RipStone's 5x5-GFH journal

[RipStone]

week 6-saturday

cardio: 20mins on elliptical trainer

lots of stretching

grip:
-warm up set with sports store grippers x 10 reps w/ each hand
-CoC #1 x5 reps with help from opposite hand
-CoC #1 x5 reps with help from opposite hand
-CoC #1 x3 reps with help from opposite hand

comments: I am really stiff the past few days so I did a lot of streetching this morning at the gym. Hopefully that helps. Plus, I plan on just sitting around this weekend and being lazy

The CoC gripper #1 is damn hard. I can almost close it...few centimeters away, lol. So I am using my opposite hand to help me close it and get in a rep.

 

[RipStone]

Monday, Week 7

(all loads in pounds)

squats:
-135x5
-165x5
-190x5
-215x5
-247x4(well guys I missed the 5th rep which sucks, but I'n not pissed about this cus it was bound to happen sooner or later. was hoping it was later though. I didnt go for the 5th rep cus I wasn't confident I would get it after the 4th rep and didnt want to risk failing or injury. Also, I narrowed my grip width on the bar in order to keep my shoulder blades tighter and my elbows closer to my body. This felt good. I think I have a good idea how to progress with squats, but see question #1 below.)

bench press:
-95x5
-140x5
-160x5
-170x5
-187x5(bench felt great and really strong.)----> PR!

BB rows:
-70x5
-95x5
-110x5
-130x5
-145x5(felt very good)---->PR!

Good mornings(done stiff-legged, torso parallel to the ground):
75x8
75x8
75x8(I did these very light. I had a lot of reps left in the bag. I decided to do these cause I feel that my core is my weak area in squats cus I have the tendency to want to fall foward as I am ascending).


Abs;
-weighted full sit-ups: 60x12, 60x10, 60x10, 60x10(nice, slow negatives with these)

Comments: Even though I missed a squat PR today, I am still very pleased with this workout. I mean by bench press has gone up 12lbs since I started this program...not too shabby. Also, my energy was really high today and my grip felt very strong....that CoC work helped.

questions:

1. Well it's time to switch up something for squats and only squats cus my bench and row are still progressing(cross my fingers). I am thinking that I am gonna do more work load at the top sets and less at the bottom sets. Plus, I will re-ramp the loads too, but of course since I am doing more weight at the higer sets the overall workload will be higher. How does this look starting next mon...

mon: 135x5, 155x5, 205x1, 230x5, 230x5, 230x5(assuming I can do 230 for all 3 sets)
wed: 135x5, 155x5, 205x5, 205x5, 205x5
fri: 135x5, 155x5, 205x1, 235x3, 235x3, 235x3 (should I do a back off?)
mon: 135x5, 155x5, 205x1, 235x5, 235x5, 235x5

now if I miss a rep at the 3x5 sets I will keep the load the same the next week. does this seem ok?

2. how should I do squats this week? I am thinking kinda use it as a deload week, so...

wed: 95x5, 135x5, 175x5, 175x5, 175x5
fri: 95x5, 135x5, 175x5, 195x5, 230x5, 195x8

I NEED YOUR HELP GUYS

 

[Guinness5.0]

I'm not sure you should deload yet. I think you're progressing fine - maybe jsut dial back the squats for a week.

Leaning forward is most likely due to relatively weak abs, not low back weakness. Hit your abs w/ some weighted decline situps and you'll help get that lean outta there.

Also, are you familiar w/ the valsalve techinique? That'll go a long way toward keeping you upright if you're not already using it. I had a habit of leaning forward but I focused on Valsalva'ing and in two weeks' time I'd ditched the belt entirely and used PR weight without core stability issues at all.

 

[young_squatter]

Nice workout bro, Smart move on the squat, like you said its bound to happen sooner or later, you will get it next time.
Awesome work on bench and barbell rows, looking really strong.

 

[anotherbutters]

It sounds like a good plan. I'd start the 3x5 sets at a lower weight though. If your 5RM is 245, then at a guess your 3x5RM might be 235-240. If it's only 235, you'll want to start lower than 230 next week to make sure you get a few weeks of progression. I think next week ought to feel fairly easy, even though there's more volume, so maybe start it at 220-225 and go up 5 each week.

Guinness, surely a stronger lower back will help keep him upright, rather than abs? Good call on the valsalva technique. I don't always remember, but a good belly full of air makes a lot of difference.

 

[RipStone]

Thanks guys.

So I will start next monday with 225 instead of 230 like I had planned originally.

I think its probabaly a weak-ish lower back ans abs. Right now I always train my abs with weight(90% of the time I do ab work) as you can see in my journal. Maybe I should add more lower back work? What do you guys think(probabaly a no I am assumming).

I am not familar with the valsalva....something to do with holding air in your belly(a la what Dave Tate/Louie Simmons suggests)....any links or more info would be great.

Finally, what do you think of my plan for the rest of this week?

Thanks again.

 

[RipStone]

So this is the plan for squats for this week and the following week...


wed: 95x5, 135x5, 175x5, 175x5, 175x5
fri: 95x5, 135x5, 175x5, 195x5, 225x3, 195x8

mon: 135x5, 155x5, 205x1, 225x5, 225x5, 225x5(assuming I can do 225 for all 3 sets)
wed: 135x5, 155x5, 205x5, 205x5, 205x5
fri: 135x5, 155x5, 205x1, 230x3, 230x3, 230x3 (should I do a back off?)
mon: 135x5, 155x5, 205x1, 230x5, 230x5, 230x5

Going to keep ramping the weights up 5lbs each week. Hopefully I will be able to get in 5 reps for all 3 sets. If not, then I plan on(I think, let me know if this sounds ok) to keep the load the same until I get 5 reps for all 3 sets.

How long should I do this for? Keep in mind I plateued this week doing 247x4(didnt fail, but wasnt confident going for a 5th rep)?

Thanks.

 

[Cynical Simian]

Keep in mind I plateued this week doing 247x4(didnt fail, but wasnt confident going for a 5th rep)?

The first week in which you fail is, by definition, not a plateau; it's where you go (or don't go) afterwards that determines whether it was actually the beginning of one. I agree with what Guinness said about a deload possibly not being necessary. You might just want to give the same weights/reps another shot this Friday/Monday.

 

[RipStone]

The first week in which you fail is, by definition, not a plateau; it's where you go (or don't go) afterwards that determines whether it was actually the beginning of one. I agree with what Guinness said about a deload possibly not being necessary. You might just want to give the same weights/reps another shot this Friday/Monday.

The thing is that last Monday I did 245x5, but the 5th rep sucked and I struggled on it. Plus, I was increasing my squat load by 5lbs a week and this week when I went for 247x5 I only increased 2lbs and still failed to get all the reps in. I dunno, I just think two weeks in a row where by squat peforamnce was bad means I need a change.

 

[RipStone]

Wednesday, Week 7

(all loads in pounds)

squats: (went along with my proposed plan today for squats, but it is still a work in progress. I firgured even if I dont do what I posted above, one day of lighter squats could serve me well).
-95x5
-135x5
-175x5
-175x5
-175x5

OH press:
-70x5
-95x5
-110x5
-125x5(good set)----> PR! (kept the load on the max set the same as last week since last week I failed to do 5 reps. This week I got it )

deadlifts:
145x5
195x5
235x5
275x5(+5lbs. awsome set...that all I can say.)-----> PR!

chins:
BW+17.5x5
BW+17.5x5(+2.5lbs)
BW+17.5x5(+2.5lbs)
BW+15x5
BW+15x4.5(didnt quite get the 5th rep, but all in all I increased the volume today, as usual with chins, so I am pleased).

abs:

hanging-twisting leg raises: BWx12, BWx12, BWx12
standing cable crunches: 60x12, 60x12 (this is a new ab exercise for me. felt good)

comments: good workout. still contemplating what to do for squats. I am talking to Madcow too so hopefully he will set me straight. Hasnt led me the wrong way yet.