5/3/1: Squat 5RM Day

Squat: 75x5, 110x5, 145x3, 180x5, 195x5, 205x8 (Rep Out Set).  I supersetted these with bodyweight calf raises, done very controlled to failure.

Superset For 6 rounds/1-min rest in between:
Jacobs Ladder for 1 min
Kettlebell Swings for 8 reps with 30 pounds.  I think I hit paydirt with this combination.  My legs and backside was burning, and my lungs were on fire.

Hoist Roc-It Leg Curls: 152 for sets of 10, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 reps

Planks: 6 holds to exhaustion.  Still trying to break 30 seconds per hold.

This workout was done yesterday, now my upper back feels a little sore, too.

5/3/1: Week One Rebooted - Bench Press

Flat Bench Press: 55x5, 80x5, 105x5, 130x5, 140x5, 150x8 (Rep Out Set)

4-Board Press: 150x9, 150x8.  Both of these were rep out sets.

Assisted Chinups (Light/Monster Mini Bands): sets of 6, 5, 4, 3 reps

LifeFitness ISO Rows (Elbows In): 105x11, 105x10x3

Superset:
KB Windmills: 20x6x4
Hammer Curls: 20x10x4

Finisher:  LifeFitness Treadmill, 1.5 incline: 3 rounds of 1 minute at 9.0 MPH and 2 minutes at 3.0 MPH.  2 of my off days will be used for running at lower speed but building up to 30 minutes of steady distance.  But I wanted two of my finishers to involve running at a much faster speed, so that I could build up my lactic acid tolerance.

A Chistmas Eve Workout . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . because I did not want to work out on Christmas.  So I went full tilt on two movements:

Conventional Deadlifts: 145x5, 180x5, 215x5, 250x5, 285x5, 320x5 (5RM)

Hoist Assisted Dips Machine (BW was 241.5, weight used is minus assistance): 101.5x5, 121.5x5, 141.5x5, 161.5x5, 181.5x5, 200.5x5

5/3/1: Shoulder Press Test

LifeFitness ISO Shoulder Press: 45x3, 55x3, 65x3, 75x3, 85x3, 95x3, 105x2 (2RM)

Assisted Pullup (Light/Monster Mini Bands): sets of 5, 4, 4, 4, 3 reps

LifeFitness ISO Rows (Elbows In): 105x10x5

Finisher (7 rounds):
Jacobs Ladder: 90 seconds
Battle Ropes to Exhaustion.  My evil experiment of the day, and it sucked.  In a good way.

5/3/1: Squat test

Straight Bar Squat (Yes, with no box): 95x5, 125x5, 155x3, 185x3, 215x2, 245x1, 275x1, 285x1 (1RM): Wanted to get away from boxes, so I had to test myself without a box AND without a Smith.  My core really does need work and I need to get my confidence back.  The last 2 sets were, surprisingly, my best ones.  That's because I asked a friend of mine and a fellow gym patron, Desi, to spot me and call depth.  The 275 almost stalled midway into my ascent but I powered through it.  Prior to the 285, Desi told me that I had lost my air on the 275 and that it was shaky because of it.  Good that he told me, because I was very mindful of it when lifting the 285 and it was better and much more stable than the 275.  So 285 for a 1RM it was.

Kettlebell Swings: 30x8, 40x6x3, 30x6

LifeFitness ISO Row (Elbows Up): worked up to a 155lbs 4RM.

LifeFitness Kneeling Leg Curl: 45x5x3,45x4,45x3.  A single leg machine with a swinging pad you can kneel the non-lifting leg on.  Nice.

5/3/1: Bench Press 5s Week

Tested RMs (in pounds):
Flat Bench Press: 205 (based on 185-lbs 5RM)
13" SSB Box Squat: 285 (based on 1RM)
LifeFitness ISO Shoulder Press: 108 (based on 105-lbs 2RM)
Conventional Deadlift: 355 (based on 1RM)

Starting RMs for 5/3/1 (85% of 1RM to start):
Flat Bench Press: 175
13" SSB Box Squat: 242
LifeFitness ISO Shoulder Press: 91.8
Conventional Deadlift: 355 (based on 1RM)

Flat Bench Press: 65x5 and kept adding 20 pounds until I barely hit 5RM with 185.  This was a test.

4-Board Press: 135x10x2.  Both were rep out sets.  I'm using the WSF4SB3 template and using lock out/tricep movements for the rep out sets)

LifeFitness ISO Front Pulldown: started at 30x5 and kept adding 10 pounds until I could not hit a 5RM, 80x4.  Since this was a max test, I dropped the rowing movement that was to follow.

Behind The Back Shrug: 110x9x5

LifeFitness Bicep Curls: 50x8x4

Captains of Crush Gripper (Trainer): 5 sets of 2

Skipped the abs and cardio today. 

I decided to stick with 5/3/1.  I was going to use single leg movements to prepare but almost forgot that this was no longer about preparing to get strong.  I was going to use conjugate/Westside-style but since I wanted to work on conditioning more, something had to give and I wanted to get confidence back in my main lifts before experimenting.  Since my core needs a lot of work, I wanted to be able to fit it seriously, and thought it would be wise to start lighter than 90% of 1RM.  And since I wanted to do the support work I thought helped best, I used WSFSB3 for the assistance template.

And so it begins.  I will refiine it as I go.

This Workout Not brought to You by LifeFitness

Elevated Pushups (Feet on Bosu Ball, Pushup Plus bars): 4 sets of 6

LifeFitness ISO Front Pulldown: 50x10x4

LifeFitness ISO Row (Elbows Out): 105x10x4

LifeFitness ISO Shoulder Press: 80x8x4

Behind The Back Shrugs: 100x10x4

LifeFitness Bicep Curls: 50x8x4

KB Windmills: 30x5x4

Captains of Crush Gripper (Trainer): 5 sets of 2.  Sad.  For almost a year, I pulled only double overhand with straps introduced when my grip gave out because I thought the torque introduced by using an  "over and under" grip would aggravate my tennis elbow on my left arm.  Well, it worked for the tennis elbow but now my grip sucks.

LifeFitness Traedmill: 45 Minutes at 3.5 MPH, Level 13 Hill

Legs (Just Messing Around)

Superset:
High Step Up w/20-lbs Weight Vest: sets of 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 reps
Single Arm Kettlebell Swings: sets of 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 reps with a 20-lbs kettlebell

Superset:
High Crossover Lateral Step Up w/20-lbs Weight Vest: 4 sets of 3
Kettlebell Swings: 30x5x4

Superset:
Burpees: sets of 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1
Battle Ropes: 8 sets done to exhaustion

Hoist Roc-It Leg Curls: 155x10x5

Upper Body Workout

Woke up this morning and my abs were sore all over, and deep.  A feeling I haven't had in a long time, so I might be on the right track, no?

I just went in to do upper body but since I have something to edit for my other Navy job, I just tested two lifts and skipped the aerobics.

Flat Bench Press: 55x3, 75x3, 95x3, 115x3, 135x3, 155x3, 175x3, 195x2 (2RM).  I changed my grip up .  For the longest time, I have benched with the "bird" finger on the rings: this shortened my benching distance but, more importantly, it gave me more off the chest strength.  Today, I moved my hand in so that the ring finger is on the ring.  Yeah, this lengthens my bench stroke but I want that for now.

LifeFitness ISO Row (Close Grip)(Weight is per movement arm): 70x5, 85x5, 100x5, 115x5, 130x5, 145x5, 160x3 (3 RM).

My plan right now is to use the Prilepin Bench cycle that is on Tsampa.org (and that I have used  before with good results) on a 4-day a week rotation. Day one will be Flat Bench Press; day two will be a squat; day three will be the LifeFitness ISO Shoulder Press; and day 4 will be the conventional deadlift.  As for the assistance work, I'm working on it.

Today's Grand Experiment

The Friday before this one, I had a workout and it looked like this:

Incline Bench Press: 70x3 aand kept adding 20 pounds until I couldn't do another triple, at 190x1.

Assisted Pullups (Light/Monster Mini Bands): sets of 5, 4, 3, 3, 3 reps

LifeFitness Bicep Curls: 50x10, 9, 8, 7 reps

Behind The Back Shrugs: worked up to 150x5

Captains of Crush Gripper (Trainer): sets of 3, 3, 2, 2, 1 reps each hand

Finisher: Jacobs Ladder for 7 intervals of 1 minute on and 1 minute off.

Then I took the week off.  I hurt my lower back on the right side, I assume from using the Smith incorrectly.  Serves me right, shouldn't be using it.  That, and I was still conflicted about what to do.

Well, today, I had to test deadlift so I dreamed up a suitable workout and went to the base to do it.  I only tested two movements: conventional deadlifts and the LifeFitness ISO Shoulder Press:  Then I went to the new Crossfit Room and started to give the kettlebells a try.  The finishers tired me out more than the heavy stuff, after the shower I just crashed on the couch for a couple of  hours.

Conventional Deadlifts: started at 145x2, 180x2, 215x2, 250x2, 285x2, 320x1, 355x1.

LifeFitness Iso Shoulder Press (Weight is per arm): 15x5, 25x5, 35x4, 45x4, 55x3, 65x3, 75x2, 85x2, 95x2, 105x1
Finisher:
Box Jumps/Kettlebell Swings (1 arm at a time): Reverse ladders - - first set was 8 reps, then 7, then 6 and so on until I hit one.   I used a 15-pound kettlebell, just to play it safe and it was enough.

Burpees/Battle Ropes: Reverse ladders - - first set was 6 reps, then 5, then 4 and so on until I hit one. The battle ropes part was just done to exhaustion.  For both complexes, I kept the rest period under a minute.