NorthstarUK Training Log

[NorthstarUK]

Thanks James, totally agree! Wendler makes a big thing about saying you don't have to be training with your heaviest weights to get stronger, this is a hard lesson when you don't understand periodisation. Doing Madcow drove it home to me and I won't ever go back to 'balls to the wall' every WO training!

to quote Wendler:

"You don't need to operate at your max to increase your max. Why people get so bent out of shape about taking two steps back if it means they'll be taking 10 steps forward is beyond me."

[NorthstarUK]

Missed a workout this weekend due to a family long weekend away, so I can't grumble!

Wasn't sure if to make up for it by combining my OHP and DL workouts, or just put it down to a bit more rest and continue with the next workout in the programme. In the end I opted for the latter as it seems like less tinkering with the programme.

Interested to know what Wendler would have advised me to do?!

The actual workout - OHP felt pretty good, I managed 4 reps for the top 1+ set at 65kg which is about what I predicted.

[atypical1]

Good question. I bet he would have agreed with your response regardless of what you chose to do. I don't think that the extra rest day is going to hurt anything and you did what you thought was right.

Still liking 5/3/1?

james

[NorthstarUK]

Thanks James, yeah really enjoying it, did my 1+ on the DL today and managed to get 6 reps out of 180kg when I only expected to get 5 which felt good.

I did 4 x 5 front squats for assistance and 3 x F dragon flags (12 reps), do you think i'd be better doing 4 x 10 for the front squats? I prefer the lower reps with a heavier weight as it hurts my wrists less with the clean grip! I assumed the main issue was not to go to failure on the assistance, though i'm concious Wendler recommends higher reps.

Any thoughts buddy??

[atypical1]

If you like doing the lower reps then I'd stick with them. You can see how you do with the low reps then go a month with higher reps and see which one helps you out more.

james

[NorthstarUK]

Had a bit of a sore twinge in my lower back for a while now, seems a little worse after the DL workout, though it felt ok actually doing the sets, even during the heavy set to failure.

A little worried about what to do on my squat workout on sunday now, If I can get through that ok then I have a week of light weights for the deload which might be enough for it to heal. But am wondering if to just leave the heavy squats or see how I feel after some light warm ups. Hmmmmmmm???????

[NorthstarUK]

Back felt fine on squats and managed to get 5 reps out of 150kg (could have got 6 but would have been ugly), infact my twinge has been much better since the workout! On the downside though, I came down with a stomach bug later in the afternoon which meant I could hardly eat, feeling ok now and trying to get as much in me as poss without being sick!

Starting the deload week on wednesday, not 100% sure how to deal with the assistance during the deload phase. I'm assuming I would just scale that down proportionately as well??

[NorthstarUK]

Nearly finished the deload phase of 5/3/1 which has felt really light!

The lower workload has affected my apetite too, so not been able to eat as much as usual, consequently lost a few pounds, which i hope to correct once I start the next loading phase later this week.

My weight and reps for the big top set of 1+ in week 3 for the first mesocycle are as follows:

OHP 62.5kg - 5 reps
DL 180kg - 6 reps
BP 110kg - 5 reps
Squat 150kg - 5 reps

[NorthstarUK]

Finally started the second cycle today after the 10 day deload, which felt like forever. I was worried i'd lose strength from it!

However.....

I did my OHP W/O today, the top set of 5+ was with 60kg which I thought I would struggle to get 5 out of, as my OHP tends to go up and down like a yoyo. I managed to get 8 good reps out which is one more than I got last cycle at 5+ and that was with 57.5kg. Pretty chuffed with that! I hope all the other lifts show the same progress!!

With regard to assistance, I was finding the pull ups tough, they seem to get disproportionately harder as B/W increases and I could only get 5 - 6 out without going to failure. So I did the last 2 sets on the lat pull down machine for 8 reps with about 85% B/W, which I realise makes me a heretic, not to mention a big fairy!

[Mouse]

I was finding the pull ups tough, they seem to get disproportionately harder as B/W increases and I could only get 5 - 6 out without going to failure.

I hear you on this.
I've made the decision to go for total reps even if that means more sets of lower reps.

[atypical1]

Good work on the OHP.

Your approach to pull ups is what I do for pull ups and dips. I pick a number and go for it until I get there. It seems to work for me.

james

[NorthstarUK]

I was finding the pull ups tough, they seem to get disproportionately harder as B/W increases and I could only get 5 - 6 out without going to failure.

I hear you on this.
I've made the decision to go for total reps even if that means more sets of lower reps.

Good thinking Mouse, might switch to that, just conscious that Wendler usually recommends higher reps for the assistance work.

[NorthstarUK]

Last 3 workouts of the 5+ cycle went well:

DL - 165kg - 9reps
BP - 95kg - 8 reps
SQ - 140kg - 9reps

Started 3+ cycle yesterday and got 6 reps at 62kg for OHP. BW not changed much in last couple of weeks mind.

[NorthstarUK]

Last W/O of the second micro-cycle, 3+ reps are as follows:

OHP - 62.5kg - 6reps
DL - 175kg - 8reps
BP - 100kg - 8reps
SQ - 145kg - 8reps

These reps are generally in line with my 3+ reps first time round which was with about 5% less weight, so it must be working!

Small increase in BW (2-3 lb) so far.

[NorthstarUK]

Completed all my 1+ reps in the big week as follows:

OHP - 65kg x 6 reps
DL - 185kg x 8 reps (!!)
BP - 105kg x 6 reps
SQ - 150kg x 7 reps

Happy with this progress as the reps are better than 1+ on last cycle even though weights have increased. Wendler sure knows his shit with this programme!!
I can't see myself stalling for ages.