No f***ing around

[slashkills]

Slashkills, the only reason I said that bolded statement is because if you train for both strength and endurance, your body will naturally choose endurance over strength. It's enevitable. I mean, I still train "heavy" relatively speaking, but I'm not hitting constant PR's like I was back when I wasn't doing any cardio, and I was eating a lot more. Basically, I'd say you could do any routine you wanted along with your conditioning/MMA, but the strength gains just won't come as easily. It's all about listening to your body. I do 1 - 2 HEAVY lifts each session, and I do 2-3 lighter, higher rep assistance lifts. If I feel like I could do more, then I do, and OTOH if I feel like I'm doing too much then I cut down on the work.

Thanks for clearing that up for me. Awesome work on them tire flips. 750lbs isnt light.

[brihead301]

Front squats look real solid man. So, when do you have a bout?

Ya those bastards are starting to get HARD!!!!

I'm 27 now, and I plan on fighting at least 2 fights before I turn 30. I'm not ready yet though.

[brihead301]

6/30/09

MMA

We learned a few karate kicks, and then did some 5 minute rounds of boxing.

[brihead301]

7/1/09

Squat

45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 1
265 x 5
265 x 5
265 x 5

Power Clean

135 x 3
145 x 3
155 x 3
135 x 3

SLDL

245 x 8
245 x 8
245 x 8

Ab superset

Dragon flags/hanging leg raises - 3 x 10

Elliptical

max resistance/12 degree incline
15:30

[slashkills]

Strong stuff dude! What are dragon flags? how often do you go for a 1rm

[brihead301]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCjHLu46ucA

This is a dragon flag^^^^.

No, it's been a while since I went for a 1RM. I'm training for strength in the 5 rep range. I'm much happier improving my 5RM for a lift then a 1RM.

[brihead301]

7/2/09

MMA

Jujitsu

[slashkills]

Holy crap those look hard!

[brihead301]

7/6/09

Bench

45 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 3
215 x 3
215 x 3
215 x 3

Row

135 x 5
155 x 5
190 x 5
190 x 5
190 x 5

DB Press

130 x 5
130 x 5
130 x 5

Pull-ups

1 x 10
1 x 10
1 x 11

Bicep superset

Straight bar curls - 90 lbs
DB curls - 80 lbs (two 40's)

2 x 8

MMA

Boxing basics

[mchicia1]

Where do you train MMA? I was thinking about learning some basics at Philly MMA which is right down the street from me (13th and chestnut).

[brihead301]

I live right outside of NE Philly, and I train at a place there. There's places all over, but to be honest I would look into this place:

http://www.roccomma.com/

It's on Grant Ave. It's an actual gym PLUS a training facility combined into one. I don't like the fact that I have a separate gym from the place where I do the MMA at. Rocco's has it all in one. It's a REAL gym too, not one of those LA Fitness or Planet Fitness type joints.

Also, another good thing about Rocco's is you can go to any class, anytime you want. If you check thier schedule they have Ju-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing, MMA sparring, etc.... time slots all throughout the week, and you can go to any one, anytime you want. With my MMA place, I can only go on Mon, Tues, and Thurs during the hour time slot that the class goes on for, and they teach whatever they want to teach you. Rocco's, you pick when you want to go, and what type of fighting skill you want to learn.

I'm gonna sign up there after my contract is up at my place now.

[mchicia1]

I live right outside of NE Philly, and I train at a place there. There's places all over, but to be honest I would look into this place:

http://www.roccomma.com/

It's on Grant Ave. It's an actual gym PLUS a training facility combined into one. I don't like the fact that I have a separate gym from the place where I do the MMA at. Rocco's has it all in one. It's a REAL gym too, not one of those LA Fitness or Planet Fitness type joints.

Also, another good thing about Rocco's is you can go to any class, anytime you want. If you check thier schedule they have Ju-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing, MMA sparring, etc.... time slots all throughout the week, and you can go to any one, anytime you want. With my MMA place, I can only go on Mon, Tues, and Thurs during the hour time slot that the class goes on for, and they teach whatever they want to teach you. Rocco's, you pick when you want to go, and what type of fighting skill you want to learn.

I'm gonna sign up there after my contract is up at my place now.

Good idea...right now I am owned by Ballys through 2010. Unbelievable. I hate that place.

Kind of off topic, but theres a great brazilian steakhouse in NE Philly called Picanha...I recommend that if you are trying to bulk :). 20 bucks all you can eat compared to Fogo De Chao's 50 dollar price.

[brihead301]

Hell ya, I will try that out. I'm always down for all you can eat steak!

7/7/09

MMA

Basic Jujitsu drills

[slashkills]

You watch any fights on tv? ufc or wec?

[brihead301]

I watch WEC mostly, mainly because it's free. I'd love to see some of the UFC fights (I really wanted to see 99), but unfortunately I'm never at a place where they are playing.

Call me a bandwagon jumper, but Uriajh Faber is my favorite fighter. His speed and accuracy, and HEART are amazing!!! I like the featherweight fighters just because they are so damn fast!!!

[slashkills]

Same here. wec all the way but mike brown is my guy. Strength and smarts. The second you make a mistake brown is all over you.

[brihead301]

Faber did go the distance with him with a broken hand though. Not saying he should have won that fight, but that's some HEART right there shown by Faber!!!

[slashkills]

Thats true, i think that faber should have won that and probably could have if he didnt break his hand. Faber was landing some big elbows! However im still sticking with my guy. Brown is more my style of fighting(strength)

[brihead301]

Ya that's cool. Mike Brown is one HUGE 155 lber (that's an oxymoron, lol).

7/8/09

I was so damn close to skipping today. I felt like crap, and all I wanted to do was sleep. I almost didn't even complete my session, but I sucked it up and did it anyway.

Deadlift

135 x 5
225 x 3
315 x 1
410 x 1 - couldn't even budge a 2nd rep
365 x 5
315 x 5 - I wanted to make up with some volume, since my main set was weak as hell

Squat

45 x 10
95 x 10
135 x 10 - I almost went home after this set because I felt really crappy
185 x 10 - Again, I almost stopped it all right here
225 x 10 - I did it!!! But I figured I'd at least skip front squats

Front Squat

135 x 5 - considering just sticking with this
155 x 5 - then I thought about doing maybe 3 sets of just this
205 x 5 - New PR!!!! What can I say, I'm an addict!!

Abs

Weighted declines w/25 lbs. supersetted w/ hanging leg raises

3 x 10

Well, I skipped cardio today, but I did more then I thought I would. I'm gonna go pass out now.

[ZenMonkey]

Nice job on those squats. What a sick squatting session! 205 Front squat is huge man. Keep up the great work.


That is seriously a disgusting looking day...

[slashkills]

Sick lower body day man! My legs hurt just reading that

[brihead301]

Haha ya it's a killer, but the fact that I was operating on like 3 hours of sleep plus that feeling that you get when you just start to get sick (you know the achey all over feeling) certainly didn't help. I slept a good 9 hours though last night, so I'm good to go today for my kickboxing session with Larry "thunderfoot" Cureton (look him up on youtube, he's bada**).

[brihead301]

7/9/09

MMA

Class taught by Larry "thunderfoot" Cureton. It was f***ing INTENSE!!!!

Check this dude out (the black dude):

mfQNBqoOU58

Check out some of his other videos too. This guy comes in to train us once a month.

[slashkills]

Wow, that dude can hit

[Coke]

Wow, that dude can hit

No doubt, that's some serious stuff there, lol.

[brihead301]

He's awesome!! I love it when he comes in to train us. Sparring him is a little scary though, lol.

[slashkills]

I can imagine. I just signed up for BJJ for stand up. Im starting in early august

[brihead301]

Hell ya, I'm looking forward to hearing about it. I'm considering signing up for BJJ too. With MMA, they touch on everything, but I really feel that to get good at BJJ, you need to take JUST that at least 3 times a week.

[brihead301]

7/10/09

OH Press

45 x 5
95 x 5
115 x 5
135 x 5 (2 strict/3 push press)
135 x 5 (2 strict/3 push press)
135 x 3 (3 push press)

My OH press is getting weak. I used to be able to get 3x5 no problem w/135 lbs. Oh well, that's the price I gotta pay for getting conditioned - strength loss.

Weighted chin-ups

1 x 5 @ bodyweight
3 x 5 w/47.5 lbs.

DB Bench

110 x 8
140 x 8
170 x 6
170 x 7
170 x 7

seated cable row

200 x 8
190 x 8
190 x 8

Dips

2 x 20

[brihead301]

7/13/09

Squat

45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 3
225 x 1
265 x 5
265 x 5
265 x 5

Power Clean

135 x 3
145 x 4
155 x 1
135 x 3

SLDL

245 x 8
245 x 8
245 x 8

AB superset

dragon flags/hanging leg raise - 3 x 10

MMA

Crazy warm-up for 15 minutes, then Jujitsu stuff.

[brihead301]

7/14/09

MMA

- circuit training
- learned some punch/kick combos
- crazy ab routine to finish off the class

[Coke]

Good job there with the workout(s) and particularly the MMA - :thumbup:

[brihead301]

Thanks bud, ya I'm really loving the MMA.

[brihead301]

7/15/09

I was all suited up and ready to hit the gym, but my friend Liz came over wanting to drink beer, so my session yesterday was:

- 8 yuenglings
- 3 fat bowls
- 3 Cheesy gordita crunches from Taco Bell

[brihead301]

7/16/09

I went very quickly today, only a minute or 2 rest between sets. I superset each pair of exercises (bench w/rows, db press w/chins, 2 bicep exercises).

Bench

45 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 5
205 x 5 - immediately into next set
185 x 4 - right into next set
135 x 9

Rows

135 x 5
175 x 5
190 x 5
190 x 5
190 x 5 - right into next set
135 x 10

DB presses

130 x 5
130 x 5
130 x 5

Chin-ups

1 x 10
1 x 10
1 x 11

Biceps

straight bar curl - 90 lbs.

3 x 8

DB hammer curls - 80 lbs.

3 x 8

Elliptical

max resistance, 12 incline, 2 miles - 15:47

[Coke]

Props on the effort bro, liking them supersets.

[ZenMonkey]

Your DB presses are sick man! Rows too

[brihead301]

Thanks a lot fellas! I really have to get back into the gym and hit it HARD this week. I skipped lifting and MMA this saturday, been slackin on my diet like a mofo for the past week, and I've been drinking entirely too much. It's F***ING ON again this week!!!!

[slashkills]

solid work this past week or so bud

[brihead301]

Thanks Slash, ya I'm always bustin my a**, but I was actually slackin this past week. No more of that s***!

7/20/09

MMA

Circuit training
Learned the takedown/guillotine combo
Couple rolling sessions

[slashkills]

sweet mma training. Mine starts in three weeks now.

[brihead301]

I'm looking forward to hearing about it!

[brihead301]

7/21/09

Tough one today:

Deadlift

135 x 5
225 x 3
315 x 1
410 x 1
365 x 5
315 x 5

Squat

45 x 10
95 x 10
135 x 10
185 x 10
225 x 10

Front squat

135 x 5
175 x 2
205 x 5

Abs

superset dragon flags/hanging leg raise - 3 x 8

MMA

More jujitsu stuff

[Coke]

Super session with the deads and squats guy.

[brihead301]

Thanks dude. This particular workout is a b**** while on a deficit. My goal is to get down to 170 lbs. I've been stuck at 180 for a while now (and that's cutting from 220).

[slashkills]

wow you lost quite a bit of weight then, congrats! Why try and cut more?

[brihead301]

The 40 lbs. was over about 6 months. It started really coming off when I started doing MMA. My goal weight was 170 - 175.

[nockits]

thanks for the support!
your numbers are pretty good! keep it up!

[-JM-]

Bri you have maintained decent strength despite the cal deficit AND the MMA.

That last session with the DLs, Squats and Front Squats was impressive. Thats some combo alright.

GL getting to 170. Doing an incredible job so far!

[Kiaran]

Bro, you've done some great things so far in this journal. Cool with the MMA and all that you are aiming for there. I think there is a balance of strength and speed and weight-class that you need to find that will make you the most efficient fighter you can be. I've seen some of those guys out there get way too light and they just get crushed on the ground when raw strength comes into play, you know? When will your first fight be do you think? Your numbers look great btw, especially for how much weight you've dropped, damn!

[slashkills]

http://elitefts.com/documents/predictor_lifts.htm

i thought this is something you might be interested in. Its about the lifts that carry over to mma the best.

[brihead301]

Thanks a lot fellas!

Kiaran, I think my first fight will be in about a year. I do feel as if I am in good enough shape right now, that all I would need to do is just some intense conditioning work for about a month, then I'd be ready. But as far as skill goes, I don't feel as if I'm ready. I would like at least another year of solid training and sparring practice before I step into the ring.

Nice link Slash. Interesting read.

Thanks for all the support guys, much appreciated!

[muscled]

Bri, had no idea you were training to fight. Wow! That's bad ass and I hope you pursue this. I've often thought of taking up boxing as the workouts appeal to me. Sick rowing in your journal. Good stuff!

[brihead301]

I'd actually rather box then do MMA honestly, but I wasn't able to find any boxing places near me, and due to the popularity of MMA, it was really easy to find a good place to train near me. Ya, the workouts are very intense. I'm in the best shape I've ever been in in my life. If I stopped drinking, I'd even be doing better!

[nockits]

damn, yeah I think I'm going to have to switch it up. I'm gonna do my own routine, with the extreme basic compound lifts. Keep it short and sweet. I really don't want to put on weight at this moment. I'm doing this more to keep fit rather than to bulk for some competition. I really dropped my calories by a bit, so I feel that it may have affected me.

[brihead301]

7/27/09

START OF THE 5/3/1 PROGRAM

My starting "maxes" are gonna be about 10% less then my actual 1RM's:

squat - 265
deadlift - 370
OH Press - 120
Bench - 200

1ST WAVE SQUAT DAY

Squat

45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
200 x 5 (75%)
210 x 5 (80%)
225 x 13 (85%)

Bulgarian Split squats

70 x 10
70 x 10
70 x 10

Hack Squats - 1st time ever doing these, I wanted to start out with light weight

135 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 10

Weighted decline situps

3 x 15 w/25 lbs.

Hanging leg raise

3 x 10

MMA

- circuit training w/14 different circuits
- worked on kicking power
- some "wall" technique

I'm really looking forward to seeing how this program works for me. I feel like I'm going really light, but everyone says to start light, and work your way up, so we'll see how that goes.

[Jorge Sanchez]

I like your accessory work. One thing I found with my brief foray into 531 was that my squat took a nosedive squatting only once every week/week and a half. The accessory work on your squat day is very important.

[-JM-]

200 x 5 (75%)
210 x 5 (80%)
225 x 13 (85%)

Super start Bri!! Hitting those kind of reps on your first outing is awesome and a huge mental boost. You want to keep this thing moving as long as possible.
I think if you can set a target of AT LEAST double reps for the 3x5 and the 3x3 and you get anywhere near them, you should be golden.

One thing I did was always train antagonists. I would hammer hams and lower back on squat days and then the quads again on deadlift days. I think this worked best for me but really its up to you how you balance it.

Better to start too light than two heavy. It will get heavy soon enough.....

Great job Bri!

[brihead301]

Thanks fellas. Ya, I always trained antagonists as accessory work too, but Wendler recommends training quads with squats, posterier with deads, shoulders with OH press, etc....so I'm gonna give his methods a shot. We'll see how it goes. I think that I will be sticking with this program for a very long time because of the flexibility of the assistance work, and even the main lifts (subbing for other exercises). There's nothing worse then getting bored with a program and basically losing motivation because of it.

[mattburns]

Our starting numbers are pretty similar bri, looking forward to seeing how you get on.

Interesting that you started with the 75/80/85 option. Good choice of assistance lifts in the mix on that session I like it.

[Coke]

Good luck with the 5/3/1, lot of peeps from here are into it now.

[slashkills]

Good luck with your new routine dude. Im sure you will make awesome progress.

[Kiaran]

Awesome, that's a whole bunch of us now that are just starting up our 5/3/1s. I think we'll all do great as long as we stick with it. I wouldn't worry about the weight feeling "too light". If it is too light, then you should be crushing rep PRs on your last sets. So you should always be making progress in some shape or form, right? How come you chose the 75/80/85% increments instead of the 65/75/85%? Did you do free-weight hack squats or what? If so, I did those for a couple weeks and they suck, lol.

[brihead301]

Thanks everyone. Ya, I'm excited about this program. The last routine I was following was something I made up myself, but it wasn't a percentage based program or anything. It was just kind of something I whipped together expecting to make linear progress on. I guess it doesn't work like that, lol.

About the 75/80/85, well in the 3 days a week book, that's the first one it says. It then gives a "lower volume alternative", which is the 65/75/85. I assumed that the first one was the recommended one, but after doing a lot of further reading about it, it's actually the lower volume one that is recommended. I think I will switch to that. It makes sense - slow and steady progress is key right?

I did barbell hack squats, and I loved them. I try to avoid machines. The only one I really use is the seated cable row, or maybe the tricep pushdown machine. My quads are really sore today, and I haven't felt quad soreness in years, it's always my hamstrings.

[jbrin0tk]

Hey brihead, I know I don't post here, but I saw something about you looking to box and couldn't find a place in Philadelphia. I thought about Joe Frazier's place, but it actually closed last year. Anyways, the link below is a list of boxing gyms in Philly. I don't know if they are particularly close to you, but I just thought I'd throw it out there. Heck, you've probably already seen all of these, haha.


http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-gyms.php?state=PA




Hope it helps somewhat, man.

[one rep under]

Good luck with the new program and the fight training bro

[brihead301]

Thanks a lot guys! Ya Jbrin0tk, that is a cool site. I may look into joining a strictly boxing place after my contract is up. Thanks for the link!

7/29/09

Wave 1, 1st cycle

Bench day

Bench press

45 x 5
130 x 5 (65%) (weird not just putting 2 plates on there, but I'm following the program as written)
150 x 5 (75%)
170 x 14 (85%) - not quite to failure, but close

DB Incline bench press

130 x 8
130 x 8
130 x 8
130 x 8

Pull-ups

1 x 13
1 x 11
1 x 10

Lateral raises

25 lb. dumbells

3 x 10

2 miles on elliptical

max resistance, 12 degree incline: 15:47

After lifting heavy for the last few years, and doing mostly full body w/no isolation work it feels really weird going light/high reps. But I did enjoy the "pump", and doing the different lifts that I'm not used to doing. I did this whole workout in about an hour. I only rested for a short amount of time between sets to try and keep it "intense". I know this will start getting a lot harder once I run a few cycles, and the main lift starts getting very heavy.

I'm basically just going to vary how I use the assistance exercises (vary the rep ranges, weights, # of sets, exercises, etc...). Things are more interesting that way, IMO.

Also, I decided to go with the less intense loading parameters, because it seems that is what Wendler recommends, even though in his 3 days a week book he puts the more intense one first.

[jbrin0tk]

You're welcome, man. I hope the 5/3/1 works well for you. It's done wonders for me in the past 3 months or so. You got a great start today, that's for sure.

[-JM-]

Heh, it can be a bit frustrating not loading up the bar to what you think you should be lifting.

Nice pullups. I am envious.

Dude, those inc DBs are insane. 130s? Thats impressive as hell!

[brihead301]

Haha, no 65s for a total of 130 lbs. I definately felt weird though not lifting heavy as usual. The high rep/short rest/moderate weight thing is just something I haven't done for a long time. I was sweating like a bastard though.

[Kiaran]

lol, I thought 130s too, I was like "wtf?! Hydraulic shoulders?" Still awesome stuff with the 65s, just more human though, lol. I know what you mean about loading the bar with odd numbers. I'm taking that part pretty seriously too, especially on my weaker lifts. It's so tempting at 130 to just toss the wheels on instead though, isn't it? Nice moves in here, bro.

[jbrin0tk]

The loading of the small stuff gets annoying, but I've had better results from staying light than I have in awhile. Keep it up, bud.

[slashkills]

Great work bud!


Haha, no 65s for a total of 130 lbs. I definately felt weird though not lifting heavy as usual. The high rep/short rest/moderate weight thing is just something I haven't done for a long time. I was sweating like a bastard though.

oh hehe he is human. You should try super setting some of your accessory movements. Its great conditioning.

[brihead301]

7/31/09

Wave 1, 1st cycle deadlift day

Deadlift

135 x 5
240 x 5 (65%)
280 x 5 (75%)
315 x 12 (85%) - I might have got 13, but I don't remember

Front squat

45 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 8
135 x 10
135 x 12

Good mornings

45 x 8
95 x 10
95 x 10
95 x 10

Abs

dragon flags superset w/hanging leg raise

3 x 10

2 miles on elliptical, max resistance, 12 incline

15:50

AHHHHH, the bodybuilding bug....gotta love it. I feel so pumped up after doing this high rep accessory work, but I don't feel like I just fought a gorilla like how I do after doing a heavy full body session (or even just a heavy upper or heavy lower body session). I'm diggin this though. I can't wait to run a few cycles and see what happens.

Slash, ya man I do superset stuff quite often. I'm just getting a feel for the main lift + accessory thing, but I will constantly be switching up the accessory work. No doubt I'll be doing some supersetting. As it is now, I keep the rest times short as hell, and I'm drenched in sweat by the time I get done.

Thanks all for checkin in!!!

[Coke]

Gonna have great stand up with complete focus at that boxing gym, you can always get back to the other ****.

The sessions are going great dude, pump it up!!

[Kiaran]

Damn, 315x12, nice work bro! How do the Front Squats feel after the deads? I thought about giving them a shot but I like the box jumping I've been doing instead. What are dragon flags again? I know you had a link up once but I couldn't find it.

[brihead301]

Thanks Cocoa and Kiaran. Ya, I definately wanna improve my standup, but the MMA thing is so fun. I'm still thinking about it.

Kiaran, I've been squatting and deadlifting in the same workout ever since I started doing squats and deads, which was like 3.5 years ago. A lower body day just doesn't seem like enough without both of them in there. I figure since the 531 has a separate day for each, I will at least put a variation of the other as an assistance exercise. I'm still lovin this routine though!

I also like to put horizantal push/pulls on OH press day, and vertical push/pulls on Bench day as assistance.
8/3/09

OH Press

45 x 10
80 x 5 (65%)
90 x 5 (75%)
100 x 12 (85%)

Power Cleans - can't neglect these, I love them too much

135 x 3
145 x 3
155 x 1
135 x 5

Barbell rows

145 x 12
145 x 12
145 x 12
145 x 12

Biceps

95 lb. barbell curls supersetted with DB curls (40's)

2 x 10

MMA

Lots of "mixing it up" today. Mixing the punches, kicks, wrestling, etc... and a great sparring session to finish it off

[Kiaran]

Good number on the OH pressing. I should have started lower on my Military Press numbers but I'm stickin to it until I reach a stall point. Looks like a good mix in there, bro.

[mattburns]

Nice work lately man, you've been smart with your numbers for sure looking at the reps your getting.

[-JM-]

Nice setup there Bri. You killed those presses!

You must be toast after all the MMA too. Great going.

[Coke]

Major props on all the hard work, really going at everything with such drive.

[brihead301]

Kiaran, ya I set my max even lower then 10%. My actual 1RM would be about 145 - 150 maybe, but I used 135, then took 10% off that. My pressing has always been my weak point, so I figured some long progression would be helpful.

Mattburns, thanks man. I'm listening to the man and starting conservative, even though it's a hard thing to do!

Flynn, yes my arse is whooped from the sparring session after the gym. MMA takes a MAJOR toll on my body, more then the gym ever did. That's why I love it so much!

Cocoa, it's a passion man! So I don't consider it "hard work".

Thanks all for checkin in!

[brihead301]

8/4/09

MMA

Lots of kicking

5 sets of 20 pushups w/no laying down between sets, and under 10 second rest times. This was at the end of class, and it was pretty hard because my a** was already whooped from the class. Not like 100 pushups is an easy task anyway, lol.

[brihead301]

8/5/09

Squat day - Cycle 1, wave 2

45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 3
210 x 3
240 x 11 - I could have gotten more, probably up towards 20, but Wendler specifically says not to go to failure

Bulgarian split squats

80 x 8 (40 lb. dumbells)
80 x 8
80 x 8
80 x 8

Hack Squats

155 x 8
155 x 8
155 x 8
155 x 8

Weighted decline situps - 35 lb. weight

3 x 10

Hanging leg raises

3 x 10

[ZenMonkey]

Very strong man! 240x 11 is sick!

Thanks for the diet advice, I thiink Im gonna run something very similar to the keto diet.

[gatorman2k6]

I had been meaning to check out your log and you got some good stuff in here. I'll be checking in for ideas and keep up the work man!

[-JM-]

Nice job on the squats Bri.

Those BS Squats are bound to strenghten your groin and hips up a lot. Oh and thanks for the description (40lb DBs) ;)

That whole session looks solid.

[Kiaran]

Some pretty awesome squtting, man. Wendler says not to go to failure but I still just go by how I am feeling. I think if you are feeling great and wanna smash a rep PR, go for it. The mental boost from breaking PRs is great for you. You gonna watch the fight on Saturday night?

[brihead301]

Thanks guys! Damn right I'm watchin them on Saturday. I can't wait!!

[Coke]

Doing your thing and doing it very well - :thumbup:...liking those sets of squats.

[brihead301]

8/6/09 - cycle one, wave 2

Bench

45 x 10
140 x 3
160 x 3
180 x 13

Incline DB Bench

130 x 12 (65s)
130 x 12
130 x 12

Chin-ups

1 x 13
1 x 12
1 x 10

Lateral raises

25s x 10
25s x 10
25s x 10

MMA

Takedowns and some submissions

[ELmx479]

Nice workout, everything looks real solid. How many days a week are you running the program?

[brihead301]

I just do 3 days a week, usually M-W-F.

[slashkills]

Looking good in here dude keep it up! I started MMA a couple weeks ago. Ive been focusing mostly on submissions and boxing.

[Coke]

Great to see you working on the takedowns and submissions man...fine session with the weights as well.

[brihead301]

The MMA is really beating my a** up. I love it!!! The sparring sessions are the best. Looking forward to seeing how you do with it Slash.

As always, thanks for checkin in Cocoa!

8/11/09 - Cycle 1, wave 2

Deadlift

135 x 5
260 x 3 (70%)
295 x 3 (80%)
335 x 10 (90%)

Front Squat

145 x 10
145 x 10
145 x 10
145 x 12

Good Mornings

45 x 10
105 x 10
105 x 10
105 x 10

Dragon Flags

3 x 8

Hanging leg raise

3 x 10

MMA

- Learned some fence work/reversals/takedowns
- ended the class with a 15 straight minute ground and pound session (basically all-out MMA sparring only without head shots) - AWESOME!!!!

[jbrin0tk]

Sweet work lately, man. Looks like you definitely erred on the light side with the percentages, and I think that will serve you well in the long run. Keep it up, bud.

[Coke]

Learned some fence work/reversals/takedowns
- ended the class with a 15 straight minute ground and pound session (basically all-out MMA sparring only without head shots) - AWESOME!!!!

Wow man, that's great!!

[brihead301]

Fellas, as always, thanks for checkin my journal out!! It's very motivating to know that other people are watching my progress. BTW, I weighed myself tonight, and I'm down to 176.6 lbs. (this is coming from 220 lbs. pre-mma). I was pretty damn strong when I was 220, but I was also pretty fat. My bf% was up to like 25 - 30% maybe. I'm down to about 10 - 12% now if I had to estimate. I was never much of a guy who obsessed over having a six-pack, but I now do have one for the first time ever in my life, and it does feel pretty damn cool. The fact that I have been seriously training for about 4 years has made me very cut looking. I will post pics soon.

I did tons of low rep/strength stuff for about 3 years. Just within the last year, I started doing high rep assistance work. I'm really liking it. I now see why they call the higher rep stuff, the "hypertrophy range". It really does seem to pack on size.....or maybe it's just the fact that I now have low bodyfat that makes me look a lot bigger. Whatever it is, I'm really liking the strength work mixed with the high rep assistance lifts. It's like "powerbuilding" as heavy bomber would say (only I'm only about 1/8 as strong as he is, lol).

8/11/09

OH press

45 x 10
85 x 3
95 x 3
110 x 10 (the 10th rep was failure, meaning I definately couldn't have gotten an 11th)

Power Cleans

135 x 3
145 x 3
150 x 3
135 x 5

Rows

155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10

Close grip bench

135 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 10

Barbell curls

90 x 10
90 x 10

Hammer curls

40s x 10
40s x 10

MMA

- warmup was jump rope and circuit training
- learned a variation of the arm bar from the mount postion
- 4 - 2 minute rounds of boxing sparring

[slashkills]

good work dude

[Coke]

Awesome seeing you lean out that way and get into super condition and all.

[-JM-]

Congrats on the weight loss.....45lbs!!! Holy ****.

I would imagine you must be a pretty dangerous guy what with the strength and MMA experience!!

[brihead301]

Haha, my jujitsu and wrestling skills are decent. My strength helps me with that a lot. When it comes to boxing though, I ****ing suck. Well, I'm okay actually depending on who I'm fighting. I'm slow. When I spar against a small, fast person, I can't even get a punch in, but wrestling/rolling with that same person I have the advantage. Boxing against a bigger, slower guy I can whoop his ass.

6 months of MMA has gotten me into great shape, and my conditioning is very good, but my fighting skills have a loooooong way to go until I can even consider myself a descent fighter.

[Zorachus]

Bri good work man, very impressive :)

I am a bit confused on how you are doing the 5/3/1 routine ? Maybe I misunderstood it, but I thought it was supposed to be like this;

5 reps of 65% your 1rep max...then 3 rep at 75%...then your 1 rep at 90% your max...then back to 5 reps lower weight again ?

So would be 5...3...1...5...

But your doing your heaviest weight with the highest reps, I thought the heavy weight was just meant for your 3rd set only 1 rep max...then your final sets would be much lighter weight to failure ?

[Chalky Palms]

Bri good work man, very impressive :)

I am a bit confused on how you are doing the 5/3/1 routine ? Maybe I misunderstood it, but I thought it was supposed to be like this;

5 reps of 65% your 1rep max...then 3 rep at 75%...then your 1 rep at 90% your max...then back to 5 reps lower weight again ?

So would be 5...3...1...5...

But your doing your heaviest weight with the highest reps, I thought the heavy weight was just meant for your 3rd set only 1 rep max...then your final sets would be much lighter weight to failure ?

umm no...not sure where you got that information but that is not how you do the 5/3/1


Bri- Congrats on the weight loss, that is insane.

[Zorachus]

umm no...not sure where you got that information but that is not how you do the 5/3/1


Bri- Congrats on the weight loss, that is insane.

I found the 5...3...1...routine off Google;
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1608/is_3_25/ai_n31506106/pg_2/?tag=content;col1

But if that is not correct, I researched a little more, and maybe this is the right routine ?
http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=112382761

Here is my journal following Wendler's 5/3/1/ Program
http://www.wannabebig.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2182751#post2182751

[brihead301]

Check you're PM box Zorachus.

Thanks for checkin in Chalky!

8/13/09 - cycle 1, wave 3

squat

45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
195 x 5 (75%)
225 x 3 (85%)
250 x 10 (95%) - honestly, I'm feeling so damn tired today, I was just gonna go for the single....but I couldn't let ya'll down, so I did 10!!!

Bulgarian Split squat

60 x 15 (30 lb. dumbells)
60 x 15
60 x 15

Hack Squat

160 x 10
160 x 10
160 x 10

Weighted decline situps (35 lbs.)

2 x 10

Hanging leg raise

2 x 10

MMA

All boxing stuff - sparring, bag work, combo work, jumping rope, shadow boxing - great cardio!!!

[Coke]

Good stuff all around as usual bro.

[-JM-]

250 x 10 (95%) - honestly, I'm feeling so damn tired today, I was just gonna go for the single....but I couldn't let ya'll down, so I did 10!!!


LMAO!! That is ****in' awesome Bri.

[brihead301]

Thanks guys, I appreciate it!!!

Here's some before and after pics:

Before: 215 - 220 lbs:

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/6397/220lbs.jpg

After: 175 - 180 lbs:

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/924/175lbs81709.jpg

[muscled]

Fantastic cut! DAMN good work!

[Coke]

Excellent job cutting up man.

[brihead301]

Thanks fellas!!! I appreciate it greatly!

8/17/09 - cycle 1, wave 3

Bench

45 x 8
150 x 5 (75%)
170 x 3 (85%)
190 x 10 (95%)

Incline DB Bench

140 x 8 (70 lb. dumbells)
140 x 8
140 x 8
140 x 8

Pull-ups

1 x 13
1 x 11
1 x 10

Lateral raises

30s x 8
30s x 8
30s x 8

MMA

- Jump rope followed by four 2-minute circuits for warmup
- Ju-jitsu sweeps from the half guard
- kickboxing sparring

[Coke]

Dayum, gonna be seriously killer at this rate.

[-JM-]

Impressive transformation Bri. A testament to your continued hard work!!

[brihead301]

Thanks ya'll, now I need to get STRONGER!!!!

MMA

- All boxing stuff - footwork drills, sparring, jump rope, jabs, etc..

[brihead301]

8/19/09 - cycle 1, wave 3

Deadlift

135 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 5 (75%)
315 x 3 (85%)
350 x 5 (95%)

Front squat

150 x 10
150 x 10
150 x 10
150 x 10

Goodmornings

105 x 10
105 x 10
105 x 10

Dragon flags supersetted w/hanging leg raises

3 x 10

Elliptical

2 miles, max resistance, 12 incline - 15:45

[slashkills]

good work dude!

[ZenMonkey]

Looking very impressive man. Strong, lean and conditioned are hard to get at the same time.... awesome work.

You should be very proud of what you have accomplished

[Coke]

Session is looking great dude.

[-JM-]

Nice session Bri. I love the DL/front squat combo.

Lower back must have been toasted after the GMs as well.

[brihead301]

Thanks guys, I appreciate ya'll checkin in. I'm loving this 5/3/1 program. Deload starts Monday, I could use a bit of a break, so that will be nice!!!!

I'm feeling pretty good for the most part, just worn down and tired. I need more sleep.

[Cards]

what's up dude. sick transformation going on in here. your before and after pictures are really impressive. Bench, squats, and deads are all looking great. Glad to see another person on here with some dedication and intensity.

[brihead301]

Thanks Cards. I love lifting, so it's easy to stay dedicated!

[brihead301]

8/21/09

OH Press

45 x 5
90 x 5 (75%)
100 x 3 (85%)
115 x 9 (95%)

Power Clean

135 x 3
145 x 3
155 x 3
135 x 5

Row

155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10

Close grip bench press

145 x 10
145 x 10
145 x 10

Barbell curls

95 x 8
95 x 8

Hammer curls

40s x 10
40s x 10

Elliptical - same as always w/max resistance

2 miles - 15:50

[one rep under]

Great work in here Bri

[Coke]

Good upper body day with cardio bro.

[brihead301]

Thanks fellas!!!! Time to increase the cardio now....

8/24/09

MMA

All kickboxing stuff - kicks, combos, sparring

[brihead301]

8/25/09 - Cycle 1, wave 4 - deload

I'm trying something new. I'm going to add some barbell circuits into the end of each session as my cardio. I figured I'd start it on deload week to see how difficult it was.

Squat

45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5 (60%)
145 x 5 (65%)
160 x 20 (70%) - haven't done a 20 rep set in a while, but using only 160 was cake...

Bulgarian Split squats

80 x 8 (40 lb. dumbells)
80 x 8
80 x 8
80 x 8

Barbell Circuit

Using only the bar + 20 lbs. for a total of 65 lbs.

- 1 circuit is all 6 lifts in a row with no rest between exercises:

10 romanian deadlifts
10 bent over rows
10 hang cleans
10 front squats
10 push presses
20 lunges (10 each leg)

I did 2 circuits total, with a 3 minute rest between circuit 1 and circuit 2. This is actually much harder then it looks. It involves basically no strength, but holy s*** it's a good cardio workout. I was drenched in sweat and my heart was pounding. The website I got this from says to start with 2 to 3 circuits at first, and work your way up to about 8. By the time I reach 8 circuits without puking, then my conditioning level should be VERY good according to the website.

ABS

decline situps w/35 lbs - 2 x 10
hanging leg raise - 2 x 10

MMA

I was pretty whooped from my workout, and tonight just so happened to be a f***ing killer. We started out with a very easy warmup, but then immediately moved onto four 3-minute rounds of boxing sparring, which really whooped my a**. I got a bloody nose from fighting a guy who is much better then me. That hurt, lol.

Followed by some variations of the arm-bar.

My a** was whooped.

[ZenMonkey]

Dude! Sick session! Awesome effort! Go eat and sleep :thumbup:

[-JM-]

BB Complex/Circuits FTW!!

Thats a monster round you did for those. No wonder you were hammered. ALL that training must generate a killer appetite!?

Ha ha, just looking back you must have done about 1000 squats there. Heavy or not, thats brutal!!

[Coke]

Awesome day overall man, this is what takes you to the next level.

[mattburns]

Unbelievable session there mate. Great stuff, bet you slept well that night!

[brihead301]

Thanks fellas!!! Yes Matt, I did sleep like a baby that night....that is, of course, after I got done bangin my gf until 1:30 in the morning and I had to get up for work the next day at 6:00 (we hang out like once or twice a week, and she had to pick THAT night to come over.....no complaints though, lol).

Here is the latest pic of me:

http://img398.imageshack.us/img398/9799/176lbs82609.jpg

[ZenMonkey]

Great lat development! Lets see a lat spread!

[brihead301]

Thanks Zenmonkey. I'll post another few pics another time.

S***, I just realized that I based my load percentages off 225 for the squat deload day, when I have been using 265 as my "max" for this cycle. Oh well....

Anyway...

8/27/09 - cycle 1, wave 4 - deload

Bench

45 x 10
120 x 5
130 x 5
140 x 20

Incline DB Bench

140 x 8 (70 lb. DB's)
140 x 9
140 x 10
140 x 10

Chin-ups

bw x 14
bw x 12
bw x 12
bw x 10

Lateral raises

30s x 8
30s x 8
30s x 8

65 lb. Barbell circuit - no rest between lifts

10 romanian deadlifts
10 bent over rows
10 hang cleans
10 front squats
10 push presses
20 lunges (10 each leg)

3 circuits total

I'm trying to work my way up to 8 total circuits. 3 was still pretty tough. Also, I'm starting back up on cycle 2 of the 5/3/1 next week. I don't feel like doing the deload for another 1/2 week. I wanna start back on monday on cycle 2.

[mattburns]

Looking well in the photo bri, really shaping up. Good work.

[-JM-]

Ouch, your sessions make me shudder. You get so much done. Really impressive!!

[Off Road]

Dang...I wish I could do that many chinups...Nice!

[Coke]

Looking well in the photo bri, really shaping up. Good work.

No kidding, looking great there dude.

[jbrin0tk]

Good ideas on the circuits. I've thought about adding them in on off days for extra cardio, too.

[brihead301]

Ahh back again...I took about a 4-day break....It felt good though. Thanks for checkin in everyone!!! I started cycle 2 today, and I'm starting on Deadlift day, because that's where I left off. I don't feel that I needed to deload all 4 lifts.


New maxes to work from are:

Deadlift - 380
Squat - 270
Bench - 205
OH press - 125

Deadlift - Cycle 2, wave 1

135 x 5
245 x 5 (65%)
285 x 5 (75%)
325 x 12 (85%)

Front Squats

150 x 10
150 x 10
150 x 10
150 x 10

Goodmornings

115 x 10
115 x 10
115 x 10

Dragon Flags/hanging leg raise superset

3 x 10

MMA

- good warmup w/ some ab stuff
- 10 minutes of circuit training
- kick combos
- some defense against punch and kick combos

[slashkills]

solid work bro

[Off Road]

Nice work :thumbup:
We are both starting the second cycle at the same time :)

[Chalky Palms]

I just realized you were already into your second cycle of the 5-3-1. Awesome. I'm in my 5th cycle and I haven't even researched a single other program since I started. There is no need. It might seem like a slow process but imagine where you will be after 10 cycles....15 cycles.... it is a scary thought. Great work man!

[Coke]

U got some super calf development, I saw your vid somewhere around here...workout session & MMA is great.

[-JM-]

Great session Bri. You never fail with the volume, MMA included.

I agree with Chalky. Patience will be rewarded when using 531.

[Kiaran]

Things are moving along nicely in here, bro. I agree with all these guys on the numbers, just give it time and it will pay you dividends. A couple of those workouts looked insane and must have taken forever to finish, lol. I'd be diligent about your deloading, bro. You may not feel like it's time to deload, but that's a good thing. Usually when you feel like it's time, it's too late and one little week isn't enough. You can stretch it out an extra week or two but just watch it. Deloading has to be single most overlooked thing in weightlifting, IMO. You see it all the time: someone is going along great and then they hit a brick wall and fall out of the game for a few weeks until motivation and energy resurfaces.

[brihead301]

solid work bro

Thanks Slash...I'm lovin it. BTW, did I ever mention to you that I am a guitar player myself. I've been playing for about 16 years now, and I've been in several bands in those years. Slash is, by far, my favorite guitarist. He is definately the man!


Nice work :thumbup:
We are both starting the second cycle at the same time :)

Thanks dude. Yup, I'm stoked about getting back into it again!


I just realized you were already into your second cycle of the 5-3-1. Awesome. I'm in my 5th cycle and I haven't even researched a single other program since I started. There is no need. It might seem like a slow process but imagine where you will be after 10 cycles....15 cycles.... it is a scary thought. Great work man!

Yup, I love this program. I love the flexibility of the program. And I like the slow progress too. When I was on the TM, I was progressing too quickly, which caused me to hit a wall very quickly. I can't wait until another year to see where I'm at...


U got some super calf development, I saw your vid somewhere around here...workout session & MMA is great.

Thanks man....Was it the 20 rep squat set??? That's one of my youtube vids. I never considered myself a guy that has big calves, but hey, thanks man!


Great session Bri. You never fail with the volume, MMA included.

I agree with Chalky. Patience will be rewarded when using 531.

I'm actually starting to think the volume may be a bit too high. This is good for bodybuilding, but maybe not so good for max strength gains. Thanks for checkin in!


Things are moving along nicely in here, bro. I agree with all these guys on the numbers, just give it time and it will pay you dividends. A couple of those workouts looked insane and must have taken forever to finish, lol. I'd be diligent about your deloading, bro. You may not feel like it's time to deload, but that's a good thing. Usually when you feel like it's time, it's too late and one little week isn't enough. You can stretch it out an extra week or two but just watch it. Deloading has to be single most overlooked thing in weightlifting, IMO. You see it all the time: someone is going along great and then they hit a brick wall and fall out of the game for a few weeks until motivation and energy resurfaces.

Ya, next time I'm gonna follow the full deload cycle. This time, I had a lot of crap going on, so I would have been 'deloading' for 2 whole weeks (I was only able to get to the gym 2 days a week for 2 weeks). But I definately will do the full deload next time. Thanks for checkin in man!

[brihead301]

9/2/09 - Cycle 2, wave 1

OH Press

45 x 8
80 x 5 (65%)
95 x 5 (75%)
105 x 11 (85%)

Power Cleans

135 x 3
145 x 3
150 x 3
135 x 5

Barbell row/close grip bench superset

155 x 10/ 155 x 10
155 x 10/ 155 x 10
155 x 10/ 155 x 10
155 x 10/ 155 x 10

Barbell curl/hammer curl superset

95 x 8/45s x 10
95 x 8/45s x 10

65 lb. Barbell circuit - 2 rounds

10 romanian deadlifts
10 bent over rows
10 hang cleans
10 front squats
10 push presses
20 lunges (10 each leg)

[Coke]

Looks like you got some new PRs in the mix, good job there and throughout - like them bb circuit rounds.

[brihead301]

Thanks Cocoa. All this high rep stuff is kinda like a new PR for me. I'm so used to training 5's or less. I'm definately diggin this routine though. I'm gonna stick with it for at least a year, if not more....

9/4/09 - Cycle 2, wave 1

Squat

45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 5
175 x 5 (65%)
205 x 5 (75%)
230 x 13 (85%)

Bulgarian split squats/hack squat superset

Bulgarians - 70 lbs. (35 lb. dumbells) - 3 x 12
hack squats - 160 lbs. - 3 x 12

Weighted decline situp (35 lbs.)/hanging leg raise superset

2 x 10 - holy s*** my abs are sore as hell from the dragon flags I did on Monday. Those things are seriously the best ab exercise in existance I think. It hurt so bad to do abs today...

Elliptical

12 Incline/max resistance

- 2 minute warmup
- 8 HITT intervals (20 seconds on/10 off)

Ouch, that hurt my lungs...

[JSully]

MMA

I was pretty whooped from my workout, and tonight just so happened to be a f***ing killer. We started out with a very easy warmup, but then immediately moved onto four 3-minute rounds of boxing sparring, which really whooped my a**. I got a bloody nose from fighting a guy who is much better then me. That hurt, lol.

Followed by some variations of the arm-bar.

My a** was whooped.

this happened to me before except I combined my pre-workout with a PSMF diet and had NO energy. My coach told me to go spar with the new guy.. I knew he wasn't as good as me, however, I was trashed. We went 5 rounds and by the end of the first I was in the state of mind that I preferred taking the punch instead of putting forth the effort to keep my hands up. Well, in the 4th round he smacked the bridge of my nose so hard I got 2 black eyes and a whopping bloody nose..

the next day I had an assload of pancakes for breakfast, lots of rice for lunch and a giant pre-workout shake.. then sparred him again and beat the **** out of him. lmao.. good times.

anyways, awesome work in here dude.. that's a hell of a cut!

[Off Road]

Holy cr@p...13 reps on the squat :omg:
Do you think maybe you underestimated your max?

[Coke]

Nice job man, steadily stepping to it.

[Kiaran]

Ugh, 230x13, pukesville. Nice set, bro. Glad you are liking the routine. That's like 90% of the importance when trying to stick with something, IMO.

[slashkills]

230lbsx13 holy **** dude, keep it up

[-JM-]

Super squat session Bri!

With those reps you will be at it more than a year bro!! Seriously though, dont put a time scale on it. Do it for as long as it works. Who knows how long that could be if you're patient and smart about it.

[Jorge Sanchez]

That's some serious rep work. Nice job, bri.

[brihead301]

this happened to me before except I combined my pre-workout with a PSMF diet and had NO energy. My coach told me to go spar with the new guy.. I knew he wasn't as good as me, however, I was trashed. We went 5 rounds and by the end of the first I was in the state of mind that I preferred taking the punch instead of putting forth the effort to keep my hands up. Well, in the 4th round he smacked the bridge of my nose so hard I got 2 black eyes and a whopping bloody nose..

the next day I had an assload of pancakes for breakfast, lots of rice for lunch and a giant pre-workout shake.. then sparred him again and beat the **** out of him. lmao.. good times.

anyways, awesome work in here dude.. that's a hell of a cut!

Lol, yup there is a huge difference between sparring when having energy and sparring while being drained. I usually go to my MMA class immediately after my lifting session, and I'm always dead! A bunch of pancakes would probably help I'm sure. Thanks for checkin in bro!


Holy cr@p...13 reps on the squat :omg:
Do you think maybe you underestimated your max?

The squat is the one lift where I want to be as conservative as possible on, because my form really starts to slip with heavier weights. My last squat session before starting the 5/3/1 was done with 265 lbs. for 3 x 5. That is why I chose that as my starting "1 RM". Also, with squats, I have good endurance, so I can do a lot of reps with semi-challenging weights, but my raw strength is not that good with them.


Nice job man, steadily stepping to it.

Thanks for checkin in as always bro!


Ugh, 230x13, pukesville. Nice set, bro. Glad you are liking the routine. That's like 90% of the importance when trying to stick with something, IMO.

Damn right man! I tend to get bored and burnt out on routines kinda quickly, but I still force myself to stick to them for a long time anyway. This is one where I don't see myself getting bored with, and with the deload every 4th week, I will keep going strong! Thanks for checkin in again man!


230lbsx13 holy **** dude, keep it up

This 230x13 seems popular today. I'm gonna have to make it 315 x 13 soon! Thanks man!


Super squat session Bri!

With those reps you will be at it more than a year bro!! Seriously though, dont put a time scale on it. Do it for as long as it works. Who knows how long that could be if you're patient and smart about it.

I only said "one year" as just meaning "no less then a year". Usually I get bored pretty quickly with routines. It's the assistance exercises that I like with this one. I'm used to full body routines where I know exactly what lifts I will be doing everyday, and they never change. Thanks for checkin in man!


That's some serious rep work. Nice job, bri.

Thanks man. Yup that's 5/3/1 for ya! Lots of reps!

[brihead301]

9/8/09 - Cycle 2, wave 1

Bench

45 x 8
135 x 5 (65%)
155 x 5 (75%)
175 x 13 (85%) (I was going for 15, but my damn spotter touched the bar before I asked him to. I f***ing hate that, and I specifically told him not to. I'm sure some of you know what I'm talking about with that)

superset #1

Incline DB Bench

140 x 8 (70 lb. dumbells)
140 x 9
140 x 10
140 x 9

Pull-ups

1 x 11
1 x 10
1 x 10
1 x 10

DB Lateral raises

30s x 10
30s x 8
30s x 10

2 Barbell Circuits

10 RDL's
10 BB rows
10 Hang cleans
10 front squats
10 push presses
10 lunges

MMA

- Standard warmup
- Focus mitt work
- Judo throws

[Coke]

Like the effort bro, relentless stuff there.

[Off Road]

Nice bench...Super chins.

[ZenMonkey]

Relentless is the perfect word for it. Awesome stuff man. When you have a bout you are gonna have such an edge, you know how to train cardio and strength which is such a benefit. I cant wait to hear about the first bout.

[slashkills]

awesome work bri!

[mattburns]

Nice work pal, shame about the spotter!

I think you've been wise starting with conservative maxes too, looks like it's working well.

[JSully]

wickid circuits..

mitt work is always fun.. I especially liked when the trainer put on his chest armor, lol..

[brihead301]

Like the effort bro, relentless stuff there.

You know it!!! Thanks dude!


Nice bench...Super chins.

Right on, thanks bro! I can't wait till I'm actually benching some real weight again...175 feels so light.


Relentless is the perfect word for it. Awesome stuff man. When you have a bout you are gonna have such an edge, you know how to train cardio and strength which is such a benefit. I cant wait to hear about the first bout.

It will take some time until I feel ready. I'm in shape, but my skillz have a long way to go.... Thanks for checkin in!


awesome work bri!

Thanks for checkin in man, much appreciated!


Nice work pal, shame about the spotter!

I think you've been wise starting with conservative maxes too, looks like it's working well.

Ya, I specifically tell people "Do not touch the bar unless I say the word 'HELP'..." But they don't seem to get it. Everyone has the mentality that if they do 10 reps of 315 lbs. with the help of a spotter, then they just benched 315 lbs. 10 times....No the two of them combined lifted the 315 x 10, not just the guy laying on the bench.....But that's how guys at the gym train. They don't understand that I actually like to push those last few reps out BY MYSELF:swear:


wickid circuits..

mitt work is always fun.. I especially liked when the trainer put on his chest armor, lol..

Haha, ya mitt work is the s***. Actually, I like everything about MMA honestly! Thanks for checkin in.

[brihead301]

9/10/09 - Cycle 2, Wave 2

Deadlift

135 x 5
225 x 3
265 x 3 (70%)
305 x 3 (80 %)
340 x 10 (90 %)

Front Squat

155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10

Big superset - all three lifts
Goodmornings

115 x 3 x 10

Dragon Flags

3 x 10

Hanging leg raise

3 x 10

MMA

- Standard warm-up
- takedowns
- sparring working on only takedowns

My thumbs hurt today ;(.

[Off Road]

You are a "repping" machine. You must have pretty good conditioning. Nice work.

[JSully]

DLs looking strong.. seems you're underestimating your strength.. are you doing a full reset between reps?

[brihead301]

You are a "repping" machine. You must have pretty good conditioning. Nice work.

Thanks man. Yup, as I train for MMA conditioning is very important to me, which is why I'm training higher rep/shorter rest times and supersetting a lot.


DLs looking strong.. seems you're underestimating your strength.. are you doing a full reset between reps?

That's the ONLY way I deadlift - full reset between reps. I'm basing my max this cycle off 380. The most I've ever deadlifted in my life was 420 x 1 at a weight of 215 lbs. I weigh 175 lbs. now, and I think I could probably bang out a 420 single, but I'm not sure though.

The program says start conservative though, so that's what I did. I started with 370 which is 10% less then 405.

Thanks for checking in!

[Coke]

Interesting day overall, nice job dude.

[brihead301]

Thanks Cocoa!!!

9/11/09 - Cycle 2, wave 2

OH Press

45 x 8
90 x 3 (70%)
100 x 3 (80%)
115 x 9 (90%)

Clean and press - 1st time ever doing these, I definately liked them!

135 x 3
135 x 3
135 x 3
135 x 3

Superset #1

Barbell Rows/CG Bench press

145 x 15/145 x 15
145 x 15/145 x 14
145 x 15/145 x 15

Superset #2

Straight bar curls/DB hammer curls

90 x 10/45s x 10
90 x 8/45s x 10

Elliptical

Max resistance
2 miles - 16:20

[slashkills]

Two Workouts in one day! Nice work but stop, your making us look bad.

[EatMyWay2TheTop]

The rowing/ benching combo looks nice, I may give it a try. Solid effort overall man

[brihead301]

Two Workouts in one day! Nice work but stop, your making us look bad.

Nah, 2 days in a row, not just one day. Lol. But thanks man!


The rowing/ benching combo looks nice, I may give it a try. Solid effort overall man

It was definately a good conditioning workout. I like to superset my assistance lifts for this exact reason. Thanks for checkin in man!

[Cards]

great looking workouts. Strong deadlifting with front squats. Interesting combo with the rows and cg bench but i always believe you should be able to row what you bench. great effort dude.

[Coke]

Way to take care of business bro, them supersets are ill.

[-JM-]

Bri they were some great C&Ps in that last session. Really good in fact! You must have great wrist and elbow flexibility too. I stopped doing movements involving cleaning because they f'd up my elbows.

Intense with the supersets that followed.

[brihead301]

great looking workouts. Strong deadlifting with front squats. Interesting combo with the rows and cg bench but i always believe you should be able to row what you bench. great effort dude.

Well, I can't necessarily row 250, which is my max bench, but I can rep semi-heavy rows for the same amount that I can bench. Thanks for checking in man!


Way to take care of business bro, them supersets are ill.

Supersetting is fun, what can I say? Thanks dude!


Bri they were some great C&Ps in that last session. Really good in fact! You must have great wrist and elbow flexibility too. I stopped doing movements involving cleaning because they f'd up my elbows.

Intense with the supersets that followed.

I didn't used to have the wrist flexibility that I have now, but I just kept front squatting, and now it doesn't hurt me at all. Ya my elbows are f'd up too, but I think it's a mix of everything I do and not just the cleans. Still, they are fun, and they really build up the traps, so I don't wanna neglect them. Thanks for checkin in as always man!

[brihead301]

9/14/09 - Cycle 2, wave 2

Squat

45 x 8
95 x 5
135 x 5
190 x 3 (70%)
215 x 3 (80%)
245 x 12 (90%) - could have done more, but I didn't feel like it

Superset #1 - Bulgarian split squat/hack squats

80 x 8 (40 lb. dumbells)/170 x 8
80 x 8/170 x 8
80 x 8/170 x 8
80 x 8/170 x 8

Superset #2 - weighted decline situps/hanging leg raises

35 lb. plate x 10/bw x 10
35 lb. plate x 10/bw x 10
35 lb. plate x 10/bw x 10

MMA

- tough warm up involving jumping rope/jumping jack combos + intense ab workout
- learned several different types of kicks
- kick sparring for last 10 minutes (no punches)
- cool down

[Off Road]

Nice squatting.

[EatMyWay2TheTop]

Your conditionning looks pretty nice. I'd catch a asthma attack with the type of stuff you're doing.

[brihead301]

Nice squatting.

Thanks man....It's fun stuff!!!


Your conditionning looks pretty nice. I'd catch a asthma attack with the type of stuff you're doing.

I am amazed at how good of shape I am in now. I can box a few rounds, and not be totally gassed. Or I can run a few miles, and be totally fine! It's not like I'm in TOP athletic shape, but comparing myself to how I was last year....I'm amazed at how good of shape I'm in now. I like it!!

[mattburns]

Eff you and your 245 x 12 haha! Awesome stuff pal keep it up.

[brihead301]

Eff you and your 245 x 12 haha! Awesome stuff pal keep it up.

I could have gotten more, but I didn't feel like completely killing myself. I still wanted to do my supersets and go to my MMA class afterwards....

9/15/09

MMA

- Boxing circuits the whole class: jump rope, mitt work, shadow boxing, heavy bag, double end bag, speed bag, head movement bag

I was covered in sweat!

[Coke]

MMA- Boxing circuits the whole class: jump rope, mitt work, shadow boxing, heavy bag, double end bag, speed bag, head movement bag.

I was covered in sweat!

Sounds great, lol - seriously though bro, props.

[brihead301]

7/27/09

START OF THE 5/3/1 PROGRAM

My starting "maxes" are gonna be about 10% less then my actual 1RM's:

squat - 265
deadlift - 370
OH Press - 120
Bench - 200

1ST WAVE SQUAT DAY

Squat

45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
200 x 5 (75%)
210 x 5 (80%)
225 x 13 (85%)

Bulgarian Split squats

70 x 10
70 x 10
70 x 10

Hack Squats

135 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 10

Weighted decline situps

3 x 15 w/25 lbs.

Hanging leg raise

3 x 10





7/29/09

Wave 1, 1st cycle

Bench day

Bench press

45 x 5
130 x 5 (65%)
150 x 5 (75%)
170 x 14 (85%)

DB Incline bench press

130 x 8
130 x 8
130 x 8
130 x 8

Pull-ups

1 x 13
1 x 11
1 x 10

Lateral raises

25 lb. dumbells

3 x 10




7/31/09

Wave 1, 1st cycle deadlift day

Deadlift

135 x 5
240 x 5 (65%)
280 x 5 (75%)
315 x 12 (85%)

Front squat

45 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 8
135 x 10
135 x 12

Good mornings

45 x 8
95 x 10
95 x 10
95 x 10

Abs

dragon flags superset w/hanging leg raise

3 x 10





8/3/09

OH Press

45 x 10
80 x 5 (65%)
90 x 5 (75%)
100 x 12 (85%)

Power Cleans

135 x 3
145 x 3
155 x 1
135 x 5

Barbell rows

145 x 12
145 x 12
145 x 12
145 x 12

Biceps

95 lb. barbell curls supersetted with DB curls (40's)

2 x 10



8/5/09

Squat day - Cycle 1, wave 2

45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 3
210 x 3
240 x 11
Bulgarian split squats

80 x 8 (40 lb. dumbells)
80 x 8
80 x 8
80 x 8

Hack Squats

155 x 8
155 x 8
155 x 8
155 x 8

Weighted decline situps - 35 lb. weight

3 x 10

Hanging leg raises

3 x 10


8/6/09 - cycle one, wave 2

Bench

45 x 10
140 x 3
160 x 3
180 x 13

Incline DB Bench

130 x 12 (65s)
130 x 12
130 x 12

Chin-ups

1 x 13
1 x 12
1 x 10

Lateral raises

25s x 10
25s x 10
25s x 10






8/11/09 - Cycle 1, wave 2

Deadlift

135 x 5
260 x 3 (70%)
295 x 3 (80%)
335 x 10 (90%)

Front Squat

145 x 10
145 x 10
145 x 10
145 x 12

Good Mornings

45 x 10
105 x 10
105 x 10
105 x 10

Dragon Flags

3 x 8

Hanging leg raise

3 x 10





8/11/09

OH press

45 x 10
85 x 3
95 x 3
110 x 10

Power Cleans

135 x 3
145 x 3
150 x 3
135 x 5

Rows

155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10

Close grip bench

135 x 10
135 x 10
135 x 10

Barbell curls

90 x 10
90 x 10

Hammer curls

40s x 10
40s x 10





8/13/09 - cycle 1, wave 3

squat

45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5
195 x 5 (75%)
225 x 3 (85%)
250 x 10 (95%)

Bulgarian Split squat

60 x 15 (30 lb. dumbells)
60 x 15
60 x 15

Hack Squat

160 x 10
160 x 10
160 x 10

Weighted decline situps (35 lbs.)

2 x 10

Hanging leg raise

2 x 10





8/17/09 - cycle 1, wave 3

Bench

45 x 8
150 x 5 (75%)
170 x 3 (85%)
190 x 10 (95%)

Incline DB Bench

140 x 8 (70 lb. dumbells)
140 x 8
140 x 8
140 x 8

Pull-ups

1 x 13
1 x 11
1 x 10

Lateral raises

30s x 8
30s x 8
30s x 8



8/19/09 - cycle 1, wave 3

Deadlift

135 x 5
225 x 3
275 x 5 (75%)
315 x 3 (85%)
350 x 5 (95%)

Front squat

150 x 10
150 x 10
150 x 10
150 x 10

Goodmornings

105 x 10
105 x 10
105 x 10

Dragon flags supersetted w/hanging leg raises

3 x 10



8/21/09

OH Press

45 x 5
90 x 5 (75%)
100 x 3 (85%)
115 x 9 (95%)

Power Clean

135 x 3
145 x 3
155 x 3
135 x 5

Row

155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10

Close grip bench press

145 x 10
145 x 10
145 x 10

Barbell curls

95 x 8
95 x 8

Hammer curls

40s x 10
40s x 10



8/25/09 - Cycle 1, wave 4 - deload

Squat

45 x 5
95 x 5
135 x 5 (60%)
145 x 5 (65%)
160 x 20 (70%)

Bulgarian Split squats

80 x 8 (40 lb. dumbells)
80 x 8
80 x 8
80 x 8

ABS

decline situps w/35 lbs - 2 x 10
hanging leg raise - 2 x 10





8/27/09 - cycle 1, wave 4 - deload

Bench

45 x 10
120 x 5
130 x 5
140 x 20

Incline DB Bench

140 x 8 (70 lb. DB's)
140 x 9
140 x 10
140 x 10

Chin-ups

bw x 14
bw x 12
bw x 12
bw x 10

Lateral raises

30s x 8
30s x 8
30s x 8


START CYCLE 2




New maxes to work from are:

Deadlift - 380
Squat - 270
Bench - 205
OH press - 125

Deadlift - Cycle 2, wave 1

135 x 5
245 x 5 (65%)
285 x 5 (75%)
325 x 12 (85%)

Front Squats

150 x 10
150 x 10
150 x 10
150 x 10

Goodmornings

115 x 10
115 x 10
115 x 10

Dragon Flags/hanging leg raise superset

3 x 10



9/2/09 - Cycle 2, wave 1

OH Press

45 x 8
80 x 5 (65%)
95 x 5 (75%)
105 x 11 (85%)

Power Cleans

135 x 3
145 x 3
150 x 3
135 x 5

Barbell row/close grip bench superset

155 x 10/ 155 x 10
155 x 10/ 155 x 10
155 x 10/ 155 x 10
155 x 10/ 155 x 10

Barbell curl/hammer curl superset

95 x 8/45s x 10
95 x 8/45s x 10





9/4/09 - Cycle 2, wave 1

Squat

45 x 10
95 x 5
135 x 5
175 x 5 (65%)
205 x 5 (75%)
230 x 13 (85%)

Bulgarian split squats/hack squat superset

Bulgarians - 70 lbs. (35 lb. dumbells) - 3 x 12
hack squats - 160 lbs. - 3 x 12

Weighted decline situp (35 lbs.)/hanging leg raise superset

2 x 10



9/8/09 - Cycle 2, wave 1

Bench

45 x 8
135 x 5 (65%)
155 x 5 (75%)
175 x 13 (85%)
superset #1

Incline DB Bench

140 x 8 (70 lb. dumbells)
140 x 9
140 x 10
140 x 9

Pull-ups

1 x 11
1 x 10
1 x 10
1 x 10

DB Lateral raises

30s x 10
30s x 8
30s x 10



9/10/09 - Cycle 2, Wave 2

Deadlift

135 x 5
225 x 3
265 x 3 (70%)
305 x 3 (80 %)
340 x 10 (90 %)

Front Squat

155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10
155 x 10

Big superset - all three lifts
Goodmornings

115 x 3 x 10

Dragon Flags

3 x 10

Hanging leg raise

3 x 10





9/11/09 - Cycle 2, wave 2

OH Press

45 x 8
90 x 3 (70%)
100 x 3 (80%)
115 x 9 (90%)

Clean and press

135 x 3
135 x 3
135 x 3
135 x 3

Superset #1

Barbell Rows/CG Bench press

145 x 15/145 x 15
145 x 15/145 x 14
145 x 15/145 x 15

Superset #2

Straight bar curls/DB hammer curls

90 x 10/45s x 10
90 x 8/45s x 10



9/14/09 - Cycle 2, wave 2

Squat

45 x 8
95 x 5
135 x 5
190 x 3 (70%)
215 x 3 (80%)
245 x 12 (90%)

Superset #1 - Bulgarian split squat/hack squats

80 x 8 (40 lb. dumbells)/170 x 8
80 x 8/170 x 8
80 x 8/170 x 8
80 x 8/170 x 8

Superset #2 - weighted decline situps/hanging leg raises

35 lb. plate x 10/bw x 10
35 lb. plate x 10/bw x 10
35 lb. plate x 10/bw x 10


Just compiliing all the sessions into one place here so I don't have to keep looking back through all the posts.

[JSully]

do you ever work the uppercut bag?

[brihead301]

Ocassionally, but we mostly work our uppercuts when working with the focus mitts and while shadowing.

[slashkills]

nice work the other day dude. I will be starting 531 soon for bench and military press. were you able to create you workouts based only on the info in the ebook you told me to check out?

[ZenMonkey]

I like what youve done here putting them all together. Im gonna do that! Thanks!

[brihead301]

nice work the other day dude. I will be starting 531 soon for bench and military press. were you able to create you workouts based only on the info in the ebook you told me to check out?

Ya, the main lift follows the 5/3/1, then I just choose 2 - 4 assistance lifts and do about 3 - 5 sets of 8 - 15 reps. The main lifts 5/3/1 are set in stone with percentages, but the assistance lifts are always changing in sets, reps, and exercises.


I like what youve done here putting them all together. Im gonna do that! Thanks!

It makes it much easier, so I don't have to go look back like 4 or 5 pages to see what I did last time, ya know.

[brihead301]

9/16/09 - Cycle 2, wave 2

Bench

45 x 8
145 x 3
165 x 3
185 x 11

Superset #1 - Incline DB bench/chinups

65s x 10/bw x 14
65s x 12/bw x 11
65s x 11/bw x 11
65s x 10/bw x 10

Lateral raises

30s x 10
25s x 10
25s x 10

No cardio. I was feeling pretty beat up, so I decided to take it kinda easy here.

[Cards]

Nice squatting the other day bro and it's always good to listen to your body. Benching looks good, do you use incline as more of a shoulder exercise or a chest accessory?

[-JM-]

No cardio. I was feeling pretty beat up, so I decided to take it kinda easy here.

Wow, you MUST have been feeling really bad not to blast some killer cardio afterwards. Not like you, ha ha. Good session Bri. 11 on the last set is massive!!

[Off Road]

Good work Bri...keep it up.

[JSully]

11 reps eh? way too light, lol..

[Coke]

Dayum dude, all that benching and **** was intense.

[brihead301]

Nice squatting the other day bro and it's always good to listen to your body. Benching looks good, do you use incline as more of a shoulder exercise or a chest accessory?

I'd say both. I just kinda use it as assistance for regular bench. I feel it mostly in my triceps though.


Wow, you MUST have been feeling really bad not to blast some killer cardio afterwards. Not like you, ha ha. Good session Bri. 11 on the last set is massive!!

Haha, ya right. I've gotten about as addicted to cardio as I am lifting, so if I skip I feel s***ty about it. But sometimes ya just need some rest.


Good work Bri...keep it up.

Thanks bro!


11 reps eh? way too light, lol..

Ya I do agree man, but I'm listening to Wendler and starting conservative. My bench wasn't going anywhere past 250 before, so if I happen to get it up up past that and smoothly keep moving forward, then I'll be happy. The pushing out as many reps on the last set makes me really think that once I am back up to repping with 250, it will be much easier, and I'll probably be able to rep with it.


Dayum dude, all that benching and **** was intense.

Thanks man, It was a lot of fun!

[brihead301]

9/17/09 - cycle 2, wave 3

Deadlift

135 x 5
225 x 3
285 x 5 (75%)
325 x 3 (85%)
360 x 7 (95%) - I was only able to get 5 with 350, so this is good!

Front squat

155 x 11
155 x 11
155 x 11
155 x 11

I did 155 x 4 x 10 last time, so I just added an extra rep for each set

Goodmornings

115 x 10
115 x 10

Superset #1 - dragon flag/hanging leg raise

3 x 10/3 x 10

MMA
- easy warm-up with just some jogging and shadowing
- rest of the class focused on footwork which made me sweat like a bastard!

[Coke]

No kidding man, deads and all are damn good.

[Off Road]

360 x 7 (95%) - I was only able to get 5 with 350, so this is good!!

Dang...10 lbs and 2 reps...That's awsome!

[Cards]

damn dude you're flying up in the deads. I liked how you did 230x13 on squats the other day and I tried 225x20..only hit 12 before my legs wanted to giveout on me. front squats look solid too, what grip do you use?

[brihead301]

No kidding man, deads and all are damn good.

Thanks bro! Thanks for always checkin in...it motivates me!


Dang...10 lbs and 2 reps...That's awsome!

Yup, I'm happy with it. I wish I would have gotten like 8 or 9, but I was resting too long in between reps, so I didn't have it in me to get anymore.


damn dude you're flying up in the deads. I liked how you did 230x13 on squats the other day and I tried 225x20..only hit 12 before my legs wanted to giveout on me. front squats look solid too, what grip do you use?

Ya I did a 20 rep set with 225 once, but that's when I was fatter and stronger:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qncUR3m4dWc

It's a lot harder now at 175 lbs.

For front squats, I use the clean rack grip. I don't like the crossed arm grip.

[mattburns]

The step up on the deads is awesome mate.

Nice workout allround, I like the deads/front squat combo.

[ZenMonkey]

Yea man, awesome deads!

[EatMyWay2TheTop]

Are you up for that cahllenge we're having with matt and flynn ? we didnt set the terms yet but it should be plenty fun

[-JM-]

That 20 rep set could have been 30!! Awesome set. The last rep was just as damn strong as the first.

Ha ha, Matt (french Matt) seems very set on getting a challenge going. I think it is because he can squat my bench and squat combined!

[slashkills]

solid work bri, them deads are impressive

[Kiaran]

Damn! That's some sick deadlifting, bro. Numbers just keep creeping up there. I take it you are enjoying the 5/3/1 then? Squat and bench work looked solid too. Gonna start riding the PR train for awhile it looks like.

[brihead301]

Thanks guys. I'm going to Florida next week, but after that I'm gonna start gaining some weight again. I think my strength will be much better once I'm eating in a surplus again.

Ya, I'm up for the challenge. Let me know what it is, and I'll be in it!

[brihead301]

9/21/09 - cycle 2, wave 3

OH press

45 x 8
95 x 5 (75%)
105 x 3 (85%)
120 x 7 (95%) - Meh

Clean and Press

140 x 3
140 x 3
140 x 3
140 x 3

Superset #1 - Barbell row/CG bench press

155 x 10/165 x 10
155 x 10/165 x 10
155 x 10/165 x 9
155 x 10/165 x 10

Superset #2 - straight bar curls/hammer curls

90 x 10/45s x 10
90 x 10/45s x 10

MMA

- standard warm-up
- punch & kick combos for the remainder of the class

[Coke]

Looks very well throughout bro, always like the supersets - solid pressing sets there to start off with.

[-JM-]

Cool that you are heading off to Florida!

That OH press is not meh. Something I have always found with pressing is that it goes from light to heavy within just 5lbs. Crazy. AND that was for your 531 day....you got 7!

No doubt you will gain serious strength again once you start upping the cals.

[brihead301]

Looks very well throughout bro, always like the supersets - solid pressing sets there to start off with.

Thanks man!


Cool that you are heading off to Florida!

That OH press is not meh. Something I have always found with pressing is that it goes from light to heavy within just 5lbs. Crazy. AND that was for your 531 day....you got 7!

No doubt you will gain serious strength again once you start upping the cals.

That's so damn true about 5lbs. making a huge difference with the press. That is one of the hardest lifts to increase in. Lol, I figured I'd start gaining some weight again, so I started eating more, and I ended up losing a few more lbs:(. I guess I sparked my metabolism into action again or something. I'm too damn skinny now...

[brihead301]

9/23/09 - cycle 2, wave 3

Very intense session today

squat

45 x 8
95 x 5
135 x 5
185 x 3
205 x 5 (75%)
230 x 3 (85%)
255 x 10 (95%)

Superset #1 - bulgarian split squat/hack squat

80 x 10 (40 lb. dumbells)/175 x 10
80 x 10/175 x 10
80 x 10/175 x 10
80 x 10/175 x 10

Superset #2 - weighted decline situps/hanging leg raise

35 x 10/bw x 10
35 x 10/bw x 10
35 x 10/bw x 10

Elliptical

8 HITT intervals 20 seconds all out sprint/10 sec slow jog

[Off Road]

Nice squatting and over-all leg work. So, as you are wrapping up your second cycle of 5/3/1, what are your thoughts on it?

[brihead301]

I really am loving this program. I'm slowly upping the calories too, so once I'm in a steady surplus, I expect to gain some serious strength! But I love the versatility of the assistance work and the all-out last set each day. The slow, progressive loading is perfect too. I was used to doing things like Madcow's 5x5 or the Texas method, but those programs had me increasing weight way too fast. I was getting worn out very quickly. This program is perfect for me, as I'm in no rush to hit the huge numbers right away.

It's a "powerbuilding" program too, which is awesome!

[Off Road]

My experience is the same as your's so far. I like that you take care of the main lifts first to focus on getting stronger. Then you can use the assistance exercises to focus on more strength, or bigger muscles, or conditioning.

[mattburns]

10 reps on the 531 week is quality, well in pal.

Agreed with the comments about the program, the flexibility of it is a major plus.

[Coke]

Killed those squats bro, and ab work as well.

[EatMyWay2TheTop]

Nice squats, I like the way you set up your sessions

[JSully]

put some weight on the bar... 95% training max for 10 reps?

[brihead301]

My experience is the same as your's so far. I like that you take care of the main lifts first to focus on getting stronger. Then you can use the assistance exercises to focus on more strength, or bigger muscles, or conditioning.

Exactly! Do the main lift first, go all out on it, then do the rest. I usually focus on conditioning with the assistance lifts. I love the versitility of it though.


10 reps on the 531 week is quality, well in pal.

Agreed with the comments about the program, the flexibility of it is a major plus.

Thanks dude. If I had my camera that day, I would have attempted a 20 rep set. The most I ever did for 20 was 225, so 255 would have been killer, especially considering I'm about 45 lbs. lighter now.


Killed those squats bro, and ab work as well.

Thank you very much my good man. I ain't gonna be bangin out sets of 10 for much longer though as the weight keeps increasing.


Nice squats, I like the way you set up your sessions

Ya, I like to mix it up. I frequently switch reps and sets and weights and rest times....I find that it constantly puts my body through new challenges, which is ideal for MMA.


put some weight on the bar... 95% training max for 10 reps?

He said start with 10% less then your actual 1 RM. My actual 1RM is about 285 or 290 (I did 325 x 5 when I was a fat 220, but I hurt my back, and I know I can't do that much now). I started with 265. Doing 10 was no easy task, and I know I'm not going to be able to keep it up for much longer for high reps, so I'm enjoying the lighter weights while they last. There's no rush really.

[brihead301]

9/25/09

Bench

45 x 10
155 x 5 (75%)
175 x 3 (85%)
195 x 7 (95%)

Superset #1 - Incline DB bench/pull-ups

140 x 10 (70's)/bw x 11
140 x 10/bw x 10
140 x 10/bw x 10
140 x 10/bw x 12

First time I was able to complete 4 sets of 10 with that weight for incline DB

Lateral raises

25s x 10
30s x 8
25s x 11

Elliptical - max resistance (as if there was any other way)

2 miles - 15:59 - YA, back under 16 minutes again!!!

I'll be "deloading" on the sunny beach of florida next week..,...

[Coke]

...I'll be "deloading" on the sunny beach of florida next week...

Lucky s.o.b. - :D

[Brian C]

Great benching Bri. And under 16 minutes...thats still my 1 miler haha

[Cards]

strong benching bro, I'm with coke...lucky bastard! enjoy the beach dude i bet it will be awesome.

[Off Road]

Enjoy your time in Florida.

[slashkills]

damn fine work Bri! sorry if i asked this before but what kind of diet changes did you/are you following when you lost all that weight. Did it effect your mma/weight training?

[brihead301]

Lucky s.o.b. - :D

:evillaugh:


Great benching Bri. And under 16 minutes...thats still my 1 miler haha

Thanks bro.


strong benching bro, I'm with coke...lucky bastard! enjoy the beach dude i bet it will be awesome.

Leavin tomorrow, can't wait!!! Thanks man


Enjoy your time in Florida.

:ninja: Thank you too my friend!


damn fine work Bri! sorry if i asked this before but what kind of diet changes did you/are you following when you lost all that weight. Did it effect your mma/weight training?

Thanks bro. Basically, I just cut carbs out on the weekdays, and ate as many as I wanted on weekends. I would drink a protien shake w/milk for breakfast everyday, but that was probably the most carbs I would have all day. It was all chicken, vegetables, eggs, steak, etc....

Nothing specific really, just low carb and healthy foods was all I ate.

[brihead301]

9/28/09 - Cycle 2, wave 4 - deload

Deadlift

155 x 5
195 x 5
235 x 5

Front Squat

135 x 15
135 x 15
135 x 15

Goodmorning

115 x 10
115 x 10
115 x 10

Superset #1 - Dragon flags/hanging leg raise

bw x 8/bw x 10
bw x 8/bw x 10
bw x 8/bw x 10

MMA

- circuit training for warmup
- boxing techniques

[-JM-]

Enjoy Florida you lucky bastard........

[EatMyWay2TheTop]

Our little challenge is going down at the end of November, I hope you're still in. Have fun in Florida man :thumbup:

[Off Road]

I like the way you name your cycles and waves in this log. I'm going to have to start doing that too.

[brihead301]

Enjoy Florida you lucky bastard........

The plane leaves in a few hours! I can't wait....I am a luck bastard aren't I?:hello:


Our little challenge is going down at the end of November, I hope you're still in. Have fun in Florida man :thumbup:

I still don't know what the challenge is, I'll look at your post history to see if I can find it, unless you see this and give me a link to it.


I like the way you name your cycles and waves in this log. I'm going to have to start doing that too.

Ya, it definately helps me keep track of everything....

[brihead301]

9/29/09 - Cycle 2, wave 4 - DELOAD

Well, I squeezed one more in before I leave. I leave today, and I will be drinking my a** off and eating tons of sh***y foods for the next 5 days, so I figured I had to get one more good session in.

OH Press

45 x 5
65 x 5
95 x 5

Big Superset - clean and press/BB row/CGBP

140 x 3/140 x 15/140 x 15
140 x 3/140 x 15/140 x 15
140 x 3/140 x 15/140 x 15

Superset #2 - BB curls/DB hammer curls

90 x 10/45s x 10
90 x 10/45s x 10

MMA

A little bit of everything - focus mitt work, takedowns, jujitsu, and defense for all of them.

[ZenMonkey]

Whew, that big super set looks rough! Have a good trip!

[EatMyWay2TheTop]

We're maxing out on squat bench and dead the last week of November. I heard Flynn is out to kick ass.

[Off Road]

That was a BIG super set. You must have been breathing like a horse. Nice work.

[Kiaran]

Looks like you had a great cycle, bro. Have fun on your trip and deloading in FL. That curling was ridiculous there, btw. 90 for sets of 10?

[Coke]

Have a great time in Florida, look forward to hearing about the trip.

[brihead301]

Thanks guys. It was a fun vacation. I ate so much crap food, it was unbelievably amazing. When I go on vacation, I don't worry one bit about my diet - it truly is a vacation from EVERYTHING!!! I came home, and realized I gained 10 lbs!!!!! But by this morning I was right back to my normal weight, lol. It's amazing how easy it is to gain/lose fat.

Easyway2thetop, I'll get in on this. Can you post a link to the original thread?

10/5/09 - Cycle 3, wave 1 - feeling very tired and beat up, but I still got a decent session in.

Squat

45 x 8
95 x 5
135 x 5
180 x 5 (65%)
210 x 5 (75%)
240 x 10 (85%) - Not the best, because I got 245 x 13 last cycle, but whatever...

Superset #1 - bulgarian split squat/hack squat

80 x 10 (40 lb. DBs)/175 x 10
80 x 10/175 x 10
80 x 10/175 x 10

Superset #2 - weighted decline situps/hanging leg raises

35 x 10/bw x 10
35 x 10/bw x 10
35 x 10/bw x 10

MMA

- ground work - sweeps
- a few rounds of rolling

[brihead301]

10/6/09

MMA

- tough warm-up
- worked on wall/cage reversals

[Off Road]

Welcome back Bri...nice session.

[Coke]

Glad you are going at it again like clockwork man.

[JSully]

strong squatting, sir.. don't worry about the temporary loss, you took a week off.. it'll take a week to recover..

[-JM-]

Welcome back Bri. Youre bound to take a hit just coming back from vacation. You will be back to were you left off in a few days!