Grrrr Argh ... 5/3/1

Slaanesh

Time to change it up a bit.

I was doing starting strength, then I moved to stronglifts 5X5.

Stats: (I'll update all the measurements and stuff on Sat morn.)

Weight: 83kg

Lifts:

Bench - 80kg (3X5)
Deadlift - 125kg (5)
Squat - 80kg (3X5)
Press - 50kg (5X5)

My squat is not great, I seem to have difficulty with the lift. I'm going to start low on that one. My knee however does not seem to be giving me half as much trouble as it used.

I've been plateauing on these lifts for a while and there was no real structure to my exercises so I decided to try my hand at the 5/3/1 program which looks good for gradual steady gains in lifts.

Without much further ado:

Week 1 - Day 1 - 25/08/2010

Press

32.5 X 5 @ 65%
37.5 X 5 @ 75%
42.5 X 9 @ 85%

The 'as many reps as you can without failing' on the last set is a tricky one to get the hang of!

Assistance work:
Boring But Big

5 X 10 X 20kg

I see what FTA69 means, jesus my arms were killing me at the end!

Hanging Leg raises:

3X3

Ok, I couldn't really do any but I started with legs slightly bent then pulled myself up. My core seems incredibly weak, always has been. I find situps a nightmare.

Back Raise

3X10

Looked up the exercise and I don't think the device I used was correct. It restricted above the knee as opposed to down at the shins, whoops. Still hurt!

KROC Rows

19X22.5kg each arm
1X13kg each arm

Pain.

DB Bench Flat

2X10X22.5kg

Dips

2 X 10 X BW
1 X 8 X BW

Plank

3 X 30sec

Side Plank

2 X 30secs


I had severe DOMS going into the gym from trying kipping pullups for the first time, jesus they're an explosive exercise.

I have setup a Google Spreadsheet to help me calculate my lifts for each day, feel free to copy it and use it if you want.

Diet

I suppose I had better track this for my own benefit, I have good weeks and bad weeks. The bad week tends to follow a weekend of being hungover, then the motivation disappears.

Brekky:
Porridge + flax + honey made with water, bit of milk and honey.
2 wholemeal brown bread toasted with fried egg (low cal spray).

Lunch
Cajun Chicken Roll + can coke + pack crisps
I wouldn't normally have this, but it's one of those weeks after a heavy weekends drinking!

Gym
Protein shake made with water.

Dinner
My brother actually had a nice healthy ish dinner waiting for me!
Lettuce, yellow pepper, one frankfurter (wtf?), boiled egg, bit of coleslaw, brown bread slice, slice of cheese. Very tasty actually!

I need to go on a fruit shop badly.

I'm peckish now writing this.

Slaanesh

Week1 - Day2 (27/08/10)

Was wrecked going to the gym this evening but it was a mammoth session.

Deadlift

80 X 5
92.5 X 5
105 X 10 (PB)

Boring But Big assistance work

5 X 10 X 50kg

Damn that was a bitch!

Dips
Bodyweight

15
11
10

Lunges

3 X 16 X 16kg (8 each hand)


Diet:

Breakfast

Protein shake
Porridge with flax and honey, bit of milk.
Fried egg, 1 slice wholegrain brown bread with butter

Had a cappuccino at work (it is Friday)

Lunch
Leafy salad with peppers, peach, raisins, baby potatoes and a lovely curry sauce!

Post Gym
Protein shake!

Dinner
Salad with pepper and sweetcorn.
Chicken Fillet done on the george foreman with cajun chicken spices.
Another fried egg, done with low cal spray.

A few cups of tea/coffee scattered throughout the day.

I'm going to the gym tomorrow and I'll weigh/ do my measurements in the morning.

Slaanesh

28/08/2010

Today I went with Dunshaughlin with some friends to discuss technique etc and watch one guy at 75kg bench about 135. I was impressed!

Bench Press:

55 X 5
65 X 5
75 X 13 [PB]

They didn't have 1.25 increments that would fit on the bar so I was happy to knockout 13 X 75 on the last set.

Boring but big

3 X 10 X 45

Didn't get to finish this because all the lads were interchanging between exercises and I didn't want to hog the limited bench.

Other Stuff

Did lots of things like DB press, curls, shrugs, cable pushdowns, dips, pullups.

Power Cleans

I've never really done these before but I love them!!!
Did a few at 60kg, then push pressed some of them over the head for the laugh. Exhausting exercise, might have to add this one to the routine.

Diet was surprisingly ok-ish over the weekend apart from the multiple bottles of bud (ick) on Saturday night, oh and the bbq.

29/08/2010

Was feeling somewhat energetic and went for a run. I ran 9km and I haven't really done any cardio in months. It wasn't that much of a struggle but damn my feet are paying for it today. That coupled with a wisdom tooth I'm not in good shape! It's also squat day today, woe is me!

Slaanesh

29/09/2010

9.5km run

30/09/2010

Probably shouldn't have really, haven't ran in ages. So my right foot is ****ing killing me today.

Squat

47.5 X 5
55 X 5
62.5 X 13

Boring but big
5X10X30kg

Yeah my squatting is weak but that's due to knee problems so I'm keeping it low hoping to develop strength. I felt zero pain in my knee after all those squats which was great.

Pullups

14 (kipping)
8
6
3 wide wide grip

CGBP Incline

2X10X30kg
10x40kg

Bench Incline

3X10X40kg

Plank

3X 30sec

20 pressups

Lots of stretches.

Slaanesh

Cycle 1 - Week2 - 1/09/2010

Press

35 X 3
40 X 3
45 X 8

You're not supposed to go to failure but I thought I had a 9th in the bag but it didn't go up!

Boring But Big

5 X 10 X 25kg

DB Rows

3 X 15 X 20kg (each side)

BW Dips

3 X 12

Usual stretching before and after. Must get a foam roller, I really ****ed myself up with the run on Sunday. I'm fairly broken between that and a wisdom tooth coming up.

FTA69

I see what FTA69 means, jesus my arms were killing me at the end!

Chalk it down lad, you get used to the high-volume after a while though. I'm also finding it deceptively hard to crack out the extra reps on the last set. We're the same weight so it'll be interesting to keep an eye on your log.

Slaanesh

FTA69 wrote: »

Chalk it down lad, you get used to the high-volume after a while though. I'm also finding it deceptively hard to crack out the extra reps on the last set. We're the same weight so it'll be interesting to keep an eye on your log.

I was thinking the same thing!

03/09/2010

Deadlift

87.5 X 3
100 X 3
112.5 X 8

Felt fairly weak on this day.

Boring But Big

3 X 10 X 50

Mixed with:

Clean and Press

2 X 5 X 50

Was practicing these last weekend and really like their explosive and tiring nature!

Seated Rows (Cable)

1 X 10 X 75kg
2 X 10 X 85kg

Pushdowns (cable)

3 X 12 X 35kg

BW Dips

3 X 11

Chinups

2 X 10
1 X 8


04/09/2010

Bench Press

60 X 3
67.5 X 3
75 X 9

So not as good as last week but I was in another gym with only 2.5 increments again but I was at the correct weight this week.

Boring But Big

5 X 10 X 30

This was too low a weight, should have done at least 40.

Incline DB Press

1 X 6 X 25

3 X 8 X 17.5 (I think)

BW Dips

3 X 12

DB Rows

3 X 10 X 22.5

KB Swings

Haven't really done these before, felt good.

3 X 20 X 12.5kg

Pushdowns (cable)

3 X 12 X 30kg
1 X 12 X 40kg

DB Curls

3 X 8 X 17.5 (each arm)

Slaanesh

07/09/2010

Squat

52.5 X 3
60 X 3
67.5 X 10

Boring But Big

5 X 10 X 32.5kg

Adductor Machine

10 X 50kg
10 X 60kg
10 X 70kg
10 X 80kg
10 X 90kg

Abductor

Same as above

Lunges

3 X 16 X 20kg

Slaanesh

Cycle 1 - Week 3
08/09/2010

Press

37.5 X 5
42.5 X 3
47.5 X 6

Strange I was only able to push 6 out, I know only 1 is prescribed but I've done 3 X 5 X 50 before. Must be the work weight.

Boring But Big

5 X 10 X 22.5kg

This gets some pump going in shoulders.

Pullups

2 X 10
1 X 6

Dips

3 X 12 X BW

OW!

Cable pushdowns

1 X 12 X 30
2 X 12 X 40

Incline bench press

1 X 12 X 30kg
2 X 10 X 40kg

slow and steady.


That's it for me now for a while, heading to NYC tomorrow for a week to eat lots of crap food and have a good time. The serious diet/workouts start when I come back (ha, yeah!).

Slaanesh

Cycle 1 - Week 3
22/09/2010

I went to NYC on holidays for a week. I'm still ****ed with jetlag so I skipped Monday. Went in yesterday though.

Deadlift

5 X 92.5kg
3 X 105kg
3 X 117.5kg

This was tough enough, the body got a bit of shock when I told it to do exercise after all the gluttony of NYC.

Boring But Big

5 X 10 X 60kg

Abductor machine

Meh, can't remember.

Adductor machine

Same as above


My arse bone was in bits after this session and I'm feeling slightly DOMSY today. Diet has been pathetic, sleep pattern is messed up. hopefully I'll be back on track next week. I reckon I'll skip the deload week.