Training Log: Entry 3162

AM WORKOUT (0425 wake up via alarm)

**5/3/1 BUILDING THE MONOLITY** Week 1, Workout 1

Gonna lay out the workout totals and explain in the notes

Buffalo Bar Squat (high bar close stance no belt)

5xBar

5x195

5x225

5x260

5x5x290

Axle clean/continental and strict press away

5x123

5x143

5x153

14x123

Band pull aparts

100

Chins

100

Dips

200

Time: 53 minutes

(OFF CAMERA)

Standing ab wheel

1x10 w/10 second plank on final rep

BREAKFAST

30 minute walk outside in the snow

Notes:

* It’s good to come back to a classic.  And I keep finding more ways to get it done in under an hour.  I came up with this strategy because I was appreciating Jamie Lewis’ “20 minutes of dips/chins” approach in Famine, noting that it was getting me a really solid pump, so I figured rather than trying to sneak the reps in through the workout, I’d hit them at the end.  Listening to Jim on his Friday Q&As, I’m getting a better understanding of 5/3/1.  The main work is supposed to be more “Easy Strength”-ish: own the reps, put them out strong and fast.  The assistance work is where we grind and build muscle.  So I prioritized the mainwork at the start, got in strong reps, and then smashed the assistance work.  Only exception was the pull aparts: I used them as a rest between the squats.  

* To lay it out in more plain language: I supersetted the squats and presses, doing all my squat warm-ups with my press worksets.  Once the press was done, it was time for squat 5x5, so I did my pull aparts there for 5x20.  Once that was done, I went right into chins and dips, initially doing rounds of 5 chins and 10 dips until I got to 50, then I did 2-4 and 3-6 chin to dip until I got to 80, then 2-4 chin to dip until I got to 100 chins/200 dips.  Great pump.

* Guts are a bit swollen from the carb up last night.  But it’s the right way forward.  It’s a period of feasting, and I’ve been analyzing my strategies leading up to this.  I’ve been playing around too much with a method that was already giving me success, and I need to go back to what worked.  I was doing really substantial carb ups before, and had moved away from that.  There is an x-factor wherein I was taking in about a gram of caffeine a day as well, which I do NOT intend to return to, but I still feel like there is room for a bit more carbs on the carb ups.  Carbs are magic, as always.

* Went for a quicker walk today.  Had to get to work a little earlier than usual.

* Those squats felt better than I expected.  I imagine Jim’s warm-up to them is to thank for that.  My back is a little tender from all the continental from yesterday.