Destroy:Erase:Improve -- PBs Training Journal

[Protobuilder]

Great guys here so figured I'd start tracking my training here and hopefully get some good input. I'm almost 30, about 174 @ 16%BF. I'm cutting, trying to get down to 10% so I can bulk properly again. I keep things simple -- squat, press, pull, repeat. I ran the SF 5x5 for 15 weeks, pushed a little too far, and took about a month deload, which wasn't optimal on both counts but I'm learning. I've been lifting for about 15 mo's now. I've read Supertraining & Zatsiorsky so I know enough to get myself in trouble. I'm weak as shit , but doing the best I can w/ the genetics I've got. I'm not into lookin' pretty. I just enjoy lifting iron, odd objects, and busting my ass in general.

Here's the current program. It's a 3x/wk. workout, like the 5x5 but w/ some modifications:

Day One

Squat -- 5x5 (same weight) + backoff set or two
Incline BB bench (low incline) -- 3-4x8
JS Rows -- 3-4x8
Assistance -- Lunges, abs

Day Two (rotate weekly between "A" and "B")

A
Front Squat -- 5x5 (same weight)
Pull-ups -- 4x3 + backoff
Deads -- 4x6 (pyramid)
Push Press -- 4x3 + backoff

B
Front Squat -- 5x5 (same weight)
Pull-ups -- 3-4x8
Deads -- 4x3 + backoff
Push Press -- 3-4x8

Day Three

Squat -- 5x8 (pyramid)
Incline BB Bench (low incline) -- 4x3 + backoff
JS Rows -- 4x3 + backoff
Assistance: power shrugs & lunges or GMs

*edit -- BiggT gets props for designing the leg portion. Thanks bud.

 

[Protobuilder]

Week 3, Tues. (workout 1)

Squats

warmups
5x5x155
10x115 (backoff)

Incline

warmups
3x8x135

Rows

warmups
3x8x135

Lunges

2x5x95 (first time, getting used to 'em)

Power shrugs

warmup
12x305 (short on time so stopped here)


Week 3, Thurs. (workout 2A)

Front Squats (first time, getting acclimated)

5x45, 65, 85, 105, 125

Push Press

warmups
4 sets of 3x135 (easy, little leg drive; it'll get harder as the weights increase weekly)
8x95 (backoff)

Pullups

warmups
3 sets of 3x20 (easy; will add 4th set next week)

Deads

warmups
3 sets of 6x225 (moderately difficult; I lost a lot of strength not DL'ing for 3-4 weeks )
6x185

Chins (aka Biceps work)

10xBW
6xBW

Weights will go up weekly and this workout will be an ass-kicker in a few weeks.

I do miscellaneous cardio but won't post it unless it's something interesting (e.g., better than walking on the incline tredmill until my vision blurs).

 

[Iliketolift]

Height? and WOAH buddy, lets not over do it on the squats.

 

[dce2956]

and WOAH buddy, lets not over do it on the squats.

No such thing.

Proto, keep kicking ass. don't listen to people that think they know what they're doing. Only comment i have is pullups AND chinups on the same day?? a little redundant i think. if you want to work your bi's harder, curl. I know, i know, the curl is the most abused and over used excersize in the novice lifter world, but it's still good for something.

also, what's the diet and cardio like. 2 KEY aspects of cutting. If you want reccomendations, i got plenty. i've been messing around with this for 3 weeks now and i'm starting to get happy with what i got.

 

[silver_shadow]

Height? and WOAH buddy, lets not over do it on the squats.

shut the fuck up, squirt!
hey PB, as dce said, i wouldn't bother much with chinups & pullups. i'd drop the latter, especially as your already working your lats enough with rows. JMO

 

[nelmsjer]

I like your plan. Are you doing the 3 rep sets as triples or as speed sets? I'm assuming triples, but want to double-check.

 

[Protobuilder]

Heavy triples. After finishing up a 15 week run of 5s, I wanted a bit more hypertrophy so wanted to dabble w/ 8s for a little while, but didn't want to drop all the > 80% intensity stuff so figured a day of 8s and a day of 3s would be a balanced approach.

dce -- thanks for the comments. I throw chins in sometimes at the end just for shits and giggles, and to hit the bis a little bit. No big deal. If I wanted serious growth, I'd start curling again but frankly, I'm too lazy to load up a bar and curl when I can just jump up and rep out some chins instead. LoL It's called half-assing a bi workout.

Diet & cardio are taken care of. I shaved off 11% BF last fall while only losing 2 pounds of lbm, so I've got a pretty good handle on it. Thanks for your willingness to help though.

silvershadow -- I love me some weighted pullups. LoL And I get a little bored doing JS rows 3x/wk, especially if I'm deadlifting the same day.

 

[dce2956]

Diet & cardio are taken care of. I shaved off 11% BF last fall while only losing 2 pounds of lbm, so I've got a pretty good handle on it. Thanks for your willingness to help though.

well holy hell. please, go on! thats a damn good ratio of bf to muscle loss, and i'd love to hear what brought it about.

 

[Anthrax Invasion]

I can't wait to try a PSMF for cutting. Proto seems to know his stuff as well - what did you do to cut, bor?

Oh, I like the layout very much, but pullups + chinups is a waste. Chinups are superior.

 

[Protobuilder]

Alright, alright. My cutting secrets revealed! I ate less. And I moved around more. And I took the disciplined, boring, slow & steady approach. LoL

Seriously though, I hit 200 at 27% BF in a "bulk gone bad." Lesson #1 -- a pound a week isn't always good. LoL So then I started reducing my calories slowly. I reduced my carb intake & boosted my protein (& water) intake. I ate extremely clean & extremely bland, boring foods (lived off of plain oatmeal, plain ckn., and can upon can of green beans). I even gave up the beer. LoL And I switched to a higher-frequency strength-focused routine (which then led me to the 5x5). I started doing cardio -- jogging and fast walking on an incline tredmill. Lesson # 2 -- cardio on a bulk is a good thing. And then I just walked my calories down little by little, holding 'em steady if fat started coming off, and when it stopped dropping, I reduced my cals a bit more or upped my cardio. Basically just manipulated cardio & cals while eating enough protein & trying to lift heavy. My cals never got super low. But toward the end I was feeling hungry a lot, so I took about 2 weeks off, ate more, etc., then went back at it. And that helped. The coolest thing of all (other than going from a 38.5" waist down to 33.5" waist), was after I stopped cutting, I could eat w/e I wanted and as much as I wanted and wouldn't gain a pound. LoL I pigged out and bumped cals by like 1500 w/in a 2 week span and held that for about 3 weeks, and gained maybe a pound. LoL I was in heaven.

Enough w/ the chins already! LoL I do 'em purely as an afterthought like when I'm getting ready to head upstairs and see my arms in the mirror and think, "You know boys, you've earned a set or two of direct work." LoL