Another Single Factor 5x5 Journal

[anotherbutters]

Go get something to eat, I've written loads

My week off started when I skipped last Friday's workout, so I'm going to pull my weight and get back into it with a proper workout tomorrow. I'm glad I took the week off. I'm feeling fresh and keen to get started again.

I feel like this is a point that I could start a dual factor 5x5 if I really wanted to, since I'm deloaded. The DF is a known quantity - I know I can gain on it. Following the advice that I've given other people though, someone at my level still ought to be able to make quicker progress on the SF, or something not far removed from it. The trouble is, I can't quantify exactly how much I could gain on the DF at this exact moment in time. All I can do is look at my SF progress and decide on a cutoff point at which I'll jump into the DF.

So, here's a table showing my progress for each 8 week (DF length) period since I started, shown as percentages:

Rolling 8 week progress (percentages):

weeks squat bench dead military row
-----------------------------------
1-9   -     23    20   29       22
2-10  -     14    15   28       19
3-11  -     15    10   27       18
4-12  -     12    8    26       15
5-13  -     14    6    21       13
6-14  -     14    6    19       10

I've never looked at this before, so a few comments. Squats are missed out because I changed from smith squats to freeweight and the figures aren't representative of anything yet. The figures clearly show the wall I hit with deadlifts. The first week was conservative, so the 1-9 week progress is artificially high. My military gains rock

Sorry, thinking aloud as I type this... The figures still don't help me set a cutoff figure. All I can go on is remembering Blut Wump mention he thought the DF was good for 10% for him. If I take that figure as a crude indicator of how much I might gain on the DF, I should clearly continue with a SF style workout for now. Hopefully I'll make progress on my deadlift after the week off/deload.

So, SF it is then. What to do now...

I'm thinking of doing triples at a weight just under my 5RM tomorrow so I can get a feel for whether my 5RMs have changed after the week off. Assuming they feel ok, I'm thinking of progressing like this (week 16 onwards):

week bodywt squat bench  dead      military row
-------------------------------------------------
1    72     83    55     110       33       48
2    72     88    60     115       34       50.5
3    73     90.5  61     120       35.5     51.5
4    73     93    62.5   122.5     36.5     53
5    74     50    63.5F  125       38       54
6    75     60    63.5   127.5F    38.5     55.5
7    76     80    65     127.5     40       56
8    76.5   85    66     130       41       57.5
9    77     90    67.5   132.5     42.5     58.5
10   78     92.5  68.5   135F      43.5     60
11   79     96    70     135F      45       61
12   79.5   100   71F    135F      46       62.5F
13   80     102.5 71     125       47.5F    62.5F
14   80.5   105   72.5   130x3x2   47.5F    57.5x3x3
15   81.5  ---------- week off ------------
>> proposed:
16          102.5 71     130x3x2   45       57.5x3x3
17          105   72.5   132.5x3x2 46       58.5x3x3
18          107.5 73.5   135x3x2   47.5     60x3x3

All weights in kg for 5 reps.  F = fail.

I'm going to continue the SF program as it's laid out except for deads and rows, which I'll come to in a sec. I feel like I ought to start conservatively next week (week 16) after a week off, match PRs the following week, then set new PRs the week after. The trouble is, that sets me back a LOT and will only pay for itself if I make continued gains thereafter for a while. This is the bit I really don't like because I've already taken a week off and I'm planning on matching PRs two weeks later, which means three weeks of downtime. Maybe I ought to match PRs next week, skipping the weights in week 16 above.

Anyway, for deads and rows, I'll start doing triples. The reason for deads is that I quite liked doing the triples last week (it seems like months ago now) and want to carry on with them. Plus I get to play with more weight of course.

The reason for rows, well to be honest I don't really know. I don't particularly like rows because they're not a movement that you can lock out on and know you've definitely completed a rep. I've feel like progress is difficult, but that isn't reflected in the results above. I just want to try something different with them to see if I like them any better, so long as I still make progress of course.

 

[young_squatter]

Awesome plan,

You have it well layed out. Good luck man.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

Sub in power cleans for rows. You have Starting Strength. Find someone to watch your form, or video tape yourself and send it our way. I think they might serve you better, to be honest.

 

[anotherbutters]

I've wondered about power cleans. Damn, where was it I read it... Something about the more dynamic, faster movements like PCs having more carryover into slower movements like deads than the other way around.

True, I have Starting Strength. Hmm, aha, that's where I read it I'd love to try PCs, but my only reservation is that I can't drop weights onto my platform from a height. I work out at home and I don't want to scare the crap out of the neighbours (who are also my landlord & lady). I've never tried them - can you reliably do PCs without having to dump the bar? What if you fail?

 

[anotherbutters]

So AI, what about you? I know you've been on here before as Tom someone (real name I assume), but that was before I joined. I know you know HST well from G5.0's journal.

But what are you doing at the moment training wise?

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

I do 'em in my basement. No mats or anything. I just hope to god I don't fail.

Be conservative with the weight is all I can suggest. Either that, or shell out for some bumper plates. Even then, that'd be a bit noisy. I just let them fall from the racked position and brace the drop. My thighs sometimes coushin it, too.

 

[anotherbutters]

Once I'm used to them, being conservative isn't an option - I want to be setting PRs and when you try to do that every week, there's always the chance of failure. I have some bumper plates on order - the cheapest I could find, imported from somewhere cheaper than cheap. They're taking ages to arrive though. The ship's probably been impounded or sunk under the weight of all the illegally cheap cargo.

 

[blut wump]

I've wondered about power cleans. Damn, where was it I read it... Something about the more dynamic, faster movements like PCs having more carryover into slower movements like deads than the other way around.

True, I have Starting Strength. Hmm, aha, that's where I read it I'd love to try PCs, but my only reservation is that I can't drop weights onto my platform from a height. I work out at home and I don't want to scare the crap out of the neighbours (who are also my landlord & lady). I've never tried them - can you reliably do PCs without having to dump the bar? What if you fail?

I switched to power cleans for my second run of the 5x5 and for very similar reasons to what you mentioned a post or so back. I was getting frustrated at not being able to judge accurately whether I'd actually beaten a previous performance on the bent rows. As soon as you introduce a bit of body movement then you have to wonder how much body movement you are throwing in. You're left with the choice of counting any body movement as a fail or just accepting that body movement is inevitable and just keep working at increasing the weight moved.

I'd been fancying power cleans anyway so made the sub. You know immediately whether the rep is a fail since you find that the bar isn't sitting on your shoulders. Don't worry about failing for a long time yet. Not saying that you won't fail, just not to worry about it. I've often hit myself in the chest with the bar but it's easy to guide it back down to your thighs and thence to the floor. It's no worse than having to do the eccentric anyway.

 

[blut wump]

Regarding the cost of a week off or a deload. I find that it can vary but not a lot. When I hurt myself on the Korte, I took out a full week and then had two lightish workouts. After that I was back into the full swing, admittedly of a modified program due to the injury but I wasn't holding back after that. Total cost: two weeks.

You need to realise that there's really no avoiding these occasional layoffs or deloads so just think of them as taxation or something similar. It's hardly a biggie if you don't set new PRs on two or three weeks in every 20 and the reduced workload allows you to continue working hard afterwards. The alternative is a major system shutdown which can take a lot longer to recover from. Either way, your body will take its needed breaks.

 

[Guinness5.0]

If the fitness/fatigue theory holds true, and you are fatigued, then you should come back stronger. If that's the case the week off will be a step forward.

Also, with PC's I've never once had a problem putting the weight down smoothly, even when I was doing 'em wrong and using lots of weight (I used to 'rack' the bar w/ my elbows pointing down - once failed w/ 275 and still set the bar down easy). When you fail, the weight just goes back to hanging in your hands like the end of a deadlift.