G5.0 vs. Gravity: The Neurotic Ramblings of a Man on a Mission

[Guinness5.0]

Week 6
FRIDAY
Phase 2 -- Custom DF Program

GMs
warmups, worked up to 275x5

-Pretty easy. Form was great - felt very natural.

Front Squats
worked up to 225x5x3

-Pretty easy, but the bar I was using had sharp, deep knurling and it tore up my neck - it looks like I have a rash

Standing OHP
135x5x3

-Easy. I held the lockout for several seconds on the last rep of each set, focusing on driving the bar behind my head.

Then I did hypers with weight for the first time ever (did some bodyweight sets for high reps, then grabbed a 45 and did a set of ten). I made sure to get a good stretch in my back and hams while doing these. I did some arm stuff for grins and stretched thoroughly. Then I spent about 15 minutes in a brutally hot sauna. I feel fucking great as I'm typing this, so I may put more emphasis on stretching and other restorative techniques. Good shit.

Fun facts (a tribute to Jim Ouni): When I got to the lower level of the gym, there was a bar in the squat rack with a ten on each side and the pussy pad attached. Some guy was working the heavy bag, but other than that the basement was empty. I figure a girl left it on, so I start to take the weight off the bar and the dude at the bag says "Hey I got two sets left" and I put the weight back on. I thought 'WTF? A guy is using the pussy pad with 65 frigging pounds on squats?' But then he went over to it and did OHP. So that's a first for me. Ever seen anyone use the pad for OHP?

 

[nelmsjer]

If you end up in Indianapolis, be sure to swing by Treilin's show in Detroit on July 15th. There is an EF meetup happening for the whole weekend, primarily with the EF ladies. IP and I will be there, too.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Nice workout. I gotta get my GM's up.

Ever seen anyone use the pad for OHP?

Was it behind the neck maybe?

 

[Protobuilder]

Was it behind the neck maybe?

Even still, with 65 pounds total? You could fucking drop it on your neck from lockout and still be "pretty okay." LOL Heavy BTN push press, I could see it . . .

 

[Jim Ouini]

Even still, with 65 pounds total? You could fucking drop it on your neck from lockout and still be "pretty okay." LOL Heavy BTN push press, I could see it . . .

*cough* not that I ever use it for behind the neck, I was just sayin I could possibly see how maybe one might feel the need to perhaps use the pussy pad, in that situation, potentially.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Week 7
MONDAY
Phase 2 -- Custom DF program
Week 2 of 4-week volume phase

Squat
warmups, 365x5x3

-I had planned on doing 345x5x3, but in the extra-shithole basement part of this shithole gym, there were only THREE ten pound plates, two of which wre in use by a pair of jackass team-benchers. The bigger of the pair had just finsihed an assisted single w/ 315, and then did a slightly more-assisted single with 335. BTW while I was warming up he took one of the tens from the rack I was at without asking, but I didn't say anything because I figured there would be more tens around. Anywho, after the latter team effort, I asked him if he was done with the tens. He looked at the bar w/ 335 on it, looked at me with a smartass expression, and said 'No'. I wanted to smack him upside the head, but instead I got mad at the weights and got my week 3 target early It's probably for the better because if I aim to get 4 plates in week four, I don't want to spread the jumps TOO far apart.

Inclne BB Press
warmups, 245x5x3

-This was pretty damn tough. The jackasses were right next to me doing inc DB presses, again with way more weight than necessary. The HEad Jackass was doing DB front raises between sets. Only God knows why


Power Cleans
warmups, 185x3x5

-Pretty easy, but I was a little bit 'goofy' with a few of 'em. I hit my knees from timing the 'pop' out of synch. Nothing a little more weight won't cure.

I stretched and did some hypers afterward, and sat in the sauna for about ten minutes. All in all a good workout. I made my first live sales calls at work today so I was a little stressed. There is so much shit to remember and I got a bit tongue-tied a few times. I leave for California this Sunday and I hope that there's a gym w/in walking distance of the hotel I'm staying at (or better yet a gym w/ free weights and a squat rack IN the hotel, but I'm not holding my breath for that one ).

Everyone was telling me that Cali is the best place to have training - depending of the time of year I could be in Texas, Arizona, Cali or Chicago. They were saying that there are good bars in the area. But while my cohorts are out boozing, I'll be under the iron.

EDIT: DAMMIT! Closest gym is three miles away. Oh well. This may be an aborted run.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Week 7
WEDNESDAY
Phase 2 -- Custom DF program
Week 2 of 4-week volume phase

I think Satan is shoveling his driveway tonight....

DE Box Squats
warmups, 8 doubles @ 275

-Monday's squats kicked my ass - my glutes were sore during these. I'm pretty shocked at how much capacity I seem to have lost in short order. Still, getting 365 for three sets of five on Monday was technically a PR, so I guess the fact that I haven't done this sort of volume at this weight shouldn't leave me clueless as to why it's difficult

Dips
general shoulder warmup, some sets with bodyweight, then (BW+95)x5x3

-I hope to get 120 for three sets of five by week four. My front delts are sore from the inclines, but nothing too bad.

Chinups
BWx5, (BW+25)x5

-Well it's finally happened - I added weight to chins They were tough but not awful, so I'll try for 35 next week assuming; a) that I find a gym and b) that they have a belt to hang a plate from.

I did some arm stuff too, but here's the other indication that hell may have frozen over: I did weighted ab work too If I do cardio any time soon, you're gonna wanna get right with God, because that would mean that the end is nigh. I did 25 decline situps, then did 20 with a 25 pound plate. Next week I'll do two sets with the plate. I also did hypers with weight, stretched and sauna'd. Good times.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Nice workout. I'm going for 100 x 3 x 5 (that's 5 x 3 for you ) on dips my next workout. I hate the dip bars at my new gym, though, so I may do them at home instead.

Also, I notice this is week 2 of volume phase. How are you feeling, you're only doing 3 sets, as opposed to 5 in MC2's cookie cutter. Do you think you'll hit loading by Week 4?

I'm currently doing 3 x 5 for my last 2 weeks of HST and I'm feeling pretty fresh so far.

 

[BiggT]

Those situps will do nothing but help your squats and help you get that 600 DL....after about a month, you'll wonder why and how you ever lifted without included them.

The loss of conditioning and work capacity is perfectly normal after being off full body workouts for a little while.....squatting, pulling, and pressing in one workout, multiple times a week is the ultimate test of manliness, although absolute strength tends to be a little better on an upper/lower type split.

 

[Guinness5.0]

that's 5 x 3 for you

Hey man, the Ruskis got the reps/sets notation right

Also, I notice this is week 2 of volume phase. How are you feeling, you're only doing 3 sets, as opposed to 5 in MC2's cookie cutter. Do you think you'll hit loading by Week 4?

I had actually meant to address this point - thanks for mentioning it. I don't think it's a ton less work than the cookie cutter - it's less, but not by a tremendous amount. I mean, it's 9 working sets of pressing/week as opposed to 11 in the cookie-cutter, and the GM/Front squat combo is as tough as 5x5 squats IMO. There are no deads, but that's fine. I want this run to be a bit lighter because frankly I don't think I've recovered adequately (esp. my lower body - upper seems to be fine) during any of my deloads lately.

I'm currently doing 3 x 5 for my last 2 weeks of HST and I'm feeling pretty fresh so far.

My loading has been fairly aggressive - these are probably not weights that I would do in week 2 of 'normal' 5x5, but I think I'll be able to get all my targets in week 4 (though I'm starting to wonder about squats - I can't see how I'll get 40 more pounds than I did monday, but we'll see...).