The Vegetarian Buddhist Aspiring Powerlifter

[sonnydfrizzy]

Bruh my mouth dropped looking at your OHP holy smokes haha

So you are vegetarian. Does that mean you eat eggs and dairy?

[KrazyEyezKillah]

Bruh my mouth dropped looking at your OHP holy smokes haha

So you are vegetarian. Does that mean you eat eggs and dairy?

Hell yes, would be dead and gone without my dairy. I drink maybe 3/4 of a gallon of milk a day, lots of Greek yogurts, whey, sometimes eggs, cheese, etc.
Thanks my friend. OHP has been doing really well lately. 5/3/1 was real useful in getting it stronger, and from there I derived the mentality that it is a main lift and deserves as much work and attention as the bench press.

Last night: I was able to squat. I was freaked out about my low back so I didn't do any AMRAPs or anything, but overall it felt alright. After that I took it easy.

Squat Day

Squat

385x3
385x3
385x3

Leg Curl
200 stack x 9
190x10
180x14
170x18
160x??

Lat Pulldown w/ weird special handle
255x8
265x8

Leg Press Calves
505x23
505x20
505x18
505x15

Off today, benching tomorrow. Not sure about Friday. Deadlifting is likely a very bad idea.

[KrazyEyezKillah]

Was expecting today's workout to be not good, I was pretty tired and 5x5 day tends to be the hardest. But, overall, solid!

Bench Day

Bench Press
270x5
270x5
270x5
270x5
270x5

Pin Presses
185x3
225x3
265x6

Incline Smith
225x5
225x6
I hate this exercise lmao.

Pec Fly Machine
295x21

EZ Bar Skullcrushers
135x10
135x10
135x10

[sonnydfrizzy]

What's the reasoning of doing the smith machine on incline? Just curious!
Also, worrrrrd with the eggs and dairy products. I hate what they do to my intestines but love the ease of consumption of my protein intake

Keep hustlin cuh

[KrazyEyezKillah]

What's the reasoning of doing the smith machine on incline? Just curious!
Also, worrrrrd with the eggs and dairy products. I hate what they do to my intestines but love the ease of consumption of my protein intake

Keep hustlin cuh

There is no reasoning, I just wanted to do them since my primary pressing movements were done and I wanted an incline. My gym doesn't have a barbell incline bench so I did smith, but incline pressing seems to generally not agree with my shoulders. Especially smith. Will stick to flys, if I feel the need.

Dude, sometimes my stomach feels not so good with so much dairy. Usually I'm alright though. I just chit a lot from all the milk lmao.

[sonnydfrizzy]

There is no reasoning, I just wanted to do them since my primary pressing movements were done and I wanted an incline. My gym doesn't have a barbell incline bench so I did smith, but incline pressing seems to generally not agree with my shoulders. Especially smith. Will stick to flys, if I feel the need.

I just pull a bench up to the power rack and set it up on a low incline. Nobody squats anyway
Try a lower incline doe srs. It hits clavicular fibers soooo much harder and takes the anterior delt out of the movement. Like 15 degree incline is sufficient.

Dude, sometimes my stomach feels not so good with so much dairy. Usually I'm alright though. I just chit a lot from all the milk lmao.

Dasss me lol
I make sure when I know I am going out later or whatever to not eat:
eggs
oats
milk
cottage cheese
yogurt

Those tend to destroy my gut lol

[KrazyEyezKillah]

I just pull a bench up to the power rack and set it up on a low incline. Nobody squats anyway
Try a lower incline doe srs. It hits clavicular fibers soooo much harder and takes the anterior delt out of the movement. Like 15 degree incline is sufficient.


Dasss me lol
I make sure when I know I am going out later or whatever to not eat:
eggs
oats
milk
cottage cheese
yogurt

Those tend to destroy my gut lol

Appreciate the advice brah, I have indeed done 15 degree incline and still do sometimes. Honestly, lately I'm not seeing much benefit to my flat bench from doing incline, and that's pretty much what I'm focused on.

Damn dude! I guess dairy really doesn't agree with you :/ I would say I get 1000+ calories a day from milk alone.

Good day today - I actually did deadlift and didn't get hurt which was obviously nice.

Deadlift Day

Sumo Deadlift
390x3
390x3
390x3

High Bar Paused Raw Squat
295x3
295x3
295x3

Straight Arm Pulldowns
170x12
180x9
190x6

Chin-ups
BW x 25
BW x 20

EZ Bar Preacher Curl
135x8
135x8
135x8
135x8
135x8

[KrazyEyezKillah]

Well, today was beast.

Overhead Press Day

Overhead Press
195x3
195x3
195x4
205x1
210x1

Speed Bench
262x2
262x2
262x2
262x2
262x2
262x2
262x2
262x2

Facepulls
145x15
150x14
155x13
160x12

Seated Laterals
35x17
35x15

Rotator Cuff Work

Think I'm likely very close to the 2 plate OHP if I try it fresh. Can probably get 215-220 right now.

[sonnydfrizzy]

Fuaaaarkkkkk brah ^^^^^^^

Mirin

Have you always been naturally strong?

[Dan3317]

Nice OHP man! I'm trying to hit 225 as well, I'm right about where you are on them.

[KrazyEyezKillah]

Fuaaaarkkkkk brah ^^^^^^^

Mirin

Have you always been naturally strong?

Thanks man. ahaha no, I began lifting weighing around 110 lbs with maybe a 90 lb bench press and squat. I remember trying to curl 15 lb dumbbells and my friend had to come stop me and hand me the 10's because he said I looked like I was about to hurt myself!

Nice OHP man! I'm trying to hit 225 as well, I'm right about where you are on them.

Thanks friend. Certainly my favorite lift - will be nice to hit the 225. Let's do it.

[KrazyEyezKillah]

A short, moderately difficult session. 5x5 squat is certainly the most mentally grueling day in my program, and it was hot today and I was wearing a wife beater so the bar kept sliding down my back because of the sweat. But, it did go well overall. Probably a bit easier than 355 5x5 a few weeks ago. Did some deficit conventional just because I don't want to lose my feel for conventional while mainly focusing on sumo.

Squat Day

Squat

360x5
360x5
360x5
360x5
360x5
Whoof.

Deficit Deadlift
275x a lot
315x a lot
365x1
365x1

Leg Press Calves
510x21
510x19
510x17
510x15

Gonna rest my ass tomorrow, come back and hit bench hard on Wednesday.

[KrazyEyezKillah]

Sweet bench day! This **** is going well.

Bench Day

Bench Press
285x4
285x4
285x4
285x5
Hoozah! A new 5 RM by 10 lbs, AFTER 3 sets of 4!

Dumbbell Bench
100s x 17
80s x 21
Lol, I can only high rep for one set and then I'm beat.

Incline Bench
185x7
185x7

EZ Bar Skullcrushers
140x10
140x10
140x10

[sonnydfrizzy]

Holy smokes man!!!
Not sherrif srs 100x17

Matt Ogus dat you?? Lol

Question: If you were to compete in a PL meet, would it be tested or untested event?
Feel me?

[nwskier]

sweet benching. definitely good for 335+
that 100x17 is a badass repout

[KrazyEyezKillah]

Holy smokes man!!!
Not sherrif srs 100x17

Matt Ogus dat you?? Lol

Question: If you were to compete in a PL meet, would it be tested or untested event?
Feel me?

I feel you, tested. I am actually a recovering addict man, been sober for nearly 6 years, and good old orange juice is a little too close to home for me, nomsayin? At this point, I think I'm one of those dudes who is never going to make the jump.

sweet benching. definitely good for 335+
that 100x17 is a badass repout

Thanks breh. 335 would be sweet af..sadly my repping ability is much better than my maxing ability, so I'm not sure. Definitely can do 325-330.

Nice day today, nothing too hard.

Deadlift Day

Sumo Deadlift
395x3
395x3
395x3

High Bar Paused Raw Squat
300x3
300x3
300x3

Seal Rows
235x8
255x4
235x10

Chin-ups
BW x 28
Wow!
BW x 21
Not deadhang, but always close.

EZ Preacher Curl
145x8
145x8
Not super pretty.

Cable Double Bicep Curl
100x12
110x8
120x?

[sooby]

good stuff on the chins bro I don't think I could do even 8 in a row lol. strong curl too

[sonnydfrizzy]

How do you program your deadlifts??

Also, great job on the chins man!!

[KrazyEyezKillah]

good stuff on the chins bro I don't think I could do even 8 in a row lol. strong curl too

How do you program your deadlifts??

Also, great job on the chins man!!

Thanks dudes. I used to think I had a shot at the world record weighted chin, but was still something like 50 lbs off...oneday.

Deadlift programming is a simple 3x3 adding 5 lbs each session for now. My body seems to respond ridiculously well to 3x3 (which is why it is one of the days in the program I wrote for my OHP, squat, and bench). It seems to be working okay for deadlifting, and doing multiple sets is helping me get re-accustomed to sumo.

No lifting today, took it easy. OHP tomorrow, which I think is supposed to be 175 5x5. Hope all is well with you guys.

[gomil]

In. I've been lacto ovo too throughout life (recently started exploring the poultry/fish hub occasionally). Life without dairy and eggs is almost unimaginable.

[KrazyEyezKillah]

In. I've been lacto ovo too throughout life (recently started exploring the poultry/fish hub occasionally). Life without dairy and eggs is almost unimaginable.

I couldn't do it. I need dairy.

Good workout, OHP was a bit harder than expected.

Overhead Press Day

Overhead Press
175x5
175x5
175x5
175x5
175x5

Speed Bench
277x2
277x2
277x2
277x2
277x2
277x2

Facepulls
150x15
155x14
160x13
165x12
170x11
I think.

Seated Laterals
35x18
30x25

Shrugs
455x20
405x32

Rotator Cuff Work

[KrazyEyezKillah]

Quick squat workout since I didn't have much time.

Squat Day

Squat
375x4
375x4
375x4
375x4

DB Stiff Leg Deadlifts
100 x a lot
100 x a lot

Leg Press Calves
515x22
515x19
515x16

[Neverenough43]

Quick squat workout since I didn't have much time.

Squat Day

Squat
375x4
375x4
375x4
375x4

DB Stiff Leg Deadlifts
100 x a lot
100 x a lot

Leg Press Calves
515x22
515x19
515x16

Dang bro awesome progress I see you! So what programming you running now, still 531?

[pjshaun]

Nice strength mate. What's your diet plan like? How do you get your protein being a vegetarian?

[KrazyEyezKillah]

Dang bro awesome progress I see you! So what programming you running now, still 531?

Awesome to have you around brother. Nah, now I'm running my own thing, which is essentially 5x5, 4x4, and 3x3 for the main lifts, with weight obviously being lowest on the 5x5 day and increasing as volume decreases. It has worked really, really fuking well for me thus far, especially for the pressing. I did a write-up on it that I can post in here soon if people want.

Nice strength mate. What's your diet plan like? How do you get your protein being a vegetarian?

Thanks dude. Diet is pretty much IIFYM with just no meat or fish. Right now I'm eating 3600 - 3700 calories a day (counting relatively loosely since I eat out a fair amount) and getting roughly 1 gram of protein per pound of BW. I get protein from milk, Naked drinks, nuts, whey, pasta, eggs, Greek yogurt, etc.

[Neverenough43]

Yeah post it man! I would like to see how you do it for the pressing, mine needs work to catch up to you haha

[KrazyEyezKillah]

Yeah post it man! I would like to see how you do it for the pressing, mine needs work to catch up to you haha

Will post under this post.

Bench Day

Bench Press
295x3
295x3
295x3
Was tired, no repout.

Pin Press
225x3
270x6
300x1

Incline DB Fly
70x10
75x10

Skullcrushers
145x10
145x10
145x10

Pushdowns - Giant Drop Set

Feeling tired lately, just started a third part-time job that requires me to get up quite early, and I like staying up late...Meh..

[KrazyEyezKillah]

FOR ANYONE WONDERING ABOUT MY PROGRAM: HERE IS THE WRITE-UP I MADE FOR WHAT I AM CURRENTLY DOING FOR MY OHP, SQUAT AND BENCH


KILLAH'S KRAZY 5-4-3 PROGRAM FOR STRENGTH GAINS

WHY DID I CREATE THIS PROGRAM?
Well, pretty much because I tried a bunch of other programs in my lifting career and found things I really liked and things I didn’t like so much about each one. The idea here is that I’ve taken the “best” aspects of a couple different programs and have attempted to combine them into one.

WHICH PROGRAMS ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?
Namely, I’m referencing Jim Wendler’s famous 5/3/1, on which I made a lot of gains. I’m also referencing the 5x5 programs of which there are multiple, as well as bodybuilder Matt Ogus’ “7/5/3” program. On paper, my program also somewhat resembles - in a very skeletal way - Brandon Lilly’s Cube Method, but I have never run the Cube Method, and the similarities were not intentional. Also, there are traces of the Conjugate Method in here in terms of pendulum waves and/or speed work.

SO WHY CHANGE THESE PROGRAMS?
Let me start off by saying each of these programs are solid and can produce gains. Mine is not better or worse. Following any tried and true program can yield good results. Mine is more about taking the aspects that I found both beneficial and fun from each program while attempting to drop the aspects that I didn’t see all that much of a point in.

SO WHAT CHANGES DID YOU MAKE?
- 5/3/1 is a wonderful system that produced very solid gains for me. What I really enjoyed about it was the “+” sets, meaning that on a given week, you were to hit 5+, 3+ or 1+ reps on your top set. This got me really psyched up and made me want to double or even triple the number of prescribed reps. And, if i was having an off day, I could just hit the prescribed reps and still know that I was honoring the program. Ultimately, the issue I take with 5/3/1 is that I simply feel it isn’t enough volume. What we’re really talking about here is one challenging set a week. I know Wendler says you’re doing 3 working sets, but let’s be honest, the only one that is actually quite challenging - in my experience, anyway - is that top set. So, I felt I needed more time actually practicing the lift with significant loads on the bar.
-Ogus’ 7/5/3 is an interesting program that also produced decent results, but I felt the volume was actually too high, especially coming off of 5/3/1. We’re doing either 5x7 @ 75% of our 1 rep max, or 7x5 @ 80%, or 10x3 at 85%. Then we can either go for a new top set of 1-5 reps, or we can just start on over. Well, this gets very challenging rather quickly, and soon I was missing reps - especially on 10x3 days. But, I certainly felt I was getting more than sufficient volume and plenty of time under the bar. But let’s be real, doing 40 sets at 85% in a week (between the big four lifts, including overhead press) is very demanding.
I actually didn’t change 5x5; my program contains a day on which you will perform 5x5. But that isn’t it - that’s just the day with the highest volume. Also, none of the sets in my program are ramping up to a top set, like some of the 5x5 programs. Instead, you do straight sets across.


OKAY, WHAT THE HELL IS THE PROGRAM?
Ultimately, it looks like this:

.......................WEEK 1.............WEEK 2............WEEK 3............WEEK 4

Bench...............5x5@80%.........4x4@85%....... .3x3@90%.........MAX SET

Squat...............4x4@85%.........3x3@90%....... .MAX SET...........5x5@80%

Overhead..........3x3@90%.........MAX SET..........5x5@80%.........4x4@85%

Deadlift.............MAX SET...........5x5@80%........4x4@85%.........3x3@9 0%


So, what the hell is this? This is how the template would look, assuming you would be running the program for all 4 lifts at once. In Ogus’s program, he seems to advocate having a “5’s” week, a “7’s week”, etc. in which you are doing the same reps and sets for each of the four lifts. This, in my mind, can make training boring, and also really fatigue you on certain weeks (for me it was 10x3). To offset this, the whole thing is a cube. Each week you’re doing a 5x5 with one lift, 4x4 with another, 3x3 with another and a new max set with the 4th.

WHAT IS A MAX SET?
A max set certainly does not mean you have to go for a new one rep max - although it could if you want it to. The idea here is to go for some kind of new max - maybe a double or triple or set of five.

DO I NEED TO DO THE MAX SET DAY?
No. I actually don’t do it very often. If you want, you can just keep going 5x5, 4x4, 3x3 and skip the max day and keep making progress just fine. The max day is to let you really just cut loose and check your progress.

WHERE IS THE 5/3/1 INFLUENCE IN THIS?
Very good. On the last set of each day - so, for example, the fifth set in a 5x5 - you can treat it as a “+” set just like in 5/3/1 and attempt to get it for as many reps as you can (but don’t fail if you can help it). This way you’re getting in your volume and practice, as well as having a fun set where you can really just go to exhaustion and not hold back. Only do this on the last set.

IS THIS ACTUALLY ENOUGH VOLUME?
I believe it is. I don’t think anyone will argue that 5x5 is a pretty solid amount of volume. 4x4 is still 16 pretty heavy and challenging reps. 3x3 is indeed a small amount of volume, but it’s okay because you’re handling a heavy weight. The last “+” set does add a small amount of extra potential volume. But the main idea here is to ride the wave - the wave starts light with more volume and progresses to getting heavy with less, not the other way around. And that makes sense at the level of an intermediate lifter. Dan Green needs more volume. You probably don't.

WHEN DO I ADD WEIGHT?
At the end of a 4 week cycle for a particular lift, you can add whatever weight you need to in order to keep making progress. If you can add 10 lbs, do so. If you can only add 2.5 total lbs, fine, do that. Progress is progress. There is no “Bench 405 lbs in six weeks” bull**** here. I have been bumping up my overhead press working weight by 2 lbs every cycle, which sounds like nothing, but begins to seriously accumulate over time.

THESE PERCENTAGES SEEM TOO DIFFICULT/TOO EASY.
Yeah, these aren’t the exact percentages I used when I started. Some people are very good at doing reps and suck at maxing, and other people are brilliant maxers but can only do 90% for a double or triple. Use a calculator. See what weights you would be using on these sets before you actually attempt them. Let’s say you bench 320 lbs. You take 80%, which is roughly 255 lbs.
Are you confident you can hit 5x5 with that? If not, drop it down to 250 or 245. No shame in that - plus, you’ll still make gains on the “+” set if the 5x5 turns out to be a little too easy. It’s always better to start lighter. Instead of following 80, 85, and 90%, you could use 78, 82, and 86% and go from there. That's probably about the percentages I started with. You have to tweak it to be doable, but it should not be very easy, even at the start.

WHAT WAS THAT YOU SAID ABOUT PENDULUM WAVES?
Very good. I stole the idea of pendulum waves from Garret Gonzalez’s interpretation of the Conjugate Method. The idea here is “speed work,” so you’re doing either 10 sets of 2 at 75%, 8 sets of 2 at 80%, or 6 sets of 2 at 85%, and the idea is to move the weight as fast as possible. This will also give you a whole lot more volume each week for the lift. I STRONGLY recommend that if you do utilize the pendulum waves (which are optional and not essential to the program), you do your pendulum bench on overhead press day, after doing your overhead pressing. Do your pendulum squats after your deadlifts on deadlift day. I haven’t used pendulum training for anything other than speed bench and paused high bar squat, and I don’t really think it would be necessary for deadlifts. Your overhead press might benefit from doing a pendulum wave OHP after your bench work on bench day, but I don’t know.
So, the you could set your program up like:
Day 1: Overhead Press (5x5, 4x4, or 3x3) and then pendulum wave bench movement (10x2, 8x2, or 6x2) and then assistance work
Day 2: Squat (5x5, 4x4, or 3x3) and assistance work
Day 3: Bench Press (5x5, 4x4, or 3x3) and then pendulum wave overhead press (10x2, 8x2, or 6x2) if you want
Day 4: Deadlift (5x5, 4x4, or 3x3) and then pendulum wave squat movement (I recommend high bar pause squats if you normally squat low bar)

DO I NEED TO RUN THE PROGRAM FOR ALL FOUR LIFTS AT ONCE?
No. In fact, my deadlift is not currently on the program because it is my worst lift and I seem to be getting stronger by just doing a simple 3x3 each time and adding 5 pounds per session. I do think that bench press and overhead press will compliment each other and move up together on this program very nicely, though. My pressing is by far what has benefitted the most. That’s not to say your squat or deadlift won’t benefit from the program, because they will.

DO I NEED TO BE GAINING WEIGHT LIKE A MAD MAN TO RUN THIS PROGRAM?
No. I have not gained a single pound since I began this program a few months ago and I have progressed very significantly on all my lifts, especially my pressing, which is wild because my pressing was already pretty damn solid to begin with (especially overhead press). Even if you are losing weight and doing it very slowly, I think you can still make good strength gains.

[Neverenough43]

Holy crap bro thanks for that huge writeup! Will read later and see if I can use it in my training somewhere.

[KrazyEyezKillah]

Holy crap bro thanks for that huge writeup! Will read later and see if I can use it in my training somewhere.

No problem brother, I had it sitting around on my computer anyway. Happy to share it. I'd be really interested to see how it goes for you/anyone else who wants to try it, since it is really based around my own preferences and what has worked for me.