No worries. I have not tried that. I always figured I wouldn't be able to reach depth that way. Maybe now with lifting shoes I could give it a shot.

5/3/1 OHP C6 week 3 TM145/66
Tuesday, 18 April 2017 at 21:47

Overhead Press 5/3/1
Set 1: 50 kg × 5
Set 2: 56 kg × 3
Set 3: 62,5 kg × 1
Set 4: 50 kg × 5
Set 5: 50 kg × 5
Set 6: 50 kg × 6

Pulldown (Neutral Grip)
Set 1: 59 kg × 10
Set 2: 59 kg × 10
Set 3: 59 kg × 11

Close grip Bench Press
Set 1: 62,5 kg × 8
Set 2: 62,5 kg × 8
Set 3: 62,5 kg × 13

Pendlay Row
Set 1: 62,5 kg × 10
Set 2: 62,5 kg × 10
Set 3: 62,5 kg × 10
Set 4: 62,5 kg × 10
Set 5: 62,5 kg × 10

Face Pull
Set 1: 20 kg × 13
Set 2: 20 kg × 15

Barbell Curl
Set 1: 25 kg × 13
Set 2: 25 kg × 13
Set 3: 25 kg × 12

Tricep overhead extension
Set 1: 20 kg × 15
Set 2: 20 kg × 15
Set 3: 20 kg × 15

https://strong.app.link/t6duqMiUrC

Pretty great workout. Press felt heavy as sh*t and misgrooved so only got the one rep, but I had lots of energy even after feeling tired/hungry most of the day. Supersetted everything and was done in like 50 minutes.

Also surprised myself on cgbp, new setup with flat feet seems to help tremendously here. Last week I struggled with 8-8-10 @60kg, this week 8-8-13 @62,5kg felt easy. Probably had 2 more on the repout. Probably bumping to 70kg next week.

I had almost forgot dieting sucks, even though it's pretty easy for a forever skinny like me. It must really be horrible for people who aren't as blessed with low appetite. It's pretty manageable for me not eating until around 2-3pm, but definitely noticing a drop in energy levels. It helps I never binge, at all. Also drinking a lot more water which is good.

A lot of people can't. They need a wider stance in order to open their hips. So with a closer stance, they end up leaning forward and "feeling" like they are going deeper, but they aren't.

I always felt stronger with a closer stance, and when I was starting out, it helped me control knee cave. Other lifters here, such as BooktoMarket, use a very close stance.

It might not be right for you at all, but maybe worth trying out.

I'm squatting tomorrow, I'll give it a shot

5/3/1 Squat C6 week 3 TM297,5/135
Wednesday, 19 April 2017 at 21:55

Squat 5/3/1
Set 1: 102,5 kg × 5
Set 2: 115 kg × 3
Set 3: 127,5 kg × 2 smh
Set 4: 102,5 kg × 5
Set 5: 102,5 kg × 5
Set 6: 102,5 kg × 5

Back Raise
Set 1: 30 kg × 16
Set 2: 30 kg × 16
Set 3: 30 kg × 16
Set 4: 30 kg × 16
Set 5: 30 kg × 16

Leg Extension
Set 1: 64 kg × 12
Set 2: 64 kg × 12
Set 3: 64 kg × 14

Seated Calf Raise
Set 1: 60 kg × 15
Set 2: 60 kg × 15
Set 3: 60 kg × 13

https://strong.app.link/vYLOCTXztC

More pathetic squatting. I feel like I lost all progress I made in the last half year in a matter of weeks. Not even 2 months ago I squatted 9x127,5 and even more recently 3x140. Something is wrong. It's partly my diet for sure but since I've not even been cutting 1 week that can't be all. Is my programming off? I feel like maybe I should squat more often. Is my volume too low? Too high? If someone could shed light on this that would be awesome. WIM at lowest point it's been in a while.

@BustoRhymes, I tried close stance squatting. Felt ok and depth/mobility is no issue by the looks of it. Still get knee caving though. Tips to solve this? Glute work? Band around knees when squatting? Something else?

Maybe opt for more manly secondary work. Replace the hack squats on DL day with paused or tempo squats, replace the back raises on squat day with something more closely resembling a deadlift.

Rav,

Well, in the paraphrased and probably incorrectly recalled words of kidcolin, for most people, secondary work is FPS. The solution is to squat more so that the relevant musculature will develop.

Paused squats look good, but you are cheating a little by mini bouncing instead of pausing in the hole.

Squats seem way too narrow.

Wasn't there something at your previous gym where the weights weren't measuring up or something? That + some time off + you look a little tentative could explain most of it, no? Plus going back to (it looks like) HBBS?

And yes, squat more. Shockingly my squat has improved, if slightly, using this revolutionary tactic.

Monte,

Narrow stance was an experiment as per Busto's idea. Felt fine. Why are you opposed to them?
The weights I mentioned were all in new gym, but granted 9x127,5 was lowbar. Still a massive difference though.

Busto,

I didn't notice the mini-bounce. Will pay attention to that.

So yea I'm going to change things up a bit to squat more. I'm going to have to reduce deadlift volume tho since with this volume I'm absolutely fried afterwards. I don't think I could squat anything decent with good form afterwards. Maybe I'm just being a little b*tch tho. Honestly maybe I'm just gonna throw them out altogether because I don't need them for my goals and I only did them because I enjoyed them but lately I'm not even enjoying them.

I'll think about this some more.

rAv,

As a fellow tall, I get experimenting with stance width/foot angle, but with your toes that forward and your stance that narrow, it increases your ROM by a decent amount because there's no decrease in the effective length of your femur that way. Plus, at that stance width, you look super unsteady.

I'd suggest a bit lighter and your toes out a bit more and see how that feels? I don't have a good idea how narrow you were squatting before, but you always looked confident and in control from what I remember, and here you really seem unsure and wobbly.

Narrow stance was just a suggestion to see if that helped him control his knee cave. The increased ROM is fine if it made him more stable and stronger.

But we might be getting to the point of too many cooks in the kitchen. Ultimately, you need to find what works for you. Don't let us give you so much advice that you experience the dreaded Paralysis from Analysis.

I was wondering when that line was going to come up, yes.

I'm trying not to be overbearing or annoying, but I'll shut up regardless.

No need to shut up, I appreciate all input.
Do you guys have any other suggestions what to so about this knee cave?

Monte, don't be like that. No one's telling you to shut up or anything else. Avoiding PfA is one more piece of advice. I am aware of the irony.

I'm not being "like that"; I was being sincere and not at all butthurt. Lots of people are chiming in, and I agree that can tend to be not productive. You're surely a more valuable resource, so I have no problem homerhedging.gif for the time being.

https://bretcontreras.com/knee-valgu...lexion-drills/

5/3/1 sucks for progress on the main lifts, and the reason it is obsolete as a program for those who want to maximise squat-bench-deadlift progress. Not to say it isnt appropriate for different goals, but... leg extensions? Calf raises? How about actually picking accessories that address your weaknesses?

But on a different note, did you think you'd keep making beginner-like progress for ever? There are some dark times coming, son.

In my experience, for "intermediate" level lifters, 5/3/1 is hit and miss for squats, but decent for slow progress on bench, press and dead.

Also in my experience, squat tanks hardest after even a short break. I get the feeling this effect is especially pronounced for talls\skinnys\ectos who suck at squatting in the first place.

I see your point. Do you have suggestions for more appopriate programming? Should I ditch 5/3/1 altogether? I feel like I want to try something with more frequency for the squat/bench, not sure about deadlift. Keep in mind I also have BB goals so probably have to look at some sort of hybrid or "powerbuilding" as kids these days seem to call it.

Obv I wasn't expecting beginner progress forever, but I'm barely even intermediate imo. I feel like at the very least I shouldn't be going backwards as hard as I am.

Yes that seems to be my experience as well. Even after deloading my squat seems to take a bit of a hit.


I feel like I need/want to study up on programming so eventually I can just start programming for myself and not f*ck things up. Anyone have a good complete source that covers this stuff?

GSLP fan club checking in

GSLP does look like it ticks most of the boxes for me