Lincoln's Guinea Pig Log

**lincoln** · 06-09-2011, 09:22 PM

As a response to this thread Advice on full body routine please I'm posting my log. Instead of being reluctant to post my numbers here given some of the beastly logs I've read, I'm checking my ego at the door.

Age: 33
Height: 6 ft 4in
Weight: 217 lbs
Lifting experience: 1 year

Measurements (in.)
Neck 16.5
Bicep 14
Forearm 12.5
Chest 44
Waist 39
Thigh 23.5
Calf 16.5

Front and back pics attached (no pump, no flex)

Training Program - Just started this a week ago (posted here 5/3/1 5x5 hybrid )

Current 1RMs
Seated Military Press: 115
Bench: 180
Squat: 200
Deadlift: 250

Diet:

7:30 am Coffee with 1 packet sugar

9am Breakfast:
-Protein shake (12 oz 2% milk with 1 1/2 scoops whey)
-3/4 cup oatmeal with 2 tblspoons flax seed, and 1/2 cup blueberries OR 1 scrambled egg on a wheat tortilla with 1/3 cup shredded cheddar and 2 tblsp salsa

10:30 am
Snack:
- 2 handfuls of trail mix (raisins, almonds, cashews, banana chips, sunflower seeds)

12:30
Lunch:
- tuna or chicken salad sandwich on wheat with lettuce and black pepper
- macaroni salad or pasta salad or triscuits with pepper jack cheese

3pm
Snack:
- blueberry greek yogurt
- handful of trail mix

6:30 pm
Dinner:
- chicken, pork, or beef or pasta with meatballs
- veggie (asparagus, broccoli, corn, spinach, or green beans)
- rice, potato, or bread

11 pm
Before bed:
-Protein shake (12 oz 2% milk with 1 1/2 scoops whey)

Macros (from fitday)
2905 calories
110 g fat
258 g carbs
225 g protein

Daily Supplements
1000 mg Vitamin C
4 Capsules NOW Kre-Alkalyn Creatine (3000 mg total)
6 Fish Oil capsules (180 EPA/120 DHA each)
Multi-vitamin
I use ON Gold Standard Whey for my shakes
Occasionally I'll use Jack3d for pre-workout, but not often because I lift at night and its hard to sleep after

Goals:
Gotta admit, since I started seeing progress it motivates me. So part of my goal is vanity driven I suppose - to look big and strong

Lifting goals by end of year:
Bench bodyweight
Squat 260
Deadlift 300

Other notes:
-Fall asleep usually between 11 and 12, wake up between 6:30-7am
-Body weight and diet has been consistent for over a month, still seeing some strength gains
-I certainly have cheat meals and nights when I have a few beers but I've been pretty consistent with the diet above

I think that's all for now. I'm going to find some calipers to measure body fat %

Fire away!

**Gazhole** · 06-10-2011, 01:39 AM

Nice detail in your original post. Will be following this log!

**juggernaut** · 06-10-2011, 04:19 AM

For one year of training you made some good numbers.

**juggernaut** · 06-10-2011, 04:21 AM

I'd probably put you around the 12-15% fat mark, but do buy the calipers today and take 3-4 measurements just to be a bit more accurate. We can then assess what needs to be done.

One thing; can you explain this 5/3/1-5x5 hybrid? I know what 5/3/1 is but not certain of this hybrid.

**lincoln** · 06-10-2011, 07:51 AM

Originally Posted by juggernaut

I'd probably put you around the 12-15% fat mark, but do buy the calipers today and take 3-4 measurements just to be a bit more accurate. We can then assess what needs to be done.

One thing; can you explain this 5/3/1-5x5 hybrid? I know what 5/3/1 is but not certain of this hybrid.

I explained it a little in my training thread http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/tr...x5-hybrid.html

Essentially I liked the progress of 5/3/1 on my bench and press, but felt I wasn't squatting often enough (once every 8-9 days), and the higher reps on my last (max rep) deadlifts were putting me in a position to injure myself.

So I borrowed principles from 5 x 5 to address this, stepping back on the squat poundage but performing it more frequently. I went down to 65 lbs and will add 5 lbs each time I squat

Hope this makes sense. I can send you my tracking spreadsheet if it helps.

Located a caliper, going to get it on my lunch break.

**juggernaut** · 06-10-2011, 08:47 AM

linc, I'm not crazy about the volume you're doing especially if you're natural. I don't know if you know this, but deads are quite quad dominant and if your form is off slightly it turns into a disaster for you back. My suggestion would be to create a video showing your form on both squats and deads. Let us check out your form, and point what it is you're doing right and wrong.
I also assume you're on a 3 day split?

**lincoln** · 06-10-2011, 09:20 AM

Yes, a 3 day Split. Tues, Thurs, Sun

Do you think 5 x 5 is too much volume? To clarify I'm doing
5 x 5 squat
3 x 10 GM

OR

5 x 5 squat
1 x 5 Dead

then some assistance core work on those days. I'm done in less than an hour

Ok on the videos. I'll need to set up a youtube account to host them but it shouldn't be a problem. what angle is best, side angle for both squat and dead? Should I show something in the max effort range or use a weight more moderate?

**juggernaut** · 06-10-2011, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by lincoln

Yes, a 3 day Split. Tues, Thurs, Sun

Do you think 5 x 5 is too much volume? To clarify I'm doing
5 x 5 squat
3 x 10 GM

OR

5 x 5 squat
1 x 5 Dead

then some assistance core work on those days. I'm done in less than an hour

Ok on the videos. I'll need to set up a youtube account to host them but it shouldn't be a problem. what angle is best, side angle for both squat and dead? Should I show something in the max effort range or use a weight more moderate?

Well no. Not really.
What exactly is your goal? Strength or size? Pinpoint ONE.

**lincoln** · 06-10-2011, 09:38 AM

Both?

If I have to pick one, its strength

**juggernaut** · 06-10-2011, 10:18 AM

Both? Well, you'll need to make some adjustments but it can be done.
You need to stick with a standard 531 plan, or it isn't 531. Wendler says exactly that in his book. I can rework your program to include all the elements if size is your plan, but I'd stick with what Wendler knows.
Boring But Big is a good start. I wouldn't worry too much about hitting any area too much. The plan works well. I never overtrained while on it and I was on it for a while. Made consistent gains each time.

**lincoln** · 06-10-2011, 12:09 PM

Ok, if you think that is enough squatting I'll go back to 531.

How do you address the high rep issue for deads? I was getting to 10+ reps but I felt like my vertebrae would start popping all over my cement wall. And I know my form on reps 9 and 10 were no where near 1 and 2. Do you stop and re-set/re-grip after 3-5 reps?

I got the caliper. What's the best way to measure? The instructions say just measure the suprailiac, but some sites say its more accurate to use a series of measurements (bicep, tricep, subscapular, etc)

**juggernaut** · 06-10-2011, 12:28 PM

I'm not clear why you'd need to do more than ten reps for deads, or even want to?

**lincoln** · 06-10-2011, 12:49 PM

The way I understand 531 is that the last set is when you push yourself to complete as many reps as you can (stopping a rep or two before failure), and your goal is to hit more reps than you did last time with that weight.

**juggernaut** · 06-10-2011, 12:56 PM

You havent read the book have you?

**lincoln** · 06-10-2011, 01:09 PM

I have. I read it back in October.

**omerta2010** · 06-10-2011, 02:48 PM

If your going over 10 reps on deads, your starting max calculation is off. But that's just my opinion.

I'm following along to, Jugg's helps me alot as well.

**lincoln** · 06-10-2011, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by omerta2010

If your going over 10 reps on deads, your starting max calculation is off. But that's just my opinion.

I'm following along to, Jugg's helps me alot as well.

Could be. Wendler cautions to take 90% of 1RM and use that to base your 531 percentages, I could be underestimating it

**juggernaut** · 06-10-2011, 04:32 PM

My suggestion to you would to be to safely assess your 1 rep max simply by taking a weight you can do about 8 with good form and then add what you think you'll fail on under ten reps. There's a spreadsheet that I've found that can be very useful in estimating the 1 rep max. Do the sets this way:
warmup
50% of 1RM for 5 reps.
wait 2-3 minutes
70% of 1RM for 3 reps.
wait again.
80% of 1RM for 1-2 reps.
wait again.
Go to the weight you expect to fail at under ten reps and do one all out set.
wait about 3-4 minutes for the next compound.

Do this for each of the 4 compounds worked in this order.
squat variation (I used the front squat). USE A SPOTTER.
bench press USE A SPOTTER.
standard deadlift
military press (I use standing, as I hate to have people sit, including myself, plus it is way more beneficial)

After all compounds are completed, rest for 2-3 days and begin the workload.

**lincoln** · 06-10-2011, 07:06 PM

Ok, I will re-calculate my 1RMs

I'm a little confused by this though: "a weight you can do about 8 with good form and then add what you think you'll fail on under ten reps"

Can you please clarify?

I should have mentioned that I lift alone in my basement but I have a power rack. I do seated presses because at my height the ceiling gets in the way of standing millies

**juggernaut** · 06-10-2011, 07:25 PM

Understood on all points.

Say you know you can do 100lbs on the military for 8 reps with good form, but if you added 20, you might just get 4 reps. That's what I'm talking about. Add this into the spreadsheet and it will give you 1RM under Wendler's formula. Capice?

**omerta2010** · 06-10-2011, 07:37 PM

The spreadsheet is very accurate I found that out when I was trying the powerlifting version with the max singles.

Hmm, time to print out the 5/3/1 manuals, and the starting strength for my trip.

Lincoln congrats on deciding to be our guinea pig, I have a feeling you'll do great.

**juggernaut** · 06-10-2011, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by omerta2010

The spreadsheet is very accurate I found that out when I was trying the powerlifting version with the max singles.

Hmm, time to print out the 5/3/1 manuals, and the starting strength for my trip.

Lincoln congrats on deciding to be our guinea pig, I have a feeling you'll do great.

Dude, get an ereader or tablet. I mean, why kill trees???

**omerta2010** · 06-10-2011, 07:59 PM

I want to get one of these but they aren't readily available yet and I'll save up the $$.
ASUSTeK Computer Inc. - Eee- ASUS Eee Pad Transformer TF101

**lincoln** · 06-10-2011, 08:11 PM

Where can I find this spreadsheet that you're mentioning?

FYI - Used the caliper and body fat is measuring just under 15%

omerta2010 thanks for the encouragement!

**omerta2010** · 06-10-2011, 08:15 PM

I can't leave it up to long but here you go:

5/3/1 Logbook-Calculator

Or Juggernaut might be refering to one he put up in the Strength Training section, but this was the one I found that matches up with the book. Including suggested aux exercises

**lincoln** · 06-10-2011, 09:00 PM

Thanks- got it

**juggernaut** · 06-10-2011, 09:28 PM

either one!

**Built** · 06-11-2011, 12:53 AM

Props to everyone involved for this journal.

**lincoln** · 06-11-2011, 11:32 AM

Jugg - It all makes sense after looking at the spreadsheet

So for now, my homework is:
1) re-calc RMs using spreadsheet
2) take and post videos - I'll probably end up doing this for all 4 major lifts while I'm at it. Your opinion on best camera angles so you can judge each lift?
3) re-read the 531 Manual

Am I missing anything?

**juggernaut** · 06-11-2011, 02:32 PM

Take side profiles of your form. Everything else looks good.
You could track your calories for the next three to five days on fatsecret or fitday.

Thread: Lincoln's Guinea Pig Log

Thread Tools

Display

Lincoln's Guinea Pig Log

Similar Threads

War message found inside Lincoln's watch

Officially Saturday Fever's Guinea Pig

I'm your anavar Guinea Pig

MonStar's Journal: SF's Guinea Pig

Posting Permissions