Randy's Quest for 5/4/3/2

[Randy Scheingold]

Hi Everyone,

I am starting an intermediate log. I've been lifting for about 16 months with the last 12 on the program (SS, then TM, then a hybrid TM & 5/3/1). Here is the link to my first log and all my boring introduction details:

Entering 40 strong than I was at 20

I will be following a Semi-Custom routine advertised a few weeks ago here, except for Squats which I am re-LPing up to focus on depth.

Week 52 (since starting the Program) - Cycle 1 - Day 1 (Squats & DL) (note: DL on 3rd week of 1st cycle, but going to just call this Cycle 1)

Squat - 255x5x3 (All legit depth, hard but not too hard. 1st set was deeper than last 2. Going to move to 5lb jumps next workout to make sure I don't cheat depth) (squatting twice per week)
DL - 345x1,1 350x1 PR! (Was shooting for 355x1x3, but couldn't get 355. Dropped to 345 for 2 singles, and then decided I need a PR, so added 5lb and went for it. Some upper back rounding, but these were limit sets) Note: I do all my DL sets Beltless right now. My 3in Best Belt got too tight around the gut and was screwing up my form. I'm hoping when I eventually thin out and can wear the belt again my numbers improve
SLDL - 155x8x2 (3rd week doing these, still not hard. Going to add 10lb next time)
Shrugs - 185x20x3 (Finally got my 20 reps on all sets. Going to add 5lb next time. these start very easy, but I get tired by 12 to 15 reps)

Next Workout:
Press - 140x5x3
CGBP - 185x8x3 (feeling out starting weight for this)
LTE - 53x10x3
DB Tricep Ext - 25x12x3

[Randy Scheingold]

Week 52 - Cycle 1 - Day 2 (Press)

Press - 145x5x3 (These were hard, but I got them all. Video showed no crazy grinding and layback not too bad. 7 to 8 min rest)
CGBP 185x7,8,8 (No spot/No lift. First time doing these in a while. Could have gotten my 3x8, but didn't rest enough from warm ups/Presses before 1st set. These weren't easy though, I picked the right start weight. Will move up in 2.5lb increments. 5 min rest).
LTE - 53x10,7,10 (Started doing these as rip describes....over the head, but shoulder starting hurting so just turned these into normal skull crushers, which made them much easier. Going to stick with the skull crushers given past shoulder issues. 3 min rest)
Standing DB Tricep Ext - 25x11,8,8 (went for 3x12 but was gassed by this point. 2 min rest)

Next Workout:
Squat (redo of LP continues) - 260x5x3
Chins - 5 Sets x AMRAP (hoping for 5x4)
Rows - 120x12x3
Curls - 60x12x4 (or as close to that as I can get)

[Randy Scheingold]

Week 52 - Cycle 1 - Day 3 (Squat)

Squat - 260x5x3 (1 rep maybe parallel, all the rest legit depth. Not easy, but not that hard. Perfect weight. Going to add 5lb for Saturday and keep plugging along).
Chins - 4,4,4,4,4 (supersetted these in between Squat work sets and Rows. Very pleased these are coming up again, looking forward to 5x5 next week)
Rows - 120x12x3 (Exhuasting, but not hard. First few reps very easy, last few reps each set much harder due to fatigue. Just not adapated to 12 rep sets yet. Going to add 5lb for next week)
Curls - Ran out of time (early AM workout), going to add to tomorrow

Next Workout:
Press - 135x3x5 (Speed sets, 2 min rest)
Bench - 225x5x3 (maybe 220, need to think it through more)
Incline DB Press - 45x12x3 (got 45x8x3 last time)
Decline DB Press - 45x12x3 (got 45x8x3 last time)
Curls - 60x12x4 (or as much as I can get)

[Randy Scheingold]

Week 52 - Cycle 1 - Week 1 - Day 4 (Bench)

Press - 135x3x5 (Speed presses. Not hard. Much faster than normal work sets, but not sure I would call them "explosive"....probably about as explosive as an un-athletic 40 year gets.)

Bench - 225x5x3 (Very hard. Plus my shoulders are pretty beat up already. Going to have to watch it to see if I need a benching break. Occasionally, I have to take 3 to 4 weeks off of benching to heal up a bit. Also, tried these in the power rack for the first time. This is not a Rogue\Titan rack, so the spacing options for the safeties was very limited. I hit the safeties on a few reps. Played around with it afterwards and realized I can go 1 hole lower with the safeties and still set the bar down without crushing my face/neck . Did each of these sets without a lift off, which always makes it harder for me to get in an optimal position. No lift off, different bench/set up and tired from Presses probably made these much harder than they would have normally been, but....I did all prescribed reps)

Incline DB Press - 45x8x3 (ran out of gas for 12 reps each...supersetted these with curls)

Curls - 60x10x4 (got all 4 sets, just need to edge up to 12 reps and then will add 2.5lb)

Decline DB Press - Nada.....shoulders were totally shot from all the other pressing volume. Need to adapt a bit more to the volume increase.

Next Workout (Saturday):
Squat - 265x5x3 (continue to redo my LP)
DL - 305 or 310x5x3 (with straps for last 2 sets)
SLDL - 165x8x2
Shrugs - 190x20x3 (or as many reps as I can get if not 20)
Decline DB Press.....maybe will get these in, but likely will wait til Sunday and try to make up the sets I missed today

Side note: I signed up for Dave A's June 18th meet in Chicago at Bucktown Crossfit. Hoping for 335 Squat, 365 DL, and 185 Press (or better on all 3)! Hope to see some of you guys/gals there.

[Randy Scheingold]

Week 53 - Cycle 1 - Week 2 - Day 1 (Press)

Note: Was planning to do Squats/DL today, but switched to Press after reading a post by Andy. Basically Andy is suggesting if you are doing a 4 day split, do Upper Body first, then Lower Body as you recover quicker from Upper body so will have less impact on your 2nd day workout.

Press - 160x3x3 (Perfect weight again. Hard, but not impossible. Really focused on keeping the bar close to me. Not sure about layback because my 4.5 year old filmed for me and camera was a bit shaky....)

CGBP - 187.5x8x3 (Perfect weight again. shoulder getting really beat up though. checked bench form on video a few times and I am not flaring my elbows. Going to have Dave review in a training session to see if there are other form issues. If not, then I may just be getting to the point where I need to take a few week break from benching).

LTE - 58x10x3 (These are getting harder now. Going to do another 5lb jump next week but will need to start micro loading soon)

Standing DB Tricep Ext - 25x8x3 (stuck on 25lb here, not worried about it just doing this to get a pump)

Next Workout (Saturday):
Squat - 265x5x3 (continue to redo my LP)
DL - 305 or 310x5x3 (with straps for last 2 sets)
SLDL - 165x8x2
Shrugs - 190x20x3 (or as many reps as I can get if not 20)

[Randy Scheingold]

Week 53 - Cycle 1 - Week 2 - Day 2 (DL)

Squat - 265x5x3 (All good depth. Same as last time, these were hard but not impossible. Another 5lb jump next time. As sad as this is, this is probably a 3x5 PR for me)

DL - 305x5x3 (These were very hard. Continue with no belt until I get the gut under control. Straps for 2nd & 3rd set. Some upper back rounding, but mostly not too horrible except for the occasional shitty rep....on average I could live with the level of rounding...plus I've been fighting it for a year now and more resets don't seem to help....)

SLDL - 165x8x2 (Easy again. Another 10lb jump next week)

Shrugs - 190x12x3 (Not hard, not easy. Was feeling very beat up by this point, so kept it to 12 reps and will increase to 3x20 over time)

Next Workout (Tuesday or Wednesday):
Speed Press - 135x3x5 (5 sets of 3)
Bench - 245x3x3
Incline DB - 45x12x2or3 (may take these to 2 sets to give shoulders a break)
Decline DB - 45x12x2or3 (may take these to 2 sets to give shoulders a break)

[Randy Scheingold]

Week 53 - Cycle 1 - Week 2 - Day 3 (Bench)

"Speed" Press - 135x5x3 (2 min rest. Similar to last week. Not hard at all, especially given the relatively short rest. Last rep I played with my hand placement and it was way too narrow and therefore much harder. Also, my wrists are really starting to bend a bit. Good news is my rogue wrist wraps should be arriving tonight!)

Bench - 245x3x3 planed. 245x3,1 completed. (Had spot & lift for 1st set which was hard but definitely doable. Spotter had to leave for work, so did my 2nd set in the Squat rack with the safeties set up. Got a single. but shoulder started to really hurt...so didn't want to push it. Shoulder still hurting...and I can feel that it is structural/not muscle soreness. My sleep has been shit for 3 to 4 weeks due to shoulder pain as well. I've officially decided to take a break from benching. I hate to do it as I was making great progress towards my 300lb goal. But, last time I did this I could barely get 225 for a single. I took a few months off, and in the 5 months since I started benching again, I redid my LP up to 235x5x3, then TM'd up to 247.5x3, then did a 5/1 program up to 270x1. So...in theory if I take a decent rest, I should be able to get this up to 300lb in the not too distant future.

Incline & Decline DB Presses - did not do either, also taking a break here

Next Workout (tomorrow):
Squat - 270x5x3
Chins - 5x5
BB Rows - 125x12x3
Curls - 60x12x4 (time permitting....may move these to Bench day since that day will now be relatively light)

[Randy Scheingold]

Week 53 - Cycle 1 - Week 2 - Day 4 (Squat)

Squat - 270x5,5,5,3 - (Squat re-LP continues. This is definitely a 3x5 PR for me. Again a perfect weight. Getting a little harder, but bar speed showed these weren't true grinders. Not fast...but each rep lasted maybe 1 second max. As for the extra triple....On rep 3 of one set, I was off center in the platform and the 45s hit one of the safeties which turned that rep into a love marriage between a 1/2 squat & Good Morning . I was gassed from the bad leverage, so on the last rep I only went parallel. I also found another rep that was parallel (not high, but not below), so I rested 5 more minutes and forced myself to do a penalty triple. Additionally I have been filming from my Right side which usually doesn't go as deep as my left side. So even when I get parallel on the right, it is likely below on the left. I filmed the last set and the last triple from the left side and I was about 3 inches below parallel on each rep.)

I was out of gas & out of time (to get to work on time) to do my Chins, Rows, and Curls. Going to try to get them done tonight in my condo's minimal gym (DBs up to 50lbs...but better than nothing). I am also considering cutting back assistance work on Squat days. I'm really happy my Squat LP is moving well and I don't want to blow it by adding too much other shit in.


Next Workout (tonight?):
Chins - 5x5
BB Rows - 125x12x3
Curls - 60x12x4 (time permitting....may move these to Bench day since that day will now be relatively light)

Next full workout (Saturday):
- Limited time here due to a wedding.
Press 175x1x3 (maybe 177.5 if warm ups feel good)
- Time permitting
LTE 63x10x3
Standing DB Tri Ext - 25x12x3
Tricep Pushdowns - ???x8 to 12x3

[Randy Scheingold]

Logging 2 days worth:

Week 54 - Cycle 1 - Week 3 - Day 1 (Press)

Note: Never got back to the gym to do my chins, rows, or curls last Thursday. oh well, at least I got my squats in.

Press 175x1x3, 135x5 backoff set for some extra volume (The singles were hard, had to work for each rep. 6 min to 7 min rest. Did use my new wrist wraps which didn't seem to help me lift any weight, but my wrists did feel rock solid).
Triceps Rope Pushdowns - 30x12x3 (first time doing these in a long time)
Ran out of time for the rest....due to friends wedding (which was a lot of fun)

Week 54 - Cycle 1 - Week 3 - Day 2 (DL) - (DL actually in middle of 2nd cycle due to switching DL programming earlier than the rest)
Squat 275x5x3 (More LP. Another 3x5 PR! Weight was perfect again. Getting harder, reps slowing down a bit. But got depth on all reps, (some close to parallel in the 3rd set, but still below). Going to add 5lb more pounds next time)
DL - 335x3x3 (This is definitely a Volume PR. No belt. Mixed grip for 1st set, straps for sets 2 & 3. Some upper back rounding, but not absolutely horrible. But I'm going to keep pushing up and really monitor the rounding on my lighter sets with the hopes things will get stronger as I get closer to 405....meaning if I round 405 the same as now but I can then get 315x5 with less rounding, that would be progress).
SLDL - 185x6x2 (going to repeat this weight again in a week or two to get 8 reps)
No time for shrugs

Next workout
- Speed Press 135x5x3
- LTE 63x10x3
- Standing DB Tri Ext - 25x12x3

[Randy Scheingold]

Week 54 - Cycle 1 - Week 3 - Day 3 (Squat)

Note: I was supposed to Press & do triceps today (as I am not benching for a cycle to heal up my shoulder). However due to schedule constraints tomorrow, I switched and did Squats tonight. Squats take more time than presses due to rest periods and I have limited time tomorrow AM.

Squat 280x5x3 (This is a definitely 3x5 PR and a 5RM PR tie. I believe depth is solid on all reps. Very happy with my squat progress and looking forward to 285x5x3 on Saturday. I posted a form check for Tom\Wolf up top. Below is my 3rd set. I know I need to work on head angle more. Anything else to work on????)



Chins - nada
Rows - nada
Curls - nada

Elbow was killing me after squats. Plus I was totally spent. Tried to get 1 chin up and couldn't. Decided to skip accessory work and just focus on recovery from squats so I can (hopefully) re-LP up to 315x5x3.

Note: A little under 2 weeks until my 2nd amateur meet (at Chicago's Bucktown Crossfit). One more heavy squat day and then I will only do a very light day mid next week (135x5x2).

Next workout
- Speed Press 135x5x3
- LTE 63x10x3
- Standing DB Tri Ext - 25x12x3
- Curls (time permitting)