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anotherbutters
New member
Low intensity, high reps for sure.
Another Single Factor 5x5 Journal
- Thread starter anotherbutters
- Start date
anotherbutters
New member
I feel better now 
I think attacking the weights with reckless abandon is what put my back out in the first place! I really liked what Glenn said about changing something each time you start over and ramp up again. If for no other reason, it makes things interesting for a while. Following the same 1x5 ramping scheme gets boring after something like 14 weeks.
I'm going to either follow BW's advice next week and do some low rest, high rep work to bring me back up to speed, or a very light 1x5. Either way, I'm now thinking of jumping back into a vanilla SF 1x5 ramping scheme after that and abandoning the DF idea.
I think attacking the weights with reckless abandon is what put my back out in the first place! I really liked what Glenn said about changing something each time you start over and ramp up again. If for no other reason, it makes things interesting for a while. Following the same 1x5 ramping scheme gets boring after something like 14 weeks.
I'm going to either follow BW's advice next week and do some low rest, high rep work to bring me back up to speed, or a very light 1x5. Either way, I'm now thinking of jumping back into a vanilla SF 1x5 ramping scheme after that and abandoning the DF idea.
anotherbutters
New member
Week 18, Monday
Bodyweight: 80.5kg/177lb - down a bit, which is good
1. Freeweight back squats (kg)
bar x 9 (x2) ..... warmup
40 x 9 ........... warmup
60 x 5
70 x 5
80 x 5 ........... (176lb)
80 x 5 ...................... stopped here rather than doing another set
2. Bench (kg)
bar x 9 .......... warmup
30 x 9 ........... warmup
45 x 5
50 x 5
55 x 5
55 x 5
55 x 5 ........... (121lb)
3. Powercleans (kg)
bar x 5 .......... warmup
30 x 5
35 x 5
40 x 5
45 x 5
45 x 5 ........... (99lb)
4. Abs
20 second planks - 6' 00"
Comments
A good workout. I'm a happy man!
Following the sensible advice of BW, I'm just going to take it easy this week. I was going to work up to my usual third set and cap it there, but I couldn't resist throwing a bit more on with powercleans.
I thought my back was perfectly ok, but I could feel a slight remnant of a twinge during squats, so I stopped after 4 work sets. No damage done.
Bench was fine.
I'm still learning powercleans. Do you think doing hang cleans will make it any easier to get used to the pull? I'm trying not to pull with my arms, but it feels like I'm hustling the weight up, which is only working because the weight is light.
Since I'm taking it easy this week, I stopped planks 1 second before my PR
Bodyweight: 80.5kg/177lb - down a bit, which is good
1. Freeweight back squats (kg)
bar x 9 (x2) ..... warmup
40 x 9 ........... warmup
60 x 5
70 x 5
80 x 5 ........... (176lb)
80 x 5 ...................... stopped here rather than doing another set
2. Bench (kg)
bar x 9 .......... warmup
30 x 9 ........... warmup
45 x 5
50 x 5
55 x 5
55 x 5
55 x 5 ........... (121lb)
3. Powercleans (kg)
bar x 5 .......... warmup
30 x 5
35 x 5
40 x 5
45 x 5
45 x 5 ........... (99lb)
4. Abs
20 second planks - 6' 00"
Comments
A good workout. I'm a happy man!
Following the sensible advice of BW, I'm just going to take it easy this week. I was going to work up to my usual third set and cap it there, but I couldn't resist throwing a bit more on with powercleans.
I thought my back was perfectly ok, but I could feel a slight remnant of a twinge during squats, so I stopped after 4 work sets. No damage done.
Bench was fine.
I'm still learning powercleans. Do you think doing hang cleans will make it any easier to get used to the pull? I'm trying not to pull with my arms, but it feels like I'm hustling the weight up, which is only working because the weight is light.
Since I'm taking it easy this week, I stopped planks 1 second before my PR
anotherbutters
New member
lol at your k message 
It's good to be back, although I've a way to go yet before I'm back up to making PRs. I'll see if I can get the odd one in before xmas. I'm going to be very wary of taking time off in future, especially getting back into it afterwards. Still, you live and learn.
It's good to be back, although I've a way to go yet before I'm back up to making PRs. I'll see if I can get the odd one in before xmas. I'm going to be very wary of taking time off in future, especially getting back into it afterwards. Still, you live and learn.
anotherbutters
New member
Week 18, Tuesday
Cardio!
1. Rowing machine
2x500m with 1:00 min rest period
average time: 1:55/500m
average HR: 162
Comments
I'm going to start doing some cardio, not just because I want to lose a bit of fat over the next few weeks, but because I also want to get my general fitness level up. I have a rowing machine at home, so I'll be using that. I'm going to do a few sets of 500m rows with a 1 min rest period, as in HIIT, rather than straight 10/20 min rows. There's no real structure to this and I'll probably just do it on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Unfortunately, I went like a bat out of hell for the first 500m today and nearly killed myself (who could've guessed I'd do that?
). I had such a bad stitch after the second set I couldn't carry on! At least it's not something that can produce an injury. I quite enjoy cardio, especially when I can see myself make progress. I'll take it easy on Thursday. Today's the first time I've been on the rower for about 6 months.
Cardio!
1. Rowing machine
2x500m with 1:00 min rest period
average time: 1:55/500m
average HR: 162
Comments
I'm going to start doing some cardio, not just because I want to lose a bit of fat over the next few weeks, but because I also want to get my general fitness level up. I have a rowing machine at home, so I'll be using that. I'm going to do a few sets of 500m rows with a 1 min rest period, as in HIIT, rather than straight 10/20 min rows. There's no real structure to this and I'll probably just do it on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Unfortunately, I went like a bat out of hell for the first 500m today and nearly killed myself (who could've guessed I'd do that?
). I had such a bad stitch after the second set I couldn't carry on! At least it's not something that can produce an injury. I quite enjoy cardio, especially when I can see myself make progress. I'll take it easy on Thursday. Today's the first time I've been on the rower for about 6 months.
anotherbutters
New member
Week 18, Wednesday
Bodyweight: 80.2kg/176lb
1. Light freeweight back squats (kg)
bar x 9 x 2 ..... warmup
40 x 9 .......... warmup ....... could feel the twinge in my lower back
60 x 5 ............................. could still feel my back, so stopped
2. Deads (kg)
50 x 1 .......... can feel my back more (not painful, but I don't want to make things worse)
40 x 1 ........... can still feel it at this weight
3. Military Press (kg)
bar x 9 ......... warmup
25 x 5
30 x 5
35 x 5
40 x 5
40 x 5 ............. (88lb)
4. Pullups
BW x 2
BW x 3
BW x 3 chins
BW x 3 chins
BW x 0 - failed
5. Bent over rows - tried these, just so I could do some exercises today
bar x 3 ......... could feel my back, stopped
Comments
So much for getting some conditioning in this week.
I thought my back was fine now, but as I started warming up on squats, I could feel it twinging. Lower back to the rhs. It's not painful, but it feels like it would probably 'go' in an instant if I tried to put weight on it, so there was no point continuing. The problem is worst in the hole, where my back is arched the most.
I thought I might be ok with some light deadlifts, but same problem - I can feel the twinge when I straighten my back from the arched position.
With military press, my back was ok. The 40kg is 6kg below my old PR and felt heavy, so it seems like I've lost a lot of strength, even though I did 2 sets at that weight.
Pullups were hard again, so I switched to chins. They felt easier but I still got the same number of reps. I was going to do 7-8 sets to get some volume in, but I couldn't pull a single rep on the 5th set. wtf???
I wanted to do some exercises today, so I thought I'd throw in some bent over rows if my back could hold the position, but I could feel it just warming up with the bar. I thought about doing some bench pressing, but I just walked away in the end.
On a happier note, my colour coded grip plates arrived at long last (8 weeks). Unfortunately, the lighter plates weigh a lot more than they should (1.25kg is actually 1.4kg), so I might have to keep hold of some of the old ones that I was planning on selling. I haven't tried weighing the heavier ones yet. I'll be swapping over to these plates, so it doesn't really matter what the weight is, so long as it increases. They look pretty. It's a shame I can't really use them
Bodyweight: 80.2kg/176lb
1. Light freeweight back squats (kg)
bar x 9 x 2 ..... warmup
40 x 9 .......... warmup ....... could feel the twinge in my lower back
60 x 5 ............................. could still feel my back, so stopped
2. Deads (kg)
50 x 1 .......... can feel my back more (not painful, but I don't want to make things worse)
40 x 1 ........... can still feel it at this weight
3. Military Press (kg)
bar x 9 ......... warmup
25 x 5
30 x 5
35 x 5
40 x 5
40 x 5 ............. (88lb)
4. Pullups
BW x 2
BW x 3
BW x 3 chins
BW x 3 chins
BW x 0 - failed
5. Bent over rows - tried these, just so I could do some exercises today
bar x 3 ......... could feel my back, stopped
Comments
So much for getting some conditioning in this week.
I thought my back was fine now, but as I started warming up on squats, I could feel it twinging. Lower back to the rhs. It's not painful, but it feels like it would probably 'go' in an instant if I tried to put weight on it, so there was no point continuing. The problem is worst in the hole, where my back is arched the most.
I thought I might be ok with some light deadlifts, but same problem - I can feel the twinge when I straighten my back from the arched position.
With military press, my back was ok. The 40kg is 6kg below my old PR and felt heavy, so it seems like I've lost a lot of strength, even though I did 2 sets at that weight.
Pullups were hard again, so I switched to chins. They felt easier but I still got the same number of reps. I was going to do 7-8 sets to get some volume in, but I couldn't pull a single rep on the 5th set. wtf???
I wanted to do some exercises today, so I thought I'd throw in some bent over rows if my back could hold the position, but I could feel it just warming up with the bar. I thought about doing some bench pressing, but I just walked away in the end.
On a happier note, my colour coded grip plates arrived at long last (8 weeks). Unfortunately, the lighter plates weigh a lot more than they should (1.25kg is actually 1.4kg), so I might have to keep hold of some of the old ones that I was planning on selling. I haven't tried weighing the heavier ones yet. I'll be swapping over to these plates, so it doesn't really matter what the weight is, so long as it increases. They look pretty. It's a shame I can't really use them
asdfzxcv
New member
Hope you get better soon Anotherbutters,it must suck to be going backwards after so much success,not offence intended.Maybe it would be wise to stay away from the squats/deads for a week or so until the pain subsides.
Dont get too upset about the weights,just get yourself healed and back to normal,the PR's will still be there for you later on once your healed up
Hope you have a hasty recovery .
Dont get too upset about the weights,just get yourself healed and back to normal,the PR's will still be there for you later on once your healed up
Hope you have a hasty recovery
.
blut wump
New member
This is sounding like a bit of a nuisance. Can you do front squats?
The good side is that if you let the problems heal then it'll likely take six weeks tops to be back to normal if it is a slight tear and that's worst-case. Meanwhile, you just have to find ways to work around the injury and that means putting the standard program on hold.
It could be worth a visit to a chiropractor. If something has slipped out of position, you might need to have an adjustment to take tension out of the muscles.
Have you tried to massage the area? You can get to inaccessible places using a tennis ball against the wall or on the floor. Just be careful not to get too enthusiastic with it lest you bruise yourself. Gentle stretching might help.
The good side is that if you let the problems heal then it'll likely take six weeks tops to be back to normal if it is a slight tear and that's worst-case. Meanwhile, you just have to find ways to work around the injury and that means putting the standard program on hold.
It could be worth a visit to a chiropractor. If something has slipped out of position, you might need to have an adjustment to take tension out of the muscles.
Have you tried to massage the area? You can get to inaccessible places using a tennis ball against the wall or on the floor. Just be careful not to get too enthusiastic with it lest you bruise yourself. Gentle stretching might help.
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