Djeclipse's Intermediate 5x5 take 2.

[djeclipse]

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

 

[djeclipse]

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]

Nice Progress bro!

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

Oh and screw that dude atleast u tried to help.

 

[djeclipse]

Nice Progress bro!

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

Oh and screw that dude atleast u tried to help.

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.

 

[Cynical Simian]

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.

 

[silver_shadow]

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.

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.

 

[djeclipse]

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?

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.

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.

 

[djeclipse]

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!"

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.

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

 

[silver_shadow]

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

actually there is a role reversal. one guy rows and the other guy lies down on a bench and spots him.

 

[djeclipse]

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