531 Autoregulated Log (Credit Tom Narvaez)

[Subsistence]

Decided to start a new log. Mainly because I am pissed off. I just failed my deadlifts miserably, and then fell just short of my press goal. Looking at my old log I had set these goals:

Squat
Immediate: 1.5*bw, ~270lbs
Eventually: 3 plate, 315lbs

Bench Press
Eventually: 2 plate, 225lbs

Press
Immediate: 1 plate, 135lbs
Eventually: 1*bw, ~180lbs (this may be a long time away I know)

Deadlift
Immediate: 1.5*bw, ~270lbs
Eventually: 3 plate, 315lbs

My current 1RMs are:

Squat: 335lbs all time. 317.2lbs most recently. Going to try to max again soon.
Bench: 250lbs
Press: 182.2lbs
Deadlift: 396lbs
Chin ups: +102.5lbs all time PR

I want a 1000lb "total" (though I don't pause benches and don't need them all in the same day). Right now, I'd be at 963lbs (981 if you count my all time best squat). Body weight ~180lbs. I'm really close.

I don't have a bunch of lift specific goals. But I really want a 185lb press. I failed it 6 or 7 times today. I also failed a 191kg and a 185kg deadlift today twice each. I got a press PR at 182.2lbs, which is a little over bodyweight. I got my Bench PR of 250lbs recently. For goals I'd like a 190kg then a 200kg deadlift. I'd like a 185lbs press. Getting my squat up to 250lbs and my bench to 270lbs would be cool. And a total of a 300lb chin up (body weight + added).

The Program:

After testing some more 1RMs I'll be doing another cycle of Tom's autoregulated 531. Here is my current set up for that:

Monday
Deadlift 531
Press 531
Squat: ascending 3x5 (medium effort)
Weighted Chins 3x5
Weighted Cable Crunches 3x6-8
Curls 1-2x8-12

Wednesday
Bench 531
Squats 2x5@80% of Mondays top set
Press 5x5
Dumbbell Bench Press 3x6-8
Kroc Rows 1x10-20
Lying Tricep Extensions 1-3x8-10

Friday
Squat 531
Weighted Chins 1RM
Bench 5x5
Weighted Cable Crunches 3x6-8
Curls 4-6RM; 1-2x10-15

I plan to do a second cutting phase in terms of diet after I finish trying for these 1RMs.

I'm really angry. I wanted that 185lbs press. 2.8lbs off. Soon.

[Subsistence]

Morning bw: 179.7lbs

Guess I should say what I tried today

Deadlifts 1RM attempt
Last warm up set 177kgx1
191kgxfail (x2)
185kgxfail (x2)
170kgx1 (grinder, I clearly got too ambitious and burned out)

Press
Last warm up 170x1
185xfail (x2)
175x1
180x1
182.2x1 (PR)
185xfail (x4-5)

Really pissed about the press

Chins
bwx12 (slow, controlled, short of failure)

[Eric K]

Sorry to hear about your frustrations, man. Good luck with the new program.

[Subsistence]

Sorry to hear about your frustrations, man. Good luck with the new program.

Thanks man. With deadlifts I clearly got too ambitious when aiming for a 1RM then fried myself by the time I decided to be a little more conservative.

[Tom Narvaez]

Very cool. I will definitely be checking this one out.

[Subsistence]

Very cool. I will definitely be checking this one out.

Thanks Tom.

Super light day today, those deadlift fails just fried my low back. Laughing was enough to make me feel my DOMS. Hoping I can recover enough to max squats on Sunday. Some active recovery:

Squats
45x5
135x5
185x5

Bench Press
45x5
135x5

Did a couple chin ups and curls, and lots of rolling around on a PVC pipe. Afterwards I went out to AYCE sushi and said to hell with eating at maintenance for today. I'm hoping the food will help with recovery.

[Subsistence]

Get to make up for my shitty opening post a little today

Squat
300lbsx1
325lbsx1
340lbsx1 (PR)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97OdGKcPsWU

Press
175lbsx1
185lbsxfail

Deadlift
170kgx1
182kgx1 (PR)
185kgx1 (PR)
187kgx1 (PR)

The last couple days I really overate to get myself ready for this last PR day. Seemed to work.

For squats I was estimating my max to have dropped since 5/3/1 doesn't emphasize the squat as much as Texas Method did, my rep out sets were worse than those before my prior maxing, and I had been coming off a period of dieting. However I managed to eek out a 5lb PR. I good morning'd it to hell but that is how every heavy squat of mine has looked since 190lbs.

Presses I could tell were not going to go well on my warm up of 175lbs, but I decided to give it a shot anyway. Failed but that is understandable.

Deadlifts were exciting. 187kg is a 7 kg or 15lb PR. And based on squatting for a PR and doing two other PR attempts before 187kg I imagine that isn't even a "true" max.

This places me at a 1001lbs total, breaking my 1000lb goal! Very nice.

[Eric K]

Congrats on the multi-PR day. Keep after it.

[Tom Narvaez]

Congrats. Glad to see you peaked well.

[Subsistence]

Thanks for the support guys.

Cycle 1 Week 1 Workout A: 9s; BW~ 184.5lbs
Deadlift: 120x5/135x5/153x9 Projected 1RM: 187kg Coefficient: 40
Press: 105x5/120x5/133x10 Projected 1RM 182lbs Coefficient: 27
Squat: 215x5/230x5/250x5
Weighted Chins: 45x5/5/6
Weighted Cable Crunches: 200x8/195x8/185x5
Curls: 85x12/8

---
I've set new coefficients for the 1RM formula for all my lifts based on the 1RMs I hit. I basically took my most recent rep-out and used a coefficient to project a 1RM about 5lbs less than I actually hit. The 5lb deduction is because I was resting and peaking for my 1RM and won't be as well recovered for my every day working sets. The only exception to this being deadlift because I hit my deadlift 1RM after both a squat 1RM and 2 other deadlift PRs, so I wasn't "fresh" for it. After deciding on this coefficient for a lift I am comparing it to my projected 1RM based on the rep out. I then modify the coefficient if things are off. For those who don't know the higher the coefficient the harder the high rep sets will be but the easier the low rep sets will be and vice versa. Wendler's standard coefficient is 30 for reference.

Deadlifts were brutal. I let my back round pretty completely by the end. I could feel it be a little painful. Honestly not the brightest move but I think I am too young and dumb to be caution on my deadlifts. Repped out the 9 I expected to though and got a 1RM equal to what I actually pulled. So I am keeping the coefficient of 40. I lay on the floor and probably took 15 or 20 minutes between finishing my deadlift and starting my press.

Presses were tough as well, but I managed an extra rep. I had initially tried a coefficient of 25 for presses but after this rep out set it projected me at a 186lb 1RM. Based on how many times I tried and failed 185lbs I knew this was too optimistic so I pulled it back to a coefficient of 27, projecting my 1RM of 182lbs from this rep out set. It is interesting to note that the press is the only lift where my coefficient is more optimistic (lower) than Wendler's 30.

Squats weren't too bad, though I was fatigued from deadlifts. The goal of these squats is to place them somewhere between the volume day and light day of Texas Method. They would be heavy enough and high enough volume to promote a little adaptation but not so hard that they fry me. I want to keep them "comfortable". If I complete the reps comfortably I add 5lbs to the next workout.

Weighted Chins: I was going to do 50lbs added on these but I was out of practice with chinning due to the last week and a half of 1RM attempts causing me to neglect them. That combined with feeling rather worn out caused me to drop down to 45lbs. Got an extra rep on the last set so I'll add 2.5lbs for next workout.

Curls and Crunches don't require much comment.

Overall a good day but the intensity worries me a little insofar as maintaining it on my diet. Starting to diet down again today, with a 750kcal deficit a day aiming for 1.5lbs of fat loss a week. I intend to do this for a week or 2 if I can handle it before going to a more moderate 500kcal daily deficit to finish off the cut.