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Djeclipse's Intermediate 5x5 take 2.

djeclipse

djeclipse

New member
My last journal mysteriously became empty so I figured i’d continue it here.

I am currently in week 6 of my second run though of the intermediate 5x5. My first run only lasted 5 weeks but instead of doing it properly I started in making PR's for all 5 weeks. The gains for those 5 weks were as follows.

Squat 185 x 5, to 230 x 5 = 45lbs

Bench press 185 x 4, to 197.5 x 5 = 12.5lbs(plus a rep)

Bent over rows 150 x 5, to 180 x 5 with bad form underhand grip. = 30lbs

Dead Lift 305 x 5, to 335 x 5 = 30lbs

Military press (standing) 115 x 5, to 127.5 = 12.5lbs

The only thing I added to my diet was a protein shake right after the gym, no extra supplements or anything. I feel if I would have done the program properly I may have had a longer run of Pr’s then the 5 I had... oh well, live and learn.

This run I started properly. Set my weights so I would be hitting my current maxes in week 4, no extra reps or heavier back off sets for bench, all the mistakes I made the first time, lol.

My current maxes are posted above, I took a week off and then started again 6 weeks ago. I changed to overhand grip for rows.
 
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Week 6 Day 1

I had 3 PR's today, it feels good making PR's again.

The 4th set of squats felt real heavy, passably because I missed it on friday (my mistake), I took a long rest before the 5th set and surprisingly enough it was easier then I expected. Still hard work but it went up good.

Bench felt good, felt like I had a few reps left, and my grip is starting to become an issue for rows. I may start using some chalk with these.

Squat
115 x 5 (should have been 120)
145 x 5
175 x 5
205 x 5
235 x 5.... PR!

Bench
100 x 5
130 x 5
155 x 5
180 x 5
205 x 5..... PR!

Rows
90 x 5
115 x 5
140 x 5
160 x 5
185 x 5..... PR!

Hypers
25 x 14
25 x 14
25 x 14

Situps (decline)
50 x 15
50 x 15
50 x 15
50 x 15

When I was doing some rows there was a kid doing squats in front of me. he was literally on the balls of his feet with his heals completely off the ground, leaning forward, it was painful to watch. I was debating weather to talk to him about it for a while as in the past I've learnt that most people don't want to listen anyway.

I just couldn't take it any more and asked him if he would like some friendly advice. I made it clear that I was by far an expert on the squat and I struggle with it myself, but I sawa few things he was really doing wrong. Surprisingly he was very enthusiastic, actually listened appreciated the advice I gave him. There is hope :)
 
djeclipse said:
Week 6 Day 1

I had 3 PR's today, it feels good making PR's again.

The 4th set of squats felt real heavy, passably because I missed it on friday (my mistake), I took a long rest before the 5th set and surprisingly enough it was easier then I expected. Still hard work but it went up good.

Bench felt good, felt like I had a few reps left, and my grip is starting to become an issue for rows. I may start using some chalk with these.

Squat
115 x 5 (should have been 120)
145 x 5
175 x 5
205 x 5
235 x 5.... PR!

Bench
100 x 5
130 x 5
155 x 5
180 x 5
205 x 5..... PR!

Rows
90 x 5
115 x 5
140 x 5
160 x 5
185 x 5..... PR!

Hypers
25 x 14
25 x 14
25 x 14

Situps (decline)
50 x 15
50 x 15
50 x 15
50 x 15

When I was doing some rows there was a kid doing squats in front of me. he was literally on the balls of his feet with his heals completely off the ground, leaning forward, it was painful to watch. I was debating weather to talk to him about it for a while as in the past I've learnt that most people don't want to listen anyway.

I just couldn't take it any more and asked him if he would like some friendly advice. I made it clear that I was by far an expert on the squat and I struggle with it myself, but I sawa few things he was really doing wrong. Surprisingly he was very enthusiastic, actually listened appreciated the advice I gave him. There is hope :)
Click to expand...

Good job on the PRs man! I can't wait to get the weights moving in my routine. Do you still hit the gym on your off days? It's weird for me only going 3 days a week.
 
nelmsjer said:
Wow....cool deal that you had 3 PRs and a very cool story about the squatter. Way to go!
Click to expand...

Thanks, 4 weeks without a PR seemed like for ever, yet I know that eventually 1pr a month will be a good thing.

Ya, the squatter said he had some liver problems due to recreational drug use and was just getting back on track. It sounds like he's making a lifestyle change so maybe if he starts out training properly it will keep him out of trouble. Though for some people it may be out of the frying pan into the fire.


WannaBeBig72 said:
Good job on the PRs man! I can't wait to get the weights moving in my routine. Do you still hit the gym on your off days? It's weird for me only going 3 days a week.
Click to expand...

I lift 3x per week and until last week I was playing soccer once on saturday or sunday. Indoor season is over so I will try do some cardio at least once on saturday or sunday. Right now my main focus is strength and size, fat loss and adding body weight is secondary. Tough I've gained a lot of strength and some size I have only gained 3-4lbs since I started which is good. Eventually I will focus more on actually losing some of the body fat, when I do that I will try and do cardio Tuesday Thursday and Saturday.

One of the reasons I switched to the 5x5 (aside from all the gains I saw other people making) was the fact that it is only 3x per week. I am just too busy to try and get to the gym 4-5 times per week, especially in the summer.

At first it did feel like I should be doing more work, especially since I was used to doing 15-20 sets for chest, back etc. But if you trust in the program you will find that it involves plenty of work and you will come to appreciate your days off to recover.

In al honesty if I were you I would download madcows spread sheet, take your current 5 rep maxes and start your program over and follow it to a T. I know it seems like a long time to wait another 4 weeks before starting to make PR's but I think it will be worth it in th end. Especially since you're already having trouble making your lifts in your second week. just my .02c, take it for what it is, lol.
 
djeclipse said:
Thanks, 4 weeks without a PR seemed like for ever, yet I know that eventually 1pr a month will be a good thing.

Ya, the squatter said he had some liver problems due to recreational drug use and was just getting back on track. It sounds like he's making a lifestyle change so maybe if he starts out training properly it will keep him out of trouble. Though for some people it may be out of the frying pan into the fire.




I lift 3x per week and until last week I was playing soccer once on saturday or sunday. Indoor season is over so I will try do some cardio at least once on saturday or sunday. Right now my main focus is strength and size, fat loss and adding body weight is secondary. Tough I've gained a lot of strength and some size I have only gained 3-4lbs since I started which is good. Eventually I will focus more on actually losing some of the body fat, when I do that I will try and do cardio Tuesday Thursday and Saturday.

One of the reasons I switched to the 5x5 (aside from all the gains I saw other people making) was the fact that it is only 3x per week. I am just too busy to try and get to the gym 4-5 times per week, especially in the summer.

At first it did feel like I should be doing more work, especially since I was used to doing 15-20 sets for chest, back etc. But if you trust in the program you will find that it involves plenty of work and you will come to appreciate your days off to recover.

In al honesty if I were you I would download madcows spread sheet, take your current 5 rep maxes and start your program over and follow it to a T. I know it seems like a long time to wait another 4 weeks before starting to make PR's but I think it will be worth it in th end. Especially since you're already having trouble making your lifts in your second week. just my .02c, take it for what it is, lol.
Click to expand...

I might just do that. I'm going to give it another week I think and see how it goes. I'm re-setting the rows. If I can make PRs next week on Squat/Bench/Military/Dead. I'll keep it going. Any sign of trouble I'm going to set it all bite the bullet and set it all back.
 
xblitz44x said:
Very impressive progress! You have a great deadlift. Keep working!
Click to expand...

Thanks, for some reason my deadlift is way out of porportion form all my other lifts, not that I'm complaining about it though, lol.

I got 342.5 x 5 for a new PR last week and tomorrow I will be goigng for 352.5 x 5 (raw of course :))

I see you have a very strong dead lift.


WannaBeBig72 said:
I might just do that. I'm going to give it another week I think and see how it goes. I'm re-setting the rows. If I can make PRs next week on Squat/Bench/Military/Dead. I'll keep it going. Any sign of trouble I'm going to set it all bite the bullet and set it all back.
Click to expand...

Hopefully you will make some new PR's, but not take comfort in the fact that you can do a proper run and most likley make some good gains from it.
 
Yoy are doing very well,your deadlift is getting very respectable.I cant wait to start 5x5 again as I hate cutting and am only doing it to facilitate my next bulk.Just out of curiousity how much are you weighing in at these days?
 
asdfzxcv said:
Yoy are doing very well,your deadlift is getting very respectable.I cant wait to start 5x5 again as I hate cutting and am only doing it to facilitate my next bulk.Just out of curiousity how much are you weighing in at these days?
Click to expand...

It's funny, when my goal was 315 x 5 for deadlift i thought that would be a decent deadlift, and now that i’m past that I don't think anything under 405 x 5 for myself is respectable... it's all relative I guess.

When I started my first run of the 5x5 I was 189-190lbs, now I am 192-194 (mostly 192 on the scale),I weight myself at the beginning of every workout which is around 6:00pm.

My goal was to add size and strength but not so much body wight as the extra weight really hurts me for racing. Eventually I will have a go at cutting but I want to reach a few more goals before I try to cut.

I’ve bene reading your HST journal and was thinking about trying the same, but you don;t seem to like it so far, are you seeing any results with your cutting?
 
djeclipse said:
It's funny, when my goal was 315 x 5 for deadlift i thought that would be a decent deadlift, and now that i’m past that I don't think anything under 405 x 5 for myself is respectable... it's all relative I guess.

When I started my first run of the 5x5 I was 189-190lbs, now I am 192-194 (mostly 192 on the scale),I weight myself at the beginning of every workout which is around 6:00pm.

My goal was to add size and strength but not so much body wight as the extra weight really hurts me for racing. Eventually I will have a go at cutting but I want to reach a few more goals before I try to cut.

I’ve bene reading your HST journal and was thinking about trying the same, but you don;t seem to like it so far, are you seeing any results with your cutting?
Click to expand...

I definately like HST,its has been very effective in its purpose of maintaining my muscle whilst cutting. The reason that I have been bitching is due to craping energy levels whilst in a calorie deficiet,which has nothing to do with the workout itself.
 
EDIT: Long post ahead, I swear it's worth the read... ;)

Week 6 Day 2

I started this Migraine medicine monday night and it seriously knocks me out, I am tired all day. Some of the side effects are drowsiness and Weakness ! WTF Anyway I made it to the gym and was feeling tired through the whole workout, I hope my body gets used to this shit because right now it sucks ass. And I'm supposed to up the dose next week... I'll probably end up falling asleep at work.

Luckily all my lifts went rather well and I made a PR on both Deads and military press.

For Military press I finally got a plate a side up for 5 reps, felt really good to make that lift for a set of 5 (it was my goal since I started). I have to say, there's nothing better then adding a plate a side for any lift.

I screwed up my deadlifts and started with my second set weight of 265 x 5 instead of 220 x 5. I don’t know what happened but was pissed about it. So in an attempt to keep volume the same I did my second set with 265 x 4

220 x 5 = 1100
265 x 4 = 1060

I hope I am figuring properly as far as the volume goes and I did the right thing in making up for my mistake...

Anyone?

I am a member of the YMCA and there are 3 gyms I can use in my area. Today I was at the one on campus, it's full of little "huge" guys that love to team bench, 1/8 squat etc. I guarantee no one has ever done a decent deadlift in there since it opened, lol.

So by my third set I had a few people looking over, trying to watch without looking like they're watching. By my final set of 352.5 x 5 there was a small crowd. It was kind of funny as I wasn't sure if they even knew what I was doing. I was just some random guy lifting 3 and some change, making noise, lol.

Squat
120 x 5
145 x 5
175 x 5
175 x 5

Standing Military Press
80 x 5
100 x 5
120 x 5
135 x 5....PR! A goal I thought I'd never reach.

Deadlift
220 x 5.. F’d up and missed this one.
265 x 5
265 x 4.... to make up for missing my first set.
305 x 5
352.5 x 5.....PR! it feels better then I thought it would.

Chins
7
7
6

Needsize crunches
20 x 5
20 x 5
20 x 5
20 x 5
20 x 5

I am really starting to hate these (which is good). There was a clock on the wall right in front of me so I tried to hold for 5 real seconds... I was seriously short changing my 5 second counts before, 5 seconds is a lot longer then I thought, :(. these are hard.

I didn’t think reaching the 350 mark for deads would be a big deal for me but I am happy with it. Now I’m only 50lbs away form adding another plate.


Also I am glad I dropped the bie work on this day, it was just too much now that the lifts are getting heavy.
 
Ha! You got so excited you posted it twice!!!

GREAT job on the PRs and your "crowd"...you've got groupies!
 
nelmsjer said:
Ha! You got so excited you posted it twice!!!

GREAT job on the PRs and your "crowd"...you've got groupies!
Click to expand...

lol, I just noticed that, I thought somethign was up...

As for the groupies, not exactly what I'd want as groupies, they were mostly guys and a few older chicks. I want the young college chicks for my groupies. or at least one of them could have helped me load the bar, lol.
 
djeclipse said:
lol, I just noticed that, I thought somethign was up...

As for the groupies, not exactly what I'd want as groupies, they were mostly guys and a few older chicks. I want the young college chicks for my groupies. or at least one of them could have helped me load the bar, lol.
Click to expand...

IP is my coolest groupie, ever. :D She's a hot, bar loading machine!!!
 
It's good to see your new journal up and running. Congrats on your PRs.

I remember deadlifting at the last gym I attended. About half the time I'd do it someone would wander over and want to reminisce about how they used to deadlift before the war. Of course, they all lifted more than I was using until they slipped a disc, broke their knee, put their back out, tore a fingernail, etc.
 
djeclipse said:
EDIT: Long post ahead, I swear it's worth the read... ;)

Week 6 Day 2

I started this Migraine medicine monday night and it seriously knocks me out, I am tired all day. Some of the side effects are drowsiness and Weakness ! WTF Anyway I made it to the gym and was feeling tired through the whole workout, I hope my body gets used to this shit because right now it sucks ass. And I'm supposed to up the dose next week... I'll probably end up falling asleep at work.

Luckily all my lifts went rather well and I made a PR on both Deads and military press.

For Military press I finally got a plate a side up for 5 reps, felt really good to make that lift for a set of 5 (it was my goal since I started). I have to say, there's nothing better then adding a plate a side for any lift.

I screwed up my deadlifts and started with my second set weight of 265 x 5 instead of 220 x 5. I don’t know what happened but was pissed about it. So in an attempt to keep volume the same I did my second set with 265 x 4

220 x 5 = 1100
265 x 4 = 1060

I hope I am figuring properly as far as the volume goes and I did the right thing in making up for my mistake...

Anyone?

I am a member of the YMCA and there are 3 gyms I can use in my area. Today I was at the one on campus, it's full of little "huge" guys that love to team bench, 1/8 squat etc. I guarantee no one has ever done a decent deadlift in there since it opened, lol.

So by my third set I had a few people looking over, trying to watch without looking like they're watching. By my final set of 352.5 x 5 there was a small crowd. It was kind of funny as I wasn't sure if they even knew what I was doing. I was just some random guy lifting 3 and some change, making noise, lol.

Squat
120 x 5
145 x 5
175 x 5
175 x 5

Standing Military Press
80 x 5
100 x 5
120 x 5
135 x 5....PR! A goal I thought I'd never reach.

Deadlift
220 x 5.. F’d up and missed this one.
265 x 5
265 x 4.... to make up for missing my first set.
305 x 5
352.5 x 5.....PR! it feels better then I thought it would.

Chins
7
7
6

Needsize crunches
20 x 5
20 x 5
20 x 5
20 x 5
20 x 5

I am really starting to hate these (which is good). There was a clock on the wall right in front of me so I tried to hold for 5 real seconds... I was seriously short changing my 5 second counts before, 5 seconds is a lot longer then I thought, :(. these are hard.

I didn’t think reaching the 350 mark for deads would be a big deal for me but I am happy with it. Now I’m only 50lbs away form adding another plate.


Also I am glad I dropped the bie work on this day, it was just too much now that the lifts are getting heavy.
Click to expand...


You know it's funny. I never see anyone doing deadlifts at the gym. The 3 years I've been going I don't recall ever seeing anyone do them (maybe they were I just didn't notice). I saw some guy who wasn't that big doing them the other day and wanted to go over and congratulate him. You also never see anyone doing real squats (hell alot of peole don't even do pussy squats either). Even bent over row I really hardly see people doing. I mean alot of guys in the gym are much bigger then me, so hopefully eventually all this core compound olympic lift crap pays off.
 
blut wump said:
It's good to see your new journal up and running. Congrats on your PRs.

I remember deadlifting at the last gym I attended. About half the time I'd do it someone would wander over and want to reminisce about how they used to deadlift before the war. Of course, they all lifted more than I was using until they slipped a disc, broke their knee, put their back out, tore a fingernail, etc.
Click to expand...
yea, i kinda know how that is... back when i was in school and i used to play soccer, occasionally, some old guy or the other on his walk would stop by and ask whether he could join in. talk would revolve about how he used to be a fantastic striker. now, when i work out i see these narrow shoulder, wide hip old men looking at me lift with the same expression as the old soccer players... kind of like "you think that's heavy, when i was your age i pulled 800..." :rolleyes:
 
nelmsjer said:
IP is my coolest groupie, ever. :D She's a hot, bar loading machine!!!
Click to expand...


Can I borrow her for my Wed. workouts? Sometimes the hardest part about the deadlift is loading the dam bar...

Which reminds me another thing about yesterday. The gym wasn't that busy and there is no place to sit by the squat rack (I was doing my deadlift right behind the squat rack as there is no where else to do them). So i went and got one of the flat benches to sit on while resting between sets.

Just after I finish my first set these 2 team lifters come over and ask if they can use the bench. Since I am only sitting on it and not actually using it I couldn't say no it's al yours. But then I look around and I see a completely empty bench right next to those 2 morons. a55holes. If I were to design a gym I'd make sure there was more then adequate seating right next to the squat rack and power racks.
 
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djeclipse said:
Can I borrow her for my Wed. workouts? Sometimes the hardest part about the deadlift is loading the dam bar...
Click to expand...

Sure thing. :lmao:

Our gym has a deadlift loading rack. You hike it up under the bar, and it lifts the entire weight off the ground about 3 inches. Perfect, but still work. :)
 
djeclipse said:
Can I borrow her for my Wed. workouts? Sometimes the hardest part about the deadlift is loading the dam bar...

Which reminds me another thing about yesterday. The gym wasn't that busy and there is no place to sit by the squat rack (I was doing my deadlift eight behind the squat rack as there is no where else to do them). So i went and got one of the flat benches to sit on while resting between sets.

Just after I finish my first set these 2 team lifters come over and ask if they can use the bench. Since I am only sitting on it and not actually using it I couldn't say no. But then I look around and I see a completely empty bench right next to those 2 morons. a55holes. If I were to design a gym I'd make sure there was more then adequate seating right next to the squat rack and power racks.
Click to expand...
there was a post on that... roll the side that you want to load the next 45 onto a 5lb plate and it becomes easy.
 
blut wump said:
It's good to see your new journal up and running. Congrats on your PRs.[/b]

Thanks, I think making a journal is great incentive, if I miss a day eveyone will know about it so I have no choice.

I remember deadlifting at the last gym I attended. About half the time I'd do it someone would wander over and want to reminisce about how they used to deadlift before the war. Of course, they all lifted more than I was using until they slipped a disc, broke their knee, put their back out, tore a fingernail, etc.
Click to expand...

There is always someone that will talk about lifting more then what ever you're doing and then imideatly follow it up with some excuse as to why they can't do it now...

WannaBeBig72 said:
You know it's funny. I never see anyone doing deadlifts at the gym. The 3 years I've been going I don't recall ever seeing anyone do them (maybe they were I just didn't notice). I saw some guy who wasn't that big doing them the other day and wanted to go over and congratulate him. You also never see anyone doing real squats (hell alot of peole don't even do pussy squats either). Even bent over row I really hardly see people doing. I mean alot of guys in the gym are much bigger then me, so hopefully eventually all this core compound olympic lift crap pays off.
Click to expand...

ya, come to think of it there aren't many people doing any of the lifts I do except for the bech prss which everyone does.

I don't see anyone doing standing military press.
Dead lift, there are 3 other people I have seen do them and they are the power lifters...
Full ATF squats...ya right(minus the power lifters),
Rows from the ground, for get about it, everyone knows you hit the lats more if you do them at a 45deg angle...
Click to expand...
 
nelmsjer said:
Sure thing. :lmao:
Click to expand...

Sweet ;)

Our gym has a deadlift loading rack. You hike it up under the bar, and it lifts the entire weight off the ground about 3 inches. Perfect, but still work. :)
Click to expand...

That would be so nice, I assume it's Kind of like a bike stand (motorcycle), lifts the bike up just enough so the tire is off the ground. Now to try and talk the gym into getting it for us. I wonder who makes them.

silver_shadow said:
there was a post on that... roll the side that you want to load the next 45 onto a 5lb plate and it becomes easy.
Click to expand...
Ya, I do that, but it's still a pain in the ass.
 
djeclipse said:
Sweet ;)



That would be so nice, I assume it's Kind of like a bike stand (motorcycle), lifts the bike up just enough so the tire is off the ground. Now to try and talk the gymin to getting it for us. I wonder who makes them.


Ya, I do that, but it's still a pain in the ass.
Click to expand...
yea, bending over between sets is always a bitch...
 
Nice deadliftin'. Don't worry about rambling in your entries; more info is helpful for us now and for you when you refer back to this journal in the future. I love how pretty much all of your posts turn into mini-"morons at the gym" rants. :D

Regarding the meds, you might want to talk to your doctor about trying something different. It doesn't do you much good if the side effects are as debilitating as (and, in terms of effects on lifting, probably worse than) the headaches.

Also, WannaBeBig72, you do know that there's a "post reply" button that allows you to reply without quoting another post, right? :)
 
Cynical Simian said:
Nice deadliftin'. Don't worry about rambling in your entries; more info is helpful for us now and for you when you refer back to this journal in the future. I love how pretty much all of your posts turn into mini-"morons at the gym" rants. :D
Click to expand...

I don't know, it seems there is just always at least one moron doing something rediculous every time i go to the gym.

Regarding the meds, you might want to talk to your doctor about trying something different. It doesn't do you much good if the side effects are as debilitating as (and, in terms of effects on lifting, probably worse than) the headaches.
Click to expand...

I know, I don't know what I am going to do, and so far no headache since I started taking them, and I don't feel as tired as I did the last 2 days. We'll see how it goes. It will be a hard choice, life without headachs or making all your reps while at the gym...

Also, WannaBeBig72, you do know that there's a "post reply" button that allows you to reply without quoting another post, right? :)
Click to expand...

lol
 
Week 6 day 3 (friday)

I am starting to get a cold, my GF has been sick for a few days and I think I may be getting it. I feel like crap today (Sunday).

Anyway I made 3 new 3 rep PR's yesterday despite being so tired.

The squats were hard and the gay ass squat rack is starting to piss me off. The safety bars are fixed and the f'n thing is made for 1/4 squatter. When I go down really low the dam bar hits the safety bars completely taking the weight off my back. So I try to stop just before but don't feel like it's low enough. It really pisses me off. For my PR set the first rep stopped short of hitting the stops and I made a mental note to go deeper. The second rep was nice and deep but I hit the dam stops so the 3rd rep was just before the stops, as I didn't want to hit them again.


The bench and rows are starting to get heavy, I made all my reps and hopefully I can get the 5 on monday, hopefully I'll be feeling better by then. I used chalk for my PR set for the rows.

Squat
120 x 5
145 x 5
175 x 5
205 x 5
242.5 x 3
175 x 8

Bench
100 x 5
130 x 5
155 x 5
180 x 5
210 x 3
155 x 8

Rows
90 x 5
115 x 5
140 x 5
160 x 5
190 x 3
155 x 8

Dips
20 x 9
20 x 9
20 x 9

Seated dumbell extension
70 x 9
70 x 8
70 x 7

Standing barbell curl
75 x 8
75 x 8
75 x 8

It feels much better moving Bies to fridays workout instead of doing it on Wed. I finished in just over 60min.
 
Solid workout; hope you're feeling better by Monday. Moving curls to Friday instead of doing them after chins and deads on Wednesday is a good call IMO; I did so quite a while ago. They're the driving force behind the program, so being fresh for them is important. ;)

In all seriousness, squat outside the rack or find another gym. Your knees aren't going to thank you for trying to reverse your descent short of full ROM on non-PL squats.
 
Cynical Simian said:
Solid workout; hope you're feeling better by Monday. Moving curls to Friday instead of doing them after chins and deads on Wednesday is a good call IMO; I did so quite a while ago. They're the driving force behind the program, so being fresh for them is important. ;)
Click to expand...

ya, I know how important the curls are to the 5x5 and that was the reason for moving them... I also added 20 more sets of different kind of curls so I could hit them form all angles, now they are huge!

In all seriousness, squat outside the rack or find another gym. Your knees aren't going to thank you for trying to reverse your descent short of full ROM on non-PL squats.
Click to expand...

I did that yesterday and it was much better...
 
djeclipse said:
ya, I know how important the curls are to the 5x5 and that was the reason for moving them... I also added 20 more sets of different kind of curls so I could hit them form all angles, now they are huge!



I did that yesterday and it was much better...
Click to expand...
make sure you also curl using partial ROMs to hit different parts of the muscle - lowest 3rd hits the lower bicep, middle 3rd the middle portion and upper 3rd part of ROM hits the top.
 
silver_shadow said:
make sure you also curl using partial ROMs to hit different parts of the muscle - lowest 3rd hits the lower bicep, middle 3rd the middle portion and upper 3rd part of ROM hits the top.
Click to expand...


ya, for sure. I do 5 sets each of those just to make sure I get it all... Then I flax in the mirror for 15min so everyone can see how huge they are.
 
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DJ, you might want to also superset cable hammer curls in between barbell curl sets, and maybe even throw in some reverse grip preacher curls. Then the girls are going to pee themselves over your arms. Trust me, I know - Muscle and Fitness said so.
 
So I had to take a week of because I was sick (again), it seems I can't shake this cold. I think it's the training and the lack of sleep that does it to me.

So I repeated the friday above last friday and still made all the lifts. I was really sore on Saturday though, lol.

Yesterday I started my week 7 and was very happy that I picked up right where I left off with 3 new PR's.

Squat: As per Cynical Simian's suggestion I moved my squat to outside the rack as I was hitting the bars (non adjustable) when I was in the hole. It felt really good and looking in the mirror I could see that my true bottom was way below those safety bars in the rack.

Unfortunately this now presents 3 problems.

1. I will have to have a spotter just to be there on the last set incase I get stuck (could be a problem trying to find someone to spot properly).

2. It's a long walk outside the rack and I am afraid I may hurt something on the walk out or even worse the walk back after I am drained form the set.

3. Even worse, for the last rep on my last set I had a hard time getting out of the hole. Everything felt good but I was real slow coming up. I think by not squatting as lo as I should have for this long has developed a weak spot at the bottom of my squat. Once out of the hole it went up ok.

Should I reset the weight a few weeks just to strengthen that part of the movement?

Bench: I am really happy with the bench, the first 3 reps felt like 185 x 5 and i knew I had the lift.

Rows: Last set is getting heavy but I think I am still good with my form.
 
First I'd like to say anyone that doesn't give the single factor a try before going to the dual factor is greatly missing out.

Week 7 Day 1

Squat
120 x 5
150 x 5
180 x 5
210 x 5
242.5 x 5.... PR! Even though it was a new PR I may have to reset these, see post above.

Bench
105 x 5
130 x 5
155 x 5
185 x 5
210 x 5.... PR! (5lbs) I am really happy with these, felt good, last rep went up slow but steady.

Rows
95 x 5
120 x 5
140 x 5
165 x 5
190 x 5..... PR! Form was still good but these are getting heavy.

Hypers (dumbell)
25 x 14
25 x 14
25 x 14

Decline sit ups
50 x 15
50 x 15
50 x 15
50 x 15

Good workout, I am happy with everything but my squat. now that I am outside the rack getting a true full ROM I am afraid I may have to reset the weight back a few weeks so I can strengthen the lower part of the lift that I was missing because of the squat rack design.
 
djeclipse said:
First I'd like to say anyone that doesn't give the single factor a try before going to the dual factor is greatly missing out.

Week 7 Day 1

Squat
120 x 5
150 x 5
180 x 5
210 x 5
242.5 x 5.... PR! Even though it was a new PR I may have to reset these, see post above.

Bench
105 x 5
130 x 5
155 x 5
185 x 5
210 x 5.... PR! (5lbs) I am really happy with these, felt good, last rep went up slow but steady.

Rows
95 x 5
120 x 5
140 x 5
165 x 5
190 x 5..... PR! Form was still good but these are getting heavy.

Hypers (dumbell)
25 x 14
25 x 14
25 x 14

Decline sit ups
50 x 15
50 x 15
50 x 15
50 x 15

Good workout, I am happy with everything but my squat. now that I am outside the rack getting a true full ROM I am afraid I may have to reset the weight back a few weeks so I can strengthen the lower part of the lift that I was missing because of the squat rack design.
Click to expand...
i say reset your squat
 
djeclipse said:
Should I reset the weight a few weeks just to strengthen that part of the movement?
Click to expand...

I most certainly would. Even if you start 30 lbs less than your max and ramp back up fairly quick, at least you're gradually developing the bottom part of that lift. You're going to be use to feeling the weight on your back so I doubt you'll have hard time ramping back up in 2 weeks or so.

And I agree about the single factor. You and I both made such progress with it. It would have been a waste to go to DF without squeezing whatever we can out of the SF.
 
xblitz44x said:
DJ, you might want to also superset cable hammer curls in between barbell curl sets, and maybe even throw in some reverse grip preacher curls. Then the girls are going to pee themselves over your arms. Trust me, I know - Muscle and Fitness said so.
Click to expand...

Cool, my subscription to muscle & fitness just ran out, I must have missed that artcle. Thanks for the tip ;)
 
xblitz44x said:
I most certainly would. Even if you start 30 lbs less than your max and ramp back up fairly quick, at least you're gradually developing the bottom part of that lift. You're going to be use to feeling the weight on your back so I doubt you'll have hard time ramping back up in 2 weeks or so.
Click to expand...

You must spread some Karma around before giving it to silver_shadow again


You must spread some Karma around before giving it to xblitz44x again

Thanks for the quick replies guys, I wil reset my squat to 225 x 5 and work my way back up over 3-4 weeks, just to be sure.

On a side note, going all the way down, deep in the hole the weight didn't feel as heavy.

And I agree about the single factor. You and I both made such progress with it. It would have been a waste to go to DF without squeezing whatever we can out of the SF.
Click to expand...

It's a shame, some people think the dual factor is better becasue it looks more complex on paper.

And I've even tried to get my friends to make a run at the intermediate 5x5, and even after they see the strength gains I am making they still believe in their crappy workouts they find in the muscle mags. And if they do try it they add in a bunch of shit, or just give up as they can't wait the 4 week ramping period. Oh well.
 
Definitely reset the squat. The muscles to get you out of the hole, even though you've not being neglecting them, are going to be subjected to some new stresses and it's sensible to be letting them feel the extra depth at weights you know they'll cope with. It's not a stage of the movement to be having doubts about since even that doubt will throw out the whole rep.

Reset and work back up. It'll take as long as it takes but it's not worth short-changng yourself on.

Congrats on the new PRs.
 
blut wump said:
Definitely reset the squat. The muscles to get you out of the hole, even though you've not being neglecting them, are going to be subjected to some new stresses and it's sensible to be letting them feel the extra depth at weights you know they'll cope with. It's not a stage of the movement to be having doubts about since even that doubt will throw out the whole rep.

Reset and work back up. It'll take as long as it takes but it's not worth short-changng yourself on.

Congrats on the new PRs.
Click to expand...


Do you think 225 is light enough or should I go back even lighter for the first week?

Maybe
week 1 = 215
Week 2 = 225
Week 3 = 230
Week 4 = 242.5?
 
Play it by feel. If you have any doubts then go lighter. You can always bump it up during the session or readjust for the next session.

I think in your position I'd go back even further for the start of the first session but then I'm venerable and cautious. Maybe hold it lighter and do a couple of extra sets, really concentrating on form and being alert for feelings and signs of weakness. Remember to keep it tight at the extra depth since relaxing will hit your knees.
 
blut wump said:
Play it by feel. If you have any doubts then go lighter. You can always bump it up during the session or readjust for the next session.

I think in your position I'd go back even further for the start of the first session but then I'm venerable and cautious. Maybe hold it lighter and do a couple of extra sets, really concentrating on form and being alert for feelings and signs of weakness. Remember to keep it tight at the extra depth since relaxing will hit your knees.
Click to expand...


I am in no rush here, I want to be doing this for as long as I can so there's no point in rushing things and risking a injury that may possably hinder me for the rest of my life.

Maybe I'll start at 205 and work up on feel.

The extra depth I am getting now is about 1" lower then the bars would allow before.

Since i am starting over and working on form maybe I can get a camera and post a video for you to critique.
 
You'll be fine. It's hard to pick a weight until you do it so just take care until you know the changes which you'll be feeling during your warmups anyway. I think getting in a few sets at a lower weight will do more than one set at a higher weight.

Posting a vid is always a good idea. You'll get pots of constructive criticism.
 
blut wump said:
Remember to keep it tight at the extra depth since relaxing will hit your knees.
Click to expand...

I don't mean to hijack your journal, DJ, but I was wondering if blut wump would elborate on 'keeping it tight' at the extra depth. I never had any knee problems from squatting until last Thursday where I started feeling a piercing sensation in my left knee at the bottom and when I lock out after a rep. Do you think this has anything to do with it?

Once again, DJ, I don't mean to interrupt your journal but since we're on the topic of squatting...
 
xblitz44x said:
I don't mean to hijack your journal, DJ, but I was wondering if blut wump would elborate on 'keeping it tight' at the extra depth. I never had any knee problems from squatting until last Thursday where I started feeling a piercing sensation in my left knee at the bottom and when I lock out after a rep. Do you think this has anything to do with it?

Once again, DJ, I don't mean to interrupt your journal but since we're on the topic of squatting...
Click to expand...


no prob, the more info here the better for everyone.
 
Week 7 Day 2

I've had a headache all week and it was pretty bad yesterday. And now today it is a lot worse, I hope it’s gone by tomorrow so I can get my fridays workout in. I don't think this migrane medacine is working at all.

Despite my headache I had a decent day at the gym. 2 new PR's.

For the deads my right leg was starting to shake at the top of my last rep but I was able to get it. I was able to use regular grip (with chalk) for only my second set, by the last rep my grip was starting to give out. So I switched to reverse grip for the last 2 sets.

Squat
120 x 5
150 x 5
180 x 5
180 x 5

Standing Military Press
85 x 5
105 x 5
120 x 5
137.5 x 5.... PR! (Only 2.5lbs, but still :))

Dead lift
225 x 5
270 x 5 (regular grip)
315 x 5 (reverse grip)
360 x 5.... PR!

Chin ups
7
7
4

Needsize crunches
20 x 5
20 x 5
20 x 5


By this time my head was pounding so I skipped the last 2 sets, I feel bad for doing it but the pain was starting to get bad.

It feels good to have 3 plates as one of the warm up weights for deads.
 
xblitz44x said:
Wow, congrats! 360 for 5 is no joke! 405 is around the corner.
Click to expand...

Thanks, for myself it's a decent lift for a set of 5 but I don't think I'll be really excited about hitting a PR in deads until I can get 405 x 5 (if I ever reach that goal). The lifts are starting to get heavy and a little harder each week, lol.

I've always wondered what I would be able to do for a single.
 
blut wump said:
Congrats. You're going from strength to strength. ;)
Click to expand...
Thanks :)

EDIT: on a side note I was going to do some cardio but my head hurts too much. I guess starting next week I'll try to get at least 2 days/week of treadmill time. I need to loose this gut.
 
I've just caught up reading your journal and you really are going from strength to strength! 3 plates as a warmup set on deads must feel great. I'm so far behind... :(
 
anotherbutters said:
I've just caught up reading your journal and you really are going from strength to strength! 3 plates as a warmup set on deads must feel great. I'm so far behind... :(
Click to expand...


Thanks. I believe it was your journal a few month's back that got me to really believe in the 5x5 and get to it.

looking back on it I remember when 3 plates was a big goal for me, to have it as a warm up weight a few month's later is pretty nice.

I'm sure you're not far behind me.
 
Thanks, it's always nice to hear that I've helped somehow.

I didn't quite get to 3 plates before I stopped last year and I even struggled with 2 plates yesterday, but I know it'll come back quickly. I set myself a target of 4 plates by Christmas :worried:
 
Congrats on the PRs. Is the migraine medicine still causing lethargy in addition to being ineffective?

And, while we're on the subject, I owe AB (and by extension, BW) many thanks for the classic "Another..." journal as well.
 
Cynical Simian said:
Congrats on the PRs. Is the migraine medicine still causing lethargy in addition to being ineffective?
Click to expand...

Ya, the migraine medicine is still making me tired, yesterday all I wanted to do was sleep. I took a 5hr nap and I was still tired.

I'm up to taking it 3 times a day and it still isn't helping at all, I believe it's actually worse now then when I was on my previous medication. Last week I had a headache from monday to thursday almost straight. It's been 3 weeks on the stuff and I was told it may take 4 weeks to start working.

So far the only way I'm able to function is by taking Ibuprofen and even that isn't working as good as it used to (no surprise there). And I'm not suppoed to be taking the Ibuprofen becasue of another condition...

It seems none of the migraine medicine work, I am going for an MRI next week, I hope it's nothing serious.

I am debating on weather or not to give this medicine another week to see if it will work or if I should get off it and go back on the previous medicine that seemed to work a little bit better and didn't make me as tired.

So to answer your question.. yes.
 
Week 7 Day 3 (friday)

I reset my squat to get used to squatting outside the squat rack so I can go down fully. It is a pain in the ass to walk that far get set up and walk back after the set. I may build a little platform to put in the squat rack out of 2x4's and plywood. it would give me the extra lift I need to clear the bars in the squat rack.

Everything else went well, I got 215 x 3 pretty easy it felt like I could have done 5, 4 for sure.

Squat
100 x 5
155 x 5
160 x 5
180 x 5
205 x 5
160 x 8

Bench
105 x 5
130 x 5
155 x 5
185 x 5
215 x 3
155 x 8

Rows
95 x 5
120 x 5
140 x 5
165 x 5
192.5 x 3
140 x 8

Dips
20 x 10
20 x 10
20 x 9

Seated tri extension (dumbell)
70 x 9
70 x 8
70 x 7

Standing curl
75 x 8
75 x 8
75 x 8
 
Week 8 day 1

As usual I had a headache on my way in the gym. it seemed to go away a little during training but came back right after.

The squats felt good, the walk out of the rack is still a bitch, i am thinking about making a little platform out of 2x4's and plywood to raise me up so I'm not bottoming out on the bars.
I am going to try and contact the manager to see if he will let me bring it in and leave it at the gym.

Bench went great, I knew as soon as I did my first rep that I would have it fora PR. The first 4 reps of my last set were easy and I think i got a little over confident on the last rep as it went up a little slower then I thought.

It's funny, everyone I get to spot me wants me to do a few more reps and don't get it when i say "I only need 5, next week I will try and add 5lbs".

Getting a spotter to not touch the bar has been pretty easy even though 99% of the people at that gym are in the team bench press group. I make it clear not to even think about touching the bar unless it's on my chest and I can’t breathe... they get the picture.

Rows went well, my form was actually pretty good.

Squats
105 x 5
135 x 5
160 x 5
190 x 5
210 x 5

Bench
110 x 5
135 x 5
160 x 5
185 x 5
215 x 5.... PR! Another 5lb PR, this was what I would have liked to reach for bench press this run through the 5x5. I'm beginning to think I may be able to progress a little farther with this. I would be extremely happy if I could get 2 plates x 5 this run though. That's a little optimistic though.

Rows
100 x 5
120 x 5
145 x 5
170 x 5
192.5 x 5.... PR! These felt good.

Hypers
25 x 15
25 x 15
25 x 15
25 x 15

Sit ups (decline)
50 x 16
50 x 16
50 x 16
50 x 16


When I was doing my rows a guy asked to work in and wanted to do romanian dead lifts. I had 140 on the bar and watched him do a set. His back was so rounded it was painful for me to watch. I asked him if anyone has shown him how to do the lift properly and he said no. I asked if he would like a little advice and made it clear that if he didn’t want my opinion it was cool. He said he wanted to know so I mentioned to him that his back was really rounded and he was going to hurt himself if he kept going like that.

It turns out he wanted to do proper dead lifts. Long story short I showed him the proper way (as best I could, as I'm still a noob... but I at least wanted him to keep his back straight). After 10min of talking to him, showing him the lift he tried one rep, (it was a vast improvement but his back was still rounded) and then started making excuses about ankle injuries, not being able to get his back straight, hips low etc. I said, "ok, I am just giving you suggestions from what i’ve learned as far as the deadlift goes and he could do it how ever he feels". I said I would be deadlifting on Wednesday around 6:00 if he wanted to do a few sets with me. I don't think he will show.

Oh well, lol.
 
mm107 said:
Nice Progress bro!

Im thinkin about a 5x5 but tinkiering with the details.

Oh and screw that dude atleast u tried to help.
Click to expand...

Thanks.

If it is your first time running the 5x5 I strongly suggest giving it a go as is on madcows sebsite.

A complete 4 weeks to ramp the weights up to your current PR's (use his spreadsheet), don't add aything (including reps even though they will be easy at the start), move anything etc.

It will feel easy at first but believe me, by the time you get to week 5 and on you will be thankful you did it the way it was written by madcow.

As for the kid, I can't blame him. I see him walking around talking to everyone he can trying to get advice on how to get big. Unfortunately the gym is flled with the typical bb type peple that just have no clue.
 
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Remember the second part of my suggestion when you mentioned squat issue? Depending on the money involved, switching gyms really might be worth considering; it'd be safer and easier than trying to rig something to make this work. Have you tried talking to the manager about having the pins moved down?

Also, you forgot your supersets to failure of tricep extensions and preacher curls. They're a required part of any workout in which you're benching more than you're squatting. ;)
 
djeclipse said:
It's funny, everyone I get to spot me wants me to do a few more reps and don't get it when i say "I only need 5, next week I will try and add 5lbs".

Getting a spotter to not touch the bar has been pretty easy even though 99% of the people at that gym are in the team bench press group. I make it clear not to even think about touching the bar unless it's on my chest and I can’t breathe... they get the picture.
Click to expand...
i've had guys spot me for heavy doubles and singles and then i'm racking it and the guy (about half my size) says "your lifting too heavy! you should pick a weight and do 10 full reps without being spotted!"
for the first time the other day i got the spotter to actually not touch the bar - his hands were an inch below but he DIDN'T do it. usually on the heavier sets, these guys obviously see my face go red and the bar going up slowly but it's going to go up nonetheless. the guy has already been warned but seeing what's going on he just can't fight the temptation to start rowing.
 
Cynical Simian said:
Remember the second part of my suggestion when you mentioned squat issue? Depending on the money involved, switching gyms really might be worth considering; it'd be safer and easier than trying to rig something to make this work. Have you tried talking to the manager about having the pins moved down?
Click to expand...


The bars are welded to the frame of the rack, they're fixed, unless he lets me bring my grinder and stick welder those pars aren't going anywhere, lol. I hope my plat form solution will be allowed, I still have to talk him. If I am allowed to leave it at the gym I will make it the entire width and length of the rack area, including the area under the bar when it's racked. ½" plywood and some 2x4's should do the trick.

If I am not able to work something out I may have to go another gym.

My main reason for going to that gym is kind of ridiculous. All the plates are the same, all wrapped in ruber so no matter what you grab it's the same plate as on the other side. I know it's mostly mental but when micro loading I can tell myself that the 2.5lbs I just added is not offset by the plate differences. I know it's ridiculous but since going there I've been making decent gains, and I think part of that is mental. i never claimed to be normal...

Also, you forgot your supersets to failure of tricep extensions and preacher curls. They're a required part of any workout in which you're benching more than you're squatting. ;)
Click to expand...

I just figured everyone does sueprsets of tries and bies to failure every workout so I didn't have to add it in here.

My bench is quite pathetic though isn’t it. Friday I will bump it up to 115 x 5 so my squat will equal my bench, lol. My legs sucks ass.
 
silver_shadow said:
i've had guys spot me for heavy doubles and singles and then i'm racking it and the guy (about half my size) says "your lifting too heavy! you should pick a weight and do 10 full reps without being spotted!"
Click to expand...

He was probably jealous becasue you were benching more then him.


for the first time the other day i got the spotter to actually not touch the bar - his hands were an inch below but he DIDN'T do it. usually on the heavier sets, these guys obviously see my face go red and the bar going up slowly but it's going to go up nonetheless. the guy has already been warned but seeing what's going on he just can't fight the temptation to start rowing.
Click to expand...

I can’t even tolerate 1" below the bar, if I see those hands move without me asking I tell them not to touch the bar mid lift. They usually get the hint. The sad thing is everyone else in the gym expects the spotter to do the lift with them like that.

So which came first, the team bencher or the team spotter? We will never know
 
djeclipse said:
He was probably jealous becasue you were benching more then him.




I can’t even tolerate 1" below the bar, if I see those hands move without me asking I tell them not to touch the bar mid lift. They usually get the hint. The sad thing is everyone else in the gym expects the spotter to do the lift with them like that.

So which came first, the team bencher or the team spotter? We will never know
Click to expand...
actually there is a role reversal. one guy rows and the other guy lies down on a bench and spots him.
 
Week 8 Day 2

2 more PR's and I got a deadlift video made to see how my form is, the video is posted in another thread, please feel free to have a look at it and let me know what yo think.

Here is the vid thread

http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=477997

For the military press, I made all my reps and it went up slow but steady, but I think balance may be a small issue I have to work on. Sometimes on the way up it feels like the weight may be too far back and I may loose balance. I will have to work on that in the future.

Squat
105 x 5
135 x 5
160 x 5
160 x 5

Standing Military Press
85 x 5
105 x 5
120 x 5
140 x 5.... PR!

DeadLift
230 x 5
275 x 5 (double overhand)
325 x 5 (mixed grip)
370 x 5..... PR! Vid is posted here. http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showthread.php?t=477997

Chins
7
7
5

Needsize crunches I increased the incline, decreased the weight and tried to hold for a full 5 seconds
10lbs x 5
10lbs x 5
10lbs x 5
10lbs x 5
 
Thanks for the replies.

blut wump my bodyweight at the gym yesterday was 195 with (shoes on), probbaly 5-10 lbs of that weight is round my waist, lol I assume I could get 2x my bodyweight for a single and hopefully soon for a set of 5.

But no matter what my bodyweight is, it's still not nearly as impressive as someone that can do 5+ plates aside for reps no matter what body weight they are at.
 
Nice looking deadlift,you made it look very easy.I think you coul pull 405+ easy if you tried.I am glad everyone thought your form was good because I pull the same way and I was thinking that I have shit form.What suprises me is that you have such a massive dead compared with your squat.I guess it just comes down to body structure and things like that.

Keep up the good work
 
asdfzxcv said:
Nice looking deadlift,you made it look very easy.I think you coul pull 405+ easy if you tried.I am glad everyone thought your form was good because I pull the same way and I was thinking that I have shit form.What suprises me is that you have such a massive dead compared with your squat.I guess it just comes down to body structure and things like that.

Keep up the good work
Click to expand...

Ya, I guess it shows you just how shitty my legs are. For some reason I am able to deadlift a decent amount and can't squat worth a shit, lol.

I was a little worried about my form when I posted it but I guess it's good enough to cairy on.


nelmsjer said:
dje, I agree, completely. I want 5 plates on each side, dangit!
Click to expand...

For sure, I want 5 aside but will settle for 4 right now.
 
Week 8 Day 3

I was feeling kind of run down and didn't have much motivation today. I made all my lifts but just wasn't into it. I think once I stall on my bench, rows military press or what ever I will be looking to change it up a little.

I was thinking wither A HTT program (but I don't really like the 2 weeks of 15 reps), or possibly a few weeks of changing the set/rep ranges to 3 sets of 8 for each lift. Just to have something different and a little "easy" work. then i will run the 5x5 single factor again as i am not done with it yet.

At the end of my workout there were these 2 twig morons that came in thinking they were all "hard". I made a post in the morons at the gym thread, they were good for a laugh.


Here's the link http://www.elitefitness.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6156304&postcount=486

Squat
105 x 5
135 x 5
160 x 5
190 x 5
215 x 5
160 x 8

bench
110 x 5
135 x 5
160 x 5
185 x 5
220 x 3... The last one went up pretty slow, I hope I am able to get 5 reps in on Monday (today).
160 x 8

Rows
100 x 5
120 x 5
145 x 5
170 x 5
195 x 3
145 x 8

Dips
20 x 10
20 x 10
20 x 6... not sure what happened here, just ran out of energy I guess.

Seated tri extension (dumbell)
70 x 9
70 x 8
70 x 8

Standing barbell curl (strict form, no body movement)
75 x 8
75 x 8
75 x 8

Any suggestions on what to do next, if you think the 3 x 8 reps will work or any input on HTT are welcome :)
 
Week 9 Day 1 (Mon.)

Surprisingly I hada decent work out, I made 2pr's both of which I didn't think would happen.

Squat
110 x 5
135 x 5
165 x 5
190 x 5
220 x 5

Bench
110 x 5
135 x 5
165 x 5
190 x 5
220 x 5.... PR!

Rows
100 x 5
125 x 5
145 x 5
170 x 5
195 x 5.... PR!

Hypers
30 x 14
30 x 14
30 x 14

Decline situps (steaper angle)
40 x 14
40 x 14
40 x 14
40 x 14
 
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blut wump said:
Congrats. Don't switch programs before getting two plates.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the complements guys. I thought 215 would be my max for this run and even last friday 220 x 3 felt heavy. but somehow I managed to get 220 x 5 monday. the last rep went up real slow and luckily the spotter never touched the bar because I slowly locked it out.

It would be so nice to get 2 plates x 5 next week but I'm it is going to be a challenge.
 
FYI, the entry you posted earlier today for (I assume) Monday's workout is labeled "Day 2/wed."...might want to change it while you can still edit the post.

And congrats on the PRs! Looking forward to seeing two plates from you...
 
Cynical Simian said:
FYI, the entry you posted earlier today for (I assume) Monday's workout is labeled "Day 2/wed."...might want to change it while you can still edit the post.

And congrats on the PRs! Looking forward to seeing two plates from you...
Click to expand...

Thanks for catching that. Yesterday was a bad day overall, my mind was elsewhere as you can see by my posts here and elsewhere on the board, and I was really tired = bad day in the gym.

I failed on 145 x 5 for military press only got 4 reps, and failed on my 380 x 5 dead lift (only got 4). I forgot my workout journal at home so tomorrow I will post everything.

basically the only thing keeping this journal alive is the possibility of a 225 x 5 bench press on monday (that I'm not very optimistic about). If I don't make that it may be time to change it up a little. Maybe something for 2-3 weeks as a "deload" and then back in the 5x5.
 
The funny thing that I noticed about SF 5x5 is that every Thursday (3-rep day) I would just barely squeeze out my 3rd rep with a max weight and think: "There is no way I'm going to get 5 on Monday." Then Monday would roll around and I'd barely get my 5th rep. Then on Friday I'd again barely squeeze out my 3rd rep and think: "5 reps is definitely never going to happen!" So I, too, was never really optimistic about it.

But just keep drilling in your head that it is entirely possible. It's only 5 more lbs. You didn't think you'd get 220 and you did. That should help alleviate some of your doubt enough to crush 225.

Also, once you've hit your 225 milestone, I also believe it's time for some sort of deload.
 
xblitz44x said:
The funny thing that I noticed about SF 5x5 is that every Thursday (3-rep day) I would just barely squeeze out my 3rd rep with a max weight and think: "There is no way I'm going to get 5 on Monday." Then Monday would roll around and I'd barely get my 5th rep. Then on Friday I'd again barely squeeze out my 3rd rep and think: "5 reps is definitely never going to happen!" So I, too, was never really optimistic about it.

But just keep drilling in your head that it is entirely possible. It's only 5 more lbs. You didn't think you'd get 220 and you did. That should help alleviate some of your doubt enough to crush 225.
Click to expand...

That is so true, the single factor 5x5 with the tipple on friday (day 3) just simply works. Every friday I have doubts about mondays lifts and some how you just end up getting it. I really hope this is the case for at least one more week. When I started at the gym 5 month's ago 225 for a single was just a dream, now I'm not even thinking about getting it for a single, I want 5, lol.

Also, once you've hit your 225 milestone, I also believe it's time for some sort of deload.
Click to expand...

This will be the first time in my training ever where I make a planned "deload", and I admit I have no clue what to do here. I was thinking of doing something like 3 sets of 8 and then a single starting at my current 5 rep max (moving the weight up each week). is that decent for a deload or is it still too much work?

I was also thinking about trying cleans instead of rows just to change it up. The only thing is my back has grown the most since I've started this 5x5 and it's primarily because of rows. I don't want to loose the back stimulant. I also would like to get some incline bench in there just because I haven't done it in so long, but I'm not sure if I want to loose the standing military press.

One other thing I have noticed is that instead of going for 9 weeks straight I ended up taking 2 weeks off between week 5-9 due to sickness. I'd miss mon and wed workouts and repeat fridays workout... And each time I came back I felt great, picked up right where I left off and made my PR's on monday. I wonder if I need to incorporate a light week between week 6-7 or something.
 
mm107 said:
WOW nice job DJ! A deload huh? Ive never done one either. Ill be reading up to see what ya do so when i go to do it, i dont have to read too much lol

KEep it up bro, and get some pics up!
Click to expand...


ya, you can see my deload and learn what not to do from my mistakes, lol.

I took some pics a while back and have been meaning to take some now as comparison, but trust me, you don't want to see any pics. I'm 195lbs with a decent size beer gut and a hairy chest... not a good sight, lol.

As of last week I have cut all the crap I was eating like donuts, ice cream, chocolate cake, chocolate bars, candy etc. I hope to see some results just by eating a lot cleaner.
 
djeclipse said:
This will be the first time in my training ever where I make a planned "deload", and I admit I have no clue what to do here. I was thinking of doing something like 3 sets of 8 and then a single starting at my current 5 rep max (moving the weight up each week). is that decent for a deload or is it still too much work?
Click to expand...

I would do something like this:

Day 1:
Bench - ramp till your heaviest set of 5 (ie. 225) but do 3 reps instead of 5
Bent Rows - Again, take heaviest 5 sets and do for 3
Situps

Day 2:
Squat - Ramp till heaviest set of 5. Do for 3 reps
Military Press
Calfs

I don't know how much of a deload you want to do, but I'd stick to this. Just 2 workouts per week. I wouldn't deload longer than two weeks.

djeclipse said:
I was also thinking about trying cleans instead of rows just to change it up. The only thing is my back has grown the most since I've started this 5x5 and it's primarily because of rows. I don't want to loose the back stimulant. I also would like to get some incline bench in there just because I haven't done it in so long, but I'm not sure if I want to loose the standing military press.
Click to expand...

From what I can tell, it looks like you row twice a week. Maybe throw cleans in there once, and row once. Still try to make your 5 lb jump and see what happens. I wouldn't worry about incline press so much this time around. You're making such great progress with the flat bench. If, at the end of this cycle, you want to write up a new program - do incline instead of flat. Work on one thing at a time.

djeclipse said:
One other thing I have noticed is that instead of going for 9 weeks straight I ended up taking 2 weeks off between week 5-9 due to sickness. I'd miss mon and wed workouts and repeat fridays workout... And each time I came back I felt great, picked up right where I left off and made my PR's on monday. I wonder if I need to incorporate a light week between week 6-7 or something.
Click to expand...

I also recommend taking a week to break up the cycle. Treat it like the deload above, or take the week off completely. You're not going to suddenly lose the strenght in just a week - and your joints will thank you.

PS: It's *lose
:)
 
I second what you're both saying about the Friday triples and Monday PRs, especially with chasing deadlift PRs on Wednesdays too. On my first run, I found it relentless - there was no slacking from the eating, resting and busting your guts in the gym, for fear of breaking the cycle. Fun stuff!

For your deload, just hit the same weights as the week before, but do less reps.
 
Week 9 Day 2 (wed)

bad day all around, I had little sleep and my mind was elsewhere. I failed on my military press and dead lift by one rep each.

Squat
110 x 5
135 x 5
165 x 5
165 x 5

Standing Military Press
90 x 5
105 x 5
125 x 5
145 x 4... fail

Dead Lift
235 x 5
285 x 5 (overhand grip gave out, had to switch to mixed, not a good sign)
330 x 5
380 x 4... fail, my 4th rep was pretty bad as far as form goes so I didn’t even try a fifth.

Chins
7
7
5.... not progressing on these either.

needsize Crunches
10 x 6
10 x 6
10 x 6
10 x 5
10 x 5

bad day, I think some kind of change and or light work is needed soon.
 
The lack of sleep will definitely effect your workout. Try to stay tough. Are you eating enough? Do you count calories? Could you give us an example of your diet on a typical day?
 
xblitz44x said:
The lack of sleep will definitely effect your workout. Try to stay tough. Are you eating enough? Do you count calories? Could you give us an example of your diet on a typical day?
Click to expand...

ya, getting enough sleep is a major obstacle for me. On a good day I'll get 7hrs, on average it's 5-6hrs.

Typical diet for a day.

8:30-9:00am Breakfast (I've never been a big breakfast eater, just no time.)
3 hard boiled eggs, I eat just the whites, throw away the middle.
One apple
Sometimes one cup of 2 scoops raisin bran (if I remember to bring it to work).

11:00am Mid morning
1 stick of celery
maybe an apple

12:30-1:00Lunch
Chicken pita
Salad no dressing (just vinegar)
2 carrots

3:00-5:00
One-two pears
2-3 apples
stick of celery
hand full of almonds (thanks to Bunny's suggestion)

5:30 workout
post work out shake

8:00 or so dinner
I just started to try and eat cleaner so it's
2 pieces of chicken
1.5 cups of steamed vegies
sometimes salad

9:00pm-12:00am (sometimes later)
This is where in the past I'd snack on complete shit, like 5 donuts, cake, cookies, hard candy. I eat this while watching the TV I've recorded, so many good shows.

Since last week I am having a hard time finding something healthy to eat here, usually one pear or apple, but I need something else to munch on that won't hurt me.

That is my typical diet as of last week. I don't know how many calories I am getting, never really paid any attention to it until now.
 
Are you trying to bulk or are you looking to maintain and just increase strength?

If you're trying to bulk, I don't think you're eating enough - especially enough quality carbohydrates. According to the schedule above, the only carbs you're getting are from the fruit, salad, and pita bread. With the type of training your engaged in, I think you'd greatly benefit from a few pasta/rice meals in there if you can.

Also, I suggest making time for breakfast. Wake up just 15 minutes earlier - it's enough to make some eggs and heat up some oatmeal.

Your training program looks tight; very well thought-out. But it seems like you didn't show as much effort with your diet - the heavier the weights you lift the more fuel your body is going to require. Eat up!
 
xblitz44x said:
Are you trying to bulk or are you looking to maintain and just increase strength?

If you're trying to bulk, I don't think you're eating enough - especially enough quality carbohydrates. According to the schedule above, the only carbs you're getting are from the fruit, salad, and pita bread. With the type of training your engaged in, I think you'd greatly benefit from a few pasta/rice meals in there if you can.

Also, I suggest making time for breakfast. Wake up just 15 minutes earlier - it's enough to make some eggs and heat up some oatmeal.

Your training program looks tight; very well thought-out. But it seems like you didn't show as much effort with your diet - the heavier the weights you lift the more fuel your body is going to require. Eat up!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the replies.

Well I am Italian so in the past I was eating pasta or some kind of pasta meal at least 3x per week, and a lot of pizza etc. Some weeks every day.

With that diet and no activity (especially with the junk food eating a night) I gained a lot of fat and developed a big gut. When I started training and especially since I started the 5x5 instead of gaining more fat I started to gain muscle. But that fat around the stomach and everywhere else in general is still there.

As of last week my goal is to lose the fat around the stomach area so I can at least take off the shirt and get a tan etc. But I don't want to stop training heavy like this as I love the strength training.

This is the first time ever I've tried to change my diet so like everything else I am new to this.

Where do you suggest I add the carbs, and what kind?

I am 195lbs currently.
 
Err...I'm going to be a slight ass about it in the hope of provoking change: your diet is terrible.

1. Try to have some sort of animal protein with each meal.
2. Per the previous post, replace some of that fructose (from all the fruit) with complex carbs from oats, rice, etc.
3. Your calories look low overall, and this is especially pronounced in everything up to lunch. I'd be surprised if those first two meals top 200 calories.

If you don't want to put the work and time into preparing good meals (again being an ass while hoping you'll prove me wrong) in advance, at least pull a BiggT/Rippetoe and make milk a foundation of your diet. It's cheap and takes no time to prepare/consume.
 
I'd be a lot more help if you were trying to bulk but since you're trying to cut up a little bit I probably won't be able to add too much...

I'd personally get rid of the fruit until post-workout - then you can eat a banana or something like that. Eat some complex carbs pre, and post workout to aid in recovery. Keep the rest of the meals protein/healthy fats (peanut butter, almonds, fish etc) to reduce insulin spikes.

Keep your training heavy.

Hopefully somebody who has more experience in the cutting field will add to this but you'll probably have better luck checking the Diet Forum.

PS: One more thing - I've had success cutting with the CKD diet but I have no idea how that would work with 5x5 training - I'm sure others have asked the same question so maybe try doing a search if CKD is a possibility.
 
Cynical Simian said:
Err...I'm going to be a slight ass about it in the hope of provoking change: your diet is terrible.

1. Try to have some sort of animal protein with each meal.
2. Per the previous post, replace some of that fructose (from all the fruit) with complex carbs from oats, rice, etc.
3. Your calories look low overall, and this is especially pronounced in everything up to lunch. I'd be surprised if those first two meals top 200 calories.

If you don't want to put the work and time into preparing good meals (again being an ass while hoping you'll prove me wrong) in advance, at least pull a BiggT/Rippetoe and make milk a foundation of your diet. It's cheap and takes no time to prepare/consume.
Click to expand...

Ha, no worries bro, I'm an ass so it's all good. the best way to get a point across is to be blunt.

1. How do I incorporate an animal protein into every meal? I would have to eat it cold or something while I'm at work. Also I hate fish, not big on red meat so that leaves chicken.

2. "Replace fruit with complex carbs like oats and rice." I can try that, any suggestions? Just bring in pre-cooked rice to work, eat it cold? Where do I get oats, lol.

3. The rain bran has 188 calories but I hear what you are saying. Basically all I did was take my previous diet and cut out all the crap like pizza, pop chips, cake etc. and what you see above is what I am left with. I do appreciate your help as I am ready to put an effort into eating better.

I don't want to go the drink lots of milk route as I don't want to try and gain weight. I'd like to lose the fat and stay the same weight or a little lower.

Trust me, just cutting out all the crap I eat at night was a very big step for me.
 
xblitz44x said:
I'd be a lot more help if you were trying to bulk but since you're trying to cut up a little bit I probably won't be able to add too much...

I'd personally get rid of the fruit until post-workout - then you can eat a banana or something like that. Eat some complex carbs pre, and post workout to aid in recovery. Keep the rest of the meals protein/healthy fats (peanut butter, almonds, fish etc) to reduce insulin spikes.

Keep your training heavy.

Hopefully somebody who has more experience in the cutting field will add to this but you'll probably have better luck checking the Diet Forum.

PS: One more thing - I've had success cutting with the CKD diet but I have no idea how that would work with 5x5 training - I'm sure others have asked the same question so maybe try doing a search if CKD is a possibility.
Click to expand...

I enjoy the fruit durring the day so I don't want to loose all of it but I am willing to replace some of it with somthing else. So far the morning/lunch diet has been enough to get methorugh my workout etc.

This is why I never really kept track ofmy dietbefore, it's kind of a PIA and confusing.
 
Wow, I think you've done pretty damned well on the 5x5 with a diet like that! You must be snacking on a lot in the evening, because it seems like you're not taking in many calories during the day. If I ate like that, I'd have my hands round the neck of the nearest small furry animal my noon, for want of something to eat.

Use skimmed milk if you're worried about having too many calories. Buy a bag of oats, some bananas and throw them in a blender with the milk. Make a shake in the evenings out of it, bottle it and take it to work/school in the mornings. Get some egg whites, they're good to add to your breakfast. Kiwi fruits are one of the most nutritious fruits you can eat, so add one of those to your breakfast too. Throw tons of veggies in a steamer for your evening meal, along with the chicken - yams, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sprouts, whatever.
 
What I meant by "animal protein" includes but isn't limited to animal flesh, so dairy products, including protein powders, would count.

You can get oats (without tons of sugar or other crap added) at pretty much any grocery store. Look for rolled oats or steel-cut oats.

A quick way to significantly improve your diet would just be to take those fruit meals and replace them with oats and protein powder in shaker bottles. You can grind up rolled oats in a blender or coffee grinder for this. Once you get in the habit of eating more frequent real meals (i.e. more than just a piece of fruit), you can start doing other stuff depending on what you want to take the time to prepare/store.
EDIT: If you want to keep some fruit, maybe have oats and protein powder with one meal, then fruit as your carbs in the next.

Again as mentioned before, lurking on the diet forum a bit might be a good idea. Also check out xblitz's journal for his very solid diet. He's bulking, but the quantity, not the type, of food is the primary difference between bulking and cutting diets.
 
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