Monday 24 October 2011

24 OCT 11 -- Overhead Press

The deload was good rest and now I am ready for some more fun.

Overhead press training max went up to 255 lbs and it's 3 x 5 day, the beginning of a new wave...I think?

Warm up sets

45 x 15
100 x 5
130 x 5
155 x 3

Working sets

165 x 5
190 x 5
215 x 4

Yep, 4 reps where the requisite number was 5 reps. I'll get back to this in a moment.

Push press

220 x 1
225 x 1
230 x 2
235 x 1

Assistance work

Military press 135 x 5 x 10
Chin ups BW x 12, 45 lbs x 3, 50 x 3, 55 x 3
Dips BW x 20

That was a wrap. As per Wendler's advice, I'm sticking with just requisite assistance work.

Now, as for not meeting requisite number on my last working set, I have decided to calculate a new working max:

215 x 4 x 0.0333 + 215 = 243.64 or 245

245 x 90% =  220.5 or 220 lbs

So, next week, or next cycle, whichever comes first, I will use 220 lbs for my training max and do the 3 x 3 workout with that number.  To paraphrase Wendler, a step backwards and three forward. The extra reps will do me good anyways.  For some reason, I am having difficulty with the overhead, but as this program goes, start light and let things snowball as you go along. For the 3 x 3 workout, my last set will be 200 lbs or 90% of the new training max. I hope it's a good one!

By the way, here's an incredible melody from Gjallarhorn. I like Nordic folk music, and this one has an ethereal sound which really transports my mind. I've never been to any Scandinavian countries, but the forest and landscape scenery in this video and in others resembles parts of  northern Ontario.



Saturday 22 October 2011

22 OCT 11 -- Deload Part Deux

Second part of the deload lifts this morning.

Squat

135 x 5
210 x 5
265 x 5
320 x 5

Bench Press


45 x 25
140 x 5
180 x 5
215 x 5


That was a wrap. No assistance work, no running or elliptical.  I'm looking forward to the next wave and am letting my body take its rest in preparation for it. This deload was very restful mentally as well, and I feel refreshed and ready to start again.


On a different topic, the deer hunt is coming up fast. I still have a little bit of venison left over from last year's hunt and will have to cook it up this weekend sometime. I used to bowhunt in the late nineties, and would like to get back into it someday, but nowadays I just go with the shotgun hunt.

Thursday 20 October 2011

20 OCT 11 -- Deload Workout 1

I'm splitting the deload into two parts for the lifts. Today was overhead press and dead lifting combined.

Overhead Sets

45 x 15
100 x 5
125 x 5
150 x 5

Dead Lift

215 x 5
270 x 5
325 x 5

I finished with cardio --> 20 minute on the elliptical using the hills program.

It's a good thing it's a deload week...I'm learning a new job at work and there's lots of climbing and stairs. A good workout while on the job.

Sunday 16 October 2011

16 OCT 11 -- A Long Overdue Deload

It's been quite a while, several waves in fact, since I've observed a deload. According to the format which Jim Wendler lays out in his original 5/3/1 program, the deload follows at the end of every wave, allowing the joints and nervous system some recovery time. At my age, I definitely should not be missing the deload weeks. This week, I'll be going with the deload template, staying under 60% for my final sets, and catching up on stretching, rest and extra cardio. I'll post the deload workouts on the blog anyways if anyone's interested.

I thought I would also post an update on my supplementation. In an earlier post, I wrote of the supplements I was using at the time, which were basically Kaizen brand creatine monohydrate and a pre-workout drink blend called Black Powder:

A Day of Rest and Some Supplement Info

I still plan on continuing with Kaizen's creatine product. It's good stuff and is very reasonably priced. I no longer use Black Powder. It was effective, but I found another pre-workout product that was better priced (at least in my gym) and that gets the job done for me. It's called Wired and is made by PhD:

PhD Wired

I like to mix a couple scoops with water and take a few gulps just before I hit my working sets.

Another supplement which I take is ZMA, which is basically a zinc and magnesium complex. I currently use the capsules marketed by Optimum Nutrition.

Optimum's ZMA

I've read the reports on the studies which concluded that ZMA increased strength in football players. Charles Poliquin, the strength and fitness guru, writes glowingly about the benefits of ZMA as well, citing how many strength athletes become deficient in these minerals due to their intense workouts. Personally, I enjoy the sleep benefits of this complex. If taken before bed, you get some very intense, lucid dreams from it.

Other than that, I just try to eat right. My wife is a great cook, and believe it or not, I love cooking too and we often take turns doing up dinners during the week. My weaknesses are two: beer and chocolate. I'm not into liquor, but beer has always been my favourite beverage (well, coffee comes in a close second!). I love the suds, probably because of my Germanic background, but I take consolation in the fact that it has at least some nutrition in it. Apparently, Mariusz Pudzianowski, the famed Polish strongman is also a lover of chocolate and according to one interview with him which I have read, eats quite a bit of the stuff during the day.

Eat right, train hard and make sure you enjoy life.

Saturday 15 October 2011

15 OCT 11 -- Squat, squat, squat...

Squat training max is 530, and it's 5/3/1 day.

Warm up sets

135 x 5
210 x 5
265 x 5
320 x 3

Working sets

400 x 5
450 x 3
505 x 1

Wendler advises to keep the last set at a minimum number of reps to accomodate the squat cycle which he introduced in this article:

Big, Boring, and Really Sore


Last week, I started with the second part of the cycle, training with 50% of my max for 5 x 12. This week, I went with the third part of the cycle, and I'm telling you, it's one friggin' hard workout.

265 lbs for 4 x 15
245 for 1 x 15

I had to reduce the weight by 20 lbs for the last set. Wendler's further recommendation is to stay with the same weight for all the sets, but I doubt I would have been able to get 15 reps on the last set with 265 (at least without puking), so I knocked it down 20 pounds, which still kept me within the 30-50% range he lays out for the cycle. This workout is brutal and sucked the wind right out of my sails.

Friday 14 October 2011

14 OCT 11 -- Raindrops Keep Falling...

Bench press training max is 355 lbs and it's 5/3/1 day.

Warm up sets

45 x 25
140 x 5
180 x 5
215 x 3

Working sets

265 x 5
300 x 3
340 x 4

I had set my goal for 5 reps for the last set, but there were at least three mitigating factors which probably resulted in my getting only 4 reps:

a. Not enough sleep the previous night ( 5 hours).
b. An incredibly busy day at work (7-3 shift).
c. A spotter, who despite the good-hearted gesture of "being there" for me, still pelted my face with drops of his sweat as he decided to lean over me....yuck....

I was primed and ready for a hard 5 reps, but as soon as the rain commenced, it sufficiently threw off my concentration, lol. Oh well, the next workout will be better. At least I had a spotter.

Assistance work was kept brief and to the point.

Close-grip bench press in strip sets:

225 x 2 x 10
220 x 10
215 x 10
205 x 10

One-arm dumbbell rows (each side)

105 x 15
120 x 3 x 10

I concluded with dips.

Bodyweight x 20
25 lbs x 6, 7
35 x 5

I'll make sure I get enough rest tonight so I can go hard on tomorrow's squat session.

Wednesday 12 October 2011

12 OCT 11 -- Playing With 515

5/3/1 day for the dead lift and the training max is 540 lbs.

Warm up sets

215 x 5
270 x 5
325 x 3

Working sets

405 x 5
460 x 3
515 x 5

I was hoping to get 6 on the final set, but I had a hectic day at work, burning my neck, and actually wasn't too energized to begin the workout. Still, 515 for 5 isn't disappointing at all.

Assistance work tonight was light and brief.

Barbell shrugs

315 x 20
325 x 2 x 10

Chin ups with bodyweight capped the session: 10, 10, 8, 6

Upon the conclusion of all that, I left the gym on a good note! Tomorrow, it's either a day of rest, or some hill sprints. Depending on how my day goes at work will be the determining factor.

Have yourself a good evening! :)

Tuesday 11 October 2011

11 OCT 11 -- This One Was For Crom

It's a good thing that I'm not a professional blogger, as I would be a poor man. Creative titles for these entries are more than elusive, but this one was inspired by what Jim wrote the other day over at his blog: "Lift for Crom, crush your limitations and see them driven before you," just as Conan would do. I did just that today.

Overhead training max is at, yes it's still there, 250 lbs. 5/3/1 day.

Warm up sets

45 x 15
100 x 5
125 x 5
150 x 3

The warm up weights felt like air. After those sets were completed, I knew this was going to be a good one, so I cranked up the MP3 player a notch and set it for one of my favourite stacks, Tool.

Working sets

190 x 5
215 x 3
240 x 1

Yep, a nice big one. Hallelujah! You're a strong dude reading this and probably smirking at the feeble weight hoisted, but for me, this was a superb lift. I met the requisite for today, completing all of the 5/3/1 sets and with no disappointments. I can move up 5 lbs for the next wave. Admittedly, it wasn't a pretty overhead press, not picture perfect, but it went up, the limitation being crushed. Crom sat upon his throne laughing.

I am taking Wendler's advice, and will be keeping the assistance work scaled back while I go through the Wendler-Podda squat cycle (I don't know if it's called that, but I 'll be referring to it as such) over the next several weeks. He suggests removing the dead lift during the cycle, but I'm going to do it anyways. I'll keep my other work scaled to compensate.

Military press

145 x 10
150 x 10, 10, 10, 8 (on the last set I was steamed from not enough rest from the previous set)

Chin ups were 14 x bodyweight, 45 x 3, and a final 50 x 3.

No vids today, sorry, as I was by myself at the gym. There might not be anymore this week, but if I get a chance, I'll throw some on my channel and post them here. I'm a little hesitant putting some of these vids up on Youtube as I don't want to come across as a show-off, but rather to share my personal progress and compare my training with others doing the same program. If someone doesn't like that, then just don't watch. I'm serious about my training, as are others, and in the internet age, long-distance training comparisons are the norm. It's not about egocentricity, but rather passion for hard training and strength gains.

Monday 10 October 2011

10 OCT 11 -- Conditioning

It's Canadian thanksgiving today (ours is a month earlier than the American thanksgiving, being on the second Monday of October), and my gym is closed therefore for the holiday. Decided to hit the hills again this morning, and did 4 hill sprints.

Tomorrow, it's back to overhead pressing. Wish me luck!

Saturday 8 October 2011

08 OCT 11 -- Hills !

Woke up this morning, through no fault of my own, with the dog pulling the blanket off the bed. Then he went for the pillows. Next, it was his ice-cold nose burying itself in my face. I could tell he wanted me to get my lazy ass out of that bed.

Just some conditioning this morning. 4 times up and down on the country hill. The air's crisp and fresh this morning, and the leaves are still in their autumn array. A perfect morning for hill sprints.

Friday 7 October 2011

07 OCT 11 -- Go Deeper!

Hit the squat today. Training max is 530 lbs, and it's 3 x 3 in the wave.

Warm up sets

135 x 5
210 x 5
265 x 5
320 x 3

Working sets

425 x 3
450 x 3
475 x 4



I was not overly happy with the last set. My depth wasn't low enough, and I think it may have been because I didn't get full rest from the previous set. My wife was filming the squat, and we were trying to figure out the best angle to film it from. I jumped into the rack too soon.

Assistance work today was based on the article which was posted on Jim's blog at JimWendler.com  The blog entry is linked to another article which Jim published at T-nation.com:

Boring But Big...And Really Sore

Since I've been doing the 5 x 10 squat assistance all along, I started at Cycle 2 --> 5 x 12 at 50%. That is, 5 x 12 at 265 lbs. Also, I made sure that I went ass to the grass on these squats. Plain and simple, but those extra two reps added at the end of each set are very taxing not only on the legs, but also the lungs and heart. It's a great pump. I can hardly wait till next week when I add three more reps each set for 5 x 15. I'll have to park the car closer to the gym for that workout, lol.

Thursday 6 October 2011

06 OCT 11 -- Bench Press 320 x 7

Bench press Thursday, 3 x 3 and the training max is 355 lbs.

Warm up sets

45 x 25
140 x 5
180 x 5
215 x 3

Working sets

285 x 3
300 x 3
320 x 7

I had set my goal for today at 8 reps, a bit unrealistic perhaps, but got a nice 7 reps on it. Here's the vid of today's final set:


Assistance work was kept basic and short today.

Close-grip bench press

225 x 10
215 x 3 x 10
205 x 10

One arm dumbbell row was 105 lbs x 5 x 10 each side.
I concluded with dips, doing bodyweight for 2 x 10 and then 25 lbs added for 2 x 6. I haven't done dips for a little while, so it was important to get a few sets in at the end today.

Stay tuned for squats tomorrow! I'm off to watch my kid play some grade 10 football. He's a big kid for his age, over 6 feet and is already starting to bulk up.

Wednesday 5 October 2011

05 OCT 11 -- An Article from the Man!

I'm taking today off from training. Tomorrow, I hit the bench, hit it hard and take no prisoners, lol. I just read this article that my professor has written, Mr. Jim Wendler, and am feeling inspired by it. It was posted over at JimWendler.com and as far as it goes for me, is nothing short of the truth and counts as something that should be printed off, laminated, and stuffed into a gym bag to be read before every training session.

Here it is:

Time to Man Up

Read, contemplate, put into action....

Tuesday 4 October 2011

04 OCT 11 -- Dead Lift !

Things weren't so dead today on the lifting. This was a good workout.

Dead lift training max 540 lbs, and it's 3 x 3 day.

Warm up sets

Power clean 135 x 5

Dead lift
 
215 x 5
270 x 5
325 x 3

Working sets

430 x 3
460 x 3
485 x 8

Considering that I had absolutely no drive at the beginning of the workout, this was a very good set.

Assistance work

Barbell shrugs 315 x 30, 335 x 10

Dumbbell shrugs 120 dumbbells for an alternating 20 reps, then 10 together.

Chin ups

Bodyweight x 13
35 lbs x 4
45 x 3
50 x 3

I was feeling a little phased out, so I concluded with alternating dumbbell curls using the 45 pounders for 3 x 16.

Monday 3 October 2011

03 OCT 11 -- A Nice Surprise

I've been posting about the difficulties I've been having with the overhead press. How it is actually going backwards instead of forward. Today, during my 3 x 3 workout, I was able to meet the requisite reps on my last set. The first rep on that set almost didn't make it up, but the next two went up no problem. Here's the summary of that workout. By the way, training max is 250 lbs:

Warm up sets

45 x 15
100 x 5
125 x 5
150 x 3

Working sets

200 x 3
215 x 3
225 x 3

I decided to do two strip sets after the max set, doing one set at 85% and then one at 80%.

215 x 3
200 x 3

I went down to 135 lbs and did 3 x 10 of military press, then added one-arm dumbbell press for 3 x 10 each side with 50 lbs.

That was a wrap, and I decided not to overdo it today with any extra assistance. I've been wondering if I have been overtraining the overhead press. That could cause it to go backwards. If anyone knowledgeable out there has any advice, just drop a comment. I don't bite, lol!

See you tomorrow for 3 x 3 dead lifting.