Revisions, revisions.

Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 25, week 1

• Work Set – Press (working max: 165#)
  • 45 x 5 x 2 sets (warmup)
  • 65 x 5
  • 85 x 5
  • 100 x 3
  • 110 x 5 (work)
  • 125 x 5
  • 140 x 6
• Assistance – Close grip pulldowns (superset with press warmup sets)
  • 70 x 12 x 5 sets
• Assistance – Press
  • 100 x 10
  • 100 x 10
  • 100 x 6
  • 100 x 6
  • 100 x 6
• Assistance – Pronated grip lat pulldowns (superset with asst. pressing)
  • 100 x 10 x 5 sets
• Shrugs
  • 135 x 10 x 3 sets
• Rope-handle pressdowns
  • 40 x 12 x 3 sets
• Rotating DB curls (superset with pressdowns)
  • 20 x 12 x 3 sets
• Foam Rolling

Due to my elbow/arm issues, I’m trying to take a different approach. I want to change things up to put less stress on my elbows, but also give some more direct work to my forearms and biceps because I think their direct neglect is part of the equation too.

So a lot of the program changed, and you’ll see it reflected over the next week. My choices were directly influenced by that issue.

I tried going light on the back work, but it was too light. The close-grips will likely remain very light and high rep, since they’re mostly there to warm things up. But the main pulldowns should have been heavier. Also, the rotating db curls I’m doing in an effort to really work the biceps and forearms, but either the weight was too light or I’m rotating at a wrong clip. I tried to keep the rotation even, but found that when I started in a pronated position and remained there until about halfway, then just quickly supinated the hand, that felt more effective. So I’ll probably change up technique and increase weight a bit and see. I am hoping this will have some more direct affect on those muscles vs. hammer curls, else… I’ll just go back to hammers since they are a good stand-by.

But a secondary issue is I’m trying to really turn my assistance work into bodybuilding work. I want to see about packing on some more muscle mass. So I’m shortening the rest periods. You can see how during the assistance pressing my reps went way down, due to only taking about a minute rest in between. This is another change in my focus. We’ll see how things go.