Inspired by the other 5/3/1 Log

[adrenalytic]

I got inspired to try 5/3/1 after reading @Berserker_D 's log. I have been itching to try a new program and this one sounded sweet. Admittedly, I have not read Wendler's books but I did quite a bit of digging around online and think I have the gist of the program. I'm going to be using the bodybuilding variation (from Black Iron Beast's calculator).

Of note: I am on a cut and have been since March. I'm 5'9" and began at 263 lbs. (about 40% BF). I am currently down to 208. I would like to get to sub 20% BF and decide from there if I want to keep going. I'm doing my best to not lose strength and possibly even gain, hence the desire to change up programs. I have been running an Upper/lower 4 day split for the last 3 years and I think it has run it's course.

Anyway. Gonna try this log thing and rely on you fine gentlemen to keep me honest. If I have completely misunderstood 5/3/1 please let me know and I'll try to fix it.

So here are my TM's:



And here was Monday's Workout (I like spreadsheets and img clips over typing everything out - hope that's ok):



I always hit the hamster wheel post lift. I speed walk 1 mile @4 mph then do 4 x 6 mph jog 5 minute intervals and 5 min cooldown (per a suggestion I read in another post from @CJ . Shit was gold and exactly the type of regimen I needed to kick my cardio up a notch).

Was pretty wiped with all the volume increase. Not used to so many reps. Old program was more of a big weights 3x5-8 type of set up. Gonna take some getting used to.

Today's macros:


Again if anyone sees any glaring issues with the routine lmk.

I'll get to some starting pics in a bit. Need to block out my face etc.

 

[adrenalytic]

Today was kinda brutal. Dead lifts. Now don't cuss me out but my last program did not include regular dead lifts. I did romanian dead lifts for the hip hinge which as you know is not a full blown DL. Suffice to say, my numbers are not good here but we got her done.



Also, it doesn't show it but I did 5x10 more DL's with 135 . For some reason the calculator did not suggest assistance work in this variation but I did them anyway because, as I understand it, that is kind of the core of 5/3/1, no?

Was too wiped from all the reps to do my usual cardio routine so I just hopped on and did 5% incline for 4 miles @ 4 mph. Felt sufficiently difficult but not so difficult I wanted to puke. Tomorrow is a no lift day so I'll just go extra hard on the Tmill to make up for the slog today.

Macros:



Went a little high on fat. I made a tuna sammy and said fuck you light mayo, need the real shit today. Undershot the protein a little but the day's not over yet. Maybe have a shake before bed to round it off.

Happy New Year's

 

[adrenalytic]

Can't edit the original post anymore, but here are my true TM's. The first one was actually my 1RMs I had to enter into the calculator.

 

[adrenalytic]

Ok, here's my current physique. I have a long ways to go still in terms of fat loss but then there's also the matter of loose skin. I'm really hoping some of it resolves itself over time because my stomach looks like trash. And man, my moobs will just not quit. I might have to get dick skin lean for them to disappear. Going to be starting a low dose HGH protocol soon (waiting on delivery). Prob just 2iu/day for the skin and to prevent too much muscle loss on the cut.

Anyone else have any suggestions for loose skin? Been reading around the site and seems hopeless. Like most of the peptides don't work and I really don't want surgery. Oh, I'm 46 btw. Am I still elastic enough to bounce back naturally?

Current weight: 205.6

 

[adrenalytic]

Some pics from a year ago so ya can see where I started. Mind you I had been lifting for about 2 years at this point so I have muscle but you wouldn't know it from all the fat. Weighed about 260-270 in this era.

 

[adrenalytic]

Today was a no-lift day. Hit the treadmill for some interval training. 2 mile warmup @4mph then 8 x 5 min. intervals @6mph with 5 min. breaks @4mph. On the last interval I tried to exhaust the tank by cranking it up to 7.5mph for the last 2 mins of the interval. I didn't feel safe going any faster...kept having visions of being blasted through the wall behind me...but I was sufficiently depleted by the end. Did a 1 mile cooldown at 3.6 mph for a grand total of 8.6 miles or 16,528 steps according to the fitbit.

Macros for the day:



I try to keep the carbs lower on non-lift days so that tracks. Need a little more protein. Shake before bed again probably.

 

[Yano]

Today was a no-lift day. Hit the treadmill for some interval training. 2 mile warmup @4mph then 8 x 5 min. intervals @6mph with 5 min. breaks @4mph. On the last interval I tried to exhaust the tank by cranking it up to 7.5mph for the last 2 mins of the interval. I didn't feel safe going any faster...kept having visions of being blasted through the wall behind me...but I was sufficiently depleted by the end. Did a 1 mile cooldown at 3.6 mph for a grand total of 8.6 miles or 16,528 steps according to the fitbit.

Macros for the day:

View attachment 55483

I try to keep the carbs lower on non-lift days so that tracks. Need a little more protein. Shake before bed again probably.

Carb cycling is a sound approach , good job.

 

[adrenalytic]

Bench day. I didn't mention before but I do the Agile 8 routine to warmup per many recommendations. I hated it at first but I'm coming around. It's fast and it really gets the blood flowing. I used to just mindlessly walk on the tmill for a mile really fast. Took about 15 mins to get a solid sweat going. Agile 8 has me breathing heavy and sweating in a about 8 minutes and it's far from mindless.



I gotta say, I was pumped for bench day but I finished up feeling underwhelmed. The low weights are something I'm not used to but Wendler says not to program for accessory lifts so Imma just trust the process for a while. I may increase some of the weight on the db bench and flies or throw in an extra set just to see.

That being said, I guess my PR to beat is 245x10. Not too shabby for an old natty guy.

Post workout treadmill action: 1 mile warmup @4 mph then 4 x 6 mph/4 mph intervals at 5 mins a piece. I increased the 3rd interval to 6.5 to see how it felt. Wasn't too bad. Might keep doing that. Final interval was done at 7 mph to empty the tank. Had to cut it a few seconds early, was super winded. Total distance was about 4.5 miles.

All in all a good workout.

Macros:



Prob snack on some bran flakes to get that last bit of carb action. My appetite is shit because I'm on retatrutide.

 

[adrenalytic]

Squat day. Rookie numbers here. Hoping to add a lot to squat this year. It shouldn't equal my bench imo.



Not much to say about today. Lots of reps = tired legs. Did the usual post run 4 intervals of zone 2 > zone 4/5. Kept it at 4/6mph because leg day. Total of 5 miles traveled.

Macros:



Went a little wild on carbs today. Good carbs though so there's that. Rice, oatmeal, bran flakes. Still in a calorie deficit so doesn't even count as a cheat.

 

[adrenalytic]

No programming today per the 4-day 5/3/1 but I'm a 5 day lifter. It's just what I like to do. So today was just accessory lifts so as to not interfere with the compound progression. Kept it reasonably light (70% 1RM).

DB flies 4x10 @ 50 lbs.
3x10 Incline DB Shrugs @ 65 lbs.
3x10 Barbell Upright Rows @ 60, 70 lbs.
4x7-8 Chinups
3x10 Seated Cable Rows @ 160 lbs.

Legs are still pretty sore from yesterday's fiasco so perfect excuse to skip cardio, right? Fuck no. Cardio is just what the Dr. ordered for sore wittle wegs. Increased bloodflow to the legs muscles promotes healing something something science.

Cardio: 1 mile warmup @ 4mph. 5 min. run/walk intervals. 1st interval @6mph, 2nd @6.3, 3rd @ 6.6, 4th @ 7.0 mph. Cooldown for about a mile @ 3.6 mph. Grand total: 5 miles.

Macros:



Spot on today.

 

[adrenalytic]

Sunday was made for God, football and rest. So that's what I did.

Here we are on Fat Monday. I call it that because the scale always seems to read ~2 lbs. higher on Mondays. Not because I cheated my diet or anything on Sunday (I didn't) but because my metabolism probably just ground to a halt from the lack of activity. Time to work.



So I reformatted my spreadsheet so it wouldn't look so awkward when I pasted it here. Was a good idea in theory but when I viewed it on my phone at the gym, I didn't side scroll over far enough to see that I had DB curls to do so got no reps there. Oops.

10 more lbs. and 2 less reps from last week OHP (although I very nearly got 7 reps, just couldn't extend my elbows fully on the last one.)

Other than the last working set, the workout didn't feel super intense even with adjusting the weights from last week. Coming from a program where I tried to take most sets to failure is the difference I'm sure. Also, the missed lift.

Cardio: The usual. 1 mile warmup @ 4mph. 5 min. run/walk intervals. 1st interval @6mph, 2nd @6.3, 3rd @ 6.6, 4th @ 7.0 mph. Cooldown for about a mile @ 3.6 mph. Grand total: 5 miles.

I am liking the ramping intensity of the intervals. Allows me to ease into the run. I had crazy energy today. I credit MOTS-C. 5mg subQ right before workout. Call it placebo or maybe I'm just getting aerobically more fit or a combo of the two. Don't really care. Feels like it's working so it is.

Macros:



Appetite was shitty again today. Gonna force down some more food later to hit the marks. Just wanted to get the log up before it gets too late.

 

[Yano]

Gonna force down some more food later to hit the marks

You can drink calories as well , shake here n there , runny oatmeal or cream of rice if you buy the pasteurized egg whites in a carton you can add them in as well for more protein

 

[adrenalytic]

You can drink calories as well , shake here n there , runny oatmeal or cream of rice if you buy the pasteurized egg whites in a carton you can add them in as well for more protein

Ya, I have been trying to limit myself to 3 whey shakes a day haha. I know it's important to get different sources of protein but it can feel like work on a GLP-1. Great suggestion on the egg whites. Will def get some. I also make a pseudo shake with powdered peanut butter. 1/4 cup of powdered pb, 2 cups of vanilla almond milk and a tbsp of monkfruit sweetener. Tastes like drinking a Reese's Pieces.

 

[Yano]

Ya, I have been trying to limit myself to 3 whey shakes a day haha. I know it's important to get different sources of protein but it can feel like work on a GLP-1. Great suggestion on the egg whites. Will def get some. I also make a pseudo shake with powdered peanut butter. 1/4 cup of powdered pb, 2 cups of vanilla almond milk and a tbsp of monkfruit sweetener. Tastes like drinking a Reese's Pieces.

shakes are handy but try to get as much real food in you as you can , they give ya protein but are missing a ton of other good stuff we get from whole foods.

 

[adrenalytic]

Deadlift Week 2.



280 for 6. Considering I've never really focused on DL before I'll take it. Much room for improvement.

Decided to use the assisted chinup machine to ensure a full 10 reps per set. Took 25 lbs. off but most sets I was beating the lift to the top save for the last few reps.

DB rows are boring af and take twice as long as straight bar bent rows or Pendlays. Any special reason I should favor DB? Honest question as I've always done the former but I'm game to change it up if it makes sense. Otherwise I like Pendlays better.

Back ext. are brutal. No way I can reliably hit 25 reps for 4 sets yet. Number in ( ) is actual.

Ab wheel sucks. Don't feel like it hits my abs hard enough and my knees take a beating. Prob just gonna do hanging raises or decline situps next time.

Cardio: 1 mile warmup @ 4mph. 5 min. run/walk intervals. 1st interval @6mph, 2nd @6.3, 3rd @ 6.6, 4th @ 7.0 mph. Cooldown for about a mile @ 3.6 mph. Grand total: 5 miles.

Macros:



PB sammy will round out the deficits.

 

[adrenalytic]

No lift day. Cardio: 2 mile warmup @4mph then 8x5 min intervals alternating 4/6 mph. Total: 10.5 miles.

Macros:

 

[adrenalytic]

Bench.



Little disappointed. Thought I'd get more than 6. Was very close to 7 but needed help at the halfway point. Confirms that I have lost strength over the last two months.

Cardio: 1 mile warmup @ 4mph. 5 min. run/walk intervals. 1st interval @6mph, 2nd @6.3, 3rd @ 6.6, 4th @ 7.0 mph. Cooldown for about a mile @ 3.6 mph. Grand total: 5 miles.

Macros:



Day's not over yet.

 

[adrenalytic]

Squat.



I'm stupid and forgot to put my belt on before I started the last set. I got 9 before I felt a tug in the lower back so I called it quits. Prob coulda got 2 more. Otherwise, felt good.

Cardio: 1 mile warmup @ 3.6 mph. 5 min. run/walk intervals x4. Kept all the intervals at 6mph/4mph today. Legs were screaming at me so had to compromise. Total: 4.5 miles.

Macros:

 

[Berserker_D]

Hell yeah brother! Love your spirit!! Digging the progress!!! Keep Killing It

 

[adrenalytic]

Hell yeah brother! Love your spirit!! Digging the progress!!! Keep Killing It

Thanks for the shout out, brother...and introducing me to the 5/3/1 philosophy. Learning a lot from it.

Today was a supplemental lift day. No compounds.



Cardio: I tweaked my left knee or something a couple days ago. Not really sure how it happened. Been having joint pain which really presents itself when I run. I've been powering through it but I'll be glad for the rest day tomorrow. Anyway, kept the intervals to 4/6 mph to keep it light. 4 intervals alternating as usual. 1 mile warmup @4mph and a cooldown which I didn't really track how far. Total Distance: 4.92 miles.

Macros:



Still got some eating left to do today.