The PR of no PR

“Week 3”

• 5/3/1 – Squat (working max: 260#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x105
  • 1x5x135
  • 1x3x160
  • 1x5x195 (work)
  • 1x3x225
  • 1x4x250
• Asst. #1 – Chin-ups (supersetted with Squats)
  • 6 x 4/4/4/3/3/3 x BW

• 5/3/1 – Bench Press (working max: 230#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x80
  • 1x5x110
  • 1x3x130
  • 1x5x165 (work)
  • 1x3x185
  • 1x6x205
• Asst. #2 – Back Raises (hands behind head, superset with Bench warmup sets)
  • 3 x 15/12/10 x BW
• Asst. #3 – DB Bench Press
  • 3 x 10 x 90
• Asst. #4 – Face Pulls
  • 3 x 12 x 70
• Foam Rolling

I say the PR of no PR because strictly speaking I didn’t set any PR’s… that’s not going to happen this soon after a reset because you’re obviously moving less weight than before.

But there were some PR’s for me in the sense of personal improvement. Sure I only got 4 reps with the squat, but I was really working hard today to keep my form solid. No, it wasn’t 100% perfect form, but it was a heck of a lot better than last week. I’m going deep. I’m working to keep everything tight, get the arm drive, abs tight, head/chest up/in, and sure, it was a LOT tougher, but I’m working hard to make every set solid like this. So sure it means less weight/reps are moved, but if the form is better, it’s a win.

Benching felt better today than it has in a while… again, my cue for today was “tight”, and it sure helped.

I’m also stoked at how I’m improving on chins and other exercises. Sure it’s just assistance and nothing to set the world on fire with, but hey… chins are nice to improve upon. 🙂

FWIW, I’m enjoying 2-days a week, plus there’s more dietary fiddling I’m doing, which well… it might work out. We’ll see. I’m in a hurry, have to write more on this later.

I’m adjusting to 2x week.

“Week 2”

• 3 Reps – Deadlift (working max: 325)
  • 1x5x135 (warmup)
  • 1x5x165
  • 1x3x195
  • 1x3x230 (work)
  • 1x3x265
  • 1x6x295

• 3 Reps – Press (working max: 145#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x60
  • 1x5x75
  • 1x3x90
  • 1x3x105 (work)
  • 1x3x115
  • 1x6x130
• Asst. #1 – DB Rows (superset with Press warmup sets)
  • 3 x 10 x 70
• Asst. #2 – Hanging Leg Raises
  • 3 x 10/5/6 x BW
• Asst. #3 – Dips (superset with Leg Raises)
  • 3 x 5/5/5 x BW
• Asst. #4 – DB Hammer Curls
  • 3 x 10/7/6 x 35

I was really pressed for time today… got going late, forgot to superset my DB rows, and tried to make up for it a bit by ensuring 1. my walk to/from the gym was very brisk (contemplating getting a weight vest and wearing it on my walks), 2. I did a little circuit with the leg raises to dips to curls… just one after the other. To that end, that weird pain that comes up in my right delt… it’s not really the shoulder, like the joint, but something nerve? medial muscle? hard to say exactly, but it gets painful and you can see it forced me to stop short… I just couldn’t get out the reps without too much pain up there. Oddly, I did more dips today than I did last week, and actually felt really damn good with them. Yes I recall when I couldn’t do one dip or one chinup… I’m not setting any world records, but I’m doing some personal good. And no shoulder pain on the dips, even going all the way down, upper arms parallel to the floor.

Working to keep my back proper on the descent of the deadlifts… consequently I’m moving slower and I think the increased time under tension is of course decreasing my reps, but hey… I’ll take improved form over 1-2 more reps, y’know?

Not a bad workout. I am digging 2x week… feels like it’s going to work better for my schedule and my body.

Today went a little better.

“Week 2”

• 3 reps – Squat (working max: 260#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x105
  • 1x5x130
  • 1x3x160
  • 1x3x185 (work)
  • 1x3x210
  • 1x6x235
• Asst. #1 – Chin-ups (supersetted with Squats)
  • 8 x 4/3/3/3/3/3/3/3 x BW

• 3 reps – Bench Press (working max: 215#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x85
  • 1x5x110
  • 1x3x130
  • 1x3x150 (work)
  • 1x3x175
  • 1x7x195
• Asst. #2 – Back Raises (hands behind head, superset with Bench warmup sets)
  • 3 x 15/11/8 x BW
• Asst. #3 – DB Bench Press
  • 3 x 10 x 90
• Asst. #4 – Face Pulls
  • 3 x 12 x 70
• Foam Rolling

Today felt better overall. I didn’t feel like I was going to throw up. 🙂

On squats, I’m falling forward. Abs. That’s my problem. It’s the same as before… are they weak? Well, they could be weak but it also feels like I’m just not activating them well enough. I know today on my last set I was trying to manage that light headed feeling, and so I wasn’t pressing and tightening up my torso enough… nor enough arm drive, nor anything other than getting my ass out of the hole. And it showed, with only 6 reps (wanted 8).

I did realize that part of why I’ve gone down in weight but also feel like I’ve gone down in general is because I’m squatting deeper. I realized a little while ago that I was not going parallel… it felt like I was, but I wasn’t. Now it feels like my ass is almost touching the floor, but video confirms it’s parallel. And that’s going to mean a loss of things. Got work to do.

Bench felt better, tho oddly I am feeling just weaker on bench… everything feels unstable.

Everything else… whatever. Just assistance work. Tho I have to say I continue to be pleased with my progress on chinups. 8 sets, 3 reps tho 4 on the first… I’m happy. It wasn’t that long ago I couldn’t do 1. I’m pushing to get 5 across. I’ll get there.

Does almost throwing up measure a good workout? 🙂

“Week 1”

• 5 reps – Deadlift (working max: 325#)
  • 1x5x135 (warmup)
  • 1x5x165
  • 1x3x195
  • 1x5x215 (work)
  • 1x5x245
  • 1x8x280

• 5 Reps – Press (working max: 145#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x60
  • 1x5x75
  • 1x3x90
  • 1x5x95 (work)
  • 1x5x110
  • 1x8x125
• Asst. #1 – DB Rows (superset with Press warmup sets)
  • 3 x 10 x 70
• Asst. #2 – Hanging Leg Raises
  • 3 x 10/7/5 x BW
• Asst. #3 – Dips (superset with Leg Raises)
  • 3 x 4/3/3 x BW
• Asst. #4 – DB Hammer Curls
  • 3 x 8/8/6 x 35
• Foam Rolling

You know… I can still wonder if I’m getting enough volume, but I don’t need to wonder if I’m getting enough intensity. Yes, I felt pretty nauseous by the end of the workout. I attribute it to pushing hard, not just during the sets themselves, but also in between. There wasn’t much rest between sets, nor between exercises. So weights may not have gone up, but less rest and more push-push-push and sure enough the intensity of the overall workout was up.

I really do have to push things if I want to get done in time. So, all good I suppose. But the long-term will really decide how good and fruitful this approach is for me.

I am happy to have pushed a little further than last deadlift (my cycle 9-2 false start). And while my Press did the same as the prior Press, it felt easier.

I’m not thrilled that I only got a few dips per set, but I am making them full range (upper arms go parallel) plus I did them right after the pressing with maybe 45 seconds of rest? So I’ll cut myself some slack. I also wonder if it was just not being used to things, because by set 3 I actually felt like I could have done more, but I’m sore enough and will be sore enough. Ease into it… I’m not a young buck any more.

But I think I might like this 2 days a week thing.

In light of my recent desire to change my workout approach, today Jim Wendler posts this to T-Nation.

What’s advocated? 2 day a week, and his suggestion is his “option 1”.

There we go.

Tho Jim’s article is pretty good because it does a good job of addressing needs of folks that travel. I’m thankful I don’t have to and haven’t had to travel much in my career, but whenever I did it was always difficult to deal with exercising. Jim’s got some good principles to follow here.

Aside:

In doing this I’ve been thinking how to adjust my goals for this year. There’s about 30 weeks left in the year. If this “2 days per week” program works out, that means a new cycle every 3 weeks, 10 cycles left. I figure another reset or maybe even 2 may have to happen before the year is over. So let’s say I might have only 6 true bumps in weight. Where does that put me? Well, for lower body that’d be maybe 60# and upper body maybe 30#.

If that holds true, it won’t put me where I want for Press. I’d like my working weight (the weight I use on my 5/3/1 week, last set) to be 185. With my current reset, that puts me 40# down. It’s possible I could make it. Even if I don’t, as long as I’ve made progress towards it, fine.

Now on bench, my reset weight is 205 (working max 215). So going up to 235 is again not where I wanted to be. I wanted to be at 250. But, at least bench pressing 2 wheels makes me happy.

Squat I could be ok with. I would like to squat (again, on my last 5/3/1 set) 315, or at a minimum breaking 300. This should be attainable, so long as I don’t mess up my back. 😉

Deadlift going to 365 will be quite acceptable. I’d love to break 405, but even without the reset that’d still be a ways off.

But my longer-term goal is breaking the 1000# total (bench, squat, deadlift). And I don’t want to break it in terms of 1RM or other calculated maxes, but actually moving that. Given I don’t do 1RM work, it basically means taking the weights I use on my last 5/3/1 set and totaling them up. I figure a year from now I ought to be able to break that. It’s what I’d like to do.

We’ll see how well my new “busy man” schedule takes me towards those goals.

So, how did the first day of the “2 days per week” program go?

“Week 1”

• 5 reps – Squat (working max: 260#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x105
  • 1x5x130
  • 1x3x160
  • 1x5x170 (work)
  • 1x5x195
  • 1x6x225 (ugh)
• Asst. #1 – Chin-ups (supersetted with Squats)
  • 6 x 4/3/3/3/3/2 x BW

• WORK – Bench Press (working max: WT#)
  • 2x5x45 (warmup)
  • 1x5x85
  • 1x5x110
  • 1x3x130
  • 1x5x140 (work)
  • 1x5x165
  • 1x10x185
• Asst. #2 – Back Raises (hands behind head, superset with Bench warmup sets)
  • 3 x 15/10/8 x BW
• Asst. #3 – DB Bench Press
  • 3 x 10 x 80/90/90
• Asst. #4 – Face Pulls (supersetted with DB bench)
  • 3 x 12 x 65
• Foam Rolling

Well… this was interesting.

First, if I don’t superset, this will take a LONG time. So superset it is. In fact, I didn’t intend to superset db press with face pulls, but I looked at the clock and opted to do it. But again, it’s not as much about time at the gym (tho that’s relevant) as it is the impact on my daily/morning/weekly schedule. That’s still to be determined.

I’m upset that I only did 6 reps on the squat, but I know why. I was light headed the entire workout. I’d get under the bar, take my deep breath in, and then my head felt all light and swimmy. Every set of every exercise felt this way. *sigh* So once I got to 6 my head just couldn’t do it… didn’t have the oxygen. That sucks. Heck, on the bench press I did risk not getting the 10×185 but damnit I just did that a few days ago and damned if I wasn’t going to at least meet it… and I barely did, thank you head. 😦

I also didn’t know what some weights would be. On DB Bench I accidentally picked up the wrong weights (2 40’s instead of 2 45’s). I might be able to do 2 50’s, we’ll see. Certainly face pulls need the weight upped. Back raises… oof…. that was tougher than I expected. But when did 4 chins and maintained 3 through most of the rest of the sets, I was pretty happy with that!

I don’t feel as tired and “worked out” after this workout, likely due to the reduced volume. We’ll see how this fares for me over the long term.

I’ve decided to try changing my workout plan.

The main reason? Time. With the new job and new schedule it brings to my life, it seems that it’s not so much duration of workout that’s the issue but frequency. That maybe 2x week instead of 3x might bode better for me. I might as well go ahead and change up now… why wait? If it’s a time issue, time isn’t going to wait for me. But until I actually try this, I won’t know if it will work for me. So… might as well dive in.

Wendler’s 5-3-1 2nd edition book has 2 options for 2-days/week. I’m going with a slightly modified option 1. Slightly modified because I’m going to still try to compact the time a wee bit, plus I have to adjust a few things to work for me. So it will look something like this:

• Day 1
  • Squat 5/3/1
  • Chins, superset with squats, every set including warmups (6 set)
  • Bench Press 5/3/1
  • Back Raises, superset with bench warmups 3×15
  • DB Bench Press 3×10
  • Face Pulls 3×12
• Day 2
  • Deadlift 5/3/1
  • Press 5/3/1
  • DB Rows, 3×10 superset with press warmups
  • Hanging Leg Raises 3 sets for up to 10 reps
  • Dips 3 sets for ?? reps
  • DB Hammer Curls 3×10

So this is mostly the same as his option 1, but here’s variations and why.

Supersetting, in an effort to compress workout time a bit. Note that most are done during warmups. My general approach with warmup has been to put the plates on the bar, do the set, change the plates, do the next set — rest is as long as it takes to change plates. Going to try to keep that here: do the set, do the other exercise, change plates, do the set, do the other exercise, change plates, etc..  One exception is chinups. Wendler says 3×10, but I can’t do 3×10 yet. So I’m going to do as many as I can per set and then a lot of sets. Day 2’s superset is a little odd because I couldn’t see what exercises could be done from his recommended list that wouldn’t affect the main lifts, so I just pushed it out a little bit.

Opted for face pulls instead of rear laterals. Similar functionality, and I’d prefer the compound movement to the isolation. I also noticed no ab work listed, so I ditched good mornings in favor of the hanging leg raises.

No idea how many dips I can do, especially after pressing. Wendler says 3×10-15, and I’ll just do 3xhowever many I can do since honestly I’m not sure I can get 10-15.

He said “curls”. I figure the hammers are sufficient and they work well for me.

So you can see, it’s essentially his “option one” but some variation for my needs. I’m honestly not sure how well it will work for me. Part of me feels like it might not be enough work, given how I’ve been working. But then, that may be part of my issue! Could I have been working too much and this will be better? If it winds up not being right, then there’s always “option 2” which really cranks up the volume. I can always try that later. Hopefully after 3 weeks on “option 1” I’ll have an idea, and if it seems to be addressing most needs stick with it at least 3 cycles and see how it goes.