Here's my Korte

[Jim Ouini]

*shameless rip-off of BW's template*

			wk 1	wk 2	wk 3	wk 4	
			0.58	0.60	0.62	0.64	
Bench	295	6-8 x 6	171	177	183	189	
Squat	315	5-8 x 5	183	189	195	202	
Dead	500	5-8 x 5	290	300	310	320	
				wk 5	wk 6	wk 7	wk 8
			0.60	0.80	0.85	0.90	0.95
Bench	295	5 x 4	177	236	251	266	280
Squat	315	3 x 3	189	252	268	284	299
Dead	500	3 x 3	300	400	425	450	475

I plan on starting on Monday. I think I did this right...I'm going to read the Korte stuff in detail this weekend to double check. I've taken the entire week off from lifting to nurse some minor aches and pains - a tired posterior chain, slightly hyper-extended knee (I think) from a wild power shrug and a sore elbow. Yes it kinda sucks being old. I've only done some leisurely sled dragging and light kettlebelling.

I'll probably stick pretty strict to the weights...I have some microplates that I can finally put to good use. I get enough strange looks now from the regular gym crowd so that it's no big deal for me to clank on a 1/4lb'er.

Looking at the weights they don't look so bad. I haven't squatted very heavy for awhile while working on my ATG form and front squats, just ended a conditioning phase at 175 x 2 x 12, so 183 should be a nice ease into it. It should be good to get some reps in and regain my shattered confidence.

I don't anticipate any bench problems as long as my shoulder girdle stays healthy...been doing some light work there for the past couple months for that too. Although I have to be careful alternating the wide, medium, narrow grips.

As far as dead is concerned the weights don't look too bad to me although I've never deadlifted 3x/week. I had been deading 2x/week for awhile at around those weights so I think I'll be able to handle it.

I don't plan on using a belt for the entire program unless the squat feels really heavy. And I'll aim for no straps during prep phase for deadlifting.

Any comments/advice are welcome as usual. I'll keep this as my log.

 

[anotherbutters]

You've got 295, 315 and 500 down as your targets for bench, squat and dead. What are your current maxes, i.e. how much are you hoping to gain?

I'm a lightweight newbie, so a lot of my gains will be due to the extra mass I put on (I assume). I can't remember a post where you mentioned your weight, but I think you're probably a little bit bigger than me . If you're already pretty big, are you looking to maintain your current weight or bulk a little. I'm just curious as to whether you're going to bulk a little to help the gains or whether the gains will purely be down to the loading/deloading effect.

 

[blut wump]

Well, good luck. I hope you fare better than I did. Hit me with any questions that I might be able to answer. You know I'll be heckling from the sidelines, anyway.

Don't forget that you have the number of sets to play with on each exercise each time. For some reason I settled on seven sets about half-way through.

 

[Jim Ouini]

You've got 295, 315 and 500 down as your targets for bench, squat and dead. What are your current maxes, i.e. how much are you hoping to gain?

I'm a lightweight newbie, so a lot of my gains will be due to the extra mass I put on (I assume). I can't remember a post where you mentioned your weight, but I think you're probably a little bit bigger than me . If you're already pretty big, are you looking to maintain your current weight or bulk a little. I'm just curious as to whether you're going to bulk a little to help the gains or whether the gains will purely be down to the loading/deloading effect.

Well from my last 5 x 5 about 7 weeks ago I finished with the following:

Bench 275 x 3 x 3
Squat ~350 something but broken. I think I got 365 below parallel squat but not ATF before some knee trouble.
Dead 455 x 3 x 3

So my goal is to add a bit to my bench and dead, and get a butt to ankles squat with 315 without any mental/physical trauma.

I do plan to increase my cals and bulk up a bit. I currently weigh 195 and would like to get back to 205 (where I ended up last 5 x 5), but do it a little smarter this time so as to minimize the chub if possible.

Well, good luck. I hope you fare better than I did. Hit me with any questions that I might be able to answer. You know I'll be heckling from the sidelines, anyway.

Don't forget that you have the number of sets to play with on each exercise each time. For some reason I settled on seven sets about half-way through.

Thanks BW.

Re: sets, I'm going to check your log again but I'm debating if I should start with 8 sets and as the weight gets heavier maybe cut it to 6. Or maybe the opposite and try to increase my capacity as I go along. Or maybe just do 7 from the get go.

 

[anotherbutters]

The thing I found tricky when going from my DF to SF 5x5 was turning the DF result (3x3) into a starting point for the SF (1x5).

Same thing for your good self. Your starting points are 3x3. But your Korte targets are singles. So you're going from a 275 3x3 bench to a 295 single. C'mon man - I want to see some blood and guts

I am impressed by your bodyweight. You seem strong for that weight as far as I can tell. You're almost at the 300/400/500 bench/squat/dead point (well you will be when you fix that squat).

 

[Jim Ouini]

Thanks AB, appreciate the kind words. I think this one will test my mettle.

Ya know every program says to figure your 1RM but I just guestimate. For elite's it might be critical but I think someone like me can be off 5 or 10lbs

I think the bench practice will be good. I've never much cared for it, as you can tell from my #'s. I'd always done a lot of incline db presses, then lighter bench or hammer strength, then fly's. Back when I had a 'chest day'

 

[Guinness5.0]

Good luck bro.

I gotta side w/ A-B on the bench # though- it seems you are already there w/ 275 for 3x3. What did you get for 1x3?

 

[blut wump]

Just like in the 5x5, the first couple of weeks are mostly about getting into it. That'll give plenty of time to decide whether you've under-pitched the weights. I remember thinking that I was in trouble after the first session and did 8 sets on each exercise by the end of the week.

Take it steady and play it by ear. You can load up fully in two weeks so the weeks 3 and 4 are the major ones. By then you should have grown used to the overall volume and can see about cranking things up as you feel able.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Good luck bro.

I gotta side w/ A-B on the bench # though- it seems you are already there w/ 275 for 3x3. What did you get for 1x3?

Actually now that I think of it, I only got 275 x 1 x 3 IIRC I kept missing this weight until the final week. And then I got 1 rep with 280.

Just like in the 5x5, the first couple of weeks are mostly about getting into it. That'll give plenty of time to decide whether you've under-pitched the weights. I remember thinking that I was in trouble after the first session and did 8 sets on each exercise by the end of the week.

OK I won't sweat it. And I just though how ironic it was that I'm being so exact with the weights when I'm guesstimating my 1RM's

 

[blut wump]

There is one thing, and I'm just being cautious here: I noticed that your table in post one in ordered as Bench, Squat Dead. Remember to do them in the order of Squat, Bench, Dead.

 

[Jim Ouini]

I knew that at one time. But I forgot, thanks for the reminder.

I'm actually really looking forward to starting this. I know it's grueling but I like having a plan and an end goal.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Week 1 Day 1

Uhm, OK I almost quit today. J/K But the workout was by no means a cakewalk Weights weren't particularly heavy but I think I was on my 5th set of squats and I was thinking '3 more sets AND I still have to bench and dead??'

But luckily it was just a fleeting thought which quickly turned into a 'you guys' moment and like the trooper I am finished the workout. I was sweating like a pig by the time I finished, though.

With that out of the way:

Squat
Bar x 10
95 x 5
135 x 3
155 x 1
183 x 8 x 5

Had to play musical chairs for the squat rack. 2 guys doing curls in the power rack so I set up in the squat rack. So a guy asked how many sets I had and I told him I just started. Next thing I know HE'S taken over on the power rack doing curls, too So I asked him to switch and he kindly obliged. Anyway, ATF form pretty good I think, I wore my oly shoes and really settled in my last 3 sets. Knees felt OK although I had a dull throb in the left one that went away quickly.

Bench
Bar x 10
135 x 3
155 x 1
171 x 7 x 6 (S-W-N-S-W-N-S)

I almost forgot to change up my grip, I think I would've started with narrow since that's my weakest. And I havent' done wide grip benching before so I went pretty slow since I was kind of worried about my shoulder, which I've had problems with. Still, this was probably the easiest of the 3 exercises today.

Dead
135 x 5
185 x 2
225 x 1
275 x 1
290 x 6 x 5

Deadlifted in my oly shoes and they felt just fine. 290 kinda felt heavy to be completely honest, though, especially at first. I was able to pull it pretty fast and by the end I was in a nice groove. Ashamedly I had to pull out the straps, but my wrist was giving me problems so I thought what the hell does Korte know and busted 'em out.

Overall, I'm a little surprised how tough the workout was, just the sheer volume. I'm interested to see how I'll do in 48hrs. I found myself looking at Week 4 weights for a reality check

 

[anotherbutters]

...sits back with popcorn (I had some left from BW)

 

[blut wump]

Congrats on getting under way.

Can you put in the Week and Day, please. It'll help with browsing back through the workouts in a few weeks or months time.

I recall finding that some extra very light warmups helped me with some of the lifts which had felt heavier than they should in the first two or three sets. It does stretch the workout out a little, though, and try to focus on the energy conserving method he talks about. You'll know what I mean soon enough. Still, be careful with anything I say lest you end up the same.

Overall, you seem to be looking at it the same as I did. A kind of "are we there yet, mom?" as you keep grinding out the sets. How did you find going up to 6 on the bench? It took me a while to get used to that. I was also cycling my grip through the bench warmups once I added a lot more warmups. Ack, I just noticed you stopped at 5 on the bench. Don't worry about it this once: the extra set you did almost makes up for the lost rep.

Bon voyage.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Edited for corrections, thanks for pointing 'em out. I actually did do 6 reps benching, I didn't find it too bad, maybe because I'd been doing 195 x 12 the previous few weeks. Good idea to warmup with alt grip too (except I forgot I was cycling grip til my work sets )

As I was planning my sets I actually had 7 written in the log I use at the gym - as I started lifting I kind of had 6-8 in my head, though.
Like when I hit 5 sets I thought 'OK I've done the minimum'. But I started thinking back to one of your posts (in fact I think I said out loud 'That damn Blut Wump') about total loading for the week so that kept me going for 8 sets on squat. On deads I stopped at 6 because I wanted to be conservative with my lower back. I may up this as I get used to the program.

Also I remember thinking about ESM...but I'm still not sure exactly how to apply it. He says to apply only the necessary energy to complete the lift no more no less. Sounds good, but for warmups does that mean more or less? Light or heavy?

 

[Jim Ouini]

Quick Post-Mortem:

Glutes/Hams are pretty sore. I wonder if it's from deadlifting in oly shoes. Of course it could be I'm coming back from a week off.

Lower back OK - a little tight but nothing concerning. I was careful picking up the cat, though

 

[blut wump]

For myself, the ESM was more a matter of not getting emotionally involved in the lift. Don't let yourself be straining at all at a 60% lift. Keep tight but just make the moves and rack the weight. I started to think about it sometime during the first week. I think I viewed the warmups mostly as warmup-stretches.

I know what you mean about getting to five and thinking you've done the minimum.

I recall planning to do extra for each different exercise on each of the three days until I kind of drifted into my steady sevens. It was always hardest to stop on squat since you still know you have energy for another set but you have to balance that feeling with having to get through the sets on the two foo-foo exercises.

I just spotted your post-mortem. Don't kill yourself in week1

 

[Jim Ouini]

OK, I get the ESM thing a little better now. More mental than anything else.
The good thing about this program, one doesn't have to wait long to correct any mistakes.

And I recall using ESM as a justification for getting the straps out

 

[Jim Ouini]

Week 1 Day 2

Felt pretty sore and tight in the glutes and hams going to the gym but once I warmed up felt alright. Having completed Monday's workout I kind of got a mental roadblock out of the way so today was more a matter of just doing it.

Squat
Bar x 8
135 x 3
183 x 8 x 5

Had a buddy work in with me today so I kind of skimped on the warmups. I figured for ESM experimentation purposes it'd be alright. He pointed out to me my knees went over my toes, so even though that's not so concerning to me, I widened my stance just a bit.

Bench
Bar x 3 x 10 (W-S-N)
135 x 3
171 x 7 x 6 (W-S-N-W-S-N-W)

Mentally I almost think of these as 3 different lifts with the alt. grip so it's not that hard to get through. Also, I heard someone called me 'gay' for using my microplates

Dead
135 x 5 (RDL)
225 x 3
275 x 1
290 x 6 x 5

Changed up my technique a bit since the oly shoes kind of pitch me forward just a hair. I tried to bend my knees and sit back a little more, really concentrating on heel push. Worked out pretty well but gassed by the time it was over.

Overall, not too bad but again it's not a walk in the park. Looking forward to getting Friday's over with so I can relax. Dull throb in left knee walking to my car, started to think maybe 40+ yr old guys shouldn't be doing Korte...

 

[anotherbutters]

Also, I heard someone called me 'gay' for using my microplates

 

[blut wump]

Take a look around. You were booted out of '40+ yr old guys' club somewhere through the second run of the 5x5. You're just a weight lifter now.

Maybe it'd be worth getting some elastic knee braces and also time to practice minor variations on foot placement unless you're confident that you've been through that long ago. I see something about hardly bothering to warm up which might have contributed.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Touche', Sir Wump. Albeit a 'gay' weightlifter according to this guy at my gym.

BTW, the same guy asked me what was up with them later on, I guess it was really bothering him. I told him I was working off %'s - and to be honest what with bar/plate/collar variation at a commercial gym, if not homosexual it's probably at least metrosexual - and briefly explained what I was doing. Of course his first response was 'you bench 3 x week?' to which I replied 'And squat and dead'. Predictably, the dreaded 'overtraining' discussion came up and I just let it die with a 'you could definitely be right'.

Anyway, as far as ATF foot placement I'm going to widen just a bit which should allow me to sit back a little better. This is starting to sound familiar

 

[blut wump]

I saw that conversation coming. The guys at my gym settle on agreeing that I'm crazy for not wearing a belt and avert their eyes to my actual workout. I avoid any verbal response when someone comments that we seem to do legs on the same day.

Well, I just went onto Ironmind to look up knee braces and have managed to ring up over $160 so far. It looks like they don't sell knee supports, though, so I guess that's another metro accessory and you'll just have to strengthen your knees.

 

[Jim Ouini]

$160? You got off easy.

I have a neoprene sleeve just to keep the creaky knees warm. I don't really like it though since it doesn't match my shorts very well.

I guess I could buy some new shorts.

 

[Guinness5.0]

I have a neoprene sleeve just to keep the creaky knees warm. I don't really like it though since it doesn't match my shorts very well.

I guess I could buy some new shorts.

Don't stop til you're FAB-U-LOUS

 

[Jim Ouini]

Week 1 Day 3

Not as sore as Wed so went into today's workout with a clear mind. Rode the bike for 5 minutes, did some foam rolling and active stretching and went at it.


Squat
Bar x 2 x 10
135 x 5
155 x 3
183 x 8 x 5

Ok I *think* I've settled on a stance About shoulder width and feet out about 30. Also I made a concerted effort to sit back like I was box squatting. This called for a little more hip flexion than I'm used to but I think it worked, I had no knee pain throughout and although my butt could be lower, my hams are touching calves so what the hell. Easiest day squatting so far.

Bench
Bar x 3 x 10 (W-S-N)
135 x 3 x 3 (W-S-N)
171 x 7 x 6 (N-S-W-N-S-W-N)

Nothing to report.

Dead
135 x 5 (RDL)
225 x 3
275 x 1
290 x 6 x 5

Used my new technique where I bend my knees a little more. I like it, I think it's a little more oly style from watching some vids.

Week 1 thoughts: I'm ready for a weekend of deloading Looking ahead to next week I go up ~6lbs on squat and bench and 10lbs on dead. I'm hoping I really don't notice the weight increases and it'll pretty much feel just like this week.

Don't stop til you're FAB-U-LOUS

I looked like friggin David Beckham out there in the weight room

 

[blut wump]

One example he gives for hitting a Bench grip harder is to alternate it with the other two, eg. N-S-N-W-N-S-N. If S is your best grip position then switch the S and W to make the whole lot harder.

Were the deads all raw or strapped?

Congrats on your first week.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Hm I may have to try that alternating weakest grip. I have a feeling the weight will catch up to me soon, though. Play it by ear.

I'm doing deads with straps It's quite strange when my grip starts to feel weak I feel like the bar gets in front of me and my lower back does something weird, and when that happens I tend to shut it down, mentally.

I'm going to bring some chalk in next week and see how that works. Also pulling conventional style, for the record.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Week 2 Day 1

Felt pretty good over the weekend. Not overly sore anywhere and the knees felt great.

Squat
Bar x 2 x 10
135 x 5
165 x 2
190 x 8 x 5

Ditched the microplates for now - too much hassle carrying them around and in retrospect they ARE a bit on the metro side And at these intensities I doubt it makes that much difference so I rounded up.

Bench
Bar x 3 x 10 (W-S-N)
135 x 3 x 3 (W-S-N)
180 x 3 x 5, 180 x 4 x 6 (N-S-W-N-S-W-N)

Forgot I was doing 6 reps my first 3 sets, too many people talking to me and I got distracted. Wednesday I may do 8 sets to make up for it.

Dead
135 x 5 (RDL)
185 x 3
225 x 2
275 x 1
300 x 6 x 5

Pretty easy, mostly working on my form, although I was a bit knackered at around the 4th set. As odd as it may sound I think the oly shoes are actually helping me with my dead form, as I can really feel myself pushing through the heels a little longer. Or it could just be a coincidence since I'm not going heavy enough to break form...

Overall a good start to the 2nd week. On a side note I weighed myself yesterday and came in at 200 even. So up about 5lbs since I started increasing my cals about a week ago.

 

[blut wump]

You never mentioned what happened to your prospective workout partner. Did he finally decide that the Korte was too much?

You seem to be cruising into this week. Do you think you're starting to acclimatize to the volume?

 

[Jim Ouini]

Well I don't know about cruising...weights aren't real hard but the volume is kinda taxing. Do you think I should up the weight? I don't think I'd miss any of the reps if I went up to Week 3's weights, but on the other hand I don't want it to sneak up on me towards the end of the week...

As far as the workout partner, he's doing his one bodypart/week thing, although he told me he's squatting now. Actually he's already passed me, he said he got a 315 x 10 box squat. Yikes.

Funnily enough I had an old friend who wanted to get back into the gym after a long layoff and he called and asked me if I was still working out, so I said 'yeah, I'm still working out' So he met me at the gym and jumped into 4 sets of squats with me and a couple sets of bench before he had to leave. After he left this other prospective workout guy comes up to me and says 'so is that your new workout partner?' lol.

 

[blut wump]

I reckon that if you're hitting 8 sets regularly then the weight is probably too light. That said, you don't want to be fully loaded halfway through week3 and you know what happened to me with my incessant ramping through 3 and 4.

Don't forget that aspect of Korte percentages and being based from full gear when you're working almost raw. I'd suggest trying to think in terms of the 5x5 and starting to hit the grind in week 3 and making it worse in week 4. Looking back through my own log, I didn't get silly with the ramping until week3 but I did the intended week3 weights in week2.

You seem to be feeling it pretty much the same as I did regarding the volume. Your body should start to shrug off the volume after a while and then you can start to bear down. Super Rice had the same experience, I think, and you feel like you have a lot more by week3.

The box squat weight can vary a lot by box-height. There's also a big difference in weight you can use between an ATF squat and a wide PL-stance squat. The PL weight is more pertinent to the box-squat.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Yeah that was my main concern, getting loaded up too soon. When I look at the way Korte has it set up, 58-64% 1RM really should be light, right?

Anyway, as you said I think I'm going to keep Week 2 as is, then maybe accelerate the ramp up in Weeks 3-4 just like 5 x 5.

As far as this guy's box squat, yeah I was going to ask how high a box and I don't know if he knows the diff between PL and ATF squat, but I didn't want sound defensive

 

[blut wump]

Yeah that was my main concern, getting loaded up too soon. When I look at the way Korte has it set up, 58-64% 1RM really should be light, right?

That's the problem, though, since the 1RM is meant to be based off a fully-equipped 1RM.

For example, you're aiming for 315 squat. Maybe you use a belt at your top weight, as I do. If you were a competing power-lifter, then your 1RM would include a suit and wraps and be a hundred pounds more. If you take 60% of that then you're looking at 250 ish for the volume phase all done without equipment rather than the 190 you are doing.

It makes it very difficult then to know what weights you really should be using. From those thoughts, I viewed the 58-64% values of the initial projections just as raw guidelines to be adjusted as needed. I look forward to a time when I have the conditioning to be able to run it at full intensity from full-gear 1RMs. You just have to play it by ear and ensure that you get as loaded as needed in the four weeks.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Ah hell. I hadn't though through the gear factor even though you mentioned it a few times but now that you've spelled it out I'm on board.

OK, I'm going to play it by ear...If I'm flying through sets I'll start ramping, especially in week 3-4. I hadn't really though about belt usage much except for max squat attempt and hadn't planned on it for dead.

Thanks BW.

 

[blut wump]

That's a relief. I thought you would maybe tell me off for harping on about the irrelevant gear nonsense again.

I've only ever used a belt for heavy squats and never deadlifted in a belt. As for benching in one...

I have used wraps for squatting but, since I can't get ATF in wraps, I see it as a different type of squat altogether.

 

[Jim Ouini]

That's a relief. I thought you would maybe tell me off for harping on about the irrelevant gear nonsense again.

Not at all. Obviously it wasn't registering

I've only ever used a belt for heavy squats and never deadlifted in a belt. As for benching in one...

I have used wraps for squatting but, since I can't get ATF in wraps, I see it as a different type of squat altogether.

I've seen guys benching with a belt many times at my gym.

I also see guys wrap up for leg presses and 225 quarter squats quite a bit, heh. I can see how it would limit one's depth, though, and I sure don't need that right now lol.

I think a belt would be interesting to try for a real heavy dead but I'd really lke to keep the gear to a minimum. I mean between the straps and the belt and the wraps it'd take me 15 minutes between sets

 

[Jim Ouini]

Week 2 Day 2

Everything feels pretty good. A little tight here and there but no aches or pains. Knees feel good.

Squat
Bar x 1 x 8
135 x 2 x 5
155 x 3
190 x 8 x 5

Friend of mine showed up and squatted with me. He went up to 290 below parallel for 3. He's a cool guy and doesn't ask any questions when I stick to my program. Anyway since there were 2 of us I moved along at a pretty good clip, didn't dilly dally around as I am wont to do.

Bench
Bar x 3 x 10 (W-S-N)
135 x 3 x 3 (W-S-N)
180 x 8 x 6 (N-S-W-N-S-W-N-W)

Did an 8th set to make up for Monday. Was going along pretty well until another guy I know showed up and benchd a few sets, so that strung it out a bit.

Dead
135 x 5 (RDL)
185 x 3
225 x 2
275 x 1
300 x 6 x 5

I like my new technique where I bend my knees and sit down a little more. But it's pretty hard on the hammies and after squatting I'm starting to get tired. By the 4th set I was absolutely knackered, I was really pouring sweat. So I kind of just hurried up the last 2 so I could get out of there.

Anyway, thinking about the weights I think I'm going to bump the squat and bench up a little next week from original projection. Maybe to Week 4's weights. We'll see.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Good job so far.

I'm a little worried about you adopting British slang though. I guess as long as you keep your dental hygene up it'll be OK

 

[Jim Ouini]

Good job so far.

I'm a little worried about you adopting British slang though. I guess as long as you keep your dental hygene up it'll be OK

ROFL

 

[anotherbutters]

Splendid entry into your journal, dear chap. It is good to read of your progress on Mr Korte's routine. Keep up the good work.

Tally ho!

Mr Butters

 

[blut wump]

If you're going to leap a week, do it now to week3's weights, at least on Squat and Bench and leave the Deadlift bump until next Monday. Consider whether to stick with the week3 weight in deadlift when you reach week3 or leave a little more in the tank for the deads. You always have the option to bump it again the next day or even to bump it during the workout.

Toodle-pip and ta-ta for now,
BW

 

[Jim Ouini]

@ you guys. I don't know, when I first head AB use 'knackered' to describe how he felt after deadlifting, I just thought it fit perfectly

If you're going to leap a week, do it now to week3's weights, at least on Squat and Bench and leave the Deadlift bump until next Monday

Is it a better ease into it and allow for more wiggle room at the end to start the ramp now?

 

[blut wump]

I was just thinking that if you're planning a double jump on Monday, then a single jump on Friday with another single jump on Monday would both feel easier and be more.

Also, I could be wrong but, it seems like you're having a much easier time of Squat and Bench than Deadlift. That's why I was thinking of maybe just bumping the Squat and Bench on Friday. For myself, I viewed hitting 8s as a sign that it was time to step up on intensity. I also felt more inclined to try for a bit more on Fridays since I had the weekend to sleep it off.

 

[Jim Ouini]

OK makes sense.

I'd say right now the bench is easiest which is strange since it's really a weak lift for me; even close grip (hands just inside shoulders) is pretty easy. But 295 seems a bit far away and it'll be a completely raw lift...

Squat isn't bad either, first couple sets I feel like I'm working through some kinks but in terms of difficulty the 8th set really isn't that much different than the first. It kind of depends on my rep tempo, too. So I'll probably bump this tomorrow.

Not sure about dead, the weight isn't that hard but I'm just kind of low on energy by the time I get around to the last few sets. I'm sipping on some carb drink throughout, plus I've been wearing sweat pants lately and I get really warm. So maybe that's resulted in additional knackeredness.

Anyway, I reread your log last night and it's pretty helpful. Seems like mental/physical stuff is pretty similar at the same stage of the program.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Week 2 Day 3

Had a nagging pain in the upper leg/groin area. I think it's the psoas - when I flex my hip I feel this pain like I pulled it. Not really a show stopper, just irritating for now.

Squat
Bar x 1 x 8
135 x 2 x 5
155 x 3
195 x 7 x 5 (+5lbs)

Extra 5 didn't really make that much difference. First couple sets were kind of slow but then I settled in. Only did 7 sets but will go for 8 next week.

Bench
Bar x 3 x 10 (W-S-N)
135 x 3 x 3 (W-S-N)
185 x 7 x 6 (N-S-W-N-S-W-N) (+5lbs)

Re-read Korte and his wide is 1-2 inches wider than normal and narrow is 1-2 inches inside. I'd been going really wide, like almost out to the plates, and a little more narrow, like thumbs just barely touching the smooth part of the bar. Luckily I corrected it when the weights were still light, otherwise I might've had some shoulder problems later on I think.

Dead
135 x 5 (RDL)
185 x 3
225 x 2
275 x 1
310 x 5 x 5 (+10lbs), 1 x 6

Again, not sure I felt the extra 10lbs except that maybe I got knackered a bit earlier this time, on the 3rd set instead of 4th

I did my last set for 6 reps; I meant to do an extra half rep so I could rack it and make it easier to take the plates off the bar but I accidently left a 2.5lb plate hanging on the pin and couldn't place it there so I had to set it down. That took a lot of of me - thinking I was going to rack and having to do the eccentric

Anyway, the bump up to Week 3 weights went OK. I may bump up again on Monday, we'll see.

Overall Week 2 summary: I feel more acclimated to the volume, still tough having deads waiting for you, but I feel better than I did after Week 1. I think my squat form is better and that helps a lot. Looking forward to resting up this weekend and let the aches and pains subside.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Week 3 Day 1

Squat
Bar x 1 x 8
135 x 2 x 5
165 x 1
195 x 7 x 5

Same weight as last Friday. Decided to keep it here for another workout and then will probably bump up on Wed and repeat on Friday.

Bench
Bar x 3 x 10 (W-S-N)
135 x 3 x 3 (W-S-N)
185 x 7 x 6 (N-S-W-N-S-W-N)

For some reason these felt harder than last Friday. I was already a bit tired, and right around the 3rd set I was feeling a little depressed that I still had to deadlift.

Dead
135 x 5 (RDL)
225 x 2
275 x 1
315 x 6 x 5

Went up 5lbs, mostly because I didn't feel like doing the math for 310

Not sure why but I wasn't feeling springtime fresh today, even after a weekend of rest and relaxation. Could be the volume creeping up? I hope not since I still have 5 more workouts. We'll see what happens Wednesday.

 

[blut wump]

It was at this stage in my program that Super Rice made his last appearance and told me to bear down and work harder and don't worry about letting the body adjust since it will sort itself out.

You seem to be running at about the same mental state too. Try to think about it not so much as a whole 5 workouts left but rather as a mere 5 more workouts in which to get yourself loaded. The fatigue should be starting to kick in too.

Good luck with the rest of lap 3.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Thanks. A couple times I had to suck it up and talk myself through the workout.

As far as ramping, right now I plan on going up every 2 workouts or so, depending on how I feel, maybe 10lbs on bench and dead, 5lbs on bench.

So at the finish of prep phase that would put me at roughly:

Squat 202 (initial projection)-->215-225

Bench 189-->200-205

Dead 320-->345-365

I don't see myself missing any of these reps, except maybe the narrow grip bench? Anyway, we'll see

 

[Jim Ouini]

Week 3 Day 2

Squat
Bar x 1 x 8
135 x 2 x 5
165 x 1
200 x 7 x 5 (+5lbs)

Bumped up the weight. I call it Blutwumpin the weight. I'm liking the small increments. Last time I went up too fast and hurt my knee, so these allow me to keep my form.

Bench
Bar x 3 x 5 (W-S-N)
135 x 3 x 3 (W-S-N)
190 x 7 x 6 (N-S-W-N-S-W-N) (+5lbs)

Better than Monday. No struggles, except for maybe a hitch locking out on last set of narrow grip.

Dead
135 x 5 (RDL)
225 x 2
275 x 1
315 x 3 x 5
325 x 3 x 5

Even though I was pretty tired I blutwumped another 10lbs for my last 3 sets. Last set I was kinda tired and didn't try to do a 6th rep to rack it.

Anyway, I was running late today since I did some damage to my truck canopy and had to sort some things out...I think I was enraged or something and that helped my workout

 

[blut wump]

Excellent, as the great man Himself said:

Awesome, playtime is OVER

From here on it's all about managing your fatigue as you improve your conditioning.

 

[Jim Ouini]

So do you think I should 'aggressively' ramp the weights workout to workout? And play with the # of sets? Although I've settled on 7-8 for squat, 7 for bench and 6 for dead.

I could certainly have gone for one more set on each, presumably. While yesterday's workout was knackering, it didn't really seem any moreso than the previous weeks' and not really close to failure - could be I'm getting a little stronger and used to the volume.

I've got 4 workouts to go, I guess I should start turning up the volume.

 

[blut wump]

Well, I'm no expert. I know that what I did got me quite reasonably loaded. I do recall thinking at one stage during this time frame that I was confident of getting to the end of the volume phase pretty much whatever I did short of injury so I was happy pushing a bit more workout to workout.

On the downside, I wasn't deloaded even into my second week of the next phase and took an injury. Maybe if I hadn't ramped everything up, maybe if I'd taken more care lowering the weight, maybe it was just overuse and fatigue piled up on me.

It's a dual-factor program so the idea is to acrue loading. How you get there and how deep you decide to go, I think, is a matter of playing it by ear. If I were to run the program again, I'd probably either do the volume phase about the same as I did or start with higher percentages depending on whether I was coming into the start reasonably conditioned.


I think you'll find the last week really quite spiffing.
_

 

[anotherbutters]

While yesterday's workout was knackering...

It's good to see the British vernacular getting continued use on here

 

[Jim Ouini]

I get all my sayings from 'The Office' (BBC version)

 

[Jim Ouini]

Well, I'm no expert. I know that what I did got me quite reasonably loaded. I do recall thinking at one stage during this time frame that I was confident of getting to the end of the volume phase pretty much whatever I did short of injury so I was happy pushing a bit more workout to workout.

On the downside, I wasn't deloaded even into my second week of the next phase and took an injury. Maybe if I hadn't ramped everything up, maybe if I'd taken more care lowering the weight, maybe it was just overuse and fatigue piled up on me.

It's a dual-factor program so the idea is to acrue loading. How you get there and how deep you decide to go, I think, is a matter of playing it by ear. If I were to run the program again, I'd probably either do the volume phase about the same as I did or start with higher percentages depending on whether I was coming into the start reasonably conditioned.


I think you'll find the last week really quite spiffing.
_

The good thing is these increases are pretty small so I don't think there's too much of a chance of missing reps. I think I can increase 5 lbs on bench and squat and 10lbs on dead every workout until the end. I hope.

 

[blut wump]

That was always my view. The odd 2.5Kg here and there, occasionally bumping by 5Kg. If a workout was a big struggle then no blutwumping for that exercise. I still don't know what happened with my W4D1 bench.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Yeah I can always step back if I can't get my reps, I guess. Thanks BW.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Week 3 Day 3

Worked out at a new gym today. My wife joined a new one close to her work so I went with her today. Nice place, they have hair spray and Q-tips in the mens lockeroom But it's surrounded by trees and we were the only ones in the weightroom when we started so I almost fell asleep. They also had those rubber coated plates and they just looked heavier The bars were this shiny chrome, I think they were 46lbs

Squat
Bar x 1 x 8
135 x 2 x 5
165 x 1
185 x 1
205 x 7 x 5 (+5lbs)

Went OK. This gym only had one squat rack. And it was kind of weird, I felt like I was in smith machine because of the preset hooks where you can rack the bar. As far as the weight, it wasn't what I'd call difficult but I had a couple sets where I think I had some breaks in form (more forward lean than I'd like). They came early on, though, and I corrected them for the rest of my sets.

Bench
Bar x5 3 x 5 (W-S-N)
135 x 3 x 3 (W-S-N)
195 x 7 x 6 (N-S-W-N-S-W-N) (+5lbs)

'salright but had a hitch again on last set of narrow grip.

Dead
135 x 5 (RDL)
225 x 2
315 x 1
335 x 6 x 5 (+10lbs)

No deadlift area. I took a bar from one of the benches and hauled it over to an open space. Had to drag some plates over too. Anyway by this time my knackerdness was up 10 also. So I cut my warmups and just wanted to start pulling and get it over with. Again, I won't say any of the sets were hard but by this time it was kind of a mental battle to continue, heh.

Week 3 Summary: Not excited about next week. Debating how much to ramp, especially on dead. Looking forward to the weekend for some R&R.

 

[blut wump]

Excellent. Loading has started.

I found it helped a lot to start sipping my PWO drink while resting between deadlift sets. It was probably just the dextrose albeit in small quantities but I found that t helped.

 

[Jim Ouini]

I think so. Slept about 10hrs last night and this morning feeling a little achey. No pain, just movig a little slow.

On my deads I really tried to keep an arch in my lower back since I was pretty tired by the time I got around to them and didn't want any surprises. Consequently it's feeling pretty tight today.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Week 4 Day 1

Felt pretty good after a weekend of rest. Bought a topical anti-inflammatory from a snake oil salesman, literally. This stuff has some venom in it - I tried it on my knee and it felt pretty good, not that it hurt to begin with, but still, I figure you can't go wrong with cobra venom

Squat
Bar x 2 x 5
135 x 2 x 3
185 x 1
205 x 4 x 5, 210 x 3 x 5

Stuck with the same weight as last friday for first 3 sets, kind of wanted to gauge where I was. Oh and I don't want to get too big 210 prety easy, actually. I probably will go up to 215 on Wed and 225 on Fri, I think.

Bench
Bar x5 3 x 5 (W-S-N)
135 x 3 x 3 (W-S-N)
195 x 3 x 6 (N-S-W)
200 x 4 x 6 (N-S-W-N)

Felt easier than last Fri. Maybe it's being back at my old gym and all the test in the air ...200 was OK, even on narrow grip.

Dead
Bar x 10 (RDL)
135 x 3
225 x 1
315 x 1
335 x 3 x 5
345 x 3 x 5

Really hit the wall around the 3rd set at 335. Being the trooper that I am, I figured the extra 10 to 345 wouldn't really be noticeable and I was right, it was more just getting through the sets again.

Overall, a decent start to the final week of loading.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Week 4 Day 2

A little on the sluggish side today, not feeling springtime fresh but that's to be expected I suppose.

Squat
Bar x 2 x 5
135 x 2 x 3
185 x 1
215 x 7 x 5 (+5)

First set felt kinda heavy to be honest. But I got warmed up and in the groove and did them without too much trouble. A guy I know came up during my last set and said 'dude if you didn't go down so low you'd get 400 for sure'

Bench
Bar x5 3 x 5 (W-S-N)
135 x 3 x 3 (W-S-N)
205 x 7 x 6 (N-S-W-N-S-W-N) (+5)

Surprisingly not too hard. I think the most I ever used to close grip was 205 and I used to struggle. Plus since I jumped right from 135 to work set I wasn't sure what to expect even though I was at 200 on Monday.


Dead
Bar x 10 (RDL)
135 x 3
225 x 1
315 x 1
345 x 3 x 5
355 x 3 x 5 (+10)

Knackered. I damn well better pupate next week Really not too bad until the 3rd set on, not because of the additional weight but I was just getting so tired. It always seems to happen right about here. Last 2 sets I really slowed down and went through some check points in my head between reps, didn't want to get sloppy and risk any injury.

One more workout I will probably go up on squats to 220-225, bench to 210 and dead I may stay at 355, maybe a set or two at 365.

 

[blut wump]

Looks excellent and, if I'm not mistaken, you're showing signs of having gained strength. Just one more to go and I seem to recall that the last one for me didn't really feel any worse than the penultimate one. How long are the workouts taking now?

What's that 'Wl' on the 6th bench set?

I had someone badger me in the gym yesterday. He's a massive guy but, due to an accident, can't work legs. He asked whether I ever did anything besides squats because everytime he comes in, he sees me in the squat rack. I told him of the other exercises I do and he said I'm wasting my time. Those exercises are ok if you want to get big but if you want to get strong you have to use machines. I should drop standing OHP and use the Smith machine. Pushpress is just another cheating move. Oly lifters are a waste of space since they spend so much time with their feet off the floor. Why would I want to row with a barbell when there's a perfectly good machine over there? You can't apply your strength without a good, firm position to work from and that typically means using machines.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Thanks for the encouragement B-dub, much appreciated. I will certainly let out a sigh of relief after Friday's festivities. I was just glancing at your Korte log and had to laugh at one of your Week 4 comments, something to the effect of 'I don't think of what's ahead; just focus on one set at a time'...that's exactly what's going through my head.

Anyway, the workouts are taking about 2hrs, quite a long time - I catch two waves of the gym crowd. I seem to move along at a pretty good clip on squats and bench and then slow down significantly during deads.

What's that 'Wl' on the 6th bench set?

Typo Fixed it.

I had someone badger me in the gym yesterday. He's a massive guy but, due to an accident, can't work legs. He asked whether I ever did anything besides squats because everytime he comes in, he sees me in the squat rack. I told him of the other exercises I do and he said I'm wasting my time. Those exercises are ok if you want to get big but if you want to get strong you have to use machines. I should drop standing OHP and use the Smith machine. Pushpress is just another cheating move. Oly lifters are a waste of space since they spend so much time with their feet off the floor. Why would I want to row with a barbell when there's a perfectly good machine over there? You can't apply your strength without a good, firm position to work from and that typically means using machines.

He can't be bigger than you. That would make him, well, one of the biggest guys in the world.

Luckily, I've never had anyone try to sway me to the other side of the gym - some people do ask me why I'm always squatting and when I tell them my routine they say something like 'oh really' or 'that's interesting'. Translation: 'You're overtraining, you damn fool'

 

[anotherbutters]

He can't be bigger than you. That would make him, well, one of the biggest guys in the world.

And using machines. There's no justice in the world is there?

 

[Jim Ouini]

Week 4 Day 3

Really dragging today. Didn't eat my usual stuff this morning because the wife had us running around doing stuff. I wasn't all that hungry anyway. Yesterday I had some sharp pain in my knees for some reason, although today they felt much better. Anyway:

Squat
Bar x 2 x 5
135 x 2 x 3
185 x 1
220 x 4 x 5 (+5)
225 x 3 x 5 (+5)

Approached each set very gingerly, finally got warmed up and everything felt just fine, no pain in either knee. Very strange. Weights felt OK, challenging but I was thinking it felt about right for ~65-70% intensity.

Bench
Bar x5 3 x 5 (W-S-N)
135 x 3 x 3 (W-S-N)
205 x 3 x 6 (N-S-W)
210 x 4 x 6 (N-S-W-N) (+5)

Narrow grip had a hitch, otherwise no problem, just kinda tired and beat down

Dead
Bar x 10 (RDL)
135 x 3
225 x 1
315 x 1
355 x 6 x 5 (no change)

Well these were a challenge. After the first set, I had to talk myself through each of the subsequent sets, and how terrible I'd feel if I quit 3 sets short of completing the prep phase, lol. After the 4th set I think I saw Jessica Alba. Suffice it to say I was absolutely knackered, and on the 5th rep of sets 5 and 6 I paused with the bar on the floor for a couple seconds and went through each of my check points - get air in the belly. push off my heels. butt down. chest up. don't throw up.

Had a thought to go up to 365, glad I didn't

Overall: Whew! Not to be so dramatic but I'm glad this phase is done. I'd say it's harder than 5 x 5, all the sets and deadlifting last is killer. R&R this weekend, and will ponder 60% weights and such for next few weeks.

 

[blut wump]

Congratulations, Jim. I know how you feel.

I was just looking at your initial projections: 202, 189, 320 from targets of 315, 295, 500. Sticking with the same targets, you've gone to 71% (225) in squat, 71% (210) in bench, 71% (355) on deadlift. Now isn't that interesting? I'll have to go take another look at mine.

I ended up on 76%, 71%, 73% which doesn't really surprise me since I'd felt I'd gotten a lot stronger in squats than the other two. What are your thoughts on this? I'd never thought to look at the final percentages before. I'm quite amazed at your flat 71% figures. Given that I ended up on the same ballpark figures there must be some significance there.

It also probably indicates that the extra difficulty you've been feeling in deadlifts over the other two lifts has just been down to fatigue and running out of steam rather than their actually being any harder for you and that's just a matter of conditioning. I know you won't feel it now but you'll soon be realising that your conditioning will have gone up from this Herculean effort.

 

[blut wump]

Since I'm here, I'll chip in on my thought on the 60% weights. My thought is not to change them too much if at all. Your first priority now is to deload. I think mine were too high and I wasn't deloaded by the middle of the second week. I'd suggest you defer raising them until later.

I was also thinking about what I'd do differently if I were back at the start of week5 regarding the heavy lifts. I think it'd make more sense to stretch to exploring any new-found strength by adding a week9 rather than doing what I did. Then again there may be some middle ground of a milder adjustment and still going to a ninth week if your strength has grown by a lot more than the standard Korte expectations.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Thanks BW. It's quite a relief.

Yeah I hadn't thought to calculate the new %'s...from my observations on my squat I figured it was around 70%, but had no idea it'd be a flat 71% - I certainly didn't plan any of the increases, just what I felt were reasonable uppages.

I ended up on 76%, 71%, 73% which doesn't really surprise me since I'd felt I'd gotten a lot stronger in squats than the other two. What are your thoughts on this?

I didn't really feel like I got much stronger on any of the lifts - thinking of my initial targets I think they're still going to be tough to get, right now I don't plan on changing these.

Dead especially seems like it's a reach, to be honest 405 sounds really really heavy right now

Since I'm here, I'll chip in on my thought on the 60% weights. My thought is not to change them too much if at all. Your first priority now is to deload. I think mine were too high and I wasn't deloaded by the middle of the second week. I'd suggest you defer raising them until later.

Indeed. Good advice, just go back to Week 2 weights that I used.

I was also thinking about what I'd do differently if I were back at the start of week5 regarding the heavy lifts. I think it'd make more sense to stretch to exploring any new-found strength by adding a week9 rather than doing what I did. Then again there may be some middle ground of a milder adjustment and still going to a ninth week if your strength has grown by a lot more than the standard Korte expectations

Well right now I plan on using original 80-85-90-95% weights for my 1-2 x 1 sets instead of making any adjustments. And then if I'm feeling strong maybe extend a week like you said.

 

[blut wump]

In that case, the good news is that you only need to stretch by another 9% for a couple of singles throughout this coming week.

I'll go get some popcorn for the second half.

 

[anotherbutters]

Congrats on finishing the first half! You've both said the volume phase was harder than the 5x5's. I just looked and noticed you did 35 reps of squats, 42 bench and 30 deads yesterday . I'm glad I can still gain on the single factor 5x5

I'll go get some popcorn for the second half.

 

[Jim Ouini]

In that case, the good news is that you only need to stretch by another 9% for a couple of singles throughout this coming week.

Not high enough intensity? Think I should slide the marker?

Congrats on finishing the first half! You've both said the volume phase was harder than the 5x5's. I just looked and noticed you did 35 reps of squats, 42 bench and 30 deads yesterday . I'm glad I can still gain on the single factor 5x5

Thanks AB. I'm not entirely convinced I wouldn't gain on the SF...

 

[blut wump]

Not high enough intensity? Think I should slide the marker?

No. Sorry if I gave that impression, it wasn't intended. I think your first priority is getting deloaded. Play with intensity once you're feeling fresher or stretch to nine weeks.

 

[Jim Ouini]

No. Sorry if I gave that impression, it wasn't intended. I think your first priority is getting deloaded. Play with intensity once you're feeling fresher or stretch to nine weeks.

Gotcha. 9% up for a single really doesn't sound like much. Maybe that's the point

 

[Jim Ouini]

Not feeling read to attack the weights tomorrow - Monday is heavy dead day and back is still feeling kinda tight. Maybe it'll be better tomorrow.

BW (or anyone else reading) - any thoughts on, say, a 71% 3 x 3 week before starting the 80-95% fiesta?

 

[blut wump]

Don't be a wuss.

I don't know how bad you're feeling but by the time you've done your 60% squats and bench you'll be warmed up and I suspect you'll work up just fine to a couple of singles at 80% on deads.

I had adjusted everything up already including my 60% weights and I remember thinking "Is that it?" on the Wednesday. I also remember thinking that deads were a good choice to have as the first heavy exercise. You have the choice to shuffle them around if you wish but I'd suggest leaving bench for the Wednesday.

That said, I doubt that a deload week would do any harm at all. I do think, though, that two singles at 80% along with the other two exercises at 60% will be easier to do than lots of 71% work. I think I overdid things by bumping not only my heavy sets but also the 60% ones. Just too much to allow a speedy deload.

Don't forget that the bench is down for 5 sets of 4 reps at 60% rather than 3x3.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Gah, what is Korte's obsession with benching? Thanks for the reminder.

I'm not feeling so bad, actually. I was just wondering for, uhm, scientific purposes. I too suspected that by the time I finish light squat and bench I'll primed and ready. I plan on keeping M-dead, W-bench, F-squat heavy layout.

Don't be a wuss.

 

[blut wump]

When it came down to it, I clearly didn't suffer from, essentially, taking a week and a half out. I took a full week off and then did light workouts on the following Wednesday and Friday. I was still able to attack my bench and squat. Admittedly without heavy deads to worry about.

You've already done the hard work to guarantee your gains and the rest is up to you. If you change things, though, you know you'll get red lights.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Week 5 Day 1 (Comp Phase)
Felt pretty good, didn't do anything strenuous this weekend so today I felt ready to go. Lower back still somewhat tight, though, so that was concerning since I had heavy dead today.

Squat
Bar x 2 x 5
135 x 2 x 3
195 x 3 x 3

Took my sweet time on these. Just concentrated on form, keeping muscles tight and so forth. Pretty easy, over before I knew it.

Bench
Bar x 3 x 5 (W-S-N)
135 x 3 x 3 (W-S-N)
185 x 5 x 4 (N-S-W-N-S)

Nothing to report. Easy.

Dead
Bar x 10 (RDL)
135 x 3
225 x 1
315 x 1
365 x 1
405 x 2 x 1

Was feeling a little low blood sugar warming up. I was sipping on my workout drink which consisted of dextrose and whey. Usually I add a scoop of maltodextrin but I chose not to this time since I figured the workout would be short.

Anyway, like I said I was kind of concerned about 405 so that got my heart fluttering a little; 80% of my goal is actually 400 but it's easier just to put the plate on I really tried to approach all my sets just like a heavy set, even 135. Debated on whether I should do 365 since I didn't want to expend energy needlessly but I felt I needed the confidence boost. 1st set of 405 actually felt pretty good, it went up quite fast. 2nd set, not as fast but still no problem. I started thinking 'hmm maybe this Korte shit works, that felt like 80%' Still not sure about hitting my goal, but for now I'll take it

Overall thoughts: After the marathon sessions of last few weeks this felt like a holiday. I know I still have some fatigue built up so I'm glad to have this workout and heavy dead out of the way. I'm hoping things just take off from here...

 

[Guinness5.0]

Gotta love 4 plates. I hope my dead doesn't suck (worse) after I'm done with all my foo-foo BS

 

[Jim Ouini]

Yeah I sat on 'em even though I was only doing singles

 

[blut wump]

Awesome. man. Factor in the fact that your deloading has but barely started and you'll smoke next week's too. The real test begins the week after.

Getting the deadlift out of the way is a big relief this first week. You'll be ever less tired as the week goes on.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Thanks BW.

BTW, how did you approach your 60% lifts? Did you try to lift these as fast as possible, almost like a WSB DE day?

 

[blut wump]

No, I just went in and did the lifts and moved on, sticking to Korte's ESM principle. As I saw it they were there to keep me ticking over between max efforts. Don't forget also that you're deloading.

I think if you were to try and drag out an intensity phase more than 5 or six weeks then you'd probably have to slide over to a WSB-style workout as conditioning slips away. For the four weeks of Korte it shouldn't be an issue and every single day you have a big lift to make, anyway, so you don't really want to spend your energy on the 60% lifts. That's just my opinion, though.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Yeah I re-read Korte and he said to use ESM. 60% feels so light, though

He also says comp phase is for power, max strength and technique. So I was wondering about the power component as opposed to max strength.

 

[blut wump]

I suggest you hold off rethinking the weights until next week.

I can't really much help on this since I bumped mine from the start of the comp phase and was at 67%, 64% and 65% of original targets. Even these felt light during the first week since I'd been doing more weight for more reps the week before.

I see what you mean about power. It's a shame he doesn't expand on that.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Right now I'm thinking to stay at 60% - actually the weights I was using at the end of Week 2. I wanted to maximize my benefit from these sets, though, whether that's from technique, power etc. standpoint. Probably doesn't make much difference in the long run, maybe it's just 'greasing the groove.'

I think I stated this in your 3 x 3 thread, I'm wondering how it works that my strength will increase from loading with a lot of volume ~60% intensity and then switching to (basically) a single at 80-95% once per week. It just doesn't seem enough

Hey as long as it works though

 

[Jim Ouini]

Week 5 Day 2

Not a whole lot to report. Today was heavy bench day, didn't get too much sleep but felt fine and knees starting to feel really good.

Squat
Bar x 2 x 5
135 x 2 x 3
195 x 3 x 3

Pretty uneventful. Worked in with a couple buddies doing 315 quarter squats

Bench
Bar x 3 x 5 (W-S-N)
135 x 3 x 3 (W-S-N)
185 x 3 x 1 (N-S-W)
240 x 2 x 1 (S)

Was supposed to be 236 and I debated if I should round up or down. I chose up Actually a little harder than I thought it'd be but I suppose it felt like 80%.

Dead
Bar x 10 (RDL)
135 x 3
225 x 1
315 x 3 x 3

Kind of expected the bar to fly up after Monday's heavy day and another day of rest. Sadly, I didn't get in a groove until my last set, felt kinda heavy

 

[blut wump]

Just another day on the farm.

I've been meaning to ask which is your main bench grip. I guess now I know.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Yeah, it's shoulder. In the olden days my middle finger used to be on that line on the bar, pretty wide. I've moved it in so my hand is about a thumb length from the smooth middle part. If that makes sense.

I think strength-wise, wider is my best grip but I'm trying to be careful with my shoulder.

Now that you got me thinking, I did a quick check and if 295 is my 1RM (well it's not today, so I guess it's moot, but still...) I should've been able to get 240 for 7-8 reps. Hmm.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Week 5 Day 3

Felt pretty good going into the gym today. My knees are really feeling great, I think they were aching during prep phase due to all the volume...now that I've backed off I can really feel the difference.

Squat
Bar x 2 x 5
135 x 2 x 3
185 x 2
225 x 1
255 x 2 x 1

Had to wait for some guy doing curls in the power rack Luckily he was only doing 3 sets and I hovered around warming up. His last set was a strip set so that took a bit longer. Anyway, I was anxious to see how my first heavy squat session would feel. 80% was 252 so I rounded up again...it was money. Pretty easy and gives me some confidence that I'll hit my goal.

Bench
Bar x 3 x 5 (W-S-N)
135 x 3 x 3 (W-S-N)
185 x 3 x 3

Nothing to report.

Dead
Bar x 10 (RDL)
135 x 3
225 x 2
275 x 1
315 x 3 x 3

Easier than Wednesday, bar moved a lot faster. I did a semi-sumo rep at 225 for old times sake, thinking I might have to pull it out of the bag at some point

Overall impression of Week 5: A holiday, what a contrast from last Friday. I even had time to do some planks afterwards just for fun. I hope Week 6 starts the real pupation, though.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Aw man BW just reminded me I screwed up my bench...3 x 3 instead of 5 x 4. Shoot.

Ah well, at least I won't forget it from now on (I hope).

Thanks BW.

 

[blut wump]

I wouldn't worry about it as a one-off. Congrats on getting the deload week out of the way. I hope next week goes better for you than mine did.

 

[Jim Ouini]

Thanks ya. I was actually driving home thinking 'now when the hell did blut wump get hurt, I think it was Week 6....'

BTW, what are you doing now workout wise, if I may ask?

 

[blut wump]

I made a stab at the Smolov but gave up in session one. I did two sets of 9 and caved on the sixth rep of the 3rd set. I'm feeling loaded again after this week so I might do some higher-rep gubbins next week and then run a loading phase on something to see the year out.

Other than that I've been just running a general mix of 3x3 and 3x5 type work on squats, bench, GMs, rows, OHP in a kind of single-factor fashion.

 

[Jim Ouini]

I'd like to try Smolov sometime. Not soon, mind you. Just something on my list of things to accomplish before I die.

 

[anotherbutters]

So long as you don't die trying.

Congrats on the deload. Friday sounded like cake.

 

[blut wump]

I might try again in the new year after a solid deload. I didn't really take any time out and I've been squatting 3x per week. When I failed the third set I had no reason to believe I could complete the rest of the week. Pretty tragic really.

 

[anotherbutters]

You should keep a journal too - none of this sneaking in a Smolov whilst we're not looking Were you serious about it or just seeing what a week of volume would be like?