Jesse's Quest For Master Class (Yet another TM training log)

[enlightenedsnipe]

Week 2 Squat Day Wendler 5/3/1

Squat: 135x10, 235x3, 270x3, 300x6

BBB - Squat 135x5x10
- Back Extensions 5x10x+35 (better than last week)

Feeling good, getting in and out of the gym quick. Weight's holding steady at 198-199. Going to see if I can get down to the low 190s and maintain strength, then eat back up to 205 gradually. I seem to do my best right around 200, but my squat suffers below that. Probably just a matter of being slow and steady with the improvement.

[enlightenedsnipe]

Week 2 Press Day Wendler 5/3/1

Press: 45x10, 95x3, 110x3, 120x8 (upper back was folding, so stopped. Arms still had a couple).

BBB - Press 65x5x10 (felt really, really easy. Will definitely up weight next cycle)
- Dips, 30 total, done in ladders.

I'm still supersetting every pushing set with 2-4 pullups/chins, oddly it really makes my pressing feel stronger, not sure why. Still feel like a pansy, especially after reading a chunk of the other logs on here. BW holding at 198, finished my month long food cleanup. Recovery increased notably, now I need to focus on getting my cals back up so I can put on some weight again. Looking forward to deads tomorrow. Also Turkey.

[enlightenedsnipe]

Week 2 Deadlift Day Wendler 5/3/1

Deadlift: 135x10, 95x3, 225x3, 295x3, 340x3, 370x9 PR (left at least 1 in the tank, picking my battles).

BBB - Deadlift 185x5x10 ( EZ PZ to quote the shrugthug)
-said screw ab work, played around with a kettlebell and got my heartrate up

Ate 1 1/4 lbs of M&ms during and after the workout. My metabolism feels like it's on fire. Great lifting session. Large turkey meal, getting ready to hit some more. Good times.

[enlightenedsnipe]

Whelp. Staying out until 3am and not hydrating, then not warming up seemed to have a slight impact on my bench session today.

Week 3 Bench Day Wendler 5/3/1

Bench: 45x10, 95x10, 140x5, 160x3, 175x9 (very frustrating)

BBB - Bench 95x5x10
-Dumbell Rows 5x10x80 (easier than last time)

It's cold outside, and I got chilled heading to the gym. Didn't feel warmed up even after a few sets of bodyweight stuff that I normally do, and jumped straight into benching. I couldn't get warm though, and didn't feel the blood in my arms and torso like I normally do, until literally rep 6 of my work set. Ironically, the reps got easier as the set went on, and I probably had another, but I want to knock squats out like a bitch tomorrow.

Can't resist geeking out a little, put my 1rm projections from week 2 into the calculator, and came back with

Bench: 230
Squat: 360
Press: 152
Deadlift: 480

Shooting to tie or beat all of these in week two, via reverse engineering how many reps I need on my work sets. I was 1 rep shy today on bench, not bad considering my recovery status. Tomorrow should be great!

[enlightenedsnipe]

Week 3 Squat Day Wendler 5/3/1

Squat: 45x10, 135x10, 225x1, 250x5, 290x3, 330x5 (sucked hardcore, bar slipped out of traps the first rep, was terrible. Reps 2-4 were much better)

BBB -Squat 135x5x10
-Back Extensions 5x10x35 (feel even better than last week)

Screwed around:
-Squat Walkouts (picking up and walking out and holding the bar with extra weight.) 405x2x15 seconds
-Weighted Dip +35x1,+60x1 for grins.

Been kinda scared of squat weight, though I did fine on reps. Think the lockout work will help me stay comfortable with a heavy bar on my back, since I'm not going to be repping 405 anytime in the near future, so working it in should keep my back feeling comfortable with the poundages I will be handling.

[enlightenedsnipe]

Week 3 Press Day Wendler 5/3/1

Press: 45x10, 100x5, 115x3, 130x6

BBB -5x10x65
-Didn't have a dip station, so I did 5x10 pushups.

Numbers seem a little lower this week than I'd hope for. I'm guessing a combo of bad sleep the past three or four nights and heavy manual labor today. Hauling, mixing, and pouring concrete by hand will do a bit of a number on your arms, at least when it comes to max lifts. Really wanted to lift tonight, so I didn't take an extra day off. No worries. Deads tomorrow, with nothing heavy beforehand.

[enlightenedsnipe]

Week 3 Deadlift day Wendler 5/3/1

Deadlift: 135x10, 225x5, 305x5, 345x3, 390x8 (could have wrenched out another, but form was shot, so I stopped)

BBB- 185x3x10, 135x2x10
-Situps, generic ab work.

So. Form was a bit off later in the set, but it was a heavy set of 8 deads. New PR, puts my projected 1RM around 480, definite PR.

Finished my first three weeks with the program, feeling great, much less beat up. Going to suffer through the deload week, and then attack the next cycle!

On a side note, my girlfriend's seen good results from the program, even though she's missed a couple of sessions. Hit 165x10 on DL this evening, then hit 225 for a single, with great technique. Good stuff.

[enlightenedsnipe]

Screwed around this week.

Followed the plan for bench deload, felt like a puss only throwing 95lbs around.

Squat and Press changed things up, did my deload work of 50x135 (45), respectively... in one set. Squats were mean, presses were okay.

DLs did 185x10, 135x10, 135x30.

One more day off, then back to it for cycle two! Got my next month planned out, and am raring to go!


Also, was doing bench deload in the gym. Big dude in the next rack starts benching. Does 135, woo. Throw another wheel on, does 225, I notice it's moving quick, that's cool. Throws another wheel on, I start watching, bangs out a few reps no problem. Dude ended up doing 365 for reps on bench. Went over and talked to him, he's apparently a strongman competitor who's just in the gym screwing around on a light day and felt like benching. Holy shit, it was awesome to see someone so much stronger than me. Made me want to get back at it!

[enlightenedsnipe]

Alrighty! Back on track!

Cycle 2 Week 1 Bench Day, Wendler 5/3/1

Bench: 45x10, 95x10, 145x5, 145x5, 160x11

BBB - Bench 95x5x10
-DB rows, 5x10x80

Felt like crap going into the gym. Was tired from extracurricular activities earlier in the day and hadn't eaten near enough. Still got a decent session in. Didn't have my sheet to refer to, but I had memorized my weights. Brilliantly I set up my second set weight and lifted it the first set after my warmups. So, I just did it again, then did my top set. Had 1 more in me, but stopped there. Technique was still good, but my feet came off the ground on the last rep. For an off day, I'll take a rep PR, even by 1.

Back off sets went like lightning and felt kinda heavy thanks to ultra short rests. The rows felt light, think I'll jump up the weight a bit next session. I'm not interested in getting awesome at rows, there just there to push up my bench and deads, but I need to move more weight to build more muscle. Speaking of, I've been eating everything in site the past two weekends, and staying clean during the week. Working okay, and I'm putting on weight again, I'm getting the feeling that my "eat a lot for a month, eat completely clean for a month" plan is... not optimal, but seems to be working, every time I come off the clean eating month I'm a little heavier on the scale, while visibly looking a little better. BF is 12-17%, depending on how my food's been, so I'm happy.

Cheers!

[enlightenedsnipe]

Cycle 2 Week 1 Squat Day Wendler 5/3/1

Squat: 45x5, 135x10, 225x5, 260x5, 295x6 (no belt)

Assistance: -1x135x10 squat
-Squat Walkouts: 365, 405, 455
-Back extensions 5x10x+45


Got in and out tonight fairly quick. It was snowing and I needed to get back indoors. Couldn't find my belt, so I made do without it. Felt weak as shit in the hole, but it happens and I gutted it out. Rep six was ugly, so I stopped there. The walkouts have me feeling better lately. Weight's still kinda heavy on my back. Time for sleep.