Slicin' and Dicin'
- Thread starter Dustin07
- Start date
Dustin07
Legend
I feel like you probably see more of this stuff in your line of work than I do, I hear you but I bet you have better restraint than I do!
Dustin07
Legend
Cleans
3 x 95, 115, 135
Squats
5 x 120, 150
3 x 180
5 x 195, 225
15 x 255 (massive reps PR)
Joker
1 x 285, 315, 330
Walk outs (10-15 second holds)
1 x 385, 430
Squats
3 x 225
Notes
Tested new location on the way home since mine is closing. I'm honestly a little sad at how great it is. We have two belt squat machines!
Never tried more than 10 at this weight but 15 was insanely possible. Maybe 20 in a comp setting.
I was honestly nervous about this session and I destroyed it. Another short one, but effective imo.
3 x 95, 115, 135
Squats
5 x 120, 150
3 x 180
5 x 195, 225
15 x 255 (massive reps PR)
Joker
1 x 285, 315, 330
Walk outs (10-15 second holds)
1 x 385, 430
Squats
3 x 225
Notes
Tested new location on the way home since mine is closing. I'm honestly a little sad at how great it is. We have two belt squat machines!
Never tried more than 10 at this weight but 15 was insanely possible. Maybe 20 in a comp setting.
I was honestly nervous about this session and I destroyed it. Another short one, but effective imo.
gphagan1
Legend
That was a great leg day…bet you had a good leg pump after that. Congrats on the PR, and the new gym looks nice.
Hopefully you don’t have to deal with old man balls in that locker room.
Dustin07
Legend
That was a great leg day…bet you had a good leg pump after that. Congrats on the PR, and the new gym looks nice.
225 moved a bit slow, my first 3 reps of 255 were slow but I told myself just one rep at a time and see what we got. by rep 8 or 9 they got easier and easier. I was honestly very surprised not only to hit my 13 but to easily take 15.
I don't have tiktok but my buddy sent me this for reasons you'll see in the first 2 seconds. I was like "I know her, she's a local trainer". apparently they had her promote the new remodel at the other location, and this remodel is why my favorite one was closed down. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8pouAM9/
Its honestly pretty great. I'm bummed cause a chapter is ending and all my lifting bros have already dispersed to their new gym homes but the equipment here is insanely good stuff. the knurling on the new barbells is crazy. my grip will be fantastic and my hands will be bloody
Hopefully you don’t have to deal with old man balls in that locker room.
bent over yesterday to tie my shoe as older fat dude turns around buckass naked but at least he wasn't predatory about it lol.
Dustin07
Legend
Can't remember if I mentioned this but got home late weds night, the night after our raid, and my stepdaughter had made me a sandwhich.
So for anyone keeping score, I now have two women making me sammiches.
I told my wife last night that the next time my stepdaughters best friend comes over (which I think she's staying the weekend) I'm going to just put out all the stuff required to make a sandwich and see if i can go 3 for 3. #winning
So for anyone keeping score, I now have two women making me sammiches.
I told my wife last night that the next time my stepdaughters best friend comes over (which I think she's staying the weekend) I'm going to just put out all the stuff required to make a sandwich and see if i can go 3 for 3. #winning
Dustin07
Legend
today is also ironically probably my best gym opportunity of the week, but I've gone fairly hard all week and I restart Sunday with heavy bench. So I'm contemplating some sort of easy recovery GPP type stuff. Sleds, maybe pull-ups not sure. but my week would basically look like this then:
Sunday - bench
monday - cardio
tuesday - deadlift
wednesday - OHP
Thursday - squats
Friday - GPP
Saturday - rest, legit rest, even mild farm chores
Sunday - Bench week 2.
My recovery is high since I've only been hitting my big lifts on short sessions all week. But I don't want to hammer my chest and then not be recovered for Sunday so I'm on the fence with how to spend my opportunity to lift today.
Sunday - bench
monday - cardio
tuesday - deadlift
wednesday - OHP
Thursday - squats
Friday - GPP
Saturday - rest, legit rest, even mild farm chores
Sunday - Bench week 2.
My recovery is high since I've only been hitting my big lifts on short sessions all week. But I don't want to hammer my chest and then not be recovered for Sunday so I'm on the fence with how to spend my opportunity to lift today.
Hyde
Legend
Don’t work anterior muscles 48 hours before most important bench session. If bench was today, you could do muscles 48 hours after, but prioritize the performance.
New gym looks like it has everything you could want, so embrace the new era of sick options for getting even more jacked.
Also that girl’s TikTok is so awful; no attention span at all - every clip is too short to see any detail, just flashing images
New gym looks like it has everything you could want, so embrace the new era of sick options for getting even more jacked.
Also that girl’s TikTok is so awful; no attention span at all - every clip is too short to see any detail, just flashing images
Dustin07
Legend
this is the confirmation I was looking for. I will probably just knock out some light cardio and maybe swim a few laps. Energy and recovery are high so I want to capitalize on that, but not hinder Sundays work.
New gym looks like it has everything you could want, so embrace the new era of sick options for getting even more jacked.
Also that girl’s TikTok is so awful; no attention span at all - every clip is too short to see any detail, just flashing images
cracked me up that the trainer was opening up her promotional tiktok with her own booty shot lol.
But yeah I used to hit this location for LISS days on the way home but the lifting was no good. now all the sudden they've competely revamped. they must have well over 6 figures $$ invested. I can tell that quality bumper plates and power racks are a foreign idea to a lot of the people I saw in there walking around yesterday, but I am cautiously optimistic the vibe is improving and there will be a good collective testosterone level.
gphagan1
Legend
I know, they could have at least showed her ass a little longer.Also that girl’s TikTok is so awful; no attention span at all - every clip is too short to see any detail, just flashing images
Dustin07
Legend
if you tap it, you can get it to pause.I know, they could have at least showed her ass a little longer.
....i assume....
gphagan1
Legend
She looks like she may have those clapping cheeks.
Dustin07
Legend
Even though I worked late and could not make the gym last night, I'm now 3 for 3 on sammiches.
Came home to a burger my stepdaughter brought home from work for me. And her friend stayed the night so this morning she offered to make me a breakfast bagel with a little cream cheese and cold smoked salmon we had (so like lox basically).
Even though my wife and I were walking out the door to run some errands I had to accept to solidify myself as king of the sammich house.
Came home to a burger my stepdaughter brought home from work for me. And her friend stayed the night so this morning she offered to make me a breakfast bagel with a little cream cheese and cold smoked salmon we had (so like lox basically).
Even though my wife and I were walking out the door to run some errands I had to accept to solidify myself as king of the sammich house.
gphagan1
Legend
Dustin07
Legend
H/S incline
20 x 90
Bench
5 x 115, 145
3 x 175
3 x 205, 235
7 x 255
Joker
1 x 275, 285
(285 was so easy, I would have taken 295+ if I had a spotter today)
BBB
5 x 10 x 155
DB flies
15 x 35s
10 x 45s
Tri cable push downs - rope attachment
15 x 110, 150
SS with ez bar curls - wide grip
2 x 12-15 x 60lb
Notes
255 x 7 is probably a PR but it's another one of those "I've never tried it before" type PRs so it's hard to count it. I'm not sure I had a full 1RIR either that might have been my full tank of gas. The 255 set did leave me shakey but clearly not too weak to take some joker reps.
Caught an owl trying to get at my meat birds last night! That's a first, too, lol.
20 x 90
Bench
5 x 115, 145
3 x 175
3 x 205, 235
7 x 255
Joker
1 x 275, 285
(285 was so easy, I would have taken 295+ if I had a spotter today)
BBB
5 x 10 x 155
DB flies
15 x 35s
10 x 45s
Tri cable push downs - rope attachment
15 x 110, 150
SS with ez bar curls - wide grip
2 x 12-15 x 60lb
Notes
255 x 7 is probably a PR but it's another one of those "I've never tried it before" type PRs so it's hard to count it. I'm not sure I had a full 1RIR either that might have been my full tank of gas. The 255 set did leave me shakey but clearly not too weak to take some joker reps.
Caught an owl trying to get at my meat birds last night! That's a first, too, lol.
gphagan1
Legend
That’s awesome, 255 x 7… I was thinking your bench probably was in that 315 range. I bet with a couple of practice runs you would nail it.
Looks like a Bull market….time to make some money.
Dustin07
Legend
That’s awesome, 255 x 7… I was thinking your bench probably was in that 315 range. I bet with a couple of practice runs you would nail it.
3 wheels is looking like a potential 2026 milestone!!! In a perfect world I'd love for my next PR (anything over 305) to be a joker rep. I'll just maintain current training until it either burns me out, or the next worthwhile PR looks like its mine for the taking!
man I can still feel it days later. I'm not sure how my output was so great that day but I definitley mustered something good.
Dustin07
Legend
I was getting undressed to hit the shower yesterday and one of the dudes was hanging out a little too long but I knew him and I was asking where he's going next week when they shut down the place (he's an employee) and while we were talking he stops and goes, dude you got huge. Like your arms and shoulders are crazy bulked up right now. I brushed it off since I just finished chest day but always nice to get a compliment like that. I was going to take a pic in the mirror cause earlier I felt like I was in monster mode too but I'm just not comfortable with those gym selfies in the mirror around other people.
Dustin07
Legend
sometimes carrying a few extra lbs of flab just doesn't matter when everything else looks awesome in the right shirt lol. My wife said the same thing like a week ago. I've only put on a few lbs since my cut ended but definitely seems like my body was ready to absorb some calories in a positive way. I'm fatter than I want to be by at least 10lbs but performance is high so I'm happy with the current balance.
GreenMachineX
Well-known member
What is a joker set?
MrKleen73
Legend
A Priest, A Rabbi, and a Joker walk into a bar.... Oh wait, that's a joke set up.
Dustin07
Legend
He doesn't mention it in the original 531 book I have so I pulled up the canned google response for you. Basically I don't take Jokers unless I smash my working AMRAP and feel good enough to reach a bit further.
I don't do it if I think I'm at risk of failing a set, or if my recovery is damaged. But lately my conditioning has shifted a bit since I've accidentally defauted to his "I'm not doing jackshit" format, so if I have a short work session, I crush my AMRAP, feel good, but don't have a lot of time to get accessories in, I'll just keep the barbell loaded and reach a little further.
I think I have to be smart about this to not accidentally be falling into a damaging 1rm type effort 4x a week, but in a perfect world what I'd LOVE to see is that my training cycles keep going fairly well, my joker reps add a couple lbs here and there, and one day I finish up my AMRAP and hit a Joker for a PR.
like Sunday bench I hit my 255 x 7 as prescribed. took a joker rep at 275 and 285. I am certain I had 295.
If next week I hit my amrap set, then take a joker at 290-295 I'm within 10lbs of my best 1rm. If I keep doing that for a couple months all the sudden my joker reps end up flirting with PRs. thats probably when I should temper and prepare for a peak week. (OR just stay the course, keep building my base, and let jokers do what they do)
However since 531 is basically 4 week cycles (3 hard weeks + 1 deload) I know that if I bust my butt for 2 weeks then on week 3 I feel comfortable reaching very far. Slingshot, rack pulls etc knowing I'm entering a week of recovery directly after. on bench specifically, following 3 hard weeks of training, the slingshot is a very fun reward for me to play with a toy in the gym that might otherwise overload me too often if I used it the first two weeks.
Hyde
Legend
Wildcard; just working up singles some when you feel extra good once in a while.
You don’t do it often or most weeks, and don’t let it get in the way of your accessories that are responsible for maintaining your base. But cooking when the pan is hot, as it were.
@Dustin07 if you stop doing your accessories and start doing Jokers often, that’s literally a peaking block - you are trading capacity for maximal display of strength, but you will lose your base if you go down that road too long.
Dustin07
Legend
yeah this app has some interesting graphs, one I was looking at this morning is tonnage moved per session, and as my tonnage moved has decreased (mostly due to lack of time to hit bbb/accessories) my overall performance for low rep work has gone up noticeably.
Not totally unrelated but my shirts don't fit anymore. My gut/waist measurement hasn't changed, belt still in the same place, but my shoulders seem to have put on a shitload of size since I brought OHP back in with 531. Its interesting cause I've always done small shoulder work, lots of delt work, but this direct OHP work is causing my shirts to lift so much that my favorite gym shirts are starting to look like crop tops lol.
my wife has twice now noticed this and this morning said both my chest and shoulders have grown noticeably. which is NOT something I'd expect in a million years at nearly 44yrs old, with 30 years of lifting after only 2 months of a new program....I think today I will have more freedom to get my accessories in, coincidentally on an OHP day...
Tomorrow will likely be squats making it a 4 on, 1 off week again. I need to travel to South Carolina next Weds for work so I'm trying to balance training to allow me to finish this 3 week cycle right before I leave so that I have a natural deload worked into the travel.
Dustin07
Legend
Not totally unrelated but my shirts don't fit anymore. My gut/waist measurement hasn't changed, belt still in the same place, but my shoulders seem to have put on a shitload of size since I brought OHP back in with 531. Its interesting cause I've always done small shoulder work, lots of delt work, but this direct OHP work is causing my shirts to lift so much that my favorite gym shirts are starting to look like crop tops lol.
This is just interesting to me. it comes back to that discussion of volume vs weight for hypertrophy vs strength. clearly my volume has been down, but my weights up and I'm getting good stimulation for lean mass growth from it. I'm building more size on 30-60 minute sessions at the moment than I was on 90 minute sessions a year ago.
Hyde
Legend
Well BBB does a LOT - all volume is not equal, and compound work counts for a lot more than isolations. You can’t compare squat volume to reverse hyper work, try as some people might to believe tonnage is tonnage - it’s not.
So if you keep that in you probably have less to fear, but if you stop doing 40-50 reps of compound after the heaviest work, you will need more accessories not to peak yourself.
But 5x10 on OHP > any amount of raises for mass.
Dustin07
Legend
yeah I was thinking about that today. 5 x 10 x 200lb deadlifts in a BBB EMOTM = 10,000 extra lbs moved in around 5-6 mintues. On OHP 5 x 10 x say 115 = 5,750 extra lbs thrown overhead in 5-6 minutes so it's not insignificant. Missing my BBB work would definitely explain the decrease in tonnage the last week.
You know its funny, when I'm relatively lean or even say where I am now, doing raises and laterals and high pulls with a tank top is fun cause you can see the serration of the shoulders and that cannonball building. it's really rewarding / instant gratification. but the last couple months of doing more direct OH work has clearly put on more size.
it happened both so gradually (couple months) and so fast (since I really only realized it in the past week) that I didn't notice it until I put my shirt on and it fit like a crop top lol!! but now I'm like hey, I'm fat in the right places this time!
usually a strength cycle I fill my lats trying to bust through my work shirts. I likely collect more fat there. but this time its definitely my shoulders lifting everything up.
Dustin07
Legend
I have still not fully wrapped my head around it tbh. like I mentioned a BBB 5 x 10 at 200lbs on deads seems like nothing, so I might make them deficits. its not like a killer 60 minute session where you feel destroyed, but maybe thats also the value in it. I'm getting an extra 10,000lbs moved AND not redlining the tach.
Hyde
Legend
Throw a 45lb plate under your feet, just something small, no more than 1”. Keeps the pull fairly identical hip position but will definitely pay out. Deficits are ideal for volume work; that’s how George Frenn and some others after him got their deadlifts up out of the gutter. Just lots of backoff deficit volume when just pulling heavy wasn’t really moving the needle any.
Dustin07
Legend
OHP
5 x 70, 90
3 x 115
3 x 125, 140
7 x 160
Joker
1 x 180
BBB
5 x 10 x 115
Forward raises
2 x 10 x 25
SS with Lateral raises
2 x 10 x 25
Rear DB flies
2 x 10 x 25
Notes
The layback was probably my best ever. Reps 3-4 I thought i was gonna back out and I lost my balance a bit in rep 5 so I let it come back to my shoulders then pounded out 5, 6, 7.
So idk how we score that lol. I got them. Didn't re rack mid set but did reset rep 5 on my shoulders.
Ok today my shoulders are worked. This one I felt
5 x 70, 90
3 x 115
3 x 125, 140
7 x 160
Joker
1 x 180
BBB
5 x 10 x 115
Forward raises
2 x 10 x 25
SS with Lateral raises
2 x 10 x 25
Rear DB flies
2 x 10 x 25
Notes
The layback was probably my best ever. Reps 3-4 I thought i was gonna back out and I lost my balance a bit in rep 5 so I let it come back to my shoulders then pounded out 5, 6, 7.
So idk how we score that lol. I got them. Didn't re rack mid set but did reset rep 5 on my shoulders.
Ok today my shoulders are worked. This one I felt
Dustin07
Legend
thats typically what I do, I think our 45s are closer to 2" though. it does give a good hamstring engagement. I have also been known to throw a green band under it when feeling a little extra saucy.
gphagan1
Legend
Nice work….. and as far as the 7 reps on 160 where you lost your balance, it counts because you got them. And sometimes having to reset like that for balance is harder because you have to get back in the groove after losing your momentum.OHP
5 x 70, 90
3 x 115
3 x 125, 140
7 x 160
Joker
1 x 180
BBB
5 x 10 x 115
Forward raises
2 x 10 x 25
SS with Lateral raises
2 x 10 x 25
Rear DB flies
2 x 10 x 25
Notes
The layback was probably my best ever. Reps 3-4 I thought i was gonna back out and I lost my balance a bit in rep 5 so I let it come back to my shoulders then pounded out 5, 6, 7.
So idk how we score that lol. I got them. Didn't re rack mid set but did reset rep 5 on my shoulders.
Ok today my shoulders are worked. This one I felt
View attachment 261797
Dustin07
Legend
Nice work….. and as far as the 7 reps on 160 where you lost your balance, it counts because you got them. And sometimes having to reset like that for balance is harder because you have to get back in the groove after losing your momentum.
I think I had over amped myself for that set, it was a plethora of newbie mistakes... could also be me just getting used to challenging weights again, but I was very prepared for that set, great bracing, and by like rep 3 started blacking out lol. Just intense focus and probably had my breathing out of sync, I tossed the 5th rep over my forehead, brought it back down, reset with it still on me, then finished out my sets. the weird thing there is that I'm not sure I've ever done that before, lol. if a rep comes back to the shoulders, I'm likely at failure and not going to make another rep. This feels like another movement where good practice with heavier weights is going to benefit me a lot.
GreenMachineX
Well-known member
Sounds like it counts to me!OHP
5 x 70, 90
3 x 115
3 x 125, 140
7 x 160
Joker
1 x 180
BBB
5 x 10 x 115
Forward raises
2 x 10 x 25
SS with Lateral raises
2 x 10 x 25
Rear DB flies
2 x 10 x 25
Notes
The layback was probably my best ever. Reps 3-4 I thought i was gonna back out and I lost my balance a bit in rep 5 so I let it come back to my shoulders then pounded out 5, 6, 7.
So idk how we score that lol. I got them. Didn't re rack mid set but did reset rep 5 on my shoulders.
Ok today my shoulders are worked. This one I felt
View attachment 261797
Dustin07
Legend
The only lift that I don't always treat as a competition lift is bench. Meaning, my AMRAP set is probably more touch and go, than comp level pause at the bottom (although that is improving too) but when I'm squatting or OHP'ing etc I look at each rep as though it were a comp rep with full ROM. At least thats the go. I often will ask my buddy if he's with me, how'd that look etc. He was a strength coach for a while with a few PL meets under his belt so he's one of the few IRL people I trust for ROM feedback etc.
But an OHP bottom position is a bit different than a front squat or jerk bottom position. A jerk is going to be legit on the delts in the bottom position with elbows forward, whereas the OHP is probably more upper pec with elbows down?
Dustin07
Legend
Im' definitely touching barbell to upperbody in the bottom position. I was thinking upper pec and it might be, but clavicle is probably the right descriptor. I do have that steel plate on my right clavicle though so if one way or another its extremely important that I don't drop a metal barbell on that specific spot or you'll see me crawling around on the ground crying like a little girl and throwing up in my gym bag lol
MrKleen73
Legend
Yeah okay so bottomed out, same as mine. I think upper chest / collarbone is exactly the area I am talking about.
I don't have a steel plate in mine, but when I broke my left collar bone, my chin hit it and knocked the center of my collarbone out completely, so it was broken in 2 places and the center was twisted and almost came through my skin. Them putting it back into place with no meds was excruciating! I was in 6th grade so around 12 years old. I have no idea how they got it to set without a pin or rod or surgery of some sort, but I had someone distracting my arm / shoulder to pull the 2 bones further apart while another doctor played with the center piece to realign it back between the other two. Then they just put me in a butterfly brace that held it into place. I remember them telling me I wouldn't be able to do this or that and that I would need the brace for a long while due to the way the bone broke. So I just kept testing myself and my toughness and by the end of the 2nd week I thought it was cool to show my doctor I could break the velcro loose on the side of the brace just by pressing my shoulders forward, basically using my collar bone to fight against the velcro until it popped loose. He was totally freaking out and told me I should not be able to do that, and should never do it again. So of course being me, I did it over and over again and then just stopped wearing the brace before i went back for my follow up 2 weeks later. I wore it to the Dr so he wouldn't yell but while there he told me I could start taking it off while resting and yada yada. I told him I basically only wear it in front of Mom. I take it off when i go to school, and put it on before Mom gets home. I guess you can imagine how loud the CHRISTOPHER STEVEN was said in the docs office that day. LOL Basically after that I didn't even hide that I wasn't using it and only put it on if I was going to play something a little rough. Which I obviously shouldn't have been doing according to them.
Dustin07
Legend
man mine was so similar. I was in that dumb butterfly brace for 2 months and xrays showed the three pieces of bone were still nowhere near connecting to heal so I asked him to just put the dumb steel plate in and screw them all together because by now it was Sept and I needed to be healed in time for snowboarding season lol!
about age 16, broke left ankle BMX racing. that cast only lasted about 1-2 weeks and mom was pissed when we had to go in to have a new cast put on because I broke that cast riding BMX with a cast that went from mid foot up to about lower calf lol they were like "we can tell byhow the entire bottom portion and heel of this cast is worn that you are NOT keeping your weight off the injured area." and I was like "well yeah, takes two feet to pedal" lol.
Dustin07
Legend
Squats
5 x 120, 150
3 x 180
3 x 210, 240
10 x 270
Belt squats
10 x +90
3 x 10 x +180
Notes
Been sorta dreading a 13 rep effort. I def left 1-2 RIR but I'm not sure I had 13 and a hard ten rep set seems ok.
I feel like I left a little bit on the field mentally with this one. But looking forward to week 3 the RX is 285 x 6 to set a cycle PR and that is far less intimidating so I am confident I'll make my progress on this cycle again, enjoy a deload and be ready for next months fresh start.
5 x 120, 150
3 x 180
3 x 210, 240
10 x 270
Belt squats
10 x +90
3 x 10 x +180
Notes
Been sorta dreading a 13 rep effort. I def left 1-2 RIR but I'm not sure I had 13 and a hard ten rep set seems ok.
I feel like I left a little bit on the field mentally with this one. But looking forward to week 3 the RX is 285 x 6 to set a cycle PR and that is far less intimidating so I am confident I'll make my progress on this cycle again, enjoy a deload and be ready for next months fresh start.