5/3/1 Program - Week 40, Day 1

31 May 2010

Bench press:

Warmup 1 set
240 lbs x 5
270 lbs x 3
305 lbs x 3 (not too great, but anything above 1 means that the goal was met, so...)

Deadlift:

Warmup 1 set
305 lbs x 5
345 lbs x 3
385 lbs x 5 reps (this was okay)

Not too much time left, so I did my new favorite exercise:

One-arm bentover rows 100 lbs x 15 reps per arm (rest-pause)

Some direct arm work - both biceps & triceps.

Cable Training + Squats

29 May 2010

Mixed up a bit of cable and BW exercises today:

Back press GYG x 10 reps, several attempts at BGY (almost getting there)

Hindu squats x 20 reps

Front chest pull RGR x 10 reps

Side-to-side squats x 20 reps

Straight-arm front pulldown ROR x 10 reps

Lunges x 20 reps per leg

Front lateral raise RR x 10 reps

Partial pistols (to chair) x 20 reps per leg

Archer pull ROR x 4 reps, OOO x 6 reps

Hindu squats x 20 reps

5/3/1 Program - Week 39, Day 3

28 May 2010

Weak day today so I focused more on the other exercises (not the main lift). This entire cycle was a mistake, should have taken a back off week after the last one. Oh well.

Back squat:

Warmup 2 sets
120 kgs (265 lbs) x 3
140 kgs (309 lbs) x 3
163 kgs (359 lbs) x 6 reps (barely)

The did some fast squats from below parallel - 110 kgs x 2 reps x 8 sets.

Then some good mornings:

50 kgs (110 lbs) x 10 reps
70 kgs (154 lbs) x 8 reps
90 kgs (198 lbs) x 6 reps

On to some bent-over barbell rows (loose form) - worked up to 110 kgs (243 lbs) x 5, then 130 kgs (287 lbs) x 2.

As a finisher, did 15 reps per arm of one-arm dumbbell rows with 52.5 kgs (116 lbs).

Cable Training - Pull Session

27 May 2010

Overhead downward pull YGY x 10 reps

Front chest pull RGR x 10 reps

Bicep curl RYR x 10 reps

5/3/1 Program - Week 39, Day 2

26 May 2010

Clean&Press:

Warmup 1 set
165 lbs x 3
185 lbs x 3
205 lbs x 6 reps

Isometric high pulls in Smith machine
Isometric overhead presses in Smith machine - working on sticking points. Unbelievable how weak I actually am in these positions.

R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio (10 July 1942 - 16 May 2010)

On May 16 Ronald James Padavona, who achieved world-wide fame under the name Ronnie James Dio, lost a six-month long battle with stomach cancer.

He will be remembered first and foremost as the vocal power of one of the most influential metal bands of all time, Black Sabbath, where he replaced another heavy metal icon, Ozzy Osbourne. Dio will later quit Sabbath and go on to form the band Dio with drummer Vinny Appice. At the time of his death he was also heavily involved in another project, Heaven and Hell, together with several former Sabbath musicians.

A heavy metal icon, Dio will be remembered for his extraordinary vocal performances, lyrics, and the "devil's horns" gesture which he popularized and turned into a symbol worshipped by metalheads across the globe. One of my favorite heavy metal vocalists of all time, he leaves behind a legacy of great albums and live performances from the golden era of heavy metal and beyond. A true legend. R.I.P. Ronnie James Dio.

5/3/1 Program - Week 39, Day 1

Monday 24 May 2010

Back in the gym:

Bench press:

Warmup 1 set
225 lbs x 3
255 lbs x 3
290 lbs x 5 reps (okay - felt sort of weak)

Deadlift:

Warmup 2 sets
285 lbs x 3
325 lbs x 3
365 lbs x 9 reps (very happy with that - lower back felt great)

Dips:

BW x 10
+45 lbs x 8
+70 lbs x 5
+80 lbs x 4
+90 lbs x 4

Bent - over rows: did something different - high rep dumbbell rows with 90 lbs. 20 reps per arm in one rest-pause set. Killer work.

Ran out of steam, so stopped here.

Long Weekend Workouts

Friday 21 May 2010 - visualized resistance exercises. Several sets of:

Bicep curl (from different angles)
Tricep extension (also)
Chest crossover
Back - horizontal row
Back - latissimus pulldown
Deltoids - lateral raise

Saturday 22 May 2010

Pushup/squat/situp workout:

Hindu pushups x 20
Hindu squats x 20
Close-grip pushups x 20
Flat-footed ATG squats x 20
Handstand pushups against wall x 20 (not single set)
Partial pistols to chair x 20 (also not in a single set)
Twisting pushups x 20
Lunges x 20 per leg
Hindu pushups x 20 x 2 sets
Hndu squats x 20 x 3 sets

Then several sets of visualized resistance exercises (biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders - all parts, back - all parts) and self-resistance exercises for the upper body.

Sunday 23 May 2010

Self-resistance exercises - upper body 2 sets per exercise.

Quick Cable Workout

20 May 2010

Back press GYG x 10 reps
Tried several isometric reps substituting a blue cable for one of the greens (since I no longer have 3 greens). Still no go.

Front chest pull RGR x 10 reps

Then did several sets of overhead downward pulls and front chest pulls with the long TNT cables, just holding the tubing without the handles. Random experimentation, but it felt pretty good. I will try to do more handle-less exercises in the future.

5/3/1 Program - Week 38, Day 2

19 May 2010

Morning clean&press workout:

Warmup 1 set
155 lbs x 5
175 lbs x 5
195 lbs x 10 reps (almost turned it into a rest-pause set)

Later in the day:

Figured out I won't be here over the weekend (taking a long weekend) which means no squatting on Saturday. So popped by the other gym after work and hit some squats:

Warmup 2 sets
118 kgs x 5
135 kgs x 5
155 kgs x 11 reps (pretty good, considering how tired I was at this point)

Did a few sets of weighted ab work and leg raises and wrapped it up.

TNT Cable Training

18 May 2010

Training with long TNT cables, a few high-rep sets as active recovery:

Horizontal row 4 sets x 15 reps

Cable crossover 3 sets x 15 reps

Overhead bicep curl 3 sets x 15 reps

5/3/1 Program - Week 38, Day 1

17 May 2010

Today was one of those days when you feel great but can't lift for shit. Like the bar was welded into place.

Bench press:

Warmup 1 set
210 lbs x 5
240 lbs x 5
270 lbs x 8 reps (barely)

But then again, bench presses always suck in the first week of a cycle. It was a silly mistake not using this week as a de-load.

Deadlift:

Warmup 1 set
265 lbs x 5
305 lbs x 5
345 lbs x 9 reps (slightly better)

Not much energy for anything really, hamstring curl x 2 sets and tricep pushdowns x 3 sets. That was it. Embarrassing.

When I got home - moderately heavy cable pulling session:

Overhead downward pull GYG x 5, RGR x 5 reps (hard after the upper body work)
Front chest pull RYR x 10 reps
Multi-directional archer pull - 4 directions, 2 reps each arm. Some of these are incredibly tough, so I only used two oranges.

5/3/1 Program - Week 37, Day 3

15 May 2010

Back squat:

Warmup 3 sets
135 kgs (298 lbs) x 5
153 kgs (337 lbs) x 3
168 kgs (370 lbs) x 5 (definitely need a spotter as the squats get heavier)

Deep squats 2 inches below parallel - worked up to 135 kgs (298 lbs) for one rep. These are absolute murder after the regular squats.

Good mornings: 50 kgs (110 lbs) x 12, 80 kgs (176 lbs) x 8, 100 kgs (221 lbs) x 4

Hanging leg raises 3 sets x 15 reps

A few sets of curls. I have noticed that curls help with keeping tendinitis at bay.

Cable Training - Push Session

14 May 2010

Back press GYG x 10 reps
Worked on some isometric pushes with triple greens - still no success.

One-arm overhead press GRG x 10 reps
Hit the shoulders and triceps nicely after yesterday's barbell pressing.

Front lateral raise double red x 10 reps
Pumped the shoulders with a lighter resistance (still staying away from the yellow cables whenever I can)

Archer pull ROR x 10 reps each arm
Strong pulling with the triceps, nice clean repetitions.

5/3/1 Program - Week 37, Day 2

13 May 2010

Today I almost met with failure on the 5/3/1 program. Clean&press was on the menu, max weight for this cycle. Warmed up and the weight felt light. Then loaded the bar to working weight (215 lbs.), grabbed it, pulled and stalled just above the abdomen. Made another attempt - failed again.

I probably failed 6-8 power cleans, the bar was just not going up into the rack position. But I did not give up, and it paid off. On the 9th or 10th attempt I gave it a huge heave and the bar ended up in position before I even knew it. I managed two reps (one good and one wobbly) and finished this press cycle with a success. Not to mention a personal best.

Clean&Press:

Warmup 2 sets (DBs)
170 lbs x 5
190 lbs x 3
215 lbs x 2 reps (PR)

Then did some isometric pulls from the sticking point of my clean. I could barely hold 110 lbs. for the prescribed length of time, which means that all heavy cleans are carried past this point on pure momentum. I will keep doing isos from this position until my strength catches up. I used the Smith machine and a few plates (bar weighs nothing on a Smith machine), so it looked pretty pathetic. Oh well. If I fail to address this problem my clean and press will stall pretty soon.

Some easy assistance work:

Hamstring curl 2 sets

Weighted abdominal work on incline board 3 sets

HammerStrength row machine 2 sets

Dips BW 2 sets

Strict EZ bar curl 4 sets, progressing up to 110 lbs.

Cable Training - Pull Session

12 May 2010

Some more cable pulls, experimenting with the green cables now that I only have 2 yellows (and I don't really trust these 2 - could break anytime). I have found that the green cables are much tougher than the yellows, i.e. they do not follow the standard progression curve from oranges to reds to yellows. Hence what is supposed to be the same total resistance is slightly higher when greens are used.

Overhead downward pull GYG x 10 reps

Front chest pull RGR x 10 reps

Straight-arm front pulldown RRR x 5, ROR x 2, ORO x 3 reps

Bicep curl OOO x 10 reps (elbows felt slightly sore, so no going "heavy")

Also still no reply from Lifeline regarding my complaint.

5/3/1 Program - Week 37, Day 1

10 May 2010

Didn't get much sleep last night and felt rather shitty today. Plus all the work I did over the weekend (cutting down a few small trees and digging up the stumps) left its mark - my hands feel like two pieces of meat. Just did the 2 main lifts and some light assistance.

Bench press:

Warmup 2 sets
235 lbs x 5
270 lbs x 3
300 lbs x 5 reps (heck yeah)

Deadlift:

Warmup 1 set
295 lbs x 5
335 lbs x 3
375 lbs x 5 reps (with the state my lower back was in, this is an awesome result)

Dips BW x 5 sets x 10 reps (no energy for the weighted stuff)

Weighted situps 3 sets

Hamstring curl 3 sets

Heavy curls 5 sets / Tricep pushdowns 5 sets

5/3/1 Program - Week 36, Day 3

7 May 2010

Back squat:

125 kgs (276 lbs) x 3
143 kgs (315 lbs) x 3
161 kgs (355 lbs) x 9 reps (not bad, no spotter again)

Then worked on the deep squats (2 inches below parallel), worked up to 130 kgs (287 lbs).

Good-morning:

50 kgs (110 lbs) x 12
70 kgs (154 lbs) x 10
90 kgs (198 lbs) x 6 reps

I've been having some recurring tendinitis issues (from the pullups - I just shouldn't do high-volume pullups, I need to realize this), so only did 2 sets x 12 reps of the hanging leg raise, finished off with 4 sets of weighted ab work.

Cable Training - Pull Session and a Mishap

6 May 2010

One of my yellow Lifelines broke today as I was warming up for the overhead downward pull. Didn't hurt anything, but I was sort of pissed off. I guess the yellows have taken more than their fair share of abuse, but I've had them for less than a year. Inspected the other ones and one of the greens has a large tear in its side too. That's unacceptable, as the greens are practically new - got them about a month ago. I will definitely complain.

However, this forced me to grind out some "heavy" reps for a PR:

Overhead downward pull YGY x 10 reps

Front chest pull two greens x 10 (went a bit lighter on this exercise, also was checking the remaining 2 cables for tears throughout the range of motion)

Straight-arm front pulldown ROR x 10 reps

Back press GYG x 10 reps, triple G is almost there (although I'm a bit wary because of the tear).

5/3/1 Program - Week 36, Day 2

5 May 2010

Did the overhead pressing as scheduled, then just a bunch of stuff for weak bodyparts and general conditioning.

Clean&Press:

Warmup 2 sets
165 lbs x 3
185 lbs x 3
205 lbs x 4 reps (didn't beat last attempt at this weight, but still managed to hit the program requirement)

Hamstring curl 3 sets

Pullups 8 sets x 5 reps

Leg press 445 lbs x 10, 535 lbs x 8, 625 lbs x 15 reps

Weighted situps on incline board 3 sets

Seated shoulder press (machine) 3 progressively heavier sets

One-Arm Cable Deadlifts

4 May 2010

More one arm cable deadlifts with the looped doubled TNT cables. This is one hell of a grip exercise. Used the yellow cable (quadrupled) with the handle and bend wrapped in a small towel for 5x5, then blue cable for 3x3 (really hard). I will definitely keep doing these.

Tried doing some cable pulls too with the chest expander cables, but the upper back muscles are too sore from yesterday and the strength is just not there.

5/3/1 Program - Week 36, Day 1

3 May 2010

Felt like shit, okay lifting in the end.

Bench press:

Warmup 1 set
225 lbs x 3
250 lbs x 3
285 lbs x 7 reps (nice)

Deadlift:

Warmup 2 sets
275 lbs x 3
315 lbs x 3
355 lbs x 9 reps (also not too bad)

Dips:

BW x 10
+45 lbs x 8
+70 lbs x 6
+80 lbs x 5
+90 lbs x 4
+100 lbs x 3
+110 lbs x 2 (must be a PR)

Bent-over row:

135 lbs x 5
185 lbs x 5
205 lbs x 5
235 lbs x 5
255 lbs x 3
275 lbs x 3 (crap form, lower back was already seizing up)

Didn't feel like doing shit after this, so shot some hoops for about 15 minutes afterwards. Good session.

At home:

Chest expander up-right row 2 sets x 12
Chest expander bicep curl 2 sets x 12
Situps 2 sets x 20