Pre-juice 5x5: Darkness on the Horizon

I'm planning on running an AAS cycle in a month or two and in the mean time I'm gonna ride the 5x5 train a bit. Lots of people refer to juicing as "going to the darkside" and since I'm really clever ( ) I was able to come up with that great title.

I'm gonna use the cookie-cutter dual factor 5x5 with minor adjustments based on the idea that I ought to be increasing the workload of my successive training cycles bit by bit:

M- Backsquat 5x5
Bench 5x5
Power clean 5x5
BB curls/'tricep' dips 2 sets of 8 each, superset (ugh) just to save time
Decline situps

W-Front squats 5x5
OHP 5x5
Conventional deads 5x5
Pullups 5x5
Farmer's walk

F-Backsquat 1x5
Bench 5x5
Power clean 5x5
Same arm/ab stuff as mon.

So overall there's a bit more workload than the original. However, the cleans will be quite a bit lighter than the rows they replace so I don't think the overall tonnage will be much different.

Also, if anyone cares to check my last 5x5 run, here's a link to that journal:
http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=399754&highlight=journal+5x5+madcow2

Ah there it is. Looks familiar

You starting next week? This should be fun...

Awesome! Good luck and I look forward to seeing the results!

Jim Ouini said:

You starting next week? This should be fun...

Click to expand...

I've already started. I didn't think I'd be on the boards much with no computer but the library is on my way to/from work so it's really easy to just pop in and waste some time Plus I've got to get some things together for my return to higher learning, so I gotta be online a lot.

Here's what I've done so far:
M
Squat 275x5x5
-much tougher than expected, but still easy
Bench 225x5x5
-same as above
Power clean 135x5x5
-I'm counting on improving my proficiency at power cleans at a rate to coincide with the poundage increases week-to-week. It's probably not the best move but I gotta get good at these somehow
Arms -- BB curls/dips, 65 lbs./bw, 2 sets 0f 8 each
Decline situps x15x2

W
Front squat 185x5x5
-kinda uncomfortable -- when my elbows are high the bar pushes against my throat harder than I'd like. My forearms are pretty long so my wrist flexibilty is gonna have to improve markedly.
OHP 135x5x5
-cake
Deads 285x5x5
-harder than i'd have liked
Pullups BWx5x5
-straps make all the difference for me. Soon I'll be adding weight to these for the first time ever
Farmers walk 95 pound dbs, 4 walks ~30 yards (guess)
-these are cool. They seem like they would make a great re/prehab exercise - I felt loosened up after 'em. Plus my grip really sucks, so this along with some grippers should help a lot.

Hey madcow, is it OK that I still feel kinda beat up from HST? I assume that this week and next will serve as adequate deloading, then I'll be pushing again. Sound about right?

Isolation? You really have gone to the dark side. I'm devastated!

Seriously though, good luck. I can't wait to see what results you're gonna pull out of your ass with 5x5 + AAS.

What's your Week 4/9 targets? I guess you can add a bit to your last HST workout?

Jim Ouini said:

What's your Week 4/9 targets? I guess you can add a bit to your last HST workout?

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week 4/9 targets
squat 5x5/3x3 355/405
1x5/1x3 370/420
OHP 5x5/3x3 180/200
Dead 5x5/3x3 380/430

Still pondering where exactly to target bench/clean.

Guinness5.0 said:

W
Front squat 185x5x5
-kinda uncomfortable -- when my elbows are high the bar pushes against my throat harder than I'd like. My forearms are pretty long so my wrist flexibilty is gonna have to improve markedly.

Click to expand...

Welcome to the wonderful world of front squats. Unless you are a genetic freak - you should feel like you are pushing into your windpipe. Hence the need for lower reps/multiple sets with this lift. Otherwise you are carrying the load more on your hands and on your upper chest, making for an awkward position and dangerous load on the wrists.

Good luck with the cleans. One other way to measure progress other than load is ease of movement (technique improvement) and the explosiveness you develop week to week.

Best of luck.


Oh - and uh, no Guinness for you for a couple of weeks. Have fun with that one buddy!!

can someone point me to the 5x5 plan nuts and bolts...

i'm kinda lost reading these things without knowing the info behind the program...

only thing i question is the frequency of the leg training...? how are you getting around the recovery times...? if i did my legs on Monday, by Wednesday i have a hard time even thinking about doing legs...

Oddly enough, the darkness on the horizon is known as the terminator. Equally oddly, I've been mulling about running some 5x5 from next week. Good luck with your studies.