My Training Journal - Bill Starr's Single Factor 5 x 5

[|D_J^B_J|]

I've never used a belt for deadlifting. Did you just feel more solid in the guts akin to using a belt for squatting?

Are you eating enough? I noticed that anotherbutters is eating like two of me and weighs about two-thirds as much. I like to drink some egg and milk mixture just before sleeping. It knocks me out into a deep sleep for hours.

Using the belt made me feel much tighter and gave me plenty of support around the core area. I didn't have any back trouble afterwards, so I think I might use it for my final set of deads in the future, and possibly also for my final set of military press.

Re: the food intake - you make a good point here. I've been eating the same amount of calories for a couple of months now, so I think it may be time to increase the calories a little bit. How much would you recommend I increase them by so as to not promote body fat gain?

Re: sleep - I don't usually have trouble falling to sleep. I think it was just this past week when certain events stopped me from getting my required 9+ hours a night. I do believe I need more sleep than most, but I don't think I'll be as sleep deprived as I was last week for a while.

Once a week, though, I do go out at night and often come back at around 3am, then wake up at 12pm. In fact, I usually wake up at about 10.30am feeling tired and hungry, so I lie in bed trying to get back to sleep, but just can't. I know this can't be good for gains, but I am at uni so still have to enjoy the social life there.

 

[anotherbutters]

I noticed your back-off sets are quite a lot lighter than prescribed (should be the same as set 3) and you only do 7 reps, not 8. I think you did the same last week. Any particular reason? I think the higher reps are supposed to give you some hypertrophy.

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

I noticed your back-off sets are quite a lot lighter than prescribed (should be the same as set 3) and you only do 7 reps, not 8. I think you did the same last week. Any particular reason? I think the higher reps are supposed to give you some hypertrophy.

Good point. The extra set I do is literally a 'back-off' set, so in essence, when combined with the fifth set, it is one set of 10 reps (3 plus 7). I am doing the set to failure, and I don't think I would be able to do any more reps for the extra set.

Do you take a rest before the extra set? (Perhaps if I took a short rest, I would be able to do it for 8 reps at a heavier weight). If not, perhaps I am increasing the weight in increments that are not large enough, so the weight for the third set is really too heavy. Or perhaps I just have very poor muscular endurance and struggle with anything beyond 8 - 10 reps?

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

TUESDAY:

1. Bench:
40kg x 5
45kg x 5
52.5kg x 5
57.5kg x 5
65kg x 5 (up 1.5) ---> New PR!

The lockout of the final rep was dodgy - I don't think my arms were fully extended. I wish my triceps were stronger.

2. Squat:
45kg x 5
55kg x 5
62.5kg x 5 (up 2.5)
70kg x 5(up 2.5)
77.5kg x 5 (up 2.5) ---> New PR!

Very good.

3. Row:
32.5kg x 5
35kg x 5
42.5kg x 5
45kg x 5
52.5kg x 5 ---> New PR!

Very good.

4. Weighted Hypers:
BW + 5kg x 12
BW + 5kg x 12

Weighted sit-ups:
BW + 5kg x 12
BW + 5kg x 12
BW + 5kg x 12

Anyone got any ideas for some new tricep exercises I can do on the final workout day of the week?

 

[blut wump]

Close-grip bench can be good as an assistance to bench. Not too close else you'll just stress your wrists too much.

Skullcrushers are excellent and one of my favourites was overhead BB triceps extensions. The JS Press also comes well recommended and is another popular Westside assistance movement.

Congrats on the triple PR.

 

[anotherbutters]

No, you're describing a drop-set, not a back-off set. A drop-set is where you use a heavy weight for a number of reps, then immediately carry on doing more reps with a lower weight. I'm not sure if you're supposed to go to failure in one or both of the weights, but that's the gist of it, and it's what you're doing.

A back-off set is also done with lower weight after you've done the heavy weight, but you have a normal rest period in between the heavy set and the back-off set. If you take this rest period, you'll be able to use a slightly heavier weight and hopefully get 8 reps with it.

I suspected that's what you were still doing because of the way you drew them in your journal with the arrow. You asked me about this in my journal a while ago - page 2, post #31 onwards.

Hey, congrats on the bench PR though! All three PRs really, but I know you've worked hard to get the 65kg bench.

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

THURSDAY:

1. Front Squats (light):
40kg x 5
40kg x 5
45kg x 5
47.5kg x 5

2. BB Military Press:
30kg x 5
35kg x 5
37.5kg x 5
43.5kg x 5 (up 1) --> New PR!

For the last rep of the last set, the bar was about half way up, and some random dude, came and pushed the bar up for me. I was seriously pissed off and told him not to do it again. Then, when he walked away, I did another full rep to lockout by myself, just for my own satisfaction.

3. Deadlift:
60kg x 5
75kg x 5
90kg x 5
112.5kg x 4

This is the second week that I've missed the weight for my final set. Any suggestions? Should I continue to attempt that weight, or drop the weight a little and push back up again over a couple of weeks? Mind you, I have successfully deadlifted 110kg for five reps before.

4. Pull-ups:
BW x 8
(BW + 2.5kg) x 8
(BW + 5kg) x 5

5. Donkey Calf raise:
3 sets of 12

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

FRIDAY:

1. Bench:
40kg x 5
45kg x 5
52.5kg x 5
57.5kg x 5
66kg x 3 (up 1)
52.5kg x 8

2. Row:
32.5kg x 5
35kg x 5
42.5kg x 5
45kg x 5
53.5kg x 3 (up 1)
42.5kg x 8

3. Squat:
45kg x 5
55kg x 5
62.5kg x 5
70kg x 5
78.5kg x 3 (up 1)
62.5kg x 8

4. Dips:
BW x 8
(BW + 2.5kg) x 8
(BW + 5kg) x 6

5. Lying tricep extension:
1 set of 12

6. Standing BB Curl:
(EZ Bar + 15kg) x 8
(EZ Bar + 16kg) x 7
(EZ Bar + 16kg) x 5

Note to AB: Back-off sets were done properly this week. That 8-rep squat was a killer, though.

I was very rushed for time today, because I only got to the gym about 1 hour and 10 minutes before closing time. So, provided time allows for it, next week, I plan to do more tricep assistance work.

Also, the reason for not doing as many reps as last week on my final set of BB curl is because I only had about 30 seconds of rest from my previous set as I was told to 'finish up' because the gym was about to close, so I struggled do any more reps after the fifth.

I increased my caloric intake this week, by approximately 250 - 300 Kcals a day, and my bodyweight has gone up to 68.5kg.

 

[anotherbutters]

I'm not sure what to suggest on the deadlifts. It's still way too soon for it to be caused by you having progressed to your SF limit and your squat is still going up, so I don't think it's time to start manipulating volume.

The amount you eat might be the cause, if you haven't been eating enough. You said you've just increased the amount, so maybe you'll get it next week if you try the same weight for a 3rd time. I remember reading somewhere Mark Ripptoe saying "each time the kid goes into the gym, he's not the same kid as last time, he's a little bit bigger kid." So if you're getting bigger, you ought to be able to get the PRs week after week. It won't be true forever, but it should be at the moment.

Also, do/did you do anything strenuous the day before? I know I did a fair bit of gardening, digging out some stumps the day before deadlifts once and had one of my my worse deadlift workouts ever because of it.

I strongly recommend getting yourself a copy of Starting Strength if you don't have one already. There's a good 30 pages of very detailed instructions for coaching the deadlift that will help your form no end.

You could drop the weight to a 1kg increase, just to get you past this point, then 1.5kg, then back to 2.5kg increases.

I can't believe that guy helped you on military press, lol. You should have thrown the bar at him. Congrats on the PR all the same.

 

[blut wump]

You could try to move the 'warmup' sets back a shade to free up some energy for the top set. Maybe 50, 70, 90, 112.5

You might be able to put this week's miss down to the guy who helped you on the MP. Doing that extra rep at your top weight might have taken enough out of you to cause this second miss of the deadlift weight.