Old Guy Doing 5/3/1

Okay, time to necro my workout thread again… Had some serious family stuff going on in December, then fighting with the ex-wife about trying to get the divorce finalized, then a plant outage, so I ended up taking like 6 months off any serious lifting.

On the plus side, I’m finally divorced as of April 23rd, and married again as of June 8th (it’s not like it sounds… the divorce took over 2 years to finalize)! I finally started gradually working my way back into the gym the beginning of this month, did a very conservative max test last weekend, and now I’m starting over with a new 5/3/1 cycle.

Here are my training maxes for this cycle:

Press: 160#
Squat: 325#
Bench: 215#
Deadlift: 415#

And, today’s workout.

Warmup:
3x bar complex + pullups 1/1/1

Press:
10x45#
5x65#
5x85#
5x105#
5x120#
8x135#

superset with pullups: 2/3/4/5/6/7

Dumbell press:
10x40#
10x50#
10x60#

superset with Dumbell rows:
10x50#
10x60#
10x70#

Followed by very light running.

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Okay, missed a couple of days because of getting stuff done, and then managed to squeeze a few quick workouts in over the last few days. Busy with holiday and family stuff, but don’t want to totally slack on working out.

7/3/18 - Squat workout

Warmup:
3x bar complex + pullups 1/1/1

Squat:
10x45#
5x95#
5x135#
5x185#
5x225#
10x255#

7/4/18 - Bench workout

Warmup:
3x bar complex + pullups 1/2/3

Bench:
10x45#
5x65#
5x95#
5x115#
5x135#
10x165#

Superset with pullups: 4/5/6/7/8/9

7/5/18 - Deadlift workout

Warmup:
3x bar complex + pullups 1/1/1

Deadlift:
5x45#
5x95#
5x135#
5x185#
5x225#
5x275#
10x315#

Front squat:
3x45#
3x65#
3x95#
3x115#
3x135#
3x155#

So, no bad workouts there, but all quick, only had like a half hour at a time, so short rests and no accessory work. Hopefully I’ll have more free time next week and can get some longer workouts in.

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7/7/18

5/3/1 new cycle 1 day 5

Warmup - Barbell complex x3 with pullups 1/1/1

Press:
10x45#
3#65#
3x95#
3x115#
3x135#
3x145#
3x155#
3x165#

superset with pullups 1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8

DB press:
10x40#
10x50#
10x60#

superset with kroc rows:
10x50#
10x60#
10x70#

Conditioning:
gym track (1/14 mile) - 7 laps, 30 sec rest between laps

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5/3/1 cycle 1 day 6

Warmup - barbell complex x3 with pullups 1/2/3

Squat:
10x45#
5x95#
3x135#
3x185#
3x225#
3x275#
3x295#
3x315#
3x5x225#

Good mornings 3x10x135#
superset with decline situps w/8# med ball over head 10/10/10

315# felt heavy, but wasn’t hard going up. Strength is still there, just gotta train my body to use it again.

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5/3/1 cycle 1 day 7

Warmup: barbell complex x3 with pullups 1/1/1

Bench:
10x45#
5x65#
3x95#
3x115#
3x135#
3x155#
3x175#
3x185#
3x195#

superset with pullups 2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10

25# weighted dips 10/10/10
superset with 25# weighted pullups3/3/3

conditioning: run at 1/14 mile gym indoor track:

1 lap warmup
3x2.5 lap runs, nice and easy, ~1 minute rest between, didn’t time anything.

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Hey Steve just found your log.
I’m in.
Will catch up next week, about to go for a week of music and beer.
Scrolled a couple of sessions back, I do have some catching up to do. Strong lifts Mate.

7/13/18

5/3/1 cycle 1 day 8

Warmup: barbell complex x3 with pullups 1/2/3

Deadlift:
2 power cleans + 3x45#
2 power cleans +3x95#
2 power cleans + 3x135#
3x185#
3x225#
3x275
3x305#
3x335#
3x355#
3x375#

Front squat:
3x45#
3x65#
3x95#
3x115#
3x135#
3x155#
3x185#

Good workout. Similar to the squats, 375# felt really heavy, but moved with no problem, kept good form throughout. I’m really happy with the front squats, they felt better than they did before my layoff.

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Had some stress that needed releasing, and nowhere near the gym, so ran. According to my app, I ran 1.16 miles a a 9:07 pace. Definitely feeling it now, I don’t remember the last time I ran that far in one shot instead of intervals. Good to know my body is still capable of it.

7/16/18

5/3/1 cycle 1 day 9

Warmup: Barbell complex x3 with pullups 1/1/1

Press:
5x45#
5x65#
5x95#
5x115#
3x135#
8x150#

Superset with chin-ups 2/3/4/5/6/15

DB press, per arm: 10x40#, 10x50#, 10x60#

superset with DB rows per arm: 10x50#, 10x60#, 10x70#

This was another good workout. This is my 5/3/1 week, so I was looking to get 5 reps on the last set in keeping with my 10/8/5 policy for the top set on 5’s, 3’s and 1’s week respectively, but 150# felt pretty light so I kept going. I then decided to see if I could crank out 15 uninterrupted chin-ups, and it turns out I still can. I may have had a couple more in me, but I’m definitely well short of the 25 I knocked out last year. Still, I’m pretty happy with where I am for my first cycle back. Estimating on the low side for my training maxxes was my goal so that I could get some good volume in before I get into heavy weights, and it looks like I was pretty much on the money with that goal.

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7/17/18 5/3/1 cycle 1 day 10

Warmup: barbell complex x3 with pullups 1/2/3

Squat:
10x45#
5x95#
5x135#
5x185#
5x225#
3x255#
10x285#
FSL:
3x5x225#

Good mornings 3x10x135#
superset with decline situps w/15# kettlebell over head 10/10/10

Felt strong again today, 5 was my target # for reps at 285#, but 10 wasn’t that hard. This is where I have to force myself to stick with the progression and just raise my training max by 10# next week, instead of overreaching and eventually hurting myself or forcing a stall too early. A few months of high rep sets on the top set will do me good, and there’s always joker sets on the 3’s week to play with some heavier weights.

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7/18/18 5/3/1 cycle 1 day 11

Warmup: barbell complex x3 with pullups 1/1/1

Bench:
10x45#
5x65#
5x85#
5x105#
5x125#
5x145#
3x165#
10x185#

superset with pullups: 2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9
Bbodyweight dips: 10/15/20
superset with 25# weighted pullups: 3/4/5

Another good workout, even though I’m squishing all the workouts this week together without any rest days in between. I’ll be taking a long weekend trip to Texas and won’t have access to a gym, so wanted to finish out the first 5/3/1 cycle before I leave tomorrow, and then I’ll have 5 days to recover before I start the next cycle.

I had a spotter in the gym, so decided to go for 10 reps in the bench. Last two reps were a grinder, but the spotter never had to touch the bar. I didn’t figure he would, I just wanted someone there for safety, with my totally reasonable paranoia of benching without a spotter. Once again, my training max is definitely set low, and I’ll keep it that way and work my way up and save pushing heavy weights for joker days.

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Edit, somehow I had my training maxxes for this cycle all jacked up.

7/19/18 5/3/1 cycle 1 day 12

Warmup: barbell complex x3 with pullups 1/2/3

Deadlifts:

2 power cleans + 5x45#
2 power cleans + 5x95#
2 power cleans + 5x135#
1 power clean + 5x185#
5x225#
5x275#
3x315#
8x345#

Front squat:

3x45#
3x65#
3x95#
3x115#
3x135#
3x155#
3x185#

Conditioning: Indoor gym track, 14 laps of ‘run the straights, walk the curves’. Going to Texas until Tuesday, so no more gym for the next 5 days, although I will probably do some running and bodyweight stuff. First cycle back is done. Training maxxes for the next cycle are:

Edited:
Press: 165#
Squat: 335#xxxx 305#
Bench: 220#xxxx 200#
Deadlift: 425#xxxx 385#

I somehow messed up entering my numbers into my spreadsheet the first cycle, which explains why I was able to get so many reps on the 1’s week top sets. Still, I’m going to stick with the numbers in my spreadsheet rather than doing a big jump forward. Some high volume at lower weights will do me some good, and in a couple months I’ll be where I would have been weight-wise with a better base to keep building on.

Based on the results of my 1’s week, with 8 reps on Press and Deadlift, 10 reps on Squat and Bench, I’ve got quite a few cycles to go before I need to reset. Which is as it should be.

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That’s some great lifting Steve
Yeah some cycles to go well done :slight_smile:

Thanks, Mort. I was really happy with it for my first full cycle back. The hardest thing I did that last week, actually, was the power clean at 185#. Up to 135# I can sort of just throw the bar up, and don’t have to do much getting under it. at 185#, though, I actually have to get a decent dip down to the bar, and I’m way out of practice with good technique power cleaning. Definitely something to work on. Thanks for checking in!

So, my trip down to Texas went well, but like I was afraid of, I ended up doing zero working out, unless you count moving furniture and loading/unloading a U-haul in 100+ degree weather. I’m back at it with cycle 2, though.

7/27/18 5/3/1 cycle 2 day 1

Warmup: barbell complex x3 with pullups 1/2/3

Press:
10x45#
5x65#
5x85#
5x105#
5x125#
10x140#

superset with pullups 4/5/6/7/8/9

DB press per arm: 10x45#, 10x55#, 10x65#
superset with DB rows per arm: 10x55#, 10x65#, 10x75#

conditioning: gym indoor track.
Warmup - 1 lap; 5x2 laps, about a minute rest between rounds, untimed, but fast enough that I was out of breath at the end of each round.

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7/28/18 5/3/1 cycle 2 day 2

Warmup: barbell complex x3 with pullups 1/2/3

Squat:
10x45#
5x95#
5x135#
5x175#
5x205#
5x235#
10x265#
FSL-ish: 3x5x225#

Good mornings w/135# 10/10/10
superset with toes to bar 5/5/5

Worked out on my home gym today, which isn’t home right now, but out at the other house I have that’s currently unoccupied. I had to go over there and mow today, so hit the gym while I was there. 10x265# wasn’t bad, I could have kept going, but I know from experience that I would have paid for it over the next 2 days, and I have a lot to get done before the weekend is over.

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nice

I pay for every 10 reps I do on squat.
Great work

7/30/18 5/3/1 cycle 2 day 3

Warmup: 3x barbell complex + pullups 1/1/1

Bench: (all benches paused today)
10x45#
5x65#
5x95#
5x115#
5x135#
5x155#
10x175#

Superset with pullups 1/2/3/4/5/6/7

Dips: bodyweight x10, +25# 10/10
superset with pullups +25# 3/4/5

Another good workout. The weakest thing for me right now is weighted pullups and dips, I’m guessing because I got a little bit fat during my 6 month layoff. I went into the strongman comp in November sitting right at 200#, and right now I’m at 205# with less muscle mass. On the plus side, I dropped 3# during my first 5/3/1 cycle, even with keeping my eating up enough to be sure I fuel my workouts, so hopefully this trend will continue.

I’ve never really counted calories or macros, just eat when I’m hungry and try to keep it relatively clean. My upper abs and obliques are usually visible, but I haven’t seen my lower abs since I stopped being a committed crossfitter almost 10 years ago. My biggest dietary problem is that when I take a break from the gym, I fail to take the equivalent break from the kitchen. It gets me every time. I guess the best solution to that is to stop taking extended breaks from the gym…

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7/31/18 5/3/1 cycle 2 day 4

Warmup: 3x barbell complex + pullups 1/2/3

Deadlift:
2 power cleans + 5x45#
2 power cleans + 5x95#
2 power cleans + 5x135#
2 power cleans + 5x185#
5x245#
5x285#
10x325#

Front squats:
3x45#
3x65#
3x95#
3x115#
3x135#
3x155#

Trap bar farmer’s walks with fat gripz:
2x45 meters x145#
2x20 meters x235#

Okay, a couple of notes:

  • I managed to get 2x185# on the power cleans today, but the second one was ugly. I need to devote some effort to improving my power clean form.
  • Deadlifts felt great. 10x325 went easy, happy with this.
  • stopped early on front squats because my right patellar tendon was complaining a little bit, so I didn’t want to take any chances.
  • My first time doing loaded carries since I came back, so I decided to keep it light and use the fat gripz to add some difficulty. Holy cow, my forearms were screaming with 235#. Seriously, the rest of my body didn’t even notice the weight because I was focusing all my will on not letting go until I made the distance. Not something to do every time, because I won’t be able to get enough load to tax the rest of my body, but it’s great for forearm burn, and it was good to ease into the heavy weights instead of going big right away.
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8/1/18 5/3/1 cycle 2 day 5

Warmup: 3x barbell complex + pullups 1/1/1

Press:
10x45#
3x65#
3x95#
3x115#
3x135#
3x150#
Jokers:
3x160#
3x170#

Superset with chinups 2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9

DB press per arm: 10x45#, 10x55#, 10x65#
superset with DB rows per arm: 10x55#, 10x65#, 10x75#

Conditioning, indoor gym track: 1 lap warmup; 4x2.5 lap run

I was worried about today’s workout because I donated blood yesterday afternoon, and I wasn’t sure how being a pint low would affect me, but the weights felt okay. 170# on the press felt heavy, but went up with no problem. The DB presses felt easier than last week, probably because of less volume before them.

The only place I had any problem was the conditioning. I went in planning to do 1/4 mile intervals, which would be 3.5 laps, but on the first interval my calves started wanting to cramp after 2 laps, so I just killed it at 2.5 laps, and left the rest of the intervals the same. The last 3 I didn’t feel like I was going to cramp up, so I don’t know? Maybe I should have warmed up some more for the runs, but my first interval was at warmup speed anyway, so I don’t think so. Maybe my electrolyte balance was off because my body is working overtime to build new blood cells? I’ll have to do a little research and see what the effects are on exercising 24 hours after donating blood. It would probably have been prudent to do that research before doing the workout, but all in all, it felt like a decent session.

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