Bench Press
3x195
3x225
9x247

DB Rows
3x20x90

Some Pull-ups

Tricep Pushdowns
3x20x120

Different machine and the weight was weird. Similar weight to previous weeks


Also, I've been biking 2 or 3 days a week for the last 3 but am too lazy to figure out how far or to record it.

RPAC has a reverse hyper?

JO North does. I worked out there most of the time so that I could use the platform for DL's or PC's. Plus it was a 30 second walk instead of 8 minutes. I went to rpac anytime I wanted to use a belt (Heavy squats, OHP).

I sprained my wrist doing who knows what on Friday. It was ridiculously painful yesterday and is still mildly painful today. Hopefully it feels better by Tuesday so I can press.

Squats
5x295
3x340
7x370

I should have cut this at 6. I'm glad I was alone in the gym since I spent the next 5 minutes just lying on a nearby bench.

Walking 370 out felt really heavy. My one criticism of 5/3/1 up to this point is the lack of heavier weights throughout the cycle. Although, I'm only on my second cycle though so the weights are still pretty light compared to my maximal efforts and why I'm getting big numbers for my final sets.

Reverse Hypers
3x12x50

Lunges
2x40m w/ 70 pound punching bag over shoulders.

Abs

As dumb as it sounds, I'm going to start watching what I eat a little bit. I've been up to 172 for the past couple weeks and just snacking way too much while studying. I basically need to stop eating when I'm not hungry. Protein has been good which I'm happy about but I've been having too many 4k+ cal days where protein is still only 200.

I don't like not being able to run or my quads yelling at me on minor hills when I've been biking. I guess at this point I don't want to get any heavier.

OHP
5x135
3x155
5x170

Shrugs
3x20x225

Incline DB Bench
2x18x50
15x50

Tricep Extensions
2x15x50
12x50

Chest Supported Row
3x12x45

Super light. Pretty much did them just because my upper back felt tight.

Pull-ups
4x10

Jump Rope

Deadlift
5x295
3x335
7x375

GHR
3x12xBW

KB Swings
3x12x2p

Tire Flips
5x335?
3x5x445

Some Muscle-Ups and Abs stuff on rings

Double Unders
Got like 15 at one point. Still suck terribly at them

Bench
5x205
3x235
6x260

DB Rows
2x20x100

Tricep Pushdowns
2x12x50

Bicep Curls
2x12x30

Metcon
3 rounds of:
High Prowler Push w/ 70#
5 Burpees
Low Prowler Push w/ 70#
5 24" Box Jumps

Hell. I was having trouble jumping up to the 24" box after the low prowler push.

Deaload Week

Squat
5x 155,195,235

Lunges
3x8x75

Abs

What are your overall thoughts on 5/3/1 so far? I was thinking of running it when I get back to school in sept.

I've only done two cycles so I'm not 100% sure what I think yet tbh.

I do like that its just one "big" exercise each day. I can enter the gym and hit my main lift hard without worrying that I still have 3x5 of something else and will be too fatigued to do it. That's not to say that the accessory work I've been doing is easy because it does take a lot out of me at times. However, its just different. The last sets of the 5/3/1 protocol are the worst, in a good way.

The volume on the main lifts is probably too low for optimal strength gains at this point in my lifting career but I like the fact that I can easily get in and out of the gym in an hour if that's what I want to do. This is going to be key once I start working. I do need to figure out a way to work in some O-lifts once my wrist heals and I feel like the main program does a god job of giving you the freedom to do what you want on the side.

I'm really not worried about trying to squat 500#. If that was the goal, I probably wouldn't be running 5/3/1 cycles and probably wouldn't be high bar squatting. In the end, I think its a solid program which I can enjoy doing for a long time.

Thanks man, appreciate it. Ya I was looking at it and my main concern was that the loads just don't seem heavy enough for optimal strength gains. But I do agree with you that its nice to be able to focus on one big lift each workout, and that you can work each big lift in the same cycle.

Did OHP deload and accessory on Wed.

All I remember was 6x10 CTB Pull-ups

Today

Deadlift and Bench Deload

Fran w/ CTB Pull-Ups
3:38

Since I'm much stronger thrusters were probably 10x easier than in January. I think I did something like 21-(12/9)-(9/6)-15-9-(7/2) with the first pull-ups being broken more for strategical reasons rather than because of fatigue. Transitions were garbage since I'm out of shape. This was 1:05 faster than in January when I did regular pull-ups.

Well done!

Why didn't you scale up the thrusters to 50kg or something as well?

Because I don't hate myself.

Any time I've done thrusters in the past I remember them being absolute hell even at 95lbs.

Honestly though, its been a while since I've done any and I had no clue that they were going to be as "easy" as they were due to a stronger squat and press. I think having a better understanding of how to transition from the FS to the push press helped as well.

I may torture myself and see what I can do in the Air Force WOD that wrecked me a while back.

Or you could try the Kalsu Wod!

0% chance

New Cycle

Using:
Squat 400
OHP 185
Deadlift 405
Bench 280

Squat
5x260
5x300
10x340

I did 10x350 during the last cycle. I did a ton of walking and driving this weekend and I still didn't feel great. However, WIM was low and I feel like I should have been able to do another rep. I guess I also weigh like 4 lbs less right now which may have something to do with it.

Lunges
3x8x135

Reverse Hypers
3x12x50

Did the 50r/50l 1arm KB swings that J brown wrote about in his log as my metcon-ish thing of the day. I used the 1p and pretty much agree with everything he said.

I probably won't lift again until Friday.

i am going to try and get 50/50 with a 1.5pd later in the week.

i fully expect to sail the failboat on this one.

nice work on all your stuff!

I picked up the 1.5 did like 2 swings and put it down. Fresh maybe. After squatting for the first time in a while and having walked a zillion miles this weekend(lol at being sore from walking), definitely not.

Jay-

10x340?

Seriously?

What am I doing wrong?!

Im working 5x315 and I want more.

Whats the secret?

The secret is having no regard for your own body.

Seriously, I hate every squat and deadlift workout of 5/3/1 because the last set just ruins me. I now realize that when I thought I was shot on some of my 3x5x??? I had at least a rep left and maybe 2.

During today's example, I started to lose rep 7 forward and wanted to just call it quits at that point but did 3 more reps obviously hating every single one of them.

Also, imo, if your not grunting like a fool your not trying hard enough.

What is recovery like for you?

I sure hope you are in pain. Cause I am.

Im still dont know how you do it. Its good to know you kill yourself though. I have been quitting before I give myself a chance to do the last rep or two, since I know 75% of the time I'm failing it. I need to get my grunt on more.

Good stuff man..

I wouldn't say I'm in pain. Although, I've gotten pretty used to being sore over the course the last decade.

Played 90min of Ultimate on Wednesday and did Tabata push-ups on Thursday. I could still out sprint the tiny runners most of the time and had a sick first few steps to get in the passing lane for some nice knockdowns. I'm pretty sure my vertical is also slightly better.

Tried to game the tabata and failed pretty miserably. I'm much more top heavy than in past attempts and locked up pretty bad on 5th set. Numbers were something like 20-20-20-20-13-9-8-9-7.

OHP
5x120
5x140
8x157

I was incredibly happy with these especially since I only weighed 164 when I woke up this morning and played razz until 2am last night. Barely ate Tues-Thurs this week as well. The advantage of being so skinny was 1 hole tighter and a very very snug fit on the belt.

Incline DB Bench
3x15x50

Metcon
Air Force WOD (Previous attempt 9:57)
4 Burpees on the minute
20 each of 95#: Thrusters, SDHP, Push Press, OHS, FS

6:53

As Thremp has said, the best way to get better at CF isn't doing CF.

I messed up in a couple of spots on this WOD:

- I bitched out on the PP dropping after 10 instead of pausing on shoulders which gave me only 5 sec of recovery going into the 3rd minute of burpees which then began to take 20-30 sec to get back to the bar.

-I went over in the 4th minute on OHS and did 12 of which I only counted 10. I was guessing at how many I could get in and by the time I dropped the bar the clock read 4:03.

-I tried to transition from a rack position to the bar just resting on my shoulders for the front squat and lost the bar after 2 costing me probably 30 seconds in the end because of the extra transition and demotivation caused by still having to do 10 more FSs after my last set of burpees instead of maybe 3-5.

I proceeded to lie on the ground for a good 5 minutes after this as my legs refused to function. I think the OHS were now actually the 2nd easiest part of this for me (since I messed up the FS) which is funny considering how they wrecked me the last time. The car ride home was hell as my head was hurting a ridiculous amount.

TLDR

Deadlift
5x265
5x305
11x345

GHR
3x12xBW

KB Snatches
5x1p
5x1.5p
2x2p R 1x2p L

Weight has been in the 164-165 range down from 171-172 like 3(?) weeks ago.

Bench
5x185
5x215
8x238

Dumbell Rows
3x15x100

I was having trouble holding it with my right because I dislocated my pinky yesterday and didn't have straps so I lowered the reps.

Tricep Pushdowns
20x45
15x55
12x65

Muscle-Ups
6x3

Hang Cleans
3x3x135