I had a hockey game Saturday and I took a slapshot to the knee. The exact spot where there is not much protection. Had to skate off cause I couldnt stand on it. Took a second to get back out there. Was black and blue and kind of sore, not sure if this was cause of what transpired...

Intensity Day

Squat
1x10x45
1x5x135
1x3x185
1x2x250
1x2x320
1x1x320

Fail City. No idea what was going on. Slept okay, but maybe wasnt eating enough. Was a shocker because 315 felt good, but it was awhile since I squatted. Almost two weeks.

Press

1x10x45
1x5x65
1x3x85
1x2x105
1x5x125

Felt good. 135 here we come.

Deadlift

2x5x125
1x3x185
1x2x265
1x5x315

This was heavier than I expected. The last rep was a bit of a struggle, and I could tell I had some excessive lean back to lock it out. Was a shock on how heavy it was, given this was part of a reset. Need a video soon.

Kroc Rows
1x7x35
1x15x70

I realized that this should have been done on a different day. Not sure what I was thinking.

After my workout, if I dont eat at home, I either go to Chipolte and get a bowl with double chicken or an amazing burger from Five Guys. Since I had Five Guys the last couple times, went to Chipolte. Biggest mistake ever. I woke up in the middle of the night with the *****. Stomach felt like hell, went back to bed and woke up with my guts killing me. I never puked so violently in my life. Every ounce of that meal came shooting back up. Pretty sure it was food poisoning (ldo). Spent the day sleeping and not eating much. Intro to when I cut, not looking forward to this.

Its been a while since I updated my log, and I've still been at it all this time, but I'm lazy. But I wanted to start keeping track of things better and receive feedback. Here we go again.

Update

it looks like my last update was when I had food poisoning, which was when I started my cut. The cut went fine (went from 190 down to 170), the lifts didnt. Long story short, I've been doing 531 for about 6 months now. I guess I should probably explain why I'm doing 531 so early. I was on SS, and then TM. Took a bit of a break, puked my guts out from food poisoning, and started a cut. After my break and starting my cut, i jumped back into TM and I was having a real problem progressing. My lifts came to a screeching halt when I started to cut. I was eating about 3k cals a day and when I started to cut was eating 1500-2000. So then HalfSlant suggested a modified version of SS, 2 days a week with weekly progression. Worked for a while but started to halt again. Then he suggested 531, I read the book and gave it a shot. Been able to progress while still cutting. And even though I'm not really cutting any more, I like it a lot, so I'm sticking with it.

An important note, I'm not doing the deload week. My understanding is the deload is to let the body recover. However, I dont feel like its needed for me right now.

I did BBB this past month, and went well for the most part. I just had my 531 week and here are the numbers:

Press: 1+2x140
Deadlift: 1+2x350
Bench: 1+2x165 (should have been 5)*
Squat: 1+2x315

No idea why 3 reps was the magic number.

Next round of assistance work
Its really easy to get wrapped up in assistance work and lose focus. The focus always needs to be on the 4 main lifts. Someone who is far more advanced than me can spend hours on figuring out their assistance work. I'm just going to take a Triumvirate approach this month, and focus on "standard" movements.

Press - pull ups and dips
Deadlift - power cleans and GHR
Bench - chin ups and dips
Squat - front squats and GHR

Trying to keep the sets and reps to around 3x10 for most (for PC just going to do 5x3). I'm not really sure on front squats, from what I've read in SS triples are usually best? Not sure on this one.

Just completed my 531 week, so I'll be in the gym on Monday.

*My bench sucks as you can tell. 99% sure my form sucks.

Press - 5

Press
150 1RM
warm up
5x45
5x60
5x75
3x90
work sets
5x100
5x115
4x130

For the first time since I started 5/3/1, I failed a set. It felt like one of those days in the gym where my warm ups felt heavy. Hopefully it was just Due to lack of sleep/food/WIM. I'm going to go on like normal, and if something else happens where I fail, will reset.

Assistance work

Pull ups
3x5xBW
1x3xBW
1x2xBW

Dips
5x10xBW

last rep of the last set was no joke.

Face pulls
3x10x70

Deadlift - 5

Deadlift
370 1RM
warm up
5x150
5x185
3x225
work sets
5x245
5x280
5x315

Felt okay for the most part. Form wise I think my DL's are the worst. Really cant prove that without a vid so I plan on getting one on my 5/3/1 day.

Assistance work

Power Cleans
5x3x135

Pretty rusty on these, but still completed them. I was going to put on more weight, but played it safe since its been a while.

GHR
5x10xBW

Might start adding weight soon. I'm thinking about doing RDL's instead of GHR since I'm already doing GHR on squat day.

Roman Chair Sit Ups
3x10xBW+25

Bench Press - 5

Bench
5x45
5x65
5x85
3x95
work sets
5x115
5x135
7x150

Assistance Work

Chin ups
8
6
5
Hammer grip
5
4

Dips
3x10xBW

Kroc Rows

1x20x85

Are you lifting for a sport?

7x150? now were getting somewhere

Correct me if I'm wrong, but if you're getting 5 reps in week 1 and 3 in week 3, you're setting your lift maxes too high. Remember you should base your 1RM (Wendler's "training max") on 90% of actual 1RM.

So say your actual 1RM for DLs is 375. 90% of that is 337. 85% of that is to be used on the last set of week 1, i.e. 287 (let's say 290). This will usually entail 8-10 reps on week 1, a bit less as you start stalling (don't add too much each cycle).

From your numbers I'm guessing you base your work on actual 1RM and not 90% of 1RM, something Wendler stresses a lot.


RDLs are good, but 5x10 might be a bit much imo.

I don't think thats true. I think what happened is he started with the training max, but has been doing 5/3/1 for quite a while now, and has been adding 5/10 lbs to the "max" every month, without ever actually testing it.

Not really. I play rec sports (hockey, golf, softball) so its nice to have some carry over, but I dont train for them specifically.

Yeah exactly. So when I started, I used the 90%. But I've been doing 5/3/1 since April, so now my 90% 1RM may or may not be what I'm going off of. I should probably test my 1RM soon for all lifts.

Squat - 5

Squat
warm up
5x45
5x135
5x170
3x205
work sets
5x225
5x255
5x290

Felt pretty good. 290 was kind of heavy, probably could have squeezed out 1 more, but 7AM squats are no fun.

Assistance Work

Front Squats
5x3x185

Jim always puts assistance work at 5x10. But I went with 5x3 for these with heavier weight. Not sure if thats really a deal breaker.

GHR
4x10xBW

Ah of course, explains it perfectly. Afaik this is how Wendler recommends you should do it. Can't recall ATM when he recommends you reset, probably before you only get 1 rep on the 5/3/1 week?

When you fail, thats when its reset time. So I think its natural if you get 1 on the 5/3/1 week, the next month you're going to start failing. I failed my press a couple days ago, but I'm going to keep going with it to see if I fail any more. Hopefully it was just some other factor (food/sleep/WIM).

Yeah, idk. I don't have much experience with 5/3/1 regarding if you are actually getting enough volume to progress when you are only doing 5+0, 3+0 and 1+0 for a month.

I always get 1+ something. It would only make sense to me if you only got 1 on 5/3/1 week, if you add 5-10lbs the next workout will be fail city. From what I've read, when you fail a workout, reset. Might read over the book again and see if I missed something.

Maybe this is where BBB comes in handy, even if you fail, still getting volume in. But it can be Brutal But Big imo.

For the past couple of months I've been throwing around the idea of doing a PL comp in March. March because it would mark 2 years since I started lifting. Figured it would be pretty cool. So then I had the following conversation with my brother yesterday:

me: "i think i might do a comp in march, not sure yet"
bro: "what kind?"
me: "powerlifting"
bro: "hah! what the hell are you gonna powerlift??"

Needless to say, motivation and WIM are at an all time high.

I found the following PL meet in April:

http://www.powerliftingwatch.com/pow...4thannualPower

Results from last year:

http://www.rychlakpowersystems.com/M.../PP132011.html

My plan would be:

Weight division - 165
1st attempt - 1 number from March 5/3/1 day.
2nd Attempt - calculated 1RM based on numbers reached on 5/3/1.
3rd Attempt - balls to the wall.

According to my excel sheet, here is what my 1 numbers would be in march for 5/3/1 week:
Squat - 355
Bench - 185
Deadlift - 380

Press - 3

Press
warm up
5x45
5x75
3x85
3x95
work sets
3x105
3x120
3x135

That last rep was such a grind. 5/3/1 day is going to be interesting.

Assistance Work

Pull-ups
5
5
4
3
3

Dips
5x5xBW+25

Face Pulls
5x10x80

Deadlift - 3

Deadlift
warm up
5x145
5x185
3x225
work sets
3x260
3x300
5x335

I really concentrated on my form today. I should always focus on form, but today I was just mega focused and it went great. The only time where form was breaking was on the last 2 reps of 335, they were grindy. But overall, great deadlifts.

Assistance Work

Power Clean
5x3x135

Some went great, some could have been better.

GHR
5x10xBW

Adding weight next time. Feels good, and feels a little too "easy".

Forgot to update for my bench and squat days...

Bench - 3

Bench
warm up
5x45
5x75
5x90
3x105
work sets
3x125
3x140
5x160

Felt good. My 1 number next week is 170. I'm going to get 5 if its the last thing i do.

Assistance Work

Chin-ups
9
5
5
5
4

Dips
5x5xBW+25




Squat - 3

Awful day in the gym. I haven't had a really bad day lifting for a while, so maybe I was due. Woke up feeling kind of sick, got to the gym late, felt rushed around. Nothing really felt right right, even when warming up. I just felt "off"

Squat
warm up
5x135
5x175
3x225
work sets
3x240
Fx275 miss **
3x275
3x310

**I came out of the pocket with the weight on my toes (F). I tried it fix it on the way up, but the damage was done, I had to dump the weight. I was pretty annoyed/pissed/embarrassed that happened. It was 275, should be able to do this in my sleep. At this point I was sitting there contemplating what to do, finish my WO or just chalk it up as a loss. Said **** it, loaded the weight back and finished everything. Although I should have been able to get 3+, at that point I just focused on finish my prescribed sets.

Assistance Work

Front Squats
5x3x185

GHR
3x10xBW

Press - 5/3/1

Press
warm up
5x45
5x60
5x75
3x90
work sets
5x115
3x130
Fx145
Fx145

Totally missed 145. I got it around my forehead area and it wouldn't budge. Gave it a 2nd try thinking it nerves or something, but no dice. What I'm going to do is do the de-load week for all lifts, and not increase any weight on press. If I fail again, will scale back as Jim explains in the book. Also going to go back to BBB for press, except use DB's.

Assistance Work

Chin ups
5x5xBW

Dips
3x10xBW

Deadlift - 5/3/1

Deadlift
warm up
5x145
5x185
3x225
work sets
5x280
3x315
4x350 (PR)

Felt great. I always got stuck on 5x335, also weighed about 20-25lbs more, so this felt awesome. Really wish I could have hit 5 reps tho. Rep 4 was pretty grindy. Going to keep going with the same assistance work.

Assistance Work

Power Cleans
5x3x135

GHR
5x5xBW+25lbs

Cleans before DL IMO

Another early morning workout, going to see Loius C.K. tonight (brag?).

Bench - 5/3/1

Bench
warm up
5x45
5x70
5x85
3x105
work sets
5x135
3x150
3x170

Was kind of bummed I didnt get 5, but I'll get it next month. Still felt like a good set, just couldn't squeeze out the last 2 reps.

Assistance Work

Chins
3x5xBW

Felt kind of drained/fatigued from the bench set so I didnt do a full 5x5 or more.

Dips
5x5xBW+25lbs

Squat - 5/3/1

Squat
warm up
5x45
5x135
5x170
3x205
work sets
5x250
3x290
3x325

Felt pretty good, need some squat volume up in here imo. Lower back muscle on the right side felt weird after 5x250, continued throughout the WO. Not sure what thats about...

Assistance Work

Front Squat
3x3x185

GHR
3x5xBW+25lbs

Wrap up
Press: Failed 145
Deadlift: 4x350
Bench: 3x170
Squat: 3x325

Press/Deadlift - Deload

Press
5x60
5x75
5x90

Deadlift
5x150
5x185
5x225

In and out within 30 minutes including my warm up routine. Probably a good idea I'm doing the deload week. Been going strong since July, so maybe its a good thing to take it easy?