CJ's Workout Journal

[chrisboudreaux]

Welcome! This will be my third journal I've started on bb.com. The first one was a standard journal, but I quit lifting for a few weeks and never got back into the journal. I then began a new journal geared towards powerlifting using Jim Wendler's 5/3/1. Finally, this journal will take the linear progressions from 5/3/1 but I do not want it to be a "modified" 5/3/1 so this will be my new workout log.

Workout split: (5 days)

Chest
Back
Shoulders
Legs
Arms

Rest days will come whenever I feel the need as I do not like forcing myself to do a certain body part on a specific date. I try to listen to my body. This new split will be similar in a sense to 5/3/1 since I will be following the same progressions on the main barbell lifts from 5/3/1. However, I will be adding more volume into the workouts. The goal of this split is for the main barbell exercise to be geared towards strength and the assistance to be towards hypertrophy. Lastly, deload weeks will come every 4 weeks or sometimes every 6 weeks depending on how I feel. I feel that deloading with my new split will be much more effective for me.

[chrisboudreaux]

Weight: 192lbs

Flat Bench Press: 135x5, 155x5, 180x11
DB Chest Press: 65x10x4, 65x6
DB Rows: 65x10x4

Notes:

I tried to not rest much between sets on the DB movements and I could tell this affected my strength. I had an incredible pump and I still have it today. (this was a few days ago)

[chrisboudreaux]

Weight: 193lbs

Deadlift: 250x5, 280x5, 325x5, 385x1, 405x1
Lat pulldowns: 60x10, 120x10, 150x6
Seated Cable rows (v bar): 120x10, 150x8, 100x12
Hammer Strength Iso Rows: 180x6x3
Hammer Strength Pullovers: 3 sets of 6x10

Notes:

Deadlifts were grinders, but I pulled through it. I believe I will not max for a few weeks and then try to test my true deadlift max. I'm hoping I can get 415 or 425. I'm pretty satisfied with the workout but deadlifting by itself must've taken 30-40 minutes. It really sucks to keep loading and unloading the barbell by yourself.

[edwinb]

Weight: 193lbs

Deadlift: 250x5, 280x5, 325x5, 385x1, 405x1
Lat pulldowns: 60x10, 120x10, 150x6
Seated Cable rows (v bar): 120x10, 150x8, 100x12
Hammer Strength Iso Rows: 180x6x3
Hammer Strength Pullovers: 3 sets of 6x10

Notes:

Deadlifts were grinders, but I pulled through it. I believe I will not max for a few weeks and then try to test my true deadlift max. I'm hoping I can get 415 or 425. I'm pretty satisfied with the workout but deadlifting by itself must've taken 30-40 minutes. It really sucks to keep loading and unloading the barbell by yourself.

Making me follow you over here I see

Were there some warm up sets or did you jump right in at 250?
250x5, 63(ish)%
280x5, 70%
325x5, 80%
385x1, 95%
405x1 100%?

405 is damn respectable. Was this a planned ramp up to a max attempt or just decided to?
When you plan it again bump down the 70% and 80% to just a rep or 2. 5 reps at 80% is going to inhibit most peoples maximal attempt for that session. Hopefully I can catch up with you by this summer

Subbed

[chrisboudreaux]

Making me follow you over here I see

Haha Thanks ed!
Were there some warm up sets or did you jump right in at 250?
250x5, 63(ish)%
280x5, 70%
325x5, 80%
385x1, 95%
405x1 100%?

I warmed up with 135x5 and 225x5 and then jumped into 250x5. 405x1 is currently my 100% max so I just decided to try it again instead of beating it.

405 is damn respectable. Was this a planned ramp up to a max attempt or just decided to?
When you plan it again bump down the 70% and 80% to just a rep or 2. 5 reps at 80% is going to inhibit most peoples maximal attempt for that session. Hopefully I can catch up with you by this summer

Thanks again Ed! I really enjoy deadlifting and I read an article a while back by Eric Cressey that really made me want to deadlift 405x1. He said most trainees should be able to deadlift 405x1 by at least 1.5-2 yrs of lifting. I'm currently around 1.5 yrs.

It wasn't really planned. I just decided to go heavy today.
Subbed

I think next time I plan on deadlifting I will try and do that. I think you will pass me sooner than that the way you are progressing! Also, I should mention that the 405x1 was with straps. I used chalk for all other lifts. oh and for all lifts greater than 325, I used a belt.

[Ironlife]

Solid stuff chris in!

[chrisboudreaux]

Solid stuff chris in!

Thanks bro!

[chrisboudreaux]

Today was an offday, but I decided to do 30minutes cardio. I wanted to do the stair climber, but the machine is still broken so I substituted with a treadmill on the steepest incline.

I just purchased these shoes today. I think I will like them.

[Ironlife]

Today was an offday, but I decided to do 30minutes cardio. I wanted to do the stair climber, but the machine is still broken so I substituted with a treadmill on the steepest incline.

I just purchased these shoes today. I think I will like them.

Very nice shoes man! How much they set you back>

[chrisboudreaux]

Very nice shoes man! How much they set you back>

Thanks! about $50 or 51.25 AUD ( I had no idea the exchange rate was so close to 1)

[chrisboudreaux]

Seated OH Press: 65x5, 97.5x5, 115x5, 127.5x12
Seated DB Press: 50x8, 60x7, 70x2
Front DB raises: 25x8x2, 20x8
Side Cable raises: 15x10x2
Bent over rear cable flies: 25x8x2
Face Pulls: 25x15, 50x15, 80x12

Notes: I felt super strong today! I was just repping that barbell like nothing. Hopefully I can get 155x5 that would be cool, but I won't test that for awhile. I know i've gotten stronger because I never could throw up the 70lb dumbbells and I threw them up for 2 AFTER the barbell press.

COME AT ME BRO!

[edwinb]

Seated OH Press: 65x5, 97.5x5, 115x5, 127.5x12
Seated DB Press: 50x8, 60x7, 70x2
Front DB raises: 25x8x2, 20x8
Side Cable raises: 15x10x2
Bent over rear cable flies: 25x8x2
Face Pulls: 25x15, 50x15, 80x12

Notes: I felt super strong today! I was just repping that barbell like nothing. Hopefully I can get 155x5 that would be cool, but I won't test that for awhile. I know i've gotten stronger because I never could throw up the 70lb dumbbells and I threw them up for 2 AFTER the barbell press.

COME AT ME BRO!

Nice pressing there, lots of volume on the isolation stuff too. How long did that take you to run through?

On your DB press are you doing one hand at a time or both ?

[chrisboudreaux]

Nice pressing there, lots of volume on the isolation stuff too. How long did that take you to run through?

On your DB press are you doing one hand at a time or both ?

It really didn't take too long. I didn't rest long at all between those shoulder raises and isolation exercises.

I usually do DB presses simultaneously. I haven't done one arm presses in a LONG time.

[chrisboudreaux]

Squats: barx5, 135x5, 177.5x5, 205x5, 232.5x10
Leg curls: 5 sets of 240x10
Romanian deads: barx10, bar x10, 135x5, 135x5 (mostly done for a stretch)
Standing one leg curls: 20x10, 30x10
seated calf raises: 90x12, 135x10
Horizontal hack squats: 160x12, 240x8

notes:

Decent PR. Another lifter came to my rescue today (ok not really) when he saw me strugglin on my eighth rep. I had some safety bars so I don't know what he was afraid of, but I appreciated the kind gesture at the same time.

I finally set a PR on the seated leg curls so I'll now try to bump those up next time. Finally, as one can tell, my lifts were geared towards hams. Hopefully, I can focus more on hams so I won't lack that weakness most lifters have since quads are pretty easy to grow IMO.

[chrisboudreaux]

BW Dips: 4 sets of 15
Tricep pushdowns: 80x10, 120x10, 150x8
CG Bench: 135x10, 155x5, 155x4
One arm db french curl: 20x10, 25x8, 20x10
Preacher curls: 45x8, 70x8, 70x8, 45x10, 45x10
Hammer curls: 2 sets of 30x8
Seated db curls: 2 sets of 20x10

[chrisboudreaux]

BB Bench: Warmup, 147.5x3, 167.5x3, 190x11
DB Bench: 70x10, 70x7, 50x10,50x10,50x10
Chest flies on machine: 5 sets of 100x10

rotator cuff work afterwards.

Notes: I really shocked myself with the new PR. I had a spotter come assist me and he asked me how much I was trying to get. I told him maybe 8 or 9, but that was so easy I went for more. I'm not quite sure if he helped me on the 11th rep, but I believe he didn't. I had my eyes closed for a brief second and when I looked at the bar, his hands weren't on it.

DB bench was way too heavy. I guess I was exhausted so I dropped it down to 50 which prob was too light, but it's ok.

[edwinb]

BB Bench: Warmup, 147.5x3, 167.5x3, 190x11
DB Bench: 70x10, 70x7, 50x10,50x10,50x10
Chest flies on machine: 5 sets of 100x10

rotator cuff work afterwards.

Notes: I really shocked myself with the new PR. I had a spotter come assist me and he asked me how much I was trying to get. I told him maybe 8 or 9, but that was so easy I went for more. I'm not quite sure if he helped me on the 11th rep, but I believe he didn't. I had my eyes closed for a brief second and when I looked at the bar, his hands weren't on it.

DB bench was way too heavy. I guess I was exhausted so I dropped it down to 50 which prob was too light, but it's ok.

Congratulations on the PR there Chris. Your barbell bench programming looks a little similar to what Ironlife is doing, though that may just be coincidental for this one session.

Next bench session are you moving up to 195-200 for your upper work session, or adding another set in at 190?

[chrisboudreaux]

Congratulations on the PR there Chris. Your barbell bench programming looks a little similar to what Ironlife is doing, though that may just be coincidental for this one session.

Next bench session are you moving up to 195-200 for your upper work session, or adding another set in at 190?

Thanks! It's probably no coincidence since we are presumably both doing linear progressions. Next week I will rep 200 for max reps so yes, you are correct. I'll then deload, and start a new 3 week cycle with 182.5, 195, and 205 all for max reps each week.

[chrisboudreaux]

Deadlifts: 280x3, 310x3, 345x3
Seated Rows (Vbar): 100x10, 160x10, 160x8, 160x8
CG Lat Pulldowns (Vbar): 160x6, 140x6, 140x6
Hammer Strength ISO lat machine: 90x10, 180x8, 200x8, 180x8
Hammer Strength Pullover Machine: 3 sets of 6x10

Notes:

310x3 on the deadlift came up SOO easy, but 345x3 I really struggled with. I'm pretty happy, but I may start doing barbell rows again. I'll see how that goes.

[chrisboudreaux]

Seated OH Press: 105x3, 120x3, 135x10
Seated DB Shoulder Press: 55x10, 55x8, 55x7
Cable Front raises: 3 sets of 15x10 for each arm
Reverse shoulder flies: 3 sets of 50x10
Side lateral machine: 3 sets of 50x10
Barbell Shrugs: 225x10, 315x10, 405x8

Notes:

I'm still pleased with my OH press progress although last cycle I was able to get 137.5x9 so it's barely a PR. This was the first time in MONTHS I've done shrugs and man are they still sore! 40x8 had crappy ROM.

[chrisboudreaux]

Squats: 65x5, 135x5, 192.5x3, 220x3, 247.5x8
Hack squats: 90x10, 180x5
Leg Curls: 5 sets of 255x10
standing one leg curl: 3 sets of 30x10
seated calf raises: 90x10, 140x10, 90x15

Notes: I didn't make a new PR on squats, but I am still progressing through the program so that's good. New PR on leg curls, but some of the reps were probably not so good.

[chrisboudreaux]

Triceps

Dips: 2 sets of 15, 1 set of 10 --> all within about 3 minutes tops.
Tricep pushdowns: 120x10, 150x10, 150x6
Overhead extensions: 3 sets of 100x10
DB french curls: 30x10, 30x8, 25x10

Biceps
Preacher curl machine: 45x10, 70x8, 70x8, 45x10
Standing curls: 3 sets of 30x10
Hammer curls: 1 set of 35x10

[chrisboudreaux]

Bench: 155x5, 177.5x3, 200x7
DB Chest Press: 5 sets of 55x10
Flies:

[SgSpartan]

Doing 5/3/1? This: http://articles.elitefts.com/article...531-questions/ might be a good read for you.

[edwinb]

Bench: 155x5, 177.5x3, 200x7
DB Chest Press: 5 sets of 55x10
Flies:

Looks like back to back Bench PRs - good work there Mr. Boudreaux!

For your back workout is it dead or row for your barbell movements? Looks like your transitioning to a BB style workout but still incorporating a good bit of compoinds.

[chrisboudreaux]

Looks like back to back Bench PRs - good work there Mr. Boudreaux!

Thanks!
For your back workout is it dead or row for your barbell movements?


It's Deadlift right now. Eventually I would like to use barbell rows as the main movement. For now, I may just have it as "assistance."

Looks like your transitioning to a BB style workout but still incorporating a good bit of compounds.

Yea that's pretty much the plan. I'm trying to gain some strength in the main barbell lifts and do some hypertrophy with the assistance. a little more volume than the typical 5/3/1 workout.

In Bold

[chrisboudreaux]

Doing 5/3/1? This: http://articles.elitefts.com/article...531-questions/ might be a good read for you.

You know, you've already posted this comment on my old 5/3/1 thread. You also don't rep back like you claim....

[chrisboudreaux]

Deadlifts: 135x5, 225x5, 287.5x5, 327.5x3, 365x1, 405x1, 415x0
BB Rows: 135x10, 2 sets of 185x5
Seated Cable rows (Vbar): 120x10, 160x8, 160x6
WG Pullups: BWx6
WG Lat pulldowns: 3 sets of 130x8
Hammer strength iso row machine: 180x8, 210,6, 180x8
Preacher curl machine: 45x10, 80x5, 80x5, 45x10
DB Hammer curls: 40x6, 30x5

[edwinb]

Deadlifts: 135x5, 225x5, 287.5x5, 327.5x3, 365x1, 405x1, 415x0
BB Rows: 135x10, 2 sets of 185x5
Seated Cable rows (Vbar): 120x10, 160x8, 160x6
WG Pullups: BWx6
WG Lat pulldowns: 3 sets of 130x8
Hammer strength iso row machine: 180x8, 210,6, 180x8
Preacher curl machine: 45x10, 80x5, 80x5, 45x10
DB Hammer curls: 40x6, 30x5

That's a ton of volume there , 280 is close to 70% for you? Nice higher end singles there after the 5 x 5, and 5 x 3. Were you just smoked by the time you got to 415?

[chrisboudreaux]

That's a ton of volume there , 280 is close to 70% for you? Nice higher end singles there after the 5 x 5, and 5 x 3. Were you just smoked by the time you got to 415?

Probably so. the warmups were 135x5 and 225x5. Then I had 287.5x5, 327.5x3, and 365x1. 405 was just an afterthought as was 415x1. Yes, 280 is about 70% since 405 is my max.