Today begins not just cycle 7, but I’m embarking on the “BBB 3 Month Challenge”.

“Week ” – BBB 3 Month Challenge

• “5 Reps” – Press (working max:155#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x65
  • 1x5x80
  • 1x3x95
  • 1x5x100 (work)
  • 1x5x120
  • 1x5x135
• Asst. #1A – Bench Press
  • 5 x 10 x 115
• Asst. #1B – Chinups (supersetted with Bench Press)
  • 3 x 3 x BW
  • 2 x 1 full rep, 2 negatives 2 BW
• Asst. #2 – Face Pulls
  • 1 x 10 x 30
  • 1 x 10 x 40
  • 1 x 10 x 50
• Asst. #3 – DB Hammer Curls
  • 3 x 10 x 30
• Foam Rolling

I figured to go for it. I’m going to try the BBB 3 Month Challenge. I see no reason not to do it and every reason to do it. It’s simpler, it’s direct, and it’s going to kick my ass. However, it’ll take me 4 months to do it because I can only get to the gym 3x a week and not 4. Such is life.

I’m a little bummed that I can’t work to get rep maxes, but so long as there’s still strength growth, who cares. And if there’s some good muscle mass growth, all the better. 5/3/1 is about smart gains over the long haul.

As for today, the pressing felt OK but not great. My breathing was off, my head wasn’t feeling right, and I just didn’t have the tightness I needed throughout the movements. I figure if I actually tried for a rep max today on the 135 press I wouldn’t have done it. Couple weeks ago I did 135 for 7 and I actually am not sure I would have made that today. Just didn’t have the groove.

On bench, I can certainly do more than 115 and have been. But, I’m going to follow the program: first month is 50% of your working max, and so there I shall start. Thus all went fine. I of course supersetted this with chins and I am going for sets of 3 reps now. I didn’t get 3 full reps across all 5 sets, the last 2 sets getting 1 rep and then having to do 2 negatives. That’s OK in my book. I want to do “3 reps” no matter what it takes, and as each workout progresses I’ll work closer to 5 full sets of 3 full reps across. I’ll get there.

On face pulls… never done that exercise before so I had no idea where to start. I just picked 30 and that was WAY too light. Worked my way up to 50 and ran out of sets. I’ll start at 50 next time and see where to go from there.

And I chose to do DB hammer curls because they work my grip and forearms more. Grip is more important than H000ge bicepts.

I didn’t feel mega killed by today’s workout, but this is only the beginning. I know I’m gonna be sore.