Strength Training for Singles 2014: Eight-Week Workout Cycle I

This way I would essentially have a medium, heavy, and light day for the big three lifts.:
3x1, 3x3, 2x5
3x3, 2x5+ assistance
Heavy singles > 3x3, 2x5

Although it would be nice to get in each assistance exercise more than once every two weeks, I don't want to take away from the six basic lifts. Thoughts?

Yeah I think you could do a EMOM x 10 scheme and you could switch the reps either during or on a weekly basis. I am sure the two most time consuming things are switching loads and rest periods. So if you limit these you can easily get high quality work sets with a warm up in 15 minutes tops. Which would leave you a lot of time for the other lifts. You do have to stay focused though which is hard sometimes.

So take the DL for example, a good training max is 355 you could do singles:

10 x 1 x 315lbs (90%) - 10 reps
10 x 3 x 285lbs (80%) - 30 reps
10 x 5 x 255lbs (72%) - 50 reps at 75 sec sets, 60 is too short I think

Or if you prefer heavier you could try this way with one weight change

3 x 1 x 315lbs. + 3 x 1 x 355lbs + 4 x 1 x 315lbs. - throwing on 4 10s shouldn't take that much time but you can always add 90 seconds between that set.

If you are doing the other reps ranges I would not increase the weight. 30/50 reps is gonna be tough at straight weight, and you would likely be better off going lighter than heavier for these. As long as you keep the weight heavy 10 reps can still bring you the intensity you want I think.

Then with the other two big lifts you should try to superset an assitance lift with them
DL - 10 x 1 x 315lbs (90%)
Rows 3 x 5 + back hyperextensions 3 x 15
OH Press 3 x 5 + farmers walks/swings 3 x 15

And my hypertrophy workout would be something similar. I would still do heavy lifts but only do one or two a day and then primarily hypertrophy work after 8-10 rep ranges. Basically like a 531 program. Doing an entire BB type workout does seem boring these days.
 
Yeah I think you could do a EMOM x 10 scheme and you could switch the reps either during or on a weekly basis. I am sure the two most time consuming things are switching loads and rest periods. So if you limit these you can easily get high quality work sets with a warm up in 15 minutes tops. Which would leave you a lot of time for the other lifts. You do have to stay focused though which is hard sometimes.

So take the DL for example, a good training max is 355 you could do singles:

10 x 1 x 315lbs (90%) - 10 reps
10 x 3 x 285lbs (80%) - 30 reps
10 x 5 x 255lbs (72%) - 50 reps at 75 sec sets, 60 is too short I think

Or if you prefer heavier you could try this way with one weight change

3 x 1 x 315lbs. + 3 x 1 x 355lbs + 4 x 1 x 315lbs. - throwing on 4 10s shouldn't take that much time but you can always add 90 seconds between that set.

If you are doing the other reps ranges I would not increase the weight. 30/50 reps is gonna be tough at straight weight, and you would likely be better off going lighter than heavier for these. As long as you keep the weight heavy 10 reps can still bring you the intensity you want I think.

Then with the other two big lifts you should try to superset an assitance lift with them
DL - 10 x 1 x 315lbs (90%)
Rows 3 x 5 + back hyperextensions 3 x 15
OH Press 3 x 5 + farmers walks/swings 3 x 15

And my hypertrophy workout would be something similar. I would still do heavy lifts but only do one or two a day and then primarily hypertrophy work after 8-10 rep ranges. Basically like a 531 program. Doing an entire BB type workout does seem boring these days.
Thanks for the suggestions, a lot to consider. When I was doing the dropsets yesterday, each 10-pound drop kept the intensity at about the same level, so I don't think I could do 3x1x355. I did 355/345/335/325/315 and that was close to my limit. I think I did a double at 305, and probably could've done one at 315, but until then, singles was all I could do. So I think I'll keep the idea of dropsets for the heavy singles, start at, or close to, my true 1RM, like just 10 pounds less. That amounts to five or so straight singles. I know you're getting results with the EMOM x 10 protocol, but I think I would miss my triples and quintuples. I think each rep count confers unique benefits.

For Bench drop sets, it gets a little tricky--ten-pound drops might be too drastic. I might try 245/240/235, but maybe I'm capable of 250/245/240 or 250/240/230. For the Squat, I'll start at either 275 or 265, probably try 275, my true 1RM, because I'm probably ready to start pushing the squats a tad more. The deads and bench are pretty well-established and the gains will slow from here on out, but there might be some wiggle room for that mid-level improvement pace on the squats.

I guess there might be four paces of improvement,
There's novice, when changes are almost weekly.
Then lower intermediate, when changes are still fairly often and so there's a good reward.
Then there's higher intermediate, when you start to approach your natural plateau.
and then there's advanced, when you push beyond you're nature plateau.

I think I could probably keep what I'm doing up until the last stage, but a little adjustment and variation here and there might move things along a little quicker. Still, I'm convinced most gains will come from simply doing the big lifts heavy.

Today if I have time I'll try heavy db rows for the first time, at 145, and see if they work as singles.
Tomorrow I'll try 255 again for the bench and see if I can hit a new PR.

Then, with these results in mind, I'll try to craft a good scheme based on our discussion for the next two weeks, having something like a heavy, medium, light variation for the main lifts, and try to get in a few more assistance things too. I was reading a bit of Louis Simmons the other day, and he seems to think assistance lifts have an important role to play, but of course, he works with lifters a lot more advanced than me. I want to keep focused on the basics, but if a little assistance here and there will further progress, why not?

I like the idea of supersetting more, I have to experiment with it, probably for the assistance lifts, but maybe for the middle and top lifts too. I dunno though, I put a lot of effort into my rows and bench presses, so I don't know if I want to switch around too much while I'm doing them. Maybe I've been overly influenced by RDL, but I've come to devalue the OH Press and Pulldowns a bit, viewing them as somewhere between a main lift and an assistance lift. I think mostly, however, it's just a matter of which exercises use the most muscle mass. It's hard to superset when you're already using a significant amount of muscle and thus effort on the first exercise. I don't know if I'd save that much time overall. I might end up needing more rest in between supersets, which kind of defeats the purpose. Anyway, we'll see. Definitely something worth experimenting with. Your last suggestion on how to superset rows with hypers and OH Press with farmers/swings seems pretty good. If you super set a lighter main lift with a second assistance lift, then second exercises probably won't interfere much at all with the first. So for the other workout, maybe I could superset the Bench Press with OH Squats, and Pulldowns with Pullovers. Or maybe Bench with Pullovers and Pulldowns with dips, I dunno . . .

On the other hand, I'm not opposed to workouts taking 10-15 minutes longer if that's what it takes. If I think about all the nonessential stuff I do during the day, including writing posts here (!), what's an extra 10-15 minutes if it leads to better results. I try to get my workouts in between 4 and 5pm, then I have an hour to shower, prepare some fruit or protein for the kids to snack on in the car, and go pick them up before 6pm, the deadline. I could just come home 15 minutes earlier. Still, as things stand, just doing the three basic exercises can take a whole hour and really wipe me out.

I could also just do two sets of each rep count-- 2 x 1/3/5 -- but I dunno, I like the way the 3x1/3x3/2x5 scheme really wipes me out.
 
There is always this bar
http://www.blackwidowtg.com/Angled_Swiss_Bar_p/bar-football.htm
It shoudl fit in your rack. That landmine grip looks pretty good too. You have something similar already right just not with all the grips?
Yeah, but the swiss bar has angles. I think I would prefer a strictly neutral grip.
That tgrip could also be used for rows, so maybe just get that and hold off on the t-bar for landmine thing. You're right, I already have a t-bar, a 'lat-blaster' but it's for supine or prone grips. I could just slip some nylon handles on them though, to get a neutral grip.

Have you ever done neutral grip pressing? The idea is intriguing, but I might just be indulging my gearwhore fetish.

Edit (an hour later): I got the 5' t-grip single handle, for 199 free shipping. I think it will fit with my rack, which is about 33" between the posts. Even if it doesn't quite fit in the j-clips, I could use a carriage bolt to rack it I guess. I figure, at the very least, I'll use it for barbell rows. Oftentimes when I'm getting into position and tensing up there's a little click in my left shoulder, so hopefully neutral grip will help with that. For the presses, it'll be interesting to see if there's any difference.
 
Nice find, especially the first one. For me, the secret to losing weight is easy. Eat whole, unprocessed foods, eat a little less than you want to at each meal, like 80-90%, don't snack, avoid alcohol, and exercise an hour a day. I'm still waiting for the daily running to get up to speed. Whenever I try a more severe approach to dieting, I feel like crap. I have to rely on exercise or just put up with a little belly fat.
 
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Yeah pretty much eat protein and more calorie to gain or less to lose. It's pretty simple the trick is changing habits I think and staying away from processed foods. I have tried to count calories and it definitely works but it's cumbersome.

Yeah, but the swiss bar has angles. I think I would prefer a strictly neutral grip.
That tgrip could also be used for rows, so maybe just get that and hold off on the t-bar for landmine thing. You're right, I already have a t-bar, a 'lat-blaster' but it's for supine or prone grips. I could just slip some nylon handles on them though, to get a neutral grip.

Have you ever done neutral grip pressing? The idea is intriguing, but I might just be indulging my gearwhore fetish.

Edit (an hour later): I got the 5' t-grip single handle, for 199 free shipping. I think it will fit with my rack, which is about 33" between the posts. Even if it doesn't quite fit in the j-clips, I could use a carriage bolt to rack it I guess. I figure, at the very least, I'll use it for barbell rows. Oftentimes when I'm getting into position and tensing up there's a little click in my left shoulder, so hopefully neutral grip will help with that. For the presses, it'll be interesting to see if there's any difference.
I have never used a Swiss a before but the bench is probably very similar to doing dips. It should be easier on your shoulder I think.

Yeah just stick with the basics and focus on quality lifts. Its simple and effective. Most of this talk is just for fun it's interesting to hear new ideas like your drop sets.
 
Yeah pretty much eat protein and more calorie to gain or less to lose. It's pretty simple the trick is changing habits I think and staying away from processed foods. I have tried to count calories and it definitely works but it's cumbersome.

I have never used a Swiss a before but the bench is probably very similar to doing dips. It should be easier on your shoulder I think.

Yeah just stick with the basics and focus on quality lifts. Its simple and effective. Most of this talk is just for fun it's interesting to hear new ideas like your drop sets.
Yah, I'm mainly thinking about the pulls with neutral grip. My latest hypothesis is that it's the pulls, not the presses, that irritate the left shoulder the most. Since I stopped doing supine pullups (chinups) and supine pulldowns, it's felt better, so I'm wonder if it would feel even better if I avoid prone-grip rows. I could just do db rows and cable rows with neutral grip, and forgo the barbell rows, but, as we've discussed, the back seems to respond best when it's attacked from multiple angles, positions, bi- and unilaterally, etc. I think my curiosity about what a bilateral (barbell) neutral grip press would feel like is what tipped the scales and allowed me to justify another gearwhore purchase. I could just do db presses of course, but I'm not convinced the effect of a unilateral lift is the same as a bilateral lift, even when using both hands in the former. And I simply can't lift as much total weight when doing dumbbells, except for the db row.

Yah, some of it is just for fun, but I've also learned a hell of a lot here. A lot of our discussion either directly influences my thinking or leads me to seek out further information. My whole approach is different now.

I still don't understand your hinge swings though . . . I just don't get it. I prefer hyperextensions. Same meat, different gravy?
 
Yah, I'm mainly thinking about the pulls with neutral grip. My latest hypothesis is that it's the pulls, not the presses, that irritate the left shoulder the most. Since I stopped doing supine pullups (chinups) and supine pulldowns, it's felt better, so I'm wonder if it would feel even better if I avoid prone-grip rows. I could just do db rows and cable rows with neutral grip, and forgo the barbell rows, but, as we've discussed, the back seems to respond best when it's attacked from multiple angles, positions, bi- and unilaterally, etc. I think my curiosity about what a bilateral (barbell) neutral grip press would feel like is what tipped the scales and allowed me to justify another gearwhore purchase. I could just do db presses of course, but I'm not convinced the effect of a unilateral lift is the same as a bilateral lift, even when using both hands in the former. And I simply can't lift as much total weight when doing dumbbells, except for the db row.

I am really interested in hearing about how you like the swiss bar. I've been tempted in the past to buy one but could never justify it. I think with the bench press having a slightly angled neutral grip might be preferable for me, but for the press and rows I think the true neutral grip is perfect. I hope it does help some with your shoulder. I do like neutral grip pull ups better than regular grip and I am significnatly stronger that way too but I still like the challenge of the regular grip so once a week I still do them. I also get a significantly longer range of motion with the neutral grip.

Yeah me too, I think its important to keep an open mind about lifting in some aspects and even try new things. Like we've discussed before we all react differently to stimulus, both mentally and physically.
 
I still don't understand your hinge swings though . . . I just don't get it. I prefer hyperextensions. Same meat, different gravy?

Well a couple reasons, the main reason is I think it is one of the most important lifts you can do that directly benefits running. That hip snap at the top is essentially the same as the push up/off while running at higher speeds. It also forces you to work on trunk stabilization to catch and reverse the weight. I honestly think any runner would benefit from doing swings more than any other lift. I still don't know if I prefer the heavy swings vs. lighter kb swings as the heaviest I have gone is 32kg. Someday I will build a t-bar to load plates on and try out heavy swings. But swings at a decent weight really do make me feel like a stronger runner.

I do not think hyperextensions are comparable mainly because of the stabilization piece. Due to the support of the bench it changes it from being a posterior chain lift to more of a lower back and glute lift. It's still a great lift just a little different focus that hopefully the next part clarifies some.

As you already know I tend to listen to DJ's advice more than other fitness guru's. He basically came up with the concept of the hip displacement continuum (probably should be knee displacement but...) that has always stuck in my mind, like his five core movements. You can read the article below for more detail but the general concept is there are two major movement patterns a hinge and a squat. At the top you have the hinge and then as you move down each lift will progressively get closer to a true squat movement.

Hinge the Hips (Swings, Jumps): Deep Hip Movement, Minimal Knee Movement
Vertical Jump
Standing Long Jump
Swings (all variations)
Romanian Deadlifts
In the Middle: Bootstrapper Squat
In a narrow beam: snatches and cleans and DLs
Back Squats
Front Squats
Overhead Squats
Goblet Squats
Squats: Deep Hip Movement, Deep Knee Movement.

http://danjohn.net/2010/08/i-will-just-share-this-with-you-part-of-one-of-my-new-books/

So I also do swings to make sure I cover ths continuum adequately. These are the lifts I currently do not really in this order but to show along the range:
Swings
RDL
DL
TBDL
Back Squat
Goblet Squat

I might even consider TBDL to be more of a squat than a back squat. Not sure but it's close.

Anyway if you look at most sports you can also kind of match them to this continuum and it might be wise to place a little emphasis on that range. Although I still think its important to work the whole range for helath sake.

Hinge the Hips (Swings, Jumps): Deep Hip Movement, Minimal Knee Movement
Vertical Jump -------------------------- Basketball
Standing Long Jump ------------------ Sprinting
Swings (all variations) ---------------- Fast running
Romanian Deadlifts/hyperext ------- Slower running
Bootstrapper Squat ------------------- Mountain Biking
Snatches and cleans and DLs -------- Power lifting
Back Squats ---------------------------- Weight lifting
Front Squats --------------------------- Time trial Biking
Overhead Squats
Goblet Squats -------------------------- Hopak
Squats: Deep Hip Movement, Deep Knee Movement.
 
I am really interested in hearing about how you like the swiss bar. I've been tempted in the past to buy one but could never justify it. I think with the bench press having a slightly angled neutral grip might be preferable for me, but for the press and rows I think the true neutral grip is perfect. I hope it does help some with your shoulder. I do like neutral grip pull ups better than regular grip and I am significnatly stronger that way too but I still like the challenge of the regular grip so once a week I still do them. I also get a significantly longer range of motion with the neutral grip.
Yeah me too, I think its important to keep an open mind about lifting in some aspects and even try new things. Like we've discussed before we all react differently to stimulus, both mentally and physically.
It's actually a little different from a Swiss/football bar, in that it has a purely neutral grip, but it also has a single bar in the middle, making easier, I think, to do full ROM rows and presses:
5-single-parallel-handle-olympic-bar-on-clearance-t-grip-barbell-tg-oly-5ft-clear-864x186.jpg


For $199 + free shipping, I think I can justify it if makes it a little easier to do my rows and maybe presses without irritating my shoulder as much.

Yesterday I did my db rows and they definitely irritate my left shoulder a bit, but I've gotten pretty good about kneading it while working out and also throughout the day while sitting at my desk or while driving, so it seems pretty manageable these days. I've started to use the Rumble roller on it recently too, and that also helps quite a bit. Since it's not strictly related to lifting, and in fact, it actually gets worse when I don't lift, it might be one of those things for which there is no permanent solution, just better or worse ways to manage it. I'm hoping the switch to neutral grip helps me manage it a little better, but I think overall, massaging and ROM exercises have been the most effective. Still, there's seems to be universal consensus that the neutral grip is easier on the shoulders, so it can't hurt to try it. Here's a good summary: http://www.poliquingroup.com/Articl...le/1111/Benefits_of_Neutral_Grip_Lifting.aspx

Another thing to consider is laying off the heavier db row triples, and stick to five-rep db rows, but it might not make a difference.

Another cool thing about the t-grip bar is that I can probably replace my EZ-Bar with it and use it for pullovers, or biceps curls if I get back to doing those. So, together with my switch yesterday to a Seated OH Presses, I've eliminated my need for two bars and a bunch of five-pound plates, like 25 or so, which should clear up some floor space. I'm not as minimalistic as Sid, but I do like the idea of having a fairly simple set-up. Kind of frees me up mentally.

Well a couple reasons, the main reason is I think it is one of the most important lifts you can do that directly benefits running. That hip snap at the top is essentially the same as the push up/off while running at higher speeds. It also forces you to work on trunk stabilization to catch and reverse the weight. I honestly think any runner would benefit from doing swings more than any other lift. I still don't know if I prefer the heavy swings vs. lighter kb swings as the heaviest I have gone is 32kg. Someday I will build a t-bar to load plates on and try out heavy swings. But swings at a decent weight really do make me feel like a stronger runner.
I do not think hyperextensions are comparable mainly because of the stabilization piece. Due to the support of the bench it changes it from being a posterior chain lift to more of a lower back and glute lift. It's still a great lift just a little different focus that hopefully the next part clarifies some.

As you already know I tend to listen to DJ's advice more than other fitness guru's. He basically came up with the concept of the hip displacement continuum (probably should be knee displacement but...) that has always stuck in my mind, like his five core movements. You can read the article below for more detail but the general concept is there are two major movement patterns a hinge and a squat. At the top you have the hinge and then as you move down each lift will progressively get closer to a true squat movement.

Hinge the Hips (Swings, Jumps): Deep Hip Movement, Minimal Knee Movement
Vertical Jump
Standing Long Jump
Swings (all variations)
Romanian Deadlifts
In the Middle: Bootstrapper Squat
In a narrow beam: snatches and cleans and DLs
Back Squats
Front Squats
Overhead Squats
Goblet Squats
Squats: Deep Hip Movement, Deep Knee Movement.

http://danjohn.net/2010/08/i-will-just-share-this-with-you-part-of-one-of-my-new-books/

So I also do swings to make sure I cover ths continuum adequately. These are the lifts I currently do not really in this order but to show along the range:
Swings
RDL
DL
TBDL
Back Squat
Goblet Squat

I might even consider TBDL to be more of a squat than a back squat. Not sure but it's close.

Anyway if you look at most sports you can also kind of match them to this continuum and it might be wise to place a little emphasis on that range. Although I still think its important to work the whole range for helath sake.

Hinge the Hips (Swings, Jumps): Deep Hip Movement, Minimal Knee Movement
Vertical Jump -------------------------- Basketball
Standing Long Jump ------------------ Sprinting
Swings (all variations) ---------------- Fast running
Romanian Deadlifts/hyperext ------- Slower running
Bootstrapper Squat ------------------- Mountain Biking
Snatches and cleans and DLs -------- Power lifting
Back Squats ---------------------------- Weight lifting
Front Squats --------------------------- Time trial Biking
Overhead Squats
Goblet Squats -------------------------- Hopak
Squats: Deep Hip Movement, Deep Knee Movement.

Thanks for taking the time to explain and the article link. I liked DJ's chart and your sports addition to it. That helps clarify things a lot, and provides a new way of thinking about these lower body lifts. As with the Loaded Carries, you make a pretty convincing case for including some kind of hinge in my routine.

I knew that I was doing them wrong, and trusted that you were benefiting from them, because you're too experienced and thoughtful to do something just because they're recommended, but I wasn't understanding what I was doing wrong. I see now from DJ's St. Paul example that I was bending the knees too much, but in most of the video demonstrations I've watched, people do squat down, either a lot, or at least enough to let the bell drop below the level of the knees. I guess a lot of people do them the wrong way. That's why I felt it in my back.

I got a t-bar, which is really easy to make btw with some 3/4 pipe, a flange and a tee, but looking at DJ's continuum, it looks like I might be just as well off making sure I get my box jumps in. I've found them enormously beneficial, probably the best plyometrics exercises I've tried, so instead of perfecting my hip hinge swing, maybe I could just get more religious about doing my box jumps more regularly?

Anyway, now I think I understand your exercise selection more. You're trying to get in several from the continuum, right? Like TBDL and Goblet squats. It's an interesting approach. I guess for the time being, I'll rely on just the bb deadlift and back squat.
 
WOW. This sh*t is impressive. You guys really get into the details. ;-)
Ha, yep, guilty as charged. Abide has become both my personal trainer and virtual training partner. We're both home-gymers, so this is where we get our gym-rat camaraderie. Feel free to join in. It would be nice to have some more regulars on here.
You want details? Try reading this - all 60 pages ;)
Foly huck!

How ya been?

Ha, I sometimes forget that this is a public forum and others are reading. Funny to be part of the 21st Century digital world.
 
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OK, Here's a slightly revised two-week cycle, based on our discussions and how the last two weeks' workouts have gone:
ST 3 Two-week Cycle 14.09.jpg

I'll try to implement it starting next week. I've trimmed back the heavy singles to three drop-sets, instead of dropping down until I hit my triple weight, as I have been doing. This will eliminate 3-4 sets, and so save around 5-10 minutes. But I've also boosted the first single to around my true 1RM, which will set me up to fail once in a while, but I think it's good practice to keep pushing up against the 1RM, although it's mentally taxing. I've also messed around with the rows a bit, so that I get in a barbell row twice instead of once in a two-week cycle. Finally, there's been some reorganization of the assistance lifts.

I'm going to try to give myself an extra 15 minutes to see if I can finally do a complete version of each workout. The real trick, though, I think, is to take up Abide's practice of having timed rests, to make sure I don't get too lackadaisical in between sets. If I can't keep up a good pace, I might consider either cutting sets, to something like two for each rep count on the big lifts, or else cut weight, so that it takes less time to recover in between sets.

Will try to get in some heavy bench presses this afternoon to conclude this week's st, might try for a new PR.

One thing: a week or two ago I started using the squat pad again, as I was developing a callus on my back. This in turn has move the bar position to more of a high-bar position. I'm thinking this might be an advantage, as it will work the quads a bit more, making the squats more complementary to the deadlifts' emphasis on the posterior chain, right?

It also seems a little easier to balance the bar during deep squats when the bar is higher up.

Edit: Hmnn, here's a good article about the differences and advantages of high vs. low bar position:
http://www.powerliftingtowin.com/high-bar-vs-low-bar-squats/

Here's a video equivalent:

It's seems there really is not right way, but simply different preferences and goals, then I almost wonder if I should do a low-bar position for the singles and maybe the triples, for maximum weight/strength, and a high-bar position for the quintuples and maybe the triples, in order to get maximum ROM and quad development. Thoughts?
 
Hmmn, yesterday I bumped up the bench press a bit, and I really liked the greater intensity. It was a challenge to finish the sets. I also liked the greater intensity I got on the squats the day before when I bumped up the triples and quintuples by 10 pounds. So, instead of having a heavy day, I think maybe I should just do the big three lifts a bit heavier all the time. I subscribe to the Yates approach of maximizing intensity I think. Just doesn't make sense to lift any other way. So maybe I should make all the rep counts 2 sets across? 2x1, 2x3, 2x5? Something like:

Deadlift: 2x1x345, 2x3x305, 2x5x265
Squat: 2x1x255, 2x3x225, 2x5x195
Bench: 2x1x245, 2x3x215, 2x5x195

up from the current:

Deadlift: 3x1x235, 3x3x295, 2x5x255
Squat: 3x1x245, 3x3x215, 2x5x185
Bench: 3x1x235, 3x3x205, 2x5x185

That would save time by getting rid of two sets, and bring the rep total down to 18 instead of 22. This would free me up a bit for some of the assistance and plyo/mobility stuff I never get around to, while perhaps permitting the gains to come at a slightly faster rate. Thoughts?
 
Week 7
14.09.21-27

Sunday
AM: 2.7 miles.
Ran first 1.5 miles but then my left knee started to feel sore, so I walked the last 1.2 miles. It felt good to run a bit more than a mile, but it's frustrating that the knee issue is still there. This week I'll try to get better about stretching and massaging throughout the day.
PM: One-mile walk-commute.

Monday
AM: One-mile run-commute.
Knee felt fine. I guess I'll add a block or two each morning while simultaneously massaging and stretching throughout the day. This will be my rehab.
PM: Walked home. Could've run, but I felt like crap, and had a protein shake too close to leaving.
ST:

Deadlift: 2 x 1 x 345(156), 2 x 3 x 305(138), 2 x 5 x 265 (120)
DB Row: 2 x 5 x 105 (48)
Cable Row: 2 x 5 x 170 (77)
Seated OH Press: 2 x 5 x 95 (43)
Russian Twist: 2 x 5 x 100 (45)
Hyperextension: 2 x 5 x 50 (23)
Loaded Carries 2 x 160ft x 100lbs (50-lb db in each hand)

I did every weight just two sets. I really liked the tempo of the workout, and the simplicity. I think this may be my new MO; do pretty much everything 2x5 except for the heavy lifts, where I'll adopt a 2 x 1/3/5 protocol, and DB Rows, where I may add in two sets of triples, i.e., 2x3/5. Might also have to stick to three sets for the OH Press and Pulldowns.

I bumped up each deadlift rep count by 10 pounds, and this felt perfect. Challenging, close to my limits, but with just two sets to get through at each weight, it was actually mentally a little easier. Grip was a bit of a problem on the triples, and my lower back really felt fatigued on the second set of quintuples. Using ExRx's rep calculator (http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/OneRepMax.html), and 155 as my 1RM, the singles are now a little over 95%, but both the triples and quintuples are almost exactly 85% and 75%, respectively. An easy ratio to remember, although it doesn't jibe with the recommended rep-to-1RM% given below by three experts. My five-rep count in particular should be heavier, but perhaps it would be if I started with it instead of finished with it.

I skipped the DB Row triples, probably should've done them, but I'm still testing a bit to see which exercises irritate the shoulder most. But I'm coming to the conclusion that it's mostly a matter of massaging and stretching and doing more ROM stuff. Next time I'll either include the triples or else boost the quintuples by 5-10 pounds.

I'm really liking the Seated OH Press. The movement feels more exact, and it's nice not to have to deal with all those five-pound plates. Next time I may add five pounds.

Did the Russian Twists for the first time in a while. I read that Westside likes those a lot. It's always nice to have a preference confirmed by the pros. It's yet another angle from which to attack the back. I did them with a lower, chest-high arc this time, but I wonder if I should reduce weight sometimes and do a higher, overhead arc.

Did the Loaded Carries for the first time in a long while. Yes, most excellent. My garage is 20 feet deep, and I walked back and forth four times before my grip gave out, so that equals 160 feet. Did two sets. I'll work on getting up to 200 feet and then start adding weight, or reduce distance and add weight right away? More weight would work my traps more right? And more distance my grip? It was nice to get some use out of my rubber hex dumbbells.

Didn't do the box jumps or hanging knee tucks or kicks. I was out of time, but I think with the new 2 x 5 approach, I should be able to get everything done in an hour with a little more efficiency.

Overall, really happy. A good mix of primary lifts and assistance exercises. Just have to work the plyo/mobility/stabilizer/martial stuff in the last 10-15 minutes and I'll be golden.

Tuesday
AM: One-mile run-commute.
Ran at a slightly faster pace. Knee felt a little something, not even soreness, but a little something to let me know it's still not 100%, but I was still able to run well without favoring it. This knee thing may be a blessing in disguise. Maybe I'll just work on getting my pace down on the one-mile commutes, and then build up distance little by little once it's where I want it. Just have to let go of the mileage fetish for a while.

PM: Good run home. Stretched and massaged a lot during the day, seemed to help.

Wednesday
AM: Woke up to light drizzle, decided to drive. Regretted it as soon as I arrived. The early morning run pattern is taking hold, hopefully.

PM: ST:
Squat: 2 x 1 x 265(120), 2 x 3 x 235(107), 2 x 5 x 205(93)
Bench Press: 2 x 1 x 245(111), 3/2 x 215(98), 2 x 5 x 195(88)
Neutral Pulldown: 3 x 5 x 150(68)
Face Pull: 2 x 5 x 50(23)
Cable Golf Swing 2 x 5 x 30 (14)
Pullover: 2 x 5 x 65(29)
Dips: 2 x 5 x BW@Green Band
Ab Rollout: 2 x 5 x BW

I was just going to raise the squat rep-counts by 10 pounds, but I had a good feeling, so I raised them by 20 and adopted a low-bar position. Everything went well, but on a few reps I don't think I broke parallel. I filmed myself on the triples and quintuples. I guess I'll stick to low-bar squats and heavier weights for a while. That way my squat rep counts are a barely respectable twenty pounds heavier than my bench press rep counts. Maybe I should do Ass-to-Grass front squats as one of my assistance lifts? Also, I'm not sure I should only be doing two sets per rep count with the squats. I think I need the extra two sets, one for the singles, and one for the triples, to help improve my technique, which is still far from automatic.

Bench Press went well, but I missed the third rep of the second set of triples. The third rep of the first set felt heavy, so I figured I would. Still, I liked having everything ten pounds heavier, so I'll keep it there and work on complete the triples better. The quintuples felt fine and had good bar speed.

Neutral Pulldown feels like it should either be two sets of eight, or three sets of five. Just two sets of five doesn't feel like enough, so I did an extra set.

Face Pull, did pretty light, as I haven't done these for a while and I wanted to see how my left shoulder tolerated it. Felt fine.

Cable Golf Swing was a disaster. It turned into more of a biceps curl. I'll replace it with something else, like an OH Squat or Cable Crossovers. I tried twisting crunches as a possible replacement for the rotational exercises, but I don't think there's much benefit there. Maybe I'll give up on the idea of having a rotational exercise in every workout, and just stick to Russian Twists as a normal assistance exercise.

Pullovers at 65lbs went well. I didn't do a full stretch, so it was more of a triceps extension. I'll slowly allow greater ROM as I see how my left shoulder tolerates it, then begin adding weight.

Did my dips with the green assistance band. My left shoulder didn't seem to like this, nor my right shoulder, but it's a pretty good ROM exercise, so I'll keep doing dips for a while to see if I can re-adapt to them. I haven't done in many months but they used to be fine at five reps.

Skipped the bench hop while I'm rehabbing the left knee, but got around to the Ab Rollouts. These also place a little stress on the shoulders, but I seemed OK doing them to just 120 degrees or so.


Thursday
AM: One-mile run-commute. Woke up too early, tossed and turned for 40 minutes, then decided to hit it. Run felt really good, could've gone farther, but after taking the day off on Wednesday, decided to be super cautious and see how the left knee felt later in the day. If no post-run soreness appears, I'll start adding a bit to the morning run but keep the return run in the afternoon the same, to one mile.

More AM: Mid-morning one-mile run-commute. Once again, knee felt fine.

Friday
AM: 1.5-mile run-commute. Felt pretty good, but a little something in my left knee maybe towards the end of the run. At least the early morning running routine is taking hold again, even if the distances are paltry.

PM: felt tired, walked back.

ST:
Deadlift: EMOM x 4 x 335, 2 x 3 x 315, 2 x 5 x 275
P-Row: 1 x 5 x 185, 1 x 5 x 175.
Seated OH Press: 2 x 5 x 95, 1 x 5 x 105

Tried EMOM at 335. I think physically, I may have been able to do 10 reps, but mentally, one minute wasn't enough time to recharge for a another effort. Once I'm up to 335-355, I need several minutes to gain the necessary focus. Feels like I'm recruiting every last fiber available and those first few inches of pulling require something like a leap of faith to convince myself that it's actually going to be possible to lift all that weight. Maybe if the weight had been lower I could've finished 10xEMOM, but then that kind of defeats the purpose, right? Anyway, I gave up after four reps.

Then I stupidly put two 10-pound plates on either side after subbing the 25-pound grip plates for the 45s. So it ended up equivalent to leaving the 45s on and I did ten pound more than I intended to. Still, got through it OK, although I had to reset after each rep. So I guess 315 is my new triple weight. Once again, triples felt like the true worksets. I was winded afterwards. Having done 315 triples, I decided to keep my 40-pound spacing for the quintuples and tried 275, up from 265 on Monday. Those also went up fine, and I was able to do them continuously, just touching the bar to the floor lightly at the end of each rep. So if I keep the 40-pound spacing, I guess my singles should be 355, not 345. I'll give it a shot next Wednesday, but that might be too much on a regular basis. That's basically my PR.

I tried the P-Rows a little heavy. 185 was a bit too much. I had to reset after each rep. 175 was better, but on the fourth and fifth rep my left elbow flexors felt strained. I think I might give barbell rows a break until my t-grip neutral bar arrives sometime in November. Just do DB Rows and Cable Rows. Another victory for simplification.

Seated OH Press went well. So well that I decided to increase ten pounds and add a third set. So maybe I'll go back to doing them with both a three- and a five-count, something like 2 x 3 x 115, and 2 x 5 x 105.

I skipped everything else. I had spent a lot of time in between sets monkeying around with my equipment set up, looking for ways to streamline things and get rid of the clutter.

I'm also happy to report that my left shoulder feels a lot better after a week of fairly constant massage and ROM exercises.
 
Week 7
Monday 9/22/2014
DL ------------ EMOM - 10 x 1 x 155kgs last two at 90sec
GSquat ------ 1 x 10 x 32kgs
Press -------- 1 x 1 x 72.5kgs - 2 x 6 x 50kgs
N Pull Up --- 2 x 6 x BW
Inverted Rows 9/6 x BW
Farmers ----- 1 x 80m x 100kgs
AM bike commute 18.7km - 37:35 had a nice tailwind
Lunch time sun salutations
PM bike commute 17.4km - 37:29

Happy with the deadlifts I am going to bump up to 160 next week. Legs were whipped on the bike ride. Felt a bit sore and tired going into the workout but it ended up going better than expected. Its strange how that happens. My upper back was sore this morning and is sore now and I am wondering if its from holding the baby? Saturday and Sunday were off days from lifting, maybe it coudl have been running on Sunday.

Tuesday 9/23/2014
Squat -------- 1 x 10 x 60kgs 1 x 5 x 80kgs
Swings ------ 2 x 20 x 32kgs
Inc Press --- 2 x 5 x 80kgs - 1 x 3 x 80kgs
N Pull Up --- 2 x 6 x BW
P Rows ------ 2 x 6 x 60
Ab roll outs - 2 x 10
-
Wednesday 9/24/2014
AM run commute 17.9km - 2.01
PM bike commute 17.4km - 41:25
-
Thursday 9/25/2014
AM bike commute 17.3km - 35:50
PM bike commute 17.4km - 37:33

Friday 9/26/2014
Pull ups ---- 3 x 6
Bench ------ 1 x 1 x 110 - 1 x 4 x 100

Called it quits early probably shoudl have just slept in.

Saturday 9/27/2014
5k very easy run
 
One thing: a week or two ago I started using the squat pad again, as I was developing a callus on my back. This in turn has move the bar position to more of a high-bar position. I'm thinking this might be an advantage, as it will work the quads a bit more, making the squats more complementary to the deadlifts' emphasis on the posterior chain, right?

It's seems there really is not right way, but simply different preferences and goals, then I almost wonder if I should do a low-bar position for the singles and maybe the triples, for maximum weight/strength, and a high-bar position for the quintuples and maybe the triples, in order to get maximum ROM and quad development. Thoughts?

It's really just preference especially for us and I don't think it matters at all which you pick. The patterning may affect your form if you switch in the middle of a workout so it may be better to do one day all high bar and one day all low bar?
I personally think you should pick a style that best suits you anatomically and adjust mainly by feel. Back squats aren't very quad dominant unless you are built to be very upright and wear weightlifting shoe, so if you are looking for that piece front squats may be a better choice.

The new schedule looks good, you have a lot of heavy volume built in make sure if you need a break you take it. Or even schedule in a down week? I know you usually just let life force your taper weeks but keep it in mind just in case. I would consider dropping to the 2x3 and 2x5s you are thinking about, or you could even do 1x5+ similar to the 531 program if you wanted to get higher volume possibly? Then all sets would be high intensity. This would give you a little more flexibility if you wanted to max on an upper lift to the same day.

I do like the 3 day a week routine as well. 4 days a week and I am forced to dilute one or two of the workouts. With 3 days I can always get in at least 2 hard workouts and then one easier one if I need a little downtime. It fits well with running too.
 

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