UB: Strong Week 2. Press

Defranco Mobility work

Neck Fexion - 25X20X3

Press -
BarX5
55X5
65X5
75X5
85X5

Upright Rows - 85X13, 7

DB Laterals - 30sX10, 6

Hanging Leg Raise - 6, 5, 5, 5, 5

10 minute lope on treadmill

I'm wondering if I should be doing neck extensions instead of flexion.  Seems like it would have more carry-over to lifts.  I'll think about this.

Similar to last bench session, I only rested between sets long enought to reload the bar, so got a better work-out as a result.

UB: Strong Week 1. Squat

Defranco Mobility Work

Standing Calf Raises - 195, 225, 265X15

Squat -
135X5
145X5
175X5
185X5
205X5

Front Squats - 115X12, 6

RDL - 115X12, 135X8

Hammer and Tire - 10 minutes.  4 rounds of 20 swings "per arm."

Little bit more on the calf raises.  I expect to get up to the full stack by the end of this 6 weeks.

Squats started off feeling wonky, but I started pakcing my neck harder and everything felt better by the end of the sets.

UB: Strong Week 1. Bench

Defranco Shoulder Mobility

Neck Machine - 3X20

Bench -
85X5
95X5
105X5
115X5
135X5

Incline DB Press - 55sX10, 5

Dips - Gym BW198+10lb.X11, 4

10 min. lope on the treadmill

I hate the bench.  I keep trying to dial my form in better, but sometimes that seems to make everything feel heavier.  Lately I've been focusing first on driving my upper-back into the pad.  Then I break the bar out of the rack.  Make sure my hands are straight so that the bar is above my wrists.  Look at where the bar is "at" on the ceiling to make sure it comes back to that same point every rep.  Squeeze hard, pull the bar apart, tuck elbows on the way down.  I'm having trouble the last couple of times remembering to flare the elbows while hitting my "target" on the ceiling.  Anyway this session sucked as all this shit makes it a pain in the ass.  Additionally, I was making sure to get a full touch at the bottom, and then drive that shit up.  This made sure the muscles got worked hard with relatively light weight.  However, all this shit in combination, plus only enough rest between sets to reload the bar, meant I was mentally and physically pretty taxed afterwards.

UB: Strong Week 1. Deadlift

Defranco Mobility and Stretching

Standing Calf Raises - 135X15, 195X15, 225X15

Deadlift -
135X5
155X5
185X5
205X5
225X5

Power Shrugs - 275X11, 6

Chin-ups - BW(205)X9, 5

Cable Crunches - 1/2 stack X25, Stack+40X20X2

Treadmill - Light jogging for 10 minutes

Similar to the shoulder assistance last session, this is the first time I have done direct calf work since I started training for strength.  I've always had big claves, so I kind of expected to work up to the full stack on these, but I only got about 3/4 of the way up.  Nice to have an easy target to work towards.

With the Deadlifts, it's funny that Paul Carter and one of his readers were just discussing that Deadlifting relatively light weights never "feels light" the way it does in other lifts, and that was my experience here.  135 and 185 always feel light, but once I cross 200 things feel "heavy" even if I can lift 50lbs. heavier in that rep range.  Nonetheless, I just tried to focus on form and getting some "pop" in the reps.

UB: Strong Week 1. Press

Defranco upper-body stretches

Neck Machine - 3 sets of 20

Press -
BarX5
BarX5
55X5
65X5
75X5

Upright Rows - 75X12, 7

DB Laterals - 25'sX12, 7

Hanging Leg Raise - 5, 7, 5, 6, 5

Foam-rolling at home afterwards.

First day of Ultimate Beastdom.  A really refreshing session due to the combination of light weights and few exercises.  I guess I didn't realize it, but the 2-day split I'd been doing because of my heavy rehearsal schedule had maybe been wearing me down with two ME style movements per session, plus plenty of accessory and core work.  I just felt great after this.

For the Pressing, even though the weight was light I tried to focus on driving it up fast so that I had the feeling of "coming-off-the-ground" at the top.  Just to make sure I was getting some work in there.

5/3/1 Log: Cycle 3. Week 3. Bench and Squat

Defranco Stretching and Mobility work

Bench -
BarX10
95X5
135X5
155X3
170X4

Squat -
BarX10
135X5
165X5
190X5
215X3
240X3

Pulldowns, slow eccenctric - 70X12, 10, 80X10
super-set with
GHR's - 5, 5, 10

Face-pulls - 4 sets of 15-20

Core Circuit - 25lb. plate X2

Sick all week plus rehearsals and work.  Felt better in time to get to the gym, but I was about 5-8 lbs. lighter than last session.  Rep PR's in both main lifts.  Bench felt good, Squats were hard.  Probably would have been the opposite if I'd have reversed the order.  Frankly, I'm happy to have the Rep PR's with the week I had.

This was the last 531 session.  I start Paul Carter's Ultimate Beastdom next.  It's something I've had my eye on, so I thought I'd start it while I still have some "easy" gains left in me.  531 was pretty good to me, and I may come back to it.  I'm telling myself I'm not program hopping, and that I'm just a novice trying out a few different variations of the SAME KIND OF LIFTING to find out if any one iteration works better than another.

5/3/1 Log: Cycle 3. Week 3. Press and Deadlift

Defranco Stretches and Mobility work

Press-
BarX10
70X5
95X5
105X3
120X3 (failed on 4)

Deadlift -
135X5
185X5
225X5
250X3
280X3
super-set with
Hanging Leg-Raise - BWX5X3

Bench Dips - BW(206)X15, 15, 20

BB Split Squat - BarX8, 10, 8
super-set with
Hammer Curls - 25'sX15, 15, 10

Hammer and Tire - 2 rounds of 40 swings

Felt like crap this day.  Though I was hung over, but it turned out I was sick as I popped a fever later that night.  Originally wanted to go for 5 on my top set of Presses to close out this round of 5/3/1 with a PR, but I knew I felt weak so I went for 4 and failed.  It happens.  3 was still a Rep PR.

Deadlift was a little better, but I was only going for a small rep PR which I got.  Actually 2 would have been a Rep PR, so this might have been my best lift of the day.