Squat Monday! New PR

Today kicked off Week Three in my 531. Heavy squats. 

I filmed by lifts for the first time, and it was very humbling. I was disappointed to see I lost my lumbar extension on my heavy back squats. Of course switching to high bar would help with that, but I'm not ready to switch until I plan to reset in January.

I also filmed my front squats and I need to work my rack position - my wrist is a mess today because of my poor rack. 

On the plus side, I hit a new LBBS 1RM!! 

Take a look: 


Overall happy with where I am. Still shooting for 405# by the 31st. A part of me doesn't want to rush it, but the rest of me is stoked to get in there on the 28th and just crush four plates. 


LBBS
275# x 5 
315# x 3
335# x 1

Good Mornings
135# 3x15
These were disappointing too. I need to drop the weight and work on form. They looked so ugly on the video, and I thought I had awesome form in my head. 

Front Squat: 
135# x 2
155# x 2
185# x 2
225# x 2
255# x 2
275# x 2

Mobility 
I have to build a more comprehensive mobility plan. I've been hitting my flexors, quads, glutes and groin, but I feel like there is something missing. I also am in need of a massage. 

Friday Deadlift and Press

Yesterday I missed the gym. I took a day to work from home on some projects and my daughter ended up puking all over herself before school. So instead of getting a lot done I watched TV and cuddled a sad 3 year old until she felt well enough to do some baking. Yes, I cured vomiting with chocolate chip cookies.

Today I hit the gym with a vengeance. I had deadlifts to do, I had press, and I was there early.


Deadlift
275# x 5
325# x 5
365# x 8 PR!
I'm trying to keep my third set in the range to keep my estimated 1RM at or near my goal.

Press
135# x 5
145# x 5
165# x 5

Pull-ups
3 x 3,2,2

Pendlay Rows:

185# 3x5
Reduced weight and reps to concentrate on form. Felt much better, some soreness in my upper back this evening.

Push Press
185# x 5
205# x 5
225# x 3
This was just a random addition when the Pendlays felt good. Power clean those presses punk! First cleans in a while and they went up easily - the form was ugly at 225# but it went up. Felt huge. Tried to get a video on my tablet, but the case cut off half of it. You can see the top of my head and the bar coming up. Next week I'll video a lot more.

Skipped Conditioning, stretched lightly, and ate like a monster.

YEEEAH Tuesday Bench

Right so today I have proof my de-loading week absolutely paid off and I'm feeling silly for even wanting to skip it last week. I know I thought I was feeling good. I know LBEB posted "When in doubt go heavy" and I  saw it as a sign. I know it even started a debate about when it was appropriate to skip de-loading and I still felt like it was a good idea. But it was a bad idea.

Last Tuesday I jumped into my new 5x5 bench day, and struggled through, hitting 260#x4 in my top work set. Then I realised my poor performance was due to skipping the ever important de-load and spent the rest of the week with light weights and higher volume and just took it easy.

Today I went in on little sleep. I was a little apprehensive after sucking so badly last week but I warmed up thoroughly and got into my work sets. 205#x5 felt easy, 230#x5 was solid, and 260#x5 was mothaflippin awesome. I ended up hitting 260#x7 punks. Yeeeeah buddy.

So let me sum it up.

No de-load = weak; de-load appropriately = strong. Follow your programming, it's there for your benefit.


Bench:
205# x 5
230# x 5
260# x 7


Pullups:
5 x 3,2,2,1,1


Dips:
3 x 19, 8, 6

Mobility:
Couch.
Feeling a little pain in my plantar fascia, so I stretched out my tibialis anterior and calves, and mashed my foot on a bulbous area of my desk all day. Feeling much better.

Conditioning:
Watched TV for 15 minutes. Riding the stationary bike. Doesn't count.

Squat Monday - New Cycle

You'll notice I didn't log for the back half of last week. Well de-loading is necessary but boring. You don't need to hear about all my light lifts. I did some stuff to stay mobile, I stayed at about 50% of my 1RM. Excitement!

Today I started my new cycle! I was feeling must better than last Monday. Maybe it's because I ate everything in sight since lunch at the Wasabi buffet on Friday. That must be it. 

While I was toiling away working my squats there was a bro grunting it out loud and proud and banging and clanging while he hit his 1 RM on the tricep push-down machine. Maybe he got a new decibel PR. I'm not against grunting, or even clangin n banging, I just prefer for it to be in support of actual work.

Speaking of work, I decided to add front squat doubles to the program today because Garcia is making me feel like a skinny child since I don't work front squats or Olympic lifts in my program these days. Worked myself from 135 up to my max for the day. I hit 275# then wimped out on 295. I'm going to have to fix that next week and probably clean something. 

LBBS
265# x 5 
295# x 5
335# x 5

Good Mornings
135# 3x10

Front Squat: 
135# x 2
185# x 2
225# x 2
255# x 2
275# x 2

Mobility 
Couch stretch...after I soaked the mats at LA Fitness in cleaner and scrubbed. Nobody cleans that place and the smears and salty sweat stains are disgusting. 

Conditioning: 
Swimming again tonight at the marginally cleaner LA Fitness in Burlington. Then hot tub. I hope I didn't get staph from that mat earlier. 

De-load back on

Remember what I said about skipping my de-load week? 

Yeah, forget that. De-load is back on, Week 1 of my new program cycle starts Monday. 

Monday Squat - New Cycle

Welcome to my 5th Cycle of the Wendler 5-3-1

This was supposed to be my de-load week after making a bunch of new volume PRs. However, by this morning I was feeling strong and well recovered and decided to hell with recovery, let's just keep it going. Here's the result: 

LBBS
265# x 5 
295# x 5
335# x 5

Good Mornings
135# 3x12

Front Squat: 
135# 3x5
I haven't front squatted in ages, just wanted to see how they felt. I think I'll be adding to my Mondays and determining a proper load. 

Mobility 
Couch stretch, 2 minutes a side whistling dixie. Ahh supple quads and hip flexors. 
2:30 squat (+:30 since last week, on the way to 10 minutes uninterrupted!)

Conditioning: 
I might swim tonight!

On an unrelated note, the giant (1cm+) stone in my sub-mandibular salivary duct is giving me trouble again. It hurts and I want it out. I have heard that they are starting to use ultrasound to break up big stones (extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy or ESWL) so you can have the less invasive scope removal, but I'll have to wait to see a specialist (Dr. Sommer is the saliendoscopy specialist around here) to see a)if it's possible and b) how much it will cost. Wish me luck, because the alternative is that they go in through my next under my jaw, like this. 



Obviously not ideal. 

Skip that de-load.

I am feeling too good today, so I think I'm going to skip my de-load week. 

That is all.

Press Friday PR

Friday capped off an awesome week this week. 

After making 3x the recommended increase in my Base weights for my 5-3-1, I still powered through the workouts. The increases meant new volume and 1RM PRs, and by the end of Week 3 I feel like I deserve my deload week. 

My increases for the coming cycle are going to be 10# for Bench/Press and 20# for Squat/Deadlift as I prepare for December Testing session. 


Press
135# x 5
155# x 3
170# x 4 PR
195# x 1 PR

Pull-ups
5 x 2,2,1,1,1

Lateral raises
30# dumbbells 3 x 10


Conditioning: 
Tabata rowing, 10 minutes (20 rounds)


Mobility
Mashed my psoas with a 25#plate for a couple minutes a side.
Couch stretch 2 minutes a side
2 minute squat, building to a 10 minute squat. Next time it will be 2:30

Diet:
I really have a hard time eating less on my heavy weeks, but I still did a decent job.Definitely ate big and lifted big this week. My first lunch was a bowl of ground beef, oatmeal and tzatziki with carrots on the side. Delicious and efficient nutrition!


Weight: 262.0# (down 0.5#)

Deadlift

Deadlift
315# x 5
350# x 3
390# x 5 PR!
This is putting my estimated 1RM between 440-455. I'm getting excited for testing in December.

Pendlay Rows:
225# 3x6

Cable Face Pulls:
70# 3 x 12

Dumbbell Curls for my girl:
40# each 3 x 10,8,6

Mobility: 
I am boring myself when I don't add anything new here. .
Couch couch couch. 2 minutes a side is a walk in the park. 

Conditioning: 
Relaxed 1000m row. Conditioning tomorrow. 

Bring Our Kids to Work Day

I dragged my son out of bed at 6 this morning, brought him in the car pool and got him to the office just after 7. 

My plan was to make him come to the gym with me and give him a lesson in squatting. In order to get him in, however, I had to promise a maximum 30 minutes and McDonald's breakfast after. 

Moderate Success! Although he didn't want to go through the lesson, he did like the thought that squats would help his vertical. We got a few good sets of body weight squats out of him. He seemed a little self conscious that we were doing this in public, but he had pretty good body awareness for a 14 year old; he self-corrected his posture on his second set and was able to find that happy place where his weight was on his heels. 

I do need to get him working on mobility. Being young, he doesn't think he has to stretch. He needs to get some flexibility to push his knees out and turn his toes back in - I couldn't get him squatting with his feet at less than 45 degrees. At the end of the workout he could barely touch his toes when we were stretching out hammies. It will come, I just have to stay on him. 

Any advice for promoting mobility to my son, especially in terms of how it will help him with basketball? Leave it in the comments. 

Conditioning: 
20/10 Intervals on the treadmill. 8.5MPH. 8 minutes.

Bench Tuesday

Bench
225# x 5
255# x 3
280# x 3 (Fail 4th rep) PR!
I was supposed to do 220# and 250# for my first to work sets, but I was lazy and it was easier to load the bar the way I did it. What difference does that 5 pounds make? Did it hurt my chances at locking out that 4th rep at 280?


Dips
3 x 20, 10, 8

Nice big jump in my dips for my first set. Once I can hit 3x15 minimum I'll start adding wieght.

Pullups
4 x 3,2,2,1,1
Also progress here. 

Mobility:
Couch. Going to bring my lacrosse ball this week and get to work on my shoulders and upper back. 

Conditioning: 
Tabata double unders. 10 minutes. I was feeling junky and failed so much. I actually hit myself in the face with my Rogue speed rope - not the most pleasant experience. 

Squat Monday

LBBS
280# x 5 
315# x 3
355# x 5 PR! 
Monstro! 360# was my 1RM last December. This puts my estimated 1RM between 400-415, depending on the calculation. 

Good Mornings
135# 3x12

Mobility 
Couch stretch every day. 
Spent some quality time with a barbell and my quads. 

Conditioning: 
Skipped.

Press Friday

Press
125# x 3
145# x 3
160# x 5
185#x 1

185#x 1

Pull-ups
3 x 2,2,1

Lateral raises
30# dumbbells 3 x 10


Conditioning: 
Tabata double unders, 10 minutes (20 rounds)



Mobility
I'm posting this almost a week late. I don't remember. 

Diet:
Ate the appropriate amount for my activity. Didn't eat super clean, it was Halloween.


Weight: 262.5# (No change)

Movember and Unscheduled PR - Deadlift Thursday

Happy Movember my friends.

Once again I will be bringing the fight against Men's cancers to my upper lip and growing a luxurious moustache for the next thirty days. My sheer force of will and with tips from Nick Offerman I have already made serious progress.



Right so maybe not, maybe I started 3 weeks early when I learned about Evil Abed and wanted a Goatee. All that is beside the point, because after growing a normal moustache the last two years my goal for 2012 is to grow the bushiest I've ever had. Even if I have to cheat by starting early.

That shouldn't change the fact that you must visit my Mo Page and support me by donating. Or join my quasi-official 70's Big Canada team and join the fight yourself.

Maybe it's the moustache but I had a great day in the gym. After my 5-3-1 programming I decided to drop 405# on the bar and see how hard it was to pick up.

Last year in December 405# was my 1RM. Today I hit a triple for a new PR, and it doesn't even feel like my 3RM. Testing this December is going to be fantastic.

Deadlift
295# x 3
330# x 3
370# x 7
403# x 3
Pendlay Rows
225# 3x5
Mobility: Rushed lunch workout. Quickly stretched and booked it, no real work.

Diet:
Last night I ate piles of snack size chocolates. Like 10 boxes, pluys milk duds and chips. I'm not losing weight this week. 
Today I'm holding it down.  

Wrecked Wrist Wednesday

I came in all fired up today. Just full of piss and vinegar, ready to tackle the Bear for my "rest day." I planned seven rounds, planned loads 45#, 65#, 95#, 115#, 135#, 155#, 155#.

Fourth round I felt an impingement in my left wrist, at about my third metacarpal, and the pain ended my workout. Serious Olympic lifting has pretty much been off the agenda since February, so my inflexibility just shut me down. Instead I rode the bike for 20 minutes and started my reasearch. 

Altough I felt like a failure, the silver lining is that I have found my next mobility project. I am going to work through some MWODs and fix this wrist pain and improve my front rack.

I had another epiphany. It's time to hold people to account with the way they treat my gym.

I complain a lot. A LOT about the state of my gym, the trash, the floor pubes and the fact that nobody puts weights away. This week I started holding the trainers to task and asking them to lead by example by putting weights away in training sessions.

Groundbreaking, right? Who would have thought part of a trainer's job is to teach people gym etiquette.

Remember when I called out a trainer during his work out last week? Today I called him out in front of his client when they left weight on the bar. He was good about it, but let's see how much I have to do it before it sinks in.

Next step is to rally the regulars. You don't have to go to a fancy gym to have some pride in membership or a sense of community. Ghetto globogym members unite.

Conditioning:
3.5 light sets of the Bear Complex
20 minutes on the recumbent bike. Gimme a break, I was reading about my wrist pain.

Mobility:
Couch stretch like it ain't no thang.
Wrist and front rack work after Trick or Treating.

BenchTuesday

Clarity - That's what it takes to get a good spotter. My instructions were, and I quote, "I just need a lift off, then you're just there for safety. If you touch the bar, my rep doesn't count so only help if I am dropping it. I'll tell you if I need help."

Guy was great. I pushed through 5 reps, was grinding on my 6th for too long and couldn't lock out, but my spotter waited til I called for help. Well done young man. 


Bench
205# x 3
235# x 3
265# x 5

Pullups
4 x 2,2,1,1

Dips
3 x 11, 10, 8

Mobility:
Couch stretch. hammies

Conditioning: 
20/10 Intervals on the treadmill. 8 Minutes

Diet:
Continue to eat cleanish, but definitely eating better and less than I was. 

Monday Swim

Since my soon is at basketball tonight I'm taking advantage of the proximity of practice to my gym to take on a quick swim. Its my first in ages, and I felt pretty buoyant. Maybe it was the salt water pool, or maybe my fatness to swoleness radio is off.

Not really worried tho, working on it.

Overall pretty enjoyable. After a short (15 minute) swim I hit the hot tub and spent ten minutes getting a middle aged investment advisor to check out MobilityWOD and take responsibility for his "right, knotty" legs. I might have freaked him out when I jumped out to show him the couch stretch, but hopefully I planted the seed.

Either way I'm looking forward to basketball season.

Monday Squats

Monday and I feel great! Slow start because of course I didn't sleep enough last night and this "Frankenstorm" had everyone driving at rickshaw pace. Traffic and late start means my morning workout gets delayed to lunch and it's a crap shoot as to whether I will make it or get called into a meeting. Obviously not an ideal situation. 

Luckily today I got to train:

LBBS
265# x 3 
300# x 3
335# x 6

Good Mornings
115# 3x12

Dumbbell Curls for the Girl
40# x 10
50# x 6 (Bit off a bit much, stopped when I started dropping my shoulder to get under it.)
40# x 8

Mobility 
Couch stretch feels so good now. 

Conditioning: 
Skipped. Mondays are short workouts, especially at lunch. 

Diet: Getting back on track after the weekend. I was full this morning from all the overeating so I pretty much skipped breakfast, just Greek yoghurt and protein instead of a full meal. Lunch was a little fatty, ground beef with homemade gravy, sweet potatoes and broccoli. I'll get some fresh veggies in with my snack. 

Supplements: 

• Multivitamin: One a Day Men; AM
• Glucosamine: Usana Procosa II; x2 AM & PM
• Omega 3's: Webber Naturals 900mg Omega 3 softgel; x1 AM & PM
• Carnitine & Leucine: Revolution Nutrition Carnitine Cooler; 1 scoop AM & PM
• Pre-workout: Rivalus Powder Burn; 2 scoops before the gym
• Post Workout: Rivalus Post Rx; 2 scoops after the gym
• Protein: Rivalus Promasil; 1 scoop for breakfast

If this seems like a lot, I'll explain later. 

Garbage

Yo I was garbage on the weekend. Ate like garbage, slept like garbage, lifted nothing. 

However, I made my attempt at the 10 minute squat. Learned a lot about what I have to look at next. This week I'll be researching and working the following issues:

• My toes were pointed firmly at 30 degrees, when I would stand and turn them, they would turn back out. 
• The outside of my shins (tibialus anterior) were so sore afterwards. 

Morning workout delayed because of rain and slow commuting traffic. Lunch workout engaged in 29 minutes. 

Final note, I realised I was missing my supplementation on my log, so starting today I'll list everything I'm taking. Post about supps TK.

Friday, Friday

I lost it on a trainer at my gym this week. He was on the leg press and I shouted, "When you train people don't you tell them they have to put their weights away?!"

He laughed it off and I joined him but seriously, people need to take care of this. \

My gym needs a culture change and it starts with the staff. LA Fitness Burlington has a (cheesy) announcement every hour asking the staff and members to put away some equipment. Neither staff nor members have to bear the brunt of 100% of the cleanup, and everyone takes part. 

My LA Fitness doesn't get this, and every day I have to put away or search for weights at every step of the way. 

Press
115# x 5
135# x 5
155# x 5

(You'll notice my weights aren't exactly based on the calculation against Base weight. I adjust to make my time in the Land of the Lost Weights easier. There are four 2# plates in my gym and you can never find them.)

Pull-ups
4 x 3,2,1,1

Curls (easy bar)
90# 3 x 8

Push-press
185# 3x3


Conditioning: 
I wouldn't call it conditioning. I rode a stationary bike for 15 minutes at a leisurely pace and read Twitter on my tablet. Lame, I know. 



Mobility
COUCH STRETCH! It feels really great. 
Foam rolling the hell out of my legs and upper back tonight. 
10 Minute Squat Test

Diet:

Ate well all week. More good food, more butter, more breakfast. Today I ploughed into a cheat burrito for lunch (Thank you Mucho Burrito, it was incredible as always). 

Weight: 262.5# (down 3.5lbs this week) Amazing what a proper diet can do for you. 

Pull it

I have decided I need better grip strength. I prefer the double overhand grip when dead lifting, but on my third work set I usually have to change to a mixed grip after 3 reps. Hence the farmer's walk today. 

I've since read I shouldn't have done the farmer's walk on dead lift day. Still going to include once a week. 

Deadlift
265# x 5
315# x 5
350# x 5

Pendlay Rows
225# 3x5

Farmer's Walk
100# dumbbells, one lap around the weight room (about 50 ft) x 2
One drop on each walk: first walk dropped about 90% of the way, second walk about 75% of the way. 

Mobility: 
Look I'm trying to do a Couch Stretch every day, OK? 

Conditioning: 
Not today bro.

Diet:
Still logging and eating well. 

Does two days make you consistent?

Hey I'm logging a second day in a row. 

How do you teach a-holes at the gym how to spot?

On my last 1+ Week 3 set I was pushing 365#. I clearly said, "I just need a lift off, then don't touch it unless I drop the bar on my chest." Instead of letting me grind out my fifth rep the bro spotting me grabbed the bar the instant I struggled, robbing me of a rep. 

Today a co-worker spotted me. He's a little older and more intelligent and respected the grind. Great spot Mike. 

Bench
190# x 5
225# x 5
250# x 5

Pullups
5 x 2,1,1,1,1

Dips
3 x 16, 8, 7

Mobility:
Couch stretch. I gotta get more creative. 

Conditioning: 
Tabata Rowing Machine

Diet:
Continue to eat cleanish, but definitely eating better and less than I was. 

Restart

Alright it's time to get this log back on track.

It's Day one of my "fifth" 5-3-1 cycle. I put fifth in quotes because I've actally been doing a bastardized LP version. Week 1 was 3x5 at 85% of Base, Week 2 was 3x3 at 90% of Base, then Week 3&4 were normal 531 programming. 

I went with the hybrid because the program suggests you start slow, but I didn't feel like I was doing enough work at the end of the three work sets. It worked for a while but I've been feeling like I'm not lifting close enough to my max; in my previous cycles I've been hitting 5+ reps in my 1+ sets in the third week. 

In order to sort this out and stop with the Frankenstein programming this I made a jump in my 1RM  used to calculate my Base. Instead of 5#/10# to Bench&Press/Squat & Deadlift I added 15#/30#. 

So far the effect has been good. Today's sets didn't feel like I was overdoing it, but I felt like I was doing a more appropriate amount of work. We'll see how this progresses throughout this cycle. 

LBBS
255# x 5 
295# x 5
315# x 6

Good Mornings
95# 3x12

Mobility 
Couch stretches and tack & floss my hammies. 

Conditioning: 
Skipped.

Diet: Eating clean this week and logging every bite. Noticed my usual breakfast of a protein scoop in milk and veggies is a paltry 250-300 calories. Gonna have to eat more breakfast.