Getting Weights Up

[tri-terror]

This is my journal as I start on my first ever 5x5 program. I'm following the madcow version to the letter. I had a layoff from bodybuilding for several years, got back into last year with a DC blast, but had a elbow injury and later on I blew a hernia at work so I spent the whole last six months of 09 not able to do much of anything. Currently feeling good though and I'm five weeks into working out again. I did four weeks working M W F hitting each bodypart once per week with one work set rest paused for 15-20 reps.
I'm starting the 5x5 to get my weights up on the major lifts, especially squat and deadlift. I'm going to run it for 12 weeks and re assess at the end. Hopefully I'll put on some good muscle all around.
By the end of the year my goals are to squat and deadlift over 400, I want to bench 315 for reps, and military press 225. Pretty lofty I know, but I think I can get close.

 

[tri-terror]

Monday 4/5/10

Squat
130x5
160x5
190x5
225x5
255x5

Bench
105x5
135x5
155x5
185x5
210x5

Barbell Row
85x5
110x5
130x5
150x5
170x5

 

[tri-terror]

Wed. 4/7/10

Squat
140x5
175x5
210x5
210x5

Incline Bench
115x5
135x5
155x5
175x5
225x6(didn't even know my own strength. first time lifting this much on incline)

Deadlift
160x5
190x5
225x5
255x5

 

[tri-terror]

Fri. 4/9/10

Squat
135x5
160x5
190x5
225x5
260x3
190x8

Bench
135x5
155x5
175x5
200x5
235x3
175x8

Barbell Row
95x5
120x5
140x5
170x5
195x3
140x8

 

[tri-terror]

So I fell after my last workout and bruised my tailbone. Ive been unable to do legs for a couple weeks so I couldn't do my 5x5 anymore. I went to a low volume higher intensity for now.

4/22/2010

Incline Bench 250x5
Flat Dbell Press 100x6
Standing military 155x6
Standing lateral raise 35x8
Close grip bench 175x8
tricep press down 170x12

All sets after 2-3 warmups and done to failure.

 

[tri-terror]

4/24/2010

Barbell Row 225x6, 225x5
1 arm dbell row 110x8
barbell curl 95x8(these really hurt my right wrist from a old injury)
Preacher dbell curl 40x6, 35x8
Rack Deadlift 275x5, 315x2, 245x8

 

[tri-terror]

4/26/2010

Bench Press 285x7
Incline Flys 50x12
Seated Military 185x8
Close grip bench 205x8
tricep pressdown 200x10x3x5 RP

 

[tri-terror]

4/28/2010

Deadlifts
135x10
225x5
275x5
275x5
315x4 I tried this with my shoes off, and wow did it make a difference!

Barbell Row
225x5 (overhand grip), 225x4 (underhand)
175x9
I have determined that I really shouldn't be doing Deads and rows in the same workout. The deads just took too much out of my lower back and my grip.

Tbar Rows
2 platesx10
3x10
4x8
4x8
We don't have a machine of anykind at my gym for this so I just used a barbell stuck in the corner.

Rear Lateral Raises on a bench.
I did these on a low incline bench with my the top of the bench just under my pecs. it was pretty awesome, and really took out any cheating movement. I saw Jay Cutler do these in a vid the other day and thought I would try it out.
30x10
35x10
40x9
45x6

Standing Alt. Dbell curl
45x9x5x3 RP

Preacher Dbell curl
35x7

Hammer Curl 45x9

 

[tri-terror]

Well my tailbone is feeling better so I'm back at it. I'm changing it up though. I'm going from a 5x5 to the 5/3/1, I like that it is a combination of %based progression on the big lifts and a little more volume for BB. I feel it is the best combo for what I want to accomplish in the next year.

Standing Military Press
warmed up with the bar and then 95lbs
125x5
145x5
165x8
Question for anyone looking at this: why do standing presses feel harder than sitting? I was doing 185 sitting last week and the 165 today felt about as hard.

Assistance work:
DB Incline Press
40x10
60x10
100x10 (this was an awesome set, reps 9 and 10 were really hard)

Dips
BWx10
BWx5
These were pretty hard, my tris were fried from the militarys and inclines.

DB Row
40x10
60x10
100x10

TBar Row
2 platesx15
3x12
4x12
These felt really good, and I love leaving the gym after something intense.

 

[tri-terror]

5/3/2010

Deadlift
135x10
195x5
225x5
255x8

Assistance work:
Hack Squat
70x10
1 plate each sidex10
2x10 and fuck me did this kick my ass!
I did these like Dante(I think, I know I read it on this board), says. Feet up near the top and ass to the grass. I tried to do three plates on each side, haha no not happening! I got to the bottom and couldn't even get it up once.

I tried to do leg curls but I have this nagging and weird injury where my right hammie connects to my calf area. I get a pretty bad pain when I flex my leg back with any weight on it, more in my calf area. It feels like an attachment of some sort. Doesn't bother me on deads, squats or hacks just the damn leg curl. Weird.

So I did BW hypers 15 reps x2

Spider curls
30x10
40x14RP

 

[tri-terror]

5/5/2010

Flat Bench Press (I think my next mesocycle I'm swapping this out for decline. It really hits my tris and delts more than anything.
135x12
190x5
215x5
245x10

Assistance work:
DB Bench
60x10
80x10
110x4 This was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I did 10 reps with 100 on incline DB on Mon so I thought this would be a breeze. Oh well, next week.

DB Military
55x8
65x6

Bent over seated Laterals
40x10
50x8

Wide Grip Rack Chins
BWx16RP

Barbell Rows
135x10
185x8
205x10

Dead Triceps
75x10
95x10
115x6

 

[tri-terror]

5/6/2010

Today is my core Squat day, with assistance for hammies, abs and bis
but it was about to storm and I rode my scooter to the gym so I headed out after my squats and did some bis at home.

Squat
Warmup 135x5
205x5
230x5
265x6
every rep ass to the floor

Assistance
DB preacher curls on incline bench
25x11
35x16 RP

100 crunches

 

[tri-terror]

5/09/2010 (this starts my "3" week)

Standing Military Press
warmup barx10 95x10
135x3
155x3
175x6

Assistance:
Incline Bench
135x10
185x8
225x8
245x6
265x3 (PR for weight and reps, previous was 250x5)

DB Row
80x10
95x10
110x10 pretty good set

Supersets of close grip bench and T-bar rows:
CB 135x10 TBar 90x10
185x10 135x10
210x8(PR) 190x10(PR)

 

[tri-terror]

5/10/10

Deadlift
warmup 135x10
210x3
240x3
270x6

Assistance:
Hack Squats
90x10
180x10
200x10

Sumo Press super sets with DC style calf press on leg press
180x12 x10
270x12 x10
360x10 x10

Adductor Machine
137x15
175x15

Abductor machine
150x15
175x15

Preacher Hammer Curls
30x10
35x8
40x8

Magnum Ab Machine
200x50 SS

 

[tri-terror]

5/12
Got to gym late, so only core exercise for 5/3/1 and some rows

Flat Bench Press
Warm ups- 135x15 185x5
205x3
230x3
260x8

Barbell Rows
135x12
185x10
205x10
225x10

 

[tri-terror]

5/13/2010

Squat
warm up 135x5 185x5
215x3
245x3
280x6

Assistance work:
Leg Press
8 platesx15
10x12
12x6

Stiff Legged Dead Lift
135x10
155x10
175x10 and my hammies are sore, haven't done these in a while

Preacher DB curl
35x10
40x10
45x4 I really thought I could hammer out 6-8 since I did 10 with 40 but this was really hard.

 

[tri-terror]

Wed. 5/19

Bench Press
215x5
245x3
275x7

Assistance:
Barbell Rows
135x10
245x7
225x10

Flat DB Press
90x12
100x7

Standing Laterals
40x10
45x8(did 10 but the last 2 were with some english)

 

[tri-terror]

5/21
forgot my logbook, so I wrote down on a sheet of paper and have since lost it, but it was my squat day.

 

[tri-terror]

5/24 Began my deload week today and also started doing cardio and dieting. I'm working my way onto a keto diet, but I haven't gotten all the way through Lyle's book yet so right now I'm limiting my carbs on non training days to 50g and 100g on training days.

Military Press
5x75
5x95
5x115

Deadlift
135x5
155x5
185x5

Incline bench
95x15
135x15
155x15

Wide grip pulldowns
100x15
125x15
150x15

Magnum Lat row machine
100x15
112x15

Preacher DB curl
20x12
25x12

Rope pressdown
100x15
120x15
140x10

30 min on eliptical, HR=150

 

[tri-terror]

5/26
just cardio, eliptical x 30 min HR 150