Farlesworth III at your service

[Farley1324]

Progress check:

March 27
Bodyweight: 201-203 (bulking)
Bench 5+: 200x10
Press 5+: 140x8 (and only 150x5 at bodyweight 206 lbs)
Bench 5x10: 135 lbs (3:00)
Press 5x10: 95 lbs (3:00) (85 lbs last set)

August 7
Bodyweight: 200-201 (bulking)
Bench 5+: 225x9
Press 5+: 150x7
Bench 5x10: 170 lbs (3:30)
Press 4x10: 115 lbs (4:00) (8 reps last set)

[CSP95]

Damn. That's really solid progress dude

[FastCatChamp]

I don't count any sets into my Total Tonnage until they reach an RPE of @7 of above.
For me, that is when I get to 70-75% 1RM.
Anything below that, I consider a warmup rep.

I will get back to this after I get some kids washed-up for the night.

[DominationStation]

Isn't it weird how presses die like that all of a sudden sometimes?

Side note, you ever try pausing your presses at the top instead of at the bottom? Easier "rest" point.

[Farley1324]

Today's weigh in was 198.8 lbs

Damn. That's really solid progress dude

Thanks man

I don't count any sets into my Total Tonnage until they reach an RPE of @7 of above.
For me, that is when I get to 70-75% 1RM.
Anything below that, I consider a warmup rep.

I will get back to this after I get some kids washed-up for the night.

Yeah?

Isn't it weird how presses die like that all of a sudden sometimes?

Side note, you ever try pausing your presses at the top instead of at the bottom? Easier "rest" point.

I used to do it that way, but I lose tightness trying to breathe with weight overhead and I think it takes a little more more muscle/energy to hold it at lockout vs the bottom, although pausing at the top does mean you get a stretch reflex/rebound for every rep other than the first.

Do you find the top easier? Could you hold the weight at the top longer than the bottom?

[Farley1324]

Friday August 8 2014

Squat Volume

Squat
45 x 10
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 3
255 x 2

275 x 5
275 x 5
275 x 5
275 x 5
275 x 5

Scale: AM 198.8. Post Workout Naked 200.6

Temp: 84*F (65% Humidity)

Notes: Belt 225+. I didn't do any of the additional stuff today, not even conditioning, let alone power cleans, but I did squat 5x5 for the first time since June 12 (last time I even did 3x5 was July 18). This is terrible, but I intend to reverse the trend. I think I picked a good weight to start with. It was work but I was able to bury every rep on 5:00 rest without any real problems, and pause the last rep.

[FastCatChamp]

Finally back.

Here are my Total Tonnages with total number of lifts from my Volume Block completed today:
Week 1 - 28420 - 149
Week 2 - 48520 - 245
Week 3 - 52575 - 265
Week 4 - 45590 - 228

The structure is a "Pendulum" wave of periodization. Week 1 keeps Total Tonnage in check. Weeks 2&3 beat your ass. Week 4 backs off the throttle a bit for recovery ahead of a three week Intensity Block that will see intensity increase and number of lifts go down since the rep ranges are lowered. The Intensity Block's Total Tonnage will also wave like a bell curve with Week 6 being at the top of the bell.

Total Tonnage is important if you create and run any kind of sustainable program. The program must force the trainee to adapt to higher tonnages and then back off allowing the trainee to compensate for recovery purposes. Many programs that we have use are very similar...think Macenko's.

Good intermediate programs will wave the total tonnage. The Texas Method does this with it's Volume, Recovery, and Intensity approach within each week. 5/3/1 does it with the primary lift by undulating both the intensity and rep ranges from week-to-week. 5/3/1's Deload week is akin to what my Week 1 up above looks like. What I have just recently figured out is that even linear programs like SS wave to a certain degree IF you consider a stall part of the program itself.

Say someone stalls at a bench of 200 lbs on SS (reps of 5,3,3 a few times straight). That SS trainee is then supposed to reset at a lower percentage and proceed. That automatically lowers the Total Tonnage for a few straight weeks with the Total Tonnage climbing back uphill as the trainee adds weight. Most SS trainees just move on after stalling, but think about it......they proceed into Madcow's, 5/3/1, etc......programs that start them out way below previous 1RMs. This scales their Total Tonnage way down for a few weeks and then builds it back up.

Almost zero trainees understand this and I have not really grasped it before at all. I have always considered a stall or a plateau to be a failure and have then changed my programming or have deloaded for one week before going right back to my previous rep/set/weights.

[Farley1324]

Interesting. I see what you're saying and it makes sense. It sounds an awful lot like a 'programmed over-reach' some people talk about too.

[LadyLore420]

Even just adding the volume is a ton of progress, without the added accessory work. Maybe next time you'll get more in.

[FastCatChamp]

Interesting. I see what you're saying and it makes sense. It sounds an awful lot like a 'programmed over-reach' some people talk about too.

Your program uses what I speak of as the hallmark of its programming.....except for the Boring But Big part.

True, on the over-reached part.........hit the trainee with big volume...then back off and allow for compensation before bring it again soon.

[Farley1324]

Even just adding the volume is a ton of progress, without the added accessory work. Maybe next time you'll get more in.

That's the plan. I just don't want to add too much too quickly. I already did more/differently yesterday, and actually doing all 5 sets is the the most significant and valuable part of squat volume day.

[Farley1324]

Your program uses what I speak of as the hallmark of its programming.....except for the Boring But Big part.

Well, what I'm doing now is Variation II. It's 5x10 at 65% training max on 3x5 week; 5x8 at 70% TM on 3x3 week, and 5x5 at 75% TM on 5/3/1 week. And I think if you follow what Wendler has written most recently, you do a deload week after every 6 weeks/2 cycles, where you drop everything to half weight, including the assistance movements

[FastCatChamp]

Well, what I'm doing now is Variation II. It's 5x10 at 65% training max on 3x5 week; 5x8 at 70% TM on 3x3 week, and 5x5 at 75% TM on 5/3/1 week. And I think if you follow what Wendler has written most recently, you do a deload week after every 6 weeks/2 cycles, where you drop everything to half weight, including the assistance movements

I like the Variation II scheme much better than BBB. I never understood the reasoning behind the BBB template at all.
The way that the Var. II assistance changes rep/set schemes is almost exactly like GST in the set-up.

[Farley1324]

I like the Variation II scheme much better than BBB. I never understood the reasoning behind the BBB template at all.
The way that the Var. II assistance changes rep/set schemes is almost exactly like GST in the set-up.

The BBB has its merits, and obviously worked decently for me these past 9-10 months or whatever it's been, but I do like the look of Var II better

[FastCatChamp]

My guess is that it allowed you to maintain a certain degree of conditioning with the lifts......which I have always guessed is the point. Ive never ran it before.

BTW.....Bears are on tv right now here.

[DominationStation]

I didn't catch the Bears game, but glad to see 1-0 next to their name...just wish that the preseason scores meant anything.

To answer your question, yes, I think that from a strength perspective, breathing at the top works better because of the stretch reflex, as you mentioned. That being said, honestly, I'm sure I sometimes start the breath at the top and continue it on the way down, which is not smart.

[Farley1324]

I didn't catch the Bears game, but glad to see 1-0 next to their name...just wish that the preseason scores meant anything.

To answer your question, yes, I think that from a strength perspective, breathing at the top works better because of the stretch reflex, as you mentioned. That being said, honestly, I'm sure I sometimes start the breath at the top and continue it on the way down, which is not smart.

I'm not even sure, but I probably sneak partial breaths in during the descent/eccentric for sets with more than maybe ~3 reps. After all, when I'm pumping them out I don't want to stop and I'm not going to do 5-8 or more reps without any breathing at all. It doesn't seem unreasonable to me.

[Farley1324]

Sunday August 8 2014

Bench 3x3

Bench 3x3
45 x 10 (2 Chin-Ups)
135 x 5 (3 Chin-Ups)

185 x 3 (4 Chin-Ups)
210 x 3 (4 Chin-Ups)
240 x 6 (2x6 Chin-Ups)

Scale: Yesterday AM 200.0. Today AM 200.4. Post workout naked 200.0

Notes: Less than perfect sleep last night (not terrible, but lacking), no pre workout, and this is the 3rd upper body session in 7 days since I got my schedule all mixed around...plus I just switched to the 5x10 at 65% last week. I wasn't feeling it today so I just did the minimum and called it a day. Upcoming plan: Mon off, Tue squat intensity, Wed off, Thur Press 3x3, Fri Squat Volume.

The 240x6 matches what I got the last two times (bodyweights 208 and 204 for those)

[FastCatChamp]

Good leg drive on those reps.

Id like to eventually get a new bench. My Rogue bench is light to the point that it slightly wobbles when I really setup hard.

As per the sleep.....I literally have slept ONE night this summer without being woken up. Its just a normal deal now.

[Farley1324]

Good leg drive on those reps.

Id like to eventually get a new bench. My Rogue bench is light to the point that it slightly wobbles when I really setup hard.

As per the sleep.....I literally have slept ONE night this summer without being woken up. Its just a normal deal now.

Oh yeah I hear you on that. I didn't get to sleep at a reasonable time last night though. And got up a couple times as usual, but a lot of that is because I probably need to stop consuming anything, especially liquid, earlier in the evening

[FastCatChamp]

Drink a gallon of water = pissing in middle of night

Don't drink a bunch of water = dehydrated and less than optimal training.

[Farley1324]

Yeah that's basically the way I've been looking at it.

Speaking of piss, today is the day I'm filling a container (or two) to bring to the nephrologist tomorrow, get blood drawn, and have them compare. I am just about at two liters.

[doughnutgut]

Yeah. Let's start a new log and not tell anyone.

Thanks Obama.

IN

[Farley1324]

Yeah. Let's start a new log and not tell anyone.

Thanks Obama.

IN

lol, I know you had a bit of an absence, but I made the links pretty large and colorful in the old journal.

[doughnutgut]

lol, I know you had a bit of an absence, but I made the links pretty large and colorful in the old journal.

My problem is. I use my phone loads. If I press the CP button and the new posts show up dark blue. I read what I can then crack on with life.

When I open up the cp again. The dark blur unread posts turn light blue and fall off the page.

Too many journal problems.

This obviously made me miss your final post in the old journal. Seen you around in other areas so knew you were obviously either not bothering to log. Or just hiding.

Was the latter.

[Farley1324]

Wednesday August 13 2014

Squat Volume

Squat
45 x 10
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 3
275 x 1

280 x 5
280 x 5
280 x 5
280 x 5
280 x 5

Hanging Leg Raises 1x10

Temp: 82* (<40% humidity)

Scale: Mon AM 200.4. Tue AM 200.8. Today AM 200.0. Post workout naked 199.8

Notes: I rested 4 minutes between sets, except for the first rest which was 5 minutes. My schedule is still flopping around and gets more limiting for the long weekend, I plan to do Press 3x3 tomorrow (full session of main and assistance and ancillary movements I hope) then pick up the regularly scheduled week starting Monday. I last squat Friday, doing volume with 275.

I get doctor results on the kidney thing Friday.

The 5th/last set.

[doughnutgut]

Progress check:

March 27
Bodyweight: 201-203 (bulking)
Bench 5+: 200x10
Press 5+: 140x8 (and only 150x5 at bodyweight 206 lbs)
Bench 5x10: 135 lbs (3:00)
Press 5x10: 95 lbs (3:00) (85 lbs last set)

August 7
Bodyweight: 200-201 (bulking)
Bench 5+: 225x9
Press 5+: 150x7
Bench 5x10: 170 lbs (3:30)
Press 4x10: 115 lbs (4:00) (8 reps last set)

Excuse my ignorance. This is golden. I have only ever seen good things from the 5/3/1. This is just more proof that the program works.

Great stats.

280 x 5
280 x 5
280 x 5
280 x 5
280 x 5

See your still chugging along on the 5x5 then Farles. BBB still too much for you then.

Nice squat dude. Great depth. Tight, controlled, lovely bar path.

[Farley1324]

Excuse my ignorance. This is golden. I have only ever seen good things from the 5/3/1. This is just more proof that the program works.

Great stats.


See your still chugging along on the 5x5 then Farles. BBB still too much for you then.

Nice squat dude. Great depth. Tight, controlled, lovely bar path.

I have no inclination to do 5/3/1 style squats. Nuts to that.

The 5x5 across is just such a thing of beauty anyway, especially for squats.

Thanks for the feedback.

[DominationStation]

Nice set there, speed looked good...especially for reps 21-25.

I know that a big part of why you do it is your historic back problems, but if I do 5x5 squats once per week and 1x5 squats once per week, would you suggest that I always do the 5x5 belted? Or maybe alternate belted one week, unbelted (with 20-30 lbs less or whatever) the next week? Interested in your opinion, I know that there are so many varying opinions but I do feel like a little unbelted work may help my core.

[Farley1324]

Nice set there, speed looked good...especially for reps 21-25.

I know that a big part of why you do it is your historic back problems, but if I do 5x5 squats once per week and 1x5 squats once per week, would you suggest that I always do the 5x5 belted? Or maybe alternate belted one week, unbelted (with 20-30 lbs less or whatever) the next week? Interested in your opinion, I know that there are so many varying opinions but I do feel like a little unbelted work may help my core.

Actually, once upon a time, after many of my back problems, I worked up to squatting 310x5x5 without a belt on any of the sets, only introducing the belt to volume day when I hit 315. Also I think I set my back off pretty noticeably at least once since then.

My current preference, even though I haven't done it lately, is to do the recovery day front squats with no belt.