throws/Bodyweight - circuit x5
Med ball toss x5
dips x10
rotating landmine press 45# x5
4 sec Negative Pull ups x5