David Petersen's Log

Name: David Petersen
Height: 6’ (Doctors keep telling me 5’11’’ ½ but they are crazy)
Weight: 175-180 any given day
 
1RM—These are as of Nov’ 2012 when I took my 1RM to begin my program
Squat: 235
Bench: 155
Dead: 265
OHP: 110
 
3 of the 4 lifts I have yet to 1RM and my progress recorded in terms of PR Reps. these are all from June 2013.
Squat: 265x4
Bench 165x3
Dead: 275x12 or 295x8
OHP: 135x1
 
And a little bit about my training experience:  I started “bro lifting” in 2011 and. I saw little to no change.  I saw a huge guy at 319 Fitness one day (what has become my home gym) and asked him what I should do if I only care about getting stronger. He asked me my lifting experience, and I told him, asked me my athletic experience, I told him (which is nothing past YMCA flag football). He told me I needed something like Wendler’s 5/3/1, combine that with prowler work, and learn how to be explosive (plyometrics). This was November of last year. I went from lifting to training. Got locked in, and haven’t looked back.
 
Short term goals: Total 1000 @165 next February at my first meet.
Long term goals: Strong(er)
 
Currently dealing with a fractured wrist. This happened a couple months back, and has healed up, but has left me with chronic pain. I have to wrap for just about every pressing motion once weight goes on the bar, and I have kept my straight bar squatting to a minimum, and opted for a SSB most days.
 
Last Note: I use my phone/computer for my logging so you will get the raw deal (as I just copy/paste, apologies for the grammar). I “key phrase” at the gym, come home and finish the log on my laptop. I write a lot (a lot a lot), and if we talk at the gym you probably will end up in my log. I try to have fun with my logs, and if it seems like I am talking to myself, I am, and hopefully you can smile or laugh with (or at) me.

6/25/13
Went to 319 before the CRWC and foam rolled/talked with Brian. Felt a little tired so I picked up Miss Brown Eyes and she was gone before I finished warming up.
At CRWC--typical squat warm up...forgot plyometric work
Squat
290
Bar x a bunch
95x5
135x3
155x1
Wrist wraps on
185x1
Did not get the warm ups I wanted cause I honestly had trouble finding plates so the above is what I did.
Should be doing way more sets, might explain why I had depth troubles. Do not skip warm up sets again.
190x5--Depth inconsistency
Belt on
220 changed this to 225 cause you suck (aka didn't want to look for plates)x5-got a little scared of 245 after this weight. Felt way heavier than it should have. Depth felt way inconsistent, everything was plenty deep but I felt like I was dropping down even lower than I normally do and then adjusting for it on the next rep.
245x5+ Did 5. Felt really easy? Ok weird. I took a pretty long rest after 225. Had more than 5 for sure but left 1 or 2 in the tank. Didn't have spot and also couldn't figure out how to put those weird pin things into the cage (complain(er)? Wait, that's not right). Depth felt more consistent but still seemed like I was adjusting during the set.
Cue for the day: Heels. Last weeks cue: Knees: Way Better this week. Hopefully means I'm learning how to activate my glutes.

Stiff legs
135x10 185x10 185x8 Kyle/Janis came over, They pointed out how uneven the bar was/letting bar sit in fingers not palms. My immediate diagnosis (for uneven bar) was probably cause I over/under when I pull and double over when I still-leg. Did not realize this before, seek to make adjustments. Hips are still an issue, need to force butt back. Basically I still suck at these. I long for good mornings being apart of my training cycle again.
Squeeze work
Hamstring--laying curls 3x20 at 80. Fuck this machine.
Abs 3x15--leg raises.

What a day!! Met some awesome people. Kyle and Janis both seem really cool! Lifting at the CRWC was weird!! Mazes! So many mazes! Mentally I was distracted by so many things. My solution was to get a box and literally just sit inside the cage between sets only leaving to get water. This seemed to work well as my concentration seemed better on my top set. Bring a jug of water next workout and don't move after you are warmed up between sets.

First day squatting with a straight bar in a decent amount of time. Also couldn't find a bar with knurling in the middle. Despite this I didn't have any wrist or bicep pain!!!!!!(with a fairly narrow grip), a very pleasant surprise. Let's keep the high-rep curls going on bench/ohp day to help blood flow to the bicep. Seems like it has helped. The SBS has seemed to pay dividends in the form of core strength. Let's keep SSB as a supplemental movement on Dead Day, and see how straight bar goes on Squat Day.

Several small things I noticed I forgot to do made it apparent the environment effected me mentally. I forgot my plyometric work, didn't chalk up for squats, and left the gym with my chucks still on. The idea of trying to isolate myself in this crowded gym sounds like a good plan. Also I was willing to sacrifice warmup sets and adjust my % based lifts because I was too lazy to find the right plates. This is not typical for me and maybe shows some issues with resolve. You plan the workouts for a reason, changing them for such silly purposes is NOT OKAY.

Random neck tightness when I got home. Weird.

And welcome, sir. It was good meeting you yesterday--I hope you like it on our team. We're always really excited to get new people here!

I edited your first posts for you. Welcome to the forum- hopefully you can keep on progressing.

Chris Anderson wrote:

I edited your first posts for you. Welcome to the forum- hopefully you can keep on progressing.

Thanks!

6/26/13
Late night session at 319. Stan locked me, which was ideal cause I was in a terrible mood, and lifting alone got me in the zone.
Bench
180
barxabunch
65x5
85x3
95x3
105x3
Wraps
120x5
135x5
155x5+ did 8. Paused. Long pause on last rep. had issues while warming up keeping my back from sliding on the bench. Chalked up, problem solved. Tightness on top set was a bit of a bitch. 8 reps, blah. Bar speed seemed really good, Feel more explosive off chest.
95/105/115x10—This is where I had form breakdown last cycle so repeated at same weight. No problem.
Squeeze work
Pulldowns 110x15x3
Face pulls15x3
Curls 3x20

Overall good session. On my 165 cycle I hit 155 for 4 reps and on 170 I hit it for 4 again both with spots. I hit 8 here without a spot. I contribute this mostly to my increase in force production. 2 things 1) plyo work 2) CAT on anything above 40%.

Wrist/bicep: No bicep pain at all. Felt no pain in wrist during bench press and only mild pain on the incline towards the end of sets.

Also we moved axles today at work. GPP work for the next month…

It's nice to see a new team member active on the logs. Looks like you're running 5/3/1. How long have you been running it and how do you like it? My name is Seth by the way, I'm sure we will run into each other at the CRWC sometime.

Seth wrote:

It's nice to see a new team member active on the logs. Looks like you're running 5/3/1. How long have you been running it and how do you like it? My name is Seth by the way, I'm sure we will run into each other at the CRWC sometime.

Halfway through my 9th cycle on all lifts without a reset. This was the first time doing all 3 power lifts on a regular basis. Although I don't sell myself short on increasing in strength I attribute a lot of my success to A) sucking less at doing the lifts B) developing motor pattern C) my mental attitude when approaching lifts.

I really like the program. I've treated it as a sort of "starting strength" program. One of the few complaints I have with this program is the reliance on an accurate 1RM. This is nothing unique to 5/3/1 as many programs rely on this. I'm thinking about doing a mock meet at the end of this cycle so I can get a better idea of where my 1RM stands.

6/27/13
Cycle 9 Week 2
Deads
320
Bar
95
135x3 broke these up I totally reset between each rep. Standing up, walking away, and coming back to work on form and speed on "the first rep"
155x2 same
175x2 same
195x1
205x1
215x1
225x3
Belt
255x3
290x3+ did 8. Hips were slipping up. Just took big breaths and tried to take advantage of the belt as much as I could. Stupid deadlift, what helps off the floor makes lockouts harder and vice versa...Actually had a grip slip at the end.
315x1 So my "bodybuilding friend" likes to talk about his bench all the time and how his bench is bigger than mine. Stan informed me he missed a 315 deadlift the other day during his back workout. All I needed to hear. Best feeling rep all day, flew off the ground, hips stayed down. I need to do a mock meet so I can finally start training based off an accurate 1RM.
 
SSB
145x8 170x8 195x8 No belt
Squeeze work
Leg Curls 3x12x80
Back Raises 3x15
Leg Raises 3x12

Chatted with Brian before I left. He noticed the hip issue. Thinks I need to do more "first rep" work as the best looking reps of my sets are the second or third. Get more rest or atleast be ready to have to rest more once I change my program/take maxes. Last weeks cue: Hips and speed off floor. Hips still coming up. Speed off floor still could be way better. Need dat snatch grip.

6/28/13 at 319 Fitness
OHP
145
Barxabunch
Wrist started to hurt so wrapped here
65x5
75x3
85x1
95x1
100x3
115x3
130x3+ did 4. PR.
Power nap
1x10 minutes on platform w/ foam half roller

I have a lot to say about today so I am going to put it all here. Rolled into the CRWC and stopped by the restroom, walked in, looked into the mirror and that's when I realized..."I have no energy for this training session"...I felt like shit, deep bags around my eyes, eyes bloodshot...I was really confused. I got a normal amount of sleep last night, ate fine...Maybe, what Brian said is right, I've been running myself into the ground training, few if any days off....sometimes running cycles back to back with a day off, and I still don't know what a deload week is...Even worse, this happened on the one day where I am dealing with a weight/lift that has crushed me before. The only missed lift in my program came on my 5/3/1 OHP day with a missed 130 single...I came back and smoked it for a triple a month later, but the miss was looming in my head. Even worse, I couldn't get into the CRWC because I'm not taking classes this summer, and am not really interested in paying for two gym memberships...Anyways...drove over to 319, grabbed myself the biggest coffee I could on the way...I slammed it and cut my warm up short. 100 and 115 both felt fine, but I was afraid of totally missing 130...My mind was everywhere..I had already started thinking about what I was going to write in my log once I missed the lift....I calmed myself down. Cleared my head. And just waited till I was ready. Once my fingers touched the bar I flipped the switch, and hit a PR...


I cut my session short for the above reasons. I hit a PR on a day I knew I was pushing my limits anyways. Also I'm at work till 1:30 am....


I learned two important things from this session a) I need to learn when to back off and trust my program b) how much of this sport is mental...this amazes me again and again.

If you're pulling 290x8, your max is well above 315. 1RM calculators aren't perfect, but the one in my head says you're a mid-300s deadlifter.

Dear diary.

Chris Anderson wrote:

Dear diary.

 Keeps me sane.

7/1/2013
Squat
290
Warm up
95x5
135x3 no mirror=no balance
165x2
Wraps on
185x1
205x3
Belt on
230x3 bar speed was hot
260x3 did 4. Left 1-2 in tank. Cue: Knees.... Really focused on knees out and pushing as hard as I could with the outside of my heel. I felt like this helped a lot instead of just thinking of pushing through heels focus on pushing on the outside of your shoe at the heel--New Cue

Stiff legged deads
160x6 190x6 225x6 Felt much better and also fixed the stupid bar balance issue
Squeeze work
Hamstrings 80 3x12
Back raises 2x15 bw 2x15 quarter plus band
Abs leg raises 3x12

Relearning how to straight bar squat...Went to tuck my neck and avoid staring into mirror. When I did this I about fell over when I descended into the hole. Used the mirror as a crutch for this session because I didn’t have anyone to spot me. Try to change schedule so you are squatting on days you meet up with Brian so you can learn to squat again without using the mirror.

Bar speed is starting to consistently feel good. I see zero reason to quit max effort jumping.

Kept the wraps off until I felt pain in wrist. My plan was to try and work up to my working sets without the wraps but after 165 it started to tweak. Zero bicep pain tho!

My walkouts still suck….

Question, is it silly to do really heavy walkouts (heavier than what you probably can squat) just for practice? Or even just practice walking out your heavy set multiple times? I feel like people do this? Maybe?

Allprocro wrote:

7
Question, is it silly to do really heavy walkouts (heavier than what you probably can squat) just for practice? Or even just practice walking out your heavy set multiple times? I feel like people do this? Maybe?

Before my last meet, I geared up and walked my third squat attempt (405 which would be a reasonable PR) just to feel the weight on my back. I was fortunate enough to feel that the weight was much lighter than I expected. This gave me a tremendous amount of confidence during the meet. However, some people have the opposite effect and feel that the weight is overwhelming and it messes with their head.

Louie Simmons has this idea called the future method in which the lifter does something with weight that is much heavier than he/she can handle. In doing so, the lifter becomes used to the feeling of the weight and becomes more comfortable with it. It also is used for some prehab work too.

Take these for what they are worth. Walking out the weight can fill you with loads of confidence but it can also fill you with tremendous doubt.

Some people do heavy walkouts as a mental thing as well as some isometric work. It's not a terrible idea, but you'll be better served by working on it every rep regardless of bar weight. Try to shorten the walkout and have the same amount of steps each time (four at the most, three is even better). Keep your tightness and stay in a good starting position throughout the entire walkout.

Chris Anderson wrote:

Try to shorten the walkout and have the same amount of steps each time (four at the most, three is even better). Keep your tightness and stay in a good starting position throughout the entire walkout.

*bump* three is a good amount. first step back is your depth, second step goes as deep as the first step and is wide, third step sets the width. if you are really uncomfortable with the weight, just go slow and take baby steps.

7/2/13
Bench
180
barxbunch
65x5
95x3
105x1
115x1
125x3
145x3
165x3 did 3. 2 second pause. Didn't do more because I wanted to take a swing at 185.
185x1 2 second pause. Easy off the chest weaker at top but overall felt good. This seems like it would be on the conservative end for an opener. I think continuing plyo work during your week off before the mock meet would be a really good idea. Obviously I'm not going to have any stellar strength gains between now and the middle of the month. Being as fast off the chest as possible to finish the lift sounds like the best way to squeeze every pound I have out.
Incline
115x6 125x6 135x6
Squeeze work
Lats pulldowns 110x2x15 1x10
Face Pulls 60x15x3
Super set
Curls and pushdowns

Everything I write is long, sorry…

For my test day/mock meet I want to hit numbers that are equal to or greater than 110% of my current training maxes.
To do that I’d have to:
Squat 319
Bench 198
Deadlift 352

Given that these are 110% of my highest training maxes ever, I have not even gotten close to any of these lifts. So a lot of my attempts will be a) way higher than anything I’ve ever lifted and b) guesses based off a one rep max calculator

Squat
I’ve hit 265x4 and 260x4 with the 260 being most recent and I had what I considered to be a enough in the tank for one more for sure, potentially two. This puts my squat as per the calculator somewhere in the 300 range, and if I am right about having some gas in the tank on my 260x4 maybe a tad higher. I have a 275 squat on this coming cycle for a single. Depending on how that goes I might just use that as my “opener” or might even bump it up a bit to something like 280-285 if 275 feels good this week. The chances of 320 happening are probably slim. Outside shot at 315?

Bench
After my triples today I bumped the weight up and hit 185 for an easy single but didn’t go for anything more as I was already doing more than my program called for. I did this for my deadlift also, as to eliminate some of the guesswork. I think I’ll “open” at 185, and I think I have pretty good shot at 200.

Deadlift
Even after going beyond my training max to hit a single I have zero idea where my deadlift will end up. I know I can pull 315, but I felt like I could have pulled that all day. My rep PR is 290 for 8, and 295 for 6. I’m going to “open” with a 315, and just go from there. I’m really curious where this will end up. 350 would be awesome here, and I feel like I will have it.

The top end. I squat 315, pull 375, and bench 210. I total 900, and 1000 before February looks very doable.

The low end. I pull under 350. Don’t squat 300. Can’t get past a 185 bench. So like an 800 total, and 1000 before February looks not so doable at all.

Your guess is as good as mine.

Regardless of the outcome, 1000 is very, very attainable by next Feb. Have a good time, but don't put too much pressure on yourself.

7/3/13
Cycle 9 Week 3
320

Warm ups

Belt
240x5
275x3 hips coming up
305x1 stayed at a single to pull a little more
325x1
345x1

Today is the last day I'll train my deadlift before my mock meet. I decided to go ahead and see how far I could go without overdoing it. I felt myself come coming forward on 325 which I recovered from, and on 345 I was ripping skin from my shins making sure it didn't happen again. The reps were smooth. Didn't feel like I hit a limit. 350 is going to happen. Do I have 375?


Big breaths and utilization of the belt seem really helpful. I really felt like I was taking advantage of the belt on these heavier singles. The hips came up on 305, but on 325 and 345 it felt better.

I was squeezing the shit out of the bar as to avoid another bicep blip. My wrist was tender after 245 but it went away. Low back felt fine.

Broceidon wrote:

Chris Anderson wrote:

Try to shorten the walkout and have the same amount of steps each time (four at the most, three is even better). Keep your tightness and stay in a good starting position throughout the entire walkout.

*bump* three is a good amount. first step back is your depth, second step goes as deep as the first step and is wide, third step sets the width. if you are really uncomfortable with the weight, just go slow and take baby steps.

I try to limit myself to three but end up doing the Ben Rice shake. Where I wiggle my feet around to find a good position.

7/6/13
Today I was suppose to OHP, but I didn't fell like it. I needed today to be a nut-up and do something day. So I decided to squat, and planned to up the weight past what my program called for.
Squat
290
barxabunch
135x5
155x3
185x1
205x1
Belt/Brian Spotting
215x5
245x3 Chest Chest Chest..Chest dropped/fell forward on 3rd rep but gutted it out.
275x1 My plan was not to do an AMAP because I wanted to hit a joker set or two...Brian was not aware of this, and when I looked like I was about to walk it in he screamed at me to go down again...So I did a double...We suck....
Joker Sets
295x1 This looked smooth. The three of us all agreed why not take a shot at 315
315x0 got out of the hole. Chest fell, could not recover. Brian spotted it up. I felt way too slow on my descent into the hole. My walkouts feel really good in comparison to how they have in the past. Didn't hit the cage, NOT EVEN ONCE! I'm happy I know what 315 feels like on my back.
Hamstring curls 80x4x12
Stiff legs 135x5 185x5 185x5
Back raises 3x15 with oj band and quarter
Leg raises 3x12
So I have a decent idea of what my attempts will look like next Saturday. I'm tempted to shut it down till Saturday. I might bench or OHP tomorrow, not sure.
Knees are looking much better as I have really been stressing that during my lifts. Chest=cue point.

7/8/13
Last bench session before mock meet. Last day moving any significant weight.
Bench
180
135x5
155x3
170x1-Thought about joker sets after this or even doing an AMAP like I should. I decided to just hit this for a clean/easy single for confidence sake.
Incline
95x5
105x5
115x5
125x5
135x5
Squeeze work
Arms-superset curls and pushdowns