Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below
A
Anthrax Invasion
Guest
I know...let's all never squat again. 
Repair and prepare - my journal on the road back to 5x5
- Thread starter anotherbutters
- Start date
anotherbutters
New member
Week 5, Monday
Bodyweight: 83kg (183lb). Nice and steady for a few days. I'm trying to increase slowly now.
1. Hip squats (kg) (1x5)
- waiting for hip belt -
2. Bench (kg) (5 x 3 reps)
warmup: bar x 9, 40 x 3, 55 x 2
68.5 x 3 ........... up 2.5
68.5 x 3 ........... up 2.5
68.5 x 3 ........... up 1.5
68.5 x 3 ........... up 1
68.5 x 3 ........... up 1 ........... (151lb) ....... probably couldn't have gone any heavier
3. Supported rows (kg) (5 x 3 reps)
warmup: 40 x 3, 45 x 2
55 x 5 x 3 ...... up 1.5 ........... (121lb) ....... underhand, could have done 56kg
4. Ivanko gripper (lb)
warmup: 87 x 8, 113 x 3, 119 x 3
130 x 5 x 5 ...... same weight, up 2 reps to 5 reps
5. Core work
Curlups, planks, side-bridges, bird-dogs: 6 x 10 secs each (no cobras)
Comments
My bench is slowly creeping up. It'll be nice to get 70kg next week for 5x3. My goal for the end of the year is 100kg (2 plates), which seems so near, yet so far away.
I did rows supported by a high, flat bench with supinated grip. I think I managed to pull the bar lower down my torso compared with pronated grip, and the extra leverage for the biceps meant this was easier than last week. I'll row again on Wednesday if the hip-squat belt thingy still hasn't arrived, and I'll go up 1kg to 56x5x3.
Gripper work - I must stop gritting my teeth or one day I'm going to break one of them!
Core work - I did planks and side-bridges circuit style today: left hand side, then planks, then right hand side, then repeat. It's much less stressful on the elbows than repeating the same exercise set after set. I also dropped the cobras completely and my back felt better for it.
How should I keep progressing the core work? I've been adding sets or time on virtually every workout. Should I carry on like this up to, say 10x10 secs, or should I start adding weights somehow, or should I slow down how quickly I'm increasing them? I feel like going up to 10x10, but I don't know if adding weight will be a better option.
Bodyweight: 83kg (183lb). Nice and steady for a few days. I'm trying to increase slowly now.
1. Hip squats (kg) (1x5)
- waiting for hip belt -
2. Bench (kg) (5 x 3 reps)
warmup: bar x 9, 40 x 3, 55 x 2
68.5 x 3 ........... up 2.5
68.5 x 3 ........... up 2.5
68.5 x 3 ........... up 1.5
68.5 x 3 ........... up 1
68.5 x 3 ........... up 1 ........... (151lb) ....... probably couldn't have gone any heavier
3. Supported rows (kg) (5 x 3 reps)
warmup: 40 x 3, 45 x 2
55 x 5 x 3 ...... up 1.5 ........... (121lb) ....... underhand, could have done 56kg
4. Ivanko gripper (lb)
warmup: 87 x 8, 113 x 3, 119 x 3
130 x 5 x 5 ...... same weight, up 2 reps to 5 reps
5. Core work
Curlups, planks, side-bridges, bird-dogs: 6 x 10 secs each (no cobras)
Comments
My bench is slowly creeping up. It'll be nice to get 70kg next week for 5x3. My goal for the end of the year is 100kg (2 plates), which seems so near, yet so far away.
I did rows supported by a high, flat bench with supinated grip. I think I managed to pull the bar lower down my torso compared with pronated grip, and the extra leverage for the biceps meant this was easier than last week. I'll row again on Wednesday if the hip-squat belt thingy still hasn't arrived, and I'll go up 1kg to 56x5x3.
Gripper work - I must stop gritting my teeth or one day I'm going to break one of them!
Core work - I did planks and side-bridges circuit style today: left hand side, then planks, then right hand side, then repeat. It's much less stressful on the elbows than repeating the same exercise set after set. I also dropped the cobras completely and my back felt better for it.
How should I keep progressing the core work? I've been adding sets or time on virtually every workout. Should I carry on like this up to, say 10x10 secs, or should I start adding weights somehow, or should I slow down how quickly I'm increasing them? I feel like going up to 10x10, but I don't know if adding weight will be a better option.
A
Anthrax Invasion
Guest
You don't need to continually progress them. Build an appreciable level of endurance, then maintain it. Add weights to birddogs (ankle+wrist) for added resistance there. Do it until you start actually feeling them. I'd keep the other stuff at 5 sets of 7-8 seconds. No need to really go higher. I understand the desire for 10x10, as it's a nice, rounded number. People like things as multiples of 5 & 10.
The circuit style bridges are a good idea. McGill recommends them as the highest level for side bridges. By the way, you should be flexing your abs during the length of every set for the core work. Not sure if you've been doing that, but I swore I mentioned it. It makes things more difficult. You need to be able to breathe while flexing the abs. Don't push out excessively, nor suck in. Just flex and breathe normal.
The circuit style bridges are a good idea. McGill recommends them as the highest level for side bridges. By the way, you should be flexing your abs during the length of every set for the core work. Not sure if you've been doing that, but I swore I mentioned it. It makes things more difficult. You need to be able to breathe while flexing the abs. Don't push out excessively, nor suck in. Just flex and breathe normal.
anotherbutters
New member
I was doing the planks/side-bridges circuit style a few months ago, for 20 seconds a side. I worked my way up to 6 minutes, which is why 5 sets of 7-8 seconds seems trivial.
I hadn't been flexing my abs - thanks for mentioning it. Maybe that will make all the difference.
I hadn't been flexing my abs - thanks for mentioning it. Maybe that will make all the difference.
A
Anthrax Invasion
Guest
It may, give it a shot. They should stay flexed all through.
anotherbutters
New member
Week 4, Wednesday, no wait... Tuesday
Bodyweight: 83kg (183lb)
1. Chins
BW x 6 x 4 reps ............ 8 sets of 3 was taking too long, so I took a leaf out of G5.0's book and pushed myself. PR!
2. Hypers
BW x 3 x 15
3. Reverse hypers
BW x 3 x 15
4. Core work
Curlups, planks & side-bridges, bird-dogs: 6 x 12 secs each
Comments
I think I've been writing pullups (overarm, wide grip) when I've been doing chins (underarm, close grip) all along. It's nice to be making progress on these (chins) anyway. I managed to pull so hard on each of the first reps that my chin was well clear of the bar, but I seemed to run out of steam really quickly. I'll repeat this on Thursday and try for 5x5 next week.
Hypers and reverse hypers were fine. I put my hands behind my head instead of across my chest for a change on the hypers, to make them a bit harder. I also stretched my bad hamstring before them, which stopped the pain during them. I've been stretching it a lot lately, which cuts down a lot of the pain from it.
The core work had me sweating a bit today. I agree, AI, since I'm doing these every night, I don't need to go mental on them. They're starting to take a while to get through now, too, so I think I'll drop back to 6x10 and keep it at that for now. I flexed my abs during the curlups (well, you have to anyway), but forgot during the others.
I still get a murmur of pain in my back occasionally, but it's getting less frequent. The frequency of all the back and core work's sure working wonders! Thanks again AI for all the help. How's your routine going?
Shit, why do I always manage to write so much about such small workouts?
Bodyweight: 83kg (183lb)
1. Chins
BW x 6 x 4 reps ............ 8 sets of 3 was taking too long, so I took a leaf out of G5.0's book and pushed myself. PR!
2. Hypers
BW x 3 x 15
3. Reverse hypers
BW x 3 x 15
4. Core work
Curlups, planks & side-bridges, bird-dogs: 6 x 12 secs each
Comments
I think I've been writing pullups (overarm, wide grip) when I've been doing chins (underarm, close grip) all along. It's nice to be making progress on these (chins) anyway. I managed to pull so hard on each of the first reps that my chin was well clear of the bar, but I seemed to run out of steam really quickly. I'll repeat this on Thursday and try for 5x5 next week.
Hypers and reverse hypers were fine. I put my hands behind my head instead of across my chest for a change on the hypers, to make them a bit harder. I also stretched my bad hamstring before them, which stopped the pain during them. I've been stretching it a lot lately, which cuts down a lot of the pain from it.
The core work had me sweating a bit today. I agree, AI, since I'm doing these every night, I don't need to go mental on them. They're starting to take a while to get through now, too, so I think I'll drop back to 6x10 and keep it at that for now. I flexed my abs during the curlups (well, you have to anyway), but forgot during the others.
I still get a murmur of pain in my back occasionally, but it's getting less frequent. The frequency of all the back and core work's sure working wonders! Thanks again AI for all the help. How's your routine going?
Shit, why do I always manage to write so much about such small workouts?
Last edited:
Cynical Simian
New member
anotherbutters said:
Impressive that you're finding time to workout on a trip to Asia.
Do you still plan to visit a doc/chiro about the hamstring, or will you just wait and see if it improves with the core/stretching work?
Belated thanks for the detailed Powertec Hypers description. I gave them a try over the weekend and, while they were about as good as could be expected with an improvised setup, I decided to go with light GMs instead as my primary off-day back exercise.
