Tuesday - Bench Press. Workout #1 Cycle #3

Today's percentages  had me lift exactly what I lifted this time last month, due to rounding down instead of rounding up. Anyway, I've been in Buffalo for the past two days attending a spoken Latin conference and I've not been eating very much. I knew that going into today's workout I'd be pretty low energy/strength. Bench press, for me, is affected by outside factors so much more than my other lifts.  I ended up lifting exactly what I did last month, but I was unable to complete my assistance work, so I called it an early day.  Emotionally I'm not pleased with myself and I would've liked to have eked out one more rep as compared to last time. Logically I know that today was actually not so bad considering the circumstances (and it could have been worse!). No video today, as I was in a college gym where recording is not allowed.

By the way, I didn't think anyone read this blog. Where in the hell are all these page views coming from!?

Goals:

160x5
180x5
205x5

Lifted:

160x5
180x5
205x9

Sunday - Deadlifts. Workout#1 Cycle #3 | Hill Sprints # 15

I failed with the camera set up again. This time you can see me, but not the weight. Oh well, I really did do 370x14 today.  PLEASE BELIEVE ME! Anyway, This time last month I got 365x12 (no chalk) and two months ago 355x13, so the progress continues...
Assistance work: 5 sets of ab wheel, 5 sets of weighted pull-ups (+45lbs)

Goals for today:

285x5
325x5
370x5

Lifted:

285x5
325x5
370x14

Video of final set below:

Friday - Clean and Jerk. Workout #1 Cycle #3 | Hill Sprints # 14

Today was the beginning of cycle number 3. Two months ago I began 5/3/1 with a lift of 175lbs for 8 reps on the clean and jerk. Last month I improved to 180 for 8. Today I managed 185lbs for 9 reps.

I realized today that I need to actually go into the gym on the deload week and do some light lifting; Everything felt way too difficult today, assistance work especially. Though, I still managed to do 50 reps of chinups in 5 sets and 50 reps of weighted dips (45lb plate) in 5 sets.

Later in the day I did 7 sprints on Libe Slope. They are still kicking my ass.

Goals:

140x5
160x5
185x5

Lifted:

140x5
160x5
185x9


I screwed up the video as you can only see the bottom half. Oh well, at least the number of reps were recorded. Ill post it, but there's not much to see.

Deload until Friday

Sunday - Hill Sprints #13

I went back to Libe slope to run the same hills. I did pretty well for just having done squats. I did the same number (7) about two minutes quicker overall.

Sunday - Squats. Workout #3 Cycle #2

Another good workout today. The squat racks at this gym allow me to place the safety bars lower. This allowed me to stay tight through the whole squat (before I was losing tightness when I hit the safety bars). As a result, my squats were way smoother. No rounding of the back and no knee-buckling. This time last month I lifted a difficult 345x4; today I lifted 355x5 and had one or two more in the tank. This is also obviously better than last week's lift of 335x5. Again, the bars may not be true 45lb bars at the new gym, but, either way, it's progress.

Goals for today:
280x5
315x3
355x1

Lifted:
280x5
315x3
355x5 

Video of final set below:

Friday - Bench Press. Workout #3 Cycle #2

Today was my first workout in the new gym. At my old gym, I was usually the only male (the other members being old ladies). Now I am surrounded by juicers and bros. I haven't seen so many partial reps and isolated movements since college. I did not feel comfortable filming today, but I will next time, for sure. My new gym also has a proper olympic lifting platform which is awesome and which I am almost certain nobody there uses.

Goals for today:

180x5
205x3
225x1

Lifted:

180x5
205x3
225x5


The weight felt super light. I don't think they use real 45 bars at this gym. Still, this workout was far better than the one last month where I only managed two reps at 220. I felt like I should have been able to do more, though I think I was in an awkward position during the lift which cut my set short. And I still suck at bench.

I upped the weight on the assistance work as well:
80lb dbs for the rows (5 sets of 10 reps) up from the 75s. 80s were still easy.
65 dbs for the db press, up from the 60s. I failed to get the last 3 reps of the 75 total and the first set of 15 reps was still at 60lbs.

Thursday - Hill Sprints #12

I'm in Ithaca, NY now. If Ithaca's got one thing, it's hills.
This hill is on Libe slope, located on the Cornell campus. It kicked my ass and I was only able to do 7 sprints in 20 minutes. Had I tried to do more, I think I would have passed out. I had a good, oxygen deprived headache after these.

Wednesday - Deadlift. Workout #3 Cycle #2

Feels good, man.

A bittersweet day today: Today I deadlifted 405x10 (at 165lbs) which beats my record of 405x9 before beginning 5/3/1. Today is also the day I leave D.C. to begin a new life. I've lived and worked here (teaching Latin) for 3 years;  I will miss both my school and my gym =(

Goals for today:

320x5

365x3

405x1

Lifted:

320x5

365x3

405x10

Monday - Clean and Jerk. Workout #3 Cycle #2

Today went well. This time last month I lifted 195 for 5. Today I wanted and got 200 for 6. This not only,obviously, beats last month, but my previous best prior to beginning 5/3/1. When looking at last month's video, my reps were faster and went up easier. Assistance work was easy as well. 50 reps of weighted dips and 50 chin ups. I will increase the reps on both, next cycle.


Goals:

160x5
180x3
200x1

Lifted:

160x5
180x3
200x6

Video of final set below. Last month's posted for comparison.

Saturday (Evening) - Hill Sprints #11

Only 9 sprints this time. Maybe 10. I lost count. Will have to check the video later.

BTW, I'm weighing in at about 168lbs at 5'8".

Saturday - Squats. Workout #2 Cycle #2

Today went well. This time last month I lifted 330 for 4 reps. Today, 335 for 5. Looking back at the old video, I even performed the reps faster. The safety bars are still killing me. They put me off balance when I hit or just make me lose tightness as the bar rests on them. My form is pretty bad overall anyway.

Goals:

260x3
300x3
335x3

Lifted:

260x3
300x3
335x5

Video of final set here:

Thursday - Hill Sprints #10

It's been a while since my last sprints. Temp today: 100 F. 10 sprints in 20 minutes. Video below (I'm pretty slow today).

Wednesday - Bench Press. Workout #2 Cycle #2

Today was okay. Back on prednisone and the poison ivy is not itchy at all. I've had hiccups all day from the medication, though. Anyway, the workout today wasn't anything special. My form was pretty slack and I didn't feel like I got much power in my pressing.

Goals:

165x3
190x3
215x3

Lifted

165x3
190x3
215x7

Assistance lifts:
75 reps of 60lb DB flat bench  in 5 sets
50 dumbell rows at 75lbs in 5 sets.

Video of last set below:

Monday - Deadlift. Workout#2 Cycle #2.

Today's lift was pretty good. I was pretty bloated from drinking a smoothie before lifting so I wanted to vomit on every rep, but whateva. Back on prednisone for the poinson ivy. Sad face.

Goals:

300x3
340x3
385x3

Lifted:

300x3
340x3
385x11 (This time last month I did 375x11)

Video of final set below:

Saturday - Clean and Jerk. Workout #2 Cycle #2

Poison Ivy has returned (maybe it's not poison ivy?). Anyway, not much sleep the past two nights. Today's workout still went pretty well. And I improved over last month's lift of 185x7 with today's lift of 190x7. My form fell apart in that I didn't do a split on most of the reps. Just doing the push press felt easier, although that may have worn my shoulders out more quickly.

Goals:

150x3

170x3

190x3

Lifted:

150x3

170x3

190x7

My assistance lifts improved as well. I completed the 50 chin-ups in 5 sets more quickly than last time. Same goes for the weighted dips (45lbs+BW for 5 sets of 10 reps). 

Video of final set below:

Thursday - Squats. Workout #1 cycle #2

Squats went well. This time last month I lifted 310 for six reps. Today I put up 315 for seven. My form is still crap. For assistance work, I ended with three sets of front squats to immediate back squats at 155lbs. This was too light.

Goals:
245x5
280x5
315x5+

Lifted:
245x5
280x5
315x7

Video of final set below: