Ender's Game Plan

[enderwiggin65]

Hey guys. I've been lurking around here for a while, reading other people's journals and reading all the DC stickies.

Here's a little about me:

I'll be 32 next month, am 5'11" and about 206 lbs right now at about 15-16% BF. I just started cutting again and will probably try to lose a pound or so a week until I hit 195 or a little less. I'd like to see some abs show up for once.

I did sports year round all throughout junior high and high school and was on the rowing team while I was in college. I started lifting weights in 7th grade and stuck with it pretty faithfully until I got in a bad car accident five years ago and jacked up my neck and shoulders. I finally recovered enough to start getting serious about lifting again in the middle of last year. When I was younger I spent too much time working chest and not enough time working by back and legs so I've been trying to make up that lately.

I've been doing Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program ever since I started lifting again and have good results and seen constant strength gains with it.

Based on reps, my estimated 1 Rep Maxes right now are:

Bench: 350
Squat: 280
Military Press: 160
Deadlift: 360

Short term goal: Keep strength slowly increasing while lower BF %.

Long term goal: Put on some muscle mass and bump those 1RM's considerably. I'd like to see 400+ for Bench, Squat and DL and 200+ for Military Press.


My lifting schedule is usually:

Thursday: Squats
Friday: Bench
Sunday: Deadlift
Tuesday: Military Press

I'm very interested in DoggCrapp training and will continue to read up on it while I'm doing my cut and then will decide whether I want to try it or stick with 5/3/1.

Constructive criticism on my workouts is always welcome.

[enderwiggin65]

March 1, 2012 – Squats Focus






Warm up:

10 minutes on an elliptical


Stretching/Rolling

Warm up sets (all squats):

10 x 105
5 x 135
3 x 155


I also mixed in three easy sets (10 reps each set) of BW Neutral Grip Pull-ups with the warm up sets.

Working sets (all squats were done as low as I could go)



Squats 5 x 165
Squats 5 x 190
Squats 12 x 215



^I forgot to adjust the safety bars on the power rack or I would have tried for another couple reps. Someone had them set really low from doing shrugs or rack deads. I was too busy cleaning up the rest of the mess the "powerlifters" left out last night when they left to remember to fix that.



Assistance Work


Leg Press 10 x 4 PPS
Calf Presses 20 x 4 PPS
Butt Blaster (a leg at a time) 12 x 17 plates (not sure of weight)
SL BB Good Mornings 15 x 75
Leg Press 10 x 4 PPS
Calf Presses 20 x 4 PPS
Butt Blaster (a leg at a time) 12 x 17 plates (not sure of weight)
SL BB Good Mornings 15 x 75
Leg Press 10 x 4 PPS
Calf Presses 20 x 4 PPS
Butt Blaster (a leg at a time) 12 x 17 plates (not sure of weight)
SL BB Good Mornings 15 x 75


The Butt Blaster machine feels like it does a really good job hitting my hamstrings and they're lagging behind my quads a little so I figure I use this ridiculous looking thing if it helps!



Lying Leg Curls 12 x 190
Leg Extensions 12 x 220
Decline Situps 16 x BW+25 (Straight up)
Lying Leg Curls 12 x 190
Leg Extensions 12 x 220
Decline Situps 16 x BW+25 (Alternating)

^I ran out of time this morning or I'd have done a couple more sets of each of the last 3 exercises.


More stretching

Cooldown

[enderwiggin65]

March 2, 2012 – Bench Focus



Great workout this morning! I did rest pause sets for my final sets of everything except bench and it felt like I really hit everything really well!


Warm up:

8 minutes on an elliptical

Stretching



Warm up sets (light benching mixed with BW Dips)

BB Bench 10 x 135
Dips 20 x BW
BB Bench 5 x 160
Dips 20 x BW
BB Bench 3 x 190


Working sets


BB Bench 5 x 205
BB Bench 5 x 240
BB Bench 8 x 270

I should have tried for a least one more rep since I did 275x9 a couple weeks ago.



Assistance work

Hammer Strength Incline 12 x 2 PPS
Weighted Dips 10 x BW+60
Face Pulls 10 x 8 plates (no weight shown)
Hammer Strength Incline 10 x 3 PPS
Weighted Dips 8 x BW+60
Face Pulls 12 x 8 plates (no weight shown)
Hammer Strength Incline 8,3,1 (rest pause) x 3 PPS
Weighted Dips 8,5,3 (rest pause) x BW+45
Weighted Dips 8 (to finish above rp set) x BW
Face Pulls 12,8,6,3 (rest pause) x 8 plates (no weight shown)



Cable Cross 16 x 40
Tricep Pushdowns 12 x stack (14 plates)
Cable Cross 12 x 40
Tricep Pushdowns 12 x stack (14 plates)
Cable Cross 12,6,4,1 (rest pause) x 40
Tricep Pushdowns 12,8,6,3 (rest pause) x stack (14 plates)



Stretching



Cardio

Dog jog/walk.


Deadlift focus workout Sunday.

[Arkbuilder]

Good book (Ender's Game). Nice.

Good luck on the cut!

[Ajweins]

Seconded on the great screen name.

[Sammich]

You are doing waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much assistance work for 5/3/1.

[enderwiggin65]

Good book (Ender's Game). Nice.
Good luck on the cut!

Thanks - yeah, I'm a big fan of the whole series.

Seconded on the great screen name.

Thanks!

You are doing waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much assistance work for 5/3/1.

I know it's more volume than a typical 5/3/1 program, but it's based on the "Bodybuilder" version of the program that Jim put together that has the main lifts plus 4 assistance exercises at 4 sets of 10-15 reps.

Here's his article on it:
http://www.jimwendler.com/2011/09/531-and-bodybuilding/

I've seen good strength increases over the last several months even with that much volume, but maybe I'd be seeing even more gains if I switched to the Triumvirate version with only 2 assistance lifts after each main lift.

Thanks for posting. I appreciate your input.

[enderwiggin65]

I was a little rushed for time this morning, but had a pretty good workout!

Warm up:

10 minutes on an elliptical

Stretching

Warm up sets (light deads mixed with sets of neutral grip chinups

Deadlift 5 x 135
Neutral grip chinups 6 x BW -45
Deadlift 5 x 160
Neutral grip chinups 6 x BW -45
Deadlift 3 x 190
Neutral grip chinups 7 x BW -45


Working sets


Deadlift 5 x 215
Deadlift 5 x 245
Deadlift 11 x 280

Assistance work

AB Wheel Rollout 16 x BW
DB Rows 16 x 100’s
AB Wheel Rollout 16 x BW
DB Rows 16 x 100’s
AB Wheel Rollout 16 x BW
DB Rows 16 x 100’s


My chin-ups were kinda weak after doing the DB Rows first

Chin-ups 6 x BW+40
Natural Glue Ham Raises 16 x BW
Chin-ups 7 x BW+30
Natural Glue Ham Raises 16 x BW
Chin-ups 12 x BW
Natural Glue Ham Raises 16 x BW

The three working sets of deadlifts. I changed the angle after the first set so I could watch for back rounding more easily.

[YOUTUBE]NDGUaRMm3yw[/YOUTUBE]

I'd never done deadlifts other than a few times here and there until I started working on them a few months ago and I work out too early to get any feedback from any more experienced lifters, so I would really appreciate any suggestions on what I could do better.

[enderwiggin65]

You are doing waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much assistance work for 5/3/1.

I think I just have a mental block on doing less volume, but if switching to the Triumvirate version of 5/3/1 would give me bigger gains then I wouldn't be against doing so. What do you think about that version? Following the standard plan it would be:

Military Press, Dips (5 sets of 15), Chin-Ups (5 sets of 10)

Deadlift, Good Mornings (5 sets of 12), Hanging Leg Raise (5 sets of 15)

Bench Press, DB Incline Bench Press (5 sets of 15), DB Rows (5 sets of 10)

Squat, Leg Press (5 sets of 15), Leg Curl (5 sets of 10)

[enderwiggin65]

Yesterday was a rest day. Here's today's Military Press focused workout.


Warm up:

10 minutes on an elliptical

Stretching


Warm up Sets (Mixed with BW dips (3 sets of 15 reps)

BB Military Press 10 x 60
BB Military Press 5 x 75
BB Military Press 5 x 90


Working Sets


BB Military Press 5 x 95
BB Military Press 5 x 110
BB Military Press 9 x 125

I was disappointed with this last set. Last time I did 125, I did 11 reps…:hurt:



Assistance work

I cut down the assistance work because I got a weird pain in my right arm starting from my collar bone and running down to my elbow while I was doing the military presses. Any ideas on what this might be or what to do about it?


Lat Pulldowns (Wide Grip) 12 x 165
BB Preacher Curls 15 x 75
BB Skullcrushers 15 x 85
Lat Pulldowns (Narrow Grip) 12 x 165
BB Preacher Curls 15 x 75
BB Skullcrushers 15 x 85
Lat Pulldowns (Wide Grip) 12 x 165
BB Preacher Curls 12 x 75
BB Skullcrushers 12 x 85
Lat Pulldowns (Narrow Grip) 12 x 165


I also did two sets of 10 on each side going each direction (in and out) of cable rotator cuff work.

Cooldown

10 minutes on an elliptical.

Stretching

[enderwiggin65]

Easy cardio day:

30 minute walk outside at about 4.0 mph.

Back to the gym tomorrow and Friday

[enderwiggin65]

Warm up:

10 minutes on an elliptical


Stretching/Rolling

Warm up sets (all squats):

5 x 105
5 x 135
3 x 155


I also mixed in three easy sets (10 reps each set) of BW Neutral Grip Pull-ups with the warm up sets.

Working sets (all squats were done as low as I could go )



Squats 3 x 180
Squats 3 x 205
Squats 9 x 230

[youtube]EsWh361vadg[/youtube]

^I have no idea why I was wearing lifting gloves for my squats workout. Just spacing out I guess

Assistance Work

Lying Leg Curl 15 x 180
Leg Press 15 x 320
Lying Leg Curl 15 x 180
Leg Press 10 x 320
Lying Leg Curl 15 x 180
Leg Press 12 x 320
Lying Leg Curl 15 x 180
Leg Press 12 x 320
Lying Leg Curl 15 x 180
Leg Press 20 x 320
Drop set: 12 x 270
Drop set: 12 x 180

^I got a really bad headache from doing those drops sets…
My legs have done more reps of 180, but I think I would passed out from pain shooting through my head.

I got it on video so I'll post it up as my ISOM for March after I do some editing.

The headache was/is intense even if the weight isn't overly impressive.




More stretching

Cooldown

[Arkbuilder]

The three working sets of deadlifts. I changed the angle after the first set so I could watch for back rounding more easily.

[YOUTUBE]NDGUaRMm3yw[/YOUTUBE]

I'd never done deadlifts other than a few times here and there until I started working on them a few months ago and I work out too early to get any feedback from any more experienced lifters, so I would really appreciate any suggestions on what I could do better.

Spending a good few hours on this thread by exmgq helped me a ton with deadlift.

setup is critical for big pulls. if you are properly setup and you let go of the bar you will fall backwards. your arms need to be hanging straight down. this means you are behind the bar as opposed to being over the bar. leverage makes a big difference whenever work is involved. better leverage = more weight being moved with the same amount of work.

also you dont want you arms to be spread open. your hands should be shoulder width at grip.

[enderwiggin65]

Spending a good few hours on this thread by exmgq helped me a ton with deadlift.

Thanks! I'll go check it out. I know I have lots of room to improve!

[enderwiggin65]

Here's my ISOM video for March.

[youtube]98PwTsb5wIg[/youtube]


I woke up with a massive headache (the one that started with yesterday's leg presses), so I decided to lift tomorrow instead of today. I normally don't lift on Saturdays so it will work as a makeup day and I won't be behind schedule.