PR… and that’s enough.

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

• Work Set – Deadlift (working max: 395#)
  • 1x5x160 (warmup)
  • 1x5x200
  • 1x3x240
  • 1x5x300 (work)
  • 1x3x340
  • 1x3x380 (PR)
• Foam Rolling

I’ve been feeling so beat up, I decided it put everything into the main lift then go home. No assistance work today.

Working up to the PR was interesting.

First, I do think I’m getting a ritual down for deadlift that’s working out pretty well for me. To set up and get to the bar. Refined it a bit more today, and it’s working well. Really helping my bar path and how my body “unwinds” as I stand up.

As I warmed up, I was thinking “gosh, the weights are heavy today”. Bad sign. Don’t do that because then yes, they will be heavy. Just lift.

When I did 340, my grip was dying. That really bothered me because there’s no reason for it to. I figure it was because I was gripping much harder and more securely on all the other sets, maybe they were tiring out? I don’t know, but it really bugged me. I wondered if I would be alright for the 380 (true PR, never lifted that much weight before, ever). I thought for a moment about wrapping my wrists, but no… why? this isn’t a competition. This is training, and if I miss I miss. And to help me not miss, grip harder! Plus I figured alternating grip on the last set would help some too (I always grip double-overhand, except on the last set I alternate).

I took a light whiff of ammonia, and yeah… I am starting to see how that works. I was so in the zone, so focused… I hit the bar and the 380 flew up. Now, in my effort to keep it to prescribed reps, 1 is all I need. But I felt VERY good and just kept going. I tell myself “no more than 3” and I stuck to that. I did feel like I could have gotten 1-2 more (2 would have been a grinder). So this is all good.

I really felt good about this PR. And that was enough.

I was debating if I should go up 5 or 10 pounds on both squat and deadlift next cycle. This clinched it: 10.

PR, and that’s enough.

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

• Work Set – Bench Press (working max: 240#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x95
  • 1x5x120
  • 1x3x145
  • 1x5x180 (work)
  • 1x3x205
  • 1x2x230 (PR)
• Assistance – DB Incline Press
  • 5 x 15/15/15/12/10 x 40
• Assistance – DB Rows
  • 3 x 10/10/25 x 45
• Assistance – JM Press
  • 1 x 15 x 95
• Assistance – Face Pulls
  • 1 x 25 x 35

Set the PR and that makes me happy. I only did 2 reps tho, but they were very solid 2 reps. Last cycle’s 230×1 was a little shakey and I wasn’t sure I could get 2. Today, it was 2 solid and I felt like I could get more — at least physically. My head tho was all over the place. I tried snorting a little ammonia before the final lift (just trying it out, curious) and boy… it’s really cool. I mean, my head zoomed into focus, I was totally in the zone for the lift. But it’s a rather new, novel feeling so my head was kinda all over the place with it, trying to deal with that dizzy feeling I can get sometimes, etc.. But it felt like I was leaving a few in the tank, which is ultimately the point so, all good. 🙂

Besides, my left shoulder was really unhappy. *sigh* So just as well.

And with that, I opted to just do assistance work as I did, lighter weight, higher reps, didn’t do much after the first 2 assistance exercises… just wanted to get a little blood flowing, a little stretch and movement.

Onwards.

300# is within reach!

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

• Work Set – Squat (working max: 305#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x125
  • 1x5x155
  • 1x3x185
  • 1x5x230 (work)
  • 1x3x265
  • 1x3x295 (PR)
• Assistance – Pause Squat
  • 3 x 3 x 230
• Assistance – Leg Extensions
  • 3 x 12 x 30
• Assistance – Planks
  • 3 x (don’t remember) x BW
• Foam Rolling

This cycle was a repeat of last because I did 2 reps with 295# and dumped the 3rd. I also think those squats were cut just short of depth.

Today? 3 reps. But I honestly don’t remember much. I broke an ammonia capsule (never tried that before)… the brain was suddenly in overdrive… and I cranked out 3. I am very sure #1 hit depth, #2 fairly sure, and #3 no idea at all… but I do remember that I got half-way up, started to get stuck, and let out a massive war cry to get it the rest of the way up. I was NOT going to fail on this. 🙂

I feel good about the results here. I do want to give the pause squats more time to see if they help out. I’m also starting to think, based upon what I see, that I need more quad work — thus trying out some leg extensions and eventually I’m sure that front squats are in my future.

Since I’m striving for prescribed reps in general well… I’m not sure if I should go up 5# or 10# next cycle. Part of me is feeling I should stay conservative and just go up 5#… always better to go lighter, take the longer road, than to get ego get involved, y’know?

We shall see how the rest of “week 3” pans out before I make any hard decisions.

Little changes, hopefully longer-term improvement.

Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 20, week 2

• Work Set – Press (working max: 160#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x65
  • 1x5x80
  • 1x3x95
  • 1x3x115 (work)
  • 1x3x130
  • 1x3x145
• Assistance – Press
  • 5 x 10 x 85
• Assistance – Lat Pulldowns
  • 3 x 25/15/15 x 90/100/95
• Rep work – DB Lat raises, Rope Triceps Pressdowns, Hammer Curls

I felt like I could have pressed out a lot more reps… but stick to prescribed reps. Two days from now starts the 5/3/1 week, so we’ll see how well this is working.

As I’ve been thinking about the path I’m on and how far to continue down it, I want to keep higher reps but make it more productive. The 100 rep stuff is kinda cool, but it’s a “straight set” so often the first 50 reps are kinda useless. So I’m upping the weight and dropping the reps, but adding in sets with about 60 seconds of rest. Strive for like 12-20 reps, 3-4 sets, using a weight that’s tough for that range. That’ll total me out to like 50-75 reps (depending how I structure it).

I think going really light was good tho, and it reinforces that if I’m not feeling it in the muscle (on the assistance work), then I’m too heavy or my form is sucking… either way, lighten up. I mean, this was the first time that I can remember feeling it so much in my back when I was doing the pulldowns. That was precisely the end I want to achieve, so that’s all good. This may be more productive for me.

So we’ll see. I’m thinking about evolution of things, but it’s going to take seeing how the 5/3/1 week goes before I make any decisions.

Prescribed reps

Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 20, week 2

• Work Set – Deadlift (working max: 395#)
  • 1x5x160 (warmup)
  • 1x5x200
  • 1x3x240
  • 1x3x280 (work)
  • 1x3x320
  • 1x3x360
• Assistance – Hyperextensions
  • 3 x 15 x BW
• Assistance – Side Bends
  • 3 x 20/20/10 x 50
• Foam Rolling

I’ve done more weight for more reps, but sticking to prescribed reps is feeling good. I feel worked, I feel progress, but I don’t feel dead. We’ll see how it pays off over time.

Hypers and side bends? Damn that’s a combo.

Onwards.

I think going for prescribed-reps-only is going to be good for me.

Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 20, week 2

• Work Set – Bench Press (working max: 240#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x95
  • 1x5x120
  • 1x3x145
  • 1x3x170 (work)
  • 1x3x195
  • 1x3x220
• Assistance – DB Incline Press
  • 5 x 12 x 40
• Assistance – DB Rows
  • 3 x 10/10/25 x 45
• 100 rep work – JM Presses, Face Pulls

I think keeping it to prescribed-reps only is going to be what helps me in the long run. I certainly am not feeling as beat up, and I also go into that last set with a different mentality. Instead of “grind out all you can” and trying to pace myself and set myself up pushing out a zillion reps, I just put everything into “those reps”. And while certainly I can and have set “over prescribed” limits/goals before, it’s always still a reach. I’m leaving things in the tank, “never miss a rep/lift”, etc..

Maybe it’s all the attention I’m paying to raw lifters, like Brandon Lilly and Dan Green. Or even “more rawer” guys like Paul Carter. Maybe it’s Dan Green’s “West of Westside“. Maybe it’s because most of the people I’ve read in the past have been primarily geared lifters. While all those folks still have much more knowledge, experience, and wisdom than myself, it’s interesting to see some different approaches and philosophy, even if it borders on blasphemy. And reading these “counterpoints” makes a lot more sense to me now.

So today, I played a bit more with my foot placement. The whole “knee below the hip” makes sense. Feet have to go out in front for me, but then getting my knees lower than my hip? Forget it — it’s almost too far out, almost too flat. But I can get close, and so I played with that some.

I also played with my hand placement. Usually it’s been ring-finger on the bar rings. Today I went with middle finger. Tried index finger, but that’s too much. I’m trying to see what difference it plays in my pressing, but also my shoulders. It was good enough that I’m going to keep trying it for a bit. Requires some thought as to how my elbows move through the range, but it should be all good.

On inclines… yeah, I think inclines are a good assistance exercise for me right now. Helps get more tricep work in, some further range of motion stuff, etc. I’m still trying to find the right groove for it all, and I think I about have it. Yes, I’ll keep with lighter weights and higher reps to get me there right now. Really liking the higher rep thing and think it’s having some bigger payoffs for me in many ways. One fun thing here is at the end of the 3rd and 4th sets I started to feel it in my triceps but that’s all. On the 5th set, instead of “pressing” the weight up, I focused on just contracting my pecs to focus more on pulling my upper arms together than necessarily pressing the weight up (it’ll go that way by virtue). Boy, suddenly I felt it a LOT more in my chest. Makes sense.

Rows I did Kroc-style. Warmed up for 2×10, then did all I could. It’s not Kroc rows at all, in a strict sense, because that’s not the heaviest weight in the gym, nor probably the heaviest I can muster. But I just kept with what I had. It’s another case of really trying to feel it more in my back muscles. It’s less about moving the weight through the air from floor to chest, and more about extending the arm/shoulder, then retracting it… thinking more about upper arm and elbow moving through space.

I’m going to keep the weights lighter, the reps higher, and keep going. This is good for me. Week 3 will keep the weights the same, but strive to get even stricter, feeling it even more… more about the muscle than the movement.

I also think more about my longer term “where to go next” with my cycles. And I’m trying to hold back… kinda wanting to change a lot. But I think it’d probably be wise to stick with the same basic exercises I’m doing now, stick with prescribed reps, keep the assistance weights “light” with higher reps on things. And if I do reset, that’s fine too…. because I might then actually do a little more then prescribed reps but certainly leave a BUNCH in the tank (instead of pushing myself as hard as I have)… because again, heavier, higher reps, I think that may be good for me at this point.

Simple. Solid.

Wendler 5/3/1 program, cycle 20, week 2

• Work Set – Squat (working max: 305#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x125
  • 1x5x155
  • 1x3x185
  • 1x3x215 (work)
  • 1x3x245
  • 1x3x280
• Assistance – Pause Squat
  • 3 x 5 x 512
• Assistance – Planks
  • 3 x 1:18/1:22/0:48

The new setup is helping. My hands are closer in, not too close, but where it feels right and natural for everything to be tight. It is helping my whole upper body be tight and drive. I will say I was focused more on being tight and kinda lost some of the “drive the head back into the bar” and such. But it’s getting there.

One change I made — and this was kinda cool.

The squat rack at the gym is in front of a bank of windows. Because it’s dark out, the windows act like mirrors so I always see everything I’m doing. I never thought much of it, but something ran through my head as I sat there after the 215 set. I closed the blinds on the windows. Whoa… that was different. You don’t realize how much feedback was visual. Now it was all by feel. I get under the bar for 245 and I had to ask myself, am I actually centered under the bar? Is my grip where it should be? As I set up, was everything as it was to be? Am I moving as I should? And of course, I became strongly aware of every muscle, every thing that I was doing. The kinesthetic feedback was huge.

Of course, I think it threw me off a bit because I didn’t expect such a radical shift in feedback and perception. So the last 2 sets were muddled a bit by this massive change — I wasn’t focused so much on squatting, but kinda surprised and fascinated by the sudden shift and overload of feedback I was getting. It was weird, but really cool. And I think it shall be how I do any and all work at the rack.

Otherwise… I just kept it to prescribed reps and left it alone. I might have gone for 4, if I wasn’t dealing with the perception change. That just blew my concentration too much, but I’m alright with it because it’s a good change.

Pause squats were brutal. No belt. Pause. Hold. Don’t lose anything while you’re in the hole. Man…

I also made a last minute change and opted to do planks. I’ve been reading enough stuff about their benefits for squatting and such (Cube Method), and well… the tighter hand position on the bar now really starts to hurt my elbows. The pulldown abs? really forces my arms into flexion and wears on my elbows. So, if planks can be a fun change, get good benefits, and gives my elbows a rest? Fine. Funny thing.. on the first 2 sets everything else in my body gave out before my abs did, from being taxed from squatting. Only on the 3rd set did I really feel it in my abs and they were what gave out. 🙂

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….

Prescribed reps

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

• Work Set – Deadlift (working max: 395#)
  • 1x5x160 (warmup)
  • 1x5x200
  • 1x3x240
  • 1x5x260 (work)
  • 1x5x300
  • 1x5x340
• Assistance – Deadlifts
  • 5 x 6 x 225
• Assistance – Side Bends
  • 3 x 20 x 45
• Foam Rolling

Is it recovery? Is this pushing me? Am I nearing a need for a reset? I don’t know.

I did the prescribed reps and felt good about it. I certainly had some left in the tank. I also felt because I put everything into just hitting the prescribed reps that I did it better (form, technique, etc.). I was reading something the other day about someone that did 5-3-1 for a long time then switched to Cube Method. What stood out in his comments were feeling really beat up from going “all out” on that last set, that it really taxes you over time, and if he did things again he’d just hit prescribed reps. When I think about variations on 5-3-1 (even by Jim himself), about other things I read from other elite powerlifters, and just feeling my own response — especially since I’m not 16-25 years old any more, that well… maybe I should just fall back to prescribed reps. I did this for a while and I didn’t feel hampered by it.

If I did it, it’d be like on 5 week, 5-6 reps striving for 5 (6 if I really felt awesome about it). On 3 week, 3-4 (striving for 3). On 5-3-1 week, 1-3 reps, striving for 3. Yeah, still try to push it, but keep it regulated. Conversely, I also wondered about doing more of a 3-5-1 approach (the powerlifting approach) and letting myself push it a bit on the 3 and 1 weeks, but take it easy on the 5 (and deload) weeks. I’ve been thinking about that for some months now, and while I can’t really switch now, maybe next cycle. And meantime, maybe just stick with prescribed for now. Or to put it another way, don’t really sweat PR’ing on any week but the 5-3-1 week, y’know? Yeah, maybe I’m paying a lot of attention to Cube right now.

Anyways…. today did suck a lot out of me. I went up for that 4th set of assistance deadlifts, grabbed the bar, then stopped. I just felt out of gas. But I stepped back, collected myself, and proceeded to bang it out, and the 5th set too. It was mental, not physical, that was in my way (tho I was honestly feeling physically drained… but I could tell I wasn’t out of gas yet).

We’ll keep on keepin’ on. Got the long weekend ahead. I’m sure I’ll be thinking.