5x5 program has been, on the whole, a great success. I put on about 5 lbs of lean muscle (mostly in my legs, but still) and gained more strength. Here is the rundown so you can see the progression of everything. Towards the end I started to feel a plateau, which is inevitable with a rep scheme that stays the same. Will update later on the new program!
*Note*: Bolded out anything that was a positive change from previous workout! Also, every workout started with a good warm up and some FMS corrective drills for ASLR and SM, plus some KB swings or snatches prior to the lift.
The below pictures were taken on week 3 (11/11-11/16). Definitely got some chub on these bones! And I'm definitely not eating perfectly, but one thing I have been doing is eating enough to build some strength. Hard to focus on fat loss and pure strength building at the same time (remember this clients!) But I want to get my strength up more so I can condition later and shed the fat off. Need to get fully healthy first!!!
**11/9/13, Saturday "B" (5, 5, 5, 4, 3)
-Back Squat (210, 210, 210, 210, 210) Felt easy
-Chin Ups (BW+20, 20, 15, 20, 20) Still tough
-Rocking+1min rest
2x5 of accessory exercises:
-Ipsilateral Barbell Single Leg Deadlift (100, 100)
-Bottoms Up Overhead Press (20, 20)
-Hip Flexor Stretch+Shoulder PT Drill
-Finisher: Not today. Made a note that I felt pretty gassed by the end of the training sesh! Left a bit for another day...
**11/11/13, Monday "A" (5, 5, 5, 4, 3)
-Deadlifts (205, 210, 210, 210, 210) Felt so good I forgot to go 4 and 3 reps at the end and did 5 for both! Oops...Can't even stick to my own program :)
-KB Overhead Press (30, 30, 30, 30, 30) Felt harder than it should...upper body has taken a huge hit because of this injury I've had!
-Hip Flexor Stretch+Shoulder PT Drill
2x5 of accessory exercises:
-Front Squats (165, 165)
-Chin Ups (BW+20, 20)
-KB Windmill+Rocking (30, 30) Left shoulder stability is still tricky. Takes a lot of focus.
-Finisher: Sled Sprints (20m on the minute) 5x sled+80 pounds
Took just under 5 seconds to get to the other side. Feeling explosive.
**11/13/13, Wednesday "B" (5, 5, 5, 4, 4)
-Back Squat (210, 210, 210, 215, 215)
-Chin Ups (BW+20, 20, 20, 20, 20) Made all five sets @20! Felt good about that...
-Rocking+1 min rest
2x5 of accessory exercises
-Ipsilateral Barbell Single Leg Deadlift (105, 105)
-KB Overhead Press (35, 35) Switched to regular, no headaches or increase in symptoms after! Felt good.
-Finisher: KB Swings 4x12 reps on the minute w/60lb bell.
**11/16/13, Saturday "A" (5, 5, 5, 5, 4)
Today didn't quite go as planned. Finished work and needed to do a quick workout in about 30 mins. 5 sets was out of the question, so did 2x5 for EVERYTHING. Went up on weight to make up for lack sets.
-Deadlifts (215, 225) 225 is not a typo! Pushed it since it was the last set.
-KB Overhead Press (35, 40x3)
-Hip Flexor Stretch+ Shoulder PT Drill
2x5 of accessory exercises:
-Front Squats (165, 170)
-Chin Ups (20, 20)
-Rocking+1 min rest
-Finisher: Sled Sprints (20m on the minute) 5x sled+85 pounds
**11/19/13, Tuesday "B" (5, 5, 5, 5, 4)
-Back Squat (215, 215, 215, 215, 215)
-KB Overhead Press (35, 35, 35, 35, 35)
-Rocking
2x5 of accessory exercises
-Ispilateral Barbell Single Leg Deadlift (105, 105)
-Chin Ups (25, 20) 25 was too heavy...
-Hip Flexor Stretch + Shoulder PT Drill
Finisher: Did a light shuttle run, 15:45 x4 rounds. Felt fast, just not up for more swings today...
**11/21/13, Thursday "A" (5, 5, 5, 5, 4)
-Deadlifts (215, 215, 215, 215, 215)
-KB Overhead Press (35, 40x3, 40x3, 40x3, 40x3)
-Windmill+Rocking (30)
2x5 of accessory exercises
-Front Squats (170, 170)
-Chin Ups (25, 25x3) 25 is very hard, but getting easier...
-Hip Flexor Stretch+ Shoulder PT Drill
Finisher: Sled Sprints (20m on the minute) 6x sled+ 85lbs Still under 5 seconds on all!
Even though I never quite completed the full 5x5 program, I made good progress. By 11/21, I was feeling pretty mentally drained. My motivation was waning and I was getting bored with doing chin ups so frequently without seeing the same amount of progress compared to everything else. I know that as my body continues to heal I will be able to do pull ups and rows again, just not yet. Thankfully this program has given me the opportunity to heal while improving my strength in some key areas. Ultimately my upper body strength is holding me back from improving as quickly as I could in some of my lower body lifts, but that will change gradually with time.
The next program will be back to Easy Strength format, sticking to the rule of 10 (10 reps TOTAL for a lift during a workout). Thinking 5,3,2 with a 3x8 workout thrown in the mix every few sessions to help maintain muscle mass. More later!
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