I’m exhausted. But I still PR’d.

The past some weeks have been non-stop for me, and I’m exhausted. Non-stop life/work, lots of stress, and I’m pretty much at the end of my rope. I’m still in generally good spirits, I’m just out of gas and fucks to give. I didn’t want to go to the gym today because my body is screaming for rest. Well, good thing next week is deload.

Coupled with that, my right knee and hamstring aren’t feeling hot this morning. I’m not sure why as it’s out of the blue, but it doesn’t feel like anything to get alarmed about (a little massage, a little stretching, I expect I’ll be fine). So I opted to just go in, squat, and leave. If I felt better as I went along I’d do more, but I didn’t.

So I just squated, but since I knew I wouldn’t even do the 20-rep set (why dig my recovery hole any deeper), I opted to go ahead and push for a PR on the top set.

I’m glad I did, as I set a new PR: 5 reps @ 305. I had certainly 1 and maybe 2 more in the tank as well.

What I especially was happy about was how good it felt. “300” keeps screwing with my head, but this helped me continue to break down that mental wall because it’s like “hey, I’m repping 300 pretty easily”. The coming weeks will see me getting more into the 300’s for work vs. just being some tip-top thing that I barely touch. In other words, 300’s are becoming normal. And I’m digging that.

So, wasn’t quite the day I wanted, but given the weeks of stress and shit, capping off with a new 5RM is alright.

Next week deload, along with reduced food intake. I’m struggling on the fat-loss, the stress probably isn’t helping. So I hope that spending the next 10 days or so purely on “off day” intake ought to help a bit. Then it’ll be back into the next 6-week cycle, which I’m looking forward to as I’m going to continue to push myself a little further.

Based upon 5/3/1 for Powerlifting, off-season for mass

• Squats
  • bar x whatever
  • 135 x 5
  • 160 x 5
  • 190 x 3
  • 240 x 5
  • 270 x 3
  • 305 x 5 (new 5RM PR)

Today was pretty solid, but a little rushed. I had somewhere to be so I pushed through a little faster than usual. Biggest place I noticed was not necessarily taking my time on the eccentrics. Just push push push fast and get it done. But the work was done, things were pretty solid. I’m generally happy with the day.

Based upon 5/3/1 for Powerlifting, off-season for mass

• Bench Press (superset lat pulldowns)
  • bar x whatever
  • 100 x 5
  • 125 x 5
  • 150 x 3
  • 190 x 5
  • 215 x 3
  • 240 x 2
  • 190 x 14,4,2 (drop set, rest pause)
• Wide, pronated grip lat pulldowns
  • 95 x 12
  • 105 x 12
  • 115 x 12
  • 125 x 12
  • 125 x 12
  • 125 x 12
  • 125 x 12
• DB Bench Press
  • 65e x 10
  • 65e x 10
  • 65e x 10
  • 65e x 10
  • 65e x 9
• Chest-Supported DB Row
  • 50e x 12
  • 50e x 12
  • 50e x 12
  • 50e x 12
  • 50e x 12
• Pushdowns (EZ-bar)
  • 40 x 100
• Face Pulls
  • 50 x 100

Pretty good day. Again, everything feels heavy — I want more carbs! But progress is generally still good.

I actually wonder about taking next week as a deload because I am feeling really good. But I know I should for my pacing.

I accidentally skipped ab work today. I was kinda gung ho to get on the elliptical — wow, I never thought I’d be itching for cardio — but I do believe I need to be more consistent with cardio if I’m going to hit my fat-loss goal.

Based upon 5/3/1 for Powerlifting, off-season for mass

• Deadlift
  • 160 x 5
  • 200 x 5
  • 240 x 3
  • 300 x 5
  • 340 x 3
  • 380 x 2
• RDL
  • 185 x 10
  • 185 x 10
  • 185 x 10
  • 185 x 10
• Bent Over Rows
  • 140 x 10
  • 140 x 10
  • 140 x 10
  • 140 x 10
• Leg Curls
  • 30 x 12
  • 30 x 12
  • 30 x 12
  • 30 x 10

Good solid day.

While I’m only supposed to do prescribed reps and no rep PRs (on the main work), another reason I like going for 2 on the 1+ week is because it gives me assurance that I am still progressing and not regressing. If 1 rep is a struggle, it’s time to reset — but was it really 1 struggling rep? Or did I just have an off-day? 1 isn’t always enough data. Still, I want to go for more, I want to hit rep PRs, but that’s not for now.

That said, today went overall well and I am enjoying the rest-pause drop set at the end as that does give me something more.

Next week will be a deload, and the week after I’ll adjust the cycle a little more. Still keeping the basic template, but the drop set changes to a pyramid AMRAP. I’ll also add some intensity techniques like after the last set of raises and curls, some burns.

Anyways, good day.

Based upon 5/3/1 for Powerlifting, off-season for mass

• Press (superset with pulldowns)
  • bar x whatever
  • 70 x 5
  • 85 x 5
  • 100 x 3
  • 130 x 5
  • 145 x 3
  • 160 x 2
  • 130 x 12,3,1 (drop set, rest-pause)
• Behind-the-neck lat pulldowns
  • 85 x 15
  • 95 x 15
  • 105 x 15
  • 115 x 15
  • 115 x 15
  • 115 x 15
  • 115 x 15
• DB Shoulder Press
  • 55 x 10
  • 55 x 10
  • 55 x 10
  • 55 x 10
  • 55 x 10
• BB Curls
  • 60 x 10
  • 60 x 10
  • 60 x 10
  • 60 x 8
  • 60 x 7
• DB Rear Raises (superset with lat raises)
  • 15e x 12
  • 15e x 12
  • 15e x 12
• DB Lateral Raises
  • 20e x 10
  • 20e x 10
  • 20e x 8

The weights keep messing with my head, despite the fact they aren’t a problem. Maybe it’s because so much just flirts around the 300 range and once I get into working in the 300’s regularly it won’t be such a mental game. And that should be soon since next week (1+ week) works up to 305, and it’ll only go up from there.

That all said, today went well. 20-rep squats are a bitch, and the odd thing is the more I do them the more I — well, I don’t want to say I love them, but I come to appreciate them. I was thinking in the coming weeks how I’m going to be adjusting what I do at the end of the work sets (e.g. pressing will change from rest-pause to pyramiding down) and I was wondering what to do with squats. But I think I’m going to keep the 20-rep squats in, especially since the weight is going to go up relatively quickly and it’s just going to get tougher.

Still kept the ab work light. Things felt a little funny today, so maybe the strain isn’t fully healed despite all this time? Basically it’s just a signal to me to continue working my way back slowly here.

Based upon 5/3/1 for Powerlifting, off-season for mass

• Squats
  • bar x whatever
  • 135 x 5
  • 160 x 5
  • 190 x 3
  • 225 x 3
  • 255 x 3
  • 290 x 3
  • 190 x 20 (20-Rep set)
• Leg Press
  • 275 x 10
  • 315 x 10
  • 365 x 10
  • 365 x 10
• Hyperextensions
  • 25 x 10
  • 25 x 10
  • 25 x 10
  • 25 x 10
• Twisting Crunches
  • BW x 10
  • BW x 10
  • BW x 10
  • BW x 10

Woke up. Saw my shadow — 6 more weeks of dieting and lifting. 😉

Session went well. I’m happy with the slow, incremental increases in approach. It’s the same basic philosophy of “start light”. Follow the template to the “T” first cycle. This cycle only change is for the last set to be not just a drop-set but rest-pause. Next cycle I’ll make more small additions and adjustments. That way I have somewhere to go, and what I do now adds stress, gives the body something new to have to adapt to, and by the time it does, then another small adjustment. It is hard to do this because I really want to just plow forward and do all-the-things. But I’m glad I’m giving this “restraint” in programming a go, because so far it seems good. Still early, but so far so good.

Of course, the rest-pause benching took a bunch away from the DB benching, but that’s fine.

One thing I did find I reminded myself of is that in my tempo I’m so focused on slowing the eccentric that I’m forgetting to explode on the concentric! So I found mysel refocusing to ensure the concentric was fast and explosive, but still ensuring the muscles did the work (not a whole body momentum thing or anything like that). Still working on getting used to this approach in lifting, but I am enjoying it.

Based upon 5/3/1 for Powerlifting, off-season for mass

• Bench Press (superset with medium-rep lat pulldowns)
  • bar x whatever
  • 100 x 5
  • 125 x 5
  • 150 x 3
  • 175 x 3
  • 200 x 3
  • 225 x 3
  • 175 x 17, 4, 2 (rest pause)
• Wide, pronated grip lat pulldowns
  • 90 x 12
  • 100 x 12
  • 110 x 12
  • 120 x 12
  • 120 x 12
  • 120 x 12
  • 120 x 12
• DB Bench Press
  • 65e x 10
  • 65e x 10
  • 65e x 10
  • 65e x 8
  • 65e x 8
• Chest-Supported DB Row
  • 50e x 12
  • 50e x 12
  • 50e x 12
  • 50e x 12
  • 50e x 10
• Pushdowns (EZ-bar)
  • 40 x 100
• Face Pulls
  • 50 x 100

I’ll chalk it up as a good day.

I still have a hard time NOT pushing myself on the last set, going for a rep PR, but it’s how it goes. I get into the groove and want to keep going, but nope. But adding in the drop-set, now with rest-pause, gives me something extra to push, so I dig that.

The RP does take more out of me, so the other shoulder work lost a little bit, but I think it also was a net-gain. For example, I found myself on the raises really trying to isolate and lift just by contracting the relevant muscles. Of course, that’s what I’m continually working on, but today it felt like I made a little better progress on that, especially with the rear raises.

All in all tho, things feel good.

What doesn’t feel good is my weight. I feel better, I don’t LOOK quite as bad in the mirror. But on the scale there’s little change. It’s a bit frustrating to have a negative calorie balance and thus I should be dropping, yet I’m not. Who knows. It may be a slower drop. I also didn’t do as much cardio last week due to life issues, so maybe that was it. I’m just going to stick with it. All I can do.

Based upon 5/3/1 for Powerlifting, off-season for mass

• Press (superset with high-rep behind-the-neck lat pulldowns)
  • bar x whatever
  • 70 x 5
  • 85 x 5
  • 100 x 3
  • 120 x 3
  • 135 x 3
  • 155 x 3
  • 120 x 14,3,2 (drop set, rest-pause)
• Behind the neck pulldowns
  • 85 x 15
  • 95 x 15
  • 105 x 15
  • 115 x 15
  • 115 x 15
  • 115 x 15
  • 115 x 15
• DB Shoulder Press
  • 55e x 10
  • 55e x 10
  • 55e x 10
  • 55e x 10
  • 55e x 8
• BB Curls
  • 60 x 10
  • 60 x 10
  • 60 x 10
  • 60 x 6
  • 60 x 6
• DB Rear Raises (superset with lat raises)
  • 15e x 10
  • 15e x 10
  • 15e x 8
• DB Lateral Raises
  • 20e x 10
  • 20e x 10
  • 20e x 7

Today is proof – you may not want to do it, but you do it anyways because you know it’s best, right, good, and you’ll be better off for it.

It’s been a hard week. Lack of sleep, many things blowing up all at once, behind at work, suddenly overfull plate – high stress week. Yeah first-world problems, I have that perspective, but that doesn’t negate the stress.

So when I woke up this morning, I wanted to just stay in bed. I actually slept ok and just wanted more rest. I thought about skipping the gym, going back to bed, or maybe just diving into the work day because so much to do. But no, keep the discipline and go because you know you’ll be better off for it. If it truly sucks, you can bail after squats.

But it didn’t suck.

It just got better.

After a couple warm-up sets, I was thankful for going. 🙂

Squats went well. The 20-rep sets for sure are getting harder, between doing more work before and then more work during. It’s good to start light and think things are too light, because they will get heavier and harder as the weeks wear on.

Still no ab work, but I think at this point I’m good. So next week I’ll add something back in, even if it’s just simple crunches.

Based upon 5/3/1 for Powerlifting, off-season for mass

• Squats
  • bar x whatever
  • 135 x 5
  • 160 x 5
  • 190 x 3
  • 210 x 5
  • 240 x 5
  • 270 x 5
  • 190 x 20 (20-Rep set)
• Leg Press
  • 225 x 10
  • 275 x 10
  • 315 x 10
  • 365 x 10
• Hyperextensions
  • 15 x 10
  • 15 x 10
  • 15 x 10
  • 15 x 10

Rest-pause is fun. 🙂

So I remembered to do rest-pause on the drop set at the end of bench pressing. Good times. Dropped a bit on the DB bench as a result, but that’s acceptable.

Pulldowns — work to initiate the pull with the lats, thinking about bringing the upper arms down and in — not pullilng the weight down. It’s a different mechanism, and hits the lats better. Still working, still improving on technique.

Everything else was what it was. Good solid day.

That said, it’s crazy but yes, I do start to think that once I hit my strength numbers, I may go off into the world of hypertrophy training. I won’t abandon the strength work, it just will no longer be the focus. It’ll all be about, as Arnold said, chasing the pump.

Weight-wise, yesterday I dropped to 237 but was up 2 today for some reason. Dunno what’s got me bloated because for sure that’s not tissue. The one thing I wonder about is how RP changed their approach. Used to be off-days for me had carbs in the morning and none at night, but now they have them at night — because it’s easier for the majority of clients to manage hunger and such by having no carbs in the morning but carbs at night. So maybe that’s having me blimp up a little bit. But whatever, the scale only matters so much. The one thing I have noticed is I do feel a little less “fronty” with my stomach. Tissue is actually coming off, slow but sure. Just stick to the plan, believe in the process, look at all the indicators over time.

Based upon 5/3/1 for Powerlifting, off-season for mass

• Bench Press (superset with medium-rep lat pulldowns)
  • bar x whatever
  • 100 x 5
  • 125 x 5
  • 150 x 3
  • 165 x 5
  • 190 x 5
  • 215 x 5
  • 165 x 15/5/3 (drop set, rest-pause)
• Wide, pronated grip lat pulldowns (to chest)
  • 85 x 12
  • 95 x 12
  • 105 x 12
  • 115 x 12
  • 115 x 12
  • 115 x 12
  • 115 x 12
• DB Bench Press
  • 65e x 10
  • 65e x 10
  • 65e x 10
  • 65e x 10
  • 65e x 7
• Chest-Supported DB Row
  • 50e x 12
  • 50e x 12
  • 50e x 12
  • 50e x 12
  • 50e x 12
• Pushdowns (EZ-bar)
  • 40 x 100
• Face Pulls
  • 50 x 100