FG's 5/3/1 log

[Frat Guise]

C2, W1, D1

Press 125 x 8

DB press 45 5x10

Chins BW x 8, 7, 4, 4, 3

[Frat Guise]

C2, W1, D2

Deadlift 330 x 8

Back extension BW 5x10

Decline situp BW 5x10

Huge lower back pump/tightness after deadlifting, might have been out of position towards the end of the set.

[Frat Guise]

C2, W1, D3

Bench 185 x 9

DB bench 80 5x10

Snatch grip BTN press 50 5x10

Bench felt better than it had in some time, need to focus more on proper breathing / squeezing abs.

Still way more sore from deadlifts on Tuesday than I'd like to be.

[Frat Guise]

C2, W1, D4

Squat 200 x 10

Leg ext. 50 5x10 (unilateral)

Leg curl 140 5x10 (bilateral)

Lower back started screaming around rep 8, called it quits a bit early.

[Frat Guise]

C2, W2, D1

Press 130 x 8

DB press 45 5x10

Chins BW x 8, 7, 5, 4, 4

Very tired going in, turned out better than expected. Only tied the previous cycle's reps at the same weight, but felt better this time.

[Frat Guise]

C2, W2, D2

Deadlift 350 x 7

Decline situp BW x 10, 10, 10, 8, 6

Static stretching / five sets of burpees

Lower back has been feeling not so great for the past couple weeks, didn't do BW back extensions. Tried a steeper angle for situps and couldn't finish the full 5x10.

[Frat Guise]

C2, W2, D3

Bench 195 x 7

DB Bench 90 x 10, 10, 8, 9, 8

Snatch grip BTN press / Cable crossover

Had five delightfully perfect reps then lost position on rep six, muscled one more but it was ugly. BTN press was causing neck pain, switched to some cable crossovers. Need to rethink second bench assistance movement.

[Frat Guise]

C2, W2, D4

Squat 215 x 10 (out of breath)

Leg ext. 50 5x10 (unilateral)

Leg curl 140 5x10 (bilateral)

Static stretching

Weight is still trivial, but already feeling the lower back pump towards the end of the set.

[Frat Guise]

C2, W3, D1

Press 135 x 7 (rep PR)

DB press 50 5x10

Chins BW x 8, 7, 6, 5, 4

Static stretching / 15 min. on stationary bike

Felt heavy but moved well, rep PR.

[Frat Guise]

C2, W3, D2

Deadlift 370 x 1

Decline situp BW x 10, 10, 10, 10, 5

Static stretching

Lower back is still a mess, stuck with the prescribed number of reps only (may do this for some time). Weight was trivial, going to be a long slog up to some productive deadlift numbers.

[Frat Guise]

C2, W3, D3

Bench 210 x 4

DB bench 90 5x10

NG chins BW x 6, 5, 4, 4, 3

Burpees, 3 sets

Had another rep or two left in the tank but didn't have a spotter and wussed out. Bench is feeling much better (i.e. chest staying up and not losing arch) with more focus on breath control.

[Frat Guise]

C2, W3, D4

Squat 225 x 8

No assistance or stretching

Racquetball

Had to lift at the girlfriend's gym - bars there have flat spots and are exceedingly strange. Didn't have a great set or time for assistance / stretching but oh well.

[Frat Guise]

C2, W4, D1 (deload)

Press 60, 70, 85 x 5

DB press 50 3x5

Chins BW 3x5

Lots of static / dynamic stretching

Guess there is no real reason to log deload-week sessions but oh well.

[Frat Guise]

C2, W4, D2 (deload)

Deadlift 135, 195, 235 x 5

Decline situps BW 2x10

Lots of static stretching

[Frat Guise]

C2, W4, D3 (deload)

Bench 95, 115, 135, 135 x 5

DB bench 100 2x10

Chins BW x 8, 7

Did an extra set at 135 while fooling around with a belt.

[Frat Guise]

C2, W4, D4 (deload)

Squat 95, 120, 145 x 5

Lots of static stretching

[Frat Guise]

C3, W1, D1

Press 125 x 7 (and 125 x 5)

DB press 50 5x10

Chins BW x 9, 9, 4, 5, 5

Static stretching and one mile jog on track

Oh man, sloppy pressing. Did an extra top set out of frustration. Bad pressing seems to be a trend following a deload week.

[Frat Guise]

C3, W1, D2

Deadlift 340 x 5

Decline situp BW 5x10

Facepull 80 5x10

Lower back didn't feel great, but it also didn't feel terrible (sticking with prescribed reps only).

[Frat Guise]

C3, W1, D3

Bench 190 x 8

DB bench 100 x 10, 10, 9, 8, 6

Chins BW x 8, 7, 7, 5, 3

Form was pretty decent (emphasis on "chest up").

[Frat Guise]

C3, W1, D4

Squat 210 x 10

Leg ext. 50 5x10 (unilateral)

Leg curl 140 5x10 (bilateral)

Static stretching

Squats are feeling far better than they have in a long, long time.

[Frat Guise]

C3, W2, D1

Press 130 x 8

DB press 55 5x10

Chins BW x 10, 8, 7, 6, 4

Some sloppy reps, might need to press another time per week as form seems to be consistently bad.

[Frat Guise]

C3, W2, D2

Deadlift 360 x 3 (prescribed reps only)

Decline situp BW 5x10

Face pull 80 5x10

Feels good man.

[Frat Guise]

C3, W2, D3

Bench 200 x 5

DB bench 100 x 10, 10, 10, 6, 7

Chins BW x 8, 7, 6, 5, 4

Static stretching / big money treadmilll time

Pretty flat going in. Lower back still feels like shit, tweaked it on rep 5 and called it quits early.

[Frat Guise]

C3, W2, D4

Squat 225 x 8

Leg ext. 60 5x10 (unilateral)

Leg curl 145 5x10 (bilateral)

Same old stuff, weight is trivial but totally gassed / arms falling asleep around rep 8.

[Frat Guise]

C3, W3, D1

Press 140 x 4

Press 140 12x1

Chins BW x 8, 7, 4, 7, 5

Attempted to apply some of the tips in the new SS 3rd. ed. press article - felt better almost immediately (though a bit wobbly at first). Did a bunch of singles at 140 for practice in lieu of normal DB press assistance work.

[Frat Guise]

C3, W3, D2

Deadlift 380 x 1 (prescribed only)

Face pull 100 5x10

Decline situp BW 5x10

Static stretching / running

Pulled conventional just to test a couple things out - didn't really learn anything new.

[Frat Guise]

C3, W3, D3

Bench 215 x 2

DB bench 100 x 10, 10, 10, 6, 5

Chins BW x 8, 7, 5, 5, 5

Static stretching

Oh man, fucking terrible. First rep was practically on my stomach, was so out of position could barely squeeze out a second rep. Bench continues to be terrible about half the time.

[Frat Guise]

C3, W3, D4

Squat 235 x 8

Leg ext. 60 5x10 (unilateral)

Leg curl 145 5x10 (bilateral)

Static stretching

Squats are feeling better than they ever have. Granted the weight is still relatively low, but they've never felt this dialed in before.

[Frat Guise]

C3, W4, D1 / 2 (deload)

Press 95 x 5

Deadlift 225 x 5

Did only a couple sets of assistance stuff and played some racquetball. Combining workouts due to the holidays.

[Frat Guise]

C3, W4, D3 / 4 (deload)

Bench 135 x 5

Squat 150 x 5

DB bench 100 3x10

Chins BW 3x5

Static stretching

[Frat Guise]

C4, W1, D1

Press 125 x 7

Press 115 10x3

Chins BW x 8, 7, 4

Did a bunch of triples at 115 to work on press technique. Didn't come close to a rep PR, but definitely feel stronger.

[Frat Guise]

C4, W1, D2

Deadlift 350 x 5 (prescribed only)

Face pull 105 5x10

Decline situp BW 3x10 (ran out of time)

Need to bump up the face pull weight next time.

[Frat Guise]

C4, W1, D3

Bench 195 x 7

DB bench 100 x 10, 10, 10, 8, 6

Chins BW x 8, 7, 5, 6, 5

Pretty weak effort, in terms of reps. Focused on slowing down and keeping the reps consistent; definitely feels stronger and more stable but it takes a lot of energy. Bench really hasn't improved much in the last 4 months.

[Frat Guise]

C4, W1, D4

Squat 225 x 9

Squat 225 5x3

15 min. cardio

Squat set was rotten, was sitting all day and just couldn't get loose / warm. Did a bunch of triples instead of normal assistance exercises.

[Frat Guise]

C4, W2, D1

Press 135 x 5

Press 135 3x3, 115 3x3

Chins BW x 9, 6, 5, 4, 4

Really need to warm up more, hit the top set still cold and with no energy. Did a bunch of triples as assistance to work out some form issues.

[Frat Guise]

C4, W2, D2

Deadlift 370 x 3

Face pull 110 5x10

Decline situp BW 5x10

Been fooling with stance width recently, think the very narrow (maybe 6 in. between heels) works best.

[Frat Guise]

C4, W2, D3

Bench 205 x 4

Bench 205 10x1

DB bench 100 x 10, 10, 8, 8, 5

Chins BW x 9, 8, 6, 5, 5

What do you mean there's no cash prize for world's worst bencher?! Pretty happy with how, generally, the first two reps of each bench set go. From then on, however, shit's all over the place (usually too low but not always). Not sure if I'm just a slow learner or a genuinely bad multi-rep bencher. Did a bunch of singles at 205 for grins.

[Frat Guise]

C4, W2, D4

Squat 230 x 8 (bleh, ran out of breath)

Squat 225 5x3

Liking the extra squat sets (triples) as assistance, not sure how much good leg extensions/curls were really doing.

[Frat Guise]

C4, W3, D1

Press 140 x 4

Press 135 x 3, 2, 2 then 115 5x3

Pullups BW 3x5

[Frat Guise]

C4, W3, D2

Deadlift 390 x 1

Facepull 120 5x10

Decline situp BW+10 5x10

Easy stuff, can't wait to get back to pulling over 4 wheels.

[Frat Guise]

C4, W3, D3

Bench 220 x 2

Bench 205 2x3, 185 3x5

Chins BW x 8, 7, 5, 5, 3

Disappointing result (rep-wise), but felt quite good. Moved grip out to index finger on the rings.

[Frat Guise]

C4, W3, D4

Squat 245 x 8 (out of breath)

Squat 225 5x3

Bunch of static stretching

[Frat Guise]

Note - this week should be C4, W4 (deload) but I'm skipping it because of how the holidays fall.

C5, W1, D1

Press 130 x 5

Press 115 5x3

Chins BW x 7, 7, 6, 6, 5

Fucked up my back at work - went in pretty frustrated and without much energy. Barely squeaked out the required reps.

[Frat Guise]

C5, W1, D2

Deadlift 355 x 5 (prescribed only)

Face pull 122.5 5x10

Decline situp BW+12.5 5x10

Felt my hams doing a bit more work than usual - maybe all this stretching is paying off and I'm getting a better start position?

[Frat Guise]

How nice, lost a month of my training log.

Currently on C6, W2, D4

[Frat Guise]

C6, W2, D3

Bench 215 x 3

Bench 185 3x5

Chins BW x 8, 7, 6, 5, 5

Bench felt surprisingly good, must have been the extra burrito.

[Frat Guise]

C6, W2, D4

Squat 250 x 8 (technically a PR haha)

Squat 225 3x5

Left hip flexor / IT band was quite sore today.

[Frat Guise]

C6, W3, D1

Press 145 x 3

Press 135 3x3

Chins BW x 8, 7, 7, 6, 5

Busted out three beautiful reps but didn't keep the bar close on the way down on the last one, screwed myself out of a fourth.

[Frat Guise]

C6, W3, D2

Deadlift 410 x 1 (sumo)

Deadlift 410 x 1 (conventional)

Racquetball

Some more thoughts on deadlifting

Been making a run at some PRs with a sumo (probably closer to semi-sumo) stance recently - it feels unbelievably weak but the weight gets up somehow. Today, just finishing the last warmup (365x3) was close to a limit set. The work set (410x1) was pure bone on bone. Out of frustration, I pulled another rep conventional, and it felt easily 100 lbs. lighter (hook grip all around).

I know, for a fact, that my exceedingly long femurs put me in a bad position to pull conventional. However, I just don't think there's any future in sumo deadlifting for me. I guess the next step is to work on hip mobility and try to find a way to pull conventional, because sumo just feels terrible.

However, I have noticed that I've been stuttering towards the end of my sumo sets, leading me to believe all my conventional pulling in the past has been pure back, with very little hamstring involvement. This makes me very nervous in the long term.

[Frat Guise]

C6, W3, D3

Bench 225 x 2

Bench 165 3x5 (paused)

Chins BW+25 x 4, 3, 3, 2, 1 (dead hang)

Had to pull the bench away from the wall for a spot, was sliding all over the damn place. The two reps I did finish felt pretty good though.

[Frat Guise]

C6, W3, D4

Squat 265 x 6

Squat 225 3x5

Right hip flexor area was pretty sore warming up. Good enough but certainly not a great session.

[Frat Guise]

C6, W4, D1-4 (deload)

Kind of pointless to log deload workouts, so I'll just be putting this deload week placeholder in from now on.

[Frat Guise]

C7, W1, D1

Press 135 x 5

Press 135 3x3

Chins BW x 8, 7, 6, 6, 6

Last rep was a grinder, relatively happy about the form though.

[Frat Guise]

C7, W1, D2

Deadlift 375 x 5 (hook grip)

Deadlift 365x3

Last rep was pretty brutal (stuttering pretty bad). Hamstrings didn't relax, but they definitely need some work. Still not sure about the hook grip, doesn't feel quite as strong as mixed.

[Frat Guise]

C7, W1, D3

Bench 210 2x3

Bench 185 2x6, 155 1x5 (paused)

Chins +25 x 4, 4, 3, 3, 2

No spotter available, wussed out on bench - did 2x3 instead of 1x5.

[Frat Guise]

C7, W1, D4

Squat 245 x 8

Squat 225 3x3

Calves

Toes more forward really feeling better with continued mobbing.

[Frat Guise]

C7, W2, D1

Press 140 x 4

Press 115 3x5

Chins BW x 8, 7, 6, 7, 5

Tired going in, turned out well enough.

[Frat Guise]

C7, W2, D2

Deadlift 395 x 3

Calves

Hadn't used a mixed grip in a while, definitely feels (a lot) stronger than hook but I felt a small pull in my mid back on the left side.

[Frat Guise]

C7, W2, D3

Bench 220 x 2 (f)

Bench 185 3x6

Chins +25 x 5, 4, 3, 3, 2

Abject fucking failure. Last warmup set (195x3) probably felt as good/grooved as any bench set, ever. Was way out of position from the first rep of the work set, barely muscling out two measly reps. I really think the added shoulder mobility work is slowly moving me towards more good sets than bad.

[Frat Guise]

C7, W2, D4

Squat 260 x 8

Squat 225 3x5

Racquetball

Felt pretty decent.

[Frat Guise]

C7, W3, D1

Press 145 x 3

Press 135 2x3, 115 1x6

Chins BW x 9, 7, 6, 7, 6

Needed 4 reps for a PR, didn't get it.

[Frat Guise]

C7, W3, D2

Deadlift 420 x 2

Deadlift 405 x 1

Awful day at work, shouldn't have pulled a double but did anyway. Lower back is not particularly happy.

[Valhall]

C7, W3, D2

Deadlift 420 x 2

Deadlift 405 x 1

Awful day at work, shouldn't have pulled a double but did anyway. Lower back is not particularly happy.

I don't really feel it in my lower back anymore when I do reular DL's. Its weird.
However when I do RDL I feel it, but I just remember last year when I would be crushed in my lower back after heavy DL's.

Really nice DL btw.

[Frat Guise]

Cheers man, thanks for dropping by!

If anything, my hams are the most sore after a heavy deadlift day, but my lower back always feels weird if I do something I'm not used to.

[Frat Guise]

C7, W3, D3

Bench 230 x 2

Bench 185 x 8, 6, 6

Chins BW+35 5x3

Slowly, slowly, starting to not absolutely suck at benching.

[Frat Guise]

C7, W3, D4

Squat 275 x 4

Squat 275 1x3, 225 2x5

Garbage from the very beginning; sat all day long at work, too busy / lazy to get up a stretch from time to time like I should have.

[Frat Guise]

C7, W4, D1-4 (deload)

Same ol' deload stuff.

[Frat Guise]

A note - getting exercise ADD pretty hard, after 7 months on 5/3/1 it's time to experiment a bit.

5/3/1 will be back, but probably with a couple changes to rep ranges (specifically deadlift and bench, which both seem to be causing some minor but persistent pain).

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff, one main lift per day

Press Worked up to 160x1, failed 165x1, 160x1

Press 155 2x1, 135 2x3

Chins BW x 10, 9, 8, 7

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Deadlift Worked up to 405x2, was shooting for 3 but only got the third maybe 10 in. off the floor.

Deadlift 405x1

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

DB Bench Worked up to 140 (70 lb. bells) 3x5, then 120 1x8

Chins BW+45 4x2, 1x1

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Front squat 205 3x3

LBBS 225 3x3

Front squat was a low back / wrist / shoulder wrecker. LBBS felt better than it ever has (might just be the light weight though).

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Squat Worked up to 275 3x3 (low bar)

Squat 225 3x5

Forearms were wrecked from doing some construction stuff all weekend (had to squat instead of press). Form broke down a little bit at 275, but probably had more to do with being a long legged piece of shit rather than the weight being too heavy.

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Press 135 3x3

Pendlay row 135 2x10

Chins BW 1x7

Pulled something in the side of my neck, shooting pain down to my (right) lat. Knew I wasn't ready for anything heavily involving the arms after this weekend, was stupid and tried it anyway.

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Deadlift 365x3, 395x1, 405x0 (Sumo)

Setting up for sumo feels so much better (and is much friendlier to my lower back), but holy shit is it weak. Wish I knew if that was because I don't train it that often and suck at it or if it's just not a good style for me.

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Squat 225 5x3, 280 3x3

Upper back was still a little strange, stuck to squatting.

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Incline bench 135 3x5, 145x5, 155x5, 165x5

Chins BW x 9, 8, 7, 6, 5

Incline felt pretty great despite only doing it maybe 5 times ever.

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Sumo deadlift 365x3, 405x1, 415x1, 425x1, 435x0 (f)

Not sure what changed since last week when I could barely break 405 off the floor with a sumo stance. This is encouraging for the long-term viability of sumo.

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Incline bench 135x5, 150x5, 160x5, 170x5

DB bench 55s 3x10

Pendlay row 135 3x10

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Squat 225 5x3 (LB)

Squat 222 3x3 (HB)

Smashed my fucking toe last night, couldn't do much. Did a lot of stretching to make up for failure.

Ready to get back on a program again, not doing anything productive. Next cycles will be incline bench, high bar squat, sumo deadlift and press.

[Frat Guise]

C8, W1, D1

Press 135 x 5

Press 135 5x2

Chins BW x 8, 8, 6, 6, 5

Ok, back to 5/3/1. Pretty run down going in due to lack of sleep, top set was a LOT harder than it should have been (not pressing last week probably didn't help either).

[Frat Guise]

C8, W1, D2

Sumo deadlift 325 x 8

Could have done a handful more, but lower back was getting a bit tight. Hate deloading (especially on deadlifts) but it's good to be back on a program again.

[Frat Guise]

C8, W1, D3

Incline bench 155 x 8

Incline bench 135 3x8

Machine rows 70/80/90 3x10

No shoulder pain incline benching this time, had my shoulders pulled back a bit better and didn't miss the grove on as many reps.

[Frat Guise]

C8, W1, D4

Squat 255 x 7

Squat 225 3x5

Pointed toes out a bit more, felt pretty decent. Didn't come up on the outsides of my feet as much. Went forward a bit on a few reps, but felt a bit better than it has recently. Hopefully all the hip mobility work has really improved my ability to externally rotate and get my knees out in a good position.

[Frat Guise]

C8, W2, D1

Press 140 x 4

Press 135 1x4 / 115 2x5

Chins BW x 8, 8, 6, 5, 5

Needed 140x5 for a PR, just ran out of gas about half way up. Forearms were tired from moving stuff, chins were pretty lazy.

[Frat Guise]

C8, W2, D2

Deadlift 345 x 6 (sumo)

Went in on no sleep again, blerg. Took the easy ones and really hit the mobility work, hips and back were very tight.

[Frat Guise]

C8, W2, D3

Incline bench 165 x 7

Dips BW x 7, 5, 7, 5, 5

Machine row 80x10 / 100x10 / 110x8

A little sloppy but decent enough. Been avoiding dips for a long time due to terrible shoulders, tried them again after all the recent mobility work; wobbly but not particularly painful.

[Frat Guise]

C8, W2, D4

Squat 270 x 6

Squat 225 3x5

Racquetball

Still lots of sloppy reps, but nothing too terrible. Stance was slightly closer than usual, toes pointed out more (like last week).

[Frat Guise]

C8, W3, D1

Press 150 x 2 (technical PR, no other 2RM data)

Press 115 3x5

Chins BW x 9/9/7/6/5

First rep was shit, second rep was pretty well grooved. Need to work on keeping chest up / shoulders back harder (i.e. be better at pressing).

On a side note, finally had some energy in the gym tonight. Need to eat more, down to about 214 lbs.

[Frat Guise]

C8, W3, D2

Deadlift (sumo) 365 x 6

Back and legs could have done a few more, but grip (I'm assuming) was just about shot after six. After the first couple reps, the bar started to swing out (away from body) on my right (supine hand) side. Bashed up my shin pretty well on the left side.

[Frat Guise]

C8, W3, D3

Incline bench 175 x 6

Incline bench 135 2x6

Dips BW x 6/7/7/6/6

Machine row 90x10/100x10/105x10

Really, really sloppy top set, but totally pain free. Dips were a little less wobbly.

[Frat Guise]

C8, W3, D4

Squat 285 x 3

Squat 275 1x3/225 2x5

Decent enough, but had some knee pain. Think I'm getting a bit too much bounce in order to get out of the hole fast.

[Frat Guise]

C8, W4, D1-4 - Deload week

Will probably only get 1-2 gym trips in, too much fucking moving to do.

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Deadlift 405 3x1, 365 1x5 (DOH, surprising DOH PR)

Incline bench 155 3x5, 135 1x8

Dips BW 3x7

Don't really have much time this week due to moving and family issues, this will probably be the only time I make it to the gym. Ripped 365 of the ground for 5, DOH, which is way more than I've done DOH before. Not sure if the knurl was better in the different gym, the bars were thinner or what, but it was surprisingly easy.

The 405 singles felt pretty good for being in a weird gym without much food prior.

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Deadlift 370 x 6 (DOH)

Press 135 x 2, 1, 1

Dips BW x 10, 9, 7, 4, 5

RDL 135 2x5

Leg press 365 3x10

Oh man, horrible pressing. Have definitely lost some ground due to not being in the gym. Deadlift doesn't seem to suffer much.

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Squat 225 3x5 (LB)

Squat 135 1x10 (HB)

Bench 135 3x10

Leg press 315 2x10

Chest supported row machine 70 3x10

Wow, roughest 225 squatting of all time. Amazing what a couple weeks with no squatting, little food and little sleep will do.

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Deadlift 375 x 5 (DOH), 315 x 8

DB Bench 55s 3x10

Chins BW 3x5

Press 95 3x8

Just trying to keep from getting rusty (aside from the DOH deadlift PRs).

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Deadlift 405 5x1 (conv.)

Bench 135 2x11, 2x8

RDL 155 2x10

Leg press 325 2x10

Forgot tall socks, had to DL conventional. Can't wait to get back to some type of training normalcy. Should be only one or two more crap sessions.

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Deadlift 415 5x1, 275 1x8 (sumo)

Bench 135 3x12, 2x10

Inverted row BW 3x8

Wasn't recovered (conv. last time wrecked my back, should have just squatted) but had a wild hair, decided on 415 for five singles. The weight wasn't particularly hard, but had some slight inferior patella discomfort, might need to point my toes out a bit more. Was going to do some chins but forgot.

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Squat 225 10x3 (LB)

Bench 135 2x13, 2x10

Calves 92.5 3x15

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

Deadlift 405x3.5, 365x5, 315x8

Bench 135 2x15

Calves 95 2x15

Almost had 405x4 but grip was a bit tired and couldn't lock it out before I dropped it. Ate a ton the last couple days and had a surprisingly good session.

[Frat Guise]

Ok, back to business. I'm relatively moved in, I've got a new gym that will be adequate, it's time to see where I am. I'm down to about 208-210 lbs. and I haven't been in the gym consistently at all, so this week will be seeing where I am. Then, it's back to 5/3/1, but possibly without squats (maybe RDL + leg press?).

[Frat Guise]

Getting back at it, press

Press 135 3x3

Press 95 2x9

Chins BW 4x8

Calves

Went for a fourth on each set, couldn't do it. Didn't lose quite as much as I thought, but I'll have to adjust my 5/3/1 max down a bit for the press.

[Frat Guise]

Getting back at it, deadlift

Deadlift 405 1x3, 1x2

Deadlift 365 1x5

Bench 135 2x10 (paused)

All of the 405 and two of the 365 reps were strapped. Amazing new find - the new gym has a deadlift bar jack.

[Frat Guise]

Getting back at it, bench

Bench 135 2x5, 165 2x5, 175 1x5, 185 1x3 (paused)

Klokov press 45/55/65/75/80 1x5

Legs press 275 2x12

RDL 190 1x9

Calves

I'll have to adjust my bench weight down a bit as I'll be doing all reps paused. Pausing limits my weight at the moment, but it feels so much better on my shoulder it's a no-brainer.

[Frat Guise]

C9, W1, D1

Bench 150 x 10 (paused)

Bench 135 x 10/8/8 (paused)

Klokov press 45/55/65/75/85 x 5

Calves

Didn't have access to the internet and couldn't find my top weights - actually did 165 and adjusted the reps based off of 150. Paused benching is definitely harder, but generally feels good about 90% of the time (vs. maybe 50% of the time with touch and go).

[Frat Guise]

C9, W1, D2

Deadlift 335 x 10 (DOH)

Deadlift 315 x 8 (straps)

RDL 135 2x10

Ate my face off last night, everything felt fantastic (aside from the bar scraping my severely sunburned shins).

[Frat Guise]

C9, W1, D3

Press 110 x 8

Press 95 x 9/8/8

Calves

New gym closes earlyish on Sundays, rushed and unremarkable session.

[Frat Guise]

C9, W2, D1

Bench 160 x 9 (paused)

Bench 145 3x7 (paused)

Cable crossovers

Klokov press 45/60/75/90 x 5

Everything felt decent enough.

[Frat Guise]

C9, W2, D2

Deadlift 355 x 10 PR (5 DOH, 5 straps)

Deadlift 315 x 5 (straps)

Calves

Abs

Huge PR, but I've only had the straps for a couple weeks. There's definitely no way I could pull 355x10 without straps, even mixed. Totally sold on straps as a training tool; my grip hasn't suffered one bit, and everything else is significantly stronger with the extra work the straps allow. Pulling every rep possible DOH is key.

On a side note, this set was probably the first ever that my legs were the limiting factor. My sorry ass quads couldn't break rep 11 off the ground, not that it matters too much. Not squatting will catch up to me at some point, but probably not for a good while (hams were sputtering towards the end, probably couldn't have finished rep 11 even if I broke it off the ground).

[Frat Guise]

C9, W2, D3

Press 115 x 9

Press 95 x 10/8/6

Chins BW 5x7

Bench 135 3x8 (paused)

RDL 165 2x8

Calves

Had some free time, did a bunch of stuff. Press is already feeling better now that I'm doing it regularly again. Going to have a bit of catching back up to do though.

[Frat Guise]

C9, W3, D1

Bench 165 x 9 (paused)

Bench 155 x 8/6/5 (paused)

Klokov press 95 x 5, 65 x 11/8

Cable crossovers

Good enough. Hard to tell how bench is coming with weights so light, but everything feels pretty good.

[Frat Guise]

C9, W3, D2

Deadlift 375 x 7 PR (straps)

Deadlift 315 x 8 (DOH)

RDL 185 x 7/5

Calves

Pretty sloppy session despite the PR (which is mainly from the straps, but still very nice). Kept setting the bar down in a different spot and had to adjust my feet for most reps. Really should have pulled at least one more, but I just didn't have the will today. Three days with no sleep seems to have that effect.

RDLs got a little sloppy too, think 185 is a little too much weight to do strict.

[Frat Guise]

C9, W3, D3

Press 120 x 7

Press 135 10x1 (short rest)

Chins BW 5x5 (short rest)

Bench 135x10, 165x6, 175 2x4, 155 2x5 (all paused)

Squat 135 3x5 (HB)

Calves

Press was pretty sloppy (love doing singles though), everything else was pretty decent. Wasn't going to deload this cycle, but a trip to see my folks changed that decision. I'll do some conditioning and maybe some light circuits next week.

[Frat Guise]

C9, W4 (deload)

Only went to the gym one time during the deload week; built a deck for my grandma in 104-108 degree heat and had lots of other family stuff going on.

Deadlifted up to 345x3, squatted (LB) up to 185x5, benched 135x6 a few times, did some chins. Didn't sleep or eat like I should have the entire week, but so it goes.

[Frat Guise]

C10, W1, D1

Bench 160 x 9 (paused)

Bench 175 5x3 (paused)

Klokov press 100 x 5, 70 3x5

Calves

Note - went with a 10 lb. jump for bench.

A bit gassed from driving 8 hours yesterday then doing some moving, went well enough. Bench is still feeling solid, pausing all reps is still keeping much more in the groove than out.

Klokov presses at 100 were a definite grind, which is pretty sad.

[Frat Guise]

C10, W1, D2

Deadlift 340 x 11 (5 DOH, 6 straps)

Deadlift 365 3x2 (DOH), 315x4 (DOH)

Stretching

Went in feeling not so great, turned out pretty good regardless. An 11 rep set is really more about cardio than strength, but oh well. Could have pushed one or two more DOH, but it definitely would have had an impact on the total number I did.

[Frat Guise]

C10, W1, D3

Press 110 x 8

Press 135 7x1

Chins BW x 9/7/6/5/5

Bench 185 3x2, 165 3x5 (paused)

Squat 135 4x5 (LB)

Lazy pressing, wasn't really amped up to be in the gym for some reason.

[Frat Guise]

C10, W2, D1

Bench 170 x 8 (paused)

Bench 185 3x3 (paused)

Klokov press 105 x 4(f), 95 3x5

Calves

Solid session. Ate like a monster (not always clean, oh well) for the last few days.

K presses are getting brutal, couldn't squeeze out my last rep at 105.

[Frat Guise]

C10, W2, D2

Deadlift 360 x 9 PR (straps)

Deadlift 365 2x1 (DOH, long hold at top)

Deadlift 315 x 8 (beltless, straps)

Weight moved easily but couldn't catch my breath between reps to save my life. RPE-wise it was a 9, purely because of the oxygen deficit I was running. Could have easily moved one or two more had I not been so stuffed up. Solid session regardless, PR was mostly technical as I hadn't really done much for 9 reps before.

[Frat Guise]

C10, W2, D3

Press 120 x 7

Press 95 x 9/7/7

Pullups BW 3x5

Bench 135x5, 165x3, 185x3, 165x3, 135x8

Squat 135 3x10 (LB)

I think that recently I've been having my elbows too far forward (in front of the bar). Need to focus on keeping them more under the bar, noticed that the bar was way back in my hands creating a moment about my wrist on all my warmups.

[Frat Guise]

C10, W3, D1

Bench 175 x 8 (all paused)

Bench 185 3x3, 135 1x8 (all paused)

Klokov press 105x3(f), 105x2, 85 2x6

Solid benching (for me at least). Moved index fingers to rings (was using middle fingers on rings) - probably 6 of 8 reps were right in the groove and fast.

K-pressing was horrid, head wasn't in the game.

[Frat Guise]

C10, W3, D3 / D4

Deadlift 380 x 6 (straps)

Deadlift 365 2x1 (DOH, long hold at top)

Deadlift 315 x 10 (DOH)

Press 125 x 7

Press 105 3x6

Had to combine the last two workouts of W3 due to an upcoming trip. Really was shooting for 7 reps @ 380; got rep 7 off the ground a couple inches but well forward and didn't really have a shot.

Pressing went surprisingly well for deadlifting prior.

[Frat Guise]

C10, W4, D1 / D3 [deload]

Squat 135 3x5, 185 2x5, 225 1x3 (LB, paused)

RDL 135 3x8

Deadlift 225 2x5

Leg press

Calves

[Frat Guise]

C10, W4, D2 / D4 [deload]

Bench 165 2x5 (paused)

Press 95 2x8

Chins BW 3x5

[Frat Guise]

C11, W1, D1

Bench 165 x 10 (all paused)

Bench 155 2x6 (all paused, was going to do a lot more but gassed)

Klokov press 105x5, 105 x 5 singles

Calves

A note on benching - using middle fingers on rings with a smallish arch, bringing the bar down to just below (maybe an inch inferior) to the nipple line really makes my pecs feel like they're contributing. Feels a bit weaker, but that's probably because I'm not used to it. Was bringing the bar down 2-3 inches below the nipple line (closer to the bottom of the center of the sternum).

[Frat Guise]

C11, W1, D2

Deadlift 355 x 11 (straps)

Deadlift 315x5 (conventional)

"Sumo" leg press 315 3x10

Calves

Very happy with 355x11. Definitely was a true 11RM, last rep was pretty nasty. 15 lbs. over what I did for 11 a couple cycles ago.

A couple reps I started with hips too low, need to work on hitting the right starting spot every time.

[Frat Guise]

C11, W1, D3

Press 115 x 7

Press 95 3x6

RDL 135x8, 165x8, 185x8, 195x7

Bench 135 3x7

Curls / Calves / Chins

Bleh, lazy pressing. Was really foggy and tired going in. With deadlift going so well and BW still stuck around 210-215, I guess that's not surprising.

[Briks42]

Wow, your deadlift really has been going well. Great work. 355x11 is huge.

[Frat Guise]

Cheers man! - deadlift is really the only lift I care about, I am incredibly guilty of phoning in all my other lifts.

[Frat Guise]

C11, W2, D1

Bench 170 x 9 (all paused)

Bench 155 3x5 (all paused)

Chins

Calves

Tried a new cue today, "try to bring the hands together" or "touch thumbs" which essentially contracts the pecs and lats (which seemed to improve overall tightness). Felt a little weaker at first, but definitely increased pec contribution. I'll see tomorrow if the cue did anything, when/if I have unusually sore pecs.

[Frat Guise]

C11, W2, D2

Deadlift 375 x 6 (straps)

Deadlift 375 x 3 (straps)

Deadlift 315 x 8, 315 x 5 (DOH)

Not a good session. Maybe had one top set rep that felt fast/grooved. Really had a problem getting hamstring tension and started with a different hip height each time. Really a respectable amount of garbage. Was shooting for 375 x 7-9, so I did a few more after the top set to get the volume I should've.

Afterwards, the 315s felt a fair bit better. Still "pre-stretched" my hams before each rep, but didn't go quite as high (and was thinking about maintaining hamstring tension). Felt much better, but it's tough to say whether the technique or the 60 fewer pounds mattered more.

[Frat Guise]

C11, W2, D3

Press 120 x 8

Press 95 3x6

RDL 135x8, 165x8, 195x8

Bench 155 3x5 (thumbs together cue)

Calves / curls / chins

Wanted 9, got 8. Everything felt pretty good though.

[Frat Guise]

C11, W3, D1

Bench 180 x 7 (all paused)

Bench 165 3x5, 135 1x10 (all paused)

Press 105 3x5

Calves

Feeling stronger with the "touch thumbs" / more pec technique. Still impressively weak benching, but hopefully I can ride this progression train well past 225x5.

[Frat Guise]

C11, W3, D2

Deadlift 395 x 3 (straps)

Deadlift 395x1, 315 2x5 (DOH)

Lighter deadlifts / light squats

Normally I'd be pretty bummed about a very lackluster 395x3, but it was actually a pretty good session. I feel like my thoughts from last time were correct, in that I was exaggerating the hip bounce / ham tensioning movement before the pull trying to get some explosion into the lift. This time, I reigned it in a bit, and the first and third reps were very smooth (though not particularly easy). The second rep, however, I totally forgot to take a big breath (with everything else I was trying to remember) and it was a nightmare. Really wanted AT LEAST 395x4, but so it goes.

[Frat Guise]

C11, W3, D3

Press 125 x 7

Press 115 1x6, 105 1x7, 95 1x6

RDL 135 1x8, 165 1x8, 185 2x8

Bench 135 1x8, 155 1x8, 175 1x5 (touch and go)

Calves / curls

Nothing outlandish, but overall a very good session. Everything felt grooved and bench felt amazing.

[Frat Guise]

C11, W4, D1 - D3 [deload]

Definitely need a deload week.

[Frat Guise]

C12, W1, D1

Bench 165 x 11 (touch and go)

Bench 135 3x10

Press 65x5, 85x5, 105x5

Calves

The "thumbs together" cue has been working so well I'm switching back to touch and go for a while.

[Frat Guise]

C12, W1, D2

Deadlift 365 x 6

Deadlift 315 5x1

Lat pulldown

Damn, deadlift has sort of shit the bed over the last 4-5 weeks. Nothing really felt strong or grooved, and I really didn't even need to strap (was shooting for 8). Weighed myself post workout and was surprised to see just 209 lbs. Might have been a little dehydrated after a workout, but that sucks.

Frequently I'll go through these "technique trials" just to find out that, surprise, if you don't eat enough everything feels like shit. Hopefully that is the case now, too.

[Frat Guise]

C12, W1, D3

Press 115 x 8

Press 85 1x8, 65 3x11

RDL 135 3x12

Bench 135 3x10

Calves

Nothing special / no complaints.

[Frat Guise]

C12, W2, D1

Bench 175 x 10

Bench 135 3x8

Calves

Pretty solid benching (for me). Didn't press - traveling this weekend and will have to cram more sessions into fewer days.

[Frat Guise]

C12, W2, D2

Deadlift 385 x 4 (straps)

Deadlift 225 2x5 (conventional)

Pretty good day energy-wise, pretty disappointing rep-wise. Sumo continues to yield slow progress, but very rarely feels like anything but total garbage at heavier weights. As I set out to run a full year of 5/3/1 while I sorted out a bunch of technique and mobility issues, I'll probably take some time (after the 12th cycle) to goof around with the narrow stance conventional deadlift that felt pretty decent before I got lazy on mobility stuff again.

[Frat Guise]

C12, W2, D3

Press 120 x 8

Press 95 3x6

Deadlift 225 x handful (conventional)

Bench 135 3x12

Calves

Press is coming back, the increased frequency is definitely helping.

[Frat Guise]

C12, W3, D1

Bench 185 x 8

Bench 135 3x10

Press 85 3x8

Calves

Got a little over-eager, was trying to squeeze the reps out quickly and got pretty sloppy. Probably wouldn't have done any more with better form, but it definitely didn't feel as good as it should have.

[Frat Guise]

C12, W3, D2

Deadlift 405 x 1 (conventional, didn't attempt more)

Deadlift 405x1, 365 x bunch (conv.)

So, got a little impatient and didn't feel like finishing the week with what should have been 405 x 1+, sumo style. Ended doing a bunch at 315 and 365 with the narrow stance conventional (with the low hips starting position). Learned quite a bit, and everything felt pretty decent. Took it up to 405 for a couple easy singles so I technically did complete the cycle.

A couple notes on the narrow stance conventional stuff

1) The very narrow (shins just outside the center knurl) stance felt significantly better than a more moderate / ordinary deadlift stance.
2) Toes out (not quite "frog stance", but definitely out) did not feel that great and required an excessively wide grip. Toes nearly forward for sure.
3) Starting the bar a bit closer to the shins than necessary seems to work better than what looks like directly over the mid foot.
4) 405 conventional feels like 365 sumo (i.e. conv. is significantly stronger).

So far the only drawback is the slight head rush that occurs - I would assume because of the multiple changes in head elevation. Hopefully this will go away in time, as it will make multi-rep sets pretty strange if it doesn't. Definitely went into battlefield mode a couple times.

[Frat Guise]

C12, W3, D3

Press 130 x 5

Press 95 2x8

RDL 135 2x10, 165 1x10

Bench 135 3x10

Leg extension Very light x tons

Press felt great (focused on chest up), right in the groove and very little wasted movement. The rep count wasn't great, but heyyyyy

On a side note, my right knee is feeling goofy from the new deadlift form. Feels "loose" for lack of a better term, and there's some clicking going up stairs that definitely wasn't there before. The pain is minor, to be honest, but the looseness is definitely a concern. Felt strange even picking up 165 to do RDLs. Hoping this clears up soon, as the new conventional DL technique works really, really well otherwise.

[Frat Guise]

C12, W4, D1 - D3 [deload]

Don't really need a deload week but need some time to figure things out for my deadlift.

[Frat Guise]

C13, W1, D1

Bench 170 x 11

Bench 135 2x12

Press 45/65/85/95 x 5

Calves

Well I think I'll just stick with 5/3/1 as it's still working, albeit slowly. I didn't really deload last week - didn't push anything, but mostly worked on some form issues with second-to-last workset type of weights.

Bench continues to congeal with the thumbs together cue. Despite all of my stretching and whatnot, I still can't seem to bench with a decent arch, so I'm going to assume I'm just not built to arch big. Right now, a small arch and index fingers on rings feels stronger and more consistent by a wide margin.

[Frat Guise]

C13, W1, D2

Deadlift 370 x 7 (frog stance, straps)

Squat machine who knows x 50 or so

The frog stance worked amazingly well. Heels were about 1-1.5 inches apart, toes out at about 30-40 degrees. Every muscle that should have been contributing...was, the bar stayed close, etc. etc. This was the first real weight (over 315) I'd done with the frog stance, so I didn't push it (could have done 1-2 more, most likely). Felt a little unstable on a couple reps which isn't surprising considering how narrow the frog stance is, but I'm sure that will improve with time.

[Frat Guise]

C13, W1, D3

Press 115 x 8

Press 75 2x10

Deadlift 225 3x15 (two sets sumo, one set frog)

Bench 135 5x10 (first couple paused)

Calves

Average pressing, not bad / not good.

Really like the idea of higher rep sumo deadlifts for deadlift assistance. My lower back is still pretty sore from Wednesday - sumo gets blood flowing yet hits more upper back, adductors and glutes (sort of the opposite of my all-lower-back-and-hams conventional DL). Normally I'd do the DL assistance on DL days, but that much volume might really mess up pressing on Fridays, so I'll probably stick with DL assistance on Fridays and maybe do some of the other assistance / bodybuilding stuff after DLs on Wednesday.

[Frat Guise]

C13, W2, D1

Bench 180 x 7 (all paused)

Bench 135 3x8 (all paused)

Klokov press 45 3x12

Chins BW 5x5 (dead hang)

Calves / light squats

Right shoulder (anterior) was aching a bit, did the last few sets all paused and it was fine. This almost always works, as I rarely get squirrely with paused reps. Decent enough result.

[Frat Guise]

C13, W2, D2

Deadlift 395 x 5 PR (frog, straps)

Deadlift 365x5

Light pause squats

Curls

Optometrist's office fucked up my contact lens order, had to wear my ten year old glasses. Sure enough, a couple reps into my workset I got sweaty and they fell right off my fucking face. My vision is really terrible, so not being able to see where the bar is above my feet or find a spot to focus on made things a bit dicey. Annoying, because I actually got some sleep last night and had a lot of energy in the gym.

The bar was moving fast, though my lower back is starting to round a bit at this weight. Might need to deload in a cycle or two.

[Frat Guise]

C13, W2, D3

Press 125 x 6 (thumbless)

Press 95 3x8

Bench 135 3x8 (all paused)

Deadlift 225 1x20 (sumo)

Might have pressed 7 but I can't remember for sure, so I'll keep it at 6. Press felt good, I like the thumbless grip just haven't done it for a while for some reason.

Lower back (right side) is still really sore from DLs Wednesday, and officially tweaked today (after bench??). Definitely going to reset my DL next cycle (10% maybe?), may have to do it next week but I'll wait and see how it's feeling next Wednesday.

[Frat Guise]

C13, W3, D1

Bench 190 x 7 (thumbless)

Bench 135 x 14/8 (triceps gassed)

Klokov press 45 x 15/15/8

Calves 260 5x12

More solid benching. Had a good spotter so I went thumbless; seems to fix bar path issues pretty damn well. Used a very small arch / middle finger on rings (thumbless) / touch and go.

[Frat Guise]

C13, W3, D2

Deadlift 415 x 1 (frog, straps)

Deadlift 315x8

RDL 135 x 12/10

Curls / calves

Didn't try for more with 415 given my back rounding / soreness recently, but may have to rethink that. Definitely wasn't pulling the slack out of the bar before lifting; did this on the top two sets and noticed a significant improvement in lower back flatness. Tough to tell if it made a big difference without another person there, so I'll have to wait and see how I feel in the next couple days. 415 moved fast and easy.

[Frat Guise]

C13, W3, D3

Press 130 x 4

Press 95 x 10/8/6

Bench 135 3x10

Chins BW 5x5 (dead hang)

Calves

[Frat Guise]

Don't need a deload week, did reset my deadlift 10%

C14, W1, D1

Bench 175 x 10 (thumbless)

Bench 135 3x10

Klokov press 45 3x15

Calves

Form was a little off, went in pretty tight after a weekend of mostly sitting. Disappointed I could only tie my last shot at 175, but everything still feels pretty good overall.

[Frat Guise]

C14, W1, D2

Deadlift 345 x 10 (frog, straps)

Seated row

Curls

Had more in the tank but completely ran out of O2.

[Frat Guise]

C14, W1, D3

Press 120 x 6

Press 95 3x6

Pause squats

Calves

Still working on fixing my press, the narrower grip / elbows in position is still weak but so it goes.

[Frat Guise]

C14, W2, D1

Bench 185 x 7 (thumbless)

Bench 135 3x10

Klokov press 50 3x10

Calves

Pretty meh going in, just one of those days.

[Frat Guise]

C14, W2, D2

Deadlift 365 x 8 PR (frog, straps)

Deadlift 315 1x6

Seated row 3x20

Calves

Excellent session. Started with the bar a little closer than the last few sessions and the bar flew up. Pulled the slack out of the bar and my lower back was set much better, relatively little rounding. PR was more from the straps, but still a good effort.

[Frat Guise]

C14, W2, D3

Press 125 x 3 (didn't try for more)

Incline bench 135 3x8

Light squats / curls / calves

Lower back still a mess from Wednesday, could barely press. Did some incline bench just to get some more overhead work in that didn't wreck my back.

[Frat Guise]

C14, W3, D1

Bench 195 x 7 (thumbs around, index finger on rings)

Bench 135 x 12/12/10

Klokov press 55 3x10

Calves

Very good session, 195x7 matches a PR when I was about 20 lbs. heavier. Moved index fingers out to rings based on some thoughts I'd been having recently, and went back to a thumbs around grip (it seems to help with how hard I can contract). Almost zero shoulder pain and a solid result.

Basically, with the forearms vertical / moderately close grip prescribed by SS and many others, I absolutely can't keep my shoulder blades retracted and completely lock out my arms. With index fingers on rings, I can - assuming I keep my focus. When shit gets real I tend to loosen up a bit, but I'm sure that will improve in time.

Couldn't be more ready to stop benching embarrassingly light weights.

[Frat Guise]

C14, W3, D2

Deadlift 385 x 4 (frog, straps)

Deadlift 385 x 3

RDL 135 2x10

Seated row / curls

Bleh, just couldn't summon any intensity today. Didn't help that I didn't have any music, but hoooooooooo

On a side note, I've been failing at basic stretching comprehension - haven't been testing/retesting. Discovered today that lat stretches have a significant impact on my overhead positioning, need to hit them more often.

[Frat Guise]

C14, W3, D3

Press 130 x 3

Press 95 x 8/6/5

Bench 135 x 12/10/8 (slow negative)

Calves

Felt good despite the hilariously poor result. Really trying to refine press technique as it's the only lift that, after 3 years, I don't really have a good handle on.

[Frat Guise]

C15, W1, D1

Bench 180 x 10 PR

Bench 135 3x6

Klokov press 55 3x12

Calves

Ok, so, didn't take a deload week. Lower back needs one, but that's basically it. Might stick with prescribed reps for the DL this cycle, I'll have to play it by ear. At most I'll take the top sets to what I can do with a very flat back.

Another great bench session (index fingers on rings). Definitely could have finished rep 11 but my spotter got a little eager - so it goes. Still a 5 lb. PR (and that at a higher BW).

[Frat Guise]

C15, W1, D2

Deadlift 350 x 6

RDL 135 1x10

Seated row 3x20

Did the easy ones, didn't try for more.

[Frat Guise]

C15, W1, D3

Press 120 x 5

Press 95 3x6

Bench 135 3x10

Chins / calves (150 5x5, 70 3x8)

God damn, just ridiculously bad pressing. Trying to be patient while refining technique but damn.

[Frat Guise]

C15, W2, D1

Bench 190 x 7

Bench 135 x 12/12/10

Row 95 3x10

Calves (155 3x5, 75 3x8)

Really low on food and sleep, didn't expect much.

[Frat Guise]

C15, W2, D2

Deadlift 370 x 3

Deadlift 225 x 10 or so

Seated row 3 x 20

Curls

Traveling for Thanksgiving, just hit the minimums.

[Frat Guise]

C15, W2, D3

Press 125 x 4

Press 115 x 5, 95 2x5

Bench 135 3x10

Chins / calves

[Frat Guise]

C15, W3, D1

BW 213.4

Bench 200 x 6

Bench 135 x 14/12/11

Klokov press 60 x 12/12/10

Honestly had a couple more in me but I let my butt come off the bench on the sixth rep and tweaked my lower back a bit. Need to focus. Everything felt great except for that mistake, though.

Also, trying to record bodyweight (BW) each workout. I'm sure it will be helpful to track.

[Frat Guise]

C15, W3, D2

BW 211.6

Deadlift 395 x 1

Face pulls

RDL 135 1x10, 155 1x8

Calves

Didn't try for any more, lower back is feeling pretty decent without pushing the top sets this cycle.

[Frat Guise]

C15, W3, D3

BW 211.6

Press 135 x 3

Press 95 x 8/6/6

Single leg press 90 3x10

Bench 135x10, 165x5, 185x3 (all paused)

Chins

Better pressing (though still a long way from where I was). Widened my grip a bit, seemed to help. Need to keep a big breath/tight abs all the way down, I tend to blow out my air and overextend my spine when I start to lose focus.

Really like the idea of paused benching on Fridays, rather than just more touch and go bench pressing. Will be keeping this for a while.

Still feeling quite good despite not taking a deload week for a few cycles. Probably should. Sticking to prescribed reps on the DL seems to help me not feel so wrecked all the time.

[strong_over_matter]

Need to keep a big breath/tight abs all the way down, I tend to blow out my air and overextend my spine when I start to lose focus.



I had the problem of hyperextending my back when the pressing got heavier. When I pressed out against my belt it would just make it worse. The fix for me has been to make sure I squeeze / keep tight my butt and hamstrings.

[Frat Guise]

Cheers s_o_m!

I agree, the "squeeze glutes" cue is one that I sometimes forget when lowering the weight, but I feel like if I don't hold my breath for the entire rep I have even less stability (even with glutes squeezed).

[Frat Guise]

C16, W1, D1

BW 212.0

Bench 185 x 8

Bench 135 x 12/9/9

Klokov press 65 1x12

Calves

Welllllllll, didn't take a deload week. Been feeling pretty good and looking forward to going to the gym, so I figure I can push on another cycle without a deload week. Will definitely take one this cycle.

Not a great day energy or form-wise, but was working without enough sleep. Really should have hit one or two more reps, with better form.

Also, workouts have been getting too long again. Cut back on the assistance a bit (e.g. 1x12 rather than 3x12). Been running out of time and/or going through the motions by the time I hit the important stuff (calves and curls).

[Frat Guise]

C16, W1, D2

BW 210.6

Deadlift 360 x 5

Light bench (needed to test a couple things)

Curls

Form felt good (toes out even a little more than usual, didn't look so far ahead). Weight felt a bit heavier than it should have, but not spectacularly so. Didn't try for more.

Guess I should just stop assuming I know a single damn thing about benching. What has been a negligible ache in my right shoulder became, after Monday, a pretty serious ache in both my shoulder and my elbow. Have to assume it's the wider grip. With my current set-up, though it generally feels pretty strong, my elbows go way below my torso, causing my shoulders to feel strange. I assume some of this is due to my slight kyphosis (working on my hyperlordosis daily), but some of it is also due to my technique. Fooled around with a pinkies-on-rings grip, a slightly bigger arch, and minimal shoulder blade retraction - definitely keeps my elbows from going so low but who the hell knows if it will work in the long run.

[Frat Guise]

C16, W1, D3

BW 210.0 (not a good trend)

Press 120 x 6

Press 95 3x6

Chins BW x 9/7/5/5

Light bench / some pec stuff / calves

Better pressing. Honestly think I hit 7 but can't quite remember, so 6 it is.

[Frat Guise]

C16, W2, D1

BW 211.0

Bench 195 x 6 (pinkies on rings)

Bench 135x14

Overhead triceps / pec deck / band pullaparts

Rotten form, upper back was flattened out / shoulder blades abducted by the second rep. Don't know if it's just the slippery surface of the commercial benches or a weak upper back. Need to try putting a yoga mat on the bench like I used to at my old gym.

Also, cooling it on the bench back-off sets for a while until my shoulder stops aching. I'm sure most of it is the bad form, but better safe than sorry I suppose. Pec deck / overhead triceps worked pretty well, and the band pull-aparts are definitely a keeper.

[Frat Guise]

C16, W2, D2

BW 210.6

Deadlift 380 x 3

RDL 155 3x5

Light bench / band pull-aparts / calves (300, 75f)

Form was a little...loose on the top set, but honestly wasn't really concentrating on a pretty trivial weight. Can't make this a habit.

Need to commit to some type of progression on the RDLs. Bench is back to the drawing board - manipulated a bunch of variables and a middle finger on rings / thumbless / slight arch (but full retraction) felt the best.

[Frat Guise]

C16, W2, D3

BW 210.2

Press 130 x 5 (false grip)

Press 75 x 12/9/8

Chins BW x 30 or so

Bench 135 3x8 (all paused, false grip, index finger on rings)

Band pull-aparts / curls

Much, much better pressing. Not near PR territory, but significantly better than the last 6 weeks or so.

Probably need to go back to all paused benching. Looking back it was working quite well, I just felt like I didn't need to based on the (transient) improvement in technique I had at the time. Obviously those improvements didn't stick and probably had more to do with the deload than the form.

[Frat Guise]

C16, W3, D1

BW 211.6

Bench 205 x 4 (all paused, index on rings, thumbs around)

Bench 135 x 10 (all paused, index on rings, false grip)

Pec deck / overhead triceps / calves (320, 75f)

Bench felt much better, the paused reps improve stability immeasurably. I simply can't stop from bouncing a little bit when I'm fatiguing, and the bouncing weight definitely flattens me out (which ends up causing shoulder pain). False grip improves bar path issues 100%, but I still don't quite feel comfortable enough with it for the top sets.

Pec deck doesn't seem to do that much for me.

[Frat Guise]

C16, W3, D2

BW 210.8

Deadlift 405 x 1 (sumo)

Deadlift 405 x 1 (sumo with mixed grip, just to make sure I still could)

Face pulls 3x12

Lower back was bothering me (as usual, at this point) so I pulled all reps sumo. Shins were just slightly inside the rings. Also as usual, sumo felt great on my lower back but was brutally hard compared to conventional. Knees were a bit wobbly, keeping them out to get the bar off the ground is hilariously hard.

[Frat Guise]

C16, W3, D3

BW 210.2

Press 135 x 4 (false grip)

Press 95 x 8/7/6

Chins BW 5x5 or so

Bench 135 5x5 (all paused)

Calves (340f, 75)

Have a ways but on a roll to get back up to my previous strength levels with pressing, despite apparently not eating enough.

[Frat Guise]

C16, W4, D1-4 [deload]

Taking a deload week works out well with the holidays, will have to lift in a strange gym next week but no big.

[Frat Guise]

C17, W1, D1

Bench 190 x 5 (all paused)

Bench 135 2x10 (all paused)

DB bench x a bunch bodybuilder style

Lackluster session, strange equipment. Forgetting to do the thumbs together cue to activate the pecs.

[Frat Guise]

C17, W1, D2

Deadlift 370 x 5 (sumo)

Nothin

Rushed, no time for assistance. Couple reps weren't kept close and setup wasn't perfect, but it wasn't too bad. Didn't try for more reps.

[Frat Guise]

C17, W1, D3

BW 209.8

Press 125 x 6 (false grip)

Bench 135 x 10 (all paused)

Front raise / lateral / rear fly

Chins

Really wobbly pressing, sort of standard now after a deload week. Need to press at least a few reps heavy during deload weeks or something.

[Frat Guise]

C17, W2, D1

BW 210.0

Bench 200 x 4 (all paused, false grip)

Bench 155x9, 135x10 (all paused, false grip)

DB bench

Well-grooved reps but nothing special. Foam rolling t-spine seemed to help prior to benching.

[Frat Guise]

C17, W2, D2

BW 209.4

Deadlift 390 x 3 (sumo) PR

Deadlift 390x1 (no straps)

Leg curl 75 3x8

Did not feel grooved, but at least 390x3 was super easy. Feel like my hips are always at different heights when I pull sumo, and I sometimes let the bar drift forward (or maybe it just starts too far back?), and I also sometimes forget to keep my knees out BUT THAT'S IT.

Hadn't been recording my sumo PRs so the 3-rep PR is more of a technical one, but hoooooo. Also, a failure PR for being consistently at or below 210 lbs. BW.

[Frat Guise]

C17, W2, D3

BW 210.0

Press 130 x 5

Klokov press 45 x 22/15/10 (47, trying 350 method a la Paul Carter)

Pullups / calves / curls

Decent pressing but still pretty weak. Trying to focus assistance work to match the day's lift, rather than just working my favorite muscles. As of now, it's bench/db bench/tris, deadlift/chest supported row/leg curls, press/klokov press/chins.

[Frat Guise]

C17, W3, D1

BW 209.8

Bench 210 x 2 (all paused)

Bench 185 1x5

DB bench 3 sets

Triceps pressdowns 50 reps

Not a great session but my head wasn't really in the game. Sad that a 210 lb. bench is now a bodyweight bench.

[Frat Guise]

C17, W3, D2

BW 210.2

Deadlift 415 x 1 (sumo)

Chest supported row 45 x 15/12/10 (37)

Leg curl 75x15, 70x13, 65x10 (need to choose a progression scheme)

Ezpz. Tried a more "top down" setup as the last few weeks, sumo has felt less than well-grooved. Definitely better. Bar still seems to drift forward a bit, but I can't tell if it's supposed to be there or I'm just not keeping it where it should be. Without a doubt there is an overall improvement in tightness when I set my back prior to gripping the bar, rather than trying to squeeze my chest up after I set my grip.

Also, really liking these assistance movements.

[Frat Guise]

C17, W3, D3

BW 209.4

Press 140 x 2

Press 135x3

Klokov press 45 x 24/15/13 (52, time to move up)

Chins

Just beginning a cold, didn't feel 100% but got everything done.

[Frat Guise]

C17, W4, D1-3 [deload]

Full blown cold, don't need a deload but so it goes.

[Frat Guise]

Calves - 220 3x12

[Frat Guise]

C18, W1, D1

Bench 190 x 4(f) (all paused, pinkies on rings, false grip)

Bench 135x10 (all paused, same grip)

DB bench 35s x 15/10/10

Right shoulder was bothering me with the wide (index fingers on rings) grip, moved grip in to pinkies on rings and had no problems. Felt strong but I gassed on the last rep (not used to the longer ROM). Going to add weight anyway, as I'm sure I'll adapt the narrower grip pretty quickly. Didn't do triceps as I figure they got a bit more work than they're used to already, will add it back in next week.

[Frat Guise]

C18, W1, D2

BW 210.0

Deadlift 375 x 5 (sumo, DOH for 4, mixed for 1)

Chest supported row 45 3x12 (bump)

Leg curl 90 3x12 (bump)

Calves 240 3x12 (bump)

Brutal, basically start to finish. DL rep 5 was rough - full body spasm, rounded back rough - which is a shame as I can do 375x10 conventional no big deal. Oh well.

Actually messed up the weights as I forgot I added 5 extra pounds this cycle to make the numbers more round (400? lolno). Should have been 380x5 - not sure if I would have had it or not, 5th rep of 375 was pretty damn ugly. Might just add 5 lbs next cycle - 405x3 next week is going to be rough. Probably should have taken an extra week with a 5 lb. jump, rather than adding 5 for a 15 lb. jump as I'm not gaining weight.

Not using straps for the time being as the "top down" approach to setting up works pretty damn well and I can't do it if I'm hooking up straps.

[Frat Guise]

C18, W1, D3

BW 210.0

Press 125 x 6

Seated db press 25s 3x12 (bump)

Chins BW+5 3x5, 1x3

Better-than-usual pressing following a deload week, but still pretty weak. Klokov presses have been a pain in the neck recently (literally) so I gave the seated DB press a shot and it's a definite keeper.

[Frat Guise]

C18, W2, D1

BW 210.0

Bench 205 x 3 (all paused, pinkies on rings, false grip)

DB bench 35s 3x12 (bump? so hard to tell if ROM stays the same)

Triceps pushdown 60 3x12 (bump)

Calves 260 x 12/10/8

Not the prettiest reps but was fairly easy. Bench is feeling really dialed in (if not particularly strong without any weight gain).

[Frat Guise]

C18, W2, D2

BW 210.0

Deadlift 405 x 0(f) (sumo)

Chest supported row 47.5 3x12 (bump)

Leg curl 95 3x12 (bump)

Lolyep. Sumo is a crapshoot like that, with anything above ~90% 1RM being really hit or miss. It's always worked really well for reps, but at near-limit weights, it's anybody's guess. 365x3 was fast and felt pretty dece, but 405 only got a couple inches off the ground before I couldn't keep my back flat any longer. The days of pain following last week's fifth rep convinced me to call it quits if I couldn't keep it strict. Suppose a reset is in order.

[Frat Guise]

C18, W2, D3

BW 210.2

Press 130 x 5

Press 130x3, 115x5

Seated DB press 27.5 3x12 (bump)

Chins BW+7.5 3x5 (bump)

Calves 260 x 12/11/10

Gettin' them baby shoulders swole. Really good pressing despite being 10 lbs. or more below PR level. Haven't been getting forward under the bar quick enough lately, don't know why I haven't noticed. Solid session all around, a definite pick-me-up after deadlift shittiness.

[Frat Guise]

C18, W3, D1

BW 211.2

Bench 215 x 2 (all paused)

DB bench 40s 3x12 (bump?)

Overhead triceps 40 3x12 (bump)

Pretty solid benching, an extra pound of BW definitely helped. Paused benching has really helped me learn the bottom position, might be able to touch and go (at least for the 5's week).

Triceps press-downs weren't really doing anything, the overhead version seems better.

[Frat Guise]

Also, I should point out that (if anyone actually reads this) what I'm doing really can't be called 5/3/1, though I am keeping with 5/3/1 percentages and rep schemes. At this point I'm basically doing a 3-day per week 5/3/1 (and "triumvirate" assistance) with no squatting and infrequent deloads (only when I really feel like I need them).

[Frat Guise]

C18, W3, D2 (not really)

BW 209.6 (huh?)

Deadlift 315 3x5 (sumo, no belt)

Chest supported row 50 3x12 (bump)

Leg curl 100 3x12 (bump)

Calves 260 x 12/11/8

DL is due for a serious reset (probably 15%). Felt good to get some volume in, with the bar moving fast on all reps. Kept my back position really strict, hopefully my back feels nice tomorrow.

[Frat Guise]

C18, W3, D3

BW 211.6 (...)

Press 140 x 3

Seated DB press 30s 3x12 (bump)

Chins BW+10 3x5 (bump)

Bench 135 3x10

Definitely lacked some overall tightness, not sure if it would have lead to a fourth rep. Last cycle only got 140x2, so things are moving in the right direction.

[Briks42]

FG,

Thanks for the calf article you posted in my log. I don't have access to any calf machines that he recommends though. You know any good subs?

Thanks.

[Frat Guise]

Old school guys did donkey calf raises (where you bend over and someone sort of sits on top of your hips) and standing calf raises with a bar on the traps. Honestly I'm as proud of my new calves as any of my incredibly mediocre lifts haha.

[Frat Guise]

C19, W1, D1

BW 211.4

Bench 195 x 5 (tng)

Bench 135x12

DB bench 45s x 10/6/6

Overhead triceps 50 x 10/8/6

Calves 260 3x12 (bump)

Lacked a little bit of overall tightness, but everything moved easily. Lost a little bit of arch with the touch and go, but honestly not much and my shoulders felt fine - quite sure that pausing reps has significantly improved my bottom position, should be able to touch and go moving forward. Paused all my reps except the last warmup and the top set.

[Frat Guise]

C19, W1, D2 (DL reset 15%)

BW 212.0

Deadlift 325 x 5 (conventional, no belt)

Chest supported row 52.5 3x12 (bump)

Curls

Too frustrated with sumo at the moment, pulled conventional for a change. Not enough weight to really matter. Felt decent enough, positioning was a little better with all the stretching. Leg curls weren't really doing anything, need to go back to RDLs or something.

[Frat Guise]

C19, W1, D3

BW 213.4

Press 125 x 6

Press 115x5

Seated DB press 35s x 12/10/8

Chins BW 3x5

Calves 280 x 10/10/8

Lack of sleep for a couple nights and a spirited 2-3 hour bout of VOLLEYBALLZ yesterday made for a very lackluster session. Was totally out of juice towards the end, didn't weight the chins.

Also - gaining weight at a surprisingly acceptable rate, almost out of nowhere.

[Frat Guise]

C19, W2, D1

BW 212.2

Bench 210 x 4

Bench 155 3x6

DB bench 45s x 12/9/8

Overhead tris 45 3x12 (bump)

Pretty decent session, happy to get an extra rep despite a small dip in BW. Added a bit of volume, because why not it's 3's week.

[Frat Guise]

C19, W2, D2

BW 212.0

Deadlift 345 x 3 (conv, no belt)

Deadlift 345 x 3
Chest supported row 55 3x12 (bump)
Calves 280 3x12 (bump)

Everything felt fine, didn't try for any more reps. Lower back feels normal (no better or worse) with super strict conventional reps.

[Frat Guise]

C19, W2, D3

BW 213.2

Press 135 x 4

Press 135 x 2
Seated DB press 35s 3x12 (bump)
Chins BW+12.5 x 5/5/4
Calves 70 3x12

Average pressing again, bar was a little uneven going up and coming down. Still a long way to go.

[Frat Guise]

C19, W3, D1

BW 213.4

Bench 220 x 2 Paused PR (both paused)

Decline bench 135 3x10 (middle fingers on rings, false grip, small arch)
Overhead triceps 50 x 12/9/9
Calves 300 x 12/10/9

Didn't arch quite as high - increases ROM a bit, but feels more stable. "Hitched" the second rep a bit but finished it without help, so I'm counting it. Haven't really been too thrilled with DB benching - too hard to determine if ROM stays the same. Decline bench hits my chest pretty well with no shoulder discomfort, going to stick with it for a few weeks.

[Frat Guise]

C19, W3, D2

BW 212.2

Deadlift 365 x 2 (conv, no belt, DOH)

Chest supported row 57.5 3x12 (bump)
Calves 72.5 x 12/10/9

Surprisingly more difficult without a belt. Definitely could have done 2-3 more, but they would have been slow and I'm trying to keep everything super strict to save my low back. Wasn't really going to do any more than one, but I forgot to keep my knees out on the first rep and fixed it on the second.

[Frat Guise]

C19, W3, D3

BW 213.8

Press 140 x 3

Press 135x3
Seated DB press 40s x 11/9/8 (no 37.5s)
Chins BW x a handful
Decline bench Up to 165x6

Terrible pressing. Was lacking some shoulder mobility for some reason, just couldn't get into good position overhead. God damn the press is finicky. On a positive note, loving the decline bench. The shorter ROM saves my shoulders and hammers my chest. Still feels pretty awkward, so it'll be a while before I can go decently heavy.

[Frat Guise]

C20, W1, D1

BW 212.0

Bench 200 x 6 (tng)

DB bench 45s x 12/9/8
Overhead triceps 50 3x12 (bump)
Calves 300 x 12/10/8

Great session despite not eating much this weekend. 175x5 was indistinguishable from 135x5, and picked up an easy extra rep on the top set. Stuck to the smallish arch, seemed to work pretty well. Didn't deload this cycle, obviously.

[Frat Guise]

C20, W1, D2

BW 210.6

Deadlift 335 x 5 (conv, no belt, DOH)

Chest supported rows 60 x 12/9/9
Calves ...don't remember

Some life stuff has limited my sleep, haven't really had time to eat more than one meal a day. That said, beltless 335x5 was brutal, last rep was pretty slow. I think I kept everything pretty strict though, and had a pleasant lower back pump at the end of the session (not the 'uh oh' type of lower back pump).

[Frat Guise]

C20, W1, D3

BW 212.2

Press 130 x 5

Seated DB press 40s x 12/12/10
Chins BW+12.5 x 5/5/4
Calves 72.5 3x10 (bump)

Really lacking sleep, very happy to hit 5.

Switching seated calves to 3x10 as 3x12 with slow/controlled reps takes too damn long.

[Frat Guise]

C20, W2, D1

BW 211.2

Bench 210 x 3

DB bench 45s x 12/9/7
No triceps
Calves 300 x 12/10/9

Everything felt like shit. A little dehydrated from 9-10 beers last night, rationalized with the help of St. Pat's (which probably contributed to the drop in BW).

[Frat Guise]

C20, W2, D2

BW 212.4

Deadlift 355 x 4 (conv, belt, DOH)

Chest supported row 60 3x12 (bump)
Standing leg curl (just testing the waters)
Calves 75 3x10 (bump)

Started to lose a tiny bit of back position on the fourth rep, called it good. Everything felt pretty decent. Used a slightly (1-2 in.) wider stance as it seems to help me get into position a bit better.

[Frat Guise]

C20, W2, D3

BW 211.6

Press 135 x 3

Press 135x2
Seated DB press 40s x 12/10/9
Chins BW 3x6
Calves 300 x 12/12/10

Rushed - wasn't the best day but wasn't the worst.

[Frat Guise]

C20, W3, D1

BW 210.6

Bench 225 x 2

DB bench 45s x 10/8/6
Overhead triceps 52.5 x 12/10/8
Calves 77.5 x 10/9/7

Nothing much to report. Thinking I should go back to pausing 1's week (top set), especially when I'll be hitting only 1 or 2 reps. Lost a fair amount of BW due to a fair amount of boozing this weekend.

[Frat Guise]

C20, W3, D2

BW 211.0

Deadlift 375 x 1 (conv, belt, DOH, didn't try for more)

Deadlift 315x5
Chest supported row 62.5 x 12/12/6
Calves 110 3x6

Good session, need to remember "step 4.5" (rocking back a bit after squeezing chest up to get weight on heels). Didn't do it last time and definitely felt more hamstring tension this time. Feel like I may drop my hips just a tad by adding in step 4.5, but oh well.

Seated straight leg calves are getting a little stale, going to switch to standing for lower reps for a bit.

[Frat Guise]

C20, W3, D3

BW 212.8

Press 145 x 1

Press 135x3
Chins BW 3x6
Calves 80 x 10/10/6

Travelling tomorrow, had to lift a day ahead of schedule. First rep moved fast, second wasn't even close.

[Frat Guise]

C21, W1, D1

BW 212.0

Bench 205 x 5

Decline DB bench 40s and 45s by some, should start with 40s
Overhead triceps 52.5 x 12/12/11
Calves 110 3x8

Really stiff from traveling/sitting all weekend, couldn't get much of an arch without bothering my right shoulder. Might have had a little help on the last rep, but I'm not worried about it given the circumstances.

Decline DB bench is money; DBs somehow remove all of the awkwardness inherent in the decline, but still hammers my chest without as much shoulder work. The only problem is that the steeper decline works much better, but it's impossible to mount/dismount by myself. Stuck with using a shallower decline for the time being I suppose.

[Frat Guise]

C21, W1, D2

BW 213.4

Deadlift 345 x 5 (conv, belt, DOH)

Chest supported row 62.5 x 12/12/10
Calves 80 3x10 (bump)

Woah, definitely not recovered. Had to lift a day early because I'm going to the ZOO tomorrow to look at ANIMALZ and I don't have time to LAFT WAITS. Last two reps were really slow, but I think I kept them pretty strict.

White rice is, without a doubt, the absolute key to weight gain.

[Frat Guise]

C21, W1, D3

BW 212.8

Press 130 x 4(f)

Chins BW x 8/5/4/5/4
Seated DB press 40s x 12/10/8
Calves 130 x 3 sets... don't remember

Tweaked something in my mid-back, right under my shoulder blade, towards the beginning on the top set. Probably wouldn't have hit all 5 reps anyway, even 115x5 felt heavy. Guess I'll blame it on lack of food.

[Frat Guise]

Random stuff

BW 213.8

Incline bench 135 5x5

Dips BW x handful
Rear delt fly 55 2x10
Calves 82.5 3x8 (bump)

Well, shoulder pain the last couple times benching has turned back into constant dull shoulder ache, as per usual when my bench weights get much over bodyweight. Last couple times I've just inclined until things feel better, but I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to keep fighting it. At 6'2" with long forearms relative to upper arms, maybe I'm just not destined to flat bench very often.

Incline felt pretty good though - index fingers on rings, stopped just short of lockout and went down to about my chin (touching clavicles hurts my shoulders).

[Frat Guise]

C21, W2, D2

BW 211.8 huh?

Deadlift 365 x 3 (conv, belt, DOH)

Chest supported row 62.5 3x12 (bump)
RDL 135 2x5
Calves 130 3x8 (bump)

Didn't move fast but didn't really have any problems. Going to keep my DL on my normal 5/3/1 programming as it's still working, not sure what I'm going to about bench and press.

[Frat Guise]

Dumbbell brodown

BW 211.8

Incline bench 140 3x5
Low incline DB bench 40s 3x10
Chins BW x 8/5/5/5/5
Seated DB press 40s x 12/9/8
Calves 85 3x8 (bump)

Just trying to find something that doesn't make my shoulder crunch. Incline bench feels pretty dece as long as I'm strict (pretty similar to flat bench). If ROM is an inch longer than it should be or I get a hair out of the groove, I get similar sensations I do when benching. This leads me to believe it won't really be any different than bench, that when weights get heavy and form takes a bit of a hit, incline won't really be any more shoulder friendly.

Honestly? DBs feel great. Low incline bench and seated press feel amazing. Dunno.

[Frat Guise]

BW 212.8

Low incline DB bench 45s 4x8
Dips BW x 9/9/8
Rear delt fly 60 3x12 (bump)
Overhead triceps 52.5 x 12/8/6
Calves 150x8, 130x6, 110x8 (5/10/15# switch not working)

Just trying to groove the incline DB bench. Movements without an objective start and finish drive me nuts, but I guess I'll get used to it.

[Frat Guise]

5/3/1 Week

BW 213.0

Deadlift 385 x 1 (conv, belt, straps)

GHR BW x a few, still figuring it out
Calves 87.5 3x8 (bump)

Good session, everything felt grooved. Wouldn't normally strap for just 385, but the gym was really hot and I was a bit gassed. Pumped to use the GHR, could only hit one full rep each set once I got it set up right.

[Frat Guise]

BW 211.8

Incline DB bench 50s 4x6 (bump)
Cable row 70 3x8
Seated DB press 40s 2x10 (bump)
Chins BW x 9/5
Lateral raise 30 1x15 (bump)
Curls 20 1x15
Calves 150 x 8/6/4, 90x12

[Frat Guise]

BW 212.0

Incline DB bench 55s 4x6 (bump)
Cable row 75 3x8 (bump)
Dips BW 2x9
Chins BW x 8/5
Rear delt fly 60 2x10 (bump)
Calves 90 x 8/7/6

Not sold on the dips, can't really seem to find anything except steep decline DB bench that preferentially hits my chest. Might try an incline DB fly next week.

[Frat Guise]

5's Week

BW 212.8

Deadlift 355 x 5 (conv, belt, DOH)

GHR BW x 5/6/6
Calves 150 x 8/6, 130 x 8

Not easy, but never really a struggle. Huge improvement on GHR, hopefully I'm doing them right.

[Frat Guise]

BW 214.6 (???)

Incline DB bench 60s 4x6 (bump)
Cable row 77.5 3x8 (bump)
Seated DB press 45s x 10/9
Chins BW 3x5
Lateral raise 35 2x12 (bump)
Calves 90 x 8/8/6

Good stuff. Lower back is a mess after Wednesday, and certain positions produce a short, sharp pain. Might be back to sumo or maybe reduced volume, not sure.

[Frat Guise]

BW 213.8

Incline DB bench 65s 4x6 (bump)
Cable row 80 3x8 (stay)
Incline fly 20s 3x8
Chins BW 3x5
Rear delt fly 65 x 12/10
Calves 130x8, 110 x 8/6 (reset to 110 maybe, with the longer ROM)

[Frat Guise]

3's week

BW 213.8

Deadlift 375 x 3 (sumo)

Deadlift 315x3
GHR some, don't remember
Calves 90 3x8 (bump)

Hadn't pulled sumo in 2-3 months and it felt like it. Second rep was a little forward, third rep was a fair amount forward. Honestly, I probably need some technique help for sumo.

[Frat Guise]

BW 214.0

Incline DB bench 70s x 4/4/4/4, 65s x 6
Cable row 80 3x8 (bump)
Seated DB press 45s 2x10 (bump)
Pulldown 80 2x10 (bump)
Lateral raise 40 2x12 (bump)
Calves 110 3x8 (bump)

Pretty tired, might have been able to press the 70s if I had more sleep. Five pound jumps are getting tough, might need to look into some DB micro weights.

[Frat Guise]

BW 213.8

Incline DB bench 70s x 6/6/6/4
Chest supported row 65 3x8 (bump)
Incline DB fly 22.5 x 8/8/6
Pulldown 82.5 2x10 (bump)
Rear delt fly none, machine was broken
Calves 92.5 3x8 (bump)

Nothing special. Not sold on the incline fly, feels pretty awkward still and is not too shoulder friendly.

[Frat Guise]

5/3/1 week

BW 214.6

Deadlift..........395 x 1 (sumo)

Deadlift..............315 x 3 singles
Rear delt fly................65 3x12 (bump)
GHR...............BW x 6/3/0/0
Calves..............260 3x8

Ezpz. Sumo is still kind of a crapshoot, but after watching a video of Mike Tuchscherer pulling 715x4 a couple dozen times, I think I have some ideas on how to make my setup more consistent.

I'm not sure I get my back set really well when I use the hip bounce thing that re-tensions the hamstrings, but it definitely seems to help me get the weight off my toes. Getting the bar right up against my shins, instead of over the mid-foot, works well. Pulling 'back' instead of up helps utilize the PC more, and it's something I forget to do when awareness starts to blur.

Setting up 'from the top down' (setting the back and dropping hips just far enough to reach the bar) works pretty well, but it makes multi-rep sets impossible. May move to a complete reset between reps if I go this direction.

[Frat Guise]

BW 216.8 (!)

Incline DB bench...........70s x 6/6/6/5
Chest supported row......67.5 3x8 (bump)
Seated DB press............50s x 10/6
Pulldown.......................85 2x10 (bump)
Lateral raise..................45 2x12 (bump)
Calves..........................95 3x8 (bump)

Felt unusually good today, gaining two pounds since Wednesday probably didn't hurt. Ate beef for lunch this week instead of chicken - it may just be water weight from the extra creatine but whatever, it works.

[Frat Guise]

BW 215.8

Incline DB bench............70s x 6/6/6/5
Chest supported row......70 3x8 (bump)
Cable fly.......................35 2x10 (bump)
Pulldown.......................87.5 2x10 (bump)
Rear delt fly..................45 2x12 (bump)
Calves..........................280 5x8

Need to keep the bells in a bit closer to my body during incline bench. Cable flyes seemed to work pretty well for chest assistance without bothering my shoulders.

[Frat Guise]

5's week

BW 217.6

Deadlift.........365 x 5 (sumo)
GHR...............BW x 2/3/3/0 (moved pad)
Calves............97.5 x 8/8/6

Terrible. Was completely on auto-pilot, didn't do anything I had planned to do. Started with my hips too high / didn't squeeze down, didn't reset between reps, etc. etc. Complete waste of time and weight gain.

On GHRs I moved the pad such that my torso is further away from the fulcrum, making it significantly harder. Doing this seemed to work better though, and my thighs stopped slipping on the pad.

[Frat Guise]

BW 217.6

Incline DB bench.........70s 4x6 (bump)
Chest supported row....72.5 3x8 (bump)
Seated DB press..........50s x 10/7
Pulldown.....................90 2x10 (bump)
Lateral raise................50 2x12 (bump)
Calves........................110 5x8

Excellent session, need to remember to tilt the inside portion of the DB (thumb side) slightly down during incline bench, seems to help keep everything grooved.

[Frat Guise]

BW 216.6

Incline DB bench.........75s 4x6 (bump)
Chest supported row....75 3x8 (bump)
Cable fly.....................40 2x12 (bump)
Pulldown.....................92.5 2x10 (bump)
Rear delt fly................70 2x12 (bump)
Calves........................100 3x8 (bump)

Fantastic all around.

[Frat Guise]

3's week

BW 216.6

Deadlift...........385 x 3 (sumo)
GHR.................BW x 0/1/1/0 (just gassed I guess)
Calves..............300 5x8 (bump)

Much better. Still feel unstable when pulling "back" in the sumo fashion, but today was significantly better than last week. Need to get another video taken soon.