My 5x5 SF Journal

[WannaBeBig72]

Wasn't sure if i'd start a journal but I'd figured I'd give it a shot. I'm starting 5x5 training today and figured maybe a journal will help me. I'm 33 have been lifting only 3 years. About 2 years seriouslly. I have added a decent amount of muscle since I started training (I almost had none before I started). I'm 5'9.5 and about 172 pounds with about 15-16%BF I'd estimate.

I'm basically going to run the thing by the book but with one exception. I'm not going to set my weights back so that I hit my PR on week 4. I used MadCow's Excel sheet and am going to start at week 3. So will hit PRs at the end of week 4. Not sure why I'm doing this but what the hell. If I run into problems I will re-evaluate.

Training is going to be tough today because I went to a wedding yesterday and got pretty drunk. What can you do...I'm on my 2nd cup of coffee and am going to try to hit it as hard as possible...

 

[WannaBeBig72]

Monday:

Squat
100 x 5
125 x 5
150 x 5
175 x 5
200 x 5

Bench
90 x 5
110 x 5
135 x 5
155 x 5
180 x 5

BB Row
75 x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
130 x 5
150 x 5

3 sets of incline sit ups. I didn't have enough time to do hypers (I'll do them on Wednesday). First couple of sets of each exercise felt ridicullouslly too light. Also the 5th set of BB Row wasn't as easy as I thought. I mean I got it but maybe because I did Squat and Chest before hand (I usually do BB Row on back day and it's the first exercise so got my 5 rep max from that).

The first couple of weeks I was hoping to shed 4-5 pounds of fat. I'm going to be eating alot on workout days and try to cut calories on non-workout days. Not sure if it's possible to gain muscle and loose fat at the same time but I'll give it a shot.

It's going to be weird adjusting to this program. I am used to weight training 5-6 days a week and now going only 3 is going to be a little weird...

 

[Iliketolift]

Today is my first day on 5x5 as well, and those are all my starting weights!
Im also 5'9'' 175 lbs.

 

[WannaBeBig72]

Today is my first day on 5x5 as well, and those are all my starting weights!
Im also 5'9'' 175 lbs.

You look bigger and leaner then me in your avatar. I'm hitting my current PRs in week 2 not week 4. Maybe you're hitting it week 4. Goodluck with your program anyways...

 

[Iliketolift]

Im starting it TUESday instead of today, i played soccer and im pooped. Whodda thunk getting huge with no cardio over the winter would make you feel so dead.

 

[WannaBeBig72]

Wednesday March 29th:

Squat
100 x 5
125 x 5
150 x 5
150 x 5

Military
75 x 5
90 x 5
105 x 5
120 x 5

Deadlift
95 x 5
110 x 5
130 x 5
150 x 5

3 sets of incline situps.

I also went on Tuesday and did 30 minutes on the eliptical and 3 sets of hypers (first time I ever did them).

Everything went well. I've lost some weight recently because I've been dieting and haven't seem to lost any strength. The militarys felt a little heavier then they should of but the Deadlifts felt kind of light (remember I've got it scheduled to hit my PR for these lifts on week 2). Anyway, pretty psyched about my new program and all. We'll see how it goes about re-vamping the weights back if I get stuck.

 

[djeclipse]

Can you post your current 5 rep maxes for each lift. it's always god to look back on them and see how far you've progressed.

Also (it may be too late now), but I strongly recommend hitting your current PR's in week 4. Those 4 weeks building up to your current PR's aren't just for fun, they're there to help you build steam so by the time you get to week 4, your current max lifts are easy and you continue to make PR's for a while after (in theory anyway). I gained some decent size (and obviously strength) in the 4 weeks leading up to week 5.

I started like you, eager to start making gains. I am in my second run through and I now see why those 4 weeks are there. Something to think about if you run the 5x5 again.

 

[WannaBeBig72]

Can you post your current 5 rep maxes for each lift. it's always god to look back on them and see how far you've progressed.

Also (it may be too late now), but I strongly recommend hitting your current PR's in week 4. Those 4 weeks building up to your current PR's aren't just for fun, they're there to help you build steam so by the time you get to week 4, your current max lifts are easy and you continue to make PR's for a while after (in theory anyway). I gained some decent size (and obviously strength) in the 4 weeks leading up to week 5.

I started like you, eager to start making gains. I am in my second run through and I now see why those 4 weeks are there. Something to think about if you run the 5x5 again.

Yeah I know how you had to re-vamp it. You were gaining alot previouslly and maybe you just kind of plateued. I'm scheduled to hit my PR at the beginning of week 3 so if things don't go so well I'll set everything back.

Honestly I might of underestimated my Squat, Bench and Deads by about 5 pounds (meaning my 5 rep maxes are really 210, 190 and 160 for Squat, Bench and Dead). We'll see. It's kind of weird not going to the gym that much. I usually go on my lunch break at work. So today, I was going to go do cardio but it's so nice out I think I'll just take a walk. I also probably need to go get some Micro-weights. I mean the 5 pound intervals are OK for squat and bench but not really for the other lifts. I'm going to run to Home Depot this weekend and assemble chains to use for micro-weights.

I also need to start doing rows at a 90 degree angle. I've been doing them not quite at 45 but maybe 60 degree.

I plugged these weights into Madcow's Excel spreadsheet and just started at week 3.

Squat 205
Bench 185
Row 155
Dead 155
Incline 125

 

[djeclipse]

ya, just run with it th way you are and when you plateau take comfort in the fact that you should be able to reset everything and run it agin with sucess.

The rows should be done form the floor. There is a link on madcows website.

 

[WannaBeBig72]

ya, just run with it th way you are and when you plateau take comfort in the fact that you should be able to reset everything and run it agin with sucess.

The rows should be done form the floor. There is a link on madcows website.

Yeah I'm working on that 90 degree form. Friday will be completely 90 degrees. I just started doing deads like 6 weeks ago too. I was missing out the last couple of years not doing deads. The first week I did them my whole body was sore. They defenitely take alot out of you.