Starting out a training log.
M29, 90kg, 1.74.
Been lifting since early august. Started on a modified SL5x5, then moved on to a few weeks of PPLUL split to get used to some higher volume. Late December I started 531.
C1W2D1
Bench
60x3
70x3
77.5x9
OHP
45 5x5
Row
55 3x5
Pull downs
3x10
Prowler
5x4 lengths 30kg
C1W2D2
Squat
70x3
80x3
90x8
95x3 joker
100x3 joker
DL
102.5 5x5
Front squat
52.5 3x10
Glute bridge
65 3x10
Prowler
5x4 lengths 30kg
C1W1D1
Bench:
52.5x5
62.5x5
72.5x7
OHP
45 5x5
Rows:
3x5 50
Pull down: 3x10
C1W1D2:
Squat
65x5
75x5
85x8
DL
102.5 5x5
FRont squat
50 3x10
Glute bridge
60 3x10
C1W1D3
OHP
40x5
42.5x5
45x7
Bench
72.5 5x5
Rows
55 3x5
Pull down
3x10
Prowler
4x4 lengths 0kg
C1W1D4
DL
80x5
90x5
102.5x4
Squat
85 5x5
SLDL
55 3x10
GB
62.5 3x10
Prowler
3x4lengths 30kg
531 cycle 1
I’m starting off with the following TMs:
DL 120
Squat 100
Bench 85
OHP 55
My goal within June is to 1RM the following (subject to change, depending on my progress):
DL 150
Squat 130
Bench 100
OHP 65
My first 531 cycle is four days per week, doing UL split with 5x5 at 85% of TM on opposing days. Assistance work on Upper day are pendlay rows and last pulldowns, and for Lower day Front squat/SLDL and Glute Bridge.
C1W2D3
Warm up: Agile 8
OHP
40x3
45x3
50x8 # up from 45x7 last week, felt good
52.5x3 Joker
55x3 Joker
Bench
72.5 5x5
Rows
55 3x6
Pull downs
3x10
Conditioning
8x hillsprints 20/10sec 12km/h & 7%
Conditioning
6km run
Hurt my wrist on the last session so did some conditioning today.
just be carefull with the hillsprints … . . i found they effected my lower body recovery . . . and i ended up with a little hamgstring/glute niggle . . .
not saying dont do them, just saying keep and eye on recovery when incorporating them on your lower body ‘off’ day
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C1W2D4
Agile 8
DL
90x3
100x3
107.5x3
112.5x2 joker
117.5x1 joker
Squat
85 5x5
SLDL
57.5 3x10
Hill sprints
8x20/10aec @12km/h & 7%
Comment:
The last week (three sessions) I’ve been in Ukraine to celebrate new year. The gym here is a bit smaller than I’m used too. They don’t have 20kg plates, and the bars are very slippery. Could easily have done more reps on my top set in DL with a normal bar/plates, but today I instead did a couple of joker set.
Heading back to Norway and my normal gyms tomorrow, then there will be no excuses!
Thanks for the tip @tj55. I will be careful doing too many hill sprints. Will try to alter them with the prowler.
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Back Home again, after two weeks of traveling. My left wrist still hurts after the press the other day, so I decided to defer the bench session. Instead I did conditioning today. I’m also thinking that I will do the squat session (day 2) before the bench session (day 1) tomorrow.
Conditioning
Agile 8 + some extra mobility work
The lower part of my calves are crying when foam rolled after the 6K run. Feeling better after the warm up though
Prowler
6x4lengths 30kg
I hate this thing…
C1W3D1
Agile 8
Row machine 500m
Bench
65x5
72.5x3
80x8
85x3 joker set
Vert happy with getting 8 reps on my + set, which was my goal. Wrist is better today. Focused hard on using the ripptoe grip. Did 3 reps on my TM as well. Well in line for 1RM at 100 by the summer. Might have to adjust up my goal at some point.
OHP
45 5x5 felt very good today. Didn’t get the burn out on the last set as I often do. 47.5 next week/cycle
P rows
55 3x7 will up to 8 reps next time
Lay pull down
3 sets
Prowler
4x4 lengths 30kg
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C1W3D2
Agile 8
Squat
75x5
85x3
95x13!!!
100x3 joker
Did 13 reps on my 1+ set today, which felt very good. I was targeting 8. Also did 3 reps on my TM as a joker. I feel like I chose TMs correctly for my squat and bench, meaning they were quite low which should allow me to continue to increase loads for a few cycles.
DL
102.5 5x5
The first two sets felt heavy after the squat, but it became easier on the rest of the sets.
Front squat
50-60kg 3x8-10
Felt pretty toast after squat and DL, so I didn’t push it too much on the front squat. Skipped Glute bridge due to short time (worked out during working hours).
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C1W3D3
OHP
40x5
45x3
52.5x7
55x3 joker
Not that happy with the OHP today. Wanted 8 reps. I probably would be able to press another rep, but I didn’t want to push to close to failure, so I left it in the tank. Today compares to 50x8 last week.
Bench
72.5 5x5
Skipped the latwork due to nagging biceps.
Next session will be on Monday (today is Thursday), as I will spend the weekend skiiing.
Been out with the flu for two weeks. Wasn’t great. Since I was out for that long, I decided to not adjust my TM for the next cycle.
Actually, I’ve adjusted down the DL TM with 2.5kg, and on the PR sets I will maximum so two reps more than the required. This is driven by my underarm/biceps being a bit pissed off. I think this comes from me likely bending my arm during DL reps while pulling above the knee. Going forward I will focus on extending the tricep during DL, and be careful on upper body volume.
C2W1D1
Agile 8
Bench
40x10
45x3
52.5x5
62.5x5
72.5x12
77.5x5
Very happy with 12 reps. Puts my estimated 1RM to 102.5 which is good in terms of my 100x1 goal for the summer and 115x1 by YE.
OHP
45x5
45x5
45x5
45x5
45x3
45x2
C2W1D2
Agile 8
Squat
40x10
50x5
60x3
65x5
75x5
85x16 wow, this set gave me a beating! Puts my 1RM in line with my summer goal of 130x1. Very happy with it.
DL
100x5
100x5
100x5
100x5
100x5
C2W1D3
OHP
20x10
30x5
35x5
40x5
45x8
50x3
This get heavier than it was supposed to. Considering reducing the TM to get more upside for progression.
Bench:
50x8
72.5x5
72.5x5
72.5x5
72.5x5
72.5x5
Bench is good.
Still doing “jack shit” after the flu. Will add more assistance and conditioning once I feel up to it again.
I’ll spend half of next week in London. Expecting the hotel to only have some dumbbells in the gym, so will have to get a bit creative.
C2W1D4
Agile 8
Deadlift
60x5
70x3
80x5
90x5
100x7
110x1 joker
120x1
Still not doing more than two additional reps on the PR sets. Using double overhand seems to be good for my underarm/biceps. Will continue. 120 was fine, should have a single at 130-140 on a good day.
Squat
85x5
85x5
85x5
85x5
85x5
Good stuff.
SLDL
60x10
60x10
60x10
Glute bridge
60x10
60x10
60x10
Good session, and nice to be back in the gym after travels. In London I only got to do some BS dumbbell work and some stationary biking.
C2W2D1
Agile 8
Benchpress
40x8
45x5
50x3
60x3
70x3
77.5x11
80x3 joker
85x3
My goal was 9 reps for the PR set, so very happy with 11. Puts my estimated 1RM in the 105 area. The goal is 100 by summer and 115 by YE20. The last joker set was heavy.
OHP
40x5
40x5
40x5
40x5
40x5
Easy. I think it was the right decision to scale back the OHP TM. Should be able to get in some more PR reps at this level.
Lay pulldowns
3x10
Conditioning
12km/h @7% 8x20/10sec. Pain.
C2W2D2
Agile 8
Squat
40x8
50x5
60x5
70x3
80x3
90x15
95x3 joker
100x3
15 reps was well above the targeted 11. Felt like I had a few more reps in the tank. Had to have 5 min break after the PR set. Puts my estimated 1RM to 135, so I’m ahead of schedule for 130 in the summer. Of course, there is high uncertainty in these high rep ranges.
Deadlift
100x5
100x5
100x5
100x5
100x5
Heavy af. God I hate deadlifts these days. Had to leave after the DL because of work. Which was fine since I get quite beaten after these sets. Day 2 is the worst session of the four, by far!
C2W2D3
Some warm up exercises
OHP
20x8
30x5
35x3
40x3
45x11
47.5x3 joker
50x3 joker
11 reps this time, much better than previously. It is going in the right direction, although I feel
The OHP is lagging behind.
Benchpress
72.5x5
72.5x5
72.5x5
72.5x5
72.5x5
Bench is heavy, but not too heavy. Good to get some volume in.
Lat pulldowns
3x10
Hill sprints
12km/h @7% 8x20/10sec
C2W2D4
Hungover after having had some friends over for dinner. But the session went fine.
Some mobility work
Deadlift
60x10 squats
60x5
70x5
80x3
85x3
95x3
105x5
115x1
125x1
Arms feeling much better since I reduced DL and pulling volume and changed to double overhand. Will keep at it, adding pulling volume gradually. 125 felt good.
OHP
60x1 just for shits. Surprisingly easy, considering how heavy my OHP days feel.
Squats
85x5
85x5
85x5
85x5
85x5
Nice and heavy. Moving the bar a tad lower on my back/shoulders seems to make it easier.
SLDL
60x10
60x10
60x10 I hate this exercise
Glute bridge
60x10
60x10
60x10
Despite being a bit hungover, the session was good. I see that the added squat volume is working well. 125 in deadlift wasn’t too bad. Also positively surprised about the OHP at 60.
C2W3D1
Benchpress
40x8
50x5
60x5
70x3
80x10
82.5x1 joker
87.5x1 joker
I had a target for nine reps, but managed to squeeze another one in the end. Quite happy with that. The 87.5 was easy, should be able to dig out a few reps at that weight. Next cycle I plan to adjust TM up 2.5 to 87.5. Will also up the 5x5 sets to 75, not looking forward to that…
OHP
40x5
40x5
40x5
40x5
40x5
Very easy. OHP has improved a lot the last weeks. Also I’m pretty sure I did six sets today.
Lat pull down
3x10
Pendlay row
40x7
Pulls were fine. Continue to go easy on these to make sure my underarm/biceps recover.
Hill sprints
12km/h @7% 8x20/10sec
C2W3D2
Agile 8
Squat
40x8
50x5
60x5
75x5
85x3
95x15
100x1
105x1
Managed 15 reps for the PR set. Very happy about it. The 105 was a tad heavy, but that is as expected after 15 reps I guess. My TM this cycle was set to 100, will up it to 105 next cycle.
Deadlift
100x5
100x5
100x5
100x5
100x5
I hate volume work in deadlift. Ugh.
Skipped the rest as I had to head back to the office.