PL and other stuff

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1

I’m a guy in his thirties, who has been lifting for some years already. I trained first years with different variants of 5/3/1 and got in pretty good shape. I did gain some strength, but nothing amazing. Mainly because I did not gain as much weight as needed, and I had too many contradicting goals. I’m still logging also to other forum, but feel that I’m going to stop relatively soon (pretty passive place overall), so I decided to try this one out.

I started PL little over a year ago, changed my programming and started eating calorie surplus (actually tracking kcals and macros, not just “eat a lot” as I used to do).
I’ve done now 2 meets, and my current personal bests are:

In a meet:
Squat 205kg/452 lbs
Bench 115kg/254 lbs
Deadlift 235kg/518 lbs

In gym:
Squat 195kg/430 lbs
(TnG)Bench 125kg/275,5 lbs
Deadlift 240kg/529 lbs

I’m 6.4 feet and I weight around 108kg/238 lbs now.

Current programming:

Full time office and two daughters keeps me relatively busy, but I compete at local level PL to have some goal oriented lifting. I don’t have time/energy/focus for long workouts, so I have done simple and fast ones for 4 days/week:

a) Main lift
b) 1. variation/assistance lift

c) GPP (if time)

This allow me to train lift in twice a week. The total volume is of course different. With pressing I’ll do around 15 work sets per week, with squat around 10 and with deadlift only 5 work sets every week. I also hit some GPP 2 times a week whenever I’ll have the time (upper back, midsection and light cardio). Progression is simple as it gets - just increase the workloads is the current point. Either more sets with same weight or same sets/reps with higher weights. I try to learn to measure RPE, and I log that in too, even though my auto regulation is based on a “5% -rule”.

I have had good experiences with waving the training weeks:

W1 Medium intensity and volume, close variations
W2 Lower intensity, higher volume, easier variations
W3 Higher intensity and volume, close variations
W4 Medium to high intensity and low volume, no variations

Anyway, that’s the mandatory base info. Lets get into it.

2

Cycle2 Week2 D1

Did this yesterday. This is the light mid-week, so nothing spectacular. I’m planning to compete next time at the beginning of January, and my current training is aiming to that.

Squat:
5x70kg
5x100kg
3x130kg
6x145kg, 6,5
6x145kg, 7
6x145kg, 7
6x145kg, 7,5
6x145kg, 7,5

RDL:
6x100kg, below 6
6x120kg, 6,5
6x130kg, 7
6x130kg, 7

3

C2 W2 D2

Good workout. Weight gain feels good in the bench. I’m really poor in paused benches, so I’m pausing every last rep of every work set.

Bench (comp. Width)
6x50kg
6x60kg
3x80kg
6x87,5kg, 7
6x87,5kg, 7
6x87,5kg, 7,5
6x87,5kg, 7,5
6x87,5kg, 7,5
6x87,5kg, 8

6 min @
4x8 seal rows
3x8 standing ab wheel

4

Yeaaah. Managed to delete my own posts. Here are the two first days of this week:

c2w2d1

Squat
5x70kg
5x100kg
3x130kg
6x145kg
6x145kg
6x145kg
6x145kg
6x145kg

Around 7-7,5 rpe.

RDL
6x100kg
6x120kg
6x130kg
6x130kg

max 7 rpe.

c2w2d2

Bench
6x50kg
6x60kg
3x80kg
6x87,5kg
6x87,5kg
6x87,5kg
6x87,5kg
6x87,5kg
6x87,5kg

First 7rpe, but moved closer to 8.

Seal rows 4x8
ss
Standing ab wheel 3x8

5

C2 W2 D3

High bar squat
5x70kg
5x100kg
3x120kg
5x130kg, sub 7
5x140kg, 7,5
5x145kg, 8
5x145kg, 8
5x145kg, 8
I hate HB.

Deadlift
3x100kg
3x130kg
1x160kg
3x170kg
3x170kg
3x170kg
3x170kg
Pretty easy.

Really did not feel like training today, lucky for me this is the easier week.

Edit. 30 min light cardio at evening.

6

C2 W2 D4

CGBP
6x50kg
6x70kg
3x80kg
6x85kg, 7
6x85kg, 7,5
6x85kg, 7,5
6x85kg, 7,5
6x85kg, 8

Seated OHP
8x40kg, 7
8x45kg, 7,5
8x45kg, 8+

Lat pulldowns 3x10
Ss with weighted sit ups 3x10

Airdyne @ 20 min

7

C2 W3 D1

Squat:
5x70kg
3x100kg
3x120kg
1x140kg
1x160kg
1x180kg
1x190kg @ easy 8

5x145kg, sub 7
5x155kg, 7,5
5x165kg, 8,5
5x170kg, 9
5x155kg, 8

Deficit deadlift:
4x100kg
1x140kg
4x150kg, 6
4x160kg, 6,5
4x170kg, 7,5
4x180kg, 8

Had couple extra days rest because of some stomach flu and life. Extra rest did good and I pretty much smashed this one, even though I had not slept enough and was busy. BW is going up nicely too, gained some bloat, but its tolerable.

8

C2 W3 D2

Bench:
5x50kg
5x70kg
3x80kg
1x90kg
1x100kg
1x110kg, 9

5x85kg, 7,5
5x90kg, 8
5x95kg, 8,5
5x100kg, 9+
5x90kg, 9
5x80kg, 8

Lat pulldowns 3x12
ss with
Weighted ab wheel 3x10

I might have overshoot today a bit, and couple bench sets were pretty hard. Well, it’s okay.

9

C2 W3 D3

Pause squat
5x70kg
3x100kg
1x120kg
3x130kg, 7
3x135kg, 8
3x140kg, 8
3x145kg, 8,5
3x150kg, 8,5

Deadlift:
3x100kg
3x140kg
1x165kg
1x185kg
5x205kg, rep PR

Light cardio @ 30 min.

Good workout, squat and pull are feeling great. Upper body a bit beat up.

10

C2 W3 D4

CGBP
5x50kg
5x70kg
3x80kg
5x82,5kg, 8
5x87,5kg, 8
5x92,5kg, 8,5
5x92,5kg, 8,5
5x92,5kg, 8,5
5x92,5kg, 9

Incline bench
6x50kg, 6,5
6x60kg, 7,5
6x65kg, 9
6x55kg, 8,5

Seal rows 4x8
ss with
weighted sit ups 3x10

Will do resisted hill walks or something tomorrow.

Felt pretty beat up today, which was not surprising. Had to back down the weights, but got nice work in nevertheless. Next two workouts are deload/low stress.

11

C2 W4 D1 (deload/low stress)

Squat (beltless and without sleeves)
3x70kg
3x100kg
1x120kg
1x140kg
1x160kg
1x170kg

Tire flips 140kg 2x2x15m
Bulgarians 2x10
Easy, just having some fun.

Airdyne 20min

My gym is closing because of Covid, but there is other one which is open anyway. I would not be surprised if the meet is cancelled too, but we’ll see.

12

C2 W4 D2 (deload/low stress)

Spoto press:
3x50kg
3x70kg
3x80kg
1x90kg
1x100kg
3x70kg
Easy. Just tried this one out for curiosity. My pause sucks, and seeking different ways to improve it. I already pause last rep of every work set, but just thinking about what other tools can be used if needed.

Chins 2x8
Triceps 2x12
Biceps 2x12
Face pull 2x15

Yeah, going to start the next cycle in different gym on Friday. They’re shutting stuff down again here.

13

C3 W1 D1

Squat
5x70kg
3x100kg
3x130kg
1x150kg
1x175kg
1x185kg
1x195kg, 8+

5x170kg, 9 lost balance. Not a great set
6x145kg, 7
6x155kg, 7,5
6x160kg, 8,5
6x150kg, 8

Deficit deadlift:
3x100kg
3x130kg
5x150kg, 6,5
5x160kg, 7
5x170kg, 7,5

Had a very long day, and really did not feel like training today. Felt short of my initial goal, but got some decent work in. My reps did not suck and the 195 felt alright.

14

C3 W1 D2

Bench:
5x50kg
3x70kg
1x80kg
1x90kg
1x100kg
1x110kg, 9

6x100kg, 9
6x95kg, 8,5
6x95kg, 8,5
6x90kg, 8,5
6x90kg, 9
6x85kg, 8,5

Lat pulldowns 3x8-10
ss with standing ab wheel 3x8

Alright day. Did not still feel awesome, but managed to do the workout decently. RPE was highish, but the reps were good.

15

C3 W1 D3

Pause squat:
5x70kg
3x100kg
3x120kg
3x135kg, 7
3x140kg, 7,5
3x145kg, 8
3x150kg, 8,5
3x155kg, 8,5

Deadlift:
3x100kg
3x140kg
1x170kg
1x190kg
1x200kg
5x207,5kg, 9+
Nice.

16

C3 W1 D4

CGBP
5x50kg
5x70kg
3x80kg
6x85kg, 7+
6x90kg, 8+
6x95kg, 9
6x90kg, 8+
6x90kg, 9+

Incline bench:
8x40kg
8x50kg, 7
8x55kg, 8+
8x55kg, 9

Chest supported barbell rows 4x8

Lat pulldowns 1xAmrap

Did abs earlier at work (long story).

Have been busy and slacked the conditioning. Need to get it in.

17

C3 W2 D1

Squat:
5x70kg
4x100kg
4x130kg

4x140kg
4x150kg
4x150kg
4x150kg
4x150kg
4x150kg
4x150kg
all below 8

RDL
6x100kg
6x120kg
6x130kg
6x140kg

Toes to bar 3x7-8

Airdyne bike @ 20 min

Lighter intensity week, I’m also having a 3 days break from lifting because life.

18

C3 W2 D2

Bench:
5x50kg
5x70kg
5x80kg
4x90kg
4x90kg
4x90kg
4x90kg
4x90kg
4x90kg
4x90kg
4x90kg
All sets below 8.

Chest supported rows 3x10
ss with
Weird and shitty ab machine 3x12

I did got pretty drunk during the weekend. Not a thing I do regularly nowadays, and the hangovers start to be pretty bad at this age. I also got pretty bad tension neck, which has been bothering me for the past two days now (this sometimes happens to me). Anyway, light intensity benching and some fluff at the end was not too bad for a day like this.

19

C3 W2 D3/4 or a mini-taper

Squat: 3x3x140kg
Bench: 3x3x75kg
Deadlift: 1x190kg

Yeah. The meet is cancelled. Which is okay for me, since my last one was just 3 months ago. I doubt there will be any other ones around either. I’ve also done around 10 weeks of volume now, and might need a break from it. I’m also not sure how I will be lifting during the holidays, since we’re out of town, and not sure what gyms will be open because of the Covid.

So I did this workout light/low volume, and will rest for a couple more days. I’ll do PR testing (1RM or 3RM, depending it how I feel during the workouts) next sunday/monday. Probably some extra volume and random stupidness will be done too later next week. Then I’ll have a complete break around Christmas, and I can plan next training blocks during that time (most likely starting with more variation/some pivot stuff).

20

Test Day 1 = decent squat and terrible bench

Squat:
3x70kg
3x100kg
3x130kg
3x150kg
3x170kg
3x180kg
3x190kg, PR, surprisingly easy.
2x200kg, Failed. Went greedy failed at the end of second rep.

Bench
3x50kg
3x70kg
3x80kg
3x90kg
3x100kg
2x110kg,9
Fail x115kg

So did not feel too strong, but squats went well. Bench felt achy and was all over the place. I performed worse than usual with it.

Going for DL tomorrow and do some random stuff for the rest of the week.