Jerome44's 5/3/1 Journey

[Jerome44]

So... I haven't lifted since March (opened my own business, moved twice, my wife and I had a baby...) and I've always wanted to give a powerlifting routine a good 6+ months. I saw a lot of people doing 5/3/1 and decided to give it a shot. It's sad how much strength you lose when you haven't lifted in half a year...

Next posts will recap lifts, will add pictures/diet info along the way.

[Jerome44]

10/08/13 - Shoulders
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-Warm-up sets not listed

Main - Military Press: 80x5, 90x5, 105x8
Asst - Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 25x10, 25x10, 25x10, 25x10, 25x10
- Cable Pulldowns: 70x10, 70x10, 100x10, 150x8, 130x10


Thoughts:

I've been using Mass Machine Training for the last year-ish (not including the last 6 months), and it's been sad to see my strength so low. It feels great to be back in the gym and I'm looking forward to pulling some serious iron. The DB shoulder presses really felt great on the shoulders and it took a bit to get an appropriate weight for the pulldowns. I substituted Cable Pulldowns for the recommended Chin-Ups because I can't do all the chins that 5/3/1 wants you to do (yet).

Deadlifts tomorrow... I'm already looking forward to that workout. I have a sprained thumb so grip has been a bit of an issue but I think I'll be able to work around it.

[Jerome44]

10/9/13 - Deadlifts
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Main - Deadlifts: 245x5, 280x5, 320x6
Asst - Deadlifts: 150x10, x10, x10, x10, x10
Asst- Hanging Leg Raise: 15 reps, 15, 15

Thoughts:
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Deads felt good. It was a bit of a change not using lifting straps and having to switch to an over/under grip. The sets at 150 were great for me to really focus on driving the weight with the heels and initiating the movement with the hips and legs, not pulling up with the back. I started to run short on time so I only did 3 sets of leg raises instead of 5. Since I'm not using straps anymore I'll have to work in a little bit of forearm work to help with grip strength.

[Jerome44]

Here's my starting diet plan. Will follow for a few weeks then make any necessary adjustments.

If you can't view the excel spreadsheet:

3748 cal/day
388g protein
380g carbs
68g fat

Diet is based on Wendler's 5/3/1 basic diet structure - 4 meals a day with each meal consisting of:

30-50g protein powder
30-50g protein (fish, chicken, turkey, beef...)
1 or 2 pieces of fruit
Veggies
30-50g of carbs (oatmeal, rice, potatoes)

Aside from that, i just added a protein shake and dextrose before/after my workout