manisstrong's 5x5x5 log

[manisstrong]

Thought I may as well start a log here for my new program. Old log is here

I decided to try out a different program for a while. My stats are:

Age: 18
Mass: 87kg/191lb
Height: 186cm/6'1"

PRs:
Squat: 87.5kg (3x5)
Bench 60kg (1x5)
Deadlift: 115kg hook grip (1x5)
Press: 41kg (3x5)
Power Clean 40kg/didn't do them.

The new program is called Pavel's Mind Over Muscle 5x5x5. It's a higher frequency and lower volume program compared to starting strength. It's more strength orientated and less mass orientated, so I won't be increasing my body weight for the time being. Basically the program is: choose 5 exercises (I'm doing the big 5), do ONE SET of 5 reps of each exercise 5 days a week. Cycle weights during the week depending on how you feel, obviously aiming for some kind of weekly increases.

[manisstrong]

Today was my first session.

Week 1, Monday
Squat - 80kg x 5
Press - 37.5kg x 5
Deadlift - 105kg x 5
Bench - 55kg x 5
Power Clean - 45kg x 3 PR, 50kg x 3 PR, 60kg x 0, 60kg x1 PR

I will continue to do the exercises in this order for now, but I may change the order of squats/deadlifts and press/bench occasionally to mix things up a bit. I've decided to do 2 sets of power cleans instead of just one because I am only doing 3 reps per set and power cleans probably need more practice than the others.

I dropped the weight a bit today from some of my PRs because last week my strength was shit. However, I felt pretty good today, other than on deadlifts, so I will increase everything tomorrow.

Squats were pretty easy, planning on 85kg tomorrow. Press was easy, planning on 40kg x 5 tomorrow, deadlift my 5th rep was probably the last I could pull with good form (without back rounding) so tomorrow I'll go for something in the range 105kg-110kg, depending on how I feel. Bench was easy, I'll do 57.5kg tomorrow.

Finally power cleans. I hadn't tried them for a couple of months and back then I could barley clean 40kg. However when I tried them today my form felt much better (as did my strength), I wasn't thinking about it too much but I just seemed to get it. I will go for 55kg (2x3) tomorrow. Most people's PC is quite close to their bench so I'll use that as a bit of a guide.

[ivankannan]

subbed!

[manisstrong]

Week 1, Tuesday

Squat - 85kg x 5
Press - 40kg x 5
Deadlift - 110kg x 5
Power Clean - 55kg (2x3) PR
Bench - 57.5kg x 5

Hit all the weights I wanted to hit today. Squats weren't easy but they didn't kill me either. I need to get someone to film me again because I have no idea how my form is. Someone mentioned I'm going down too fast... Press not too hard at all. Deadlift the 5th rep was probably the last I could pull with good form again. First three reps double overhand, last two hook grip.

I did power cleans before bench because the benches were taken. I got my reps but my form didn't feel as solid today. I hit my knees on the way up a few times. I'm also not sure if I'm doing them right. Am I supposed to hit the bar with my thighs to pop it up? That's how the guy who always does O-lifts taught me... He can clean at least 120kg. But I have bruises on my thighs?

Finally, bench press. I was on the shitty bench which I don't like as much, but the other one was taken. I'll make sure to use the good one for PR attempts. The 5th rep was my last without struggling. But I was bending my wrists benching, am I meant to keep them straight? Anyway, I'll go a bit lighter tomorrow because you can't go all out 5 days a week.

[manisstrong]

Week 1, Wednesday

Squat - 85kg x 5
Bench - 55kg x 5
Deadlift - 100kg x 5
Press - 40kg x 5
Power Clean - 50kg (2x3)

Squats tough again. My elbow seems to be playing up again. Ideally, it probably just needs a week or two of rest. But that's not an option. I have 6 more weeks of this, then I'm going on a 2 week holiday. My elbow can rest then. Someone suggested I widen my grip to help my elbow, so I'll try that. But I really need to get a new squat video soon to look at my form. I know my depth is good but I want to check knees caving in and hip drive.

Bench I think I have issues with my liftoff, especially when my elbows are hurting. I think I do better when the bench rack is set lower, rather than just below the length of my extended arms. My bench form wasn't great today, but I can do better. Deadlifts, first 3 reps double overhand, last 2 reps hook grip. Press was fairly easy again. Finally power cleans. I tried them today without the thigh bump and I didn't feel as strong on them. I got all my reps with 50kg though. But I guess I still need to work on my PC form.

I'm hoping to reach all my old PRs this week. That leaves the squat, bench and deadlift. And maybe even set a PR on the Press this week. So maybe the squat and bench tomorrow and the deadlift and press on friday.

[manisstrong]

Week 1, Thursday

Squat - 87.5kg x 5
Press - 42.5kg x 5 PR
Deadlift - 105kg x 5
Power Clean - 50kg (not sure about sets or reps was testing form)
Bench - 60kg x 5 (with spotter doing the lift off)

Pretty happy with lifts today. Reached my squat PR, set a new press PR (which was surprisingly easy) and reached my bench PR. That just leaves my deadlift, which I will hopefully do tomorrow. Squat I wasn't too happy with form, video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sJ5geepVYM Press seemed okay, video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHulaA1pWGU I also posted the videos in the technique forum.

Deadlift was as hard as always. First 3 reps double overhand, last 2 hook grip. Power Clean I didn't have much luck over last two days trying it without the bounce. I might try it with the bounce again over the next few days. Maybe the bruises were from dropping the bar onto my thighs after racking it, rather than from the bounce.

Also my elbow seems to be playing up again, but it's not as bad as it was last week. It's not interfering with my bench and press at the moment. Hopefully it won't get any worse.

[manisstrong]

Week 1, Friday

Squat - 80kg x 5
Press - 40kg x 5
Deadlift - 115kg x 5
Bench - 55kg x 5
Power Clean - 40kg x 3, 50kg x 3 (then some singles at 50kg)

Squat form felt decent today, probably due to lighter weight. Press and bench felt fine. Deadlift was hard, all 5 reps hook grip, but my form was better than my last attempt at 115kg. My first four reps all looked good, only on the 5th one I rounded my lower back a bit and sort of lost my balance. You can see my deadlift here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0f_uD0V0Hg

Power Cleans I took a video of one of my singles as well. It looked worse on camera than it did in my head. I still seem to be reverse curling the bar a bit. You can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLFhay27LGE

My lower back is starting to feel tired. I might make some of the deadlifts lower intensity next week. Also, I'll try to aim for setting PRs earlier in the week, and leave thursday and friday as lower slightly intensity recovery days. That's One week down. Happy with strength levels this week. Let's hope the trend continues.

[slowjoe]

Two rest days a week? Which days?

Also, deadlifting 5 days a week sounds a bit rough.

[manisstrong]

Saturday and Sunday are rest days lol.

[manisstrong]

Week 2, Monday

Squat - 90kg x 5 PR
Press - 42.5kg x 5
Deadlift - 115kg x 2
Bench - 60kg x 5
Power Clean - 50kg (2x3)

Started the day well with a squat PR. The squat was still hard, however, the bar just didn't feel that heavy on my back today. Planning on 92.5kg tomorrow. A video of my squat can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7IOJvnGG5w I didn't go as deep today, so my lower back rounding was better, but I was still hitting depth.

Press wasn't too hard, but not easy either. I don't think I'll be able to hit 45kg tomorrow because 2.5kg increases in the press are quite large. I might go for 43.5kg.

Deadlift was dissapointing. After hitting 115kg x 5 last friday and once before that I only got 2 reps today. Maybe it's because of deadlifting too much, maybe it's because of doing a couple of negative chin ups yesterday on my new chin up bar at home, but whatever the cause I don't think I'll be setting a deadlift PR this week.

Power Cleans. I tried turning my elbows to the side like someone had suggested, but I sort of hurt my left elbow doing that. And my power clean form sucked today. I think I'm going to quit them again and probably do chinups (starting with negatives).

Bench felt easy. I used a spotter for the lift-off because my lift-offs are weak due to elbows, but otherwise I got all 5 reps easily. Aiming for a bench PR tomorrow.

Regarding my elbows, my right inner elbow felt much better today and didn't hurt after squatting, however, my left outer elbow hurt after power cleaning. You just can't win.