Thread: First Journal entry

My first journal entry, will try to keep it current

I am in week 2 of my first attempt at 531

Catch-up

Body weight 190

Thurdsay Dec 1

Military Press Day

63lbsx3, 72Lbs,x3, 81 (actually 85lbs) x 6, (easy)
Accessory lifts;Again Military press 55lbsx10x3, Barbell Rows 65lbsx10x3, Barbell curls, 55x10x3



Today Saturday Dec 3

Deadlift day

I decided to do Cleans today first just worked my way up to a comfortable not hard weight several sets of 5 then 3 then 1 ending up with 120lbs
Deadlifts 157lbsx3, 180x3, 202x6,
Front Squats 95x10x3

Nice man. Good luck to you!!! Not familiar with the 531 but I will check it out since so many are getting on it.

Hello Thanks I am new to the "Wendler 5/3/1" as well. Lots of folks here speak highly of it.

No Hockey today so I hit the gym

Bench Press Day

BP; 84lbsx3, 96lbsx3, 108lbs x 6 (easy)
Pull ups (Band Assists), 3 sets of 6 combination of Red/black band (FN hard)
Triceps Cable pull downs 3 sets of 12 60lbs (easy)
Row 1000m on the concept 2 rower

Squat day will be Tuesday or Wednesday

Squat Day today

This was day 4, Finishing week 2 of my first cycle, start week 3 as early as tomorrow with mil press.

Body weight 190lbs. 5'11"

HB-Back Squat; 45lbsx5, 45lbsx5, 95lbsx5, 115lbsx5, 135lbsx4, Wk sets; 144lbsx3, 165x3, 186x4,
Leg Press 90 lbs (2x45 plates) x10...x5
Overhead kettle bell lunges 15lbs, 20x3

Military Press Day

35lbsx5, 35lbsx5, 67lbsx5, 76x3, 85x5

More Military presses

55lbsx10x5

Barbell Rows

65x10x5

5/3/1 Cycle 1, week 3 Bench Press Day

Bench Press 45x5, 45x5, 90x5, 102x3, 114x 4

Accessory Lifts

Bench Press 85x10x5

Ring Rows 3 sets, 8, 7, 5 (this was hard, need to do this to work towards pull ups)

5/3/1 Cycle 1, week 3 Squat day

I began with a warm up of shoveling snow so I could get out of the driveway, was more like push, dip heave. Many sets

Main lift HB-Squats 45x4, 45x5, 95x5, 115x5, 135x3, 155x5. 175x3. 196x1

Accessory; More squats, 95x10x5 I did these faster with more explosiveness, funny how light they felt at the first set.

I cooled down with more sets of shoveling snow

I can start my first de-load week after that.

5/3/1 Cycle 1, week 3 Deload Week, Military Press Day

Main Lift; Military Press; 45x5, 45x5, 54x5,

Accessory Lifts
More Military Presses; 45x10x5

YWTL with yellow band several sets of 5

5/3/1 Cycle 1, week 4 De-load Week, Deadlift Day

Dead lift; 90x5, 112x5, 135x5

Accessory Lifts: More deadlifts 90x10x5, then Clean to a rack position then 10 front squats....65x10x5

This session was notable in that I did this at home with my own new equipment; an IWF dimension American barbell 20kg bar, bumpers, and a platform I built today. The garage all this was in was maybe 34 degrees, a couple of minutes of jumping rope warmed me up pretty good. Got through the session in maybe 30 minutes.

5/3/1 Cycle 1, week 4 De-load Week, Bench press Day

Bench Press 45x5, 45x5, 60x5, 72x5 .....too easy, but I guess it is a deload
Standing lat pull downs 40x10x5...easy
Rowing 500m-1 min rest intervals...x4,
YWTLs with a yellow band....light

5/3/1 Cycle 1, week 4 De-load Week, Squat Day

HB-Back Squats (82)95x5, 103x5, 124x5

Accessory : Overhead kettle bell lunges 15lbs, 20x3

Turned out to be a very good week to de-load christmas week was very quiet low key, so lots of rest

5/3/1 Cycle 2 Week 1, Military Press Day Back to work



Military Press: Working Sets 71x5, 76x5, 80x5

Accessory Lifts

More Military Presses 58x10x5

Barbell Rows 65x10x3

5/3/1 Cycle 2 Week 1 Deadlift day

I do one of the accessories first: Cleans

Cleans; Work up to a reasonably heavy single...just to get ready for the deads, get the blood flowing.
45x5, 45x4, 95x4, 100x4, 110x4, 115x2, 120x1, 127x1, one or two of these were right on the money, the bar felt weightless for second at the turn over and catch, good quick bounce out of the bottom. I could have easily hit 150 or more if I kept going, and could drop the bar (can't here)

5/3/1 Deads Now that I am warmed up straight at it 177x5, 188x5, 200x5

Accessories:
More Deads, 95x10x1, (Add weight..too light) 115x10x4

Chins: 3 sets of as many as I could, i got 3 on the first set then a few negs, then 1 and more negs, the third was all negs maybe 5 I forget. This is real hard work its going to be a work in progress. I am convinced certain muscle groups are not even firing when I am doing this. Frustrating

5/3/1 Cycle 2 Week 1 Bench Press Day

OK despite the fear of how working out night effect my BP I went to the gym today.

Before I went to Bed my resting BP 115/75 HR 71, This morning first thing it was 120/85 HR71

Bench Press 45x5, 45x5 work sets: 94x5, 100x5, 105 (107)x5 Was very aware of how I was breathing, big breath starting top and a little on the way down, exhale on the was up. It was done like a big deep breathing cycle so I may have held my breath for 20% of the 2 second rep. Please comment anyone who has advice here.

Accessory lifts

More Benches 65x10x5 breathing here same as above, kind of like a piston pump.
Trap Bar Farmers walk 110lbs for 300 ft x 3 , first time for this....I like it, had a bit of cardio element to it.
Barbell Bicep Curls 35x10, 45x10, 55x10

I hour after the above, one cup of coffee, food, walk to and from the car in the cold, and a half full bladder the reading and wife giving me the "orders of the day" the reading is 131/84, HR 81

5/3/1 Cycle 2 Week 1 Squat Day

Mild out so i decided to work from home today, so it was out to the garage, 40 degrees.

Door prize; skip rope 180 quick single ups, get the blood pumping , then random squat related stretches

HB-Back Squats, 45x5, 45x5, 95x5, 115x5, work sets 162x5, 173x5, 184x5, (The 173 set was harder than the 184 set)

Accessory Lifts:

More Back Squats 98x10x5

Overhead KB lunges, 25lbs x20x 3

Did 10 minutes on the spin bike

5/3/1 Cycle 2 Week 2 Mil Press Day

Skip rope several sets of screwed up singles could not get my mojo going , various upper body stretches

Mil Press Wk Sets; 76x3, 80x3, 85x3+2

Accessory Work (not feeling strong, so I backed off a little on these, also was not the best bar to use, my favorite was in use with 3/4 squat guy)

More Mil Presses 55x10x5

Barbell Rows 55x10x5

12 minutes on the spin bike easy steady rate.

5/3/1 Cycle 2 Week 2 Deadlift Day

Had to take the week off from the gym due to a cold, so back at it today,

Warm ups were Skip rope, which sucked and I stumbled at. Plus a grab bag of various stretches

As usual to get going I did my accessory sets of cleans first working up to a comfortable easy single, which was 135lbs today, this took about 5 or 6 sets starting at 95 lbs

Deads; 188x3, 199x3, 211x3+1 I did not do a very good job of breathing bracing and following the cues, I could swear something tweaked in my lowest part of my back. I was off the mark today. Hopefully something is not damaged. I might better get some personal coaching next deadlift day. Very disappointing

Accessories

More Deads: 120x10x5
Front Squats 95x8x3

Spin Bike steady slow pace for 15 minutes

5/3/1 Cycle 2 Week 2 Bench Press Day

Yesterday was a 5k walk, took about 54 minutes.

I definitely tweaked my lower back doing deads friday, mildly sore all weekend, but did not seem to effect effort or ROM.

Gym was very busy this morning with all sorts, however I have not been in on a monday early in quite some time, ranks have swelled with resolutioners. I can't wait until I can get going in my garage, where I can listed to old school punk rock and drop my weights.

Main lifts; Bench Press, work sets (80%) 100x3, 85% 107x3, 90% 113x3 (I forgot to do as many as I could here, could have done more 3 more easily in the last set).

Accessories

More Bench Presses 65x10x5

Farmers Carry 155lbs for 30 seconds, rest for 15-20 seconds x 10

No Time for a little cool down cardio.

5/3/1 Cycle 2 Week 2 Squat day

Not so good day today

I decided to get a progress check up from a personal trainer that I have gone to before, very knowledgeable guy

As I got into my second work set 184lbs (85%x3) he stopped me after my 2nd rep because I was struggling with the weight too much and my form was breaking down. I was twisting to my left slightly as I was lifting up and one knee was slightly higher than the other. My warm ups were fine and my first workset of 177 (80%x3) was OK but he could tell and so could I that there was no way I was going to get the 196 x3, with good form. He dropped the weight and had me do 154x5x5 and watched...these were Ok.

He then did a bunch of tests to show I have a some muscle imbalance in my quads (which I am also not using enough as my ass shoots out a little the heavier I go). Gave me a few exercises to help correct the imbalance.

I have to drop way back on my weights (my training max really) and work on form and to even out the imbalances. It was a big reality check.

Going to get him to supervise my dead lifts next.

5/3/1 Cycle 2 Week 3 Military Press Day

Warm up: skip rope, stretches

Working sets 71lbsx5, 80lbsx3, 90lbsx1+2

Accessories

More Military presses, 57x10x5
Barbell Rows 65x10x3
Going to add another accessory next cycle

Spin bake, steady spin for 10 minutes

Some remedial work to help fix my f'd up squat, supposed to do this every other day.

5x10 Bulgarian split squat body-weight, on left leg only.

5x10 box step ups with 2x10 lb dumbbell on left leg only.

Yesterday (sunday) 1.5 hours of pick up hockey


Today 5/3/1 Cycle 2 Week 3 Dead lift day

Warm ups, a few sets of cleans, 95lbsx3x4

Dead lifts; 5x176, 3x199, 1x225+1

Accessories

More Dead lifts 135x10x5

Front Squats 95x10x3

Box Steps ups 20lb dumbbells 10x5 Left leg, 5x5 right leg

Bulgarian Split Squats 10x5 Body weight left leg only

spin bike 10 minutes

Regular League Hockey Tonight

Logging 25 minutes of ice time approx.

Game tonight was at 10pm, afterwards it takes an hour or two before I can relax and fall asleep.

Ill start noting this activity because it is some kind of HIIT. It greatly effects when and how hard I hit the weights. I may need tomorrow as a rest day.

35 minute walk at a good pace, cause Wendler said so.

35 minute walk cause Wendler said so

5/3/1 Cycle 2 Week 3, Squat Day

I had my second visit at this different gym with the same trainer to help fix my squats.

He felt we had to establish what my current 1RM was, he also wanted to see exactly where my form is breaking. The numbers are converted from KGs

These were the sets;
10x45
5x45
2x88
2x110
2x132
2x143
2x154
1x165
1x176
1x187
1x198
1x209
1x220 This is where I got slow, just above parallel, and then I speed up around 3/4 when I can really throw my hips out. Surprisingly this was not overly hard work.
1x231

Next we did 50% of the 1 rm 8x8 , with a 30 second rest between sets so this was 115lbs This would be the remdial work for my next session again

GHD machine was next, 8x4, this was new to me.

Goblet squats 20lbs, 15x4

There will be a couple of more squat days with this guy hopefully I can reset my training max to a realistic level, and not get hung up for awhile again. Bottom line is I need to build some muscle in the quads and concentrate on getting them to work harder through the sticking point. My Glutes and hips seem to be not a problem

After yesterday my legs were fried this am, so I ditched the pick up hockey, can't chance an injury. I have to save it for the league on Tuesday to help step our losing skid.

Did a 35 minute walk instead.

Reading a lot more about diet, nutrition etc. But still confused. For now I am just going to monitor my weight, and document what I eat, while trying to make sure I hit my ideal protein amount which is apparently 0.8 grams per lb of ideal body weight. This seems to be around 142 grams. I calculated my TDEE around 2700 calories. So I need to measure my consumption and watch my weight over the next several weeks and see where my weight is going. I suppose if records indicate I am consuming around 2700 calories and my weight is not going up the TDEE must be correct? Once I have that then I need to figure out what to do next to get rid of the fat on my belly without sabotaging my strength/muscle gain. Chime in if you have any suggestions.


De-load week this week coming.

In case any one really gives a rats azz and has been monitoring; been down with a flu bug since sunday evening. Was already behind a week or so on my grand schedule, hopefully I can start my de-load week tomorrow night ,and express finish by monday.