5/3/1: Week 2 Squat

12" SSB Close Stance Box Squat: 90x3, 120x3, 150x3, 180x3, 210x3, 240x3, 285x3. Was in line for a while for a haircut, and had a lot of errands to run and dinner to cook so this was all I had time for. Since I didn't get it done last week, I felt like going for a 3-rep max. 285 was good for the 3RM even with a pause at the bottom. It didn't feel heavy when I racked it and went up smoother and faster than the 275 triple I had just over a week ago with the straight bar, so the arched back good mornings and leg presses may be paying off dividends.

5/3/1: Week 2 Bench Press

Dead Benches w/1-Pr Chains (185) (clustered, 20 seconds between reps): 75x3, 95x3, 115x3, 135x3, 160x3x4

1-Board Press (230)(Adjusted Max 215): 175x3, 185x3, 195x5 (Rep Out Set)

T-Bar Row (155)(Adjusted Max 140): 45x5, 60x5, 70x5, 85x3, 100x2, 115x3, 120x3, 130x5 (Rep Out Set)

Rack Pulls 2" Below The Knees (345): 225x4x5 Done at 65% of 1RM.

Biceps Curls (100): 50x15x3

5/3/1: Week 2 Deadlift

Hoist Roc-It Seated Leg Curls (193): worked up to a 167 lbs 6RM, or 193 pounds calculated. Will test on Nautilus leg curls next week, see which one gives me the better feel.

Arched Back GM (Straight Bar)(215 max)(195 adjusted max): 60x5, 80x5, 100x5, 120x3, 140x2, 155x3, 165x3, 175x5 (Rep Out Set). Since I was at the gym on base, could not use the SSB.

Hoist Leg Press (741 max)(667 adjusted max): 205x5, 270x5, 335x5, 405x3, 470x2, 540x3, 570x3, 605x5 (Rep Out Set).

Seated Calf Raises: 35x15x3

Superset:
Lying Leg Thrusts: 11, 9, 7, 5, 5 reps
Assisted Decline Situps: 11, 9, 7, 5, 5 reps

Did this workout today, got off early because we got hit by a bad snowstorm the day before along with high winds and low temps. Was more concerned with getting home yesterday than the gym.

5/3/1: Week 2 Military Press

All Notation: Weight x Reps x Sets

Nautilus Nitro Laterals (115): 60x15x3

Hoist Military Press (139)(Adjusted Max: 130): 40x5, 55x5, 65x5, 80x3, 95x2, 105x3, 115x3, 120x5 (Rep Out Set).

Hoist Roc-It Pulldown (139): 120x5x5

Nautilus Nitro Close Grip Pulldown (145): 125x5x5

Deadlifts w/35s (305): 185x4x5. This represented 60% of my 1RM.

EZ-Bar Reverse Curls (70): 35x15x3

5/3/1: Week 1 Squat

12" Close Stance Box Squat (Test): 95x5, 125x5, 155x5, 185x5, 215x5, 245x5, 275x3 (3RM). This calculates to a 295 max. Funny, I could have just made this round 2 of 5/3/1 from a month or so before and started from the same place. Oh well.

Superset:
Lying Leg Lifts: 10, 8, 6, 4, 3 reps
Assisted Decline Situps (Average Bands): 10, 8, 6, 4, 3 reps.

5/3/1: Week 1 Bench Press

Dead Benches w/1-Pr Chains (185) (clustered, 15 seconds between reps): 75x3, 95x3, 115x3, 135x3x5.

1-Board Press (230)(Adjusted Max 215): 165x5, 175x5, 185x6 (Rep Out Set)

T-Bar Row (155)(Adjusted Max 140): 45x5, 60x5, 70x5, 85x3, 100x2, 105x5, 115x5, 120x7 (Rep Out Set)

Rack Pulls 2" Below The Knees (345): 215x4x5. Done at 62% of 1RM. Smooth.

Biceps Curls (100): 85x5x5

5/3/1: Week 1 Deadlift

SSB Arched Back GM (210): Bar x 5, 100x5, 120x5, 140x5, 160x5, 180x5, 200x3 (3RM). I was going to use the straight bar but have had good experience using the SSB for this: it really helped me out of the hole in the squat. Since my last test was with a straight bar, I tested with this. 200x3 equates to about a 210 single.

Hoist Leg Press (741)(Adjusted Max 667): 200x5, 265x5, 330x5, 395x3, 460x2, 500x5, 530x5, 565x7 (Rep Out Set)

Assisted GHR (Light Band): 5 sets of 8.

5/3/1: Week 1 Military Press

It was a busy weekend. I failed Navy PRT for the first time in years (I'll explain later) but I still ran it. The day before that, I played a racquetball court version of soccer. So I PTd a lot.

I started 5/3/1/ again proper yesterday. I will be doing the 3 days a week thing, to allow me to use the other 4 days for conditioning. So when you see me write "week" it really is 4 workouts every 8 days.

I wanted to focus more on my squats, so I took the deadlift day out. Actually, I replaced it with the arched back good morning: I feel that if I'm going to try to start squatting bigger that I need to bring up my erector strength more and this movement does it better than the deadlift. Since, however, I did not want to lose my DL, I'm using deficit deadlifts and rack pulls as trap movements on upper body days: I just train them submaximally, and focus more on form rather than PRs, so as to not overtrain.

The notation on my logs will still be weight x reps x sets. But I will start putting parentheses to indicate the max I'm basing my calculations on. If it is the main 5/3/1 movement, there will be another period for the adjusted max. This would make my blog easier to follow.

Nautilus Laterals (115). From 40 pounds, I worked up to a 5RM in 15 pound increments. I hit 100x5, computed that out to a 115 max.

Hoist Military Press (139)(Adjusted Max: 130): 40x5, 55x5, 65x5, 80x3, 95x2, 100x5, 105x5, 115x6 (Rep Out Set)

Hoist Roc-It Pulldown (139): 85x10x4

Nautilus Nitro Close Grip Pulldown (145): 85x10x4

Deadlifts w/35s (305): 210x4x5. This represented 69% of my 1RM. The reps were really smooth and my lower back didn't feel tired much afterwards. I'm using the Prilepin Cycle from Kris Lindqvist's Tsampa.org site, percentages reduced by 20%, optimal total reps on the worksets between 20 and 25.

EZ-Bar Reverse Curls (70): 40x10x4

You Know What this Was

Today I tested on the Incline Bench Press, my goal being to smash last week's 225 PR. After last week's max and Sunday's workout and Monday's max, I should have known what was coming.

I couldn't do it.

The weight felt heavy, even in the beginning. 185 pounds moved slow, slow enough to make me call it quits. I'm satisfied with this past week of work. Time to get my workout restarted.

Some Random Workout

T-Bar Rows: 50x5, 65x5, 80x5, 95x3, 110x2, 125x3, 140x4

Flat Bench Press: 145x1, 165x1, 185x1, 205x1, 225x1, 235x1.  It started with me messing around between my son's workout.  I kept on because every rep felt light and quick, even the 225.  235 was a little tougher but I got that, too.