Blonde will make you STRONG

[zerofive]

Started the new 5/3/1 routine yesterday with deadlifts. 3x5 this week. The idea is you increase the weight each set, and you actualy shoot for AMAP on set three, just as long as you clear 5 reps then you progress on the next rotation.

So for me yesterday this was 110kg x5, 125kg x5, 140kg x8

Super happy with those numbers. Had to use an over/under grip but no chalk. Trying to do as much work as i can without belts or chalk. When shooting for deadlift PB i will probably get the chalk out tho

[iRaise]

Deadlifts today

1x4 165
1x4 170
1x4 175
1x3 175

Maybe had a 4th on the last set, but felt I was losing some shape. So called it a day.

To contrast Sean on something, I do use chalk. I used to have mix opinions, but if you have sweaty hands it seems stupid not to use chalk.

Haven't heard anything from Barry for a while on here? Still going smoothly?

[muckthenuts]

Sick deadlifting guys! Some huge numbers flying around this thread.

Did the review session with a PT today, apart from a small tweak when moving the bar up on the OHP he suggested i was doing everything fine pretty much. Will continue to get my form checked every couple of months or so.

[EvilPie]

Pretty poor day on the DB press yesterday. I was really up for trying the low rep stuff as it seems a good way to get to heavy weights quickly but I think I'm going to have to quit it as I'm really not enjoying it.

It's not the heavy weights or the low reps that bother me it's the long breaks that seem to be required to hit that same heavy weight again. I just get bored!!!

Anyway I managed to get 4 reps out on the 46kg so not too far behind Harvey.

Going to go back to my old method next week and start at 40kg aiming for 6 reps and going up a weight if I make 8 and down if I only manage 4. It's going to take longer to hit 50s this way but I'll enjoy it more and that's far more important.

[iRaise]

Pretty poor day on the DB press yesterday. I was really up for trying the low rep stuff as it seems a good way to get to heavy weights quickly but I think I'm going to have to quit it as I'm really not enjoying it.

It's not the heavy weights or the low reps that bother me it's the long breaks that seem to be required to hit that same heavy weight again. I just get bored!!!

Anyway I managed to get 4 reps out on the 46kg so not too far behind Harvey.

Going to go back to my old method next week and start at 40kg aiming for 6 reps and going up a weight if I make 8 and down if I only manage 4. It's going to take longer to hit 50s this way but I'll enjoy it more and that's far more important.

I think rest times/strength training/reps and sets are all subjective.

This makes sense in my head but I am not sure how it will translate on page.

But for the DBs I am only taking around 2 minute rests, for a similar reason to you. Squats and deadlifts are so physically exhausting I tend to take more rest and not be bored just cos of recovery.

I think if you could do 4x8 at 40kg with 1 min rest. 4x4 at 50kg with 1-2 min rest is feasible. Especially as you aren't PB'ing.

I guess what I am trying to say is you don't need to rest til boredom. You need to rest til you can do it again. Whether that be 15 seconds or 150000 seconds.

When I do 6x3 I tend to only take 2 mins due to time. (I almost certainly could lift heavier with longer rest periods, but if I was testing absolute strength I would do 3x3, my reasoning solely down to time).

All that is irrelevant if you have to take 5 minutes in recovery if that makes sense.

[muckthenuts]

Pretty poor day on the DB press yesterday. I was really up for trying the low rep stuff as it seems a good way to get to heavy weights quickly but I think I'm going to have to quit it as I'm really not enjoying it.

It's not the heavy weights or the low reps that bother me it's the long breaks that seem to be required to hit that same heavy weight again. I just get bored!!!

Deffo agree. I'm taking about 3 minutes between sets and my time at the gym seems to drag quite a lot. Granted I only do 3/4 movements a day but the time spent resting relative to actually lifting is definitely very disproportionate!

I don't actually really enjoy the gym much, particularly squats which i basically fucking dread these days lol. The results are what's fun!

[zerofive]

I think rest times/strength training/reps and sets are all subjective.

This makes sense in my head but I am not sure how it will translate on page.

But for the DBs I am only taking around 2 minute rests, for a similar reason to you. Squats and deadlifts are so physically exhausting I tend to take more rest and not be bored just cos of recovery.

This.

Without wanting to get too much into the science of things, the reason we rest for 3 minutes between strength sets is to allow for adequate recovery of the appropriate energy systems. However, as Harvey says, it's all subjective. 3 minutes is just a guideline. If your performance doesn't suffer in subsequent sets after a 1 minute rest, then you're wasting time by taking 3 minutes.

With movements such as the bench press and OHP, I personally find 2 minutes between sets to be adequate. After maximal deadlifts though, I'm still blowing and sweating after 2 minutes!

No sense boring yourself at the gym. If you're ready to get on with it, then crack on!

[EvilPie]

Sorry gents I may have created the impression that I'm stood there with a stopwatch waiting 'til it lets me go....

I've always gone for as much rest as I feel necessary before a lift and I've found with the low reps the rests I require are longer than my boredom tolerance will allow.

One of the issues I think is the added rest required just to pick the heavier weights up as I'm still quite weak with the lift phase. It's like my body's ready for the DB press but not ready for the lift so I have to wait an extra 30 seconds or so. Add to this another 30 seconds that I have to sit with the weights on my thighs to recover from the lift and I'm a good 3 minutes in.

3 reps takes about 30 seconds then it's off for another 3 minutes before it's time to lift again!!

I know technically the lift isn't really a rest because otherwise I wouldn't have to rest again after it but I just got the feeling I was doing too much resting in comparison to moving metal.

One thing I'm thinking of doing is adding some dumbbell deadlifts in to my back routine whilst I'm still on low weights there due to my injury. My technique for dumbbell lifting is pretty terrible to be honest so a bit of work there wouldn't hurt. It's not that I arch my back or anything stupid like that but I find I have to either raise my heels so I'm lifting of the balls of my feet or alternatively I have to have one foot about 40cm in front of the other. I know it's just because dumbbells are smaller than 20kg plates so there's further to go down but it would still be nice to improve. If I throw in 3 x 5 at 30kg or so that should help develop the lift over the next 10 weeks.

Any thoughts on the crappy technique for the flit phase of the DB press? Would you be worried about technique there as long as it was "back flat" safe?

[iRaise]

Sorry gents I may have created the impression that I'm stood there with a stopwatch waiting 'til it lets me go....

I've always gone for as much rest as I feel necessary before a lift and I've found with the low reps the rests I require are longer than my boredom tolerance will allow.

One of the issues I think is the added rest required just to pick the heavier weights up as I'm still quite weak with the lift phase. It's like my body's ready for the DB press but not ready for the lift so I have to wait an extra 30 seconds or so. Add to this another 30 seconds that I have to sit with the weights on my thighs to recover from the lift and I'm a good 3 minutes in.

3 reps takes about 30 seconds then it's off for another 3 minutes before it's time to lift again!!

I know technically the lift isn't really a rest because otherwise I wouldn't have to rest again after it but I just got the feeling I was doing too much resting in comparison to moving metal.

One thing I'm thinking of doing is adding some dumbbell deadlifts in to my back routine whilst I'm still on low weights there due to my injury. My technique for dumbbell lifting is pretty terrible to be honest so a bit of work there wouldn't hurt. It's not that I arch my back or anything stupid like that but I find I have to either raise my heels so I'm lifting of the balls of my feet or alternatively I have to have one foot about 40cm in front of the other. I know it's just because dumbbells are smaller than 20kg plates so there's further to go down but it would still be nice to improve. If I throw in 3 x 5 at 30kg or so that should help develop the lift over the next 10 weeks.

Any thoughts on the crappy technique for the flit phase of the DB press? Would you be worried about technique there as long as it was "back flat" safe?

I know what you mean, I had to take a few seconds on the knees just to compose myself. Something I have never had to do before.

I one arm row the DB onto the bench, then basically do a rack pull with them off the bench. I think doing a full DL with them off the floor seems a huge energy expenditure, right before a lift. I've never understood why people do it? Seems a disadvantage. Ego? For people that only do chest and bi's to get some back work in?

I don't think you have to worry to much about poor form with them as long as your training program is balanced. Right now due to injuries you have my pushing much more than you are pulling, but when you are back to being balanced, I can't see how it will cause any major damage as you probably won't do them enough.


I know Sean is a huge fan of DB deadlifts. So I think they will benefit.

I think the more you squat/deadlift the easier those things become as you have a stronger base. But you can't rush back from an injury, so it's definitely a tough one to balance out.

[EvilPie]

I think doing a full DL with them off the floor seems a huge energy expenditure, right before a lift. I've never understood why people do it? Seems a disadvantage. Ego? For people that only do chest and bi's to get some back work in?

For me it's just habit. It think it goes back to when I was a bit of a beast and I could lift them easily without really even noticing. Also because I was capped at 50kg and they were relatively easy the additional energy expenditure was irrelevant.

I suppose I've convinced myself that doing them any other way is cheating although obviously that's silly. You wouldn't be expected to lift a 120kg barbell on to a rack before every set of bench press would you!!

Every now and then I have to remind myself that I'm not as strong as I used to be and it's things like this that make it hit home.

I know what you're saying about the push vs pull imbalance. I've tried not to let it affect me but obviously with something like this it's a massive hindrance. Overall I think it's more important to take it steady on the pull so if my body's telling me I can't pick 46kg off the floor then it's probably a bad idea trying to take it off a rack or bench as well.

Definitely going to slow the DBs down......

[iRaise]

Definitely not cheating, we aren't doing crossfit. If we are pressing, we want to focus on that.

Yeah at some point those imbalances come into play, so to everyone reading stay balanced for as long as you possibly can.

I think if I picked up the DB's from the floor, it would cost me a rep on every set.

Had a terrible week training, and off on holiday for four days next week, so not sure what progress I will be making next week.

Now you have declared you are taking it easy you will probably get 50s for six next week, haha.

[muckthenuts]

Found a great little deal today at Holland and Barrett. Their breakfast muesli offers 425 calories per 100 grams, with 21g of protein packed in there too. Gonna make life a bit easier for me in the mornings.

[iRaise]

Took a little break from the heavy stuff,

5x8 Squats 100kg (still over the moon)

5x8 Leg Press 200kg, (bit weak)

5x8 RDL 100kg (flexibility felt pretty poor, so not as clean as I would like)

Might try something similar tomorrow with the DBs.


How has everyone else done?

[muckthenuts]

Got the flu so not training. My appetite hasn't gone but i've felt very groggy for the past few days. Won't lift again til i'm recovered fully.

[iRaise]

Yeah don't worry when you are ill. You are much more likely to get injured, and you will have a huge morale dent when you are lifting half the stuff.

Carried on with the 5x8 today

5x8 DB press 40kg (so much harder than I thought)

5x8 Cable Low Row 50kg (really good for contraction)

5x8 LPD 70kg (feel like that isn't too strong)

5x8 Cable Flyes 12.5kg (I do love this exercise, get a good contraction)


How is everyone else doing?