Starting cycle 3 on the Wendler 5/3/1 program.

“Week 1” 5 reps

• 5 reps – Press (working max: 130#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x50
  • 1x5x65
  • 1x3x75
  • 1x5x80 (work)
  • 1x5x95
  • 1x9x110
• Asst. #1 – Press
  • 5 x 10 x 60
• Asst. #2 – Supinated Grip Pulldowns
  • 5 x 10 x 115
• Metcon – jump rope
  • 1 Tabata set – all single hop

Normally one is to bump press by 5# per cycle, but I opted to go up 10# because when I looked at my performance numbers I think 10# will push me a little bit harder and get me to a place where I’m doing more strenuous work. I think it’ll be alright, because last time I did 110 I managed to crank out 7 reps (and 1x7x115 was my PR from last cycle). Today I did 9 reps with 110 and couldn’t get the lock out on 10th rep, so 9 it is. So yeah, I’m stronger and I think this will push me. It technically puts my “PR set” in “week 3” at 1x?x125, so that’s a good 10# over what I did last “PR set”… may not crank out 10 reps with it, but it should still be a good push for me. I’ll go with it.

The assistance presses, yeah… 60 is a good level. It works me hard and I almost didn’t lock out the last rep. My desire is to stick with 60 but get the form tightened up and get the 5×10 across without the last reps of the last sets being so difficult.

Pulldowns, the 115 was a good bump, as last reps of last sets couldn’t quite get the bar to my chest. I’m really focusing on the squeeze of the shoulders, ensuring they work through their full range of motion. So I’ll stay here a while.

On rope, I want to bump the intensity up, so yes I need to dedicate myself before every session to trying the “run in place” style until I get the coordination down. I started out with no rope, just moving my body through the motion and I could do it: knees went straight up and feet straight back down. But throw in the rope, and suddenly my legs change to a “schoolyard skipping” where I pull my knee up but then as the rope passes my leg sweeps back (still bent) and of course I get all caught up in the rope. Ugh. I’ll have to work to overcome that. 🙂 Another thing is I couldn’t do it for very long because my left ankle was not liking all the impact of my full bodyweight. I’m hoping to just keep at it tho, and strengthen my ankle — that would be better for me in the long run. I just hope that I can strengthen it before I beat it up too much. 🙂 But, after I did that for a bit, I just did the 1 set of “double leg” but picked up the tempo to be closer to what you need to do the run in place style.

A good workout. I felt very worked by it, very pushed.