Maybe there’s something to holding back….

Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 20, week 1

• Work Set – Press (working max: 160#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x65
  • 1x5x80
  • 1x3x95
  • 1x5x105 (work)
  • 1x5x120
  • 1x5x140
• Assistance – Press
  • 5 x 10 x 85
• Assistance – Lat Pulldowns
  • 2 x 70/30 x 60
• 100 rep work – Front plate raise, Rope Triceps Pressdowns, Hammer Curls

I felt really going going into this session. I’m working on my technique for getting set up, unracking, and hitting the first rep. It’s that weird thing for me about breath and getting light-headed when I press. I’m finding a routine that works, it’s just a matter of refining and keeping it going.

I felt like I could have cranked out more reps on the last set, but I’m trying to stick to just prescribed reps this cycle to see how things go. I think that set me up for the rest of the session tho, to be pretty good. I’m enjoying the 100 rep work, tho I think it’s a little much for the lat pulldown — my arms fatigue before my back, so I might try dropping down to maybe 50 reps, or 2 sets of 50 or something. Nevertheless, the rep work really is uesful because I find myself engaging my back muscles more than my arm muscles and if that’s helping with technique and growth, fine. So far, I dig it.

That all said…..

I did some thinking regarding my longer term goals. Yes, I still am striving to total 1000. I’m close, but I’m also feeling really beat up. My shoulder is hurting, my knee is hurting, and in a way that tells me I might be in for some major setbacks if I don’t take care of things. I’ve been reading more and more stuff about how the high-intensity low-rep work is truly great for strength, but does beat you up. That more and more guys — especially older guys — are finding greater success in higher-rep work, be it just never going below 5 for strength-oriented work, or things like the 100-rep work to help with some size and recovery.

I’ve also been putting some fat back on, because I’ve been eating like a horse to help with the strength work, and I don’t like it. Longer term goal was to hit 1000#, then scale back for some months to lose fat. It would likely involve not just a major dietary change, but also keeping with a 5/3/1 program but immediately resetting, striving for more reps and structuring the exercises for “more work” (e.g. assistance squats at a “light” weight with only 60 seconds rest during the 5×10). Kinda get a little more bodybuilding in my approach. The goal would be to maintain mass and strength as best I could, while dropping fat — fat loss would be primary goal, and just structuring to maximize that and minimize loss elsewhere.

But you know…. I feel how beat up I am. I know that a reset is inevitable here sooner or later. And I’m just wondering if maybe “now” might be time for the detour. I will not give up on my quest to total 1000#, but I just wonder if I might need to take a little longer to get there… if I need to make a detour for the longer-term health and ability to achieve that goal.

Just rolling things around in my head….