AB's 2007 log

[blut wump]

You're an inspiration to us all, AB. Three times a week I look at your log looking for your new PRs and rarely do you disappoint. Thanks.

JK, it's very difficult to have contradicting goals and to achieve them all. It's a part of being human. So long as you continue strive to be ripped, sliced and diced while gaining weight and getting stronger you will continue to fail unless you turn to copious quantities of drugs. AB is just a dedicated guy who enjoys lifting and has a very sensible approach to self-improvement. He has also chosen a yardstick that exposes no facet of interpretation or subjectiveness. His goal is to increase the weight on the bar and he is being astoundingly successful.

It's easy to lose weight and hard to gain muscle. Why would you expect him to make a hard thing harder by making an easy thing into a persistent nuisance?

 

[anotherbutters]

Thank you BW.

 

[Cynical Simian]

Posted this in Sarge's journal a while back, but it seems relevant here, too.

Good luck with the new deadlift programming. Right now you're in danger of becoming a freak like Guinness who Oly squats more than he deadlifts.

 

[anotherbutters]

AB's 5x5: Week 11, Mon (heavy day)

Bodyweight: 183lb

Summary Spreadsheet. Top sets only; all weights in kg; previous weeks in orange.

1. Squat (3x5)
Week 1: 96 x 3 x 5 - hard, just about ok (211lb)
Week 2: 102.5 x 3 x 5 - hard, just about ok (226lb)
Week 3: 105 x 3 x 5 - hard, just about ok (231lb) PR! - a YEAR in the making
Week 4: 107.5 x 5/4/5/5 - a little harder than last week (237lb) PR!
Week 5: 110 x 3 x 5 - c'mon, is that all you've got? (242lb) PR!
Week 6: 112.5 x 3 x 5 - hard, but ok (248lb) PR!
Week 7: 115 x 3 x 5 - a tad easier than last week (253lb) PR!
Week 8: 117.5 x 3 x 5 - hard (259lb) PR!
Week 9: 120 x 3 x 5 - hard, but not in doubt (264lb) PR!
Week 10: 122.5 x 3 x 5 - hard (270lb) PR!
Today: 125 x 3 x 5 - hard (275lb) PR! - 1.5 x bodyweight

2. Bench (3x5)
Week 1: 63 x 3 x 5 - ok (139lb)
Week 2: 67.5 x 3 x 5 - hard, but ok (149lb)
Week 3: 70 x 3 x 5 - hard, but just ok (154lb)
Week 4: 71 x 3 x 5 - hard, ok (156lb)
Week 5: 72.5 x 3 x 5 - very hard, almost failed (160lb)
Week 6: 73.5 x 3 x 5 - heavy, just about ok (162lb) PR!
Week 7: 75 x 3 x 5 - barely locked out final set, final rep (165lb) PR!
Week 8: 76 x 5, 5, 4 - failed on final rep, but still a PR (167lb) PR!
Week 9: 77.5 x 4, 3, 4, 4 - was attempting 4x4, hit bars on 2nd set (171lb)
Week 10: 77.5 x 5, 5, 4 - hard, failed final rep (171lb) PR!
Today: 78.5 x 3, 4, 4, 4 - attempting 4x4, hit bars on 1st set (173lb)

3. Rows (3x5)
Week 1: 52 x 3 x 5 - ok (114lb)
Week 2: 55 x 3 x 5 - hard, but ok (121lb)
Week 3: 57.5 x 3 x 5 - hard, but ok (127lb)
Week 4: 58.5 x 3 x 5 - hard, but ok (129lb)
Week 5: 60 x 3 x 5 - ok (132lb)
Week 6: 61 x 3 x 5 - ok (134lb) PR!
Week 7: 62.5 x 3 x 5 - hard (138lb) PR!
Week 8: 63.5 x 3 x 5 - hard (140lb) PR!
Week 9: 65 x 3 x 5 - hard, not great form (143lb) PR!
Week 10: 65 x 3 x 5 - wrong weight, but good form (143lb)
Today: 66 x 3 x 5 - heavier than expected, a bit sloppy (145lb) PR!

Comments

My squat continues to impress. I noticed earlier that today's weight is 1.5x bodyweight - another nice milestone.

Side note - I have a bit of an issue with foot placement in that it feels natural to have my left foot further back (about 1.5") and pointing out more than my right. When I saw a chiro last year, he said it was because my hips were slightly twisted. When I line my feet up correctly, it feels all awkward. I've been like this for a long time. My only concern is developing muscle imbalances, but maybe I shouldn't worry about it.

Bench was hard. The second set flew up and I probably could have done 5 reps. But the following two sets were killers. I stalled on the final rep, but grunted it out somehow. I'll go for 3x5 next week at this weight.

Rows felt unusually hard. A bit of humping, but I'll increase the weights next week.

My bodyweight's on the up again - the new girlfriend's feeding me well.

 

[JKurz1]

AB's 5x5: Week 11, Mon (heavy day)

Bodyweight: 183lb

Summary Spreadsheet. Top sets only; all weights in kg; previous weeks in orange.

1. Squat (3x5)
Week 1: 96 x 3 x 5 - hard, just about ok (211lb)
Week 2: 102.5 x 3 x 5 - hard, just about ok (226lb)
Week 3: 105 x 3 x 5 - hard, just about ok (231lb) PR! - a YEAR in the making
Week 4: 107.5 x 5/4/5/5 - a little harder than last week (237lb) PR!
Week 5: 110 x 3 x 5 - c'mon, is that all you've got? (242lb) PR!
Week 6: 112.5 x 3 x 5 - hard, but ok (248lb) PR!
Week 7: 115 x 3 x 5 - a tad easier than last week (253lb) PR!
Week 8: 117.5 x 3 x 5 - hard (259lb) PR!
Week 9: 120 x 3 x 5 - hard, but not in doubt (264lb) PR!
Week 10: 122.5 x 3 x 5 - hard (270lb) PR!
Today: 125 x 3 x 5 - hard (275lb) PR! - 1.5 x bodyweight

2. Bench (3x5)
Week 1: 63 x 3 x 5 - ok (139lb)
Week 2: 67.5 x 3 x 5 - hard, but ok (149lb)
Week 3: 70 x 3 x 5 - hard, but just ok (154lb)
Week 4: 71 x 3 x 5 - hard, ok (156lb)
Week 5: 72.5 x 3 x 5 - very hard, almost failed (160lb)
Week 6: 73.5 x 3 x 5 - heavy, just about ok (162lb) PR!
Week 7: 75 x 3 x 5 - barely locked out final set, final rep (165lb) PR!
Week 8: 76 x 5, 5, 4 - failed on final rep, but still a PR (167lb) PR!
Week 9: 77.5 x 4, 3, 4, 4 - was attempting 4x4, hit bars on 2nd set (171lb)
Week 10: 77.5 x 5, 5, 4 - hard, failed final rep (171lb) PR!
Today: 78.5 x 3, 4, 4, 4 - attempting 4x4, hit bars on 1st set (173lb)

3. Rows (3x5)
Week 1: 52 x 3 x 5 - ok (114lb)
Week 2: 55 x 3 x 5 - hard, but ok (121lb)
Week 3: 57.5 x 3 x 5 - hard, but ok (127lb)
Week 4: 58.5 x 3 x 5 - hard, but ok (129lb)
Week 5: 60 x 3 x 5 - ok (132lb)
Week 6: 61 x 3 x 5 - ok (134lb) PR!
Week 7: 62.5 x 3 x 5 - hard (138lb) PR!
Week 8: 63.5 x 3 x 5 - hard (140lb) PR!
Week 9: 65 x 3 x 5 - hard, not great form (143lb) PR!
Week 10: 65 x 3 x 5 - wrong weight, but good form (143lb)
Today: 66 x 3 x 5 - heavier than expected, a bit sloppy (145lb) PR!

Comments

My squat continues to impress. I noticed earlier that today's weight is 1.5x bodyweight - another nice milestone.

Side note - I have a bit of an issue with foot placement in that it feels natural to have my left foot further back (about 1.5") and pointing out more than my right. When I saw a chiro last year, he said it was because my hips were slightly twisted. When I line my feet up correctly, it feels all awkward. I've been like this for a long time. My only concern is developing muscle imbalances, but maybe I shouldn't worry about it.

Bench was hard. The second set flew up and I probably could have done 5 reps. But the following two sets were killers. I stalled on the final rep, but grunted it out somehow. I'll go for 3x5 next week at this weight.

Rows felt unusually hard. A bit of humping, but I'll increase the weights next week.

My bodyweight's on the up again - the new girlfriend's feeding me well.

think you could make this into a 4 or 5 day routine?

 

[TomoUK]

think you could make this into a 4 or 5 day routine?

That would just complicate it, why would AB do that when he is getting session by session PR's doing it this way?

 

[anotherbutters]

Sure you could. But this is working for me and if it ain't broke, why try fixing it?

Actually, it will become a 4 or 5 day routine. The current layout contains HML (heavy, medium, light) days, which, over time, will turn into HHL, HMHL, HHHL, etc, as and when I need the extra stimulus to drive progress.

 

[blut wump]

think you could make this into a 4 or 5 day routine?

How would you choose to go about reorganizing the work to suit yourself over four or five days?

Congrats on the squat PR, AB. That's a pretty big goal.

 

[Cynical Simian]

Side note - I have a bit of an issue with foot placement in that it feels natural to have my left foot further back (about 1.5") and pointing out more than my right. When I saw a chiro last year, he said it was because my hips were slightly twisted. When I line my feet up correctly, it feels all awkward. I've been like this for a long time. My only concern is developing muscle imbalances, but maybe I shouldn't worry about it.

Before getting around to the congratulations, I want to thank you for mentioning this. I have the same issue, and now that I think about it, forcing myself into an even stance (instead of with my left foot out a bit more and back .5-1") is probably why the squat is the one lift I've struggled to get comfortable on. I think having my left leg in a disadvantageous (even) position is, rather than preventing imbalances, actually causing me to use my right leg more. Anyway, sorry for the ramble/hijack, but at least you know the log and comments are helping others and that altering your stance, if my experience is any guide, may not be a good idea.

Nice job on squats and rows as usual. After 20 kg of PRs on squats and nice progress on the rest of your lifts, are you beginning to feel loaded at all?

IMO, it might be time to drop back to triples or make some other more significant alteration (more volume rather than less, perhaps) on bench. It seems like you're somewhat stuck and that, even if you get, 5x3 or 5-5-4 next week, it might not go anywhere after that.

 

[anotherbutters]

The light day on Fridays makes a huge difference when compared to the SF 5x5. I pull out all the stops on Mon and Wed and recover the rest of the time. I don't feel one bit loaded. What I have noticed is that I need far more time in between sets than I used to. I started off at around 2 mins on the earlier weeks, but now I'm up around 4 mins (for squats/deads).

I'm still happy with my bench for now. My upper body lifts are relatively poor and I seem to make slow progress, but it's still going up.