*** The 2012 Gym Rats Thread ***

[R3DBuLL]

First cycle of 5-3-1 complete. Had a couple of dodgy final sets but nothing too serious. Roll on cycle 2!

 

[LiE]

Nice 5/3/1 I'm also doing it, finished my cycle 1 today.

How much do you weigh?

 

[Pigeon_Killer]

@R3DBuLL - What assistance exercises did you choose? Like the look of The Triumvirate myself.

 

[LiE]

I do Triumvirate, works well

 

[Pigeon_Killer]

Did you stick to the recommended exercises or change them? Not a fan of leg curls or the leg press. Would like to use exercises that address my weaknesses.

 

[LiE]

Here's what I do.

Monday
Military Press (5/3/1)
Shoulder Press - 5 X 8
Facepulls - 5 x 10

Tuesday
Deadlift (5/3/1)
Chins - 4 x 10
DB Rows - 5 x 10

Thursday
Bench (5/3/1)
Dips - 3 x 10
DB Incline Bench - 3 x 10
Seated Cable Rows - 3 x 10

Friday
Squat (5/3/1)
DB Lunges - 3 x 16
SLDL - 3 x 10
Calf Raises - 3 x 15

 

[Pigeon_Killer]

Will probably keep the military and bench press assistance exercises as they are but tailor squat and deadlift exercises to my needs then. Thanks

 

[Djdom56]

I do Triumvirate, works well

Excuse my ignorance but what is Triumvirate?

 

[LiE]

It's a name Jim Wendler has given to one of the accessory workout structures. You do a few accessory exercises in addition to your 5/3/1 lift each workout, the idea is to pick exercises that assist the main lifts.

 

[Djdom56]

Ah, thanks

 

[icecold]

FF cluster sets are brutal, a friend of mine has then in his programme and he's shattered by the end of them. Good choice


Horrible session today. Feeling a little ill, and as I'm a borderline walking corpse at the end of my workout this almost tipped me over the edge.

Did 8 sets of squats and bench, but lost count and interest with the deadlifts, definitely got more than 5. Did some single arm cable row which felt good, and 5-ish mins of skipping - already better at it, which is a relief! This programme is battering the crap out of me, I can feel certain muscles tightening up. My quads and pec minor(s) in particular are a constant source of discomfort. In fact - as I moaned to my flatmate today, there is basically not a muscle in my lower body that isn't hurting. I'm very much looking forward to not doing this programme ever again! Ankle feels slightly better today though, huzzah!

Had to tighten my lifting belt up to the same holes as last summer, which is a nice feeling. It's very slightly too tight as it is now, but maybe that'll remind me what I'm trying to do.

 

[Pigeon_Killer]

*Removes Korte from his list of routines to try*

 

[oli collett]

Right, all my whinging about lower back issues - maybe I should ditch stronglifts and try 5/3/1 for a while. I'm thinking that switching to one complex/session might make things easier and should make it easier to fit in with doing some running. I'm not so sure about moving from 3 to 4 days a week though, but I guess it wouldn't hurt so much if the sessions are smaller

 

[icecold]

Ask me again in a couple of weeks, if I like it enough then to forget this point then I might take it all back


edit: oli, I think it might be worth you completely deloading and working on your positioning and lower back stability. In my experience it's impossible to fix this kind of issue while you're still trying to move heavy weight around.

 

[Pigeon_Killer]

I'd assume your body is not going to like you for going heavier and heavier over the next few weeks. Once I start to feel like my muscles are breaking they usually do quite rapidly. Having said that, I was suffering from golfers elbow for nearly two weeks which made bench pressing extremely painful but it disappeared this week

 

[Sleeve]

Well i went to discover my 1rm for deads today. 170 kg x 1. Managed that twice.

Fairly happy with that if im honest!

 

[LiE]

That's a good weight Sleeve, big jump from your last 1RM?

 

[oli collett]

Ask me again in a couple of weeks, if I like it enough then to forget this point then I might take it all back


edit: oli, I think it might be worth you completely deloading and working on your positioning and lower back stability. In my experience it's impossible to fix this kind of issue while you're still trying to move heavy weight around.

I don't want to deload as I've been making some progress in other areas, particularly squats/bench-press. I wonder about doing it just for shoulder press and deadlift because they are the ones that seem to cause problems at the moment

 

[icecold]

I've only got one more week of this crazy loading, which takes me up to 64%. Then I do this:
(sorry for the confusing format, means week 1 monday I do: bench 5x4x82.5, squat 3x3x150, deadlift 2x1x202.g)

Week   Day       Sets/Reps   Bench   Squat   Dead       
  
1        Mon   5X4, 3X3, 2X1   82.5   150   202.5       
         Wed   2X1, 3X3, 3X3   110   137.5   165       
         Fri     5X4, 2X1, 3X3   90   182.5   152.5       

2       Mon   5X4, 3X2, 2X1   82.5   160   215       
        Wed   2X1, 3X3, 3X2   117.5   137.5   177.5       
        Fri     5X4, 2X1, 3X3    97.5   195   152.5       

3      Mon   5X4, 3X2, 2X1   82.5   172.5   227.5       
       Wed   2X1, 3X3, 3X2   125   137.5   190       
       Fri     5X4, 2X1, 3X3   105   205   152.5       

4      Mon   5X4, 2X2, 2X1   82.5   182.5   240       
       Wed   2X1, 3X3, 3X2   132.5   137.5   202.5       
       Fri     5X3, 2X1, 3X3   110   217.5   152.5

So the volume drops right down (although I've modified this section considerably). If I make it that far I shouldn't fall apart.

 

[Sleeve]

That's a good weight Sleeve, big jump from your last 1RM?

Ive never set one lol. Always too scared to screw my back in.

usually rep 120 for 8. Decided to go for the big numbers today, and boy am i glad i did

Only problem is at 170kg I've used all the 20kg plates in my gym so I'll struggle to ever fill the bar to 200kg.