1 Year of doing Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program: 1/1/2012 – 12/30/2012
Body Pics:
Day 1: 1/1/2012
+52 Weeks (+15 weeks LeanGains): 12/30/12
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Category Archives: Program
1 Year of doing Wendler’s 5/3/1 Program: 1/1/2012 – 12/30/2012
Update: 5/3/1 Worksheet v2.1
9/15/12
I made a major overhaul on my 5/3/1 worksheet and made it available here: http://mannixcastro.com/2012/09/10/new-531-worksheet-v2-0/
Only thing missing in it at the time is the “Yes/No” drop down box in each Cycle sheet to have the option to remove Barbell Wt from the cells.
Rob “rj347″, a member from the Ironstrong.org community that I often visit, was able to help me fix this problem by showing me how to do it the way I wanted it done in the first place.
So here is the updated 5/3/1 worksheet v2.1: 531 WorkSheet v2_1a
New 5/3/1 Worksheet v2.0
Update: 5/3/1 Worksheet v2.0
I am now on my 8th Cycle of the 5/3/1 Program!
Been making some changes to my worksheet so decided to share it for those that may find it useful.
Did a major overhaul to it due to me switching from 3x/week to 2x/week training schedule.
Made it more flexible to use and change things around due to the flexibility of the 5/3/1 program itself!
Download updated 5/3/1 Worksheet v2.0: 531 WorkSheet v2
PS:
I cannot figure out how to make a “Yes/No” Drop Down Box do the following in the Remove barbell Weight option of my worksheet:
Yes = Remove Barbell Wt from Setup Page Sell
No = 0
If someone that knows how to do it in MS Excel please teach me how or edit the worksheet yourself and please email it to me 
That is the only thing I couldn’t figure out how to do in this worksheet.
5/3/1 Program Changes: New Plan for Cycle 8
New Plan for Cycle 8:
Sticking with 2 days/week training schedule.
Will actually do most of what is suggested to do for such a training schedule after rereading the 5/3/1 book.
(I didn’t realize the setup was different compared to 3-4 day/week schedule.)
Week 1:
Day 1:
Squat – 5/3/1 sets/reps
Front Squat – 5 x 10
Straight Leg Deadlift – 5 x 10
Hanging Leg Raises (Toes to Bar) – 5 x 10
Day 2:
Bench Press – 5/3/1 sets/reps (Fat Gripz on warm-up sets)
Pull-ups – Superset with bench press for 5-10 reps
Overhead Press – 5 x 10 (Fat Gripz all sets)
Dips – superset with overhead press for 5-10 reps
Kroc Rows – 1 max rep each arm (No Straps!)
Ab Wheel Rollouts – 5 x 10
Week 2:
Day 1:
Power Clean – 5/3/1 sets/reps
Deadlift – 5/3/1 sets/reps
Box Squats – 5 x 10
Good Mornings – 5 x 10
Weighted Sit-ups – 5 x 12-20
Day 2:
Overhead Press – 5/3/1/ sets/reps (Fat Gripz on warm-up sets)
Chin-ups – Superset with overhead press for 5-10 reps
Bench Press – 5 x 10 (Fat Gripz all sets)
Dips – superset with bench press for 5-10 reps
Kroc Rows – 1 max rep each arm (With Straps!)
Dumbbell Side Bends – 5 x 10/side
I think I have been focusing too much on getting as heavy weight as I can even on the assistance work.
On the assistance work I will try to do them lighter so it would be easier to do with less rest time between sets but still challenging.
So instead of 50% of current Training Max I will probably start with 30% again and play around with the numbers from there.
It was suggested to do Chin-ups after all pressing movements.
I really like doing dips and that is why the setup is like that on pressing days.
Also enjoyed using the newly acquired Fat Gripz and will be using them exclusively on pressing days.
I also am going to be doing Front Squats and Good Mornings that I have never really done before.
Need to find an ideal weight for it somehow.
I will probably do a ramped set on it the first couple times I do it till I find the right weight.
5/3/1: Program Changes
Program Changes:
After reading an article by Jim Wendler about the 3 month Boring But Big Challenge, it gave me an idea on how to continue my 5/3/1 program.
Article can be found here: http://www.t-nation….month_challenge
What I plan to do is run everything the same but switch the placement of the BBB Lifts.
On OHP Day I will do BBB Bench Press instead of BBB OHP superset with Chin/Pull-ups.
On PC/DL Day I will be doing BBB Squat instead of BBB Deadlifts with Ab Wheel.
On Bench Press Day I will be doing BBB OHP instead of BBB Bench press superset with Dips then a set of Kroc Rows on each arm.
On Squat Days I will be doing BBB Deadlift instead of BBB Squats with GHR or Hanging Leg Raise.
I think this will make the program more interesting and I will be able to do squats at least 1 more time for the work week.
New Workout Program: Wendler’s 5/3/1
New Year and I will be starting a new training program to build strength and improve myself.
I completed 12 weeks of Mad Cow Intermediate and probably would do well with another cycle or two of it but I really wanted to try 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler. Also hoping that with this new program I will spend less time at the gym and more with my family.
New Workout Program: Mad Cow 5×5 Intermediate
Image via Wikipedia
Today I start a new training program after over a year of doing Stronglifts 5×5 Beginner Program.
This new program is similar to Stronglifts in that it incorporates a 5×5 system. It is called Mad Cow 5×5 Intermediate and considered the next step once you complete Stronglifts 5×5 Beginner.
It is a program that you should not start with as a beginner but a suitable one to progress into.
The original author and his website has disappeared long ago but there has been some people that was lucky enough to keep a copy of all the information that would have been lost forever.
You can find more information about Mad Cow 5×5 Intermediate Program here: http://stronglifts.com/madcow/5x5_Program/Linear_5x5.htm
You can even download an excellent spreadsheet for the program here: http://stronglifts.com/madcow-5×5-training-programs/
Plotted Starting Weights:
Squat: 265 lbs
Bench: 205 lbs
Row: 175 lbs
Press: 120 lbs
Deadlift: 325 lbs
Bench: 205 lbs
Row: 175 lbs
Press: 120 lbs
Deadlift: 325 lbs
Weights I plotted are the most recent 5RM I was able to do while doing Stronglifts 5×5.
It is not the heaviest I have ever done but it is the most recent that I have done when I stopped SL.
It is not the heaviest I have ever done but it is the most recent that I have done when I stopped SL.
Minor Program Changes
Image via Wikipedia
Made some slight changes in the program in hope of improving my lifts.
1. Additional Accessory Exercises done Pre-workout:
- Standing Ab Pulldown (2 sets of 8-10)
- Glute-Ham Raise (2 sets of 8-10)
2. Revert back to Reverse Crunch (3 sets of 12) from Dragon Flags.
3. Chin/Pull-ups and Dips rep goal now are 3 sets of 8-10.
4. Removed Power Cleans in Deadlift and Bent-over Row warm-ups.
What to do before you lift? Foam Rolling & Dynamic Stretches!
Image via Wikipedia
Right after I get to the gym, after I leave the locker room, there is a certain routine I do before I start lifting. That is I do some foam rolling and dynamic stretches. This helps me prepare for my lifting routine that I will be doing that day.
Why not just start lifting right away? It is always better to warm-up, get your blood flowing and your muscles ready before you start lifting. This can help prevent injuries and loosen your body to help in your lifts.
After trying to find out ways to help fix some issues with my lifts I have found that doing some foam rolling exercises and dynamic stretches before I start any of my major lifts to help.
Reverse Crunch replaced by Dragon Flags
I have incorporated dragon flags slowly in my program for a couple of weeks after doing some reverse crunches. After reviewing my performance I think I would perform better by completely replacing reverse crunch with dragon flags for now.
So from this time on while doing Stronglifts 5×5 Beginner Program, I will be doing Dragon Flags instead of Reverse Crunches.
This is what a Reverse Crunch looks like: Read the rest of this entry »
