With 2012 closing and 2013 starting, let’s see where my training has gone and where I want it to go.

It looks like this time last year I started my 5th cycle of 5/3/1. Until the flu derailed me, I was into my 16th cycle.

Working maxes for cycle 5:

Press – 145
Deadlift – 305
Bench – 215
Squat – 250

Working maxes as of cycle 15

Press – 165 (then I reset to 140)
Deadlift – 345
Bench – 240 (then I reset to 220)
Squat – 280

At the end of cycle 5, my 5/3/1 “maxes” were:

Press – 4×140
Deadlift – 8×295
Bench – 6×205
Squat – 5×240

At the end of cycle 15:

Press – 7×135
Deadlift – 7×330
Bench – 6×210
Squat – 3×270

Well, that just sucks.

So what happened?

First, I spent too much time not focusing on building strength. Instead, I spent a lot of time trying to dink with diet and lose some flab. As a result, I lost a lot of strength, and didn’t lose much weight. I had to reset a couple of times. I also changed to 2x week due to my day job change, and that proved to be less than optimal.

So basically, I made a lot of mistakes that took me off track of my goals, and  you can see it in my numbers, especially upper-body. Squats and deads gained, but not that much.

But what I did also gain from my weights dropping was improved technique. I know I still have a long ways to go to “master form”, but my form today is better than it was a year ago, so progress on that front is acceptable. If it means better gains over the long run, great.

Really… looking back over this is kinda depressing. *sigh*

So what am I going to do about the next year?

Well, I would still love to shed my flab, but I think the way to do that is not what I had tried this past year. I think what will help is just to tighten up my diet — it’s all about my carb intake. I also don’t think I need massive amounts of protein, sticking close to 1 gram per pound of lean bodyweight will be a good place to reset myself. Drag that sled at the end of every workout. I think I’ll get there. Yes still “eat big”, just also “eat smarter”.

But the bigger goal is to build strength. I want to get to that 1000# total. And that’s actual lifted weight, not “on paper”. Thing is, I don’t to 1RM. If I only go by what I actually lift in that last work set of my 5/3/1 week well, that will be far below what a 1RM would be and thus keep me further from that 1000# total. But that’s alright. Thing is, I don’t expect to actually total 1000# in 2013 because the math just doesn’t add up to permit it — but I’ll get closer. What I would like to see is staying on 5/3/1, going up in my weights at the normal rate (5# per cycle for upper body lifts, 10# per cycle for lower body), expecting to reset at least once and maybe twice. When you do that math well…. no I won’t get to 1000# (tho maybe doing 1RM calculations on paper I will; meh), but I will get closer. That’s fine. And doing that math, well, my cycle 16 working maxes (and actual weight lifted in the last 5/3/1 work set) are:

Press – 145 (140)
Deadlift – 355 (340)
Bench – 225 (215)
Squat – 285 (275)

If I continue 3x week, that’s 5 weeks per cycle, so about 10 cycles. In theory, 50# gains on upper and 100# on lower, but figure in a reset and that it won’t be all smooth. To Press 185# probably won’t happen in 2013, but that will be a great milestone when it happens. In theory, I should break 405# deadlift in 2013 – that would be awesome. Also I should certainly be able to break 315# squats, which would be even more awesome in my book. And if I could bench 250#, I’d be thrilled. All of THAT is do-able, and gets me closer to 1000.

So that’s my main goal: building strength and being strongly on the road to 1000. If I can have some great milestones like 3 wheels in squat and 4 wheels in deadlift, getting my bench solidly above 2 wheels (with this new technique). Keeping my shoulders and other joints happy. And yes, maybe shedding some flab because of more sled pulls and better diet…. well, I’ll be alright.

As for the immediate future….

The flu knocked me off track since Christmas, but I’m getting better each day. If all continues on this healing path, I’ll head back into the gym on Wednesday for the first 2013 workout, and that will probably be a “light” deload-like day of squat and bench, with Friday then being a “light deload-like” day of deadlift and press. Just get me back in the groove slowly as I continue to heal up. Then the following Monday, start cycle 16 all over again and go go go.