5/3/1 Full Body--The Creation of a Beast

Beginning stats:
6'0". 185lbs.

Maxes:
Trap Bar Dead (belt): 340x9
16" Box Squat (belt): 285x5
Bench: 245x5
OHP: 160x5

Training Maxes for this cycle:
TB Dead: 370
16' Box Squat: 290
Bench: 240
OHP: 160
Hang Clean: 170

Focus for this cycle will be to push bench/squat, conditioning and flexibility. I've done basically no cardio this year--was gassed & went home after doing 6 100 yd sprints last week. Also, my flexibility is crap, which is why I'm doing box squats instead of regular back squats. I'd like to improve my mobility so I can do regular squats with a healthy back angle.

Workout 1:
Hang Cleans: 120x5, 135x5 150x5 (just doing required reps this week)
16" Box Squat: 135x5, 155x3, 195x5, 220x5, (belt) 245x12
1-legged strt leg deads: 3x70x5 each leg
DB Bench: 70x12, 70x10, 70x8
DB Rows: 3x100x10 each arm
Planks: 3 20 sec holds

Notes:
--Struggled with balance on the one-legged deads as I haven't done them in a while
--Don't really need a belt for that weight on squat, but want to keep it consistent across all weeks in using a belt for my last set. Plus, it's nice to get the extra reps the belt affords me.
--Last few reps on squat were sort of breathing reps.

6x~80 yard (40 yds, touch fence, sprint back) sprints at the park.

Pretty tired after this, which is embarrassing given that I basically covered a quarter mile.

Squat: 135x10, 155x10, 185x10
Bench: 135x5, 155x3 (followed by 8 pullups), 160x5 (5 pullups), 190x5 (5 pullups), 205x11
Pullups: 11, 7 (fail) + 3, 6+3+1
Tricep Pulldowns: 100x100 lbs (just took like 30 sec breaks. Got 26 reps w/o stopping at first. Was down to 5 by reps 95-100)
Curls: 45x5 (took 10-20 breaths b/t sets), x3, x3, x2
Situps on Decline Bench: 3x10

Notes:
--Was hoping to get 205x13. Fell two reps short.
--Back is feeling a little twingy but not too bad.

Wednesday 9/19:
Made it through 28 mins of a 45 minute Insanity workout I found online. Cardio needs work.

Thursday 9/20:
Squat: 135x10, 155x10, 185x10
Trap Bar Deadlift: 135x5, 185x3, 245x5, 280x5, (belt, touch and go) 315x13
OHP: 95x5, 115x5, 125x5, 135x10
Ghetto GHRs on Lat Pulldown: 3x6
Russian twists: 3x10

Did Insanity fit test for cardio today. Results:

Switch kicks--54
Power jacks--40
Power knees--63
Power jumps--32
Globe jumps--8
Suicide jumps--15
Pushup jacks--28
Oblique planks--33

Saturday was an off day.

Today's workout:
Power Cleans: 125x3, 140x3, 160x8 (not quite failure)
16" Box Squat: 205x3, 230x3, 260x10 (belt)
Incline DB Press: 60x15, x10, 10
DB Rows: 100x10x3 both arms
1-leg strt leg DL w/DBs: 70x6x3 each leg
Plank holds: 30 sec, 20 sec, 20 sec

Today's workout:
16" Box squat: 135x10, 155x10, 185x10
Bench: 175x3, 195x3, 215x10
Pullups: x10, x10, x8F, x2
Tricep pulldowns: 110lbs x100 reps (26 reps in 1st set, then banged out the rest in sets of 4-6 w/10-15 sec rests in b/t)
Situps on decline bench: 3x12

Was lazy and skipped cardio yesterday for no good reason.

Today's workout:
16" Box squat: 135x10, 155x10, 185x10
Trap Bar Deads: 260x3, 295x3, 330x12 (belt, kind of touch n' go)
OHP: 120x3, 130x3, 145x8
Pullups: BW + 25 lbs. 3x5, BW 3x5

Skipped working out Sunday. Went today instead. Results:

Hang Cleans: 135x5, 145x3, 160x1 (just the prescribed reps)
16" Box Squat: 220x5, 245x3, 270x9 (belt)
DB Bench: 70x3x10
DB Rows: 100x3x10 (each arm)
1 legged strt legged DL w/DBs: 70x3x8 (each leg)

Took an extra day off b/c lower back is starting to hurt a decent amount.

Today's workout:
Bench: 185x5, 205x3 230x8 (On the one hand, that's a rep record @ 230 for me, but I'd hoped to get 9.)
Pullups: 3x10 (kind of a struggle)
Triceps Pulldowns: 110lbsx100 rep across a bunch of sets, mostly 4-6 reps w/10-15 secs rest
Squats: 135x5, 155x5, 185x5 (did regular squats instead of box squats for first time in ages. Was a struggle to get to parallel. My flexibility is utter ****).
Facepulls: 30lbsx15, 40x15x2
Plank holds: 30 secs x 3

Squats: 135x5, 155x5, 185x5
Trap Bar DLs (touch and go): 275x5, 315x3, (belt) 350x10
OHP: 120x5, 135x3, 150x8
Pullups: 10, 5, 3

So this cycle lifts went from:
Box Sq: 285x5-->275x9
TB DL: 340x9-->350x10
Bench: 245x5-->230x8
OHP: 160x5->150x8

Pretty good progress. I didn't do as much to improve my cardio/flexibility. I'll deload next week and hopefully continue to increase my numbers next cycle.

Deload Week.

Regular Squat: 135x5, 155x5, 185x5
Front Squat: 135x5, 135x10
Incline Bench: 135x13, 155x10x2
Chest Supported Rows: 135x7, 90x10x2
Jogged home.

Bench: 135x5, 145x5, 155x5
CGBP: 135x10
Pullups: 12, 10, 10
Tricep Pulldowns: 110x50 (27 w/o stopping, then the rest in sets of 5-7)
Box squat ~14": 135x5, 155x5, 185x5, 135x9

Notes: Holy hell did lowering the box make it harder. My flexibility is so awful. I'm having major trouble controlling the descent at this height and can tell I'm plopping down on the box on some (maybe most) reps. 185x5 on the 14" box felt equally as difficult as 275x5 on the 16".

Last Friday's workout:
Squats: 14" box squats: 135x5, 155x5, 185x5.
Spent time trying to get to parallel with a regular squat. Can't do it even with a regular bar.
Trap Bar Deads: 150x5, 185x5, 225x5
OHP: 95x5, 105x5, 115x5

New cycle training maxes:
Squat--N/A going to take time to work on flexibility and get back to doing regular squats to parallel. My #1 goal is to do 315x5 on the back squat with good form by Christmas. That's essentially 10 weeks from today (12/23) b/c gym will be closed on Xmas and Xmas Eve.
Trap Bar Deadlift: 380
Bench: 245
OHP: 165
Hang Clean: 180

Instead of the full body 5/3/1 template, I plan to switch to the regular 4 day plan with one day dedicated to each of the big lifts. I'll also be doing light squats each day I'm in the gym just to work on form/improving my flexibility so I can reach a parallel squat.

OHP: 115x5, 122.5x5, 140x10
CGBP (using 170 as my training max): 115x10, 135x10, 150x10
Bicep curls: 35x10, x8, x8
Sets of 5 pullups b/t each work set of all 3 exercises

Lots of air squats, stretching and some squats with just the bar in a struggle to get near parallel.

Trap Bar deadlift: 245x5, 285x5, 325x15 (belt, touch n' go)
Front squats (using 200 as training max): 115x10, 135x10, 155xx10
Ghetto GHR: 3x8
Hanging leg raises: 3x5

--Getting to/near parallel on the front squat was a real struggle even after spending 20 mins warming up and stretching beforehand.

Bench: 150x5, 185x5, 210x11
Incline Bench: 115x10, 135x10, 150x10
DB Rows: 70x20x2
Pullups: 4, 6, 5
Skullcrushers: 40x15, 50x10, 50x10

Squats: 135x5, 155x5, 185x5, 205x5, 225x5x3 (First two w/o belt were difficult. Last with belt was easier.) None were near parallel. Still need a lot of flexibility work, which is why I'm not following the 5/3/1 protocol for squats. I think I need more reps to relearn how to perform the movement properly.
Strt Leg Deads: 135x10, 155x10, 185x10
Hang Cleans: 125x5, 140x5, 155x12

OHP: 120x3, 135x3, 150x9
CGBP: 120x8, 140x8, 160x6
Pullups: 12, 8, 7, a couple more sets of 4 & 5

Trap Bar Deadlift: 275x3, 305x3, 340x15 (belt, touch & go)
Front squat: 120x8, 140x8, 160x6 (getting to parallel felt a little bit easier this time. Still required like 20 mins of stretching).
Seated leg curls: 90x20, x15, x15
Like 2 sets of 5 hanging leg raises

Bench: 175x3, 195x3, 225x9 (failed a 10th rep and almost hurt myself)
Incline Bench: 120x8, 140x8, 160x6
DB Rows: 110x10x3
Dips: 13, 10, 15, 10
Agile 8 & jogged the .5 mi home.

Squats: 135x5, 155x3, 185x3, 205x3, 225x3, 245x5, 250x3 (belt), 250x1 (belt) basically a fail
Still not hitting parallel despite stretching for 20 mins beforehand. Form still feels awkward as ****, and even 250 feels heavy on my back even though I was high box squatting 285x9 a couple weeks ago.
Straight leg deads: 150x8, 175x8, 200x6

OHP: 125x5, 140x3, 155x6 Pretty disappointing. Was aiming for 8 reps.
CGBP: 140x6, 160x6, 180x5
Pullups: 10, 10, 7, 3

Trap Bar Deads: 285x5, 325x3, 360x12 (belt)
Hang Cleans: 135x5, 155x5, 175x5

Bench: 185x5, 210x3, 235x8 but spotter touched probably 5 of them. 8 was the # to get today, and I didn't feel like I was going to get 8 on my own, but I def would have gotten more than the 3 or 4 he allowed me to do unassisted.
Incline: 135x5, 155x5, 175x5 I have a lot of trouble pulling the bar off the rack on incline.
Rows: 110x12, 10, 10
Pullups: BW + 25x5x2
Skullcrushers: EZ Bar + 25s x8, x6

I seem to have lost some upper body strength in the past week. Not sure why. Both my OHP & bench were less than expected.

Just took 4 days off, so not doing a deload week.

Training Maxes for this cycle:
Front squat: 205
TB Dead: 390
Bench: 250
OHP: 170
Hang Clean: 190

Today's workout:
Front squat Work Sets: 135x5, 155x5, 175x10 (some pausing at top on last few reps)
Front squat Accessory Sets: 115x10x2
Strt Leg Deads: 135x10, 155x10, 185x10

Bench Work Sets: 165x5, 190x5, 215x5, 250x1
Bench Accessory: 135x10x5
Pullups: 10, 7, 5, 5, 5 a bunch more sets of 2-4 to get to 50 total
Face Pulls: 50lbs 3x10
Tricep Pushdowns: 120x10x3
EZ Curl + 25s: 10x1
Jogged home .6 mi.